Fabulous Federer

It's almost midnight, and here I am, still awake to watch Wimbledon ... again!

I have spent a lazy day watching the sixth season of 'Friends', whilst sitting on the couch with Adoring Husband, who slept during two episodes!

The day started with rain and the forecast showed that we should have rain until Tuesday, but it's a very starry night, so I find it difficult to believe that it will rain tomorrow.

I have less than a week til I fly to my friend, BGWLBH, for two weeks.

This was taken just before my 'hen's night'.   Vegan Chickie, BGWLBH and I attempting to pose like Charlie's Angels.

It's going to be cold.

I'm stressing a little over the weather down that way, because I sent most of my warm clothes to the  Salvation Army and the rest of my warm clothes don't fit me any more because I've gained weight!

My lovely little Chicklet has been giggling her little heart out today.  She also popped her first tooth yesterday!  She didn't seem to have too much discomfort with it at all!

I tried to upload the sounds of her giggling for you, but I keep getting an error message!

How disappointing!

I will figure something out eventually ... but not tonight.  I am off to watch the Fabulous Federer play his tennis match against Nalbandian.

Nite all

John Farnham - Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head

Day 29 - A song from my childhood.

Prawn Fever

A successful night at the Bowls Club tonight.

This past month has been very busy in our town, on the river and out to sea.  People have been catching bucket loads of prawns.

Apparently, by law, the allowable limit is ten kilos of prawns per person in a boat.

The authorities have been working along the beaches with binoculars and noting down the registration numbers of the boats that are out catching prawns.

Word has it that the authorities will be visiting the homes of the owners of these boats to make sure they don't have more than their allowance of ten kilos of prawns in their fridges or freezers.

Our neighbour across the road gave us two kilos of prawns on Tuesday morning that he had caught on Monday.

Another neighbour further down the street, phoned to offer us more prawns, which we gracefully declined.

The streets of our town have been lined with cars and boat trailers as people travel from far and wide to catch the apparent abundance of prawns on offer at the moment.

I hear that the prawns have been here in abundance since the full moon and they are expected to disappear again by the next full moon.

Anyway, after all that, Adoring Husband and I won TWO prawn trays in the raffles at the Bowls Club tonight!!  Unfortunately, they are frozen and not fresh, so we couldn't even munch on them when we arrived home from the club.

I do love to eat prawns ... but it's possible to have too much of a good thing!

I am proud to announce that I stayed awake until 2.30am this morning watching Lleyton Hewitt play his match at Wimbledon.

Sadly, he was defeated in five sets.  He put up a good fight, however, Soderling is seeded fifth for the tournament and Lleyton has slipped to something like 130th in the world, so his chances of winning were very slim.

I'm pleased that I watched it, but I didn't wake up til after eight o'clock this morning and I am feeling decidedly weary now, at only 9.27pm!

I'm willing to bet that I'll be sound asleep before 10.30pm!!

Dreaming of prawn fever :)

Nite all :)

Vic Dana - Red roses for a blue lady

Day 28 - A song that makes me feel guilty (in relation to an 'incident' between my parents)

The Chant for Lleyton!

Well!  Here I am!!  It's after midnight and still awake watching Wimbledon!!!

Watching Lleyton Hewitt play Soderling and he has won the first two sets so far.

Hewitt is one of my favourites and I've been watching and supporting him since he was about 16 yrs of age.  I find it difficult to believe that he is now 30!

He is not everybody's cup of tea because he isn't as humble as some, but being smaller than the average tennis player, he has had to fight hard in his career and I admire that in him.

He plays tennis with the same fight and determination as I used in my sporting life.

While I never came close to Lleyton's level of achievements, some of my sporting wins brought me the greatest satisfaction just for the 'never-say-die' attitude that I had at the time.

Anyway, the important thing for me is that it's almost 12.30am and I am still awake!  I admit that I did have a little doze there during the first set, but I'm back, awake, alive and alert!

My photos today are of some bird life around town and the first is of a pelican who was playing around near the Seat of Knowledge this morning.

The second photo is of some Tawny Frogmouths that like to spend time in a tree in the Lion's Park by the river.  Sometimes there are four of them sitting in the tree.

I attempted to get a photo of a Cormorant that has been hanging around the newly formed lake since the floods, but I can't get close enough before he flies away and I don't have the right lens yet for my camera to take a good photo from a distance (working on that).

Lleyton has just lost the third set ... I have a feeling that it's going to be long night!

I really love this time of night when everybody else, in my part of the world, is asleep.  It's all quiet outside, except for the occasional Plover calling in the distance, and it's peaceful and tranquil.

It's quite chilly and I'm rugged up in my warm fluffy dressing gown and slippers.  Such a good look!

The chant in my head goes like this ...

Come on Lleyton, let's go!
Come on Lleyton, let's go!
Come on Hewitt, you can do it!
Come on Lleyton, let's go!

Does that count for number forty two on my 'fifty two things to do before I turn fifty two' list?

42.  Write a poem?

Probably not huh?

Nite all!

If Justin Bieber can get famous... why can't I? ("Jonah" - Graham Stookey)

Day 27 - A song that I wish I could play

Rained Out at the Tennis!

It seems that I just don't have the stamina for Wimbledon the way I used to!

Once upon a time, I could sit up all night ... or at the very least have a couple of 15 minute power naps through the night so that I would see all of the tennis available to me on whatever station it was being shown on.

These days, I am dozing in the chair by 10.30pm, and missing long snippets of the tennis.

I will attempt to save my stamina for the more worthy games ... that is any match with an Aussie playing and any quarter finals and beyond.  The morning news will just have to provide me with most of the results.

I should do what my Mum used to do.  Record all of the tennis and then start watching it in the mornings when she woke up and fast forwarding through the ads or the boring games that she wasn't interested in.

That would mean NOT watching or listening to any news prior to sitting down!

Updated photos of little Chicklet who is growing up before my very eyes!

Babies seem so much older at 4 months these days, compared to when mine were this age.

So cute!

... in the meantime, I simply MUST go to bed.

Good night all!

Twinkle Twinkle Little Star (with lyrics)

Day 26 - A song that I can play on an instrument (Sadly, it's the only song that I can play on an instrument - the piano and the recorder)

It's All About the Shopping!

Oh the shopping ... we lurve the shopping!

We left bright and early on Saturday morning so that we could stop at Eumundi Markets on the way to the Gold Coast.  We were early enough to get a good parking spot and we were so early, that at the first three stalls, our purchases were their first for the day!

Eumundi markets are HUGE and people drive for miles on the weekends to attend them.  There are buskers on every corner and the market stalls are many and varied, selling everything you can think of.

Jams and chilli concoctions, jewellery, beautiful artworks, home made clothes for babies, children, women and men, tie-dyes, pottery, woodwork, fresh produce, make-up, home made soaps, knitwear, hats, musical instruments, scented candles, ceramics, natural therapies and fresh cooked foods from all different cultures, just to name a few!

We spent about three hours wandering around and bought some cute clothes for little Chicklet among other things ... poor Adoring Husband was my pack horse carrying around all the bags of goodies before we decided to hit the road and head for the Gold Coast.

Five minutes before we found our motel, we drove past Harbour Town!

Now Harbour Town is similar to a DFO (Direct Factory Outlet) and I LURVE Harbour Town.  It's my favourite shopping place on the Gold Coast!

So we checked into our apartment and headed straight back to Harbour Town!  Another three hours of shopping!  I was in heaven ***sigh*** As a bonus, the 'end of financial year' sales were on!  How much luckier could I be!?

Poor Adoring Husband was absolutely exhausted at the end of the day after lugging around all of my shopping from both ventures!  He hardly had the energy to get ready for the big party.

Lots of clothes for me ... to replace the bag of old clothes that I took from my wardrobe to give to Lifeline (or similar) last week!  Warmer clothes to take with me to Griffith when I travel there in a couple of weeks.

Then on Sunday morning, after the party was well and truly over, and we started our journey home, we discovered the new Westfield at Northlakes, just north of Brisbane.

It too, was huge with so many specialty stores plus one of my favourite department stores, Myer :o)

We spent about two hours shopping there and only saw a fraction of the shops at the centre.  I got myself a lovely pair of tan boots and we found some cookware that we've been looking for online.

Adoring Husband is the best male shopper that I know!  Thank goodness he's mine!  He doesn't get impatient and he really gets involved in the process, just like one of the girls (and I mean that in the nicest possible way!).

So aside from the great 30th birthday party on Saturday night and catching up with friends and family...

The birthday boy, Jovial Son, in the centre wearing the white t-shirt and standing beside Adoring Husband/Father

.... it was all about the shopping!  We lurve the shopping!

Kasey Chambers - Not Pretty Enough

Day 25 - A song that makes me laugh - My Mum hated this song and would mimic Kasey Chambers, by holding her nose and singing the chorus. Whenever I hear this song, I imagine my mother holding her nose and singing high pitched and nasally.

It's Wimbledon Time!!!

Oh how I love Wimbledon!  Oh how I love to watch the tennis!

It's that time of year again!  One of my favourite times of year.

When I was working, I would take some annual leave for at least a week, usually the second week of Wimbledon, so that I could sit up all night watching the tennis!

Wimbledon and the Australian Open are my favourites of the Grand Slam tennis events.

I've been lucky enough to attend the Australian Open twice and I hope to get there again in the future.

My Mum was a big tennis fan and I was introduced to tennis back in the 70s when John Newcombe, Tony Roche and Yvonne Goolagong were champion players.

She got so much pleasure from tennis and had a little bit of a 'thing' for John Newcombe (along with a million other Australian women!).

She saw the potential in Patrick Rafter when she watched him play his first few tournaments and told me to 'wait and see' how brilliant he would become.

Even though she always barracked for him, she didn't like Lleyton Hewitt, citing him to be a 'cocky little upstart'.

I, however, loved Lleyton and still enjoy watching him play.  What I love most about him is his guts and determination to fight to the very end when he plays.

I never give up on Lleyton in any of his matches until the last ball is hit, because I know that he fights back and that the game can turn around at any time!

Federer and Nadal are wonderful to watch, as well as the Aussie girl Samantha Stosur ... let's hope she can go a bit further this year.

I also like to barrack for the underdog, so I will almost always cheer the least likely winner on!  Not just in tennis, but in most sporting events!

Now that I am over half a century old, I am not as resilient as I once was, so I need to prepare and train like all good athletes.

This means having long naps in the afternoons and it means eating properly, so that I don't want to curl up and fall asleep every five minutes and it means drinking lots of water to keep hydrated.

So, these days, I not only get to enjoy the tennis on TV, but at the same time I remember my Mum and wish that she was still around to have our long discussions about the tennis players, old and new, and how they played the night before.

It's only day one of Wimbledon and it's not even midnight yet ... but I am yawning my head off and I have to be up early for aqua-aerobics.

Time to find the draw and strategically plan my Wimbledon nights!  Choose my favourite players and plan to watch their matches between sleeps!

I've watched a couple of hours of tennis already tonight and now it's time to sleep.

Ah to be young again ... but YAY!  It's Wimbledon time!!

John Lennon - Imagine

Day 24 - A song I want played at my funeral (I also want Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen!)

Not as Young as I Once Was!

We arrived home safe and sound from a great weekend.

We shopped til we dropped on our way home and are both exhausted!

The view from our motel balcony at sunrise this morning was spectacular ...

6 am today

A bit after 6 am today

But right now, I am struggling to keep my eyes open.  This is short and sweet because I am not as young as I once was and any party that keeps me up til midnight sends my brain and body into 'repair' mode for the following three days!

Thank you for your kind understanding and tolerance :o)

Nite all

grow old with you

Day 23 - A song that I want to play at my wedding (and I did!)

30 and Fabulous

The thirtieth birthday party is a SUCCESS!

Just quickly - we left home at 5.30am, stopped at Sexie Coffee for 30 minutes where we had coffee and breakfast then drove on to Eumundi markets.

Shopped at the markets for three hours and then drove through to the Gold Coast.

After we checked in to our room, we went to Harbourtown, which is only about ten minutes from our motel!  We shopped there for almost three hours and then drove back to our room where we got ready for the birthday bash.

Here is the view from our balcony ...

We hope to get a nice sunrise in the morning from the opposite direction to this photo.

We got downstairs to meet up with all of Jovial Son's friends and family and waited for Jovial Son to arrive, at which point we all shouted 'SURPRISE!' (and he was!)

It was fabulous night.  Caught up with people whom we hadn't seen since his wedding and generally had a good time.

But now, it's almost midnight and I can feel the pumpkin thing happening, so it's sleep time.  Catch up tomorrow!

Nite all.

SMILE- Michael Jackson

Day 22 - A song that I listen to when I'm sad.

Weekend to Party

I have to be awake at 4.30am tomorrow.

One of Adoring Husband's sons turns thirty tomorrow and is having a big party which we are attending tomorrow night at the Gold Coast.

So we are leaving very early in the morning and stopping at the Eumundi markets on the way.  We expect to be there for at least a couple of hours and will then drive on to the Gold Coast.

The restaurant where we are attending the birthday party is attached to a motel and that is where we are staying, so at least we don't have to worry about catching taxis anywhere and we can safely stagger home from the party any time we want to leave.

I don't enjoy the drive down there, but once we arrive, it should be a good weekend and we usually have a bit of fun with Jovial Son and his newish wife.  They have a good bunch of friends and a close family, so there is lots of love to be spread around.

Speaking of lots of love ... I have some new photos of Chicklet to share with you all today.

This looks like the beginning of a raspberry to me!

Cutie Pitootie

Adorable little doofus!

She has had a massive growth spurt this week and for me, there is a noticeable difference in her size and shape.  She seems more grown up to me as well.

So that's it for me tonight.  I don't know if I will be able to post anything tomorrow night.  We'll see how the day and evening pan out.

Nite all

James Blunt - Stay The Night [OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO]

Day 21 - A song that I listen to when I'm happy!

Bad Moon Rising!

I wanted to capture a beautiful moon-rise this evening.

Yesterday, at 5.30pm, on the bus ride to the pub where we watched the football, we saw the moon low in the sky, large and beautiful and glowing against the darkening sky.

I decided then, that I would make my way to the beach the following night to watch it rise out of the watery horizon.

So, at 4.15pm today, I hopped on my trusty trike with my camera bag and tripod in the rear basket, and pedalled down to the beach.

I chose the beach at the mouth of the river which had the widest ocean horizon because I wasn't sure exactly where the moon was going to rise.

For over an hour I watched the horizon and waited for the telltale glow to begin peeking over the horizon.

While I waited, I photographed kids playing on the beach, men fishing, birds walking on the sand, dogs running along the water's edge and boats motoring into and out of the mouth of the river.

Waiting, waiting, waiting.

At 5.30pm when there was still no sign of the moon, I figured that it must be rising further around the beach and that I would have to go to a different beach tomorrow night and try again.

I began packing up my camera and folding my tripod.  As I went to put the tripod in the basket, I glanced up at the beach and there, to my amazement, was the shining glow of the moon's edge just about to peek over the horizon!

UGH!

As fast as I was able in the low dusk light, I reassembled my tripod, attached my camera and began taking photos as the beautiful golden orb slowly climbed into the sky.

It was difficult in the low light to get the settings correct in the short time it took for the moon to rise just high enough to be less than spectacular.

Pink sky just before sunset

The golden sky right on sunset

The beautiful golden moon rising over the watery horizon

I then had to pedal home in the dark.  The batteries are flat in my headlight on the trike, so it was a little tricky maneuvering the trike over the rough gravel road until I found the footpath to follow.

I think it was worth it in the end, but it was a very bad moon waiting til I was half packed before making itself seen ... which reminds me of the that song ... 'Bad Moon Rising'!

Nite all    

Daydream Believer The Monkees

Day 20 - A song I listen to when I'm angry (it makes me happy!)

Congratulations to Adoring Husband (and all you other Blues supporters)

State of Origin football - game two - was played tonight.

Adoring Husband and I got all dressed up in our supporter's colours and went to the pub where we met up with eight of our friends, ordered pizza and watched the game in the main bar.

Unfortunately, the NSW Blues team won the game and my team lost.  So now, it's one game all and the decider will be played in three week's time, on 5th July.

It was a great night and mostly it was a happy and fun crowd but there is always one, who is a bad sport and tries to stir up trouble.

So ...

Thumbs down to the Queensland Maroon's supporter who mouthed off in a very 'unsportsman' - like manner at the end of the game and tried unsuccessfully to spoil the Blue's supporters moment of exhilaration!

Thumbs up to all of the Blues supporters, who ignored his arrogant, rude rantings and didn't take the bait or try to fight him!

Every year I enjoy being at our 'local' for State of Origin.  Steve, the publican, is a cool guy (even if he is a Blue's supporter) and always puts on a fun night.

There are raffles and then finger food at half time and pick the score.  Most people dress up in their favourite team's paraphernalia.  There are flags and posters and blow-up footballs hanging from the bar.

It's one of the great things about Queensland.  Everybody gets involved.  Shops fly their favourite colours in the form of streamers, balloons and flags.  People decorate their houses.

Adoring Husband and I each have a large flag flying at the front of our house.  Blue on the left, maroon on the right.

When we lived in Sydney, there certainly wasn't the same enthusiasm for State of Origin down there and it was difficult to find a pub or a club that provided any entertainment for the night, so we are really enjoying the positive energy of Origin time here in Queensland.

So, it's all over for another three weeks.  Congratulations to Adoring Husband and all the other blue's supporters, including Number One Son, Bubbles and Knight in Shining Armor.

I hope that on the 5th of July, you will all be congratulating me and Queenslanders will be celebrating six years in a row of winning!!

Nite all!

Bella's Lullaby (Twilight Soundtrack Version Official )

Day 19 - A song from my favourite album.

Joke of the Day

I can NEVER remember jokes!

Almost every morning at the 'Seat of Knowledge', one of the guys, Raymond Claude, tells a joke.  

He is a brilliant joke-teller!

Everybody stops to listen.  

People pause as they walk past, asking him if he has a joke to tell.  

His jokes are always funny and mostly clean.

This means that I hear at least four jokes every week from Raymond Claude and over a period of two years that adds up to over 400 jokes!

I cannot remember a single one of them!

I have this one joke that I heard twenty or more years ago on television ... it may have been Glynn Nicholas on Humphrey B Bear and it goes something like this ....  

The goldfish swam into a wall. He said ... 'Dam!'

Nite all :o) 

TRHPS "Sweet Transvestite"

Day 18 - A song that I wish I heard on the radio

Another Failed Study Session! (AKA Another Successful Friends Marathon)

I tried to do a little studying today while watching 'Friends', but as usual, I got sleepy and ended up having a couple of catnaps (no, not even long enough to be called nana naps!)

My achievements for the day were very few.  A trike ride to the bakery for coffee, thirty minutes at the seat of knowledge, nine holes of golf, some washing, watching season four of Friends, cooking dinner, washing the dishes and now at midnight, attempting to post a token treasure on here.

About the best I can offer is some new photos of my little Chicklet with her favourite toy, Plonker Foot (I hope I spelled it correctly!)

She's my little 'Cutie Possum'.

Adoring Husband is still fighting off his flu symptoms and we have to attend his son's thirtieth birthday party at the Gold Coast this weekend.  Which reminds me ....

It was suggested today, to try 'ivy leaf', to clear up a cough at the end of a flu.  You know that cough that hangs on and just doesn't want to clear up for weeks after a cold or flu??  Apparently 'ivy leaf' does the job.  Must try to get some while in The Bay tomorrow afternoon!

I'm off to bed now because I can't find any toothpicks to keep my eyelids open and besides, I need to be up bright an early for aqua aerobics.

Nite all!  Sweet dreams!!

The Fuifui Moimoi Song

Day 17 - A song I hear often on the radio

My First Kiss

Do you remember your first kiss?

My first kiss was in 1971, when I was not yet 12 yrs old and with a boy named Terry Drew who attended my school - Sunnybank State School in Brisbane.

Having spent about five years travelling around Australia in a caravan, my family and I finished our travels at Seven Trees Caravan Park in Sunnybank and I think by this time, we had been there for about a year.

I can't remember what time of year it was, but my Dad got a new job in Perth, so we had to sell the caravan and move to Western Australia.

My boyfriend at the time was Terry Drew.  It was one of those relationships where you never spend time together, but send notes via friends that read "Do you love me? Yes or No?" (circle your answer).

We girls would sit at the edge of the sports oval and watch the boys play football in the lunch hour, all the while giggling and hiding our faces every time he looked in our direction.

On my last day at that school, which was a Friday (sports day), my friends and I were all sobbing knowing that we would probably never see each other again.  There were goodbye presents and cards.

The teachers were very understanding and there was not a lot of sports played that afternoon.

Near the end of the day, I received a note from Terry, passed on by one of Terry's mates, which read "Can I kiss you goodbye this afternoon?"

You can imagine the mixture of fear, terror and excitement that I felt!  Of course, I replied "Yes" and it was arranged, with notes, for us to meet beside the girls toilets after the last school bell.

The thought of kissing a boy was terrifying for me, so I had to use every ounce of courage that I could muster to make the long walk to the girl's toilets.

I don't know how I did it.  I think it was because I didn't want to look like a coward in front of my friends, who, along with Terry's friends, were standing some distance away waiting to see some action.

So I walked around the corner to find Terry standing there waiting for me already.  My heart leapt into my throat and as I looked at him and choked a "Hi", he leaned forward with tightly puckered lips and planted a quick hard kiss on my unprepared mouth!

He turned and ran so fast that he was gone in less than a blink of an eye!

THAT was my first kiss with a boy.  I can picture it as clearly as if it just happened and as pathetic as the kiss was, I will never forget it or the name of the boy it was with.

The most embarrassing part of the whole experience was that the commencement of my Dad's job was postponed by a week and I actually had to return to the school the following Monday.

There was absolutely no interaction between Terry and I that week and not a tear was cried by anybody the next Friday when I left for the final time - because I don't think anybody really believed that I was going anywhere!

I wonder where Terry Drew is now.  If you're out there Terry .. thanks for my first kiss :o)

Pilot - January (1975)

Day 16 - A song that I used to love but now hate.

Rained out again!

The alarm woke me at 5am this morning.

I reluctantly climbed out of bed and gazed out the window into the darkness trying to determine whether there had been any rain during the night, but it was still pitch black outside.

I looked at the sky trying to see some stars but there was not a twinkle to be found up in the blackness.

I put my woolly slippers on and made my way out the back door into the darkness to stand in the back yard and feel the air.

It was mild.  No rain.  No wind.  No stars.

So I made an executive decision.  Get ready for the markets.

Knowing the forecast was for cold weather, I found some warm clothes and some knitted boots and for the first time in three years, dressed for Winter!

I packed the basket of my trike with all of my goods for the stall and sent a text to Aussie H to let her know that I was going to attempt the markets if she wanted to join me at 6.20am.

As daylight struggled to find it's way through the heavy clouds, and just as I was going to leave, a light shower passed over my house.

There was one dark cloud and then the clouds coming behind it looked light and not the slightest bit menacing or threatening.  I waited for the rain to stop and then pedalled off on my trike.

As I arrived at the markets, it began to rain, ever so lightly.  

All of us setting up outside stalls, looked at each other wondering who would fold first.  All of us, very slowly, continued to set up.  As we did so, the rain got heavier until there was a light but steady rain falling.

A couple of stall holders began to pack up in preparation to leave, while I stopped and sat down to watch the rain and try to predict how this weather would pan out.

Adoring Husband arrived with my take-away coffee, so we sat down to enjoy it as Suzy, the border collie, arrived with her owner and Aussie H arrived on her trike.

We all sat around discussing the weather and the markets for about twenty minutes, when I decided to pack up and go home.

The rain got steadily heavier, so Adoring Husband packed most of my goods into the car and I threw a rain poncho on over my clothes and pedalled home with Aussie H.

As soon as I arrived home and took my wet poncho off, I changed into my warm slippers and wrapped my big white fluffy dressing gown around me, plonked myself on the couch and prepared to spend the day watching more of the 'Friends' dvds.

We are up to the final show in Series Three!

The party tonight turned into a very quiet affair.  Luckily, it was held in the local hall, so the rain wasn't an issue but most of us were reluctant to go out in the rain tonight to attend the party.

Lots of good food, good friends and family who had travelled a long way to be there.  Balloons, kids, cake ... what more do you need for a good family party?

Unfortunately Adoring Husband has been ill with chest problems of late, so being out in the damp weather, irritated that problem and we returned home a bit earlier than originally planned.

So here I am, exactly as I was this morning after being rained out of the markets, wearing my slippers and dressing gown and lazing on the couch.

Katy Perry - Firework Lyrics HD

Day 15 - A song that describes me

The Snoring Echoes echoes .. echoes ... echoes ....

OK ... so the roast pumpkin soup didn't get made today!

BUT ... I DID make the banana, date and walnut cake, vegan style.  I prefer it to my old faithful and original banana and walnut cake which isn't vegan!  The vegan one is much more moist and delicious!

I also got a recipe today, off a nice old bloke, for a flourless orange cake ... good for coeliacs, which I hope to try out over the weekend some time.

If it's nice enough, I will share the recipe with a coeliac friend of mine ... who knows who she is ***waves hand frantically*** Hi Kaz!!

I'm pretty sure it will be nicer than a certain batch of gluten free pikelets that we tasted last week!!  UGH!

Tomorrow, if the rain holds off, I should be setting up my stall at the local markets.  I can only pray that the weather is a little warmer than today.  I even wore tracksuit pants today!

Also, tomorrow night, Adoring Husband and I have a party to attend.  It's a special occasion, so I will be taking my camera and I hope to get some nice photos that could even possibly be posted here.

After returning to Toot's and Doch's house today (for the third time in a fortnight!) to finally set up their computer/internet/email properly and with the correct device, I am decidedly worn out tonight.

I usually like to wait until Adoring Husband's snoring has passed beyond breaking the sound barrier, to a steady rhythm that lulls me to sleep, before I go to bed, but tonight I'm going to kick him in the ribs and just tell him to ... well I don't want to start using bad words in my posts so ... 'Be Quiet!'

My take-away chinese dinner has also upset my tummy a little, so, as the snoring echoes through the house, I will sign off for now and get some beauty sleep before my big day tomorrow!

Have a great day!!

Taylor Swift - Love Story

Day 14 - A song that no-one would expect me to love.

Another One Bites the Dust!

This morning, I completed another item from my 'fifty two things to do before I turn fifty two' list.

I got up at dawn and Adoring Husband drove me down to the beach to take photos of the sunrise.  It wasn't as spectacular as the last few mornings, but I got a couple of nice photos.

The moment just before the sun peeks over the horizon!

The weather forecast is not good for the next few days, so I doubt that there will be any more sunrise/sunset photos for a while!

Adoring Husband dropped me off, came home to get ready for golf and then returned to pick me up.  

I'd also like to introduce another local ...

Suzy recognised me as she ran along the beach and excitedly ran to me, wagging her tail.

This is Suzy, the border collie.  She is a sweet natured, friendly dog owned by a lovely local lady whom I bartered with today.

She gave me a pumpkin out of her garden and a lovely hand knitted scarf that she made herself, in return for a dozen eggs from my lovely laying chookies.

It's a regular morning ritual.

Suzy's owner was one of the first people I met when we moved here and she made me feel very welcome.

So tomorrow, I'll be making roast pumpkin soup and I really MUST use those blackening bananas to make the vegan banana, date and walnut cake before they have to be tossed out!

Hopefully it will be a rainy day ... perfect cooking weather!

Tonight the Bare-chested Chef did home-cooked pizzas.  He makes the BEST pizza crust in the universe!  My pizza had artichoke, capsicum, mushroom, zucchini, beans and cashews.  Bloody bewdiful!

The boys washed the dishes while Vegan Chickie and I played very raucously with Chicklet.  I'm not sure who, out of the three of us, were the loudest!  But there was lots of giggling and teasing and shrieking and singing going on!

Now I am going to focus on one of my favourite TV programs ... Grey's Anatomy.

Nite all! 



 

  

TOM JONES - Kiss (1989)

Day 13 - A song that is a guilty pleasure.

Ugh! Hate Those Meeces to Pieces!

There is currently a mouse plague in New South Wales!

I will be in New South Wales for two weeks next month and I'll be staying in a farmhouse on a farm in the middle of nowhere.  Right in the middle of the mouse plague!  Ugh!

In 1982, I lived in Cootamundra in New South Wales and there was a mouse plague happening around the time that I gave birth to Number One Son.

He slept in a bassinette which rested on a chrome frame with wheels, in our bedroom.  I could wheel the frame around the house while he slept, so it was portable and convenient.

The mice were so bad in this plague that I had to cover the bassinette with a big sheet of mosquito netting and I used a large piece of elasticised lace to hold the netting tight around the bassinette. 

Some mornings I would wake up to find mouse poo on top of the netting!  Ugh!

One morning as I opened a box of cereal for breakfast, a mouse jumped out of the box and onto my hand!  Ugh!

They are so tiny and so fragile, I don't understand the reasoning for disliking them so strongly, but they send shivers up my spine.

My step niece had a pet rat once.  It was just like a giant mouse.  Ugh!

Anyway, my post is brief again tonight, but I will add a couple of sunset photos from tonight.  There was too much heavy cloud to get a spectacular sunset, but I got a couple of interesting shots.

It only lasted momentarily, but the pretty pink on the horizon was too nice to miss!

Just as the sun was about to disappear, a crack appeared in the clouds and let some light bathe this yacht.

Do you think that the people living in those boats on the river would be safe from mice?  Rats desert sinking ships.  Do you think they swim out to floating boats?  I must ask a boatie!  

Sex Pistols - Anarchy in the UK Studio Version

Day 12 - A song from a band I hate.

Today!

Today, we are up to disc two of 'Friends'.

Today, I missed getting some good sunrise photographs because I had to go to water aerobics, but Adoring Husband jumped in the car, drove down to the river and took a few shots before having to leave for golf.

Today, I went to water aerobics and had a fill-in teacher because our usual teacher had a sick child to tend to.  We had a real workout instead of the usual gentle exercise.  I enjoyed it!

Today, seven of us met for morning tea at the bakery and sat outside in the sunshine drinking coffee and catching up. It was lovely.

Today, I had some quality time with Chicklet (Yes, any time with Chicklet :o) is quality time!).

Today, I took some photos of Vegan Chickie and Chicklet to possibly be published in the ABA (Australian Breastfeeding Association) calendar for next year.

http://www.facebook.com/abacalendar

We got lots of good shots, but thanks to the Bare-chested Chef, these smiley ones are some of my favourites!

Today, I get dinner cooked for me by the Bare-chested Chef!

Today, I had a terrible chocolate hangover from the half block of chocolate that I ate yesterday.  I tossed and turned all night,  slept poorly and woke with a very fuzzy head, but I felt better and better as the day wore on.

Today, I found a magazine with one hundred different beading projects inside.  Then I realised that I must complete module one of my studies before starting something new!

Today, I remembered that ....

Today has been a good day!

Queen - Seaside Rendezvous

Day 11 - A song from my favourite band. (I don't have ONE favourite band, but Queen is one of my many favourites!)

How much chocolate is too much chocolate?

Oh how I wish I'd had my trusty camera with me this morning at golf!

In the fifteen minute drive to golf, all the paddocks along the road had a soft mist suspended over them and the sun was shining through the tall trees so that the rays were highlighted through the foliage.  It was so pretty!

When we arrived at golf, the freshly mown grass was glistening with dew and looked like diamonds twinkling all over the ground.

The long shadows of the trees stretched across the glistening grass and the water hazards were like mini lakes with lilies lying flat on the mirror-like surface and the soft mist was rising above them.

As I played my game, I was imagining all the different angles that I could take the photos - which would explain, to some extent, why my game was a bit off!

When I arrived home, and after some lovely cuddles and a stroll through the garden with my Chicklet, I settled down on the couch with Adoring Husband, to begin watching the complete series of 'Friends',  of which the boxed set arrived in the mail today!

I grabbed a family block of Limited Edition Tropical Pineapple Cadbury Dairy Milk chocolate out of the pantry and proceeded to eat half of it!!

My favourite flavour out of the Cadbury Snack chocolate has always been the pineapple and for more than twenty years I have wished for a whole block made with just pineapple!

Last week I walked into our local supermarket and lo and behold!!!!  There on the shelf was a whole block of Limited Edition Tropical Pineapple!!

I thought all my christmas's had come at once, so I bought a block, not realising at the time that it was 'limited edition'.

The following day, Vegan Chickie and the Bare-chested Chef returned from a grocery shopping trip and handed me six family sized blocks of the same chocolate.  **drool**

About an hour after eating half a block of chocolate today, I began falling asleep on the couch and eventually had to concede defeat and lie on the bed for a nap.

Ninety minutes later, I dragged myself out of bed feeling no better than before the nap!

So I'm thinking that I MAY have eaten too much chocolate in one sitting!  I'm thinking that perhaps one row of this chocolate may be the limit for each sitting!

A comment was made that I looked stoned!  Yes, chocolate is my drug of choice!

What I'd really like to know is, how much chocolate is too much chocolate, and does it vary from brand to brand or flavour to flavour??

**********

These photos were taken thirty minutes apart!

Sunsets change so quickly.

The colours are amazing.

 

    

Norah Jones - Sunrise

Day 10 - A song that I can fall asleep to. (Anything by Nora Jones relaxes me enough to sleep)

Love Doing Nothing

My favourite thing in the world is to do absolutely nothing.

When somebody asks me what I've been up to, the answer is generally 'nothing'!  And sometimes I feel bad, like I SHOULD have been doing something more interesting.  But really, I prefer to do nothing.

Instead of sweeping the floors, I would rather lie in my hammock in the Winter sunshine.

I prefer to sit on the couch looking at photos on my laptop, than working in the garden.

Sitting on the park bench seat by the river watching the comings and goings is my choice over hanging out the washing.

When I go away on holidays, I like to spend an afternoon in the motel room instead of taking a hike or a guided tour.

Ordering take-away and eating in is a much easier option for me, than dressing up and going to a restaurant.

If Adoring Husband travels to Sydney to visit his Mum for a few days, I like to spend my time locked away in my lounge room watching movies alone and eating junk food.

Adoring Husband, on the other hand, likes to DO everything and anything.  He has so much energy.  When he chooses to do something, he puts his whole heart and soul into it.

At home, there is always something to be done ... no time to be sitting down!  A few hours in the garden to clear the weeds, prune the fruit trees, clean the chook pen, mow the lawn, cut the edges, water the pot plants and wash the car.

When we're on holidays, he has to try a different restaurant every night, take the guided tour, find the closest markets, trek through the rainforest, go to the cheese factory, find the art gallery, visit the alpaca farm, jump on the steam train, experience the theme park and learn all the local history.

I'm exhausted just writing the words!

He uses up so much energy that when he sits down, he falls asleep in less than ten minutes!

Between the pair of us, it works out quite well.  He forces me to do more exciting things when we are on holidays and I force him to sit down and relax at home sometimes.  We balance each other out.

Sometimes, I need to direct his energy towards something meaningful and sometimes he has to give me the motivation and energy to do something more important.

It's his energy that keeps our friendships with others alive.  I choose a lot of friends with a high energy level because they get me moving and stop me from stagnating at home.

A regular exercise routine with friends keeps me motivated to continue with it every week.  A regular weekly social gathering pushes me to dress up and turn up.

If it was purely up to me ... I would love to do absolutely nothing!

Another fiery one ... tonight's sunset taken from my front garden.

Chubby Checker - Let's Twist Again - 60's

Day 9 - A song that I can dance to.

Foggy Winter Morning

How interesting to wake up this morning to find thick fog blanketing our town!

Shags leaving the river mouth in the fog.

At 7.15am, Adoring Husband and I grabbed our cameras and headed down to the river.  We rushed around taking as many photos as possible, fully expecting that the fog would lift before 8am.  How wrong we were!

A beautiful cobweb above the rocks on the bank of the river.

It was almost 10am before it finally lifted, so we had lots of opportunities right along the bank and then out to the beach to get some interesting photos.

The first time the fog attempted to lift, it provided this beautiful white arch touching the water.

The fog tried to lift two or three times during those three hours, but just as we caught a glimpse of the blue sky, the fog closed in again!

 After the fog closed in for the second time.

There were a good number of people out and about with their cameras, so sometimes it was difficult to take a clear shot without other photographers in view.

A mother kangaroo and the joey in her pouch.  Always an exciting find! 

I think our favourite moment of the morning, was finding this kangaroo with a joey in her pouch.  Unfortunately, the grass was so long that in most shots, it obscured our view of the joey, but I was lucky enough to get a couple of clear-ish photos.

So that was a lovely start to our day.  We finished the day by having a few drinks with friends around a bonfire on an empty block two houses away from us.

It's a very cool night and the fire was great (who doesn't enjoy sitting outside around a fire on a clear, starry night?) but even I began to feel chilled after a couple of hours, so I snuck home and found my warm slippers to thaw out my icy toes!

Now it's time to curl up in bed for some more sleep and I hope that tomorrow brings some more interesting photographic opportunities.

I could possibly spend some quality time snapping away at my Chicklet, instead of relying on Vegan Chickie to take all the great baby shots!

I might just stay snuggled up in bed if it's another foggy Winter morning!

  

Gilligan's Island Theme Song

Day 8 - A song I know all the words to. (Gilligan's Island theme song)

Briefly ... before I turn into a pumpkin.

It's late.  I'm tired.

I've had things to do, people to see, places to go, photos to take, modules to study, baby sign language to learn, sick Adoring Husbands to tend to, programs to install and granddaughters to cuddle!

It was a nice evening with friends at the Bowls Club tonight.  I won $160 on Keno.  We had our own personal taxi service in the Bare-chested Chef, who made himself available to take us there and then unexpectedly have to pick us up.  He's a good man.

I'm looking forward to placing my head on the pillow tonight and drifting off to attend to some sweet dreams.

I apologise for this token effort and I hope to make up for it tomorrow, but it's after midnight and I feel myself turning into a pumpkin!

Good night to all and to all a good night :o)

Mac Davis -- It's Hard To Be Humble

Day 7 - A song that reminds me of a certain event. Mac Davis - It's hard to be humble (Dad's favourite song played at his funeral)

The Age of 'Planking'!

The first time that I heard the term 'planking' was on facebook a few weeks ago, when somebody complained about a young man being arrested for 'planking' on a police car.  I had to Google it!

I found this description.

The lying down game (also known as planking, or face downs) is an activity, popular in Asia, consisting of lying face down in an unusual or incongruous location. The hands must touch the sides of the body, and having a photograph of the participant taken and posted on the internet is an integral part of the game. Players compete to find the most unusual and original location in which to play. The location should also be as public as possible, and as many people as possible should be involved.

Personally, I can't see the attraction, but in my youth, I probably would have joined in.  I don't think there is any harm in it as long as they aren't putting themselves or others in danger.

Planking on balcony rails, train tracks or light poles is probably, in my opinion, not such a good idea.

Last weekend my 77 yr old male friend, whom I shall call Tweedle Dum (for the obvious reasons), went on a day train trip with a bunch of other locals.  The tour included morning tea and lunch and it was a good, fun group that went along.

Somehow, a conversation sprung up about 'planking'.  During the course of that conversation, one of the ladies dared Tweedle Dum to 'plank' NAKED, on the 'seat of knowledge' at the boat ramp.

Knowing the lady who made the dare, I can just imagine how this conversation transpired.  She is loud and colourful and funny and full of laughter.

I wonder how many strangers were on the same carriage and had to listen to the raucous laughter from the group!

Anyway, Tweedle Dum wholeheartedly accepted the dare, and it was agreed that he would 'plank' NAKED on the following Tuesday morning.

(I agree!  Naked planking does NOT conjure a pretty picture!)

He made the announcement to all and sundry on Monday morning and I suggested that I cancel my water aerobics so that I could attend the 'planking' with my camera to take the photo, which I would then post onto facebook!

He agreed.  I warned that if I cancelled my aerobics and he chickened out, that I would be very upset and he would be in big trouble!

He promised that he would complete the dare!

I didn't believe him.

I went to aerobics.

He DIDN'T complete the dare AND he blamed ME because I wasn't there!

I wasn't even part of the original deal!!

So now he refuses to reschedule the 'planking', saying that we had our chance and we blew it!  The other ladies are desperately trying to change his mind.

Perhaps I can convince him that he will create a new record by being the oldest 'planker' in the history of 'planking'?

If you have any ideas, please let me know.  If we can convince him to finally complete the dare, I will provide tasteful photos to prove that he completed it.

It is the age of 'planking' and we are working on 'planking' for the aged.      

Hush - Glad All Over

Day 6 - A song that reminds me of somewhere (Cross country event at high school 1975 and our group of friends all singing this together)

I Can See!!

Picked up my new glasses today!  Now I can see the 'hot' builders working across the road AND I can read the 'blah blah blah' study pages AND I can look at the river without squinting in the bright sunshine!

I now must purchase a new handbag, (oh what a shame) because I have to carry three glasses cases everywhere with me, along with all the usual paraphernalia!

One for the reading glasses, one for the distance glasses and one for the sunglasses. Oh the joys of being a woman getting older.

I also got the upgraded version of Photoshop.  Not a big fan of Photoshop, but it's required in my studies, so I don't have a big choice in the matter.  

It's also been suggested that I acquire some 'noise cancelling' headphones!  That would be for study purposes only of course ... unless Adoring Husband gets that verbal diarrhoea thing happening and they might come in handy for that too!  hehehe

Gotta share my new favourite photo of Chicklet with you today.  The photo was taken by Vegan Chickie while sharing some play time in the hammock one morning recently.

Little Chicklet is growing up so fast!  She's so happy and so cute!  This photo makes me smile every time I look at it :o) 

Well, I have a home made vegetarian pizza with my name on it, calling me to the dinner table right now ... made by the best pizza maker in my life ... the Bare-chested Chef!

Now I can even see what I'm eating!!

Muppet Movie - The Rainbow Connection

Day 5 - A song that reminds me of someone (My Mum and Vegan Chickie)

All I can read is blah blah blah!

Ok, so I downloaded the first module in my course and began to read ... but all I could see was 'blah blah blah'.

It's all about the technicalities of cameras.  Lens sizes.  Mega pixels.  Format sizes.  Focal length.  Eighty eight pages of 'blah blah blah'.

I hope it's like golf when you play the first hole and you play like crap.  It's a good thing to get the crap out of the way straight up, then you go on to the good stuff!

Tomorrow, I pick up my new reading glasses, so perhaps the 'blah blah blah' will make better sense when I can see it more clearly through a new lens!

One thing is certain.  I must find myself a quiet little hideaway to study.  A place where Adoring Husband knows is off limits to all things except my creativity!

There is a time to listen to incessant chatter and there is a time to study ... and never the two shall meet!

We made our way to the river this afternoon so that we could be ready for the sunset if it happened.  It certainly wasn't as fiery as last night, but it was still very pretty.

Tomorrow is looking to being a big day starting with the collection of the new glasses, grocery chopping, replacing some shelving in the new oven, visiting a friend in the afternoon and possibly playing tennis with a new group of ladies, if I can squeeze it in.

I should now get some sleep so that I will be re-generated enough to fit everything comfortably into my day.

All I ask is that when I close my eyes to meet the sandman, I don't see or hear the dreaded 'blah blah blah'!

Michael Jackson - BEN

Day 4 - A song that makes me sad.

I'm Committed!

Well!  I've done it!

This afternoon I enrolled in a Diploma in Photography course!

Adoring Husband and I discussed it a while ago.  He did some research.  I did some investigation into the Professional Photographers who are involved in the course and one of them impressed me so much that I made the decision based on the fact that he is a Guest Tutor with the Institute and runs International Travel Photography Tours.

His name is Chris Mclennan and his photography is amazing and spectacular!  I can only dream about taking photos at his level, but that is my goal!

I actually have two goals.

The other one is to be able to have an intelligent conversation with other photographers using language and jargon that only true photographers can understand!

So I've made the commitment and now I must focus on completing twelve modules and twelve interactive assignments over the coming months.

Speaking of photography... this was the sky about twenty minutes after I signed up for the course.

Such a fiery sky 

If you didn't know any better, you would swear it was a bushfire behind the line of trees.

The crows were cawing to each other 

In actual fact it was a sunset combined with a late afternoon storm.  Quite spectacular!

So now I am committed and hopefully it will only be to study in this course and not into some funny farm sometime down the track!

Wish me luck!

MARVIN GAYE & TAMMI TERRELL "Ain't no Mountain High Enough"

Day 3 - A song that makes me happy!

Some Simple Joys

One of the greatest simple joys in life is sliding between crisp clean sheets when you go to bed at night :o)

I got to experience that joy last night.

For three days, Adoring Husband was confined to bed with a mild flu.  I wanted him to keep his germs away from the rest of the family and he needed to get well quickly so that he could attend a photography workshop in Maleny this weekend.

After he left yesterday morning, I stripped the bed of his germy bedding and replaced it with fresh, crisp, clean bedding.

I had a whole, huge, king-sized bed with clean bedding all to myself last night.  The cold night breeze floating through the windows while I was snuggled up with the doona pulled up to my chin, surrounded by nine pillows and cushions and the serenity of a snore-free environment.

Pure bliss :o)

I should clarify that Adoring Husband's very loud snoring DOESN'T keep me awake at night.  It kind of lulls me to sleep with it's rhythmic vibrations!

Adoring Husband might even comment about some snoring coming out of somebody else's nose and mouth in the bedroom!

As we speak, Adoring Husband is on the road and returning home from his successful workshop weekend and the Bare-chested Chef is preparing to cook dinner tonight ... another of life's simple pleasures ... for me anyway.

One more simple joy experienced today was watching Chicklet laughing and talking with her Mum and Dad.

She is such a happy little girl and the love just bubbles up in everyone when she smiles and talks and does her cute baby stuff.  So cute and pink and chubby!

So, tonight, my sheets will no longer be crisp and fresh and the environment will no longer be snore-free but I hope to have Adoring Husband home safe and sound and I still have the simple joy of Chicklet's happy, sparkling smile :o)  

tammy wynette stand by your man

Day 2 - My least favourite song.