New cds

Okay, today I bought two new cds. One was the Bushfire Aid cd (all proceeds to the Victorian Bushfire Appeal), and the other was a Russell Watson cd, Outside In. I have to say that I am especially enjoying the Russell Watson cd. It has several really good arrangements on it. I really like the Amazing Grace track, and the swing songs but the two stand out tracks for me are One More Time and Love on the Rocks. Yes, the Neil Diamond song. Russell does it quite well. I still think the original is the best, but this cover comes a very, very close second. I was quite surprised by the sound of Russell's voice on this cd. It has very definitely changed over the years that I have been listening to him, but I think it has been a change for the better. Anyway, i just wanted to let you know that it is a good easy listening type cd, if you're interested. And too bad if you're not, because I am! :P

Music

Exciting news! Both Mike and Gabi came home this week with news about instrumental music for the year! Mike has received his clarinet and had his first music lesson on Monday. Gabi came home on Thursday and told us her music teacher for the band program had assigned her to the ...trombone! We're deadlocked at one all, again! (For those that don't know, we have a small battle in the household, over which is better: woodwind or brass. I played brass instruments when I was younger, (and I still can,) and Ben played woodwind (and he still can). ) It looks like we're going to be stuck with brass vs woodwind and boys vs girls until Gabi reaches high school and is given an opportunity to change instruments. Although, hopefully, by then she won't want to...

More swimming!

Watch out for a new post on lazymikey.blogspot.com about his swimming carnival tomorrow. Today we prepared by buying red face paint, red pirate scarf and a red wig. (Mike's house colour is...RED!) He's not swimming but he is planning to cheer to the max. I shall have to try to get a photo of him in the wig at least!

Swimming!

Today was the Inter House Swimming Carnival for Gabi's school. We had a fantastic day, but Gabi said it would have been more fantastic if she had been in more events. (She had to wait until the very last event to compete. However, her team did come third, so she got a ribbon! Yay!) I helped out with the timekeeping for a while (managing to get sunburnt, despite wearing a hat and everything!). I really enjoyed this swimming carnival. Everything worked like clockwork. It even finished before the stated time of 2pm! (Amazing!) The absolute highlight of the day (after Gabi's event of course!) was the fact that Gabi's house won the day overall. Go Blundell-Bogong!

Five Greatest Warriors

I was cruelly reminded tonight by my son of just how long I have to wait to finish the story of one of my favourite book characters, Capt Jack West Jr. I have to wait until Christmas of this year before the book is even released! I loved Seven Ancient Wonders, and I couldn't put Six Sacred Stones down until I'd read it all (I did it in less than a day!) and then... then came the cliffhanger. I was so cross that Matthew Reilly only puts out a book once every two years (I know he does it for quality,) but still, to leave your fans hanging (with the hero!) like that for two years is horrible! I think I'll start a countdown gadget...

I had a date!!!

I just had a date! I just had a date!

Well, it was really just coffee, with my husband. He rang and said he was on his way home, just before 3pm and would I like to have coffee with him at Gloria Jean's? So of course I said yes! How could I refuse an offer like that? So we had coffee and he drove me home. He stayed and worked at home for about an hour and then had to go back to work for shift change. *sigh*. On the way back to work he dropped me off so I could meet the kids' bus and bring them home. But - it was still a date!

What to do, what to do...

So many things to do and I don't want to do any of them. Not the ironing, or the washing or the cleaning or the dusting. So here I am having a quick blog. Mmmm, very constructive. Not.

This week has gone by so quickly! Sending the kids to school seems to make time fly by faster. I've been up to Sale three times this week alone! And all school related visits. Gabi (my daughter, for those of you who may read this blog and not know me) has after school Japanese lessons (to catch up with those in her class who have already learned some Japanese) on a Tuesday. So i have to go and pick her up, because there is no bus for her to catch afterwards. On Wednesday there was an information night at Gabi's campus for parents to find out what the children will be doing for the year and how we can help our children and their teacher. On Friday night there was an information session at Mike's campus (he's my son, who's just started high school this year) about what we can expect for him for the year. This was followed by a welcome drinks and nibbles from the P&F for new parents (and families) to the school. Next week looks just as busy for trips to Sale. There's the Junior School Inter-House Swimming Carnival (on Tuesday, so that's one trip for two activities!) and there's a meeting on Wednesday night at the Junior School for a P&F support group for the Junior school. (It sounds fantastic, NO FUNDRAISING required at all! Just meet & greet and form a network of parents. I like it!) After that, I don't think I'll have to go to Sale for a while. Well, at least not until Tuesday week. Unless Ben decides we need to go and look at houses on his day off. (Yes, he is planning to take one next week. Amazing! I think I'll faint if it actually happens.)

Family

I am very happy that Robert & Emma (some cousins who were travelling overseas) have made it safely back to our shores. Rob sent a text, asking if we had been burnt out, but no we haven't. (And I am so thankful, see previous post!) Following their blogs it appears that they have had a wonderful trip and will have much to tell us over the coming weeks. I am looking forward to seeing photos of all of Rob's souvenirs. (His uncle Ben will probably roll his eyes oevr the toys, but hey! that's Rob's collecting thing.) I am also looking forward to finding out what Emma brought home, other than photos and Rob. We heard so much about Rob's purchases, but not a whole lot about Em's. Gotta go and organise my dragon cross stitch patterns now! TTFN.

Thankful.

Yesterday was a day of thankfulness for me. I was thankful for all the mundane chores I had to do, and the other stuff that just had to get done, because it meant that I was not affected by the bushfires raging in Gippsland. I knew where all my family was, I had an abundance of things, and I had the basics too. (Food and water, shelter etc.) Everytime I went to grumble about having to do stuff (like washing the soot off the clothes line before I could hang my washing out) I reminded myself that I should be thankful that I could still do those things, unlike others who have lost everything in the fires. So that's what I did. I thanked God for every thing that I was grumbling about.

Saturday night was the worst night for us, over this last, black weekend. We could see the orange glow of fires three quarters the way around our horizon. It was as black as black by six o'clock in the evening, and we were getting gritty, sooty winds blowing really, really hard at our place. When it rained later in the evening, it was black rain. It was nearly good enough for handmade ink, the rain contained that much soot. Ben tried to get to work on Sunday,(he's back at work now) to check some stuff out, but the road up to the Loy Yang coal mine was closed, as fires were raging near Traralgon South. There are still fires in that area, but the CFA are on to them. They have been truly amazing, the CFA. They had to work so hard the weekend before and all through last week, on fires further west and then these fires occur. But these volunteers have not quit or said it's all too much and I'm not going to go on. No, they have given their all and then some. The emergency service workers have been just as amazing and the people who have suffered the loss of their homes and loved ones and are still going are truly inspiring.

First Blog!

Hello everybody! Welcome to my first blog. I would like to thank the other bloggers in my extended family for inspiring me to join the ranks of the blogging. It should prove to be very interesting...

Just a housekeeping thing: please, when you comment, no nasty words, or comments. If you can't post anything neutral at least, then don't post at all.