Still Mother Who Works

(Very hard to follow my last post - the most popular ever. But here goes...)

Although I may not have an office to go to, I think I still absolutely qualify as being MWW.

Geoff reckons that since I've left the big corporate world of multi-national advertising agencies and am now doing my own thing at the kitchen table, I'm no longer working 5 ridiculously long days in a week - I'm doing 7.

So, thinking about my status as MWW, I have uncovered the following evidence:
- I sill have the cleaners (looking for this link I also found the post Anal - which may have relevance to last week after all!!)
- I only just found out where Sass's class room is - after I missed my appointed Parent/Teacher meeting and had to schedule a bespoke appointment. It wasn't anywhere near where I thought it was - I was poking around the Prep class rooms, having completely forgotten she's now in Grade 1
- I was endeavouring to get Eleanor to make her own doctors appointment and go by herself about a strange lump on her ear. I thought texting her the number for clinic was very helpful of me! And frankly, I don't have time.
- The house still isn't tidy
- Toast is still a regular dinner

On the upside of the equation, I am:
- Getting to swimming lessons with Sass - weekly
- Cooking dinner at least twice a week - sometimes more!
- Getting jobs done during the week, like Telstra, the bank, the watch maker - but not the supermarket...

So.... I think can continue to claim my title of MWW - don't you?

So funny I wept....

My brother just sent me this email - I need to go and re-do my eye make up.... I know there's a lot of words but trust me, it's well worth it!

(Sorry for the formatting I had trouble converting it to something loadable.)

Enjoy! MWWxx

Girls and Shops

Sass made a shop today. She was selling some paintings she's done yesterday and this morning and driving a hard bargain at that! Geoff stood firm at $3.20 for a flower painting and I'm pretty sure she's agreed although she has perfected the disgruntled-ness of a good Asian market stall holder! That's the benefit of travel - I think?

Anyway, after a busy evening of trading and one decent sale - she's gone to bed. And here's what I've just found of her shop.....

The Pain & The Glory

There was once a great Harrods magazine ad for a glorious, vicious pair of D&G shoes with the headline: 'What hurts more? Owning them or not owning them?' Such wisdom and truth!

Here are mine.

I loved these boots when I saw them in a catalogue and rushed to the department store to grab a pair before I missed out. But could I get the zips done up over my generous calves (ie fat legs - I think I've mentioned hail damage and porridge poured into tights before now...) - no, I could not! It's my jeans, I thought, so peeled them off to be standing in the change room in a pair of black knickers and over the knee boots with frills on the top - yes, looking like a (I'd like to say 'high-class'...but god knows...) hooker. Still couldn't get them zipped up. Sensing defeat and a possible weeping, I emerged from the change room. 'How'd you go?" asked the sales chick. Wiping away a tear, I declared I couldn't do them up. 'Try a bigger size,' she suggested.

I did and I managed... in my undies. Not exactly certain how I'd get them on with even a pair of tights - but I was committed!

So, a few days later, I tackled the boots for work. I selected a pair of leggings and a pink tutu.

Does anyone remember as a teenager, lying on their bed and using a coat hanger to do up high waisted jeans that were far too tight? Well never mind the coat hanger but I have discovered lying on the bed and putting my leg in the air forces my fat calf to elongate just enough to get the zips done up. Try it. It really works!

I got to work and my legs were utterly numb but god those boots made a statement! I worded up my nearby colleagues - should I suddenly collapse, call the ambulance and unzip the boots - good chance it'd be deep vein thrombosis!!!!

Do you have any unbearably fabulous items in your wardrobe??

50 Shades of Lies

You must have read it or be reading it.

I'm a third of the way through the first book and frankly, I'm a little bored, but ploughing on (as are Christian and Ana....again...yawn.) Maybe I need to get to the spanking bits and it'll fire up, but so far, I'm kinda underwhelmed.

My friend Kate worked at the Women's Hospital back when we were young 'uns and must have done a stint in the sexual health clinic. I vividly recall her telling me that Cleo and Cosmo had an awful lot to answer for when they got young women presenting because they didn't have multiple orgasms when they have sex. So, if Cleo and Cosmo did some damage to a few virginal-types, I dread to think of the damage this book is doing.

Now I don't speak for every woman, but personally, my first time bore no resemblance what so ever to Ana's first time!!! Am I alone? Did I miss something?

The Age last Saturday ran an article in A4 on what I refer to as Raunch Culture and how unhelpful it is, especially for kids. I've blogged about this before. But I didn't think The Age even scratched the surface of this massive issue.

But off my soap box and back to the book.....

I realised it was going to be crap when Christian was described as having amazing grey eyes and Ana has amazing blue eyes and Kate has amazing green eyes - something like that anyway. Which is exactly the same way Jackie Collins' books used to start when I read those back in the mid-80s. Amazing eyes and mane of hair in an usually attractive shade of auburn, strawberry blonde, as black as a stallion....is de rigueur for this kind of pulp. It's hardly new.

I'm going to keep reading, but I'd love to hear what you all think of it.... is it just me???

The Olympics

I did wake up early last Saturday and watch a bit of the Opening Ceremony. Not the good bit. The bit where athletes parade into the arena and the only thing to comment on is what they're wearing....

At pilates, it was topic de jour. "What are you looking forward to watching?" someone asked me. "The Closing Ceremony..." I mumbled.

Okay, right here, right now - I'm not much of a sport spectator. I actually hate the tennis. Can't stand cricket. Only like the footy if it's a ripper game (like Carlton Richmond on Friday week ago - that was good!).

I saw the Bolt win the 100 metres and just saw Sally Pearson win the hurdles heat - and it was exciting, I admit. But I was so distracted by Sally's outfit. I know there's not much you can do with those colours, but really, those shorts! They're neither short or long enough...they're just...awkward! Now the German girl - her uniform was lovely..... (yes, I should not be allowed to comment on sport...I'll stop now.)

Ancient Grain Salad

We had friends over for lunch on Sunday and I bravely tackled the rotisserie on the BBQ - again. (You'll recall the inferno I created at one dinner...). Lamb this time - one leg rather over cooked, the other not bad - but after a couple of champagnes in front of the fire, and the great company of a terrific group of friends I've known a long time, really, who cares??

In fact, the saviour of the lamb was the pear, red wine and rosemary jam that I made a few years back and is still sensational. I need to dig up that recipe and share it. But the other hit I've had lately is an Ancient Grain salad. I ate something like it at Saint Katherine's restaurant in Kew and have made up my own version.

Here's what it looks like:

As usual, my quantities are a big vague - sorry.

The base is Freekeh - a toasted green wheat that you cook a bit like rice (using the absorption method.). I used to be able to buy it at Coles in the health food section, but it disappeared. If you can't get it there, it will be at health food stores. It's really good but if you can't be fagged with finding it, maybe use brown rice instead. Probably about a cup of dry grain. I also cooked some organic black quinoa (you need to simmer it in water for about 20 minutes) that I got at the green grocer. You can buy regular quinoa at most supermarkets now too. Red would also be fine.

Once that's cooked and gone cold, you're ready to add the bits, which are:

• Toasted almond slivers (I toast nuts and seeds in a cast iron pan - heat it up, no need to oil or anything, and keep a close eye - there's mere seconds between beautifully toasty and burnt!)
• Toasted sesame seeds - lots
• Sunflower seeds - you could also toss in some pepitas if you have them
• Pomegranate seeds - I used two (pomegranates - not two seeds!!)
• Currants (I forgot those on Sunday)
• About half a block of crumbled goat's milk feta
• Lemon juice
• Cinnamon - lots
• Loads of chopped flat leaf parley or you can toss through some rocket
• Sea salt and cracked black pepper (although if kids are eating it, pass on the pepper - and taste it for salt as the cheese is also pretty salty)
• If you think it's a bit dry (I don't but Elle sometimes does) add a good slug of olive oil

Toss and eat. It's really nutty and flavoursome and the bursts of pomegranate are yum! Makes a great lunch on its own with a slice of olive ciabatta. 

Enjoy!