Month: October 2017

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I won’t be reading or commenting for a while

I’ll just be a little while

Have a few things to do

Mostly involving suitcases, airplanes, hotel rooms, cruise ships 😊

My Gt Gt Grandma Jane Gatherer (of Scottish descent so known as Jean) might have said

I’lll just be a wee while……..

Have fun – and play nicely while I’m away 😊😊

~ ~ ~ ~

And for tomorrow’s  Musical Monday – Ella Fitzgerald sings On A Slow Boat to China

Technically we ‘are’ going to China – sort of –

however our slow boat is not going to but coming back from lol

(Oh, and as I’ll be having a little break when we get back my wee while may be longer than you think)

 

I use WordPress for my blog and I’m having trouble commenting on blogspot/blogger blogs

Some bloggers have a name/url spot in a drop down menu which sometimes works and sometimes doesn’t.

If there is an Open ID spot on a menu I try that but some reason my WordPress Open ID doesn’t work

Some bloggers are google+ people which can also be a problem – for me.

Most times I have to resort to using my old google id from my old Still Waters blog which usually works but then if anyone follows through on that they then have to click on again to get to the new blog.

I occasionally put a direct link to the wordpress blog in my comments but some bloggers don’t like that, won’t use it or just think of it as advertising.

Some times I write a comment click to publish and it just disappears into thin air

I’m not blaming anyone – I just would like to be able to comment on other blogs!

(because people think I’m not visting/reading – when I am. I just can’t tell them that I am 😊😊)

Is anyone else having a problem – or is it just me??

Fun Friday is usually made up of silly funny jokey things designed to help forget the worries of the week

This week is slightly different – I’m dedicating this Fun Friday to Fats Domino.

These songs might be old (and a bit crackly in places) but they were ones from my teenage years

Ones I listened to and sang along to – Ones I danced to ….singing along 😊

Jiving to ‘I’m Walking’…….slow dancing aka creeping to ‘Blueberry Hill’, where we found our thrill 😊

Fun Fun Fun – Musical Fun.

These are just a few of his hits

Enjoy your Fun Friday by listening to one of them 😊❤️

https://youtu.be/xbfMlk1PwGU

R I P

October 1993 was special

24 years ago my status in life changed

24 years ago our first grandchild was born

Happy to swing with The Golfer on her 2nd birthday

Happy 24th Birthday Miss S 😊

(A purely personal post)

When I wandered round the park the other day I walked along for a short while with someone I call a ‘nodding acquantance’. Sometimes when we see each other we just nod and  keep on walking others we exchange a few words.  Don’t think we’ve ever introduced ourselves to each other, maybe we’ll get round to it this summer 😊

Anyway further on a bit there was a group of women gathered together listening intently to a very fit looking young woman girl  child!  Exercise mats at the ready!

Oh thats where they are , said my nodding acquantance.  She then went on to tell me about her friend who’d raved about the boot camp she joined where they did really simple exercises.  So…as you do….we stood and had a stickybeak at what they did.

Gosh, she said, that just looks like old fashioned physical jerks – what’s the betting it gets more advanced as the weeks go by.

Watching the group I kept thinking there was something familiar about the routine then later that afternoon I had a rummage around in one of our bookshelves and found my old old copy of – this!

Yes XBX – the female companion to the Royal Canadian Air Force’s 5BX (five basic exercises) plan for their servicemen.

Ten exercises designed to work every part of the body – a set number of repeats to be done in a certain time.  Gradually becoming more difficult.

What was funny was, as we turned away to walk in different directions, we looked at each other, laughed and spontaneously started to sing – ‘ Bend and Stretch, Reach for the Stars’ lol

Ready Mr Music please 😊😊

By the way this is an old 1980s recording of the Australian version of Romper Room.

There have been times recently as we’ve moved from season to season I’ve felt like a bit of a fraud.  I’ve been gaily gloating mentioning our warmer temperatures to other bloggers and what does fickle Miss Spring do – well she decides she’s going to back off for a day or two (or should I say night or two……. Blankets removed have been replaced!)

For putting up with the return of some rather cool nights we have been ‘rewarded’ with some rather nice days just right for early morning walking and seeing these bursts of colour along the way has certainly put a spring in my step.

These days Gazanias come in a variety of colours however I love the sunny look of the yellow which I tend to think is the original.  And doesn’t it look grand making itself comfortable on both sides of this fence.

At one time I had some of the supposedly easy to grow Osteospermum in my garden  Not sure where it went to because it’s not to be found anywhere out there. Maybe it wandered away just like this cool looking plant seems to be doing.

I have to admit I don’t know the name of this little creeper – it looked like a minature Covolvulus but there was no one around to ask.  It certainly looked happy to sprawl in and around that corner of the fence near the letter box.

And back home I see a self sown Erigeron has once again taken over a corner spot of our old garage.  I cut it right back at the end of Autumn and each year it grows back bigger and this year seems to have taken over half the pathway as well.

Patches of Arctotis are beginning to show colour around the garden……making me smile when I see their open flower heads turned up to the sky.  So easy to grow, dig up a piece with even the finest of roots on the end and it takes off in no time.  Takes off alright – it’ll cover a bare patch quick as wink – no wonder years ago a generous friend asked me if i wanted some bits she’d dug up 😊

This is the last of one of my favourite spring flowering bulbs – the Bluebell.  Once the green leaves poke through the ground I’m on the lookout for those stalks topped with droopy heads loaded with those ‘blue bells’.  These and the ubiquitous Daffodils are the only two flowers that remind me of Spring as I was growing up in England.

Now depending on whether you like them or regard them as a pest here’s a bit of Australia for you – up at the park the other day I was entertained by this Noisy Miner as he/she flitted about posing on the lower branch of a gum tree.  (These photos will enlarge with a click)

 

Linking  to Nature Notes   

Hosted by Michelle at Rambling Woods

Linking to Our World Tuesday

Thank you all for your comments and concern over my arthritic fingers

I assure you they don’t look like that all the time

After a quiet couple of days with a book

No computer- No knitting – No craft of any sort

Look what I found yesterday afternoon

Some knuckles 😊

(No I didn’t spend the day in bed – I was making it and noticed them)

(The iPad was sitting there so it was piccie time lol)

You can’t always have everything you want!
That’s something my mother impressed on me from a young age
Oh, and another saying of her was
You have to take the good with the bad

Bowen is (sometimes) our winter home and when I discovered a file of old photos those expressions turned up in my mind as well

Some winter days in Far North Queensland are great
Like this day at Queens Beach Bowen

July 25th 2011

Sunny skies with a hint of cloud reflected in the watery sand
as the gentle low tide waves rolled in and out

Then there are others that are not so great
Like this day – on the same beach

August 4th 2011

Very grey skies with lots of cloud definitely not reflected in the cold looking sand as the waves thundered in and out

As you can see the weather had a mind of its own this trip – I wanted sunny blue skies everyday but didn’t get them
We had to admire the good and accept the bad.

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A friend admired the recently knitted pink matinee coat (like this one) so that’s gone to new baby who has just moved into a new home in the northern hemisphere.  Like the original it turned out quite nice but it was what I would call a bad knit – just like the blue cowl neck jumper – not to be attempted again.

Anyway not to be deterred it was back to the ‘donated to me stash’ and on to another favourite – this sweet lacy front jumper. Such an easy knit which turns out just right each time yet I was undecided with it being such a bright yellow.  There are some who say…..it’s for a charity, does it matter…… so I’m hoping it will brighten up some little girl’s winter day.  What do you think?

And all was going well – until I woke up yesterday with aching fingers.  Yes, for some reason, after quite a long time in remission my mother’s gift of arthritis was making itself known again. Painful swollen knuckle joints are the pits, I should remind myself of this when I try to do too much.  Consequently I’ve put the needles aside for a day or two ……rubbed in the Comfrey Cream, which usually works ……and picked up a book instead.

All is good – but I’ll accept the bad when I have my friend to keep me company 😊

Linking to Skywatch Friday

 

 

Even though we are in the throws of ‘gathering things together’ for time away in November lots of little chats have been going on here at home about whether we’ll have a ‘big’ holiday next year (or not) because with the cost of travel being what it is – expensive – we usually try to fit as much in as is possible.  We aren’t that well off and it often takes a fair bit of planning for some things to happen but so far it has been achievable

The other thing discussed is what time of the year shall we travel.

Early in the year outside of Australia is usually cool…..later is warmer.  Early is cheapish….later more expensive   Oh decisions decisions 😊

It’s often the later trips that provide the most entertainment.

Like seeing the Pandas and Polar Bears at San Diego Zoo in October 2000

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I was talking to a friend about that trip a couple of weeks ago and she mentioned the Polar Bear mother and her cubs in the Frozen Planet series made by David Attenborough. I laughed and said ‘that was on tv just after we got back from seeing more of the same’  All that planning…..and saving …..had allowed us to vist The Golfer’s family in Nova Scotia with side trips to Newfoundland and Alaska during September/October 2010.

We were in Ketchikan Alaska when we came across this big brute.
I can’t remember which store it was in but look at the size of it.  Take it down on ground level and it still would make The Golfer look short.
You wouldn’t stand a chance if he caught you by surprise and you certainly wouldn’t want to shake him by the hand 😊

This one who looked more like a cub than an adult was reclining on the floor of the Grenfell House Museum St Anthony which is up on the far northwesterly tip of Newfoundland.

People were saying how lovely and soft and cozy he looked until they had a proper look at the head.  Even as small as it was by comparison I still thought those teeth were on the large side Lol

Another beauty lives in the Durrell Museum in Twillingate which is in the northeast of the province.  This stance really does give you an idea of being up close and personal with a Polar Bear.  Look at the size of those claws!!

And this is the Frozen Planet episode I referred to. I’m hoping the Summer link works.  If not try the veoh url

 Ep.3 Summer

http://www.veoh.com/m/watch.php?v=v25233259qmT3n3re

The polar bears are at the beginning, finishing about 10 mins in and if you don’t want to watch the whole episode do fast forward through to about 10 mins before the end.  There’s a section called Freeze Frame which shows (and explains the ins and outs of) the crew filming – very interesting.

~ ~ ~ ~

Facts and figures

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polar_bears

OIf you’re interested YouTube have a section called Polar Bears International
Videos related to polar bears, the Arctic, sea ice, and climate change by Polar Bears International, the world’s leading polar bear conservation group. 

Linking to- Nature Notes

Linking to – Travel Tuesday

Linking to – Our World Tuesday

There’s one little sound that seems to have infiltrated most of our world.

THE BEEP

I’d like to know what we did wrong to be inflicted with the beep – I’d love to know who invented the beep – ‘cose I’d certainly give them a piece of my mind

Not the bad word beep and not the reversing beep not even the ping beep of a low smoke alarm battery beep but that infernal one thats heard around us more and more these days – the one that seems to be attached to everything electonic.

The Golfer has been party to the beep for a long time now, I resisted for a lot longer whilst smiling at all those around me who were slaves of the beep

Sadly progress wiped the smile off my beepless face – our trusty 25 year old beepless microwave packed up a few years ago and I reluctantly joined the beep society. There is nothing attractive about a microwave that beeps at you – and I have been known to tell it so across the kitchen. Its almost like someone snapping their fingers and expecting you to drop everything and attend to their needs – doesn’t happen in my house lol

It doesn’t seem many Christmas have passed since I fell more and more under its spell – the beep that is – I entered a new phase of my life…….late bloomer that I was ……by becoming the owner of a small mobile phone – yes, up till then if ‘they’ wanted to talk to me ‘they’ had to wait till I was ready to speak to them.

I have since progressed to a bigger (whether it’s better is open to debate) thing that still beeps (in a slightly different key) when ‘they’ decide they really need to ask me something or let me know something, knowing full well my curiosity will get the better of me and I will stop what I’m doing to find out what it’s all about.

Oh dear, and you know what…..another wedge was driven into my desire for a beepless life when the new fridge/freezer was delivered and had the audacity to beep at me when I stood at the open door pondering.

And then not content with just finishing a wash and coming to a standstill – guess what the new washing machine did, yes the beeping thing beeped at me!

I’ve had enough………I’ve decided I’m going out to protest……I’m going to stand outside the electrical stores with a placard……a large one …….one that says Ban the Beep! 😊😊

More from the inbox

Entitled

‘Looks can be deceiving’ OR ‘Can you see them’‘ 

A Baby

Three Women

A Kissing Couple

Ten Faces in the Tree

Today is Friday!  Friday the 13th!

Friday is the day you leave all the worries of the week behind and have FUN

Have you ever noticed how the shape of windows and doors in churches usually mimic each other?

Like the door at the front side of this wooden Anglican church with lots of small windows on Fogo Island.  Named St John the Evangelist it is in the Town of Fogo, just across the road from Peg’s B & B.  Closed unfortunately so unable to look inside. (September 2013)

Then there is the door flanked by two slim windows and topped by a much larger one on the front entrance to this well known Catholic church  in Tahiti.  Seen on Avenue du Général de Gaulle, the Cathedral Church of Notre Dame is near to the waterfront in Papeete.  (April 2016)

And here in Australia, noted for its twin spires this is St James Catholic Church in Peak Hill.  A small town just off the Newell Highway in New South Wales.  One large impressive window sits above the door with four slim line windows each side of the entrance, similar to those surrounding the side walls. (August 2016)

Each month Dawn at The Day After hosts A Lingering Look at Windows

Her October windows plus others can be found HERE

Inbox cartoons can be funny or ‘what on earth is that about?’

Ones forwarded by The Golfer’s acquaintances can be a bit ‘blue’

(Apologies if you are offended)

 

 

Fun Friday- The day of the week we forget all our worries 😊

 

Row Row Row your boat
Gently down the stream
Merrily Merrily Merrily Merrily
Life is but a dream

I’ve been plodding along living my life peacefully this past few weeks.  The days are getting longer, lighter earlier and staying light a bit later each day and even getting a (tiny) bit warmer.  Warm enough some days for open doors and windows and even – not have any heating on 😊

Not warm enough for salads yet – still a bit of stewing going on

All of which means I’m slowly emerging from my winter hibernation, starting to paddle about, leave the house willingly and actually enjoy being out and about.

With the arrival of better weather I’ve returned to choir after a break during those cold wet weeks – night driving in the wet was beginning to worry me so best not to do it.  I missed that weekly sing song so if we ‘winter at home’ again next year I’ll try to tee up with someone and arrange a lift.  No chance this year – locals close to me were either away or crook  Our ‘flu season is still going strong, thousands have been struck down with several unusually young ‘healthy’ deaths.  So I’m not sure if it was due to our ‘flu jabs or good luck the virus didn’t strike either of us.

A trip to the cinema last week to see Victoria and Abdul meant we were finally able to use the balance left on a gift card from last Christmas – the cinema at Chirnside Park has lots of little theatrettes so we thought it might be fun to mix and match…..two visits in the standard but very comfortable $10 seats and two in the more upmarket recliner $15 ones 😊

The Golfer decided on American Made & Dunkirk –  La La Land along with Victoria and Abdul were my choices.    So many ‘fabulous’ reviews for V & A and I’m probably in the minority here but it was a bit so so for me.  A truish story line, beautifully set and wittily acted but it didn’t seem quite right.

Honestly this change in seasons seems to have filled one of my friends with a sense of the ridiculous – she had me in a fit of giggles as she entertained me at lunch the other day.

Some of our supermarkets are having facelifts and installing these carousels to hold the plastic bags.  As one bag is filled the cashier gives it a turn and starts to fill the next one, after a few turns the bags reach the customer who then lifts them off and puts them in their trolley.   It appears the young cashier didn’t quite see the funny side when B asked if she could have a ride on the roundabout.  B is well into her 80s and not quite the slimmest of people!!

And then when she returned from visiting the “ladies’ she asked me how long there’s been a gents urinal over the lavatory pan.  With no idea what she meant I had to go and have a look.  The café had installed one of those water saving sets – a new special hand basin over the cistern unit.  Push the button to flush and the water comes out of the tap draining into the cistern – there’s no plug and it’s a regulated fill amount (same as any cistern) no need for a separate sink unit.  Only drawback I could see was washing your hands with cold water and remembering to put the lid down.  Wouldn’t want to lose a watch or bracelet while leaning over to get to the sink.

And I certainly seemed to be living in a dream the other day.

Put a load of washing on – came back expecting it to be finished – yes I’d put it on but didn’t close the lid (top loader) which meant it got as far as drain and spin then stopped.  Safety feature – doesn’t spin with the lid up.   Senior moment all right 😊

Didn’t help I’d been up to our local supermarket (one without the wiz bang plastic bag carousels) and as the young lad who was serving filled each bag he actually placed them straight into my trolley.  Now that’s never happened before – they get usually filled and put on the shelf beside the till for you to pick up.

When I said Thank You he replied – “I thought you looked rather weary today so decided you’d be my ‘good turn for the day'”  I wasn’t sure if I should be pleased or upset – he really did do me a good turn but did I really look that tired and weary??

So how are you all?
Have you been merrily rowing down the stream of life?

What are you dreaming about today?

While most of Melbourne was engrossed in the game going on at the MCG (Richmond v  Adelaide Aussie Rules Grand Final) I pottered about outside.  Notice the brown stuff on the ground to the right of this photo – it’s the last of the leaves that dropped from the tree that is now covered in soft green new ones.  Wouldn’t you  think it would give me time to rake them up before sprouting new ones 😊

If you look carefully you can see there’s Spring lavender flowering round the washing line – hopefully I’ll be able to use it regularly again soon without having to keep resorting to the little one one the deck.  The little one is great during the Winter when it’s wet but in my mind there’s nothing nicer than washing that’s had a good blow in the fresh air.

And can you see the growth on the rose bushes below the strappy leaves of the Agapanthus – in what I laughingly call the Blue Bed’  – called that because most are a lavender colour 😊   There are some early buds there as well which means it wont be long before I can have roses in the hallway again.

A few years ago I used to feature Flowers in the Hallway on a weekly flower meme which now appears to have been disbanded.  Would you like to see some?

I’d pop lots of different flowers in a vase on that half round table (mainly roses mixed with whatever else was blooming) and depending on where the sun was on those summer days there could be a ‘cool’ or a ‘warm’ appearance to the hallway.  So even though there’s a similar look in these photos I can assure you they were taken over a period of time/weeks.

These are a couple taken later in the day when the sun had moved and the ‘warm’ look arrived lol

 

Last summer was a rotten season for roses in my garden.  I’m hoping for better things this year, the first Spring flush won’t be long but those big headed full blown ones usually arrive late in the season after the New Year.

(Oh and btw please don’t ask me to name them – name tags on garden plants have a habit of going walkabout 😊😊)

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Linking to Sunday Selections hosted by River

Linking to Nature Notes hosted by Michelle