Re: Facebook

Just an update / correction to my earlier post regarding Facebook. 

It seems that you can actually have your FB account deleted - you need to put in a request to 'the powers that be', who will then delete your account - I believe it's a 14-day process, however, I have received reports that it can take longer. 

Here's how to do it:

1. Go to the bottom of any FB page and click on 'help'.
2. In the search space that appears, start to typed 'how to delete...' or similar and this will appear:   "How to Permanently Delete..."
3. Click on it and follow the instructions.

It will take 14 days or so - time for you to 'reconsider'.

Just so y'know!

Linda.

South Australian Homeschooling Camp - April 2012

HI all. The time is fast approaching for our 2012 Homeschooling Camp!

The dates will be Mon-Fri, April 23rd - 27th. This is Week 1 of Term 2. Anzac Day will be on the Wednesday, so we'll no doubt have Anzac activities and so forth on the day.

The camp site sleeps around 90 people in total. It is located just outside of Melrose, at the base of Mt Remarkable. The site provides dormitory-style accommodation, with bunk beds in each room, sleeping from 4-6 people in each room. There are 18 rooms available; some with ensuites, and some without.

Our Willochra Camp is very relaxed - our activities include hiking up the Mount, and a trip to Alilgator Gorge (hiking down the 150 or so steps into the Gorge), as well as evening activities such as a Bush Dance, Concert and Quiz Night. All activities are completely optional - if you'd prefer to simply relax, chat and put your feet up, that's fine too.

The costs are $21 per person, per night, which includes the booking fee. Pre-schoolers are free.

There is no camping allowed on-site, however, if you would prefer, you are able to camp at the local caravan park. It would then cost each person $10.50 to attend the camp as a 'day visitor'.

The site has a large kitchen and dining room, and each family brings their own food and meals. There is a large, walk-in fridge for food storage. We usually have a 'baked potato night', 'pasta night', 'BBQ night', etc., so everyone is having similar meals, but again, this is flexible, and each family does what suits them.

If you are interested in making a booking, please email me at: lindamaher08 at gmail dot com .

There are still several rooms available, so even if you cannot make it, we would appreciate you spreading the word – we would like to see more of the rooms booked, and the opportunity for some ‘time out’ offered to as many homeschoolers as possible.

For those who have booked rooms, I shall be in touch shortly with further details.

Please pass the word around to as many homeschoolers as you can!

Thanks and God bless,

Linda.

Ice Cream and Jelly Beans.

After my youngest three were in bed tonight, their conversation went something like this:

"That's Ice Cream finished".

"So, you've finished with Ice Cream, and now you want Jelly Beans?"

"Yep."

"Well, you'll have to wait until tomorrow, Jelly Beans is still on the shelf".

{sigh}

"Oh well".



Explanation - Life of Fred.  'Ice Cream' and 'Jelly Beans' are the names of the two latest titles.  Maths books. And my girls read them as bed-time stories!  :)



Linda.

It's official - I'm a sook!

As you probably know, several weeks ago, both our female cats gave birth to four kittens each.

A week or so later, my dear hubby said he'd need to 'do something' about them shortly.  I knew it would be hard - it's very difficult to put animals down, but what else to do?  We live in a farming community, and the last thing most farmers want is to have even more cats around.

But then, a friend visited, and said she'd love to take one of them.  She also said that when her cat had a litter of kittens, she'd simply put up signs, and all of them had found a home.

So, I was then a woman with a mission!  Five signs went up around the towns, including these two pictures:

Four weeks went by, and slowly, the phone calls came.  We had found homes for six of the kittens!  I was quite proud of myself, and resigned myself to the fact we would be left with two. Well, two more cats in the house wouldn't be such a bad thing, and the two we had left had captured my heart.

Then, I began telephoning people to let them know their kittens were ready.  My friend, by this time, had decided that maybe it would be better to take two kittens, so they'd keep each other company.  This was fine - it would still leave me with my favourite kitten of all - little Snowy (1st picture about, 2nd from the left).  However, my daughter's favourite was Fluffy (the next one along, with his head up), so we agreed we'd give the lady who wanted a 'male ginger' a choice between the two.

But then, when I rang this lady and mentioned she had a choice, she said she'd take them both - she had a friend who also wanted one.  Reluctantly, I agreed.

And so, all our babies found a home.

And I cried.


But I know it is the right thing to do.  We still have four cats, and even in the country, that is enough.  And I know that dear hubby did not cry when he heard the news!

Four of our kittens have now gone to their new homes.  Two more go this Saturday, and the final two next weekend.  The two female cats are then booked in to be de-sexed the following Tuesday, so I'm hoping I'll never have to go though this again!

It's so wonderful that they have all found homes, but I will miss them.  I suspect though, that our remaining cats will be even more loved, and receive many more cuddles, in the weeks and months to come.  It'd be nice sometimes to have a heart of stone and not care, but I'm afraid I'm too much of a softie!

Linda.

Thankyou!

OK - I have to say it.  After stating in my last post that I appreciate all the work that Dear Hubby and Dear Son have done over the past week, I need to also say 'thankyou' to all my girls as well.

Dear Daughter (16) emptied and reassembled her room almost on her own, and all my other girls have helped with moving, washing, cooking, dragging things out from under cupboards, vacuuming, and whatever else needed doing. And all without fuss. 

So to my Dear Daughters - THANKYOU! 

A Wonderful Surprise!

Well, I have to admit to feeling a little spoiled atm.

In addition to the new carpets, dear hubby bought me a new cupboard, to display all my little trinkets, ornaments, etc.  He decided that this would be my valentine's day present (and since we normally don't buy things for valentine's day - that was a surprise!)

I have been looking for such a cupboard for 8-10 years, and the other day, we spied it in a 2nd hand shop.  At first, I saw only one part (about the size of a wardrobe), and thought it might just suit.  But then, we noticed there was a 2nd, matching cupboard next to it, and then - a 3rd part behind, which was a perfect replica of the 1st section. 

The price tag was $450 - and it is not like me to spend anything like that on furniture.  Usually, my furniture is either picked up as freebies or bought for a bargain at auctions.  However, as I say, I had been looking for a cupboard like this for a long time, and had priced on up new - $895, and that was for one the size of only the 1st section of this one - so this one was three times the size!

Anyway, we left it and went home, but the next day we talked about it, and dear hubby said he was perfectly happy to go get it - he too thought it was quite the bargain.

Hoping it was still available, we hitched up the trailer and headed for the shop.  It was available - and after a little bit of juggling to fit it all in, it was loaded and we headed home.

As we were in the process of having carpets laid the following week, it spent a few days in the shed before making its way to my room - talk about perfect timing - having all the furniture out meant that it was easy to measure and put things back in a different way.  

We discovered the cupboard is actually in six parts - not only do the three sections separate, but if you wanted to, you could also separate the top sections from their bases.  However, it also came with a surround, so that once all the parts are together, you add the surround, and it looks like one, massive display cabinet, which is how we have set it up.

Here it is:

The New Cupboard

And here's Dear Hubby in front (as a reference for size, hubby is 6' 2"):

 

I do not normally like to have a 'show and tell' of 'things', but as I say, I am feeling a little spoiled - I never thought I would have the opportunity to own such a beautiful piece of furniture.  

And as an added bonus, it was lovely to see my hubby and my son working together so well - not only in moving this, but in all the moving about that has been happening in the past week.  They have been so willing and so helpful, and I've appreciated all the work they have put in. 

Oh - and yes, that is the new carpet in the picture also.  It's plain, but, I like it!

Linda.

And.. Done!

The excitement builds.....

One thing is for sure, it is going to be absolutely lovely to go back into my very clean room!  It has been a wonderful opportunity to scrub, clean and dust.  Currently, my room looks like this:

  

 While our Living Room (and several other places around the house!) looks more like this:

We actually discovered that our room had some fairly decent lino beneath that terrible carpet, but new carpet will be much nicer.

I will also be adding to my room my new cupboard which we picked up on Wednesday - I've been searching the 2nd-hand shops for around eight years for such a cupboard - excellent timing - just when we're moving things about anyway! 

Well, time for some sleep, and back to it tomorrow - and then tomorrow night, we begin the process of putting (some) of it back.  

Linda.

Whew! What a Day......

Well, here I am!  I've kind-of collapsed at my computer - wanting any excuse to simply sit down for a bit.

A few weeks ago, we ordered new carpets for two of the bedrooms.  Seemed like a good idea at the time.  And, it still does - but the carpets are due to be laid tomorrow, so of course, today is the big job for us - to completely empty two rooms, and to find places to put it all in the meantime!

I only have one cupboard and one bed left to move, and then dear hubby will rip up the current carpet, and we will be ready!  It certainly has been an enlightening experience- seeing exactly how much dirt, and how many cobwebs, can congregate behind each cupboard.  And, it's made me even more determined to continue in my efforts to simply get rid of 'stuff'.  Man, it's amazing how much stuff can be crammed into one room!  And so much of it, we simply do not need.

Anyways, back to it - hopefully, this time tomorrow, we'll have the carpets in and done, and then, it's just a quick little job of putting all the stuff back (All in different positions, of course - gotta grab the chance of moving the furniture around while I can!).

Linda.