The Tree, the Fence and the Garden

Yes that's it. Last night we experienced a middle of the night electrical storm along with the wind and rain. This style of storm is no usual in Auckland so it was all very scary in our house as the two boys woke up to the orchestra of noise at midnight.

Up the next morning and everything was in its place and looking good despite the bad weather.

Off to work I go like on any ordinary day of relief teaching and I get a txt from DH saying can you ring me. I cant as class is in, then a message saying the tree has fallen down and taken the fence out.

So the sight when I got home was....



Of course you need the view from all angles so here they are.

The roots that lifted out of the ground.



The wide view from the otherside of the fence. Luckily it was our fence.



Then there would be no drama if there were no other plants involved.

Stuck in the olive tree.



and finally flattening the plants

If Batman can...

I was sitting thinking about times back in Brunei and an image was bought to mind about DD learning to ride a bike. Why this image came to mind who knows, but I thought it was worth recording.

In Brunei there is a perpetual summer all year. So DH and thought that we were made when we realised that the small, first two wheeler bike DD could comfortably be ridden inside. When I say inside I mean a space about 10m x 10m right in front of air conditioning. We used that space for nothing except to play cricket in with our preschoolers.....yes our house was huge but that is another story.

This particular day DD got the bike which she was so proudly trying to ride pretending Batman was having a go to. I luckily had taken a photo and thought that there was a page to be made.

If Batman can....



Credits...background paper, speech bubbles from Life365 Hodge Podge 12 kit from WW, stitching from My Favourite Things kit from WW, glitter from Chasnryan by Flerg, mat and strip from Canded Apple by Emily Merrit, tape from Signature Tape pack at WW, fonts are Roman Times and Scrap Kids

Did I ever tell you?

Did I ever tell you that I dislike being cold and can not be inside my house with all my outside winter clothes on trying to stay warm. In fact I love it so warm that I can get by with just a t'shirt and shorts some days when the fire is really roaring.

So to combat this there is one thing we must have in house we live in and that is a fire. Now I say a fire because we get access to free fire wood and anything that is free sounds good to me.

We need a warm house not only for me but DS2 has a little asthma, fingers crossed he will out grow it, and houses should be warm at night for people with asthma. The World Health Organisation recommends 18 at a minimum. Trust me we do our best to achieve this but over night the temperature drops to about 12 degree C.

So without further ado let me introduce you to my fire. It is not an open fire but in a fire box with a glass door. I got as close as I dared with the door of the fire open to take this.

Stay warm everyone.

The List

Why is it that the list in my diary just gets longer even though I achieve many of things written down? Very evening I sit down and diligently assess my day, cross off the achieved, highlight the vital to achieve and add anything new to the list.

I guess it must be so that my life is kept busy and not to waste time on my days off from working.

Hmmmm as if I would do that.



Now my diary is a complex filing dating system. It has the use of highlighters, dog tag corners, important papers that need signing when DS goes for hosipital appointments etc etc. I keep track of days I work, days I get paid for, DS1 information that I need to retrieve etc etc. Why it is not electronic....who knows.

Lego

Lego is such great stuff. I really admire the wonder brain that invented the stuff. I my house we have duplo or baby lego, then we have the next size and finally the traditionally sized pieces.

I love how my children have been playing and using their imagination with this toy since they could first sit as a baby. Long may it last.

Why is it that toys of today seem to leave little for a child's imagination and cost heaps of money?

Anyway here is DS2 and Lego. He just love the stuff. Everyday after school he rushes in the door, does his reading and spelling then out comes the lego. So here is Focus a page I made.



the credits can be found here at Nuts4Digi

My Washing Machine

So finally my brain is back in action, I have had a snooze on the sofa, still recovering from influenza, and am feeling ever so sprightly in readiness for the children to get home from school.


I have had time to ponder on life a little, well that is when I have not been feeling sorry for myself.

Recently my washing machine broke down. Now this machine is just 2.5 years old and is all that an 8.5 kg, modern lifestyle technology has to offer in a machine. So I couldn't believe that it broke down. The electricity kept cutting out and the same part of the cycle kept repeating itself. Naturally the machine was just out of its warranted period and was going to be left to me to fund the repair. Grrrrr. Typical really. Anyway the very friendly repair man did not know what was causing the problem and essentially told me that the whole mother board, or whatever washing machines call that electronic board, would need to be replaced but he did not have a new one on him. Yeah right $200 plus to fix.

He then twiddles with the connections and left me to it. I'll be back when the I have the replacement bit.

So I am left with the machine to try and use it until he rings back.

Now in my house the washing is huge. Hayden alone causes a complete bed change each day and then we have the ordinary everyday family stuff. Really we are lost without a proper working machine, but who isn't. I cant even wait one day without washing because Hayden sometimes uses two lots of bedding in one night.

I must say I was not happy because the weather has been bad and not suitable for hanging stuff outside. Half spun washing does nothing but drip water for hours before I can hang it in front of the fire.

Luckily the little tweaking done to my machine fixed it. Who really knows what was wrong with it. Fingers crossed it does not break down again in a hurry.

Here is the offending machine.


Now here is how I dry my clothes in the winter, in front of the fire.




And finally this is what happens to my ironing when I am sick for 5 days.




Life is great isn't it.

P365 week 21, 22 and 23

I have got behind with these pages as I have been sick with influenza. I just the ordinary garden variety so It has wiped me off the life's page for a while. Anyway finally I have caught up so here are my pages.

week 21


the credits are found here at Nuts4Digi

week 22



the credits can be found here at Nuts4Digi

week 23



The credits can be found here at Nuts4Digi

Yes I am reaquainted

I am doing well. Don't look too hard but here we are, DS2 and I, ready to exercise and its only 5 degrees C outside but lovely and sunny.




Watch for tomorrow. I am going to be accountable. I have no work booked for tomorrow so i will be out jogging, well doing my best as I am getting a pesky cold, and will do some scales and measuring...maybe.

Anyway onto Autumn. It is such a beautiful time in our front yard. We have the most beautiful leaves falling to the ground. Their changing colours are magnificent.

Here are two pages I have created to try and show what a colour rich time of the year this is in our yard.

Early Morning.



Credits can be found at Nuts4Digi here.

Liquid Amber



Credits can be found at Nuts4Digi here