Drifting through life

....I moved from a four bedroom home to a two bedroom unit. About half the size of what I'd been used to. With much agonising over what to take and what to cull. Some things just weren't going to fit, no matter how much I wanted to keep them. Two weeks from now, I'll be moving from my much loved two bedroom unit to a one bedroom flat. About half the size of what I've become used to. With much agonising of what to take and what to cull. Some things just aren't going to fit, no matter how much I'd love to keep them. Packing is well underway, loads have been taken to Goodwill stores, several things have been sold. No-one is taking one of my couches, (I don't need two anymore) and a large cabinet. I'm not good with change, which is why I've been stressed these last few weeks. I'm less stressed now that plans are definite, but the tension won't truly ease until I'm settled again. I may or may not post photos.

I was washing up my dishes last night, (mmm, roast chicken dinner), when I had a sudden clear memory of my Dad doing the dishes. This was soon after Mum had left us, so I was eight. I remember Dad putting a little cold water into the sink, adding a good sized sprinkle of Surf washing powder, (laundry powder) then adding boiling water from the kettle and whisking it up with an egg-beater to make suds. Then he'd wash up the dishes in that while I was reading by the fire. I don't remember him ever asking me to help and it didn't occur to me to offer. This makes me think that before Mum left, she didn't have us kids "helping" with any housework. (Although I clearly remember us hanging up our clothes when we took them off, and learning to polish our own shoes). A few months later Dad brought home the first of the "housekeepers", to help with the housework and look after me after school.  Ha Ha. I wasn't fooled, nor did I need looking af...

It's Sunday Selections time again! Time to post photos that have been hiding away in your computer files. Photos that you may have completely forgotten about. Have a hunt through and find them. Sunday Selections comes to us from Kim at frogpondsrock, who realised one day that she takes many more photos than she uses, as we all do, and wanted to post some of the older ones on her blog. A once a week meme seemed like a good idea, so Sunday Selections was born, and anyone at all can join in. I often choose a theme for my Sunday Selections and this week my theme is: STORM CLOUDS Just for Kim, who loves clouds so much. These were taken as I walked to work just before 6.30 last Tuesday morning. To join in with Sunday Selections , post photos of your choice under the Sunday Selections title, go to Kim's site, add your name to her linky list, then leave her a comment. Then have a look at what others have posted for their selection. There are some ...

Getting a head start on a possible move. Packing away things that I won't miss for a couple of weeks. Most of the books, most of the dvd's, summer clothes. I have a few boxes that don't seem to be too big, so I've filled those with books. I emailed a moving company that does suburb to suburb moves fairly cheaply, and asked if the boxes I was using were suitable. They said of course, just don't fill them too full. Uh Oh. Good thing I found out before I filled all of them. There's three boxes absolutely chockas with books.... I think I'll leave them. For a day or two anyway. I'll pack a few more things and then.....  see if I have enough boxes to put some of the books into another box or two. So they're not too heavy. I'm thinking of letting the packers do most of the breakables, they know what they're doing better than I do.

.....for a cheaper place to live. I think I've found one. I had news of a flat available and today I went to see it. Only one bedroom, but that's all I need, miniscule kitchen, 3 seconds to clean, no carpet, that's a plus. I hate carpet. It's such a dust catcher. There are repairs and general maintenance checks going on there at the moment, they'll be finished in a couple of weeks. I'll know on Monday if and when I can move in. I'll miss this place, but the rent is getting too high, and with electricity and all other costs of living set to rise (and rise and rise...), I had to do something. I can't stay here and become one of those elderly people afraid to use the heating because of the cost, (so they freeze to death, we've read about that sort of thing), or have to choose between heating or eating.....this way I'll be able to have both. This will be a load off my mind.

There's things happening here that have my mind churning. Thinking, thinking, thinking. I'm able to concentrate while I'm at work, but before I leave to walk there, and after I get home again, it's a never-ending question and answer session. What to do? What happens next? Planning, deciding, it's all a little overwhelming. To the point where I can't fall asleep like I used to, so I sit up reading in bed until I'm sleepy, then sleep for just a couple of hours, then I'm suddenly wide awake again. The downside is that I'm terribly sleepy just when I need to be getting up for work, but a hot shower and breakfast fixes that. Sort of. I still yawn my way through the morning. But the potential happenings are all good things and if they come to pass as I hope they will, I'll soon be sleeping well again. And if things do happen the way I'm hoping, I'll be able to tell all of you all about it, once it's done and dusted.

This basic recipe, (which I got from one of those googled sites after hearing "snickerdoodles" on some TV show), makes about 40 cookies depending on size of spoon used to put mix on trays. I like them small. To me, they're just sugar cookies, but the snickerdoodles name is funny so I'm going to keep using it. BASIC SNICKERDOODLES 2 and 3/4 cups plain flour 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon baking soda 2 teaspoons cream of tartar 1 and 1/2 cups of white sugar (I used caster sugar) 1 cup margarine 2 eggs, beaten 2 teaspoons vanilla essence (I used extract instead) >Heat oven to 200*C (My thermostat is busted so I set it at 170 and watched carefully) You know your own oven so set it accordingly. >Cream margarine and sugar. >Add vanilla and eggs >Mix in sifted dry ingredients. >Put spoonfuls of mix onto lightly greased oven trays, leave room for biscuits to spread. Or use that non-stick baking paper which means no washing up and catches the s...