Sunday 21 June 2009

Soccer Rejection

Well, it has been two weeks since number one son has played soccer, try as we might to get him there. Aparently he has been a bit dejected starting off on the bench, then copping some rather severe floggings (but nothing like the local footy teams.............), which hit his confidence. We also had to see him stripped of his confidence by one of his own team members when he was asked to take a free kick, and they yelled out, from the bench, to let someone else take it as he can't kick. All this after the coach had asked him to take it..........

We had a very ferrel child that night, who threw all his soccer gear down the hallway, refused to train, and called everyone on his team gay (the new trend put down.......). I was actually a bit relieved with that last bit - it could have been a whole lot worse!!!

The next game was at home, and said ferrel child had agreed to play - up until bedtime..... Ok.....
So, we spent the whole next day on the couch, grumpy, watching tv and dvd's, and generally being repulsive...

It was agreed that if he was to play again the coach would need to be informed, and he could give him a pep talk. If he didn't choose to play again after that, then at least everyone knew what was going on. This in itself was upsetting for us, as we have a senior player watching him play, who also wants him to play in the thirds and develop his skills. We are totally chuffed, but glad that won't be happening just yet - he's only a skinny little tacker who would get squished.... Maybe he can just train with them later on.............

So, tonight the coach calls in for the pep talk, and is sent on to the "Salami Making Shed", where number one son was assisting his cousin and Blokey Man with male support.... A positive outcome has now been achieved, with his acceptance that he gets too emotional in the games, and needs to be more pro-active. Perhaps the coach will give him a try in the front of the pitch to lift his confidence a bit? We'll find out tomorrow I guess. At least he's keen, so we'll see how we go.

And i thought we were going to get a sleep in................. We'll be up at 6am to be off by 7am. Why they had to put U16's on the first game after starting the previous year at 10.30 is beyond me..... Ahhhhhhhh, the joys.

So, tomorrow we will see how number one son goes, and try all we might to build up his confidence. The rest, I guess, is up to him.....................


Saturday 20 June 2009

My 50 Things.............

Well, I have been pretty excited about my new online scrapbooking forum. They have heaps of different forums and challenges and competitions. Getting to know all the girls I'm heading off to retreat with in August has been really interesting - they are a hoot!

I have also become (online) aquainted with another member who is one hour away from me, and she will be on the same flight as me for Retreat. This is great, as we are both going on our own. It is also great because this particular girl has only been scrapping for 3 months, and i cannot believe the quality of her work!!!! Only 3 months, and she has submitted 3 layouts for submission already!!! I cannot wait to meet her in the flesh.....

One of the forums they have going is a "50 Things About Me", where you just go open slather about anything and everything about yourself. As everyone operates under a forum name, it's like getting to know new people when you see their posts. I have really enjoyed reading through these posts, and today saw the one from my (online) aquaintance one hour away. I was almost speechless when i read her post, we have SO much in common is isn't funny!! Well, this got the better of me, and i am now sharing my post that was uploaded earlier tonight. (I think I am very brave somehow.............)

So, for those of you who drop in for a quick update or a check in, or simply just surfing - how well do you really know me??????????????

  1. My name is Janet ............
  2. I am 46, and a Leo
  3. My partner is Italian, and is 47.
  4. We have two boys, 14 and 13.
  5. We have one dog (Shady), who loves the water, one cockatiel (Skitz) and one budgie (Zac).
  6. I have always been a cat person, but will not have another one whilst living here so close to the road..
  7. I was responsible for our other budgies flying the coop......... (Jimmy and Psycho) ....(not intentionally..)
  8. I have a witty sense of humour.......... (Zac is short for ProZac!!)
  9. I am the 5th of 6 children; the youngest girl. (g,b,g,b,girl,b)
  10. My mother passed away when she was 47, with amnesia – that was hard
  11. My PND wasn't picked up until after my second child.
  12. We separated for some time, then got back together - it was a struggle for us both
  13. We are moving on with our lives and happy as a family – in our own disfunctional way!!
  14. I LOVE coffee............ mostly in cafe's with a good book or scrapping mags
  15. I also LOVE a good wine most nights, or a not so good wine, or just a “that'll do” kind of wine, but anything more than good usually ends up in more than one glass.........
  16. I love to read, (my sister says I am a prolific reader) and I cannot sleep unless I have at least looked at the pages with the words on them........ even when I'm dead tired.
  17. I love seeing my friends, and having friends around for barbies
  18. I have few friends that I will open up to, as I regard true friendship as very sacred
  19. I backpacked around the world on my own for 3 months, going to USA, UK, Ireland, Scotland, France, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Netherlands.
  20. I have done hot air ballooning, skydiving, bungee jumping, parasailing, white water rafting, trekking in New Caledonia, the Grand Canyon, Yosemite and our own Alpine tracks, and 4WDriving with Blokey Man (probably the most scariest...)
  21. I love rain and thunderstorms, and walking along the beach
  22. My emotions have never been the same since having kids
  23. I have loved horses and riding since I was a child, and bought my English teacher's horse when I was 17.
  24. I stopped riding and gave up my horses when I was single with 2 youngsters on my hips....
  25. I would like to get married, the boys want us to get married.
  26. We are looking at buying a property OUT OF TOWN - I SO want to be out of town
  27. I love trees, it has lots of trees....and lots of birds....
  28. I will have room for a veggie garden and chooks!!!!
  29. The boys will have room to ride their motorbikes
  30. I will have room to ride their motorbikes...
  31. I can have a cat.... or two
  32. It has a “craft room with full window views!!” ................... “beautiful views...........”
  33. I love this property, and SO hope we can make it work....
  34. I work in administration and finance, and have just found a new part time job, with no stress (so far!)
  35. Small town crap gets me down.
  36. I love my camera and my computer (they go 'almost' everywhere with me..). My computer has taken me to new and exciting Forums far, far, away.... and yes I'm happy about it!
  37. I played netball since I was 5, and have always had weak ankles (....because of playing netball since 5..)
  38. I had my first knee bingle on my 40th birthday, with my son watching, totally impressed that my knee went backwards........ doh! (It was a great stretch though....)
  39. I had my second knee bingle at 44 playing basketball. (nothing great about thumping to the ground playing a sport you are hoping will help you get fit and lose some weight.........)
  40. I took up refereeing the kids games (I think I am running more, and feeling better, and not thumping the court with anything more than my runners!!). Blokey Man keeps reminding me that i am not 19 anymore, but says I am a good referee (and I just respond by holding up the mirror!.........)
  41. I had my motorbike licence first, my bike was a 250 Honda trail bike, I took it to Melbourne for work.
  42. My first car was a rebuilt 1962 VW Beetle, with flared guards and fat wheels..... My current vehicular love is my 2003 Mazda6 sedan, and I SO love this car...
  43. I am a hoarder, all things paper and craft................ you just might need it one day........
  44. I am discovering writing, have a bit of a knack for it but not sure where it's come from...
  45. I love watching TV: Brothers & Sisters, Grey's Anatomy, NCIS, Private Practice, Boston Legal and any ABC Murder Mysteries.
  46. I have been crafting for years, mostly cards, and started scrapping several years ago. My closest friends all scrap, and we hold our own weekend retreat twice a year. I will never be a fast scrapper.
  47. Blokey Man takes my albums to soccer to show everyone (but doesn't tell ME!!)
  48. He built me a room in the garage for all my cruff (craft stuff) and to scrap in, it has power, a stereo and a flat screen TV with inbuilt dvd player...........
  49. And all I really wanted was some ring bling................. (and maybe the room...)
  50. I believe that everything happens for a reason, ................even when you can't see it at the time.

So how did you go? Learn anything new.............. Funny thing is you think 50 things to write about yourself is going to be pretty hard, but when you get to the end you think "Oh no, I haven't said this or that yet...." This would be a great thing to do every couple of years just to recap where your life is at. I wonder how different it would be?

Jaywhat

Thursday 18 June 2009

Frosty, Foggy Thursday...



From June..............
Well, here we are at Thursday, almost the end of another week. The drive up to work has been amazing these past few mornings - the fog has been lifting, and sitting between the ground and the bottom of the rockfaces along the valley. Above this is the trees, rocks, and usually clear blue sky!! I stopped an d took some photos so that i can upload a couple for you to see. Not the best photos, but you get the gist, just beautiful in the mornings, makes the drive all that much better. Last week we had a massive frost - it was all the way from home to work, and mighty chilly!

Well, the word on "Sunny" is that he is still in the pound, awaiting next Monday's deadline! The poor fella will be freezing where he is, plastic cafe blinds or not! I am hoping we can bring him home for the weekend, and get him back on the Monday to see what happens. Just depends if the owner has made contact or not yet.........

Well, our Sunny has sort of been rained on................ after waiting "forever" for the pound to release the poor little chap, they decided in their wisdom to make the threat of putting the dog down if the owners didn't collect him.......... DOH! A threat will not make people who have not been terribly responsible to animals behave any differently, it'll just relieve their guilt enough to take it home.... I was very ticked off, on the last day of the existing threat Sunny was collected. I felt a bit sad this day..... At least now he is known at the pound, and they are aware of who we are should he EVER turn up there again. And if he ever follows the boys home from school again, who's to say what could happen....................

Wednesday 17 June 2009

The Dog - How's this?

Well, how's this? I must be on a roll, here is my next post.

Well, I worked today - which was nice. As I am only casual i only get about 2 - 3 days a week, and as much as i like that i am also enjoying my work

I think today i will tell you about Sunny. Sunny is the phone call i received last Friday when i was about to walk out of work............... it's probably the worst kind of phone call a parent can receive.................
"Mum, he's so sad, and he followed us home, and he's got a tag but we don't know where he lives........... and he's so friendly - he's in the back yard and Shady (our dog) likes him and they're playing together, and he's really nice............ can we keep him?????" The sheer look on my face as i replayed the message warranted Liz (new said boss - but very nice boss lady.........) to ask "what's wrong?" Well nothing, but listen to this (through muffled laughs........), their father is going to kill them. (Me, I collected stray cats as a child, what can i say?)

Said dog seemed to be (very happily established in back yard playing with domesticated dog, and fed and watered) quite settled.

At first sight, the dog seemed to be a cross between a border collie and a whippet, with golden colorings, and was very friendly and affectionate. (Yep, I'm already sunk!) For lack of a given name we submitted to calling it "Sunny......" (Shady...........Sunny............ so I've got a sense of humour.............) I immediately felt sorry for it and started cooking pasta................ I think it's an italian man building thing?.......... He is SO skinny, and i doubted that the current owners deserved any rites what so ever to owning such a placid dog.

We kept Sunny here all weekend, where he played with Shady, the boys, and just wanted to put his paw on your knee and have cuddles.................. awwwwwwwwwwwwww. Before Blokey Man could exhale, he was told the dog was staying here until the owner called to pick it up. Hmmmmmmmmmm. Outnumbered 3 to 1. Well, with no response from said responsible owner, the brotherhood was sent upon to collect the dog for containment upon collection. This did not make me (US) happy, but we had to comply to the
bureaucratic red tape, and this meant enduring 9 days of confinement for the owner to comply to owner ship and responsibility of this poor animal........... Well, during that time - with the dog pound being across the road from ones premises of employment - the dog was visited daily with abundant morsals of food (ohhhhhh, poor dog - honestly he's SO skinny.............. rear hip bones sticking out!), and just heartbreaking to walk away from.

Yesterday was the day said "owner of responsibility" was supposed to collect the dog, and umpteen promises were made to have it picked up - because she wasn't available................ and it never happened. Today I called to collect Sunny, only to be told that the Red Tape of
Bureaucracy had extended to irresponsible ownership for a further 7 days in writing, which was a real hoot. Friggen dog had endured some awful frosts with minimal bedding, to be given another chance at being starved and mistreated.............. You can say I'm exaggerating, but the owner is a drop kick and the DOG deserves better.

By next MONDAY, we will know if Shady will have a play mate. I will be "EXTREMELY DISAPPOINTED" if that so called owner collects the poor dog........... I would hate to work in a pound, I'd have a dozen dogs...........

So, today i went back to work, and work i did, flat out! I am trying NOT to let my job take over my life - as I have done in the past, but it seems to be a bit demanding. I am trying to implement ways to minimize the workload - but i know from experience that i need to be hands on for a while to sort that out. I hope i can help without interrupting my family life too much, and i know already that the owners are really decent people that will not apply too much pressure. I really am lucky.

Well, I think I'd like to upload one of my other "52 Pick Up" challenges - there is 52 after all, and it's ME we're talking about so I've got to get my A into G............... so here is one I've submitted earlier...... Details below.















This is a photo of my niece's daughter, Willow. She has, for some time, been referred to as "Pixie", to the point where she now thinks her name is Pixie!.. This seemed a great opportunity to demonstrate one of my 52 Pick Up layouts, and it actually covered two different sections, but i went with the stamping on alpha's. The photo is so natural, and she SO has her mother's pout - how could you NOT want to scrap that!? So, I am another challenge down, and very pleased with my dear niece's little cherub as part of my layout. I wonder if she knows she has another sibling in a future layout???????????


cheers

jaywhat


Tuesday 16 June 2009

New Challenges

Oh my, it's been a long while since I've posted so thought I would make an effort to jump in and do some updating. Lots going on I guess, so I'll start with the first one: my new Scrap Site - "The Little Scrapbook Shop"

I found this whilst surfing and looking for some retreat info. They have a very lively forum, a great Design Team, and the whole site is very organized and well maintained. It's in here that i decided to join one of their online competitions to motivate myself with my scrapping. It's called the "52 Pick Up", and entails completing 52 tasks set by alternating members of the DT for 52 weeks. Now this is set as one task per week, and can be layouts, cards, off the page projects - you don't know from one week to the next. Each DT members sets their own rules for the task, and they don't have to be done in any order (unless you want to be in the running for their MONTHLY prizes, whereby you have to complete all the TASKS for that one month). Now that ain't going to happen here! So, I have been browsing through the list and picking tasks to work on, and am most happy to say that i am achieving! Feels pretty good.... I have attached the link above for the gallery, and i am set up with the same user, so you can search my work or just browse them all - jaywhat is me!

The last one i worked on was the monochromatic, which i did using purple. Looks better here on the easle than it does uploaded, but anyway. It's of Riley sitting on a concrete pylon out the road, and we were watching the Black Saturday fires running up the Mudgegonga Valley. Given it was midnight, i had to put a purple and organge hue through the photo to show the fires better - and was really happy with the result. I then put in a hidden pocket for a poem that i wrote, and it sits behind the photo. I'm going to put the photos in here for you to see, then i will upload the other "Pick Ups" and do a short story on each (...........you, a short story i hear you say! Well, i'm going to try then!)

I must also add at this point that it has been quite a treat to rock up to soccer on Sunday's to find that I am met with numerous compliments about my scrapping, as Blokey Man has taken my LAYOUTS down to training on the Thursday before to show everyone............. DOH! And he bags me out for spending time in my scrap room!
















As I look upon this sight,
I pray to God with all my might,
Protect their homes, and save their lives -
the people fleeing as the fires rise.

Combustive fury,
firey wall,
Roaring a path before us all.

I ask you God - What good is this,
the aches inside,
the fear,
distress...

Mother Nature please be kind,
Right the wrongs - I think it's time.
Engulf the flames and still the winds,
submit to rainfall, let hope begin...















Well, that's one post done - and i will attempt to make a much better effort at keeping the updates more regular - there is SO much more to show and tell!!

cheers

jaywhat