Sunday, May 29, 2011

May... all rolled into one... 2011

I can feel myself falling back into old bad habits... not blogging regularly I mean... though I get the feeling I don't have much of an audience anyway... hello??? anyone there??? *peers into cyberspace*

May has been a bit of a blur, I look back and really have to think hard as to what I've done all month!

Hubby has been busy in the garden, we're simplifying as in tearing up the mess that was there and starting fresh. We've put down weed mat and red rocks to keep the weeds at bay and are thinking of using pot plants instead of planting in the ground. Notice I am saying "we", Hubby has been the brawn and done the work... I have provided valuable info as in "I want it like this..." LOL

A few befores and afters so you get the idea...






Money or lack there of is slowing us here, so we don't have a lot of plants yet. In the meantime I have taken cuttings from my frangipani and will pot them when they're ready but they probably won't be permanent fixtures in the garden and I have some herbs as well. It's a start right?

We have plans of making our pergola another living space... you might think that would be obvious but for an indoorsy type like me, I've always tended to see outside was where you hung your washing to dry and somewhere to put the trampoline for the kids.... so our pergola has had an undercover washing line which pretty much took up all the space for a long long time now.

Sadly my washing line is gone and I have to use my hills hoist again, but we are a state in drought so I guess not being undercover won't be such a problem all that often. Anyway... Hubby is reclaiming the space (I've been teasing him, calling it his man cave) and has unveiled his bar (which has lived under a tarp and only been uncovered for parties of which have been few and far between). He's put up some cafe blinds to stop the wind and leaves  and we've got our big dining room table out there... we hope to get an outdoor lounge one day but the table serves a purpose and we figure so far we've had no interest in anyone buying it so we'll make use of it. We'd also love to get an outdoor gas heater at some stage.

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My inlaws held a garage sale and we jumped at the chance of taking our stuff over as well, we sold a bit and gave away a bit and the rest we took to the tip's recycling area.

I'm still aiming at getting through more cupboards, so don't go thinking by some miracle I'm done!

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Now the trouble is, is that with the weather finally cooling down here... we've have our first bouts of lurgies. Sinus, colds and earaches for the most part but damn tummy bugs this weekend! We're all a bit washed out and yet the earth keeps turning... the nerve of it!

Oh and while I'm having a whinge... the kids! OMG! they are cherubs alone but get them together and it's WWIII. Trying to get a handle on it is very wearing on the patience and nerves... especially when you're feeling under the weather. I'm feeling like a big fat failure in the parenting department at the moment I tell you :(

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Me time has been hard to come by

but I've read...
Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay, which was great but having watched the tv show first kind of made it hard to go back to the book. I think I will read more of the Dexter books though

Backwards by a friends young daughter, Chelsea Burgess. She wrote this short novel when she was 9 I think and it is a fab story. She is destined for great things :)

The Enneagram of Parenting by Elizabeth Wagele, I got this hoping that it might help give me some direction of how to deal with my 6 year old and it has at least helped me see what personality type she is (at the moment). I haven't finished the book yet but it's fascinating reading.

I've just started Dead Reckoning by Charlaine Harris and it's so nice to visit Sookie again.

Movies...
I am number four... I wasn't sure what to expect but the trailer looked interesting but it fell short and ended up a bit too much of a teen movie rather than a decent sci fi story

Battle Los Angeles... speccy but I was left feeling a bit meh, I guess because it really wasn't anything new

Gnomeo & Juliet... ah it is cute and had me chuckling with the kids

Both Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory and Charlie & The Chocolate Factory are getting a flogging on our dvd player at the moment by our 2 year old. I can't help but stop and watch a little every now and then

TV...
Hurray for Doctor Who! I have enjoyed the episodes so far.

And I'm halfway through Season 3 of Sons of Anarchy, as my friends have promised yep it keeps getting better!

So that's it... I think... see you in June ;)