An update from Chardy Central: What’s been happening in my world

Goodness me it seems like ages since we have had a good old chat doesn’t it?  Things have been pretty busy.  With back to back town trips last week I am not sure where time has gone.  Our bags are still sitting in our wardrobe and they haven’t been unpacked.  It was straight back into the mowing, then first aid, cooking and a fair bit of gardening.  Yes – gardening,  turns out I am actually making a go of it, this thumb of mine may well be getting a little greener.

Mr Chardy taught me how to get dirt into the bucket of the manitou…

I am not sure what I was doing before but I will tell you this: I was coming home with only 1/2 the bucket full.  A little embarrassing really but once he showed me exactly how to do it I was on fire.  Filled up the garden bed around the steam engine and have now planted portulaca, geranium and 3 little shrub type plants called emerald.  Here is the before photo:

This bed gets quite a lot of sun, so we will see how these plants go.  What do you think, will they be ok?  The last lot of plants I had in here did it pretty tough so I have moved them into the shade on the verandah.  I have even planted some lettuce and portulaca seeds ….. who the hell am I?  Mr Chardy even installed a special hose on my verandah for my pot plants, that is love isn’t it?!

The heat up here has really been something else.  When is it ever going to cool down?  I really do look forward to the little bit of cooler weather we get but it feels like it is never going to arrive.  The past few weeks have just been ridiculous.  Our crew started mustering on Tuesday and last night at dinner they all looked like death warmed up.  It seems that mustering in 43 degree heat on horse and motorbike for 2 days straight isn’t all that great for ones complexion.  They were just slightly on the red side, ok, pretty much burnt all over.  Poor buggers.  Usually it has started to cool down a little by now, hell we would settle for 35 degrees thank you very much.  I am not looking forward to spending the day on the mower today.

Clancy has a sore throat and things are not looking so good at the back of his throat, I am thinking a call to the doctor may be in order today.  Oh and is it just me or do you all lose your shit as well when trying to give young kids medication.  Oh for the love of god – give me strength but hurry because my patience left the building long ago.  He was quite warm and needed some panadol, but trying to get medicine down that kids throat was near impossible.  In the end I may or may not have thrown the syringe of medicine into the sink and stormed off (noooooo, I would never do that, there may have been a foot stomp too).  Lucky I am not a nurse.  Poor little bugger.  In the end I crushed up some pandadol like I was some sort of coke addict, mixed it with honey and gave it to him on a spoon.  Any hot tips on giving them medicine.

Guess what – Tom fly’s home for school holidays on Friday.  Can you even believe it.  Term one is done already.  It has gone so fast.  We can’t wait to see him.  I bet he has grown so much.  I wonder if his work clothes will still fit him – god I hope so because my bank account is seriously drained.  He will just have to leave the button undone and wear short jeans, ha ha ha.

Now for some recommendations….

What I have been reading:

Now of course when I say reading what I really mean in listening to, because it was in fact an audiobook.  I finished Vanishing Acts by Jodi Picoult.  I really enjoyed it, and it was a good long one too, about 16 hours, god me through a couple of lawn mowing episodes.  A really interesting read and insight into life in jail and how sometimes the wrong thing is actually the right thing.  I definitely need a new book to get me through the mowing today, any suggestions?

I also read an interesting article on grief last night: 10 things I know about dealing with grief written by The Mummy and the Minx Robyna May.  Thanks so much for sharing your story, Robyna, about your gorgeous little boy – Xavier.  We haven’t lost a child but grief has knocked on our door a little bit over the past couple of years so it was really good to read this.

What I have been listening to:

My favourite podcast of course – Two Fat Expats.  I also listened to an interesting interview about endometriosis on the No Filter Podcast with Mia Freedman.

What I am loving:

My hat – in this hot weather I am loving myself sick in my Sunbody Hat.  It has taken me 16 years to find a hat that I love.  This one is so comfy, has a big brim and is nice and cool.  I get mine from Worn Out West in Mt Isa.  And the good thing – they are only $70.00!

Well I think that is about all from me.  What has been happening in your world?  Thanks for the catch up, it has been lovely.