WITH JEWELLERY ON TOP

Tucking Elliot into bed tonight I tell him how clever he has been this week earning money for doing 'extra' jobs. Tonight he asked if he could iron all the hankies and linen napkins. Then he put away his clean washing (into drawers, unlike his big sister who throws her clean clothes on her dressing table then puts them back in the washing whenI ask her to put them away!). Anyway tonight Elliot earned the princely sum of 50 cents (which was a lot more than the usual 10 or 20 cents a day -remember this is in addition to his pocket money and he is only 6!). Elliot tells me he is saving his pocket money to buy someone special a Christmas present. He tells me he will be buying a present for Gran.

"Something she won't throw away. I am buying Gran a ring. And it will be proper and have jewellery on top! Because I am the only one who knows Gran likes rings. "

Hmmm, maybe I'll have to raise his allowance!

ALL ABOUT ME

This was on my doorstep this morning.

Lisa Bearnson has put together this amazing "All About Me" kit. It contains an 8x8 album in a box and heaps and heaps of Heidi Swapp products along with all the instructions to make an album all about you! I was blown away by the amount of product included. I am a Heidi Swapp junkie so this is perfect for me.

The kit usually sells for $US29 but for October it is just $US15 and $3 of that will be donated to breast cancer research. (Including postage I ended up paying $NZ $44.95 but it is so worth it.)

Go and check out www.lisabearnson.com

18 YEARS AGO...

It's our 18th wedding anniversary today. Darryn and I got married on 22 October, Labour Weekend 1988. How lucky I am that I chose the right bloke.

I tried on my wedding dress today. It doesn't fit. It's too big.

CHRISTMAS WISH LIST

So people are already telling me how many days it is 'til Christmas

I have a hunch that this is not going to be a year like last year when I had all the Christmas shopping finished by 30 November. Most years I still have one gift to buy on Christmas Eve. I actually like the hustle and bustle on Christmas Eve. The sense of urgency. But I wouldn't like to be buying all the presents then. Just one.

This year as well as shopping for family and friends I again have to buy gifts for 30+ kids who will be attending the AMR Consulting Kid's Christmas party. I actually quite like doing it but there is that wee stress thing in the background. I will hopefully get 'the list' about 2 weeks before the pressies are required.

So what's on your 'wish list" for Christmas?

Me? I never want anything. A kiss and a sleep in would suit me. But if I have to pick something I always say it's not Christmas unless I get a book. What I most enjoy at Christmas is a few days away with D and the kids. And the possiblility that in our travels I might find a little 'something' to purchase and take home as a memory of a great time.

What about you?

GARDENING

Do you like gardening?

There was a time when I thought I did. But I've figured it out. What I really like is the end product. I like nice gardens. I love lush growth and the odd object lurking in an unsuspecting corner. I like buying and planting new plants and making up new baskets to hang off our verandahs. I love herbs. I love being able to go into the garden and pick them when I need them for some culinary delight. I love picking flowers and making arrangements. I love doing something arty in the garden - like mosaicing a wooden post I left in when I took out our clothesline. I love that our garden is big with lots of different areas to explore.















I hate the chore that our big garden has become. Especially at this time of the year when I have neglected it over winter. I hate having to spend hundreds of dollars every couple of years to get the trees professionally trimmed. I hate that it will take me 20-30 hours work to get the garden looking good again. Hard work - digging out agapanthas that have spread too much. Enough weeds to fill our wheely bin 20 or 30 times over. So that I really need to hire a skip. Ripped forearms from roses digging into my flesh as I try to weed undrneath them them. Battling the jasmine and the ivy that I thought I had eradicated but which comes back year after year. I need to get a man in for a spring garden makeover (and I hate having to pay for that).















But later in summer I will look out at my garden and I will love it. And we will have lots of people to visit for barbecues and dinners and people will say "What a beautitful garden you have. It must be heaps of work." And I will shrug and say, again "I love gardening."

JOURNALING

Scrapbookers who know me know that I prefer the journaling bit to the art bit. So it was interesting to read issue 2 of Ali Edwards' AEzine today:

"The more you write the more comfortable you will be become with your own voice. Start a blog or a personal journal simply for writing practice."

If you haven't signed up already head over to her site and see what you're missing.