So, I have an exam on 8th January. Who knew?
I've been studying 'procrastination' for so long and now I discover that my exam is on Anatomy and Physiology! Ugh!
I guess I will be cramming for the next week, hoping to absorb enough information to pass this test which makes up 40% of my subject mark.
It's highly likely that my blog posts will be very short during this time.
This should be a good time to work on that word that I've chosen for 2015 ... PEACE.
There are no excuses. This is self inflicted. I'm not looking for sympathy, but if you could telepathically send me some positive energy and some extra brain power, I'd appreciate it very much.
Nite all.
Tuesday, December 30, 2014
Peace
My word for 2015 is ...
"PEACE" - noun - Freedom of the mind from annoyance, distraction, anxiety, obsession etc. To find tranquility or serenity.
I'm aiming for inner peace, peace of mind, peace with myself, peaceful calm and peace and quiet.
I have reached a point where my mind is never still and I don't know how to make it quiet. Thoughts are jumbled in my brain flowing in and out of my consciousness all day long. I need to find a peacefulness that allows me to focus on my day to day activities, one at a time.
I need to create a peaceful state in my mind for the times when I'm resting.
So my intention for the year ahead is to create an inner peace. I will search for ways to find my peace of mind and then I will practise feeling that peaceful calm.
Nite all.
"PEACE" - noun - Freedom of the mind from annoyance, distraction, anxiety, obsession etc. To find tranquility or serenity.
I'm aiming for inner peace, peace of mind, peace with myself, peaceful calm and peace and quiet.
I have reached a point where my mind is never still and I don't know how to make it quiet. Thoughts are jumbled in my brain flowing in and out of my consciousness all day long. I need to find a peacefulness that allows me to focus on my day to day activities, one at a time.
I need to create a peaceful state in my mind for the times when I'm resting.
So my intention for the year ahead is to create an inner peace. I will search for ways to find my peace of mind and then I will practise feeling that peaceful calm.
Nite all.
Monday, December 29, 2014
The Bathtub wins
As the mainstream media grab hold of a story to sensationalise the alleged dangers of raw milk, and attempt to terrify anybody who may have considered buying or drinking it, I have been researching the story online myself, trying to discover some actual FACTS.
I read 63 news reports, blog articles and press releases. The press releases were vague and many TV stations and newspapers simply quoted the standard press release that was issued to everyone, so I really had to dig to find some details.
The headline reads 'Toddler dies after drinking bath milk'.
The story goes that in mid December, a three year old child died 'after drinking bath milk'. Apparently 4 other young children also became ill 'after drinking bath milk' from the same dairy farm in Victoria.
By law the dairies that sell this product must add warnings to the label advising people that bath milk is not for drinking. This particular dairy did abide by that law.
I watched the follow-up stories on the news tonight.
1. Did the story explain to us how the child died or how the other children became ill? No.
What they stated a number of times, was that the child 'died after drinking bath milk' ... leading us to believe that it was the bath milk that caused the death and illnesses.
2. Did the reporter tell us about any tests conducted on the bath milk or the dairy farm from which it came, to confirm that it was actually the bath milk that caused the death? No.
In actual fact, I discovered that health officials have conducted tests on site at the dairy in question and all of their products have passed with a clean bill of health. No diseases. No stray bacteria.
Of course the media can't add that information to the story .. not sensational enough.
3. Did the reporter give us the name of the illness that made the children ill? No.
They interviewed 'somebody' who touted the terrible dangers of raw milk and the disease causing bacteria that lurk within it, leading us to assume that the bacteria was indeed in the milk that the children drank ... which, as I've already mentioned, is not the case.
The only facts that I could find, stated that 3 of the children (and we don't know which three) contracted Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (despite Fairfax media describing it as a fatal disease, it is NOT normally fatal), which can be caused by contaminated meat or produce (but not the produce, in this case, as proven by the health officials) or it can be contracted in swimming pools or lakes where human or animal faeces is commonly found, or it can also follow infections from other bacteria.
It can be caused by certain medications AND it can be genetic .. that is .. passed down from your parents.
4. Did the reporter give us any details about the children or their state of health prior to drinking the bath milk? No.
So the only facts that the report actually gave us was that a toddler died after drinking bath milk.
The rest of the story was manipulated leading us to the conclusion that the bath milk was full of a disease causing bacteria that killed a toddler and made four others sick and that the dairy farm in Victoria was responsible.
It made us believe that Raw milk was extremely dangerous and that there is a growing 'mob' of health buffs who are attempting to manipulate the general public into believing that raw milk has health benefits.
We still have no idea what actually caused the child's death.
It's a very good example of how the media can take a tiny bit of information and expand on it to sensationalise and frighten the public into believing something that isn't actually true.
If they can do that with something as simple as milk, just imagine the havoc they are causing elsewhere.
Nite all.
I read 63 news reports, blog articles and press releases. The press releases were vague and many TV stations and newspapers simply quoted the standard press release that was issued to everyone, so I really had to dig to find some details.
The headline reads 'Toddler dies after drinking bath milk'.
The story goes that in mid December, a three year old child died 'after drinking bath milk'. Apparently 4 other young children also became ill 'after drinking bath milk' from the same dairy farm in Victoria.
By law the dairies that sell this product must add warnings to the label advising people that bath milk is not for drinking. This particular dairy did abide by that law.
I watched the follow-up stories on the news tonight.
1. Did the story explain to us how the child died or how the other children became ill? No.
What they stated a number of times, was that the child 'died after drinking bath milk' ... leading us to believe that it was the bath milk that caused the death and illnesses.
2. Did the reporter tell us about any tests conducted on the bath milk or the dairy farm from which it came, to confirm that it was actually the bath milk that caused the death? No.
In actual fact, I discovered that health officials have conducted tests on site at the dairy in question and all of their products have passed with a clean bill of health. No diseases. No stray bacteria.
Of course the media can't add that information to the story .. not sensational enough.
3. Did the reporter give us the name of the illness that made the children ill? No.
They interviewed 'somebody' who touted the terrible dangers of raw milk and the disease causing bacteria that lurk within it, leading us to assume that the bacteria was indeed in the milk that the children drank ... which, as I've already mentioned, is not the case.
The only facts that I could find, stated that 3 of the children (and we don't know which three) contracted Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (despite Fairfax media describing it as a fatal disease, it is NOT normally fatal), which can be caused by contaminated meat or produce (but not the produce, in this case, as proven by the health officials) or it can be contracted in swimming pools or lakes where human or animal faeces is commonly found, or it can also follow infections from other bacteria.
It can be caused by certain medications AND it can be genetic .. that is .. passed down from your parents.
4. Did the reporter give us any details about the children or their state of health prior to drinking the bath milk? No.
So the only facts that the report actually gave us was that a toddler died after drinking bath milk.
The rest of the story was manipulated leading us to the conclusion that the bath milk was full of a disease causing bacteria that killed a toddler and made four others sick and that the dairy farm in Victoria was responsible.
It made us believe that Raw milk was extremely dangerous and that there is a growing 'mob' of health buffs who are attempting to manipulate the general public into believing that raw milk has health benefits.
We still have no idea what actually caused the child's death.
It's a very good example of how the media can take a tiny bit of information and expand on it to sensationalise and frighten the public into believing something that isn't actually true.
If they can do that with something as simple as milk, just imagine the havoc they are causing elsewhere.
Nite all.
Sunday, December 28, 2014
Retail Therapy
Today, Adoring Husband and I decided to head into The Bay and attempt the sales.
In years gone by, we have agreed to avoid The Bay over the Christmas/New Year period because it's the height of tourist season and unbearably busy, with terrible traffic to contend with and crowds of holiday makers who are always way more stressed than they should be while on holidays!
Surprisingly, we had a great day of shopping and returned home after four hours, relaxed, and arms laden with clothes, pyjamas, shoes, bags, dvds, cds and food.
I bought the dvd of the movie 'Healing' (which, incidentally, has nothing to do with Nutritional Medicine!), the complete boxed series of Ally McBeal and Barbra Streisand's new 'Partners' cd.
Of course, I realised, as I took my first purchase to the sales counter, that I had left both of my keycards at home in my camera bag! I had to search out Adoring Husband and steal one of his cards to do my shopping!
He's a good man :)
So that is our last session of retail therapy for 2014.
A new year is like a blank book.
The pen is in your hands.
It is your chance to write a beautiful story for yourself.
The last two years, I have fulfilled my New Year Resolutions. They were about getting healthy, eating real foods and studying 'something'.
So 2015 is just around the corner and instead of a New Years Resolution, this year I am going to choose a word that encapsulates my intentions for the whole year ahead.
When I have selected my word, I'll share it here with my reasons for choosing it, so watch this space between now and New Years Eve.
Nite all.
In years gone by, we have agreed to avoid The Bay over the Christmas/New Year period because it's the height of tourist season and unbearably busy, with terrible traffic to contend with and crowds of holiday makers who are always way more stressed than they should be while on holidays!
Surprisingly, we had a great day of shopping and returned home after four hours, relaxed, and arms laden with clothes, pyjamas, shoes, bags, dvds, cds and food.
I bought the dvd of the movie 'Healing' (which, incidentally, has nothing to do with Nutritional Medicine!), the complete boxed series of Ally McBeal and Barbra Streisand's new 'Partners' cd.
Of course, I realised, as I took my first purchase to the sales counter, that I had left both of my keycards at home in my camera bag! I had to search out Adoring Husband and steal one of his cards to do my shopping!
He's a good man :)
So that is our last session of retail therapy for 2014.
A new year is like a blank book.
The pen is in your hands.
It is your chance to write a beautiful story for yourself.
The last two years, I have fulfilled my New Year Resolutions. They were about getting healthy, eating real foods and studying 'something'.
So 2015 is just around the corner and instead of a New Years Resolution, this year I am going to choose a word that encapsulates my intentions for the whole year ahead.
When I have selected my word, I'll share it here with my reasons for choosing it, so watch this space between now and New Years Eve.
Nite all.
Friday, December 26, 2014
There but for the grace of God go I
There was a discussion tonight, between friends, about the homeless .. especially during the festive season.
A friend's grandson spent Christmas day feeding the homeless. Another friend has discussed doing the same thing next year with her husband. I didn't get the chance to tell them about Number One Son who spent a few hours on Christmas day helping out in the Salvation Army kitchens to feed the homeless in Adelaide.
The homeless numbers in Australia are rising every year.
The only numbers currently available are from the ABS census from 2011, which showed that there were over 105,000 homeless people in Australia. That includes people who are living on friend's and family's couches because they can't afford to pay rent or buy their own homes.
NSW 28,190 (40.8 people per 10,000) +20.4% since 2006
VIC 22,789 (42.6 people per 10,000) +20.7 since 2006
QLD 19,838 (48.5 people per 10,000) -5.1% since 2006
SA 5,985 (37.5 people per 10,000) +1.4% since 2006
WA 9,592 (42.8 people per 10,000) +1.1% since 2006
TAS 1,579 (31.9 people per 10,000) +32.9% since 2006
NT 15,479 (730.7 people per 10,000) -7.8% since 2006
ACT 1,785 (50 people per 10,000) +70.6% since 2006
WHERE ARE PEOPLE STAYING?
Improvised dwellings, tents or sleeping out 6%
Supported accommodation for the homeless 20%
Staying temporarily with other households 17%
Boarding houses 17%
Other temporary lodging 1%
“Severely” overcrowded dwellings 39%
HOW OLD ARE THEY?
Under 12 17% (17,845)
12-18 10% (10,913)
19-24 15% (15,325)
25-34 18% (19,312)
35-44 14% (14,484)
45-54 12% (12,507)
55-64 8% (8,649)
65-74 4% (4,174)
75 and over 2% (2,028)
A friend's grandson spent Christmas day feeding the homeless. Another friend has discussed doing the same thing next year with her husband. I didn't get the chance to tell them about Number One Son who spent a few hours on Christmas day helping out in the Salvation Army kitchens to feed the homeless in Adelaide.
The homeless numbers in Australia are rising every year.
The only numbers currently available are from the ABS census from 2011, which showed that there were over 105,000 homeless people in Australia. That includes people who are living on friend's and family's couches because they can't afford to pay rent or buy their own homes.
NSW 28,190 (40.8 people per 10,000) +20.4% since 2006
VIC 22,789 (42.6 people per 10,000) +20.7 since 2006
QLD 19,838 (48.5 people per 10,000) -5.1% since 2006
SA 5,985 (37.5 people per 10,000) +1.4% since 2006
WA 9,592 (42.8 people per 10,000) +1.1% since 2006
TAS 1,579 (31.9 people per 10,000) +32.9% since 2006
NT 15,479 (730.7 people per 10,000) -7.8% since 2006
ACT 1,785 (50 people per 10,000) +70.6% since 2006
Improvised dwellings, tents or sleeping out 6%
Supported accommodation for the homeless 20%
Staying temporarily with other households 17%
Boarding houses 17%
Other temporary lodging 1%
“Severely” overcrowded dwellings 39%
HOW OLD ARE THEY?
Under 12 17% (17,845)
12-18 10% (10,913)
19-24 15% (15,325)
25-34 18% (19,312)
35-44 14% (14,484)
45-54 12% (12,507)
55-64 8% (8,649)
65-74 4% (4,174)
75 and over 2% (2,028)
WHY ARE THEY HOMELESS? (Just in Queensland)
Financial difficulties, housing stress, unemployment 25%
Accommodation issues, housing crisis, inadequate or inappropriate dwellings 34%
Domestic violence and relationship issues, time out from family, family breakdown, violence and assault 24%
Health reasons, mental health issues, substance abuse issues 3%
Other - transition from care/custody, lack of support, discrimination 13%
Having worked with CES and Centrelink for 16 years, I dealt with people who found themselves homeless. Women whose husbands physically and/or sexually abused them. Women whose husbands kicked them out of the home because they found somebody else. Women whose husbands had some kind of addiction, be it alcohol, gambling or drugs who lost all of their money and hadn't paid rent, or other bills. Women whose husbands passed away and their pensions weren't enough to pay the rent on their own. Teenagers who were sexually abused by their step father or other family member and left to escape the abuse. People with mental illness who were incapable of managing their finances or whose life skills were so limiting that they couldn't look after themselves and who had no family to intervene.
Not all of us are lucky enough to have family to fall back on.
The list of reasons for homelessness is almost endless and there was a time during my life as a single parent that I came very close to being homeless with my 3 children, so I am very sensitive to situations that put people in the homeless category.
Unless you've been there, as with most of life's 'situations', you simply cannot understand how it feels to be there.
We all make bad life decisions sometimes. We marry, or live with men who treat us badly or mistreat our children or who develop mental illness or who desert us or pass away and leave us with nothing.
We may have been abused by parents, step parents or other family members that leave us with such low self esteem that we feel incapable of caring for ourselves, incapable of working or we feel undeserving of a home or a happy lifestyle.
Life is not always kind to us all.
As my oldest daughter has told me often ... there have been many occasions, especially in her youth, where she had found herself in dangerous or risky situations and any split second decision could have changed her future in so many different ways. Not all of them good. Some of them, very very bad. She explains that sometimes, it was pure luck that sent her in the right direction. So she is very aware of how quickly and inexplicably life can take you down a very bad path from which it's difficult to return.
So I, and many of my friends have lived a very blessed and charmed life where we haven't had to worry about such things as homelessness. We should be grateful for that and we should never judge anybody in whose shoes we have not walked.
Nite all.
Wednesday, December 24, 2014
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays
Before you start reading, you need to know that I am a bit of a Snoopy fan, so this post has both a Christmas AND a Snoopy theme.
There have been a lot of people complaining about the term 'Happy Holidays' lately and then getting cranky with me for defending the people who use it.
I just want to say "to each his own".
Who cares what anybody says? They are just words. It's the festive season and we should be feeling the love and wishing everybody happiness, not arguing over words.
So personally, I don't mind whether you say Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays .. as long as you are showing love and kindness to your fellow humans, that's all that matters.
I hope you've all had a lovely and loving Christmas day ... love from me.
Nite all.
There have been a lot of people complaining about the term 'Happy Holidays' lately and then getting cranky with me for defending the people who use it.
I just want to say "to each his own".
Who cares what anybody says? They are just words. It's the festive season and we should be feeling the love and wishing everybody happiness, not arguing over words.
So personally, I don't mind whether you say Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays .. as long as you are showing love and kindness to your fellow humans, that's all that matters.
I hope you've all had a lovely and loving Christmas day ... love from me.
Nite all.
Tuesday, December 23, 2014
My 2014 Overview
I thought I would provide a brief overview of my 2014.
After the tornado in January 2013, Adoring Husband became involved with the local SES group and this year in January took it a step further by becoming Deputy Group Leader. This has taken up quite a bit of his time, but he has thrived on bringing changes and improvements to the group, almost tripling member numbers with his recruitment drives. He volunteered his skills on a number of emergencies like land searches for missing people, assisting with traffic control for controlled burn offs in the local area and then heading down to Brisbane after the devastating storm that caused so much damage in November assisting with tarping roofs and chainsawing fallen trees etc.
While he was absorbed with all things SES, I had another fabulous road trip (Our Most Excellent Adventure) with my bestie, BGWLBH. We travelled the roads 'less' travelled and found lots of little 'out of the way' towns, antique and gift stores, markets, cafes, parks and bush tracks. We carried Wizard Mickey with us and he was in all of our photos that diarised our trip.
In February, my beautiful little Chicklet turned 3 years of age and also, I decided to learn more about health and nutrition by studying an Advanced Diploma in Nutritional Medicine with The Australian Institute of Applied Science. Procrastination has been my biggest hurdle and having passed my first semester with an average of 96%, I am now struggling with Chemistry, Anatomy and Physiology and more procrastination. I obviously do my best work under pressure.
March brought us three new chickens, but the eggs didn't come til May. A cyclone or two in March and April with lots of rain and wind, but nothing as bad as what contributed to the tornado in 2013. We held a dinner party where I cooked a three course meal for 6 friends and I also celebrated my 54th birthday.
May took me to a Playschool concert with Chicklet. The first eggs appeared from our chooks. A wonderful Mother's Day dinner with Vegan Chickie. A new grandson for Adoring Husband, named Seth.
June was the trip to Bunya Mountains with the flickr group. I was colder than I've felt for years! So windy and icy and wet!! The fabulous company made up for it though!
July and NSW won the State of Origin series for the first time in nine years. The family from down south stayed with us for the third year while participating in a Touch Football tournament in The Bay (something that we always look forward to).
August was the horrible month that Adoring Husband had a low grade malignant tumour removed from his bladder and then we spent three months working really hard on his health and fitness to make sure that it didn't come back before his 3 monthly checkup and to help his body heal properly from the invasive surgery that he endured to fix it. It was a long process, but our hard work was rewarded with excellent results.
After the tornado in January 2013, Adoring Husband became involved with the local SES group and this year in January took it a step further by becoming Deputy Group Leader. This has taken up quite a bit of his time, but he has thrived on bringing changes and improvements to the group, almost tripling member numbers with his recruitment drives. He volunteered his skills on a number of emergencies like land searches for missing people, assisting with traffic control for controlled burn offs in the local area and then heading down to Brisbane after the devastating storm that caused so much damage in November assisting with tarping roofs and chainsawing fallen trees etc.
While he was absorbed with all things SES, I had another fabulous road trip (Our Most Excellent Adventure) with my bestie, BGWLBH. We travelled the roads 'less' travelled and found lots of little 'out of the way' towns, antique and gift stores, markets, cafes, parks and bush tracks. We carried Wizard Mickey with us and he was in all of our photos that diarised our trip.
In February, my beautiful little Chicklet turned 3 years of age and also, I decided to learn more about health and nutrition by studying an Advanced Diploma in Nutritional Medicine with The Australian Institute of Applied Science. Procrastination has been my biggest hurdle and having passed my first semester with an average of 96%, I am now struggling with Chemistry, Anatomy and Physiology and more procrastination. I obviously do my best work under pressure.
March brought us three new chickens, but the eggs didn't come til May. A cyclone or two in March and April with lots of rain and wind, but nothing as bad as what contributed to the tornado in 2013. We held a dinner party where I cooked a three course meal for 6 friends and I also celebrated my 54th birthday.
May took me to a Playschool concert with Chicklet. The first eggs appeared from our chooks. A wonderful Mother's Day dinner with Vegan Chickie. A new grandson for Adoring Husband, named Seth.
June was the trip to Bunya Mountains with the flickr group. I was colder than I've felt for years! So windy and icy and wet!! The fabulous company made up for it though!
July and NSW won the State of Origin series for the first time in nine years. The family from down south stayed with us for the third year while participating in a Touch Football tournament in The Bay (something that we always look forward to).
August was the horrible month that Adoring Husband had a low grade malignant tumour removed from his bladder and then we spent three months working really hard on his health and fitness to make sure that it didn't come back before his 3 monthly checkup and to help his body heal properly from the invasive surgery that he endured to fix it. It was a long process, but our hard work was rewarded with excellent results.
We also had a long visit from Bubbles and Knight in Shining Armour in August, which was lovely and a welcome distraction from the health issues.
Finally, I completed my first semester of studies with great results.
September, the Chicklet family moved into their new house on the Sunny Coast and I went for a visit soon after. I sat my final exam for the first semester, found the first Tawny Frogmouth nests of the season and had my trip to Magnetic Island with the girls, where I met up with a cousin who I hadn't seen for 37 years.
October was footy grand final when Souths won the Championship. One of the psychotic dogs, Jack, gave us a fright when he became ill with pancreatitis. We had the 'blood moon' which was a bit disappointing. The first Tawny Frogmouth chicks were born. Adoring Husband turned 57.
November, Adoring Husband got the all clear at his 3 monthly check up. I created my vision board. Chicklet fell asleep in my bed for the first time, while I was visiting and there was a massive storm that caused millions of dollars worth of damage in Brisbane.
December has been uneventful, but we are the most organised that we have EVER been for Christmas.
We both took refined sugar and processed food out of our diets this year, so I spent many, many hours in the kitchen making breads, cheeses, yoghurt, tarts and pies, casseroles, sauces, cakes and desserts using all fresh and mostly organic ingredients and cooking from scratch, which I have really enjoyed. I got so carried away that we had to buy a new freezer to store all the soups, stocks, savoury minces, curries and casseroles that I made.
So, looking back, aside from Adoring Husband's health scare (which was pretty stressful there for a while and certainly tested our resolve), our year has been pretty good. Definitely fewer dramas than previous years.
September, the Chicklet family moved into their new house on the Sunny Coast and I went for a visit soon after. I sat my final exam for the first semester, found the first Tawny Frogmouth nests of the season and had my trip to Magnetic Island with the girls, where I met up with a cousin who I hadn't seen for 37 years.
October was footy grand final when Souths won the Championship. One of the psychotic dogs, Jack, gave us a fright when he became ill with pancreatitis. We had the 'blood moon' which was a bit disappointing. The first Tawny Frogmouth chicks were born. Adoring Husband turned 57.
November, Adoring Husband got the all clear at his 3 monthly check up. I created my vision board. Chicklet fell asleep in my bed for the first time, while I was visiting and there was a massive storm that caused millions of dollars worth of damage in Brisbane.
December has been uneventful, but we are the most organised that we have EVER been for Christmas.
We both took refined sugar and processed food out of our diets this year, so I spent many, many hours in the kitchen making breads, cheeses, yoghurt, tarts and pies, casseroles, sauces, cakes and desserts using all fresh and mostly organic ingredients and cooking from scratch, which I have really enjoyed. I got so carried away that we had to buy a new freezer to store all the soups, stocks, savoury minces, curries and casseroles that I made.
Number One Son moved to Adelaide for a new job that he is enjoying very much. Sadly, Bubbles lost her job when her employer went bust. The Chicklet family had some family issues that were a little tough going for a while, but seem to be recovering well.
So, looking back, aside from Adoring Husband's health scare (which was pretty stressful there for a while and certainly tested our resolve), our year has been pretty good. Definitely fewer dramas than previous years.
Let's hope that 2015 is full of love, health and happiness for us and all of our friends and family. I will start the year with a positive attitude and look forward to all the joys that it will bring us.
Tomorrow, I will share some of my favourite photos from the year.
Nite all.
Monday, December 22, 2014
Surprisingly Organised
I believe that this is the first year, in my entire life, that I am completely organised for Christmas!
I'm feeling no stress, panic or dread.
The decorations are up.
All gifts are bought, wrapped and either under the tree, or sent in the mail.
The seafood is booked and organised for Christmas dinner.
Christmas is feeling pretty breezy this year!
Here is my Christmas card to anybody who cares. My friends. My family. My regular readers.
I'm a little early with my Christmas wishes .. but as I've already stated .. TOTALLY ORGANISED!!
Today, I received in the mail, the new bedding that I ordered weeks ago, so I washed and dried my bamboo sheets (I can't tell you how much I love my soft bamboo sheets, in fact, I ordered some more online today. They were on sale, down from $235 to $49!!) and have made my bed with the bamboo sheets and the new doona cover.
We all know how divine it is to slide into crisp clean bedding *sigh*
That's where I am heading right now .. to my fresh and new looking beautiful bed.
Nite all.
I'm feeling no stress, panic or dread.
The decorations are up.
All gifts are bought, wrapped and either under the tree, or sent in the mail.
The seafood is booked and organised for Christmas dinner.
Christmas is feeling pretty breezy this year!
Here is my Christmas card to anybody who cares. My friends. My family. My regular readers.
I'm a little early with my Christmas wishes .. but as I've already stated .. TOTALLY ORGANISED!!
Today, I received in the mail, the new bedding that I ordered weeks ago, so I washed and dried my bamboo sheets (I can't tell you how much I love my soft bamboo sheets, in fact, I ordered some more online today. They were on sale, down from $235 to $49!!) and have made my bed with the bamboo sheets and the new doona cover.
We all know how divine it is to slide into crisp clean bedding *sigh*
That's where I am heading right now .. to my fresh and new looking beautiful bed.
Nite all.
Sunday, December 21, 2014
Drinkies!
The festive season is, socially, quite exhausting isn't it!? That is if you accept every invitation offered for Christmas drinks.
Drinks with various friends. Drinks with neighbours. Drinks with acquaintances. Drinks with workmates. Drinks with fellow hobbyists. Drinks with community groups. Drinks with sporting pals. Drinks with family. The list goes on.
I can't imagine how tricky it is for people who are too afraid to say 'no' when invitations are presented.
Today, we had drinks with our neighbours across the road and they invited the neighbours either side of them too, which meant I got to meet those people officially. We wave to each other and call out 'hello', but except for one of them, I had not been introduced. So it was a nice afternoon and considering what little we knew of each other, we were all very comfortable together and had some good belly laughs.
It has been a very social weekend and tomorrow, Adoring Husband is off to Fraser Island to catch up with family and two of his little grandbabies, while I hold the fort at home. I hope to really cram some study in while I have a silent house.
The festive season has worn me out, so I'm off to bed.
Nite all.
Drinks with various friends. Drinks with neighbours. Drinks with acquaintances. Drinks with workmates. Drinks with fellow hobbyists. Drinks with community groups. Drinks with sporting pals. Drinks with family. The list goes on.
I can't imagine how tricky it is for people who are too afraid to say 'no' when invitations are presented.
Today, we had drinks with our neighbours across the road and they invited the neighbours either side of them too, which meant I got to meet those people officially. We wave to each other and call out 'hello', but except for one of them, I had not been introduced. So it was a nice afternoon and considering what little we knew of each other, we were all very comfortable together and had some good belly laughs.
It has been a very social weekend and tomorrow, Adoring Husband is off to Fraser Island to catch up with family and two of his little grandbabies, while I hold the fort at home. I hope to really cram some study in while I have a silent house.
The festive season has worn me out, so I'm off to bed.
Nite all.
Tis the Season
to be jolly.
This morning I ran into 'The Designer'. She went on holidays at the beginning of last month and was supposed to be away for 3 weeks, but one thing led to another and almost 8 weeks later, she is home and working on an impulse garage sale.
She told me that she had some dvds for me, so after I had my coffee, I dropped by her house to collect them and discovered her attempting to transport her disposable goods and chattels to the front lawn to set them up for sale, so I gave her a hand and helped bring them from one end of the property to the front.
I was then invited inside to the air conditioning where we sat for a chat.
It was meant to be a quick visit, but as we do, we got all involved in some D & M conversations and all of a sudden, two hours had passed and I was rushing off like Cinderella leaving the ball at the stroke of midnight!
When I checked my phone, there were 5 missed calls from Adoring Husband! As I pedalled out of her driveway, there was AH driving up the street towards me!
I am usually home by ten or eleven am, so when I didn't come home and didn't answer my phone, he was worried, especially because there was a show on TV that I had been looking forward to all week, which started at midday and I wasn't there for it!
Luckily, the show, The Paleo Way with Pete Evans, was being recorded, so we watched it when I arrived home. Here is the link if you want to watch it ... The Paleo Way
We then watched Australia win the cricket and began to get ready to attend a Christmas party which was being held at an old friend's house up the road.
It was a good night.
We caught up with some friends who we don't see very often these days, and Adoring Husband did some flirting with some new young ladies in the group ... always good for the ego! We were there for almost 5 hours, which is unusual because in our old age, we usually last about 2 hours.
It's been an enjoyable day and it's almost midnight, so I shall sign out before I turn into a pumpkin.
Nite all.
This morning I ran into 'The Designer'. She went on holidays at the beginning of last month and was supposed to be away for 3 weeks, but one thing led to another and almost 8 weeks later, she is home and working on an impulse garage sale.
She told me that she had some dvds for me, so after I had my coffee, I dropped by her house to collect them and discovered her attempting to transport her disposable goods and chattels to the front lawn to set them up for sale, so I gave her a hand and helped bring them from one end of the property to the front.
I was then invited inside to the air conditioning where we sat for a chat.
It was meant to be a quick visit, but as we do, we got all involved in some D & M conversations and all of a sudden, two hours had passed and I was rushing off like Cinderella leaving the ball at the stroke of midnight!
When I checked my phone, there were 5 missed calls from Adoring Husband! As I pedalled out of her driveway, there was AH driving up the street towards me!
I am usually home by ten or eleven am, so when I didn't come home and didn't answer my phone, he was worried, especially because there was a show on TV that I had been looking forward to all week, which started at midday and I wasn't there for it!
Luckily, the show, The Paleo Way with Pete Evans, was being recorded, so we watched it when I arrived home. Here is the link if you want to watch it ... The Paleo Way
We then watched Australia win the cricket and began to get ready to attend a Christmas party which was being held at an old friend's house up the road.
It was a good night.
We caught up with some friends who we don't see very often these days, and Adoring Husband did some flirting with some new young ladies in the group ... always good for the ego! We were there for almost 5 hours, which is unusual because in our old age, we usually last about 2 hours.
It's been an enjoyable day and it's almost midnight, so I shall sign out before I turn into a pumpkin.
Nite all.
Friday, December 19, 2014
Oldie but a Goody
"An Affair to Remember" starring Deborah Kerr and Cary Grant.
I am watching it on Fox Classics as I write this and thinking about my friend Lady Lynn, who loves this movie.
I saw it for the first time about a year ago, when she loaned me her copy of it on dvd.
I'm looking forward, very much, to Christmas Eve, when I will be watching another movie that I love, and at the same time my oldest daughter Vegan Chickie will be watching it on the Sunny Coast. It's called "Love Actually"and it's our tradition to watch it together, no matter where we are in the world. I begin looking forward to seeing it for the whole week before Christmas.
Here's another movie that you might find amusing ...
I find it very weird, but at the same time very cute.
And now as I type through my tears "An Affair to Remember" has come to a close and it's time for me to sleep.
Nite all
Thursday, December 18, 2014
Try it!
How good does this look!?
Chocolate Crust Ingredients:
1 cup pecans
5 dates, pitted
2 tbsp. raw cacao powder or carob with chocolate extract to taste
Chocolate Almond Fudge Cake Filling Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups of cashews
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup raw liquid sweetener of choice
1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. almond extract
1/4 tsp. Himalayan sea salt
1 cup raw cacao powder or 1 cup carob powder with chocolate extract to taste
Chocolate Crust Instructions:
In a food processor, combine all crust ingredients and pulse until sticky.
Press into the bottom of spring form pan.
Chocolate Almond Fudge Cake Filling Instructions:
Put all ingredients into high-speed blender and blend until smooth and creamy.
Save one cup of filling and set aside.
Pour rest of filling into spring form pan and spread evenly.
Place in the freezer for 1 hour.
After one hour, pour 1 cup of filling into piping bag and pipe over frozen cake in preferred design.
Return to freezer for 3 more hours or until serving.
I stole this recipe from Healthy Holistic Living and I'm going to try it tomorrow.
There have been more storms tonight, but they've been pretty mild and now it's raining, which is nice, especially for the vegetable garden. The corn and the asparagus are thriving on all the rain from the last couple of weeks.
The chickens have been laying again .. Murphy's Law because I bought a dozen organic eggs AND a dozen free range from the supermarket. Maybe the threat that I made about them becoming our Christmas dinner did the trick!!
I finally mailed all of the Christmas gifts today. I sent them regular post and in total, they cost over $62! If I'd posted them 'express', it would have been almost double that amount. Perhaps I need to get my family to live a bit closer so that I can hand deliver instead!
After we went to all the trouble of putting up the outside Christmas lights, we keep forgetting to turn them on. Luckily some of them are solar lights, so they twinkle and glow all on their own, but the lights that frame the house, the santa and the tree need to be turned on. By the time we get into the habit, Christmas will be over and it'll be time to pack them away again!
I've yawned at least six times while writing this, so I think it's time to go to bed.
Nite all.
Wednesday, December 17, 2014
They're coming!
The storms are on their way.
But tomorrow will apparently be worse.
Today has been hot and humid and oppressive, so it's inevitable that storms will build at the end of the day, it's just a matter of where!
We currently have storms coming from the West and other weather coming from the East, which scares me a little, but that's probably the PTSD kicking in.
It's going to be an interesting evening. This is 30 minutes later than the last pic.
I'm off to make sure everything is fully charged, ready for a possible blackout.
I'm not feeling comfortable about this .. but then, am I ever?
I have another movie for you to watch, which again, will change the way you look at food and all the diet rules that you've been taught. This one goes for 40 minutes Diet, Health and the Wisdom of Crowds.
Nite all.
Today has been hot and humid and oppressive, so it's inevitable that storms will build at the end of the day, it's just a matter of where!
We currently have storms coming from the West and other weather coming from the East, which scares me a little, but that's probably the PTSD kicking in.
It's going to be an interesting evening. This is 30 minutes later than the last pic.
I'm off to make sure everything is fully charged, ready for a possible blackout.
I'm not feeling comfortable about this .. but then, am I ever?
I have another movie for you to watch, which again, will change the way you look at food and all the diet rules that you've been taught. This one goes for 40 minutes Diet, Health and the Wisdom of Crowds.
Nite all.
Tuesday, December 16, 2014
It's Over
I usually try to avoid religion and politics in here, but it's been a terrible day of tragedy in Sydney.
The media have filled the day with tripe, attempting to incite anger and fear by directing blame where it shouldn't go.
I just want to say this ...
Stop linking the Sydney siege to Islam. The perpetrator was not a Jihadist, but a criminal described by his own lawyer as "damaged goods". He was plainly not a terrorist, but a mentally disturbed individual and serial sex offender. He couldn't even get his props right: the black flag that he forced his hostages to hold can be bought for $2 in any discount store found in the capital cities. It didn't represent any extremist group.
What should come out of this is that we need to look at how we manage people with mental health issues and also take a serious look at our justice system, which unbelievably allowed this criminal to walk free.
The overwhelming sadness that I (and most of Australia) feel for the families of the two victims Katrina Dawson and Tori Johnson is so heavy and oppressive that it's difficult to focus on anything else. We can only imagine the depth of their grief and the horror that they have been through.
Not to mention the survivors who will suffer, probably forever, with the memories of their hell on earth experience.
Those of us who are not connected personally with any of these people feel overwhelming relief that our own friends and family were spared, but at the same time suffer a nagging guilt for having those feelings.
We all wish we could turn back the clock, prevent this terrible tragedy from happening and make it all disappear.
All I wish is for everybody to show love and kindness to each other, stop the hatred and anger and open your loving arms. There is more love and goodness in the world than you will ever imagine and that's what we should be focussing on.
My plan is to turn off the news and current affairs and to stop reading the 'comments' on the internet.
To my friends and family .. I love you and I'm so happy to have you in my life. I'm grateful that you are safe and well and I hope that love and peace is enveloping you and your loved ones as you read this.
Nite all.
The media have filled the day with tripe, attempting to incite anger and fear by directing blame where it shouldn't go.
I just want to say this ...
Stop linking the Sydney siege to Islam. The perpetrator was not a Jihadist, but a criminal described by his own lawyer as "damaged goods". He was plainly not a terrorist, but a mentally disturbed individual and serial sex offender. He couldn't even get his props right: the black flag that he forced his hostages to hold can be bought for $2 in any discount store found in the capital cities. It didn't represent any extremist group.
What should come out of this is that we need to look at how we manage people with mental health issues and also take a serious look at our justice system, which unbelievably allowed this criminal to walk free.
The overwhelming sadness that I (and most of Australia) feel for the families of the two victims Katrina Dawson and Tori Johnson is so heavy and oppressive that it's difficult to focus on anything else. We can only imagine the depth of their grief and the horror that they have been through.
Not to mention the survivors who will suffer, probably forever, with the memories of their hell on earth experience.
Those of us who are not connected personally with any of these people feel overwhelming relief that our own friends and family were spared, but at the same time suffer a nagging guilt for having those feelings.
We all wish we could turn back the clock, prevent this terrible tragedy from happening and make it all disappear.
All I wish is for everybody to show love and kindness to each other, stop the hatred and anger and open your loving arms. There is more love and goodness in the world than you will ever imagine and that's what we should be focussing on.
My plan is to turn off the news and current affairs and to stop reading the 'comments' on the internet.
To my friends and family .. I love you and I'm so happy to have you in my life. I'm grateful that you are safe and well and I hope that love and peace is enveloping you and your loved ones as you read this.
Nite all.
Monday, December 15, 2014
Must Watch
I've just finished watching this one hour long movie called 'Cereal Killers' where a man experimented with his own health by changing his diet to include very high fats in high quantities and removing sugar and wheat.
He was by no means overweight .. in fact, I thought he looked quite frail to be experimenting like this.
His cholesterol was high and concerning for the doctors monitoring him during this experiment.
He also had a lot of people telling him that this was too extreme and unhealthy.
The results were that everything about his health improved. He lost weight. He gained strength and energy. His cholesterol improved and his blood pressure became perfect.
This movie is being shown for free on Pete Evans's Paleoway website for the next couple of days.
I urge you to watch it. I have friends out there with both cholesterol and weight problems .. this will change the way you view your eating habits and the food rules that have been pushed on us for years.
Here is the link, but remember, it's only available for a couple of days so MAKE the time to watch it!! Cereal Killers When you get to the website, scroll down to the bottom to find the movie.
Hopefully, I have posted this early enough that you will get to see it before it's taken off the site.
So I will waste no more of your time here .. go to the movie .. now!!
Nite all.
He was by no means overweight .. in fact, I thought he looked quite frail to be experimenting like this.
His cholesterol was high and concerning for the doctors monitoring him during this experiment.
He also had a lot of people telling him that this was too extreme and unhealthy.
The results were that everything about his health improved. He lost weight. He gained strength and energy. His cholesterol improved and his blood pressure became perfect.
This movie is being shown for free on Pete Evans's Paleoway website for the next couple of days.
I urge you to watch it. I have friends out there with both cholesterol and weight problems .. this will change the way you view your eating habits and the food rules that have been pushed on us for years.
Here is the link, but remember, it's only available for a couple of days so MAKE the time to watch it!! Cereal Killers When you get to the website, scroll down to the bottom to find the movie.
Hopefully, I have posted this early enough that you will get to see it before it's taken off the site.
So I will waste no more of your time here .. go to the movie .. now!!
Nite all.
Sunday, December 14, 2014
Memories
I discovered today that our new neighbours are Country & Western music fans, so I posted this fact on facebook, hoping to receive some sympathetic comments from friends and family.
Much to my shock, horror and disappointment, the majority of the comments I received were supporting my neighbours!! Ugh!!
However, the comment triggered a lot of discussion which then took us on a stroll down memory lane to my parents and their love of Charlie Pride and Nana Mouskouri and even Dad's crush on a gospel singer by the name of Evie Tornquist ...
Cousins, from my Dad's side of the family and an Aunty who was once married to my Dad's brother came into the discussion and shared memories from 40+ years ago. At the end, my Aunty thanked me for starting the discussion and welcoming all comments and she said that she loved sharing memories with the younger generations of the family.
I must say that I count on her to share memories now, because I don't have my Mum and Dad to ask anymore.
Also, my brother shared a memory from our childhood. We lived in a caravan park in Sunnybank back in the late 60s and early 70s. It was called Seven Trees Caravan Park and there was a massive mulberry tree growing near the laundry/shower block and he and I used to climb that tree every day, especially when it was fruiting.
We stained our clothes, our hands and our feet with mulberry juice and often got into trouble for it.
Apparently, (and this is the bit that I don't remember) there was a slow gas leak coming from the laundry block which made my brother and I very sick because we spent so much time in the tree, unknowingly breathing in the gas.
Interesting.
I do know that I've always wanted a mulberry tree, so Adoring Husband and I planted one in our back yard when we moved here and it's growing beautifully. Unfortunately, the birds love the mulberries as much as I do and I'm lucky to get a couple of handfuls of mulberries each season!
Speaking of fruit, our garden has been a little more productive than usual. We have our first avocado on Chicklet's tree that we planted 3 years ago. We have our first pomegranate on the tree we planted 2 yrs ago. Our lemon trees are fruiting for the first time and actually looking healthy, so I'm glad that we persisted when they were looking decidedly ill in the past couple of years. We have a beautiful crop of mangos on our tree at the back fence. Our grape vine has produced grapes for the first time in 6 years. There was a massive crop of peaches, but between the birds and the grubs, I only got to eat about four of them.
After the storms over the past week and with about 5 inches of rain, the asparagus is suddenly flourishing and I picked about a dozen thick spears today and there are many more poking their heads through the dirt!
The corn has taken a battering with the strong winds pushing them over and every time they find their way back to the vertical position, we get another storm to knock them back down! Even so, they still look lush and green and healthy.
I think that's about it for the food, except for our herbs and chillies which are also doing very well.
I've had a spot of luck tonight on Foxtel TV. The second part of the Hunger Games movie is showing, so I'm watching it to help connect all the missing links from the third part of the series that we watched at the cinema last week!
Adoring Husband is out with the SES helping direct traffic and safe parking for the Carols by Candlelight just out of town.
I got a few hours of Chemistry study done today, which wasn't the slightest bit fun. Formulae and calculations to determine percentages and energy requirements for my sized body. Just to mention some of what I had to figure out. At least I completed two more lessons in my plan, so I achieved something!
I also got to watch the end of the Australian PGA golf championship, where Adam Scott and Greg Chalmers played off seven holes to determine the winner. Greg Chalmers was victorious.
I even did some washing today and the best bit of all, was that I didn't get out of bed til 10am!! Adoring Husband accidentally woke me at 8am when he brought in my coffee and then I sat up in bed with my ipad for two long leisurely hours.
What a blissful way to start a Sunday!
Nite all.
Much to my shock, horror and disappointment, the majority of the comments I received were supporting my neighbours!! Ugh!!
However, the comment triggered a lot of discussion which then took us on a stroll down memory lane to my parents and their love of Charlie Pride and Nana Mouskouri and even Dad's crush on a gospel singer by the name of Evie Tornquist ...
Cousins, from my Dad's side of the family and an Aunty who was once married to my Dad's brother came into the discussion and shared memories from 40+ years ago. At the end, my Aunty thanked me for starting the discussion and welcoming all comments and she said that she loved sharing memories with the younger generations of the family.
I must say that I count on her to share memories now, because I don't have my Mum and Dad to ask anymore.
Also, my brother shared a memory from our childhood. We lived in a caravan park in Sunnybank back in the late 60s and early 70s. It was called Seven Trees Caravan Park and there was a massive mulberry tree growing near the laundry/shower block and he and I used to climb that tree every day, especially when it was fruiting.
We stained our clothes, our hands and our feet with mulberry juice and often got into trouble for it.
Apparently, (and this is the bit that I don't remember) there was a slow gas leak coming from the laundry block which made my brother and I very sick because we spent so much time in the tree, unknowingly breathing in the gas.
Interesting.
I do know that I've always wanted a mulberry tree, so Adoring Husband and I planted one in our back yard when we moved here and it's growing beautifully. Unfortunately, the birds love the mulberries as much as I do and I'm lucky to get a couple of handfuls of mulberries each season!
Speaking of fruit, our garden has been a little more productive than usual. We have our first avocado on Chicklet's tree that we planted 3 years ago. We have our first pomegranate on the tree we planted 2 yrs ago. Our lemon trees are fruiting for the first time and actually looking healthy, so I'm glad that we persisted when they were looking decidedly ill in the past couple of years. We have a beautiful crop of mangos on our tree at the back fence. Our grape vine has produced grapes for the first time in 6 years. There was a massive crop of peaches, but between the birds and the grubs, I only got to eat about four of them.
After the storms over the past week and with about 5 inches of rain, the asparagus is suddenly flourishing and I picked about a dozen thick spears today and there are many more poking their heads through the dirt!
The corn has taken a battering with the strong winds pushing them over and every time they find their way back to the vertical position, we get another storm to knock them back down! Even so, they still look lush and green and healthy.
I think that's about it for the food, except for our herbs and chillies which are also doing very well.
I've had a spot of luck tonight on Foxtel TV. The second part of the Hunger Games movie is showing, so I'm watching it to help connect all the missing links from the third part of the series that we watched at the cinema last week!
Adoring Husband is out with the SES helping direct traffic and safe parking for the Carols by Candlelight just out of town.
I got a few hours of Chemistry study done today, which wasn't the slightest bit fun. Formulae and calculations to determine percentages and energy requirements for my sized body. Just to mention some of what I had to figure out. At least I completed two more lessons in my plan, so I achieved something!
I also got to watch the end of the Australian PGA golf championship, where Adam Scott and Greg Chalmers played off seven holes to determine the winner. Greg Chalmers was victorious.
I even did some washing today and the best bit of all, was that I didn't get out of bed til 10am!! Adoring Husband accidentally woke me at 8am when he brought in my coffee and then I sat up in bed with my ipad for two long leisurely hours.
What a blissful way to start a Sunday!
Nite all.
Saturday, December 13, 2014
How Many?
Oh my goodness!
60 years?
My favourite Mother-in-love aka 'grannymus', and who is a regular reader of this blog, is celebrating her 60th wedding anniversary!!! That's her and her lucky husband, Grandpa Jim, in the middle of their four lovely children. (photo provided by my youngest daughter 'Bubbles')
Children, grandchildren and great grandchildren all gathered together to celebrate the occasion.
What a life. What a family. What a lot of love.
Congratulations to you Grannymus and Grandpa Jim. That's some milestone! I hope you enjoy every minute of having most of the family all together again.
Love and hugs to you both.
Nite all.
60 years?
My favourite Mother-in-love aka 'grannymus', and who is a regular reader of this blog, is celebrating her 60th wedding anniversary!!! That's her and her lucky husband, Grandpa Jim, in the middle of their four lovely children. (photo provided by my youngest daughter 'Bubbles')
Children, grandchildren and great grandchildren all gathered together to celebrate the occasion.
What a life. What a family. What a lot of love.
Congratulations to you Grannymus and Grandpa Jim. That's some milestone! I hope you enjoy every minute of having most of the family all together again.
Love and hugs to you both.
Nite all.
Friday, December 12, 2014
Thursday, December 11, 2014
Tis the Season
Christmas shopping complete!
Yesterday was not only a lovely date day, but it was also productive!
We watched the early showing of 'The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1' and really enjoyed it, although we wished we'd rewatched the prequel beforehand because we'd forgotten some important details!
Later, while Adoring Husband was side tracked briefly by SES duties, I got almost all of the Christmas shopping done, and then finished it off in his company, before we had a late lunch at Aquavue.
I've spent this morning wrapping everything and writing out cards and will mail it all out tomorrow.
This makes me far more organised than in previous years. In fact, one year Adoring Husband and I realised 2 days before Christmas that we hadn't done ANY shopping and ended up transferring money into everybody's account on Christmas Eve!!
Some of our family are celebrating Hanukkah this year, so that's a whole new ball game! Time for me to learn a bit more about Judaism.
Anyway, today I want to share some information about Calcium.
No species, except humans, continue drinking milk past infancy.
In the human body, the enzyme (lactase), that digests the main sugar (lactose), in milk, stops being produced by our bodies between the ages two and five years old. So, as adults, the undigested sugars from milk, end up in the colon, where they begin to ferment causing gas, cramping, bloating and diarrhoea.
Being able to digest milk as an adult is a weird genetic adaptation that is still occurring, but being able to digest milk is so strange, that scientists say we shouldn't really call 'lactose intolerance' a disease, because what's really weird is the ability to continue to drink milk.
Milk is not just milk. The milk of every species of mammal
is unique and specifically tailored to the requirements of that animal. We are not cows.
A glass of cow's milk contains acidic animal protein that actually leeches calcium from the bones. Over time, a flawed belief that humans are required to consume three glasses of milk daily to sustain bone health and strength created the milk myth. And now, the supposed "truths" about milk we were all taught to believe are being debunked by studies ranging from those published in reputable scientific journals, such as the Journal of Nutrition and The American Journal of Epidemiology.
Milk and dairy products are pro-inflammatory and mucus producing. Milk increases the risks of respiratory conditions and allergies. It has been linked to the development of arthritis due to joints becoming inflamed.
I want to clarify that unsweetened cultured or fermented dairy such as kefir or yogurt are actually acid neutral, and as long as they don't contain sugar, have health benefits. Ghee, which is clarified butter that originated in India, is also known to be very beneficial to the body.
“Beyond being ineffective for bone health, calcium supplements are associated with some pretty serious health risks. Studies on the relationship between calcium and cardiovascular disease (CVD) suggest that dietary intake of calcium protects against heart disease, but supplemental calcium may increase the risk. A large study of 24,000 men and women aged 35–64 years published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) in 2012 found that those who used calcium supplements had a 139% greater risk of heart attack during the 11-year study period, while intake of calcium from food did not increase the risk. A meta-analysis of studies involving more than 12,000 participants also published in BMJ found that calcium supplementation increases the risk of heart attack by 31%, stroke by 20% and death from all causes by 9%.”
To be safe, calcium should be consumed from food sources and NOT synthetic supplements or artificially fortified foods.
Because these foods are also a good source of Vitamin D, they enhance digestion of the calcium and make it more usable.
Yesterday was not only a lovely date day, but it was also productive!
We watched the early showing of 'The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1' and really enjoyed it, although we wished we'd rewatched the prequel beforehand because we'd forgotten some important details!
Later, while Adoring Husband was side tracked briefly by SES duties, I got almost all of the Christmas shopping done, and then finished it off in his company, before we had a late lunch at Aquavue.
I've spent this morning wrapping everything and writing out cards and will mail it all out tomorrow.
This makes me far more organised than in previous years. In fact, one year Adoring Husband and I realised 2 days before Christmas that we hadn't done ANY shopping and ended up transferring money into everybody's account on Christmas Eve!!
Some of our family are celebrating Hanukkah this year, so that's a whole new ball game! Time for me to learn a bit more about Judaism.
Anyway, today I want to share some information about Calcium.
No species, except humans, continue drinking milk past infancy.
In the human body, the enzyme (lactase), that digests the main sugar (lactose), in milk, stops being produced by our bodies between the ages two and five years old. So, as adults, the undigested sugars from milk, end up in the colon, where they begin to ferment causing gas, cramping, bloating and diarrhoea.
Being able to digest milk as an adult is a weird genetic adaptation that is still occurring, but being able to digest milk is so strange, that scientists say we shouldn't really call 'lactose intolerance' a disease, because what's really weird is the ability to continue to drink milk.
Somewhere along the line, 'somebody' decided that we should include milk/dairy as a food group and humans selected cow's milk because of the cow's docile nature, its size,
and its abundant milk supply.
Consider for a moment, if it was possible, to drink the milk of a mammal other than a cow, let's say a rat, or perhaps the milk of a dog would be more to your liking. Possibly some horse milk or cat milk. Do you get the idea? In other words, human milk is for human infants, dogs' milk is for pups, cows' milk is for calves, cats' milk is for kittens etc. Clearly, this is the way nature intends it.
Consider for a moment, if it was possible, to drink the milk of a mammal other than a cow, let's say a rat, or perhaps the milk of a dog would be more to your liking. Possibly some horse milk or cat milk. Do you get the idea? In other words, human milk is for human infants, dogs' milk is for pups, cows' milk is for calves, cats' milk is for kittens etc. Clearly, this is the way nature intends it.
So your next question is "if not from dairy, where should I get my calcium?". I suggest NOT from supplements...
You also need to consider that if you are lacking Vitamin D and Magnesium, then your body simply cannot absorb calcium anyway.
Food sources of calcium are:
Bone broth - is an excellent source of Calcium and many other minerals. My recipe for bone broth using either chicken carcasses or the back bones of beef is for the slow cooker (or on a very low simmer on the stove). Add an unpeeled carrot and onion, a few garlic cloves chopped, a stick or two of celery, 2 T Himalayan salt and 80ml of Braggs Apple Cider Vinegar (which helps remove the calcium and minerals from the bones). Cook it on a low simmer for at least 12 hours (I usually keep mine simmering for 22-24 hours). Either drink it on it's own or use it in stocks, sauces, soups and gravies.
Even a tiny amount of calcium from bones is easily absorbed, making broth one of the best sources of calcium.
Fish with bones - Fish with bones are an excellent source of calcium. An easy and inexpensive way to consume fish with bones is in the form of canned fish like salmon (with bones) and sardines (with bones). The bones become soft during the canning process so they can be easily chewed and consumed with the fish.
Egg shells - Keep your eggshells. Wash the insides of the shell so that all the egg white is gone and when you have enough, boil them up for about 10 - 20 minutes, then lay them on a baking tray and dry them out in the oven (about 20 minutes at 160C). Put them through a grinder to form a powder and store it in a container in your pantry. I add a teaspoon to my morning smoothie or you can sprinkle it over your cereal, add it to your sweet potato/cauliflower puree. It can be added to just about anything.
Dark leafy greens - Dark leafy greens are another great dietary source of calcium, though some are better than others. Collard Greens, Turnip Greens, Bok Choy, Kale and Broccoli all ranked really well for being absorbable sources of calcium while spinach and seaweed ranked low on the list.
Other good food sources of calcium are figs, beans, blackstrap molasses, almonds, sesame seeds, oysters and seafood.
The big advantage to using these foods for your calcium requirements, is that they have so many other beneficial vitamins and minerals as well.
I hope all of this makes sense. I tried to condense it as much as possible and put it all in the simplest terms.
Christmas lights photos still to come. There are storms headed in our direction again this evening, so I doubt I'll have any luck tonight.
I'll be glad when storm season is over - even though the rain is lovely and very much needed, the uncertainty of every storm and it's intensity is quite stressful - especially for those of us with PTSD from the tornado last year. It's always nice to chat with fellow victims of that night, just to know that I we are not the only ones panicking a little every time we hear thunder.
I'm off to watch some cricket. Go Aussies!!
Nite all.
Wednesday, December 10, 2014
Decorated
Well, the tree is up and decorated ... I will attempt a better photo tomorrow night, to show the different colours ...
... but it's raining tonight, so I couldn't take a photo of the outside lights. Maybe tomorrow night.
There is still lightning and thunder about and still plenty of rain on the radar, but the weather is nice .. not scary.
As for my day, nothing much to report, other than a lovely morning tea with Kaz. Just the two of us, because everyone else was busy .. it's that time of year.
Tomorrow is date day, so I'm off to bed to get my beauty sleep.
Nite all.
PS My apologies .. I wrote this last night, but forgot to publish it!
... but it's raining tonight, so I couldn't take a photo of the outside lights. Maybe tomorrow night.
There is still lightning and thunder about and still plenty of rain on the radar, but the weather is nice .. not scary.
As for my day, nothing much to report, other than a lovely morning tea with Kaz. Just the two of us, because everyone else was busy .. it's that time of year.
Tomorrow is date day, so I'm off to bed to get my beauty sleep.
Nite all.
PS My apologies .. I wrote this last night, but forgot to publish it!
Monday, December 8, 2014
It's Christmassy
Due to SES commitments, Adoring Husband has only today, been able to decorate the outside of our house with Christmas lights and decorations ... just in time for a nasty storm to hit and almost wipe the whole lot out!
The tree is also up, but not decorated yet ... I'll do that tomorrow ... and we have other inside decorations that need to be hung tomorrow too.
So it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!
I'll take photos when it's all done.
Meanwhile, I spent some more time in the kitchen making an Apple Caramel Coffee Cake ...
... and a Cauliflower Crust Stromboli ...
... and Battered Fish (GF) with Sweet Potato Rosti and Snow Peas, of which I don't have a photo to show you.
So, we've eaten well today, although dinner was a bit late tonight, because AH was involved in an SES callout for someone who got some damage in the storm this afternoon.
I must try to fit some study in tomorrow because AH and I have a 'date day' booked for Wednesday.
Time for bed now.
Nite all.
The tree is also up, but not decorated yet ... I'll do that tomorrow ... and we have other inside decorations that need to be hung tomorrow too.
So it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!
I'll take photos when it's all done.
Meanwhile, I spent some more time in the kitchen making an Apple Caramel Coffee Cake ...
... and a Cauliflower Crust Stromboli ...
... and Battered Fish (GF) with Sweet Potato Rosti and Snow Peas, of which I don't have a photo to show you.
So, we've eaten well today, although dinner was a bit late tonight, because AH was involved in an SES callout for someone who got some damage in the storm this afternoon.
I must try to fit some study in tomorrow because AH and I have a 'date day' booked for Wednesday.
Time for bed now.
Nite all.
Sunday, December 7, 2014
TV and Food
A lazy kind of Sunday for Adoring Husband and I.
We bypassed the Seat of Knowledge this morning because the town's problem resident was there and I didn't want to start my Sunday with a dose of negativity, so AH and I went straight for our morning coffee fix instead.
A short sharp morning storm hit while we were there and after AH rushed home during a break in the rain, I got myself another coffee and sat with a friend for a catch up.
When I got home, AH and I watched a movie starring Michael Douglas and Dianne Keaton called 'And So It Goes'. It wasn't as funny as I expected, but still quite enjoyable.
I made an omelette for lunch, which turned out to be a cross between an omelette and scrambled egg .. I've never professed to be a great omelette maker. I seem to struggle with omelettes and ANZAC biscuits for some strange reason.
AH and I spent the rest of the afternoon watching Season 7 of Big Bang Theory which was a good giggle.
I made some energy balls with a list of ingredients so long, I don't even think I could remember everything to list them here, but they included maca powder, raw cacao, grated dark chocolate, hemp oil, coconut oil, dates, cranberries, raisins, almonds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, pistachios, coconut, tahini, nut butter, maple syrup and that's all I can remember.
There are about 30 of them, they are pretty tasty and very healthy!
Lamb rack with veggies and gravy for dinner.
There was some sad news in the neighbourhood today, our neighbour in the rental property next door passed away during the night. He had been ill for a long time with emphysema, requiring an oxygen bottle to help him breathe and a wheel chair to get around. I spoke to his wife just last week, who told me that she didn't expect him to last much longer.
RIP Ray.
We bypassed the Seat of Knowledge this morning because the town's problem resident was there and I didn't want to start my Sunday with a dose of negativity, so AH and I went straight for our morning coffee fix instead.
A short sharp morning storm hit while we were there and after AH rushed home during a break in the rain, I got myself another coffee and sat with a friend for a catch up.
When I got home, AH and I watched a movie starring Michael Douglas and Dianne Keaton called 'And So It Goes'. It wasn't as funny as I expected, but still quite enjoyable.
I made an omelette for lunch, which turned out to be a cross between an omelette and scrambled egg .. I've never professed to be a great omelette maker. I seem to struggle with omelettes and ANZAC biscuits for some strange reason.
AH and I spent the rest of the afternoon watching Season 7 of Big Bang Theory which was a good giggle.
I made some energy balls with a list of ingredients so long, I don't even think I could remember everything to list them here, but they included maca powder, raw cacao, grated dark chocolate, hemp oil, coconut oil, dates, cranberries, raisins, almonds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, pistachios, coconut, tahini, nut butter, maple syrup and that's all I can remember.
There are about 30 of them, they are pretty tasty and very healthy!
Lamb rack with veggies and gravy for dinner.
********
There was some sad news in the neighbourhood today, our neighbour in the rental property next door passed away during the night. He had been ill for a long time with emphysema, requiring an oxygen bottle to help him breathe and a wheel chair to get around. I spoke to his wife just last week, who told me that she didn't expect him to last much longer.
RIP Ray.
********
Nite all.
Saturday, December 6, 2014
Somewhere over ...
... the rainbow.
We've had a day full of thunderous storms, amazing lightning and heavy rains.
A water spout crossed onto land and caused some damage in The Bay.
A woman was hit by lightning at the Howard markets this morning. I don' t know the status of her condition.
There have been a number of short blackouts here in town, but Howard lost their power for hours .. in fact, I don't even know if they have it back on yet.
I rode my trike to the local supermarket this morning, thinking that I could be there and back before the big storm hit, but I misjudged badly and ended up having to ride the storm out in the supermarket. After about 30 minutes, there was a break in the rain and I pedalled home, but there was still a lot of lightning about and I was afraid that I'd get hit! Obviously I made it home safe n sound.
I spent a lot of time in the kitchen today.
Overnight, I'd made a good batch of chicken stock, so I packaged and froze some of it and I made some chicken and vegetable soup for a friend who's husband is very ill and malnourished. I tried to deliver it today, but she was out and he wasn't answering the door. I'll try again tomorrow.
I had a heap of organic oranges, so I juiced them with kiwi fruit and coconut water and now I have a huge jug of delicious juice in the fridge.
I cooked a corned beef in the slow cooker and we had that for dinner with a delicious cabbage/onion/bacon mixture simmered in some home made beef broth and then sprinkled some toasted slivered almonds on top.
I had plans to make an apple and coffee cake, but that might have to wait til tomorrow.
No study today .. I couldn't focus with the crappy weather conditions .. not that I ever need much of an excuse!
More storms are forecast all week long, so I wonder what tomorrow will bring?
Nite all.
We've had a day full of thunderous storms, amazing lightning and heavy rains.
A water spout crossed onto land and caused some damage in The Bay.
A woman was hit by lightning at the Howard markets this morning. I don' t know the status of her condition.
There have been a number of short blackouts here in town, but Howard lost their power for hours .. in fact, I don't even know if they have it back on yet.
I rode my trike to the local supermarket this morning, thinking that I could be there and back before the big storm hit, but I misjudged badly and ended up having to ride the storm out in the supermarket. After about 30 minutes, there was a break in the rain and I pedalled home, but there was still a lot of lightning about and I was afraid that I'd get hit! Obviously I made it home safe n sound.
I spent a lot of time in the kitchen today.
Overnight, I'd made a good batch of chicken stock, so I packaged and froze some of it and I made some chicken and vegetable soup for a friend who's husband is very ill and malnourished. I tried to deliver it today, but she was out and he wasn't answering the door. I'll try again tomorrow.
I had a heap of organic oranges, so I juiced them with kiwi fruit and coconut water and now I have a huge jug of delicious juice in the fridge.
I cooked a corned beef in the slow cooker and we had that for dinner with a delicious cabbage/onion/bacon mixture simmered in some home made beef broth and then sprinkled some toasted slivered almonds on top.
I had plans to make an apple and coffee cake, but that might have to wait til tomorrow.
No study today .. I couldn't focus with the crappy weather conditions .. not that I ever need much of an excuse!
More storms are forecast all week long, so I wonder what tomorrow will bring?
Nite all.
Friday, December 5, 2014
Never too late!
Just goes to show that it's never too late!! 96 years old!!
I'm super excited to announce that I STUDIED today!!
Woot! Woot! Three whole hours!
That's it. Now that I've started, I may have kicked that procrastination bug up the butt!!
I'm feeling confident :)
Chemistry was my subject of choice today and even though the lecturer said that Chemistry really isn't that hard .. I feel that she lied .. just a little bit, because I'm only part way through the first lesson and I'm already bamboozled!!
Anyway ...
Nite all.
I'm super excited to announce that I STUDIED today!!
Woot! Woot! Three whole hours!
That's it. Now that I've started, I may have kicked that procrastination bug up the butt!!
I'm feeling confident :)
Chemistry was my subject of choice today and even though the lecturer said that Chemistry really isn't that hard .. I feel that she lied .. just a little bit, because I'm only part way through the first lesson and I'm already bamboozled!!
Anyway ...
Nite all.
Thursday, December 4, 2014
Mango Promises
Our mango tree has fruited for the first time and it has LOTS of mangoes dangling from the branches.
The animals and birds ate my peaches and my mulberries and I'm not going to let them eat my mangoes, so today, I found the old exclusion bags that we used to protect our tomatoes and I put them on most of the mangoes on the tree.
So now I have an exclusion bag tree .. of which I will take a photo tomorrow to show you.
That was my first chore this morning to start the procrastination process for the day, to avoid study.
I cooked up some curried sausages and roasted a chicken. I made the dog's food, which took a bit longer than expected, being such a big batch. I got 13 days worth of meals all packaged and frozen.
For all the time it took to cook and prepare all of that .. it took just as long to clean the kitchen afterwards! I emptied and refilled the dishwasher 3 times today and still had big pots and bowls that needed to be hand washed.
Anyway, that took up all of my day and now I am watching one of my favourite movies "Fried Green Tomatoes".
Adoring Husband spent the morning doing a forensic search down in Gympie with the SES, spent the afternoon at the SES shed, came home for both lunch and dinner, then returned to the shed for training in the evening.
So we've both had a full day.
Here's a photo of The Sex Therapist, Nurse J and myself, taken by Adoring Husband last Wednesday night at the local pub where we went for dinner. We look so happy!
Nite all.
The animals and birds ate my peaches and my mulberries and I'm not going to let them eat my mangoes, so today, I found the old exclusion bags that we used to protect our tomatoes and I put them on most of the mangoes on the tree.
So now I have an exclusion bag tree .. of which I will take a photo tomorrow to show you.
That was my first chore this morning to start the procrastination process for the day, to avoid study.
I cooked up some curried sausages and roasted a chicken. I made the dog's food, which took a bit longer than expected, being such a big batch. I got 13 days worth of meals all packaged and frozen.
For all the time it took to cook and prepare all of that .. it took just as long to clean the kitchen afterwards! I emptied and refilled the dishwasher 3 times today and still had big pots and bowls that needed to be hand washed.
Anyway, that took up all of my day and now I am watching one of my favourite movies "Fried Green Tomatoes".
Adoring Husband spent the morning doing a forensic search down in Gympie with the SES, spent the afternoon at the SES shed, came home for both lunch and dinner, then returned to the shed for training in the evening.
So we've both had a full day.
Here's a photo of The Sex Therapist, Nurse J and myself, taken by Adoring Husband last Wednesday night at the local pub where we went for dinner. We look so happy!
Nite all.
Wednesday, December 3, 2014
Who knew?
Who knew that Cod Liver Oil was so expensive?? Even more expensive than Coconut Oil!
I've decided to make the dog's food from scratch.
The vet recommended dog biscuits for our dogs after we told him that we fed our dogs fresh meat only, and have done so since they were puppies.
Our dogs are aged 8, 8.5 and 9yrs.
One of our dogs got pancreatitis and so the vet decided that the 'heart smart' mince that we've been feeding our dogs has too much fat in it, which caused the condition.
So we bought dog biscuits and changed their diet.
Big mistake.
The smell of the poop and the farts is unbearable .. this was never a problem before!
The dogs can't get enough water into their bodies, to help digest the biscuits, so they fluctuate between constipation and diarrhoea.
They don't like the biscuits very much (and we've tried 3 different varieties), so the food stays in their bowls, which attracts ants .. yes we put their bowl on top of a large plate of water to stop the ants, but the dogs drink the water lol.
There are no guidelines or safety standards for dog food, especially biscuits, so I don't trust that this is a healthy diet option for dogs. They also contain grains, which have never been part of a carnivore's diet in the wild.
So I've done a bit of research and found that making dog food is a good option. I'm not going to cook their food but combine raw beef mince, liver, heart, raw egg, blended green leafy veg, mashed pumpkin, cod liver oil, ground egg shell for calcium and a small amount of plain yoghurt or kefir which works like a probiotic.
I don't have measurements or a particular recipe for this - except that dogs shouldn't eat more than one egg per day and the offal needs to be in small amounts in each batch of food.
So that's my priority for tomorrow.
I bought two new pairs of shoes today. I threw out 8 pairs yesterday!
I was wearing a pair of shoes today, that are about 15 yrs old. They were Colorado sandals with a low heel and very comfortable, but I've only ever worn them (perhaps) twice each year. Just after I bought my new shoes today, I was walking across the carpark in the Bay, when the sole of one of the shoes that I was wearing, broke in half and literally feel off the shoe completely!
How lucky that I had new shoes to replace them!
If any of my friends out there want to check out my throw-away shoes before I take them to St Vinnies, please feel free to come visit me. They are all size 7 (maybe a couple of size 8s in there) and most are in very good condition, a couple 'like new'. There are joggers, sandals, flats and heels.
I also have two bags of clothes in which you might be interested.
Adoring Husband has a big day of SES duties tomorrow, so I wonder if studying is in my immediate future???
Enough of this frivolity. Time for bed.
Nite all.
I've decided to make the dog's food from scratch.
The vet recommended dog biscuits for our dogs after we told him that we fed our dogs fresh meat only, and have done so since they were puppies.
Our dogs are aged 8, 8.5 and 9yrs.
One of our dogs got pancreatitis and so the vet decided that the 'heart smart' mince that we've been feeding our dogs has too much fat in it, which caused the condition.
So we bought dog biscuits and changed their diet.
Big mistake.
The smell of the poop and the farts is unbearable .. this was never a problem before!
The dogs can't get enough water into their bodies, to help digest the biscuits, so they fluctuate between constipation and diarrhoea.
They don't like the biscuits very much (and we've tried 3 different varieties), so the food stays in their bowls, which attracts ants .. yes we put their bowl on top of a large plate of water to stop the ants, but the dogs drink the water lol.
There are no guidelines or safety standards for dog food, especially biscuits, so I don't trust that this is a healthy diet option for dogs. They also contain grains, which have never been part of a carnivore's diet in the wild.
So I've done a bit of research and found that making dog food is a good option. I'm not going to cook their food but combine raw beef mince, liver, heart, raw egg, blended green leafy veg, mashed pumpkin, cod liver oil, ground egg shell for calcium and a small amount of plain yoghurt or kefir which works like a probiotic.
I don't have measurements or a particular recipe for this - except that dogs shouldn't eat more than one egg per day and the offal needs to be in small amounts in each batch of food.
So that's my priority for tomorrow.
I bought two new pairs of shoes today. I threw out 8 pairs yesterday!
I was wearing a pair of shoes today, that are about 15 yrs old. They were Colorado sandals with a low heel and very comfortable, but I've only ever worn them (perhaps) twice each year. Just after I bought my new shoes today, I was walking across the carpark in the Bay, when the sole of one of the shoes that I was wearing, broke in half and literally feel off the shoe completely!
How lucky that I had new shoes to replace them!
If any of my friends out there want to check out my throw-away shoes before I take them to St Vinnies, please feel free to come visit me. They are all size 7 (maybe a couple of size 8s in there) and most are in very good condition, a couple 'like new'. There are joggers, sandals, flats and heels.
I also have two bags of clothes in which you might be interested.
Adoring Husband has a big day of SES duties tomorrow, so I wonder if studying is in my immediate future???
Enough of this frivolity. Time for bed.
Nite all.
The Hero Returns
Adoring Husband has returned safe n sound *insert very happy smiley face here*
My day was full and busy and distinctly lacking study time.
I started at the Seat of Knowledge with my boys. Morning tea with the girls was next, where I had a very pleasant time with the lovely little Lola.
I eventually came home to attend to some housework, including cleaning our walk in robe, which had my shoes and handbags scattered all over the floor so that I could barely reach my clothes! Now it's immaculate.
The air conditioning guy turned up to investigate a problem with our ducted system. It may very well be costly by the time he sources the replacement parts that we need. Bummer.
I made a birthday cake for Happy Harry, and during that process, the electric hand mixer died .. it's well over 10 years old, so I think I got my money's worth. My hair dryer died on Friday night as well, so I'm not having a lot of success with my small appliances!
I met with 'the gang' down at the Lion's Park for our monthly evening barbecue and the cake was a success. Thank goodness, because it was the first time I'd made this red velvet cake (sugar free and gluten free) and it was for a special occasion, so it would have been a disaster if it was a failure.
Then Adoring Husband arrived, looking tired, but very well.
We came home, and by the time I cleaned up and packed everything away after the barbecue, I got to sit down and my feet thanked me profusely.
Here are some quotes that I enjoyed today.
Nite all.
My day was full and busy and distinctly lacking study time.
I started at the Seat of Knowledge with my boys. Morning tea with the girls was next, where I had a very pleasant time with the lovely little Lola.
I eventually came home to attend to some housework, including cleaning our walk in robe, which had my shoes and handbags scattered all over the floor so that I could barely reach my clothes! Now it's immaculate.
The air conditioning guy turned up to investigate a problem with our ducted system. It may very well be costly by the time he sources the replacement parts that we need. Bummer.
I made a birthday cake for Happy Harry, and during that process, the electric hand mixer died .. it's well over 10 years old, so I think I got my money's worth. My hair dryer died on Friday night as well, so I'm not having a lot of success with my small appliances!
I met with 'the gang' down at the Lion's Park for our monthly evening barbecue and the cake was a success. Thank goodness, because it was the first time I'd made this red velvet cake (sugar free and gluten free) and it was for a special occasion, so it would have been a disaster if it was a failure.
Then Adoring Husband arrived, looking tired, but very well.
We came home, and by the time I cleaned up and packed everything away after the barbecue, I got to sit down and my feet thanked me profusely.
Here are some quotes that I enjoyed today.
Nite all.
Monday, December 1, 2014
Unproductive
Oh I wanted so much to study today.
Instead, that "P" word came into play and I found so many different things to do, instead of studying!
I procrastinated by
Probably my most unproductive day for a while.
Adoring Husband will be home tomorrow :)
Nite all.
Instead, that "P" word came into play and I found so many different things to do, instead of studying!
I procrastinated by
- Watering the garden
- Reading my emails
- Checking facebook
- Surfing the net
- Getting clothes off the line
- Feeding the chooks
- Searching for frogs in the garden
- Researching camera lenses
- Playing Words With Friends
- Watching a movie
- Or two
- Collecting the eggs
- Checking my flickr mail
- Ordering my FROG box
Probably my most unproductive day for a while.
Adoring Husband will be home tomorrow :)
Nite all.
Sunday, November 30, 2014
The Challenge
The flickr challenge this month is "A Bug's Life".
There have been a lot of submissions and they are amazingly good! None of my shots even come close to being competitive this month, but I've submitted one just to be involved.
I've searched high and low for a different kind of bug .. there are dragonflies, spiders, bees and beetles and I really wanted something different in a different environment, but I didn't have much luck and the weather has been so windy this month, that it's been difficult to use the macro lens effectively.
Anyway these were my efforts this month and my final choice was the frangipani with the beetle.
I wish that I could share on here, the other submissions, but I can't.
Adoring Husband is still in Brisvegas cleaning up after the storm. They've asked the team to stay on for a couple of extra days, so I have peace and quiet for a little longer.
Here I was thinking that it was about 9.30pm but I just looked at the clock and it's after 11pm!! Where has the time gone? Time for bed!
Nite all.
There have been a lot of submissions and they are amazingly good! None of my shots even come close to being competitive this month, but I've submitted one just to be involved.
I've searched high and low for a different kind of bug .. there are dragonflies, spiders, bees and beetles and I really wanted something different in a different environment, but I didn't have much luck and the weather has been so windy this month, that it's been difficult to use the macro lens effectively.
Anyway these were my efforts this month and my final choice was the frangipani with the beetle.
I wish that I could share on here, the other submissions, but I can't.
Adoring Husband is still in Brisvegas cleaning up after the storm. They've asked the team to stay on for a couple of extra days, so I have peace and quiet for a little longer.
Here I was thinking that it was about 9.30pm but I just looked at the clock and it's after 11pm!! Where has the time gone? Time for bed!
Nite all.
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