Merry Christmas

I could tell you that I have been really, really busy curing a ham, fattening a turkey, hand making wrapping paper and carving my own wood toys for Christmas gifts, but I'm afraid that would be a big, fat fib. I've just been cruising along, taking Le Artiste to the movies (Where the Wild Things Are, which we both really enjoyed), swinging in the park, tending the vegie garden (boo to tomato rot I say, although the kids did turn 'who can catch the most manky tomatoes' into a new and exciting game) and gearing up for the arrival of the big fella in red on Thursday night.

I've also been taking a moment each day to stop and smell the flowers. These flowers to be exact, so sublime with their heady fragrance filling a corner of our balcony. Mmmm.

Thursday will also herald the arrival of the first batch of relatives, Uncle W, Auntie M and four cousins, quickly followed by Grandma, Uncle D, Auntie S and the Wee One. In fact I think the Waffler dance card will be all full up over the coming week, but if you smile nicely and ask politely I will try and squeeze you in, okay ?

I hope you're getting excited, enjoying the fairy lights and sparkly decorations and humming the odd carol. Even if you've got some last minute shopping hanging over your head like a giant ACME anvil, take a minute to look at the faces of the children, feel that buzz of anticipation in the air around them and join in, even if it's just for a second or two.

Happy Festive Season Peeps xxx

My Creative Space

Well *phew*, I've just managed to squeeze this one in before the lovely Kirsty takes a breather and wraps up the My Creative Space meme for a Christmas break. It's a quick post today, really I just wanted to share the final version of Witchy, who is definitely my Witchy of choice, and as it so happens, was the piece selected by my friend to be shipped off to Melbourne.

Bye bye little Witchy and safe travels.

If you would like to catch the last of the creative offerings for 2009, head on over to Kootoyoo and enjoy.

A Touch of the Crazies.

Week in, week out, I put together a shopping list (actually 'The Shopping List', but that's another blog post entirely), load up the green bags in the boot and hike off the mountain to do the grocery shopping. Generally it's an expedition which runs with military precision. First we knock over fruits and vegetables, then we move to the other end of the supermarket to cover household cleaning products, then we work our way back to our final stop in the dairy section.

I never take more than one child but I'm always quick to offer a sympathetic smile to the poor frazzled women I see with multiple children hanging off the trolley (with at least one wonky wheel) like a collection of banana-lust driven monkeys.

I realise having a completely neurotic system like this doesn't work for everyone, but for me it makes a generally tedious chore, well, not quite so tedious.

Then comes Christmas and my perfect little system which has served me so well through-out the year, goes flying out the window, just like a couple of turtle-doves and a partridge escaping a pear tree.

Have you noticed what happens in the supermarket just prior to Christmas ? People start to go into a stock-piling frenzy and it's not just because Aunt Mabel, Uncle Ron and their twelve children have come to stay, it's because.....shock horror....the supermarket will be closing it's magical glass doors for a WHOLE DAY.

I know, right, a whole 24 hours without access to the wondrous aisle upon aisle of cans and boxes. I mean, sure, there are small convenience stores which we can rely upon to NEVER, EVER close under ANY circumstances, but what if we need a can of Argentian Gumb fish for the salad or twice pickled South American Hoho berries for the dessert ? Will we find those at the convenient store ? I think not.

So en masse we get a touch of the crazies. We stand in the baking aisle with a packet of long-life milk in each hand, wondering if ten packets will possibly be enough, we are talking twenty-four hours after-all. We load up on products on the off-chance that there is a massive post-Christmas glitch which leaves the supermarket doors closed for ever.

My warning to you all is get in early, grab your seventy packs of toilet tissue and your cans of Argentian Gumb fish whilst you still can. Because next weekend you will need full body armour and finely honed trolley maneuvering skills to outwit, outlast and outshop. Good luck.

Where've ya been ?

So, where have you been huh ? Oh, you mean me ? Oh yes, well, you know, around the traps as they say. I don't know about you, but I get a little antsy at this time of the year. The pressure to get a thousand things done, attend Christmas do's and school/kindergarten break-ups and concerts. Then there's lodging the school stationary orders for NEXT YEAR before the 11th, squeezing in uniform purchases, getting the septic tank de-sludged, flying down to the hairdressers, picking up those last minute Christmas gifts, getting hams, getting turkeys........getting a headache. *Phew*....thank goodness I can have one of these to ease the stress levels....

So anyway, my blogging absence was unintentional, I've just been a little busy sitting and rocking back and forth in the cupboard.

But now, now school holidays are upon us. Today I took the kids to the local pool and then we went out for some lunch. According to Le Artiste, this put today high up in the ranks of 'The best days ever' (still hard to top the birthday expedition to Time Zone, but I'm glad a morning at the pool still fills him with such enthusiasm). And this afternoon I harvested the crops, I'm so proud of my sieve full of beans and snow peas. Tonight we shall feast on a Hungarian cucumber salad (oh yes, the cucumbers have gone berserk as well) and a bean and snow pea concoction which I am leaving to The Coach, he's the man for culinary experimentation (well, with a little help from Stephanie Alexander and The Cooks Companion).

And to keep things nice and Aussie, we'll throw a few snags on the Barbie. All together now, Aussie, Aussie, Aussie, Oi, Oi, Oi.

So I will be around, I will be finishing Witchy (so, so close) and I will be swinging by to catch up on all your lovely blogs. It just might be a far more casual schedule, 'cause we're on holidays you know. Happy holidays everyone. xx

My Creative Space

There have been all sorts of creative activities taking place around here this past week. We've decorated a Christmas tree. I baked a seriously delicious orange and hazelnut torta for The Coach's birthday. And as per the request from my friend, Witchy received a soft wash of watercolor.

Now I think it's been fairly well established that I am rather partial to a stroke or two of bright gouache colour, so I'm thinking that I just might have to play with a second copy of Witchy. A Witchy with oomph, I will keep you posted.

Thanks again to Kirsty for hosting another week of My Creative Space. Pop on over to Kootoyoo for plenty more creative spaces.

What's Hot + What's Not

Thought I'd jump in quickly again this week and play along with Claire's What's Hot + What's Not meme.

NOT

Post school swim carnival colds. Have we not had enough coughs and sniffles for this year ? Urgh.

Ticks. Ticks on cats. Big ticks on cats. Silly cats that won't let you remove the big ticks. *Sigh*

HOT

Getting the Christmas tree up. Yay. I can't help but smile each time I glance over at the tree.

The teeniest, tiniest vegetables in the world. Is that not the cutest little green bean you have ever seen ?

Cucumbers. Do you love a Greek salad ? Mmmm, we do.

They're green tomatoes, but they're not fried. Grow my little beauties, grow.

A day for painting. That's what today shall be, just as soon as I finish typing. Painting is hot, don't let the kindergarten kids have all the fun. Pick up a paintbrush and join in, you can't help but enjoy it.

So what's hot + what's not at your place this week ? If you want to play scoot over to Loobylu's and join in the fun.