Sunshine in my shadows

Welcome to sunshine in my shadows. This blog is my space to share all the stuff that makes up my every day life. Family, friends, crafts, recipes, books and all the little things that add 'sunshine to my shadows'. We all have a sprinkling of sunshine and an equal sprinkling of shadows in our lives. Hopefully you will find more sunshine than shadows to read about here and on the days when shadows fall, know that the sunshine is peeking just around the corner!


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Showing posts with label homemaking. Show all posts
Showing posts with label homemaking. Show all posts

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Blogging blues...a mixed bag


Ugh! I haven't been able to sign in to Blogger for the last two days. That means I missed my Tuesday trinkets post AGAIN this week. I have had a busy week with barely a minute to spare or so it feels.
This post is going to be a bit of mixed bag.

Monday I had a dentist visit to finish off my root canal. I am truly terrified of the dentist but Mr B took me to his own dentist and I have to say I am very impressed. He was very gentle. I have another appointment next week for a general check up. Apparently I have a couple of fillings that are needed as well *sigh. A lifetime of poor dental care and a phobia of dentist visits means I have only about a dozen top and a dozen bottom teeth left so I really am trying to keep the ones I have left for as long as I can.

Tuesday I was to do some finishing off at my old house. I still have a few cupboards with some clothes and odds and ends in that need packing up and moving over here. I am not good at finishing things up. My friend Susan was going to come and 'encourage' me but unfortunately she was unwell. I am pleased to say however I spent most of the day getting up and down off the floor and packed up another car load of things to bring back here. I also filled a bag to donate to the op shop and filled my rubbish bin. I have the aching leg muscles to prove I worked hard! I'm estimating another 2-3 days of work to finish sorting/packing what's left then it will be on with the cleaning and painting etc. Oh and I picked up a couple of treasures at the op shop but I'll share those another day!

Mr B got the job he was asked to interview for on Friday last week so that caused us quite a bit of rushing around. He was told he had the job late Monday, went in to the office on Tuesday and was sent home to pack his bags. He will be working about 3 hours away from home at this stage. I am glad it isn't any further.(There was talk of an overseas post) I miss him already! He only left this morning lol.
I've been learning new skills like setting the fire and keeping it lit, not such an easy task when running errands on and off all day.

Today I did chores, laundry even though there was no hope of getting it dry on the line. The kitchen currently looks like a chinese laundry. I changed the sheets on my bed and am looking forward to slipping between the covers tonight. I so love crisp clean sheets! I had to take my daughter to an appointment mid morning and we were gone until 1pm. The fire had almost gone out but I managed to bring it back to life. I took out the rubbish and recycling, emptied the compost bucket and fed the birds with our stale bread. I brought more wood into the house along with pine cones which make wonderful fire lighters. Add in the school run and some grocery shopping and my day was almost gone....and then there was the cat!

Poor old squeaky came in yesterday with a nasty wound under her chin. Mr B had a close look last night and decided she really needed to see the vet today. He dropped her off this morning and I collected her this afternoon. The poor darling actually had three puncture wounds under her chin and had to be anaesthesized so they could insert drain tubes. They cleaned her teeth whilst she was off in cat la la land as well. The poor baby was very miserable when I collected her and was trying determinedly to get the special plastic collar off. She has been sulking since we got home and continues to try to remove the offending collar. It is doubtless going to be a fun few days for all of us. She must be awfully confused too as Mr B is not here and she is his cat first and foremost and she will be missing him too. We are hoping he might be home by the weekend but not sure yet. Oh and whilst at the vets I saw the most adorable kitten they had for sale. I wish we could have another cat but two is all we are allowed. We don't need another cat but ohhhh that little ball of fur was just adorable and pretty too!

Tomorrow I'm off for my regular monthly check up with my doctor and I am hoping I have lost at least a little weight. I shall be horribly disappointed if I haven't. I have been watching what I eat very carefully and whilst not walking the last few days I have been much more active than normal. My pedometer is proving very useful in that regard as I can keep an eye on my number of steps for each day. I have almost doubled my amount of steps in just 3 weeks so I am pretty pleased about that. A way to go to get to the ideal but I am improving and that is a step in the right direction I think.

Hope everyone else has had a good week and lets hope Blogger behaves itself now and we can all get back to our regular blogging habits!

wishing you sunshine in your shadows
Helen

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

I'm excited...

We almost have a new roof on our home today! The old asbestos roof has been safely removed and the roofer has put on the new colourbond roofing. They will be back tomorrow to finish off the capping and a few small bits and pieces. It looks fabulous!

I would have loved a nice red roof or perhaps green but after spending months looking down the hill at our neighbour's lovely slate grey roof covered in masses of bird droppings we decided to go for one of the lighter colours. It's a difficult colour to describe. The sample looked a misty grey but on the roof I think it looks more like a fawn or very pale beige. Sort of mushroomy!

I also had romantic thoughts of lying under our lovely new roof listening to the rain fall but alas that simple pleasure is all but negated by the sensibility of having excellent insulation!
I wonder what the resident possums will think of our new roof?

The new roof is just the beginning of our planned building works for the house. Having moved in with my partner recently with my two teenage children we decided the house really needed some extra rooms. Shortly to come will be a new wing with extra bedrooms, including a fabulous new master bedroom and ensuite. I shall have my first walk in robe ever! A second extension will see our living room double in size. I can't wait to see it all done. I'm just hoping the builders get on with it before Winter arrives. We had hoped to have it all done by now but of course the building trades all take holidays over the Christmas/New Year period so we have had a long wait to get things started.

wishing you sunshine in your shadows
Helen

** Photo from Department of Environment and Resources Management
I hope they will forgive me for using their photograph here. Unfortunately no credit was given on their webpage for the actual owner of the photo.
http://www.derm.qld.gov.au/wildlife-ecosystems/wildlife/living_with_wildlife/brushtail_possums.html

Thursday, January 6, 2011

The security of stuff!

I'm in the process of packing up all my wordly goods and chattels, and those of my two children. I have barely begun and already am overwhelmed by the amount of STUFF we have managed to hold on to and collect over the 18 years we have lived in our house. I have always been a bit of a hoarder myself but have tried to balance this with regular culling of unused, unwanted and disliked items and outgrown clothing.  We STILL have mountains of STUFF between us!

To a degree I believe we hang on to items long after we might have given them away for reasons of security. How often have you heard someone say "but I might need it one day". I have been guilty of this more than once but am committed to having a serious and severe cull of our belongings before this move. I know without looking my wardrobe is full of clothes I have not worn in over a year, possibly 5 years! It is time for a fresh new start and they are going to GO! I have shelves in cupcoards that hold Lord knows what, items that were stashed away years ago and have never seen the light of day since.

Culling half a lifetime of belongings is an anxiety provoking process! I have struggled as a single mum for the last several years. I know I have held on to many belongings 'just in case'. The fear that should I give away an item that has remained unused in a cupboard for years, I would immediately find need for it and not have the resources to buy another is very strong. When you have been financially poor most of your life it builds in a certain insecurity that is very hard to shake. I am however not quite as addicted to things anymore. Things have little value when compared to the truly important in life. Perhaps as we age it gives us a different perspective.

As overwhelming as sorting, culling and packing our belongings is going to be I am truly looking forward to a completely new and fresh start in our new home, with my beloved partner. I am ready to leave all baggage from the past behind and then some! Making a concious decision to do so is remarkably freeing and leaves me light of heart and spirit and cheerfully looking forward to building a bright new future.
wishing you sunshine in your shadows
Helen

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Playing domestic goddess....

I've been running around like a mad woman for a couple of days, finishing up last minute Christmas preparations. Like  most women I suspect. Actually I have been much better organised this year in part due to the wonderful online group I belong to Aussies crazy about Christmas.Gifts all done and wrapped I bought all my ingredients for my baking yesterday and spent the better part of this afternoon making yummy things for us to have at Christmas.

I used to bake all the time but haven't in a while. I let my pantry run down and it is expensive to buy a lot of ingredients all at once. However perhaps in keeping with the new start in a new home I have been feeling somewhat domestic this week and my grocery bill reflects it! So for a little while at least I can pretend to be a real domestic goddess and impress my family with my culinary skills. Ok ok so I'm getting a little carried away here. Truth is I'd never make a domestic goddess I'm far too relaxed and easy going. Some would say lazy but I prefer to think positive! ;)

Sharing piccies below of the treats I have made so far.Unfortunately the choc truffles look a bit like doggie doo since I couldn't find my piping tube and had to use a plastic zip loc bag with the corner cut off. I usually pipe these with a star tube so they look nice. I still plan to make Buckeyes and choc peanut butter fudge if I can find time tomorrow.

Wishing you sunshine in your shadows and choc chips in your cookies
Helen
~ choc brandy truffles, white choc lemon truffles and rum balls~

Sunday, December 12, 2010

Blending the family...

My partner and I have been a couple for almost 3 years now. We have been talking about moving in together for the better part of a year and a half. We are finally about to take the plunge. It would have happened earlier this year but his cancer diagnosis kind of threw a spanner into the works! Ideally I would have liked to have been well and truly moved before Christmas but ....well the universe had other plans for us.

It will be a wonderful relief to me to leave my old house behind. Unfortunately it holds many more sad memories for me than happy ones.I am looking forward to a complete break from the past and an exciting new chapter in my life.
I am sure my kids will have mixed feelings about leaving their family home. It is the only home they have ever known. The house is to be sold, an unfortunate necessity.

In time I hope they will embrace the new and enjoy the freedoms our new home will provide. Our new home has space to run and explore, orchard & gardens to enjoy and many other things our current home could never provide. I know there will be huge adjustments to be made by all of us as we learn to live together as a blended family under one roof. I'm confident it will all be ok in the long run.

I'm not so sure about the 4 legged members of the family. We have 2 cats between us and introducing our cat to her new home and new family is going to be interesting to say the least. We shall be following the advice from our vet and praying a lot I think! Both cats are the same age, neutered females and used to being the Queen of their own domain! I hope they will eventually be friends or at the very least tolerate each other.

Moving is such a chore! I am badly lacking energy and motivation to get those boxes packed and ready to go. Hope to be done by New Year. Time will tell.....
wishing you sunshine in your shadows
Helen

Tabby our princess


Squeaky Queen of my partner's realm

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Growing your own...

Vegetables that is! I took a stroll around our garden yesterday and snapped a few shots of our vegetable beds.
I am hoping that the locust plague will stay away from us. Our vegetable plots are doing very nicely and the thought that we might lose all our delicious home grown produce is well damned annoying to be polite about it LOL! I can only imagine how terrible it is for the commercial food producers who have already lost their crops to this pesky insect plague. I have decided at the first sign of a locust I will pick everything I possibly can and freeze it. It just isn't the same as strolling out to pick fresh as you need it though.
Do you grow your own?
wishing you sunshine in your shadows
Helen

bunny heaven! Our carrot patch

vegetable plot 2 with my beloved trying to keep out of the photo (he prefers to remain anonymous)