Crikey ... how absent have I been?

Hello there

It's been a crazy little period friends

I've been working far too much in my "paid job"

Tonight though I left early

I came home

I cooked dinner .... actual real food

I'm now eating actual real dinner

Pretty good night so far

Have a great weekend!

Santa Claus is coming to town

Santa's mailbox has been installed in the City Square.

Christmas people is On the Way!

If you didn't know it before you know it now ... for now you can post your letters to Mr Claus requesting the things you want most.

Tonight I'm wondering how Christmas came to be all about gifts .... maybe there's a secret lusting after new things that belongs in all of us and we just let it rip once a year?

At this time of year I always end up wishing that work wasn't quite so crazy and I could have some more time to enjoy it.  The lights, the carols, the festiveness ..... Love it all, Can't get enough of it all.


Still haven't decorated!  Really need to remedy that.

Are you all ready for Christmas?

Christmas

I know, it's only November right! 

Well yes it's only November but Christmas is sneaking up fast ..... way fast.

I feel like its going to be the 25th December before I know it.  I went and did some Christmas shopping after work tonight because I feel like I'm way behind in my preparations.

I have a lot of people still to buy for ...... and I still need to come up with ideas.

I love the whole getting together part with friends and family and the cooking and feeling of winding down for the year ... but I do wonder if we're not all getting too focused on the presents part of it. 

But I must admit I also love finding that secret surprise present that you hope the recipient will love and cherish .... so I guess I buy into the whole present thing just as much as anyone. 

Tonight I found some Harry Potter lego for my nephew who loves all things Harry Potter at the moment.  I bought some solar powered christmas lights to put out the front of my house.  I have a camellia bush at the front so I'm thinking of threading the lights through the bush.  

I found a present for one of my brothers and I have an idea for one of my sisters .... but thats barely touching the sides of my shopping list! 

So wish me luck peoples .... I feel I may need it to get through my shopping list on top of a busy time at work...... 

Tuesday

I am really feeling like "spring has sprung".

The rocket and snow peas have germinated .... rocket at the top of the picture and the snow peas at the bottom.

I've never grown rocket before so I'm so excited that it germinated!

Snow peas I've grown before and they're pretty easy.

This is the first crop which I planted a while back ....... can you spot the snow peas amongst the foliage?

I love eating them fresh from the bush!





Beetroot and beans below .....

So I'm excited to soon be eating a whole lot more of my own home grown produce! 

Has everyone else been getting out into the garden this spring? 

Organic Food .....

My box of organic fruit and veg has arrived for the week .... it comes from Organic Empire.  


I order the small box and its packed full of goodies ... like the cavalo nero (or black cabbage) pictured above.  This week there was also potatoes, a bunch of asparagus, a lettuce, a bunch of broccolini, some oranges, apples, pears, a bunch of rainbow dutch carrots ......... 


So I have absolutely no excuse for not eating really really well this week! 

It's starting to feel more like spring. 

There were peony roses in the florist shop today ..... so lovely. 

It's been a short week work wise here in Melbourne because of having a public holiday for the Melbourne Cup.  I took the Monday off too and had an extra long weekend and I really appreciated the down time.

My work place has been slightly at 6's and 7's this week (don't you wonder where those expressions come from)? ........ anyway I don't know whether its because we're heading for the end of the year and people are tired or what it is but it has been a week thats felt a bit like emotions were getting the better of a lot of people in our team. 

I'm hoping next week has got a lot less stress! 

I've been wondering this week what it is that has made our work place a bit fractious.  I don't think I can nail the answer to that one  -  so many different personalities and things going on.

I think it re-emphasises the importance of balance and not stretching yourself too thin on any aspect of your life.

In the lead up to Christmas I think thats an important thing to remember - that the year has been long, that  people are holding out for a break, that moderation in work and play is a good thing!

I'll be trying to hold on to those things as this year draws fast to a close.

Armstrong Street Foodstore, Armstrong Street, Middle Park

Today I went to the Armstrong Street Foodstore (on Armstrong Street, Middle Park) with a friend who has just come back to live in Melbourne. 

We had a cup of tea and a piece of hedgehog (Yum...)!!! 

I love catching up with this friend.  Apart from the fact that can just natter on for hours and hours about anything we're in similar professions so its good to have someone who "understands" my work and the pressures of our particular profession.

I'm currently trying to increase the non-work activities ... trying to live a well rounded life ya know :-) 

She's looking for a new place to live so we also went to look at some rental properties .... horrendous amounts of rent for some places that really weren't so flash.  Bathrooms that were about 30 years old and looked as though they'd had some pretty hard wear in those 30 years.  It makes me wonder about what landlord's think is appropriate.

Why do they think that they can continue to receive peoples money without every doing any work on their properties.  

Why is it that no-one offers tenants better protection? 

I feel incredibly grateful that I am in my own place - albeit that the bank owns more than me!  I'm working on changing that though!  

On another note the Petunias have started to flower.