Ready for Arting

Three hours in the art room rearranging and creating separate spaces for ourselves …

I’m looking forward to using my new space tomorrow. I’ll probably spend all day wrapping Christmas presents, but my energy will be positive and I’ll be ready to do art on Sunday!

I enjoyed 90 minutes with the art girls on Thursday and we planned our Christmas lunch for next week. It was a beautiful morning and we were all in fine spirits.

Adoring Husband attended his end of year golf presentation.

BGWLBH drove into the Bay to attend an appointment.

So I had about 3 hours to myself at home.

BGWLBH was kind enough to bring an icy green juice home for me.

So the last two days have been fairly productive and I’m well worn out! Even after an hour long nap on the couch this afternoon!

Nite all.

A Lot Like Christmas

Christmas shopping officially done and dusted.

Now it’s going to take me weeks to wrap and mail it all!

On Monday, I had a day in the Bay - bought some home made dresses for little Hazie for Christmas and visited the art/craft store where BGWLBH sells her art. It’s a lovely little shop with a good variety of arts and crafts available.

There were clothes, beautiful handbags, journals, jewellery, wall art, cards, painted rocks with quotes, hanging mobiles, garden ornaments, coasters, stubby holders, quilts and so much more.

Tuesday, I got to sleep in because meditation is done for the year.

Today (Wednesday), BGWLBH and I escaped to the Bay.

We had the guy coming to repair the roller door in the garage/art space, so we had to move the tables and the paraphernalia that was on them so that he could access the parts that required repair.

To avoid noise, power cuts, discomfort and anything else that we imagined would occur, we chose to escape.

Turns out he was only here for 20 minutes and the job was complete!

So I guess tomorrow, I will spend quite some time wrapping Christmas presents and hopefully sending them in the mail, so that they arrive at their destination before Christmas.

It’s now heading towards midnight and I need to be up early for morning tea with the art girls, so sleep time for me.

Nite all.

To Market

I’ve enjoyed my weekend of sport viewing.

Happy that Australia defeated England in the second ashes test.

Not so happy with the golf results.

Rory McIlroy was disappointing and didn’t live up to his hype. He’s generally a brilliant player, but not this week. 

On the final hole, it was between the Australian, Cam Smith and the Dane, Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen. The Dane took it out - his first victory on the DP World tour. Exciting for him, but disappointing for Australia.

On Saturday morning, Adoring Husband and I attended the Howard Country Markets, where I picked up a few small Christmas gifts.

The lady who promised to order me some capri pants in the small size, clearly had forgotten to do so, despite her excuses. That was annoying.

Afterwards, we drove to Torbanlea to try the new coffee shop. I’m not a coffee drinker anymore (I’ve had about 15 in the last 12 years) but I decided to try a lactose free latte on Saturday and I have to say, it was DELICIOUS!

We then drove out to where the train building grounds are. We saw nothing except the gateway in.

On the way out of Torbanlea, we noticed that the local hall had an arts and crafts market happening inside, so we stopped for a very successful visit.

More gifts AND I met a lady who runs pottery classes in her home at Howard! Not wheel pottery, but pinch potting, coil potting and slab potting, which is exactly what I want to learn. Her next classes are at the end of February, so that’s on my “to do” list for 2026!

I’m so glad that we stopped.

That’s pretty much my weekend in a nutshell.

I’m not sure what’s happening tomorrow, but I’m ready for sleep now.

Nite all.

Aussie Captain

My son has been asked to captain the Australian cricket team! 🏏 

A bunch of old yachties are coming to Australia from England and when they land in Perth, they’ll be playing cricket against a bunch of old Aussie yachties.

It should be an interesting and eventful match, especially because my son is a bowler and is currently nursing a fractured elbow!

I’m hoping the match will be live streamed so that I can watch it, but otherwise I’ll have to rely on Number One Son’s description, which I’m certain will be colourful.

Today was a long day in The Bay and while Adoring Husband was having a scan done, I did the grocery shopping.

Prior to that, we had lunch at a fish and chip shop that does gluten free batter on their fish AND they have a separate area in the kitchen to cook their GF options. We had cod and chips. I thought the chips were a bit too dry, but the fish was large and delicious. I could only eat half of mine so AH had extra.

While we waited for it to cook, I popped into Tinkerbell’s and bought a Christmas gift.

AH dropped me at Stocklands where I got a few more Christmas gifts - I still have 3 more gifts to buy - and I did a small grocery shop that still cost $160!! Living is certainly not cheap.

Tomorrow morning, I hope to attend Howard country markets because I ordered some capri pants from one of the stalls and I think I can get those last three gifts at the markets too. Fingers crossed.

So now it’s time to sleep.

Nite all.

Sporting Fever

Decisions … Decisions … Decisions.

Now that I’m too old to play sports, I have become a little obsessed with watching sport.

This weekend, beginning today, I am spoilt for choice - between the Australian Open Golf and the 2nd Ashes Cricket Test between Australia and England. 

I love them both, so there will be channel surfing!

I missed most of both events today because I had the day in the Bay with BGWLBH, and tomorrow I’ll be in the Bay with Adoring Husband while he attends yet another medical test.

AH played golf today. Apparently, he played well.

I cooked a baked dinner (chicken) which I had to jump right into, the minute we arrived home, and it turned out to be delicious.

We all played trivia after dinner.

We were all in bed before 7.30pm.

God we’re old!

It’s now almost 11.30pm and I’m very tired.

Nite all.

Begin Again

I enjoyed the final meditation class of the year and followed that up with two hours chatting with The Gypsy.

She drove me home afterwards and I stepped into an empty house.

Adoring Husband was out mowing and BGWLBH was in the bay. Harley greeted me with a waggy tail and a great big smile!

My alone time was short lived and AH arrived home within about 20 minutes. BGWLBH pulled into the driveway about 45 minutes later.

I spent an hour on my bed resting, before taking Harley out to play and making dinner. Snags, leftover mash and salad. Nice and easy.

I cleaned out another fridge and now it smells like vanilla.

AH and I watched Big Brother before heading to bed. (Yes! AH watches Big Brother!)

Now I’m watching Love Island before sleepy time.

Nite all.

A New Week

I cleaned out the fridge.

It was pretty bad.

Now it’s very empty and we need to go food shopping.

No rain or storms today/tonight, which was very nice, for a change.

Adoring Husband had to drive into the bay for a medical test, one of three, so I had the lounge room and TV to myself. Love Island was my entertainment of choice haha.

Creamy garlic chicken with mash and veg (asparagus, beans, snow peas and carrot) for dinner.

Both AH and BGWLBH are on a diet, so my menu choices are limited.

The last meditation class for the year is tomorrow, so I’d best get some sleep for an early start.

Recipe for Christmas gnome cheesecakes

Nite all.

Cuppla Dayz

Helen Mirren once said: Before you argue with someone, ask yourself, is that person even mentally mature enough to grasp the concept of a different perspective. Because if not, there's absolutely no point.

Not every argument is worth your energy. Sometimes, no matter how clearly you express yourself, the other person isn’t listening to understand—they’re listening to react.

They’re stuck in their own perspective, unwilling to consider another viewpoint, and engaging with them only drains you.

There’s a difference between a healthy discussion and a pointless debate.

A conversation with someone who is open-minded, who values growth and understanding, can be enlightening—even if you don’t agree. But trying to reason with someone who refuses to see beyond their own beliefs? That’s like talking to a wall. No matter how much logic or truth you present, they will twist, deflect, or dismiss your words, not because you’re wrong, but because they’re unwilling to see another side.

Maturity isn’t about who wins an argument—it’s about knowing when an argument isn’t worth having. It’s realizing that your peace is more valuable than proving a point to someone who has already decided they won’t change their mind. Not every battle needs to be fought. Not every person deserves your explanation.

Sometimes, the strongest thing you can do is walk away—not because you have nothing to say, but because you recognize that some people aren’t ready to listen. And that’s not your burden to carry.

Another quiet couple of days.

Adoring Husband has been hard at work in the yard, mowing, pruning and edging.

BGWLBH has been hard at work doing her art which has been selling at a steady rate in the art/craft store near the esplanade in Hervey Bay.

I have been hard at work playing with Harley and watching the Australian PGA Championship golf.

Today was “fend for yourself” dinner and I cooked up some honey/soy prawn cutlets and served them with avocado/mango/goats cheese/pine nut salad. It was perfectly divine!

We were hit with a mighty storm tonight with a couple of big thunderbolts very close by, some heavy rain (7mm in about 10 mins) and some strong gusty winds. Yet again, we survived.

Can you believe that we are almost in December?

Christmas is close and another year is soon to begin! I am approaching my 66th birthday, my grand daughters will be turning 5 and 15 next year, Harley is already 3yrs old and the world is very much a crappier place than it ever has been before.

I’m hoping to find some motivation, inspiration and enthusiasm in 2026. I’m not sure what for yet, but I reckon ‘something’ will come to me. I’ve been in the doldrums for way too long.

Right now, it’s time to sleep.

Nite all.

The Week That Was

The land down under or Stralya to some

The land I was raised in; my country; my home.

A kid in the bush with parents true blue

Weekends with ferrets and an old 22.

A bright future ahead for my country and me

As I considered my options of what I would be.

A chippy said Dad. A fine carpenter son

You’ll makes lots of money, provide, and save some

But as I grew older, the country fell sick

To greedy politicians and lazy misfits.

When I was a kid, the water was free

It fell from the sky and made rivers and creeks

And the farmer was happy, the milk tasted great

A steak you could chew and was big as your plate

A Sunday drive with family we’d go

Mum made the sangas and a thermos with brew

It was just a few bob...to go to Noojee

We’d fish there for yabbies and pick blackberries

Now there’s a meter for this and for that

And payment plans for those doing it tough

And china buys country, dairy farms and a wharf

Cattle stations, fruit farms and what else, what a thought

Now the country she burns and koalas cry out

And the wombats dig deeper to keep the flames out

Climate change shout the greenies, its the end of the world

Green house gases........CO2, ......we need  that Im sure

But apparently not. The UN said fix it, you’re polluters they say

And you’re major emitters

While China and India have it their way

Developing nations, we can’t stand in their way

And while where at it let’s give them some dosh

To build a few power stations and lots more sweat shops

Now the pollies all bicker and run each other down

And you’d think question time was run by some clowns

Now where are the men and the women of the past

The ones with principles and honesty and heart

The ones who cared the direction we’d go

It’s our nation, our country.....the Australia we knew

It’s the land we adopted. Captian Cook...he knew

It’s a place with riches beyond wildest dreams

But we give it to other countries

I’m not sure that I see..........

Because others benefit from  these riches and gold

It’s not for my kids or the Aussies of old

It’s poverty and meagre pensions for those who live now

While poliies feather their nest with gold and silver down.

Retirement looks good for the Canberra lot

Can you pay my rates and electricity you lazy lot?

As usual, not much to report.

My five day fast ended at 5.30pm today.

I feel better for it, but not as good as I expected. I might do it once each month for a while and see if the improvements are accumulative.

On Tuesday, I accompanied Adoring Husband to his doctor’s appointment where he received excellent news about his yearly blood tests. Everything is perfect.

Not such good news about his weight gain. He’s the heaviest he’s been since we moved to this town, so he’s now been given until Valentine’s Day to lose it. He will do that easily, just by reducing his coffee intake, and dropping bread, Weis bars and Toblerone chocolate from his diet.

It concerned me greatly that the doctor was very quick to suggest Ozempic as his first option for weight loss. 

No thank you.

AH needs to have a couple of other tests to check his lungs, bladder and prostate. Watch this space.

We ran some errands while in town and I was exhausted by the time we arrived home because I was running on 2 hours of sleep. 

On Wednesday, I spent the day in the bay with BGWLBH, which wasn’t so bad because I’d slept well the night before.

Today, I missed morning tea with my art girls, because I was feeling less than my best. I’m too old to be gallivanting all over the place for days in a row - although doing it in the middle of a 5 day fast probably wasn’t a great idea!

I rested and rejuvenated today and feel much better for it.

It’s almost midnight so it’s time to sleep.

Nite all.