Links!

Sweet!

Related.

I wish I could do this.

Cool / creepy photos.

Hope I'll be needing these soon.

Lol.

Interesting marriage advice.

Funny coworkers (no.5!).

40 things - learn to play backgammon

The advantage of having a bit more time on my hands right now, is that I remembered my forty things list and managed to tick one off much quicker than I thought.

I've learned games as part of my goals before - chess, poker,...  This was by far the easiest, which I didn't expect.  Chess I can still play because I learned it as a child, poker I forget the different hands every time.  With backgammon, I think it will be something that will stay with me, especially if I keep up the practice.

First, I read through the guide on wikipedia and then I downloaded a free app and got practising.  Hopefully, Nico will try a game with me at some point.  I really enjoy trying these more traditional, thinking games, and the colder seasons are coming where we will have more time for something like this.

September Goals

Here's what I hope to achieve this month:

• Plant some vegetables in the garden
• Keep up the videos
• Start my new job!
• Lose weight
• Family day trip
• Learn to play backgammon

Recipe: Paleo Plum Cake

Ingredients:

• 80g ground hazlenuts
• 80g rice flour
• 60g ground almonds
• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp hot water
• 30g coconut oil
• 500g plums
• Cinnamon

Instructions:
1. Combine the dry ingredients with the egg, water and oil.  Mix to a dough, rest for ten minutes in the fridge.
2. Roll out the dough, reserving a third of the mixture. Prick the base and blind bake for ten minutes at 180.
3. Cut the plums in half and remove the stones.  Lay the with the cut side up on the pastry base.  Crumble the reaining third over the top and sprinkle with cinnamon.
4. Bake for a further 35 minutes at 180.

Make it Monday - Sign

Last week I made this sign for our kitchen using some of my Gonis products.  

It is on an MDF board which I painted with two coats of the yellow paint. 

Then I used a flexi-template and relief paste to add the saying on the front.

While it took three days to finish (each coat had to dry overnight), it was easy and I look forward to trying more projects like this.

Weekly Wisdom

Smooth seas do not make great sailors.

The Saturday Update

Another week of chasing officials around has gotten me nowhere on the work front. It feels like one step forward, two steps back right now. Here's hoping for more progress next week.

The kids have had a good week. We had a playdate on Monday and got to know a new family. Isabella had a birthday party yesterday too. 

I couldn't walk for three days after the pound workshop last Sunday and missed all my classes with one appointment or another. I'm hoping to get back on course next week.

I did my third Gonis party on Thursday so I've been crafting a bit to prepare for that. I've also gotten a bit done in the garden.

Tomorrow is the autumn market in Leeste and we're visiting that.