23rd May: Samuel T!

Today marks my little brothers 19th birthday.

It seems strange to believe that Sammy is now a young man; not the little boy I would play made up games with, or try to scare with wild stories.

I've been recollecting some of the things (trouble) we have gotten up to over the years, my favourites include:

#Burning holes in the car seat,
#Getting locked in out-houses,
#Sinking a raft in the middle of a creek,
#Sending soccer balls through windows

Generally finding countless ways of getting into some kind of mischief. (That was all his idea of coarse!)

So Happy Birthday little Bro. I'm proud of you. Your a fully sick brother!
(While trying to find a photo to put up I found this one, which explains Sam to a T!)

21st May: Silhouette Masterpiece

On any given day it is uplifting coming across something that gives you the giggles, or that inspires even a desire to create.

Boy did I laugh at some of these!

I erge you to go and have a look at Wilhelm Staehle's site, you will not be sorry you did!

20th May: Cupcake Love

Aren't these just deliciously darling!

They certainly made me smile. Even Dad when seeing them on the kitchen bench this morning had a look, there was a grin just at corners of his lips.

I've already promised half of them to Mam and have many ideas of where I want to use that other half. Oh the fun of rediscovering forgotten excitment of stickers!

19th May: I'm in Love

With a Fairytale!
I love this performance, the violin, the energy, the song, and the dancers.
Have a lovely Tuesday and enjoy!

18th May: Grandpa

I managed to capture the very true essence of my Grandpa with this photograph.

He is definitely the great thinker in the family, the dreamer, the Pavarotti, and most recently the waterer of the lawn-seed. There is no questioning where I found my love of (certain) news papers.
Peacefully he sits in the sun, reading news articles which he will passionately talk about the injustice of, or the shenanigans that they call news in this day and age.

I believe that to a certain degree, we forget (though this may be because we could never know/understand) all that our grandparents have been through, all the changes they have seen over the years as technology and society has changed.

I love hearing the stories they have to tell. Days of hardship, of hard work, days of war, though also the happiness they came across during these dark times.
Lord knows, my grandparents have many stories to tell!

14th May: Promise of Return

To my heart the sight will always be the greatest "promise of return."

13th May: Little Ramblings

Things are finally starting to settle from the aftermath of clean-up the Pumpkin Festival left behind.

Work has slowed on the shop, with us knowing that we must do all we can to get the ball rolling again. The past week (and a bit) has seen lawn-seed sown along the sixty meters out the front of the shop, the beginning of new interior walls going up, and a day spent on the roof painting the bracing for the sign.

11th May: Autumn Fun

9th May: Picking Up a Stove

This morning we took a drive down to Laggon to pick up the new stove for the shop!


Seeing as it was said to be heavy, we took captive a friend for the big lift onto the tralier.


It turned out that Mam and I were not needed in the lifting (wonderful news). So instead we enjoyed an early morning drive, which included driving through country that looked like this:


And having fun in the car.

8th May: New Phone

Anyone who knows me at all will confirm that it doesn't take a lot for me to get excited over something (anything). Though today I find my reason of excitement is valid in most peoples books...

I got me one of these little beauties!

I've never had a slide phone before, that has caused quite a bit of amusement. The features that they put into phones is absolutely mind blowing. (Call me a country girl)

With that said, why do the manufacturers make these things so difficult to figure out? I will be the first one to tell you that I am by no means good at figuring any type of technology out. Even after spending a couple of hours going through the manual -trying to change the setting to suit me- I have not been able to answer a number of questions in my own mind.

Has anyone else ever thought of sending a bill to the designers/programmers who make these devices that take us hours (if not days) to figure out, when the purpose of these gadgets was to make our lives easier. Truly do they make anything easy now? I mean give me a pen and paper, I can keep a diary. Do we really need to talk to someone all the time? (probably not what I should be saying when I am telling you of my own new phone.)

In my truest form I'm an old-fashion girl at heart. Maybe the reason I get so excited about the simple things in life, is because they are just that, simple. Now days there are so many rules, so many different things we are told we can't live without, so much waste and lack of appreciation. Lord, I'm thankful for the big as well as the small blessings you give me each day!

6th May: The Aftermath

After such a week as has passed, one can imagine how up-side-down everything has become here at home. So before we could even think to get back to working on the shop there has been a mountain of washing, dishes, pumpkin related stuff, and general tidying to get through.

For some reason that brings to mind a book my mother had when we were only children. Don Aslett's, "Do I dust or vacume first?"
Though getting over-come by household chores is no laughing matter, I do find it slightly humorous that at the age of ten I thought it necessary to read through this book as intently as a Bible study.

4th May: Pumpkin Ball

I know it has been a terribly long time since I have posted. Especially when I have had such exciting things to blog about. This past weekend has been filled with Pumpkins in forms of the Ball on Friday, followed by the Festival on Sunday.

(Emily and I masked for the ball)

As frantic as I had become during Friday afternoon, fretting that it would never be ready in time, everything turned out beautifully for the Pumpkin Festival Masquerade Ball.

I have learnt many things in the process of organising this event. As challenging as it has been, (and stressful) I feel proud that it came together.

Although the evening proved to be enjoyable in many ways; dancing!, talking, eating, getting pictures taken, laughing a whole lot ect. Friday was a very special day for another reason to. It was my parents 28th wedding anniversary. To celebrate this, (and embarrass them just a bit) Sam arrived, with flowers in hand, and addressed the whole tent of 80 people with a speech and toast to my loving parents.

(My Adorable Parents)

It was only after dinner that the real fun began. I had been concerned that hiring a band by the name of 'The Lumpy Underdacks' could come back to haunt me. (What was I thinking?) It turned out that not only were they a local band, they were/are also a great band! Dancing started around 9.30pm and we only stopped at 2.30am, because they had to pack up.

(The Lumpy Underdacks, doing their thing)

It was wonderful fun dancing.

All round it turned out to be an enjoyable evening, even if I did spend much of it running around after different things.

(All photos taken by Fred Harden, many thanks)

28th April: Today I'm Thankful For!

Today I find comfort in amazingly awesometastic friends who make up whole academy's so as to send me letters from them. In doing so, bring my heart a great amount of encouragement. (Thank you)

For Pumpkin pies with maple syrup drizzled on top, hot from the oven.

In finally deciding upon a dress to wear to a Ball.

In taking a hurried drive into town to find we have missed the bank, but that means a coffee with a very special Mother.

Puppies who are always excited to see you upon a return, even if you never left.

Buying packets of glitter, which I never grow tired of seeing, and is not used hardly enough throughout the world.

The realising that God saw fit to give me today!

Stolen moments playing new tunes upon my dusty ivory. Imagining the possibilities of a simple melody that has been caught up in my mind for days. Getting to let it into the air through my fingers.

Warming frozen legs by a wood fire, that makes the house smell of burning dirt and smoke.

Curry with Rice.

New colourful scarf that shimmers in the light, with little platted tassels on the ends.

Often it is when you feel overcome by goings on, that is the time most of all you need to find these things that have made you smile. Because it is what gives your heart strength to carry on.

24th April: Pumpkin Ball

I am involved in a community group that is organising the annual Pumpkin Festival our town hosts.
This year my sister and I have been put in charge of organising the Pumpkin Ball that runs alongside the festival.
We have chosen the theme of masquerade; mystery and enchantment. The Ball will be held in a week today, and there is still quite a bit of work to be done for everything to be ready.
We have a local band playing on the evening, there will be live auctions, and miscellaneous prizes handed out on the evening.

Being involved at such a level has really taken me out of my comfort zone. I have done things I never thought I could/would. This afternoon I had an interview on live radio regarding Ball and Festival. I was terrified! I've found auction items, talked with caterers, made tremendous amounts of calls to sell tickets... It has been like a full time job. I am just about ready to see the end of it now.

One of the last things I have to panic over is finding a dress and mask. I've been that busy telling others not to forget to wear a mask on the evening that I forgot to look for one of my own.

There will be photos of the event up soon!

21st April: Out-House Studio!

This evening, Sam and I went and did our bit for the community album.
For the second year a local musician has put his time into writing some songs, and recording tracks, to make a 'locals' CD.

(Setting up the mixing board)


This is the second year he has asked Sam and I to be involved. We arrived at the "Out-House Studio" just after seven, and after numerous takes, laid down vocals for three tracks.

(Sam and I doing our thing)


As he hopes to have the Cd ready for sale by the annual Pumpkin Festival our town hosts each year, which is taking place in ten days, we wont be able to hear the final mixed version until pretty much the Festival day. Which is both exciting and scary at the same time!

(My song as it looks on the program)


Although it is not my first time recording, I still found great amusement in popping my lips into the mic, it lets of the most fascinating sound when the reverb is on.

(Sam starting to get into his groove)


If it is at all possible, or rather if I can figure out how to do it, I hope to post my track up here. We'll see how it all works out. So keep looking back to see if its up!

20th April: Our Sign

The sign went up this weekend! It was nice to feel so excited about the whole project again. Because with everything taking so long, jobs growing, and things taking longer then they were assigned; one does become a little hardened to the idea that there is an end in sight.

We were so happy with how it has turned out. From a thought roughly drawn to this!


Ain't she a beauty??!

18th April: Skeleton Letters

I cant get over how these letters look as though they have escaped the page that was grasped in the jaws of the typewriter.





Now they hang bound in the air, painted and set out to dry.

17th April: A Grave Tale

I bought myself a new book! It smells of bleach and fresh printing ink.
I hadn't realise until waiting in line to pay that the author has brought the book out in two covers. This makes me immensely happy. Not only are there two covers but within each cover there is a different illustrator. Straight away the reader has a choice of how he would like to approach the story before reading a word.
I know that throughout the ages people say not to judge a book by it's cover. But I just cant help it! For the most part it works for me!



Neil Gaiman has fast made his way to be one of my favourite author. He does not hesitate at approaching a complex theme, while leaving you longing for more by the time you have come to the last page.

(Take a guess at which cover I chose..?)

16th April: Puppies!

My Dad and Brother arrived home after a trip to town, both of them carrying something in their arms, I didn't take much note.
As my brother got closer to me I could see what it was he was holding, a puppy!
He proudly held her up like the scene in Lion King, and proclaimed "This is Lily", I fussed, and laughed... "And this one is yours." My Dad was saying as he handed me this tiny little fluff ball of excitement. (My Dad is a softy!)

Need I really mention that I was all laughs, smiles, an amount of jumping up and down on the spot, while still a bit stunned.? I'm sure you guessed that anyway!

I named my little girl Pepi.

Our two other dogs are not sure they like the idea; I think for that relationship to work there will need to be a lot of supervised time of getting to know each other.

So suddenly in the peak of our business we find ourselves with two little babies in the family. Terrors that want to attach everything...!

(Pepi)

(Lily)

My New Car!

At last I found the one that was meant for me!