Starts in sunshine; ends in storms

Eggstreme Eggagerations and Eggciting Eggsplosions 

Boy that was a downpour 

I have this theory if it is going to rain, or forecast to rain in the afternoon, you can be almost guaranteed that means school pick up time.  Just before, during or after you hop in the car to go pick up children from school, the bus terminal, the station through to the return home, there will be the start of rain. Usually it continues until you are home, inside and dry.  Today this theory again held true. *grins*

The day was off to a lovely start - sunshine, blue skies. Perfect for getting items sorted in the garage and bringing things out on to the lawn to put back in with the ability to access. Perfect for setting up the little roosters in the larger area of BigBed to scratch back the weeds while awaiting their turn for dinner duties. *gulps* We've been a bit 'chicken' here - both Husband and I remember the activity from our childhood - just not the nitty-gritty details. Google and BackYard Poultry have been helpful. Of course the promised arrival of MudGuts did not eventuate. Funny that we really were not counting on him...

As Husband waiting at school, he called to see if I had noticed the clouds. Noticed the clouds? More like felt the thunder rumbling up in the distance and heard it travel up the road like a truck. The clouds were barrelling in on two fronts with those rich, blue black clouds indicating a good old storm was in there. As the SmallBoy jumped out to deal with the gates, the heavens opened like a dam letting go of the excess. Husband rang to put the last few things on the lawn away and heaven's dam broke its banks. Thought that first rain was heavy - this was awesome. It's now raining at a more respectable, steady rate.

So tell us about the diet

Um yes, the diet. Meaning to eat food and gain weight. The one set up using the Happiness Diet and the premise of positivity to manage ones weight. Not good. Losing weight again because I am not eating again. The need is there, the concept has great key points, but the pilot programme has not even come together with a supportive continuation follow up or measurability method, plus those promoting the diet can't be counted on to cheer on, listen or follow the one's who dont 'fit' the success. 

I only blame myself for the actual 'failure to pick food up and stick it in my mouth' because that is the key factor to gaining weight. I've even made the sandwich, the toast, the cereal, the coffee and walked away without a bite or a sip - full in knowing it is there and made, then forgetting it is there and made. So again I've had the lethargy, the no-care just want to sleep because I have no fuel for energy. *smacks* Silly Mandy. At least it is a 'known' rather than not understanding why things were happening. Husband is going to 'ban' me from the computer if I don't get up in the morning, eat and go outside for at least 30mins. Until that occurs, no computer. A great idea, so long as he can put up with my complaining, this will succeed.

There are times I wish we did have an extra $50 each week just for groceries - I would buy fresh mangos, apples, cantaloupe, melons, salad mixes, fish, chicken, hams, cheeses, deli items, bakery delights that would excite the palate. Cheese on toast, baked beans, peanut butter sandwiches are great, but I really do need variety to find that urge to eat. Cant be bothered otherwise. I do like the green smoothies, but I've not got celery, capsicum, fresh tomatoes,  spinach, fresh herbs, pineapple, oranges, pears, kiwi or other fruits and greens that are needed. The garden will eventually give much of this to us, just not at the moment. *sighs*

Does poverty make you sick? Yes it does. What about low income, does that make you sick? Yes, again I think it does because low cost is not always good healthy value. It's not a savings to buy 'plastic cheese' or long life milk if you don't use it. That's a loss and a waste as both will ultimately require replacement. Sometimes buying the no-name or store wrap is the cheapest option, but waiting for the special on a 'nice' cheese means lower spending on foods that will be eaten. Often this still means a block of pongy cheese is out of budget - although occasionally it crops in the 66% off - almost out of date bucket providing a treat if within the budget and is definitely going to be used.

I'm not trying to provide an excuse as to why I don't eat. Lack of variety through lack of income is one aspect I don't eat what I like, but there is plenty here to eat for simply nourishment. So tomorrow I shall be up at about 730am, have breakfast with SmallBoy, make his lunch and do all that mummy-type stuff. *grins* It also means I know he is putting on a clean uniform and brushing his teeth properly. I will make some muffins and provide pictures as evidence.  I shall also make biscuit dough and photograph the rolls.  For lunch the fish patties and salad will be eaten on grainy bread. Dinner is the pie.  This I will do, and need to do for my own health and mental well-being.  I get so annoyed with myself sometimes.

Only four more sleeps to Powderfinger. I must check in with my sister about her plans and then to the Slatey Chick on her accommodation and catching up. Oooo - must put more champagne in the fridge - thank goodness for wine racks and medication - a fair bit of the red are now years older, but there's left over bubbles from last Christmas/New Year to use and this is most definitely one of those very special occasions requiring the special champagne.  Too excited.

I guess I should leave it here and go to bed. The time has come to get going. Tomorrow Husband is dropping past MudGuts to check the house has been tidied 'as promised'. It had better be clean. Then both will come back here to get the little boys new area set up and some of the heavy items in the garage moved. I really want to get the nice desk inside, but can't until some of the boxes from the spare room come out. Appointments all around for peoples tomorrow. Plus banking, bills and bartering. No time for Wednesday being Hump Day for us. 

Pop past Mands On A Mission, tell others to visit and make a donation into the Treasure Chest because the sooner our Mission is complete, the sooner our Dreams will be realised. I am so going to write a book if we get this debt paid down by the end of 2011 and I truly believe we can, even if it does mean getting some help from others.

As the land becomes dry

Where do flowers go

Where do flowers go

If mother nature cant supply

Water makes the flowers grow

Yes it makes the flowers grow

The time to think is now

While the rain is falling down

With showers here, flooding there

Water's falling everywhere

Limit using what we've got

Help the farmers plan

The planting of their land

Use less before its hot

Rain falls upon the seed

Help them get a water feed

We've got to prepare for more

And keeps a water store

Come the days of heat and dry again

Keeps fields wet through to the end

Girls like you...

Blew a gale last night

And our little cocks have started to crow. Darn it. We had hoped to get one more corner of the big veggie bed weeded by these fiesty scratchers and clearers of all things green! Awesome job done but only half finished. Maybe we can tolerate it until after the Powderfinger concert. Five more sleeps...

Well, no car. Still no MudGuts. Eternally grateful to friends able to include the SmallBoy in their school run. While I know he ate his breakfast and put on a clean uniform, not sure if those teeth got a good scrub this morning. We are letting the chookie boys have same time on the loose, out of their enclosure and have worked out which is crowing. He looks like a good roast! This will be interesting, and so long as we kill it and eat it here, no issues. Speaking of issues - Oh my - tall lanky teen here and the car is finally home. Money spent on the car for a temporary tank sealant, petrol, other car bits. Husband went to supermarket, flicked through a motorbike mag, a pc mag - didn't buy them. Well done. He did buy some extra salad, veg, fruit items and was very restrained. Note to selves : chives in the garden can be used instead of spring onion to thin. 

Gave MudGuts a dozen eggs for help, got 2 empty cartons in return (yeah!) and a promise to return tomorrow to help rearrange in the fast filling garage. We'll see if it happens...

A lot later

Well a big afternoon - the wagon is home, but not going anywhere. The little car has had the little leak temporarily patched and she goes. A heck of lot quieter than the wagon. I am more than happy for this to be the vehicle of choice - its quieter, smaller and best of all, automatic. Although it will mean more right side usage, this is the weaker side and it might build up the strength in the right leg. Always the best outcome.

Nearly forgot about menu planning. Usually it stems from the roast meal on Sunday, this week we had a Moroccan lamb shank casserole/slow cooker type dinner. 

Tonight's dinner used up those few tablespoons that get left over or randomly stacked onto someones plate. Rather silly if it helps make a meal. It was fish patties, stretched the need to shop another day because everything was at hand. The snowpeas, avocado, tomatoes and herbs can go on pizza or into the picnic dinner for Powderfinger. So the week is planned like this:

• Sunday - Lamb Shanks
• Monday - Fish patties and salad - with two over for lunch Tuesday
• Tuesday - Lambs Fry on grainy toast
• Wednesday - Chicken curry and rice
• Thursday - Lamb shank sauce, cous cous and cauliflower pie
• Friday - Home made pizza
• Saturday - Powderfinger concert - picnic dinner
• Sunday - Roast chicken

I fancy a chicken pie or pasta sauce in the week following. *grins* Using the left over roast pieces, so I shall grab out a large chook. I might need to buy cheese for pizza or change pizza to something else and then no more shopping for groceries, until milk on Friday, is required. That's on about $30 since last Wednesday and the rest from the freezer, fridge or pantry. Oh, I will need potatoes again.

Rather zonked and tired so we might leave it there. Got therapy tomorrow and hopefully we can work on something to strengthen my back without a residual ache. Don't forget to see what we've been doing with our Misson - spread the word, we need the help out of a hole at the moment. Every 10c is going to be in for the debt reduction - heck we've been collecting and adding 5c found here and there.

Thus the ramblings begin...

Night - sleep well xx 

Sunday Sunshine, Blue Skies...

Even the fairies enjoyed today's beautiful sun... 

Absolutely glorious!

Slept like a log.  Felt a little like a log when I woke up thanks to some tickling of whiskers in my nose.  No, not an amorous good morning from Husband *cheeky*  it was the cat, Rossi, who had lay herself across my shoulder, asleep holding my hand in her paws.  Cute - but annoying.

MudGuts has still not arrived, called.  The car is still up the road.  Husband has not cracked the poohs yet - but this might be different mid afternoon.  Stay tuned.  *called him at 2pm - on his way - not here at 3pm*  Husnabd and the SmallBoy have got the bicycles out, dusted them down and are heading up to the servo to get petrol for the mazda.  This is a little car with a big hole in the tank.  Husband has been waiting for some time to get the tank off and sealed.  Sadly, this shall be put off again and we will breathe fumes if it ends up being the case.

Made a fruit smoothie with kiwi, apple, pear, cantaloupe and banana to have with lunch - grainy bread with hommus, spinach and pinenuts.  *yummo*  I was a clever girl and remembered to take the lamb shanks out of the freezer and into the fridge at some stage yesterday - I will now admit to 'pulling an all-nighter' and tidying, budgeting, sorting, writing, planning and thinking from Friday through to 10pm last night. I was only half-kidding when I said no hallucinating.  I did 38 hours - stupid, but productive and ended up sleeping through for 11 hours to wake up refreshed for once.  I don't think I moved during the night.

So, using my whiz-bang Chefs' Toolbox Square Roaster with thanks to Dianne, I will cook the shanks up like this:

• Dust the shanks in seasoned flour
• Dice a big onion, crush a few cloves of garlic, some Moroccan spices and fry up in oil and butter on the stove top in the roaster, saves the need to wash a saucepan
• Add the shanks and lightly brown all over - some people take them out again, I cant be bothered
• Add a large can of crushed tomatoes, some red wine, (fresh rosemary or thyme if not moroccan)
• Add sliced carrot, whole beans - optional, gets the veg in
• Gently combine everything over a low heat until at a simmer
• Turn off the heat, cover and put in the oven at 190 for 2-3 hours
• Serve on mash potato, rice or cous cous

I really hope the boys will go for cous cous - actually, even if they dont, I will and Husband can make extra mash to use in fish patties during the week. Sounds a bit like menu planning. Clever thinking there!  Fish patties work better with chilled mash potato, then you can freeze extra patties prior to cooking.  I wonder if I can convince the SmallBoy cold cooked fish patties work well as a lunch.  That could be a nice change, especially when we save $5-$10 a week not using the canteen at school. The left over shank veggie sauce mix, while no meat, will be used in a pie with some left over cous cous and cauli and broccoli added.  Yum.  All stemming from $3 shanks!

 

At 430pm, there is still no MudGuts ~ nasty text sent, just expressed displeasure at being told he is on his way (verbally I add) and he has no intention to get here at all. Being Sunday there are no buses and there is not enough dinner to spread to one extra, let alone his royal stretchnhollowness, so he needed to be here to be catered for. Not that he'd be even offered after this non-performance. Just rang and his mate answered the phone. He 'slept' through the whole conversation, so she is going to put make-up on him, take a pic on her mobile and send it to Husbands mobile to email to me for up-loading tonight. Boy I hope he really IS asleep and has no idea. Hmm - although if he looks good as a girl, his mate is looking for a new girlfriend at the moment. Perish the thought...

For those who use FaceBook, some of the prattlings for our Mission can be seen on the Mands On A Mission fanpage.  Feel free - learning about this whole public media as we go along.  When the documentary on the food habits show is broadcast, it will be awesome to compare the changes now from the changes that were being undertake then.  It will be on SBS, but more closer to the time.  Hopefully there will be no internal ramifications with family and friends, but as it is about me and my eating and my headspace over 8-12 weeks of recording going into two hour long programmes, I can't see it all being about me.  There were 4 others in there, plus the good ol' Dr Happy. And the camera crew, sound guys and producers...

An interlude

Thought I should read the horrorscope predictions - must say I have enjoyed some of these lately because the messages have been very strong, positive, go forth and conquer type stuff.  Need a bit more of that going around here *grins*

For the first time since 1982 Mercury and Saturn, the planets of communication and conviction, are aligned in a very intuitive part of your chart, giving your intuition and your imagination a voice and the ability to turn these into plans or strategies that can be committed to. This gives you a chance to put your thinking cap on in a very smart, intuitive and creative way, looking and thinking outside the square, while remaining mentally focused and sharp.

Oh goodie - all about making the fantasies into reality.  Why not back when Jon Bon Jovi was just a little hotter - actually, Johnny Depp is still pretty out there with being part of the imagination - he'd be a treat to motivate, support and provide lavishings of gifts - in single dollar increments too if he so desired...  *flutters*  Oh - sharp and focussed, well pfft - there goes any Johnny Depp fantasy *sighs*

Must say, all jesting and jokes aside, I am so grateful to have my dear Husband here, by my side, working together to maintain in the belief of our dreams while getting our currently in order and on track to achieve the dream.  Our Mission is about the actions, motivation and support clearing our debt ~ Our Dream is all about simple self sustaining living with water and mountains and greenery. Few chooks, goats, pigs, beef, fish, seeds, a shed, a chainsaw and a tractor - sweet!  All we'd need to get have others start to see our Dream. *wistful* But first our Mission...

If you've not found it, a separate blog called Mands On A Mission is being updated about our savings, our ways to make rubber meals ~ meaning the meals stretch further, not become rubbery!  Tonights $1 lamb shank (x three shanks) slow roasted dinner will also stretch into the fish patties and a Moroccan vegetable pie later in the week, or month for the pie filling.  Clever Mands.  Plus, as our Mission aims to provide tidiness and less clutter, I've already put the leftovers in the fridge or freezer as required.  It is almost 11pm, its all cooled, its finally time for bed!

Feeling very pleased with the productivity on 'everything' this weekend.  Checking in the week ahead readings and they are looking a little like this:

You'll meet people who can considerably help you in more than one sphere. Dazzling professional progress, and also some money in. For couples, understanding will be good. You'll be invested with beautiful joy of living and brimming optimism; profit by this situation to liquidate definitively the anxieties which have often tortured you. These astral influxes will grant you the possibility to count on the help of competent and efficient people; try to show yourself worthy of their confidence; don't neglect their counsels for the benefit of those of the persons who're less well intentioned toward you and who would lead you into a dead end. Keep a close watch on the health of your children; a thorough medical checkup every semester is recommended for them. It will be absolute calm on the sentimental plane; you'll profit by it to recuperate from your recent amorous feats.

Now doesn't that seem positively wonderful and achievable?! The changes over the last six months has almost been setting us up for this forward action, changes in lifestyle and formation of healthy relationships with friends and family.  Cant end an entry on a much higher note than that!  Until tomorrow...

A quick joke from my father:

Public School Teacher Arrested 

A public school teacher was arrested today at John F. Kennedy International Airport as he attempted to board a flight while in possession of a ruler, a protractor, a set square, a slide rule and a calculator. 

At a morning press conference, Attorney General Michael Mukasey said he believes the man is a member of the notorious Al-Gebra movement. He did not identify the man, who has been charged by the FBI with carrying weapons of math instruction. 

"Al-Gebra is a problem for us," Mukasey said. "They desire solutions by means and extremes, and sometimes go off on tangents in search of absolute values. They use secret code names like 'x' and 'y' and refer to themselves as 'unknowns', but we have determined they belong to a common denominator of the axis of medieval with coordinates in every country. As the Greek philanderer Isosceles used to say, 'There are 3 sides to every triangle.'" 

When asked to comment on the arrest, George W. Bush said, "If God had wanted us to have better weapons of math instruction, He would have given us more fingers and toes." Aides told reporters they could not recall a more intelligent or profound statement by the former president.