It's all over now

Megs is fine and coming home. We spent the day with her and she's having another night in the hospital. We'll pick her up in the morning and take her home for a week's rest and recuperation - an unexpected bonus!

Megan and her Wayward Appendix

Megan is in hospital - and she and her appendix should be separated by now. A pain in the abdomen for a few days; a day off work; a visit to the doctor and suddenly you're in a cubicle in the the Emergency Department and the next minute you're in theatre....while Mum sits here worrying and wondering when she's going to get the phone call to say it's all over. Isn't it strange that I picked today as my Favourite Daughter Day?

Friday Favourites....Megan

I thought I might make Fridays a day for sharing some Favourites with you - photos, people, recipes, animals, books, sayings and blogs. Today I'm starting with a favourite photo of my (favourite!) daughter. She was heading off to Womens Ball in 2008.

Thursday Again

How did it get to be Thursday again already? The days just fly past, quicker than ever.

It's overcast and cool today; I wish it would rain, just a little bit, just gently. It would be so nice.

It took me an hour this morning to do all the chooks (Gibbo is away, so there's his to do as well) and move the sprinklers. Chooks and sprinklers, chooks and sprinklers. Sometimes that's all there is.

This is what I'm....

Eating...home made Caesar Salad...Drew loved it and so did I.

And this is what I'm about to start reading. I've heard a lot about these books, especially the first one. Today I happened to see the final book in the trilogy and it sounded so good that I thought I'd better read the other two before starting the third..so I bought them. I'm looking forward to reading them - if the reviews are anything to go by I won't be able to put them down. I haven't had a good book to read for a while now. I love finding a great read - it feels like I have a secret, special friend that I can carry around with me and my heart is warm when I think of sneaking time to go off somewhere quiet with it and be lost amongst the pages.

I expect Megan will like them too. She only has 7 days of work left before the big adventure starts.

Tuesday Sunset

The Boys are Home

After having dinner by myself at Maccas, I picked Drew up from the bus at 8.30pm. He had a fantastic time at Dreamworld and talked all the way home about how much fun the day was and relived all the rides they went on. There was no mention of Biology. When I asked him what he learnt that would help him with his studies, he said "Nothing".

Gibbo arrived home from CQ about 10.30pm but I was already in bed, fast asleep. My cold had worn me out.

We had another good weekend. We went to visit the H's in Toowoomba. It's been a while since we've caught up so it was good to see them and spend the night.

Sunday was a quiet day. The boys have emptied the pool, cleaned it and have started to refill it. I hope it goes better this time.

I've finally decided to go to England next August with Gibbo on a trip to the Golden Oldies World Cup. The tour is actually four weeks but we're coming home after two. While the boys play cricket for a week in Harrogate, I'm going to either go to Scotland and ride trains all over the country or go to Belgium or France and do a bike ride. More to come on that one including the guilt and angst I've gone through to finally make the decision to go.

Here's some of my favourite and less favourite places IN my house.

Favourite - the Photo Gallery. My favourite photos of the four of us plus some other special people... and animals.

Favourite - my desk that I never get to sit at for very long. This is where Ilong to sit and create my visual journals. Only snippets of time are snatched here...and the "stuff" piles up in anticipation.

A bit favourite - some of my poultry treasures, collected over the years, mostly gifts from my family, Andrew B and Rachel. Also, my magnificent bust (!), a 40th birthday gift from four very special people (L, K. A and C).

My least favourite task - mopping the kitchen/living area. It takes such little time but seems like such a big chore...and it all looks so nice when it's done!

Sunday Wandering

These are just some of the views from my front door.

Dreamworld for Biology

Drew has gone to Dreamworld for the day on a Grade 11 Biology excursion! Hello?? Dreamworld? Biology? What is the connection? The Home Ec and Geography kids have gone as well (Hello?? again). The Physics kids went too - I can maybe accept that - what with all those machines and gravity etc - but the rest of them? Anyway, he was really excited to be going. He won't get home until around 8.30pm. I'm looking forward to hearing what he learnt today!!

He had to be in town at 5.30am so we were up at 4.30am and now I'm really tired and have to go to work. I've also picked up a heavy head cold, which is really unusual for me - I never get sick. Runny nose, runny eyes, headache and all the rest that goes with it, but, as my family would say - "teaspoon of cement".

Some days, this is how I feel....

Some days I feel......

Like Part of the Herd

Spiritual Lonely

Like Hiding
Tall
Zoned Out

Cold and Frosty
Like I'm Treading Water

Ugly

Indignant

Far Away

and LOVED!!!

photos from our visit to Orana Wildlife Park, Christchurch, New Zealand, June 2007

Blogtober Day 21

Gibbo flew to Emerald yesterday to spent four days at the other Company feedlot. He's going to take on the responsibility of overseeing it. I'm not sure how he/we are going to manage the extra workload; time will tell. It's not something I'm especially looking forward to - our lives are busy enough as they are but he is keen to do it so I guess I just support him. This photo of Andrew's sums up how I feel about the whole thing.

Weekend Wrap Up

I had one of those weekends that seem to last forever - rare I know, but appreciated when they happen.

Drew stayed in town Friday night after going to the movies. On Saturday morning Gibbo and I got up early and did the general housework then went, as we always do, out to the chooks. Some friends came mid-morning to choose two hens for their little girl. Then I went to town and did the shopping and picked up Drew. As we were leaving town Megan rang to say she was coming home, so that was exciting. We got home, unpacked, Andrew brought out some more cracked corn and picked up a bale of old hay.

We had arranged to go out for dinner so I decided to ride to town. I left from down the road as I was a bit later than I wanted to be and rode the 16km to town. The boys came in later.

Megan turned up - I hadn't told Gibbo she was coming so he was nicely surprised. We had a great evening with some unexpected guests making the evening really fun. I haven't laughed so much in a long time.

Sunday was a good day. Megan went to town and picked Mum up; then we cooked up spring rolls and pork dumplings for lunch. They were all delicious. I had bought a bamboo steamer and used it for the dumplings. I spent the afternoon gardening then after Megan left, Drew and I went to 5pm Mass to hear a boys choir from out of town sing. It was lovely.

We went to The Coffee Club for cappucino and hot chocolate before heading home.

It was a peaceful, happy weekend that involved family and friends - what more can you ask for really?

Sprinkler and Bird

Every day I sprinkle...

Off He Goes....Down the Road

Now that the weather has warmed up, Drew has started riding to and from the bus. I captured him going, going gone......

It's Soooooo Windy....

I nearly blew over today, coming out of the weighbridge! A big gust of wind blew me off course!! Lucky I made it back to the office..... I wonder where it would have taken me if it had picked me up? Where would I like to go on the wind? Where would YOU like to go on the wind??

I'm Stuck...

Tonight I'm stuck for inspiration - I don't want to talk about work or the garden or the meeting I went to.

I'm just getting my daily dose of blogworld, reading my latest favourites.....I look forward to seeing what everyone's been up to during the day. Some posts are personal, most aren't; some blogs have existed for years, some only just started. I wonder how long mine will last and if (and how) it will evolve...and when will I tell someone of its' existence??!

Monday Again

Up early. Fed the chooks. Put the sprinklers on. Did a load of washing. Ironed school clothes. Made school lunch. Went to bus. Went to work. Saw big brown snake. More budgets. Home for lunch. Shifted sprinklers. Back to work - just getting into last week's arrivals - then my turn with the auditors. Came home. Shifted sprinklers. Collected eggs. Boys went to touch. Balanced cheque account. Transferred money. Cooked thai green chicken curry for tea. Too hot. Drew home from touch. Gibbo back to town for poker. Had tea. Cleaned up. Blogged. Megan is resigning from job to begin "Summer Adventures of Megan". Offered moral support. More than father does anyway. Going to read paper on couch and watch Lifestyle channel with dog. Probably fall asleep. Usually do. Usually crawl into bed 4am. Then can't sleep. End of (exciting) day.

10 Minutes

I went outside with the camera, just for 10 minutes, and these are some of the images I collected. I am very fortunate to live in such a peaceful and calm environment.