No More Drama

I think that's going to be my catchphrase from now on.  Emily has tried it on a few times and I just walk away, or remove myself from where she is and engage in something else.  It's actually worked.  So far.
Phill started up about something yesterday in the car and I quickly defused the whole thing and he SHUT UP.  I couldn't believe it.  Who says you can't teach an old dog new tricks? 
My new "I'm not taking shit from anyone" campaign has been slow to take off but I'm standing firm.  This includes my four older children.  Guilt will no longer play a part in how I relate to any of them.  If they can't respect me and treat me as they should treat their mother they just won't be in my life.  Simple. 
I have a few plans and goals for this year that I haven't spruiked about but one of them is to get involved in things outside the house and family.  One of those things has started, it's volunteering for the association for children of the squadron my father flew with in WW2.  I am typing up a book of recollections of the men which was written 15 or so years ago.  Phill put MS Word on my computer and wow what a programme!  I'm having a lot of fun with it as I complete the project and it's going to be great when I finally get around to doing my own book.  I have a word processor programme on this machine but it's crap compared to this new one. 
We brought a little pc desk in from the garage to put the printer on and moved my desk back to under the window so I can type in comfort.  It's good to have my desk back although the drawers need a good cleanout.
It's fascinating reading the recollections of my father's fellow squadron members, and I'm finding out a lot of details that his war records don't document.  It's poignant in that it's written by the men themselves.  One of them describes the ship steaming out of Sydney Harbour as they headed off to "War and who knows what else".  And wondering if they will ever see their homeland again.  Many of them didn't.  Too many.

Lucky will be six weeks old tomorrow so today I'll take some cute photos and post them in the IGA later in the week to try to find a good home for him.  It's going to be really hard for the kids to say goodbye, especially Joshua as he's really bonded with the kitten but it has to be.

I had a hankering for Tandoori Chicken last night but it's so hot and I didn't feel like mucking around in the stifling kitchen so I bought a jar of Sharwoods Tandoori paste.  I just trimmed some chicken thigh fillets and scored them, then rubbed in the paste mixed with some plain yoghurt and marinated it for an hour or so, then cooked it on the grill pan.  It was very good, probably better than what I would have made myself from scratch.   I cooked some basmati rice in the microwave for the first time in ages (I've been lazy and using the ready cooked sachets of rice lately).  I cooked it in chicken stock, some lemon juice and cardamom seeds with a pinch of saffron strands and it was excellent.  We had it with bought garlic and herb naan breads and homemade raita.  It would make a great appetiser, small pieces of the chicken topped with a dollop of the raita and a sprig of coriander on top.

I got a piece of corned beef out for tonight.  I'm thinking I will put it in the slow cooker frozen and see how it goes.  I'm still getting used to the new stove after the old flame thrower.  It's good to have a thermostat in the oven again.

Emily has managed to break the screen on her laptop already.  So this means we won't be going away for her birthday as planned.  We need to get a new screen instead.