Friday, July 01, 2011

Favourite Things Friday

I want to say that hot water is my favourite thing this week. Unfortunately I wouldn't know about that since I still don't have any. And I'm pretty sure if I don't have any by next week I'm going to go into total meltdown....I have houseguests due to arrive next week and it's going to be interesting for us all to get clean using a 1.7 litre kitchen kettle.

I know some of you will be wondering if I'm a Stinkasauras by now . I want to reassure the world that I am indeed still taking showers. My in laws live close by and we've been using their hot water . All I can say is I would have made a sucky pioneer because it would have  involved washing in a creek in cold water. I understand now why personal hygiene was so lax in the olden days.

In reflecting this week, (when I have been able to stay awake past 9 pm )  I have realised one of  my favourite things  is spending time with all of you. I have made some wonderful friends through the blogging world. Some of you I've met in person. Some of you know my deepest darkest secrets. Some of you have offered me hot water, Oreo's  and places to stay if I ever make it to the other side of the world. You've celebrated with me, pepped me up , made me laugh, commiserated with me, offered advice , shared stories with me and have let me take you on the crazy journey that is part of living at Maison Pyjamas.

Some of you know me well enough to be able to take the mickey out of me and know I'll let you live. This arrived this week as a surprise gift . I think it's well established I'm more carnivore than herbivore. So this is a deliberately ironic quilt.



That Little Miss Sunshine would take the time to make this as a joke shows the level of friendship we have. I actually almost wet my pants from laughing so hard when I unwrapped it. Yes that's right . Blogging is responsible for me having poor bladder control- and for letting me meet one of my best friends.


And that name!...I'm not convinced that vegetables really are peaceful entities at all... they're put here to torture me.

One of the other things I love about blogging is being exposed to all sorts of different cultures and people. Australia has a fascination for anything "overseas", probably because we're so far away from everything else that it all seems very exotic. This week Larri sent me  "America" in a box! A heavy,very full box...with lots of things in it that I've only ever heard about.









Apparently grits and collard greens are as much an acquired taste as vegemite.


I'm going to feed the Kool Aid to Little P ...5 minutes before he's due to go home. Apparently it's 100% sugar.


 Oreo Heaven.


I'm going to practice talking American so eating all of this is all the more authentic.

Friends, blogging , generosity , diversity , mail , surprises. They're my favourite things this week. And a huge thank you to all of you for sticking around and sharing all of this with me. I appreciate each and every one of you (and not just because some of you are my personal Oreo Pushers)

29 comments:

Lane said...

Great post. Sorry you're still without hot water. Collards and grits is one of my favorites and M. Holmes does good collards. Drain the juice and add fresh water with a bit of salt and pepper and a dash of vinegar and boil for 5 min. And, make a big ole pan of corn pone to go with it. Dagnabbit, yummmmmEEE. Lane

Mistea said...

You sure have some good friends in the blogiverse.
Good to see you only got quilted vegetables and the actual food is the really good stuff. Enjoy
Hope the hot water comes back to your house soon!

seabreezequilts said...

Good luck on the America in a box, I get the feeling their food has a lot of numbers in the ingredients. You might need to detox after it. You can use the Kool Aid to dye fabric you know if you don't want to feed it to Little P. Blogland is the best, have met lots of lovely people and got so much inspiration. Catch you soon.

Mindy said...

Judging from the loot sent I would guess Larri is from the South, so make sure you draw your words out a couple of syllables and throw in a yall once in a while for good measure.

I've always wanted to visit your country, but the whole spiders the size of a basketball thing really freaks me out! On the other hand, I think they might have a hard time sneaking up on you!

Larri said...

So glad the package arrived, Shay. I still can't get over the fact that customs allowed the lotion and not the mayo. LOL Enjoy the sugar rush! And, no, we don't eat like that all the time. That's just Sugar in a Box especially for you! ☺

Hope that hot water is back on soon. Yikes! Having to hike across town for a shower does not sound fun...AT ALL.

Happy Friday! ☺

9patchnurse said...

Good luck with the hot water situation! We were without power for 6 days after a hurricane once. With well water, no power means no water. We had to go to the local high school for showers in their locker rooms. A big room with shower heads all around, you had to leave your towel outside and walk in stark naked. I think I'm still traumatized, lol. I love your veggie quilt, too cute!

Char said...

Sorry about the hot water. Hope you have some soon.
Collards are good, though I've never had that brand, but pink cakes? I don't know, sounds like something you'll like.

Kate said...

It's been lots of fun hanging around with you in blog land. Love the veggie quilt, that quilt name is priceless!

Don't OD on the Oreos, we'd all miss you. You don't have Kool Aid? How do all the little ones get their sugar highs?

Hope the hot water situation gets worked out soon.

Paulette said...

LOVE the veggie quilt! The name is a hoot!!

I hope you have hot water soon! Too bad we can't send you a repairman via FedEx!

Sara said...

Apart from the oreos, I didn't recognise a single thing from that box. I recognised more of the vegetables on the quilt (though admittedly, mostly from working in a supermarket - I've eaten carrots and that's about it)

I think we should all have a thankyou for you for introducing us to one another. A linky that's only about good things lets you connect with other bloggers who like good things and, not to put too fine a point on it, I'm sure that can only be a good thing.

thea said...

Hope the hot water gets worked out soon .. why is it taking so long?? That would drive me nuts.

Would you believe I've never had grits and I've only had collard greens once. If you haven't eaten the collard greens yet, the way I had them was with like a pound of bacon so they were pretty good .. just a thought .. :)

If it were summer there, I'd suggest you make Kool Aid ice cubes for Little P. When I was a kid, you had to add sugar to the Kool Aid.

I saw the veggie quilt yesterday but had no idea it was for you. Too funny! and such a great name.

Enjoy the Oreos ...

Thanks for being you. I love your blog and the people I've met through you!

Ann Marie @ 16 Muddy Feet said...

Hope the hot water comes back on soon, even though I love taking cold showers in the summertime, now that your in winter, that would truly suck. Hang in there though. Remember those Koolaid packets, are actually sugar free, you have to add sugar to them, so you can make them as sweet or not as you want. I usually only make it with about 1/2 the sugar that it calls for. Collard greens, yuk.......grits well lots of butter, and then you are either a sugar adder ,or a salt n pepper adder. Me I add sugar, hubby adds salt n pepper. Ooooohh OREOS!!! That is the best part, where ol where is the ice cold milk???? I hope you enjoy all the great stuff in your box. Love Sunshine's humor too!!!!

Brenda said...

I totally agree- this blogging is great fun!

Kristie said...

Okay, that quilt is hil-AR-ious!! Love it! What a very awesome gift. And the Oreos package is fab. What a good sampling of the USA. There is no reasoning with those people about their grits. Even the word...grits. Blech. This spoken by a Canuck who enjoys cheese "curds" and gravy on fries to make "poutine." People in glass houses....

Speaking of glass houses, what the heck is up with that water?? Yikes!

Michelle Ridgway said...

Great post and favourite Shay. As a more recent addition as a follower of your fabbo blog I have to say I enjoy all of it. I can always count on you for a laugh even when you are doing it tough. I do hope you get some warm showers happening soon.

Marg said...

I can't believe you are still without hot water and when they eventually let you have it they are going to charge an exorbitant price for it. Grrrrrrrrr.
Don't you just love blogging friends. I am sorry I made you almost wet your pants.
Love your box of goodies from the U.S. and wow you got some Old Bay Seasoning, now I'm really jealous. You should be in Oreo heaven for say oh, about a week with that lot, lol! You'll have to rustle up a permanent supply line, you'll be totally addicted now.

Kirsten's Cooking said...

I'm pretty sure that Larri has hooked you up! that is exactly all of the treat that my kids beg for when we're at the grocery store (except for collard greens and grits). My kids still haven't had kool-aid....let us know how Little P likes it - if you have time to take a picture in the five minutes before he leaves :) My mother-in-law just told me that that was their "juice". She was a farm girl and money was tight - that was their special treat for afternoon tea.

oh, that Marg! Are you going to hang the quilt in your kitchen? love it!

Baa-Me Kniits said...

Yep I LMAO when I saw Margs quilt, brilliant isn't it. I'm glad you laughed. Good job Lucy is leaving, she might eat it if you weren't careful....she is probably vegetable starved by now :-)

No hot water is awful and so is showering at someone elses house...do you drive home in your PJ's??

WOW what a parcel from the States...I think you will be the one putting on a kilo or two ;-)

Rachaeldaisy said...

Yay!! I'm holding up my Friday night cocktail and saying, in a slightly slurry voice "Here!! Here!!". I came home to the most awesome parcel of gorgeousness from a new blogging friend. Just amazing! I've come across Old Bay seasoning before, yum! Crossing fingers the water situation is fixed before your guests arrive. Marg's quilt is the coolest.

Unknown said...

I love the label Marg made for your quilt! She is, indeed, a good friend.

Being a southern girl, I recognized all of the goodies you were sent. Little Debbies has a variety of "cakes," my favorites are the Oatmeal Cream cookies! Talk about a sugar rush! My daughter's first boyfriend delievered Little Debbie cakes on the weekend. He would bring us the "day old" cakes. Needless to say, I was sorry the day she broke up with him! One thing missing from the box was RC Cola and peanuts! Yumm...

I know you will enjoy everything in the box. And no, greens and grits are no where as bad as vegemite!

melissa said...

Love the vegie quilt! Isnt Marg the best? I wonder if you cut off your arm she might make you a quilt for your bed? Just Kidding!!!

Love the America box , i have to ask whats for dinner?

Hope your hot water resumes normal service soon!!!

AnnieO said...

Happy to be member of your favorite thing world, Shay!

I have never eaten some of the veggies on your new treasure of a quilt. Or in the cans of real food you got either, but I am a native California girl, not a Southerner.

Hope some hot water nears your house soon.

Lisa said...

I love that quilt, would be quite fitting for farm kids! We planted a huge garden since we're back to the land where you can do that with good results; and they are very excited. So, one more thing on my to-do (or to-make) list...
Anyway, so glad you have hot water again, I've been on a visit to Alaska with the kids, so have been missing out on what you're up to! Will catch up when I get home next week, you'll be out of the shower by then and blogging again? ;)

Michelle said...

Wow! What great gifts from Marg, and Larri. :-) I have to echo your sentiment, Shay. Blogging has introduced me not only to new quilting ideas, but new friends and cultures as well. Doesn't get much better than that, does it?

shirley said...

Just had to "follow" your blog you all sound like a fun lot.

Elizabeth said...

Not everyone in the US eats collard greens and grits. Just sayin'.

I love the many, many friends I've made in blogland. This is a really great FTF.

xo -E

Unknown said...

Love the veggie quilt. Very cute. Enjoy all the american goodies. Oh...love the haircut too. Really cute on you!

Anonymous said...

I've been out of the loop, but thought I'd drop by. I miss FTF. Little Debbies = Awesomeness (my daughter is going to University at the school where the factory is located...I wonder if she can get me free ones). Collard greens and grits is pretty Southern American. Since I'm one of those dislocated "damn Yankees", I still haven't acquired a taste. Ditto for fried okra. (Apparently collard greens are best smothered in lard--just the thought makes me want to....well....nvm.)

I'm glad you have someone nearby who is willing to let you use their hot water. It's one of my fav things, too.

Vesuviusmama said...

I've been a bit distracted lately and not reading blogs, so I missed this before, but just wanted to say that this was an awesome post!