Monday, January 28, 2008

NEW WALKS and CELEBRATING AUS. BIRTHDAY

Thank you to all those who were proud enough to celebrate this weekend.We've had a few hot days again are are often the hottest in the country. Today was a very mild 30.3.
On a sad note , the loss of Heath Ledger must have hit his family very badly . The bereavement notices were heartbreaking.





















I have discovered a lot of ways to walk around here. All the way around,down the middle (it has an axis of path with parkway on the side),down the middle and up the hill,down the middle ,past the mansions and into the dog zone. Today I went as far as crossing the main road to see Scott's old house. The new area in front of that is actually a little disappointing, no gardens or street parks yet. Mind you, the old house and several around it look pretty neglected too. The photos are of the axis path and sun setting over the trees here.
Then we had breakfast to celebrate Australia day. We went to Freo ,to the MIlls Bakehouse and it was very enjoyable and very reasonably priced .Service good and staff friendly. Kids enjoyed it too, they had pancakes,Karen & I , Eggs Benedict and the others big Breaky ( I think,).
Went back home today to Mahjong (I won again) and check emails and a bit of shopping. Not impresessed with our new favourite store, they also serve smokers before anyone else and that's discriminatory when we have stood in line for ages, as we had, these stores being one of the few open on a public holiday and thus VERY busy. I may have to formally complain.
I know she won't see this but Happy Birthaday Michelle. Card still coming.
Ger, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TOO. Your card is on the way. Must be the time for the G's as Gerda and Gwen also have a birthday. Riley boy has his on Friday He'll just be home and we'll see him for coffee and cake so also to our only Grandson, HAPPY BIRTHDAY. While I'm at it ,on the 5th we have our middle granddaughter turning 5 years also. HAPPY BIRTHDAY SARAH. She starts big school this year,in pre-Primary.
Rick went fishing with Gary and so we are cooking that for them at home tomorrow. Kiah dog will miss me 'cause I also have to have a haircut and will stay home till after tea.But then my own Mac is missing me too so I'll be able to see him all day. (Yes he's only a dog, Vicki , but then your father does not seem to be missing me so I need SOMEONE to miss me.) I'll be back to not having the easy internet access on Thursday. Pity, I'll have to try & make more effort going to the clubhouse.

Friday, January 25, 2008

AUSTRALIA


Happy Australia Day everyone. Love this country.
Celebrating with breakfast at Mills Bakehouse in Fremantle.
Having a problem importing a flag on Scott's computer so will have to do without.

Hoorah,did it!

Wednesday, January 23, 2008

The Art of being Lazy.

This is Cassandra, daughter of an Australian Champion who is "going to do well" I reckon Mr Mac would do well too. .( Note ,that shopping at the end should include going for coffee,lunch and the occasional drive as well.)
Have just spent 4 hrs on Scott's computer,looking up poetry,dachshunds,petsites,Maps,Found great one of Scott's house but could not find Denise & Bruce. Will try others on Google maps later. But then , this is the hard day for this 68 year old at present anyway. \
Get up, 6.00 or 6.30 am. Walk 1 1/2 - 2 hours.
Back for breakfast fruit & shake & watch Sunrise & Today while embroidering till 9 am.
Do washing, by hand as there is not much, wipe sink, any watering & other little pickup jobs.

Shower.
Watch telly, go on computer , talk to dog,throw her the odd ball and perhaps read a little till shake & salad for lunch.
Embroider,watch telly and /or have a short snooze and a swim and walk in pool.
Go & have tea with my husband (today) and play Mah Jong at the club.
Return to this house after 9. Better wash (by hand!!!!! believe it or not) my dishes and to bed.Read a little.
I reckon that is as it should be for all female 68 year olds but include in that some shopping trips.

What a difference a street makes. Walked the edge of this estate and admired the mansions and beautiful gardens on the extra large lots.(Despite our water problem, though I noticed a few had advertising boards for watersaving systems having been installed)Then took a small path around the back . That was full of graffiti and rubbish thrown in the bush . At the end of that small path was the Banjup kennel zone. I walked all the streets( Including Crufts Way, where Mac came from) and boy, what a difference.The reasonably nice homes (or kennels) and gardens were few and far between. It was typically unkempt houses with dead trees, dead cars and garages full of junk. That is just a street away from the other pristene area. Amazing.
Karen can you photograph your girls' embroideries and email them either to my Yahoo or home email. I'll do the same here. I've been told one must photograph and publish all one's Xstitch so will do and publish on here.

Tuesday, January 22, 2008

THOUGHTS

It will be Australia's birthday on Saturday and I was reading in the weekend papers that about
80 % of Australians now celebrate Australia Day in some way. There are lots of flags on cars already and on some houses. We are going to breakfast with the family in Fremantle, will enjoy that and am glad that there is that feeling of pride in one's country now.



Andre Rieu and his violin The huge stage setting (They have been to Toronto already)chandeliers and all.






Got up early this morning to take my doggy , Mac, for a walk . Trev said Mac was missing me so we had a very long walk and the walk was like Hay Street this morning,lots of dogs and people and lots of greetings and talks. Took me 2 hours almost. ( Yes, Travis and Vicki,I know he is just a dog and a sausage dog as well, but the best of the best).
Had a long session looking at Andre Rieu's website and others. There are even fans who devote most of their own websites to him. I could not go that far but certainly enjoy his music and the DVD's of his concerts. Could still get tickets in Melbourne for $99 but up in the gods of Telstra Dome and ofcourse does not include airfares.!!!!!!!!!There seem to be no bookings open for Adelaideas yet, or if there are ,can't see them. Perth was touted to be on the program on November 21st and also Dec. 1st but nothing has appeared as yet. Have also heard that tickets will be seriously expensive. When one reads his website and the number of containers it takes to put on the show, as well as the number of people to set it up and to perform, one wonders how many planes he charters? No wonder they say it will be expensive. It is amazing just to follow up on that.The girls I went to lunch with yesterday had not heard of him and I was amazed at that because I thought that by now everyone had. His latest album was the top album in Australia and when one reads the comments on his website his fans seem to encompass all ages, men and women and all nationalities. There are lots from Australia, indeed ,lots from Perth.
Our lunch was not the quality it used to be ,at Ramons,disappointing but we enjoy each other's company so we'll try somewhere else next time. Was quite costly as well e.g. $ 9.50 for a scoop of sorbet, some cream and flavouring!!! Same for cakes.
Picked five large cucumbers today off your vines ,Scott. Will have to take some to the Mah Jong girls tomorrownight as I can't eat them all on my own.Have to go back on Thursday evening as well. Our Social Club General meeting requires 50 % for a quorum and we did not have that last week, hope they do this time. 122 attendance is a big ask from old people.

Sunday, January 20, 2008

Home Alone


Well , not exactly home but at Scott & Jo's minding their dog. They left everything so clean that I have just closed up the rooms and am walking, swimming, watching TV, reading playing on the computerand doing embroidery. What a life eh? This is Riley with the devil dog. She is not a devil really, very good at home but take her out walking and she pulls and pulls. Decided that I would teach her to walk properly but one walk this morning and every bone in my body aches.,especially those in my left hand ,which holds the leash. She just may not get trained properly after all. Tomorrow I go out to lunch with the" Wackie " girls, some of my former colleagues from East Waikiki school. Always enjoyable so looking forward to it. Scott & Co flew the new budget air;ine , Tiger Air. It seems they enjoyed it and had a brand new plane. First good comment I have heard so good on them. Trev home with Mac and I am sure enjoying himself , cooking all the things he thinks he misses out on Yeh, really!!!

Thursday, January 17, 2008

It's a hot day

Down at Vicki's today to look after Caitlyn with Bella & Sarah coming in the afternoon. Had Bella & Sarah on Monday & Tuesday but not Zoe & Riley 'cause their dad is on holidays already. They go to Melbourne with the 4 of them early Saturday morning. Two weeks and I'll go to their place to look after the dog. Our dinner with 2 neighbouring couples was a great success and they all enjoyed it. Better than just waving and saying hello. We had pork ,chicken and gin terrine for entree,steak,rissoles,fish and chicken sausages barbecued with sauces and green garden salad and spinach,asparaghus and egg salad. For desert we had 3 tastings of honeycomb cheesecake,apple syllabub and Jo's icecream slice. we were all full but was nice. Did not take any photos. Today is to be 39 degrees again so not very nice and it feels like it might be hotter than that. Sounds like Japanese whaling and Greenpeace anti whaling ships (the Steve Irwin)are really creating incidents with whalers hanging on to 2 Greenpeace guys. Not nice either. Really japan needs to stop the whaling to comply with the rest of the world. The rate our large creatures are disappearing is a worry. Don't say we kill our kangaroos. That is done to keep the numbers at a reasonable level,they are certainly not endangered at this stage.Just take a look at the paddocks near Byford and some of the Golfcourses like Melville (right in the city of Melville) and Preston Beach.

Sunday, January 13, 2008

Finished the embroidery


Traditionally I have done a large embroidery for each grandchild and meant to finish each one when they were born. Zoe is the only one that was. The others have had to wait up to 2 1/2 years. Caitlyn just got hers. I found a lovely gold frame but SOMEONE (her dad) leaned on it and broke the glass. Fortunately he found another frame the same and he had to re-do it. Looks good on the wall though. Maybe I'll have to take pictures of the others as well. Can't stay long on this, have some neighbours coming for tea, which should be nice. It always is when one does not have to worry about drivinng home. NOt that that makes much difference to me!!!!!!!!!! I do like a little tipple.

Have joined facebook but like this much better, less buttons to click. Hope people will still look!
En een grote Hallo voor myn nicht Clara, die nu zelf een computer heefd en dus ook zelf naar myn site kan kyken,leuk he???? Heb juist vandaag naar verschedene Andre Rieu DVD's gekeken, hy is hier nu ook erg beliefd en komt in November hier maar natuurlyk niet naar Perth. Zou graag naar een concert toe maar het word een beetje duur als je zo'n $ 600 of meer voor een vlucht naar Melbourne of Sydney moet betalen.

Sunday, January 06, 2008

HELLO 2008

Frank,not at his best Rod with girl squaws


Rod. the butcher, provided and cooked the roasts. His carving was much admired.


Trev & others at Ina & Frank's for entre. The man at the right Karl. is a friend of Rod & Chris's,used to be Trevor's boss at Clipsal.



Another with Ina & others at the Frankens.




Well our New Year started with a sparkle and I hope that yours did too. We had a very enjoyable Progressive dinner with lovely ,quality food and a lot of fun along the way. We finished the evening by noisily entering the club and joining the dancing and frivolities there. We went home at 12.30, which was a record for the old boy Trevor but the others went on later.





I put a bit more than 2 kilos back on over the festive season but I did eat everything and enjoyed it immensely. Now have to work hard to lose it again unfortunately. However, my dog Mac and I are back on longer walks again and all the chocolates have gone from the cupboards and the shortbread is finished,that makes it a bit easier.We have walked every day because I have not had to babysit but that starts again this week.The kids are on ho;idays ofcourse so I'll have them all day. Bella & Sarah on Friday too. Howevere, I think that is what Omas were made for.





Next Sunday we have asked a couple of our neighbours for a meal.





Have had several emails about the value of honey and cinnamon lately and my arthritis has been really bad .So I have started the regimen of 2 spoons of honey & one of cinnamon before I go for a walk. God , I hope it works for I am pretty desperate.





Went to Dim Sum Lunch with Ina, Sheila and Val. That was really nice too. I really enjoy going out with the girls. Have one with the old Wackie girls on the 21st and love that also.





Temperatures here have varied from the late 20's to 40 degrees C and tomorrow will be another 40. Oh well, we have to take that along with the good days and we have really had some lovely days , making the early morning walks most enjoyable. Ofcourse, everyone is feeling quite jovial at this time of the year so when I walk there are many stops along the way ,talking with the other dogs and their owners.





The worst part of this time of the year is probably the bushfires and sadly a convoy of trucks was caught along the highway to Kalgoorlie and 3 men were burned . There were several houses , cars and sheds lost in the Perth foothills and a lot of arcreage burnt between us and Vicki & Travis's suburb but no loss of life there,thank goodness.





So now, here is 2008 and we hope that it will be a good one with much health and joy for everyone.