The things that frazzle me:

I am inordinately pleased with myself if ever I manage to do the least little thing round the house.  Today I have managed to put up two out of three rice paper shades.  The third connection is broken so I will have to send for an electrician.  I'm sure most people would think nothing of doing such a simple job, but I agonise over such things, thinking they must surely be beyond me, and get a big thrill and surprise when anything turns out right.

The other day I amazed myself by putting air into the tyres of my car.  Once upon a time driveway service was the norm, but for years now - about 30- you've had to do it yourself.  I tried once and the hose made such a hissing noise I was afraid I was letting more air out than was going in, so abandoned all hope and simply drove for 30 years without ever checking my tyre pressure.  But the other day when I was filling up with petrol, I saw a bloke putting air into the tyres of his motorbike, so went over and asked did he mind if I watched, as I wanted to learn how to do it myself.  These days there is a kind of box where all you have to do is enter the number you want, attach the hose and it all happens automatically!  Easy peasy.  I was up to the fourth and final tyre when a big black car pulled into the area and a Pakistani bloke got out and took the hose from me and finished the job for me!  I said, 'Oh for the days of driveway service.'  He said, 'Ask me.'  When I asked him where I was likely to find him in the future he pointed to the building.  He must have been the boss.  (Most of our service stations are run by Pakistanis, don't know why.)  But I won't need to, as I can now do it myself, Clever LIttle Sausage that I am!

I just amazed myself!

You all know how much I loathe and detest paper work - well, when I got back from swimming in the rain this morning I came into the study, put the heater on, and decided to actually do some sorting out.  I'd received a brochure in the mail offering 25% discount for house and contents insurance with the same company that insures the car.  So I decided to look into it and have actually saved myself $394!!!!!!!!!!!!  Amazing.

I also managed to burn some CDs of my reading workbooks for a teacher friend, something I've had no luck with for ages.  One particular book, Part A, for some incomprehensible reason, would corrupt itself and not allow itself to be printed.  I tried to trick it by copying an old one and burning this onto a separate CD.  I'll post both CDs to her and see if it works.

Winifred, I'm glad you had success with pelargoniums and geraniums in sunny Spain - mine are being eaten!

Michael, I have indeed received your mails, for which I thank you and apologise for not having acknowledged them sooner.

That black hose in the background of the photo is my vacuum cleaner, waiting to be used...I can't do everything today, so it will just have to wait.

Keeping it simple...

Always enjoy your comments, Winifred.  Had a good talk to Philip just now and I think we're all pleased to be staying where we are for the moment.  They'd be better off in a townhouse in their same suburb, really close to the harbour and the CBD.  Houses with backyards are of course preferable, but most people these days don't have that option if they live in a city.

Went swimming this morning, which was delightful. It's wonderful having an Olympic pool just for me and my friend!  What a luxury!

Will spend the rest of the day playing the piano and cooking...

Staying put

I can announce to you all right now that my house-hunting is over and I am going nowhere.  I'm afraid the young ones will never make a decision and I can no longer live with this incertitude so have made my decision to stay right here.

I really love my home, conveniently close to the swimming pool, the ocean, the CBD, the hospital, the doctor and dentist, shopping centres, library, and everything I need.  It is full of friends and laughter and that is very important.

And what do you think of the snapdragons in the front garden I photographed just now?

I feel like glowering like this leopard

Nothing in particular is wrong, I just feel like glowering at the entire world.

Glad to read you are still alive and kicking, Michael, and it's nice to know you are always there, Winifred, but still no comment here from Frank.  House-hunting goes on, and does become terribly frustrating, though we are both thankful we already have a roof over our heads - not like some folk who are on the streets.

Don't envy you the approaching winter at the top of the world.  Though it's spring here, we're having droughts and floods and soon the bushfires will be back, but basically Newcastle is OK.  I swim most mornings, which is lovely.  Right now it's pouring rain.  Some things in my garden are flourishing while others have been eaten.  Fighting the bugs is a never-ending occupation.

Just had a phone call from a friend who is popping over so I'd better do a quick tidy-up.
Have already practised the piano and made a lemon tart for a Breast Cancer morning tea tomorrow.  It doesn't look nearly as good as the one I put on my last blog and I have completely forgotten what recipe I used then.  (Apparently that blog has gone off into cyberspace...)  Not to worry, it will probably taste yummy.

My oasis

I have been all over the place lately, metaphorically speaking.  My whole life seems to be in disarray.  I need some discipline I now realise.  I go from one task to another at the drop of a hat, and never succeed in finishing anything.

I'd say we've missed out on that house with the lovely pool and garden as it's going to auction on Sat and I have the feeling it will be passed in as the owners want $970,000 for it.  Another similar one was listed the other day, and it's a bit cheaper, so all is not lost.

Went to Sydney on Sat then again yesterday.  My sister, Kay, and I visited the new baby then revisited the block of flats where we lived till I was 5 and she was 9.  Amazingly, not a single improvement has been made - everything was exactly the same.  We drove past our old primary school, the church where Kay was married, then the homes of two maiden aunts.  Quite a sentimental journey, it was.

Gold star to you, Winfred (and a silver one to Lina).  You two are only ones commenting.  Frank, have you lost the key to get in?  And Michael, where are you?

See how my bamboo has grown.  I just adore this little oasis outside my kitchen window.

(Hardly anybody picked Cate Blanchett.  I would have, even if Philip hadn't put her name, as I saw her interviewed recently with this new haircut.)

Who wants to be famous?

Philip snapped Cate Blanchett when she, husband and kids were in his shopping centre (Crows Nest) yesterday.  The price one pays for fame is pretty high...

Have been in Sydney a bit lately myself, visiting the family and looking at houses.  Yes, still looking at houses.

I agree with you Winifed, computers are the dizzy limit.  They are the greatest time waster for the very reason you mention (as well as many others) and drive me to utter distraction.  I am extremely frazzled lately and yesterday stayed in bed all day because I just couldn't face the world.

Oh dear, life is funny...

I haven't blogged for ages because I'm all of a-twitter, what with the new baby and house-hunting.  Baby is doing fine and gaining weight as he should be.  Can't concentrate for more than one second at a time.  Will keep you posted re the house as an offer is being considered.

I took this photo years ago when Philip gave me my first digital camera, and entered it in a competition and it was posted online somewhere.  A few weeks back I found it on some Italian guy's blog!!!!!!!  Am very flattered and should write to him in Italian - I will one day...

From one mess to another...

I knocked this little number up for Emma in about 27 hours yesterday!  (I hope you understand this Australian idiom - it means I made this dress.)  As you can see, it involved converting the kitchen to a sewing room and dragging out from under my bed a huge plastic bag filled with thousands of things to do with sewing.  Hopeless!!!!!  But while the place looks like this I might as well keep going...

Don't bother telling me there are not 27 hours in a day as it felt like it to me!!!!  I am not naturally talented at sewing.  Some poor woman in a sweat shop in Asia would have done it in about 10 minutes.

Winfix, you are very clever to be able to twitter!  I can't cope with any of those social networking things I'm afraid, the main reason being I can never remember how to get into them.  Yes, Kipfler potatoes do look just like sweet potatoes, but taste like ordinary ones.  I had never heard of them before this latest recipe.

I did it! And gave myself a reward!



What a huge relief to be finished with that dreaded tax stuff!  After all my searching for missing statements, and in the process spreading copious amounts of miscellaneous paperwork over every horizontal surface in the study, I decided it was easier to simply refer to the online ones.  Could have saved myself all that bother and mess (though, to be honest, searching for my username, password, magic number, etc to get into my online bank account was almost as traumatic).

I dropped a big envelope off at the accountant's office yesterday, on my way to a wonderful French restaurant called 'Le Chat Noir', about an hour and a half's drive from here at Terrigal, a seaside village.  Friend and I had one of the best meals ever - I had roast pork, apple strudel and a glass of wine for a mere $35.  I'll be back!!!  What a fantastic deal.

On the way to the restaurant we popped into a gorgeous gift shop, where I bought several sundresses for Emma and - wait for it - a pair of earrings for myself!!!!!!  I don't have pierced ears (well I did have them pierced when I was 40 but the holes nearly made me sick so I had to let them grow over) and there was only a very brief period in my life, about 18 years ago, where I ever bothered about clip-ons, as I think I look silly in them.  They still make me look silly but when you're old that's an eccentricity you're allowed!

Now, in answer to your question Winfix - wow, what a cool name!!!!! - here is a pic of Kipfler potatoes:

If you google Kipfler, you'll find everything you never wanted to know about them.  Was a time when a potato was just a potato...Remember the good old days?