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What have I been up to? Well, heaps! The garden has been one of the many things I've been working on. There has been some change of plans and some minor "renovation" has to be made to the back garden, so I've been busy getting that started. I've still got a long way to go, but I'll enjoy the journey as I'm slowly bringing it to reality. The on-going fertilization and mulching also had to be done, so as you can imagine, I have been getting down dirty working hard.We've been entertaining and having people over as well, so I've been busy cooking. Here are some pictures of the Pavlova I made for dessert. It does appear like I'm always making desserts, but believe me, we don't just eat desserts, we do eat wholesome healthy main course food as well, it's just that desserts make beautiful pictures and I can't resist them. Also when food is served on the table, I 'm usually too busy to take photos. So that's why only desserts photos. One of my good ol' friends also had a surprise birthday party organised by her hubby last weekend, which I thoroughly enjoyed attending. I don't even remember how old she is, it wasn't mentioned at the party and I have lost count, not that she's that old. This is the present I got for her, which I think she'll love. I thought you might like to see the roses on it. She loves bright colours.I came across this (I don't know what to call it) when I was at a bookstore one time, I think it makes things out to be so simplistic and you know, it is that simple, so why can't some people get it right? Lol! Here is how it goes:

Rules of the House

If you sleep in it.............make it up
If you wear it...............hang it up
If you drop it.............pick it up
If you eat out of it...............wash it
If you spill it...............wipe it up
If you turn it on..............turn it off
If you open it................close it
If you move it.................put it back
If you break it................repair it
If you empty it.................fill it up
If it rings.................answer it
If it howls................feed it
If it cries.................love it

I've also been babysitting my sister-in-law's dog Fritz, he's a ball of fur and quite a good looker, have to admit my heart beated fast holding him as he's a Westie cross, you know my dream dog is a Westie and he does look a lot like a Westie, even though his ears are flopped like his mother, a Maltese. By the way, we found out our puppy, Belle, is a Papillon cross, which is a French breed. Papillon means butterfly in French. She's growing beautifully. I've also been doing some other bits and pieces like Calligraphy, I simply updated the words and the style of Calligraphy in this faux old book I made eons ago. I also bought this chandelier for $14.90, which I thought couldn't go wrong at that price. I can always make a place for it somewhere in the house. It's hung up temporarily in the lounge room. I'll need candlelight-shaped lightbulbs for it.

Unfortunately, I'll need to mention this which is a sad turn. I'm trying not to make it too sad. We came home from church yesterday to find our budgie Goldie hanging on for dear life on the floor of her cage, it was dramatic in that she was still barely alive when we saw her, we got her out of the cage and had her on my daughter's hand, she literally breathed her last in the palm of her hand. We thought she must have waited to say goodbye before she left. It looked like she had a stroke, although I don't know if that happens to birds. She had the same happen to her about a month ago and one of her feet went limp and she couldn't hold on to the perch, she fluttered hard with her wings. She recovered from that after a few minutes. But this time she didn't. I personally don't like having to watch little animals die like that right in front of my eyes. We buried her in our backyard and the kids picked flowers from the garden and made a cross and we had a little "ceremony" to bring a closure to her life. We've enjoyed our Goldie the six years she'd been with us, her chirping was always a delight, she'd even given our guests lots of joy when they visited.
Sorry to leave you sad, but don' t be sad, she's had a good life of being a joy and a blessing to others, that's what counts when it's all said and done.