9 Mar 2010

Our long weekend

Well, hello everyone!

I am so glad that some of you missed me on Monday when I was spending time with my family instead of time with you. I missed you girls too, but I'm afraid Jemimah and her Daddy won out. As they should have done.

I do love public holidays, don't you? Especially ones like Labour Day where I don't need to get all patriotic and celebrate by doing something special. Now please don't misunderstand me. I'm mighty glad that the stonemasons working on the cloisters at my old alma mater downed tools on that day in April 1856 to march to Parliament House, thereby instigating the movement that would win the eight hour day for me and for much of the rest of the world. We search for the mysterious 888 symbol on the facades of Melbourne's buildings with much pleasure during our regular explorations of our State's Capital, and Jemimah knows as well as I do what it means...do you? On Labour Day itself, though, we recreationalise and rest. We don't labourise much at all, and we don't do anything much to celebrate the day.

My ambition for this Labour Day weekend, in fact, was nothing more momentous than to attempt to conquer the heights of the lofty Mt Washmore towering above my laundry benches and threatening to cause a significant avalanche onto the floors below. Hubby's was similar - to tackle the 'pile' at the edge of his desk that was encroaching on areas generally far removed. Jemimah hoped to clean out my old dolls house and move it into her bedroom. Those were our aims at the beginning of the weekend.

So here are the things we actually have been doing this past long weekend:

Drinking freshly squeezed orange juice from the last of our oranges
Darning holes in our woolens while Jemimah's works on her cross stitch
Drinking tea at a wonderful tea party hosted by Jemimah
Watching Peter and the Wolf: A Prokofiev Fantasy narrated by Sting
Making pikelets and pancakes and a delicious cinnamon teacake
Reading my new Kateigaho magazine and especially loving the culinary tour of Old Edo
Listening to Kitaro
Washing and Ironing a little bit
Watching the rain - "Ooh Mummy, come quickly - the paths are leaking!"
Four wheel hooning in the mud and then cleaning the car
Making icing faces on gingerbread biscuits
Spending time with the Lord's people at church
Eating Indian curries
Making homemade pasta
Reading Hamlet's Dresser
Cleaning the dolls house and restaining and varnishing the roof
Laughing and having lots of fun together

Most of the weekend, though, was taken up with an absolutely complete top-to-toe clean of Miss Jemimah's bedroom. Not that it looked untidy to begin with; it is just that behind closed doors and inside attractive baskets there was, well just stuff that didn't belong, that's all.

I've taken heaps and heaps of photos of all of these activities, and the tea party ones, in particular, are really cute, but for some reason Blogger is not allowing me to upload photos - except for the two that grace this post rather oddly. The first is a 'during' shot of the aforesaid bedroom. The one above shows one of the bookcases. I'm sorry I can't show you more, and I do hope it fixes itself soon, because I am overly reliant on illustrating my blog posts here at A Peaceful Day.

Anyway, that was our weekend. It was really nice spending time together and I had a really fun time. Jemimah and her Daddy had planned to get out for a ride on their bikes, but the rain put a stop to that. Good job we didn't get the super-megahailstones that Melbourne suffered though.

We didn't make much of an impact on our mountains. Well, they're both a little smaller and a bit less likely to cause bodily damage if they collapse, but that's all. We did finish the dolls house though. Hurrah! At least we had our priorities right.

This week is a pretty busy one. Yesterday Jemimah and I went to Bendigo for some appointments (and a sushi lunch). Tonight we have Jemimah's Little Athletics awards night followed by homegroup. Tomorrow we are heading up to Swan Hill for dental appointments (and lunch), and on Friday we need to go to Geelong. Something about the car, I believe. Phew. Oh, and on Saturday we're off to see Mamma Mia at Her Maj's in Melbourne, and then in the evening my beloved and I are going out for dinner with my siblings and Dad while my Mum babysits the smalls.

That just leaves today to do mega amounts of school. Do you think we can fit one week's worth of AO into this morning? Should we even try?

So how are you? How is it going with school? Have you been doing anything delicious lately? Baking, sewing, crafting? Are you reading any good books?

We are...


Jeanne xxx

10 comments:

  1. What a full, and wonderful (and yummy) weekend you had!

    Ahhh, Kitaro! I used to know you well. It really has been too long, and I need to have a listen.

    While battling a virus and figuring out how to wash and dry soiled sheets with all the rain we've been having, I was engrossed in the C.S. Lewis space trilogy. Everyone got better just as I was starting That Hideous Strength (book 3), unfortunately. No, wait, that didn't sound quite right! I'm glad everyone's better, just wondering when I'll get back to my book!

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  2. Hi Jeanne,
    Welcome back - missed your blog posts! ♥

    It sounds as if you had a wonderful weekend - drinking home squeezed orange juice - YUMMY! We are still waiting for our orange trees to grow. They were planted when we first came here, and they are just starting to grow, after we realised that our soil has a dramatic magnesium deficiency, so we have been giving our trees epsom salts by the jugful. :)

    We have been really naughty lately - skipping music and German, but there are only so many hours in the day, and we are using them all!

    One week's worth of AO in one day - why even try? I'm sure that Jemimah is learning LOTS nobody could read the amount of books that she reads without learning lots. :)

    Have a wonderful and blessed week,
    Jillian ♥

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  3. Beautiful bookshelf :) I love the Kokeshi dolls! My daughter wants some so bad...I must admit, I didn't read your entire post because I was looking at the pictures :) I love pictures and am easily distracted lol!
    Have a great day!

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  4. recreation time always sounds good, and fresh orange juice mmmm. You have a few posts here for me to catch up on, haven't had time to check any blogs for the past week!

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  5. It sounds like a wonderful life, Jeanne! Love reading about the great things you've been doing and the great memories you've been making.

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  6. Never a dull moment. You certainly clock up some mileage.
    I sometimes have the Blogger message saying it can't load photos but later it does, one of those frustratating mysteries.
    Hope the rest of your week is just as good.

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  7. Fantastic...love knowing what you are all up too...bit of a sticky nose really!

    Anyway, we are loving 'Jungle Book, Columbus and Our Island Story, oh and Pilgrims Progress - the original this time and the children are loving it!

    I baked raspberry and white chocolate muffins last week...oh, they were scrumptious!

    Now I shouldn't be here for I have 2 apartments to go and clean!
    xxx

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  8. Sounds like a lovely weekend!
    We actually got a new bookcase for Rebekah this past weekend and spent some time putting it together...feeling more organised mentally, having all her books for this year in the one place!

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  9. Interesting about your LaboUr Day. I had grandfathers on both sides of the Union-organizing,and card-carrying Union organizing brother, so it's a holiday here that I pretty much ignore!!Good day to read at the pool since they all close for the season on our LabOr Day!

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  10. sounds like the best weekend
    ever...enough activity for an
    entire month!

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