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22
Dec 2010

Xmas

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On Saturday we had a visit from Santa and the whole town and more rocked up to watch the kids get their presents. Can you believe there are just over fifty presents under the tree!!!  We were most upset to find the mice had a munch on the red velvet on Santa’s chair but we were able to hide it.  It was a great night but I was totally worn out and now we have just under another year before we need to think about organising the next one.

It’s forcast as a ripper hot one here for Christmas (38-40) so we are lucky to be heading to the coast.  Wost thing is packing up all the pressies…only to bring them all back lol. Looking forward to sitting by the beach with a good book.  And i have lots to pick from as I have about seven to read!!  hmm don’t think i will get through them all in a week! I’d love to get through one!

Any way I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas. I love Christmas for the fact that it brings families together.  Also I wish you all the best for the New Year.  Great things to come in 2011!!

I have put up the trailer for Heart of Gold on my facebook page, but it will be up on the website in January for those who don’t fb.

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Category: Heart of Gold, Only in the country, The Writer's Life, Uncategorized  One Comment
17
Dec 2010

My desk

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This is my little area for writing. It used to be the desk with my sewing machines on it…but they have been put into ‘permanent’ storage!  Lets face it…I can’t sew to save myself…just a few running repairs is the best I can manage. 

I usually park my butt in the chair, sometimes light a smelly candle and bung on some music. Although the music has to be in the background…if I have it too loud I end up getting lost in the song…and not my characters.  I have draws for ideas, my past books and future stories, RWA stuff in another and my current info next to my computer.  I have a diary of the year so I can plan out the books…need to have the seasons right.  Also water…if I don’t have water on hand I tend to get hungry and end up side tracked by food.  Writing isn’t the best job for keeping fit…hence I always wanted an outside physical job so I didn’t need to excercise. 

We are now nearly a week a way from Christmas so I wish you all a wonderful time and all the best for the new year!  I’ve done all my Christmas shopping so the stress is over for me.  Already have a few new books to read…so i’m very happy.  Also the new cover for the book should be able to be posted up soon.

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Category: The Writer's Life, Uncategorized, Writing  Leave a Comment
06
Dec 2010

Christmas

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This was my car Sunday arvo, looking like Santa’s sleigh.  Filled to the brim with pressents.  My mate Lea and myself headed to Perth for the yearly shop.  Our numbers have dropped this year to 50 kids.  Big kids moving on and not many little ones being born.  So we didn’t have to find as many gifts this year.  We know all the kids, and try to get the biggest and best pressy with our set limit of $.  We take our job very seriously as the Christmas tree has been on every year since 1929…from memory… and is the biggest attended event our town has. 

We are a bit bummed we wern’t successful with our grant this year. (Especially being such a tough year for the community/farmers) It means we have to charge people for the bbq packs.  We try to fundraise throughout the year so we cover this cost as the xmas tree is such a great thing for families and the community to come together, but in a small town its really hard.  There are not many volunteers left as everyone already has a million other jobs they volunteer for.  But that won’t stop the party going on.  We always like to have a few little surprises up our sleeves for the big night also…and this year is no exception.  Last year we started a colouring competition for the kids. One way to brighten the hall with all their Christmas artwork and we have a secret voting system to pick out the winners for each group.  Hopefully ALL the kids remember to bring them this year…don’t forget mums!…we don’t want upset kids who have left their treasured pictures at home.

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Category: Events, Only in the country  2 Comments
22
Nov 2010

Weekend

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On the weekend the kids and I went for another ride in the truck. This time out to Mr Mitchell’s.  I love riding in the truck with my dad, as it ends up being around an hour I get to spend with him. Yes, I’m a daddy’s girl.  And the kids love being with their pop too.

Moments like these are very special. Dad was showing the kids how a header works by grinding the wheat heads in his hand and blowing the chaff away to leave the wheat.  Then we ate some.  Blake was chewing on it and asked could he swollow it or did he have to spit it out. Kids are cute!  As we sit in the truck, waiting for it to fill up with grain, is a great time to spend with the kids.  We sang songs and played games. You can see the overcast day we had. Weird warm day with the occasional rain drop.

As the field bins were in another paddock to the header, dad had to pull up along the fence so Mr Mitchell could top up the load.  The crops are really bad this year and it takes a lot of harvesting before you can get enough grain for a load.

It’s hot, dusty and itchy in the truck and around headers but we were rewarded with a swim in our friends pool afterwards.  It has a great view also.  Just missing the cocktails!!!

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Category: Only in the country, The Farmer's Life  3 Comments
20
Nov 2010

Harvest

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This Saturday the kids were bored so we jumped in Pop’s truck and headed out the road to pick up Mr Varone’s load of wheat.  He’d stopped for the day as most area’s had a harvest ban on.  You’d be mad to harvest when its stinking hot and the wind is blowing. If a fire started, which is easy in this heat, the wind could take it anywhere.  While we were there I got to check out the new flash header. :)

Heading back into Pingaring bin with a full load.  Yes, dads truck is old but it has aircon… do you think i could tell? NO!  You can also see my Blundy boots, which have been sitting dormant for a while. I had to check for spiders!

Driving up to the sampling hut and beyond that is the weighbridge.

Our lovely local girls Julia and Shana are the bin samplers.  Its a lean year so it dosn’t get too busy (especially with the harvest ban). We have 7 farmers finishing next week!!! Normally its not until after christmas.  See those lovely curtains…I made them years ago as the sun would belt through those windows. I think that was the last time I used my sewing machine! LOL

My dad unloading the truck, talking with my hubby and another local farmer.  I live right across from this.  Good – as Hubby is close to work and bad - because the bin blocks out the setting sun.  :(

Hope you liked my tour into the bin! (I wrote about this bin in The Family Farm)

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Category: Only in the country, The Farmer's Life  Leave a Comment
12
Nov 2010

Dymocks Day

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On Thursday, 25th November I will be in Perth at Dymocks Carousel for a special day they are having.  I will be there at 10 till 11-ish if anyone is around and wants to say ‘hi’ or get a book signed.  I believe Juliet Marillier will be there at 12 also. 

While I’m in Perth I will be catching up with my darling cousin, Megs for some girl time.  A movie is on the cards….new Harry Potter movie will be out too!!  Yes, I have all the books.  Read the first one when I was a teachers aid in a pre to year 3 class.  The teacher was reading it to the kids and I found myself totally lost in the magical world.  That was over 7 years ago!! I can’t believe it was that long ago…wow. My daughter wasn’t even born.

Seeing as Heart of Gold is only 3 and 1/2 months away from release date…I have been thinking about the launch.  Yep, I’m excited! Have a few things up my sleeve…so watch this space in the next few months.  Will also have the first chapter to put up soon, along with the book trailer…once i get a final copy of the cover!! Yay.

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Category: Books, Events, News  Leave a Comment
12
Nov 2010

Boxes

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My hubby and I were rather shocked last night when our kids went off to bed so early!  We should have known somthing was up.  As you can see boxes make wonderful toys.  We had two aircons installed and the big empty boxes left behind were snapped up by the kids.  It kept them so busy playing games…excitement plus…I could hear their raised voices from the back yard.  I’m not sure which one came up with the idea of the bunk beds…but we did have a laugh.  I had an up hill battle trying to convince them their beds would be more comfortable!!   These boxes are the most played with things in our house. Wonderful to let them go free with their imaginations and not have some expensive toy.  I wonder what they will be turned into next, when they get home from school? Blake went to be with tears as his box bottom fell open and I had to promise him that today i would get some big strong tape and fix it up again.  Sheesh, if only life was that easy!!

Mac took this pic of Sally, who had jumped in the water bucket to cool off.  She’s in for a shock as summers only just started!

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Category: Family, Only in the country, Uncategorized  One Comment
09
Nov 2010

Crops

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Its that time of year again…harvest.  Though to look at this picture you’d think it was okay, but for our area in WA it’s quite grim.  There was hardly any rain this year to help finish the crops. I think I heard it said that it’s the third worst year ever recorded…I may be wrong but it’s not bloody far off.  I’m not a farmer, but my friends are and my dad is a local contractor who carts their grain.  He’s not going to have much work this year. Normally he puts on a worker to drive his other truck, but this year he can cover it easily by himself…and he’s picked up extra farmers this year as other contractors head to better areas chasing more work.

The heads in the above picture look alright but when you rub the grains out they are small and pinched/shrivelled. There are two tiny grains of wheat on the left side of my palm next to the chaff/white heads.  When a sample is taken these grains end up becoming screening, and too much of them the farmer gets his load docked.  This year they also have the problem of picking up stones and other crap in the header comb due to the crops being so low to the ground.  One farmer said it was sad, trying to harvest a crop that wasn’t even as high as last years left over stubble. And if stones and sheep poo end up in a sample they will send a farmer home with his load.   

 I sampled for CBH for a few years and its hard to tell a farmer he’s being docked for screening or that his load is going feed.  It’s their livelihood. My husband works for CBH, where all the grain is stored…but not much will make it to the bin this year as farmers will keep most of it on farm for seed and sheep feed.  I hope a few of them get some extra, unexpected bags to give them hope.

My daughter is walking through a crop so you can see it…or lack of it.

 

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Category: Only in the country, The Farmer's Life, Uncategorized  3 Comments
06
Nov 2010

Pets

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We’ve had Sally for about a month now and she has fitted in so well.  (yes that is grass hanging off her lip LOL) My 7yr old daughter plays mum and cradles her in her arms a lot.  Sally will be one adjusted dog.  Her little personality is really shining through.  Our older dog Gidget, who is 13, is getting less grumpy and lets Sally play with her…when no one is looking.  I spent ten minutes watching them play the other day…when I should have been writing.  But they were too cute to resist.

 

As for our little chicks, we still have all 6 and they’re not so little anymore.  I’ve lost a hen (it died…i’m not sure why) and we (as in my husband) got rid of our two roosters…they can now ‘cockadoodle doo’ to their hearts content.  Hopefully now they are gone the hen’s will get their feathers back and will have some peace.   I’m not letting them out at the moment as our fruit tree’s are loaded and they love the apricot trees. Little buggers stripped off all the leaves they could reach last time they were in there, not to mention the grape vine. 

Last pic of Sally…who likes taking washing from the basket and cart it around the house!

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Category: Family, The Farmer's Life  Leave a Comment
05
Nov 2010

Blurb

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Up on the Penguin website is the blurb for Heart of Gold… which is also below. See what you think?

Catherine-Jean Wishart – or CJ as she prefers – is a hardworking young country girl with a heart of gold but a tough and challenging life. She works long, strenuous days in the male-dominated world of the shearing sheds, but at home things are even harder. Her father has never recovered from an accident years earlier and his violence is tearing the family apart.

 When strong, handsome Lindsay arrives on the scene, he brings fun and laughter into CJ’s life. He even teaches her to shear, and they look set for a bright future together. But then tragedy strikes again, and CJ has to dig deeper than ever before. With help from her best mate Irene and a dear old farmer called Burt, CJ learns that when you stay true to yourself and open your heart, anything can happen.

 From the bestselling author of The Family Farm comes this heartwarming and uniquely Australian story of love overcoming adversity.

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Category: Books, Heart of Gold, News  5 Comments
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