Someone's on the naughty list...

After yesterday's seriousness I thought something lighter would be best!

My cats are a big part of our family.

Max, our little boy, has a reputation for naughtiness and trashing everything he can get his paws on.

Lilly on the other hand is generally pretty well behaved...

...except when it comes to the Xmas tree, then all bets are off.

The other day I kept catching her trying to chew of the branches, which would be a spiky, plastickey experience!

I decided to make a short film of it, maybe I will show it at her 18th....

Please excuse the crappy production values, it is my first ever video.  The original had music on it and was brilliant, but YouTube & Facebook blocked it...bastards. So you will just have to sing Santa Claus is coming to town to yourself as you watch it!



Love Jo xxx

Craptastic...

The silly season is almost upon us according to supermarkets and department stores.  Their sense of desperation is palpable, with shelves groaning under seasonal foods, confectionery and decorations galore. 

With this early bombardment a girl's thoughts turn to the gifts yet to be purchased. 

Now I love Christmas as much as anyone, have already toured around the shops looking at the early displays and am planning a trip to Christmas Complete at the Sunshine Coast.

Our family tend to only buy gifts for the kids and send a much appreciated hamper of booze to their grandparents, but if we were to buy presents for all and sundry I would look for the easy options of booze or chockies.

This year as I have more time on my hands I thought I would look at some of the options available for the more difficult people in our lives, you know, the ones we HAVE to buy for but couldn't give a shit about.

In no particular order are my top 5 picks of craptastic gifts with helpful web addresses:



Sudoku toilet paper...enough to give you the shits!

Gentleman's ball scratcher, for the busy executive



Cat's bum towel holder...coz you can never have enough cat tatt



Boxed set of Knight Rider DVD's...would sure leave me speechless!

 

Danielle Steel Perfume, in fact insert any celebrity perfume...Just because you like their music or movies do you really want to smell like them?

...and because I love you all, here is a bonus shared by a dear friend. I am a little worried that this may turn up in my stocking this year!

Complete with a tin of spray-on hair...strange

Have you given, or received,  a craptastic gift of the standard of the fine ones listed here?

Love Jo xxx

Have yourselves a merry little Christmas...

As I write this we are sitting in a sparkling clean house, food (and booze) in the fridge, presents under the tree, ready to go...except that we have a teenager (who could sleep through a riot, and kinda did a few days ago, but that is another story)...and he isn't awake yet despite the Christmas CD blaring!  The older kids will be coming for lunch...always a good thing.

Our hairy house guest is pottering around the garden enjoying himself...the cats are furking through the gifts...

Unfortunately the cats aren't as welcoming, they head for the hills when Wilko is in the house!

... I am reflecting on our blessings, which are many (even if I don't recognise them most of the time), and wishing you all a safe and happy festive season.


Jo  xxx

The Mumps that stole Christmas...

I put my hand up to host Christmas last year.  The family had had a generally shitty year and I decided to make it special.

I truly love Christmas, plan for a lot of the year.  I love decorations, giving gifts, hanging lights and decorations and the cooking...I don’t even mind the shopping (Parking sucks though).

Cakes were baked, supplies bought and ordered, lights and decorations put up, all was going well...

Our lighting efforts...

Our well loved and slightly wonky, definately non-designer tree

Then the Saturday evening a week before my face started feeling strange, upon investigation I had swelling in front of my ears which spread down to under my jaw as the night went on.  Sunday I generally felt pretty ordinary and a bit more swollen.

Monday bright and early I was at the doctors, we laughingly quarantined me in a private area and I felt a bit of a fraud.

My brother and sister had mumps when they were little, I however did not.  I also learnt that those of us lucky enough to be born in the early 70’s did not get immunised due to conflicting medical opinions and lack of government support for programs.

Long story short, examination and blood tests, a throat swab and hey presto, MUMPS.  The 24^th case in Queensland in 10 years...told to go home and stay home, I was in quarantine for the good of the town...no shopping, to going out except the doctor’s surgery and worst of all NO CHRISTMAS!!!

My husband wanted to go out and paint a cross on the front door!

Luckily the presents were bought, as was most of the food...the legends at Coles On-line took care of the rest.  We had also already bought the booze so all was well...

Except that I was supposed to be catering for 9 people, 6 of whom could now not enter the house due to the quarantine and the fact that by Monday night I felt truly awful.

My face hurt true, but it was the crushing tiredness and generally feeling horrible that was the worst of it.

Did you know there is a risk of pancreatitis in adults with mumps? So no grog, and no rich food; basically I couldn’t even enjoy the products of all my hard work.

Plans were changed and everyone made do...disappointing after all the work and planning but what can you do.

So apparently from now on until the end of time my husband will wittily call that time... “The Mumps that Stole Christmas”