Sunday, day of cleaning

I spent this morning cleaning the windows in my room, they were filthy. First I scrubbed, then I scrubbed again and a rinse and then a polish with the window cleaner. Now I have windows that I can bear to look out of. I also managed to get rid of all the cardboard boxes as well, my room is now looking quite homely. I didn’t get my ironing done though, that will need to be done in the morning I guess nor did I get a chance to tackle the stove in the kitchen. I am slowly cleaning my way through the house.

One downside of new house is that I am now in high possum area and said possums are eating my lettuce (not that I can eat lettuce now anyway but I have been giving Mum and Matthew picked leaves once a week). I have moved the pot so it is now beside the kitchen stairs where there is more light at night so I will see how that goes.

When I was cleaning my windows today the resident Scrub Turkey came for a visit as well (yes my street has a resident Scrub Turkey, I tend to see him/her at least once a day). So cool.

My room has picture rails so when Mum and I went to Bunnings yesterday I picked up some picture hooks and wire. I was so excited then when I got home and tried them they didn’t fit! I was devastated. I was sooo looking forward to using the picture rails. At the moment I have some of my foam core mounted photos and LPs propped up on the picture rails and my framed pieces wrapped up beneath my bed.

Once I had cleaned and cleaned some more it was off to Mum’s and then off to The Farm. We have crumbed fish and veg every time we go to The Farm for dinner but tonight the fish tasted even better than it normally does. We also spent time counting the linen to make sure Grandad has enough to house the NZ contingent as well as other general planning. Man oh man I can’t wait for December! Only nine sleeps to go till the first of the outer towners arrives!

Christmas Pudding

The 2008 Christmas Spectacular aka all the family coming home for Christmas is fast approaching. My dear brother Karl arrives in 9.5 days (I am sooo looking forward to having Karl around for a couple of weeks) then in 10.5 days Toti, Anna and the girls arrive (kids to take photos of!) then a week and a bit after that NZ starts arriving and then Tasmania starts to arrive as well.

Today Mum and I made the Christmas Puddings, using Grandmum’s recipe. The recipe makes a big, big, big pudding (it uses 8 eggs). We split the pudding into two though, one big one with coins in for Christmas Day and then another smaller one as a back up in case we run out or to eat as left overs in the new year.

Pudding time

Oh I am so looking forward to Christmas this year

Kate Miller-Heidke

The post today is a quick shot from the Kate Miller-Heidke show I went to tonight at the Tivoli. The supports were Madeline Page and The Boat People (man, I forget how much The Boat People rock, they were fantastic). KMH is one very very good performer, her stage show has changed a lot since I first saw her and one day soonish I can see her on the stage at the Entertainment Center. She has just such a fantastic stage presence.

Kate Miller-Heidke (by HelenPalsson)

quiche time

Tonight, I really cooked in my new kitchen for the first time. I made a leftovers quiche, the type of quiche that clears out the crisper drawer in the fridge and is really just a case of throwing it all in a pastry crust. I made some shortcrust pastry and as my pastry blender is at Mum’s I had to use my hands, I haven’t done that since oh Year 9 Home Ec, still it was good fun. When I rolled it out, I rolled it out nice and thick πŸ™‚ I love a good thick pie crust.

The filling consists of capsicum, sun-dried tomatoes, eschallots, mushroom, eggplant and diced chorizo, along with a good handful of rosemary, thyme and basil. The top has slices of blue cheese and then chorizo slices that you can see in the photo.

One of my handy little gadgets is my oven thermometer, I played with placing it various parts of the oven and I discovered whilst cooking the quiche that it seems to be out by about 50 degrees! and it was very very slow to heat up.

Still once the quiche was cooked, I had a slice for dinner and it will give me meals for the next few days.

A quiche to test the oven

day 18

A blog a day in November, what on earth was I thinking?

Today I got up had a shower/breakfast and rushed out the door to work, then it was home for a bite to eat and then over to Group for another night out with the SES. We spent the night travelling to various homes that placed calls since Sunday night to see if a) they still needed assistance or b) what assistance they would need. It’s raining a lot more tonight than it was last night. I have now been home long enough to grab a shower and start this post and all along all I can think is that man oh man I just want to go bed but I’m not about to pike on making a post a day when I have managed to stay on track for the last 17 days.

Today though apart from been work, rain and SES also marks the day in two weeks time that Karl will be walking off a plane at the Airport to spend Christmas with us. Excited? Very! Then the following day Toti and his crew arrive! Two weeks! and I will have my brother home (well one of them)

and tonight I have Oranges

Monday is SES night, the night that I trundle to Group and learn things. Tonight though we were on storm call out from the storms that hit yesterday. When I got to Group, I was quickly given a pair of Oranges (the old jump suit not the new two piece) and a pair of boots. Then it was out to The Gap where street by street we door knocked and assessed the problems so teams could come back in the light tomorrow and do what repairs they can do. I was so excited! It looks like I might get a call out tomorrow night as well, so I am off to get some sleep!

and here is a photo!
Helen has Oranges