Hubby may no longer cook!

I like spicy food; I like curry; I like the food a tMonsoon Poon ..... but I like it spicy rather than burn-your-mouth-so-you-can't-taste-anything type of food.

A year or so back, Hubby made soup and to spice it up he put a heaped teaspoon of dried chilli flakes in ..... then he thought that wouldn't be enough so he put another heaped teaspoon in! I couldn't eat it.

Tonight he cooked dinner using green curry paste. I suggested that he put one teaspoon in - one heaped dessert spoon was used. Again, I could barely eat it.

Why does he do it? The boys don't really like it either so it's such a waste of food

22 January Edited to add: he confessed that he put TWO heaped dessertspoons of the green curry in and that it was also a bit too strong for him!

New bag

I need a new bag: it has to take my purse, my camera and other assorted bits and pieces. I'd like one that is a backpack style and has pockets - both inside and out.

What do you suggest?

Photos

So, both DigitalMax and SnapFish are having a special - 12 cents per print. I usually resize my photos using PSE but am thinking of using just the digital print size. Has anyone else done this? What are the photos Like?

Doj ... pronounced Dodge

So where did the name come from? About nine years ago we lived in Whitby and this beautiful black and white cat would insist on coming to our house. I kept trying to chase it as I knew that it probably belonged to someone. I gave up and called the cat Daisy because "she" was so beautiful and we were very into Thomas the Train at that stage. Then some people up the road who we know told us their cat had been missing for a few months. I showed them Daisy: "Oh that's Oscar", they said!

They took Oscar home and locked him inside for two weeks to re-home him. As they opened the door, he shot down the road to come back to us. Then we moved to Tawa and asked if we could keep the cat but we didn't like Oscar so we changed it to James (see the Thomas influence again?).

We had just moved into our house and were having a bbq and my mom said, "Just call him Doj: Daisy, Oscar, James" and so the name has stuck!

Home from the hospital and ........

I am pleased to report that Doj is home from hospital in being cared for by "Nurse Granny" - my mom. She is going to be able to offer him better care than we will be able to over the next few weeks. He has three tablets and liquid in the morning, and two tablets in the afternoon - he greedily ate this morning's ones because they were given to him in little balls of mince! He also has to have five minutes of exercise three times a day and some foot massage! Here he is in his home for the next six weeks as he is not allowed to jump. It is fine now, but I can imagine that in four or five weeks time he is going to be itching to get out. The three boys made the "house" and I gave it a quick slap of paint as it did look a bit like bare wood.

And then the lovely Sonya gave me this lovely blog award! Thanks Sonya! As Sonya says, we read each other's blog regularly and feel we know each other but have never met - such is the power of the Internet.

Now it is my turn to pass it on to at least seven other people. I choose: Jenny, Katrina, Irene, Angela, Sharlene, Ruth, Shell, and Sherri Now friends, this is what you have to do: 1. Add the logo to your blog.2. Link to the person from whom you received this award.3. Nominate 7 or more blogs.4. Leave a message on their blog, letting them know they have “One Lovely Blog”!

Enjoy

Hummingbird cake

Recipe from our lovely friend Dianne at The Station Cafe in National Park - make time to stop there for coffee and cake or a meal - you won't be sorry. The other good cafe is Out of the Fog in Owhango which is about 15 - 20 minutes north of NP on SH4.

Drain 450grams of pineapple and reserve 1/4 cup of the liquid
Sift together
1 cup of pain flour,
1/2 cup of self raising flour (I use 1 & 1/2 cups of plain flour + 1 teasp of Baking powder),
1/2 teasp of baking soda,
1/2 teasp of cinnamon,
1/2 teasp of ginger (I'm quite heavy handed with the spices)
200gm brown sugar (I think it's fine with 150gm)

Mix in
Pineapple and juice
1/2 cup of coconut
1 cup mashed bananas (about two medium size bananas)
2 lightly beaten eggs
3/4 cup of oil

Bake at 180degrees C for 40 - 50 minutes. The mixture is quite liquid

Ice with cream cheese icing
60 gm cream cheese
30 gms butter
1 teasp vanilla essence
1 & 1/2 cups icing sugar

We all worked hard today - the three boys built an immomility cage for Doj as the one from the vet costs $3 per night and for six weeks will be a lot of money! I painted the computer cupboard and sewed two pairs of 3/4 pants for me. Tomorrow I want to paint Doj's new home.

We will also visit Doj and then go looking for some brass doorknobs for the painted cupboard

Saturday

Doj had his operation yesterday morning and the surgery lasted two hours - a long time for even a human! Fortunately it was only neccessary to put a pin into his leg but it is rather a long cut. We saw him yesterday and again this morning and he was so pleased to see us! He was purring and meowing at us. He is unable to walk but was trying to drag himself a bit today. The bandage around his tail is a painkiller patch that dispenses a set amount of pain killer at a set time - really amazing. He is lying on a sheepskin which is on a heated pad - talk about comfort.

The vet told me that mentally he is a very strong cat which is also aiding in his recovery. He will be able to come home on Monday but has to be kept immobile for six weeks ....... how on earth do we tell this jumping, climbing outside cat that he has to stay in a cage 100cm by 60cm by 50cm (40" x 24" x 20") for six weeks!

Now we just hope that he recovers well and doesn't do any damage to it in the recovery time. Thanks to so many of you who have left comments here and/or emailed me - we really appreciate it.

Update

The cat is under sedation and is on a drip at the vet. Before anything further can happen, he has to wee. If he can't it means that there is probably nerve damage and we have to put him to sleep. Otherwise he will have an operation tomorrow morning to put a pin in his leg. Even then, depending on what they see when they open him up, will depend on what happens.

We will be speaking to the dog owners later on.

To say that we are all stressed and worried is an understatement - the boys and did virtually nothing today; fortunately for hubby he was at work and that took his mind off it. I have had quite a few little weeps today. We're hoping for a positive telephone call tomorrow morning

Our cat

Last night our cat was attacked by a dog last night on our property. He has quite a lot of injuries: Broken back left femur, broken upper tailbone, possible fracture of the pelvis/spleen, possible break in the ball-and-socket of the left back leg. eare now waiting for the next lot of x-rays so that we can make more decisions about.

We are all very upset and the anger at the dog owners has not yet surfaced. Actually I am so full of tears this morning: just anything is setting me off.

Please send good and healing thoughts/prayers in the direction of our cat

I tried to upload a photo but blogger is not playing nicely today

Cake .....

Hummingbird cake (pineapple, bananas and coconut) with cream cheese icing on the left and chocolate cake on the right. Friends for morning tea.

This DVD that I really wanted

Take away curry for dinner .........

....... what more could I ask for?

Some Un-Du maybe? Yes Scrapbook Central have it and I always forget about them

Happy New Year

We have started the year off well. Late 2005, we had a colour consultant come in and advise us on colours for our house. We started over the New Year weekend in 2006 by painting the fence, deck and other outside wood. Months later we did the downstairs passageway and one of the bedrooms. Sometime early in 2008 we did the stairwell and upstairs passageway.



Remaining prior to Christmas 2008 was the family room, dining room, our room and the bathroom. The family room was a very daunting prospect as we had loads of stuff in there, especially my scrapping stuff.



As I posted earlier, we bought a new TV so had to do something with the feature wall:

this is before

and after

That left the other three walls to do and I had sorted out all my scrapping stuff (loads on TM, lots in the recycling, and a box to go to Trina). My corner just prior to painting

And my corner after painting ( the colour is really not that yellow)

The corner where the two walls meet showing the effect of the two colours: the colours are Merlot (red) Dejavu (rich cream) both by Resene

We will buy the paint for the dining room tomorrow and hopefully finish that before the weekend is over.

Today we planned to bring in all the outside Christmas lights but that meant that the shed needed a clean out ...... yet more recycling, boxes and more for the Sallies, and a few things for TM. By this time it had started raining and we didn't want to put wet lights away. So the lights are still outside but switched off. That will be the boys task tomorrow while we unload at the Sallies and buy the dining room paint.

It feels great to start the new year with a big clean out ...... still lots to go, but a big effort already done

No Internet!!

Argh! I had no internet all day until hubby came home and waved his magic wand over it. I did feel a little cut off from the world.

However, I continued with the cleanup (29 items on TradeMe); I started sewing a pair of 3/4 pants for myself but I was half way through when I remembered I hadn't washed the fabric before I cut it - into the machine it went with the rest of the fabric I bought. I will hopefully finish them tomorrow and then see whether the fabric shrank.

Started sorting out s/b magazines and I decided that it as easier to kepp a single page rather than the whole magazine - started copying the pages I needed and I jammed the printer!

What else can go wrong today?

And it's nearly 2009 - I can't believe how quickly the years are going by (and that I'm getting old). Two babies at College this year, full time job for me. It's going to be a hard year, I'm sure, so just as well I'll have my scrapping to keep me sane.

After Christmas

We had a lovely Christmas lunch ... lots of yummy food and even better lots of leftovers so I haven't had to cook yet! Things may change tomorrow, however! This is the boys sitting at their places waiting for lunch.


Boxing Day we did go to the sales and bought a couple of Christmas lights. I couldn't believe how busy the shops were! Even busier than before Christmas. We then came home and decided that it was time to start clearing in order to paint. We had a colour consultant in a few years back and really liked the colours she gave us. We have painted the outside fences and other wood; the bedroom downstairs, the hallway downstairs and the stairwell. The big task, however, is our family room. One of the walls is to be a feature wall, but that meant moving a large wall unit that had to be pulled up over the balcony as it couldn't come up the stairs. Last week we bought a new TV so the decision was to cut the cupboard in half so the TV could sit on the shelf and then put the top half onto the wall. Here you can see the top half on its side on the right of the photo.

The room looks so nice now that we decided not to put the top half back on which meant that the kitchen cupboards had to be reorganised to take the glasses and other stuff. The Sallies have already got two boxes and the third is filling fast! I also have to clean up my "scrap heap" in order to paint. I have so much stuff that I need to throw out stuff, sell some of it on TradeMe including lots of books; and the rest I have no idea how to get rid of it! Any suggestions gratefully received. The TM stuff I will load on Sunday night. I need to hold a garage sale for my excess scrapbook stuff! I have decided that I'm not going to buy anything extra until I use up some of what I have. That includes the lovely kits I've been getting monthly, but I just can't justify spending money on it anymore. In that regard, the only things I am going to buy are some vertical storage folders so that I can SEE my cardstock - maybe that way I'll use it.

Any suggestions for neat, compact, tidy storage will also be gratefully received ..... or even better come and tidy up for me! In fact, maybe I can make this a competition and find some things to send people who can give untidy-me some really good ideas!

Christmas Eve

So are you ready for tomorrow? I think I am but if I'm not too bad! I'm not stressing about it - the day should be one for enjoying with friends and family and remembering the real reason we celebrate.

I've done the Festive loaf that we have for breakfast and bought cherries, strawberries and raspberries (at $6 for a tiny punnet I didn't buy more than one!). I need to make the entree savoury "cake": layers of tuna, avocado and egg on a cracker base. Then the turkey stuffing and look to see what vegetables I have and those are the ones we'll eat! Oh yes, I must make some meringues too. Then I'm done preparing the food.

The presents need wrapping and I must finish Adrian's sleeping shorts. I would have done it yesterday but spent at least an hour fighting with my sewing machine. I bought some new needles so hopefully that will help.

I also made these lovely little totes and filled them with Guylian chocolate squares. I got the idea from Kelly, who got the idea here. They look really nice hanging on the tree and I've been thinking of other sizes to make too.

This is what our cul-de-sac looks like from the top - it doesn't look as good in the dusk as it does when it's dark.

And our house:

We have been standing outside at night handing out lollies and most kids are great except one last night was complaining that he could only have one! I held my tongue, but wanted to say to him that e did not have a money tree out the back! It's so lovely seeing the kids faces when they see the lights AND get a lolly! Even the old people's homes have come looking: buses from Rita Angus, Shona McFarlane and Malvina Major have been round looking.

For those of you wondering, I decided not to get a Slice, but bought myself a new camera instead

Well, I'm off to get showered and get on with my day. Happy Christmas to all and I hope that you all have a wonderful, safe day

Catch up

Colin is a bit better but the weather is dreadful here so he has taken to his bed with his new book! He's a bit like me - gets his nose stuck in a book and is quite happy to just read and read and read.


I have finished my work!!! Yay! Woo Hoo! and other suitable exclamations. But at the sae time I am tired and have no inspiration to do anything. I should make some mince pies or something .......


I also have to find some inspiration to decorate my little Doodlebug house. If you haven't seen them, look here on Vicki's blog. I have some tiny little Christmas lights but that is all I can think of right now


I have also planned our Christmas lunch but it is so miserable that I can't be bothered going out. We do have to go to fetch hubby's car as he had a work function last night and decided it was better for me to fetch him than for him to drive home. There was a road block but it was on the way to fetch him: the policeman who asked me my name and address told me I was going in the wrong direction and was very impressed when I told him I was fetching hubby. "What a lucky husband", he said.

Tomorrow I must go shopping for Christmas presents but I have no idea what to buy the boys - any suggestions for teenage boys??

Today .....

I am the mother of teenagers!

Unfortunately the planned birthday party didn't work out very well. The plan was for the guests to arrive yesterday at 1.30pm when we would go to H2O (swimming pool). Back home for a bbq and a sleepover.

All was going well until I got home from the hairdresser at midday to find Colin wheezing and coughing and asking me to take him to the doctor. I phoned the GP and the earliest they could see us was 2.30pm so off to A&M we went where we waited... and waited .... and waited. I realised that we would not be home by 1.30pm and managed to get hold of one of the guests to ask him to come later. We finally saw the doctor around 2pm, got some Prednizone and were home by 2.30pm. Colin said that he really didn't feel like going to the pool so the boys just stayed at home and played PS2 and watched a movie. They wanted a real fire so that they could roast marshmallows; but the wind was so strong that I had to sit outside in the smoke watching for any sparks. Adrian got home and took over and we ate about 7pm.

Granny bought an ice cream cake from Wendy's which was nice but not worth the money spent. Had to put and "9" and four other candles on it. They finally went to sleep about 10.30pm and slept until just after 9am. I made them crepes for breakfast and by the time they were ready to go it was after 11.30am.

Colin was a bit disappointed as his birthday had not gone to plan but what he did have enjoyed.

I took two guests home and here comes my gripe: one barely said thanks and the other didn't even grunt at me as he got out the car! Not a "thanks for the party", "thanks for bringing me home" nothing! I was seething and I have decided that in future I will make them say thank you. Why should I be the one to get angry at these kids for fear of hurting their poor sensitive souls?

Anyway, Colin has taken to his bed - not such a nice place for his 13th birthday but he also has a brand new book to read so he's not too unhappy.

(PS Why won't bl***y blogger keep the paragraph spacing??)

The end is in sight!

On the work front, that is! I have even had time to visit a few blogs AND leave some comments. I'll catch up next week.

We bought some more lights on Saturday and put them up on Sunday. Interesting talking to people outside who notice each and every new one that goes up - they must visit our street fairly regularly. We're trying to get a charity brass band (eg Sallies) to come and play next Wednesday but so far no go. Anyone who can send someone our way, please let me know so we can organise it.

I was so pleased to see that Raewyn has asked for an extension at the SBO Christmas competition as maybe I'll get my little house done too.

My Dad's birthday last night was lovely. We went to Mungavin Blues and had a really yummy meal. He enjoyed himself too and it was nice to see him enjoying himself. I forgot to take my camera! I really like my big camera but sometimes think a little pocket one would be better so I am eyeing the Olympus FE20 but I'm also eyeing the Making Memories Slice so I'll have to count my dollars to see what I can afford.

Anyway, off to get things prepared for the next birthday party!

Today

I am soooo tired! I haven't got much work left to do though and I can really see the light at the end of the tunnel. We were late getting up today so I had to give Colin a note for school! I should be working, but I'm reading blogs and writing this lol!

We are off out to dinner tonight for my Dad's 85th birthday tonight and then on Friday I will be the mother of two teenage boys! Eek - where did that time go? The party is on Thursday (and I haven't made any invitations yet!); I think we will be making phone calls later.

I was just reading Meek's blog and feeling as though I needed a day on a deserted island! Everyone's Christmas planning is sounding so good - I have a present for Adrian, a present for Jacob (a young man of 17 months who is joining ua along with his parents on Christmas Day), a present for my Dad and that is it! There isn't even any Christmas food in the house ... and I don't have too much for the birthday party on Thursday either. I will have to go to the shops today and then start the serios shopping on Sunday.

Anyway, must get in the shower and then back to my desk.

Junior Prizegiving

Yesterday was the final Dean's Assembly where the first prizes in subjects were given out and today was prizegiving where the first in class prizes were given out.

I was very proud of Ross' achievements: first place in ICT and a Distinction certificate from the Australiasian ICT exam

And I am still very busy - I'll have time to buy things for Christmas, sort out Christmas Day and catch up on other people's lives after 20th December!

School Trips

I have just spent two full days on trips with Year 9s and came home exhausted both days. First day we took 52 to rock climbing, lunch next to the river, and then to H2O a big swimming complex. At rock climbing, I caught sticking their fingers up the charity lollie dispensers. Some had no interest in climbing whatsoever and just wanted the radio turned up loudly. On to the river and they weren't too bad. Then to the pool where six decided that they weren't swimming .. but three then went wandering off outside the pool complex. Coming back, the bus driver took the scenic route: for those of you who are local - across Haywards Hill, then immediately into Whitby and through the suburbs, through Ascot Park and into Porirua next to Pak 'n' Save then back to school. For those of you not local - a car trip of 30 minutes became a bus trip of nearly and hour as we wended our way through the suburbs rather than directly on the motorway!


But we weren't done yet - we had to herd them all into the hall as the previous day a lot of damage had been done to Paintball! ARGH! The perpetrator was discovered and banned from the rest of the trips (and more).


Second day we took slightly less than 52 to Karori Wildlife Sanctuary and then on to movies. Some of them had no interest whatsoever regarding the birds and other wildlife. One made the most inane comments that eventually I told him that we were best friends and he had to walk/stand next to me all the time ... and if he wanted to make a comment, he could tell me first and I'd tell him if it was okay.


Now it sounds like they're all ratbags whereas in reality most of them are great; it's the 1% or 2% that spoil the outings for everyone.


As a result I am very far behind in my work and ill have to try to catch up this weekend and do some house work - the boys will be helping out.


Here are a couple of photos of some Tuis

And can you see the Tuatara?