time out

on the 6th of nov, my mum slept in at 10.20am.

nothing could have prepared me or protected me for the excruciating pain i felt..

wished i could write more, but think there's nothing i could do but let time do the healing.

thank you for being supportive and indulgent of my pet blog..

i will be taking some time out..

but this is not good bye..

move over james bond!

like every girl, i had a thing for mr. bond, james bond.. the classy spy that makes you weak at the knees.. ahhh.. but no more, there's a new spy in town.. oh.. i'm sorry PC term is: Covert Operative?

i'm so head over heels in lurve with Mr. Michael Westen (Jeffrey Donovan) on Burn Notice.. sure he's not a typically handsome guy.. sure it's a little cheesy.. and sure they make it seemed all too smooth and easy... but you show me a guy that could make a beige suit look ever so good! :)

i've just finished my stash of the first season, which i savoured slowly like a good red.. now i'm DYING to know what happens next season.. i'm so happy when i googled that there'll be a season 2 .. yippeee!! (i guess deep down i know tv like this are usually too good to last? much like veronica mars.. which i'm still in bitter bitter mourning)

i'm not gonna apologise for my trashy tv habits.. thank god for the new installment of America's Next Top Model to keep my mind of mr.rugged-good-looks-westen!! go tyra!

Bokashi Mania!

In our bid to make a contribution to our dying environment, my sis C and I decided to adopt a Bokash Bin to our household..

How it works: put all your food scraps (you can put virtually EVERYTHING even citrus, eggs, and leftovers!) into the bin, spread on a bit of bokashi mix (full of microbes – apparently.. meaning little microscopic animals that breaksdown food and turns it into nutritious compost), pack it all tightly and put the lid back on. When it’s full.. take it out to the garden, bury it, and in a few weeks you’ll have a bundle of yummy compost (well.. yummy for the plants)!

we got our bokashi bin from the Environment House in Perth (they do a starter pack and also run workshops) or you can also buy them online.. we thought about worm farms or compost bins, but they just seemed like too much work for lazy bums like us.. plus the bokashi bin is compact and our bin lives in the pantry..

So, C and I would spring clean our cupboard or fridge without guilty thoughts of greenhouse gases or the starving children in Africa, coz we know it’ll all become good compost for my budding vegie garden. So decision process is simple.. I would hold up a bundle of dying lettuce, manky looking leftovers or piece of old bread to C, we look at each other, and with one synchronised firm nod, we say “Bokashi it!”.. so we’ve been happily bokashi this, bokashi that, and bokashi galore!

Amore Italia: Manual of Love 2

i enjoyed a wonderful saturday arvo with my fellow PhD comrade K, we caught up over coffee at the art gallery and went to see the Manual of Love 2 from the italian film festival in perth.. the long over due dose of culture gave me such a buzz..

there were some seriously good looking italians.. most of all i have a soft spot for monica bellucci.. she's not the typical hollywood stick animal specifically designed to make me feel bad about my 'fuller figure' Plus, she's got this magic around her.. and i'm completely mesmerised every time she appears on screen..

i really enjoyed the film. it was light, sweet, clever, thoughtful, funny and quirky.. it did make me rethink about love and what it means.. all the intricate subtleties of human relating.. a celebration of the fabulously flawed humanness that lies within us all.. that served with a side of giant coke and a small bucket of popcorn, it's just the most delicious way to spend a rainy Saturday afternoon..

ahhh.. my deprived soul is satiated.. for now..

no news is bad news!

it's been AGES since i started my project plant more stuff..

as the days go on.. there's still no action from my herb seeds.. as i grew more impatient.. i went to check the seeds packet to see if i've followed the sowing directions correctly.... then.. in the corner of my eye.. i spoted the little blue stamp that shattered my hopes of a herb garden..

apparently i've sown seeds that are "best before 2001"..

in another words.. i've been watering buckets of dirt with old seeds for hmpphhh 3 weeks.....

S-I-G-H.... i had plans for those herbs..

Wanted: Tomato eating Crustacea

Weeks since sown: 2.5

Sprouts: 0

Tomato seedlings: 2 down, 4 left.

Since i started my "Project: Plant more stuff" I’ve lost 1 tomato seedling on day 2!! then on day 3.. I found another seedling down!! It died the same way the first one did, laying horizontally with a severed stem near the roots!

so notttt happy.. actually i was seething madddd.. So I decided to do a bit of a CSI - Sherlock Holmes style... I caught the culprit in the act half way chomping around the stem of my third tomato seedling!! Little grey black buggers with segmented scales.. took me a while of googling and rummaging through my garden books to find that these little buggers are called - SLATERS!!!!!

apparently they are scavengers, but in large quantities they can attack plants.. (yes, in my case, the little guy is either very popular or have one mighty big family.. may be they are enjoying the bountifulness of my newly buried compost material in my vegie patch).. so guess it's still my fault.. so with a dust pan and some encouraging prods with a broom.. i've moved the party to another compost spot..

so... my tomatoes are safe.... for now...

Ally turns ONE!

it felt like it was only yesterday when i visited YT's in the maternity ward and ally was wrapped up like giant witchetty grub with a pink face..

today was her first EVER birthday party!! ohhh how time flies!

YT made this cute cake for her plus coco rice things, and fairy bread.. and grandma cooked up a storm of curry chicken, bbq pork and duck, fried noodles, and lots of red eggs!

big mammal and i got ally the elmo giggle n' shake chair.. (which is sooo completely adorable)..
but baby ally seemed a little scared of this big red thing that makes all these noise and shakes.. and more interested in the frog that can sing songs that she was given by an aunty..

this sorta reminds me a bit of bart and his homer made krusty clown bed...

hmph!