And the birthdays keep coming!

No sooner had my stepson turned 18 and I was hot on his heels.   So yesterday yes, another year clocked over for me.   I spent a pretty low key day and a few nice suprises, not to mention this...

Trust me, flowers are a rare occurrence around here, so this was a big surprise.  Mike had gone over to the next town to do a few things and I heard him come home and when I walked into the kitchen I got this lovely bouquet full of pink gerberas and other pretty flowers.

Because I couldn't trust myself this year, not with my strict exercise/eating regime, to have a birthday cake (and not eat the rest of it myself!!!) I suggested perhaps two dessert cakes from the bakery for each of us to have after dinner.  I still got to blow out a candle and make a wish.  I still had something sweet and delicious and measured (although after one bite I knew there must have been a million calories in it!).   Absolutely scrumptious orange, almond baby cake.  

Dare I say I should have wished it didn't have a million calories!

So it struck me as a great idea for a scrapbook page yesterday, which I finished off this afternoon, was to list 48 things that I love right now at age 48.   Well I tell you, it's harder than it looks to make a list.  I struggled to start with.  But then as the list went on I kept thinking of more and more things I love right now and it made me be thankful for them all over again.  Even if you don't scrapbook, even if you just journal, even if you just want to do the exercise, it's a very worthy exercise.   So here's the scrapbook page and yes even the photograph was taken yesterday ...

Credits Designer Digitals.

And if you want to read the journalling and can't quite make it out, here it is (funny it's in no particular order, but chocolate made the number 1 spot!!):

white chocolate * exercising * Molly, Lucky and Bo * being married to Mike and knowing he'll never give up on me * our life in mortlake and the country closeness I enjoy * finally getting the bathroom up to speed * learning to run * losing weight and seeing the number on the scales going down * digital scrapbooking * being on the amazing team at Designer Digitals * that the children are all now young adults * loving the kids * that my relationship with mum is much better * clothes shopping * fitting into clothes I had long since forgotten is fun * Michelle Bridges and 12wbt changing my life * anticipation of my trip to Sydney with new friends from 12wbt and the possibility of meeting the amazing Michelle * penang chicken for dinner my favourite * the colour red * punjabi chai tea made in a teapot * knitting in the round * my Canon 60D and taking photographs * watching Lucky dream when his little body twitches * that we are now into Spring and the garden is coming alive with colour * blossom on the trees in the backyard * my (somewhat local) digiscrap buddies Esther and Jenelle * peace * my best friend forever Sonia * a glass of cold thirst-quenching water * going to the gym and knowing I've had a good work out * walking a few blocks from our house and seeing countryside stretch out for miles * the sounds of the nearby cows mooing and the sound drifting on the breeze at night * marshmallow MOR perfume * standing in the driveway and seeing the sky blanketed by stars * being able to finally say no and stand by my decision (I've been such a yes girl all my life) * the internet and connecting with my friends * my eternity ring that Mike gave me last year which I adore * that I finally feel deserving of the good things that the universe is giving me * when Molly comes up to me and puts her head in my lap and just looks at me, I melt * that I haven't caught a cold all year * the digi show podcast * my new bright emerald green coat * long hot showers * that I'm not afraid to cry * AROHO * sharing with Sonia our continued weight loss and encouragement and feeling fantastic about it * strawberry fruche * the fact that I am now 48 and am healthy and happy and alive.

Can we say procrastination?

I might not have said it, but I sure did a lot of it today.  I'm meant to be washing/sugar soaping the bathroom, toilet and laundry walls, getting ready for painting.  Hmmm, nope.  Didn't do that at all today.   I looked at the cans of paint I have bought in the garage a couple of times, and then busied myself with other things.  It was meant to be one of the main things I was going to be doing on my 2 weeks off work, and here we are into the second week already.  At least I've bought the paint and brushes and roller, right?  I guess it's not going to do itself.

Mike is having his last night "in the chair" at Masons tonight.  It's been a long year but a quick year.  He's done a lot of different things this year, the big open day where the Grand Poobah came down for it, the Scottish night, inviting all the local widows to the Christmas party, the Christmas Parade, lots of other things too.  I'm really proud of him, he's given it a red hot go.  But like many other similar type clubs, new members are not coming out of the woodwork and it's been an uphill battle.  

So today I cooked up a storm as there were going to be quite a few visitors tonight, being his last night in charge.  Hard to believe I've never done this before, but I actually made 60 sausage rolls and they were easier than I thought, and very tasty.   Then I made a very yummy slice (I only tested the crumbs, truly!)  I really enjoy the Exclusively Food website.  And in particular I made the Oat, Sultana and Choc Chip Slice and wonder of wonders it turned out exactly like the photograph.  Got to love a recipe that uses minimal dishes, turns out like the photograph and doesn't need icing!   Then I loaded him up with two big platters of sandwiches as well.   I may end up needing to duck out shortly to go pick him up if he has a few drinks, nothing like driving through town in my pjs!

Youngest stepson is 18 today.  Gosh, where have those years gone.  That means he was only about 7 when I first met him.  Wow.    I remember at our wedding and he was one of the "best men", all he wanted to do was wear a tuxedo and by the end of the day the rose he had on his lapel was merely just a stem, all the petals and leaves had either fallen off or been torn off in play.  I remember lots of random things over the years.  I remember he loved sleeping on my couch, even when he got too tall for it, he said it was really comfy.  He is so amazingly good to the animals, he would make a fantastic vet, although he has always wanted to be an accountant since he was a little boy, I wonder if the accountants out there realised they had super hero status in a little boy's eyes.  Even at this age he still gives his dad a hug and he doesn't mind if I kiss him goodnight if he stays here.  So as the last of the children slip into adulthood, I know Mike and I are so very proud of each of them.

Okay well that's it from me.  Mike is still not home so I dare say they are having a lovely time.  Must stay awake in case I need to do the midnight run to go get him!

A week just flew by

Anyone notice how quickly that went?  I'm on holidays from work for two weeks and one week has just gone whoosh.  Hmm what have I been up to this last week?

I've done a bit of scrapping, a bit of knitting, a bit of shopping, oh okay a lot of shopping!

I've bought paint ready for next week to start painting the bathroom, laundry and toilet.  I have all the disposable shower caps ready that I've nicked from various motel stays, they come in very handy when painting a ceiling, don't you know?

I've also done a lot of exercise, met up with a new friend and worked out at her gym.   I have actually gotten to the stage now, one of my goals, to running 1km on the treadmill without stopping.  Such a huge accomplishment for me.   I've now lost 16.5 kg and I dare say the running is probably getting easier with each kg that disappears.  But yes, running is one of my goals.  I've never hit the 1km mark before without run/walk/run the whole way.  So it was a huge achievement.

I went to Geelong last Friday on the train, decided I couldn't be bothered driving and took the train there and back.  So relaxing, it still gave me a good 5-6 hours to wander, lunch, shop.  I spent way too much money at the wool shop, there's a great wool shop in Ryrie Street, but I now have yarn ready for my next three projects, all Christmas gifts.

Speaking of Christmas, it was with a shock horror that I saw they were setting up the Christmas Shop in Myer!!!!!!  Come on Mr. Myer, it's the start of September for goodness sake.  No one, and I mean NO ONE is yet putting up their Christmas tree and need to buy decorations yet, I assure you.

In scrapping I've made a double page layout from some of the random photos I took at the Robbie Burns Festival from a few weeks back.   Or "Rabbie Burns" as the ol' bard was affectionately known.

Credits Designer Digitals.

Enjoy your week.  Wish me luck with the painting!

Father's Day

Sunday is nearly finished, Father's Day has passed by for another year.  

Mike has had a lovely day, although I ended up getting breakfast in bed, I don't know how I wrangled that one, but I did.  He received a lovely big Toblerone from the menagerie, how clever they were shopping for him!  

Brittany and Tristan came out for a late lunch, being that Mr. T had to work until lunchtime, so we had a yummy lunch of leek & potato soup and savoury scones.  Definitely not on the 12wbt menu, but probably not too bad.  A great recipe from my dear friend Tanya's mum, who I made the cookbook for last year.  Mr. T certainly thought the scones were a bit of okay seeings he polished off 5 in one sitting!  

I love watching Mike interact with the kids.  He's a terrific father.  And it's a new chapter of all their lives as the kids are young adults now, so the relationships have slightly shifted, but in a good way.  

I thought of my dad a lot today too.  I know that he's with me always, if not in spirit, always in my heart.  This photo is from a life time ago.   I was bridesmaid at a friend's wedding, please don't think I always have my hair in plaits and flowers like Heidi !  Mum and dad were invited to the wedding also.  And someone somewhere snapped this photo.  I love it.  No one could quite wear a tan suit like my dad!

Aaaaarrggh Robbie Burns

That title was meant to be read in a Scottish accent, doesn't quite come through when you write it!

We went to the Robbie Burns festival at Camperdown over the weekend.   It was fun.  A little disjointed with the venues, and to be honest if you drove through Camperdown you would probably have kept driving, you wouldn't have known anything was on.  But it's an event to definitely be built on.

Now for those that don't know Robbie Burns, Wikipedia says:

Robert Burns was a Scottish poet and a lyricist. He is widely regarded as the national poet of Scotland, and is celebrated worldwide.

And if you still aren't sure who he is, he actually wrote Auld Lang Syne.  In any case there were kilts flying for sure, and Camperdown definitely put on some Scottish weather over the weekend.

Saturday night we went to the Ceilidh.  The event organisers put it on for free, which was quite remarkable and it was so much fun, a packed house.  Everyone was up dancing all night, the caller did an amazing job teaching us the intracacies of movement.  I just went by the old adage if I kept moving it looked like I knew what I was doing.  I think I put a few knee caps out as well!  Mike's dad and partner came also and okay they put us to shame.  Mike's dad is in his 70's and he did not sit down for one dance.  We were knackered to put it bluntly and had to have a rest between dances.  Oh the shame, to be outdone by a 73 year old!

What a great work out though.

Then on the Sunday we went back and had a look through the market, I bought a secret booklet (to be put away from the menagerie to Mike for father's day) on the history of bagpipes.  We went to the council chambers and checked out the statute of the famous Robbie Burns that we were there to pay homage to.

And we climbed the clock tower which was actually pretty cool.  What a view from the top.  Wow.  What a climb too, on very narrow stairs.  The clock bells chimed the half hour while we were up there, which was quite neat.  Funny though, we decided it was easier to climb down the stairs backwards as if going down a ladder and there was quite a gathering at the bottom ready to make the climb up.   Mike was leading the way, and only when I yelled down below "hey Mike, look you've drawn a crowd, they're looking up your kilt" did he try to protect his modesty on the last flight of stairs and cover himself! ha.

Then the grand finale concert with the Melbourne Scottish Fiddle Club and the Warrnambool Pipe Band.

A couple of photos of us from the weekend.   The rest will go into a scrap page.   I really don't know why I thought I should stand like a tea pot.   I will entitle this photograph "Shag on a Rock" !   Oh and those camera lovers amongst us may recognise my Ginger camera bag, a la ephiphanie.

And really, he does need to take lessons on how to sit in a kilt, doesn't he?  This will just never do.

So I'm just going to get through this week at work then I have two glorious weeks off, yahoooo!  Four more days to go.

I didn't fall off the end of the earth!

I'm still here.  Just been working hard and not blogging, hmmmm.

First off to answer Lynn's comment in the last post, I LOOOOOVED the movie the Sapphires.  Probably one of the best movies I've seen for a long time.   I liked that it wasn't the cliche Aussie movie, because honestly we do have the biggest cringe factor in some local movies.  But it was great.  So ... do yourself a favour!!

Apart from that it's been a race to the finish line in the 12wbt program.   The round is over.   And my end result was 10.9 kg loss (or weight I've donated to the universe!!) during the 12 weeks, and if I count the 4 week pre-season a whopping 15.2 kg gone, never to be found again.  That's 33 pounds.  Yippee.

I'm feeling great but know I've still got work to do.  I've signed up for the next round and hope to keep the momentum up.  

On the scrapping front...

I know I like to consider myself as the resident photograph taker of the family, but every now and then Mike gets a pearler.  This photograph of the Port Fairy Lighthouse was from a few years ago.   Mike's cousin Eleanor from Scotland was visiting and on one of the days he was taking her for a visit around the local coastline and and this was one of the photos.  I knew one day I would scrap it, there's something about the spray of water and the red door, just loved the photograph.

So this was the end result.  We make a good team Mike and I !!

Credits Designer Digitals.


So the weather this weekend looks wild.   The forecast is 90% chance of rain.   So we've got to hope we're in the other 10% because we have plans of popping over to the Robbie Burns Festival over in Camperdown.  Near enough to pop over and back during the weekend, so that's a good thing.  But please don't let it rain!!   :-(

So do cross fingers for me won't you?

Weekend over too soon

We had an absolutely terrific night last night.   Eldest step daughter and boyfriend came for dinner and any semblance of healthy cooking went by the wayside and I made roast pork with all the trimmings and apple crumble and icecream for dessert.  We had such a great night, finally one on one time with Miss T's boyfriend, which we haven't really had before. 

Who knew that this body pierced tattoed young man would have so much in common with Mike.   They sat there talking about history and Egypt and camping and gold detecting and gemstones, all the while Tab and I just rolled our eyes and wondered who was sleeping with who in Hollywood! 

Mike was in his element, finally getting to know this young man that has his daughter's heart.   It's such a different dynamic dealing with the kids as they enter adulthood.  A different dynamic and a GREAT dynamic.   We are both really enjoying the adults the four kids are becoming as they are making their way in the world.   

I mentioned in the last post about my posse (a la Sex and the City).   It got me to thinking about the four of us girls and comparing us to Carrie, Samantha, Miranda and Charlotte and this is the page that I created today.  Such a lot of fun.  

Credits Designer Digitals.

Well I'm just waiting for Mike to get home and then the leftover vegetables are going to become Bubble & Squeak for him.  I have a soup from one of my freeze ups to thaw out.  Perfect Sunday night fixings.