GEORGIA

I absolutely LOVE it when people have no idea what they are giving away.

I love it even more when people have no idea what they are selling.

Yes, I'm an opportunist.

I did a quick circuit of a local op-shop on Wednesday while I was there dropping off some stuff, and there, lying out in the open on a table, was a rag doll.

A Kate Finn rag-doll.

In fact, one very similar to this Kate Finn Rag doll.

Please note the price.

I love these dolls. So beautifully and well made. We purchased a doll for Bethany when she went into hospital to have surgery, and we have another on layby for Amy for Christmas. I'll be ordering one to put aside for Cora when she's older.

I don't think I have ever moved so fast, or litterally snatched something off a table at an op-shop before.

I went to the counter, and heard angels sing.

I had another, good quality dolly (who's dress is easily washed) to give to my girls...

For a dollar.

Thanks and a Reward... kind of.

Thankyou all for your lovely comments about my chapter review :) I was so nervous! And, of course, after it had been up most of the day, I remembered something I really wanted to put in and had forgotten it. Isn't that just the way?

I sort of have a reward for you.

It's completely selfish though, because I hope it helps me. ;)

Centsational Girl has one of the most awesome DIY blogs out there in cyberspace. I el-oh-vee-ee it. And guess what?! She's giving away...

....

A ONE HUNDRED DOLLAR gift voucher to Lisa Leonard!

SQUEE!!

I adore Lisa's designs. I've wanted one for ages. Particularly the "Fly Free" one... when I first saw it, I caught my breath... it works beautifully for a prophesy I was given once. It would be such a sweet reminder.

But I think, if I win, I'll use the voucher for something for my mother... I've been trying to work out a way to get her 4 kids, 2 sons in law and nearly 8 grandchildren onto one pendant. So I emailed Lisa to ask a question... and she wrote back the sweetest email :) She assured me it wasn't a dumb question, but unfortunately, what I had asked for wasn't possible after all. But she did give me some lovely ideas to use instead. I'm thinking she needs to come up with a "Grandmother" range.

What do you think?

So, anyway... this is just ONE of my entries :)

That's right, Centsational Girl is giving you FOUR chances of wining this awesome prize.


..............


Why are you still here?!

The Night Before Christmas, Legally Speaking

Whereas, on or about the night prior to Christmas, there did occur at a certain improved piece of real property (hereinafter 'The House') a general lack of stirring by all creatures therein, including, but not limited to, a mouse.

A variety of foot apparel eg. stockings, socks, etc., had been affixed by and around the chimney in said House in the hope and/or belief that St Nick aka St Nicholas aka Santa Claus (hereinafter 'Claus') would arrive at sometime thereafter.

The minor residents, i.e. the children, of the aforementioned House were located in their individual beds and were engaged in nocturnal hallucinations, i.e. dreams, wherein vision of confectionary treats, including, but not limited to, candies, nuts and/or sugar plums, did dance, cavort and otherwise appear in said dreams.

Whereupon the party of the first part (sometimes hereinafter referred to as 'I'), being the joint owner in fee simple of the House with the parts of the second part (hereinafter 'Mamma'), and said Mamma had retired for a sustained period of sleep. (At such time, the parties were clad in various forms of headgear, e.g. kerchief and cap.)

Suddenly, and without prior notice or warning, there did occur upon the unimproved real property adjacent and appurtenant to said House, i.e. the lawn, a certain disruption of unknown nature, cause and/or circumstance. The party of the first part did immediately rush to a window in the House to investigate the cause of such disturbance.

At that time, the party of the first part did observe, with some degree of wonder and/or disbelief, a miniature sleigh (hereinafter, the Vehicle) being pulled and/or drawn very rapidly through the air by approximately eight (8) reindeer. The driver of the Vehicle appeared to be and in fact was, the previously referenced Claus.

Said Claus was providing specific direction, instruction and guidance to the approximately eight (8) reindeer and specifically identified the animal co-conspiritors by name: Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner and Blitzen (Hereinafter 'the Deer'). (Upon information and belief, it is further asserted that an additional co-conspiritor named 'Rudolph' may have been involved.)

The party of the first part witnessed Claus, the Vehicle and the Deer intentionally and willfully trespass upon the roofs of several residences located adjacent to and in the vicinity of the House, and noted that the Vehicle was heavily laden with packages, toys and other items of unknown origin or nature. Suddenly, without invitation or permission, either express or implied, the Vehicle arrived at the House, and Claus entered the House via the chimney.

Said Clause was clad in a red fur suit, which was partially covered with residue from the chimney, and he carried a large sack containing a portion of the aforementioned packages, toys and other unknown items. He was smoking what appeared to be tobacco in a small pipe in blatant violation of local ordinances and health regulations.

Claus did not speak, but immediately began to fill the stockings of the minor children, which hung adjacent to the chimney, with toys and other small gifts. (Said items did not, however, constitute 'gifts' to said minors pursuant to the applicable provisions of the U.S. Tax Code.)
Upon completion of such task, Claus touched the side of his nose and flew, rose and/or ascended up the chimney of the house to the roof where the Vehicle and Deer waited, and/or served as 'lookouts'. Claus immediately departed for an unknown destination.

However, prior to the departure of the Vehicle, Deer and Claus from said House, the party of the first part did hear Claus state and/or exclaim: "Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!"

Or words to that effect.

Aurthor Unknown

Martha Stewart's Christmas Holiday To-Do List

1 December: Blanch carcass from Thanksgiving turkey. Spray-paint gold, turn upside down and use as a sleigh to hold Christmas cards.
2 December: Contact local choir to record outgoing Christmas message for answering machine
3 Decmeber: Repaint Sistine Chapel ceiling with macha trim
4 December: Get new eyeglasses. Grind lens self
5 December: Fax family Christams newsletter to Pulitzer committee for consideration
6 December: Debug Windows '95
9 December: Align carpets to adjust for curvature of Earth
11 December: Lay Faberg`e egg
12 December: Take dog apart. Disinfect. Reassemble
13 December: Collect dentures. They make excelent pastry cutters, particularly for decorative piecrusts.
14 December: Install plumbing in gingerbread house
15 December: Adjust legs of chairs so all Christmas dinner guests are the same hight when sitting down
16 December: Dip sheep and cows in egg whites and roll in icing sugar to add a festive sparkle to the pasture
17 December: Drain city resevoir; refill with mulled cider, orange slices and cinnamon sticks
18 December: Float votive candles in toilet tank
20 December: Seed clouds for white Christmas
21 December: Do festive good deed. Go to several stores. Be seen engaged in last-minute Christmas shopping, thus making people feel less inadequite than they really are
23 December: Organise spice racks by genus and phylum
24 December: Build snowman in exact likeness of God
25 December: Bear son. Swaddle. Lay in colour-coordinated manger scented with homemade potpurri
New Years Eve: Give staff their resolutions. Call a friend in each time zone of the world as the clock strikes midnight in that country.
~Anon~

I Kid You Not, This Conversation Took Place

Me: Bethany, go and get in the shower.
She goes of wailing, because she's been in a foul mood all day, and I'd just scrubbed her hands with nail polish remover, as I'd just caught her hiding and painting her 'nails'

10 minutes later....

Me: Bethany, are you in the shower?
Beth:Yes.
Me: Is it on?
Beth: No

*shakes dumbfounded head*

Dekku

I stumbled across this blog yesterday, and spent the better part of it looking at some of the short film videos he (I'm presuming it's a he) has on there. I thought I'd share two of them, as I liked them particularly, for completely different reasons. The first made me laugh out loud, the second... well, I'll let the second speak for itself. It was the one I particularly wanted to share, as it gave me pause, to say the very least. I wasn't sure where it was going, but I don't think it was there. Incredibly moving.

RooDouDou This was my house the other day, I'm sure.

The Mirror This evoked such mixed emotions.

*Please note, if you go to the site and do your own perusing, that I haven't seen everything, and so I can't endorse them as family friendly. Please view at your own discretion.

Family Fun Night

Troy turned 8 yesterday. Wow.

We went ten pin bowling, and I wish we owned a camera. It was hillarious. Drew and Bethany's balls were so agonisingly slow down the lane, because basically, they put it on the ground and pushed. Watching their pins fall, as my brother Rob put it, was like watching an octogenerian lay down from standing up. Funniest thing about it was that they ended up with pretty good scores.

Troy managed to bowl a strike. Man, that kid knows how to celebrate. I think the professional bowlers (talk about making you feel lame) in the lane next to us thought it was pretty cool too.

We'll definately do it again. It was a fairly expensive little outing, $50 for three kids and three adults, but I think judging by the lights in the kids eyes, we'll have to afford it more often. I asked Rob who he thought was having the most fun, the kids, or the adults watching the kids. We couldn't quite decide.

Highlights included:
Troy throwing the ball behind him
Me falling over
Rob managing to get a gutter ball with the bumpers up
The look of pride in Drews face when he got a spare when he only had one pin to hit
The way Bethany would jump up and down as her ball slooooowly made it's way down the lane
Adam's 3 strikes and 4 spares (he's so chuffed)
Eli laughing and giggling the whole time
Amy trying to stand up, but was standing on her dress, so she headbutted the floor three times.

You so wish you were there.