Throwing in the designer's towel
So it was this time last week I had a long discussion with Brad on MSN (cos the Internet Brad more responsive than the Real Life Brad*) about what his plans are for his life etc. He'd been showing a total lack of interest over the last few months, which had culminated in more recent days with pretty poor punctuality (still hasn't been to work on time one day in the past 3 weeks - usually 10 to 15 mins late, once 45mins late).
Brad was apparently losing interest in being a graphic designer, despite developing some good skills and showing promising signs of being good designer. I guess this is a young person thing, and he'll possibly regret it when he matures.
For now though, Brad reckons he'll go back to TAFE next year and finish year 10, then study Computer Sciences (what the heck for I have no idea! Computers suck). But it's more than a little strange that he'd sacrifice his current career at this stage of the year and hang around doing jack all for 6 months until TAFE starts. A sensible person would plan it so they could finish up just before their studies began. But... oh well. I don't think this decision was based on his aspirations for the future and desire to study, but rather a decision he made cos he was sick of work and wanted to sleep in more.
Brad quickly decided to move back to the Gold Coast with his mate Luke.
So, after a year of training Brad, coaching him on life issues, encouraging him to mature and become truly independent, I'm left feeling rather disappointed. It's up to him now. I hope he proves me wrong, but I'm not sure he's going to make much of a go of things like he claims he will. Time will tell.
Enter Jaclyn
The day Brad called a meeting with Tim and I to announce his decision to resign, a lady named Jaclyn walked in the door to introduce herself to Tim and express her interest in any design work we might have going.
So... after a couple of meetings, Tim is impressed enough to be considering offering her a position.
She has a lot of industry experience, talent and so forth. I feel I could learn a heck of a lot off her, which will be nice.
Assuming she's interested in the position, I consider and like the idea of her and I specialising in our own areas and focusing on those. For example, she seems very clever with high-end design work, and I'm very keen to do more website stuff if I can find the time for it.
I'll keep an update on things in my blog...
MY NOTES
*Is it just me, or is there a whole new generation of youth whose identity exists only on the internet. You try to talk to these kids in real life and they're withdrawn and their vocubulary ceases to function when discussing anything serious. But get their fingers on a keyboard and they come time life. Kinda sad.
Friday, August 26, 2005
Sunday, August 14, 2005
Great day at the Salvation Army
Today was a lovely day - one I'm sure will remain in the memory of many young kids attending the Salvation Army in Dubbo.
It was "renewal day" for the seven Junior Soldiers in our Corps - a time when each Junior Soldier renews their original promises made when they first became Junior Soldiers. We also had a new Junior Soldier enrolled - Nicola Ferguson. All the kids that attended tdoay (15 or so) participated in a couple of dance and timbrel items. It was very cool.
There are visible signs that growth in the Dubbo Corps is strong. The ministry for the young'ns has been very effective, thanks to good leaders (like Sarah Radburn and my own lovely Janene). There are a more kids involved in the church now than I can ever remember, and participation and extra-curricular activities are increasing. The change in each of this kids makes evident that God is at work here.
Today marked another milestone for the Brass Band. Janene and I felt our confidence was at a level where we could play a duet during the meeting. We played Prayer Gently Lifts Me along to Peter McBride's piano accompaniment CD.
I'll spend this afternoon (Sunday) writing two or three more duets, since we plan to play at least once during every meeting from here on in.
Caleb is also doing great on his trumpet. I've written a simple harmony for Jesus Loves Me for him to play along with me. He is playing so well for an 8 year old, I will be very surprised if he doesn't end up being a top-notch musician, cos I sense he has raw talent!
When I think that he probably wouldn't have ever discovered music without my encouragement, I realise that I am in the right ministry. I'm really enjoying doing what I'm doing, even if it IS taking it's sweet time.
It was "renewal day" for the seven Junior Soldiers in our Corps - a time when each Junior Soldier renews their original promises made when they first became Junior Soldiers. We also had a new Junior Soldier enrolled - Nicola Ferguson. All the kids that attended tdoay (15 or so) participated in a couple of dance and timbrel items. It was very cool.
There are visible signs that growth in the Dubbo Corps is strong. The ministry for the young'ns has been very effective, thanks to good leaders (like Sarah Radburn and my own lovely Janene). There are a more kids involved in the church now than I can ever remember, and participation and extra-curricular activities are increasing. The change in each of this kids makes evident that God is at work here.
Today marked another milestone for the Brass Band. Janene and I felt our confidence was at a level where we could play a duet during the meeting. We played Prayer Gently Lifts Me along to Peter McBride's piano accompaniment CD.
I'll spend this afternoon (Sunday) writing two or three more duets, since we plan to play at least once during every meeting from here on in.
Caleb is also doing great on his trumpet. I've written a simple harmony for Jesus Loves Me for him to play along with me. He is playing so well for an 8 year old, I will be very surprised if he doesn't end up being a top-notch musician, cos I sense he has raw talent!
When I think that he probably wouldn't have ever discovered music without my encouragement, I realise that I am in the right ministry. I'm really enjoying doing what I'm doing, even if it IS taking it's sweet time.
Wednesday, August 10, 2005
Updates for July/August
Indoor Cricket - SALVOS ARE PREMIERS!
It's been a couple of years coming now... we haven't won a premiership for a while, and we were only one ball from missing out again! Yeah... we won by just 3 runs!
We played against Eagle Boys, who had beaten us twice before. The first two times we played, we got progressively closer to a win. The first time we lost by about 40 runs, the second time losing by only 2 runs... This time (and with only 7 players - Alex was away) Dave Newby was on strike for Jackpot ball and needing 3 runs for a tie or 4 runs to win. We held our breath and jumped up yelling for victory when he managed to tap the ball into back half of the side net to secure a sweet win.
Although we fielded really well and kept them to a low total of 110, Nath and I batted rather terribly (although in the semi final we shone with 58 partnership) managing a dismal minus 8! (Nath -17, Brett 3). However Timbo & Dan, Pete & Dave and the final partnership of Luke & Dave (they chose Dave to bat again since we were 1 player short) saw us home! Final score 110 to 113.
The new comp of 10 weeks starts tonight and I'm looking forward to figuring out what's been going wrong with my batting.
Holidays and stuff
Eli had three weeks of school holidays previously. Janene and I took it in shifts to take time off work and be home. While at home I got a lotta stuff done here and there, and also spent a lot of time with Eli. We played cards together (snap, fish... and that other game with 7 piles of cards and you try and get rid of all your cards etc).
Tell more later...
I've decided that if I don't post this now, by the time I finally remember everything that's happened, this post will be another month or two old! Best idea is that I just keep posting as things happen.
It's been a couple of years coming now... we haven't won a premiership for a while, and we were only one ball from missing out again! Yeah... we won by just 3 runs!
We played against Eagle Boys, who had beaten us twice before. The first two times we played, we got progressively closer to a win. The first time we lost by about 40 runs, the second time losing by only 2 runs... This time (and with only 7 players - Alex was away) Dave Newby was on strike for Jackpot ball and needing 3 runs for a tie or 4 runs to win. We held our breath and jumped up yelling for victory when he managed to tap the ball into back half of the side net to secure a sweet win.
Although we fielded really well and kept them to a low total of 110, Nath and I batted rather terribly (although in the semi final we shone with 58 partnership) managing a dismal minus 8! (Nath -17, Brett 3). However Timbo & Dan, Pete & Dave and the final partnership of Luke & Dave (they chose Dave to bat again since we were 1 player short) saw us home! Final score 110 to 113.
The new comp of 10 weeks starts tonight and I'm looking forward to figuring out what's been going wrong with my batting.
Holidays and stuff
Eli had three weeks of school holidays previously. Janene and I took it in shifts to take time off work and be home. While at home I got a lotta stuff done here and there, and also spent a lot of time with Eli. We played cards together (snap, fish... and that other game with 7 piles of cards and you try and get rid of all your cards etc).
Tell more later...
I've decided that if I don't post this now, by the time I finally remember everything that's happened, this post will be another month or two old! Best idea is that I just keep posting as things happen.
Thursday, August 04, 2005
Plans for the future
It's always good to have goals. Long term... medium term and short term!
I am aspiring towards many goals, and right now I need to pause to write them down. What better place than my blog? Anyone else reading this can remind me of these goals and query me to where I'm at with achieving them.
Here are some of them:
SHORT TERM:
MEDIUM TERM
LONG TERM
Those lists are looking a bit heavy. I better stop there! More than likely the Short Term goals will work their way onto the Long Term goals list... but at least I have jotted down my aspirations for the future.
Now, only to achieve them!
I am aspiring towards many goals, and right now I need to pause to write them down. What better place than my blog? Anyone else reading this can remind me of these goals and query me to where I'm at with achieving them.
Here are some of them:
SHORT TERM:
- Finish all computer-related jobs - namely the Job Seekers database and Dubbo Sports World website.
- Finish the joins on the outside of the house, ready for painting.
- Cement the borders for the new gardens and create the cement/rock area under the clothesline.
- Think deeply and seriously about joining the Dubbo Brass Band.
- Have the new worship band playing in the church service regularly.
MEDIUM TERM
- Start accumulating tools, and practice skills needed for Instrument Repair.
- Debut with my cornet in church, with Janene on flugel.
- Find another band member to learn tuba or euphonium.
- Find a pianist for the worship band.
- Put a roof on the kids' cubby house.
LONG TERM
- Re-assess my career. Decide what I want to do for the next 10 years or more.
- Complete the renovations and start looking for rural acreage.
- Have a bus for church and be doing the run ever Sunday morning to collect kids for Sunday School.
Those lists are looking a bit heavy. I better stop there! More than likely the Short Term goals will work their way onto the Long Term goals list... but at least I have jotted down my aspirations for the future.
Now, only to achieve them!
Tact
In Thursday morning's meeting, Bob told how he'd taken photos of his new grand daughter in Sydney only to discover that there was no card in his camera. He wasn't blaming anyone or conveying any annoyance... he was just simply telling the story. Yet, somehow the blame got back to the Production department (i.e. Brad and I) since we were last to download photos off Bob's card to the server. Sound fair? Maybe... maybe not.
The thing that really annoyed me was the manner in which the blame was made and magnified. "Seriously, did you get an apology for that? I'd be pretty p***ed off if that happened to me", said Tim to Bob, but indirectly to us "juniors".
I did respond rather quickly and showed I was offended/annoyed by that careless remark. It was something like "Settle down. That's just overacting! Getting 'p***ed off'... that's just silly".
Bob came and whispered to me later that he thought it was a silly remark, and that he couldn't care less. He wasn't intending to make anyone feel guilty.
I chose to try and forget about it, but it had been eating me up and I was still annoyed about it after work and even after a fun game of cricket (where we beat Cleary Boys in the first round of the new comp). So I wrote this tactful email, addressed to all staff.
Hello everyone,
I'd like to think of it as only a minor issue, but to clarify what I think is the correct proceedure for the use of cameras and cards, let me explain what I believe that proceedure should be.
If I am wrong about this, then perhaps we need some formal proceedure or another memo reminding us of what's required. But drawing from commonsense, I would expect the following:
Cameras and Cards
-----------------
Whoever uses a camera should be soley responsible for returning it to where it came from (as was previously stressed by Tim) - this would include batteries and memory cards.
If somebody takes photos then leaves the camera in the Production department for us to save the photos, I believe it is STILL the camera operator's responsibility to collect the camera AND the card and return it to where it belongs.
Perhaps the simplest solution is that everyone is given their own card reader.
Also, I realise Brad and I are young, energetic, and somewhat hansome young men, but I hope we can still be treated the same as the adult staff. :-) Please keep that in the back of your mind next time we're in trouble for something.
Thanks guys,
Brett
I hope the message finally gets through. Panscott is a good place to work - probably the best place I've worked to date. However, this "hey junior" attitude has been present for a long time and it wears through my thick skin at times. Poor old Dave Daly copped it the most of all of us when he was there.
The thing that really annoyed me was the manner in which the blame was made and magnified. "Seriously, did you get an apology for that? I'd be pretty p***ed off if that happened to me", said Tim to Bob, but indirectly to us "juniors".
I did respond rather quickly and showed I was offended/annoyed by that careless remark. It was something like "Settle down. That's just overacting! Getting 'p***ed off'... that's just silly".
Bob came and whispered to me later that he thought it was a silly remark, and that he couldn't care less. He wasn't intending to make anyone feel guilty.
I chose to try and forget about it, but it had been eating me up and I was still annoyed about it after work and even after a fun game of cricket (where we beat Cleary Boys in the first round of the new comp). So I wrote this tactful email, addressed to all staff.
Hello everyone,
I'd like to think of it as only a minor issue, but to clarify what I think is the correct proceedure for the use of cameras and cards, let me explain what I believe that proceedure should be.
If I am wrong about this, then perhaps we need some formal proceedure or another memo reminding us of what's required. But drawing from commonsense, I would expect the following:
Cameras and Cards
-----------------
Whoever uses a camera should be soley responsible for returning it to where it came from (as was previously stressed by Tim) - this would include batteries and memory cards.
If somebody takes photos then leaves the camera in the Production department for us to save the photos, I believe it is STILL the camera operator's responsibility to collect the camera AND the card and return it to where it belongs.
Perhaps the simplest solution is that everyone is given their own card reader.
Also, I realise Brad and I are young, energetic, and somewhat hansome young men, but I hope we can still be treated the same as the adult staff. :-) Please keep that in the back of your mind next time we're in trouble for something.
Thanks guys,
Brett
I hope the message finally gets through. Panscott is a good place to work - probably the best place I've worked to date. However, this "hey junior" attitude has been present for a long time and it wears through my thick skin at times. Poor old Dave Daly copped it the most of all of us when he was there.
Monday, June 27, 2005
Divine intervention?
Telly takes a tumble...
Yesterday the kids wanted to keep turning the TV on and off and on and off... you know, like kids do? So I pulled the plug from the wall to hilight my authority in such things. Well this afternoon Janene decided to plug it back in and let Clayton watch a video while she rested her bulbously throbbing face (see blog entry below). To her surprise the TV didn't respond even after being plugged back in.
What's this mean folks? NO TV!? I'm sorry to say so... (or am I?).
Actually, I can almost visualise the effect already. Give it a week and Eli will no longer be able to recite The Incredibles word for word like he has been. Clayton may find a new game to play, like colouring in or trains, instead of running around the house screaming "SPIDERMAAAAAAN!". Janene's thumb won't be sore from flicking the remote in an effort to find a decent show on monday night TV. And me... I might not be in a state of rage over the level of smut, blasphemy, poor humour and general garbage that would usually emanate from that radioactive tube.
You know what? I'm in no rush to get it fixed. In fact, I actually enjoyed a cup of coffee with Janene tonight as we both sat on the lounge together reading current editions of The Warcry. I think we otherwise would have been watching some crappy, media-biased 60 Minutes presentation.
God bless TV-lessness... (and He will!)
Yesterday the kids wanted to keep turning the TV on and off and on and off... you know, like kids do? So I pulled the plug from the wall to hilight my authority in such things. Well this afternoon Janene decided to plug it back in and let Clayton watch a video while she rested her bulbously throbbing face (see blog entry below). To her surprise the TV didn't respond even after being plugged back in.
What's this mean folks? NO TV!? I'm sorry to say so... (or am I?).
Actually, I can almost visualise the effect already. Give it a week and Eli will no longer be able to recite The Incredibles word for word like he has been. Clayton may find a new game to play, like colouring in or trains, instead of running around the house screaming "SPIDERMAAAAAAN!". Janene's thumb won't be sore from flicking the remote in an effort to find a decent show on monday night TV. And me... I might not be in a state of rage over the level of smut, blasphemy, poor humour and general garbage that would usually emanate from that radioactive tube.
You know what? I'm in no rush to get it fixed. In fact, I actually enjoyed a cup of coffee with Janene tonight as we both sat on the lounge together reading current editions of The Warcry. I think we otherwise would have been watching some crappy, media-biased 60 Minutes presentation.
God bless TV-lessness... (and He will!)
Sunday, June 26, 2005
Could it be?
Could posting to your blog REALLY be this easy?
Apparently it's true, so I'm giving it a burl. I'm posting this message from my email program. So if this works, I can email a blog entry fromwherever... as long as I have access to email.
Nice!
Bleedin Gums Nenesta...
Nene's turn!
Yeah, it's true... Janene had the pleasure of having her four wisdom teeth ripped out. However, unlike my dreamy experience under a full general anaesthetic, she had to have hers extracted IN THE CHAIR! Ouchy!
Janene had one impacted (i.e. sideways) tooth on the bottom right, which meant some bone drilling was required. But surprisingly that particular tooth came out with minimal effort compared to the one on the opposite side of her face.
Where it should have only taken around 2 hours to take all four teeth out, she ended up spending four and a half hours in the chair! The last half of that time was mostly due to the fact they couldn't stop her mouth from bleeding. Blood poured out everywhere! YICK!
So anyway, with Janene's face looking the way it does (check the picture which I took tonight - 3 days after the op!) I've been determined to keep her locked up until the swelling subsides and she looks less "abused". I fear that taking her out in public will almost certainly encourage whispers and general gossip among strangers who don't know (or care for) the real story! Cos let's face it... she DOES look like your average beaten housewife.
Sunday School...
Not one to shirk her Christian duties, Janene soldiered on and taught her Sunday School class this morning. While I sat there as her offsider in the circle of kids, the silent stares Janene got were hilarious. I couldn't hold back a chuckle as I watched Meggy's wide eyes stare unceasingly, with mouth ajar in horror at Janene's bruises.
Finally, before the lessons began, Janene took the time to explain why she looked like she picked a fight with Jackie Chan. Once it was explained, the kids were visibly relieved.
LOTS OF SOUP...
Yeah, it's true... Janene had the pleasure of having her four wisdom teeth ripped out. However, unlike my dreamy experience under a full general anaesthetic, she had to have hers extracted IN THE CHAIR! Ouchy!Janene had one impacted (i.e. sideways) tooth on the bottom right, which meant some bone drilling was required. But surprisingly that particular tooth came out with minimal effort compared to the one on the opposite side of her face.
Where it should have only taken around 2 hours to take all four teeth out, she ended up spending four and a half hours in the chair! The last half of that time was mostly due to the fact they couldn't stop her mouth from bleeding. Blood poured out everywhere! YICK!
So anyway, with Janene's face looking the way it does (check the picture which I took tonight - 3 days after the op!) I've been determined to keep her locked up until the swelling subsides and she looks less "abused". I fear that taking her out in public will almost certainly encourage whispers and general gossip among strangers who don't know (or care for) the real story! Cos let's face it... she DOES look like your average beaten housewife.
Sunday School...
Not one to shirk her Christian duties, Janene soldiered on and taught her Sunday School class this morning. While I sat there as her offsider in the circle of kids, the silent stares Janene got were hilarious. I couldn't hold back a chuckle as I watched Meggy's wide eyes stare unceasingly, with mouth ajar in horror at Janene's bruises.
Finally, before the lessons began, Janene took the time to explain why she looked like she picked a fight with Jackie Chan. Once it was explained, the kids were visibly relieved.
LOTS OF SOUP...
Tuesday, June 21, 2005
Computers...
I've finally discovered what computers are good for! They're the perfect tool for tapping into the vast knowlege of technical support available on the internet, for the purpose of fixing your computer.
Monday, June 20, 2005
Christian School choir blits Eisteddfod
They did it!
This morning Janene, Clayton and I all went to watch Eli perform in the local Eisteddfod under the category of Kindergarten-Year 2 Choir. Theirs was the smallest choir of the seven choirs that competed, and they sang "Way Back to God" followed by "These Are a Few of My Favourite Things". They sounded beautiful... as did a few of the other choirs. But the final judgement was that the K-2 choir from the Christian school won the trophy, and Eli will get a certificate. I'm so proud!!
It was pretty exciting seeing my little nipper up there singing so wonderfully. He was extremly serious and focused - a side to Eli that I don't often see!
One important things I noticed too is that the Dubbo Christian School's choir was the only one that took the opportunity to sing a spiritual song/hymn. None of the other Christian-based schools did that! It's my personal belief that every opportunity should be made to set yourself apart from the rest of the world and shine a light in whatever you do... even in a school eisteddfod. I'm very pleased with the strong biblical emphasis in the DCS curriculum... they rock!
This morning Janene, Clayton and I all went to watch Eli perform in the local Eisteddfod under the category of Kindergarten-Year 2 Choir. Theirs was the smallest choir of the seven choirs that competed, and they sang "Way Back to God" followed by "These Are a Few of My Favourite Things". They sounded beautiful... as did a few of the other choirs. But the final judgement was that the K-2 choir from the Christian school won the trophy, and Eli will get a certificate. I'm so proud!!
It was pretty exciting seeing my little nipper up there singing so wonderfully. He was extremly serious and focused - a side to Eli that I don't often see!
One important things I noticed too is that the Dubbo Christian School's choir was the only one that took the opportunity to sing a spiritual song/hymn. None of the other Christian-based schools did that! It's my personal belief that every opportunity should be made to set yourself apart from the rest of the world and shine a light in whatever you do... even in a school eisteddfod. I'm very pleased with the strong biblical emphasis in the DCS curriculum... they rock!
Wednesday, June 15, 2005
Maestro
New journey begun...
Eli picked up the violin tonight and I gave him his first lesson on the basics (which is already more than I know).
For now we're just practicing how to hold the instrument and how to bow a long steady note on an open string. We'll get the left hand involved on the fretboard further down the track.
I was caught by surprise when I discovered he has fairly natural and fluid movement. He looks to be the makings of a natural violinist! Check the pic (click for a larger view).
Eli picked up the violin tonight and I gave him his first lesson on the basics (which is already more than I know).For now we're just practicing how to hold the instrument and how to bow a long steady note on an open string. We'll get the left hand involved on the fretboard further down the track.
I was caught by surprise when I discovered he has fairly natural and fluid movement. He looks to be the makings of a natural violinist! Check the pic (click for a larger view).
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
Clayton makes the Terrible Twos
It was always gonna happen, Clayton turned two a couple of months ago... Can you believe I didn't report it earlier on my blog? This happened just before we left civilisation to live on the remote wilderness, so blogging was far from my mind at the time. Anyway, Clayton is two now, and he had a wonderful birthday with our little family as well as John the Builder who's working on our house (we invited him to stay for some cake).
HAPPY BIRTHDAY CLAYTIE!
It was always gonna happen, Clayton turned two a couple of months ago... Can you believe I didn't report it earlier on my blog? This happened just before we left civilisation to live on the remote wilderness, so blogging was far from my mind at the time. Anyway, Clayton is two now, and he had a wonderful birthday with our little family as well as John the Builder who's working on our house (we invited him to stay for some cake).HAPPY BIRTHDAY CLAYTIE!
A whole lot to say
Eli (Stradavarius) Phillips
Finally, after a month of waiting, the violins for Mitchell and Eli that I bought off ebay have arrived from the USA. They're groovy little items, and I spent last night tuning them and putting a coat of rosin on their little bows.
I had no idea that these quarter size violins were so cute and tiny! I'll be posting a photo of Eli soon with violin in hand... and under chin.
It's a long road ahead, and the next few weeks will really determine whether he's built to be a musician or not. I imagine violin is possibly one of the more difficult instruments to learn, so if anything, Eli will learn some patience.
I'm looking for a third kid now so that I can have enough children to start a group lesson at the Macquarie Conservatorium. On Thursday I'll ask Melissa from church if she would like to let little Meg have a go. I think she'd be perfect for violin :D
Meanwhile, I've pulled out my violin too and am determined to make some use of it.
Blue walls
Well the builder has completed the majority of the outside of the house, as well as my office and the kids' playroom. These rooms are like new, and the outside is ready to render over the top. But now the builder has had to move on to another job, and he won't be back until October! So we're back in our half-renovated house and we're pottering around, doing the odd painting job, patching job, decorating job etc. It's all lookin pretty good, but it aint easy to find time to do what we want when we've got kids at our feet. And on the rare occasion when they're not there, we just wanna enjoy the silence and sleep in or drink coffee.
The outside is now covered with the fibro-cement sheeting (called Harditex) that is a bright blue colour. It actually looks kinda trendy, though I don't think we'll settle on that colour :-)
RAIN!!
Most Aussies would be aware that my part of Australia is in a serious drought. We haven't had good, regular rainfall for years and it's taking its toll on the environment and the industries (farming etc) that rely heavily on it.
However, just recently we had a beautiful couple of days with showers and occasional heavy falls. Some areas got more than others, Mum and Dad's farm got about 20mm all up. That should give the feed crops a kick along, and keep things fresh.
Finally, after a month of waiting, the violins for Mitchell and Eli that I bought off ebay have arrived from the USA. They're groovy little items, and I spent last night tuning them and putting a coat of rosin on their little bows.
I had no idea that these quarter size violins were so cute and tiny! I'll be posting a photo of Eli soon with violin in hand... and under chin.
It's a long road ahead, and the next few weeks will really determine whether he's built to be a musician or not. I imagine violin is possibly one of the more difficult instruments to learn, so if anything, Eli will learn some patience.
I'm looking for a third kid now so that I can have enough children to start a group lesson at the Macquarie Conservatorium. On Thursday I'll ask Melissa from church if she would like to let little Meg have a go. I think she'd be perfect for violin :D
Meanwhile, I've pulled out my violin too and am determined to make some use of it.
Blue walls
Well the builder has completed the majority of the outside of the house, as well as my office and the kids' playroom. These rooms are like new, and the outside is ready to render over the top. But now the builder has had to move on to another job, and he won't be back until October! So we're back in our half-renovated house and we're pottering around, doing the odd painting job, patching job, decorating job etc. It's all lookin pretty good, but it aint easy to find time to do what we want when we've got kids at our feet. And on the rare occasion when they're not there, we just wanna enjoy the silence and sleep in or drink coffee.
The outside is now covered with the fibro-cement sheeting (called Harditex) that is a bright blue colour. It actually looks kinda trendy, though I don't think we'll settle on that colour :-)
RAIN!!
Most Aussies would be aware that my part of Australia is in a serious drought. We haven't had good, regular rainfall for years and it's taking its toll on the environment and the industries (farming etc) that rely heavily on it.
However, just recently we had a beautiful couple of days with showers and occasional heavy falls. Some areas got more than others, Mum and Dad's farm got about 20mm all up. That should give the feed crops a kick along, and keep things fresh.
Time to test a new tool!
It's been a helluva long time since I've written in my blog. There's a good reason for that too. Previously it's been a lot of hassle to open up a browser, open a blog page, navigate to my Edit screen and type up a new blog. It's even tons annoyinger when you've just typed a blog entry over the past 2 hours and then your submit fails... you click the back arrow in the browser and your entry is *GONE*. Actually, that could be a Pet Hate of the Day.
MOGSTA'S PET HATE OF THE DAY:
I hate it when you've just spent two hours typing/crafting an entry for your (extremely popular) blog and then, with a nice wide smile on our face, you hit the submit button, but to your utter dispair the page times out. You frantically hit the back arrow to resubmit, but find the contents of the MESSAGE box is GONE! Sheesh I hate that.
So anyway, I had previously tried a whole wad of different programs to post to my Blog from within a desktop app, but none utilised the extensive features available in blogger.com's native interface, so I gave up. Then today I decided to get back into my blog and after some lunchtime searching I found w.bloggar v4. In a word - ROCKON! Blogging was meant to be this easy!
Check out the software yourself: w.bloggar
Now, let's get on to some blogging! I've got a number of news items to catch up on.
MOGSTA'S PET HATE OF THE DAY:
I hate it when you've just spent two hours typing/crafting an entry for your (extremely popular) blog and then, with a nice wide smile on our face, you hit the submit button, but to your utter dispair the page times out. You frantically hit the back arrow to resubmit, but find the contents of the MESSAGE box is GONE! Sheesh I hate that.
So anyway, I had previously tried a whole wad of different programs to post to my Blog from within a desktop app, but none utilised the extensive features available in blogger.com's native interface, so I gave up. Then today I decided to get back into my blog and after some lunchtime searching I found w.bloggar v4. In a word - ROCKON! Blogging was meant to be this easy!
Check out the software yourself: w.bloggar
Now, let's get on to some blogging! I've got a number of news items to catch up on.
Tuesday, April 26, 2005
Voice from yonder
More stars where I am!
So it's been an even longer break since last time, and even more left unsaid that I don't think I'll try to catch up on.
Let me try and catch up on a few of the major points from the past few weeks:
FARM: We're living out at Narromine, enjoying the sunshine, the quiet and the absence of annoying people. Despite the long drive every day, which takes around 25-30mins, we love it there... and have no real desire to come back to the house.
ELI: To our surprise, Eli is one of the very few boys who were selected from individual auditions to sing in the Kindergarten & Year 1 school choir. Apparently they're practicing The Lion Sleeps Tonight... which is quite a tricky song I reckon.
CLAYTON: We're watching kid No.2 grow up so fast. He's thriving in the farm environment and really enjoying close contact with cousins and his long-lost aunty Win. Claytie is saying heaps of words now and is putting three and four word sentences together.
KILLING SPREE: The other day on the farm we killed two pigs, a sheep and three chooks. If that wasn't enough, we killed another five pigs and six-or-so more chookies. Half the meat was given away, but we have enough meat now in freezers to last a half century!
RENOVATIONS: Suddenly the renovations have sprung forward dramatically! Three of the four outside walls are completed, the laundry was done ages ago, and the sleepout area - i.e. my office and the kids playroom - is now completed. Things are looking good. I can't wait to sell it and get out on the farm :P
DECISIONS: Of late we've made a few decisions. One is that we WILL build a house on the farm. Another is even more biggerer. I had begun thinking of more kids, and Janene was almost about to concede... though near the end of it all, we finally agreed that it wasn't a good idea for both of us. I might be able to handle more kids, but Janene is not the kind of strong-willed mother to endure more than we've got.
Janene is an awesome mum to our two legendary boys, but she might crack under any more pressure - especially considering the worst is yet to come (teenager years!).
I'm happy with this decision and I'm gonna give my two boys the best fathering that any good, loving father could offer.
PROTEAS: So I've done heaps of research and decided I want to grow some proteas on the farm. (check http://www.protea.com.au/) This will be a hobby for starters, but will hopefully grow beyond that.
Sis has taken a big interest in the Proteas, and she's thrown some money in already. Dad, Juanita and I both finished fencing off the area which will contain our first Protea trial. It's about half an acre, and I've already bought a few plants to chuck in as tests until I go ahead and make a full order for the rest of the plants.
ADAM: My big-little bro has again proved the extent of his talent by taking out Grand Prize in two major animation competitions in the United States. He flew to San Fransisco the other day and spent a week there being famous. There are a lot of things happening for big bro at the moment and soon he'll probably want to buy my Protea farm with his pocket money.
CAMERA CAPER: While playing at the table, Clayton dropped my camera on the floor and dislodged the lense from it's internal tracks (i.e. he broke it). A half hour or so later I was reading my book "Bringing Up Boys" by Dr James Dobson, and lo and behold a paragraph read something like this:
Boys will frustrate their dads. They will leave their best tools out in the weather, they will leave tools piled up on the work bench. They will lose their binoculars and they will drop their cameras.
What insight this man has...!
Well today I bought myself a little kit of minature screwdrivers and I pulled that Nikon digital camera to bits, taking careful note of which screw went where (there were tons of them!). Eventually I fixed the lense and I got the camera back togehter - only one screw was missing!
The camera works, which is direct testament to how excellent I am! Perhaps I will start putting more pics on my blog, if only blogger.com devises a more convenient way to do it.
KNEE-DING A REST: I went to the doc cos of my aching knee and the news was un-welcome. I have to take three months off any kind of sport and attend physiotherapy sessions to get it fixed. There was a long name for my problem, but basically it's the cartilage which is stuffed, plus I have tenonitis on the tendon that holds the patella on the knee joint.
LASTLY, I just want to mention that I've moved offices. Brad and I now sit in what used to be the Table Tennis Parlour. It's full of fond memories, and it's sad to see that a once thriving sport in Dubbo (*ahem*) has died to but a distant murmur. Perhaps we'll resurrect the game when we find somewhere more convenient to play it.
Well that's it for now. I have a new tool for updating my blog called "hohoBlog", so hopefully I will find a moment more regularly to update this thing.
Thanks for reading... whoever you are.
Sunday, March 20, 2005
Busy as...
Bees have nothing on me!
I've been so busy - we all have! Amidst the turmoil of a household that is turned upside down by renovations, Janene and I have been very busy planning for the Easter Awakening Festival, the Regional Rally, Sunday School, the Nursing home visit and other Easter activities.
I'm not complaining... just fishing for sympathy. Anyone?
Dubbo, AWAKEN!
The Easter Awakening was this Saturday - a combined churches event in the park where tons of activities and entertainment is put on by volunteers for the sake of the unchurched kids of Dubbo. The idea is brilliant and each year the event seems to grow a little. This year Janene was the leader of the craft and she exhausted herself to make sure everything worked out fine.
It paid off! She ran an excellent "tent" and they had over a hundred kids through, making all kids of craft items with strong Easter messages. They made pin-wheels, concentration cards with bible verses and pics, memory cards, wooden crosses, jewellery and lotsa other stuff.
A lot of churches were involved, and a lot of time and prayer went into the event. Now there needs to be a lot of prayer for the seeds that were sown.
RF & CC are away...
Finally we've produced another Rural Flyer and Country Catalogue and sent them off to the printer. So for the next week or so it'll be a little easier going. But there are plans to start selling and designing a "Business Flyer" in the same vein as the Rural Flyer, but aimed at the small business market.
I trust Bob's judgement that this is a potential gold product.
About Bob...
Speaking of Bob, just by spending half an hour with him at a Agrigrain, and a few weeks later with the management of Martel Accounting, I have developed a strong respect for his marketing talent. He really knows his stuff.
The Kids...
Eli is doing a little better at school, though he still manages to get sent to the door at least once a day. He really has ants in his pants! Well.. not REALLY really, but fairly really. You know?
Just about everything he does is a game or a drama. He acts things out wherever he is and whatever he's doing. He is so dramatic in his expression and dialogue that I'm sure he's going to have to be an actor or somebody famous... otherwise WHAT are we going through this for?
Clayton is just too cute. He has the ability to make anyone and everyone smile with his cuteness. Now he's saying a lot more words and getting into a lot more mischief. He copies his older brother too much, and even now is starting the acting game.
He can fake a good cry, and this morning I watched him enact a scene between his spoon and a piece of nutrigrain (breakfast cereal). So inanimate objects come to life in his world too now.
Music...
There is a lot happening with the music, but with the lifestyle we've had over the past couple of weeks, it's been impossible to find quality practice time. I'd practice 10 hours every day if I had no responsibilities. I just love playing music... I wish it was my career!
I've found a very cool Yahoo Group run by a fellow who has introduced himself to me and made every effort to help me with my band. He's been extremely generous and genuinely interested... something I really need right now, and something I've not had before.
The group: http://photos.groups.yahoo.com/group/bandmusic/
Any other salvationists involved in music should join that list... c'mon!
Sis is home!
Juanita, Andrew, Caleb and Mitchell arrived on a flight from Perth via Sydney today. They're home to stay and they've signed a lease for a home in Narromine. I'm hoping Andrew will have a desire to hang with his uncle (me) a bit and get involved in some things like Indoor Cricket and hopefully music.
Their dog Elly and cat Tippy were supposed to be on the same flight with them, but as often happens, they ended up as lost luggage in Sydney. After a few phonecalls the staff located them and they came on the next flight to Dubbo, which was about 3 hours later.
That's enough catching up for now, I'll try and keep this blog more up to date with interesting info!
I've been so busy - we all have! Amidst the turmoil of a household that is turned upside down by renovations, Janene and I have been very busy planning for the Easter Awakening Festival, the Regional Rally, Sunday School, the Nursing home visit and other Easter activities.
I'm not complaining... just fishing for sympathy. Anyone?
Dubbo, AWAKEN!
The Easter Awakening was this Saturday - a combined churches event in the park where tons of activities and entertainment is put on by volunteers for the sake of the unchurched kids of Dubbo. The idea is brilliant and each year the event seems to grow a little. This year Janene was the leader of the craft and she exhausted herself to make sure everything worked out fine.
It paid off! She ran an excellent "tent" and they had over a hundred kids through, making all kids of craft items with strong Easter messages. They made pin-wheels, concentration cards with bible verses and pics, memory cards, wooden crosses, jewellery and lotsa other stuff.
A lot of churches were involved, and a lot of time and prayer went into the event. Now there needs to be a lot of prayer for the seeds that were sown.
RF & CC are away...
Finally we've produced another Rural Flyer and Country Catalogue and sent them off to the printer. So for the next week or so it'll be a little easier going. But there are plans to start selling and designing a "Business Flyer" in the same vein as the Rural Flyer, but aimed at the small business market.
I trust Bob's judgement that this is a potential gold product.
About Bob...
Speaking of Bob, just by spending half an hour with him at a Agrigrain, and a few weeks later with the management of Martel Accounting, I have developed a strong respect for his marketing talent. He really knows his stuff.
The Kids...
Eli is doing a little better at school, though he still manages to get sent to the door at least once a day. He really has ants in his pants! Well.. not REALLY really, but fairly really. You know?
Just about everything he does is a game or a drama. He acts things out wherever he is and whatever he's doing. He is so dramatic in his expression and dialogue that I'm sure he's going to have to be an actor or somebody famous... otherwise WHAT are we going through this for?
Clayton is just too cute. He has the ability to make anyone and everyone smile with his cuteness. Now he's saying a lot more words and getting into a lot more mischief. He copies his older brother too much, and even now is starting the acting game.
He can fake a good cry, and this morning I watched him enact a scene between his spoon and a piece of nutrigrain (breakfast cereal). So inanimate objects come to life in his world too now.
Music...
There is a lot happening with the music, but with the lifestyle we've had over the past couple of weeks, it's been impossible to find quality practice time. I'd practice 10 hours every day if I had no responsibilities. I just love playing music... I wish it was my career!
I've found a very cool Yahoo Group run by a fellow who has introduced himself to me and made every effort to help me with my band. He's been extremely generous and genuinely interested... something I really need right now, and something I've not had before.
The group: http://photos.groups.yahoo.com/group/bandmusic/
Any other salvationists involved in music should join that list... c'mon!
Sis is home!
Juanita, Andrew, Caleb and Mitchell arrived on a flight from Perth via Sydney today. They're home to stay and they've signed a lease for a home in Narromine. I'm hoping Andrew will have a desire to hang with his uncle (me) a bit and get involved in some things like Indoor Cricket and hopefully music.
Their dog Elly and cat Tippy were supposed to be on the same flight with them, but as often happens, they ended up as lost luggage in Sydney. After a few phonecalls the staff located them and they came on the next flight to Dubbo, which was about 3 hours later.
That's enough catching up for now, I'll try and keep this blog more up to date with interesting info!
Thursday, March 10, 2005
Head achers and Acres
Eli's fairyland...
All my high expectations have amounted to naught so far. I thought my son is probably going to be too smart for Kindergarten and everybody will think he's amazing and wonder "Wow, who are the parents of this genius?".
Back to reality!
Eli has been causing trouble at school, true to the male Phillips tradition. It started with being sent to the door five times on day two of kindergarten, and has progressed from there until he's been sent to the office and been excluded from his first on-stage performance with the rest of the class at assembly.
Janene met with Miss Parker to discuss what measures are needed to steer Eli towards a mature outlook on his schooling. Looks like it's gonna be a hard road... but we love him anyway.
If Eli doesn't make us famous with his bizarre imagination and acting ability, then I'll be very disappointed. Somehow I think we have another Jim Carrey, Robin Williams, Mr Bean or Adam Sandler in the making.
We can't talk straight to Eli without him pretending he's somebody else... "Now Eli I want to talk to you seriously now..."
"I'm not Eli, call me Sonic."
*sigh*
Large chunk of Australia up for grabs...
I saw this ad in the local paper, and I've decided this is the chance of a lifetime. I've been frantically sorting out in my head whether we can possibly afford to consider buying this chunk of Aussie bush. One thing is for sure, if we buy this property, it's gonna take a lot more generous PayPal donations before we'll be living comfortably again. Heck, ONE donation would be encouraging! *hint hint*
I've rung the agent about this property and next Tuesday we're going to have a look to find out more. I've also been talking to our financial adviser, Peter Smith about how realistic it would be to get finance.
I need try and remain focused on renovations for now though. As much as it'd be nice living in isolation (50km from Dubbo), we have other matters to attend, and lots of other bills.
All my high expectations have amounted to naught so far. I thought my son is probably going to be too smart for Kindergarten and everybody will think he's amazing and wonder "Wow, who are the parents of this genius?".
Back to reality!
Eli has been causing trouble at school, true to the male Phillips tradition. It started with being sent to the door five times on day two of kindergarten, and has progressed from there until he's been sent to the office and been excluded from his first on-stage performance with the rest of the class at assembly.
Janene met with Miss Parker to discuss what measures are needed to steer Eli towards a mature outlook on his schooling. Looks like it's gonna be a hard road... but we love him anyway.
If Eli doesn't make us famous with his bizarre imagination and acting ability, then I'll be very disappointed. Somehow I think we have another Jim Carrey, Robin Williams, Mr Bean or Adam Sandler in the making.
We can't talk straight to Eli without him pretending he's somebody else... "Now Eli I want to talk to you seriously now..."
"I'm not Eli, call me Sonic."
*sigh*
Large chunk of Australia up for grabs...I saw this ad in the local paper, and I've decided this is the chance of a lifetime. I've been frantically sorting out in my head whether we can possibly afford to consider buying this chunk of Aussie bush. One thing is for sure, if we buy this property, it's gonna take a lot more generous PayPal donations before we'll be living comfortably again. Heck, ONE donation would be encouraging! *hint hint*
I've rung the agent about this property and next Tuesday we're going to have a look to find out more. I've also been talking to our financial adviser, Peter Smith about how realistic it would be to get finance.
I need try and remain focused on renovations for now though. As much as it'd be nice living in isolation (50km from Dubbo), we have other matters to attend, and lots of other bills.
Monday, March 07, 2005
No change...
Life goes on...
Lots has happened, but as far as the state of the house goes, and life in general, it's still as hectic as ever.
We have discovered that the extent of termite damage to our house goes beyond the section of wall that we first thought. Now we risk a budget blowout fixing the entire eastern wall (and maybe more?). We won't know the true amount of damage until we rip off all the weatherboard and see the wooden studs underneath, but already the builder has had to replace one section of the plate (the timber that all the wall studs stand on) underneath the kitchen window.
NOO LAUNDRY...
At least we can be the proud owners of a new laundry. Well the walls aren't yet finished and painted, but we have all our walls, taps, powerpoints and a new laundry tub (with a funky ROUND bowl). Perhaps the highlight of the new room is the new doorway that leads out to the eastern side of the house. Now our little home as 3 entries! That gives our burglars more options and will perhaps confuse the dumb ones.
Music class...
There is great progress in our Leaner Band. We have a new member, Craig Radburn. He has been to class for 3 weeks now and is already showing some early progress on the cornet.
In last Friday's lesson we learnt how to play Oh When the Saints, and believe it or not it ROCKED! It almost sounds like a band that's been practicing together for a long while - NOT just a learner band.
Don is coming along really quickly. He has a natural ear for music, which I detected when he first started coming along. This is exactly the kind of thing I think is going to be beneficial to Don.
Linda and Ros are going good too, but both struggle with their own problems. Ros has trouble playing up high, and Linda is finding the lower notes hard to hit. But overall they're going great guns!
Bathurst and Back...
Today we took a half-day trip to Bathurst to get Eli's gromets checked. It was his one month checkup. All is fine and the checkup too about 1 minute, then we had to drive all the way back again (total of about 5 hours driving for that 1 minute checkup).
GET OUT OF TOWN!
There are any number of good reasons that we would pack up and get out of this place - at least temporarily! So we decided we would. We went out to Mum and Dad's farm yesterday and cleaned out their flat, ready for us to crash there for a couple of weeks. We'll feel like pioneer settlers for a few days, but I think the experience will be enlightening.
We had a horrible night on Saturday night with our IDIOT neighbour and his music playing from about 1:30am til 5am. Then we were less than excited when we saw one of his mates moving his furniture and boxes INTO the house. This was that proverbial straw on the camel's back...
Salvos kick Canals...
In our semi-final clash, we downed the same team that beat us just two weeks ago. It was a sweet victory, but I kinda knew we could do it. We'd defeated these guys in all our other encouters, but it just didn't happen two weeks ago.
So we knew we had to smarten up to win, but were sure it could be done... and we did!
It seemed a little shakey from time to time, but in the end we came home strong and have booked ourselves a Final clash with Sleep City. These guys have managed to beat us every time we've played or I think we've beat them maybe once in the past. In any case, we'll have to be pretty sharp on the night to roll these guys. Most of them play outdoor cricket in the higher grades (A and B), so they're pretty snazzy in the field. We CAN DO IT though...
The game is Tuesday 6:30, and I'll feature a summary report for the benefit of those who bother to read this.
Ik ga nu naar bed! Tot ziens dan...
Time for bed now, I'll catch up later on anything else of importance that I've neglected to mention. Goedenacht!
Lots has happened, but as far as the state of the house goes, and life in general, it's still as hectic as ever.
We have discovered that the extent of termite damage to our house goes beyond the section of wall that we first thought. Now we risk a budget blowout fixing the entire eastern wall (and maybe more?). We won't know the true amount of damage until we rip off all the weatherboard and see the wooden studs underneath, but already the builder has had to replace one section of the plate (the timber that all the wall studs stand on) underneath the kitchen window.
NOO LAUNDRY...
At least we can be the proud owners of a new laundry. Well the walls aren't yet finished and painted, but we have all our walls, taps, powerpoints and a new laundry tub (with a funky ROUND bowl). Perhaps the highlight of the new room is the new doorway that leads out to the eastern side of the house. Now our little home as 3 entries! That gives our burglars more options and will perhaps confuse the dumb ones.
Music class...
There is great progress in our Leaner Band. We have a new member, Craig Radburn. He has been to class for 3 weeks now and is already showing some early progress on the cornet.
In last Friday's lesson we learnt how to play Oh When the Saints, and believe it or not it ROCKED! It almost sounds like a band that's been practicing together for a long while - NOT just a learner band.
Don is coming along really quickly. He has a natural ear for music, which I detected when he first started coming along. This is exactly the kind of thing I think is going to be beneficial to Don.
Linda and Ros are going good too, but both struggle with their own problems. Ros has trouble playing up high, and Linda is finding the lower notes hard to hit. But overall they're going great guns!
Bathurst and Back...
Today we took a half-day trip to Bathurst to get Eli's gromets checked. It was his one month checkup. All is fine and the checkup too about 1 minute, then we had to drive all the way back again (total of about 5 hours driving for that 1 minute checkup).
GET OUT OF TOWN!
There are any number of good reasons that we would pack up and get out of this place - at least temporarily! So we decided we would. We went out to Mum and Dad's farm yesterday and cleaned out their flat, ready for us to crash there for a couple of weeks. We'll feel like pioneer settlers for a few days, but I think the experience will be enlightening.
We had a horrible night on Saturday night with our IDIOT neighbour and his music playing from about 1:30am til 5am. Then we were less than excited when we saw one of his mates moving his furniture and boxes INTO the house. This was that proverbial straw on the camel's back...
Salvos kick Canals...
In our semi-final clash, we downed the same team that beat us just two weeks ago. It was a sweet victory, but I kinda knew we could do it. We'd defeated these guys in all our other encouters, but it just didn't happen two weeks ago.
So we knew we had to smarten up to win, but were sure it could be done... and we did!
It seemed a little shakey from time to time, but in the end we came home strong and have booked ourselves a Final clash with Sleep City. These guys have managed to beat us every time we've played or I think we've beat them maybe once in the past. In any case, we'll have to be pretty sharp on the night to roll these guys. Most of them play outdoor cricket in the higher grades (A and B), so they're pretty snazzy in the field. We CAN DO IT though...
The game is Tuesday 6:30, and I'll feature a summary report for the benefit of those who bother to read this.
Ik ga nu naar bed! Tot ziens dan...
Time for bed now, I'll catch up later on anything else of importance that I've neglected to mention. Goedenacht!
Thursday, February 24, 2005
Woh, that's quite a gap!
So it's been AGES! (well, in blogging terms)
With the house in pieces and our lives under constant demand, I've had very little time to write in this thing.
BUT let me recap some important events over the past week or so:
Nene's holiday
Janene went to Collaroy on Friday for the Women's Bible Convention. The ladies all went in one car. They listened to Chick Yuill's message (6 cds!!) from the Men's Bible Convention last year (which rocked!).
Work
Rural Flyer is back from the printers. It looks GREAT and I'm very happy indeed.
Country Catalogue, March edition is finally out as of today. The lead up to this was mildly hectic and I ended up working until late/early in the morning on Friday and Saturday nights.
Building
Our home renovation project is well underway... the builder, John Parker, had another job postponed, so he has been able to spare an extra week here. John is a nice guy, but probably a bit lonely. His kids are all grown and left home, and he's not with his wife anymore ("estranged" as he described her).
We invited John for dinner one night, and I think he appreciated that. I probably saved him one more lonely night eating a TV dinner.
The kitchen is kinda finished... the worst wall is replaced. We now also have a door exiting the laundry to outside. We have to have a small landing and stairs built there so we don't fall out on our faces.
There are a heap of wasp nests under the eaves of the roof which are proving difficult to get rid of. I've sprayed em a few times and made a dash for it while they got angry and looked for someone to sting.
Kids
Eli has been enjoying school. He still manages to smuggle a toy car in his pocket or somewhere. We've tried to stop him, but now he's convinced us he only wants to take one to play with under the "Peppers" (it's an area where the kindergarten and year 1 kids play - probably under some peppercorn trees).
Clayton is also enjoying his time at daycare. His current habit is putting rocks in his mouth. If you see him with a bulgey mouth, you know he's sucking on a stone.
I can't say much else interesting has happened. Life is really hectic while we're living in half a house - one half in pieces, the other covered in dust.
Intresting stuff will be posted as it happens!
With the house in pieces and our lives under constant demand, I've had very little time to write in this thing.
BUT let me recap some important events over the past week or so:
Nene's holiday
Janene went to Collaroy on Friday for the Women's Bible Convention. The ladies all went in one car. They listened to Chick Yuill's message (6 cds!!) from the Men's Bible Convention last year (which rocked!).
Work
Rural Flyer is back from the printers. It looks GREAT and I'm very happy indeed.
Country Catalogue, March edition is finally out as of today. The lead up to this was mildly hectic and I ended up working until late/early in the morning on Friday and Saturday nights.
Building
Our home renovation project is well underway... the builder, John Parker, had another job postponed, so he has been able to spare an extra week here. John is a nice guy, but probably a bit lonely. His kids are all grown and left home, and he's not with his wife anymore ("estranged" as he described her).
We invited John for dinner one night, and I think he appreciated that. I probably saved him one more lonely night eating a TV dinner.
The kitchen is kinda finished... the worst wall is replaced. We now also have a door exiting the laundry to outside. We have to have a small landing and stairs built there so we don't fall out on our faces.
There are a heap of wasp nests under the eaves of the roof which are proving difficult to get rid of. I've sprayed em a few times and made a dash for it while they got angry and looked for someone to sting.
Kids
Eli has been enjoying school. He still manages to smuggle a toy car in his pocket or somewhere. We've tried to stop him, but now he's convinced us he only wants to take one to play with under the "Peppers" (it's an area where the kindergarten and year 1 kids play - probably under some peppercorn trees).
Clayton is also enjoying his time at daycare. His current habit is putting rocks in his mouth. If you see him with a bulgey mouth, you know he's sucking on a stone.
I can't say much else interesting has happened. Life is really hectic while we're living in half a house - one half in pieces, the other covered in dust.
Intresting stuff will be posted as it happens!
Sunday, February 13, 2005
Croup again
Eli woke up with croup
Eli has had croup for a couple of days running now, and this morning he had it back. So I stayed home with Eli and Clayton while Janene went to church. We stayed home and lazed around, watched some Veggie Tales, Fantasia and I played some music on clarinet and cornet.
I sat outside in the warm morning sun and chose a heap of songs ready to try out for the upcoming trip to the Dubbo Nursing Home at Easter. I hope we can have a brass ensemble ready for that.
After church, Janene went to a craft thing of some sort with Linda O'Brien, so Eli and I watched Big Fish. Turns out he has already seen it, so he let me know stuff before it happened... THANKS ELI!.
When Janene came home later in the afternoon we had yummy honey-soy chicken bits with salad wrapped in lebanese bread for dinner. Janene is a clever cook. Then we all went out into the garden and went crazy. I fixed the gate, trimmed back the wisteria to a single, long twisted, branch and Janene did some weeding and cleaning up in the front gardens and trimmed the jasmine.
Clayton and Eli played in the sand, and generally got in the way.
Another good day with good progress! It was the first day in years where I had messy bed-hair the whole day long. It's nice to be able to do that every now and then.
Back to work tomorrow, and the building starts.
Eli has had croup for a couple of days running now, and this morning he had it back. So I stayed home with Eli and Clayton while Janene went to church. We stayed home and lazed around, watched some Veggie Tales, Fantasia and I played some music on clarinet and cornet.
I sat outside in the warm morning sun and chose a heap of songs ready to try out for the upcoming trip to the Dubbo Nursing Home at Easter. I hope we can have a brass ensemble ready for that.
After church, Janene went to a craft thing of some sort with Linda O'Brien, so Eli and I watched Big Fish. Turns out he has already seen it, so he let me know stuff before it happened... THANKS ELI!.
When Janene came home later in the afternoon we had yummy honey-soy chicken bits with salad wrapped in lebanese bread for dinner. Janene is a clever cook. Then we all went out into the garden and went crazy. I fixed the gate, trimmed back the wisteria to a single, long twisted, branch and Janene did some weeding and cleaning up in the front gardens and trimmed the jasmine.
Clayton and Eli played in the sand, and generally got in the way.
Another good day with good progress! It was the first day in years where I had messy bed-hair the whole day long. It's nice to be able to do that every now and then.
Back to work tomorrow, and the building starts.
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