Isn't It Pretty?

I've had some personalized postcards made from this photo - with a little greeting from us here at the bottom. I use them for greeting cards, ordinary post cards, or as glorified notepaper to go with parcels I send in the mail. #5 Brat loves giving them away as birthday cards for her little friends, as well.

The photo is taken from our terrace, early a September morning a little over a year ago, and I really like the personal touch. Not to mention that the sunrise itself is stunning!

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Kids And Cars

We're getting to that bit where the oldest kids will start getting driver's licences, and, ultimately, cars.
A dream come true, certainly, but then starts the nightmare of insuring them. And their cars. I don't know what it's like in other parts of the world, but here, insurance companies take one look at you if you're 18, chuckle, and slap you with a premium that's about double the value of the car... If you're a boy to boot, you don't stand a chance.
So, as the need arises, we'll be helping the poor darlings to find the cheapest insurance company possible. AND one that will deliver, should the need arise.
Can't wait.

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Looking For Something?

- Anything?

The answer is ShopWiki. ShopWiki will crawl the Web for anything and everything you're looking for.

Do you need a buying guide for Car DVD Players? The buying guide directory will guide you through scores of product categories, ranging aplphabetically from accessories to weddings.
There's a separate gift category - with gifts for every occasion - even "Im Sorry" - gifts, ranging from itty bitty mistakes (flowers and teddy bears) to absolutely massive ones (houses, cars and diamonds)...

They'll give you a budget option, a high end option, and more options in between. They'll tell you about their top rated product, and when you're ready to go browsing, just type whatever you're looking for in the search box, and ShopWiki will scour the 'net for you.

The good part is that since the listings aren't paid for, you don't just get a selection of items - you get everything. The products are listed with a link to the shop, so you can buy direct. If the item is available in more stores than one, you get a list, where you can see each shops' pricing of the item. Chances are, you'll end up saving money too.

Fancy a trip to what must be the world's largest shopping mall?

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How Is It Possible

to blog about anything remotely pertaining to Apricot trees when it's -22 degrees Celcius outside? (That's -7,6 Fahrenheit, if you're wondering).
My partner in blogging, who must remain unnamed in this post, and who gives me challenging keywords on a regular basis, has me blogging about exotic plants... (exotic for my kind of climate, I can tell you!). Unless I pack up and migrate southwards, no apricot tree will live to bloom anywhere near me.

I took the photo above this morning, and this one the other night:


We've got about 60 cms of snow, and now the cold has set in. It's beautiful though - the sun has just come up, and although it has virtually no warming effect, it makes our remote, wilderness-like surroundings look absolutely stunning. So, I'll just put another log on the fire, enjoy the view and wait for spring.

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Wrong Climate.

There shouldn't be people living up here. It's all wrong. Anywhere that gets snow in the winter should be prohibited for human habitation. Anywhere with winter, come to think of it.

Aww, allright. It's pretty. But that's about it.

So are Magnolias, Persimmon trees, Bougainvilleas, Peach trees, Palm trees and Gladioli that you can leave out all year around. All these species, and more, have understood what we Northdwellers haven't: Winter is for the Polar Cap, not for plants or people.

Ô Aliens, if you're out there! Please abduct me to somewhere warm.

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Is There Anybody Out There?

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I'm Stuck...

#2 car is sick. It needs a new radiator, or failing that, a very extensive putty job.
This means, of course, that old Mum is stuck at home, and that creative methods (read:in-laws) have to be used for getting the kids home in the afternoons.

It also means that no shopping is done. Great - opens up for savings. Not so - Mum's gotta computer.

So - while gazing at the falling snow, in my utter boredom, I scour the 'net for good (and not so good) deals. I'm a sucker for a promotional product, (as long as I can justify a certain need for it, of course!), and I quite often, quite absentmindedly, find that I've ordered something. And when the package arrives, I invariably wonder why.

It will be nice to have the old banger back. At least I'll be able to go and buy stuff we actually need.

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Cluttered Desk

Where is this "paperless society" everyone was talking about back when PC's were young?
Rain forests would be thriving, as would our climate, following the fact that trees would be left alone, and no one would ever again need a sheet of paper for anything.

Yeah right. I wonder if some new, shiny office furniture would inspire me to get rid of the clutter? Classify everything, keep dust-free, actually have a desktop? Probably, for about 5 minutes. I like my old desk, I think. I seem to remember that it looks quite nice - underneath. Maybe an early spring cleaning is in order.

As long as it doesn't interfere with my blogging.

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Show Off Your Blog

- At Acobay consumer network. Blogs go in the "Anything" category...

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Family Matters

My brother, with whom I've had very little contact these last few years, because of his cocaine addiction (as well as various other addictions) is rumored to have pulled himself out of it. I hope it's true, because I'd love to be able to trust him again. It seems he's got himself a straight girlfriend, and that he's happy in his new life.
He'll have to prove himself to the rest of the family, over and over, there's just been too many let-downs, but I hope he's happy, and that he can make her happy too. Maybe love can turn a man around...

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