Some will say I have had a spending frenzy as all were wants not needs but its Christmas shopping time. I have budgeted for $300 Christmas presents for me. So far I have found some DVDs to buy that was on my want list if I found them.

1. Masterchef - Masterclass -DVD (RRP $39.95) for $19.92
2. Australia Movie -DVD (RRP $32.95) for $16.10
3. Cook & Chef -boxed set of 4 DVD (RRP $79.98 with cookbook) for $20.00 (I have download all the recipes so I dont need the cookbook.)
4. Agatha Christie Miss Maple -boxed set of 4 DVD (RRP $39.95) for $20.00
5. Gardening Australia -boxed set of 3 DVD (RRP $39.95) for $16.00
6. 2 Cookbooks set by Jamie Oliver - (RRP $99.00 if bought single) for $39.95

RRP $331.78 - Spent by waiting for the right price to come at this time only- $131.97

I still have a $100 worth of vouchers that I need to spend by the end of the year at one shopping center.

Just under 2 years ago I requested that our local council put my street on the list for an upgrade in the next budget with all the trucks and building going on around here the last 18 months it was very much in need of upgrade. which is all now finished!

Well I have kerbing all dug up on both side of the street with safety barriers around them just waiting for the new kerbing to be put in early next week. I must have got on the good side of someone as 4 years ago local council water repair truck broke my footpath driveway and with all the heavy trucks and semi s turning into my driveway while they were building the new apartments across the street, it was on the way out. So as part of the job, local council is replacing the broken part of this driveway as the power company replace the other half of it when they put the new power line underground. In all other driveways in the street they are only replacing 12 inches for new kerbing but with mine its 3 feet wide. About five hundred dollars worth if I was paying for it! Its over $90,000 job all up for the whole street for kerbing and resurfacing.

Sometime in the New Year most likely, another council work gang will come and resurface the road as well as it does need doing now! This is first time since it was laid that kerbing has been replaced in my life time and the area was subdivided in the 1870 would have been kerbed after 1930s. From memory I think the road has been resurfaced once since I arrived here over 39 years ago. Its progress!

Whether it was, Smart shopping I dont know.

My sewing machine broke down in away that I couldnt fix as the cotton stools area broke off all together and then required major overhaul costing around $200 or more and it had never been serviced in the 20 years that I have had it. Service plus all new parts, as the old machine is around 20 years and Janome is the one that my Mother bought just before she died. I looked at some sewing machines at Lincraft and no good deal at the time.

So I checked out a local company in the Mt Gravatt area with easy parking near Spotlight this week online. They sell Janome and had a deal going until September on some Janome sewing machines with a $200 trade in called Cashback on some new machines only. There was one in that range which I was that was interested in, so my friend and I went over to look. I took my old machine in just in case they still had one left. I end up buying it as the RRP $699 then it was reduced to $599 for this sale but with $200 trade in on the sewing machine I ended up paying $399 cash for it. This sewing machine will have to do me, as I dont sew that much but do need a sewing machine for mending and making curtains. I am planning to make nightdresses for summer this year. So thats around 43% off the RRP which is good, knowing that plastics in the old machine were iffy.

The other night, I was all set to watch TV after News then have an early night when I got a phone call from a friend asking if I would like to go the theatre that night. Its free commentary ticket to see her daughter dance that night but I would need to be ready in 15 minutes if I was going. They were going to dinner before the show. I just had time to get dressed and wash up before she called to pick me up. Seeing that I had dinner, I just bought coffee and dessert when they dined at the restaurant. This is not the first time I have seen this International Aboriginal Dance Group, dance before so knew a little about them.

It was 20th Anniversary of the Bangarra Dance Theatre; the performance was ~ Fire - A Retrospective~. After the performance there was a free supper for selected guests including the state governor and her party as well a number of aboriginal elders as this was the first night performance. We had free canapes, sushi, sandwiches, wine or soft drink or fruit drink plus coffee or hot chocolate. Its not every night you end up having supper with state governor even if there were 50 other guests as well!

Boy! Time get away with you doesnt it. I have had a quite few weeks here.

I did go to see the Leonardo da Vinci Codices & Machines exhibition here a few weeks ago with my son. It was expensive but worth it as he was my most favourite inventor and being self taught my most creative influence as I had to teach myself many thing over my life time and are still learning come to that.

Spending for this exhibition - concession fee $15.00 plus I allow myself to indulge on one book and DVD. So I bought the last catalogue they had $50.00 and DVD -DA Vinci Genius- $28.00 so all up cost $93. If I am ok this week, I will take myself off to the Art Gallery to see exhibition that is ending this month.

I went to a re-enactment of an event that happens here 150 years ago. It was a ship coming up the Brisbane River to Government house at the time Newstead House on the bend of the river at Newstead Point. SEPARATION on its side, this year we are celebrating our 150 year of separation from New South Wales.

This was most economical event for me to attend, I would have loved to ride the steam train around the state but cost was prohibited.

This was a moment in Queensland history, and they went to a lot of trouble to re-enact it with style.

It was an Community Garden Party with the re-enactment of the ships coming in with Queensland Scottish Volunteer Corp of about 6 men all dressed in soldiers uniforms of the day and fire a Feu De Joie as the ship arrived who are from Queensland Scottish Association, Orimiston Heritage Pipes and Drums which performed for the waiting crowd. Over 40 people dressed in period costumes of that time. There were three groups who dressed in period, The Australian Costumes Guild,Dance Kaleidoscope is group performing and teaching the traditional dancing of England and Wales of 17th, 18th,19th centuries in costume. They performed Grimstock , Shrewsbury lasses, Waltz Country Dance, and Ballroom Lancers - Quadrille which danced to Gilbert & Sullivan music, many of these dances were danced in drawing rooms of this historic house 150 years ago. Many people would have seen them danced in the Pride & Prejudice movies.

I did have a look over the Newstead House for gold coin donation. Very beautiful old house, and I did find the their gift shop spending $7.00 on cookbook that they had put together. It made a very interesting read as it was on a collection of WW2 recipes and memories of Victory in Pacific, August 15 1945. One recipe had a very bad typing error in this cookbook. What do you think this line 1 kevek teasoiib sida should read?

This wasnt the only typing error I found, in their program for the event. It was printed with the date error now if only I could attend then 11th July, 6009.

Give that I went by bus & bought food, cookbook and donation for princely sum $18.50 for a memory.

Newstead House

No much too write about at the moment. I have only been out once since I last wrote on here.

It now been 7 days of no spending, so other than a day in the city for a medical appointment and I had Lunch at the casino on my own for $10 a main meal, cake & coffee, when I buy this I keep someone in a job and I dont cook that night too! If I went to a fast food restaurant it would cost about $8.00 so I get no junk food and real services. Its bit of a walk to the casino but it worth it.

I hope to spend very little this month; it time to start the ball rolling to get some painting quotes as the outside of the house need painting. I just hope its not to cost too much.

Well its time that wrote here I do seem to never find the time these days!

My spending or non- spending is still on track but for one problem since I last wrote here.

I went up the street last week with only my shopping bag and my wallet instead my handbag that I lug almost everywhere. I only need to go to a few places. I past the Op shop on the way so popped in for a quick look. Bought a few books and some craft items put them in my bag and left. Next stop the hairdresser for a style cut. After I had my hair cut I went to paid and found that I didn't have my wallet that I was given for my birthday a few months before. Well I went into panic mode of course; I went back to the op shop no wallet there. Back to hairdresser to tell them I call back to pay later lucky that I know the owners. I had my house keys on me so that was not a problem so I went home to cancel my cards and get some money that I had at home. I do believe in having a float of a few dollars for such emergency but this is the first time I need it. I returned to the shopping strip after I had been to the police station to report the missing wallet. Payed the hairdresser for the haircut and rechecked the op shop in case had been found so I finished my shopping trip and return home.
Around 6 hours later I received a phone call from a man saying that had I lost my wallet when I said yes he when said when he return home he found my wallet in his mail box some streets away from me. All my cards were in tack but no money which was around $40 as I had counted it just before I went out that day. I was happy as the wallet it self was worth more then that. As for all cancelled cards not a problem as only money one in the wallet was reactivated 24 hour later. The other I can live without for a few weeks as my pension cards were still in the found wallet.

Moral of this tale: Do not change your habits if you can't remember to your put your things away. Next time I will stick to using my handbag in future I do have that routine down pat.

Well I went to a different kind of restaurant this week, Japanese Steakhouse on the Gold Coast for a Teppanyaki Banquet. There were 8 of us in our group at $45 per head with drinks & desserts extra. We had the Group Teppanyaki Bonsai Banquet menu with a personal sushi chef at each table as it was cooked at the table.

Menu - Onion Soup, House Salad, Hibachi Vegetables this was framing of cucumbers mushrooms & onions, Prawn Appetizer, Hibachi Steak, Hibachi Chicken, Hibachi Prawns & Hibachi Fried rice which was made into a heart and lighted birthday candle with happy birthday sung by all. Very filling too!

Some of our group order dessert too! This was fried ice cream made into a roll then cut into three pieces, it looked good but as we had to have a Chocolate mud cake for birthday cake this was to much for me. I had green tea and water which was free but the others had soft drinks at $4.50 a can plus wine etc. My bill just the $45 plus a birthday gift. This was budgeted for, in my annual budget.

There was no recession at this hotel that night as they had two weddings and engagement party and all restaurants were full so bookings only.

Found a local Church that has FREE Garage Sales now & then, so as I was never able to find anyone to buy my stuff that I had in the first place and to void the sign finds by the local council $300 @ sign. One of my neighbor keep putting up signs when you have a garage sale but as you are the one advertising it you are the one who will get the fines as he put up six signs. It can cost you $1800 to make $40 to $100 not worth it and the stuff is not modern enough for some now!

I have now decided to donate some of it to them when they have their next one. As they do give it away for free to the needy. Some of it will go to other places as I dont think some of the books will be right for them. By looking at their books on the boxes to go by!

Now that I have a place for my junk to go to I now can make it my winter project and what doesnt go to them will be sent to the local school fete this year. Both these places dont change the earth for second hand goods either. Other charity shops think, if not under two years old or new in it original packaging/price tag on it or antique then they think its no good and will send it to the dump or what they keep, will then change people almost the price new for it! My idea of all second goods should never sell for more than 40% of their original price when bought new. The other day I was looking at cookbook that I wanted for a set that I am making up, I only have 6 books to go, I found one of them but they wanted $6 for it, when I bought all others for under $2 each and they were around $2.99 each to start off with new. I left it there too!

I did pick up a cookbook & a glass pie plate at the free garage sale.

It was a no spending day too!

I had a lovely lunch with my friends on New Year Eve and won $15 on the poker machines. As for the Post-Christmas sales I only bought a handbag paying $14.50 for a $69.00 for casual handbag.

I was looking at buying a new CD player as it will cost more to have my old 15 year old one fixed than replace it with new more update one. So this afternoon I went an bought one so ended up replacing what I had before but with 3 CD player instead of one including a record player and twin cassette player cost $260 saving $69 plus the 30% that all electrical goods go up on 5 January because of drop in the dollar. That is one reason that I bought it today. Now cost would have been to repair the old one was around $100 plus $90 in gift money for Christmas so with my twisted idea, Peter Paying Paul budget it work out that I'm out of pocket by $170 and will buy grocery with gift card.

Well I didn't go to the city last week for my monthly lunch date as planned. But I needed to pay my credit card as it was due.

Instead of taking the car as usual with cost of gas the days, I took the bus and went into the city costing $2.20 for senior off peak day trip ticket.

The plan was to pay the credit card in full and take some cash of the bank and buy a pair of hosiery, but first as it was lunch time so I walked up the casino for lunch as at treat. The first thing was to play to machines for 5 minutes before I go to lunch. I like to play on one machine (1c only ones I play) if its not being used. I put my $2.00 in after 6 spins the jacket pot spin came up winning enough to play for 15 minute and a free lunch of Chicken Schnitzel with chips & salad, coming out even.

Later I went off to do my banking and the shopping for my friend.

My days outing cost $2.20 fare plus $60 on the credit card. Free a lunch and playing pokies, good walk down the Mall and three hours out of the house.

Well I got a funny offer for my house this week, it took me all of two seconds to think about it and not reply but just smile. I live in house which does have lowest value in the area as the saying goes the worst house in the street. But I do have lot a storage areas much more than the normal. I would have to change my lifestyle and sell my family antiques then sell up in a few years if I took this offer up too!

The young business man across the street has just built an eight apartment block behind his parent house; I would take it as a joke that he would swap one of his top apartments for my house and land. They are nice small two bedrooms and no storage at all, no garden, lot of stairs and no pets; I would never do that to my cats. Not just for a view of the city no way.

Weekly Main Meals Menu

Sunday ~ Devil Sausages with streamed potatoes
Monday ~ Spaghetti Bolognese
Tuesday ~ Sweet & Sour Chicken with Rice
Wednesday ~ Seafood Casserole with Rice
Thursday ~ Leftover night
Friday ~ Spaghetti with Tuna & Peas
Saturday ~ Omelet with salad

I did end up buying the massage machine. It’s great I have used it every day since, both my doctor and chiropractor was happy that it has worked. My visit to the chiropractor last week was the first time that I wasn’t tense up as my muscles have been for such a long time.

Now it’s time to get back into the garden and make my third vegetable garden plot for spring and summer here.

Well it time I looked in on this blog. I have been busy doing nothing major but just not enough time to do it all.

Budget wise I have been spending a little more than I should but not on major items. These things will keep me healthy and my storage a little more organized I hope. So far I have not gone over budget target but could if I keep it up. It’s time to pull in on spending after I get my next item on the list.

As you know I go to chiropractor each month and still do but between him and my doctor they haven’t been able to fix the pain when I’m walking that has been there for last 4 years. So as this week our show (Ekka) here, I have been once so far and tried a German massage machine there. 15 minutes on it and that pain has gone, and its 4 days now so I planning to buy one sometime this week, its expensive $390 cash (normal price $499) but it did work. Now I hope I will use it at least three times per week so I will get my money worth out it. I don’t plan on lending it out it’s for my use. If I had massage twice a month for this muscle only at $60 ago and I think it more than that. It would pay for itself in seven visits and then have it for the next 10 years or so. I will let you know if I do buy it as this one I don’t need anyone to help me use it like most I have tried.

Weekly Main Meals Menu

Sunday ~ Pasta with Tuna & Tomato Sauce
Monday ~ Leftovers night
Tuesday ~ Homemade Vegetables Soup with Chopped Chicken
Wednesday ~ Chicken Schnitzel & Egg with Vegetables
Thursday ~ Omelet with salad
Friday ~ Poached Fish and Vegetables
Saturday ~ Roast Chicken & Vegetables

Today I found UHT Milk that was markdown with a few months still before best before date. I bought the 4 cartons there @ .50 each and being organic they were around $2.15 RRP each. There were some soy milk also but I did buy it as I’m not great lover of soy milk. I will keep some of this milk in stock so I have milk if we have a problem with our water supply at anytime. I can use about one carton per week normally so when they get to near use by date I work them into my normal week supply and replace with fresh supply. I bought my cat some more cat litter as I do need to stockpile more for them too! Prices are going up fast here, so it will be cushion against prices rises as well having more in the cupboards.

Weekly Main Meal Menu

Sunday ~ Roast Chicken & Vegetables
Monday ~ Stir Fry Beef with Rice
Tuesday ~ Beans & Rice with Vegetables
Wednesday ~ Apricot Chicken with rice
Thursday ~ Grilled Sausages with Onions & Grilled Tomato
Friday ~ Pasta with Tuna & Tomato Sauce
Saturday ~ Leftovers

I have been shopping only twice since last week, still haven’t spent any money on Grocery. But I have spent $33.50 on books all used ones too! They are by an author that I am trying to read when I get some time to do so as they are in trilogy form, I need to get them all before I start to read most of them. I do have the first book but I don’t have any others in first trilogy but I do have the first book in the next trilogy, the other ones are from other trilogies that she has written. I am planning to buy new next two books of the first trilogy for Mother Day as I will ask for gift vouchers again this year. They do come in handy when you want something that is not a need but you would like to have it. As I am a slow reader I do need to buy these books as I’m still reading War & Peace after 32 years. I have seen the that movie a few times but with the book I get very bored in the war parts of the book and then stop for a few years then have another go. I may get there one day. Some books I can read in a few hours but others it takes years.

I did have lunch with my ex-coworkers again this week, and paid my visa so it’s back to Zero again.

The other thing I did spend money is getting prescriptions filled and packet of candy as the treat for the week not that I didn’t get any chocolate for Easter, I just a need to buy some non- chocolate candy too!

We may get some rain tonight so heres is hoping.

This week it’s time to charge the batteries in the smoke detectors, I have 3 of them so I went and bought a pack of 4 x 9 volt batteries @ $16.57 pack or if I wished to buy them in single packs @ $6.99 a pack it’s crazy but I’m saving money by buying four. As three of them would have cost $ 20.97 and I got four for $16.57 value of $27.96 saving $11.39 on the four. It’s the end of our day light savings in the Southern States, we don’t have it here. Fire dept recommends’ to change at beginning of the day light saving but as I did put new ones up at this time last year I’m doing at end of it each year, it still one year but at a different time of the year.

Weekly Main Meal Menu

Sunday ~ Grilled Sausages with Onions & Grilled Tomato
Monday ~ Apricot Chicken with rice
Tuesday ~ Pasta with Tuna & Tomato Sauce
Wednesday ~ Omelet with salad
Thursday ~ Leftovers night
Friday ~ Salmon Patties with Vegetables
Saturday ~ Steak with Onions & Grilled Tomato

Today I filed some of papers that I have been pulling out of my craft bedroom. I did find a very unusual one that was printed in January 1974, two days after the flood here when over 13000 homes went under. In it they are telling you how to save most of the things that we are told to get ride of now. Like carpets, books, furniture, clothes, save the plaster walls, how wash outside walls, how to get your car going etc. Back then I do know that so much was not make with glue and particle boards but more solid woods and brick. Our old house that was sold 3 years before this flood only needed a quick hose out and dry out then it was fine; the people living there had time to up most of their goods into the ceiling including the carpets as there were two large man holes build into that house and it was one of the last houses to go under at 35 feet above sea level. The house that we moved to then now is my home and is high on a ridge but the low areas near the river did get flood then. Funny what we kept.

Weekly Main Meal Menu

Sunday ~Beef Rissoles & Salad
Monday ~ Pasta with Tuna & Tomato Sauce
Tuesday ~ Stir Fry Chicken with Rice
Wednesday ~ Beans & Rice with Vegetables
Thursday ~ Steak with Onions & Grilled Tomato
Friday ~ Salmon Patties with Vegetables
Saturday ~ Omelet with salad

I had a very busy morning; first I spent 5 hours with my Italian DF-M, as she is elderly and wanted to make pasta today. So we were up at first light this morning making and rolling pasta for Easter. It was just the two of us do this today.

After having lunch I started working on an area in my workshop. I got to put some stuff away into they right place after I had finished the painting the other day. With that lot cleared it made way so that I could get to the area that I wished to clear out. I did half this area today which took about 2 hours so far. I needed to put some wood away that I would need to repair the outside of the house what was sitting the corner from my door project a year ago. If I ever get dry rot I will have matching boards to replace with and I do have the storage there.

Today my handyman friend arrived and took off my back screen door that was showing signs of weather over 20 years needing new fly screen and painting, as it was full of rust which was surface rust only. After remove the rust and fixing the fly screen panel which is separate piece. I put the first coat of metal primer on today and over the next few days I will be putting on next two coats before my friend come back to put it back up as this door is very heavy and need more than one person to put it back in place.

No spending days this month:- 4

Today we had a ‘Wet Weekend’ for a one hour on odd & even house number system that we have. We could get our hoses out for just one hour this weekend. Some people didn’t use they hoses for this one time only in 18 months. For me it was a lot longer than that as I always started a lot earlier as when the next level was published not when it started and the first 3 levels were published together. So for first time in over 3 years I washed my house and window of dust and had time to wash my car also. I did get everything ready before hand and all I had to do at end of the time was dry the car down. We are still on 140 litres per day per person. I’m at below 90 litres per day so I’m well within my limit. Hopefully we may go to 170 litres per person when we go over 40% and we are at 39.5%.

Weekly Main Meal Menu

Sunday ~Apricot Chicken with rice
Monday ~ Steak with Onions & Grilled Tomato
Tuesday ~ Leftovers night
Wednesday ~ Curried Sausages with Rice
Thursday ~ Chicken Schnitzel & Egg with Vegetables
Friday ~ Salmon Patties with Vegetables
Saturday omelet with salad

Using the omelet marker for the first time, as I normally make fluffy omelet I made this but it did rise went flat when took them out the marker. As there was no booklet with it, I’m going by just trail & error. It was still eatable but good enough to serve visitors I would think. I will need to look around for the right mixer recipe. I got this one for free its value new $49.99, it was only used twice before.

No Spending Days so far this month :~ 13

I had to go to the supermarket today. I bought fruit and vegetables that were much cheaper than buying at the supermarket with all this rain the farm are flooded in some places and the supermarket prices, apples and pears at 99c kg instead of $3.98 kg. Along with pet food stocking up on dry pet food as these were on special also my cats treats cat food was on special too! I also got a few bargains in chicken stock satchels for 20c each so I bought what was left. So if I shopped different place than where I did I would spent. Meat Lamb $2.30 marked down from $3.96

So I spend money today
Total Money spent today $43.09 (my cash outlay)
Savings $stretch $28.36

Went to a Garage (Yard) Sale I help there today I took a few boxes books and few other items also .

I had a great day spent $7.50, sold all my books for $10.00. I came home with $8.50 profit. But you should see what I got for my money about $400 worth on retail value alone, there were a some free stuff Leather handbag, 3 lunch bags, beauty bag, 2 shoe bags, heap of vintage jewelery including a watch which you can charge its faces 6 ways, many cookbooks, craft books, 2 milk bottles & 1 water bottles all glass for the fridge, Sunbeam Waffle Maker, Omelet Maker, and 12 silver plate napkin rings, 6 Brass Christmas Napkin Ring, 4 Brass Heart Napkin Rings and 6 Wine Glass Ring for Christmas also a lot other odd & ends.

So I spend money today
Total Money spent today $7.50 (my cash outlay)
Savings $stretch $400

I went to the city today. Visit to the Chiro and to pay my car insurance which is due next week. Went to Hungry Jack for lunch again, having burger, coffee and ice cream as the coffee was Free, so costing $2.40 only. I did buy some batteries that I need to replace. I went and bought some birthday gifts at chemist as they had them on for buy one get lowest price free, what you do when they do this, you buy both at same price so you getting at least 50% off. I got two toiletries gift boxes that were a great price $7.48 each so I only paid $7.48 for both.

So I spend money today
Total Money spent today $555.90 (my cash outlay)
Savings $stretch $9.93

It’s been so wet here lately that it was too wet to mow. We just had a window of three days to catch up on mowing the lawn around here. Nearly everyone got out they mowers or had they lawn mower service come and mow and tidy up they yards.

I did get my yard tidy, as I work long before the noise level can go up at 7 am and 8 am on weekend. I like to have my edges done long before these times. I still cut my edges with scissors which easy to do in short energy bursts.

It’s now raining again with two lows moving down the coast, again flooding around the place. I’m just watching it on the TV news now! 43 people had to be rescue off the coast, 37 on one yacht and 6 on the other, all are safe now.

Well I did spend a little today; I had to go to the city.

Afterwards I checked out the supermarket for markdown goods while there and spent about $5.00 on clearance food lines, saving around $11.00 there.
I did drop into the op shop on the way home and bought some more books 3 cookbooks for 50c each saving around $30.00 here on Reg. Price.

I did go to Hungry Jack for Coffee (free) and had a burger & cone as well. Cost $2.40 saving $2.45 here.
Not bad but not good when you think about it, a little of no will power.

So I spend money today
Total Money spent today $8.90 (my cash outlay)
Savings $stretch $43.45

No Spending Days:- 8

Weekly Main Meal Menu

Sunday ~ Tuna Pasta with Salad
Monday ~ Leftovers night
Tuesday ~ Apricot Chicken with Rice
Wednesday ~ Omelet with Shredded Cheese and Salad
Thursday ~ Steak with Onions & Grilled Tomato
Friday ~ Salmon Patties with Vegetables
Saturday ~ Chicken Schnitzel & Egg with Vegetables

You remember all that free stuff that I left behind for others to take or move. It’s all now rumble the tree lopper came in on Monday morning and a large crane came in yesterday and did the rest, if the rain didn’t get to it first. Anything that was left is now under the rumble, this includes some furniture too! These people get you to do everything for them. Another neighbor went to get some garden plants that needed to be moved. They wanted her to move them for them, they just watching her and were bit upset when she took them home. Want her to redo they garden for them as half their garden had to go at they place too!

No Spending Days 6

There is not much to report on the money front I still haven’t spent a cent! I did earn $5.00 ironing today for one of friends who has two dresses that she is planning to wear to a wedding that needed ironing. It was a bit of job as both were four layers each. Why is it that people who don’t like ironing buy clothes that they can’t iron or press themselves? They took over 50 minutes to iron both and spot clean one. This is not the first time I have end up ironing a four layered dress for some else they didn’t what to do and not the same person either.

On weather front the Cricket got washout again. It’s rained most of late afternoon and evening. Today it will rain this afternoon again as weather is unstable.

A climatology expert said yesterday that he doesn’t think all this rain will break our drought as we still need another 600mm of rain in the southeast area of the state around our main dam. It’s raining everywhere else. None of the flooded areas will get into that dam. Our Dams are at 30% full and were around 18% full before Christmas. Some parts of the state still have had little or no rain at all.