Sooo black bathrooms

Matching black bathroom for the bedroom. See what I mean about the lighting? I also hate subway tiles, they remind me of Flinders Street railway station. Not fussed about the copper fixtures either. And all the reno shows I've been watching are putting in Granite etc bench tops but an Australian show yesterday had a professional on that said it was bad to put the sink underneath as the surround can chip. Finally some one with sense. Personally I love the basin that sit on top and I love the oval greenish glass ones until I found out the price so porcelain will do.

Okay so it has a chandelier in a coffered (I had to use that word, just found out what it was) ceiling. Toilet - black, if you can't see it perfectly in that chandeliered light then how about daylight.  I can't even see if the lid is up or down and it must be down according to my Feng Shui book or your money goes down the drain. I do like the square pedestal bottom but the flushing handle, for sure I would crash into that every time I sat down but I would like it on the side. Love the basin, like the marble and love the legs, love the hand towell and the mirror.  But have you noticed something missing, like toilet roll so is this a bidet with a hot fan to dry the bits? A mystery so you see what I mean about black. 

Another black hole in space.  There are curtains on the left hiding the shower and there's no way our exs would not have missed peeing in the wrong direction. Love the wall paper and the mirror.  See what I mean about the basin sitting on top of the bench, more space. Don't know about the greenery, it looks cheap unless it is a de-smelling plant.  Noticed again, no toilet roll. Don't like the ultra slim pedestal, I have a feeling I would do untold damage to that and the corner of the bench top looks a might sharpish just right for a fat hip to hit. I have to give this one an epic fail.

 

Now I'm rather partial to these tiles though but I can hear my mother now giving the one decent piece of advice that turned out to be excellent.  Always have white on the bathroom floor because of the talcum powder.  She was right, unbelievable how far powder can fly and accumulate in corners.  Worse if you use baby cornstarch powder with aloe and you should use that since Talcum is crushed mineral and Johnson's baby powder just got pulled for having adulterated stuff in the talc. I have a small heater in the bathroom to warm up the bones and if the powder floats in there, the whole bathroom smells like baking scones. Now back to the tiles, I would love them in pearl and matt hint of palest pink, just a blush, nothing more kitsch than a hot pink bathroom or purple with a gold bath, I couldn't bring myself to post that.
Go to town in the comments except if I've insulted your purple bathroom. I know it's not yours Andrew, you're more the sultry lux crimson.

Poor Antikva, crunched a fetlock again.

She blamed me for telling her to be careful and demanded to know why her bedroom hadn't been prepared and posted.  Very hard to find a black and gold over the top room but I think this does the job.  I did find a black and gold bathroom to match but it was so dark it didn't show up well.  In fact it was so dark I would have had to put in strobe lights so she would find the fittings and not fall in the bath and crunch another fetlock.
The seat at the end of the bed looks big but only because at the push of a button, a flat screen tv slides up and has been pre-loaded with every season of Midsomer Murder.

Every time I look at this I want to close my eyes and sleep.  An unexpected visitor last week had me trying to do two years house cleaning in two days. I didn't do too badly with one small pile still left which is mostly papers and plastic bags, some of mother's still with me. Now I could have sworn I'd been through all of her stuff but friend who dragged another two bags to the op-shop rang and said she'd found my enduring Power of Att. in a pocket of a purse, dated 2000.  I must check that I haven't still been carrying around in my new purse another copy.  It reminded me that I have to change my will again, more money but only needs one paragraph.  No funeral, since I intend to outlive you all but I'll send a tweet and you lot can organize the grog blog get together. I've been told that in the spirit world there is no sense of time so we can have a 20 year party and not get bored. The LNP are going to the other place so we won't be worried by them.

Take care Antikva, you only have two legs.

You knew I'd be back although it's been a crap year so far.

I just could not help myself, I had to post this photo.  Aren't they gorgeous?  I love that my granddaughter looks so serene and happy as a mother almost as though she's found something that she didn't know she needed.


We are up to the Year of the Rooster but I feel I'm being pecked to death by money grubbers not birds.
First a letter from Optusnet saying they will not be supporting 2G phones past March. Mother has a 2G cheap pre-paid mobile.  It's easy she presses one button and gets me but not anymore, they won't put any more money on pre-paid.  So now a pre-paid cheap Optusnet phone has to be bought and I am not teaching her to use it.  I'll get them to put in the sim card which I have to pick up at the Home on the way to Southland and my home phone number on speed dial.

I had another call before I left on Tuesday.  He was doing eye testing at the Home and mother had picked out lens and frames, a bit of a cataract, two degrees deterioration and that will be $500 please.
This is an aged care home, pensioners, half of whom wouldn't have a clue what he was doing. I asked him if they were gold plated and he gave me a discount of $60, that'll be $440.00 please.  Now I hadn't been informed he was coming, Mum has her own girl who knows how to handle elderly people but she isn't allowed in anymore only if affliliated with SCcare.  Mum's a bit deaf in one ear so probably only heard half of what he said.  Arrives the daughter in a filthy mood because my foot is hurting.  They had put up an eye chart which mum couldn't read (not the only one to complain) and then handed some frames to try.  Can anyone tell me why you would take frames already fitted with prescription lenses and expect old people to be able to see in a mirror?  It isn't polite to go someone who is smaller than oneself but it took him 2 seconds to hit mum's room with the frames.  The frames that he said she picked out were absolutely revolting, too small and almost black and on a face as white as a sheet, they didn't look good.  She didn't like them and was certain she hadn't picked them. I made him go through 15 frames before I was satisfied and she looked good.  She always has a pink tint and he didn't want to do that.  She has a large black spot just between the eye and nose, we know what it is and it isn't being touched but the frames mustn't touch it.  That will be $440 please, not until I'm there to make sure they fit, she can see through them and they have a pink tint. I really will have to stop watching Vikings.

Then there's next door, the new neighbours.  A letter in the box informs me that want a new fence as soon as possible and my share will be........but my share won't be that because the fine print says owners must removed all tree roots, rocks and shrubs which would cost me in the region of nearly $400 to get a gardener (Mick the Mower just mows) and I know there is one shrub which is holding the fence up and it's a beast to cut.  I've cut it right to the ground at least 3 times and back up she comes.  Ivy all along and over, Lillypilly tree in the corner with roots underground.  And then in the finer print, when they are digging the post holes, it's $20 for every rock or root they come across and I know there's a mound of bluestones  up the side way thanks to stupid ex. Also $500 to pull the fence down and remove.  I've told them I have no money, none especially for a gardener, they don't have trees right on the fence.  Now hernextdoor has taken photos of the fence and will get involved and that's when I will lose either money or a limb.  We'll talk it out over the weekend and he can see what's involved on my side, poverty, his side, two grown sons and him with salaries.

And for the cherry on top, Bank of Melbourne has fixed my mother's ATM card so that if I use it for her bits and pieces, the money comes out of my account instead of hers. 
If you hear of a woman being arrested at Southland tomorrow, you'll know who it is.

And mother is back on oxygen, ventolin and antibiotics, thank you, Year of the Rooster.

Penguins for Elephants

I went looking for a really good penguin photo for Elephant's child for her competition win and I was lost for hours.  Penguins everywhere and cute and I can't resist cute so you're getting cute penguin blog and liking it.

 How can you not keep calm watching penguins excepts with Attenborough who likes to draw your attention to every predator in the Southern Ocean chewing and chomping down on baby penguins. Not calming David!

 This is for calming sleep.  EC you will be dreaming of Antarctica and ice bergs and little swimmy friends all night.

And dreaming of all that water will bring about the usual consequences but I've got that covered as well.  That toilet roll holder is just the most and the only thing to make it better is a fishy voice screeching, "fill it up" when the roll runs out.

Just had to ask this question, do they have knees?  I mean they're a bit short on for legs so maybe knees aren't there but we should know this. We should know if penguins have knees.  And because this is keeping you up you should have a calming cup of something, gin, vodka, anything.

And while you are pondering the wisdom of penguins having knees, your cat is nicking your chocolate chip cookie and so it goes on, do cats have knees?

Tiffany Blue

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YA

HAAAAAAAAAPY BIRTHDAY

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO OLD O'DYNE

MAY SHE SEE MANY MORE

MOTTO FOR OLDIES

SORRY IT'S NOT IN TIFFANY BLUE

 

Mother crisis again.

Which means I have only enough time to post this for River (not enough time to link).

If you look carefully there are two heart shaped diamonds at the sides and more on the shank.
It's dainty and River is small so the two should be joined. I just have to win tattslotto first.

Awards night.

Liebster is a German word that translates to; dearest, beloved or in this case favorite. The idea of the Liebster Award is to give it to an up and coming blog with fewer than 200 followers. – in order to create new connections, and bring attention to their wonderful blogs.



Here are the conditions that go along with accepting the award;



1. Thank the Liebster Blog Award presenter on your blog.


2. Link back to the blogger who presented you the award.


3. Copy and paste the Liebster Blog Award on your blog.


4. Present the award to 5 bloggers who have a following 200 or less, who you feel deserve it.


5. Let them know they have been chosen by leaving a comment on their blog.


Thank you Elephant's Child and now for the hard part.


It's amazing how many blogs have disappeared from my list and deserted to Farcebook, even the political blog L.P. has shut up shop. 


My first award is for Miss Ann O'Dyne.  I can't link to her because she's in seclusion due to the League of Trolls making her blog life miserable. From the first time we met and almost wrecked a small eatery (broken glasses, tipped over bottles, fights with Lord Sedgwick) we've been blogmates.


Then another blogger who blogs so infrequently that it's always a joy to see a post. Take a bow Brandyman and hug your best beloved and Bear and Mits.


I really couldn't leave out my IT consultant Antikva an artist of note and noted for her injuries. How can I not love someone who falls over more often than I do.


Our Fen who is currently propping up another hospital bed deserves a bucket of love.  Keep writing Fen, reading about another's pain makes me feel so much better. She also has the most beautiful cats.


And my last goes overseas to a very funny boi who treasure acorns, Dr Who and Lego.  If I need a laugh and Sedgwick's off his game then this is the blog I run to.  The first thing I aim to do when I win Tattslotto is send him every StarWars lego toy in the inventory.

Damned hard work awarding awards and unlike the Logies, Oscars and Brownlow, I'm not even close to being pissed.

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaannnndd

A HAPPY BIRTHDAY

CUPCAKE

FOR HAWT ANDREW

A BLUE RIBBON NOM

River said her mince pies were good

enough to eat without cream.

She's right, they're noms I could

seriously nom without cream.

I award you the Nom d'Nom Prix.

FOR PEOPLE WHO OPEN BIRTHDAY PRESENTS ON THE WRONG DAY

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO HAWTANDREW

I hired a Butler for the day just to open

this gem.

From Dalmore Distillery's 1951 Sirius Vintage

single malt whiskey with a cask strength of 45%

10,000 English quid a bottle

I don't stint for friends

I see someone already gave you a nice tray

but this one is much better for holding the glass.

You see what I mean, frightfully modern but perfect
for the tray.

You've had a balloon ride so
I bought you a yacht.


And a sailor.
I would have wrapped him
but the paper kept getting wet
and falling apart.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

BENDIGO FROCKBLOG

This evening dress was such a joy to stand and stare at which is what Antikva and I did at the Bendigo Art Gallery yesterday, frequently backing into other bloggers doing the same thing.

The dress was by Antonio del Castillo for Lanvin Castillo, made in silk zibeline by Staron and embroidered by Lesage in Paris, 1957.

If you put it up as wallpaper, you'll be able to see the chenille-work, with sequins, beads and stones.

It is timeless and could easily be worn on a red carpet today but by only a few 'stars' with the class to carry it off. We aren't talking Paris or Britney here.

Before slathering over the frocks, our little blogging group gathered in the park behind the Bendigo Art Gallery. Unfortunately for me, we were sitting on the ground, not the type of thing I do with any elegance. I don't care what Lord Sedgwick said, the rotunda down the steep slope was preferable to the elephant hitting the pine needles on top of the hill.

It's always nice to put faces to blogposts and find out we are all mad, artistic, fantastic, absurdly thin in figure and fabulously beautiful enough to make the Gods of Olympus jealous. Well, really! Does this blog ever lie?

The gift shop had book on jewellery and fashion but I was good and only bought the catalogue of the exhibition. Such shiny pages, so much drool.

A thoroughly lovely day and no animals were harmed by the driving of Miss O'Dyne.

PS. never miss an opportunity to hit the cafes and cake shops of Malmesbury. The orange and coconut flourless cake almost came up to the perfection of the exhibition. I should have asked if they deliver.

WHAT A SWELEGANT ELEGANT PARTY IT WAS

It was a great night but I nearly didn't make it. Damn I need to diet. That costume fitted where it touched and it wasn't touching much. That's not a thong I'm wearing they're full size cottontails disappearing into those buns. But I had great hair.

Sedgwick was into the fun and came in costume but got overexcited and made a perfect beast of himself. Thank the Goddess for Hot Andrew who is a whizz with ropes and knots (we never ask and he won't tell) and had him under control in no time or the party could have been over before it started.

Our lovelyAnnie O'Dyne came armed for bear but those weapons were nearly needed for bigger prey, with wings. Aren't her tatts just the most? Eat your heart out Angelina.

Lord Hughes came as the Eagle of the Ninth Legion but just couldn't keep his talons to himself. The lovelyBella gave him a swift knee to the tail feathers and he was banished to sit amongst the pumpkins with the still rampaging Sedgwick.

While the drama went on overhead, Caroline rode in on Luke, also in costume as a battle horse.

Perhaps I should have specified 'no pets' on the invitations but Jayne had her friend from the garden club under strict control having fed him several trick or treaters before she left home.

And a glow of starlight from the west brought the Muriels in to party. Fortunately Lord Hughes was still fighting with Lord Sedgwick in the pumpkins so they were able to land without problems.

A zephyr from the north brought our Middle Child and a fairy friend for company.

A swirl around our ankles and River flowed by in a costume of strategically placed lotus blossoms.

We all felt a tremor in the force so knew Robbbert had arrived in his usual guise as the invisible man but Middle Child's fairy scattered glitter to the wind in the trees and we caught a glimpse of our mystery guest.

Davo sent his apologies. He's spending Halloween sailing the Cape of Storms with The Flying Dutchman.

Phil is in a car with no brakes and racing to beat the Devil.

I have to go and lie down now. Somebody has taken my head in exchange for a pumpkin which is lying heavily on my shoulders. I'm surprised we have any pumpkins left. The mess an eagle and a beast can make while whooping it up is unbelievable. You're all invited to Halloween next year, leave the pets at home.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

A very very Happy First Birthday
to
Miss Charlotte.

Your two Mums have done a
fantastic job of
raising a beautiful child.

I'SE GOT FLOWERS!

Highriser sent me a bouquet of pretties. I was very careful with them Andrew but the boi you hid in the middle must have fallen out. I looked everywhere. Could you please send another one?

FRIENDS ARE A JOY FOREVER BUT CUPCAKES TASTE BETTER

The Bwca, who is currently riding herd on cats, dogs and chickens, sent me a virtual birthday afternoon tea. I've set it as wallpaper but my tongue keeps getting stuck on the screen. Somewhere at Southland tomorrow I will find cupcakes and blackforest cake in real life.

I will inhale them without a moment's hesitation and guilt will be shoved under a rock for the day.

SNIVELLING WITH GRATITUDE

I am, believe it. I've been cradling the keyboard for the last five minutes and chewing nails down to fingers.
Two days without my lifeline, my internet, my blog, I even missed Robbbert. (I've given him 3 b's for happiness)
I was even sweet to the tech support Peter Sellers imitator.
Nothing wrong with connecting to the internet just the computer not letting me load pages or emails with a little message saying "server not found".
Tech support took me through all the default settings, nothing wrong there so he suggested it might be the anti-virus. Turned off all security, nothing, so turned it back on.
Then I found something called system restore, shiny. Just pick a highlighted date which has restore points and click. Back to July 1st, before children downloading MySpace/youtubes and I was in business.
All I have to do is remember where I found it.
The joy of seeing a page load.
Checked in with blogger dashboard. It's official I have a big mouth, 769 posts since October 2005.
This internet thing is almost as good as chocolate and gin, almost.

HELLO CHILDREN, MUMMY'S BACK

Yes, I'm here and there you all are, fighting, insulting and threatening to shoot each other. Thank the Goddess, my blog family still lives.
I haven't been well, still not well but aiming to get better by sometime next week.

The visit, not exactly a success. The girls arrived at 1.30 p.m. on Thursday so instead of a leisurely stroll around Southland and a nice lunch, everything was rush and more rush. Head off to mother's and take photos, see sister and forget to take photos. Pizza for tea in between turns on the computer to talk to friends in Queensland. Bed by 11.30 and they sleep until after midday on Friday so no wander over to the DFO just videos, left over pizza and more turns on the computer. They are picked up at 7 p.m. Friday night and by 7.30 I'm in bed with a migraine that would fell a draughthorse.

The girls love me but I'm not part of their lives. A two year gap of non-communication left me without anything to talk about. There's an old saying about not being able to go back but it's just as hard to go forward. They didn't want photos taken, one reads books, the other doesn't even read the trash magazines for teens, in fact doesn't read books at all. They like clothes but not make-up. They did allow me to buy some jewellery. One is happy at school, the other is about to start at her third school after being put on the 'expell ladder' at the expensive private school.

Their other family in Melbourne has had parties, having parties and planning parties so I was lucky to have a few hours. A few hours aren't enough to encourage confidences and I could tell the subjects that were taboo including the 'expelling' one. They were happy to see me, happy to be here and I get the feeling that it's an oasis of quiet between parties where they recharge the batteries.

My sister, who's never been in this position, says I'm seeing the glass half empty but a few hours don't make up for the years lost and it's painful to deal with it. I'm not the type to use them as substitutes because my son's dead, I like them for themselves.

So I'm dealing with it and the headache and mother and what feels like a very dead-end life at the moment except for my blog family whose comments have made me laugh for the first time in days.

HEY BEAR

Oi Gerry
will this do?
Or maybe this one?
I'm trying to be kind to the aged here.

Bloody bear

I HAVE A REASON TO EAT

I eat when I'm stressed and now there's an earthquake to stress about.

The way to shoot a diet down in flames is to have AustraliaPost deliver a cupcake to the door at 8.30 in the morning. It was from the Vintage Garden and Cupcake Cafe in Buninyong and it was just the best breakfast and worst diet thing ever. Thank you Dysthy.

Just to make sure I didn't do a diet right meal all day I finally made it to San Sebastian and their fabulous vanilla slice delight in Hampton. This is not just a vanilla slice, it's a meal but the chairs are a snug fit for a large bum. It's also expensive but worth it.

Then I had a flu shot, blood pressure which was 45 points lower than the last one and then I made it to the bus with two minutes to spare before the ticket expired. Now I call that a good day.

TIME

I've had a week of past years coming back to haunt me. A neighbour passing me in the supermarket with another grandchild in tow and telling me about the next one about to be born.
"And how are yours?"
"I don't know. No word, no photographs in twelve months."

Home to another email from another neighbour to let me know that a girl my son grew up with had given birth to a baby boy. She already has two girls, the eldest a year younger than my granddaughter. I haven't seen her for 10 or 12 years but it sounds as though she's happy and going well. And I swear and tear up because she's here and he's not.

I give myself a mental shake and remind myself that thinking like that is not fair to her. She's 35 and made it through anorexia, drug addiction, being pimped out by a boyfriend and getting Hep C but not HIV through good fortune. She's here because I helped her throughout her life.

I helped her on the day of the funeral when she wept in my arms. When she cried, "I'm nothing. I'm no use to anyone so it should be me that's dead. It should be me." But it wasn't and I want for her to be a wonderful mother with her life full of laughter.

So I dragged out the box of mementos and read the notice she'd put in for Euan.

Euan (tragically) died aged 24. I've know you since I can remember, and to think of all the things we got up to when we were kids and young teenagers. There's a never ending list; Pavlovas in the face, swimming lessons with you and all our birthday parties when we were young. I could go on forever. I'm just thankful I was the one who had the privilege to have grown up all my life with such a fine young man who was taken far too soon, and will live on forever in my heart and mind and memories over the past 24 years that can never be taken away. Rest in peace my little matey. All my love forever.

Iwant her to live in happiness forever, the bubbly blonde with the blue eyes who laughed and fought with him and loved him.