June 2011 – Still Waters

June 30, 2011January 11, 2015

Farewell dear friend

In 2 weeks time it would have been 17 years since I first met Lance. July 1994 in fact.

A lovely friend – so full of vigour and energy. Dressed so well in his brand new clothes, nothing tatty or dull about him at all.

Comfortable and airy was how I described him once – yes, he could blow hot and cold at times – but that was at my own making and I have to say he never once let me down.

Always willing to accompany me whenever I wanted to go out and so very helpful when it came to carrying things big and small.

We travelled many kilometres and saw lots of sights together – we were happy together in our own special way.

He didn’t mind if others came along on our journeys, he always gave his best and showed me that there was plenty of room for them to enjoy the same delights as we did together.

We came to the end of our relationship the other day – I have moved on to another Lance.

This is a younger version of my favourite friend.

Another one full of vigour and energy, so willing to come along whenever needed.

He is so similar yet so very different that when I look at him I know I will have a little trouble finding him sometimes – he doesn’t have the same taste in colour as my first Lance and he certainly has a more modern taste in accessories

Yes, my old friend has gone on to higher things and I now have a younger one. The funny yet sad thing is that in all the time we knew each other we never had any photographs taken together so I have nothing to remind myself of our friendship.

So it’s goodbye to my maroon coloured Lancer circa 1994 and welcome to my white coloured Lancer circa 2009 who is now residing in my driveway – courtesy of my bank account and M’itsubishi Motors.

I do so hope Lance Mark 2 will be as faithful and reliable as my previous Lance was.

June 26, 2011February 24, 2012

One bed down Today’s Flowers

To clear my mind of the winter blues (see my last post) I took advantage of today’s sunny dry weather and pruned another of the rose beds

This is what I laughingly call my ‘Blue Bed’

Most of us flower lovers are aware there are no blue roses available

(at the moment)

so I humoured myself by planting lavender/lilac coloured ones there instead

The burgundy Iceberg was given to me as a gift without warning so had to be planted in the only space available at the time

And its not until you see it in a photo that you realise how out of place it looks

Hopefully I’ll get time to move it next week

Here are more glimpses of the flowers from the summer just gone

These little reminders should lighten my mood and tide me over till the roses in the bed above and others elsewhere in the garden are in full bloom again

If you click here

you will get a glimpse of more beautiful flowers from around the world

June 21, 2011February 24, 2012

Looking forward

The June Solstice (Winter Solstice) is on Wednesday, 22 June 2011 at 3:16 AM in Melbourne.

http://www.timeanddate.com/calendar/june-solstice.html

It means I can now begin to feel a little more positive

The days will get longer and hopefully warmer

I’m finding this Winter so far has been very cold – and very wet
and I haven’t been in the mood to do anything
My chair and the fire have been my companions

We had the most awful storms overnight here in Melbourne

Mind you so did most of the south and east of the country as this link from news.com.au will tell you

http://www.news.com.au/features/environment/severe-weather-warning-for-sa-issued-by-bureau-of-meteorology-melbourne-faces-cold-blast/story-e6frflp0-1226078903369

Locally the Weather Bureau forecaster Peter Blake has this to say

‘the wild weather was caused by a cold front which hit Melbourne in the early hours of the morning’.

Mount Dandenong recorded the highest wind gust around the metropolitan area at 102km/h.
source

You all know where Mt Dandenong is don’t you – yes – just up the road from where I live
There it is, visible from the end of my street
just follow the road and then make your way up to the top

Today hasn’t been much better either – strong winds and sleety rain.
Tomorrow we are having a heatwave
The forecast for my suburb is an overnight low of 5c/41F
with the grand total of 13c/55f as a high

I know its not cold compared to some of your winters
but it is to me lol
I get this way every winter so really its just the winter blues
A brisk walk on a sunny day seems to pick me up when I feel like this

I know I’m not suffering from SAD
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seasonal_affective_disorder

Seasonal Affective Disorder

The shortest day is tomorrow
Sunrise will be about 7.36am and sunset at 5.08pm
Look here and see how the day lengthens by seconds

Imagine how I’d feel if we went back to live in the Northern Hemisphere where it can be dark as early as 4.00pm and not start to get light till 8.00am

Then I would have something to complain about wouldn’t I lol

June 10, 2011February 24, 2012

My reasons for making the bed

When we were talking the other day and I mentioned how I felt a lot more relaxed about having the bed made I didn’t tell you that it doesn’t get made as soon as I get up – the covers are pulled back so it airs – then any clothes are picked up – and on it goes – in fact it’s often one of the last things I do before Dh or I go out but I don’t leave it till the afternoon (or even the evening) the way I used to.

So while I was making it the other day I began to think of several reasons why I should and do make it.

Yes it does give the room a really nice tidy look and that was my main objective

And there’s the peace of mind when I open the front door – no more shutting it when the doorbell rings.

Now If you do an online search you will find lots of reasons like the ones above for making the bed but besides them I’ve found out there are other benefits to this new ‘habit.

I know where to find the hot water bottles – There’s no more digging around the bottom of the bed or falling over them when they are on the floor at the side of the bed –they now have their own little spot at the front of the wardrobe.
I know where my pyjamas are. There’s no more wondering if I put them in the wash and need to get clean ones out or tripping over them on the floor beside the bed – they (clean ones or used ones with another night left in them) are now put under the pillow where they are easily seen when I’m getting undressed.

It gives me a chance for play time with Kiera. She has immense fun trying to get under the covers and the pillows when they are being put back into place. How could you resist not messing around with someone as sweet as this?

Who when she has finished messing up the tidy bed

looks at you with those half closed eyes

and promptly falls asleep lol

And of course it gives me some equal opportunity/ quality time with Dh as I often get him to give me a hand. Its at these ‘fun’ times I get to hear how sleeping in the same creases is an art learned in the forces and how they would press a crease in their trousers by putting them under the mattress. Actually my motive for getting him to help is just so he doesn’t think it’s only my place to do it – after all half the creases (and lots of times the clothes) are his lol

How about you – are there things you do now that didn’t get done before?

June 10, 2011February 24, 2012

Necessary stuff

I saw this fun post on someone’s blog the other day
Unfortunately I can’t give them the credit
‘cose I can’t remember who it was lol

If you had to leave the house in a hurry

With no worry of the house being destroyed

What would be the bare minimum items you’d take?

Well, with the weather we are having at the moment

and assuming I’m dressed and have a coat handy

Disregarding medication which would be a definite

It would be my fingerless gloves and a brolly

Along with car and house keys

Phone and wallet containing necessary cards

I took this photo taken the other day

just before going on a very quick trip to the shops

Would these items go with you as well

or would there be more

June 9, 2011February 24, 2012

A Englishman Irishman and a Scotsman

Heres a little joke for you courtesy of our Inbox – I thought it quite funny

It’s 2012 and it’s Olympic time in London.

An Englishman, Irishman and a Scotsman want to get in but they haven’t got tickets.

The Scotsman picks up a manhole cover. Tucks it under his arm and walks to the gate. “McTavish, Scotland. Discus” he says, and in he walks.

The Englishman picks up a length of scaffolding and slings it over his shoulder. “Pocklington-Smythe, England. Pole vault” he says, and in he walks.

The Irishman looks around and picks up a roll of barbed wire and tucks it under his arm. “O’Malley, Ireland. Fencing.”

June 7, 2011February 24, 2012

Ouch – sore thighs

One of my ‘favourite’ classes at the gym is Body Pump

As the explanation below says it’s a class where you exercise in time to music using a barbell and weights

BODY PUMP

is a 60-minute non-impact class

designed to give your body a complete workout using barbells and weights to music

http://www.lesmills.com/global/bodypump/about-bodypump.aspx

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BodyPump

So after doing a class early yesterday morning

(not my first class ever but my first at the new gym)

and even tho’ I kept the weights low, my body is now reminding me that the effects of said class are not quite the same as using free weights or exercise equipment:(

Being in a class situation means I put far more energy and enthusiasm into whatever I’m doing than if I just ‘go it alone’ in the gym

Please don’t ask me to pick up something from off the ground

My thighs are not in the mood !

Could be something to do with squats and lunges lol

Do you put more effort into things when in a group

or do you work better on your own?

June 5, 2011

21 Days they say

‘They’ say it takes about 21 days to make or break a habit
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_long_does_it_take_for_something_to_become_a_habit

Well I must say it seemed to take more than 21 days for me to get into the habit of making our bed every morning but I think I have it mastered now. Same as washing up in the evening and not leaving it all till the next morning. Both of these ‘new habits’ certainly make me more relaxed but I still feel I need to do some more work on forming another – or do I?

Let me explain.

When I got home early last Friday afternoon I called a friend, no answer so left a message. Same thing happened with another friend. I spent some time pottering about sorting out ‘stuff’ to go into bags for the op-shop/thrift shop, no sooner had I walked out the door to put it in the car when I heard the phone ring. Let the machine take it was my reaction.

Bags went into the car; I came back inside and returned the call.

Long chat part of which was agreeing to give her some of the ‘stuff’ I’d just put in the car so out I go again to retrieve it. Proceed to resort ‘stuff’ on floor of hallway and the phone rings again. Long chat to other friend.

Dh walks in while this is taking place. Looks aghast at the mess and says he’s going back up the road and could I move my car so he can get down the drive when he gets back. It had been raining when I got home so I parked away from the bushes (didn’t want to get wet when I got out) and there wasn’t enough room for him to drive down past me.

Oh all right says I – let me finish this sorting and I’ll move it when the bags go back in the car. Dagger eyes come my way along with words advising me he is only going to be up the shops a few minutes – meaning I’d like it moved before I get home lol

So up I get and look around. Move the bags, lift lots of things, try to retrace my steps – older car so I’d physically locked the car when I originally put the bags of ‘stuff’ in there and used them to unlock it when they came back out but where were they now. Go and look at the car door and the boot lock – not there – look around the house again – how could they just disappear?

I will admit that I do have a habit of just dropping them and they somehow get covered with things – you know how it is………….get home and dying for a P ………………….in you run, stuff gets dropped, ooh that’s better, kettle goes on, cup of tea gets drunk and the keys get forgotten. Till you need them.

Well to cut a long story short, I decided I’d have a hot drink to clear my mind, went to get milk from the fridge out in the laundry and guess what I saw hanging on the little hook I delegated for my car keys – are you with me??

I’ve been trying to get into the habit of hanging them up when I come in the door so they don’t get lost and cause the same scenario I’d just gone through………..standing there I remembered that after coming back in with the bags I’d gone to the loo and automatically hung them up as I walked past the hook.

Somehow I don’t think Dh is going to let me live this one down.!!

June 4, 2011February 24, 2012

Looking back

June is the time I begin to cut back my roses

They are looking very straggly so this little trim will do them good

They will get their very short winter cut next month

Just before we go up north to Queensland to escape the cold weather here in Melbourne

So to tide me over till next Spring when they start to bloom again

I thought I’d revisit some of the ones I set out on a little table in the hallway

These were picked during January and February 2011

I must remember to move that blind hook to the other side of the door where it won’t be visible lol

Todays flowers

can be found at the link above

June 2, 2011February 24, 2012

Now you see them – now you don’t

Them being the operative word

Parking the car at the gym last week this is what I saw.

The sky was a beautiful blue with a hint of cloud

Parts of the The Dandenongs were slightly hidden by a bit of low cloud

Now some regular readers will know

I have a habit of leaving my window open

So when someone came in

and mentioned it looked like rain I popped out to check

And this is what greeted me

What happened to the blue sky?

And where did the the top of my hills go?

Oh dear – this is what it looked like when I was ready to go home.

No blue to be seen at all

The clouds had covered the sky completely

Rolled down the hillside

Completely obliterating any views of Mt Dandenong and the surrounding hills

As I said in the title

Now you see them

Now you don’t lol

For more Skywatch skies from around the world

Click here

June 1, 2011February 24, 2012

The falling leaves drift by my window

Do you remember a song that began with:

‘The falling leaves drift by my window

The falling leaves of red and gold’

‘Autumn Leaves‘

English lyrics by Johnny Mercer 1947

Now in case you didn’t know it
Today June 1st is the official first day of Winter here in Australia
Nicely heralded first thing this morning with frost on the windscreen of the car

However, being Winter doesn’t stop the leaves from the deciduous trees
falling all over the place

They aren’t drifting by my window
They are floating down all over my garden!

click images to enlarge