Maybe just for me

9 September
Really feeling like I have little children again: today I got a phone call from my Mom to say there was water leaking in the kitchen and could I please go and look. Went down there and the towel she had down was soaked. Got #1 son and he helped unpack the cupboards to await the arrival of the plumber. My Mom was very distressed about it all. I wanted to know where the main tap was - she had no idea. Out of the blue, my Dad remembered so we turned that off. The plumber has made a temporary repair and will be back tomorrow.

Next week we have to go back to the specialists for my Dad's foot - in my opinion it is getting bad quite quickly and I think that he will be put in hospital and an amputation just below the knee will happen sooner rather than later. Then I will need to take them to visit Malvina Major retirement centre because there is no way they could live by themselves after that. Where do I fit all of this in?

6 September
Dad is home! We have to go back in two weeks for a re-assessment and in the long term he will have to lose his leg below the knee but we will have to make other living arrangements before that happens. I am very pleased that he is home as this has been very draining for me

5 September
My Dad is still in hospital and we think that he will lose three toes early this week. Father's Day lunch was fun at the Wishbone cafe in the hospital!

4 September 8pm
What to do, what to do?? Need to make a decision regarding my dad's toes/feet

4 September
The angioplasty appears to have been a success as his foot is looking a lot better. He will at some point lose his big toe and the next two along and even possibly his whole foot. For now, they will just mangage it until it becomes too painful

2 September 7.30pm
Dad had an angiogram/angioplasty today and it appears to have worked well. He is still on a drip with strong antibiotics. The doctors will remove the second and third toes possibly tomorrow . Not sure when he'll be home though. Thank you to all of you for your emails and texts

2 September
Been awake since 5am. Decided to get up at 6am. Should be marking

31 August
Please keep my Dad (and my Mom) in your thoughts. Tomorrow he has an appointment with the vascular surgeon. He has two gangrene toes and has to have the artery in his right leg opened. I am worried for/about him; but also my Mom who carries all of this

The week that has passed in a blur

I have been taking my Dad to the doctor for his feet for the past month or so. On Wednesday 25th August, the GP was very unhappy with his toes which looked as if they had gangrene. The GP phoned the vascular surgeon who arranged for an emergency appointment on Wednesday 1 September. The surgeon sent us for blood tests, an ECG and X-Rays and then booked him into a ward. On Thursday Dad had a successful angiogram and angioplasty. He's been in hospital since then on very strong antibiotics to help his feet. He is going to have to have three toes removed and we've asked for it to be sooner not later.

Today was also Father's Day and so we had our Father's Day lunch in the Wishbone cafe at the hospital!

Colin's soccer team had their end-of-season function yesterday at Strike (ten pin bowling). Colin was runner up Most Improved Player

It has been very hectic and very stressful for me - I get up, go to school, go to the hospital (which is 35 minutes away) and then stay there until around 6pm when the doctors have been, and then bring my Mom home. She goes in with Adrian in the morning so she has a very long day there

Onto some scrapping - last week at SBO was Water and Beaches and so this is my entry:

This week is to use a song title and that has caused me endless drama but I've done mine now. I'm a bit unhappy about the competition as some of the rules have been bent and a few unprofessional things have happened - anyway, I'll continue

And so on to this week which is shaping up to be a week spent at school and the hospital!

Winners; 16 year old; scrapping

Yesterday was College Sport finals. Our U15B team played Wellington College. Last time we played them in a bog and they beat us 5- 4. We went into the game as the underdogs and scored very quickly. Then they scored. Final score: 6 - 1 to us!! Oh the team was so excited and the coach said that in his 16 years of coaching he'd never had a team who'd won a medal. All was well in the football world last night

Then today we had Ross' 16th birthday party. It poured with rain and all our plans were for outside :-( I booked the gym (aka as the Recreation Centre) and 20 teenagers spent an hour there playing and having fun. Then we came home for a scavenger hunt/amazing race type activity. By the time they finished it was 6pm and loads of fish and chips arrived. They tucked in and then watched a movie. After the movie, it was ice-cream cake. I found a Pirate theme one - Ross complained - I told him he was lucky he didn't get the Barbie one!

As much as it was exhausting having all these loud teenager haring around, I'm so lucky that I have a teenager who wants FUN rather than the teenager across the road whose 16th had alcohol, gate-crashers, sex, and the police - all before 11pm

Then last week's SBO competition was "white space" ie clear space. I am getting through lots of old photos and I do like this one

And then tomorrow we have the day off! Yes, I will still have some teenagers here after a sleep over (boys only). Then I want to take my Mom grocery shopping and will possibly take my Mom and Dad out for lunch. My Dad has to see a vascular specialist on Wednesday as his right leg artery is very blocked. He also has the start of gangrene in his toes so has to have them amputated. Please spare some healing thoughts for him and especially my Mom who carries all the worry. I have taken the day off in order to be with them whatever happens.

22nd August

Eighteen years and 13 of them in NZ! Seems like a long time but actually it's gone very quickly. Happy anniversary to my hubby. I'm finishing off the crayfish that Irene gave me for my mom and I and the rest will have roast pork for lunch. We celebrated a few weeks ago by having dinner at Monsoon Poon and then going to the NZ Symphony Orchestra for a night of Rogers and Hammerstein

Then tomorrow I am the mother of a 16year old! How did that happen? Happy birthday to Ross. He wants tacos for dinner tomorrow night and is having a party next Sunday. He starts Trial exams tomorrow so he's not impressed!

The competition at SBO last week was to use wire on a l/o! Here's my entry: The bit of wire is some garden mesh like stuff that I found out side in the garden last weekend. This week is to use negative or white space ie leaving lots of blank space. I am getting through lots of old photos!

This week's news

Ross' girlfriend broke up with him! No, he wasn't heartbroken at all, in fact I don't think he thought too much about it at all. I did actually wonder how important they were to each other adn it seems that I was right ... not too important at all! More a case of, "I've got a girlfriend/boyfriend" for both of them.

We went to Camp Quality this weekend to do all the catering for 19 cancer kids and 9 adult helpers. It was great fun even though we worked really hard. The only downside is that we suspect that one of the kids stole Colin's PSP - he is very unhappy about it. We're hoping that the boy will have an attack of the guilts and return it somehow.

Some more l/os: this one is for the Scrappin' Patch Week 5 - Stacey Michaud's style. The photo is of Colin and was teken in early 1998 just after we got here


The next one is for Scrapbook Outlet and was for the Black & White challenge. I did wonder what photo I could use (it didn't have to be black & white) and this one was perfect. Our three cats together - the only photo we have of them all together and sadly two are now gone.

The next challenge at SBO is to use wire .... I managed and will post it next weekend. I have given up at SP as this week is so not my style that I wasn't even prepared to try!

Praise

On Friday I was talking to my Year 11 class about our plans for the rest of the academic year ... only 10.5 weeks left. Out of the blue, one of the girls put up her hand. She said to me, "Miss, you have prepared me better for my exams and tests than any other teacher I have ever had." Boy, was I humbled.

Today I was at school, supervising a couple of kids who were selling fund-raising lollies. A Dad came in and said hello to me. He then said, "I hear from the kids that you are the best teacher to have." Again, I was humbled

Gosh, I'm feeling good about what I do

Scrapping

I joined up at two competitions: at Scrappin' Patch where the competition is to scrap like a chosen star. Then the best three are chosen each week and the person with the most points will win a cricut. Now I know I'm NEVER going to be the best and having done three l/os (which I mostly like) I think I'm going to bow out gracefully as it does stress me a bit. This is the last one:

Then at Scrapbook Outlet there is a Kiwi - Ana competition ... also collecting points; however, one prize will be given to the highest score and the other two prizes will be a draw from those who get more than 100 points: 12 points for a l/o and one point for each Kiwi related question that is answered. So far I have entered one l/o (12 points) and answered five questions correctly (1 point each). Week 1 was to use Kiwi Icons and I have had these photos floating around for about a year. Another six weeks of l/os to go and possibly 26 questions

Week 2 is black and white and mine's completed and I'm very happy with it - I will add it next weekend.

In my opinion, it is much better to have a lucky draw competition as the playing field is even ... there are the designer people in NZ and honestly, I have NO hope of competing against them - it's like putting me against the Olympic 100m champion - no point really. Oh, and I have another small complaint but I'll keep quiet on that one for now!

Neglected blog. Girlfriend. SIL

Tonight I was scrapping some photos of the total lunar eclipse from a few years back and could not remember the year. I scrolled back through my blog and there it was - I was so pleased! I promise not to neglect this blog so much. I had also put the photos down in the wrong order so I was pleased to correct that. I did two l/os today, both of them for competitions so will edit this next weekend to add them.

We had such a successful day today: we had to find some vinyl flooring for the bathroom downstairs. Both Adrian and I had looked at various places and Adrian found some that he liked ..... @ $300 per metre! Now we only need about 1.5metre anyway. We had decided that would would go to all the flooring places we could find today. First stop was a place at the back of the shops that Colin reminded us about. There they had a perfect off-cut - for $66! We didn't complain. Then everything else we did just flowed smoothly. I got a few new kitchen implements: potato masher, hand beater and a tin opener. I also bought some muffin pans (mine are rusting and so must go in the recycling).

We have to go out around 10.30pm to collect Ross from his girlfriend - she lives on the other side of Wellington about 35minutes away and they met at a lawn bowls tournament. She is just as academic as is he; in fact, I think more so, and knows exactly where she's going. We are very pleased about that

Monday is my SIL's 50th birthday party so there is a small party Saturday night for her. My niece has made an album for her and I have sent a couple of l/os. This one is the two of us; the photo is not that great as I took it through the plastic protector and didn't take another one



and this one is a family one

I also sent Kylie some photos so I am looking forward to seeing what she has done with those.

Animals

Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.

When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge.
There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together.
There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.

All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor; those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by.
The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.

They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent; His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run or fly from the group, flying over the green grass or through branches, his legs or wings carrying him faster and faster.

You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.

Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together....

Author unknown...

Speckles 14th July

Thomas (in front) 26th July
Sally (at the back) 7th January Such a bad year for us and our pets

Sunday

Two of the l/os I have done over the last few months I can't show yet as they are for something special. Yesterday was another scrapping day and I did the following:

These photos were taken on our first trip to the US in April 2000 when Adrian won us a trip "backstage" with the penguins (it just needs a bit of journalling). And I have just noticed a HUGE spelling mistake - no matter - I can fix that. Maybe I should offer a little prize to the first person to email me to tell me what my horrible mistake is. Not even my "intelligent" children noticed.

This one is May for Project 12: Mother's Day, the Wellington Regional Barbershop competition and our trip to National Park

Another one from our US trip in 2000

And Mother's Day this year

The jelly fish at Momorangi Bay in April. They are usually around, don't sting and have a pink bit inside.

What else? Back to school this week and the seniors have trial exams starting on 23rd August - Ross is not impressed!! These will be his first big exams.

Both boys got a FIFA football from their SA cousins and were thrilled with them! One ball has already had a "test drive" and been pronounced perfect.

It has been just the boys and me this weekend but that's fine as it's quite easy actually .... except when I have to clean out the washing machine because one of them left a lot of sponge rubber bits from a pillow in there!

Lots of lovely sunshine here today so it was great to get lots of laundry onto the line. I'm off to help Colin clean out his bird's cage now - a task he is really struggling to do

Edited to add: I have fixed that horrible mistake now; and we've done Colin's birdcage - he really couldn't do it by himself

Senz

Well, I'm home from Senz which was a bit disappointing. Not many retailers and not many scrapbook classes ...... certainly that I thought would be could. There were a number that I knew would be over the top and totally not for me. However, I won a class from Artfullcrafts which was great but a bit ott for me.

Then I went to a Cuttlebug card class which was great but I think I had hoped I would get cards that I could repeat at home quickly

The same applied to the Cards for Men class - I will never do a guitar card like that one myself!

I also went to a Slice class with a view to buying one. If I didn't have a cutting machine, the hands free Slice would be fantastic but my WishBlade is better. However, I did have the title for one of the l/os I did cut for me on the Slice and I was pleased about that.

Not much shopping but I did buy some lovely felt birds and the felt cats looked just like Sally so of course I had to have them!

On the Friday night we went to the Scrappin' Patch crop which was great because I met quite a few people I only know online. Also met up with Mandy who lives in Wellington but I hardly ever see her! I did a few l/os one of which I can't put up here. The other one is a bout Speckles, Colin's cockatiel who very sadly died in Colin's hands the Wednesday night before I left. The title is cut on the Slice (at the class) using some almost reflective paper to represent the mirror that Speckles loved so much. I really miss that bird chattering to me! Then, on the way home I took a few photos out the plane window which aren't stunning, however, the view really was! The snow covered mountains:

Wellington harbour: And of course there was my room mate Irene, and Katrina who shared our wine and dinner on Thursday night! Great evening

I hear that next year Senz will be in Auckland which I may go to depending on my SIL's nieces!

Weekend of Sunshine

It was a lovely weekend and we even had sunshine! Not so much yesterday but today was glorious - temperature was up to about 16°C today.

Yesterday we took a lot of my Dad's old books to the second hand book seller. We got a very small amount for them and took the rest to the Rotary book sale drop-off. Adrian wanted to buy a small gift for someone at work whose wife has just had a son so I made a card. I was quite pleased with how it turned out. The baby's name is Daniel

Then I really liked the sketch competition at Scrapbook Outlet and have been wanting to scrap this photo for ages. It took me quite a while to cut the Mickey ears on the black c/s!

Today the sun shone so we got outside to patch the painting on the outside of the house. I also cooked some lamb shanks in the slow cooker so the whole house had a delicious aroma in it for most of the day. I have also perfected the recipe for sago with palm sugar and coconut cream from Monsoon Poon so we enjoyed more of that today.

I also put a colour and lowlights into my hair this morning but I'm not sure I like the look. I'll give it a few days and then decide whether to get rid of it or keep it.

Tomorrow is my turn at the doctors: first the chiropractor in the morning for my back. I have had lower back ache for as long as I can remember but only when I sleep! Then in the afternoon a trip to the GP for a cortisone injection in my knee. I have been hanging out for that for a few weeks now.

On Thursday I go to Senz which should be fun

No sleep-in yet!

Yesterday we got up early to get Colin to his soccer match - 8.30am across town! They played a team that have been relegated. At half time the score was 4- 0 to the opposition! Minutes into the second half we scored, scored, scored and again! Yes, the got another one, but a 5 - 4 loss was waaay better than a 4 - 0 loss!

Ross asked if he could have some friends to sleep over and watch some quarter final games so I turned it into a bit of a party for him. He had three friends and Colin one so six teenage boys altogether. I made some mini pizzas and got a lot of snacks. The plan with the pizzas was that they would warm them up around 12.30am - 1.30am just before the Germany game. Colin and his friend collapsed into bed and saw no football, however, we had to get up at 5am to get our lovely "god-family" to the airport and Ross and mates were still awake when we left! They were supposed to watch the Spanish game at 6am but when we came in just after 7.30am all four were fast asleep. Adrian went back to bed but I couldn't sleep. Around 10am I made pancakes, bacon and bananas for everyone for breakfast. I should have taken photos of all the boys, but didn't think about it, however, here are the leftovers! Ross said it was a fab night so I think I deserve Mother of the Year award.

I have also finished the 21st album I did for the party at the end of May so will get it into the post tomorrow.

The cover

The first page

The rest of the pages look like this
It was a beautiful day here today - with clear sunshine - no rain or clouds! Hopefully the rest of the holidays will be the same

Only two days to go!

Oh my word I can't wait! And to think that next year three terms will be eleven weeks long - not sure how any of us will cope.

Ross and Colin are enjoying the Fifa World Cup; however, watching it live is not really user friendly for us. They did get up one morning at 2am to watch the All Whites play. Go the All Whites! Ross also got up this morning at 6am to watch Spain play Portugal. They are both very happy with their Bafana Bafana shirts that Aunty Jen sent! Hopefully I can get a better photo tomorrow or over the weekend!

Our Maths Dept (about seven teachers and 28 kids) are going to China next year so we are all busily fundraising. I have been baking a large chocolate cake on a Tuesday and a Thursday to sell at staff morning tea time. Ross has taken over now as he is raising money for the Barbershop National competition in September. The slices are $1 each and this is today's leftovers - which will be enjoyed by everyone here!

We are also selling chocolates - lots of variety here at $1.50 each and they are selling like hot cakes!

I am hoping that Colin will be able to go with us, but currently it is only open to Yr 11 & 12 students and he is in Yr 10 - but I'm sure that there will be cancellations closer to the time.

My Dad is not very well at all. I had to take him to the renal specialist last week who said he felt that Dad's kidney and heart are only working at 30%. The next day I had to take him to the doctor because his foot is so sore. When he took his socks off I could not believe what a dreadful sight it was! Swollen with a big wound under the heel and with a fungal infection all over it. My Mom has to soak his foot every day and put a special silver plaster on it. We go back next week to see if it has improved at all.

And I spent last Saturday in bed. Now for me to spend all day in bed I must really have been ill. Getting better now, though

This term has been very busy - Colin has sport almost every day; I have to take him to some of them and we have had meetings at least twice a week. Roll on next week when I don't have to rush or make school lunches!

The shortest day

The Winter Solstice is on June 21 at 18:46 (6:46pm); this is when the Sun is at its most Northerly point in the sky. At the middle of the day on June 21, it reaches its lowest altitude, from the Northern horizon, for the year.
Brian Carter, Senior Astronomer at the Carter Observatory says, “This means that the longest night is June 21/22 and the shortest day is June 21”.

Yay! I know it will still get colder but at least the days will get longer

I also have to check all my form class reports :-( Some people cannot put a sentence together properly and these will go out to the parents! Then I have to write some form teacher comments ... by Wednesday!

Last Wednesday we were so busy! From school, I took Colin to Naenae pool (about 35 minutes away, but more in peak traffic) for his first waterpolo match. I bought take-away roast for Ross and I and came straight back home. We ate and then I took him to the choir concert. In the meantime, Adrian went across to the pool and met Colin at the take-away roast where they ate and then went back to the pool for Colin's second game. We all got home around 9pm.

Soccer yesterday was transferred to way on the other side of Wellington out at Upper Hutt - now that's about a 40 minute drive away and we had to be there at 8.45am! Afterwards I went scrapping but I was so tired I didn't get much done.

We did get most of the fittings for the bathroom replacement today on sale so that was good. And another builder came round today to give us a quote. Hopefully it won't be as astronomical as some of the others have been.

Now, some photos but the light is a bit bad so I'll have to put them up another day

Bad English

Argh! I just squirm when I read scrapbook l/os where the English is poor. Why don't people type it in Word first and hopefully get some of their mistakes fixed? And even worse when it's a l/o that's published (online or in print). My small complaint for today

Queen"s Birthday

Last weekend was Queen's birthday so we had the Monday off. Three friends and I went about an hour up the road to Waikanae to spend the weekend scrapping. I was not organised so took almost everything I owned as did the other three - you should have seen the lounge/dining area! We didn't do much on Friday night and on Saturday morning we set off for a couple of shops and lunch out. So four of us setting out ready to ooh and aah over most things, we arrive at the first shop (not very big). No one greeted us even though there was a card class going on. After about 15 minutes, one of them got up and said hullo and that was about it. We decided that our spending there would reflect our welcome - I spent $2. Then we headed half-an-hour up the road to Levin where the welcome there was soooo different! The owner welcomed us as we came in the door and wanted to know where we were from etc. We then went shopping and she was doing great deals for us. I only spent $26 but Helen spent nearly $150 and the other two also spent a bit.


Then we went to a cafe specialising in crepes and had a wonderful lunch. After stocking up on some kindling and firelighters, we headed back. By now, it was getting cloudy and cold so we settled in to scrap ... which we did.

These photos are of the boys the first time we went to the US (remember them, Mels?) in their Star Wars pyjamas

Island "girl" - Ross looking beautiful!

Last year's junior bowls championship

Ross waiting for a cake to come out the oven (I didn't realise quite how skew it is! I'll have to call that a design feature)

Tracy then spent Sunday evening sorting all my paper and cardstock into co-ordinating bundles - what a wonderful job she did! I am very colour-challenged so struggle with this. I did another few, but need to put a couple of photos and some journalling in but I'm pleased with what I've done.

What else? The downstairs bathroom has a great leak in it (actually very small but it's been leaking for ages) ans so the floor and the wall needs replacing. There is water getting into the plug for the tumble drier which means it blows every time it's switched on - I'm waiting for the electrician right now. But the exterior painting is finished and looks wonderful. That's it - no more house painting - we'll move before that happens again.

Three weeks to go until holidays and I really need them. The boys were going to stay up last night to watch the opening of the FIFA world cup but didn't. However, they did record it and watched this morning. Both are very keen and particularly Colin to watch the games, but I think they'll be recording most of them.

That's it for now - hope the photos are bigger

Senz

Senz classes opened today and to be honest, I'm a bit disappointed with them. Lots of card classes and a few scrapbook classes and none of them appeal because they have lots of "stuff" on them. I also don't like l/os where there is no journalling and maybe one word like "Dream". And I don't like birds! Doesn't leave me much, I think. I booked two card classes and a Slice class ..... I don't even have a Slice!

Maybe because I'm so tired. We've just finished a round of senior reports and had senior parents' nights the last two nights and we have to do junior reports too. Not to mention the heaps of marking at the moment.

We went to National Park for the weekend to a 21st. This was the Mountain coming home - it restores my soul - I just wish I could bottle it and bring it home!

I'm going away this weekend with three girlfriends to scrap - and I have nothing planned! I am packing every last scrapping item I have. Maybe I'll just spend the weekend sleeping!

New look

Oooh look at my new look! I rather like it. Only problem is that most of it is "missing" and I dont know how to fix it.

A month later .....

I did 25 l/os on our holiday and I read four books so I had a wonderful time! Not so sure about the boys though. It was very quiet there with very few campers so no one to play with our swim with. We got home safely and then it was into a long busy term. This photo is from our last day when there were lots of these non-stinging jellyfish in the baby. Funny things because they had a pink interior. This photo is taken looking across to Anikiwa where Outward Bound is

Today was Mother's Day so Happy Mother's Day to all mothers. Colin cooked a wonderful lunch - stir fried vegetables, a lovely chicken dish and baked potatoes. Ross made banoffi pie for dessertMy Mom and I on Mother's Day