Give Me Land...

It's ours

Ciao for now...

 just Martha xx

Spreading Her Wings...

Formal 2016

'And then she was gone. With hardly a backward glance and a spring in her step...'



ciao for now...


just Martha  xx

How Did That Happen?

Day One of Primary School

This gorgeous little being somehow got herself all grown up and is now winging her way into the wide blue yonder in search of a bit of culture to celebrate the end of year 12.



How did that happen?




Ciao for now...

just Martha

Not Happy Jan..

The Silver Fox has this fettish at the moment for Greek salad, morning, noon and night. So, he frequently rings me on my way home from work to ask me to buy him about 9 cucumbers on my way home.

I get cross with him

Why?

I feel weird buying that many cucumbers

I feel like a weirdo

I can hear them thinking 'what is she going to do with so many cucumbers?'

Yes indeed.

AND he wants the extra long ones too

He is giving me a bad name i reckon



Ciao for now...

just Martha xx

just See You Later...

Well, this lovely lady has gone to heaven. She was peacefully and relaxed. Her bed was immaculate and her brow calm. Even her hair was perfection.

She would have liked that




Ciao for now...


just Martha xx

Gorgeous Being...

It has been many years now since this gorgeous lady entered the twilight zone. She is now slowly fading away.

There are no winners with dementia. Not family watching from the outside nor the person living more and more on the inside.

Even though it has been a slow process, watching the footprints fade back into the sand until they are gone is hard. It is harder than I thought it would be.

Unlike footprints though that leave no trace, she has had 3 children who themselves have lovely families. Now we are parents, we totally appreciate the effort she put in and the wonderful memories, traditions and occasions enjoyed. We see with adult eyes.

Now we are parents it is too late to tell her how wonderful she was as a Mummy, how much we know she gave to us. I hope she knows and although we do tell her now, it is kind of too late.

Just thought you might want to know


Ciao for now


just Martha xx

Exhausting...

Teenage boys!!



M-Y 16 year old teenage boy


Sheesh


'We' have negotiated and changed chores. Emptying the rubbish and tidying the kitchen to be exact. I think each thought the other had it easy and were keen to swap in order to 'flake' off.

Alas, the grass is not always greener


So, picture this, arguing with teenage boy as to why...

a) he needs to fill the dishwasher when the dishes pile up because he didn't empty the dishwasher (because no one told him to) and he didn't use the dishes that I now want him to put in the dishwasher and every one is supposed to tidy up after themselves so if that is the case why am I making him load the dishwasher with dishes he didn't use?

b) why should he wipe down the counters when there is oats and cheese on the counter and he didn't use either because he doesn't eat oats although he has heard they are high in protein and do I think if he ate them he would bulk up but in this case he won't wipe down the counter because he didn't eat them and everyone should stop being lazy and clean up after themselves and by the way yes, that is his plate on the table and yes it has been there for 2 days because he was saving washing up and planning to use it again at some stage?...

See?


Now you are exhausted too!


I did muster enough energy to talk about give and take and that if he wasn't willing to be flexible occasionally and that everyone needed to tidy up after themselves as he wasn't every one's slave, did this mean that he was willing to do his own cooking, cleaning, washing, shopping and tidying up after himself because if this was the case then this could be arranged quite easily and it might be fun to give it a go as my job as a parent is to make him a fully functioning member of society...

He is wise enough at 16 to realise perhaps this wasn't a great deal for him and graciously declined and wiped down the benches, and then the table at my insistence.

Ha!!  Mumma 1 Son 0

Or maybe really Mum 0 and Son 1, as I am still doing all the other jobs come to think of it

I've been played...


Ciao for now...

just Decluttering...

Well, we have had a busy time of late. We sold in September and moved into a 3 month rental with the plan to move into a friend's house for a year. Due to one reason or another we ended up moving in on Christmas Eve. Yup, crazy.

The challenge has been to squeeze a BIG 2-story house into a 3 bedroom low set with minimal walls. Sigh. One month on and I have advertised to sell everything that hasn't found a corner here or there.

I am keen to declutter but it is with some regret I see my pieces go. They have history with me and some of them have been with me for nearly 25 years. Wow! Take that rocking chair for example. A girl bought it for her friend for his birthday as he mentioned he would like a chair to 'smoke a pipe in whilst contemplatively rocking away'. Sure, it's yours. But they will never know how perfect it was to settle cranky, tired babies with a gentle pat on the bottom and the soothing rocking motion. It even has a comforting 'creak' to add rhythm to the motion and knock them into a sleepy unconsciousness. Worked every time. But. Master T is 16 now and his rocking days have been done long ago. So goodbye chair and thanks for all the memories.

Also, somehow we bought a block of land down the road as well. To give is choices. Buy or build? We will let you know.

ciao for now


just Martha xx


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Master T-isms

He is at it again, my sweet boy. Spreading his version of the world to all who hear. Above is him cooking pasta calebrese. As you do...

He wants a gold watch desperately. Exam time is coming up and I pay both him and his sister to get 'A's and 'B's. He is hoping to earn enough to buy said watch

He is downloading Sinatra and Dean Martin at the moment and is heard to sing under his breath. (Do you think he was really born in the 20's?)

He was in the kitchen with his Nonna cooking pasta and deciding when it was perfectly cooked. Remember this is the boy who when asked what he wants from the shop will ask for 'Italian herbs'.

O my god , does he want to join the Mafia do you suppose?


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Eeek!...

I HATE these beasties!

Eeek!

Give me a lovely spider or cockroach any day.

Luckily it is in the outside of the window.

Phew!!

ciao for now

just Martha xx

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just Super...

The SF and I went to a 'Hero and Villain' birthday party and had good fun dressing up in theme. Normally I h-a-t-e dress ups but thanks to Target we got these great costumes for a small fee.

Impressed!

Wore my mask ALL night. A) because it was so comfy and B) because I couldn't reveal my true identity.

Haha!

ciao for now


just Martha xx
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just Pottering...

Made these gorgeous planters up on the weekend to add a bit of colour and form as well as the added advantage of being quite un-killable.

I like un-killable

The one at the back I have had for a while. Thriving on sheer neglect it is. That is how I know


ciao for now


just Martha xx

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Celebration Gift...

I bought myself a gift. For selling, for having a spotless house for 6 months and just because I can.

I've had my eye on these for quite a while. I bought them on line and postage was free. They came from Lighting Illusions and are lovely.

See for yourself!!















ciao for now

just Martha xx

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Teenie Time...

Well, life is busy too in the teenager department.

Mater T has applied for 3 jobs and hopefully will hear soon. We are keen for him to get some sense of responsibility and also to drag him away from modern technology. Can't hurt talking to real people for a change. He is keen too which is great. I had wondered if he would sabotage it all. Hopefully not.

I miss the days when I was first working as the option was Thursday night and Saturday mornings. It was just enough to give some pocket money and a sense of responsibility but not take over the school focus either. Miss T's first job in a Thai restaurant had her working over 30 hours per week 6 nights per week. Way too much!

Master T has applied for work close to home in jobs that don't open in the evening. Miss T also needs a job but doesn't want to work evenings or in hospitality. She has applied to jobs that support her beliefs. God love her. She is going for a fruit farm with a cafe and gift shop and also a health food shop. Both are happy to work weekends and more in school holidays.

Miss T is also getting her hours up to drive. Harrowing experience for me! We are doing her a deal for the car. She needs to have a job, we will pay for half the car, we will pay for the insurance and she has to buy all her own petrol. She has to save money because the excess for insurance for someone her ages is over $2000. Also, when Mater T is needing a car he can buy this off her for what she paid. By then she will have a job or be in Uni and will need to upgrade.

Sounds good. The Silver Fox used to be a mechanic in his last life so is keen to find her something in good condition but value for money. They are looking at a car tomorrow. She is very excited. The Silver Fox and Master T will do the work required that way Master T will learn the basics.

How exciting for them both

They grow so quickly, they really do

ciao for now


just Martha xx





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just a Sigh...

Well. It is done and dusted and we are now able to breathe a sigh. A sigh of relief, of relaxation and a sigh of renewal.

So, I found us a little place to stay for 3 months. Teenagers, dog and all.

After 6 months of a spotless house and then packing and sorting, there is little to do except breathe.

So we can relax for a few months before the next move and then decide what we are doing. We may buy or rent for a while until we decide what the next 5-10 years will bring and plan ahead.

It is a nice feeling.

ciao for now


just Martha xx




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Connections....

I know a couple of friends are going through an emotional and uncertain time with family illness. Life is getting in the way for them and due to commitments they are unable to be with family members as much as they need to be.

Major role conflict

Jobs still need to be worked, kids need to be taken to sport etc

I feel for them because as a nurse I have seen the impact on a daily basis. The guilt, the traumatized hearts, the time constraints...

So

I sent one friend 2 heart shaped rose quartz crystals. Rose quartz is great for strength, crisis, love and connection among other attributes. Both friend and her father held both crystals for some time and then each took one to keep and place in easy reach.

When they hold their crystals they are connected in love, thoughts and spirit. And they use them all the time.

There is a lot of waiting in this cancer business, lots of time to think negatively and to worry. Being connected boosts positivity and helps reduce anxiety and it gives you something to do.

There may be no scientific basis for this but I know it helps the heart

No doubt about that

ciao for now


just Martha xx


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Use By Dates...

My children are very obsessed by use by dates and are quite aghast and what they find my pantry. Apparently I frequently try to kill them.

Who knew?

So

I recently cleaned out the freezer and fridge. By myself luckily as I found frozen meals from 2012!

Hahaha. They kids would be horrified


ciao for now


just Martha xx


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Getting There...

Well still packing away. I find it very cathartic. I love sorting. I love keeping the precious, ditching the non-loved and sorting items I don't need and rehousing them.

I have no problem completing this process. I have a theory there is one hoarder and one minimalist in every couple. One who is sentimental and one who isn't.

I'm not. The Silver Fox is. I had to wrestle the handle-less cheese slicer off him even though 'it's been good to us'. So is the new one in the drawer.

Sheesh!

I have also sorted items for a garage sale and boxed them up. Items that are in good condition but not needed by my family anymore. Single bed coverlets, 24 coffee cups, electric frypan...

But

I've been thinking about the recent events with domestic violence. Sometimes to get away women need to leave with nothing. Nothing. So, I might donate to a woman's shelter.

I have a beautiful life and I am thankful for that.


ciao for now


just Martha xx


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just Style...

Miss T has been sooooooo good studying and doing her exams that I want to reward her for her hard work, her dedication and her determination. She has also had a tough time with hate of recent and has handled herself with dignity and strength. Her apparent crime? Being a vegan and being a bit too dedicated to it. The gist of it seems to be her haters don't mind she is vegan but why make a lifestyle out of it. She has taken herself off FB to study and is mad more than sad. Such resilience. So proud.

So, I found this Megan Gale collection at Target and thought I might surprise her. They look quite beautiful in their simplicity.

What do you think? Not badly priced either.






ciao for now


just Martha xx

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just Packing...

Well, my evenings and weekends are filled with packing, sorting, culling and wrapping.

I am being ruthless people, ruthless I tell you!

I have achieved the seemingly impossible. We have somewhere to move to for 3 months and then move into a rental for a year while we decide what we are going to do. AND they are happy to take a dog and offered to put in a dog door too! Wow. If you count ahead 3 months it means the second move takes place on 23rd December. Oh well.

The kids will be 18 and 16 next year and Miss T will be finishing high school so we have decisions to make about the next 5 years and where we will want to be.

Only I can pack as I need to be logical, sort for the small move and then the big move. I'm also labeling boxes for a garage sale which will happen after the final move.

My biggest challenge? My family saying "you can't throw that out!" Or playing with stuff as I pack. Yep, especially the Silver Fox!

ciao for now

just Martha xx




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