Pinch yourselves :)

Am just skiting as I am actually writing this without a six month gap from the last post. Some may need smelling salts to cope, lol. Have I said I love this time of the year in WA. Today is the shortest day of the year, so I am thinking its seriously winter time. However, I have just come in from gardening outside in 22 degrees sunshine. Towels are on the line moving in the breeze, what more could you want.

I'm feeling that I am due for another house inspection next month so have started on the outside to get things in shape. I have taken weeds out of back paved area, pruned the rosemary bush in the garden, and hacked back at a vine that has totally covered a hibiscus. I left it alone during summer as it was laden with flowers and honey bees (doing my bit for nature, lol)but as it also grew over vine that had died the year before, this is a serious trim. I have become enthused as there is an organic rubbish collection happening this week in our area. I have lugged the broken branches from the gum tree (mentioned earlier this year in a post re storm damage) down the hill so they can finally get taken away. I bought some veg plants last weekend and some small lavenders with a couple of native bushy things to replace some of the plants that died during the hottest summer for a gazillion years. At this stage I have some days off over the weekend so will get them planted then.

The news is on as I type this and mother nature is causing havoc again/still. The airways around Australia, Tasmania and NZ (I believe) are shut down due to volcanic ash from the volcano in Chile. It has been affecting flights for over two weeks now and is costing millions of $ a day. They are saying as of today Qantas have 50,000 people disrupted right now. There has not been one state over here that has not been affected. Makes me glad I had no trips planned at this time of the year.

Just when I thought things were settled with my new roster, hello, it got tipped upside down this week, (but if I had declined the changes it would not have happened). In the 'be careful what you wish for' mode, after languishing for over a week with no children, we got five on Friday from one family and another four (different family) yesterday. When I went in and saw 9 names on the board, I just stood and laughed shaking my head at the same time. Fortunately, both groups get on like a house on fire so it is looking good for the next week. Both groups are in on respite care to give their carers a break so although there has been some trauma in their lives, they are reasonably settled at the moment and are a dream to look after, after a couple of our other reprobates. The saddest case among them is a 6 yr old lad who repeatedly hits himself in the head, calling himself stupid and saying he wants to die. He has had a couple of melt downs and threw a massive hissy fit on me on Sunday night. He had another one yesterday at school and went to start when he got back to us, so just took him aside and held him, talking calmly until he relaxed and was ready to talk. He thinks he is fat, ugly and stupid - and I repeat again - this is a 6 yr old.

Went out to lunch yesterday and sat in the sun and nearly got too hot, lol. Several of the Tardun crew caught up to celebrate Janet's birthday at Dome. We sat inside one of the windows facing the harbour where the tugs were working non stop bringing in boats with about 5 more on the horizon in park mode. I cannot seem to get past salt and pepper squid salad when I go there and yesterday mine was delicious.

Back on the home front, and in preparation for the house inspection, I steam cleaned two floors the other day. I have succumbed to advertising on the tv and bought one of those steam mops that can be altered to a hand held cleaning tool in bathrooms etc. It came with free postage, and a vacuum cleaner as well so a veritable bargain, lol. I put it all together and gave it a road test on the sunporch vinyl floor and then the wooden floor in the lounge and kitchen. I am sitting here fairly dazzled by how clean and shiny the lounge floor looks. Both vacuum and steam cleaner were smaller than I expected, but on first go, both seem to do the job required. Both cleaners are bright lime green in colour but have no problems with any clash in colours with other equipment, lol. I have been looking at the ads on tv for ages and ages wondering how these things worked and what finally sold me was using a steam cleaner on floors at work. That steam cleaner was bigger and heavier and I think mine is much more user friendly, but I could not believe what a difference to cleaning the floor it made. I like the fact that germs cannot live where it has been steamed as it is extremely hot where it comes out. Am going to give the tiles in the "pool room" a go on the weekend. The hand held bit also cleans windows, and will steam clean furniture, bedding, and clothing so there are any amount of possibilities to work through.

Midst all this bliss of warm weather during the day, we have had two wet days, of course the second day was not long after I had put washing on the line. As I do not have a dryer, wet days are not my favourite but I have to remember that the farmers need it and are rubbing their hands as it falls just after seeding. All indicators are this will be a magic wildflower season, woohoo. Cannot wait and hopefully will get out to photograph heaps.

The other wet day was last Saturday. I had been to netball in the morning to take one of our young lasses to play, and then after some baking, and a small $400 shop for groceries (only two baskets and we usually have four), we decided to take the kids back into town to spend their pocket money and to go for a play along the foreshore. All went well but we had only been at the foreshore for about 45 mins when down the rain came in bucket loads. An executive decision was made and we headed to the the new Maccas to get the kids an ice cream and the chance to use the playground there (indoors). Naturally my co-worker and I had to have a coffee to while away the time, lol. Not only did it warm us up but it was a purely altruistic moment as $1 from every coffee sold on the Grand Opening day that it was, was going to the local rural fire brigade ( a regualar Tui's moment I hear the NZ mob say - yeah right, lol). Caught up with Gerard briefly and he said the opening had gone really well and they were flat out. They are doing beyond expectations and though he is exhausted, he is quietly rapt as well.

Just looking at the time, I have 20 mins to shower dress and get to work for a staff meeting and afternoon shift so will dash. Catch you again soon :) This is being posted in the first instance unedited so please excuse any glaring mistakes :):)