Although we have fenced the yard at the front and on the sides, Rocky the wonderdog kept escaping by scaling the back fence. So this weekend we cut down all the bushes, trees and vines and pulled it all away - erected taller posts and attached dog wire to thwart his desire to play street and bridge troll at night time.

Big job, huge mess and effort by MOTH, William and myself. However, the ugly fence will soon be hidden like this one when the weedy vine grows over it. And I like the green look. And the stress of hearing how Rocky wouldn't let a neighbour walk over the bridge will be gone! Most of our neighbours just tell Rocky to rack off... and call his bluff... but a few understandably have a big problem with Rocky barking at them as they try to cross the bridge. Other neighbours are not so impressed when their purebred bitches are on heat and Rocky's amorous activities are not thought fondly received. He often comes home wet from being hosed and limping as if he has been kicked. MOTH utterly rejects desexing him though.


Anna (daughter no2) made an unplanned trip back to Gladstone after a huge fight with her father early this week. After many discussions with me, she did apologise to him and go home to him. For the life of her she couldn't understand how she could be in the wrong for allowing midnight parties at her fathers house for teenagers (boys too, alcohol and her Dad thought they had been smoking ... lol.. he would of been HORRIFIED)

During our talks she helped me at my work. Although she certainly is the self centred teenager who has a real problem with consideration for how her parents feel - she is delightful to work with. She can think ahead, she is never idle and she just always has been lovely too work with.

Jane (daughter no3) had caught the train to Rockhampton Monday evening basically as Anna was on her way down here. So - Anna missed a day at school and had to eat humble pie a little as she told everyone she was leaving never to return.

It would be funny really if I didn't get so upset when she cries.

Another day another drama?

My little kids at work were delighted with seven tutu's that my Mama made for me. I had told her how I only had two - and that often caused disputes with the children. Seven does too - there are not only 10-12 kids in my room but the other children soon spotted them and wanted them too.

I have deliberately chosen photographs with the children's faces not on them - but I still worry a little I should not use the photos. But I just want to share how cute and beautiful these children are... and how they make me so happy with their antics.
We attended a thank you BBQ last night for all the people (and their families) who helped with the build of a house. The house had some very clever design features and was lovely. William and I left early. The food was just being cooked as we left and the bubbles had flowed for three hours on my empty stomach. I rang a girlfriend and said "Come and get us.. I am too drunk." She will tease me unmercifully this week for that.

I guess I deserve it.

Missed Opportunity

Whilst staying at Joy's, somehow in conversation my aunt came up. Joy has been amused by my Aunts tales and expressed her desire to meet her one day. I said I think she is coming up to Queensland near July and that we could have that opportunity. This link is to a classic tale of my Aunt's wherein she was messing with the neighbours heads painting flowers.

However.

On the long horrid drive home with my youngest two children and a workmates children, we stopped at a large service centre at Caboolture North (according to my credit card statement) to have lunch... and so I could rest.... (I hate driving)

I walked into the ladies rest room and at the hand dryer was a woman I thought I recognized. I stopped for a second and wanted the courage to say... something...

She was intently drying her hands and didn't look up as I stared at her. I walked to the end of the toilet cubicles and turned and said... "Lola?" but I may have said it too softly. She didn't .. turn around or react.... so I decided I was mistaken. I decided in the toilet the woman was WAY TOO SKINNY to be my aunt. (One should never be fatter than ones' aunts.)

I ... missed an opportunity to spend a little time with someone I love because I am a coward! I kept thinking about it as I drove that horrid long drive home. And the second thing I did after admiring MOTH's handywork was to send off an email asking her if she was there. Over 1000kms from home at a service centre in Queensland.

She was taking her grandsons to the Sunshine Coast on a brief visit to Australia for medical treatment for her daughter.

They do plan to have a proper visit to Queensland in June. Hopefully we will all be better organised then!

Restoring the kitchen cupboards....

The real title of the post should be something like... My 101 unfinished projects that still are not really finished...

But heck! Small things amuse me. Ages ago I wrote this post about the kitchen cupboard we were restoring.... It actually is STILL not completed. But at the same time we dragged that old cupboard home.. a friend purchased a similar one.. took it apart and left it .. and finally she asked me to just take it.... She had broken one of the glass doors and given up.

We just chopped the top off it and had lovely plans for it... and instead just filled it up with junk and there it sat. So it looked similar to the other one for a year.

Occasionally I would lament that one day I would finish it.

The original one just needs handles.... and some more shellac.

When I arrived home exhausted from my 700km trip on Sunday night, MOTH had a clearly pleased with himself expression and was strangely silent. I knew something was up when I spotted the kitchen floor had been freshly mopped... still wet. He had been working on the second cupboard - putting a new top on it, adding some trim and starting the shellac/stain process. No longer the eyesore full of junk!

It was a very nice surprise and I appreciated his effort when of course he could of just gone playing in the boat.... Like I normally do when I have time off!

The dash to Tweed Heads etc

My oldest daughter Sara had work commitments at Surfers Paradise last week. She was kind of joking when she asked me to meet her there. But when she hung up from the telephone - I thought why not.

After all I have wonderful friends there - and my work colleagues came to the party with a relief worker that I like wanting the days work. I don't normally like spur of the moment huge engagements but I wanted to see my oldest daughter madly. And knowing I would see Joy and the kids too... was just an added bonus.

Now... Micci is all grown up now. Which means she rarely answers when I call for Micci. She tells me not to call her that because it is the name of someone she doesn't seem to care for at school. I completely don't get it because I have ALWAYS called her Micci.

By grown up I mean she is tall and beautiful. Look at her getting cranky with me for taking her photo! Ah- so pretty. And she did my hair - straightened it with a hot thingo - Friday and Saturday morning and only just got a little tired of me asking everyone to pat me.
We were not very adventurous this trip. We simply went shopping. Here is William posing with a reptile display. The green tree python and the frill necked lizard is easy... but I forget what the yellow and black snake was. Mustn't of been able to kill you I guess?

This photo is Sara, William, Jane trying on something around the corner and Micci in the purple with her back to me.

This is Sara saying ... for goodness sake Mum ENOUGH.....

The girls are so tall now. Actually we had just shopped till we almost dropped. Us girls.

Three of my kids....

According to EVERYONE... it is only meant to take 6-7 hours to drive to Brisbane-Surfers Paradise. I seem to take 9-10. It takes me forever and I hate driving! My foot gets sore. I smoke cigarettes and hate smoking on them so I stop a lot to smoke. I get wild (angry) at other drivers. I don't feel that my competency as a driver has diminished I just.... seem to let driving take so much out of me. It makes me so incredibly tired. I feel like my right foot and my hands are so tense.

I bought a work colleagues children home from where we once lived a long time ago today. And I felt that as an extra pressure when we had cows on the road after a bend or some truck driver who wanted to ride my tail when I was doing over the speed limit anyway! I have NEVER had a speeding ticket and prefer to sit... maybe 3 kms above the limit normally.

Time and speed have never really been my friend.

Oh - and I have to mention this. My friend Joy? Her cupboards and drawers are ridiculous. People shouldn't have them so damn tidy. If I didn't love her so much I would worry about that. There is no reason to have drawers and cupboards so bloody neat. They just make your guests feel bad. And I didn't break one single thing this time! Maybe the lid to the coffee because it would not go back on. But just that.

Oh... goodness.. and when I got home... MOTH had.. done something wonderful for me... I will have to post that in a minute or tomorrow or next week. Bit like my driving actually. Anything over 100kms is really too long for me.

Fellow bloggers teaching me tricks!

SzélsőFa often gives me pleasure with her writing and pictures.

But this is so clever!

I am not waiting for Easter - I think this would just be adorable for a garden luncheon! Or a brunch! Or my next picnic over on the islands?

Oh - and about hours!

There are never enough hours. Tonight I attended a work... first aid.. thingo that you have to do every year to keep it current. Although I resented having to do it I ended up having fun because some of my workmates are very funny. I - am hilarious - even if I do laugh at my own jokes.

Anyway - had I been voted Dog... I would of made more hours.

I messed with my template again

And lost my favourite links again. Buggar and damn. Will take me an hour to put them all back.