The sunny spot on my front steps.

I'm sitting on my front steps in the sunshine. It's one of those still sunny days in Canberra. Maxie is outside with me. I often make phone calls out here on a nice day. Maxie scratches at the glass to join me and cried for me when I don't bring him out. He came trotting over to me when he heard the jingle of his harness. And purrs as I put it on.  I brought my laptop out with me, and it just felt natural to write while I sit out here with him, with the sun on me.  Is it a substitute for being able to pick  up the phone and talk to someone?  I don't know..  I'm feeling a little flat though all of a sudden today, and just spending some quiet time outside with Maxie felt like a nice thing to do. 

I had bought Maxie one of those extendable leads that people use on those strange creatures masquerading as a real dog, the rug rat.  Yes, I say a touch defiantly, Maxie's extending lead was pink!  Like his harness.  Alas and woe, my $30 rug rat extending lead, which works so well for an exploring creamy kitty that is our inside cat, is being held hostage inside Heath's chain saw he made for the drama performance Wakakkirri...  He was so inventive, it's such a good cardboard chainsaw and it's very realistic, and he was so excited saying "Mum - look what a great pull starter cord Maxie's lead makes for my chainsaw!!!!" that I didn't have the heart to say he couldn't use it. 

So then Maxie and I were stuck with a short lead, which is boring for him when I'm hanging out washing, or like today, I'm enjoying the sunshine with my laptop sitting on my lap on my front steps.  They are nice stairs, and I really felt like sitting out here and I've had many phone calls from this same spot.  But I had a little spot of brilliance, and attached Freelance's purple lunge rope to Maxie's short lead, and so he's wandering around through the leaves that I really should rake up, and he's enjoying the sunshine, and so am I.  And yes, there's a camera sitting next to me.  Creamy cats are a pretty irresistible subject I find.

The kids wanted a quiet day so we are not going ice skating. I have lots to do at home so that is ok although I'd have liked to have gone. We made a very late trip to the shed markets at Woden, but we were hopelessly late, so it wasn't productive.  But I do have some fresh fish to cook.  I'm hopelessly out of practice cooking fish.  I've no idea what to do with it, but will give it a go.  I got some flake for the kids (ok, surely I can crumb or just flour this, and fry it??????) and a piece of sword fish as well.  The market man said I could wrap that in foil and bake it, so I'll give it a go.  The kids were keen for fish, and I should try to cook more impressively I guess.  Sometimes though trying new things is tough.

I was touched when the lovely Greg Ambrose sent me the image at the end of this Post which he did last night for me.  He sent it in an email, saying "seeing double - what else would you expect from a doting mother?".  It looks great I think, when you forget for a moment that the images aren't brilliant to begin with because the light was so appallingly low.  But I'm pleased I took the camera with me yesterday.  Heath is a little sore today, in those muscles through the groin and that's normal.  Jessica is keen to ride after school tomorrow, so we'll do that because Monday is one of our few 'free' afternoons where the kids don't have any activities on.  That will be good for me, because it will mean that I'll ride twice tomorrow, because I have my show jumping lesson scheduled for the morning. 

For the rest of today I will try to get some housework done.  But first I'll enjoy the sunshine for a little bit longer, and Maxie and I will also head out the back yard to hang our washing out.  At least my hair is freshly washed today and so smells clean and nice, and is fluffy and wild looking.  It's getting very long.  Sometimes I wonder whether I should get it cut much shorter, and have a whole new me.  But that is a decision for another day.












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