Sleepless

2.30 am I was woken by noises at the other end of the house.  Emily sleeps all day and stays up all night, for now this works for me as I don't have to put up with her during the day.  Why she feels the need to go outside in the small hours is anyone's guess, it's fucking freezing out there and it's pointless asking her because she denies even going out or doing anything, even though the noise of the back door woke me and so did her dropping the broken towel rail in the bathroom onto the tiles.  I had a busy day  yesterday with cooking and house stuff and was asleep by about 10.30 and now having had words with her I'm wide awake at almost 3am.  We have a house inspection at 11 and I have to get packed, and the car ready etc for our trip down to Victoria tomorrow.
I made a beautiful beef curry in the slow cooker yesterday, tried a different technique this time.  I ground fresh turmeric, ginger, garlic and a green chilli in the mortar and pestle with some lemon juice, then added cumin, cardamom and mustard seeds and ground them up and lastly mixed in the already ground spices, coriander, fennel, cinnamon and chilli powder.  Then I mixed it in with the sauteed onion  and cooked it till fragrant then mixed in the beef, and a tin of crushed tomatoes and a bay leaf and cooked it all day before adding some light coconut cream at the end.  It was amazing, smelled like a "proper" curry.  I also made Channa Dhal, a chickpea curry, for Josh who has gone off meat curries lately.  Did some naan bread in the bread machine and some raita of course.  I will never make curry in the old way again.  Oh I put in some beef stock as well, I'm enjoying using the new concentrated stock "pods", the flavour is great and good for the slow cooker which requires less liquid than cooking on the stove top.  I did basmati rice in the microwave in chicken stock, saffron and cardamom seeds with lemon juice, and carrots and beans, and froze a couple of containers of leftovers for Phill for work.  I also made a big pot of pea and ham soup and it's sitting overnight which makes it thick and lovely.  Will have some more of that for my lunch today and freeze the rest.
I got a little container of lamb shank that I will put in the cooker again today for my dinner.  I'll make a salmon quiche for Josh maybe and Em can have whatever she wants.  
It's almost comical what the owner of this house wants for it.  I again had a look at other houses for around the same price, in better areas and in way better condition and there is no way anyone is going to pay upwards of $320K for this money pit.  Which is good for our purposes, I hope he doesn't reduce the price again anytime soon!
So cold here yesterday, I went down and bought Max a little jumper and he actually kept it on.

I warmed up his room for a while before settling him in the for the night with his hot water bottle and soft blankets.  He's such a good little dog, and he suffers with the cold more each Winter as he gets older.  He'll be 12 in October.  I was never a dog lover much until we got him.  And what a well travelled fellow he is, he's been across the Nullabor in a big aeroplane and back again in the car to Sydney and then back to the Riverina where he was born. 

Talked to my mum twice in the past few days, and have decided I need to phone her more often, she is 85 and I know there will be a time when I want to ring her and won't be able to, none of us live forever.  Talked to my sister also, whose partner is suffering lung cancer and having chemo.  She mentioned that my other sister is acting a bit oddly (so what else is new?)  She has some very rigid ideas and always has had, quite judgemental and controlling (she is a teacher!) and I truly believe people like that tend to dementia more than those of us with more open ways of thinking and living. 

Katy turns 23 next month and I texted her and asked for birthday present ideas and she said a lifetime supply of No Doz, she's been working some killer shifts, my darling high achiever.  She's been gone six years and I still miss her and probably always will.  I am thinking of jewellery, but I've already given her a gold locket, a bracelet and an initial pendant.  Perhaps a pendant with her birthstone, sapphire. 

I know sport is all about money these days, it is, there is no getting away from it, but I am so disappointed in some Australians' reaction to our Olympic athletes.  Swimming is our big thing, and like someone said recently, no swimmer dives into the pool with the thought of coming second.  We need to support and celebrate these dedicated young people who represent our country in the games, not criticise them when they don't win gold in every race.   

So we will drive down to see Phill tomorrow, it's so beautiful there and I love road trips.  They might even catch a fish!

Did I mention I've started my Christmas shopping?  It's not going to be a "Merry Excessmas" this year, last year was just ridiculous, the amount of money we spent.  This year we're going back to basics with simple gifts and stocking stuffers and fun!  Katy, who has an "orphans" Christmas in Perth each year (she works in retail so can't get away to come home) loved the box I sent her last year with a Christmas stocking filled with the little treats of her childhood and just a few nice gifts thrown in (her gold initial pendant and a good gold chain was one of them).  I still dream of one day having a Christmas where all of my children and grandchildren are there, all around the table as it should be.  Given that two of my kids aren't talking to me I wonder if that will ever happen?

Well it's quietened down out there, I should try to get some more sleep before I have to get up and get Josh off to school.  He's part of a group volunteering at the retirement village today, setting up and organising bingo for the residents.  One of the better ideas the school has had for the kids.

He is getting so big, he puts his arms around me for a hug and he's not my little boy anymore!  But he'll always be my baby.