He's OK (but with really bad bedhead)

Just in case anyone is wondering, Andrew wasn't on the flight from Turkey that crashed at Amsterdam's airport yesterday.  He's now sitting at the dining room table as alive and fit as ever.  Life goes on as usual.  Thank goodness.

Wednesday is Hump Day

What does a girl do when the kitchen looks like this, and this is representative of most of the rest of the house?  She goes to the free classical lunchtime concert at the Concertgebouw of course.  And gets there 47 minutes early.  But getting there early is required I've learnt over the last few weeks.  It's like trying to get into some mad rock concert.  Every person over the age of 70 (and a few below) in Amsterdam lines up, pushing and shoving to get to the front of the queue, to stand nose to grate with the fence that holds us all back until opening time (at the zoo).  When the gates open it's a free for all.  Only the first in get seats, and it doesn't even require you to be best dressed.  I've had luck the last three weeks, and a few extra minutes up my sleeve.  Here's hoping my luck will continue.  Onto other things, I had to whip up a late little birthday present (late because of visitors/uni starting/my slackness, little because postage is a killer).  These littlies were easy-peasy lemon-squeezy.  All you do is cut 3 circles from satiny ribbon (I used a small roll of sticky tape, a film container and a 1 euro coin for my circles) and singe the edges with a candle, sew them together with a bead in the middle and sew them onto either a hair elastic or a hair clip.  See, I said it was easy-peasy.  If anyone is interested, the red one is up for grabs.  I have no hair to put it in at the moment, just let me know if you want it!

Bathroom coolness

For all those who are renovating or just dreaming of renovations, how cool is this bathroom?

Soap

Bat Girl

It just wouldn't be right for us to have a tea party...just Kenzi and I without something odd going on. Today it was batgirl turning up halfway through to drink her fill and then fly off to save the world. Hooray for surprises and hooray for tea parties with tiny white cups and good company.

A is for Apron

I made this half style cafe one for KT, one for Mum and one for me to wear when we are catering for a wedding on the weekend. Op shop fabric and doily have been reborn. Pretty good whipup for about $2.

Swimming Carnival

Connor and one of his buddies. Connor is in Shortland, hence the S and it's red.

Waiting for the race. Wiggly tummy butterflies and jumpy legs.

The action shot.

My boy

It made me realise that my kids weren't at a Public school when we walked into the swimming carnival and the stands were decorated in house colours using helium balloons. I felt like a bit of a swimming carnival snob then...where were all the yellow raincoats and equally yellow suitcases, with breathe blown balloons.
The photo's are not great, but the day was fabulous. Connor cheered and swam and played and cheered and had fun. Next year he will go in more races because his mother will pull her finger out and take them swimming more!

Hola!

Salsa

Difference is good.  Even welcome sometimes.  Like the ice cream you get down the street here in Amsterdam.  It's like really cold cream, with a chunk of frozen cream occasionally.  Not your average Australian soft serve, but extraordinarily, differently good.  

Or Dutch apple pie (gebak).  It's kind of cake, kind of pie, kind of totally good.  

Or take cheese for example.  Us Australians know a good Cheddar, a nice Tasty.  But the Dutchies, they've taken cheese to a higher level.  Pesto cheese, potato skin cheese, coriander seed cheese, just a few of the many, many different inclusions that you can get in the many, many different types of cheeses here.  

So, most difference here is good.  With one exception.  Nachos.  My eyes light up when nachos are mentioned.  I'm dreaming of a big, big pile of corn chips topped with molten, gooey cheese, salsa, sour cream, guacamole, maybe some mince and beans.  But here, they're different.  You order nachos in a pub and out comes a basket of corn chips with a little dish of salsa or guacamole.  Not my big dreams of what I think of as nachos.  And the Dutch nachos are nice, but they're more of a 'chips and dip' kind of thing in my mind.  We had some the other night.  But now they've got me craving the real deal.  So we're having it on Friday night.  Friday night nachos.  Replacing Friday night burgers.  A hard exchange, but worth it in my mind.  

Anyhoows, after all that rambling, here's the point of this post.  I just made some salsa in preparation for Friday night (I'm keen I'm telling ya), and it's good.  I found it on Blue Yonder's blog, and seeing as it had been road tested and pronounced good, I've given it a whirl on the other side of the world.  Here's how it goes:

1 can whole peeled tomatoes

1-2 jalapenos, seeded (I used a teaspoon of minced chili, you could leave this out or add some chili powder as well)

1-2 pieces of garlic

15-20 cilantro leaves (or 1 tsp of the dried variety) (this is coriander in Oz speak)

1 tbsp fajita seasoning

1-2 tsp salt  and pepper

1 tsp cumin

The juice of one lime (I used lemon juice instead)

½-1 yellow onion, diced

(I also added 1/4 of a slightly wilted green capsicum/pepper)

Put the juice from the can of tomatoes into the food processor with other ingredients  and blend. Then add tomatoes and pulse to your desired state of chunky or smooth.

Good dipped and eaten, but also good when layered with sour cream and grated cheese.  Now, that's getting closer to the nachos I know and love!

Morning Glories...

I run or walk or dance every morning now. And I ready my Bible and try to do a better day of living like I know the King of the universe...

Row-day-oh Row-de-oh And dead cowboys!

Kenzi and Kati to the rodeo!

But first of all Kenzi 'just had too' feed the cute little horses cause they looked hungry and sad!! I think she liked this more than the rodeo!!!

Josie (Mark Mcleods girl) & Kenzi enjoying the rodeo...! They looked at the rodeo performance at least 3 times!! Kids huh!!

Woops- Guess this is how you ride a horse wrong way up!!!

One guy got trampled by a bull and it was pretty darn dramatic with another clown throwing himself over the trampled bull rider and out of all of them Kenz watched that one so she says 'Oh no he's dead isn't he" I wanted to laugh and cry in one as violent crazy things like bull riding make me feel excited, alive, aggressive and cavewoman all in one! He lived by the way and Kenz retells that story only about our trip to our first rodeo!! He did get a big clap once he could get up!
Ye-Har Cowboy, you ride that cow!!!

Rodeo was great but very very slow, come on Maitland get with it!

Beautiful, magical and childhood dream stuff are fetes, carnivals, shows and rodeos.

I kinda like being bald!!!

It's a strange thing being able to run your hands not through your hair but over your naked scalp. To feel cold with the wind rushing over your naked head. To dive into a pool hairless and your head floating to the surface faster than normal. To get stared at all the time and peoples minds racing trying to decided if it is a live sucking disease or me like girls that drove me to the point of baldness!!!

But the best thing about being bald is

Being bald makes being naked complete!!!

Just in case

Just in case anybody had forgotten the awesomeness of Miss Cal's girls night out, I decided to put some photo's up. I love these photo's. Especially Kenzi and Kati's bottoms!

Multiples

I like things in more than ones.  I like wearing 3 shirts at one time.  Skirts over jeans.  Peanut butter, banana and honey on toast.  One book to read in the toilet and one by my bed.  A hanky in my trousers pocket, my coat pocket, and one in my bag.  A bouquet of flowers broken up into smaller ones scattered through the house.  I like variety, mixing and matching, putting chocolate and nuts in at the same time.  But sometimes, sometimes it's the simple things that fit best.  Like ham on fresh bread with a glass of milk.  A bowl of pasta and pesto.  A floaty summer dress with sandals.  An afternoon spent doing nothing but cosying up with my husband on the couch, not doing anything but watching tv, no making, no cleaning, no nothing.  Sometimes, things are best when they're left alone, uncluttered and simple.

Houses for the handyman Sam!!!

HOUSE No. 1 Smith Street

$299,500 (Dowling Mayfeild)
dad's pick but winning him over on fawcett st!!

Lounge and bedrooms coming off it, People living. sleeping every where.

Another colour for the lounge!!! This fire is B-UTE-I-FUL!!!
All fire places hidden and note used!!??

One of the 3 (??2) rooms and Dad thinks they painted their house with sample pots there was not a room the same colour!!!)

What a find if you snoop! An old fuel pot belly stove thing (2fires/chimneys ) GREAT!

One of the bedrooms and I am standing in the lounge room.

Rear add on tiles bathroom, laundry. Dad says make this the main one and take one out of kitchen!)

garage and little other room

Rear (is on Bore water, Pump in garage)

Big enough for a loft Dad thinks, very good frame and all!

Shed and garage (for kati!! Already lived in has power)

Rear and side drive area, small balcony.

From the left handside (3 nice people on street sussed out so far!)

HOUSE No. 2
(kati's fave!)
19 or 10 Fawcett St
$210, 000 Dowling mayfield.

Side, front, has drive up side for small car but street is WIDE.

Isn't it just cute with potential and Grandma Mac garden's!!! The chimney is too scrummy!

Both sides of house on large tree filled street!

2 small rooms with tiny doors !! Cute as buttons!

Roof is cool , high ceilings . This is the dining/launge still. Door leads to kitchen.

Loungeroom/dining room fire place (has 2 beautiful brick chimneys)

Leanto bathroon!The bath is old but gorgeous!

Back door and yard, bath and laundry are to the right of this in another add on leanto!

Backyard (huge frangapanni) mall garage and Uncle Ron loo!!
(Small leanto storage, dodge!)

HOUSE NO. 3 Hann Street

$272,000(Collin Chapman)

The other little garage/storage room thing, Yey more room for Kati!!!

Kati's garage and natural skylights!!! (holes in roof but has power)

rear view from Kati's garage!!!

Side drive area and semi covered carport

Rear door, mini 2 sheds and garden area (free land and storm water drain)

This is the toilet separate from bathroom and next to back door , behind door is small laundry area.

Bedroom No. 3 I think the cat comes free with it (for me as I am an old spinter!!!) This one is large room like main bedroom)Opposite end of skinny kitchen and number 3 bed room off it.

Long skinny kitchen with fridge in middle then another long skinny place opposite had computer desk set up.

Dining room opposite the lounge room, potential...

Oh la la fire place (has two chimneys) potential + lounge/dining
Yuck yuck yuckie!!! please re-do me the bathroom SCREAMED!

Dad loves this feature! Hall through to lounge/dining room.

Sunroom off main bedroom (random!) But with a big window and bench to read on/spy on neighbors could be fun!Main bedroom, next to 1st bedroom straight ahead from front door (has sunroom).Bed room one as you walk in the front door is on the right. High ceilings, medium size.

Dad the serious faced house hunter! Front door and 1st medium bedroom.

HOUSE NO. 4
Ingall road Mayfeild west (no inside missed open house)
Main road but rear access.
$255,000 (Shedden)

So dad and I walked, drove, snooped and sneaked around all saturday for you guys. We saw 2-3 others but Dad said 'NO' so you don't get to see em!! It was fun, but now I am pining for a house!