Just one of those days.

G'day. Do you ever have one of those days where everything just seems to go haywire? Well, the truth is I just should have stayed in bed and finished a book.

I have thyroid problems and needed a blood test, so decided to walk to the local agency, a four klm walk I might add, but knowing that I needed the exercise off I went, all well with that, got there in good time, but was too bushed to try the walk home, so on a bus I went, still good, all pointing to happiness. Arrived home rather tired, hungry and thirsty as I could have nothing from midnight the night before etc, etc. The guy to hang the last of our new curtains was waiting on the doorstep, he really wasn't suppose to be here until late afternoon, not 10.00am in the morning. Needless to say he wasn't happy and informed me he was getting ready to drive off. Now, I don't like being stuck with needles and I don't like rude people. So because of my tummy rumbling and the cup of tea that I was hanging out for, I was in the right frame of mind for his attitude to tip me over the edge. I won't bore you with the details, but I came out of this battle with honors. I had the answering machine message to prove that he was meant to be here in the afternoon. Drapes got hung, not many words were spoken between us, guy left with a squeal of tires down the road.

The above patchwork block was suppose to have been made a month ago, it's for a quilt to be given as a gift to the lady who donated a lot of fabric to the quilting group that I go to every Wednesday night, though to be honest I haven't been to this group for awhile. I haven't done any sewing for some time, with the move to the new house and various other reasons, but my obligation was to get it done or let one of the other members do it. I had trouble with the triangles, had to unpick some a few times, blah, blah, blah, finally got it done and was ironing the last bit when the swivel chair leg got tangled with the iron cord and down the iron fell, hitting the chair leg, as it would, on it's way to the carpet. The hot iron landed plate side down on the carpet, in my haste to pick it up to see if the carpet was burnt, I got my foot caught in the chair leg and down I went. Thankfully the carpet was ok as was I, but my lovely iron that I have had for a very long time had most of the top casing smashed from the impact of hitting the chair leg. Then at that very moment that I was lamenting my iron and  a sore knee from landing heavily on it, the door bell chimed. The man from the local thrift shop was at the door to pick up the TV cabinet that we didn't want anymore. He must have seen the look on my face, as he tenderly said "Is everything alright love, have I come at a bad time?" My frayed temper vanished at once, his kind words and gentle manner won me over. My working week starts again tomorrow, maybe I'll be safer there!!!. Take care. Liz...

Spring has arrived.

G'day. We are into the second day of Spring as I type this and the sun is shining and the sky is a beautiful blue and all is pointing to happiness.

We have made a decision on a lounge suite and it should be here in about eight weeks or so. The color is a glorious red and a few friends have expressed surprise that we would go for something so different, but, hey, why not?

We have changed the lounge room around in anticipation of this lovely suite and have just bought a corner unit for the TV. The TV guy came this morning to put another socket in the wall, to accommodate this new change. Mind you, he was only here a few weeks ago, to do the same thing on the wall where the TV originally was, but after having a look at where things would be best put, we decided on another area to set up our new unit. No doubt the TV man likes us, after all, he has swelled his bank account considerably by coming here twice. As I bid him farewell, I commented that we probably won't see him again and he just smiled and said "Maybe you will change your mind again" Sadly, my brain didn't work quick enough to come back with a smart reply.  I thought of plenty as he drove out the drive though !!!!!!!

Hubby will be home soon from doing a plumbing job and we are going to look at tiles for the bathroom. A new vanity unit was put in last weekend and all of the old tiles will be pulled off soon and lovely large white ones will take their place. It's only a small bathroom and by using large white tiles, it will make it look a lot bigger, that's the theory anyway. Hubby hasn't decided if he will tackle this job himself or maybe get a tiler in to do it. I am cheering for the tiler, but time will tell.

We have started our garden out in the back yard. The photo shows our gorgeous little dog "Lucky" laying on the sugar cane mulch that I had just put down after I planted the small native bush  just across from him. He jumped up as soon as my back was turned and made a depression in the middle and settled in for a snooze. It didn't matter to him that half the mulch fell off.  Take care. Liz...

Having trouble with blogger.

G'day. I am having a spot of bother with blogger. This only seems to have happened since I changed my email address. It has been brought to my attention that I have been listed as a "no reply blogger". I have been trying to change this, but have discovered that my old email address is still listed in my profile and I can't seem to be able to change it. I am exasperated...................I will however keep trying and have gone into the help section and will see what happens. 

We are settling in here quite well, though it is taking time to get everything sorted. Friends call in on weekends, hubby is back doing a bit of plumbing work on various farms (just to keep his hand in, he says!!!) I work eight days a fortnight, so time at home by ourselves is precious. We are still trying to find the lounge room suite of our dreams. If we had ordered one in red from either of the various ones we have seen and liked, then our 14 week wait would have been underway by now, but no, hubby wanted to keep looking.

Later this morning we are going to the Home Show in Melbourne (our major city here in the state of Victoria where we live) Not that we expect to see a suite there, but just to get some ideas for improvements we can make around the house here.

Have had some lovely calls from the owners of our former farm, they have settled in really well, though are daunted by the garden, but have promised to make sure not one plant perishes and are enchanted by the bulls and cows and love to hear the mooing of a night time as they talk to one another, the cows that is, not the people......

The photo is of my beautiful dresser, hubby bought this for me as a surprise some years ago. I was working away from home through the week and one Friday night when I returned for the weekend, there it was set up in the lounge room. It holds a lot of treasures that I have kept that belonged to  my mother and grandmother as well as hubby's mother. It even has two old wooden extendable rulers that were my fathers, some beautiful green depression glass, two pearl necklaces (not real pearls) that were my grans, old crystal jugs, etc, etc. It has the perfect spot in our kitchen here now and it looks just great. Of course I just had to put one of my dolls that I had made on the top of it. Take care. Liz... 

In search of a new lounge suite.

G'day. Hubby and I made the decision some time ago that when we moved we would get a new lounge room suite. Hubby wanted a red one, not just any red mind you, but a hit you in the face kind of red. I'm ok with that, no problem there. At the moment we have a black leather two x two seaters, which we have had for some considerable time. Time for a change now though. A red lounge suite is not that easy to find, at least one where you don't have to wait 14 weeks for it to be made and delivered.

The local furniture shop here in town has a lovely cream one. We are after a two seater and two recliners, they have a three seater and two recliners, can't get it smaller. We both really liked it and the good news was they can get us a red one, not the exact red we were after, but close enough and hubby said it was the same red that the seats in one of his classic cars has, so I thought that cinched the deal and they would deliver it in one week or there abouts.Didn't matter that it was bigger than we had planned, we would adjust the lounge room. Hubby wanted to go and sit on the cream one again just to make sure. So off we toddle, this time hubby took his work boots off and would you believe his feet didn't touch the floor by an inch. I knew straight away that was the end of the lounge suite, red or not.

Of to the big smoke we go, sure to find a lovely red lounge suite down there we thought. Ha, think again. We went to about a dozen different furniture shops, not a red to be found. One place had a lovely black one and wonderful news, they can get it in red, not just one red, there were two shades we could choose from. Only problem, a 14-16 week wait.............

At the end of a tiring day we came home dejected, no lounge suite decided on. "I can ring the local shop and see if the red is still available (it is in another store in another state)" I said to hubby. "No, was his firm reply, my feet didn't touch the ground". Funny thing is that hubby is taller than me, only an inch or so, but my feet touched the ground and as the shop owner said , it's a recliner, so you recline.Oh duh, said hubby under his breath.

The saga of the lounge suite we don't have continues. Another trip to a large shopping area the next day, an hour or so from us, no red to be seen. There was a lovely bright orange one, but too expensive. Hubby made the comment that he would have a lounge suite more expensive than his car. The salesman had obviously not heard that comment before and politely laughed, but was otherwise not impressed. I don't know what our next plan of attack is at this stage. Nothing more has been said on the matter.

The picture was taken looking at part of the kitchen. I am slowly getting my crafty things and knick knacks where I want them.Hubby of course wishes they would all just disappear, he would have the house full of car stuff if he could, but he has a whopping big garage for that. Little does he know, I have more that I will trot out and place around the place when he is not looking. Take care. Liz...

The tooth fairy didn't come to me !!

G'day. I am so disappointed that that tooth fairy didn't come to me. I even stayed awake most of the night to see her creep in, but alas, she must have had somewhere else to go. Anyway the tooth is out and all is well, though my bank account is considerably lighter. I go back to work on Wednesday, so I am making the most of my last few days to get this home in some sort of order. The photo is my sewing/computer room at the moment, much better than a week or so ago, when I couldn't even open the door without something jumping out to attack me. It still isn't completely right though, but I am winning the battle. At least I can move in here now and all but a few things are in their place. The other photo is what I see when I look out the window of this room.

My son tells me it is an ornamental ginger ,but at some stage most of it will be pulled out. It has taken over and has been here for some time by the look of it. There is a lovely area down this side of the house, against the wall between us and the neighbours there is a raised garden bed, but sadly it has all been neglected. We will plant some lovely bushes all along here and I will have a lovely view to gaze out on as I sit and sew or am on the computer. The ginger does come out in lovely flowers that are on stalks about 18-20 inches long . Anyway, all of this happening is somewhere down the track and we won't be tackling this area any time soon.Thanks you to everyone who has left encouraging messages concerning the move and my tooth etc. It has lifted my spirits. Take care. Liz...

Buttons and Bows Swap package has arrived.

G'day. I was so excited when the Post lady rang the doorbell this morning and handed me a package. I tore off the wrapping and eagerly opened it up and what a wonderful surprise. My swap partner had sent me a collection of some wonderful things. Ribbons, buttons, a lovely little cross stitch, a gorgeous crochet brooch, two lovely fabric necklaces, a few other crochet items and so much more. The fragrant lavender bag is just the best, as soon as I started opening the box, I could smell lavender. I have it hanging in the kitchen and the smell is just divine. It is of course one of my favourite plants and something that I hope to plant here at our new home at some stage.

Thank you so much Penny. I just love it all and I am inspired to get sewing and using it all.

I am off to have my tooth surgically removed this afternoon, we will be leaving here in about a half hour. This is proving to be a very expensive process. I was shocked yesterday when I had my consultation with the Dr and he told me the costs involved. I could just about put a deposit on a new car for that, mind you it would be a very, very, small car !! My daughter rang me this morning to wish me well. She was telling me about her experience when she had the same thing happen with her tooth a few years ago and I remember at the time that she couldn't eat for a few days after having it done and was generally miserable. She just reminded me of what I was in for. She also said "I hope you have made some jelly, because that's all you will eat for a day or two" So I have made the jelly and will no doubt have that for my meal tonight.

Oh well, it's nearly time to get ready. Take care. Liz...

Settling in ok.

G'day. The move went well. No dramas for a change.Hubby and I are settling into our new home. there are still a few boxes with things in them to be packed away, but generally everything is in it's place so to speak. The picture shows my sewing/computer room, all my crafty things were just thrown in there, hoping that they would land where they belonged, but of course this just doesn't happen in real life.This room was one of the last to be sorted. I kept putting it off as it was a scary thought of all that had to be done to get it in some sort of order. The old kitchen dresser that I bought from eBay has been a great blessing, though because of it's size, it does take up up a bit of room, but who cares, it looks good and serves it's purpose.

We had nine helping on moving day (including hubby and I) so as you can imagine it was busy, busy, busy. I had come down with a bad cold on the Saturday before moving Monday and that was no fun. I was not feeling my best, but of course had to soldier on even though all I wanted to do was find a cosy spot to lay down and hide for a while. Move completed, family and friends said their goodbyes and best wishes (after a few good stiff drinks). Hubby and I retired exhausted for the night.

The next day saw the kitchen start to get some sort of order in there. I managed to get all my goodies in place. Hubby said "Can't all your crafty things go somewhere else"? I firmly said "No" A week after the move I had a filling on one of my back teeth fall out, an urgent phone call to the local dentist for help as the toothache was terrible and then an Xray to see the roots as I mentioned that the last tooth I had out many years ago, took a long time to get out and guess what ! One of the roots has a bulbous head on it, so it has to be surgically removed. I have an appointment with the Oral Surgeon tomorrow. I am home from work on sick leave now because of this jolly tooth, if I don't take the pain killers, I have a rotten toothache, if I do take the pain killers, all I want to do is lay down as they knock me around. What next, I want to know.!!!

The new carpet is lovely, our new drapes and curtains should be here in another three weeks or so. We have already started looking for a new lounge room suite and for a total change we have decided to go for a blood red or something similar. Friends from work want to call in of course, but I have managed to hold them off as I just can't be bothered, luckily they know me and understand. Though one friend, not knowing our new phone number called in last week on her day off work, hubby said "Liz is sleeping" (effect of the tablets) but of course the doorbell ringing woke me up. Up I got and we had a cuppa, hubby went back to sorting out his garage, friend didn't stay long, but the deed was done and I got stuck into a bit more sorting out. The house is lovely, though a lot smaller than our old one and we are having trouble finding places for a lot of things. The local thrift shop is on a first name basis with us now, we have been there so often dropping stuff off. We have wondered if we should have rented and built a house, but decided to buy one established etc, etc,for various reasons. The people here before us didn't leave it very clean which has been a bugbear as we have had to clean as we go. We came here three times before we put the offer in and it always looked spotless, however, they let the team down big time and obviously didn't care toward the end. I have told the agent this and it will get back to the previous owners as a relative works there, but I don't care. Anyway, it is all good now, we are happy, our lovely little dog loves it here and all is pointing to a settled life once again.  I have only had the computer up and running for a day or so now and as I expected there was no smooth sailing there either, after a few phone calls and frayed tempers (on my part) we are off and running again. I am enjoying reading all the blogs I follow, though I apologize if I don't leave comments on them at this time. Take care. Liz...