I know Winter is on it's way when...

Soothing cream for my hands. :)

For the last three weeks or so I have noticed a huge difference in my hands after doing dishes... They crack up and go all yuck. The other thing I find is that my fingers split. That is painful... Have allot of cream around the place during Winter for that reason. I am getting better with wearing gloves when doing dishes but have a way to go on the consistency bit... :)

So here is hoping that this Winter, with more cream and my new nightly ritual of creaming myself including elbows, knees and heels I won't suffer so much this year.

Another reason why when the fireplace is crackling up a storm I have a bowl of water on top all the time so that we don't get dehydrated...

Cheers Damaris

Busy, busy, busy week...

Russell's creation for dinner last night. Oh it was GOOOOOD...

This week has been full on... From vet appointments to shopping and going to Toowoomba for the Family Collective meeting to collecting a family portrait that we sat for for $10... Baking in between as well as seeing Timothy at High School so he could show me one of his current projects that he is doing in Music. Very impressive too by the way. :) Boy am I happy that it is Saturday today. Even got to sleep in. Russell got up and got the boys' breakfast and I got to have some time to myself. :)

So it was soooo nice to come home and not have to worry about making dinner last night. I could spend the time with the boys and do a little bit of 'surfin' the net'. Was wonderful...

Russell's creation this time was a Chicken Cottage Pie. I had some left over mashed potato from the morning as some of it went into lunch for Joshua. They were having tuckshop at school and seeing it is not failsafe, his teacher let me bring something in for him instead so he is included as well. :)

It was divine, not only because I didn't have to make it, which off course always helps but because I love Russell's creations. He uses whatever is on hand and makes the most amazing meals out of them. :)

Cheers Damaris

Happy Birthday, even if you are not here...

The beautiful china setting...

The lovingly decorated table...

The yummy Black Forest Cake inside one of the pressies...

Today at Ladies Group we were all trying to surprise one of the Ladies with a surprise Birthday High Tea... Well wasn't it a surprise to us that she didn't come... She was on her way to the coast instead...

So we sang Happy Birthday, cut her cake for her and blew out the candles. We had a ball. Just wish that she had of been able to drop in on her way to the coast... It was all so lovely...

Cheers Damaris

Vet time today...

Look at me Mum: I am relaxing (and showing off my stitches) ... :)

We are off in an hour or so for Toby to get his stitches out from being desexed. Been two weeks and all the healing has been done. :) I reckon he will be happy to see the back of them... lol

Cheers Damaris

Pedicure time...

Myself with Tiffany...

Lisa and her lovely legs...

My beautiful art work... Thanks Tiffany, again. :)

So it was time for Lisa and I to get our feet done again. Woohoo I say. I love it there. Tiffany and her mum Tammy looked after us once again and this time we were in for a treat. Tiffany was having a discount day so Lisa and I ended up having Deluxe Pedicures. Oh how divine was it??? Yep it was awesome. And NO I don't get paid for saying that it is a great place to go...

Being a carer of a child with disabilities, you don't get a chance to go out much... So when I have the pocket money saved up I go and spoil myself. I used to spend it on the house, garden, dogs, the boys or Russell but these days I tend to lean towards spoiling myself... And why not I say. :)

Tiffany ended up painting a lovely creation on my two big toes as you can see in the picture above.

I was also rather happy to find out that after Tiffany has only been open for about six months that she has already been chosen for an award. It is the 2010 Business Excellence Awards and she is a finalist for the 'New Business' section. How cool is that??? She so deserves it as there is no one like her at all in Warwick. I am soooo glad that she came. Oh, did I say that already??? Well I mean it. I love her being here and love her massage chair. Still not big enough to fit in my car though. Bummer that. :)

We also went to Bryson's for brekkie which was wonderful. We love our open grill sandwiches there and they make the best 1/4 strength Latte for me. :)

Cheers Damaris

Where to nap when it is cold...

Nap time at 9:30am. lol

My three little darlings... Bailey, Nova and Toby... After a lovely night's sleep one must follow it up with lots of naps. :) So where does one go when it is too cold outside but just right inside??? At the front door in the sun off course. :) Aren't they cute??? I know I am sooooo biased but we just love them all to bits.

Hope you have a wonderful Sunday. Russell and I are baking up a storm in the kitchen as we speak... Will post photos this week. :)

Cheers Damaris

Our last meal... with amines for now that is...

Wrap it up and down the hatch... lol

Russell made Burritos for dinner last night. Had iceberg lettuce, cheese, mince with shallots. It was so easy to prepare and make but oh so yummm.

We are going back to failsafe from tomorrow. There is a heap of Banana and choc chip ice cream we have to consume first... Russell made that yesterday too. :)

Then, once we are on an even keel I want to try amines again but differently this time. I will weigh the amounts of amines consumed by each of us. I will also do one at a time and not three at once. This way we may be reacting to bananas and not the cheese or pure cocoa. That sort of thing. Keep an exact diary not just a meal plan of what we have. I want to do this once and once only and therefore might as well do it right. :)

Here is hoping...

Cheers Damaris

Not going too well...

Since last Sunday we have been trialling Amines and are not doing the best...

Timothy has become very teary and quick to explode again since about Tuesday. Much less calm altogether... We are also decreasing his night tablet at this point and are down to 1/2 tablet which is great...

Joshua took till yesterday to finally crack. He has been back chatting and not doing as asked basically... He was doing so well for the whole time that we were properly failsafe. Was soooo nice to see and I want that boy back. He says that he was happier too... He doesn't like the new him much either...

Russell doesn't seem to have reacted to amines at all. Unfortunately, the rest of the family do so he will have to have amines when he is not with us as I will not bring it into the house where the kids and I can see it but can't have it...

As for me. I don't feel well within myself at all. I have been off all Anti depressants since last Saturday which is also not helping things... Been cranky at Russell and the boys since yesterday and know that my cheating while outside the home Thursday and Friday has not helped that at all.

I am looking forward to our last Amines dinner tonight... Burritos. Then tomorrow we are going failsafe again. I realise that there are problems with amines and that is all that matters. I don't need to do this challenge for another week to realise that things are not changing... They are what they are... Shame as the boys were enjoying having bananas back in their lives. Especially as banana sorbet.

So here is to things settling down again... I can't wait... Another couple of weeks and things should be right again. I hope...

I am glad that I have been getting allot of support from a forum that I visit regularly. Have also joined a Celiac Yahoo group as I want to end up going Gluten free and Casein free as well but that is all still in the early stages of investigation really... Am glad that there are so many recipes around these days for a change over that will come... Long way from actually doing that... I need to get rid of a whole heap of flour and pasta for example, first...

So here is to having things settle down again. :)

Cheers Damaris

Let's Declutter...

Stuff for charity. :)

My friend Lisa is culling stuff at her house at the moment... I encouraged her to get started on Wednesday by helping her fill two boxes. This is the stuff that went to Charity with me yesterday... Love to cull. Love to declutter... Even if it is at someone else's house. hehe

Cheers Damaris

My other babies...

Bailey sleeping on me...

Nova in my left arm, asleep...

Toby has settled into our home excellently. :) We adore him to bits. :)

When I have a nap or read a book on the futon, I always have three little followers. They are my doggy babies. Bailey in on top of me, top dog and all... Nova usually sleeps in my arm and Toby loves to snuggle at my feet, just like Poppy used to. Just too cute.

They love sleeping with me and it is just about the only time that Nova doesn't snore. She is bad, I mean really bad. When Joshua has her for the night I have to make sure I shut the bathroom door as well as my bedroom door as I can hear her through them both... And his door is shut as well. Very bad indeed... Maybe she doesn't snore as she is lying in the crook of my arm. Don't know but love it as we can all get a little sleep that way. :)

Cheers Damaris

It is getting colder...

Love the fireplace... with bowl of water on top to ensure dehydration is not a problem.

Joshua in charge of getting it roaring...

Last Sunday was our first fire for the season... Was so nice to have it and we have had it every night since except last night. Got home too late. On Wednesday night at about 7pm a huge truck went over the side of Cunningham's Gap and they had the recovery operation planned for 12noon to 4pm yesterday. Unfortunately I happen to have to dash to Brisbane yesterday and we ended up having to go home via Toowoomba. This meant we didn't get back in time for the kids to finish school but at 5:30pm instead. Luckily I had left overs from the night before and gave that to the boys.

Russell on the other hand sat at the base of the mountain for three hours and didn't get home till 10:00pm. Six hours from when he left work to come home, which usually only takes three hours... He was bushed when he got home so say the least.

We had some cold afternoons and nights but now the temperatures have crept back up to 6-9 degrees at night as there are clouds. We are expecting rain today and it has already been spitting ever so lightly this morning when I went to take our electricity readings.

Here is hoping we get heaps of rain. We could use it that's for sure... So as we get over the excitement of a fire each night and try to save as much of the wood that we have on our pile, we will be reducing when we actually light up... :)

Do love the fire going though and we are inside with shorts and T-shirts while the rest of the world outside is cold...

Cheers Damaris

Joshua turns 11...

Joshua with his cake, Timothy and James are happy for him...

My boy is growing up. He's getting older and older and not much that I can do about it but sit back and watch in amazement as he changes and turns into a teenager. He is on his way...

11 Years... where does the time go. I certainly wish I knew. It was nice that Russell was home yesterday too to see him on his Birthday. Normally he would be in Brisbane but he stayed home. We had appointments in Warwick as well so was all really well timed...

Again, Happy Birthday darling. I am so proud of how far you have come in the last year and where you are heading...

Cheers Damaris

My Solar fettish rubs off...

One of Joshua's creations...

On my boy that is. :) Joshua loves making things run on solar power. This enthusiasm has been harnessed by my Dad and Step Mum very well. For Christmas Joshua got a great Solar construction set and again for his Birthday he got a different one just a couple of days early.

Joshua is not 11 till tomorrow but my Dad came over for a while on Friday and ended up staying for dinner. It was such a nice time I must say... I think he will be back at night time too as he loves to watch the stars spread over the sky from one side of the mountains to the other with no lights or buildings obstructing your view. :) One of the many reasons why we love it out here. The vast openness, the sky, the air, the sun. I can go on but won't...

My darling doesn't though follow instructions much... He ended up putting both lots of pieces all together into one container and then created all sorts of creatures out of what he had. Then he would periodically go outside and try them out, come inside again and retry something else.

He loves it and loves to see the creations take shape also. :)

Cheers Damaris

A close encounter...

Bruce eating grain, tail feathers down...

At the bottom of our driveway, across the road we have a lovely neighbour who adopted and Labrador about two weeks ago. Now this large chap is so cute. He is soooo friendly and loves children and other dogs. Needless to say he escaped a few times last week and ended up at my place. :)

Friday was one such time. Only thing was that he is so big and bouncy that he scared the chooks as well. So they scattered everywhere and our Rooster Bruce and a guinea fowl ended up in the backyard...

Yep you guessed it... our dogs happened to be out there too chewing on some bones when live meat walked in the yard... The guinea fowl got away. Nova though had Bruce pinned against the fence and was not letting go... I can't get over the amount of feathers that she got out of him in such a short period of time. Russell shooed the big visitor away and my neighbour did come for him straight away but by the time Russell got back to seeing if the chooks and dogs were all ok it was all a little too late... He ended up with two large gashes just near his tail. I put Dettol on it and hope it heals ok but now is just a waiting game.

The next day he was happy enough. Tail was down as the wound would be very sore for him. Not too sore to try and jump some hens though. hehe... Here is hoping all will be ok. :)

Cheers Damaris

Ice anyone???

Frost on Brad...

Grass looked cool all frozen...

On Thursday morning when I went to let the chooks and ducks out for the day I took my electricity meter readings first, as usual. I noticed some white stuff on my car, then saw it on the grass on the way to the chook house...

What do you know. It was frost. Woohoo... I really don't like summer very much at all. I much prefer to have it Spring or Autumn. Winter is also wonderful. I love the crispness in the air. I love to watch the stars at night and wonder when looking at the billions of stars how anyone could possibly think that that was evolution. We have no street lights out here so it is an absolutely spectacular sight at night...

I also love the rest that comes with Winter... The whole place here slows right down and I do much more baking inside and less outside in the garden...

I love Winter... Bring on the cold. Maybe this week we might even put on a fire inside. :) We have insulation in the walls and roof as well as tinted windows so put on the fire long after people in wooden houses have started theirs in the rest of the village... Saves me a bit of money that way too. :)

Cheers Damaris

Solar update...

Very exciting news... On Wednesday we reached 100kWh put into the grid. Woohoo... Very excited about that. I usually use most of what we produce and only have about 1kWh go in a day, sometimes a bit more...

Can't wait for my next power bill. hehe

With our family going Failsafe we are cooking everything from scratch and that is certainly having me to use the oven more but must say that the Thermomix is doing a fantastic job... Wouldn't be without it. :)

Cheers Damaris

The Gap's closed for now...

The line up waiting to go through Cunningham's Gap...

My family and I live about 15 minutes past Cunningham's Gap and back in February when we had really wild and wet weather there was a huge landslide on the top of the Gap. This has meant that specialist have had to come in and cut away much of one part of the face of the cliff and try to stabilize it.

So for the last four weeks we have had closures up there. You can't get through. This is from 9 to 11am and again from 1 to 3pm. Very inconvenient for freight trucks and visitors that have no clue. Either you turn around and go where ever you want to go via Toowoomba or you wait for two hours...

The other day I was coming back home after picking up Toby and had about 2 minutes to wait before we were able to get through the Gap again. The wait was very short as I tried really hard to time it so that I wouldn't have to wait too long with a dog that was not used to being in my car or with me...

It is amazing the work that they are doing up there. One of the lanes is currently permanently blocked off as they store a heap of equipment there. The sheer enormity was just amazing. I wish I had of been able take a picture of the actual cliff face but was driving and had to concentrate on the dog as well. They say they will complete the job by the end of May which is a couple of weeks longer than originally stated. Glad they are doing it though.

My hat goes off to them. They are doing a fantastic job. :)

Cheers Damaris

Been to the vets today...

Nova's teeth with tartar build up. Yuk, glad it is all gone...

Well this morning I was leaving Toby at the vets as he was getting desexed, micro chipped and vaccinated. That was all well and good.

Bailey and Nova had their check up and yearly injection when I find out that Nova has been blind in her left eye for quite a while. She can see a bit of light but certainly no images at all. The right eye is fine. We would never have known as she has not been bumping into anything at all...

Gets better... She has an ear infection that needs drugs... I regularly flush out her ears with special stuff from the vet as she has ear canals that are shaped the wrong way... Drops twice a day for the next two weeks...

Then I find out that Nova needed five or six teeth removed. They were completely rotten and her gums where inflamed... I knew she had awful breath, had brushed her teeth and given her bones but nothing changed the smell. I feel terrible for not even thinking of looking under the floppy gums to see if something might have been wrong with her teeth. So needless to say she stayed the day at the vets as well and six teeth were removed. The rest are all sparkly now as they had a clean and polish. So from now on she has to eat soft food.

In about two weeks she can go back on having bones as well. Her gums will harden up with time and she will be allot better now in the breath smelling department which will be a very, very good thing. She was such a good little doggy. :) She is now home sleeping off the drugs and has plenty of pain relief in her as well.

Toby is very sore and tender in that region. He doesn't like to sit much so is mostly sleeping on my bed or on the couch. Poor darling... He will be right in a day or two and gets his stitches out in two weeks.

So tonight we have a very quiet home here. Bailey doesn't know what to do as he is fine and only had his yearly C5 shot. He is wanting to play and no one else is playing with him. He will have to be patient just a couple more days...

Cheers Damaris

Chicken and Leek Pie anyone???

Chicken and Leek Pie. Yum is all I can say. :)

Love it when Russell makes dinner and comes up with beauties like this one. He took two recipes and combined them last Sunday night. Was a fabulous way to finish a wonderful Mother's Day.

Timothy as seems the usual now... injured himself. At least not like last year's Mother's Day where he actually broke his arm completely through. No this time he took a kebab skua and pierced his little finger. Blood pouring out everywhere... didn't stop for 1/2 hour. Nearly made us miss our movie "How to train a Dragon". Boy oh boy... Told him next year I am tying him to a chair all day with nothing within reach. lol

This pie that Russell made was completely failsafe as well... :) It was soooo yum. Shame he got the leftovers for work during the week. Never mind. I will just have to put my order in for another one. :) hehe

Cheers Damaris

Our Newest Addition...

Our new little boy, Toby... and Bailey wanting a cuddle too...

This little boy's name is Toby. He was 3 last Sunday, on Mother's Day. I picked him up this morning from Ipswich and am so glad that he has come to join our family...

Tomorrow is exactly one year since Timothy's darling Poppy passed away so it was fitting that Toby come into our lives as he really needed a new home.

He won't be very happy with me on Thursday though... He is getting desexed, micro chipped and vaccinated. The other two are due theirs so am doing all three at once. Toby stays for the day though as is being operated on middle of the day.

He has come home and is looking for the other dog that he used to have at the other house a bit. He is sniffing everything and marking a little too. Not too happy about it but at least he is settling in... Vinegar and water is getting rid of the smell quickly and just as well. The other two don't know what is going on as they don't mark, especially Bailey. He was 'done' when he was six months old so never did it in the first place.

Boy is Bailey having fun though... You should see him. He is trying to jump this little dog whenever he gets the chance. Not that Toby is letting him... hehe

So we will see how he goes. Will take time for him to settle in and get to know us all. He already has eyes for the chooks. Must make sure we all keep an eye on him there...

Cheers Damaris

Immie's Day

Lady Bug day. :)

For a while now I have been following the Holmes Gang as their 6 year old daughter Imogen battled with the rare cancer Neuroblastoma. Saturday a week ago this precious little girl passed away and today is her funeral in Western Australia.

I have been amazed at the strength that Fiona her mum has had over the last three or so years. Coming out of remission twice and finally taken to Heaven where she is no longer in pain.

So in her honour today is Ladybug Day on Simple Savings Forum. The pages on the forum have even been changed from the normal green to red and black. Everyone is also wearing the same colours in her honour. Many of us wish we could support Fee and her family today but due to distance can't so this is what we are doing instead...

Immie you are a bright star in the night sky and a beautiful rainbow in the day... Your family will miss you but are better for having had you in their lives, even if just for a little while.

Thank you Fiona for sharing your girl's journey. I appreciate have been part of it. :)

Love and blessings to you today and always.

Cheers Damaris

Portait Time...

The boys having their shots taken...

Yesterday we went to a school on the other side of Warwick for their school fundraiser. For $10 you get to have a sitting with the photographer who took three different shots. The end result is that you get to take a family portrait home that is even framed for you. Worth allot but cost us only $10. Woohoo. Can't wait to pick up the framed portrait at the end of the month. :)

Cheers Damaris

Happy Mother's Day...

My lovely presents. :)

I have been very fortunate to learn allot of things from my Mum, Ingrid. From cooking to knitting she was there for it all. I have allot to thank her for... Allot of the way that I have turned out today has to do with my mum off course. We are all influenced to an extent by who and how we were brought up.

Often I think back on how my mum used to cook everything from scratch, the way we ate meals around the table not the TV, the beautiful Advent stories we would have read to us coming up to Christmas time... Allot of these things I now do myself with my kids and I am really happy to have had that in my childhood and to be able to pass it onto my kids as well.

I am also very blessed to have a wonderful Step Mum in my life as well. Julie has been supportive of my little family for many years and I truly appreciate that. :) My Mother in Law, Erica is also a wonderful treasure in my life and I thank her for having my wonderful husband. I would not be where I am without her and Russell. :)

This morning I was greeted by a school made candle from Joshua and iPhone car charger from Timothy. Russell got me a Scratch It but they don't pay out really. Got nothing there. Never mind. Once a year is a nice treat to splurge. Timothy also made me a creation of his with sand on the computer and showed it off. Was wonderful to see his creativity... :) One other thing I got was a whole heap of cards that entitled me to all sorts of things. There are massages, vacuuming, mopping, sweeping, dishes washed and dried... All sorts of goodies. I will certainly be using them. :)

I hope you all have a wonderful Mother's Day out there. I certainly never thought at one stage in my life that I would have this pleasure but am very blessed to be able to be a mum. And I would not swap it for anything in the world...

Cheers Damaris

Staring at the picture...

At the Warwick Women Warriors, the Ladies Group that I go to on a Friday, we are studying a painting at the moment...

No one knows who painted it and I think that is a shame in one way but good in another. You hang no expectations on it that way.

It is beautiful and I love to stare at it. To see what is behind the open door on the right... Who is on the balcony on the right... Who is with you in the boat as you go along the canal and viewing this setting... What is on both sides of that bridge in the distance...

Love the ripples in the canal in the forefront of the picture also... So peaceful. Can't wait to see it again today. :)

Cheers Damaris

What are you doing today???

Hope I have time to paint today. Missing it...

Yesterday I treated myself to a pedicure in town. Love it when I get a chance to do that. Today though I need to bake two loaves of bread, bake a heap of muffins with pear as well as carob and make yoghurt chicken for dinner.

Russell comes home tonight and I can't wait to see him. I like to have a nice meal ready for him for when he walks in the door. I know he appreciates it also so easy to do. :)

So today my day consists of using my Thermomix allot, hanging out washing and bringing in washing, folding and putting it away. I will also try and get some painting in there as well... Quick sweep of the floor and I am done for the week. :)

Cheers Damaris

Jumpers and Jazz Entry update...

What a bright and sunny Sunflower...

Here is the latest photo of what us ladies have done... I have not done any of this though... I am doing snakes to go into the tree. They are french knitted...

Each of these petals were knitted individually by a number of ladies in our Craft Group. I am loving how it is coming together. This is our Sunflower to go into the tree. The stem of the flower will be the tree trunk and will be covered by knitting as well. You can see that at the base of the flower here.

The frame of the flower was made by one of the Ladies' husband and after the show will adorn their beautiful garden. They have a beautiful collection there... Isn't he ever so clever???

Bugs and little animals are yet to come. There is a bee on the left of the flower and a snail on the left bottom leaf. Can't wait for it to be finished... This was thought of and decided upon last year as the other Jumpers and Jazz was happening... Can't wait for July for it to be on display. :)

Cheers Damaris

Time for a new gardenbed...

Square foot garden bed...

Well the old plants have come out and the new seeds are going in this week...

I really don't like pulling out plants that are still producing but they were looking sad and the Chooks really loved getting the last of the tomatoes and zucchini... This lot of veggies will also be Failsafe which will help us even more. The last lot was not...

In this one there will be:

Shallots, Leek, Cabbage, Parsley and garlic... They will grow slowly over winter and be ready in spring. Can't wait. :)

Cheers Damaris

Our little cuties...

This young hen flew up on my arm as I was taking photos... So cute...

Babies around my feet... They are not shy at all this time...

Our one and only Bruce...

New Leghorn in the front, settled in very well...

I love chooks, always have and always will... I have about 40 of them at the moment. There are a few young roosters that will find their way to the Pig n Calf in June/July Holidays but other than that I am leaving it at that number for a while. Maybe some new purebreds in Spring but that is about it. I am trying to get rid of the crossbreeds and have only the purebreds.

Was very annoyed the other day when the chooks started screeching and I looked outside to see a cat running amongst them near the shed. How dare a cat come on my property and scare my babies... How rude... Trust me it took off very quickly next door. And so it should...

Since fixing up the outside cages with snake wire we have had no more losses which is fantastic and was what we should have done a long time ago. You learn, trust me... At least when I hear commotion outside now I know the animals are safe and I don't even have to get out of bed. :)

So above are some updated photos of some of my flock that I took yesterday. :)

Cheers Damaris