Going Tharn

I've been avoiding my blog lately, so when I went looking for my shampoo and conditioner recipe I was surprised to see a few extra comments on my last post. Thank you for checking up on me guys, you don't know how much it was appreciated. And No, things are not going well. I've Gone Tharn.



If you've read Watership Down then you'll know what Tharn is. It you haven't, it could be best described as a Deer in the Headlights, where you become so overwhelmed that you freeze, unable to use your fight or flight instincts. That's been me for the last couple of weeks. Things have gotten to a point where I stopped. I didn't care, not even enough to cry. I still don't to a certain degree.



I slipped back into old habits, I'm a Pepsi addict again, sorry Darhaja and the slave chocolate is been readily consumed, sorry children. I have been breeding dust bunnies that a threatening to mutate into werebunnies. I'm going to the shops twice a week because I can't menu plan, I get stuck after 4 meals, planning meals 5,6 and 7 are too hard. I've started watching TV during the day again. Wasting electricity, that won't earn me any brownie points. As for me, I don't give a shit about me, less so than usual.



Why have I gone Tharn? How much do I share? Let's just say that when I was first diagnosed with depression I had the most loving and supportive husband in the world. Now I don't. The only conversations he has with me are the ones he starts. If I try to start one I am met with silence. I'm barely acknowledged, quickly criticised and generally made to feel unwanted and unwelcome. I had my part to play, living with someone who has depression is not easy, it can be downright hard. There are the mood swings, the whole misery thing where you think you have never been happy in your whole life, the find a dark hole and hide away from the world. Living with depression is not fun and the once loving and supportive man is gone and been replaced by a cold, uncaring person who seems determined to do whatever it is he is so damned determine to do.

Why do I stay? Because I choose to. I can't afford to move out and I'm in no condition to go job hunting. I can stay at my friends place but they would drive me nuts. I don't want to leave The Feral, he is my constant companion, he loves me unconditionally. Then there are the Ducks, they're characters. We got busted playing with the water the other day. That did not go down well, being short on water and all. The ducks have their own water tank, I don't think a couple of minutes spraying them with a bit of water on a hot day is all that bad. The ducks lighten the day with their carrying on. I would miss that. So I stay, hoping that my husband will take a good long look at himself but I know he won't, he takes no responsibility for his actions, he has all his excuses, he is blameless. As he sees it, he is the victim and everything is my fault.

I have made a little progress. I cleaned the bedroom the other day. The mutated werebunnies have gone from under the bed, I can sleep safely at night knowing that I won't be attacked by bloodthirsty mutants on the next full moon. I've cleaned up all the junk piling up on my side of the room and all the stuff I dumped on the dressing table. Everything was dusted and vacuumed. I would have washed the walls and the curtains but we still have water issues and it was too hot and muggy to wash the walls, I'd had enough by then. I should be doing the bathroom today.........

That's where Ive been, standing in the headlights, hoping they'd run right over the top of me. No such luck. I have some catching up to do with all the blogs I read, it might take awhile. I should apologise now for any strange and smart alec remarks I may leave in people's comments. I've come out with some truly aspergic remarks lately. Fortunately there is the balance of my taking things literally and providing some amusement to my co-workers at my expense which is fair, I suppose.

On a slightly positive note, we have had some rain, not a lot, just a few showers. It's a start, every little bit counts. We have green weeds and the occasional tuft of green grass. The first step of our swimming pool is exposed, that's how dry it's been but I'm hoping we'll soon get enough rain the fill the tanks. I have a pile of washing that I'd really like to do.

I never did find my shampoo and conditioner recipe, probably because it got deleted with my last blog. Bugger. I'll have to try an remember, this is going to hurt.

regards,
Nevyn.

Who Stole the Water?

I'm sitting out on my back veranda looking out to another sunny, warm day. the birds are chirping away, I can hear a plane in the distance, barely heard over the sound of water been pumped around our swimming pool. While I type away my washing machine is filling up for it's rinse cycle and I'm wondering if I should have taken my washing to a laundromat.

That's right, our water tanks are very low. We have 3 rain water tanks. A 2500 gallon tank(for the duckies), a 5000 and a 5300 gallon tank. That's our water supply, plus our swimming pool in a pinch. It's a natural swimming pool, no chemicals. We don't have town water, even though we are 2km from the water treatment plant. Go figure. Unlike most of the other residents here, we don't have bore water. Our bore dried up 6 weeks after we moved here, in 1996. The rules and regulations for bores have changed in such a way that we can't have another one sunk. So rainwater it is.

I had a quick look at the rainfall measurements for our city since June. For the last 5 months we have had about 90mm of rain. For August we had ourselves a big, fat 0. October wasn't much better, it was about 4mm. Now I know that our rainfall is probably better than quite a few other places but when you're dependent on rain for your water supply you tend to notice it's absence a bit more than everyone else. This has been the driest that we can remember. The trees are shedding leaves like it's Autumn. There is very little of growth that you normally associate with Spring.

There are those around us who are using their bore water like there is no tomorrow and if they aren't careful, there won't be. The problem with an underground water supply is that you can't see when it is running low. Our whole city gets it's water from underground. There are no water restrictions and in the 20 years I have lived here, there never has been. At the moment these underground supplies aren't been replenished. Yes, we've had approx. 90mm of rain in 5 months but it has been widespread, the largest fall was 49mm, the rest a couple of mm hear and there. That kind of rain replenishes nothing. All is does is show up all the dirt on your car. It barely settles the dust, it at all.

We've had 2 thunderstorms, literally, in Winter. Thunder, no rain. October is our storm season. The Storm Birds were chirping away earlier in the month but apparently they've given up. I don't blame them. It's frustrating when you try to do your job and you get nothing for it. For all their chirping they got a grand total of 4.4mm. Whoopty Do.

Yet we have neighbours who persist in watering their lawns, two or three hoses going at once. One genius was even giving the road a soaking. Grrrrrrr. One of our next door neighbours (we have 4) was guernying his shed roof for the 3rd time since June. That kind of irritates me. I have a pile of towels and sheets I'd love to wash but I don't, when I do run out I will be going to the Laundromat. I have dog bedding that is very doggy, it will stay that way until our water tanks are filled to capacity. I now use cloth wipes when I go to the toilet so I don't have to flush every time I need to pee (maybe too much info but I'm making a point). What few veges I had growing have been sacrificed and we are worried about losing our fruit trees. Our bananas get all the grey water from the house but that supply has been reduced because we're using less water. Dishes are washed once a day no matter how many dishes there are. Now that's a pain in the neck when I've been baking.

There are only 2 of us, 3 if you count The Feral (he would be very sad if we didn't). We don't waste water as a rule. There are no long hot showers in our house, never have been. It's very hard to cut back water useage when you're fairly frugal to start with. There is no real sign of rain. Yes, there are clouds but they are only there for decoration. Our area is notorious for missing out on rain. It could pour in every township around us and we'll get nothing, it's like we have a bloody great umbrella over our city. We may have to get water trucked in, I hope not, it's been 10 years since the last time. I really can't stand town water, it reeks of chlorine and the taste, eww! But if we have to then we have to.

Our climate is changing more and more, yet for the most part, we refuse to change with it. There are more brown lawns than there use to be but there are still those who refuse to accept that water is becoming a scarce commodity in this country. We are the driest Continent in the World and it's getting drier. We still behave as if it's one of the wettest. I have a friend who bought herself a couple of new bath towels, as soon as she got home she threw them in the wash. It was nowhere near a full load. I could have cried. That is typical behaviour for her and many others. We need to change those behaviours and fast.

As with many things, Australia doesn't have the luxury to take it's time. With water less so, whether we like it or not Water is becoming an unreliable resource and we need to learn to look after it properly and if it takes level 6 restrictions all year round to do it, I'm all for it.

Anybody for a Rain Dance?

regards,
Nevyn.

Introducing, Little Miss Attitude

As you can see, she was very busy the other night. Did I forget to mention that she'd dyed her hair several shades of purple and brown and added a few hair extensions. Dreadlocks, no less.

She loves her new hairstyle. I have to admit that it does suit her, especially that Attitude of hers.

Last night I told her I was going to take some photos of her. My mistake, I should have kept my big mouth shut. She snuck out while I was at work and got herself a tattoo. At least they were flowers, it could have been much, much worse. The photo isn't very good. The tattoo is just below her waist.

To look at her sitting there all sweet and innocent, you would think that butter wouldn't melt in her mouth. That's what I was greeted with when I got home last night. Like she'd been sitting there all night, not moving an inch.

I was greeted with "My name is Frankie and I have a Tattoo. Wanna see?". Not one shred of remorse and proudly showed off her artwork.

She's not perfect, her body is a too squat and square and her legs are too skinny. I'm still not happy with the head but it's passable. I am very impressed with her hair. I think I may have got a bit carried away. But I know what not to do next time.

Her face is a bit squiff but when you think of if, unless you know a really good plastic surgeon, our faces aren't perfect either. I kept her features as simple as possible. I got the idea from the Waldorf Dolls. Thank you Belinda for pointing me in their direction. The idea is to give the doll very simple features so the child can attribute whatever feeling she/he wants to the doll when playing with it.

Everything is hand sewn, except for the skirt. I was not hand sewing gathers. I am not that patient. I made up the patterns as I went, which explains the haphazardness of her. I'm quite proud of her little slip ons I made but I forgot to take a photo of them.

I picked all bright colours, kids love bright colours. I also included the beads in her hair and the 'tattoo' as things to be found while been played with. I also tried to include as many different textures as I could. The mass of hair was deliberate but I was planning on that much. Another thing they say with the Waldorf Dolls is that kids love to play with the doll's hair.

Anyway, that's Little Miss Attitude all complete and finished. She was supposed to be a prototype but I think I'm happy enough to give to The Young Miss for Christmas. It will be an interesting combination. The doll has Attitude and the girl is Wild. There could be a battle of wills or the 2 of them are going to team up and lay waste to my friend's house. Better hers than mine ;-)

I hope you like Frankie, I'm taking her to work tonight. I figure everyone could do with a really good laugh.

regards,

Nevyn.

If I Had One of These......

I would use it to do this.....

To one of these.

Driving a Tank may not be very environmentally friendly, not to mention very unkind to the roads but Man would it feel good to Squish a few of those Pretentious, bloody Hummers.

Consider if a Community Service.

regards,

Nevyn.

Don't Do This at Home

A friend sent me this email. I got the giggles big time. That's not quite true, I had tears streaming down my face.

Yes, I do have a sadistic streak. You have to give him credit for the safety measures he provided, protection for the table. The music was a nice touch. I love Duelling Banjos.

regards,

Nevyn.

While We Were Sleeping

Late at night when all is quiet and the big people sleep, a Little Rag Doll is up to no good.
She jumps out of her box and pulls up her socks. She has things to do, no time to waste.
Her hair is a mess, the colour all wrong. It's way too short, she'd rather it long.
Everything she needs is ready to use, she works all night with squeals of delight.
As first light creeps along the floor, The Little Rag Doll runs though the door.
She stands in front of a mirror and smiles. The Little Rag Doll dances with glee.
Her hair is wild and free.
The big people are waking, it's time to go. The things she's been up to, she doesn't want them to know.
The Little Rag Doll is tired, her bed is calling. She crawls under her blankets and snuggles down deep.
It's way past time for her to sleep.
A smile on her face, she closes her eyes. The night was long and full of fun.
There's so much to be done, when all is quiet and the big people sleep.


Yep, you've guessed it, Little Miss Attitude got up to some mischief the other night. I'd spent most of Thursday working on her hair. It was blond, shoulder length and all neat and tidy. Now it's not. Someone decided to make a few changes. A few! The little monster went to town. She now has one scary new 'do'. I tried to get a photo of it but all I ended up with was a rudie nudie running down the hall way, whooping it up with some very wild hair trailing behind her. Needless to say, no photo.

I'm hoping to get some clothes made for her this weekend. Hoping been the operative word as I have no pattern and I'm making things up as I go. There was some serious negotiation over the material for her clothes. She wanted camo and crossbones and I offered to buy her pink and girlie. She said she would trust my judgement. There were a few mumbled words after that but I didn't quite catch them and she was disinclined to repeat them. One thing is for certain, when I finish her clothes ALL materials will be moved out of reach. There will be no more antics like the night before.

I picked out a name for her yesterday. I told her I was going to call her Susie. The reply? "No. You're not". I suggested FrankenDoll. Which thinking back could have been a mistake. She didn't say a word, not a peep, she just had a smile, a very tiny, mischievous smile.

Oh dear.

regards,
Nevyn.

A Couple of Updates

Just a quickie today, I'm on a mission. I thought I'd better update a couple of things I'd mentioned in previous posts.

Zeer Pots
Working well. The butter is nice and spreadable but there are a couple of things I had to do a bit differently. Lining the inner pot with grease paper was not a bright thing to do. What happens to paper when it is constantly moist and damp. Mould. Yep, mould. As I reached the bottom of the pot I noticed these little black splotches forming in the butter. Upon closer inspection I realised it was mould. Remaining butter was tossed, inner pot was scrubbed with very hot water. The butter is now kept in a small container that sits inside the pot. Lesson learned.

The second thing I changed was to put less butter in the container. It's more of a common sense thing really. It could take me weeks to go through a whole packet of butter and while my zeer pot is doing it's job I don't see the point in pushing things. Re: the mould. That and I'm a bit worried that if I leave the butter sit for too long it might go off.

I did a little exercise with my pot a couple of days ago. I took some temperatures, inside the pot and room temperature. I did this at lunch time and at about 2.00pm. There was a temperature difference of 5 degrees C at lunch time and 8 degrees C at 2.00pm. I was fairly impressed.

Rag Doll Project
Prototype no. 2 is well on the way. I've been told no photos as she doesn't want to be a rudie nudie. This little miss has some attitude. She has told me that I'm not allowed to post any pictures of her until she has hair and clothes. I've also been told no pink, she absolutely does not do pink. Could be interesting because the little girl this doll will be going to is a pink girl, whether she likes it or not. She also likes Dora the Explorer, her Mother has a lot to answer for.

I better go, there are squeaks of disapproval coming from the chair next to me. Little Miss Attitude dislikes been half bald more than she dislikes been a rudie nudie.

regards,
Nevyn.