My local library

My place in time #78

On Thursdays, most Thursdays since Isabel was about six months old, we have been going to our local library for Baby Bounce.

We gather there with other Mums with their kids and sing nursery rhymes, led by one of the library ladies, usually Anne(the kids love her).

Sometimes the kids sing along, sometimes they are just not into it and just play, or deliver book after book to me and then walk off!

It is a great opportunity to catch up with other mums, or just have some time out from home.

'My place in time' is a local area history project set by Kell at Blackcurrant Photography

No Smokes, no jokes!

It's been almost two weeks, I haven't had a smoke in twelve days! I'm giving myself a reward too, I deserve it. I am so glad I bit the bullet and went with giving up when I did. I'm glad I swooped in the opportunity now, and not waited. The right time may have not come again for a while, making it harder to give up, the will may have passed me by.

It's given me a huge confidence boost, knowing I am succeeding(so far) with this. The comments I have had from people have been encouraging and supportive.

I was also surprised at the people that had no idea I was a smoker. Congratulating me and admitting they didn't even know, I must have been that good at hiding it, I was sure they'd smelled it on me before. When visitors came, ones that I didn't know well, I didn't go out and have a smoke. I was respectful, I listened to the conversation, and resisted. As soon as they left I was out lunging down a fag.

I never smoked at work, but when I got home I made up for it, it was like a game of catch up. My boss didn't even know for the first few years. I have heard smokers say the same thing, if they didn't or couldn't smoke at work, they would have lots when they got home, to make up for it, to get the nicotine in their system, like the days quota. 

I have rewarded myself this week. I've bought Rohan Andersons cook book. Some of you may have come across Rohans blog, some of you may have not. Rohan lives in an old school house in Ballarat, Victoria. His blog, Whole Larder Love, documents his garden obsession and hunting prowess, whether it be fishing or shooting, and the simple food that comes from his love of self sufficiency. This is his new cook book, I have been wanting to flick my fingers through it since it was released a few months ago. Rohan is also a fantastic photographer, I am looking forward to marvelling (and drooling) at amazing pictures of food! I can say, I can totally afford to buy it this week, because I am not a dag, only dags need fags!

image source: Whole Larder Love

Dripping glory and recipe books

When Emma posted a honey spice face mask on her blog, I pinned it for later. Later being now(shock and awe, I'm actually doing something I pinned), heres me in all my dripping glory. This was after I finished baking honey biscuits (the honey and spice reminded me of this mask), Summer was asleep, and I was making coffee (in hindsight I should have had my coffee first). I can recommend it, my skin feels awesome.

It's freaking cold today and the useless twats at Harvey Norman, along with an LG rep, and their associated three ring circus,  have just managed to get us our reverse cycle air con. At point of purchase (handing over the cash)it was going to be a week, it's now three weeks. I suppose after they get the money they couldn't give a fuck about where our only source of heating was. Hopefully our electrician has time to do it this weekend, that would be freakin nice. It ain't much fun waking up to 4 feckin degrees with a pissy little blow heater.

I had all the scenarios and one liners(mostly comprising of f words and shoving things up the dark side of their moon)going through my head last night when I went to bed, that would be delivered in the irate phone call, that some poor bastard at HN was going to be on the wrong end of. Luckily Brett got a phone call this morning to say it was here. Yesterday the LG rep said he was pretty sure it was on it's way, but he would have to comfirm it. WTF! We got free delivery, it will be here tomorrow.

Anyway back to baking honey biscuits. The recipe I used is a Stephanie Alexander one, out of the book 'Recipes My Mother Gave Me'. It's yet another book I got from a garage sale, if it were not for garage sales, I wouldn't have half the recipe books I have. This is the quote on the back of the book - 

'My mother's most treasured possession

was her mother's recipe book...

as hers is mine,

and mine is my daughter's.

This is a lovely feeling.'

I started a handwritten book for my son a while ago with some of my recipes, it's still sitting up in the bookshelf (a work in progress), he's a good cook. A tear welled up when I wrote in the front of it - 

I really should get another couple of note books and do it for the girls too. But then am I robbing myself of phone calls from them as I do with my mum, with questions about how do you make this and that, and how much. But one day I won't be here and maybe these little notebooks may be their treasured possessions.