Tag: Life this Week

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Don’t hide your brains in your handbag….

You’ll have to bear with me as I’m going to be floundering around for ’the right words’ to express myself this morning….

During those recent really really hot humid days as well as doing a bit of reading I passed some of the time binge watching on iview or the other catch up tv channels – different series and films I missed, plus docos I probably wasn’t interested at the original screening time.

Some like – Sanditon – My Brilliant Career – – Daughter of the Hunter Valley – were set in a time when young females were expected to be ladies who were ‘going to get married’…….not supposed to have opinions on anything, definitely not show any signs of ‘being brainy’.

In each of those the main female character had ‘suitors’.(known or ‘would like to be’) turns down marriage and definitely does the other.

  • Charlotte impresses with knowledge of house design
  • Sybylla wants to and does write a novel
  • Madeleine takes charge of and runs a huge property

~ ~ ~
Back in the 1950s I went to an all girls school known as The County High School for Girls.(also known by other names over the years) …….oh yes top marks were expected, but we also had a Head Mistress who would remind us ‘we were the ladies of tomorrow so please act accordingly’ . Teenagers – trying to be ladies with all the nuances of that (respectful polite having certain standards do the right thing) yet strive for the best. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn’t.

Photo found online recently

I might not have been the best at whatever but the ‘being a lady’ lessons seem to have always been hiding unconsciously at the back of my mind – there have been times when I’ve looked back over situations and wondered what Miss Townsend would have thought of my behaviour.

What brought all this to mind was being told of the death (yes another one) of someone I knew a long time ago who in the 1990s taught in a high school on the other side of the city here in Melbourne. She used to despair over some of her 15yr old students……”all they think about is boys babies and marriage!”

“Many of them have good brains and with encouragement will go far, so I keep telling them……You’re not just a pretty face – Don’t hide your brains in your handbags”

I wonder what impression those words made on the girls back then – do any of the now 45yr olds remember them and did they act on them?

What about you….Are there any little encouraging snippets or asides you remember from those important school years?

~ ~ ~ ~ Life this Week can be found HERE ~ ~ ~


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Right turn surprise….

Sometimes good things happen when you get in a muddle at the exit from an unfamiliar supermarket car park and end up in the ’wrong’ street.
What a nice surprise this was – on the side wall of the Mount Evelyn bakery

Painted in a sepia look reminiscent of days gone by, the bakers horse and cart is making its way along the bushland track to make deliveries at various properties

The only thing I’ve been able to find is it is the work of a local artist – David Monks

First week of the month – first week of the school year – what I’d thought was going to be a fairly quiet start to the year proper turned out to be busy busy busy with something planned for most days.
Actually I should have remembered that after the long covid related ’enforced break’ it was the week Probus and Book Club were able to meet again, and being the first week of the school term choir rehearsals could also begin again. Then add into that an appointment with the optometrist plus time at the pool and yes, it was busy busy busy!

Some early morning fine tuning is going to have to happen though because after a long layoff when ’my things had been on hold’ I’d forgotten the ’thrill’ of chivvying The Golfer along so I could get my fair share of the bathroom and leave the house on time 😊

It was worth it though to see familiar faces and enjoy company I’d missed for a while
~ ~ ~ ~
Couch potato me watched lots of summer sport…..now it’s time for the winter type with Snowboarding Slopestyle plus Freestyle Mogul being this week’s attraction. All these athletes are at the top of their game and I feel for them if they take a tumble

So how did you spend last week – did you get any surprises?

Linking to Life this week – to Monday Murals – also Whatsover is lovely

#enjoyeverymoment

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Think then Speak….

When your ’favourite’ gardening gloves start to look a bit worse for wear – and you know the next trip through the washing machine will probably be their last – it’s time to take action and make your way down to the nearest big green shed.

That’s where you will find anything and everything indoor/outdoor you thought you needed and much much more that once you see it you’ll think you needed it and wonder how you could ever have lived without it……. No need to ask me how I know that 😊

One of the reasons I’ve made do with countless numbers of tatty looking garden gloves (those above and more) is mainly because of ’you know what’….we’ve been so limited in where and when we could go over the past couple of years Bunnings hasn’t been top of the list of places I felt I needed to go – mind you Spotlight (for wool/yarn) which is right across the road might have been, but we won’t mention that 😊

So last week down the road we go, The Golfer came along on the premise he wanted to look at a ceiling fan….although I think he just wanted to chat with other retired oldies looking at tools and things they ’might’ need.

The ’shortage situation’ was evident there as well – I came home with some gloves, not the brand I was after, (sitting on the docks I was told) these are more suited for working rather than digging in the dirt…..but as The Golfer pointed out ”they’ll be great if you want to use your phone or iPad without taking them off” The black tips on some fingers allow that adhesion you need on touchscreens.
New clippers plus other things made their way back to the car and that’s when, along with one of this year’s encouraging phrases ’think then speak’ , this little meme flashed into my mind.

When we parked the car there were empty spots all around and I really didn’t look at what direction we were facing, was just pleased it was close to the entrance so it wouldn’t be far to walk loaded down with whatever took our fancy.

Scorching hot day – car is parked facing direct sun – even as old as she is Catherine is still fiery at times and was about to mutter something along the lines of ’why didn’t you park the other way” when she remembered someone else was hot and bothered as well…….and would likely return fire with ”well you can walk home if you want to!”

So as I wasn’t up for an all in slanging match in the car park ( or the imaginary 6km walk along Canterbury and Liverpool Road) I didn’t say a word….just cursed silently in my head, turned the car air con up full bore, then joked about the icy poles in the freezer being just what we needed when we got home.

It’s Monday again -gosh that week went by quickly didn’t it? – the month as well!
I’m pleased the covid numbers appear to be plateauing or even going down but am still cautious and wary of large crowds…small ones as well!

In the mean time I’ll just potter around the garden using my ’not as clean as they could be but much cleaner than they were’ tatty gloves until the docks are cleared of the backlog of all those things we didn’t know we needed until we saw them 😊

How about you – have you held your tongue over anything this week?

Linking to Life this Week. 
Why don’t you pop over and see who’s visiting Denyse today

#thinkthenspeak

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A fun ’did you know’ for you….

Because (in my mind) the year ’proper’ hasn’t begun yet

There’s Tennis on the telly – Australia Day is yet to come – the kids haven’t gone back to school yet…..some of us continue to eat and drink like it’s going out of style 😊

Here’s some fun bits of interest for you

  • We’re still in the first month of 2022 so here’s a little something to figure out….

If you take the last 2 digits of the year you were born…then add them to the age you will be this year…

It will equal ….122

  • Australia is wider than the moon. The moon sits at 3400km in diameter,  while  Australia’s diameter from east to west is almost 4000km. source 1 – source 2
  • Australia has more than 60 wine growing regions The majority of which are in Victoria and New South Wales source
  • Lemons float but Limes sink. Safe link below 👇 if you’re interested in why.
Why Do Lemons Float and Limes Sink?

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

It’s been a quiet couple of weeks, laying low, staying close to home, enjoying the summer weather, watching the beginning of the Australian Open and the ending of The Ashes. Lots of hopes and expectations dashed in both – but then that’s sport for you…….nothing is ever ‘a sure thing’ where that’s concerned.

Never one to just sit ‘watching tv’ I surprised myself by finishing two green adult beanies and reading two books on my ’to be read’ A-Z list of authors.

Both set in post war periods (WW1 & WW2) with main characters who have ’served’ – both storylines involve murders – both with secondary storylines dealing with the result of war service. I’d’met Elly Griffiths’ Brighton Mysteries characters before but this was my first time reading about Inspector Ian Routledge and I’ll certainly be on the look out for more of this series.

And here’s something else I’m looking forward to seeing again….next summer.
But first…..Development of the level crossing in Mooroolbark meant I I have been using the library in Montrose – and seeing their landscaping with new eyes. I’d been used to just driving by on my way elsewhere, now I walk by on my way to the front entrance

Just look at this magnificent small flowering gum…..not too tall with the most stunning orangey red flowers. Corymbia Ficifolia (Baby Orange)


* Flowering gums are grafted eucalyptus trees. By grafting plants onto specially selected rootstock you get trees that will grow happily in a wide range of soil types and have greater resistance against disease. It also means no surprises when it comes to flower colour and smaller sized trees*
source:- https://www.flowerpower.com.au/garden-advice/gardening/flowering-gum-trees/

All through the summer season you can see long flower buds forming, then bursting open into these huge clumps of bright blossoms that slowly fade in colour before dropping off and leaving the little nut casing – all this going on simultaneously in different parts of the tree.

Those little nut shells left after the petals drop grow into these enormous ’gum nuts’.
A bit like me in that as I shed my youthful me and grew older, the more gnarled and bigger in the beam I became 😊


Linking to Life this Week. 

Pop over and see who’s visiting Denyse today – it’s always worth a visit.

#keeplifesimple

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Did you know

Just a few things that might interest you today

  • If you replace W with T in What, Where and When….…..you get the answer to each of them.
  • If you look at the word ’swims’ upside-down, it’s still …swims
  • 100 years ago just about everyone owned a horse and only the rich had cars……today just about everyone has a car and only the rich own horses.

Now here’s a little thought for you…..

  • It doesn’t matter how long that packet of jelly crystals you discovered lurking amongst some other boxes in the pantry has been there – the one you sort of knew was there but had never got round to using – the one with a very out of date ‘best before’ date
  • because ….seemingly a sealed bag of powdered gelatin and sugar has an indefinite shelf life. On the hot day I was looking for a cool dessert and decided to make it thinking ’in for a penny in for a pound’ it actually set!
    Unfortunately I forgot to take a photo to show you☹️

Generally, powdered gelatin, both unflavored and its derivates, comes with a best-by date. The date is there usually for legal reasons, not because the product will spoil or lose potency. So you can easily use dry gelatin for months or even years past that date. And if you scoured the Internet looking for the actual shelf life of dry gelatin, you would find quite a few places claiming it pretty much lasts forever:- source

Monday has arrived again…… we had a week of very hot, then very hot and humid days accompanied by thunderstorms and flash flooding over parts of the city and the state – but not in my suburb ☹️
Dry thirsty ground – dark stormy clouds – the rain fell….for 5 minutes…then went on its merry way elsewhere.

Wednesday

The BOM is telling us it looks like we’ll have another warm/hot week with possible rain – hopefully we’ll get a drop to drink this time.

I did manage to sort out one problem during those sticky ‘stay indoors with the cooling on’ days.
The blogger/blogspot commenting on my iPad (Safari) issue has been driving me bonkers – I fixed it early last year (or so I thought) only for it to reappear so had resorted to my phone. What a PITA situation!

Back to the all seeing all knowing Mr G (again) he who has the answers to all the things I don’t know or thought it would be interesting for me to know even if I hadn’t shown interest before😊
It seems ’cross site tracking’ was the culprit, the box has been unticked, and so far I haven’t been inundated with all sorts of nasties, have been able to leave comments here there and everywhere (when I’ve had time) and also appear to have fixed the clickable link problem as well.

~ ~ ~ ~

Gosh I’m ready for another cup of tea, all that talk has made me…to quote a very old friend (as in age and friendship) ‘dry as a pommies bath mat’. not doing too well at the cricket are they😎.

How was your week – Wet Dry Sunny Cloudy Warm Cold ?

Did you fix any long standing problems?

Linking to Life this Week. Why don’t you pop over and see who’s visiting Denyse today

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On the last day of last year…

I sat down to contemplate the last of what had been and the first of what was to come

P.D.James’ last novel in the Adam Dalgleish series ‘The Private Detective’ was my last read for the year and even though I didn’t plan it that way, the first book in the same series ‘Cover Her Face’ was one of my first reads for the year 😊

My first read for this year will be the last book I picked up from the library ….. ‘Daughter of The Hunter Valley’ by a new to me Australian author Paula J Beaven – her debut novel, historical fiction (a genre I enjoy) inspired by her connection to early settlers in the Hunter Valley

~ ~ ~ ~

And that’s as far as I got with this a couple of days ago.

The last day of last year turned into another very hot one – too hot even to enjoy reading in the shade of the trees beside the deck so indoors we came. Last drinks of the night were well before the witching hour and if fireworks were let off locally we certainly didn’t hear them 😊

The first days of the New Year have arrived!

And with them those ‘will I/won’t I……shall I/shan’t I’ thoughts
Those yearly thoughts about…..resolutions- goals – intentions- aims – pledges
That have on occasion been known to invade some people’s minds
Mine included!

I have none of those or even A Word of the Year selected for this coming year
When I have chosen one I find I’ve lost track of it not long after 😊
At the moment I’m hoping the encouraging phrases below will continue to guide me

Bye for now……Take care…..Cathy xx

Life this Week hosted by Denyse has returned for 2022
https://www.denysewhelan.com.au/tag/life-this-week/
Do pop over and see what others have been up to – she’d love to see you

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My wish for you….

Christmas carols/songs come in all shapes and sizes – sung by huge choirs down to individual performers, they can be found in all forms on the web

One of my particular favourites ’Angels from the realms of glory ’ may not be yours, that’s fine we don’t all like the same, it’d be a funny old world if we did. It’s often confused with ’Angels we have heard on high’, ….both similarly named and both sung to the same/similar french originating tune https://hymnary.org/tune/gloria_french

but I must just tell you that which ever one I’m singing, either in a choir or just listening to it on my own, I get goosebumps if the refrain Gloria in excelsis Deo is used.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angels_from_the_Realms_of_Glory

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angels_We_Have_Heard_on_High

~ ~ ~

This is a very traditional version of Angels from the realms of glory

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Choir_of_King%27s_College,_Cambridge

~ ~ ~

And this is a very modern version of Angels we have heard on high

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pentatonix

I’ve really enjoyed your company (and comments) this past year but like many others I’m feeling a bit tired and weary (and for some reason very emotional – drop of the hat tears) so think now is the right time to push the seasonal pause button

My love to you all – I’ll be back again some time in January

Linking to Life this Week hosted by Denyse at Denyse Whelan Blogs. 
https://www.denysewhelan.com.au/tag/life-this-week/
Do pop over and see what others have been up to this week

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Temptation…

It was a bit chilly yesterday morning when I had to nip down to the library at Montrose – the one that sits at the bottom of the Dandenongs.  Chilly wasn’t the word for it – the wind blowing along Mt Dandenong Road was freezing.
Two weeks into Summer – two weeks before Christmas – and I’m wearing jeans and a windcheater. Which is why we don’t ’put away and store’ our clothes by the season here in Melbourne😊

I’d finished doing the other bits and pieces on my list (a list is definitely needed in the cold, the wind gives me brain freeze – well that’s my excuse) and making my way back to the car I had to walk past the bakery and what do I see but one of the girls filling the pie warmer.

Now meat pies are not normally found on our diet – they are what we call footy food.  Small not family sized, fits in the palm of your hand, eaten while still in a paper bag, – comfort food best eaten when the weather is cold and you’re at the footy oval.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meat_pie_(Australia_and_New_Zealand)

The ones I could see were not commercial factory made pies – oh no, these were freshly baked there on the premises, just out of the oven and looking so good.  So, as it was nearly 12 noon in I went and bought one.

‘Home is just a couple of kilometers away, if I don’t get caught at the lights it’ll still be nice and hot when I get back so I can have it for lunch’.

That’s what was being said in my head as I paid for it.

Reality set in when I got to the car, I was cold, I was hungry, I just couldn’t help myself – this hot pie didn’t stand a chance.  I sat there watching the traffic go by as I took a couple of snaps of the dark clouds over the hills……then ate it, savouring every morsel.  Delicious!!

Temptation is a desire to engage in short-term urges for enjoyment that threatens long-term goals – source

Linking to Life this Week hosted by Denyse at Denyse Whelan Blogs. 
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The rains came and the wind blew….

On a couple of days last week, here in Victoria the weather gods treated us to hot hot summer temperatures plus a couple of the dooziest of storms we’ve seen for a while which will certainly have helped to top up the dams plus scare the living daylights out of anyone when the gale blew and the thunder roared overhead – in actual fact the whole of the east coast has been battling storms and floods for a couple of weeks so dams and rivers have certainly been running fast and furious everywhere

But wait there’s more, one front leaving – another one following.
Thurs 2 Dec 5pm
And the rain came down – heavily!

Watching it come down had me thinking about the years when there was no water to be had at all. When here in Australia towards the end of the last century (1996/97) we were in drought, one which lasted for many many years. During that time the word of the day was conserve. Conserve as much water as we could –

– we didn’t know when it was going to rain again and it was possible the drastic water restrictions we had then would last forever.

So as we used them I would gather dishes and  stack them in the big kitchen sink to wash once a day (usually mid morning ) in the little sink – that water then washed the stove, cats dishes, and at times was baled into a small bucket to use to wash the kitchen floor – oh, and then it would get tossed over one of the plants near the back door. 
The first water drawn before it got hot was collected in a jug and used to fill the kettle during the day. ’If it’s yellow let it mellow- if it’s brown flush it down’ was a catch cry even little kids became familiar with.

Showers were cut down to as short a time as possible – always with a bucket to keep you company which was then emptied over a plant near the back door, and the baths I loved were rare treats.  Treats that would end in hard work when conscious of making use of every drop The Golfer would bale into the bucket , walk it down the hallway to toss each bucket load over the hardy plants at the front door.

Then La Nina came to visit early in 2010, the drought (now called the Millenium Drought) began to break and the rains returned – heavy rains that brought floods to just about every state – the strict water restrictions were eased and a new set of Permanent (still relevant) Water Saving Rules came into place late in December 2011. Hosing your driveway is still a no – no!

And thats when our attitudes seemed to change –  oh how quickly they changed and many of us forgot the conservative ways we’d learn’t over those years.  I will acknowledge I am guilty of easing up on some of my practices and I’m also sure that if it didn’t rain so much these days we wouldn’t be so carefree and unconcerned.  In my defence I will say we did install a very large water tank to collect rainwater and use on the garden and for many years now haven’t used the hose on any of the plants outside.

Behind the old tin garage
Tucked away hardly visible


As they say, that was then and this is now.

Those who live in rural areas and are on tank water (pumped up or bought in) still follow their same practices.

I’m in town and yes, I still catch the cold before hot water to use in the kettle and unless I’m doing a big cooking session, try to wash up just once a day BUT have been known to rinse cups under the tap. Also I’ve cleaned my teeth with the tap running – flushed the loo after a pee – forgotten to change the load setting on the washing machine – I’ve even put it on for one item.  Showers are still short – my baths (more frequent these days) are not quite so full as they used to be – to be honest they help when my back is playing up – and I’ll admit there are times when I just pull the plug and don’t give a thought to the water running out down the drain.

Conserving water for me means a lower water bill (metered) as well as a lower gas bill (heated)

How about you ?
Have you stuck to your water saving ways?
Or have they changed here and there?

Linking to Life this Week hosted by Denyse at Denyse Whelan Blogs. 
Do pop over and see what others have been up to this week

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Walking in sunshine…

Sunny not too hot days are just right for a wander round the local park, especially for my first one since getting home from Queensland.

(Photos will enlarge with a tap/click or using two finger spread)

Going in past the decorated toilet block…not too far from the playground. A load off parent’s mind not having to trail far when little ones say all of a sudden ’I need to go Mum’

Round to the fenced part of the ’lake’ where I ’met’ this lovely lady. “She’s a rescue and quite timid” ”She has a name but it doesn’t suit her so I’m thinking about another one” “Yes you can take her photo but don’t come too close”

So I stood at the railings and watched a little unnamed duck turning circles looking for something to eat before I took a couple of quick photos of the dog

But where to from there I wondered
Along the sunny straight but not narrow or along to the right and up the windy hill?

Right it was, because I knew as I walked past the wetland area I’d get a view of the hills with the TV masts sitting there on the top. There they are, in front of the clouds

And if you look really carefully you’ll see the (hopefully I’ve identified it correctly) Heron making its way past the pale green grasses near the shoreline. Then I lost sight of it (or thought I had) The bridge in the background is in honour of the person the ‘park’ is named after.

See the Purple Swamp Hens who’d come up out of the water and were entertaining me with their antics – it looked like there was a bit of ’Chase me Charlie’ ‘Hows your Father’ going on….possibly was….I’m not actually au fait with the mating habits of water birds. 😊

Anyway they didn’t seem bothered by me standing there and came right up the bank….and that’s when I saw it.

There it was – the one I thought I’d lost. The Heron
it was hiding out in the shade of that scraggly gum tree. Look how tall and elegant it is when on the lookout

And it was about that time when I knew I had to find somewhere to sit down. Sometimes the back plays up meaning my legs tingle and go numb……and because of the vagaries of the condition (spinal stenosis) sitting takes the pressure off the nerves and after a while I’m good to go. Luckily I knew just the place!

A short way on and a turn to the right brings me to the ’old trees’ ……visible in the photo showing the hills (pruned back but left standing for birds to use). Plus a very conveniently placed bench right near the bridge – short sit down, cross over the bridge and I’m there where I began near the car park. A slightly shorter walk than usual – better that than nothing I say!

This week I’m joining Elephant’s Child and others at Sunday Selections

Also Linking to Life this Week hosted by Denyse at Denyse Whelan Blogs. 
Do pop over and see what others have been up to this week

see https://www.weekendnotes.com/elizabeth-bridge-reserve/

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From a distance….

Because of difficulties accessing my usual library, for the time being I’ve returned to the ’little one’ just down the road in Montrose. There’s been a few alterations since I wrote about it HERE, like placing the library and community centre under one roofline with a single entrance plus different landscaping with more outdoor seating being the major ones but it’s still got a comfortable country feel nestled in amongst the gum trees at the bottom of the hills.

Recently when restrictions were eased slightly to allow people to gather in ones and twos you’d notice ’friends’ sitting there with little ones having fun under the trees or riding bikes/scooters on the level hard surface. So when I turned up at the library the other day I thought how strange it was to see a little girl sitting all alone on a bench by the book return with no adults anywhere in sight. Can you spot her there to the left of the white lamp post ?

Now I know my eye sight can be a bit off at times but from this distance away I was convinced this was a small child dressed in lavender coat and hat.

Well – ever been had!
After I nipped into the foyer to pick up some books (still call & collect – back to normal service in a fortnight) I wandered over to check on the ’child’
Someone (a ’yarn bomber/ street artist’) had dressed one of very conveniently placed protection bollards to look just just like that.
And it worked – I’m wondering how many others have walked over to check on this little ’girl’ sitting there all alone?

lol The crafty lads and lassies must have been busy because these, we’ll call them ‘works of art’ were attached to the a couple of poles out the front of the library. Two coordinated outfits standing side by side in that one spot complete with crochet flowers and leaves topped with artificial roses.
https://lilydale.mailcommunity.com.au/2021/10/08/yarn-bombing-montrose-mainstreet/

Linking to Life the Week hosted by Denyse at Denyse Whelan Blogs. 
Do pop over and see what others have been up to this week

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It’s Monday….


Yes, Monday has arrived once again, the BOM is promising a rainy/showery week once again, so it looks as though I’ll be finding indoor ’jobs’ once again!

Weekly forecast at 5.30pm yesterday


This past week those ’indoor jobs’ have included looking through clothing in my wardrobe in a slightly different way. Not so much – do I like this – does it fit – but do I think I will actually wear it again. Could someone else make use of it.
Same with crockery/cutlery, cooking utensils…..this time ruthless has been my name – sentimentality went out the door.
As things caught my eye so the reviewing and discarding began……sorry no photos because it’s all in the boot of the car (hopefully it won’t be too long before the op shops reopen) because if I take it out I know what will happen, I’ve been known (in the past) to look at plunder through ’donations in waiting’ and have second thoughts about giving things away.

Talking of catching my eye, look at this fabulous Photinia hedge that I saw the other day. Driving past, it looked as though it was glowing in sunlight so I made a point of stopping on the way home to get a better look but of course by then the sun had moved/clouds reappeared and that fiery look had disappeared. The owner must have trimmed it back during autumn to get that distinct red new growth. Looks stunning don’t you think!


I’ve been sitting here with my early cup of tea mulling a few things over in my mind, and you know what, I think that’s been one of the reasons over the years for my cupboards being full to overflowing with ’stuff’.
Whether its been necessary, needed, just in case, ‘ooh isn’t that pretty’, that would look good there……it all caught my eye…..and had to come home with me.

And no, as much as I admired it, a Photinia robusta won’t be coming home from the plant nursery with me. I’ve got enough there to keep me occupied.

What about you….do or did things catch your eye and whether needed or not come home with you?
~ ~ ~
Linking to Life the Week hosted by Denyse at Denyse Whelan Blogs. 
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Musical Monday….

It’s surprising how different the words to a song – the tune – the melody – can sound when sung by various arists.

Take this one  ~ Accentuate the Positive ……

Music by Harry Arlen – Lyrics by Johnny Mercer

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate_the_Positive

This is the original sung by Johnny Mercer

Crooners like Bing Crosby and Perry Como recorded it

Frank Sinatra recorded a version in concert (also a little chat with Johnny Mercer)

And Ella Fitzgerald gave it a go in 1960

While in 1988 Willy Nelson gave it a distinct country flavour


If you have time, listen and tell me what you think – which do you prefer?

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

These Mondays come by quite quickly don’t they…..I know I’ve been back home less than two weeks and shouldn’t make mention of it….in fact knowing what she went through during the war my mother would have a fit if she heard me carrying on…..but already, similar to this time last year, the ’controlled environment’ we’re living in here in Victoria is beginning to ’get to me’. I could hear that same frustration in Andrew’s voice when he commented the other day (“get busy in your garden There’s eff all else to do”) We must go oh so carefully now and if everyone plays their part (wouldn’t that be a lovely thing) it’s not going to last too much longer but in the meantime I’m going to have to take notice of the song and

‘accentuate the positive and eliminate the negative’ .

Last Saturday morning was warm enough to sit outside in a T-shirt and bright enough when I was ’pottering’ to need my sunglasses. There was a brand new (2021) library book to read (The Echo Chamber – John Boyne) a little cardigan to knit some love into and time to have a quick cup of coffee with The Golfer. Here’s to many more 😊😎

Love to you all ❤️

Linking to Life the Week hosted by Denyse at Denyse Whelan Blogs. 
Do pop over and see what others have been up to this week

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Recycle ~Reuse ~ Repurpose

Here’s a little bit of thinking out loud that has been occupying my mind recently brought on by listening to the communal camp laundry room chatter about various things some of the other ’residents’ have picked up in their travels and then made good use of. Not necessarily as they were first intended for.

Under the tree covered by a huge cream sun screen on the front and enormous maroon screens along its side is a bus. A very big bus and going by its shape and the sound its engine made when it came in a while ago a very old refurbished bus. Unfortunately that’s all I can show you as the owner has placed a fence along the open side of his site (just visible on the right) which discourages other ‘campers’ from chatting and ‘having a look’ at something different. Camp kitchen chatter has it that as well as a home on wheels it also has been adapted to transport a very small car…..(inside) via a back entrance rather than being towed along behind (outside)

A few years ago we had a speaker at Probus from a bus company, one that had begun in another suburb, had been growing steadily over the years and not long before the talk had bought out the local bus company….. Actually he was a good speaker, gearing his presentation towards an older audience (one who’d grown up using public transport rather than their own wheels right from the start) once he got going I think a lot of the initial resentment about ‘our bus routes being altered by his company’ dissolved especially when he explained that they weren’t just serving the hills community but an extensive area of the eastern suburbs so it made sense to extend routes to other destinations instead of just going up the mountain and back to Croydon railway station. Some people bought it – others didn’t but that’s the way it goes with change isn’t it.

Anyway after describing the lovely new fleet they had invested in someone asked about the old buses, did they sell them, where did they go. To Pacific Island nations, they are used to older stock, know how to service and maintain them.
“We have also donated 4 buses and trained female drivers to go Port Moresby for the UN Women’s safe city program, so female residents can travel on female only buses without the fear of violence. We have sent a bus to Pacific Island Kiribati to transport students with different abilities to school.” source

Bowen’s harbour/marina is used for commercial fishing boats as well recreational boats and yachts. Daft as it might seem I often drive down there to see what’s to be seen – it’s fascinating for me – who lives closer to the hills than the sea 😋

The end of my street
Bowen harbour/marina from Flagstaff Hill September 2021



And look what I found over near the public slip way, away from what….at the end of the day….sometimes appears to be ’organised chaos’


A Ragamuffin in Bowen!

I knew the name but couldn’t place her


A former maxi yacht sitting there quietly (and sedately) looking quite forlorn. After retiring from racing she was turned into a ’pleasure craft’ – taking on young passengers wanting a ‘fun intimate sailing experience’ Sadly she’s been retired from that also.

Hopefully it won’t be long before she’s sailing again

https://sailing-whitsundays.com/article/ragamuffin-ii-whitsundays-history.
https://sailing-whitsundays.com/article/ragamuffin-2-sailing-tour

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Early Monday morning cup of tea time has me thinking about all the bits and pieces the caravaners have appropriated with the words Recycle ~ Reuse ~ Repurpose running through my head

I’m also wondering about the big old bus, the bus line’s old fleet and the sailing boat. Have they been recycled, reused or repurposed? What do you think?

Linking to Life the Week hosted by Denyse at Denyse Whelan Blogs. 
Photos will enlarge – just tap/click or use the 2finger slide

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It’s yours or is it….

When the stars align and the internet plays nicely I sometimes have a quick look through my Twitter feed.
Recently I seem to have lost interest in much that’s said there, haven’t actually tweeted/retweeted/liked anything for a long time, in fact a lot of unfollowing has happened as I’ve got fed up with the thoughts of some users…..but now and again something piques my interest and I click through to read some replies.
Rightly or wrongly (depending on your point of view) Poor ‘1000 cases a day’ Gladys & Mr ‘not my prime minister’ M (NSW Premier & Australian PM) are really being lambasted over recent events. Lets just say some of the words ‘spoken’ make interesting reading,

Anyway seeing a recent tweet from a Scottish knitwear designer had me thinking about when I’d heard someone else talking about self publishing to keep hold of creative control. (I’ve removed all the other usernames mentioned in the tweet)


After all these years The Golfer and I don’t feel the need to be in each other’s pocket all day every day. Unlike many retired couples who do spend their days together we’re happy to amuse ourselves knowing each of us value that ‘own time’.
While we’re here in Bowen this (below) is where he spends several mornings a week hitting a little white ball, trying to get it to land in a hole in the ground half a mile away…..yes a slight exaggeration but listening to him recap his hole by hole adventures you’d think it was instead of just up the way a bit😊




Meanwhile I’m enjoying the delights of this little town
One of them hearing a talk at the local library earlier this month by visiting
Australian author Annie Seaton

I’d already read several of her novels so enjoyed sitting there for well over an hour while she entertained us with humorous snippets of her life, where ideas for her novels come from, early treatment by publishers, how hard it was to ‘fight for’ what she had in mind – covers and book titles being changed – to retain creative control (Australian words & terms changed by international publishers …eg the very Australian word bast.rd….changed to ars..le…..turning derogatory into vulgar …….certainly not what she wanted in her novel) and now self publishing as a means of having that control.
She has managed to reclaim the rights to several of her books, ‘editing and rewriting’ where necessary to return them to their original state and was happy to tell us they were selling in larger numbers than with the previous publishers.

This is her latest book
Hidden Valley
Book 4 Porter Sisters series

Book Series by Annie Seaton

Linking to Life the Week hosted by Denyse at Denyse Whelan Blogs.
Photos will enlarge – just tap/click or use the 2finger slide

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Easy Peasy Dessert

Do you remember the post (Afternoon Tea with a Difference) where I told you about the ‘virtual’ events that were held years ago – well here’s another little story along the same lines (this one is from Feb 2011 ) plus the photos that went with it.

The theme this time was to talk about the easiest dessert in your repertoire
That was a laugh because desserts didn’t come high on my list of cooking skills
Anyway after a bit of head scratching – no….ice cream cake from the supermarket wasn’t what the organisers were after…. I finally came up with something

~ ~ ~ ~

Hot humid sticky days in Summer often mean a lack of interest in heavy food
So on those days when you just can’t be bothered
and fresh fruit just doesn’t do it for you
I’ve gone back to one of the nicest easiest desserts (and at times snacks) there is

Good old fashioned Jelly – called Jello in some parts of the world.

Here in Australia it comes as flavoured crystals.
but in England I only remember it coming as flavoured gelatin cubes.  

So simple to make – dissolve in boiling water – add some cold
then pop in fridge to set
Takes no effort to eat – it just slides down the throat
Just the thing when you are feeling unwell
Lovely and cold when your body is hot
Fabulous with Ice Cream or Yoghurt
Along with Fruit and Custard and Cake (of some sort) you have the makings of a Trifle.

When the children were little I’d often add a tin of mandarin oranges which seemed to stretch it a bit further –  we  happened to have strawberries on hand the other day
So I chopped up a few and added them to the red jelly mix
(Our fridge lives in the laundry which means the washing machine is close by
A flat lid plus a clear chopping board makes a great handy bench at times)

Gone are the days of the large jelly mould I’d use when the children were little
you know the sort with the fluted edges.
that also needed two packets of crystals so it was firm enough to unmould.
 The tupperware one was my favourite, the one with a lid (so nothing ‘dropped into’ the jelly while it was in the fridge) as well as changeable bottoms that became the pattern on the top when it was unmoulded.  

These days when there are just us two I use these little ramekins as moulds
One liquid mix just fits nicely into the four and they don’t take up much fridge space

We tend to eat it directly from the little bowls
A nice little snack together with ice cream or yogurt, tea and a biscuit

If I wanted I could make it look more interesting
By placing chopped jelly in a bowl along with the yoghurt
Adding a cup of coffee and slightly ‘different ’ biscuits

And then of course for an after dinner treat
I could change direction again – make it a bit ‘posher’ – and present it like this

This kind of dessert was first recorded as jelly by Hannah Glasse in her 18th century book The Art of Cookery,  https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gelatin_dessert

Gosh didn’t that week go by quickly, it just seems like yesterday when I was sitting here in the early hours of the morning, cup of tea in hand chatting away to whoever was listening. Cooking hasn’t been top of the ‘want to do’ this past week. Simple (read comfort type) meals…..sausage & mash is a favourite of The Golfer’s and quick and easy to prepare. My favourite fruit (Imperial mandarins) is back so afters seemed to be quick and easy as well. Mandarins, water melon, bananas, cheese & crackers plus almonds/walnuts…..even hot custard one evening. No jelly though…. need to pick up a packet when I next do a shop!


Now I’m off to put the kettle on and decide on brekky – me thinks porridge, brown sugar and sultanas on top sounds good this morning.
There’s a date with a syringe and a hypodermic needle coming up in a couple of days so a bit of housework needs to be done in case I have a reaction, although all should be well seeing as this is the 2nd one and there was no problem with the first. I’d be interested to know if anyone had a reaction to their second AstraZeneca shot.

Oh, and do visit Denyse’s blog to see the latest edition of Life this week – there’s always people to meet over there.
Linking to Senior Salon  – hosted by Esme

AND…..big thanks to Gigi (gigi-hawaii) for her post that reminded me of this fun easy peasy dessert 😊

And – hopefully – The Golfer and our ISP have finally fixed whatever the problem has been with our internet. If it drops out again I’m going have a hissy fit down the telephone line into some poor unsuspecting workers ear. Also I’m hoping I’ve fixed my ‘commenting on blogger blogs problem’. Had to sign out not just of Google but my old blogger account as well – something I’ve haven’t done for years. Lots of head scratching and looking through ‘notes’ to find the correct p/word.

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Pussy cat Pussy cat where have you been……

We had cold and wet and gale force wind in copious quantities last week in Melbourne, we also had days with no power after a ‘ginormous’ storm went through but just before all that happened I did a bit of indoor ‘ techie type’ clutter clearing’…… this time it was sorting out old photo folders (again)
I had a little smile when I came across these two …..I’d read somewhere about taking photos as reminders of items/objects you’ve enjoyed but no longer want/need
So during a previous ‘clearing out’ blitz, that’s just what I did.
Took photos of these two very large almost brand new mugs that had spent a lot of unused time in the cupboard….. just before I passed them onto someone else 😊

I’ll keep the photos a while longer – not to remember the mugs – but as a memory of the recently departed friend who gave them to me.

In the cold of the very early morning I’m enjoying my first cup of tea and thinking of my ‘darling B’ ……she who lived such a gentle life, and left this world in a gentle sort of way. Settling down for the night, not waking in the morning – just as she would have liked. Quietly peacefully at ease.

She talked continuously about ‘ feeding the heart to nourish the soul ‘, introduced me to the concept of loving kindness and all it involved, lived a lifestyle practising what she preached many years before it became trendy. Gifting to me gave her as much joy as it gave me.

She had many friends who appreciated the quiet peaceful life she led, her ‘going away party’ was small and simple, limited by restrictions…..
but there’s another ‘friends as well as family’ gathering being planned for later….where she’ll be the centre of attention as we celebrate her life 😊❤️

Denyse is the host of Life this week  – do pop over
because you never know who you’ll see there.
Linking to Senior Salon – hosted by Esme
As the old advertising slogan goes:- You’ll never never know If you never never go!

ps – B even suggested the people I could pass the mugs on to.
pps – I live in the foothills of The Dandenongs. This is what went through

https://www.9news.com.au/national/weather-news-victoria-thousands-without-power-as-destructive-storms-lash-state/c36b2a57-3eb9-4178-90f4-f9eb9a455e9c

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They’re leaving home….

‘Our Big Girl’ left home last week. She and ‘her partner’ left their old home in the hands of its new owners and drove out of Melbourne towing her new home (a spanking new little…..very little….Jayco Pop Top Journey Outback caravan). They’re taking 12 months worth of leave (accrued annual, long service and sick) to do The Big Lap. Yes they’ve done all the planning, sold up everything and anything they didn’t ‘love’ including house, rented a storage unit for things they couldn’t part with, and are now off to drive around (and discover) our Wide Brown Land.


This is a photo of my Mum and Dad taken many years ago – I think at the time they were on holiday in Skegness (a seaside town on the east coast of England). Dad stayed on in the RAF after the war which meant we lived in many places, and after we all left home they became great travellers enjoying time away now and again both in the UK and in Europe. They did venture ‘down under’, loved it here but found it a long way – nearly 24hrs travelling as opposed to just a few across The Channel and beyond.

Now this is a photo of The Golfer’s Mother and Father (my in-laws) taken many years ago – at the time they were spending a few days visiting one of his sisters, a four hour drive from their home. They weren’t one for ‘holidays’ away from home and I remember my sister-in-law writing and saying how her Mother was on tenterhooks the whole time she was there. Seemingly she had a very relieved look on her face as they were leaving for home.

Both of these couples had their birthdays and also the days of their deaths in the first half of the year so we both (The Golfer and I) can be a bit pensive during those months . It all seems to come to a head about this time of the year and we need time to ourselves.

Amongst many things, my parents gave me a love of music and dance , love, laughter and travel – my in-laws gave me a respect for a simple way of life. My father in-law was a country boy born in the small rural village of Boxted in Essex (East Anglia) and for most of his working life was a chimney sweep.

Sometimes when I look at this saying I have hanging on the wall (author unknown)

There are but two things we can give our children;
One is roots, the other is wings.

it makes me think of them and the legacy they left of being adventurous as well as enjoying life both at home and away.

So very different -yet so very much alike – both couples had one thing in common.

To see me, The Golfer and our family enjoy life and prosper
When we told them we were leaving, migrating to Australia.
and it was possible they wouldn’t see us again
‘Go for it’ they all said.
Move on…live your new life
But never forget where you’ve come from

Just before leaving time – 1972

Sitting here with my early cup of tea I’m thinking of how many times I’ve wished my children well, sent them on their way to enjoy new lives with the reminder to remember their roots. Some have returned a little worse for wear needing home comforts/love for a while longer- others have revelled in new found freedom

How have you felt when ‘leaving’ has cropped up in your world
It’s a word with many emotions attached

~ ~ ~ ~

Do visit Denyse’s blog to see the latest edition of Life this week  – you’ll find lots of interesting people over there.
Linking to Senior Salon hosted by Esme

(Oh and OBG hasn’t gone far – their first planned stop was Bright in the High Country…..just 4hrs up the road. Plans for a few days stay have now been extended to 7 (and possibly more) courtesy of the statewide lockdown we here in Victoria have been put into, which isn’t too bad as there’s lots of things to do up there even at this time of the year with its cooler temps (-2c/29f overnight) .. ….except there are only 5 reasons they (like us) are allowed to leave home, straying from the van park for exercise is limited to 2hrs within a 5km radius. Pubs restaurants and cafes are closed so no pub lunches in front of blazing fires either)

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Something new…

Honestly, I’ve come to the conclusion that if I don’t think about what I’m doing at bedtime, I could actually do myself some damage.

Not me

So when I was shopping the other week a couple of pairs of silky pyjamas went into the trolley.

Why you ask??

So I can roll over in bed is the answer 😊

Colder nights mean thicker pyjamas that for some reason cling to the sheets which means I’m waking up feeling a bit ‘strangled’ in places, floundering about straightening tops and bottoms and having to sit up to roll over. Any attempt to do it lying down often results in some strong language coming out of my mouth as twisting can cause discs and nerves to come in contact with each other – I’m certainly not happy when that happens

It’s a different story when I wear my slippery silky pyjamas – they just slide and glide over the bottom sheet so there’s no friction at all. Unfortunately I’m down to two pairs in the cupboard which are being worn continuously …..except for the nights when I forget and put on the ‘thick’ ones and end up getting ‘stuck’ and worse, in pain…….so it was time to seek out some more.

Job done and I was all ready to ‘tap and go’ when this slogan caught my eye.
“Sleep warm and cosy with this soft touch sheet set”

Does anyone remember a couple of years ago when soft and cuddly bedding was what I wanted but what I ended up with were sheets like velcro ? Well I brought them out of hibernation for another chance turn on the bed….even with silky pjs on it still felt like trying to roll over on velcro…..guess they are maybe possibly definitely going to the op shop!

So warm and cosy in soft touch sheets sounded very interesting 😊

A little fondle of the sample and I was hooked.
It reminded me of the brushed nylon sheets we had back in the 1960s, similar…..not the same, thicker but softer.
…..They are constructed from washed microfibre that gives them a relaxed look and soft texture. These everyday sheets are lightweight, easy to care for and naturally wrinkle resistant…..
Oh I’m easily pleased
One queen size set went into the trolley!

And now I’m definitely pleased.
They are smooth, warm and cosy with not a hint of velcro to be found, they received both mine and The Golfer’s seal of approval … so much so that after a week of sleeps with them on the bed in my new silky pjs, then a look at how they laundered, I nipped back to the shop and came home with another set.

I have been thinking about this over my early cup of tea and realise that over the years I’ve never given much thought to sleepwear and bedding – you needed it so bought it. Soft warm comfortable new pjs is a new ‘well into retirement’ necessary requirement as is soft warm/cool comfortable new bedding. If my mother discovered what my thoughts on both of those things were she’d say I was going soft in my old age.
but golly, it’s good to be pampered now and again isn’t it.

Denyse hosts Life this week – why don’t you pop in to read the latest episode.

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He’s been at it again….

I didn’t do it on purpose
at the time it was easier for him to do it than me.
Just look at what he came home with this time.
Theres no point in me complaining about him bring home unnecessary stuff because
I did ask him to look around and maybe pick up something ‘interesting’.
Interesting- adjective
Unusual, arousing curiosity or interest, holding or catching the attention, strange or different

They definitely caught his attention 😊

We have lots of little shops out here in the eastern suburbs that sell ‘interesting’ food stuffs. Little corner like asian shops where as you walk in you get the feeling you’re walking in to an Aladdin’s cave as well as slightly bigger bordering on small supermarkets selling ‘international’ bits and pieces.

When our loose leaf Chinese Green and Oolong tea is getting low it means a trip to one in Croydon to hunt through the shelves jam packed with things I’ve never heard of but look very interesting…….if I was confident enough to try.

It’s the only one locally where loose leaf is available rather than just tea bags and as they move things around the ‘teas’ are never where they were before, which means I’m constantly getting lost in unfamiliar territory trying to make sense of packets in very unfamiliar languages – now I’ve got into the habit of taking the tin along and asking for help. Which in turn makes other shoppers in there curious and they all have a go at finding my tea. It’s a very relaxed environment with lots of interesting chatter between shoppers and owners…..not that I can understand a word they’re saying to each other…or me at times…interesting to say the least😊

Further up Main Street is what we used to call ‘the dutch shop’ (now goes by a more upmarket name) where for years it was the only place I could get sweet soy sauce (ketjap manis) and the lovely oval almond cakes we enjoy. Now it has branched out and specialises in food from all over Europe, if The Golfer is curious to know if things he ate as a child still taste the same he’ll pop in there for English sweeties…..an international food mart indeed. If you’re a European migrant hankering for home, they have so many unusual products that something might catch your attention as you look at the interesting catalogue

And for real modern ‘interesting’ stuff there’s the chain that buys up weird and wonderful unheard of imported brands plus well known but nearly out of date products, also non sellers with what you think are surplus ingredients the manufacturer wants to get rid of. It began by buying and on selling goods that came off the conveyor belt looking ‘not quite right’. Perfectly ok, but maybe not the right shape or size. Now it’s all about clearance and discounts- buy now before it’s gone but occasionally they do have some ‘interesting- wonder what that tastes like’ things on the shelf

Guess where The Golfer picked up the chips with the ‘interesting flavours’ 😊

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

I’m slowly catching up on the new daylight hours after our recent time change- it’s dark at the moment, the sky starts to lighten about 6.30am, so there’s still a bit of time left to enjoy another cup of tea before the day proper starts.
The Golfer is all set with tea for a while now (Oolong is his morning choice, mine is Dilmah Premium Ceylon….I’m not a strong tea lover) and as I was able to get a soft pack refill for him the other day he can continue to use the old tin caddy.
Our gain….the op shop’s loss!

And I just have time to wonder if anything interesting in the form of strange, different or unusual will happen this week. Here’s to an interesting one for you too!

Do visit Denyse’s blog to see the latest edition of Life this week – you’ll find lots of interesting people over there

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