Outside my window…
the sun is shining, whilst we are still experiencing hot days, they are not quite as intense as the 40C/104F days of the roofing week
I am thankful…
that we didn’t lose our half complete roof in the storm Wednesday night, we were worried, I really believe God moved the winds away, giving thanks!
Storms at a city north of here caused the roof of the maternity ward at the hospital to collapse, trapping 22 adults and 5 babies!!
I am thinking…
was moving to wordpress a good idea? I seem to have lost all my readers, or rather all my commentators, my community. I feel as if I’m writing into a void, gee now I sound needy. Yesterday a long term reader (and friend) told me she doesn’t like my new format, perhaps many of you don’t? Maybe you’re still there, reading, intending to comment later though life is full and later never happens, I get that I do, but I miss ya xxxx
Learning all the time…
have begun All About Reading Level 2 with Jack Jack(9) and Jem(7), I just LOVE All About Reading, so brilliant! I know I’ve raved about it before but just have to shout out again. This time I’m teaching two together and the synergy is positive, and to see just where and why JJ has been struggling is fascinating
Celebrating the liturgical year……
this week there’s St Barbara’s and St Nicholas’ Day to celebrate. Well St Barbara’s Feast Day has already been but we’re waiting till our oldest resident lad, Michelangelo(16) is home from the Australian Catholic Youth Festival to celebrate.
Attempting to achieve the most basic of Advent preparations but moving slowly there, we do have baby Jesus’ crib waiting and the children are adding a straw for every good deed. One small achievement
From the kitchen…
well it’s all a little challenging at present. Courtesy of roofing ‘incidents’ there are now two holes in my kitchen ceiling, thankfully ‘my roofer’ managed to catch himself as he came through the ceiling, though he is rather bruised. Then there was a roll of sarking that left a neat hole. The electrical lights have been disconnected so having to cook by torchlight, the hot water system is still disconnected, so boiling washing up water on the stove oh and there’s a hole where the exterior door used to be. So some challenges, but it’s all good, I have my roof on, well nearly completed
I am creating…
lists, lots of lists and trying not to hyperventilate at all we have to do between now and Christmas.
- We have a trip to our son’s graduation next week, it involves a myriad of details – housesitters, presents to buy, bedding to organise and take
- Bella’s birthday to purchase for three days before Christmas
- A holiday to plan for, we’re playing tourists in Sydney, what to do, what to see
- We’re also spending a few days with PC’s mum, some of his siblings and their families, so separate planning needed there
- Christmas presents to decide for thirteen+ people and then to locate and purchase
deep breath…
I am working on…
an itinerary for our holiday, checking out the best deals, stretching that dollar. Some tips for you in case your holidays include attractions
- Kellogg’s currently have a promotion, Adults Go Free, we’re visiting the Sydney Aquarium and only have to pay for the children! Check out the promotion site, this is applicable for many other venues and in other states too
- Taronga Zoo offer group rates for 10 or more, as a large family we’re a group! Sweet. Many attractions offer group discounts so always best to check
- Checking out transportation we’ve discovered the Family Fare deal, this is applicable for buses, trains and ferries, we pay for all adult family members and the first child, then all other children travel free. Then there is the MyMulti and the Ferry tickets, comparing prices, seeing what options work best for our needs
I am going…
slightly frazzled with all the ‘plate juggling’ at present, though I think I’m slipping past that stage now and heading for the total mellowed phase. ‘She’ll be right mate’, chilled is good.
Talking frazzled, I emailed PC at work that I was going grocery shopping, finishing up in his lunch hour sometime, I didn’t have my phone (Michelangelo had it in Adelaide) if he dropped by the supermarket, ‘we could meet in the frozen aisle by the peas, I’d be the crazy looking lady’. So not knowing exactly what time I would be finishing up nor what time he would go for lunch exactly, it so happened that that’s just where we met! Talk about romantic, like Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr pledging to meet at the Empire State Building
I am hoping…
that 2016 is an incredible year for us academically. As I wrap up our academics of 2015 my thoughts are already turning towards the next year, most likely Michelangelo’s final academic year with us and I want him to finish on a grand note
I am praying…
- for our dear friends; Saturday they lost their father, father-in-law, grandfather. He will be sorely missed by them
- for a world gone mad, so much pain and suffering and many seem blind or indifferent. We’ve lost our way and we are and will suffer the consequences
I am pondering….
I have a major project percolating, praying about direction, should I, shouldn’t I. If so how to actually put this project into action, my mind is going round and round
I am reading…
Finished The Light Between Oceans, sympathy and yet not for the main characters, powerfully written
Escape From Mr Lemoncello’s Library, children’s lit. Very clever plot, well written. Intend on showing one of our librarian’s I think he would appreciate it. Just discovered the author has also written a sequel
I am listening to……
so many podcasts to listen too and I’m not listening to any. Partially it’s listening devices, I think it might be time to request my own ipod, nobody wants to lend me theirs 🙁 though I did discover I can download on my phone but as my phone isn’t holding its charge for long I’m reluctant to spend time organising only for it to die a death. Then there’s time, though it has occurred to me if I finally begin exercising whilst I walk daily I could listen at the same time
I am hearing…
country sounds; kookoburras laughing, the rooster crowing, children playing. Blessed to live this life
I am struggling…
to keep all my ‘plates spinning’, but then it’s always like this every year in December. Not only are we journeying towards Christmas but we, PC and I, always seem to tackle major building projects this time of the year. I think the year we had a baby at Christmas was our most restful
Clicking around…
let’s chat about the blogs you read. My friend(yes the one who doesn’t like the look of my new blog format) and I were chatting this week about what personally appeals to us when choosing what blogs to read. Friend is very drawn to pretty, lots of pretty, then subject matter. Whereas I’m drawn to writing style, then subject matter and my preferred look is more minimalist. Two friends who have much ‘subject matter’ in common, yet drawn to different blogs based on more than content. What draws you to the blogs your read and what keeps you visiting?
Around the house…
clutter, clutter, clutter. At least that’s what it seems like when you move half a house of belongings into sharing space with the other half of the house’s belongings. Thanks to our roofing project all 8000 books, a room full of computers and a whole room of learning materials are cramped into the rest of our living space. I look about and want to start a massive de-clutter project immediately, I have to close my eyes and resist as starting yet another major project would not be good for Christmas cheer and peace at this stage. After Christmas I mutter, after Christmas and I’ll be happily downsizing
One of my favorite things…
my extremely talented husband, he continually astounds me with his building skills. He is not a builder by trade, his career is in finance, yet he just ‘knows’ and if he doesn’t, he researches ‘how to’ then just goes ahead and tries and it all works out successfully. He is brilliant really
A few plans for this week…
- welcoming Michelangelo home from the Australian Catholic Youth Festival in Adelaide. We can’t wait to hear all about his experience
- celebrating the Feasts of St Barbara and St Nicholas
- taking Michelangelo to the orthodontist to have his braces removed
- attending our eldest son’s College graduation!! Can hardly believe three years have passed already, flown by, although perhaps not for him;) We are so proud of him and all he has achieved.
- whilst attending Carpenter’s graduation PC and I will also be celebrating our 23rd wedding anniversary. We’re planning a day together, with three adult children and two teens present this should not be a problem
A little peek at my day…
- continuing with the roofing; more sarking, batten cutting, cutting the iron, screwing the iron down, hanging gutters, we’re so close, determined to finish the roof this weekend.
- Christmas party for Princess’ dance studio, held at the Jungle Gym, taking all the children