And so life goes on...

Firstly a big Thank You to all of you who posted your kind thoughts on my blog after my last post. And to Dianna and Yolande for the texts, Delys and Andrea for the beautiful cards. It's been a pretty big week and a half and I don't really know where to start.
Dad's funeral (last Sat) went well with over 100 pple there. I managed to speak at it (bl***y well too I must say) and I think, although as a quiet, private man he would have been horrified that we spent time talking about him, it was an honouring occasion. I met some Aunties and Uncles whom I had either never met before or only met as a child. I have not really yet begun to process what his passing will mean for me and how I will miss him.
Mum is doing pretty well considering. She wants to be on her own in her home and has been ok there by herself for the last 3 nights. She is taking things slowly and as she lives locally I am able to phone and visit her frequently. I keep telling her she is now "world famous in Taihape"
My boys are doing OK, although I am very aware that this is big for each of them for various reasons. Toby is in Ashburton this weekend for the rowing Provincial Nationals at Lake Hood so I am sending him 'fast boat' thoughts for his races.
I have discovered through all this that I am related by marriage to Karen (Girlfriday) - waves to newly discovered scrapping cousin - I had a job interview last week and, although not final yet so I can't say too much, it looks like I will be back working fulltime very soon. My cleaning system has not got a lot of attention but I have been continuing to do most of it in all the trauma.
I haven't done much scrapping but I did order some goodies through SO so I need to get back into it.
Unfortunately, after all that ramble, things haven't settled down for us tho. Yesterday we had some calls to say DH's elderly mother has had a fall and broken her pelvis. She will be having surgery this weekend. She lives in Chch. We are praying hard for her.

I am wondering how much can a girl take!!!!

Sandra

A very sad Tuesday...

2.30pm my mobile phone rang. It's my brother informing me our father has had a heart attack and passed away. He was towing a caravan in Taihape at the time...with my mother in the passenger seat. They then had an accident but my mother is Ok.....well as ok as she can be. I am in shock and on autopilot. Will blog some othertime...just thought I would let you know so if I don't blog for a while...you know why. My sons are all home now...to be with us. It brings back our recent family tragedy....losing our precious Olly. Now our precious dad and grandad.
Sad times for our family
:-(

And so the early mornings begin...

I'm sitting at the puter at 5.55am and I'm thinking "Hi Delys" It's my 1st early morning of the rowing season this morning....with my 16.5 year old who should have got his licence by now. He's been training hard out with the Provincial crew but that is only at weekends. He didn't do well in his exams at all...because he hasn't done any work....and I'm interfering too much apparantly. Oh boy. Have you read Celia Lashlie's book "He'll be OK" It's a great book about the needs of teenage boys in regards to their mothers and ...I need to get off the bridge! (you need to have read the book to understand that) It's very hard to leave them there on their own tho!!!! Shouldn't this be easier as I've done it once already with DS who is 18.
Fun...fun...fun!!! Have a pleasant Tuesday.

Ciao

Todays post...

...feels like it's going to be boring. Have been scrapping away.
Here's one LO I did for a SO challenge yesterday. Nothing startling but it tells a story. Waiting for DS to finally sand the walls so I can start painting the bedroom. Job interview next week. Might try and finish my Heidi Swapp LO I did at SENZ - LAST YEAR - this week. Then my sons album will be finished (if there is such a thing)
Cleaning system working brilliantly. Those who asked for the info...what did you think???

Laters

Aaargghhh....

..I missed posting yesterday. How did that happen? Yesterday I had lots of teenagers in my kitchen, I made buns and muffins, I ran them endlessly to trainings and I even managed to fit in an afternoon with friends. I like feeling like a busy mother again. Now my family is older and some have moved out, I miss the busyness of family life. It's nice to have that back sometimes.

Just to clarify, the photos in my previous post are of the dog we had a number of years ago. He passed away about 7 years ago now (he was 9.5) For the past 5 years we have had the 'lovely Labrador' Java and I better post a pic of him or his (rather chunky) nose will be out of joint.

Have a lovely Sunday

Ciao

Now the ....

...shorn photo.


YES, IT IS THE SAME DOG.

Trying again with photos

The lovely Wilber.....

Photo 1: Classic 'sitting in front of the fan'

Not letting me post more. Will try separate posts

Whakatane

Had a fabulous day out in Whakatane today. An hour's work and then coffee with Dianna and Tash (the lovely Arwen and the very adorable Cleo), then a drive over to Ohope to reminisce. Then 2 hours sitting in the sun at the Bean yakking to Andrea. Thanks ladies...it was lovely to catch up and Whakatane turned on a cracker day.

These photos of the adorable Wilber (our OES we had for 9.5yrs) are for you Andrea.

No 1 - the classic 'in front of the fan' pose
No 2 - shorn so short it's almost criminal
No 3 - shorn but looking kinda cute

Oh bother. Blogger will not let me upload photos. Will have to try tomorrow. I promise Andrea...they will make you laugh.

Ciao

More scrapping...

..and man, am I enjoying it. Have been trying to decide what to do with these pages for ages so sat down today and just finished them. Feels great!! I'm so enjoying just randomly scrapping whatever photos I feel like.

I am so regretting not discovering scrapping when my kids were younger. I'd have taken so many more photos and been wiser with the ones I took. 'Now I'm 3' being a case in point....I have 3 photos of Elliot's 3rd birthday...2 of the cake and one of me waving my arms around. LOL So many events and special moments of my childrens lives I don't have any photo's for. I plan on doing some photoless layouts (probably quite a few eventually)
Ciao

Churning out...

...dessert swap layouts. Won't post them yet coz that will spoil the suprise for those in the swap. They were fun tho but I wouldn't want to have to do 9 copies of every page I do lol. I used ink and I feel like I smudged ink over everything. Oh well...grunge is in isn't it.
Instead I will post a layout I did for a SO challenge on their last cybercrop. It was about using old stash pp.
Thanks to those who wished me well for my job application. I can never be sure what (or who) they are after. Just have to wait and see if I get an interview. This one is fulltime which will be a challenge but I have done fulltime before. Feel better set up with systems at home now.
My cleaning system is working well and I am working on a document detailing my secrets. As I have said before, it's not rocket science but it is about changing my thoughts about housework and building in some routines and habits. If you would like a copy of how I've done it email me on oursurnamefamily at maxnet dot co dot nz and I will send it to you. Our surname is patton. Hope that makes sense

Ciao

Updating...

...Have had a nice day today...'nice'..??...what kind of a word is 'nice'..?? Anyway, DH's last day off in a run of 4. Very rare for him to get more than 1 day off at a time. Went out cruising some shops, doing coffee and just generally 'hanging out'. Tonight we watched 'In my Father's Den' on DVD. Good movie. What a messed up situation!! We picked it all wrong.
Applied for another job today. We'll see how I go.
Going ot work on my Dessert Swap pages tomorrow.

Laters

Oooops...

...I didn't quite make an update yesterday. Quick one this morning while DH is running DS out to the river to train. Poor darling,....training all day yesterday in the rain and cold on Lake Rotoiti. I'm supposed to be making Eggs Benedict for brekky while he's away.
Bought lots of scrapping goodies at WHS in their 50% off deal. With the new papers I bought from SO the other day I can't wait to get into it. Will be a few days yet before I have time.
Carwashing again this arvo so no scrapping.

Ciao

An ordinary day...

Today I go to work for the morning (facilitating a parenting group) What awesome people we have in the group! Home for a quick coffee then see a student for an hour. Home for lunch and DH is there making avocado on toast...yum. We hang out together for the rest of the day and evening. He has 4 days off work, an unheard of luxury. Heck we might even have to make conversation with each other LOL. Both DS's are out at social events and DH and I feel like Darby and Joan at home.
Early start tomorrow...Toby has to be on the water at 7.30 at Lake Rotoiti for training all day. I hear brunch at the Fat Dog calling!!!
Does anyone else like the Waresouse Stationary 50%off coupons...great for stocking up on DCWV plain cardstock pads.

Ciao

Yeeehaaa!

On a scrapping roll today. These layouts I either started on the weekend or today, and finished today. Got another half one done today too but can't decide on the final version so I'll have to keep going back to it for a while I think.

Got a parcel today from SO of new Scenic route (Hampton) and Junkitz papers...I'm loving them. The new Junkitz Laguna Guy is so me!! I often wonder if anyone else buys the papers I like cos I never see any pages with them. Oh well. I'm probably helping out the retailers buying all the stuff no one else likes. I have so many blue and green papers and all my layouts seem in those colours atm. I guess it's just a phase!!!

Got friends coming tonight to scrap. Trying to make it a regular Thurs night thing.

Waylaid plans...

I go to bed last night thinking..."no appointments, housework up-to-date, job application started....might treat myself to an all day scrapping day" This morning a friend rings..."can I come and show you my scrapping" (of course), I notice a video waiting to be viewed for a student I am supervising tomorrow, I realise I am busy all weekend and won't have time to work on said job application.
Berry muffins now in oven for friend, 1st espresso brewed for the day, blogging done...now to squeeze scrapping in between what else I need to do today. Oh well. My plans are slightly waylaid.

Ciao

How 'mothers of only boys' get 'daughters'

Have just been out for coffee and a wander around some arty shops with Abby, my son's girlfriend. Feels really cool to be able to do this....kind of grown up. The lady in the shop asked if we were mother and daughter. We both said 'sort of'. We get on well. Isn't she beautiful!



Cleaning system still working, lol. When it's been tried and tested for a couple of weeks I'll let you know how it works and how I devised it. It's not rocket science, abit like how I helped my son with his study timetable really - only I do the cleaning, he doesn't do his study!!
18yr old DS is finishing the gibstopping in the bedroom tonight so I should be getting my painting gears on for Thursday and achieving useful things with a roller.

Ciao

Here are some pics...

...of my fun new cleaning system.


For those who might know me well...it's ok...I'm allright...don't call the men in white coats!

I can change OK. Maybe I've decided 44 and half years of being a sloth is long enough!! LOL

The hardest bit was convincing DH I just HAD to buy a box of Ferrero Rocher Chocs ($8) and that a plastic container from Payless Plastics just wouldn't do. The best bit was eating the Chocolates LOL, oh and making the cute little cards.

I'm back.....

Yay. My computer is back and healthy. Had to wait for DH to have a day off (Sun) to return all the settings so I could recognise everything (I'm not that techno savvy) and now I'm underway again. Asked the geeks to save our internet stuff but they haven't so I've lost all my favourites. A good excuse to spend hours trawling the net again I guess. If you visit me please leave a comment so I can visit you back and put you on my fav's. I don't have links on my blog yet...hope to get there one day.

My most exciting thing I achieved last week was a system for cleaning my house. Now, normally, I would be being sarcastic, but this time I MEAN IT. I have set up a system to keep my house vaguely clean all the time. You probably don't realise, but after 20 years of living in this house this is a major breakthrough!!!!! My house is HUGE...(was 8 bedrooms, currently being renovated to 6) plus 2x lounges, bathrooms & toilets, office etc, etc. I have gone thru many stages including not cleaning it (yes, it's true), trying rosters, cleaning person, 1 day a week etc, etc. This is the 1st system that has me excited and I've kept it up for 1 week. Early days yet I know but....
To bore you....it's based on a flylady type system of 15 - 30 mins a day. I've made little cards for each day over 4 weeks. Some jobs get done weekly, fortnightly etc, etc. Also the flylady swishe & swipe, hot spot, shiny sink etc is done daily too. I'm really trying to convince myself I can manage this when I go back to work. Currently I believe myself. Will let you know how I get on. Love using the little cards tho and they were fun to make.

Don't know why but blogger isn't letting me upload pics....maybe later (they will be of my cards, not of my clean house LOL)

Have done some scrapping, will post later, and am starting on my dessert pages for the KS dessert swap. Elliot was thrilled coz I made his favourite desert - a Chocolate and Coffee Ice Cream Gateau - sounds flash but it's easy-peasy.
Had a lovely bbq dinner by candlelight with the boys for fathers day last night. Can't wait for daylight saving now.

Ciao for now
Sandra