Oh But Don't be Fooled!

No, don't be fooled by the post below into thinking anything is remotely under control. Am surviving on four hours sleep - thankyouverymuch small yappy rodent next door (and her screeching owner - 3.20am. I ASK you)

Here's the washing...

And here's the kitchen...

Yes, a disgrace. I am a disgraceful housekeeper. You haven't seen the table either, knee deep in paperwork. Spent yesterday discovering the full catastrophe which is our finances! Suffice to say that I have cancelled Christmas, Miss Bugalugs birthday, My birthday and Summer holidays. We shall stay at home, learn to enjoy each other's company and weave baskets to sell at markets.


SIGH!

And She's Back

Had a bit of an impromptu break, wasn't really planning to, but have been flat chat getting the house and life organised. Mostly in preparation for Nanowrimo (National Novel Writing Month) which begins tomorrow. I refuse to let things slide whilst I'm trying to churn out 1,600 words a day, its just too much effort to get it all back on track, so I've been doing some advanced planning.

The Vege garden has also been taking up a lot of my time. We're starting to use our own onions, broccoli, peas, broad beans and lettuce. The potatoes however have been a total non-event. That's a photo of the potato bed (above). They've dissapeared, just rotted away or something. Very dissapointing. The kids have also been helping heaps in the garden, they, with the dog are excellent at ripping up plants and digging holes. Bless them all!

How sexy is that onion. Well I think its sexy! Its about the same size as my fist. Cool huh!

What amazes me about our vegies is how good they taste. The onions are so oniony, and the garlic, WOW, I didn't know garlic was so luscious when freshly dug up.

Rochelle is going to Shave her Head!

Rochelle is going to shave her head to raise cash for kids with cancer. She's a nurse in the Oncology & Haematology total care unit at the Princess Margaret Hospital for Children in WA.

http://shaveforthekids.blogspot.com/

What an awesome woman!

Busy

Busy day today. Started early, before six, taking part in the Samhain Aussie authors chat day, organised by the fab Jess Dee.

Hubby went to work late, so I had a full on three hours chatting away on the loop, then rushed off to Playgroup, haven't seen the girls for weeks as have been inundated with in-laws, sick kids and other family stuff. Was great to see them and have a download, especially about the car.

Did I mention the sodding car.

No?

It's died. Again. And its going to cost about 25% of what we paid for it to fix. Just when we'd got on top of paying for the engine rebuild after it died at Easter. Meh! Looks like we've been really unlucky, and trust me, we won't be buying an Alfa ever, ever again. We'll eke it out for another six months and then I'm afraid hubby's going to have to swap his sexy sports car for something much more pedestrian.

Mumndad are over in the UK, visiting the rellies, and has been doing it tough visiting stately homes. She was off to Sandringham, the Queens country house the other day.

Too tired to think, but have to finished editing High Speed. Sigh.

Just cooked dinner, the broccoli and the broad beans we ate were from the garden, am feeling most pleased. Even thought Miss Bugalugs was going to eat them, until she spat them out and started rubbing them into the table. Hmm.

Secret Intentions - its official

Okay, its official, I've changed the name of Best Intention to Secret Intentions!

And if you're here to enter my Aussie lolly competition just email me at caitlyn.nicholas@gmail.com and tell me that Secret Intentions used to be called Best Intention.

There are some pictures of the lollies in the lolly pack in the post below - Blogger hates me, so they're a bit all over the place! Suffice to say Violet crumble will be involved... mmmm, violet crumble!

Samhain Aussie Author Chat

Samhain's Aussie authors, including ME, are having a chat on the Samhain E-Loop (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/samhaincafe/) tonight from 10pm - midnight, then tomorrow (Tuesday) from 6am. Sydney time.

Samhain Aussie authors include...
Alexis Fleming
Jess Dee
Sami Lee
Kelly Ethan, and
Lexxie Couper
Anne Whitfield

Sick, in bed with a sore throat and bored, bored, bored. Panadol having no effect on the pain either, so may have to haul out the heavy duty stuff. For those of you that remeber the blog entry where I was on Panadine Forte don't worry, it won't happen again - shall put laptop away.

Hubby is accusing me of having a hangover, but I don't, I promise. Only had one margarita last night and though I don't drink much it would take more than a shot of tequila to knock me over like this. Its got more to do with a late night and maybe going out, in public, with no children, and having to make adult conversation for an evening. Exhausting!

We were off celebrating Hubby's permanent residency being approved. Yes, he's been on a business visa for about the last nine years, but now, finally we've got the green light. Its good, although threatening to dob him in to immigration every time he's annoying is now a threat of the past. He's keen to go the next step and become an Aussie citizen, but I've told him he has to attend the swearing in ceremony in a Wallabies Rugby top otherwise they'll take away his certificate. He's not sure about that at all.

Name that Book

Got my art form for Best Intention yesterday, so aside from fossicking around trying to remember what the hero and heroine actually looked like, I'm also trying to finalise the book title.

My main worry is that Best Intention doesn't sound romantic enough, I like it, but wonder if I could come up with something better.

So far I've got

• Best Intention / Road to Hell
• Despite her Best Intentions
• The Very Best of Intentions
• The Very Best Intention
• The Best Intention
• The Road to Hell
• Best Intentions pave the Road to Hell
• Paving the Road to Hell (okay, so Hell is not romantic)
• Secret Intentions
• A Secret Intention

Oh, have a headache now. Anyone with suggestions? Help!

Got a Dog that's destroying your house?

Hanrob is after Labradors and Beagles that are hell bent on destruction http://www.smh.com.au/news/pets/tearaway-dogs-wanted/2007/10/10/1191695974021.html

A mournful list of the horrible things I've been enduring this week...

Its not been my week. I won't go into details, I was going to, but each time I write it down it just sounds horrible. Suffice to say I had to deal with poo on Sunday (a lot of poo and not on my shoe - a small person took up decorating with it), sick on Monday (an awful, awful lot of sick and not just on my shoe) and wee on Tuesday (all over my new shoes).

There wasn't any respite on Wednesday, went down like a stone with tonsillitus.

And today, Thursday, Dentist. Great big enormous needle that I think went all the way into my spine, loads of drilling accompanied by very bad jokes (my dentist thinks he's a humourist) followed by a worrying tale of how he (the dentist) nail-gunned his hand to two pieces of wood. Oh the things you have to endure when you can't talk.

Hubby is living it up with other IT nerds at the Opera house this evening, so I'm a single parent as well AND we've run out of ice-cream (too soothe my aching jaw).

SIGH.

Olive's turned 108

The world's oldest blogger just got even older.

http://www.allaboutolive.com.au/

I've finished!

Yessss! Finished High Speed this afternoon. Most pleased with self. 85,000 words, phew it seems to have taken a long time. My third novel this year, can I make it a fourth with Nanowrimo? Hmm. Actually I'm not sure, the edits for Best Intention are due any minute now and if they turn up I'll be stuffed.

Hubby and I going out for brekkie tomorrow to celebrate, and to inspect washing machines - yes the high stakes, high glamour lifestyle continues.

Nearly there... and why the website went down.

Am nearly there. Two chapters to write in High Speed. Around 3,000 words today and 3,000 tomorrow should do it. Phew. That's about four to six hours per day depending on how it goes.

So far its not going well at all. Leapt out of bed early ready to have it all done by lunch, but then got distracted by Husband, children, dog, watering the garden, cup of tea, breakfast, another cup of tea, surfing the internet, putting lunch on (pea and ham soup), more tea, and now the blog.

Okay, I'm going, I'm going.

And sorry about the website being offline for the last day or so. Our ISP cut us off because they didn't have our creddy card details. Yup. Not because we weren't paid up, but because they didn't have a record of our card. SIGH. Luckily I'm married to an IT nerd and he spent the morning sorting it all out for me. Phew!

Saying Goodbye...

Today was Grandma's funeral, and as these things go it was a good one. Apart from being hot. Very very hot.

Its been a long few days. I arrived at work this morning with no outfit, and speech barely written. Yes, was speaking. Fortunatly everyone at work is fabulous and understanding, and I'm not hugely busy. So was able to polish up speech and then whip across to the shopping centre and purchase suitable clothes.

Spoke to Mum earlier and she was sure what I'd worn to work would be fine. Er, black clogs, grey jeans and grey t-shirt (okay not grey but 'silver'). My workplace is really casual. "God," mutters Mum, "We really need to buy you some new clothes."

Gee, Ta.

So, suitably attired, arrived at the Crematorium in good time, to be greeted by many old friends and the family. If it wasn't so sad it would've been such fun. I can't believe Grandma touched so many people. It was really hot, temperature in the thirties, and the chapel was cool, but not with fifty odd people in it. I did my speech, I was so nervous and trying not to cry so I ended up sounding like Mickey Mouse. I know I did. Far too many people came up to me after and told me I did well and speeches are hard when you're emotional. Hmm.

No but it was good. The whole family did really well. My cousin Hugh did a reading from Corinthians with almost no practice and we had some lovely poems. We had an Irish blessing at the end it was lovely too.

May the road rise up to meet you,
May the wind be ever at your back
May the sun shine warm upon your face
And the rain fall softly on your fields
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the hollow of his hand

The kids came along to the Wake, dressed in beautiful dresses they looked like little flowers. They kept everyone on their toes, zipping about underfoot and eating their own bodyweight in sausage rolls. Yes, was so proud.

Am very tired now. Nursing blisters, glad it went well, sad, so so sad, but feel like I can start to get on with life.

NaNoWriMo

Yes, am signing up for NaNoWriMo - National Novel Writing Month. Am going to write a 50,000 word romance, titled Hanging by A Thread. Window cleaners may possibly be involved and perhaps an amputee - a para-olympic medallist amputee. Hmmm.

Hubby sort of did a strangled moan thing when I told him. We barely survived my 50,000 words in 5 weeks and this is going to be done in 4. The house, tip that it is, shall be reduced to new depths of clutter, bills will go unpaid and the people at the Thai restaurant up the road will be able to fill our order just be recognising hubby's voice - as already happens at the Pizza restaurant. I caused chaos the other day by changing from Supreme to... er... ham and pineapple - look I was in a MOOD and I wanted PINEAPPLE, okay!

Am off to the Zoo tomorrow with my entourage (kids, hubby and in-laws). Its Barbie Treasure Island day, oh gawd. Give me strength!

Life goes on...

Thanks to everyone for their kinds words of support - much valued and appreciated.

Right now we're busy with the 'arrangements'. At the moment my Mum is the only member of the next-generation in the country. One Uncle and Aunt are currently aboard Yaks, trying to get back to Australia from Tibet, and the other Aunt and Uncle are making their way home from Singapore. Thus its fallen to Mum to sort out all the minutae - which is a good thing. I think its the best to be busy - life does go on, and yes you are grieving but the dishwasher has to be emptied, and the dog has to be fed...

Farewell to my Grandma

I'm a bit stunned and feeling a bit loopy so I hope I make sense.

My Grandma died this morning at 4.30am. She'd been very ill and had dementia very badly, and its been an agonising year ushering her towards the end with as much dignity as we could. It is one of those situations where it is a relief, but at the same time so indescribably sad. She's been such a presence in my life that I can't really comprehend that she's gone.

Am at work, Mum rang with the news about an hour ago and hubby is at home with the kids who are sick. People are suprised I'm not rushing home, but right now the peace of my desk is what I need, rather than their clamouring neediness. I'll head off in an hour or so, when its all sunk in and I'm capable of concentrating on the traffic.

This is not what I was expecting today.

MEN!

Aaaagh.

I lost my mobile phone. Oh about a month ago. Searched high and low and came to the conclusion that one of the kids had lost it. Couldn't have been stolen as it always travels with my wallet and I still had that, and the kids play with the phone all the time. 'Tis a marvellous distraction when bored at the Doctors or similar.

So, had glumly declared it gone, and have been lugging around Hubby's old brick. Which I hate. Only this morning I was missing my phone.

Anyhoo, due to a chain of events involving road closures, bushfires and sick children my father-in-law ended up travelling in the back of Hubby's car. "I stood on something," he declared and then produced the phone from under a seat.

Aaagh.

Hubby promised me he'd searched the car for it. Promised.

Should've know he'd do a man look.

SIGH.

Blogging over at Coffee Thoughts

Am blogging over at the Coffee Thoughts blog for the next couple of days. Come join me there, leave a comment, make me feel loved!!

Three Stars from Romantic Times

Here is the full review - oh am MOST chuffed!

This is an enticing story, set in different international and exotic locales, with a passionate and sexy couple. At times, there are so many things happening that the story doesn't feel large enough to accommodate it all.

Summary: Gemologist Julie Marchant and Mitch Cartwright meet at a Red Cross charity ball in Sydney. There's an instant attraction, and Julie thinks this might actually lead to something lasting. But her hopes are dashed when, after they spend the night together, she wakes up alone and never hears from Mitch. Several weeks later, Julie is on a trip to buy sapphires in Laos and is shocked to run into Mitch, who turns out to be an archeologist working on a job there. The two quickly pick up where they left off but have to deal with multiple problems, including murder and civil unrest. They each learn a lot about themselves and, in turn, discover what is most important to them.