Thank goodness the weekend is over........

That was a mammoth weekend shopped for the 50 people, cooked 1 dinner 2 breakfasts, 1 lunch and oodles and oodles of dishes, I slept at home though.

Staurday family I work for are away and I had been left a list of jobs to do!!!!! niiiiiiiicccccccceeee
NOT. Picked up Samuel 8.30am dropped at rugby did 2 hours work, watched Rugby GREAT game despite a narrow loss, picked up Samuel he went to work i went to Marae and helped woth food and dishes, Samuel arrived back at 4pm, I helped served up dinner then WENT out for dinner to my FAV place it was scrummy. Kids finished up SAT night at midnight got to sleep around 1am not too bad.

Headed to work for 2 hours early this morning Sunday went to Marae did brekkie dishes went home did 3 loads washing, went back to Marae got Samuel spent 1 hour at storage shed sorted and condensed took load to dump.came home picked in said washing FOLDED and IRONED!!!! now sitting on me BUM I have earned my rest, we popped our dinner in the crockpot early this morning corned beef and we are all set!!!

I do this all again next weekend as another KAPA HAKA noho( practice etc).

Ciao
Blondie

And the rugby season commenceth!!!!

YAY rugby is here we are playing pre grading divisional matches. Looking forward to being graded in the premier grade again. Cold rainy and just what a rugby season needs, Samuel didn't make the noumea team but they are still hardout fundraising as a team towards it.

Have a kapa haka wananga ( practices) from Friday today 4pm until Sunday 4pm its MY BIRTHDAY today and I'm cooking at the marae today have to shop for 50 people that's 2 dinner 2 breakfasts 2 lunches and supper morning tea and afternoon tea last time 3 trolley's $600 this time probably $800-900 WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA that's a lot of trolley's!!!! And being a bargin shopper we get good bang for our buck.

I'm having dinner at the marae with the kids tongiht slack i have to cook me own birthday dinner and share it about 50 others!!!!! and then home tonight, tomorrow is kapa, then rugby 10am, then Samuel working then kapa haka then I'm going out for dinner to my favourite place BBQ MASTER it is divine such a cool place. I have to work anyhoo and I'm being floggged there anyhoo what's more Mahi!. (work)

Seen as the kids will be at the marae Sunday morning I am sleeping in and with ALL the frosts we have been having just as well!!! TIS freezing! a heap of snow on the mountains.

ciao
blondie

Did I say saving ? i should have said SPENDING

Its been an awful few weeks weather wise winds storms powercut TAUPO only, tornado, which brings me tomy post.....

My life is a whirlwind of JOB, JOBS at home list of JOBS to check off I am a chronic list maker but achieve nearly everything on that list everyday. ( a new list starts everyday too WHERE do these jobs come from?).

I have been lucky I am the proud proud new owner of a laptop!! believe me this is huge for me Jason transferred over all my stuff from desktop to laptop then it arrived home and I had just to connect to wireless broadband (wonderful SO friggin fast) YAY.

I am typing this in bed ! It is so cool Samuel Jaspa (cat) and I have settled in great Sue is not so stressed and we are saving WELL I'm spending laptop, 5 new pairs pants 3 tops 2 NEW BRAS long overdue new undies, bio oil chondrotin capsules (the mega big pottles!)flax pills (like fish oil same benefits mine was primarily 20 years ago for psoriasis but it does hair nails skin etc), face cream hand cream heel cream, Samuels magnesium capsules for lung function in asthmatics, shoes, walking socks, new handbag new clothes for Samuel curtains for my room, these are ALL things long long overdue and IT IS such a pleasure and thrill to be able to spend money on myself albeit mostly medicinal, I am sleeping better, and am alot more relaxed.

I have even started walking again and thats exciting for me all the things I bought were heavily discounted and if not on special, so I was thrilled with that too.

I have been to Rotorua twice shopping, and Tauranga yesterday to see an old friend of the family ( has just had major stroke 78) they were lucky they nearly lost their Dad 5 days ago so I wanted to go and see the family and Father, I was able to take beautiful Taupo books (as they lived her over 40 years) the family loved them and father, the mere fact I had money to do so and have petrol money to get there and worry was to me a relief and I for the first time felt humbled by the mere thoguht it was such a small gesture. Financial things matter they can be small things that bother you but the release of the last 4 weeks for me has been a tonic of sorts.

Samuel is busy as ever working karate kapa haka fundraising for rugby sevens trip to Noumea WHOOP WHOOP, his first term report was stunningly great OF course the impetus was do well then you can purchase a PS3 he had been saving SOOOOOOO hard so PS3 2 controllers, warranty 3 games and $900 later he is the proud owner of what he wanted! now he is saving for sevens trip and karate trips(should they arise). and he is very frugle with his money too so that is a relief he knows the money is hard earned and therefore not to be thrown away...

Something else I have started up again my weekly envelopes I used to save $10 a week for Samuel birthday, xmas food, xmas travel, clothes money vet bill so that it eased everything along a little, well I have saved over $300 towards these things in the last month on top of all my spending so I am on top of things again and it feels liberating. My weekly budget is now only with groceries utilities and saving envelopes $290 it feels like xmas every week to me I had made a list of all the things I needed to catch up on LIKE the pills clothes shoes socks undies etc etc and finally yesterday I did that, I am now saving to update my 16 yr old car which has done 271,000km and is a true workhorse of a station wagon!!!!!! I dont want a new car certainly can't afford that but just to update, so that's me. After 8 years of struggle I have arrived.

Ciao

Well Happy Easter everyone..................

I am finally shifted and settled, I moved one house down (just down the driveway!!), my friend last September had a operation on her foot it never healed and she worked on her feet all day 9 - 10 hours she couldn't cope the work changed her shifts to the WORST hours and in effect pushed her out.

She was seriously struggling and with rates and living it was becoming evident she could lose her home, so I gave notice and we condensed 2 houses into one well 2 1/2 actually A HUGE SHIFT, I sold nearly everything I own in fact I DID SELL everything and just took a bed and 3 sets draws and clothes thats it!!!!

So in a house we have 5 cats a dog 2 fish and 3 adults (50+, 43(in may) and nearly 15!!) phew this easter there is actually 5 adults and all the animals (one son came home for the weekend and his girlfriend) so my friend has gone from no one to a FULL HOUSE!!!

I am saving already no rent and we are sharing phone power and food costs, for the first time in 9 years I can actually relax a little.

I know of 4 other families condensing and amalgamating this month alone things and times are geting tough, finances are always tight for families and at the very least a juggling act.

Alot of my friends have said why sell? things I certainly have no attachment to material things NEVER have and since I CAN"T be in my family home NOTHING absolutely NOTHING means anything to me anymore.....

The move was easy peasy weather wise I had 2 huge garage sales, and sold 2 things privately and 1 item through (trademe like ebay)........ I will at some stage get some clothes I need a few things not much.

I do however have some things in storage Samuel's baby things and precious memories of my Dad.

I have had a relaxing day yesterday watching movies nodding off, and chilling FIRST TIME in months, I am relaxing again today I ALSO took 10 DAYS OFF WORK (I know shocking eh!!!!) first time in 6 years I TOOK time off although I cleaned packed moved and hucked out cupboards etc, (when my family that I work for are away I take holidays when they take holidays), so all in all I feel great, I will be back online seriously from next Saturday probably!

Once I get the laptop sorted IT'S ready to go I just have to pick it up from IT guy!!!

I hope everyone is eating drinking and relaxing....

Ciao

HOLY HOLY I have arisen...........

I am sorry for the delay I have been shifting HOUSE and I have just spent the last 4 weeks HEAD down arse up!!!! MY friend and I are condensing houses (we pay both of us power phone internet sky etc etc etc) I eat at her house most nights and we are down at her house every other day!!!! It made financial sense aside from she had stopped working and financially she was in shitters ditch!!!!!!

It helps me out (no more rent), it certainly helps her out BUT another big shift for me (just down end of my driveway there si so much more to tell), BUT I am offline for awhile again as no computer ATM (well that's a lie I have no computer jsut waiting on a laptop to be delivered GEARED up and transferred over with all my info) well thats me folks I have to go and I am only on a friends computer briefly!!!!

Ciao

Schools back and it's full on again.

The first photo is of Samuel in his NEW BEST FRIEND TSHIRT thanks to Chris H for picking up Samuel loves loves loves it and I think he may even sleep in it! The second is his sports day Friday 11th January 2011 his house colour RED the theme "Oh red Indians" he won a prize.... yay The third is him and his friends before going to school. the boy in Blue is the same sidekick from the "red pimp suit and superman" photo from last year!!!!

The school year started with a BANG, and Samuel has some really nice Teachers and is back into the Karate, Kapa Haka thing again and swimming throw in his part time job and yip he is busy! (hopefully that will keep the girls at bay for awhile!).

School fees/donations are ridiculous are THEY NOT! ours increased from $150 to $180, then they have CORE subject costs on top of that of $160!!!! scientific calculator $85 last year $115 this year lucky I didn't need uniform stuff as I was sorted from last year, although new sandals size MENS 10 bought 3 weeks before school try them on 2 days before school NAH AH now SIZE 11 !!!!

I am enjoying this year so far I at the end of last year had my hair semi coloured and permed AND CUT WAY SHORT!!! (trainee hairdressers needing models) I didn't like it BUT as I said to hairdresser "Oh well it's only hair it will grow" Now I love it again my fluffy bouncy curls and broomstick dragged through a bush in the morning look. I can even clip it up again like I used to when my hair was long and curly.

I have a few photos YES i do I know I always say I will post some and don't get around to it well here goes.

Ciao
Blondie

My other BIG NEWS!

My young son got a holiday job at a NEW local SUSHI place he LOOOVVVVVVVVES SUSHI and he gets to eat some for free, he MAKES it and then GETS PAID as well he is in heaven he works 4 hrs a day and in a fortnight he earn't LET ME tell you quietly I AM IN THE WRONG JOB!!!! is all I can say!

He has bought some shoes, clothes, jean shorts and some incidentals boy things HE LOVES it! and I love it too he spent all afternoon looking for clothes and BOUGHT the 2nd cheapest options in most and then the cheapest bargain was jean shorts $6 half price $3 at the (second hand clothing store ) he wanted retro worn look cheap as to rip up etc, HE REFUSED to pay $120 (on sale jean shorts), I know he loves it cause he tells me every day!!! YAY my son, you now owe me XXXXXXXXXX!!!!!!! The invoice is in the mail.

Ciao