Birthdays

I have two in the family coming up and sometimes, I really do end up with a headache over what to buy. Still have a month to ponder before the firs one is due.

Siting over breakfast, Warren informs me that I had bought his birthday earlier this morning. That was news to me, I thought I had been sleeping. He is pretty much always up before me and uses the time to read the news, check his email and face book before having a shower and getting organized for the day.

I was intrigued as to the purchase that I had made. Apparently I have bought him a football jumper in his team's colour (Hawthorn) brown and gold or as some wag put it to the CEO of the club, the wees and poos colours. It was a throw away comment that has stuck to the Hawks club.

Warren tells me that it was under my budget for birthday gifts so a win win for both of us. The second one should be a bit easier and I have six weeks to prepare.

Its the little things.

Its amazing that after an absence, things pop out that need attention.

Warren has been up on the roof and fixed the skylight, after the heavy rains a couple of weeks, it did leak but thanks to our house sitters who put a plastic tub under it, no water got on the carpet or else where. This was the second one that warren had put into the house and it had leaked before after a heavy downfall, the first one is rock solid.

The light in the garage door lifter wasnt working, we hoped it was just a bulb and yes, that fixed that. As our car was in there, the house sitters would have rarely used the garage door but time will wear out a light.

I had washed the kitchen curtains in the last few days before leaving and they are/were lace and about ten years old. When putting them back up, I noticed that some of the material was going away so I replaced them. It was really hard to buy cafe curtains, had to go to a couple of places and even then, there was very little to choose from, not popular any more.

Removed a lot of little magnetic calendars, only need one of two.

Old fridge has been taken to the tip, fridge gave up the ghost within the first month that we were away, new one bought and the old one was put outside til we got back.

I had several boxes to go to the op shop that hadn't made it so they have now been delivered.

Warren re positioned a painting in the lounge that had been off centre since we changed the lounge room around about two years, it is now central

A couple of clocks needed new batteries to tell the correct time.

Also going through our clothes to see what we want to keep, there will be more stuff for the op shop. We have decided that we dont need all the books that we have collected over the years so either bin or op shop.

De cluttering, love it.

Keys

What a bugbear these are. I went out Monday afternoon and as it was my first time back driving my car, I went to pick up my keys to go. Te house sitters had left both sets of sets on the side bench and as Warren had used his, his were gone but no keys for me.

I grabbed his car key off his set and drove out, he was on the roof at the time so I didnt want to disturb him.

When I got home I asked him where were my keys, he went to te side bench and found nothing like me. A puzzled search then took place, he asked if they were in my handbag, I told me that I hadnt needed to use them so no. Finally Warren got my handbag, and after asking permission (he will never look in my bag without asking first!)looked through all the compartments. Found! then he remembered slipping them in a side pocket of my bag when he took his.

It was only the car key that was missing, so put them altogether and they are a weighty bunch.

Yesterday I was collected to go out for coffee, Warren asked if I had my keys, yes I had them, although he then went on to say that he would be home when I got back. (Our coffee mornings often turn into lunch!) 

Arrived back home and I was surprised that Warren didnt greet me at te door so I got out my keys only to find out of all of these no front door key, because door keys had been left with the house sitters. The house was locked up like fort Knox. I went to the caravan and did some sorting, stayed there until Warren came home. he had rung for a hair appointment and was able to go that afternoon.

My keys are now all together but so heavy. This is what they are, car key and locking device, ute key, bike key, caravan key, screen door key daughter's house and garage key, Two keys that I dont know what they fit, a leather thing with my name on and my red hat.

Time to culling me thinks.

Soup.

Well it is certainly soup weather and I was wanting soup for the lat couple of weeks in the carvan but it was just too awkward to make it or heat some soup.One of the first meals that we had at home was soup. It was a sof pack that I had bought on the road but hadnt used. Not too bad it was chicken and capsicum, a little spicy but okay.

I bought two lots of mushrooms for soup as I wasnt sure how much I needed. The house sitters left some mushrooms and I used my recipe and the thermomix to make mushroom soup. It was the first thing that i made when I first had the thermo and Warren was impressed with the speed, lack of effort (no chopping) and taste. Well it was supposed to make enough for four, we had four meals and then there was still some left over so the rest went in the freezer.

After breaking down the lamb for the freezer, there were two shanks so they went in the slow cooker and with a few vege that became lamb and vegie soup. Soup and toast or crumpets make a hearty meal in my book.

In winter when I was a kid, mum always had a pot of soup on the stove, it was a good filler and dad would always have a second bowl and then his main meal. Mum's soup was always met and vege with pearl barley so a thick soup.

I like variety in soups so potato and leek with bacon will be the next one that I make. Soup weather doesnt stay around for long so I like to make the most of it while it is cold.  

Cherries???

So we arrived home and the fridge, freezer and cupboards are bare. Luckily we did have enough from the caravan supplies for a meal but a trip to Costco was on the agenda to stock up.

I needed Warren to come with me to help with the load I knew I was going to get, luckily he quite likes going to Costco.

I didnt have a list or a budget but basically knew what would fill the empty spaces. I grabbed the trolley at one stage and boy, it was hard to push because of the weight in it.

We went to the canned aisles first and laundry products then did meat, not a lot of room for fresh vegetables  and fruit but they can be bought closer to home for same price.

I left Warren at the check out and went to get lunch for us, I mean really, not much beats their pizza and I was going to be very busy once home putting it away and breaking down the meat to freeze.

Warren brings the groceries in and I unpack, there is a box of cherries, I know I didnt buy cherries as I consider them an expensive fruit and as such a special treat. When Warren enters with another load, I say to him, "Cherries were not on the list!" he says "I didnt buy cherries!"

We assumed that the person behind either put them on our side of the board, possibly kids, they were on our docket so we did actually pay for them and they weren't too bad a price, same as the strawberries and we had a nice treat. $6 in the total of $653 was unnoticed. Yep, I/we spent 600 dollars on food!, everything is full though and hopefully I wont need to shop except for milk and fruit for several weeks.

I won, I won!

When we got home, our house sitter td me that I had received a parcel and they had put it in our bedroom. This was a surprise as I hadnt ordered anything to be delivered, so I went to see what it was.

It was quite a bit box and had Mt Romance on the side. I knew that I had seen that somewhere but coudnt place it.

A soon as I opened it I realized that it was the sandalwood factory that we visited in Esperance WA. I had bought some products and was then invited to fill in a questionnaire which if selected could win a prize, this was it.

It was called a honeymoon pack and has products for men and women, fourteen in all. Before we visited I had not used the products before but I liked it and went to another store of theirs in Broome to buy some more shampoo so it will be used for sure.

Home Sweet Home

It was a welcome sight to drive into our own driveway yesterday afternoon. It was strange walking around the house but by this morning its almost as though we haven't been away.

Warren's cold has caught up to me and it was difficult to sleep last night with a blocked up nose, oh woe is me! I think I am having a pity party (probably because I know I have things to do like empty the caravan).

We did start on unpacking but it was only a small dent. Trying to unpack basket-full by basket-full and actually put away at the same time. Grr! we do have too much crap. Warren tossed out some old dvds about travelling around Australia, which we hadnt even looked at but we figured that if we missed something well too bad so in the bin they went.

A hot shower in our ensuite before bed was very enjoyable (and helped with the cold)