hearts on fire

I heard of a deed so good this week it didn't just warm my heart, it nearly made it spontaneously combust. My in-laws live about 45 minutes away, in Maitland. They're in their 70s, but still like to do plenty in the yard and around the house. But they've been a bit under the weather lately, a chest infection caught both of them and has hung on for weeks. 

Now, the other day, they got a load of firewood delivered for their heater. A whole uteload of wood was dumped out the front and James had to pick it up, load it into a barrow and shift it to the wood pile around the back. Now this isn't an easy job for a strapping young lad, let along a man in his 70s. Anyway, one load and James was struggling, sweat pouring down his face despite the five degree temperature. It breaks my heart just thinking about it. So he gave up, came in, washed his face and they set off to do some shopping.

The next morning there's a knock on the door. It's a bloke from down the street, a guy who James used to teach, and always had a little bit of extra time for. This guy had seen James struggling, raced home to get his barrow and ute, but by the time he got back, James and Annette had gone out for the afternoon.

So, God love him, this bloke came back early the next morning and wheeled the whole load around the back, accepting only a glass of water and the most greatful thank-yous. When I called later that day, Annette told me the story and I was so extraordinarily touched. It's obviously a case of paying it forward though. My in-laws are the kindest, and most generous people you could meet. As a teacher James would have been one of those chatty teachers that everyone loved - and who always had time for everyone - even the tearaways that other teachers steered clear of. 

That's what I call good behaviour. And kindness will always be rewarded in kind.

in conclusion...

Um, you know how the other day I couldn't find the receipt for my printer, computer and software for tax purposes? Well, I went and visited 'nice man' at the Mac shop and sheepishly took my new receipt, jumped in the car, and put the receipt in the glove box - because I didn't want to fold it and shove it in my teeny bag. Oh, what was that I put the receipt on top of? Ah ha, that would be the original receipt. oh.

budget busting

I walked around the supermarket today tutting and tsking like a pensioner at the price of groceries (speaking of pensioners, how on earth do the poor things survive? I find everything astronomically-priced and we're on two incomes!) Thank goodness for the slow cooker. I bought a kilo of beef blade roast - a huge big chunk of meat - for $10. Brought it home, chopped up some onions, placed them on the bottom of the slow cooker, popped the beef on top, seasoned it, then placed some halved potatoes, sweet potatoes and whole, baby onions around the edges. I poured the requisite 1/2 cup of water over the top, turned it on low, and tonight, around 8 hours later, it'll be ready for dinner. Of course, we'll get seconds so that'll be two meals, for three, for around $15 (including veg). I like my vegies crispy so I'll pop them in the oven on high for ten minutes while I rest the meat and use the pan juices to make a gravy (if there's heaps, I'll transfer a ladle-ful to a pan and add some red wine, if there's only a small amount, I'll turn the slow cooker to high, add the wine and stir till it thickens). I'll serve it with some steamed green beans to get our vitamin B intake soaring.

organised - not chaotic

I've gone dead-off being disorganised. It's not clever, and it's not funny. So we've been going through the house, room at a time, tidying and tossing out - and boy, it feels good. Because we'd been organising, our dining table was clear which meant my hubby was able to sit down last night and go through all his medical bills for his knee op and recovery. And because he did that I was able to visit medicare this morning and get a rather special refund that should help pay for some of our pool waterline tiles (should the rain ever ease enough for them to get back to work on building the actual pool...)

And while Matt was being productive, I sat myself down and started getting things ready for my tax. Now, I remember years ago laughing along at a co-worker when she described plonking a shoe box full of receipts in front of her accountant at tax time. Let me tell you how I wish I'd put all my receipts in the one shoe box. My receipts are, well, kind of all over the place really, and the only one I can't find is for my computer, printer and software - yes, that would be the most expensive and claimable things I've bought! However, in the frantic scrabble to find it, I was able to do some tidying of one cupboard, toss some books I've no use for in the 'to sell' pile and find a couple of books I'd forgotten existed and would quite like to read. That makes me happy.

Now, although I didn't find the receipt I did call the Mac shop and the nice man's going to print out another copy for me today. Bless him. Every shop should have a nice man...

sante

It's champagne o'clock, and boy, would I like to be here again. Only in Paris do you find this is a department store....

saturday's shoe

I would like to add a new feature to my blog: Saturday's Shoe. Now, I'm not kidding myself, or you, that I can afford these - but aren't they purdy! I have an electric blue dress that would be set off nicely by a pretty t-bar heel and although I'm a Leo, this is the only time I've ever been tempted by an animal print. And boy, am I tempted... I am woman hear me Rrrrrroar.

restorative blooms

It might be still raining, but at lunchtime, when the downpour eased, I stepped outside and walked around the garden and guess what? Yep, nearly every rose had little red or green shoots poking up to say "Cheer up Linda" and it worked!

you're dead to me

Mould I'm talking about, mould. Not you, I adore you! 

Now, on June 29 I sprayed my shower recess with a mix of bi-carb soda, white vinegar and water and gave it a good scrub a dub to remove a wide range of multi-hued moulds. A lot of mould. Not the amount of mould that's the equivalent of "Oh, excuse the mess" when you walk into a pristine home with barely a magazine at a jaunty angle. Serious, disgusting, you'd thing a bunch of boys lived in the bathroom mould. (I'd been busy, and when I'm busy, I'm a slattern - it's my thing).

Anywhoodle, today is July 25 which is nearly a calendar month later and guess how much mould is in my shower recess? None. Guess how many times I've cleaned it since then? Yep, none. Bi-carb and vinegar kill mould, are nice to the environment and don't make you choke on toxic fumes. 

If, like me, you think pretty-smelling things do a better job, pop a few drops of essential oil in the bottle (I adore orange blossom in the bathroom - it smells clean and fresh, but I'll never say no to a few drops of rose oil).

on struggle street

I'm an unflinchingly optimistic person. I refuse to believe that something can't be done, and always find a positive in a negative. Today, I'm struggling. With the excavations for our backyard starting on Wednesday they've been stopped dead by the relentless downpour. Now, when it rains in Newcastle, it rains. Hard. And long. Until recently we had nearly four months without a dry day. I know, it's impossible to believe when we are still hearing about the drought which I know is affecting so many. But here, I'm dead off the rain. I don't like the fact that half the retaining wall is pulled down and there's an exposed metre and a half of just sheer dirt and clay between us and the enormous house behind us on the hill. I'm also not terribly fond of the fact that the exposed surface where they've excavated on the ground is just clay - so even when it stops raining it'll just sit there until there's a lot of sun and/or wind to dry it up.

I need distraction, and work's not cutting it. In my study I look straight out the window behind my computer - and I see rain. Or if I turn my head to the right I look out the glass panel at the top of the door - and see rain. I am grateful that we weeded, fertilised and mulched the gardens recently. Hopefully the rain will prod the just-pruned roses to start shooting. Red-tipped shoots and the promise of blooms might just turn my mood around.

bucolic bliss

Can't you just smell that country air? This was the view from our holiday house in Burrawang, and isn't it a beauty? Oh, and that's the house. Sweet non?

scarier than clowns

Yes, I may be going a little too far with that title, cause, really, nothing's scarier than a clown. However, I've discovered something while cleaning that kinda made the hackles on the back of my neck stand up.

I've dumped my vacuum cleaner. Not by text, not by post it, but in the old fashioned, "Just ignore it and hope it'll go away kind of way." Actually, it wasn't really a dumping, more of a mutual "you're fired", "No, you can't fire me, I quit". "You can't quit, you're fired" kind of thing. See, it's stopped working properly and I don't really feel inclined to fix it (the fridge and washing machine are first in line for the repairman's long-overdue visit). So what I'm doing is I'm sweeping - yep, even the rug (and you know what? Sweeping is a far better way to remove cat hair than vacuuming!) However, sweeping has a down side. While it's completely carbon friendly, and is a nice form of incidental exercise, it reveals in piles of growing horror exactly how much dust, dirt and hair was on your floor.

Now, I've been sweeping every day or two, not like my weekly, or fortnightly vacuum and yet great gobs of hair still appear. Mulberry sheds so much blue fluff I wouldn't be surprised to see him rendered completely hairless, but nup, he's not cultivating a Kojak look just yet.

Does fluff, dust and hair have the same breeding cycle as wire hangers?

dampening my enthusiasm

In exciting news yesterday the diggers came into our yard and started excavations. Whooppeeee! It's amazing the changes they created in a single day. Our yard's much lower than it was yesterday, and happily, looks larger. I can now actually picture how low our pool will be (I'll be able to gaze into it from my kitchen window!) and where everything's going. 

So because everything was going along so swimingly with our pool construction the weather decided that, gee, haven't rained for a while, let's see what a combination of a downpour and a newly excavation can create. Um, that'd be mud. I have fingers, toes and even strands of hair crossed that the rain will let up and a great gust of wind will come and dry the yard out so they can come back next week some time. Make a wish with me?

order in the house

I'm almost not game enough to say it, but I think the excavators are coming in tomorrow. It's been such an amazingly drawn out process. Everything has taken so much longer than expected - ridiculously so. I guess because I've always worked on magazines to me, a deadline is a deadline and must be met or there'll be blank pages - not what the reader requires. So if I'm given a deadline, I stick to it - unless circumstances cause me to beg for an extra day. So when I'm told I'll have plans by a Friday, colour me naive, but I expect them on a Friday, not months later. The structural plans that were meant to take two weeks took three months - and that's after we had to keep sending them back because my husband kept discovering major errors (retaining walls located in our neighbour's yard - other walls that didn't exist...) and now, the construction certificate that takes "seven days, max" is still not complete - 25 days later. Sigh.

But the excavators are still coming in tomorrow to do 'pre-excavation' work - whatever that is. I don't care, so long as it's progress. With only four months till summer I want to be swimming in my own backyard - and not in the Barbie paddling pool - in our real pool! After all, I already have the frock for our "pool cooling party" and have chosen a cocktail to co-ordinate (it's a red and white strapless frock and I reckon a pale blue cocktail "Splashing Out" will be just peachy).

Here's how I'm going to make said cocktail (served in a martini glass - the only way to drink a cocktail)

Splashing Out

A shot of vodka

A shot of blue Curacao (for colour - use more or less to match your pool - our pool's going to be a very retro ice blue - with a white interior so I reckon just a splash of curacao will do it)

A shot of Limoncello

Soda water to top it up

I'll garnish it with a twist of lemon zest and will pop a red mermaid on the side, what's a water-themed cocktail without a mermaid perched on the side? Nibbles to go along with it will include chicken, chorizo and haloumi kebabs, prawn puffs with a smoked chilli dipping sauce and some other delights... Bring on summer.

brand loyalty

I was applying my moisturiser today and realised I'm a bit of a floozy when it comes to products. There's one of almost every label on the market inside my bathroom cabinet, dressing table or linen closet (where I keep the overflow - that's what happens when you write about beauty!). But there are some brands I hero worship because I know I'm going to love what they do. Here they are:

Moisturiser: Gatineau. Day, night, anti-aging, body, serums, they all work for me no matter what the season. And they smell yummy too. And their facials? Bliss!

Hair: MOP. I love their shampoo and conditioner, and their curl cream works a treat too. But I must admit, I'm now more than a bit partial to the Kevin Murphy Motion Lotion. It defines curls, fights frizz and doesn't give my hair an awful crunchy look a-la Michael Jackson in the Pepsi commercial era.

Lips: Guerlain. Their kiss kiss range is infinitely pashable. I adore the Cherry Shine which is more than a gloss, more than a stain - and with a hint of glitter thrown in. I'm down to the last remnants of mine, which shows how much I love it.

Eyeshadow: Ooh, a tough one. I like my fashion colours, but I need it to go on smoothly and stay. I'm tossing up between Chanel and MAC here - with the odd Dior thrown in too.

Eyeliner: Liquids are easy - you can go cheap and cheerful here - but for the ultimate black pencil, for me, it's Shiseido. Goes on smoothly without pulling, and shapens easily.

Foundation: I love Diorskin, or Chanel for a porcelain finish. I adore Laura Mercier tinted moisturiser in summer for a glow that covers any nasties.

Mascara: For night it's Dior Blackout. Long, lush, thick and not sticky. Daytime I like Napoleon Madame Lash.

Nail Polish: once a season I treat myself to Chanel, but for fashion colours that go on smoothly and last, it's Revlon all the way baby. For pretty on-fashion toes, they've got the hottest colours around.

Blush: Becca creme - no others will do.

Problem solving: adult acne, super-dry patches - all can be solved by Dermalogica. Reliable, effective products with responsible research behind it.

Lipbalm: Propolene. I've lost my rose-scented tube and need to find me another quick smart. I love well-moisturised lips and need a balm I can apply before my lippy. Napoleon's Lip Primer also works a treat though.

Facemask: Palmer's Skin Success Eventone Brightening Facial Mask. This is soooooo cheap and Sooooooooo Good! It actually does what it says and leaves your face looking brighter, skintone more even and feeling daisy-fresh.

Perfume: Daily, I'm a sucker for Lovely by SJP. It's just, lovely! To vamp it up a notch I love me a bit of Tom Ford (who wouldn't?)

fine lines

I'm not one for slavishly following fashion - that's for skinny 20 teens - I know what suits me and it's vintage or op-shops all the way for moi. That said, I do like to update my make-up every season. I'm always checking out the mags and on-line for looks that'll update my face and this season, it's all about the cats eye. Now, I'm 40, there's no way I'll be doing an Amy Winehouse style line, only she can get away with that one. But a well done cats eye will do amazing things to your peepers.

Personally, I like a liquid liner. Years as a goth in my late teens had me wielding liquid liner like a pro - but there is a secret - practice and position. You can't expect to master something so tricky so well straight away - otherwise everyone would be doing it. Sit yourself down one afternoon with plenty of cleanser and eye-make-up remover and have a play. Now, as for the position, I like to keep my eyeliner on a firm surface, so when I'm painting on my upper eye line, I'm resting the foot of my palm on my cheekbone - or resting it in my cheek. This makes my eyeliner work almost like a compass. 

Secondly, keep your line as close as possible to your lash line. The aim is to look as though you've got thick, lush lashes. If you want it thicker, so a second line next to it - or flatten your brush out more by pressing down a little.Stop a few millimetres from the end of your eye before flicking up at the same angle as a nicely curled eyelash.

Colour-wise there are plenty of options. Black's the ultimate, and looks perfect with a flawless foundationed face, a hint of blush and a red lip. I had an amazing brown happening yesterday (YSL Eyeliner Moire) and today I'm going with a MAC fluidline in turquoise (I'm wearing a red and white patterned dress to go shopping, it seemed like a logical option). 

burnt offerings

I was dead impressed with myself last night making yummo carrots to go with the leftover meatloaf and brand new mash. I'd sliced them beautifully on the diagonal - so well they could easily go undercover at a silver-service dinner. Then I popped them in my little saucepan, covered them with chicken stock, added a little butter and some salt, pepper and finely chopped parsley. YUM.

However, I set them to simmer and then wandered off to hang up some washing - I know, what was I thinking, it's a four minute simmer at the most, and hanging the washing is a good 10 minute job. Of course I came back to a very, very, very burnt pan - complete with tragic diagnonally-sliced carrots stuck to the bottom. Not happy Jan.

Now, because this was one of my good pans (not a copper one - I'm still not grown up enough for those!) I worked hard at getting it clean. Here's how:

Rinse out and scrape and burnt vegies off the bottom of the pan. Cover the entire base with bi-carb soda and then fill pan around 1/2 way (or up till where your burn marks end). Now, put it on the stove, turn to high and bring to the boil. Allow to boil for one minute, then turn off the heat and pop lid on. Allow to soak overnight, then drain, and wash as usual - scrubbing off the loosened black stuff with a scourer. If it's really, really stubborn, repeat the bi-carb, but pour some white vinegar over the top so it fizzes. Then fill with water and do it again. I had one really badly burnt saucepan once and after soaking it over night I left it in the backyard with the lid off. I do believe that sunshine has special healing powers (notice how tomato sauce stains when hung on the line will be gone that afternoon?).

Next time I'll be hovering over my carrots like parents over a first-born sleeping babe.

I'll make you happy

I've realised that the list of what makes me happy (pinkofperfection project for July) is far too vast just for the 16 I dashed off yesterday - and is a rather nice start to the day. So here's some more.

17. Walking along the beach at that time when the ocean is shimmering and dusted with a melange of pearlescent colours - from pink, to yellow to the iciest blue (it was 4.30pm yesterday - might be 4.35 today).

18. Smiling at as many other walkers, runners, surfers getting their exercise fix down by the beach - and feeling joyous when some smile back.

19. Finding a treasure in an op shop or antique store.

20. Old people holding hands. Actually, anyone holding hands. Life's all about expressing how you feel so anyone from toddlers to the elderly grasping digits will elicit an "Oh, bless" from me. Here's my most recent favourite. At the premiere of Sex and the City a distinguished elderly lady entered. From her gorgeous grey chignon to her leopard print accessories, she was everything I want to be at her age. Then I noticed her hubby behind her - resplendent with the most extraordinary moustache cultivated outside Yosemite Sam. Now, this was cute! Then, at the end of the film, she got up, he got up, and they held hands and walked out together. Good grief, I thought I'd cried enough during the film! That's why love lasts.

21. That first cup of coffee - especially when it's served in a pale blue bol from Paris.

22. Emile Simon's tunes. Discovered her yet? She'll make you smile.

23. Unexpected thoughtfulness from my hubby. 15 years and he still does it for me.

24. Spying people walking past gaining joy from our front garden. I love a person who is drawn to smiling by a few well-placed flowers.

25. A good book, a comfy chair and a really good cup of tea in a china cup. Sigh.

Margaret's doin' dinner

Tonight is a very special event. It's the first time I'm using a recipe from my new (old) and very, very spesh Margaret Fulton's Crockpot Cookbook. I'm making Coq au Vin - one of our faves, but I normally do it in the le crueset rather than the slow cooker. 

Because I'm kind, I'll share the recipe with you.

1.5kg chicken pieces (I'm using drumsticks and thighs, cause they're more moist)

3 rashers of bacon, diced

1/2 cup spring onions, diced (I'm using French Shallots)

4 small onions halved (as above)

250g small mushrooms, whole

1 clove garlic, crushed (I'll use three, we're immune to the stuff)

1 tsp salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

8 small new potatoes, scrubbed and halved

1 cup red wine

1 cup chicken stock

chopped parsley

In a large frypan sauté diced bacon and onion until the bacon fat is clear. Remove and drain on a paper towel. Add the chicken pieces to the pan and brown well on all sides. Remove the chicken when it has browned and set aside. Put the peeled, quartered onions (or whole french shallots), mushrooms and garlic in the crock-pot. Add the browned chicken pieces, bacon and spring onions, salt and pepper, thyme, potatoes, wine and chicken stock. Cover and set on low for 7 - 8 hours, or high 3-4 hours.

Serve garnished with plenty of chopped parsley.

Serves 4-6.

mouldy oldy

Before we went on holidays I cleaned our so-mouldy-it-looked-like-a-science-experiment- shower recess with a mixture of bi-carb, white vinegar and water. I popped it all in a spray bottle - roughly 1/4 bi-cab, 1/4 white vinegar to 1/2 warm water and sprayed it all over the tiles and grout. I then scrubbed my little arms off till it was all white and shiny. Well, colour me tickled pink because I was just about to clean the bathroom when I realised that two weeks later, there's no mould in the shower - none. And it's been used, so it's not that no water's hit the surface. I am amazed. But don't worry, I won't become blasé and ignore it till more mould grows back - I'm intending on wiping over it regularly. 

Just thought I'd share that with you.

Happy happy joy joy

Sarah at one of my regular must-see blogs, www.pinkofperfection.com has regular monthly projects and I am so in on this one. July is happiness month and I am pretty sure that I could devote a couple of pages to this one. While life mightn't always lead you in the direction you expected, I think that it's essential to a person's sanity to find something to be happy about every day. Here's what makes me smile:

1. My gorgeous gal. I've had eight precious years with this delightful child and she's made me smile every single day.

2. My hubby. That's why I love him, 'cause no matter what, we always find something to laugh about together.

3. My dopey, boofy cat and the way he knows that the quickest way to my heart is to roll flat on his back exposing a ridiculously fluffy tum.

4. Roses - pink, red, yellow... so long as they're scented they'll always boost my spirits.

5. Friends who can always be relied upon to make your heart sing.

6. Pretty shoes. I'm an optimistic gal who likes to look up and forwards, but when I look down it's always a nice surprise to see something pretty on my feet.

7. Red and pink nails - fingers or toes - so long as they're contrasting they'll bring many an admiring glance from my direction.

8. Kind acts. There really is nothing nicer than helping make someone else's day a little brighter.

9. Pink champagne in my vintage etched champagne glasses.

10. Cupcakes - who could be grumpy when faced with one of these little mouthfuls of cute?

11. Polka dots. I've never seen anything ugly adorned with spots - or maybe it's just that they bring out the beauty in everything.

12. Pugs and french bulldogs. I don't need to own one - just to look at one every now and again. They're ever-so-gorgeous.

13. Paris, France and everything that comes from that neck of the woods. My memories always take me back and my dreams will send me there again.

14. Violets and peonies - two vastly different fleurs but they're like roses in that they work in a vase, on jewels and in pictured form.

15. The scent of jasmine and frangipani - spring and summer scents that'll always tickle my fancy.

16. Nurturing friends and family with a delicious meal - preferably over a nice glass of wine.

And so much more - I'd much rather be happy than sad. To be continued...