Category Archives: ponderings

day 23 – i see dead things

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Got home after work, the dentist, whatever, and took the dogs out for a run in the paddock while we fed the horses. Again, great poodles! Went right past all the chooks and ducks and didn’t blink, even when a duck fluttered.
The poodles had been running back and forth along the fenceline, sniffing everything, peeing on everything and even, thank you Montana, rubbing in things. 
Mischa went out and came back with a mouthfull of something crunchy.
A dead wallaby.
What was left of a dead wallaby.
Yeech.
I had to pick it up (don’t ask) and throw it far, far away.
Well, about 2 feet away… as far as I could throw a crunchy, imminently breakable thing which was threatening to fall apart as I held it as gingerly as possible.
Then, we come into the yard and I find a dead baby blackbird on the grass behind the house. (Yes, we have blackbirds nesting in the roof… sigh).
I picked it up, it was big but just starting to get fuzz, no feathers.
I gave it a ‘long grass burial (ie I threw it into the long grass on the other side of the fence) and then found another three!
Wayne said we only need 20 more to make a pie.
Hmph.
Thing is, they weren’t tiny babies. Why weren’t they safe in their nest? Did their mother throw them out? Did someone else? One things for sure, they didn’t jump. They were pushed!
What I did today:
Visited the dentist. Again. Bought chaff. Forgot to buy dishwashing liquid from the supermarket. Re-arranged the office so I could get a better reception on the internet.
What I didn’t do:
Finish re-arranging the office. Have dinner.
Better go do that now.
z

day 13 – roadkill furniture and other finds

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Today has been a great day. Mostly. It all started with a great find on the side of the road.
I was on my way to the work garage sale in Hobart when I spotted something on the side of the road. Was it alive? Was it dead? What kind of animal was it?
It wasn’t an animal at all! As I whizzed past I caught a glimpse of something timber with scalloped edges.
I braked so hard I almost sent poor Romeo into the middle of next week. I parked and ran back to find this beauty.
Someone was obviously taking it to the tip. See, the top is missing, broken off, maybe under a pile of rubbish at the tip as we speak.
It was wobbly, nothing tightening up and a bit of glue wont fix. And its got a few scrapes where it hit the asphalt. Just right for a shabby look. It was calling my name, thanking me profusely for rescuing it from a fate worse than death at the tip. Its promised me years of loyalty if I fix it up and give it a new top.
Not a bad way to start the day.
So, I did go to the garage sale, and took Romeo with me. He’s been to work with me a few times and some of the clients met him and ask me about him all the time. It was great to take him there and see some of them and give them a chance to see Romeo all grown up. Both Romeo and the clients loved it.
I got this from the garage sale – its metal but light and over 12in long.
 
From there we walked up the road to a church fair where I bought some home made jam and Romeo got more attention. He’s such a well behaved boy, more focussed on me than anything else. I could have him offlead and he wouldn’t leave my side.
After that I had a toy poodle puppy to do a show groom on, and back at home I had 2 more small mixed breed dogs to do. One a new customer and one a regular.
Then the day went downhill…
Did I mention to you that I have competition in town now? A dog grooming salon has opened in New Norfollk.
Well, to add insult to injury, I heard today that they’ve named the shop VALLEY DOGS.
This is my logo:
Its not a registered name as I have an ABN (Australian Business Number) for my name, not a particular business so I can groom or paint or whatever, but its what’s on my business cards and the name I’ve listed in the local directory!!!
In fact, I got a call on Friday from a lady who wanted me to groom her golden retriever next week. After booking her in she said ‘You’re in Willow Court, aren’t you?’ I said no, I was in Magra…
So… she obviously saw the sign they had out on the road in town and looked ‘them’ up in the local directory and got me. She booked in with me. 
What can I do? Do I have any rights given its not a registered name? I mean, I’ve been using it for 2 years now. Surely that counts for something. If they have registered the name as a business though… what do I do?
Sigh.
I’m not happy.
z

the aussie attitude

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Just looked back… Isn’t it funny that I did more on my ‘day off’ than I did on any other day?

Then again… a day off is a day to do what I want to do, not to work. That would explain it. When given a day to myself to do as I like, I’ll chose creative activities on projects, art or the house.

Or garden. Usually only when push comes to shove on that one.

This morning I woke up to the news that some guy is planning to sky dive from space. Okaaaaay…. If thats what he wants to do. Then they mentioned his assistance/support/trainer/whatever is an Aussie.

He’s stuffed.

I can picture it now:

“Hey, there’s a rip in my suit.”

“She’ll be right mate! Just put a band aid over it.”

Gotta give it to Aussies for their relaxed ‘laissez faire’ attitude. Only they’d say ‘she’ll be right’ cause french is too posh for beer swilling men wearing blue singlets, shorts and blunnies (Blundstones workboots) and holding a tinny (can of beer).

I also read a blog post by John Heald on FB which spoke about the similarities, and mainly differences, between the English and the Australians. Here’s an excerpt:

“Aussies live outdoors, have teak-tough bodies, huge muscles, and beards, drink 10 cans of Fosters for breakfast and believe sport is all …………. and that’s the women. The Brits, by contrast, live on the sofa, drink tea and watch 10 hours of TV a day.”

What, you will ask, am I doing following a blog written by a guy on Amerian cruise ships? Short story: a friend follows him and got me onto it, but mostly I only read the posts she flags for me.

Has anyone read Douglas Adams’ Hitchhikers Guide to Australia? Its kills me every time.

Here are a couple of my favourite bits:

“The second confusing thing about Australia are the animals. They can be divided into three categories: Poisonous, Odd, and Sheep.
It is true that of the 10 most poisonous arachnids on the planet, Australia has 9 of them. Actually, it would be more accurate to say that of the 9 most poisonous arachnids, Australia has all of them. However, there are curiously few snakes, possibly because the spiders have killed them all. But even the spiders won’t go near the sea.”


“Alone of all the races on earth, they seem to be free from the ‘Grass is Greener on the other side of the fence’ syndrome, and roundly proclaim that Australia is, in fact, the other side of that fence. They call the land “Oz”, “Godzone” (a verbal contraction of “God’s Own Country”) and “Best bloody place on earth, bar none, strewth.” The irritating thing about this is they may be right.”


“Typical Australian sayings:
* “G’Day!”
* “It’s better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick.”
* “She’ll be right.”
* “And down from Kosciusko, where the pine clad ridges raise their torn and rugged battlements on high, where the air is clear as crystal, and the white stars fairly blaze at midnight in the cold and frosty sky. And where, around the overflow, the reed beds sweep and sway to the breezes, and the rolling plains are wide. The Man from Snowy River is a household word today, and the stockmen tell the story of his ride.” 

Well, enough fun. I have to get to work!

z

 

31 days topic

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After much deliberation, I have decided what my 31 Day topic will be. I figured the only way to post for 31 days straight is if its about something I already love doing, right? Makes sense.
So my topic for 31 Days will be Wishful Thinking.
aka Everything I Planned to Do But Didn’t.
aka Crossing Things Off the To Do List.
Or Real Life if you prefer…
It’ll be about life at Wind Dancer Farm – with all its ups and downs, dog hair, mess and unwashed dishes (I sure hope my mother doesn’t read my blog!), dogs, horses, chickens, ducks and more rainwater than we have use for. But mainly about my our ongoing battles projects, new projects, planned projects, unfinished projects and dream projects.
For the 31 Days of October I hereby promise to post daily about the simple (complicated, frustrating, funny) things in our daily lives which make Wind Dancer Farm a home.
So what’s different, you ask? Well, the fact that I’ll be posting daily about things I planned to do but didn’t quite manage as well as things I did do.
I wish I could say I’ll post about interesting projects every day, but real life ain’t like that. You can’t be in control of everything all the time, much as I would love to. For example: a chipped filling last night which necessitated an emergency dentist appointment today. 
Life is unpredictable and the best laid plans are only there as a rough guideline to what you’d like to do today if all goes well, the stars align and you held your tongue just right in the corner of your mouth when you wrote your To Do Today list.
z

to 31 or not to 31

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The dilema continues to rage inside my head.
Do I do this thing or do I not? Can I do anything for 31 days straight?
Remember, we’re talking about a person who has the attention span of a gnat. Most people who are successful in their chosen field are successful cause they choose something and stick with it.
I’ve chosen lots of things in my life, done really well in them for a while, then got bored and moved on.
Rock’n’Roll dancing. Roller blading. Breeding standard poodles. Showing poodles. Graphic design. Art. Gardening.
No. Never gardening. I only put that in to see if you were still paying attention.
What I’m saying is that I get all enthusiastic about something, do it for a while, do it well, then move on. I can, and sometimes still do, the things I’m good at (artist, designer, grooming show poodles), but I dedicate my time to my next new thing.
Thats why I don’t have a ‘product’ to make/sell. I make one or two ‘somethings’, get bored and find something else to keep my mind and fingers busy. 
And trust me, I have a LOT of different ‘somethings’ on the go all the time.
I guess thats why I like painting – every painting is new and different, even if the subject is the same. The interpretation or ‘expression’ is different every time.
Back to the matter at hand – I’ve been torn over the 31 days project for the last week or so.
I thought I had the best idea: to make my 31 days days of making do and using what I have and not spending money. In theory its a great idea. Teach me a thing or two about money.
Then I realised I would end up having to spend money when I found I needed 45mm screws instead of 25mm or 65mm ones. Or when the curtain I decided to make needed a curtain rod I didn’t have.
So I thought, maybe I should make do as much as possible and limit myself to buying the ‘finishing’ touches if necessary…
And I thought I could make it about making stuff from nothing… or from as little as possible. From junk, in other words..
Then I realised that’s what I already do! I pick things up from tip shops (or our back paddock) and make them into something people might want to put in their homes.
So what would be the point in doing 31 days of the same ol’ thing?
Grrrrrrr.
I’d talked myself into a full circle and talked myself out of the idea.
I’m frustrated.
Maybe I should just do what another blogger I follow is doing: simply blogging daily for 31 days. Not only is that copying, but…
I’m not interesting 31 days in a row!
Wahhhh! This is where I throw myself on the ground and have a tantrum.
Maybe I should write 31 Memories From My Childhood.
Or 31 days of crazy rennovation/furniture re-making ideas… Name that one 31 Days of Big Plans. Or just 31 Days of Eye Rolling From My Other Half.
What about 31 Days of Finishing What I Start? (All the languishing products in the shed…)
31 Days of not complaining about anything Positive Thinking?
31 Small Treasures?
Hey. I kinda like that one. It can mean anything – its a broad topic… But I might get too mushy. Like I do when I talk about my poodles…
Or 31 Days Without Ch-Ch-Chocolate?
Ugh. I can’t even say that one!
 31 Days of Reducing. A worthwhile topic.
My weight would be good, but I was thinking along the lines of possessions. Things we don’t need. Clutter. Stuff under beds. Things you never use but keep cause one day you might feel the need to take it out, look at it, then put it away again. I could make a point of donating, giving away, selling or tossing one item a day for a month.
31 Things I Can Live Without. That’d work.
31 Things I Can’t Live Without. (Do I have that many things I can’t live without?)
Hm.
I have 3 more days to think about this.
3 days.
ugh.
z

nostalgia

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I got an email today with a link to the site with these colour slides from the early 1940s. They’re just gorgeous. Of course I love some of the old buildings (especially the old shop fronts with their signs) but the people are what touch me the most.
Like the faces of these cute little boys. The innocence of them. The photo looks like it was taken a week ago, but these boys probably grew up, got married and are now are grandparents. Or they are no longer alive. But they look so alive in this photo, their whole life ahead of them…
And the clothes! This is what making do and re-using what you had on hand was all about. Hand-me-downs and making dresses out of bolts of cheap fabric… We don’t know what it was really like in the depression. At least my generation and younger doesn’t.
I love this old shed, which is actually some juke joint apparently. What struck me is that this is pretty much how the side of our garage looks – all patchy pieces of corregated iron.
 What I need now is some old signs… Then I think I’ll love the patchy old shed!
z

a woman’s work is never done

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Today I was inspired. I put on a 40’s style kerchief and got to work to whip this house back into shape. If I could fit into one of my original 50s dresses, pointy toed heels and a frilly apron, I’d have gone the whole 50’s housewife look.
As it was, flannel shirt and paint splattered track pants had to do. 
The plan was to finish a few started projects (or at least move them along a step or two), clean the house (which is a disgrace – glad my mom lives thousands of miles away and isn’t likely to drop in unannounced!), and cook.
Well, I didn’t clean the house.
What I did do was remove the horizontal blinds from the kitchen window that now looks into the mud room and put a rail up to hang pans. I put a hook on the other window so that when I lift the blinds I can tie them up and they won’t come crashing down again. I folded washing. I took a couple more suncatcher/chimes down to the local cafe to replace 2 which have sold.
And I cooked. I don’t often feel like cooking but when I do, I cook tons. This morning over breakfast I flipped through my old recipe book, the one where I started writing mom’s recipes when I was a teenager. It got me all nostalgic for mom’s cooking.
I chose 3 things to make – pastitsio (a lasagne-type of dish with rigatoni), peas with tomato and dill and spring onions, and pasta flora for dessert (and snacks for work this week). 
I just wish I was as good a cook as my mom is.
z

the make-do philosophy

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I’ve been thinking…
Don’t roll your eyes.
I’ve been thinking about a few things ever since I read about the Nesting Place’s 31 Dayers. This is the link to last year’s challenge to blog on one subject for 31 days in a row, during October.
At least that’s how I understood it.
My first thought was “How exciting! I want to do it (if its on again this year).”
My second thought was “Oh, no, what would I write about?”
My third thought was “Could I do it?”

Its a huge commitment. 31 Days? Can I keep at something for that long?

Last time I said I’d do something every day was when I decided to walk every afternoon. I think the last walk I took was about a year and a half ago, precisely 3 days after making the decision.

If I did do it…I’d have to pick a topic relevant to me, my life, my blog. It would have to be something I’m interested in. It would have to be something which challenges me … and which ideally will take me a few steps outside my comfort zone, otherwise what’s the point?
So, what would my topic be?
Then I had the answer.
I could do a series on using what I have. On not spending money for everything I think I need, even if it is from an op shop.
Cause, between you and me, I have a shopping problem.
This could be my 10 step program, in 31 steps if you will. 
First admit you have a problem…
I think that I have enough stuff around here that I can tackle most of the projects I have waiting in the wings. I have things I can use to make, mend, fix, change, most of the projects on my list.
Ok. Not all of them. Some of them will need special bits purchased for them. But quite a few of them can be done using what I have on hand and my imagination.
I could make a list of the projects I can work on during the month and tackle them using only what I already have. Of course there’s its virtually impossible to do 31 projects in 31 days when you work… but surely there’s other related stuff I can post about …
So what do you think?
Should I do it?
z

the kitchen plan…

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As you know, I’m dreaming of a kitchen rennovation. From the day I saw this house, I’ve been planning a kitchen rennovation. 
I’ve measured and drawn plans using Adobe Illustrator – picking up and moving little boxes labelled ‘fridge’ and ‘table’, hitting delete when I considered removing a wall… 
I’ve been doing this regularly, about once every few months. I have a folder of kitchen plan variations to rival the Rocky film saga. However, I think I’ve finally found a plan which works for me and the space.
Now the issue moves from designing to actually doing. And doing involves money, time, money, materials, money… you get the picture.
A friend of mine shared her advice – I laughed my butt off. It was so good I thought I’d share it with you.
Kitchen Plan Version 46 – Implementation
This is where the “take your time, save and stock up ahead of time” scenario works best. You’ve measured, remeasured and measured again. You have ordered the cabinets over time and have quite the stack, with probably a couple of extras that you forgot you already bought or figured you could use in the grooming room after the kitchen is done. You’ve loaded up on plumbing bits when you’ve found them on sale. You’ve got a stack of timber waiting to line the walls. Your new light fixtures are back from being rewired and you’ve finished painting them. You got lucky and someone gave you the exact sink you had been dreaming of and you found a gorgeous faucet on clearance just a couple of months ago and had to have it. Your knobs and pulls aren’t here yet but that’s okay. You’ll do those yourself later on. And wonder of wonders, you got hold of the ideal window to replace the small one that makes you nuts! The new stove is sitting in the casita, waiting beside it’s giant range hood. All is ready.

So, day one, demolition. So is day two because you had to stop and clear out the rubble. And measure and assess, discuss and cuss, measure again and everyone agrees on where to stop on the wall that’s going down. Day three, you have a moment of panic when you see all the holes and exposed studs, and one of the dogs walked off with a board full of nails and you had to chase him down and check to see if he had any punctures in his stupid head. Wayne just tripped and scraped the entire side of his head and you think he should see a doctor because his ear doesn’t look like it’s attached.

Day four, you’re back in business and the rest of the demo is done. You, being a Zefi, are cleaning and cleaning and then cleaning a little more. And having a small panic but you work it off with cleaning.

Day five, the electrician comes by (two days late but that worked out, didn’t it?)  and you show him where he needs to reroute wiring and get things ready for the next time he comes out. The plumber pulls in just as the electrician is leaving and you’ve got to show him his part and convince him that what he says is impossible really isn’t. You’re paying and he should just do it, dammit.

The carpenter hasn’t arrived yet and he was supposed to have been here this morning. You’re pissed.

You’re so pissed, you start opening up the packages and put together the first of the cabinets. And realize that you can do this.

Day six, you’re wiped out because you spent the entire night building cabinets and you’re frustrated because you have to go groom 4 dogs and you don’t have the time to get Wayne to help you haul the cabinets in and put them in place temporarily so you can work out the configuration in your mind.

Day seven, Chris has arrived to help because you called him 17 times and threatened his “gentleman’s sausage” (thanks, John Heald! LOL). Between you, the cabinets get hauled into the house and you send the men away so you can start shifting things around and trying this or that layout. Wayne is talking about having you committed because you HAD figured it out and now you’re re-figuring? He and Chris rush to the pub because you threw a handful of cash at them, tied around rocks to make sure they get the hint.

They skulk into the house in the wee hours of the morning, fearful that you’re still in there, moving stuff around.

Day 8, you ply the boys with aspirin for their hangover and insist they eat a big, greasy breakfast because you have a cunning plan and they’re needed to execute it. You grumble for the next 5 hours because they grabbed their plates and disappeared into the brush. They took all four dogs because they’re not animals and they were worried about bloodshed.

They return in the evening and you’re waiting…with tool belts ready to go. Their punishment for sneaking away is to line the walls with the timber you have spent all day measuring and cutting. Their choice is to do what you tell them or sing soprano for the rest of their lives.

Day 9 is more of the same – finishing the walls, working on the ceiling. Doing what they’re told because even though they ARE men and of suspect intelligence, they’re not totally stupid and they like their deep, manly voices.

Day 10, the plumber shows up and you shove the guys out of the way and with speed and superhuman strength, fling cabinets into their proper places so the sink is where it needs to be for the plumbing to be done. Because word is out in the area, the electrician shows up and is able to install all the wiring and lighting, puts the stove and hood in place with the help of the frightened plumber who would rather be escaping out the door but you’re standing right there and in minutes, the entire electrical job is complete. You allow the workmen to escape only after trying everything out. Because you pity them a little, you fix them a snack for the road on your new stove. They speed off the property, still chewing, as you’re rinsing the dishes and stacking them in the new dishwasher.

The carpenter still hasn’t shown up but you get a surprise phone call from him, begging you not to kill him and promising to be on site at 7am the following day.

Day 11, the carpenter and several very nervous helpers arrive and after you show him what is left for him to do, which isn’t much because you’ve gotten the walls and ceilings taken care of, but you do really want those gorgeous wooden countertops ready to use, please…and faster than you can formulate a thought, your kitchen is finished except the painting, and wonder of wonders, the nervous helpers are all holding brushes and rollers and asking you to please tell them which color so they can finish and be released into the wild soon. They weren’t hired to paint but they’ll do anything to get done and get out of there. You’re scary.

Day 12, the nervous helpers arrive again and you’re confused but they run past you with fear in their eyes and various strange machines in hand, and suddenly you’re hearing the sound of floor sanders as your exposed wood floors that needed a little attention are getting refinished unexpectedly  for you. Because you really ARE that scary.

Early on day 13, Wayne and Chris return from somewhere, scruffy, thinner, smelling of outdoors and unbathed armpits, followed by remarkably unsoiled dogs (because they washed and cleaned them up overnight in the grooming room while you were sleeping peacefully in the house – fear will do that…) and you’re so happy with your new kitchen, you fix them breakfast and don’t complain when their funk gets too heavy – you simply turn on your aircraft sucking range hood to pull the funk out of the kitchen. And look at that! You still have 9 days left of your holiday to decorate and start planning your next big project.

And in Hobart, several men shuddered and crossed themselves…and they aren’t even Catholic.

a little scattered…

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This weekend, while doing all the casita sorting, I also did some computer cleaning. That meant copying a ton of files off the hard drive and onto an external drive. I’d bought that drive a long time ago as a place to back up files in case this computer up and died on me suddenly.
Over the last year or so, I’ve only used it for backups – old work and photos mainly. This weekend I decided that since its always connected, I may as well move all my work, photos, projects and website files there. Leaving more space for this poor old computer to stretch its tiny brain.
That was successful, so I thought I’d delete fonts I dont need, want or use as well… not my best idea to date…
While moving photos I found a few I’d like to share… well… just because.
This is a drumcase I used as a bedside table for many years.
My brother is a drummer/percussionist, so I was used to having drum cases of all sizes around the house. In fact, Peter always had drum cases as coffee tables, side tables, you name it, it was probably a drum case.
So, when I moved to Melbourne as a student and needed furniture, I grabbed the first couple of drum cases I saw for my own bedroom. They’re great for holding blankets or off-season clothes inside while they hold a lamp and alarm clock on top.
This particular one was too black for the bedroom once I decided to go country and more girly, so I painted it. 
Isn’t paint the answer to almost any question?
Then there’s the Christmas presents from last year. I usually like to do something special with my wrapping, but this time I got lazy and used bought wrapping paper. But instead of putting gift tags on the presents, I made wire initials. Then they could keep their own initial as well.
What do you do with all those small 1st, 2nd and 3rd place ribbons you get when you show dogs? I had a million of them. (Mostly 1sts of course! LOL)
One thing I did was make a trolley cover by stitching a heap of them together like a quilt. 
A trolley is a dog crate on wheels, sort of. We use them a lot here in Australia at dog shows. They have a flat non-slip top so you can groom on top of them, put your dog(s) inside to keep them safe, and you can fill them with stuff when going to and from your car. Amazing invention.
After the cover, I still had a heap left over so I made a wreath for my door. The colours make it an almost perfect Christmas wreath. I added a big gold bow with bells, and voila.
A pretty jingly welcome to our home at Christmas.
z