Tag: Monday Musings

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Where…..

“Why do you always go to the same beach?” I was asked not long ago.
There are other little bays close by – why don’t you go to any of the others?

See the red dot – that’s where we are staying.
Travel 2.5km east (right) and that’s where Rose Bay is.
Travel east, round the corner, then north a little and you’ll get to Horseshoe Bay (which is the place that person was alluding to)

https://www.tourismbowen.com.au/see-do/attractions/bowen-beaches

Yes it’s a lovely little bay – I can vouch for that – but to me it’s an ‘adults only’ bay.
I’ve only ever seen adults there – it has a certain appeal to older adults who congregate there en masse in winter – year after year after year.

2022

It was early morning when I took these and the ‘line up’ had already begun. By mid morning those chairs will have almost covered the sands, the car park and cafe will be chockablock. Claims have been staked – the chairs will remain there all day long!

I’ll tell you a little story:-
I went there one year – one of the early years (2009) when we first started coming up here (before I’d discovered Rose Bay) – picked a spot under the trees on the left hand side, got comfortable in my chair, reading a book, enjoying the fresh air, not really looking at what was going on – after a while I realised others had set up a line of chairs beside me.
A woman was walking up and down in front of me pointing to where I was sitting and I could hear the others saying (quite loudly) ‘she was here when we arrived’.
Yes, you’re right – I’d placed my chair where she usually put hers…..
and she was not happy at all.
I came away and left them to it.
(I’ve actually heard of people being asked to move – ‘you’re in my spot’ – that’s how possessive some of them are)

~ ~ ~ ~

So, I replied, why would I go there when I could to another place – a quiet place

WHERE….
Sometimes I have company — Sometimes not

WHERE….
Grandmas can paddle in a rockpool while keeping an eye on young charges
Fishermen in wet suits stride from the water clutching a harpoon and net
Young lovers have room to walk and talk.
Young men do what many young men do on beaches – try to impress the girls.
(the young men and the ‘girls’/women came down from the caravan park round the corner favoured by young backpackers)

WHERE….
Saturdays are family days – days for teaching children about the ocean.
Mums and Aunties come down…..with paddle boards, kayaks and canoes.
Dads and Uncles do their share of baby minding – taking pushers to the waterline so the youngest ones can enjoy a ‘paddle’ and appreciate the ocean in their own way

A special place indeed.
(where my photos are taken from a distance)
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

It’s really early Monday morning, (I’m about to press publish so fingers crossed it posts) after a warmish night a second cup of tea will be very welcome. This is our last week here but I’m not sure how much time I’ll be spending at my special place…….after all those weeks of cooler than usual weather, things have changed and this was last night’s forecast for the rest of the week!
I think I hear the sound of the air con at the library calling😊

Click/ tap or finger slide to enlarge

I’m linking to Wednesday’s Words & Pics hosted by Denyse – you’ll find many interesting blogs there. Perhaps you’d like to join in as well.

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Definitely a ‘take your breath away’ moment…

I watched in awe (discreetly from a distance) as a camper (whom I’d seen walk slowly, with difficulty, using a walking stick) went through his early morning exercise routine.

After doing some standing stretches he got down on his mat
He very quietly moved from one position to another – then very slowly stood up.
A few more stretches and he was finished

‘The Back’ (that’d be mine) has been playing up since we arrived

Just when I least wanted it, my ‘invisible ailment’  (lumbar spinal stenosis ) made itself known again.  At a time when I desperately want to be on my feet and mobile the dreaded heavy hot numb then tingling legs and feet returned…..thankfully not the sharp, make you jump and screech, don’t know when it’s coming, ‘take your breath away’ electric shock down your leg pains when the sciatic nerve is involved.

Right as rain one day – no symptoms at all….. then to have some or all of the above appear the next certainly put a damper on my moods.
I reverted to my ‘I want to be alone’ mind set.

Enjoying the peace of a couple of early morning hours at ‘my little bay’ plus the stillness of reading and crafting helped but when it was obvious I was resenting not taking part in things we planned ……and was becoming a whinging whining moan-alot
I knew I really needed to do something about it!

Enter a change in attitude…..plus a visit to a local chiropractor.
Getting a ‘just in case you need it’‘letter of introduction’ (or rather an email referral with all my ‘problems’ set out including some images from my latest CT scan films – in 3D!) before I left home was a good idea on my part…..meant we could get down to the nitty gritty more easily.
As well as the necessary adjustments there was a good discussion on different exercises and the ‘nicely put’ suggestion that I forfeit one morning at Rose Bay for some time at the local outdoor pool😊

So I went to the pool the other afternoon.

I took these photos a few years ago (2018) but nothing’s changed.
(Just click or finger slide to enlarge)
It’s basically the same now as it was then.
The open air roller rink is still there next door plus the ‘sea view’ through the palms

Walking in and seeing the beautiful crystal clear water sparkling in the sunshine was definitely a ‘take your breath away’ moment.
As was the sensation I felt go through my body as I began to walk down the steps 😯

My pool at home is indoors and heated by a big boiler
This one is outdoors, open and certainly not artificially heated!

But come the summer months when it’s hot humid and averaging 30c/86f everyday
the water temp will have risen a bit.
So, even if locals crave them, there won’t be too many ‘take you’re breath away’ times

~ ~ ~ ~

Just a little fun postscript this Monday morning.
During the hour’s drive back from Ayr last week I had another traffic light moment (like the one from the other week)…..I had a big laugh when this came on the radio.

Gotta keep movin’ an’ I’m feelin’ good,
Got that diesel roarin’ underneath the hood,
Hey the road is open an’ I’m rollin’ free, you see,
That I feel so good as long as I’m movin’
Yes I feel so good as long as I’m movin’.

Yes, I’ve definitely gotta keep movin’……..even if I have to suffer those ‘take your breath away’ moments at the pool 😎

Linking to  Monday Musings – hosted by Corinne at Everyday Gyaan

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It’s a tricky one indeed….

(It’s possible this will be one of my rambles where I start somewhere and finish elsewhere)
~ ~ ~ ~

There’s been a little bit of tension in the park over the past few days

Most ‘residents’ are older retirees, at the moment the majority are here for the season (May to September), although there are some travelling ‘seeing the sights’ avoiding the winter weather down south, some could be younger (with or without young families)on the road doing their lap, plus with school holidays still on there are some with youngsters hurtling round on bikes and scooters.

Apart from those like us who are using cabins everyone else is living in tents or ‘homes on wheels’ of all shapes and sizes and vintages – 

  • motorhomes and caravans (ancient and modern designs) 
  • camper vans …newer posh ones with pop up roofs and side awnings as well as some travelling tourists in a brightly painted hired ‘whizz bang’ one ( think of the noise the sliding door makes)😊
  • converted buses, big fifth wheelers and this year something that ‘looks like a fifth-wheeler’ but seemingly sits on top of the flat tray of a ute (there’s a really tiny one parked close by – I must get a snap of it sometime) 

Which means it’s an outdoor lifestyle – for the majority gathering with others would be outside or in the park facilities like the pool, camp kitchen (open on three sides) laundries (also open on three sides) as well (for some) the various toilet/shower amenities blocks ( which for privacy are enclosed).

Contrary to what so many of the population think/believe Covid-19 hasn’t gone away…..it’s still out there and case numbers are on the rise again. I’m not sure why people are loathe to take precautions, there seems to be a belief that vaccination prevents them being infected rather than lessening the effect so mask wearing is scorned – when the staff are available cafes & restaurants are doing big business, theatres, ’pub nights’ and other gatherings are all the rage again.

The Golfer is a chatter….he’ll stop and say Hello to anyone….especially if there are other fellas gathered at someone’s ’door’ (men can gossip as much as women – they tend to hover out the front of other vans and motors discussing this that and the other) …..which means (whether I want to hear them or not) he often relays some of the snippets he hears here and there.

He began the other day with “you’d never guess what”……seemingly the wife of one of the other men came back from the shower block all in a tizz about something.
She’d been finishing up, brushing her hair before leaving and another woman came to the next mirror so they’d begun chatting (as you do) – the chat turned to the hot topic of covid and how lucky they were to be out on the road and not in towns where it was raging and even though (rightly or wrongly) many restrictions had been lifted if you did become infected self isolation was one way of breaking the cycle.
She’s about to leave and the other woman moved closer, looked her in the eye and whispered…..”I tested positive a couple of days ago, I certainly haven’t reported it and theres no way I’m isolating. I’m not staying in my van away from everyone else – no one’s going to tell me what to do” and with that walked off out the door.

So we had one previously happy camper worried sick in case she’d become infected by someone she didn’t recognise and hasn’t seen since (possibly a short stay/overnighter whose site was in another lane) – other campers also worried not knowing if they’d crossed paths with the infected unknown woman – who now (if what she said is true) is out and about infecting others.

I’m amazed no one has reported it to the office…..… there’s nothing anyone can do, there are no rules no reprisals…..’because the onus is on us to keep ourselves safe’ …..seems to be the attitude. I can’t be the only one wondering if they’re just a lonely voice pleading with others to be sensible – it’s not just about yourself, you have a responsibility to keep others safe as well.

~ ~ ~ ~

I nipped out after I wrote this and took these.
Seemingly it’s called a Millard ’Slide – On’

Handy if you dont like towing but….according to this review not quite as simple as tossing one on the back of your old ute

Corinne hosts  Monday Musings. – pop over you never know what you’ll find to read

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You can’t always get what you want…


Or as my mother would often say
‘Just because you want it doesn’t mean to say you’ll get it’

It’s an easy drive on the road I take to the nursing home, fairly straight, no twists and turns, …after making a right hand from our small street onto ’the main road’ it’s usually smooth sailing for 8km/5mile (along that same main road) until I get to the much bigger road in Ringwood where at a multi light controlled intersection theres a right hand turn across four lanes of traffic.
Less than two minutes later I’m there.
Leave home about 9.30, approx 15mins on the road in well behaved traffic gets me there 9.45 – waiting time for compulsory RAT test 15 mins, then it’s up to the kitchen, take control of the trolley and with a smile on my face ask ‘What would like this morning, tea or coffee?’

Well that’s the way its supposed to work , that’s the way it usually works but unfortunately there are days when it just doesn’t work that way at all

The Golfer and I both leave at about the same time on Tuesday which often means some ’bathroom negotiations’ take place, the neighbours don’t need to look at their calendar to know what day it is……hearing the words ”hurry up I need to shower as well” at full bellow (what, me bellow?, she says, I don’t bellow I yell loudly) is proof positive its Tuesday😊

Hoping for a break in the traffic so I can turn right at the end of the street is my first hurdle…..(where are all these people going at this time of the morning – most workers would have left home much earlier and school began half an hour ago) ……the next 11 are the sets of lights (pedestrian and intersection) on the road between my street and the 4 lane highway at Ringwood. The smooth sailing element of the journey is when I can drive from the first to the last at reasonable speed without needing to stop.
How dare people or vehicles approach from the other way and change the sequence…especially when I’m running late!

Then of course there’s the ’all come to a stop’ Mt Dandenong Road/Maroondah Highway/Ringwood Bypass light controlled intersection to negotiate. Easy Peasy – just look for the green arrow…..’cept it might only go green every second cycle. It’s fun – not – sitting there wishing those lights would change while watching what seems like every vehicle in the eastern suburbs getting their turn at crossing the street…..I sit there muttering and twiddling my thumbs (or the buttons on the radio) thinking ’those old ladies will have my guts for garters if their midmorning cuppa is late’

Then sometimes – just once in a while – I hear something funny while sitting there
desperately wanting to be on my way

I bust out laughing last Tuesday when this old Rolling Stones’ song was played
Here’s a young 25yrs old Mick Jagger with….You can’t always get what you want!


Interesting article 👇 about the day/night event when this was filmed live in1968

https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/the-rolling-stones-masterful-rock-roll-circus-245642/

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

~ ~ ~
Have to be out early this morning so won’t be lingering over my breakfast ……..my first cuppa tea went down a treat and I’ll be off to make another soon…..in the meantime I’m sitting here thinking about how easy it is for me at the moment to get all hot under the collar about something I can’t control.
I really need to leave home earlier ……then I wouldn’t be waiting and stewing!

Corinne is hosting Monday Musings.- I’ll be over soon to link this week’s post.
Why don’t you drop in and see who else might be there.

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Little bits of this….

and little bits of that!

A little bit of frivolity this morning….let’s call it Midwinter Madness

These potato slices, dipped in batter then deep fried are called Potato Cakes in Victoria. What are they called where you live?

Courtesy of those afternoon quiz shows The Golfer likes to watch, my answers to some questions proved once again my general knowledge is lacking in some quarters. I kept him company one wet afternoon and discovered:-

  • Gargoyles are not the same as Grotesque/s….one is functional (keeps the rain away) – the other is decorative (also keeps evil spirits away)

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grotesque_(architecture)

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

  • The lanes and back alleys in York are called ’snickelways’.

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

  • Play-Doh was originally marketed as a wallpaper cleaner

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Play-Doh

  • The are 24 countries whose english names have 5 letters. Benin and Gabon were two I’d never heard of😯

https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/5-letter-countries.html

Benin, a French-speaking West African nation, is a birthplace of the vodun (or “voodoo”) religion and home to the former Dahomey Kingdom from circa 1600–1900. In Abomey, Dahomey’s former capital, the Historical Museum occupies two royal palaces with bas-reliefs recounting the kingdom’s past and a throne mounted on human skulls. To the north, Pendjari National Park offers safaris with elephants, hippos and lions. ― Google

This is one I really should have known

  • In the British forces a fried egg sandwich is called an ‘Egg Banjo’

https://www.forces.net/military-life/fun/ever-wondered-why-its-called-egg-banjo

~ ~ ~ ~

Source – Twitter

If you’re stuck in a traffic jam like these people recently make sure there’s an ice cream van close by – https://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/news/hull-east-yorkshire-news/ice-cream-van-doing-roaring-7235413

(I’m curious to know if Mr Whippy cruises the motorways on ’the off chance’ because I found articles about several similar happenings over the years)

~ ~ ~ ~

And for the big finish have a giggle – or a groan – at these ’Dad’s jokes’

Q. How do you make holy water?

You boil the hell out of it.

Q. What do you call a pig with laryngitis?

Disgruntled.

Q. What do you say to the person who stole your place in the queue?

I’m after you now 

~ ~ ~

Breakfast this cool morning (yes its still winter here) will be porridge with brown sugar and sultanas….my Scottish ancestors would be having a fit – salt for them was the way to go! Not my cup of tea at all😊
What’s your winter brekky like – same as usual or do you vary?

(And a little postscript here about something I rarely comment on in public – particularly if it happens in another country to mine.
I feel very saddened and fearful for all women in the USA….no matter what they believe in)

Pop over to Corinne blog – she’s hosting Monday Musings.

#livelovelaugh

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On my mind….

On my mind this week is how cunning they are becoming – are they real or imaginary?

(I’ll just mention that occasionally when I’m looking online / asking Mr G for information about products I’ll sometimes use the words ’near me’ meaning locally)

~ ~ ~

Over the years I’ve had various ’problems’ on the blog with the ghastly stuff they call spam, spammers and strange followers, that thankfully sorted itself out after a while

Anyway recently some comments appearing in the spam folder have been looking almost real… ….actually, real ones have been ending up in there, because over the past few weeks WordPress (like Blogger) has decided true comments aren’t what they are and they’ve been sent to the sin bin…..first comments have a special ’need approval’ folder and they’ve been treated as spam as well.

So because (like oodles of other bloggers) I’ve been keeping an eye on this folder the ‘are they real or not’ ones have become noticeable.
Clear?….yes, as mud I hear you say😊

Well look at these two – both ’arrived’ the same day, both posted to my About page – not a really old post as is often the way……and written in fairly good english not gobbledygook like some are……Both in the spam folder.

  • “I’m impressed, I must say. Rarely do I come across a blog that is both educative and amusing, and let me tell you, you have hit the nail on the head. The problem is something too few men and women are speaking intelligently about. Now i’m very happy that I stumbled across this in my search for something regarding this”

  • “Next time I read a blog, I hope that it doesn’t disappoint me as much as this one. I mean, I know it was my choice to read, nonetheless I really believed you would probably have something useful to say. All I hear is a bunch of complaining about something that you could fix if you weren’t too busy seeking attention”

They do look real. The first one might make you smile – the second definitely not.

WordPress decided (rightly) these were spam…as an aside if you copy/paste those words in search engines you’ll find them cropping up as comments by various ’people/companies all over the place …..on my site the supposed authors, the names of the people/companies you might click on to see who made you feel good or who ’had the cheek to write that’ – the ones who want your clicks to make them look good in ratings – don’t laugh but they were called ‘Shutter Shop Near Me ’
Coincidence or Big Brother watching??

It’s early Monday morning, and as is usual I’m sitting here enjoying my first cuppa….. just pondering about life in general.  

How’s yours going?  

Corinne is the host of  Monday Musings – come see what she is talking about this week

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Off and running…..

So my dad was born near Portadown NI in a little place called Corcullentragh Beg – try saying that when you’ve had a few drinks ( or fitting it onto an official form😊

Yes its begun again – its been happening every four years since 1930.
World Cup Fever is alive and well – lots of history to be seen here.
The Socceroos have one more game to win to qualify for a place in the competition

Kicking that round ball is sort of a passion for some of the males in my family – my Dad and my brother were/are former players and great fans, one of my Irish cousins had a chequered career as NI international playing for Manchester United/Swindon Town in the 1970’s, after training with Sheffield United followed by a sports degree (Culver Stockton) a nephew (bro’s son) is now associated with a Sports Academy here in Melbourne plus our eldest son is a huge fan of Ipswich (TFC).  He was over 11 when we migrated to Australia from England so by then the soccer/football bug was well and truly entrenched into his mindset.

The Golfer isn’t as fanatical these days as he has been.  I clearly remember 1966 – we were living  in Singapore at the time – and their TV broadcasts were mainly in Chinese but we just ‘had’ to hire one so he could watch as many of that years world cup games as possible!!

… … … …

My sister Bobby is the keeper of all Mum and Dad’s bits and pieces – and recently unearthed an old photo of Dad (bottom right) during his soccer (football) playing days in Belfast. After getting some online help we discovered that Windsor Star (a Linfield youth team) were second division champions April 1938 – hence the shield and whopping great silver cup! Dad would have turned 20 in June that year and joined the RAF in the August – staying on in service after the war ended, never returning to live in Belfast, just as a visitor.

I think my dislike of the game started when I was quite young – Dad did ‘the pools’ each week, putting a cross in some of the boxes and paying his money to the man who came round door to door on a Thursday.

(A football pool, often collectively referred to as “the pools”, is a betting pool based on predicting the outcome of top-level association football matches set to take place in the coming week) source

Come 5pm on a Saturday afternoon during the season the radio would go on and BBC Sports Report would start and then the Classified Football Results would be broadcast.

I can still remember hearing the man who read out those results going on and on – from League Division One all the way through the minor leagues and Scottish leagues as well.  Weird and wonderful team names, places you’d never heard of but if they had a football team of note the score from their game for that week got a mention.   

To make sure he heard all the results and was able to mark them off correctly in the chart printed in the paper and then check his pools to see if we were going to become millionaires Dad needed complete silence in the room – Ha Ha – not going to happen when Catherine is around lol

I even loathed the music that was played at the beginning and each Saturday when I heard it I promised myself I would not speak but failed miserably each time and boy, did my Dad have a temper.  As Bobby said recently, his ”shut ya bake” and the sheer volume it was yelled at, snapped us to attention and silence followed by the scurrying of feet out of the room

Football is a winter sport and winter in England can be cold and back in the 1950’s we only had a coal fire in the living room of our house – bedrooms were not heated and I was sent to that freezing bedroom more times than I like to remember 😟

Its only recently when some friends were talking about associating music with feelings that I thought about trying to locate that music on the Internet.  It seems that the cause of all my worries is a march called ‘Out of the Blue’ composed by Hubert Bath.

… … … …

Early Monday morning, cup of tea in hand and I’m testing myself by playing this version – listening to it has me wondering how a lively march like that could bring back such bad feelings.

I have no idea – but even hearing it again now makes me feel sick inside.
Excuse me – I must leave the room

Do any of you have such reactions to musical tunes…or is it just me?
… … … …

Corinne is back with Monday Musings – come see what she is talking about this week

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Things to do….or not to do

(A forgotten draft post from quite a little while ago)

Had a little chat with my UK based baby brother last week.

Are you going out and about now?
No!

Are the case numbers still high where you are?
No, just can’t be bothered,

So no pub?
No, not even the pub. Tried it to begin with
Now can’t be bothered. Too much of a hassle, too many people.
I’m content staying close to home

~ ~ ~ ~

We laughed and went on to chat about how things had changed

For years many had the attitude of Y O L O (you only live once) – spend up, take risks, enjoy life, blow the consequences – followed by F O M O (fear of missing out) – constantly wanting/needing to know and worrying about missing out on something.

Then along came ’The Pandemic’ – sometimes called Corona Virus – Covid19 – Rona – ‘Strange Times’ even ’You Know What’ – and even though we have constantly been assured all is well out there, some still have F O G O (fear of going out)

Now a new variant has arrived – H O G O (hassle of going out). Something baby brother and I have been feeling. That ‘do I have to go’ – ‘there’s always another time’ – ‘do I have to wear a mask’ – ‘how many will be there’ feeling.

Even though we want to, it’s all too much.

It appears we’ve both settled on J O M O (joy of missing out) as our sweet spot

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

A few weeks on now …..We’re both feeling much better 😊

I’m enjoying resumed activities and he’s starting to visit his favourite pub. Both of us are still cautious, not fearful, just wary of people and places plus keep a mask in our pocket and wear it when or if necessary.
Don’t know about the UK – but since our government has basically ’left us to do our own thing’ known daily positive case numbers in Victoria are averaging 10,000 a day

So it’s still out there!

How about you – are you feeling more safe, secure and comfortable or is it still a hassle

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Just recently….

I was pleased we were able to have our flu’ jab so now are up to date with our vaccinations. Flurona has become a real thing here in Australia

I discovered that Dragonflies are sometimes called the Devils Darning Needle (thank you quiz show) – so it seems are other things

I felt like Debby when I realised the four truss tomatoes I put in my shopping trolley cost over AU$4. Truss toms have a smell of their own, like homegrown fresh from your garden and these called to me from the fruit and veg section of the supermarket.

Someone got to the grapes before I snapped the tomatoes

https://lifesfunnylikethat.blogspot.com/2022/05/tomatoes.html

https://australiantrusstomatoes.com.au

I noticed the ’paper aisles’ (toilet paper/kitchen rolls/ tissues) in the supermarket were almost empty. Two weeks ago there was plenty of stock – now none. Perhaps the other chain is being supplied….the one whose shelves were empty in April

https://au.news.yahoo.com/aldi-shoppers-angered-by-constant-toilet-paper-shortage-034115019.html

I was thankful we have the wherewithal to pay for the increased power bills when they arrive yet still felt it was necessary to talk to the provider and negotiate a better plan than the new one they suggested. Sticker shock is being noticed everywhere these days. We might be able to afford it but it’s certainly not necessary to accept it.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-04-29/power-pain-as-bills-tipped-to-rise-40-per-cent-on-surging-prices/101023488

I declared Autumn has definitely arrived (Winter nearly as well) and even though the sun might shine and we do have extra clothes we could put on, contrary to my complaining about increased power costs, if it’s cold in the evening (or even during the day) the heater goes on. Anything under 15°c is not my cup of tea!

http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/dwo/202205/html/IDCJDW3050.202205.shtml

~ ~ ~

And finally I seem to have become forgetful – I write it on the calendar – leave notes on the fridge – set reminders on the phone – just for the pleasure of hearing me say…..

Linking to Denyse’s ~ Life’s Stories. She is telling a revealing one today

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Leaving Anzac

A few years ago The Golfer and I were regular visitors to a local Folk Club – one Tuesday evening back in 2011 the special guest artist was Martyn Wyndham-Read …which I blogged about here.

Anyway during that evening he sang a very poignant song 
One adapted from a poem written in 1916 
about the thoughts Australian Soldiers (Diggers) 
may have had about leaving their fallen mates at Gallipoli (in Turkey)

Today, Monday is April 25th 2022 – Anzac Day

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

One of my maternal ancestors served at Gallipoli
unfortunately he, plus his Doyle and Muir cousins never made it home

James Bannister


This is my tribute to all those who served and never returned

And this is the poem – written by Cicely Fox Smith in 1916

Farewell to Anzac

Oh, hump your swag and leave, lads, the ships are in the bay —
We’ve got our marching orders now, it’s time to come away —
And a long good-bye to Anzac Beach — where blood has flowed in vain
For we’re leaving it, leaving it, game to fight again!

But some there are will never quit this bleak and bloody shore —
And some that marched and fought with us will fight and march no more;
Their blood has bought till Judgment Day the slopes they stormed so well,
And we’re leaving them, leaving them, sleeping where they fell. 

(Leaving them, leaving them — the bravest and the best —
leaving them, leaving them, and maybe glad to rest!
We’ve done our best with yesterday, to-morrow’s still our own —
But we’re leaving them, leaving them, sleeping all alone!)

Ay, they are gone beyond it all, the praising and the blame,
And many a man may win renown, but none more fair a fame;
They showed the world Australia’s lads knew well the way to die;
And we’re leaving them, leaving them, quiet where they lie.

(Leaving them, leaving them, sleeping where they died;
Leaving them, leaving them, in their glory and their pride —
Round them sea and barren land, over them the sky,
Oh, We’re leaving them, leaving them, quiet where they lie!)

http://oldpoetry.com/opoem/47926-Cicely-Fox-Smith-Farewell-To-Anzac

Cicely Fox Smith (pronounced “sigh-sli” as in precisely) 1882 – 1954

Linking to Denyse’s new fortnightly on a Monday feature ~ Life’s Stories

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Small Changes…..

Small changes….little things

  • I’ve returned to the gym….something I did say I wouldn’t do until ‘you know what’ had finally disappeared….walking is out – my legs play up after a short while – pool work is good, resistance bands here at home are so so but I need to feel like I’ve exercised….so the Leisure Centre it is.

Cheapskate that I am I haven’t taken out membership this time…. changes to ’rules & reg’ of membership, things I didn’t like, had me looking at pros & cons of other payment methods. I’ve taken advantage of their 20 visit pass.

  • Changes in daylight (and early evening temps) mean we’re settling down earlier, curtains are being drawn earlier, meals have changed – cooked rather than raw – entertainment has changed a bit.

Not important in the whole scheme of things but late afternoon early evening TV programming has changed. The Golfer’s reruns of Jag & Becker are not where they used to be (or not on at all☹️) so there’s been a bit of quiz show watching.
Sometimes it adds to my general knowledge 😊

Guess what was the answer to a multiple choice question:- ‘Which of these calls it’s young an Antling?’
Of course neither of us picked the most obvious answer

NOUN – Antling

rare 

  • A young or small ant.

Origin

Late 18th century; earliest use found in James Elphinston (1721–1809), educationist and advocate of spelling reform. From ant + -ling. source

Did you know that?

~ ~ ~ ~

I stopped near the library in Montrose last week and knew something had changed but couldn’t put my finger on it.
Can you spot the difference!

31 March 2014
5 April 2022

~ ~ ~ ~

Of course there’s one thing that never changes – the sight of the TV masts on the hills.
It’ll take some storm to take them down – much stronger than the one that brought down the tree and the electricity pole across the road from the library

~ ~ ~ ~

And there is one recent welcome change that nobody seems to be grumbling about. After rising to the atrocious price of over $2 a litre, the federal government halved the fuel tax for 6 months, (a budget cost of living action but cynical me says a pre-election action) so the cost of petrol has dropped 60¢ in less than 2 weeks.
I paid $1.59 (+discount)) the other day – big smiles all round. For the time being that is!

Linking to Denyse’s new fortnightly on a Monday feature ~ Life’s Stories

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Do you record….

It always seemed a very pretentious thing to do.
Photograph your handiwork
I would knit and sew – then gift without another thought about what I’d given.
Just a hope the person would like it.

Then this photo was forwarded to me.
Taken at a friend’s granddaughter’s christening tea.
Me – baby Tamika – and the embroidered wool blanket – my gift to the newborn.
The thank you card mentioned having a pictorial record of the love I’d put into making something.
So from then on that’s what I’ve done.

Kept a ‘pictorial record’ of my doings….as well as notes and little sketches.
lol I must have bored you silly over the years bombarding you with pictures of all my charity knits – – Case in point being the workings out for little red cardigan from a year ago – https://cranethie.com/2020/12/06/ive-made-it/….and then the photo when it was finished – https://cranethie.com/2021/03/08/theres-always-one-2/

I can assure you there’s lots more plus the notes I’ve kept about the type of wool used, colour, brand and how much it weighed when finished. It’s handy to have if you’ve got odd balls lying around…..gives you some idea on what to do with the stash – the one conveniently ’tucked away’ in various places inside as well as outside the house 😊

Apart from The Golfer’s sampler (still in progress – it didn’t get finished for Christmas) I’ve given up on cross stitch. These two nearly cost me my sanity!

Letter B and Letter B revisited

Wedding sampler1 and Wedding sampler2

Which brings me to this – a ’seemed like a good idea at the time’ embroidered wool blanket – as the intended baby turned out to be a boy another gift had to be given – so it’s been in hiding for a few years now.

When finished I could gift it to a friend’s expected great granddaughter – or I could gift it unfinished, along with the instructions and materials to the same friend’s granddaughter……the expectant mother…a very ‘crafty’ young woman….who has shown interest in the project and would willingly finish it. Somehow I think the second option is what will happen – I’m happy looking back at this photo knowing I sewed a lot of love into my part of it ❤️❤️

How about you? I know many of us keep notes on books read but do you keep them on gifts given…..handmade or otherwise?

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Baby talk….

When friends get together they talk about allsorts of things –  if they are like mine it’s ‘anything and everything’ – and if they happen to be ladies of the older type (like a few of mine are) it often happens that lots of those ‘anything’s’ talked about are families, grandchildren and great grand ones for some of us in particular 😊

Being able to get together again has meant that some are discussing how those same grandchildren are/have been coping with the pandemic.

I was a bit surprised the other day hearing one of them reliving something I remember vividly, something that happened about 10 yrs ago when she was asked to mind her newish grandchild, a little babe about 4 months old.  Something she herself feels is one of the reasons her grandaughter has always been quiet and withdrawn.

The mother (the d in law) brought the baby over and had left a list of ‘dos and don’ts’

One item on the list was the suggestion that the baby was not to be picked up and cuddled.  She was to be left in the pusher – one of those newish ones with all the bells and whistles – to lie there and look around and just take in her surroundings.

My friend had been really upset over this and had rung her son to ask him if this is what went on at home – was the babe just left to lie there without being picked up and cuddled and talked to.  His reply was, ‘Mum thats the way **** wants to raise her and I’m not going to interfere’

At that time (10 years ago now) I felt (and still do) it was such a shame, the little one would miss out on all that contact she needed early in life, her family – grandma included – would also miss so much.  

My belief is it’s through that physical, visual and verbal contact you have with babies that they learn so much.  Remember all the funny noises they make when they are tiny and all the funny faces they pull – it’s through you encouraging them, that all of that happens.  I don’t subscribe to the school of thought that says you don’t encourage baby talk – yes, when they are starting to form words you try to get them to say the correct one but I’m talking about when they are really tiny.  

Holding and touching baby – clothed or otherwise to me is good

Goo Gooing and pulling faces to me is good

Yes it a very young me and ‘our little girl’

1964 – We were living in Singapore when she happened to be the same age as my friend’s grandaughter.  Our little one was really getting into the ‘finding her voice’ stage…..It wasn’t a performance because I was unaware The Golfer was taking these photos but am so glad he did.  Its the way I was with all of our five – the way I think everyone should be with their children – we just happen to have proof that that was the way it was with ours.

~ ~ ~ ~

I’m curious to know how others feel – are there times for one and times for the other?

~ Pick up and cuddle or let lie to observe ~

Do babies miss out or not?

( ps – there is a follow up tale to this I will relate another time)

~ ~ ~ ~

Baby Talk – published March 21, 2022

Linking to Denyse’s new fortnightly on a Monday feature ~ ~ Life’s Stories

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Hello world….

More revisions and changes to those dreaded but necessary restrictions we had in place for nigh on two years means our lives are constantly changing. Maybe not to the extent as in the UK (and possibly other countries) ‘no big deal – learn to live with it’ …..here it’s back to the office and except in certain circumstances QR codes check ins are becoming a thing of the past with masks not needed. It’s proof of vaccination – 2 plus a booster – that ’lets you in or excludes you from’various establishments plus at times a negative RAT test.

So even though daily case numbers are much lower (but fluctuating) , Omicron (faster transmission but less severe – so ’they’ say) appears to have affected some of my friends’ state of mind more so than Delta – they seem to have returned to taking it slowly – in fact much slower than before. They aren’t fearful like previously – just less confident with being out and about …fully vaxxed but still cagey about visiting the supermarket, let alone cafes and restaurants with a trip to the cinema or using public transport definitely best left to others.

That is fine – I’m happy to see them now and again under their own specific terms and conditions but meanwhile I need to get on and enjoy however much is left of my life.

Which means over the past couple of weeks while I’ve been trying to dig myself out of some bad/sad/down days I’ve sat in a breezy hairdressing salon (doors and windows needing to be open for ventilation) – served morning tea to nursing home residents (hoorah for a return to volunteering) – and sung maskless at choir rehearsal (it’s very difficult to sing wearing one so this was a very welcome change)

There was another (non dept of health) change to choir procedures that everyone thought was just grand – may I present to you ’Dog’ (yes, that it’s name) – a beautiful black & white Border Collie who was ’rescued/adopted’ by our accompanist during the last lockdown.

We don’t often get visitors who just sit and listen without feeling the need to join in

Dog was peaceful and quiet, possibly a little unsure, checking Sue was still there

Also with one habit Sue is trying to break.
‘Just giving her the sniff test to make sure she is who she says she is’


How about you – what changes affected your recent days, weeks or even months?
Have they made life easier or more complicated for you?

Hopefully nothing as dramatic as the flooding rain my family in Brisbane experienced – all is well now. None came into the house, just the garden to put back together now😊

#keeplifesimple

xingfumama hosts ’whatsoever is lovely’ – Sue’s beautiful Border Collie was my lovely this week

Life this Month can be found HERE at Denyse Whelan Blogs

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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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It would help if I put my specs on….

During our winter stay in Bowen we shop at the same national supermarket chain as down here in Melbourne. It’s a case of doing that (being the only supermarket in town) or using the local independent grocer – IGA – also a sort of national chain but owner run – with slightly higher prices. Being a ’country town’ most of the businesses close at lunchtime Saturday – no city weekend trading hours there…..apart from one chemist/pharmacy and IGA.

We use powdered milk, have done for many a year, it works for us, is easier to have on hand rather than the UHT long life stuff (yuk) and usually mixes quite easily….except for a couple of months prior to going away we noticed it was needing a bit more effort to get rid of lumpy bits of undissolved powder on the top of the liquid.
Anyway, one week there was a problem with supply – lots of full cream but no skim on the shelves or out the back. Still none available a few days later so out of necessity one Sunday we went down to the other place….where their shelves were full. Same weight….Same price….bet it’s all packed into different packets in the same factory. Same ratio of powder and water to mix……same taste….but there was one difference……it dissolved and mixed up a dream. Just with a fork, no beater needed. Big smiles all round.

Back home again the last bag of the original brand I had on hand here was almost finished so I decided to hunt out the ’new’ one. Unlike the other national chains those shops aren’t on every corner so it was a fair drive to the closest…half way up the mountain just for a couple of packs of skimmed milk powder😊

And what’s with the picture below ?

Well, I was about to recycle the empty pack and wondered if there was a difference in the health/daily allowance figures on the front.
Oh dear…the figures on the lower ‘new’ pink bag are much higher than the ones above on the ‘old’ grassy green one

Oops, now I see why…..one is for a 250ml serve – the other for a 100ml serve.
Now where did I put those specs??


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