The Week That Was.

Am just taking a moment to get adjusted to the new (improved) layout for the writing of this epistle. I am liking it from this side. This may not be a very long blog tonight because I am nearly FREEZING-to-death (read all as one word LOL). I am sitting here with 4 layers on the top half of my body beginning with a marino wool layer, polo neck, long cardigan and a sleeveless fleecy jacket (will be having one with sleeves next week LOL AND I have my seriously thick woolen sox on (plus jeans)while my extremities are turning blue. I have no idea what the temp is outside - it feels like you could snap freeze something by poking your nose out to check!!!! I did note today that the temp was 24o early afternoon - I was down to three layers in mad, gay abandon at that time. I think it is cold because of the slight wind as well, whatever, I am already over it! Am feeling like the Michellan Man (woman) in what I am wearing and do not think I can bend so goodness knows what I will do when winter really gets here!!!! I even had a scarf on at one point today!!!

Had a major Eureka moment earlier this morning - finally managed to transfer myself some money via net banking. A big thanks to Kerry at the Waiuku National Bank, whom I spoke to yesterday, just before I was about to throw a fit. I got the requisite code required and then waded through multiple box filling criteria, only to find I had missed the cut off time from Australia for the day..... However, a good nights sleep and there it was in my NZ account this morning AND I got lashings of extra NZ $$$$ in the transaction - 'O frabjous day'.

As I was walking backwards and forwards - school, home, school yesterday (laden down with bags), I happened to pass the DP and made the comment 'Goths marching to Rome' and ye gods and little fishes, he not only knows 'Fotherington Thomas' from the Ronald Searle books, he has them in hardcover!!!!! Quips such as 'hello birds, hello flowers, hello trees',(that became the catch cry in our family when Mum would wax lyrical about some panaramic view, or splendid scenery whilst on family outings)and 'Chizz, chizz', were bandied about whilst we both enjoyed the moment. (This will only mean something to a few selected folk at home, chizz,chizz). He is going to try and dig them out for me to look at.

Had Mass last night as Father has other places to be tonight. We had a Baptismal Mass as the workmate's youngest son decided he wanted to be baptised, then there is something called reconcilliation next Tuesday night - a service at the Mullewa Church. No doubt, I will be enlightened before then. It was a very nice service, and the Italians stood in as proxy Godparents for family unable to make it(lots of jokes to the parents about kangaroo heads instead of a horse head, should anything go wrong they are now in the family so to speak, LOL).

Did the Gton vegie run on Wednesday by myself, all 12 hours of it. Drove out of here at 9am Wednesday and it was 9pm by the time I had finished unpacking the urgent stuff that night. The ute looked like the Clampett wagon out of the Beverly Hillbillies - only thing missing was granny in a rocker on the top of the ute! I had a new dryer, vacuum cleaner, a mini-putt thing that had to rest against the back of the tray and went a metre over the roof, 8 large broom handles sticking out one of the windows at least a foot,(sorry about the interchanging measurements, it's too late at night to convert either way), a piece of skirting 2.4mtr, resting along side the mini-putt, 2 smaller brooms, vegies, boxes of cans of drink for the tuck shop to say nothing of a host of other parcels in the back seat, and a boy!! I was fairly proud of myself as I managed to find my way round really well, only one problem looking for an address that was in the book with the name of the building and the number, neither of which was displayed anywhere on the outside of said building. Minor stress as I drove about for 3/4hr looking for it and only needed 8 calls to the school during the day LOL. Had to drop the boy down to Wandalgu when we got back here as all the troops had left by then so that was an extra 30k to the day at the wrong end. Had my nearest misses re kangaroos yet. I was going slower than normal with all the stuff on the back and just past Mullewa, I spotted two kangaroos hopping along my side of the road - I slowed nearly to a stop, flashed the lights and tooted the horn and yes they leapt out in front of me recrossing the road instead of heading onto the verge they were already on. A sigh of relief there, and then just before the school, out leapt another one! Again a near miss thanks to my lightening reactions....

In the, Gotta Love small towns vein, first stop on the vegie run as per usual was the Mullewa Library and an hello to Erica. Whilst I was changing my books, out popped another lady who said, I just caught you name, are you from Tardun .... and presented me with a Welcome to Mullewa goodie bag that I had missed out on when I did not make it to the Shire gathering during last school holidays!!! I was blown away, there was a business directory, a cap, a community directory, a copy of 'A Special Patch in the Dry - A Country Women's Association of Western Australia Gardening Book, a calandar - Ocean to Outback, and a folder on Mullewa - discover an everlasting culture - that has a map and postcards that go with it, all in a cotton bag with Mullewa - an everlasting culture, written on it. They really know how to make folks wellcome over here and I believe every new person to the district receives one.

It's Open Day here on Sunday so this week has been flat out with lots of cleaning and sprucing of the place going on. There are displays in the library and Girls Boarding will be open on the day for inspection. The students are involved in showing off activities such as horse riding, fencing, woodwork, static displays of classwork and demonstrating the trampoline. There will be horse and cart rides, food for sale, raffles etc. We are all on deck from about 11.30am until 2.30pm. Tomorrow we are going to support the boys at football in Gton and have to leave here at 7.30am so am going to get some shut eye as I will have to be up at 5.30am!!!!!. I have the heater on cremate back in the bedroom - there is no other heating in the building!!! (Yet, LOL).