The best beach in the Limestone Coast

Driving this stretch of beach is just the best day out. 

We drove onto the beach at Southend. There were families everywhere parked along the first few kilometres of beach, swimming, fishing, boogie boarding and surfing.

We stopped along the way for a play. Brett sold his Land Rover. We were in his new fishing bus. It's a real shit box, but at least we have a four wheel drive we can take on drives like this.

It's about a 15 kilometre drive to Beachport along the beach, where we ate a fish and chip lunch. This time of year Beachport swells with tourists, and it was packed. 

Biding my time with gardening and art

As I gardened yesterday morning, I had thoughts of some smug little bastard looking down on me, smiling and nodding, all Mr Miyagi like. He'd be all happy I was learning some patience. Not that I need teaching. I think hubby needs that lesson. The lesson for me was to slow down, to live in the present, I am sure of it.

You can't get more down to earth and living in the present that doing some gardening. I deadheaded roses and cut back some perennials that had had their moment in the sun. Their flashy show of colour. Instead of wishing my present away, waiting for the keys to our new holiday house, I was tending to the house we already had. A garden that needed tending to, before it is neglected in the excitement, of a new house, that will steal our attention for a while.

I have been busy making my own art to hang at Casa Pelicano. We really can't afford to go all out and buy all the stuff. I have seen the stuff, even pinned it. I've just gone out and made it myself, for much less. It's the only way I can have said stuff!

I bought two canvases, two picture frames, brushes and paint for $23, from the cheap shop. A sheet of MDF for $10, and learnt to use(not very well) hubby's jig saw. 

The two canvases

The two frames with free chalkboard printables

rainbow fish made with old wood offcuts, painted and glued to a sheet of MDF.

A pelican for the front door and a sign for kitchen

I am suitably impressed with myself, even though they are not perfect, they are me. They are folk arty, like the way peasants have decorated their homes for centuries.  I like them and that is all that matters. 

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A licence to occupy, PEBCAK errors and klingon.

Who can actually believe it is Monday again!

Why, Oh Why, does this time of year has to be so freakin' crazy?

We are off at 8:30 this morning, to drive 50 km. We are signing the papers at the lawyers, to make our holiday house ownership, legally official. With a Licence to Occupy, we may well have the keys to move in as well. Our official settlement date isn't until the 8th of January, but if all parties are happy, we will be very happy!

Early this morning, I'll be ringing to have the electricity connected,  so we can clean and connect a pump to the rain water tank, which thank god, is full. There is no town water in Pelican Point, we have a sewage pit out the back. No water rates is a bonus. A water bore is on the agenda though, just in case.

We will be able to clean up the place and empty all the furniture we have been accumulating in our shed at home. All we are missing is a washing machine and some outdoor dining furniture.

Almost finished stripping the paint of this beauty. It belonged to my Gran. She's just moved into the old folks home at the hospital. the makers mark on the inside of the door says it's made by the Mt Gambier upholsterer and undertaker. I'm guessing it's pretty old! I remember this cupboard in the middle of Gran, and dear departed Grandpa's beds(they slept in singles), when I was just a wee thing. I still remember seeing their teeth,  in a glass on the top, by the bedside. A packet of White ox(pa's), and a Mills and Boon novel(Gran's). It's going to look great in our holiday house bathroom.

I have become a little unhealthily obsessed with Facebook sites in our area, selling used goods. Please dear god people! Sell me your washing machine!!

I saw someone even selling a Big Bang Theory board game. Trivia, of course. I thought that might entertain the punters who decide to rent out holiday home. Of course being the cheeky smart arse I am, I replied in Klingon, HISLaH. Which means Yes. Next time I am in his neck of the woods, he's going to earn $5 for his board game. A woman POSSESSED! By Facebook selling sites. 

What I will not buy, is used undies!!

Anyhoo. Boggy's (Brett's) mate, is down for Chrissy. They are at the moment(Sunday night) sucking down a lot of ales in the shed. He came in inside whining he can't work out how to find all the music on the computer and he needed some help(FFS). We have an old computer in the shed we use as a jukebox. No brainer, unless your name is Brett and you have a gut full(of piss).

I walk all huffy into the shed find the 'Windows Media Player' icon. Click on it and select 'Library'. Then select "songs". OMG. The strangest thing happened. (I am being all sorts of sarcastic here). Every song on the computer, EVER, comes up in alphabetical order. I stormed out the shed, all pissed of like, saying, "It's a PEBCAK error, Brett!" Sounding like, in tone and everything like Kim, from Kath and Kim. I think I was doing the walk too!

By the way, if you ever want to use it, PEBCAK, means Problem Exists Between Chair And Keyboard. In other words, the problem begins with the the arse on the computer chair!

I just love the idioms, and tones that television programs bring to my vocabulary. I am so proud of my youngest, for a while there, when I asked how she was, her answer was, "I'm good, Prue". 

What idioms have made it to your vocab, through telly programs?

Only last month, I was cracking up Summer, with renditions of the Goggomobil ad, for Yellow Pages. Remember that?! G-O-G-G-O! No, not the dart!

If you don't hear from me in the next three sleeps, please have a safe and Happy Christmas! See you on the flip side!

An InLinkz Link-up

Hold the phone! A long drive home and our second home

We went for a Sunday drive to Coonawarra. Not to buy wine. To buy a couple of single beds off a bloke, for our holiday house. 

Hold the phone! 

Yes! I didn't buy wine!

Even more so, yes! We are buying a holiday house. Bit exciting. I am trying not to wish the rest of the year away, waiting for the settlement date on our two bedroom stone house. Our second home will be in Pelicans Point, about half an hour away. A quiet seaside hamlet just down the road. Got it for a steal. It will be available for holiday rental early next year, tell all your friends. 

Anyhoo, I should have bought wine. The Land Rover overheated on the way home, and it took us 50 minutes to drive 26 kays. A mate came and towed us home. Boggy has some mechanical work to do.....

We kept having to stop, to let it cool and put more water in. These are some of the views at our stops along the way. It became a bit of a thing for me to take a photo every time we stopped, with my phone of course. Times when I wish I'd remembered to take my 'good' camera.

We did stop at the IGA in Penola for supplies for the way home. I did let the kids and Boggy have one each. Should have bought wine.

Could have bought wine. The Leconfield cellar door was twenty metres away.

I've also joined all the local buy, swap and sell facebook groups and am becoming a Gumtree ninja. So much cheap stuff out there, some crap too. We are furnishing it pretty well though, on the cheap. 

I have this hankering to call our new house, La Casa Pelicano( The pelican house). What do you think? I want it to have a mediterranean feel, but I fear it is going to turn out hodge podge shabby chic. But who cares! Hello! HOLIDAY HOUSE!!


If you had a holiday house, what would you call it?

What's your favourite website for looking for and booking holiday houses? (yes this is sneaky research)

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