A lazy Sunday

To be fair, one day is pretty much like any other these days. We got up and took the dogs for a walk through our local bush area. Lots of trees down and branches everywhere. It is obvious that many of them were not well and should have been taken down sooner. It's a lovely day and people were out and about tidying up. I want to go and check out the big Flora and Fauna reserve nearby. It will be interesting to see what damage it took. Hopefully not too much as it is home to lots of native animals and birds. 

Murphy had his little op on Thursday and we haven't had any issues with him licking at the site. This was him when he got home - still stoned on the happy drugs they gave him.

It appears there is a bit more damage to Himself's car than we first thought. It is being assessed tomorrow so we'll find out soon what the result will be.

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It's now heading towards gin o'clock. Himself has been out the front digging up the grass next to the path so the pavers can be laid whenever the tradies get back. I doubt it will be tomorrow as I imagine they will take a long weekend as Tuesday is Melbourne Cup Day holiday. I have washed and ironed the table runners to take to L'arte. I don't know if anyone will want to buy them but it's a start. I have warped up my runner for Chris and will go and start weaving. It's been a really pleasant day and we will have dinner from the freezer so that's always a bonus.

Crazy times

We took the dogs for a walk. After yesterday's wild and wooly weather it was quite pleasant and the sun was shining. People were out looking at the damage and everywhere we went we heard the buzzing of chain-saws.

Himself wanted new shoes so he took himself off to Karingal to see if Big W had what he wanted. The queues were enormous so he will go through the week. I took the sensible route and said someone should stay home to keep an eye on Murphy. I really want to go to Bunnings but I am not desperate. Or stupid.

Three's in-laws have gone camping in the high country. I imagine the traffic out of Melbourne would have been challenging.

I wonder if this really is the beginning of the end and we will never be locked down again. 

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It's turned damp and chilly after a beautiful morning. It is still, though, and the birds sound much happier.

When we moved here we had the roof replaced within the first couple of months. Winter was still many months away. By the end of our first winter Himself was beside himself with the amount of water that flowed under the house and out through the garage whenever it rained. He couldn't work out where it was coming from and nothing he did made any difference. It just kept flooding and bring masses of mud with it. Fast forward to this past week and when the blokes were laying the bricks to edge the driveway we found that the downpipe at the front of the house hadn't been connected to the storm water. Himself rectified this and we wondered if things would improve. After the great storm of 2021 we went down into the garage and it was dry!!! I gently reminded him that I had been wanting to replace the driveway for the last 3 years. 

'Twas a bit windy

 

The tree across the road snapped in half bringing down the light pole as well. The blue car is mine, the other is Himself's. Mine is OK, his roof is dented and the wing mirror smashed. They were on the street because we don't currently have a driveway! One of the pavers was standing in the street and heard the tree "crackle". He said he had heard that sound before and bolted up the road in the nick of time. Many trees down all over the place. Power outages as well. It was a doozy of a storm. Neighbours did what neighbours do and cut up the tree and cleared the road. The council will send someone to retrieve the branches and clean up what's left of the tree. 

This appeared on my local facebook page. It is so true!

Sally had dress up day at kinder and wanted to go as a Covid doctor. (Unsurprisingly she is somewhat obsessed with Covid at the moment and the Covid doctors helped her baby sister.) Her mum was up until two this morning making the scrubs. The gown is a yellow bin bag and the face shield is from Alice's visit to hospital.

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It is much later in the day and the sun is out although it's still a bit breezy. Himself took the dogs for a walk this morning and came back soaked to the skin. Murphy is showing no signs of distress after yesterday's wee op. They sent him home with pain killers but I don't think he will need them.

Himself has his weekly zoom call at 4pm with his Men's Shed team. He must be mellowing as he said we will have pizza for dinner and we will have it delivered. 

At 6pm we open up again. I imagine the retail outlets will be swamped. I can't work out the logic of our esteemed Chairman Dan who has decreed that non-vaxxed people may enter said outlets until we reach 90% vaccination rate and then they will be banned. If, as he maintains, his decisions are based on medical information I cannot work out the medical rationale behind this one.

I just want to go to Bunnings and buy some seedlings. And replace my mixmaster.

Cuddles and coffee

Sally and her father managed to leave her kinder bag at our place yesterday so Amy popped over to pick it up and I got to snuggle with Alice. She is still a tiny poppet. Poor thing had her 6 week immunisations today so she will be under the weather for 24 hours or so but so much better than the alternative. The osteopath said her issues are related to birth trauma. Initially I thought "pish and twaddle" but I guess it makes sense especially as she was an assisted delivery and was basically sucked out with a suction cup on her head. Regardless, Amy said she slept beautifully and was settled after the visit. Another one next week so we shall see.

I caught up for coffee and brunch with some crafty mates. It was lovely to meet and natter with like minded people. The pancakes, maple syrup and bacon were pretty good, too!

I ordered some more leggings for summer and then remembered I had quite a few pairs from last year. I think I can wear a different pair everyday for nearly a fortnight. Add a few pairs of shorts and I think I'm set for this year. I have ordered 6 new tops to wear with them and have some from last year. But then I realised all my shoes are patterned and wouldn't go with my leggings so I have just ordered 4 more pairs of shoes. 

Murphy was not happy at being left this morning. Himself weighed him and was surprised he weighed so little. Then realised Murphy had one leg on the ground. He is 35kgs but will weigh a bit less when we pick him up later this afternoon. I wonder by how much.

Time to ring the vet and see how he went.

Banana muffins

Today's view was even better. I didn't realise until Himself had gone out and a question needed answering. We have two different tradies here laying bricks. In very short shorts. I am 40 years too late but looking costs nothing. I really feel for them. They keep finding issues with the driveway and steps. No surprise to us anymore.

We Himself buys bananas and then doesn't eat them. I am not a real banana fan and we had two very ripe ones. Normally I would bin them but I decided to make muffins. If the raw mix is anything to go by they will taste delicious. Cinnamon and a dash of nutmeg seem to be the secret.

Chris makes amazing runners and I have ordered a couple of cat ones. I am going to make her a blue and white runner. I have a plan in my head. It was going to be plain tabby weave but I think I will do a clasped weft with multi blues on one side and white on the other. Should be pretty. I just need to finish the last runner on my loom for L'arte and get it to them to see if they would be interested in selling them. As I have said before, I will donate them and they can keep whatever they sell them for. 

Shortly, I shall go and pick Sally up from kinder. It's been so long since a) she's been there and b) we've been able to get her. Both parents must be double vaxxed for kids to go to daycare. I have real mixed feelings about these strategies. I would like to think that society would band together and take responsibility for keeping themselves and others safe but these days there seems to be only one side to the rights/responsibility coin so I guess the powers that be need to wave that big stick. 

So here I sit, listening to the hunky tradies discuss the paving and I am so impressed with their skill and professionalism. They want it perfect. 

A nice view.

My desk sits next to the window overlooking the driveway. Yesterday I watched a big machine remove the concrete and place it in an equally big truck. Today I am watching 3 hunky blokes spread the crushed rock prior to the asphalt going down. Two blokes in their 30s and the 60 year old father of the owner of the business. 72 year old Himself gets into help. He doesn't scrub up too badly.

I got a call from the aged care facility telling me mother in law needs new shoes. I wonder how l long she has needed them seeing as we weren't allowed in to see her. Or get to the shops for that matter. I will send a pair of mine in with Himself when he next goes in to gauge size. When we cleaned the house out there were shoes in sizes from 5 to 10 which makes it difficult! And clothes from 8 to 18. She has been losing weight as her appetite is poor but she had plenty of condition on her. She does love her sweet things and would follow the tea trolley around the facility getting extra morning and afternoon tea and biscuits. At 90 I don't begrudge her anything that brings her a bit of happiness after the life she had with her husband. She still blames herself for his affairs.

Lynda, I put the chicken recipe in the comments yesterday if you haven't seen it.

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The men have gone. They will be back tomorrow to lay the edges. It's 38 metres of driveway plus the front path. I think they will be here for a while. The asphalt might not get laid until next week but that's OK. 

I got a call from Three asking us to collect Sally from kinder tomorrow as Amy is taking Alice to an osteopath. Not sure what I feel about that but the lactation consultant recommended it as apparently she is tense hence not feeding well. This mother in law will keep her lips firmly sealed and her opinions firmly to herself.

Monday again

 

I found the above when looking for my daily quote for a craft group. It is so true. Especially at the moment.

I had my mammogram this morning. The woman who does it is so gentle. I guess it's not as bad as being checked for an enlarged prostate.

I have just ordered a whole lot of yarn to make table runners with. I am really getting into this. 

The driveway is almost up. We found out why the garage floods - the downpipe wasn't connected to the outlet and there is a bloody big hole next to it. We found out why the driveway cracked. The reo wasn't laid properly. Himself is having a ball playing with the tradies. He loves to help and they don't mind as long as he doesn't get in the way! The cat is supervising.

As of 6pm Friday we are allowed to leave Melbourne. Just in time for the Cup Day long weekend. I know where I will be. I'd be tempted to go for a drive but I imagine the traffic jams heading out of the city will be horrendous.

Tonight I am stuffing chicken breasts with camembert and baking them on a bed of capiscum, onion and potato. I shall be as gentle with them as the radiographer was with mine.