Weekend

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What a weekend! Every time we drive to my parents' farm it always seems like a huge couple of days. I would really love that extra day to stay another night and just relax, but it never seems to happen.

This time we had a joint 21st/50th birthday party as well as Father's Day. The party was pretty standard except for the food (campoven cooking, amazing!), we went home early. I got my dad a bottle of Penfold's port for Father's Day - not an expensive gift, but it LOOKED expensive. He was really stoked, confessed to always buying cheap stuff for himself. Hope it's a good drop, and hope to sample some next time I'm up there.

C and I also went on a photo walk down the barn and into the cow paddock. Except for one moment when I thought some young bulls were going to chase us, it was a success. I hope to post some photos soon. At the same time I was getting ideas for our wedding photos. I think we have some nice locations there. Lots of wooden posts, corrugated iron, hay, wire, and grass. Just the look I want.

Housework and Loathing in the burbs

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This morning I am in a frenzy of cleaning. Why? Because my future in-laws are coming to stay for a few days.

I know, I know. It's silly. Why should I care what they think of my housekeeping skills (or lack thereof)? But I just DO. C's mother keeps an immaculate house, and I just want the place to look presentable. Last time she cleaned the oven while I was at work, then showed me proudly when I got home, proclaiming it to have been "so filthy!". You can imagine how that made me feel. The funny thing is - I genuinely don't think she did/said that to make me feel bad. She is just happy to be helping!

At the moment, the house looks like a brothel. Without the whores, obviously. Probably fewer bedsheets to wash too. Why is it that I can have the place looking fairly decent on a Sunday night, but by Friday I'm staring at piles of socks on the lounge room floor, junk mail scattered everywhere and dirty dishes piled so high in the sink I can't even fill up the kettle?

I know why. It's because what little "maintenance" cleaning I do during the week can't keep up with our level of untidyness. Tell you what though, even though C is pretty good, it wouldn't kill him to put his clothes in the laundry basket every now and again, would it?

So this afternoon I'm going to reward myself for a hard morning of cleaning showers, vacuuming, dusting and mopping. Not sure how yet, but I'm sure I'll think of something involving either chocolate or alcohol! Possibly both.

(By the way, the makers of those Viva shower cleaning wipes will be pleased to know I bought some after seeing not one but TWO bloggers review them. Blog PR works, folks!)

My Weekend in photos

This weekend, as it was another long one, I drove to the farm to see if I could be of some use to my mum. She has finally realised her limitations in that she can't do everything one-handed, so she pretty much worked me to the bone with little errands and tasks. But it wasn't all bad.


Captured a beautiful rural sunset. It just doesn't happen like that in the city.


Played with my brother's beautiful labrodor puppy


Woke up to dew on the window after a frosty dawn. Was glad to be rugged up under my doona that morning!




Took my mum to church for a farewell cuppa with the leaving minister and his wife. These are the stained glass windows which I have always admired. They are memorials for parishioners who have died. I hope someone dedicates a window to me when I go.


Took a photo of my grandparents' Agatha Christie collection. This is just a small sample. I love reading them when I'm at the farm.


Had a very civilised cuppa with brother's GF. She has the most awesome tea set.


Checked out my brother's latest car purchase. I think he has an addiction. Someone needs to ban him from ebay, seriously.


Picked up some special edition mags with Royal Wedding specials.


So what did you do on your weekend?