My life on the lawn...

Well - that's what it feels like, anyway. 

Yesterday was carpet day, the day when the carpets were all pulled up and changed in the whole house.  All we had to do was empty the cupboards and put their STUFF on the timber floorboards, then the carpet layers would move the furniture, and all would be good. 

Errr... do you know how much STUFF goes into those cupboards?  And, that we really don't know how much is in them till we do this type of an exercise, because when we move house, we pack everything away in boxes, all nice and neat, and the STUFF is out of sight.  By golly gee though - when it's out in front of you it's a bit of a wake up call!!!

Check out our stuff!!!

My life in the Games Room and Kitchen... 

Stuff, stuff, STUFF

It just gets better and better!!!

This is the new carpet on the left, and the old on the right.  Quite a huge difference in colour!!!

Lounge/Dining room kind of put back together - the china cabinet is still in the kitchen.  See the painting on the wall?  I have three of them - they are original paintings done by an elephant!!!! 

I just had to add in this photo.  This is what's painted on the wall in the old study, soon to be boys bedroom.  I thought I should take a photo for posterity before we repaint it!!!

NEXT Sunday will be TENT day....

:(

In January, both Brisbane AND Gympie had huge floods.  The muster site is near Gympie.  This picture tells the whole story of the tent-setting-up expedition....  So we went and had a nice lunch instead.

I did publish this post, but then I looked out the window and had to rush out and take a photo - check this out!!!

It's a bit hard to see, but it's actually a photo taken out our front door, it's misting rain, and it's sunny....  Just one of those things I guess that look better in real life than on a photo, but I did want to share.

Today is TENT day!!!

Every year we go to the National Music Muster (that's it's official name now...).  It's also known as the Gympie Muster, the Country Music Muster and all sorts of other names.  Let's face it - with names like Jimmy Barnes opening last year, the Queensland Police Band of Blue, the Backsliders - it ain't country any more, folks...

Of course, there's the die hards who think that the muster should remain country.  If it was all country, I wouldn't go.  I don't mind a little country, but god forbid I should have to listen to a week of it.  I'd need counselling at the end of it!!!  If you want country, go to Tamworth.  If you want a good spread of excellent live music that includes rock, blues, jazz, easy listening AND country, head to the muster. 

So - why are we putting our tent up now when the muster isn't till about 23 August you ask?  To get our SPOT dear readers!!!  God forbid that we should have to camp somewhere other than where we're used to camping!!!  It's a lovely spot too, in the grass, under the trees, not too far from the amenities (but not too close either...), not too far to walk for ice or the bulk garbage bin.  All most important things!  It's about a 10 or 15 minute amble into the music itself, so we're far enough away that the noise doesn't bother us, but close enough that we can just hear what's on either main stage or in the Crow Bar.  We have to walk past Swill Hill to get to the music, and that's good fun - although we don't want to live there either...  Last year when Kee was with us, he had a badly sprained ankle and we could also go and catch the bus.  Fantastic spot...

I'll take a photo and post it later...  I love this time of the year!!!!!

On my mind... so much to do!!!

I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed right at the moment. 

I have stuff spread all over the house from the timber floor replacement, which needs to be sorted, decluttered, and what's being kept put back.  Tuesday the guys are coming to replace the carpet in the 4 bedrooms and the lounge/dining.  That means everything in those cupboards needs to go onto the timber floors.  Also, the beds and the other bedroom furniture will be shifted out.  Eeek! 

Right Shaz - it's time to breathe... in... out...

It's just time - walking stuff back and forth from one room to another.  Plus I look around the study and there's LOTS of stuff in there, which isn't instilling in me a great amount of confidence. 

breathing... in... out...

I am working onSaturday this weekend, and on Monday we are heading to Brisbane to the caravan and camping show.  I'm looking forward to that - we really enjoy camping, and the muster is coming up soon.  Who knows what we'll find there!!!

As I'm working Saturday, that only leaves Sunday for.... MUSTER TENT PUTTING UP!!!  Yes, it's that time of the year again - when us mad music fans (AKA a delegation of Muster Michelle and I) head to the Amamoor State Forest to put up tents to secure our SPOT for the Muster, which is held the last week in August.  Yes, I know that's nearly 3 months away.  Told you I was mad!

Do you recognise the guy in the middle?  We had dinner at the next table to him at the Muster in 2010.  The boys are Jake on the L and Josh on the R - Ken's boys.  They were really excited about this!!!

L-R Me, Belinda and Nicky - having breakky...  We were all having Juice (very healthy).  We had the choice of Grape Juice, Apple Juice or Orange Juice (AKA Wine, Cider or Orange Vodka Cruisers...).  I think we were having Orange...

Oh, and did I tell you that the Backsliders are going to play at the Muster???  SO can't wait for that one!  If you don't know who the Backsliders are - read this... http://www.muster.com.au/schedule/detail.aspx?ArtistID=44  Ken and I went to Joe's Waterhole at Eumundi to see them with Chris and Lorraine.  Chris loves them, and it was he who introduced them to us...

So - the great procrastination continues.  I'm not shifting stuff because I'm here...  Hmmm... not so productive!  However, much more fun!

The Valley Rattler... and a mess in our house!

I had SUCH a lovely day on Saturday!!

I went with some friends on the Valley Rattler from Dagun to Dagun.  It was sooooo lovely!  It was about an hour from Dagun to Gympie, and we got off the train there and went and had some lunch, then about another hour from Gympie to Amamoor, then back to Dagun where we got off.  There was also a Growers Market in Dagun that afternoon, so I managed to buy a whole heap of fresh veggies before I came home!!!

The Rattler coming into Dagun station

The Rattler engine being turned around on a manual turn bed at Amamoor

Isn't it great????

Sunday we spent at home, moving some things out of the timber floored area into the carpeted areas, ready for the timber floors to be changed... TODAY (Monday).  Oh. My. God.  What a mess!!!  Furniture is all stacked on the carpet and the timber is all clear.  The timber is so much lighter, it's really looking good!

We had to eat out tonight - couldn't get to the kitchen to cook!  May even have to eat out tomorrow night depending on how organised it all is.  Check this out:

All the furniture piled up in the Lounge/Dining room

How good do these floors look?????

Spot and Stripe the wonder kittens had to sleep all day in the bedroom so that the men could do their floor thing.  The workmen were really, really good - I arrived home as they were leaving, so they all introduced themselves to me, and we had a quick chat.  They were all lovely, polite men - and boy they have done SUCH a good job.  Ken's even impressed - they've taken the skirting boards off, numbered the walls AND the skirtings so that they can go back on in the right place.  Takes a lot to impress Ken!

$15 worth of food at the Growers Market

Here's what I got at the Dagun Growers Market.  Green beans, lettuce, custard apple, yakon leaves, broccoli, 6 mandarins, 3 avocado's... 

Tell me where else you can get that kind of value from fresh produce locally grown.  Love it!

On my mind... coming home tonight!!!

After lunch today I'll head off to Coffs Harbour, to fly to Sydney and then back to Brisbane. 

I'm looking forward to going home and chilling out for the rest of the weekend, although it will be a fairly busy one.  Tomorrow the "girls" and I are going on the Valley Rattler.  We all have a connection through a company that I used to work for, even though I never actually worked with two of the ladies directly. 

The Valley Rattler is a vintage Steam Train that runs from Gympie through the gorgeous Mary Valley, stopping at several of the towns like Amamoor, Imbil, Dagun etc.  We're taking two small boys with us, so that will make it even more fun I think they're going to have such a good time!!!

Another piece of news is that we will be hosting another YFU Exchange Student this year!  His name is Henrik, and he is 16 years old, and comes from Norway.  I'm really looking forward to it - we had a lovely year with Kerati from Thailand, and so I am really looking forward to learning all about a Scandanavian culture...  I also feel the need to give something back to someone I don't know, for nothing in return, and this wonderful program allows me that opportunity.  I have a Japanese sister and an American sister who were YFU Exchange Students back in the mid 1980's - they truly became part of our family, and I am so pleased to have a Japanese Mama and Papa, and an American Mom and Dad as part of my family.  I don't see them all that often, but when I do, it's like no time at all has gone by since I last saw them. 

Next week is the week that the chaos starts.  The timber floating floors will be ripped up and relaid on Monday and Tuesday, and the following week the carpets will be done.  It's kind of like moving house, because even though the guys move the furniture around, we have to have emptied all of the cupboards for them to move them!!!  Argh!  This weekend (well, Sunday actually - the rest of the weekend is gone!!!) may see much action in the decluttering department!!!

I had fun this morning shutting my suitcase.  I went to the staff shop and bought stuff - Milo, Asian curry pastes, and Cappucino's in the Cafe Menu range.  Oh, and some Nesquik.  I figured that since I'm here, I should buy it here.  However, a 1.9 kilogram tin of Milo takes up a LOT of space!!!  Good thing my cabin bag expands by 30% and I can sit on it when I need to!!!

Heading out for lunch shortly and then I will head to the airport.  Spend the afternoon with the company of Qantas and come home tonight!!!  I hope that whatever you're doing, you have a good one.

And the rain tumbles down...

So I've made 1 1/2 more dishcloths....  drank some more wine, watched some more TV, and generally "chilled out". 

What on earth am I going to do with all these dishcloths & heat mats?  I'd better either get using them, or get selling them!!!!

Audit's okay - just tiring.  It's pouring with rain, and we had such a wind storm last night that it woke me up...  I'm feeling quite relaxed with all this being away from home stuff - I am missing out on feeling like I have to do the washing, the cleaning, the dishes etc.

I'm missing not having a kitten or two in the bed though!!!