Storytime

When I garden I tend to have an idea of what I'm trying to achieve. Yes I still put something in the ground because there is a vacant spot or because I have a plant that has to be in NOW but these days I'm trying to see the bigger picture. I have a plan in mind, a picture of what I want the end result to look like. When I planted these box cuttings, the idea was a hedge, however where the fuchsia is at the end, that is a gap where one plant died. On the other side is a very very healthy box plant. I could have planted another plant, but  I went with the flow. I clip the hedge and I'm building up the lone box to hopefully do a bit of topiary, basic mind you, on it. But there was a general idea, an image in my head of what the overall picture would be like and I work towards it. Gardening is a very personal thing, everyone has their own view of what makes a good garden. For some it's low maintenance, others like straight lines and formal regiments of plants...

We recently had the school holiday program at work- not that the holidays are in any way over, just the week we have programs is done and dusted. Sigh of relief. My Thursday theme was Jungles----I dressed up (naturally) as Vicki, Jungle explorer. Imagine if you will leopard print, a snake skin belt and a gardening hat with more animal print dangling from the brim. I also had my bag full of animals and a net (amazing what a desperate woman, a paper tube, a circular cross-stitch hoop and some bird netting will produce). The net was because I was hunting for George, my missing monkey. The kids, of course, got right into it. I went around sneaking up on various children, thinking they were poor missing George, netting them only to find they weren't a monkey at all. Amongst this fun and games, I created some silhouettes to see how easily the children could tell the jungle animals apart.  We started with a person... easy to identify.  Then we moved onto a lion, then an el...

My week relaxing has been and gone..and now it's back to the routine. Which is good. Don't get me wrong...I'm a list kinda girl. My desk is not complete without my TO DO list on top of the open diary. It keeps me on track- reminds me of that doctor's appointment- that this week is the green garden bin pick up and therefore something has to be in it. It also makes me write. Yep, on a Wednesday (designated day off and writing day)....I have a few, notice a few, writing goals. Perhaps goals is not the right word - perhaps ambitions...aims....things to hopefully accomplish. Sometimes as generic as 'poem.' Other times it is more deliberate 'second draft of Harem short story.' And most days I do cross most ... all ... some ...a few of my 'to do' items off that list. Just wish I could use my days more wisely. If  I was a lark I could get up those few hours earlier---you know, just like all the writing books recommend. However I a...

We have a display at work, all about new year, new beginnings. Everything from weight loss to healthy eating, cookbooks and get fit quick books, quit smoking books to meditation. And of course they are being picked up...there is something about a new fresh year, full of promise that makes people decide 'yep this year I will definitely....' I mean let's see, there is 365 brand new days waiting to be....ooops...today is the 7th so already I have wasted 7 whole days doing nothing...so now I have 358 days to do all that I want to do... Time is ticking away....precious seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks and before we know it months will have slipped past and I'll still be here trying to decide what exactly I want to focus on this year. It is a new year, there are still 358 days to accomplish things in. Just exactly what those 'things' will be is still a mystery. At least for the moment. Do like this writer's clock...at the moment it is revise ...

Hard to believe, but another year is about to close it's door. Sometimes I must admit to being very unaware to what I have done, where the days, weeks, months have gone. Surely it was just yesterday we were celebrating an engagement at our place.... same daughter went on to do the Oxfam walk....100kms....amazing! And we were a part of the support crew---very inspirational (although won't be doing that any time soon). This year also saw rollerskating birthday parties...taking other half to Veu de Monde....watching Wuthering Heights at Rippon Lea as the bats whirled overhead....saw some live events .....this year included Le Mis and Rocky Horror....going to Grandparent Day at Kinder and Little Miss staying over for a night or two. It was the year we took Dad to the Brown Brother's Patricia lunch... the year we drove to South Australia for two days, to the Barossa Valley for a few wine barrels and some port.... The year my sister bought a h...

Honestly, I don't know how it is Christmas once again. As my other half says, it seems like only last week we were searching the shed for the tree stand...and here we are, once again dusting the stand off for our tree. Christmas Eve, and the stockings are hung awaiting a visit from Santa. The tree is decked, with presents lying innocently beneath.  Although these days, only two of us (oops and of course Tigger the wonder cat) are home. And Tigger has her own stocking, patiently waiting for a gift or two. Hopefully she's been a good cat this year. It's definitely not the same without children at home. When they were younger there was always that mad sense of excitement, the battle of getting them to sleep at some decent time. The cookies and glass of milk, that very quickly turned into a glass of port, left out for Santa. The carrots for the reindeer. When the children were school age we created a new tradition. They were to plan and cook the Chrismas Eve...

We had a busy weekend recently. Most of this involved grand-parenting duties---there was berry picking and Christmas tree purchasing-----tree decorating and flower picking.....flower arranging (in shot glasses)...and going to the park for some swings, some slides, some climbing and monkeying around....and of course...hand stands. That was just Saturday. On Sunday we took Young Miss to Other Half's Work Family Christmas event---at Luna Park. It was her first time there and she had seen videos of the rides (wonders of youtube) and knew which ones she wanted to go on and which she considered too scary. That is of course until she got there. She began sedately----a ride on the flying elephants....then a ride on the dragon roller coaster. Courage was gained and she went on the ghost train (bit scary with those skeletons)- bit of a breather for a visit to see Santa and receive a show bag of goodies- then onto the merry go round (while Grandpa went on a scary ride)....