How does our garden grow...

Our garden grows very well thank you very much! No matter what time of year it is we always seem to have something blooming in our garden. We have just headed into spring here in the land down under and the had blossom trees have been going mad a few weeks all over town and they are about finished. The daffodils and jonquils are now going mad. Next up it will be our flowering plum and of course our pride and joy the Japanese Maple that graces our back yard which has just started to pop new green leaves all over the place. This is a good sign! Anyway, here are a couple of pictures of flowers from our garden. I will say one thing I vary rarely have to buy flowers for the house now and I usually have enough from the garden to put flowers in every room.

I bought these orange lilacs from the markets and planted them last year...



More jonquils and daffodils...



Another one which also includes a picture of the two hand-blown glass spinning tops we bought, also by local artist. We had the orange and blue one for a while and recently added the purple and white one after the artist made it up just for us.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder...

We have lived in our new home for over a year and a half now and we have been slowly adding bits and pieces of furniture and artwork to make it truly "our" home. So, I thought I would share with you our three newest acquisitions. All of this artwork is by local Tasmanian artists. I'm sure some of you will like our choices and others will say "What were they thinking". I say beauty is in the eye of the beholder. We like them and that's all that counts.

First up one we like to call "The spirit of Max" because we bought it the weekend before we had to put Max to sleep and of course we did not know we were going to loose him. We now feel that there was a reason that we bought the painting besides the fact that we like it...



Next up is a painting that James found and fell in love with. After seeing it I agreed and it now sits on the wall in our lounge room. My photo doesn't really do it justice but you get the idea...



And last but not least we also picked this small one up to compliment the one James liked. I picked this one out and I would love to get something else by this artist. I can't explain what it is that I like about this artist's style, I just like it...



Well, that's the end of the art show. I just thought I would share and I hope you enjoyed the paintings as much as we do. And if not well as I said we like them and we paid for them end of story. Later......

Labor day...

Happy Labor Day to everyone in the States. I hope you have a pleasant long weekend. We don't celebrate Labor day here in Australia like they do in the states so for me it's just another weekend, but I'll live. What a lame post...

Universal flux...

It seems the world, or at least my world is in total flux. Let's take a look shall we...

1) James mum has just gone through surgery for bowel cancer and is about to start a 12 week course of Chemotherapy.

2) My dad has been in ICU for two weeks and is basically on the brink of death and because I live on the other side of the world I feel helpless.

3) We had to put our cat Max down a week ago because he had feline perotonitis, which he apparently had for some time and we failed to see the signs.

4) I started a new medication that is supposed to help offset the pain in my feet related to peripheral neuropathy. It took my 8 weeks two get up to the full dose of 8 pills a day added to my already 8 pills a day so I now am taking 16 pills and the damn new pills aren't working sufficiently enough for me to stop taking the pain medication (oxycontin it's like percodan) that I had to start taking, So now I have to go on therapeutic pain management and it will probably be for life. Great! (not really because I hate walking around in a haze)

5) As I said my dad is very sick and could die at any moment and because I'm on the other side of the world I'm in a quandary as to what I will do when the phone call comes...and it will. You see I've just gotten my Australian citizenship approved and I have to go to a swearing in ceremony on the 17th September. I HAVE to attend the ceremony or I don't get my citizenship. I don't know what Im going to do!

7) James went to Sydney last week to visit with his mum before she starts her chemo and while he was there he did his taxes. Come to find out we now have a $140,000 tax bill because we sold one of the houses we owned in Sydney. BTW we don't have that kind of money sitting in the bank. Just kill me now!

6) And last but not least...I find out that some bright, intelligent astronomy types have decide to take Planet status away from Pluto just because it's to far away for them to bother..What the hell is up with that? (Ok this last one is not such a big deal but for some reason it just gets to me)

So lets look at the positive.

1) I got my citizenship approved (it only took 8 years and a lot of mental angst on James's and my part)

2) I just found out two of our best friends in the world are planning a trip to visit us in February and that makes me feel good.

HMMM??? 2 against 6, I guess it's a 30% percent trade off and if you factor in that Jimmie loves me well it's not too bad. However..... Well lets just say life is way out of focus at the moment.

I feel a bit better... Thanks for listening.

Thirty things about me...

I saw these questions on another blog and actually the list was longer so I cut it down. I know it's a self indulgent look into my person but it fills up space when I am not really up to writing anything else at the moment. So enjoy...

1. Am I named after somebody?

No

2. Have you ever written a poem?

Yes, several...

3. Can you make change for a dollar right now?

Yes

4. Do you like catsup on or beside your fries?

On the side that way it gives me control, not that I have control issues

5. Do you drink Pepsi or Coke?

Pepsi,… I loathe Coke!

6. Are you superstitious?

No

7. What's your favorite number?

The number seven and considering the number of the question...coincidence? I think not.

8. Have you ever gone skinny-dipping?

Yes and a little bit of night time streaking in high school

9. Would you ever parachute out of a plane?

No, I'’m just happy that they are able to get several tons of metal airborne. I'’m quite happy staying in business class my seat.

10. Have you ever tried to cut your own hair?

Yes and still do. I use clippers. It'’s so much easier

11. What is your dream car?

I really don't like to drive that much but if I had to choose I'’d say a Volkswagen Bora

12. Have you ever ridden in an ambulance?

No

13. How many remote controls do you have in your house?

Six and that's just for the television

14. How many times have you flown in an airplane in the last year?

Nine and all within a three week period

15. How many foreign countries have you visited?

2 = Australia, New Zealand

16. Would you rather be rich and unhappy, or poor and happy?

Comfortable and safe

17. Do you ask for directions when you are lost?

Sure I do but I'’m actually pretty handy with a map

18. Have you ever played in the rain?

Yes and it's okay until you get wet.

19. Have you ever broken a bone?

No, closest I came was spraining my ankle

20. Have you ever had surgery?

Yes, I had neck surgery to fix two herniated discuss

21. Which of the five senses is most important to you?

Sight as I always want to be able to see all the wonderful things around me like the flowers and my partner.

22. What do you think is your best feature?

My eyes but some people say my backside which I can't verify as it is too hard for me to see back there.

23. Have you ever taken something from a hotel?

Just the little soaps and shampoos.

24. Have you ever locked yourself out of the house?

Not that I can remember, but my car is another matter

25. Have you ever returned a gift?

Yes but usually for a different size or colour or because I already owned what was given to me.

26. Do you sing in the car?

Yes and with the windows up so I don't want to scare small children.

27. What is your favorite fruit?

Apples and preferably in a Waldorf salad

28. If you won a $5,000 shopping spree to any store, which store would you pick?

Rodd & Gunn (a local retailer based out of New Zealand or Ralph Lauren

29. What is your favorite season?

Autumn is great with all of the colours and it also means that winter is around the corner with fires in our fireplace.

30. What do you like to collect?

Teddy Bears, they are just so cute!

Well, there you go more things then you ever wanted to know about me.