She's the loveliest Korean au pair we've ever had, and she's only been here since 3pm today.
I hope she likes her digs.
It's hard when you don't have much to work with, and Australiana kitsch is so thin on-the-ground ... more's the pity.
Who's watching Silk on the ABC on Friday night? I love it. It's just like Rumpole.
Only Rumpole's not in it and there's not a Pomeroy's in sight.
I do love Martha and her sparse makeup application and red lipstick and her sense of Justice
with a capital 'J'.
And I love her horse hair. She doth inspire.
I made a cake to welcome Hyejin, but decided not to serve it.
Fowlerware jugs from a friend who knows my leanings toward brown crockery.
(Just a tip ... Lucy hits faster than Charlie Brown.)
Bits from my mother. The little Swedish girl on the potty is quite large and she's so adorable.
My mother also gave me this old exercise book. When I was growing up we used to have milk delivered to the door, on a daily basis.
I was in charge of ordering, and had to keep tally of the tab. Six bottles of milk for $2.66 ... someone work that out for me ... in my books, that's pittance.
We used to drink a lot of milk. And it looks like someone cracked the shits at one point and took umbrage at the delivery.
Work's Okay. A bit stressful, but I have a secretary. I should have had a secretary years ago.
Oh Carmel. I'm giggling here, as usual. So glad your new friend has arrived - what a culture shock it must be for her! I missed 'Silk'. Must tune in. Unless it gives me PTSD flashbacks ☺. So glad you have a secretary. Why didn't you have one from the start? Bizarre. And that last photo is a cracker - how could they possibly misspell 'dairy' like that?! j X
ReplyDeleteJane,
DeleteI only noticed the spelling when I took the photo. I did have a secretary from the start, but I didn't realise it until someone told me. So used to doing things for myself, as mothers do.
A secretary. Of your very own. That sounds fancy.
ReplyDeleteNot that fancy. I have to share her, and because it's the P.Service and I'm a junior, she really only finds things for me and then brings them to me. Still ...
DeleteWe need to rename the korean au pair. That name is impossible to type. And I don't want to know how it is pronounced.
ReplyDeleteI guess she loves her place! It looks larger and neater than my home.
A secretary, uh? An au pair, a secretary, a large home…you should probably get five or six Corgi dogs, buy big fancy hats, rename one of your sons Andrew or Charles, and that's it! You're the new queen of Australia.
We'll call her 'H' from now on. And read above for the limited role of the secretary. I do catch the bus to work, so I'm still one of the proletariat, don't worry.
DeleteThings I love in this post...au pair's room, au pair playing so nice with Martha, Martha's shoes(!), Swedish girl on potty! Fantastic!, Martha's ear to ear smile, your fancy bookkeeping records! Nothing slips by you. Your life seems very organized right now, having a secretary helps I'm sure.
ReplyDeleteI may need to stop in often as we are about to make some major moves and experience some major disorganization. I've got to to start packing now.
Jamie,
Deleteit's not that organised. I really need to get on top of dinners. I'm keen to know what's happening on your side of the planet. Are you starting to build your home? Now, that's exciting!
Hey! A secretary is quite impressive. I got a job yesterday. No secretary though. Might have to negotiate now that I hear they're quite handy...
ReplyDelete(I'm quite scared about the whole thing and feeling a little tight in the chest...)
Anna,
DeleteI know that feeling and usually wake up every morning feeling slightly nauseous. Being at home, one is always in control but when you go back into the work force, you realise you're not really in charge any more. You'll be fine though. Just keeping smiling (that was some good advice given to me).
You have a secretary! Wow, are you moving up in the world. Is Martha laughing at your cake? Your au pair looks lovely even though I should be living in those digs.
ReplyDeletexo
I know you should be there. We need some Canadian accents in this house! Martha was just laughing. She's used to baking disasters now.
DeleteShe looks lovely, and her place is very nice. She should feel right at home there soon.
ReplyDeleteDana, she is lovely. Very quiet and I'm not sure she understands what we're saying ... which is not a bad thing because Solid Gold Dancer No. 2 told her that Martha likes to swear.
DeleteLooks like everything is going well for you Carmel: secretary, au pair, funny ceramics and best of all the milkman's diary - lol! And Deb - hands off those digs, I'm practising my Korean at this very moment, A-ni-e-yo!
ReplyDeleteAnd more: Silk - yes love it though lots of not really true proceedings - but hey it's drama. And look at Martha - growing up so gorgeously. I mean to swap her fab shoes for mine when I arrive shortly to take over the Korean role.
ReplyDeleteIt is a drama. One episode with the younger barristers, the legal argument was a bit too creative to be credible and evidence came from the back of the courtroom and there was an adjournment on the flimsiest of requests without any judicial objection ... ahh.
DeleteSo Australian to rename things we can't pronounce rather than just learn to say them.... Too funny we are a lazy mob! I got a flash of the movie working girl .... Do u remember Melanie Griffith and Harrison ford. You remind me of Melanie's character at the end of the movie .... With secretary and office of ones own. Did you go back and get the fancy shoes a few posts back? Xxxx
ReplyDeleteOBH, you're right. The Agency seems to give these girls 'English' names, but I told H. that we'd prefer to use her given name, so 'Hyejin' it is! I much prefer to use her real name than an Anglicised version.
DeleteI didn't get those shoes. I wish I did. I feel guilty spending $$ on shoes when I have four kids in various hand-me-downs.
I bet H is fitting in well and is more than comfy in her digs.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading through the comments here. Rather entertaining :)
SarahB, I think comments are the best thing about blogging, particularly when you know the people who are commenting and you know that what they're saying is thought-out, genuine and there's rapport there. Don't you think?
DeleteIt's hard though when you're a new reader to a blog, to break into some comment streams because you feel like you're butting into a private conversation!
This may be your biggest post ever! So much news. Would Hyejin notice five more kids in the mix? We could hand out at the park while she feeds them cake or maybe trifle. Her room looks most jolly and Grandma has very good taste too.
ReplyDeleteI missed Silk but the actress looks like the earth mother of the forest in Dr Who and another show about a normal dysfunctional family. I like her a lot. Will tune in! Your job sounds very grown up. I have work envy.
That happens to my cakes all too frequently. Maybe I need to revert to buttering and flouring. When did Martha become a full-blown kid?
ReplyDeleteHyejin certainly looks the loveliest Korean au pair I've ever seen.
I'd be happy living in dat house. Look at the lovely flowers you left for her. 'I'll Bring the Diary to Your Door!' - does your sexyterry say that to you? Would that be helpful?
ReplyDeleteHaving a secretary is very handy. In my working life I have one (well share 2-3 with my boss, don't have ownership of one in particular....) - makes life much much easier. Plus they keep my dairy up to date and make sure I know what I am doing day to day.
ReplyDeleteSo glad the au pair thing is working out.
Oh wow!
ReplyDeleteThat cute Swedish girl is a 'Lotta' by Lisa Larson. She's worth a small fortune, so I hope you have put her on a high shelf out of the children's reach. Those jugs are cool.
Ha ha, I always react on your pottery images first, but I'm happy to see that you au pair has arrived and is getting along with the kids.
I am so glad Ms Karen that you have a blog profile!! I've been resisting those two Hungarian/Swedish cats at the Antique Centre, but I'm not sure I can for much longer because of you! And I love your profile pic ... it's a bit Little My and a bit Bjorn Wiinblad. Now, when can you get around to starting your own blog and show us all your beautiful ceramics?!
DeleteI just put the Swedish girl in the toilet, on a shelf. That's tacky isn't it? I'll remove her and put her somewhere safe. I think she's become one of my favourite things.
Ah yes, that midcentury love can be an expensive addiction, I know. My profile pic is indeed a very early drawing by Wiinblad - more about that in the promised blog. But don't get too excited - I'm off on summer holiday soon, so nothing is coming up in the near future.
ReplyDeleteIt makes me smile to think about the potty girl in the toilet. But Swedish visitors might find it a bit of a sacrilege, so it is probably a good idea to find a nicer spot for her :-)
ooh! How I loved my Nintendo "Fire" game. Thought I was the coolest kid on the bus to school with that in my possession. Won't work now though. Too much playing on the toilet by my mother (she'd love me telling the world that). Hubby still has a working "Parachute" game & the ultimate, double screen "Donkey Kong". Ah, the memories ...
ReplyDeleteWe used to have Snoopy Tennis!! Your mum has real treasures at her home...so now that H is in the country and you have secretary are you able to attend the house tour??? Helen P is a definite she said. xx
ReplyDeleteI am watching silk and lovin it!
ReplyDeleteNow heres the thing I made a cake once in a pudding bowl and it baked itself into a shape that looked like Rumpole of the Baileys head. It lived in my freezer for a whole year till my friend returned home from her UK/Europe trip so she could see it (this was before iphones/social media).
I drove her home from the airport where we took it out of the freezer even before we had taken her bags out of the car... we admired it for 5 mins then chucked it in the bin.
Its been a long time since I have seen Rumpole and the Bailey come together with the subject of cake. I think we can call this Serendipitous dont you think?
:)