Back working at the best job ever!

So happy to be back at work and the lads

LOVED

the cake I made them!!

My bosses lovely wife even left me a post it note!!

Yes indeed I am feeling the love.

I had a BLACK and White sort of week.

But today I went for some colour.

NOTE: the shoes.

Did you notice I have them in four colours!!!

Because they are so bloody comfortable.

Still have my afternoons for those op shops and recycle shops.

Three gorgeous new additions.

First week without TOF during the week,

but I still had plenty of good company!!

He's home tonight.

I am back, did you all miss me?

Crikey, another weekend is all but over!!

I have been productive over the last few days, yes I have.  On Friday I did my volunteer stint in the Hospice shop and really enjoyed it.  They have the best system in place for sorting clothes and I am cranking out the stuff to go in the shop.

I found the most gorgeous floral cotton dressing gown that I think I will be wearing as a jacket, and another pair of fabulous tights like some I have owned for a couple of years.  I also got Jak a pair of skins.  All only $2.50 each, so very good shopping.

From the Hospice I headed to work to pick up my contract to look over and sign, so it is so official now, I am back employed at the best place I have ever worked at.

Friday night I got busy in the kitchen as it was SPORT SPORT SPORT in our lounge!!  Cricket then Rugby.  Lemon Curd was one thing I made using some of our lemons and eggs from our girls.  I still have a gazillion lemons, might juice and freeze in ice cubes.

Next it was Red Pepper Jelly - this stuff I make every year and it is divine.  If you want the recipe just message me your email and I will flick it through to you.  Absolutely yumo on cheese or cold meat.

Saturday arrived dead on time the following morning and I wore plaits and a frock for the day.

Some of the girls were misbehaving in TOFs strawberry patch, I had a lot of tidying up to do before he saw the evidence!!

Not Coral and Dorothy,

they are clucky as hell at the moment.

Move along,

nothing to see here!!

Yes Saturday was hard work, I think Oscar and I spent a considerable amount of time watching recorded stuff on TV.  Bit of a catch up day for me as there has been so much farking cricket to watch live.  So I made the most of my viewing time that had been allocated to me.

Today, Sunday, I popped out in the morning and caught up with some friends, delivering Jam and drinking tea at both places.  When I arrived home I found TOF up a tree.

The Apple tree to be precise.  Now I have a bucket full of Apples to play with, as well as the Lemons.  So I can see a night of stewing Apple very soon in my future.

This afternoon I baked.  Well I have promised a cake for the lads at work, and I knew TOF would frown so I made him a smaller one.  Sultana and Cranberry cake.  When they were cool enough I iced them.

This is TOFs.  He is going away for the week with his work so he can take it with him.  The shapes are white chocolate, a cheats way of decorating and the squiggles are glitter gel icing that comes in a squeezable pen thing.  I had fun playing.

And this is for the lads!!

Wisdom time:

and

 

Make the most of every moment you have

Thanks to all you lovely peeps that commented on the passing of our friend, you are a bloody good bunch of ladies!!  There is nothing like going to a funeral to give you a big dose of reality, none of us know how long we have on this earth of ours.  So I say we embrace life as much as we can, and most of all do things that give you joy.

What  gives me Joy?

 The simple pleasures in life it would seem.

Tuesday night Dawn and I went to the movies and had a failure of a selfie in the loos!!  The movie was 'The theory of everything' about Dr Steven Hawkins.  Excellent movie, so if you haven't been, give it a whirl.  The fashion from the sixties was divine!!  Before the movie we had dinner in the food hall at the Mall, we dined on Pita Pit, a flat bread full of salad stuff, sauces and meat of choice.  Yummo!!

There has been some success

at the op shops.

 A huge square linen hand embroidered table cloth.

Perfect condition and needing a home.

 A large colourful pot still to be planted.

50 cent Butterflies!!

 The cutest $2 porcelain thermometer.

 Beautiful round table cloth

and

Dutch silver plated teaspoons.

Of course there were clothes!!

Ranging from $2.50 to $8,

all now washed and ready to wear.

My lovely friend Kerry was coming to visit yesterday afternoon so I set up the outdoor garden swing.  Our weather is behaving beautifully, so outdoor entertaining is where it is at!!

 The dogs joined me before Kerry arrived.

 Sheba got over excited!!

 See, there is plenty of room for everyone.
You really should come visit.

Just swinging like a kid brings

JOY!!!

Last night I made Blackberry Jam.
Too hot during the day for such things.

I still have more Plums.
They are going to be made into
more Plum Sauce.
Maybe tonight!

Today I was a good girl and only went out to the supermarket.  Then another lovely friend came to visit this afternoon, my dear friend Anne.  So we enjoyed the outdoor swing and had a good catch up.

Want to hear some really good news?

I'm like so excited!!

I've known for a couple of days now!!

NO I am not PREGNANT!!!
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I GOT MY JOB BACK!!!!

The girl that came back from being on maternity leave has got herself a full time job with a bit of help from one of the lads who heard about it, and she finishes this week.  This all means I go back next week.

I AM SO HAPPY!!

Obviously Cake will have to be made

for my first day back.

I never gave up!!

We said farewell to an old friend

My weekend was pleasant, and it passed by all too fast.  Most of it was taken up with chores, visiting friends and having to endure more Cricket on the TV.  The World cup is on in NZ and Australia so it is Cricket, Cricket and more bloody Cricket at the moment in this house.  

Lucky I have a good book and a garden swing!!

I wore this awesome skirt made from Sari's (that I scored for $5 at Look Smart on Friday) with a silk sleeveless top on Saturday and I was incredibly comfortable, as the temperatures have crept up again, not that I am complaining because before you know it, Summer will leave and the dreaded Winter will arrive.

I love it how the girls casually swan out into the garden

when I open their gate.

Just taking their time.

We should all be like them. 

 This pot of flowers looks brilliant in the day light.

After another run to the dump, TOF and I went and picked up this big China cabinet thing that I bought off trade me for only $50!!  It is perfect in the lounge and now holds all our collectables.  Of course I now have a few bits of furniture I need to sell.  Then Jak and I decided we needed to rearrange the lounge.

Sheba is more than happy with the new layout.

The $1 lounge suite is frequently her bed.

Yesterday TOF and I and one of our old friends went to Auckland to the funeral of another old friend.  Incredibly sad as he has two sons the same age as ours, I choked up seeing them.  Thankfully his illness was short, but it is always difficult to say that last goodbye to an old friend.  Unfortunately as we get older this is going to be happening a lot more, which reinforces for me to make the very most out of life.  Look forward not back, and be happy.

 So farewell Greg

it was lovely to know you.

May you Rest in Peace.

The weekend is upon us

Funny how the days just pass me by, and the weeks, and actually even the months, considering we are hitting the half way mark of this one.  I guess it is true, 'Time flies when you are having fun'.  I'm having fun chilling out at home doing diddle squat these days, and making the very most of it before I get employed again, not that I am actively pursuing any jobs, but we won't tell TOF so Ssshhhh!!

Yesterday I even got some Wave Envy going on!!

 Tex wandered down the garden path.

 Across the garden.

 And up onto the garden swing to join me.

 Sheba had no time

for such things,

she had her eye firmly on the ball!!

 Tex was on my right and Oscar on my left.

They are not overly impressed

with having to share me.

Never have been.

 My lunch was crackers with

Roasted Capsicum and Cashews

with Gouda cheese on top.

After dinner TOF and I went to watch Jak and some of his mates playing Touch Rugby. Their team is called Multiple Scorgasms, and they did get many!  I got side tracked with the setting sun and clouds in the sky.

When our lads were tiny TOF and I were in a Touch Rugby team, made up of couples.  Hard to believe I know, but yes I did actually play sport.

The Ants seemed to be enjoying the flowers on my

Echinacea shrub last night.

Oh how different the sky was back over our way.

So today I spent the morning at the Hospice store sorting an entire bail of clothes etc.  They were well pleased with my efforts and I am well pleased with their very efficient way of sorting.  I think I will do a weekly stint there from now on. Oh and do not fear, I bought nothing home with me!!

This afternoon I went and got some potting mix and instant colour and I planted up a couple more pots from my lovely friend Robyn tonight.  I have just come inside from hosing the garden, still pleasant even at this time of the night, 9:00pm.  Have another trailer of rubbish to go to the dump in the morning, as we continue to trim and weed the back yard.

Wisdom

and