A man and his dog, cooperative family, kids working unexpectedly!

3 Beautiful Things

• Met a nice ex-pat English man and his diabetic dog this morning. The chat was so nice in the middle of a long walk all by myself.
• Finding Sarah and Aaron up and dressed when I got back! Yeah no nagging!
• The boys who are normally allergic to any work sat quietly in class (ok maybe not too quietly and I sat with them) and completed a WHOLE page of writing. A story about Hallowe'en no less.

Sarah and I had a wonderful time Trick or Treating. We met lots of people and Sarah collected lots of lollies. We had one group visit before we left but it looks like others came and helped themselves to the treats we left for them out the front. We walked all the way to Geoff and Sue's only to find they were out. So we wished Bandit a happy Hallowe'en. It was great visiting the family around the corner who decorate really well and to the see the excitement on the little kids faces. Sarah was really embarrassed to go up and knock on doors but the magic of sweet treats made the shyness vanish into the night. Max also enjoyed the long walk and hoped someone would slip him something yummy. I should have bought some of the treats from Pet Panache on the weekend to give him, although he does still have some carob drops. How gorgeous does Sarah look in her costume? I hope she had a great time tonight, I really think she did. Getting her to bed was a bit tricky as she was still so excited. I love that sometimes it is just the two of us and we get to do fun things like decorate for Hallowe'en and dress up. I'm really proud too of how she behaved tonight, her excellent manners when visiting and how appreciative she was of the effort that was made for her. She is a good little girl at heart.House Update:


















The painters seemed to have enjoyed their muffins today as they worked very hard in the house, or so it looks through the windows. The colours inside look great and the door frames etc seem to have had more attention today. I wish I could get inside to have a look. The garage door has been put on...very nice and a pleasant surprise too. I can't see if they've plastered up the little extra hole in there. We also have fencing completed on all three sides.



















I'm still impressed with Aaron's powers of persuasion, and with the speed at which the contractors could drop everything and put it up so quickly after Aaron's little chat. There is room to fit my car down one side and still a metre and a half on the other. The back garden is bigger than I expected (although smaller than I am use to), fortunately, by the time we add decking, box up areas of mulch for Sarah's swings and trampoline and create the vegie garden and Sarah's fairy garden, we shouldn't have to have too much ( if any) grass to worry about. Just as well really as you can't water lawns as of tomorrow. The back door of the garage has also been painted.



















Hello good folks at Metricon I hope you enjoyed today's update. Feel free to leave comments.

Dogs, grass and sunset birds

3 Beautiful Things

• As Sarah and I were waiting for her drama class to start, we sat in the car and watched a gorgeous young staffy playing in the field. He had two kids with him and they were using one of those long range ball throwers, but even then he could run so fast on those little stocky legs that he'd catch it in time. He looked so happy and his little tail wagged faster than I thought possible. A dalmation came along and he/she too had a person to play with, who had a ball thrower. Then they spotted each other. The staffy started running towards the dalmation, the dalmation (now excuse my anthropic interpretation of dogs' behaviour) crouches down low so as not to appear too big and to show the staffy that she is sweet and vulnerable. Before long they are rolling all over the place and chasing each other. I wish people were more like dogs (without the butt sniffing of course).
• After I took Sarah into her class I sat in the car for awhile (eating yoghurt) and as I looked across and just past the area where the dogs had been playing I noticed the long grass moving in wave like motions, caused by the breeze and the affect of the late afternoon sun. In a moment I was taken back to my childhood home and the stunning Sussex Downs. I remember the grass seemed to have that constant motion, as we would walk through the hills. It amazed me that such a seemingly insignificant motion could evoke in me such nostalgia and longing for a place I haven't seen in over twenty years!
• As twilight fell and the sun melted glowing amber into the horizon I could not help but smile at the evening twittering of birds in the trees settling in for the night.

Max the Beagle Update:

Max is looking fabulous. Here he is doing some yoga. The eyes and ear have healed beautifully, and the little nip and tuck really make him look much younger. On the weekend I ran into someone we met at the Pet Panache fashion parade. We didn't recognise each other until we started talking about our dogs. She and her husband are big Max fans.

His itchy ears are also getting better with regular attention from me and he is loving this spring weather as we get to walk more often.

And here is the extreme close-up.

Couldn't you just kiss him?????


Back to the house.
Well it appears Aaron has the ability to make things happen. When he rang me this afternoon to tell me he had spoken to the fencing contractors he told me that although they had apologised for not completing the job and apologised for telling our neighbours that they had had no response from us when in fact they banked our cheque two weeks ago!!!!!!!....... they were very busy and could not possibly start the job within the next 24 hours as dearest boy demanded. Yet when Sarah and I stopped in for our evening inspection, fencepost stood tall between our nextdoor neighbours and our neighbour over the back and it appears the job could well be completed within the next day or two.
Inside, painters had been doing the next coats on door and window frames, the doors themselves and other gloss areas.
that's all for today.



































One more sleep till Hallowe'en and I have a pumpkin to carve!!! Sarah is very excited, I think I have brainwashed her and turned her into a samhain celebrating pagan like me. She's probably going to wear her clown costume for trick or treating and of course we have a lovely stash of snakes and sour worms and jelly bats for our visitors. I have, being the nerd I am, chosen natural lollies for Sarah and any other Trick or Treaters. Hallowe'en/samhain is fantastic up here in the hills as the locals love a good festival. It is so different to life in the flatlands where everyone just wants to whinge that it's an American tradition. Well read your history books guys it goes way back to before Christianity reached Britain..or anywhere else for that matter. Well, best get back to my pumpkin and feed the beagle.

PS The Nightmare Before Christmas is showing at the cinemas! In 3 D!!!!! I'd love to see it tomorrow after work but Sarah loves to Trick or Treat and I would hate for her to miss out. She was fantastic at getting up and ready this morning despite it being the first weekday of daylight savings. She really is being very cute. You should have seen the look of amazement when she came out of drama and it was still light! The dreaded "Why can't I call you mummy?" conversation came up again tonight but I think we'll just stick with Wendy.
mwah

Indian necklace, glowing embers against an evening sky, a rare compliment...

3 Beautiful Things

• The amazing necklace that my mum gave me today. Grandad brought it back from India before mum was born. It is so beautiful; square stones with amazing colours through them.
• The glowing embers of fires as people finish burning off for the day. As much as the choking smoke during the day frustrates me, the piles of embers in the evening as I'm walking through the village look warm and inviting and I even love the smell.
  
• Compliments on my cooking...a very rare occurence...especially when Peter said I made the best shepherd's pie he'd ever eaten. Alas, I will never know as I'm a vegetarian.

House update:

I love the paint, it is a lovely, warm, neutral colour. It isn't ultra modern or over the top so it won't date and looks classy. Aaron and Peter had fun finding the location of the cables, punching holes in the plaster and pulling cables through. Only one mishap fortunately. I chatted to our neighbours (3 different lots) which is nice as I am enjoying the community feel as one by one our houses are being finished off and people are moving in. Mum enjoyed her tour of the house and was impressed at how much had occurred since her last visit. We enjoyed a picnic lunch on the kitchen bench...hooray lunch in my new kitchen, and we enjoyed visits from Tigger and Jo-Jo.
Thanks Peter for all your help today!
Early night tonight as daylight savings has kicked in. Getting the girl up in the morning is sure to be tricky but she's been much happier lately, maybe it's the early nights and lack of junk food. Of course I can't control what she eats 24/7 but I can see the difference it is making. She may grumble when I say no to lollies, coke and chips and that may well make me the wicked step-mother, but she is beginning to recognise that people who really love her care about her health and well-being not just being popular.

sick day, shop-in-waiting, shiny things & jeans, spuds, chai

3 Beautiful Things for Friday

• bad belly overnight and in early morning meant I had to skive off work as there are somethings you can't run off to do in the middle of teaching 26 teens - however, this meant rolling back to sleep under the snuggly warm covers, when the rain came in I felt extra cozy!!!
• feeling better by late afternoon I wandered over to Pet Panache (closed for relocation) and organised dog and cat combs and brushes in a display. Sue loved it and I got to live out the childhood fantasy of working in a shop...maybe one day
• Wandered down to Knox in the evening and found the perfect shiny thing to replace the old shiny thing. It was the first one I tried on, it fitted perfectly and was just the right shape for me. Then spent a half hour trying on lots more. Still not 100% certain though (arrrggghhh)
  

3 Beautiful Things for Saturday

• Wearing my old old jeans without suffocating
• They've started doing baked spuds at Healthy Habits...unbelieveable as we were whinging about the lack of a spud place just yesterday. I love potatoes sooooooo much (sad)
• The Chai tea at Starbucks has returned to its former glory...no more weak and watery chai, at last it has some ooomph again

One not beautiful thing today, it finally snowed in Olinda (yes I know it's the last week of October) and I had gone back to bed and missed it..boo hoo, although the hail storm was somewhat impressive

House update:
Had a look on Friday night, bit hard to see the undercoat of paint in the pitch dark, should leave a torch in my car I suppose. Still, it was very exciting and I'll pop down tomorrow with the camera.

MWAH

midge ure, bananas, meeting nice people

3 Beautiful Things

• Funny text message from Caz all about Midge Ure and Ultravox!!! Love a bit of nostalgia

• Being stalked by a banana loving colleague who made me laugh very hard..thanks gav (new gav not the old gav who i still miss :< )

• Being introduced to Sarah's old school friends and their mums in the change room at swimming and chuckling at Sarah's formality.
  

House Update:
Had an official inspection with the site supervisor on Wednesday. Painting should start this week and the sparky and tiler should be hot on their heels. At least we might be moving in before the school hols are over so I'll have plenty of time to unpack properly.
Bruce, our supervisor, is great and I have absolute faith in him.
SCORPIO
(Oct 24 - Nov 22)
If you want your life to be full of fortuitous coincidence, see yourself as an angler dangling a baited hook in the stream of serendipity. In this river every catch is a prize catch. Even an old boot is a treasure to be gratefully reeled in. It will turn out to belong to someone who needs it back badly. Or to be a magic boot. Or to have diamonds hidden in the soles. What distinguishes the stream of serendipity from the ordinary river of life? Probably nothing - other than positive expectation!

a ring, a hump day and a psychic beagle

3 Beautiful Things

• Suggestion that we look for a new "E" ring this weekend to replace the other;
• The fact that it is "hump day" HOORAH
  
• Max amazingly realising that we were in the vicinity of the new Pet Panache store, even though they haven't moved in yet (we just visited yesterday) and then dragging me up the steps and across the board walk until stopping abruptly at the front door when he realised no one was there!
  

Stars

This is what Mr Cainer has to say for me today...

SCORPIO
(Oct 24 - Nov 22)
"Stop!" "No entry!" "Road closed!" We never like to see signs like this. We resent being told that something is prohibited. Some people, upon being told what they can or cannot do, shrug their shoulders and comply meekly. Not Scorpios. Acquiescence is not your middle name. Indeed it is doubtful whether the word appears anywhere in your vocabulary. The wise thing to do now is to accept a limitation and trust that it is for the best. Will you do the wise thing? Of course.

You Belong in Spring

Optimistic, lively, and almost always happy with the world... You can truly appreciate the blooming nature of spring. Whether you're planting flowers or dyeing Easter eggs, spring is definitely your season!

What Season Are You?

Actually my favourite season is autumn but I had a feeling I'd end up as spring!

super sarah, a thank you and another...

3 Beautiful Things

• Sarah's happy mood. The new improved version is being very cooperative and says thank you when I remind her to do things...wow, who is this child??? I'm loving her to pieces as she is making life very calm and peaceful right now;
• Speaking to the driver of the car from the accident last weekend and hearing he is ok and then receiving a phone call from the parents of the passenger of the car- He's still in hospital but is going to be fine.
• A long chat with Linda (who I managed to flag down for help on Friday). It's good to know that worrying about the boys all weekend and wondering if they were ok was perfectly normal.
  

Stars for today:

SCORPIO
(Oct 24 - Nov 22)
Draw a deep breath. Now draw another. Go on, help yourself. It's free. Have one more, this time with your eyes closed. Pull it in slowly and let it out gently. As you exhale, imagine that you are breathing out all the restrictions you face. You are setting yourself free of these. Remember to breathe in again (after all there are some
limitations that we cannot ignore and must respect). But still keep trying to see yourself as a person of great power and freedom. For this is what you are.

FYI One week til Hallowe'en

Quick House Update...
the portico has been rendered, this is the base colour. Also, the internal doors have been taken down and the nail holes puttied over ready for painting.
We reached a top of 30 degrees today. It was fine and a little windy.

Safe and sound, resurrected dog, jogging

3 beautiful things on a Monday

• Found out today that Mandy knows the mother of the girlfriend of the driver of the car crash I came across on Saturday night...and the lads are ok (talk about 6 degrees of separation)
• The little black dog on the corner that Max has been looking for anxiously over the past four weeks was back in the front garden this morning and happily barking away...I thought he'd gone to the great kennel in the sky
• Going jogging with Adelle and Lochie (and being lapped twice by the 8 year old!)

SCORPIO
(Oct 24 - Nov 22)
If it ain't broken, don't fix it. And if it is? Then think carefully before you make a repair. What caused it to break in the first place? Once everything has been put back together again, will it be subject to the same stresses and strains? What will be the cost? Might it not make more sense to start afresh? To what extent are you letting false sentimentality cloud your judgement? Two hands are waving at you now. One is the past saying farewell. The other is the future beckoning. Wave back!

Your Dominant Intelligence is Linguistic Intelligence

You are excellent with words and language. You explain yourself well. An elegant speaker, you can converse well with anyone on the fly. You are also good at remembering information and convicing someone of your point of view. A master of creative phrasing and unique words, you enjoy expanding your vocabulary. You would make a fantastic poet, journalist, writer, teacher, lawyer, politician, or translator.

What Kind of Intelligence Do You Have?

FYI only 8 more days to Hallowe'en

Cats, DMCs, warmth

3BT

• Voting for the perfect cat award at Pet Panache - looking at pictures of gorgeous felines is a lovely way to spend time. I miss my Dru so much but I know she is happier in a home where she can sleep on the bed and get all the pampering and attention a cat deserves
• DMC with Sue whilst sipping Riesling and eating hot chips at the Ivy under the warmth of an outdoor gas heater. Max enjoyed a chippy or ten courtesy of Geoff and me.
  
• Stepping into a warm house after a cold walk. As exhilerating as the fresh "mountain" air is, there is nothing like opening the front door only to find the house still warm from the late afternoon sun.

PS I have updated Saturday's entry with photos from the Monster Trucks we saw at Rod Laver.

Sunday House Update

I have received complaints from Him-Indoors that this blog is supposed to be about the house, but I've been putting in too many blogthings and star signs. So here is the latest update on the house.








































































Nevertheless, my stars from Mr Cainer for today....


SCORPIO
(Oct 24 - Nov 22)
Your Week Ahead Duck. Put your head below the parapet and keep it there. If you want to know whether the coast is clear send out a decoy and watch carefully to see what happens to it. Work on the assumption, this week, that you will not resolve a stressful issue regardless of what you do or say, But the more you rise to the bait of a conflict the more impaled you will become on the hook of contention. So do not engage. Be neutral. Keep back. You absolutely need not be in a hurry. Do not be swayed by how urgent a certain situation is starting to seem. Trust this and, soon enough a highly supportive arm will be extended in your direction.

Rats, Students and Monster Trucks

SCORPIO
(Oct 24 - Nov 22)
Did the Beatles sing, 'I want to hold your ham'? And what about Bob Dylan? Did he really sing, 'The ants are my friends, they're blowing in the wind'? Of course not. Some people, though, are quite convinced that this is what they have heard. Actually, miscommunication is no laughing matter. The worse thing about it is that it can happen without anyone realising. Once it has occurred, though, people may labour under a misapprehension for years. If in doubt today... get it clarified.

3BT

1. Sharing tales of Roland the Rat with Anne
2. Hearing how much my old students miss me
3. Laughing my head off during monster trucks and the demolition derby

Now would you like to see some pix from the Monster Trucks???
The monster trucks make a mess of some cars...







These guys, some of them members of the Crusty Demons and a bronze medallist from the extreme games, defy gravity and pull some amazing stunts at great heights...





The 50s show the big boys how it's done...unbelievably one of these boys is just 10 years old, but then again one of the monster truck drivers is only 14.
The tanks flattens out some cars and other debris....

And if you thought the monster trucks made a mess of a few cars, check out what they did to these caravansI loved these mini-monster trucks..thought I might do up the Terios like this, of course they don't corner very well as the drivers discovered in the tight arena.

But the highlight for me was the demolition derby, an absolutely bizarre concept where the last car able to drive wins!!! A bit like Melbourne traffic.

Cars and hills

Just got back from a car accident. It felt strange, I was first on scene, then another woman stopped (linda) and she looked after Duncan who had got out of the car while I talked to Esbourne trapped inside. All I could do was keep him talking, watch for signs of altered consciousness and make sure the chest was rising and falling. I knew I'd have to smash a window if he started to deteriorate.
It was strange being along side CFA people, although nice to be thanked by them in front of members of my old brigade.
I even caught up with an old friend from Monbulk.
Sadly, when I left one of the ambulances was still on scene and they were still working to stabilise one of the boys. Not a good sign. The police woman I spoke to will call me on Sunday to let meknow how they went.
When we move I will rejoin the CFA.
God bless.

low cloud, big grin & dinner

3 Beautiful Things

• The eerie sense of isolation as the low cloud mingled with the tall trees as I walked through the forest this morning
• The massive grin on Max the Beagle's face as he ran towards me after unsuccessfully chasing a wild rabbit
• An unexpected invitation to dinner

People Envy Your Generosity

You're a giving soul, and you'd do almost anything for those you love. And they'd do anything for you! People may envy how giving you are, but more than anything, they envy those you open your heart to.

What Do People Envy About You?

Today's stars by Jonathan Cainer
Scorpio
Are there better things to be doing? Are there better places to be doing them? And, go on, we may as well ask this question too, are there better people to be doing them with? If the answer to any of these questions is a genuine 'yes', you will find out this weekend. Almost certainly, though, there is far less to change or to challenge than you imagine. One small, but significant adjustment could alter your outlook on a host of matters and could soon turn cynicism into enthusiasm.

Some thoughts in the evening of a lovely spring day

It's quite funny, but not so long ago I was thinking that I really wanted to be in the house by Christmas even though our completion date is the end of January. But just lately, as I walk around the village shops I have been noticing the beautiful decorations and lights in the windows. It really is a stunning part of the earth to live, of course it has its drawbacks, otherwise we wouldn't be moving, but I am glad I will get to spend one last Christmas up here in the hills.
Mum used to take us for a drive through the hills when we were kids. We'd travel at a nice leisurely pace, admiring the scenery and popping into shops full of things we couldn't possibly afford. Now I curse these people who drive through so slowly because they are holding me up, (I suppose I wouldn't mind so much if they would allow you to pass - but they speed up whenever you attempt to overtake). Maybe I am missing a lot by always being in a hurry and not truly appreciating the beauty around me. I am moving somewhere very flat, very suburban and very bland. Perhaps I should not always be thinking the grass is greener, perhaps I should have stayed put??? Who knows?
I will make the most of our new home when we do move in, even if we only get to live there for a year or two. I will enjoy living in a place that is mine (and the bank's) and enjoy the fact that I was able to watch it being built.
Perhaps it is just a stepping stone to something more suited to me. A cottage by the sea perhaps in a small seaside village. Of course there aren't many of them left at all, look at what has happened to Inverloch, commercialism has taken over. Money and possessions...why do people think that is all there is to life? Why do people feel the need to be so competitive and strive to make others feel small and insignificant? What is it about humanity that drives us to be so..so..so inhumane? I wish I was a bird, I'd fly above all this mayhem and cruely, I'd catch a wind current and float far far away. And then I'd rip some poor defenceless worm out of the ground for my tea. I guess cruelty is everywhere, but at least in nature it serves a purpose. But so many people are cruel for the sake of being cruel. I will never understand, and for that I am glad. Because if I ever do understand, then maybe I will have become like them!

Socks, shoes and sms

3 Beautiful Things:

Wearing brand new socks all week
Finding my missing shoe (must clean out the walk in robe this week)
Text message from a friend I thought had forgotten me


SCORPIO (Oct 24 - Nov 22)
People think, when they try to be 'in the right place at the right time' that it means changing location. Rarely, though, is this really required. It's much more likely that a simple change of attitude will do the trick nicely. Simply by deciding that you are going to feel all right, you can chase away a lot of what's wrong. In deciding to play the hand you have been dealt as well as possible, you can be more successful than an insecure individual who happens to be holding an entire set of aces.

Loose change, great night's sleep and making it onto the original 3BT

Three Beautiful Things

• Donated all my loose change so Buts has to shave off his side burns...God bless those year 12s
• Woke up at 5.30 just before my alarm, rather than waking up 6 or 7 times during the night
• Making it onto the roll of honor on Clare's website!!!!!

My stars for today from the lovely Mr Cainer:
SCORPIO
(Oct 24 - Nov 22)
Ideally, you need your ducks lined up in a row. You need someone to be in a position to help you. You need certain items to be in the right place and a sequence of events to have a particularly helpful outcome. Or at least, that's what you think you need. Really, you just need to have confidence in your own intuition. That will lead you unerringly towards the opportunities that are most helpful and the possibilities that are most productive, regardless of where (or what) others expect to be.

Never Date an Aquarius

Freaky, unconventional, and downright strange - it's likely that any Aquarius will weird you out. And if you do happen to fall for an Aquarius, you'll probably find them too emotionally distant to connect with. Instead try dating: Cancer, Pisces, Capricorn, or Virgo

What Sign Shouldn't You Date?

This is very funny. I can't even think of any Aquarians amongst my friends and acqaintances. I don't know of one! But get this. My fiance is a Cancer, my father was Piscean (both water signs like me so instantly compatible) my mother and niece are both Capricorns and my last BF was a Virgo. For a bunch of random silly questions this isn't too bad.

Beauty & The Beast

Went to see a lovely stage production of Beauty & the Beast last night, lovely.

3BT for yesterday. (Bit rushed)

• Reminded the SD to do something and instead of catching the usual glare was actually thanked for reminding her. Perhaps Saturday's action has worked. It is easier to be polite than bored for hours on end.
• Fabulous costumes, singing and dancing at Beauty & the Beast
• Having a moment of excitement when looking at the construction for the project I am involved in next year at work. This means I am engaging with my new job on an emotional level which is essential for me.

I have some more up-to-date house photos but I will add them in later when not at work

Bye

to the fabulous Chris Shaw xxx

Acute case of Monday-itis

Three Beautiful Things...

1. Support and a shoulder from the fabulous Mandy
2. Hilarious hamster text message from Gav
3. Escaping the school grounds at lunchtime with the walking group
   

Today I walked for a Cure

Three Beautiful Things

• Being part of a huge crowd all trying to make a difference as we walked for a cure for juvenile diabetes
• Having a great chat all the way with the lovely Katie.
• The divinely chiselled calf muscles of a team of cyclists making their way up the one-in-twenty at an amazing pace. We do have lovely scenery up in the hills!

While Katie and I were walking, Sarah and Aaron enjoyed the entertainment and face-painting.

Three Beautiful Things..aren't always easy to find

..but I've managed to do it...

1. Forget-me-nots en masse
2. Speaking the secret language of step-motherhood with my kindred spirit
   
3. Having the courage to stick to my guns: when someone's behaviour was so appalling I dropped her home to her sleeping dad (night-shift worker) instead of feeling guilty and putting up with it. I think I was brave to do this!
   

Apparently I'm psychic

You Are 90% Psychic

You are so very psychic. But you already predicted that, didn't you? You have "the gift" - and you use it daily to connect with others. You're very tapped into the world around you... Just make sure to use your powers for good!

Are You Psychic?

Of course if I were really this powerful I would have predicted the frustrating things that are currently going on my life, like the stuff with my stalker. I knew that this "person" would cause me trouble but I didn't realise the extent of it. I wish I could go into more detail here but I can't! Anyway, I did predict it to a point and I did say that certain information should not be divulged to certain people because it would be passed on but what can you do? Obviously there is something that I need to learn in this life that I didn't learn in my last, and it involves being made miserable by a very bitter and I think unwell person. Perhaps I need to learn more patience, more resilience and more compassion. In the mean time I'll just have to grin and bare it.

Love to all xxx