fantastic stew

The stew turned out fantastic!! Very yummy! And so cheap! Cost us less than $10 for 4 meals for us and many for the furkids! We had some pastry leftover from when I attempted a home made mince pie so on Tuesday night we turned some of the leftovers into a delicimo pie. It made us feel oh so domesticated! Sadly, I forgot to photograph our fantastic creation. However I am sure there will be many more tasty stews.

I've been frequenting a forum set up by Trade Me Messageboarders to store all the wonderful recipes that get posted. There is a whole tread on crockpot recipes! Its great to get ideas of the types of things that you can just chuck in the crockpot. I can't wait to make vege soup!

I've been speaking with my brother online recently (& finally!!), I really want to go and visit him. He is living in Perth, working and enjoying the higher wages that Australia offers. Its funny, we fought like cats and dogs when we were young but I miss him so much now. And as much as he doesn't say it, I know he misses us (me) too. I've been working on a special package for him full of things to remind him of home. Its been a work in progress since his birthday in March so I really need to get a move on.

Speaking of family members, (who I know my brother dearly misses) this is our family dog Cleo:

She is 13 years old and such a sweet girl. She lived with mum in Nelson til Feb last year when she moved up to Wellington to live with my dad. She's lived with every family member at some stage or another. She's getting on in age and I don't know how much longer we'll have her. I think I'll go and spend some time with her this weekend. :)

Well D is home from football training so I better go give him a hand with the dishes....

Oh and before I forget... I got to the short short list of a job I applied for! Its down to me and 1 other. If the other is who I think it is, I'm not sure what my chances are. That said, I'm not 100% what I want to do yet so I won't be too disappointed if I don't get it. There was a very large number of good quality applicants so I feel very pleased to have least made it to the short short list! I'll let you know :)

second win

I forgot to say, this weekend D's football team won their second game in a row! D was very excited, we are hoping it is the beginning of a winning streak!

M

addiction to craftster

Thanks to S introducing me, I think I am addicted to Craftster. I can spend HOURS perusing the forum and looking at everyone's wonderful creations. I really wish I was half as crafty as some of the peeps on there. Oh, to be a craftster.

On another note; what is happening with the world??? I read this article in the Herald about the ridiculous number of drink drivers that have been caught this weekend around the country. Including a fourteen year old! Where are the parents??!!! I just can't believe that people are so stupid!! Admittedly I don't really drink at all, but even if I did/when I did, I never drove!! People have been caught four times the legal limit!

The NZ TV show Downsize Me is looking for obese animals, and in particular it seems rats! They have contacted Ratclub to see if anyone has any overweight ratties to go on the show! Regrettably, its only in the Auckland area, I'm sure our Geisha would LOVE to be on TV!! LOL.
I don't know if anyone from RC has applied, but I'd be really keen to know what they are planning to do to help an obese rat lose weight!

I can smell the casserole cooking in the kitchen, it smells devine! Will let you know how it turns out tomorrow!

Bedtime for me.

M

meh

Well its been another weekend of non-accomplishment! My dear friend K came to visit from Nelson which was great. Its always good to hang out.

K, S and I rented Marie Antoinette to watch on Saturday night. It was good, but not a fantastic watch. Much time was spent with us trying to remember 5th form History and trying not to get confused between the French & Russian Revolutions. While I understand the point of the movie was to tell the story of Marie Antoinette, I feel the film would have been improved by showing an indication of the struggles and starvation of the French at the time.


I really must make more time to read about history, I always wish
I knew more about stuff!

It seems it is time for D and I to tighten out belts as it were.. things are D's work aren't looking so good, and he could be out of a job very soon. He's looking for a new job of course, but we can't afford to live on my income if it doesn't happen quickly! I've promised to give him a chance to find a new role before making any drastic decisions (sell the car, disconnect the internet/TV, stop eating...) but I do still worry how we'll cope.

On a more positive note, D and I bought a SlowCooker/CrockPot today. (on sale of course) the plan is to make cheap yummy meals in the Crock Pot that we can freeze and reheat. Tonight we are making a beef, lentil & vege casserole. So far it looks yummo! Should be done by breakfast time! Stew for breaksfast anyone? (I did joke about plugging it in in the bedroom so we could wake up to the smell of fresh stew.....)

Furkids aren't doing so well either, with three on meds. Wocket is on meds permanently and is doing OK. Hiro seems to be constantly sneezing, so has ABs which will hopefully kick in sooner rather than later as I'd hoped to have him and Ando neutered by now. And D's lil favourite Kaida has developed a severe rattle, so we've started her on doxy tonight. I suspect the change in season has something to do with it and I have plans to start them all on manuka honey and elderberry tincture as suggested by a good friend in the States. Manuka honey is just plain good, and elderberry is supposed to be good for lung congestion and respiratory issues. Sounds like just the ticket!

quiet weekend...

I really don't feel as though I've accomplished much this weekend. One of the reasons I wanted to blog was because I felt it would inspire me to do stuff. :) Can't say its working yet...

I did bake two huge as banana cakes with the multitudes of banana's I had stored in the freezer. (I want to defrost the fridge/freezer so needed to have a clear out.) This is all that is left, so they must have gone down well...

D's family came to visit today so they had some and took some home. It was a very full house with them all here, but its always lovely to hang out with family. D's niece Abby also came with them.

She's a bit unsure about the rats, she feels much safer when they are in their cage.

The furkids gots lots of cuddles with everyone and their fair share of banana cake. Here is Hiro (he's grown so much!!) enjoying a snack that Abby kindly left for him..

I also coerced D into helping me clean the house today too. We've been slack lately and "stuff" has been piling up everywhere. So we had a huge tidy up, here hoping we can keep it this tidy. Also managed to scan a few more of the old school photos for my frames... including this (albeit blurry) pic of me out in the rain...

D had an exciting day yesterday, his football (soccer) team won their first game of the season! It was the 6th game of the season so they've taken some serious warming up time! D's excuse is that they were bumped up a grade this year and they aren't used to doing ANY training! D is managing the team this year and he has organised regular training sessions for the guys so hopefully they win a few more!

I've spent a lot of my time this weekend online reading craftster and random peoples blogs. There are so many amazing crafty people out there. I don't know how they do it! I'm trying to start small and work my way into the crafting world. I've been wanting to make myself a pin cushion and have been inspired by these amazing squarish pin cushions. However, I really don't know where to start! It makes me sad to think that I don't even know how to make a pin cushion!! I often wish I'd paid more attention in sewing at school, or to my darling mum who is an amazing craftster. Well, surely 25 isn't too old to start.....

I'm getting married!!!!

D and I have decided to get hitched. Sounds rather non-romantic doesn't it? hehe. With a recent spate of friend's weddings and the like, our wedding has been a topic of discussion in the house. Realistically, we can't afford any kind of wedding any time soon so a few months ago we were joking about popping down to the registry office in our lunchbreak. This led us to decide that when we get engaged, we'll just book in at the registry office the following week. Then some people (who shall remain nameless) kicked up a stink about not being invited and not having enough notice....

So we've decided we are getting married next month!! Around June 29th at this stage I believe. We need to go and sort it next week. So really, I'm not officially engaged. Though that said, I know how my darling D's mind works and I'm sure a proposal will pop up before then. If not, we might have to get engaged after we get married! hehe. D pointed out that at least he'd get guaranteed a 'yes'!

So the current plan (always open to alteration..) is to get married without a wedding of any kind. I'm very excited. Getting married is all about D and I committing to each other and not about a big party for everyone else. (and yes people are disappointed.) We are thinking we'll arrange some kind of dinner somewhere so people can come and celebrate with us. That way there is barely any cost to us.

I love D so much and know that we can handle whatever life throws at us. And the added bonus, we'll no longer be living in sin! :D (Just for you mum!) hehe.

We've appeased a few family members by assuring them that we will have a wedding of some sort in the future when finances are more willing, but for now its all about us. :) I like the idea of renewing our vows in 10 years time and having a big fancy weddingish celebration!

M

Spiderman 3

Well, we saw Spiderman 3 on Saturday night.

I have to say I actually thought it was terrible. From the cheesy american flag moment (which I have FAILED to find a picture of online) to the annoying emotional television reporter lady and bad peter's dance moves. There was just waaay too much in the film. And too much emotional stuff going on. At one point I actually looked around the cinema in boredom. Though this wasn't helped by the fact that my eyes hurt because I haven't been wearing my glasses but I really need to when I go to the movies..

I shouldn't feel too disappointed, because I really wasn't expecting much. I don't think that the current trend to do at least two sequels is a good thing for the film industry. (I mean look at The Matrix! Number 1 was fantastic but 2 and 3 really weren't.) Some things were meant to be trilogies like Lord of the Rings and the original Star Wars.

Either way I was bound to see it because D would have dragged me along. (He loved it by the way!)

I haven't forgotten you...

Never fear, I haven't forgotten my blog! It has just been an insane week at work and I've come each night home and crashed on the couch til bedtime. D and I watched the latest episode of Heroes last night! It was fantastic. We've only got 1 more episode to watch in the season, I can already tell they are building up to some kind of cliffhanger to make way for a second season. *sigh*

I had intended to do some tidying up in the garden today, but somehow didn't get round to it. Some things are doing very well and others not so much. Our peas have really taken off (I planted them as seeds) but our silverbeet has hardly grown. According to Palmers, May is a good month to plant silverbeet seedlings so I might have another go if I can find some seedlings tomorrow.

Its our local curry takeaway's last day trading today - they have sold the business. You never know who is going to take over so we thought we'd get curry one last time. After that, we're heading out to see Spiderman 3. Hopefully it should be good, I'm always sceptical of sequels...

the new additions

Kimiko, Hiro & Ando are 8 weeks old today! We got them from an accidental litter born in Otaki. Which really is a story in itself (involving a road trip from Chch, a stumpy tail, and Levin). The bubs are all agouti hoodeds, a colouring I just LOVE. (we lost our special gooti girl Yuri in Jan.)

Kimiko is a little nutter, as hyper as Kohana was when she came into our crew! It took a few intro's before she was fully intergrated into the manor but we got there in the end. There are still often scuffles - in fact right now as I write this I can see an agouti blur running from a white blur.
Pretty in pink:

Hiro & Ando are such characters! These boys are the first boys i've ever had and I am really enjoying them. They are far more chillaxed than girls and they love to curl up in my hair and snooze. That said they are babies too and go mad chasing each other around the cage. They are living separate until they can be neutered and go to live with their harem of girls!

Hiro:

Ando:

Its nice to have a big furry family. :D I wish I could stay home and hang with them all day, maybe become a real craftster?!!?! But alas, to work I must go.

Speaking of work, it is insanely busy at the moment. We are short staffed and our work load seems to have doubled. I suspect I'll be doing a fair few hours this week! I must say it is nice to come home after a full on day at work and not worry about study or the current assignment. My brain and my body are thanking me for the break.

I spoke with a university friend today who I haven't spoken to for a week so she didn't know I'd taken a break from school. It was really good to talk to her and I've found most of my friends from school are really supportive and agree with my decision. Many have said they think its a great idea and hope that when I go back that I go back fulltime and doing my Honours papers. We'll see what happens. I am quite happy enjoying life right now :)

And before I forget - today's word of the day:

vomitorium

• noun (pl. vomitoria)

1. each of a series of entrance or exit passages in an ancient Roman amphitheatre or theatre.

2. a place in which, according to popular misconception, the ancient Romans are supposed to have vomited during feasts to make room for more food.

— origin Latin.

and again - still not sure this is the kind of word extension I am looking for. Might have to take to reading the dictionary... I mean really!! "vomitorium"?? I could have guessed/made up the second meaning!!! (must remember for the next time we play taboo at D's folks' place)

I can hear D blending up the pumpkin soup I made this evening. I'd better go and give him a hand.

M

word of the day

I've really been feeling like my vocabulary could do with a spruce up so I signed up for AskOxford's word of the day. Today's word is:

sparagmos

• noun [mass noun] the dismemberment of a victim, forming a part of some ancient rituals and represented in Greek myths and tragedies.

— origin Greek, literally ‘tearing’.

I'm really not sure that this was the kind of vocabulary extension I was looking for, but we'll see what tomorrow brings.

M

some sewing with a friend

S came over this evening and we did some sewing. The past few days I've been looking at a lot of crafty blogs and it has inspired me to be more crafty. Sewing isn't really my thing (it should be, my mum is an amazing seamstress!!) but I decided to try the shoulder bag tutorial on tiny happy. I used dark red drill for the outside and a funky bluey gray skull print for the inside.
here's how it turned out...

I'm pretty impressed with it, my first real sewing attempt. Melissa provides a great tutorial for this pattern. Here's what the skull print looks like (albeit a bit creased):

We also popped a sewn corner on Dora's head while she munched on a pumpkin seed. Made quite a fetching hat I thought!

I can't believe the weekend is nearly over! I had soo much planned yetgot so little done! I haven't been in the garden at all this weekend and our herb/vege patch is very overdue for a weed! I think this week after work I will tackle the task of sorting out my study/crafting/rats room and organise a bit. I suspect this crafting buzz will result in a lot more hoarding!!

Time for bed now, early start tomorrow. Sleep tight.

M

new camera

I've wanted a half - decent camera for a long time. I've never justified spending the money, but I've finally got sick of the cheap digital camera we got free with our computer :P I am going camera shopping today with my good friend S. S is a photography graduate and knows a fair few things about cameras.

D would rather that we buy a Playstation 3. To be honest I can't think of anything worse! I don't enjoy gaming at all. I've played things like 'Singstar' before but thats about my limit. (and I can't sing!!) I tried compromising and said that the winner of a rock, paper, scissors match could choose what we buy, but he won and I still don't want to buy one. :) No wonder people say I'm mean to him! I can hopefully get a camera cheaper that a Playstation!

Most of our girls are tucked up in bed as I write this, its a cold day and clearly one best spent in bed. Someone is destroying the tissue box we put in there for them, I can hear the sounds of cardboard ripping.

Well S has text saying we can pick her up in half an hour so I'd better get a wriggle on and get dressed.

M

how emo am i?

Woot!
I'm only emo round the edges, that can only be a good thing!

I found this on a friend's blog and I love cheesy online quizzes. The best site of course being tickle. The whole emo thing intrigues me, I can't help but see it as a modern form of goth. Sure its about music and fashion... but all I see is those stupid fringes!

M

the begininng

I've wanted to start a blog for soooo long. And here I am. I have this terrible fear that I'll have nothing to say but we'll see how we go. I'm in a phase of my life where I have all these "things" I want to do and never have time to. So I'm making time. Taking a break from university to 'stop and smell the roses' as they say!

here we go...