Pay Day

I don't make New Year Resolutions as such. Rather I discover a few months into the year that I have aquired a new "habit" and conveniently convert it into a Resolution for the year to save face. As in "I would have made this a resolution on NY's eve if I'd thought of it at the time".

Buying music seems to be this years belated little number after scanning my bank statements and noting that the local music store seems to get a "hit" every pay day. Before the budget advisor starts "tut tutting' at the extravagence I have managed to convince myself that I intended to buy a new cd every fortnight this year ... I just forgot to tell myself straight away ... or I did tell myself at the time and then it slipped my mind ...

Carole King was purely nostalgia. Van Morrison was a combination of nostalgia and getting sick of hunting through the stack of cd's looking for my favourite tracks. Cale & Clapton because it was playing in the store when I went in. Amy Winehouse because I love it, especially "Rehab". And Madeleine Peyroux - well actually the Madcow Brother bought that one, didn't like it and offered to trade for the latest Joanna Newsom.

Next payday I have in mind, and this is someone I NEVER thought I would ever even consider let alone spend good money on, Tom Jones. That is if I can find what I think I'm looking for. I saw him with Jools Holland on an old Frank Skinner Show and I'm sure they were promoting a cd. Does this mean I am now officially a "Nana"?

Tuesday

My friend Ann gave me this at lunchtime & promised it was a quick read which it was. I read it after dinner tonight. She failed to mention it would probably be one of the more disturbing little books I've read in some years. I have a feeling I will be thinking about this one for some time to come.

Have you read it?

Monday

Penelope comes once every six weeks or so to spray & prune the roses and give the garden a little tidy up. Given my total lack of skill (or inclination) for things horticultural it's money well spent. I can cope with my planters of flowers & veges in the courtyard but the "big outdoors" is just too much to even contemplate.

I got home today and spied this little vision from the kitchen window - Penelope had got a beer bottle from the recycling bin and left me a little bit of "pruning". The pink carpet rose out by the front door. Made the end of a work day that little bit brighter.

(To prove I'm not a completely hopeless case the rest of the photos are the planters in their glory.)

Another weekend nearly gone

and a very lovely weekend it's been too. Beautiful weather so lots of time sitting out with my book in the sun in the courtyard. So much for doing lots of work at my desk but I just can't resist those rays. I've also been having a little "Jodi Picoult" marathon lately and I've never been any good at putting a book down before it's finished. That's not to say I finish every book I pick up - some people tell me they finish every book no matter how bad. Not me. Life's too short for crap writing. But when the writing is good say goodbye housework, sleep etc. I've even been known to prop my book behind the taps so I can keep reading while I do the dishes.

Must admit though that I think I'll give my friend "Jodi" a miss for a while. I've read three in very quick succession and I think that's quite enough for now. I loved "Perfect Match" and "My Sister's Keeper". Both of those were finished in a matter of days. "Harvesting The Heart" though was a bit more of a struggle - I certainly didn't want to flag it but it didn't quite grip me the way the other two did. Perhaps I just liked the courtroom dramas a little more in the others & the moral questions were thought provoking.

Apart from the sun-reading, the big event of the weekend was the delivery of the new computer desk. I took a risk and ordered it online from a Trade Me "store", Woodpia, relying on the picture and measurements. When my new best friend "Kenny" delivered it yesterday I was slightly relieved that it was even better than I thought it would be. Great service too with delivery within 2 days and beautiful quality & workmanship. After the nightmare of "real" retail lately I'm afraid I'm going to stick to online shopping.

So here are some pics of the lounge & kitchen. Not brilliant photos I'm afraid - I seem to have lost the plot a bit lately with the camera. Still better than nothing.

Dear Roz

I am totally confident that you know everything and can answer any little question that tumbles out of a poor little Madcow's mind so,

who painted this picture and what's it called? (Never mind the problems of world peace, global warming and the national deficit. This is the question that will have me awake all night and god knows the Madcow needs more than her share of beauty sleep.)

Joolz & I think it could be a print of a Russell Clark picture ... mmm ... what do you think.

As always, bowing to your superior intelligence, hugs & kisses.

The Ladies Who Take Tea

Aren't we beautiful! Leonie, Nehru, Gina & I played ladies today. Last year the Madcow Mother had given Leonie (her "other" daughter) the teaset her father had given her, and ever since we've been wanting to play ladies. Given the amount of laughing & naughtiness you'd think the cups were full of gin ... now there's an idea.

We've decided to try and make it a regular event. Afterall, we all seem to have inherited teasets that are just gathering dust in the china cabinets. Next time though we MUST remember to wear our hats & lippy. We are ladies afterall!

Now if only we could find a teapot that didn't dribble.