Keeping up to date

Is it just me or do most people have to spend about 200 hours on their blog trying to work everything out? It's a challenge to keep up with technology these days. Never mind what a blackberry is (I thought it was a fruit!) or an ipod nano or a Wii, it's complicated just using a phone or camera these days! So you may have noticed that I've been fiddling with the look of my blog over the last week. I just don't seem to be able to settle and I still can't work out how to get my pictures where I want them to be. Am I slow? Anyone got any pointers?

I think if I or when I work it out, I will blog more. In the meantime, here is my fave apron from Zoe and my Asha's Vintage 17 Aprons in 17 Days promotion. We will post the winner of the apron giveaway tommorrow afternoon.

Catchup

Everything is going well here in Lightning Ridge, except for our car that is but at least it is running at the moment!

We have had the annual Goat Races here back on the Easter weekend in April and Cor's dad Kev came up for a week and they did some mining together. The goat races were fun but we all enjoyed the little carnival they had which we took Jack and Emma to one night.

We have got our opal website Opal Heaven up and running and also an etsy store under the same name. I also recently did a photoshoot with my friend Teena and Emma modelling clothes for my etsy store Ashas Vintage. That was quite fun and now Zoe and I are running a 17 aprons in 17 days promotion.

In Memory of Diesel

I have a lot to catch you all up on due to my lack of blogging lately however, firstly I wanted to mention Diesel.
Diesel was a gorgeous little pup who was abandoned at a service station at Wee Waa where I had stopped to get, you guessed it - Diesel. So I couldn't leave the poor little thing there and brought him home thinking we could decide what to do with him later.
The poor little guy was skinny and had fleas all over him! He fit straight in with our other dog Bella and they play fighted incessantly. As soon as dad found out I had picked up a stray he asked if he could have it so we decided to give Diesel to him as a companion. It was a bit difficult at the end to think we'd be giving him away.
Anyway, on the handover weekend in Inverell, tragedy struck when Diesel was accidentally killed.
So this is for you Diesel, you captured our hearts in only ten days!

On the net

Finally the Opal Heaven website is up and running. It's a lot better than the first one we had done. This time Cor has done it mostly himself and we are very happy with it. New jewellery will be added as he makes things for people. The picture is an ad that he had made up for the Croc tooth pendants he is making, which is really eye catching.

The first one he made was silver with a blue opal inlaid but I like this one better with the bezel and diamonds added. It was a good result.

Nice to have most of the weekend off work and hang out with the kids. We are going to the markets this morning so we will have brekkie there and hopefully find a bargain!

Our new home

It's now been two months since we moved to Lightning Ridge and I feel like I've missed a lot after I have taken a look at some other blogs I follow......
I haven't had time for blogging lately as I got a job a week after I got here and I've pretty much been working nearly full time as well as volunteering 4hrs a week at the local Opal Museum and also being treasurer for the Lightning Ridge preschool.

No rest for the wicked! I have also been going walking some mornings with a friend from work in an effort to lose some fat or at the very least, not gain any more. I am enjoying living here and definately feel more a part of the local community than I have ever felt anywhere else so that is a major plus. The kids and Corey are settling in well too. Jack has already recieved an award at school and Corey is getting a few jewellery jobs and we have a new website called Opal Heaven, starting up tommorrow. Very exciting.

Since we have been here, a few milestones have come and gone - Jack lost one of his top front teeth (he wiggled and wiggled it until he could pull it out) and Emma turned 5. It has also been 3 years now since Rob died....

We have move on in unexpected, yet pleasant ways. There is one photo of the rusty old holden that I have included here, that is really special, the one with the poem 'Sometimes', so take a proper look!

Back to work again tommorrow and for the rest of the week.

The life of a bee

We have happy bees, well placid ones anyway. I only got stung twice today and I'm not sure if one was a bee or an ant because it was up my pants! Late night extracting again tonight as we didn't finish until 9pm.

I love the satisfying feeling of working at something that makes me happy rather than attend the drudgery of 9-5 working for someone else. I feel a freedom in driving around the countryside and working with Corey, we're a pretty good team. We even stopped so I could take pictures of a huge field of sunflowers and of course I went on my usually wildflower picking spree! I am sore too after rediscovering long buried muscles but it is definately worth it!