Giveaway

Free to good home. Annoying, untrained IPod. Will deliver.

Bloggy questions

I wanted to ask you, my dear readers about my follow up comments to your comments on my blog.

When I receive a comment from you, telling me how beautiful/smart/cool/funny or talented I am (joke - I'm only 2 of those) I usually send you an email back in response. Except for when there is no email attached to your message, so I feel like I can't acknowledge your comment and thoughts.

Some bloggers respond individually on the comments page....if I did this, would you go back and read my follow up comment to your comment on my comments page? That's a bad sentence, I know but would you?

If I reply to your post, I do usually go back and check if you have responded. Some of you guys email me and others do the comment thing.....

Tell my your thoughts, my blog is for you, so tell me what you would prefer....

End of the beagle era

I wanted to dedicate a post to my beagle Toto, just like I did for her sister Girlie. It's been a very hard couple of weeks without her, but I am at peace with the fact that it may have been her time and she took the opportunity to have one last run.

The story of our beagles began 15 years ago when The Hubbster and I were on a driving holiday to the coast. We had been thinking of buying a beagle for a long time, and thought it was meant to be when we drove past a house with a sign saying "Beagles for sale".

We stopped. We looked and hugged the puppies and drove away. We turned back without saying a word and bought two puppies. They were 5 weeks old, too young to be away from their mumma but we were willing to give them a good home so we took two little sisters.

We got them home and had to go and buy supplies like food, bedding, puppy toys and worm tablets as they were full of worms. They were gorgeous, and funny and vulnerable.

They had a fantastic life. They liked to:-

Eat icecream.

Play with my potted plants, and eat the wall.

Check out the neighbours.

Go camping.

And driving. Look closely.

And swimming.

And they really liked to wreck the yard.

They also ate some of our wedding cake and swallowed The Hubbsters grandmothers wedding rings that were given to me on our wedding day. But I loved them to bits and miss them more than words can say.

Thankyou Girlie and Toto for being loyal, loving, mischievious little beagles. You gave us many happy moments in your 15 years.

NEED SLEEP

I'm still working on the freakin Ipod so I'm giving up for tonight. I'm tired. Probably to do with the fact I don't meet my bed until well past 11pm most nights.

I imagine myself looking like this:-

But I probably look more like this:-

Boxing Day Random...

1. If only I could figure out how to download songs from my Itunes to Miss D's new Ipod, I would be a happy camper. It's shitting me really. I'm intelligent, I can do things, I filled my Ipod with hundreds of songs (and proceeded to wipe them all - we won't go there) before re-downloading them all again, so I should be able to manage this.

So far, I've added half of my playlist to her Ipod, to which she replies "I don't want THAT crap" on my Ipod.

Miss D wants music by Taylor Swift, Lady Ga Ga *shudder*, Katy Perry, Brandi Carlile (my fav singer) and God forbid Hannah Montana...and perhaps the music from Hairspray. I'll have another try tommorrow, and if all else fails I'll ring my computer savvy brother.

2. This was the 10th Christmas without my Dad and the 1st without my Beagles. Yes, I had moments of despair this week.

3. Tommorrow, I officially give up drinking. There. It's in bold so it is official. I'm just sick of it, my mind and body can do without. Jan 1st I start my health kick again, so it's nadda to alcohol....a healthy and hot bod....here I come!!!

4. I rang about sewing courses and they start in January. So I will learn how to drive a sewing machine and sew a straight line. I suppose not long after that I'll be able to handmake a wedding dress...I'll be that good.

5. I think I solved the ant problem we have had in the kitchen. Pesky little buggers they are. The advice said that the ant population would increase before it decreases. Well, I thought we were being taken over judging by the amount on the bench two days ago. Now if only I could do the same for cane toads and telemarketers.....

Merry Christmas

The serenity of Christmas morn. The kids peering out into the shed filled with presents. Trying to be patient while I get the video camera to tape their excitement.

They jump in the pool and swim off some of that energy. Miss T has her new bikini and goggles on and she looks just like her big sister. Who, by the way, is totally impressed with Santa for bringing her a DSI Lite.

She comments that "santa has the same wrapping paper as us Mum"......I agree "well, yes he does!"

Mr C hasn't taken his face away from his new game.......

My beautiful friend Serena wrote the following, which sums up how I feel today......

Christmas! The very word brings joy to our hearts. No matter how we may dread the rush, the long Christmas lists for gifts and cards to be bought and given--when Christmas Day comes there is still the same warm feeling we had as children, the same warmth that enfolds our hearts and our homes." MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU ALL... & HAVE A VERY SPECIAL DAY WITH YOUR LOVED ONE'S xox

Hurry up Jan 1st

I am a God awful, slackarsed, lazy blogger, but you still love me, right? My life is chaos, I don't seem to have time to scratch my bum let alone blog and entertain you good people.

It's that time of the year. Everyone is tired, life is busy and I can't wait until the new year to make all of those new years resolutions that I will most probably break by February.

These may include the following:-

- get back to the freakin gym and lose those kilos that have found me over the last few months

- really get healthy, drink lots more water, less alcohol and coke zero

- keep my toenails painted in a cute shade of tropical pink at all times

- get another tattoo - 3 stars for my babies and 5 little stars for my babies I lost

- stop yelling, stay calm, be patient with the offspring, and blackmail them with threats of no swimming for a month unless they CLEAN UP THAT FRIGGIN ROOM

- sort out my ipod without swearing at Limewire

- take sewing lessons so I can hem/alter/make the girls dance costumes without feeling like a complete idiot

- start dressing like a yummy mummy instead of a slummy mummy..........yes, I can be a slob

- stay off Facebook

- wear my jewellery instead of storing it all away

- enjoy every day and don't take my life for granted

I don't know about you but this time of year makes me yearn for the new year, so I can start afresh and remedy all the things I buggered up the previous year. The 1st of January is a good starting point to get fit, eat right, think better and be nice to people. And enjoy the one and only life I have....

Life goes on

So life goes on. We had a good day today, in town for shopping and fish and chips with the kids for lunch. Then back home to a beagleless shed. I put Totos photo and info on the local council website for lost dogs, and I can hardly even look at it. I've also had alot of friends thinking of me and that helps alot.

We have ballet practice tommorrow, so it's back into town again. I'm also trying to find the bottom of the washing basket but just can't seem to find it. Is it exciting, does anyone know, or will it always be a mystery???

I don't like Mondays

I went to work for a few hours this morning. I didn't think about Toto and it was a relief not to. Back home now and I feel like my heart has been ripped out through my mouth, stomped on and shredded and put back in, expecting it to beat as it once did.

I rang the local council, the pound, the dog kennels, searched the lost dogs website, placed a sign in a shop window (knowing full well she wouldn't be found in town as we live so far out) and still nothing. Yesterday, I drove all over the neighbours 80 acres, down to the creek area where Toto loved to chase rabbits and kangaroos.

We drove on our property too, walked down the hill to our creek but still no sign of her. She could be anywhere. She could be just over the fenceline for all we know. And we may never know. I wonder, if in years to come, if we are out walking one day and find her collar, will I feel the pangs of sorrow that I feel so deeply right now?

It is so quiet here. I look for her when I walk past her kennel. We have full tin of dog biscuits that I don't know what to do with. We might leave them out each night for the strange little Potoroo who visits every night eating the guinea fowl seed we leave out.

If we could find Toto, we could bury her next to Girlie and plant a tree on her, as we did before. But I don't think that will happen. She hasn't been well, so I wonder did she take the chance to wander off to her final resting place? I need to believe that, because thinking about the alternatives is just too hard to bear.

She's not coming home

It is with a heavy heart and an overwhelming sadness that I now realise that Toto is possibly not coming home. I have cried all day, wishing that the Christmas Miracle would arrive here for us.

She should be home by now. Something has happened. We think she may have started her run, only to perhaps have a heart attack and pass away - as her heart was dodgy and as the vet said over 2 years ago "I can't believe this dog is still alive with a heart like that".

That's what I need to believe. I hope it happened Friday evening, and that she didn't suffer in the hot sun all day yesterday without any water. Fuck, I can't even contemplate that. Please God, I hope she didn't suffer.

She could be anywhere on our property, all 75 acres with alot of long grass. We will never find her, it will be a miracle if we do.

Another batch of baby guineas

We awoke this morning to find a brand new batch of baby guinea fowl. Guess how many? Guess? Just guess? 15!!!!! Yes 15 new babies. We can't believe it. Our guinea fowl experiment is going exceptional well - obviously.

The Hubbster wants to sell these new ones, but I would love to keep them, but we now have 30 guineas in total, so I may have to sell some to the many people who have shown interest in buying them. Of course, they must go to good homes and I will be very vigilant in making sure this happens!

So we have had to move the six juveniles out of the cage, and they are with the rest of the flock, finding their way and getting pecked a bit, but that's what happens in the guinea world. The Hubbster and I along with some help from the kids, caught the 15 new babies and put them in the cage, with the mother, who is extremely aggressive and won't let me go near them - even to change their water or feed them.

She comes at me and attacks. The Hubbster finds this hilarious, and probably will do until I force him to feed them. Then he won't find it so funny. But the babies are gorgeous and all seem to be healthy. And that's all that matters.

Here are the teenagers....

Where is Toto?

The Hubbster let Toto (our 15 year old Beagle) off the lead late yesterday afternoon, and she didn't come home last night. The few times she has wandered away, she has spent the night chasing rabbits and kangaroos and ventured back around midnight, exhausted but happy.

We woke this morning and she is not here. I'm worried. She is 15 years old and not too well. I worry about snakes biting her, or dingos attacking. We are going to drive around the property and look for her, but we didn't even hear her yelping last night, as she did when she was running around. It's very strange. I have a bad feeling about this.

BIG house update

I haven't posted house pics for so long, and soooo much has happened! I don't even know where to start or what to post, but let me say that as of today this is done:

* interior and exterior framework was completed

* wall bracing completed

* blue rhino material added to exterior

* cyclone rods, roof beams, roof and ceiling battens completed

* ceiling insulation added

* roof put on (before it rained - Yippee!)

* hardiplank cladding added

* louvre windows completed

* french doors and highlights completed

*timber floors finished

* garage doors put in

The builders will be back to install the window insect screens and that is pretty much it for them.

It will then be up to The Hubbster and I to build to completion. We were chatting to our builder last week, and it was kind of sad in a way that they are near the completion of the job - that is, what we have paid them to do - build to lock up. We all said it has been a rewarding, interesting experience, all of the contractors have enjoyed working out here in the peace and serenity....and our builder even did some baby guinea fowl wrangling....I don't suppose he will ever forget that.

We will have to get it together now and start the "finish"...I don't know how long it will take, but Rome wasn't built in a day. Just thought you'd enjoy a cliche to finish off this post... And I have ALOT of pics.....

Our beautiful front french doors

My craft room french doors

Main hallway

Lourves in our main bedroom

Craft room..again....

Theatre room timber floors and solid lourve windows