How Grandad Did His Dash

This landed in my inbox this morning - one can't go past a good bit of Australian Bush Poetry.

For non-Australian's reading, a dunny is old Australian slang for an outside toilet or outhouse, in this case, one without plumbing - a deep hole dug in the ground (around 6-8ft deep, or perhaps deeper); with the toilet structure placed over the top. When one finished one's business, dirt or sand would be sprinkled down the hole to help keep the flies and smell at bay - a bucket would be left beside the toilet (along side the paper!) full of sand for this purpose.

Without further ado:

Poor old Grandpa's passed away, cut off in his prime,
He never had a day off crook - gone before his time,
We found him in the dunny, collapsed there on the seat,
A startled look upon his face, his trousers around his feet,
The doctor said his heart was good - fit as any trout,
The Constable he had his say, 'foul play' was not ruled out.

There were theories at the inquest of snakebite without trace,
Of redbacks quietly creeping and death from outer space,
No-one had a clue at all - the judge was in some doubt,
When Dad was called to have his say as to how it came about,

”I reckon I can clear it up,” said Dad with trembling breath,
'You see it's quite a story - but it could explain his death.'
'This here exploration mob had been looking at our soil,
And they reckoned that our farm was just the place for oil,

So they came and put a bore down and said they'd make some trials,
They drilled a hole as deep as hell, they said about three miles.
Well, they never found a trace of oil and off they went, post haste,
And I couldn't see a hole like that go to flamin' waste,
So I moved the dunny over it - real smart move I thought,

I'd never have to dig again - I'd never be 'caught short'.
The day I moved the dunny, it looked a proper sight,
But I didn't dream poor Grandpa would pass away that night,
Now I reckon what has happened - poor Grandpa didn't know,

The dunny was re-located when that night he had to go.
And you'll probably be wondering how poor Grandpa did his dash--
Well, he always used to hold his breath
Until he heard the splash!!

Nothing like a bit of class to kick the week along! ;-)

At Four

Here's my take on the sketch challenage set by Nicole last week. I've dived back into the pile of "old" photographs - I'm up to 2007! I've a plan to push through these a little quicker and be able to scrap more recent shots. Good thing I keep a note book and scribble down things that we get up to and what the kids are doing.

Sorry for the crappy photo. Wierd weather here - overcast day = bad lighting!

Used AC chipboard thickers (a nice new packet!) and some Basic Grey papers (that I had for another project that I've decided not to do) , and a tiny bit of swiss dotted Bazzil. I have a draw full of patterned papers, but its the same old story - nothing ever takes my fancy. I think I need to have a clean out and get some new, fresh paper. And win gold lotto perhaps?!

I think Ali E had a post about lightening the load? I think I should do that - one can never had too much cardstock, but keep less patterned paper stockpiled so new, fresh stuff can be purchased without guilt, when the small paper stash is diminished.

The journalling is nothing profound, just a list of things that Kate was doing and liked when she turned four, that I had written down at the time.

I also found, written at the same time, a plea for more sleep, and then a week later, a tenative note that maybe, just maybe, my boy was starting to sleep through the night. Its hard to believe that baby is nearly three, and that four year old in the picture above is now in Grade 1!

How things change in two short years!

What hasn't changed is the c-c-c-cold here.... need to get myself under a warm shower, in some flannelette jarmies, and into bed. Got some cattle work to do tomorrow, so hopefully I will have some photos to share of the kids and me on our horses (I plan to take the camera this time!).

Still here

I'm still here, alive and kicking. A little overwhelmed with what I should be doing, and what isn't getting done! I guess it's always like that in my world, it's just how much I stress about it on a daily basis that differs (sometimes I care, sometimes I just don't and go and look at my flowers - or go blog hopping!)

It has been and will be such a busy week... on Saturday the kids and I drove 2 hours to a Field Day at a neighbouring town, where Trevor had our concrete troughs on display. We caught up with some friends, I priced some new fancy-schmancy lawn mowers, and bought some plants. And icecreams for the kids. By crikey, for a mid-winter's day, it was WARM. Should have realised, happens every year!

On Monday and friend and I drove to the city and back (a four hour drive just to GET there) and ran around madly spending the funding money our P & C had been granted. Also managed to get a couple of things for myself that had been on the shopping list for awhile (like a new toilet seat!), plus a few things that weren't! ....like gorgeous DCWV "butterflies & blossums" paper that I have been drooling over for awhile, but I discovered $10 cheaper at Big W than anywhere else I'd seen it online.

This is what happen when a country living woman goes to the BIG town: she often gets things that she doesn't necessarily need right now, just because its there NOW and won't be when she gets back to town or its on sale at the time. And sometimes you might even buy multiple of a certain item, because you know, sure as eggs, if its PERFECT, you'll never see it again in six months time when you get to that shop again.

Anyhow, that was a loooong day, got home at 10:30pm after getting up at 4:30 that morning!]

This afternoon we have a little birthday smoko for my neice's 2nd birthday - only a 20 minute/30km drive this time!

Friday the kids have a day out at another school an hours drive away, so I am taking Kate + another little girl there, and continuing on to the bigger town another hours drive on, to do my grocery shopping. There was no room in the car on Monday to get any groceries, so seeing as I am half way there dropping the kids off, I might as well keep going!

On Saturday we are all off to my parent's place, to which a road-train of our steers will be journeying to on Friday afternoon. We have to walk them out to their paddock on Saturday morning, so the kids and I will get a ride on our horses.

After that - thank goodness its school holidays! I think we will all appreciate a sleep in on Sunday!

I'll leave you with this cute project I found somewhere online - isn't it cute? So easily doable, if one wasn't driving around the countryside all week!

I'm not sure how the dotted line behind the butterfly is done on this, whether by pen or stitched, but it's not even enough for my liking. I have a couple of square frames that I could do this to, for the girls room... again, only if I take a dislike to sleeping.

Which won't ever happen!

And this idea below is cute and simple too! Involves some work with a craft knife and working out the right placement of the shapes - but as long as they all touch, and the bottom of them touches the centre fold, she's sweet. Great place card idea! I must try this one day - though what for I'm not sure!

Here's a challenge for you: I want a name for my {non-existant at the moment} photography "business"... I would love to take photos for other people on a more "professional" basis, but right now it's unlikely to go far - but first things first - I need a catchy, appropriate name! Lots of people use their own names, but I really don't think my name has much of an out of the ordinary ring about it!

Put your thinking caps on ladies...I should offer a prize - I tell you what - if I ever get the camera straps that are in my head MADE, the name I like best will get one....I hope you won't mind waiting (especially since my sewing machine is staging a revolt and refusing to work!)

I'll be back with some photos one day, maybe after the weekend (I'll take my camera on the horse this time - the LITTLE one, not my precious DSLR!)

First Page

Actually, I'm not sure this was my very very first page, but it was amongst them. I was inspired to share this after reading the new blog Write.Click. Scrapbook, where they were sharing their first pages.

(sorry for the crappy photo, too lazy to take it out of the protetor!)

This page features my first daughter, some painstakingly cut out circles, an even fiddler green frame . I only had one sheet of green card, and so had to cut out the centre of the frame to use elsewhere, and so it turned into a floating frame instead of a mat. And those ladybugs? They're red, so I guess they go...This page makes me laugh when I see it, but I still like it. It represents when I first found this hobby and how much fun I was having doing it.

I recently took all of my completed "family" pages and put them in a new ring binder album. Now I wish I hadn't, cause now (duh) the new album is full! So I think I'll squeeze them all back into the old post bound and call it a day! I was going to organise the layouts by catergory and add to them in the future, but I might just date the album and start afresh.

One thing I did notice - I never thought I had a style, I tend to use other layouts I have bookmarked, as a starting point or inspiration.

But, you know what, even doing that, and right from the very start, I think I have always been a simple scrapper!

WOW!

A Fishy Tale

Warning: long and poorly crafted post that is heavy on photos!

Last Saturday we went fishing, to a special secret fishing hole not far from home. Man, the amount of prepararation that went into this one-day fishing trip! (not by me! men are crazy).

Anyhow, we left home around 10am, and drove off into the wilderness.

The road was much rougher than this, but I was otherwise occupied at the time, hanging on and telling my husband to drive further away from car eating ravines and washouts. {a loooong way to be walking for help!} When we FINALLY got there {are we theeere yet?} it was time for smoko, and then - more preparation.

Who'd want to go fishing? There's so much to do BEFORE hand!

This is my father in law, busy "preparing". As is my husband in the background.

It was a family outing - parents in law, as well as brother in law, with his wife and daughter.

Obviously there was no toilet out in the bush, but there was no shortage of trees or rocks to wander off behind when nature called.

Here's my sister in law and neice, returning from a wee walk! {hint - don't go pants-less in spear grass country!}

Here are the kids looking at the first fish caught. It was terribly exciting. Didn't last long, the excitement. Fishing is a sport that requires patience. The kids went off and dug holes and tried to work out how they could get away with falling in "accidentally".

Spectacular fishing hole - look at those huge rocks! And deeep water. A couple of kids reeeally wanted to peer over that rock there beside grandad. They were firmly restrained. That water looked way too chilly to be jumping into!

Notice where Grandad is sitting on the big rock above. Check it out below, from a little way downstream. And see that big rock on the left in the background? The river does a bend behind it and the waterhole continues kilometres upstream.

After lunch Granny gave into the four pleading children to "go swimming" and took them to the shallows for a paddle. The noise they made chased all of the fish upstream, and we caught a heap! (even me, I think I got two!)

I have to report, with pleasure, that between the two lines being manned by me, my s-i-l and f-i-l, we caught more fish than my husband and his brother. They hightailed it away upstream by themselves (so much for family time!) but in their solitude and quiet, didn't get as many as us! (HAH!)

I think Suzi is worried that her fish isn't fat enough. Suzi is a bit of a pro at this fishing business. I'm better at capturing images, myself! (btw: this is my favourite image of the day)

Angus isn't too sure about this fish business either! He prefers cows. I have to say I'm with him on all counts - especially when it comes to the cooking of them. Cannot stand the smell of cooking fish.

About 4pm we'd had enough so had smoko, discussed the ones that had gotten away (Trevor and Colin had some BIG ones apparently! ahem) and packed up the huge amount of equipment that was necessary for our day out. It was dark, and very chilly when we got home, and I was quite pleased to have a warm shower and get to bed. Trevor cooked and ate some of his fish (stuffed one with frozen mango -tells me that it was good).

The girls told me that it was a "bewd-iful" day out. They really had fun, and want to go back and camp. I have to say I'm not so keen when the weather is so..fresh!

Hmmm...

In the mail today came my 6x8 prints from Harvey.

I have to say..I'm a little dissapointed.

The colour and print quality great, its just that some of the photos have not fitted on the page, if you understand? Say like I had an 8x10 and decided to chop it down to a 6x8 by hand - well that's what I have ended up with.

Some of the shots I have edited and cropped to 6x8 in PSE, the others I had uploaded "as is" (editing wasn't required). And some of them have the bottom 2cm's all funny - but that could be an error in the upload process, as its sort of pixelated and funny.

Can anyone help me with this? Is this going to happen when and if I order 4x6's? (I take all photos on the maximum size on my camera).

Is there some special ratio setting on my cameras that I need to set? I have a Canon 400D and a little Panasonic Lumix point and shoot.

Any advice would be gratefully received!

I'm still going to use them - don't need to waste my money, its just they are not as nice as I had hoped that they would be!

Also some other happy mail - 2 new D-ring albums for the girls, some thickers I found on sale, and some KRAFT cardstock! From Scapbook Savvy, an online store in Woollongong. I might make a title page for these new albums today, though that pile of clean washing is yelling at me to fold it. AND put it away. Darn stuff.

I don't think anyone would ever mistake me for Bree on Desperate Housewives (especially as you'd probably fit 3 of her in my jeans - and I don't own a single apron!)

Although I did bake a cake with the kids this morning! (ssh, it was a packet mix!)

Internet Goodness

Not much to share today - survived the fishing trip - I even caught a fish of my own, and we had quite a pleasant day out. No one fell in, they DID get wet, although with permission (and much begging!) as it turned out to be quite a warm afternoon. Stay tuned for some photos!

Feeling a little unwell today (I think I have a bug from one of the kids) but I have come across these few things that are inspiring me at the moment. I think mostly because: 1. it has been cold and 2. my house is a complete mess - and these places are so clean and light filled!

I think its the green and the white with this one that is calling me. And the floral. And all of the comfy pillows.

I think I should go back to bed!

You know, I actually have a chair something like this. Its an antique wicker chair that was my great grandmothers. My mum suspects that it may have even come out from Scotland with her. Whatever, its very comfy, and in a forward thinking move for the olden days - it has a hole in the arm for ones cup of tea or cold beverage!

Nice. Green and white again. I love plants. And ceramic pots.

As well as a new lounge, I am looking for new kitchen bar stools. These are pretty much JUST what I want, though even better would be without backs. (so they fit neatly under the breakfast bar) So far my search has been fruitless - I can't afford the designer version that I keep seeing! So if you see any budget friendly models available in Queensland, please drop me a line!

I have a little file of ideas in my head and bits of paper tucked away of my dream home, should that ever happen one day. THIS has gone into that file - the wide Queenslander verandah was always part of it, but the painted boards and the white railings has cemented it, along with this comfy verandah couch. And gee, the view to go with wouldn't be bad either!

Some people love the thought of a sea view and living by the ocean? I love to visit the sea, but I would love to live somewhere that has open paddocks surrounding the house, with big shady trees, and a mountain view. And a lovely little tree-lined creek below the house, that even if it didn't run year round, would run over rocks and give that lovley musical water-over-rocks sound....

Right now, I would love to be lounging on that couch in the picture above, having a little snooze and then some scones and jam for afternoon tea!

artwork

A post of Nicole's prompted me to do this little page {with paper and glue and letters- yay for me!). This littel drawing had been sitting on my desk for over a week, just waiting to get lost amongst the gazillion other bits of white paper that I fling there and pretend they don't exist.

I really shouldn't even be scrapping - the house is a total disaster zone (although, it nearly always is, so what's new!) the dishes still haven't been done (hey, its ccccold inside!) and there is more folding to do than I can bear to look at (there must be a couple of other kids living in this house that I don't know about, the amount of washing I seem to do), so doing something completely frivalous probalby shouldn't have made it onto today's agenda.

Plus, we are going f-i-s-h-i-n-g tomorrow, an idea that fills me with so much joy, I can hardly stand it. As does the rather large list of things needed for the outing, left for me by my husband early this morning. Its a good thing he wasn't here when I found the *&^%* list!

Anyhow, this little page took longer than expected to whip up, but oh! So much fun to play around cutting and pasting again! Even with my little helpers watching my every move and having to sit really, reaaally close to see what was going on.

Note to self: Self, stop watching TV and start scrapping again when the kids go to bed! Grey's Anatomy is not that important.....on second thoughts...Note to Self: Self, arrange for small TV to be installed in office!

Anyhow, after ALL of that, here it is:

Edited: I've just noticed an error in the journalling! "Back" should be BAG! but its going to stay there, too bad!

My handwriting on my pages doesn't ever look "right" to me - not like some others who's writing just looks perfect! Maybe I try to be too neat? Anyhow its another page done - 8x8 in size. And I used my new threading water punch, which is great! I want the plain scallop one now...

Back after the Great Fishing Trip. The number going out for the day has expanded to Grannies and Grandads, and possible aunty's and uncles and little cousins. At least there will be other people there to help prevent the little boy from ending up in the waterhole!

Baby Its Cold Outside!

And inside too - hoo boy, is it ever cold INSIDE of a morning! These 12 ft ceilings are pretty to look at, but a bugger to keep warm.

And to cobweb too, just quietly. Having a husband who stands over 6ft tall in his socks is handy sometimes! The spiders have to be planning their takeover of the house before he does the cobwebbing for me, but at least it DOES get done eventually. There's one benefit from the 12ft ceilings - you can't really see the spiders as its such a long way up there!

But I digress:

Do you think its wrong that my boy has worn his pyjama's all day {admittedly, a tracksuit} because it was too cold to change his clothes this morning? And the morning before?!

Having just re-read that last paragraph, I must point out that he did in fact have a bath, and put on a new, CLEAN tracksuit each evening!

I am wondering if I could also get away with wearing tracksuit pj's all day?!.... there only being one problem. At some stage {probably recommended before walking to school!} I would need to take off my top {and therefore defeating the purpose of staying in one's pj's!} to put on some underwear to put my bosums back in their proper place. Oh well.

I hope I haven't shared this with you before - I discovered this sweet idea somewhere on the 'net - a handmade fabric gift card holder (so sweet!) - but gift cards with a difference! (see the pic for examples). If you don't sew, you could make a little folder from card - great gift idea for the kids to be involved in.

In other news: my husband, in a rare fit of I dont' know what, has decided to go FISHING on Saturday (I'd rather he got the lawn mower going, just quietly!) and is taking The. Whole.Family. Including. Me. The last time he took 3 kids fishing would be....say NEVER, so I am not sure how the whole:

1. being quiet so as not to "scare the fish"

2. not falling in the water, playing in the water, or playing in the mud

3. not being bored of fishing in the first 5 minutes

4. keeping three kids entertained while HE fishes

5. cooking/eating aforementioned fish

scene will go. Perhaps I should stay home...but oh! the photo opportunities!

Best go and see if I can scare the lawn mower into starting. I plan to sneak up on it and stage a surprise attack!

Collage Obessession continued

Our activities of late, when I have taken my camera with me, have given me opportunity to take waay too many photos. Or perhaps its more that I keep pressing that button when I should just be getting on and doing my job. {Procrastination be thy name!}

You may have noticed that I have been going through a slight obsession with collage tpye layouts lately? That continues with this post, though after wrassling with again too many photos from a recent steam train ride excursion with the kids, I might be over it.... anyhow.

The collages below are destined to be printed 8x10, then wacked onto some lovely 12x12 cardstock and trimmed with some pretty, appropriate paper. I just can't see NOT adding a slice of yummy pattern, and heaven knows I've got enough paper. {And I even got an idea of how to use that zebra print paper that I somehow aquired a good while ago! but I digress}

I didn't have the brain power to do a mock up of how they might look in their finished state, but I am sure you get the gist of it.

Without further ado:

The first one, obviously is about the long days of working with cattle we had in May {and what fun it was photographing in that light - it only lasted about 5 minutes}. And the second one is about my poor kids, who got dragged around the country side after the bloody cows...they were so good. Now that Angus is older, it is so much easier to take them with me - and he learnt quickly how to sleep in the buggy. And I learnt that if I put a sleeping bag and some pillows in the tray of the buggy, and to take PLENTY of snack foods to the yard and in the buggy, that everyone stayed much happier.

And the kids learnt why mum always made them put their seat belts on in the buggy. After the first wild-ish ride chasing a mob of hooligan weaners, they strapped themselves in without being told, took a good hand grip, and leg length allowing, braced their feet on the dashboard. And laughed with glee they faster we went.

This may come back to haunt me when they get old enough to drive!

WooHoo!

I've just successfully uploaded prints online with Harvey (Norman that is) which may not be a big deal for most of you, but with my slow internet (even if I do have broadband - satellite broadband!) is quite a big deal for me. And the best thing - it resizes the photos for me! Thanks be to God! I take all my photos as the biggest I can, so when it comes to wanting to print/upload, it means that they all have to be resized - so now Harvey is my new best friend!

So what am I printing? Well...I am also slow and behind - I am ordering the last of the photos (that were sitting quietly in their own special file) for the 52 Weeks of 2008 project. Better late than never. It will be so good so get it all finished, even if the journalling for the last bit might be a little on the light side! {as a note - Harvey will print 6x8's for 99c each. Isn't he nice!}

I've also been wondering, seeing as I am changing over to D-ring binders (again, slow on the uptake), just what to do with my old post bound albums (and a brand-spankin' new one I found in a bottom drawer...hmm! must have been on sale!). My husband's rather...frugal (I was going to use another, less polite phrase! but I'm far too ladylike) ways must be starting to rub off on me. Can't bear to think of something not be useful!

I had a light bulb moment in the wee hours the other morning - instead of buying those flip albums to store my everyday photos in, I will use these old 12x12 post bounds! I will use the 4x6 divided pages from WRMK and voila! No waste, and my photos will be easily accessed and viewed in albums that are basically all of the same, so my cupboard will also look noice.

Sigh. Sometimes my genius-ness overwhelms me.

Ahem. Cough... Splutter. Sorry, I was choking on my halo....now where was I?

Anyhow, my apologies for a most boring and photo-less post, I haven't downloaded my camera yet, where there are piles of exciting photos waiting to be shared with you!

Til then - just call me genius, OK?! ;-)

Still here

and leading quite a boring, mundane, and truth be told, quite unproductive life at the moment.

Guess I'm just a little worn out from the frenzy of last week.

I have however, just purchased this deliciousness on etsy (from an Australian seller).

I have an urge to make one of the Buttercup bags that I blogged about awhile ago. Not sure when I will actually DO the making, but the fabric I have in my cupboard simply isn't good enough!

We did the local show on Saturday - most exciting thing: fantastic fireworks. Tried to take some photos, but not having downloaded the camera in eons, I can't tell you if they worked or not. I suspect NOT! Doesn't matter, the fireworks were gorgeous anyhow.

Had a playgroup for the little kids this morning, happens once a term; have a steam train ride with both big and little kids tomorrow (with the school) which, unfortunatley, I have to go on. I think it will be exciting for the first 10 minutes, and the last 10. The 100 odd minutes in the middle, not so much! And sports day between the four local small schools (local as in the surrounding 200kms = total no more than 50 kids!) on Friday, in town.

So, quite a few outings and disrupted days this week, and little motivation or energy to get in and do anything at the moment, whether it be housework or gardening or scrapping. I should take my own advice and get some vitamin B into me!