Another year older, but not necessarily wiser.

a corner in the creek

On the weekend I turned 39.  And still no sign of a grey hair.  I'm so proud of myself.  The Groom says it's because I've caused him enough stress for the two of us and he's got my share of grey.  I don't think so.  They all got me a leaf blower/vac thingy.  I'm yet to use it.  I haven't figured out yet how to work it.  Then again, we've had the whipper snipper for years now and I don't know how to work that either.  I also went and got myself a pedicure last week, too.  That was my gift to myself.  And, today, I bought myself an Akubra Cattleman hat.  I've been thinking about getting one for a while, so today I bought one while waiting for the bank to open at 9.30am.   Not a bad haul for a birthday I say.

one of the orchids in flower

Here are some more pictures from around the place. I like orchids and when we sold our first house, in 2003, I had to leave ours behind and I regret it.  Now this place has a few stuck on some of the trees, so I'm enjoying looking at them.  There are lots of plants growing at this new place that have to go.  Things like oleander, mother-in-law's tongue, heaps of frangipanni growing in ridiculous, impractical spots and lots more.  I've spoken to a nearby nursery and they'll come out and look at what I want to get rid of and if they want them they are welcome to have them.  They're interested in the frangipanni so far.  It all depends on if they can get them out, though.    

I planted two calistemon in the front paddock last week.  They look pitiful and small next to everything else.  The photo below is one of the trees nearby; I'm not sure what it is but I like it.  We do have a lot of ti-tree on the block (a sign of bogginess I guess) and we're working on how to deal with it.  The boggy parts, that is.  The Groom and I have gone around and identified which plants we want to get rid of; again, everything has to wait until after settlement before we can do anything.

I'm enjoying a life without pay tv and the telephone, but miss not having an internet connection.  The library is a bit out the way for me to plug into their connection, but will have to do in the meantime.  I think for the time being we shall have to look at a pre-paid mobile broadband, but they all seem such a rip-off and full of clauses and loopholes and fine print it is frustrating to try and navigate them all to work out what suits us.  

We are still slogging away with all the legal stuff to do with the sale and purchase of the houses.  It seems like every second day more things turn up in the mail that need to be signed or paid.  I feel so overwhelmed!  I don't recall it being this 'hard' last time.  I think once settlement of this place is over I shall feel better.

I just want to get back into sewing, start my vegie garden and chickens, and just go back to some kind of normality.  The people who own the house we are buying (settlement is next week) are here this week to get their stuff from the shed and the house.  So I'm trying to avoid being around as I don't like the woman very much and I can't trust myself to be nice to her all of the time.  They came over on Sunday afternoon and she made comments I found unfair and tried so hard to zip my lip.  Oh well, it will all soon be over.

Well, Cyclone Paul is hovering in the Gulf and I'm hoping it will not affect us here.  We don't need anymore rain at all.  I did wake up during the night to the sound of rain but it wasn't really hard or last long.  From what I heard anyway.  

I have to go and find some Easter eggs soon.  I've told the children they aren't getting anything from the Easter Bunny this year, but of course, I'll relent and get them something!