It's Crochet O'Clock

Snagged from All Free Crochet Afghan Patterns on Google +

I totally agree with this. It is definitely Crochet O'Clock ☺☺☺

My New Car

Mark found a nice 1998 Ford Falcon EL wagon on LPG up for auction on ebay Sunday afternoon. After going through my finances I told him that we could place a bid on the car. We had one other person who made a bid against us yesterday. So we increased our original bid.

Last night I was sitting there watching the clock count down. I was hoping and praying that no one would do one of those sniper bids. I really liked the look of the car and it's very similar to Emmy. She's a younger model and has extras that Emmy doesn't have like driver side airbag and power windows. Not that they matter. The best thing is this car is in a better condition than what I am driving now and we WON. All we need to do is go to organise pick-up & for me to go to the bank.

New WIP - Crochet Blanket

My latest project ... another blanket. This time it is for me and it's in my favourite colours, purple and blue! I'm not sure if I am going to place any applique on it though. The SIL thinks I should put cats on it. I'm not sure.

If I did place cats on it what colours should I use? Black and white? Orange for ginger kitties? Brown and tan for tabbies? I'll finish placing the edging around each square and hopefully by the time I am done I have made a decision.

My Car is Playing Up Again

Brodie and I were getting ready to leave for Church this morning when I asked Brodz to check the radiator and oil level in the car. Just as well I got him to check. Not that we wouldn't have noticed but the car has leaked ALL of the water from the radiator.

There was a lovely BIG puddle of water under the car. From the look of it the leak has come from the back of the engine. All I could think of what NOT again! Mark is in bed but when I told him the said something along the lines of crap.

I have doctors appointment to go to on Tuesday. Angus is back at work placement in Morwell on Friday. I drive him so he doesn't really have any other way to get there at that time of the morning. On Friday afternoon I have my nerve conduction test in Dandenong. I have been waiting for months to get this test done so I cannot afford to miss it. **just double checked it's next week not this week for the test in Dandenong.

I am disappointed that this happened. I was super organised for my little Sunday school class. The kids would've loved today's lesson. We were going to go fishing. Mark made up a magnetic fishing rod for us and I had little fish laminated for the kids to catch. I guess we shall play that game next week instead.

Oh Emmy, why couldn't you have played up next weekend after all of this running around has been done *sigh* Cross your fingers for me that Mark is able to diagnose this problem and we can get it fixed easily.

Just for Laughs

This is something that Brodie found a while back .. it sure did make him laugh.

Let's just say that Brodie has such an interesting sense of humour....

ANZAC Day 2014 - Lest We Forget

They shall not grow old, as we that are left grown old. 

Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. 

At the going down of the sun and in the morning, 

we will remember them.

Today marks the 99th anniversary of  when Australian and New Zealand troops landed at Gallipoli in 1915 the soldiers had no idea what lay in store for them. ANZAC Day is a day where we remember the fallen soldiers and those that have served not just in World War I but from all armed conflicts and peace keeping operations.

I'll be watching the ANZAC Day march on tv later. I'd better keep the tissues handy *sniff* I get so emotional just thinking about what these men and women have done for us. I just know I'll end up getting all teary.

Thankful Thursday

Here's what I am thankful for this week:

• celebrating birthdays! Mark turned 42 on Easter Monday and we went out last week for lunch to celebrate
• crochet - my new blanket is coming along nicely. I've managed to make 11 background squares already. I'm thinking I might make this blanket larger than I usually do so I may end up making 16 squares. I haven't decided yet.
• setting up an If This Then That recipe to send some of my instagram pics to blogger.
• phone calls - I had a brief chat with both of my sisters the other night. We don't talk very often but it was nice to speak with them.

What are you thankful for this week?

A Thick As Soup

Boy it was foggy this morning. This is what it looked like when I was driving Angus to TAFE. Twenty minutes later when I got back into town the fog had cleared.

Just playing with paper camera

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My Gorgeous Ginger

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Dessert ... for Mark's birthday

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My New Blanket is Coming Along Nicely

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Happy Easter

Happy Easter! 

I am Stronger

Crochet & Knitting Memes

I snagged these from Facebook. They brought a smile to my face ☺ especially that last one.

Diabetes - Shopping & Cooking on a Budget

I went to my Diabetes Support Group yesterday afternoon. It's only the third time I have ever gone. I am so glad I went this month. We had a session on how to shop healthily on a budget. It was a follow up on a supermarket tour I did last week that showed us how to shop healthily on a budget and work out which foods were the cheaper options to buy.

After our first session we went on to do some cooking. There were four groups and four different recipes. Sadly I only managed to snap photos of three of the dishes.

My group cooked a "Saucy Chick Pea" recipe (above). It was really, really nice. I hadn't cooked very often with chick peas in fact the only time I have had them was in a four bean mix that I would throw into a soup or a stew.

One group cooked a "Fruit Crumble" which was also very nice and it was served with a large dollop of mixed berry yoghurt.

Another group made "Pizzas" using pita bread as the base. All of the pizzas had cucumber on them. Not something I would normally associate with pizza but it still tasted great!

The last group made "Minestrone" using wholemeal pasta. That's the dish I didn't get the photo of. However, that dish was really nice but I think it lacked some flavour. I think it needed a few more herbs in it.

I have copies all of the recipes and I am definitely going to try making some of these at home. I am sure that the boys will love most if not all of them. I was fortunate enough to bring home two slices of the pizza. Both Brodie and Angus tried them and thought they were great. Not bad considering it was vegetarian. Angus prefers to have meat on his pizza. 

I found the meeting very helpful and I learned a few tips too. Anything that will help me save a few dollars when shopping and still enables me to buy foods that I know are healthy or at least a healthier option is good in my books. Next time I go to the supermarket I will definitely have to test out my new found knowledge.

Finished Item - Crochet - Zoo Blanket No.3

Ta Da! I finally finished the zoo blanket yesterday afternoon.

I think it looks amazing but then again I am very biased ☺

You can find the patterns by Teri Mitchell from Knot Your Nana's Crochet HERE on Ravelry

As for my next project I was thinking of making a blanket for myself. One that I can use on those cold days when I'm at church and there's a bit of a draught so that I can keep my legs and my lap warm.

My SIL suggested I make one with cats on it. I like the idea of kitty cats on a blanket. I just need to decide on the colours.

Photos From The Morwell Area (Post-Fire Pics)

On Saturday afternoon Brodie and I went shopping in Morwell. On the way to and from Morwell I asked Brodie to take a few snaps using both his mobile phone and mine. I thought that since I had mentioned the fires a few times it was only fair that I took some photos to show what the area looks like now.

The first two photos are of the Hazelwood open cut mine. Sadly the photos are a bit blurry (we were driving down the freeway at the time) but all that dark stuff is the coal and that is what was on fire for all of those weeks (around 5 ½ weeks in total) before it was finally declared safe. 

The next two photos were taken just before we got in to Morwell. You can see how burnt things are but how quickly the grass comes back to life.  A few of the trees have new growth on them now. It's been just over two months since the fire went through here.

WIP - Crochet - Zoo Blanket No.3 - Turtle Applique

I didn't realise how mismatched this turtle looked until I took this photo. Oh well, at least it looks original, right? Any way this is the last square and I can now begin the edging and joining all of the squares together.

My Beautiful Nephew

Twenty years ago today my gorgeous 7 year old nephew, Kym, who was living with me at the time, was taken from the front of my home by his mother. Instead of coming to my house and knocking on the door to say "Hey I am here to take my son to live with me" She grabbed him off the street and hid him in the car.

I had asked Kym to take a toy to a little boy who lived two doors down. I was busy finishing off cooking tea for our little family. It should've only taken him a minute to hand the toy over and come home. When he didn't come back after a few minutes I went looking for him. I couldn't see him. So of course I did the only thing I could think of. I phoned my Mum who lived down the road to ask if Kym was with her and Dad. He wasn't. I then phoned the police.

When the police arrived they had told me that Kym's mother had already contacted them about taking Kym from my home. It was the one and only time that I swore in front of my Mum and she never bat an eye when I said it. I was livid about his mother grabbing him off the street. I raved about how she said she was a Christian and that it was not the right thing to do.

The really sad thing  about this whole situation was the fact I had posted a letter to his mother a few days before this occurred asking her if she would like to have Kym come and live with her. The letter was probably sitting in her letter box, she lived interstate, and she didn't know I had sent it. I was just so upset that she could steal a child off the street and think it was okay.

Sadly I never saw my nephew again. I lost all contact with him until a couple of years ago. Thank goodness for Facebook. My gorgeous nephew, through a friend of his mothers, contacted me asking if he could add me on Facebook. I have my boy back!

Just testing an If This Then That recipe #blog

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Good Books and Cleaning Fairies

I wish there were such things as fairies who would cook and clean. That would really be lovely.
I think I will just settle for some really good books to read.

What are you reading at the moment?

I have almost finished reading The Atlantis Plague by A.G. Riddle it's the sequel to The Atlantis Gene.

I have so many books on my kindle right now I have no idea which one to choose next. Maybe an historical fiction...

Thankful Thursday

Here's what I am thankful for this week:

• finally getting an appointment for a nerve conduction test. The one that the surgeon wanted done when I saw him almost two months ago. The run around I got trying to organise it was incredible. I am just glad I have an appointment now but it isn't for another month *sigh*
• my crochet - I am definitely on a roll with this zoo blanket ☺
• mild weather and rain
• school holidays - I have been able to sleep in this week ☺ well if you count sleeping in until 8 am a sleep in
• having a really good GP who listens to you. Thanks Dr F. 

What are you thankful for this week?

WIP - Crochet - Zoo Blanket No.3 - Giraffe Applique

I am on a roll with this zoo blanket now. 

There I was the other day thinking that I wasn't crocheting enough ☺

Only one more square to go and I can start doing the borders on them and join them together.

Silly me, I forgot to add the links to the pattern I have been using. You can find them all HERE over on Ravelry. They are by Teri Mitchell from Knot Your Nana's Crochet.

WIP - Crochet - Zoo Blanket No.3 - Ostrich Applique

Time to meet Ollie the Ostrich. I think Ollie looks really cheeky but then again it might just be me ☺

WIP - Crochet - Zoo Blanket No.3 - Hippo Applique

School holidays are now upon us so hopefully I will find some time to get this blanket finished and handed over to its new owner, well at least the grandparents of the new owner.

Meet Hugo the Hippo.. I think he looks pretty cute ☺

WIP - Crochet - Zoo Blanket No.3 - Penguin Applique

Slowly but surely I am making progress on the Zoo blanket I started a couple of weeks ago. I really should make some more time to crochet. At least the blanket is getting there (~_~)

Melbourne Temple

Here's some photos Brodie took of the Melbourne Temple. We arrived there around 6:30 pm and we left some time around 8 pm. I love the night time photos with all the outside lit up. It's very pretty.

It was my first ever trip to the Temple and it was amazing.

Thankful Thursday

Gosh I seem to be falling way behind with posting this week. It's not that I have been terribly busy that I haven't been able to post. I just happen to have a very bad memory when it comes remembering to write something. No excuse really, right?

Here's what I am thankful for this week:

• going to Parent/Teacher/Student interviews at Angus's school and hearing lots of positive things about him. I think it's wonderful to hear such amazing things about Angus. He seems like a different kid at school this year and it's all good
• being able to go to the Melbourne Temple with Brodie on Tuesday night. I'll share photos tomorrow. What a wonderful experience that was
• being organised for my Sunday school lessons with my Sunbeam class
• cooler weather because we all know I truly dislike the heat

What are you thankful for this week?