It hardly seems any time at all since I told you all about Brook joining the Navy, but here I am, telling you that she's Graduating from Basic Training on December 4th!
Actually it will be 11weeks...and we've missed her every single day. Not only the family, but our dogs and her work mates from the Service Station too. Each time I've been in there they ask how she's doing and when she will be home on leave. One really nice young man, with whom she is good friends, asked if she was coming home for Christmas and then offered to pay her airfare if she couldn't afford it! I explained that we had to wait and see if she had leave and that the Navy pays her fares home.
Now for the really big news! Brook rang a couple of days ago, told me to book a flight to Melbourne and gave me her credit card details to pay for it. She wants me to be there for the Graduation Ceremony on the evening of Dec.4th. I'd been feeling awful about not being able to go, so she decided I wasn't going to miss out. Did I tell you I love that girl?
I leave on Dec 3rd (Wednesday) and return at midnight Dec 7th. Not only will I get to see Brook again, but I'll be staying with my eldest daughter and my second youngest granddaughter - which is another absolute bonus! They will driving down to the Parade with me and be there for Brook as well.
As far as I know, once her weekend leave is over (provided that she's not on the duty roster) Brook will start her Electronics Technician training the following Monday. I have no idea how long the course is, but know that the initial part takes place at the School of Engineering, HMAS Cerberus, which is her base at the moment. Seeing as her 1st rank is Seaman Star (unqualified) it will probably be something like 8 months of study and prac.
Brook's no stranger to hard work and has a great work ethic. I know that she'll give 100% to getting her qualifications. I can't wait to give her a hug...my only regret is that Rob won't be there, because he and Brook are great mates. Still, someone has to baby sit the dogs and earn the bikkies.
I'll post again when I get back. I should have some good pics for you then too.
Vickie.
Hi all!
Rob and I had friends over on Saturday afternoon. I'd met Brett once, though Rob has known him for a while. Neither of us had met his wife Jo or their little boy Lachlan (2). She turned out to be a delightful young woman and their son is a joy. Jo is expecting their second child in February.
In our outside entertainment area are two glass top dining tables and chairs, which see quite a bit of use. We sat there eating nibblies and drinking coffee or cold water and chatting for a couple of hours. It was lovely getting to know them better and swapping stories of family etc. Lachlan finally gave in and curled up on his mum's lap and went to sleep.
I moved away from the table to get something and, as I turned around, the table at which we were actually sitting, disintergrated! If you've ever seen a car windscreen shatter, then you should be able to picture it. Everything that was on the table fell through into the gap and a large pitcher of water, the dome of my cheese tray and a couple of other things, smashed too. Needless to say, Lachlan didn't stay asleep! I was pretty glad that Jo wasn't closer to full term too!
Not one of us had a scratch - which was unbelievable. It took us ages to sweep up and dispose of all the glass. Neither Rob nor myself could remember when we purchased the setting, but we knew where it came from. I was begining to think that we would have to go through an insurance claim. Once our friends had left about an hour or so later, I started looking for the purchase docket...I tend to keep receipts ...and I found it!
Now this is the second piece of good luck - Rob gave it to me for my birthday last year and we were two days inside the 12mths warranty period!
We rang the store the next day and they told us to take it back in for a refund. Karl (son) came around with his ute and then we all went to return it. We chose a smaller 4 place setting, in a really nice design, as a replacement...ideal for breakfast or intimate dinners. We also came away with cash in hand for the difference in price.
When we went to the customer service counter, the lass there told us that her manager had instructed them to put the setting out to be trashed! There were six perfectly good chairs and the table frame. She said it was a waste and he said that no one would be bothered replacing the glass. She told him that she would, and she ended up with the set!
Never a dull moment at our place!
Vickie.
On Sunday, Rob, Brook and myself started out on 'Brook's Big Adventure!'
We were on the road to Townsville (423kms south of Gordonvale) by 10.30am. We stopped for lunch at Cardwell (about the half way mark) and sat at a picnic table right on the edge of the beach. It was lovely just being out of the car for a while. We'd had a going away bbq on Saturday night so there was quite a bit of left over food which we'd packed for lunch. Brook slept most of the way after that, because after the family get together, she'd gone to her girlfriends place. A bunch of their friends from Innisfail (about an hour south of G'vale) had gathered there for a farewell party and they made sure that she didn't get any sleep.
We booked into a hotel in Townsville, which was just a short walk (uphill) from the Recruiting Office, where she had to present on Monday morning. Once we settled in, we went on a very long walk to find somewhere to eat.
Townsville on a Sunday is the most boring place on Earth! We ended up having hot dogs at the Great Australian Ice Creamery. Not even the pubs were open (unlike Cairns). Cafes and restaurants are closed - obviously the misguided tourists who visit there don't get hungry. Apparently there is a strip with eateries, but it was too far for us to walk. Brook ended up sleeping from the time we got back to the hotel (about 5.30pm) until 6.15 the next morning! Rob and I ate at the small restaurant in the hotel. To say that it was forgettable would be an understatement. We were both pretty grateful to get to bed.
After breakfast on Monday, we headed to the Recruitment Office for Brook's induction into the Navy. As I said previously, it was only a short walk, but Brook had been sensible enough to by a large duffle bag with a trolly built in. Just as well, because, even after we had cut her packing to the minimum, it still weighed a ton and she had to pull it up the hill. We were there at 9am and she completed her paper work, had a final blood test and made contact with some of the other enlistees. We then left her there for a briefing. We went for yet another walk. Honestly, we were lucky to find a book shop to occupy us for the next hour. It was a relief when she rang us to say that the ceremony would be starting shortly!
There were 7 recruits for the Navy and 2 for the Army. We, including the other families, gathered together in a meeting room, complete with a coffee machine, which had a life of it's own.
The Ceremony started and the recruits received laminated certificates of their enlistments, which were for the families. I thought that was a lovely idea. Then the 2 Army recruits were inducted. After that the Navy guys took the oath or affirmation. Once that was over we had a few minutes for photos and then we went down to the front of the building, where the bus was waiting to take them to the airport. We had a few moments for hugs and kisses and then they were off. The Navy recruits flew to Brisbane first and then to Melbourne where they would be transported to HMAS Cerberus which is the training base. The Army recruits were to fly to Sydney and then from there to their base at Kapooka.
Rob and I went back to our hotel to pick up our luggage and the car. We got out of Townsville as fast as we could. Unfortunately there were a lot of road works on the way home, so it took us longer than we would have liked. We left at 12.30pm and reached home at 4.45pm. We have to thank Deena (daughter) for looking after the dogs while we were away. They were really pleased to see us but I suspect they are going to miss Brook, but not more than we will.
It's been lovely having had this last 20mths with Brook, I feel privilaged that she wanted to spend her time here, with us and the rest of the family. We've seen her graduate from high school, work hard at a permenant job and now make a move into the world in a career in the Australian Defence Force. We are proud of her...what ever she does.
Vickie.
Hi All!
Time for another update on life in the Far North of Queensland:
Winter here is the best time of the year. We could do with some rain, but I'm not complaining too much.
The garden is going great guns and we have a constant supply of lettuce, tomatoes, button squash, zuchini and, shortly, celery. The beetroot is about ready to pull too.
I made Jaboticaba Jelly (jam) on Sunday. We have a tree in our bush garden and it was loaded with fruit, so rather than keep giving surplus fruit away, I found a recipe and got to work. It's really delicious and makes toast rather special.
My granddaughter Brook is staying with us again. She's still working at the Caltex Service Station across the road and her shifts start at 4am and finish at 1pm. We didn't like the idea of her riding her bike to work at that time in the morning, so she's moved back in. So I'm back cooking and washing for 3 again.
Two weeks ago Gordonvale (where we live) held the annual Great Pyramid Race. Walsh's Pyramid is the largest free standing mountain in the world. It's weird - it just stands there without being part of the surrounding mountain ranges. The race has been held for the last 49yrs and now attracts runners from all over the world, not just locals.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walsh's_Pyramid will give you some idea of what the challenge is like.
Here are the winners of the various sections and the times they ran. http://www.pyramidrace.com.au/a_information.htm
I wouldn't even make it 1/2 way...even if I was on all fours!
Brook, on the other hand, climbed the Pyramid at 8am on the morning of the race. She's a member of the State Emergency Service and they volunteer, each year, to man water stops and first aid stations on the mountain. The water barrels are dropped off by helicopter but this year, instead of the chopper picking them up after the race, they had to be carried out on foot. (The chopper had to leave to transport a very sick child to hospital.) On the way down, Brook got a radio message that one of the other women had hurt her ankle. It turned out that it was fractured in two places. It was in an area where the helicopter would have been unable to land, so they had to put into practice what they were trained for and carry her out on a stretcher. The way down is treacherous and in places they had to lower the stretcher with ropes. It was 11pm by the time they made it off the mountain. It must have been an nightmare doing that decent in the dark! I know Brook was footsore the next day - though I might add that some of that may have been due to the fact that ,she and some friends, went clubbing at midnight! Oh to be 19 again!
Brook and Rob have set up the gym gear, that my son Karl, had left to clutter up our garage. Rob has lost a lot of weight lately, due to the fact that he walks quite a long way from where he parks the car. He also walks at lunch time. Now he needs to tone up. Brook on the other hand, needs to loose about 10kgs, so they have set goals and are trying to work towards them. My challenge at the moment, is to give up smoking...yet again!
Our good friends Cameron and Linda are getting married on Oct. 24th and have invited us to the wedding. It's going to be in Sydney. We can't afford both of us to go, so Rob will be going down for 4days and staying with one of our favourite people, Gavin. Gav's place is close to a railway station and will give Rob easy access go the places he has to go. It will give Rob a chance to see his father too. He's not seen him since we moved here in January 2005.
I'm going to be on the GoldCoast in January next year. I'm going down with my daughter Deena and her partner David, Karl, Jodie and their 2 boys. It's my eldest Granddaughter's 21st birthday and a chance for me to see her and her sister again. I've not seen them since 1998 so I'm looking forward to it. Rob is staying home to babysit the dogs. I bet he spends most of that time playing Halo 3 online!
Time for me to go hang out the laundry!
Catch you next time.
Vickie.
Hi All!
How are you all travelling with the financial problems that most of our countries are facing?
I don't know about you, but the increase in interest rates have hit us where it hurts. Our repayments have doubled over the last 6mths and on our income, that's not comfortable. I'd absolutely hate to be in the shoes of a new home buyer now. The obvious decline in home buying makes me wonder where people are going to live. Sure there are houses for rent but the cost of renting is horrendous! Average rental for this area, seems to be about $320 pw. Units (apartments) are renting for $250 upwards...depending if you have a view or not...oh and that's unfurnished.
Rob and I might bitch about repayments etc, but I honestly think we are soooo lucky. We may be stuck with the interest on our loan, but, as I said last post, we were able to buy all the materials for our renovations before prices skyrocketed. Speaking of renovations, we have now finished nearly all of ours. The hallway needs repainting and the doors in the lounge + the bathroom ceiling. We also have to finish off the steps from the kitchen to the lounge with a coat of varnish. The makeover on our bedroom is phenominal! It bears no resemblance to the overcrowded, stuffy room it once was. The wallpaper and carpet are gone...Hooray! So are the ugly wall bracket lights, replaced with bedside lamps with wicker shades.
The floor has vinyl tiles and the walls are a very subtle colour called Cocoa Parfait. We used the same colour in the computer room. It looks nice in the computer room but in the bedroom it is just brilliant. It blends perfectly with the quilt and pillow shams which are an odd sort of bronze, edged with chocolate brown. We have a couple of dark purple rugs which bring all the colours together.
Above our bed is a print I picked up in New Mexico. It's a painting of a Native American Indian woman. She is seated on the ground and is wrapped in a blanket which echoes all the colours of the room. The curtains are cream linen- which makes the room much lighter. I get a real buzz everytime I walk in there.
I must add that the curtain hanging was not without incident.
Rob and I both had our Flu shots for the year, but they obviously got the possible strains wrong this year. I managed to catch it from my granddaughter Brook, who had a bad dose and passed it around very generously.
We managed to finish the vege garden and are already eating lettuce and other goodies from it. We also bought a "Biosnakky Mini-Greenhouse" and we are raising trays of alfalfa, wheatgrass and salad shoots to suppliment our diet. Honestly, it was amazing to have alfalfa to eat just 4 days after 'planting'! We are eating less and less meat and my energy level is on the rise again. Not only that, we are also, unconciously eating less.
Our Rosella bush has produced a bumper crop in this, it's first year. On Sunday I made a batch of jam which is delicious. It's a fiddly job but the taste more than compensates. One jar has been earmarked for my daughter Jacqui and will be posted this week. (See Jacqui...I told you I'd make it!)
Rob purchased a new bicycle for me. I've not ridden it yet because, apart from my having the flu...to be quite honest, the damned seat is far too hard for my aging rear.LOL We are going shopping for a much more comfortable seat shortly and then I'll start riding again. I've not ridden a bike for over 30 yrs, so it should prove interesting!
Rob has been doing book reviews for one of the columns at the Cairns Post (the newspaper he works for)...it's not paid work, but he gets to keep the books. He rang me today to say that he picked up a couple of books, one of which is the latest James Patterson novel "Sail" which I've been itching to get my hands on. Gotta love free books!
Anyway, that's just about all the news from the Tropical North, so, until next time, bye!
Vickie.
Hi Everyone!
Easter was an eventful time for the family. We welcomed our newest member in the early hours of Easter Sunday.
His name is Dean Andrew. Dean is the second boy for my son Karl and his wife Jodie...and a little brother for Seth. The picture was taken when he was 36hrs old. This my 10th grandchild (5th grandson). Dean is also the second 'official' grandson for Rob - we've had two born since we were married in 2004.
Now back to the other news from the homestead:
The torrential rain seems to have stopped. The garden is a jungle and the vege patch is a disaster area. Rob is taking 3 weeks of annual leave in April. The intention is to finish the renovations and then spend time getting the garden back into shape. Hopefully we may also find some time to get away from the house and have some time to ourselves. I'm so pleased that we had the forethought to buy enough paint, tiles and timber to finish the house, because, with the rise in interest rates, it would be nearly impossible for us to afford it now. Every week is a challenge, but Rob is pretty good with finances when they need juggling.
We've started shopping at a meat wholesaler. Not only do they supply some really lovely meat - in a huge variety, but they have catering packs of other items - frozen veges, calamari, spring rolls etc and a wide variety of deli goods. I found we can save heaps and eat really well. Until the vege garden gets back into production, we are taking the trip to the markets on a Saturday morning - another way of saving. I buy other items from the supermarket in the largest size I can get and I'm saving there too.
My daughter Deena is giving Rob a lift to work 4 days a week and won't accept any money. Not only is it saving on petrol costs for us, but parking has dropped by about $90 per month. Rob is back doing his shift at the Community Radio Station on Thursday evenings, reading the News for the Print Handicapped and that's the reason it's only 1 day a week that he takes the car.
Our granddaughter Brook went for her initial interview and testing for enlistment in the Navy on Wednesday. So far it looks very good. She's having to wait for some paperwork from Sydney and Melbourne. After that's submitted, she will have her physical exam etc. She has another interview by phone scheduled for Monday. The recruitment officer was keen to get her in the next intake (she wants to do Electronics) in April, but the hold up with the paperwork means that she has to wait until the next one. Fingers crossed for her please, because the Navy is where she wants to be.
Rob, Deena and Brook played in an indoor soccer team for The Cairns Post. The team name was 'Run Forrest, Run'. I'm pleased to report that they won the finals! They beat a team that was previously undefeated. Well Done!
Still on the sport front, my granddaughter Elyse (aged 15) took part in the Queensland State Life Saving Titles in the under 17yrs section. She is now State Champion. Not only did she do well in the teams events and individual races, but she won the Iron Woman section...taking out every event. Now she is off to Perth in April for the Australian Championships. Her mum (Jenny) and her dad will be travelling with her. I'll let you know how she goes. Needless to say, we are all very proud of her.
I think that's all on the newsfront from this neck of the woods, so.....
Catch you all later.
Vickie.
A belated Happy New Year to all of you!
Lot's of news.
Firstly, the young Honey Eaters have left the nest and taken up residence in the Bankok Rose bushes in the dog run.
It's lovely to hear them twittering away, whilst they feed.
Rob, Karl and myself took on the task of renovating the guest room. It's like walking into a whole different room - thank goodness! Next on the agenda, after a break to catch our collective breath, is our bedroom and dressing room. I think it can wait for a while as we are all pretty busy with other things that need doing. Karl, especially, has a lot on his plate. Jodie and Karl are expecting the new addition to the family quite soon and he needs to do a lot of work on their place before he (yes it's another boy) arrives. I can't say enough to thank my son. He's given so much of his time to us and saved us soooooooo much money.
The first guests in our 'new' room arrived on Jan 22nd. Cameron and Linda, good friends from Sydney, came to spend 5 days with us. It was great to have their company ... even if I did have to fight to get a word in edgewise with Cameron.
On Saturday, Australia Day and Cameron and Linda's last evening with us, I got a call from my daughter Deena, informing me that the 'mob' was again decending on us for a BBQ and that they were bringing the food. Karl supplied 5kgs of prawns, which was lovely and most welcome. I was thinking how unusual it was for the kids to give me warning that they were coming, when I had the feeling that they were bringing another guest with them. I told Rob that I thought my daughter Jenny was coming...I 've not seen her for nearly nine years. We don't always see eye to eye, but I've never given up on her and have rung her a few times recently. Sure enough, when Deena pulled up, there was Jenny! She'd come to Cairns for the 21st party of her best friend's daughter and decided it was time to mend fences too. It was a really nice party, with 13 of us all told.
Cameron and Linda left early on Sunday morning. Rob took them into the Cairns Railway Station, while I caught up on some housework. We were sorry they could only spend such a short time with us, but the heat really got to them...especially Cameron. I think he was quite pleased to wave goodbye to the Tropical Far North!
Monday was the Australia Day Holiday and Jenny's last day here too. Her plane left at 5pm, so we were invaded again, for lunch this time. We ate in the dining room, with the air con going full blast. I think it would have taken an army to have moved Jenny from the cool! It was lovely and so good to have most of the family together. It was a pity that they couldn't all have been here. I know Jenny was looking forward to getting home to the GoldCoast and her AirCon and swimming pool.
Rob and I were relaxing last night and I decided to move my lazy self and get the washing in. It was hung in the undercover entertainment area. As I was folding the final towel, I spotted something crawling on the cement floor. I thought, at first, it was a small cane toad. When I took a closer look, I found a really tiny bat! I managed to coax it onto my hand and then onto my shirt. It didn't appear to be injured, just unable to fly. We transfered it into a shoe box. It was less than 2 inches long and black, with a dear little face. Rob rang Wildlife Rescue and a very helpful lady told us that it was probably an insect eating bat. She suggested hanging a shirt on the outside clothes line, encouraging the bat to attach itself and then leave it and check back later. Apparently they can't fly away from a prone position on the ground and fall victim of dogs and cats etc. When we looked later, it had, much to my relief, flown away. I did a search this morning and identified it as a Gould's Wattled Bat, which are quite common in this area. I 've never seen such a tiny bat - I've actually seen moths that are much bigger!
Time for me to go do some work around the place...though I'd much rather read a book...actually I think I might just do that instead.
Until next time I have some news,
Take care and have a great 2008!
Vickie
Hi Everyone!
No sooner do I seem to get through one Christmas, than another one appears from nowhere. I think my resolution for the New Year, is going to be "start Christmas Shopping in February." At least it won't be able to sneak up on me, next time.
It's been a pretty good year for us. Most of the renovations are finished. Those that aren't are really only waiting on my son Karl, to have time. He's a very busy man, so they could be a while yet. Our health has been good, over all, so no real complaints there. I've had some very expensive dental work done, so no longer feel worried about smiling. I really have to thank my darling Rob, for insisting I go ahead with it.
Rob has the entire week off, after New Years Eve, so he and I, will be getting stuck in to renovating the spare bedroom...seeing as it will actually be empty during that time. I'm hoping it's going to be a little bit cooler while we are doing it.
Our youngest grandson Seth is thriving and now 18 months old. He's a real little charmer and a motor bike nut to boot! In March (I think) he will have a new little brother to terrorize. The family is expanding without me having to do a thing.
This year we've had our granddaughter Brook stay with us. We had visits from her Mum, Gemma, and her little sister Christine. Then my daughter Jacqui and our granddaughter Kate came from Melbourne for Rob's 30th birthday. It was lovely to see them all again.
My daughter Deena has a new job. She's an accountant and has taken over as manager for a new accountancy practice. She let the villa she was renting go. It was too far to travel. She moved in with us for a while, but now she and Brook are renting a house in the same street that Karl and his family live in. That means that Deena can get her daily "fix" of Seth!
Brook finished her secondary schooling this year and we all went to the Graduation Formal. Deena made her dress and she looked stunning. Hopefully I can manage to post a pic before long.
Christmas itself, was hectic, as usual. It seemed to be a constant round of cooking and clearing up afterwards. I had some really nice presents...I love all of them.
We, here, all had a wonderful late Christmas present...it absolutely poured with rain last night! It cooled the place down no end. Hopefully it will continue today, otherwise it will be very steamy.
I must tell you about a very special thing that's going on. Outside our back dorr into the entertainment area and garden, we have a collection of windchimes and temple bells. Not long ago, I started to notice leaf litter on the ground. I didn't think too much about it and then my daughter spotted what was going on. A male Sunbird had started to make a nest on a string of bells! He was very smart...using a bell as a protective hood over the top of his nest. Over the days it rapidly took shape. I got Rob to loop the string up higher, out of the dog's reach. These little birds love nesting close to human habitat and are wonderful to watch. There is now a female in residence and, hopefully, in the new year, we will be hearing the cheeping of babies.
The Peewees (Magpie Larks) have already hatched their young and there are mother birds around, followed by their hungry youngsters. It's lovely to watch them running after mum with their mouths open, chirping demandingly.
Today I have to attack the fridges. So much food left over! Now I have to go through it and see what is salvagable. There's an entire ham that's not been touched. I'm going to have to slice it and freeze it. We should have ham sandwiches for the next 3months! I'll also be making huge pots of chicken and vege soup and some curries. Next Christmas will be much easier, because we are going to my son and daughter-in-law's place. All I have to do then, is ask what they need us to take. Still, there is one thing, after today, all I'll have to do, is reach into the freezer for dinner!
Deena and Brook are driving to Melbourne on New Years Day. They are taking down Deena's car for her son Rhys. She has his car here but it needs some work on doing to it. It has a towbar and she needs one for towing her sailboat. They will spend a week there and fly back on the 10th of January. It's a very long drive but they are going the inland route, so it should only take them 2 1/2 days...allowing for overnight stops. Rhys is paying all their running expenses and has had a GPS fitted for them. It should be quite an adventure for the two of them.
I hope you guys all had a wonderful Christmas and that 2008 is kind to you and yours. I hope, from the bottom of my heart, that it's a kinder year for the entire World.
Love to all of you,
Vickie.
Hi all!
The main vege bed is complete except for the surrounding pebble path. It isn't quite the width of the garden...just 18mtrs, but it's large enough. It's already 80% filled with seedlings. Not only did I end up with a huge vege patch, but a watering system that covers most of the other garden beds as well.
My son Karl took on the project and, as he never does anything half-arsed, it ended up bigger than Ben Hur! I hate garden hoses, but there is something theraputic about watering the garden. Now I trot around turning taps and switching outlets...I still get to water the middle garden bed and the ones close to the house, not to mention my collection of hanging pots. I must say it's great not having to water the veges by hand though.
This week-end we are getting a new cupboard in the kitchen. It's going to be next to the pantry cupboard and as tall, but not quite as wide. I got sick of having electrical appliances cluttering up my work space. Most of them are stored in under counter cupboards, but there are a few that are too tall to fit. Now I will have a designated storage area for them, within easy reach of the working area. Not only that, it will cut down on the need to continually wipe the dust from them. The heavier items in the low cupboard will also be easier to access in their new home.
We had our trip to Brisbane on September 16th. Before we booked into our accomodation, we took the Airlink train into the City. Rob had never been to Brisbane, so wanted to check it out. He discovered that it is just the same as most other cities...same stores, same hi-rise design. We escaped to Dymocks Bookstore and indulged ourselves until it was time to catch a Taxi to Boondal.
The motel we stayed at was quite close to the Brisbane Entertainment Centre, which was just as well, considering that traffic into the centre was just about at gridlock as performance time neared. Steely Dan were were terrific, but I do wish they had performed, at least, a couple of my favorite numbers. I know that Rob thoroughly enjoyed himself though. (Judging by the ear to ear grin on his face.)
After a late breakfast, which we finished just prior to check-out time, we took a cab to the Airport. That had us there at 11am...2 1/2hrs prior to our flight home. The 2 1/2hrs stretched to 3 1/2 hrs. Fog had delayed flights in the early morning and flowed on through to the afternoon. We were really glad to touch down in Cairns. We took a taxi to the Casino in town, where we had left the car overnight. Rob has monthly parking there, as it's close to his work and much more convenient than trying to find on street parking.
Getting home and seeing the dogs again was lovely. You'd have thought we'd been away for a week. I guess we have turned into Homebodies.
Today Gordonvale is covered by a smoke haze. The National Parks authority are conducting a 'controlled' burn, in the mountains to the west of us. There's no such thing! I've been spotting trees on fire outside the area they are burning. The wind suits itself and no matter how they try, sparks are going to get away from them. I hope it isn't going to last for long, because I'm now used to breathing clean air.
Anyway...that's all the 'news' I can think of right now, so I'll catch you all later.
Vickie.
I've only just realized that it's been three months since I last posted...and that's far too long!
Lots of things happening at our end of the ether.
Firstly, harking back to my last post, Bow was laid to rest and has a lovely birdbath as her marker. It's nice to think she's at rest in a garden she loved.
Next, we had my Grandson Rhys's 21st birthday party on June 23rd. He flew up from Melbourne, together with his aunt Gemma and my youngest granddaughter Christine.(Brook's mother and sister) Gemma and Christine stayed with us...it was a bit like playing sardines. Christine is autistic and it was the first time we've met her -even though she's 4yrs old. I found her to be a dear little girl, but a bit of a handful. She's had a very rough start in life - they removed a large tumour from her heart and lung when she was only 2 1/2 and then she was diagnosed with autism. I have great respect for those who live and work with autistic kids - it's draining! Brook was so happy to see her sister again it was really lovely. The family all attended the birthday party, which was at my son Karl's house.The Melbourne contingent only stopped for two nights, but it was great to see them.
We had a "break" for a couple of weeks, in which time Karl finished the laundry. It's wonderful to have a seperate and fully functional laundry and the dogs are thrilled too, because they get to use it as a bedroom at night time. It's been pretty cold here. We got down to 6o C one night...unheard of in this neck of the woods! We actually put a couple of Rob's undershirts on them as they were really miserable. They didn't even care that they looked silly.
During those two weeks, I worked hard in the garden, spreading woodchip and tending my veges...which this year I have in large pots. We've got rid of the old vege patch and intend, in the not too distant future, to put in a paved area and a gazebo, so that we can sit there and read. Then, a month ago, a friend who worked for vegetation clearing business (mainly tree lopping) delivered about 8 cu meters of woodchip and mulch...I spent the next week spreading it on the gardens.
After the break we started on Rob's 30th birthday celebrations. First there was a lunch, followed by a movie. The movie? Why the new Transformers film - Rob is an enthusiast from waaaaay back. Optimus Prime has pride of place next to his computer.
The nicest thing that happened for Rob's birthday was a visit from my eldest daughter Jacqui and her daughter Kate. They too are from Melbourne and flew up for a holiday. They spent the first 4 days at the Cairns Colonial Club resort...doing the usual tourist things and Jacqui got a chance to show Kate around the places she grew up. For the last 4 days they moved over to our place and Katie got to meet her relatives in this part of the world. I know from her mum's report, that she really enjoyed it. We loved having them here and do wish we could see more of them.
Once the house was empty again, I started in on the task of growing our own veges. This time I vowed to grow them all in pots. It's been pretty successful too. We then decided to replace all the old timber railway sleepers, that edged the garden beds, with concrete sleepers. Rob and Karl are still doing this, when time permits.
Unfortunately/fortunately, I got the bug for providing veges for the family. I joined a gardening club (on-line) who can provide me with 'Heritage' seeds...no GM junk thank you! I love veges that taste as they were intended to. Not only that but, as Karl's wife Jodie, is expecting again, it's important that she has the freshest possible. Actually it's important that we ALL have that chance. My plan to only grow in pots has gone out the window. Now the menfolk are building me garden beds that stretch for the length of the back fence. We are keeping them narrow, so that they are easier for me to tend. Hopefully, I will be able to grow just about all the veges we need and the supermarkets can go jump! The price of lettuce here is prohibitive and I do enjoy going out into the backyard and cutting leaves that taste like lettuce. You wouldn't believe the way the tomatoes taste after the pap you get in the markets!
Anyway...that's enough of my ramblings...the laundry is waiting for my attention. I promise not to wait soooo long before my next entry.
Vickie.
Hi All...
It's been a while since I've posted. Lack of time and enthusiasm, to be absolutely honest, being the chief reasons.
When I left Gordonvale six years ago, to live with Rob in Sydney, my son Karl took on my old dog Bow. She was just coming up to her 9th birthday then, but she was pretty fit and hardy. Bow was a German Shepherd/Rottweiler X and a pretty big girl. She was born on my eldest daughter's birthday, 15th May and she had her 15th birthday on Tuesday.
Karl and his family left for Cooktown on Friday evening, leaving Bow and his other dog, Ruby to guard the property. He left lots of food and water and we voluntered to check on them today and Sunday, before they arrived home in the evening.
Tonight, after seeing a movie in town, Rob, myself and Brook, checked in on them before going home. Ruby came to meet us...but not Bow. At first we thought it was because she was stone deaf, but we quickly realized that she was on her mat and had died quiet peacefully, sometime during the day.
Old dogs know things. Bow chose my late husband's birthday - May 19th, to take her final 'walkies'.He was her first 'master'. It was a blessing that she passed away while Karl wasn't there. He was dreading anything happening to her and most of all hated the thought of having her put to sleep. Now he doesn't have to.
Right now the poor old girl is resting in a working, but normally unused freezer in our garage. It's been pretty hot here and it seemed like the answer to the problem. Karl can bury her when he's up to it.
God bless old dogs...and young ones too. They bring so much joy and comfort.
Vickie.
As you can see from the small banner to the left, it's the day to Blog Against Sexual Violence.
"It's finally stopped!" was the title of my last entry...I would love to be able to use it on this one, but it's nowhere near true.
Until recent years, discussing Sexual Violence wasn't on the list of things that 'nice' girls did and boys didn't talk about it...unless it was behind their hand. What happened to bring it into the open? Personally I think it was victims deciding that enough is enough! It was also the realization that it's never the fault of the victim. Most of this was brought about by dedicated workers, who came into contact with the results of sexual violence, in their roles as councillors and social workers. It's taken a long time, but now the Federal and State Governments are behind awareness campaignes in Australia. It's time to stop the rot.
Sexual Violence has nothing to do with Sex or Love...but everything to do with Control !
Sometimes sexual violence has its roots in the perpetrators background. If it's happened in their social /familial group on a regular basis, then it's the norm and therefore acceptable behaviour - WRONG!
So much pain is caused by the perpetrators inability to channel rage. In this area, within the last week, a 14yr old boy was arrested after a sexual attack on a 67yr old woman. The attack was in her own home. She managed to escape before she was raped, but that was his intention. His victim will never feel truly safe again...not even in her own space. The thing that leapt into my mind was " Why does he hate his grandmother so much?" Of course that's probably an over simplification, but I'd bet my little cotton socks that it has something to do with his actions.
Until recently, when we thought of sexual violence, we only thought of women as victims. Then we came, unfortunately, to accept that paedophilia was more prevelant than we had could ever have imagined. Now sexual assaults on men are being revealed, as men come forward with their stories.
We need to hear the victims stories. We also need to find out what drove their attackers to take action. It's a dark area, but unless we can turn the lights on we will only be assisting the victims...not preventing the crime.
How can we teach our children to respect each other, when so many are raised by the TV and their Computers?
The electronic babysitters can't give our young physical contact and cuddles. WE are the ones responsible for reducing violence (of any type), in our communities. We are also responsible for educating people on how to avoid becoming victims. It's a tough job and we can't do it alone.
For anyone interested in finding out more, please visit this link:
http://abyss2hope.blogspot.com/2007/03/blog-against-sexual-violence-day-5.html
Vickie.
Hi All!
The rain seems to have let up for a while. We had 3 low pressure systems hovering around for about a week, but the heavy rain did us a huge favour. It cooled the sea temperature and stopped them joining up and intensifying into a cyclone. The lower sea temps have also stopped a lot of damage to the Great Barrier Reef by lowering the chance of coral bleaching. So it was a win/win situation!
We've had a chance to work in the garden too. Rob mowed, whippersnipped and I've done some weeding and a little pruning. The pruning, in it's entirity, is going to be a job for this weekend. There's a massive amount to be done. The shrubs have more than doubled in size and are taking over...so it's "hair cut" time.
Brook's been here for over a month now and seems to have settled in OK. She's bought sailing boots and gloves and has joined a learners class at the Tinaroo Sailing Club. It's good that her auntie Deena can take her when she goes sailing herself. Brook's been wanting to get her "abs" back and leaning out over the side of a yacht is one really good (if strenuous) way of developing them again.
I had the pleasure of going to her Induction for the Senior Year at her High School last week. It was quite a nice afternoon with parents and guests taking a plate of goodies for general consumption. As usual, I took Devilled Eggs and they went down well. I wonder why it is that mothers don't realize that teenagers prefer savory food over sweet? There was a heap of cake etc left over...but things like sushi disappeared at an alarming rate.
We seem to be playing "Swaps" with kids at the moment. My 20yr old grandson Rhys, has gone to live in Melbourne...he has a job and a girlfriend there and is staying with Brooks mum, Gemma. Poor Deena, Rhy's mum, now has a 3 bedroom villa to rattle around in, on her own. I know she really misses him, but he'll be flying back for his 21st birthday party in June.
It looks like Tiger Airways will be setting up a nation wide network and with that, there should be some really cheap fares. Brook is already planning to book ahead for her school holidays etc. I can see me taking a few trips to the GoldCoast and Melbourne to catch up with family too. Cheap airfares are what's really needed when you live in such a big country. Who knows...if they are cheap enough, we might even get to visit Suzanne and John in Hawaii if that's on their agenda. Of course that all depends on getting a reliable 'dog sitter'...Oh Broooook!
Rob and I have had a lousy couple of weeks...both of us have had some sort of tummy bug, that's made us really miserable. Fortunately it appears to have subsided.
Rob has been busy with his gaming mates lately and will be meeting up with them for another social get together this evening. I can't go, because it's right after work and we live too far out for me to get there without having to catch a bus. I'm not really enthusiastic about sitting on a bus for an hour. Rob also has his mentee, with whom he spent a couple of hours last Saturday. I'm assured they had great fun 10 pin bowling. Next time it looks as though the mentee is going to be teaching the mentor how to fish. Now that's something I'd love to see!
The dogs are both well and lazing around in the heat. Their morning run has been suspended...they are nearly impossible to take out together! They play up rotten - so I've ordered a couple of Halti Leashes. They are guaranteed to make them behave. The Halti fits around the muzzle and the leash extends from that...I'm sure you've all seen them. The maker reckons that your 90yr old grandma can walk the dog on one of these leads - We'll see if a 30yrold and an 18 yr old can too!
Anyway...time for lunch and then a look at the garden when it cools off a little.
Catch you all later!
Vickie.
Seth loves fingerpainting...especially when the canvas is himself and/or his highchair!
He was 8mths when this pic was taken but he's nearly 10mths now and he's taken his first step.
Here it is, very nearly February, and I don't seem to have had January yet!
Our Christmas was, as anyone who reads Rob's site knows, somewhat subdued - to say the least.
We had a death in my daughter-in-law's family. Her brother-in-law was struck down with a brain aneurism on the Friday before Christmas and was transported to Brisbane, where he died on the 28th. We had two of his three small children with us at Karl's place over Christmas, while their mother was with their Dad. They flew down on the 27th to say goodbye. The funeral was on January 5th.
The day prior to the 5th, I started to have stomach pains. There was some sort of virus doing the rounds...usual acute time was 48hrs. Mine lasted nearly 2weeks. While I still had the damned thing, I got a visit from my old 'friend' Trigeminal Neuralgia - just to make me feel really good. Finally, I appear to be free of it, with no pain for the last two days. Boy I really do appreciate the time when I don't have it!!!
Now for some brighter news! My granddaughter Brook, has decided that she's had enough of Melbourne and has booked her ticket for Cairns! She will be staying with us for a while and then moving over to Karl and Jodie's place. She will be completing her final year of high school and then, hopefully, going to University. My daughter Deena lives within a short bus ride of the Uni, so Brook will move out to her place then.
We had plans to do the renovations on the spare room shortly, but thats had to be put off for a while as we need it for Brook to use. What's the old saying about telling God your plans?
It's been as hot as Hades here...the Wet has finally started and the temperature has been above 35oC for most of the last week or so. It's raining in the afternoons (sometimes mornings too) and at night time, so with the high temps it's like living in a Sauna. Not happy Jan!!! (I guess only Aussies will get that reference.) There appears to be a low forming in the Gulf of Carpentaria, which will bear watching, as it is also our Cyclone Season. We could well do without a repeat performance of last April's cyclone.
Not only has the heat befuddled our brains, but it's also played merry hell with our computers. Rob installed a couple of additional fans in my case and another in his. Hopefully it should solve our problems.
The dogs are feeling the heat too and trying to sneak into our bedroom at night, when we have the AC on. Not that we blame them for that! At least we don't have to spend the day wearing fur coats.
Anyway, it's close to midnight, so I'd better close this post and go to bed. I DO love my bed after the energy sapping days we are having.
Sorry it's been so long since I posted, but I really didn't feel like it. I promise not to leave it so long before I post again.
Vickie.
Hi Everyone!
Each year, at this time, we start to get really antsy. Like everyone else, we are caught up in the cycle of searching for gifts for our family and friends. We've done 1/2 the shopping so far but, as many of you know, it's hard on a limited budget, to provide for a large family.
Last night Rob and I had a discussion on what Christmas should be. Neither of us NEED anything much. We have simple tastes and try hard to stick to our budget. Rob's main gift to me is a subscription to Better Homes & Gardens...it's what I want and it arrives each month of the year...so it's the "gift that keeps on giving."
Rob wants a video from me...so that's easy.
I suggested a couple of things we can do to make the season more joyful and less stressful and Rob liked the idea.
1) Put a limit on the price of our gifts for our families...it will make searching for the right thing more interesting and we can start right after the Festive Season has passed.
2) We are going to start the New Year by sponsoring a puppy, to be trained as a Guide Dog. It's going to cost us $10 per month, but the worth of that puppy will be immeasurable to the person who receives it.
3)We had already decided to become part of a Youth Mentoring programme - being a friend to a youngster could be the best gift they will ever receive.
4) Start early in the year collecting things like toothpaste/brushes, soap, undies etc. as gifts for the Street Kids, who are fed and hopefully, will be housed, by Harald's House.
5) Make Birthdays the time to give more expensive presents.
6) Eat lightly...there's no need to gorge just because it's Christmas...it should be about 'quality' not quantity.
Having mentioned Harald's House, I'd like to tell you a little more about Harlad Falge - the founder and tireless worker, who is all heart:
I first encountered Harald over 20yrs ago. He was (and still is) a youth worker with the Cairns Baptist Church. Our family isn't Baptist, but my son Karl, who was about 12 at the time, joined the Boys Brigade...a church run youth organization. Harald used to take the kids away on camps and I credit him with helping to make Karl the self sufficient man he is today. Harald works full time, in his own business, as a Chiropractor (he's good too!) He also has a family. Unfortunately his wife suffers from a mental condition, but, in all the time I've known him, I've never heard him speak of her with anything but love.
He started caring for the Street Kids of Cairns about 15yrs ago. He was walking with his sons, one evening, on the Cairns Esplanade. He was appalled to see young kids...some as young as 8, roaming around, accosting( read prostituting themselves to) tourists and begging. His sons gave him the idea to start a mobile kitchen to feed them. I don't know how he did it...probably twisted a lot of arms ( He's also into martial arts.)...but he did it! His van has become a familiar site at Monro Martin Park and the kids know there are no strings attached.
Harald set his sights on providing a home for these children. So far $170,000 has been raised - but much more is needed. One local builder has offered to build it free of charge. The Cairns City Council is going to find land for it to be built on...so things are in the pipeline. There's an impressive list of sponsors too. Best of all, the Cairns Police are behind the project and have a member on the committee. So much more is needed though. He plans to house 12 youngsters until they finish school and find jobs. He will also provide short term crisis accomodation for another 6.
Yesterday I listened to Harald on the radio. It's that time of year when the kids feel really alone. He was asking that the public consider giving a gift for distribution to the children - nothing big...value approx. $10. He told the listeners that last year, he gave toothbrushes, paste and general hygine items, and that some of the kids were crying because someone cared about them. How much WE take for granted!
If Harald can have room in his heart for all the waifs and strays, then we aren't going to miss the few dollars that it will take, to make the children/teenagers, feel we care too. I'm going to start collecting things right after the start of the New Year.
We are blessed by having caring families, enough to eat and a roof over our heads. We NEED people like Harald to show us how lucky we are
I have the feeling that Christmas is going to be a much happier time for us from now on.
Love,
Vickie.
Hi All!
Time for an update on life at our place.
Firstly renovations are progressing...albeit not as fast as we'd like. The blinds are up in the lounge room and, apart from the doors needing to be removed, sanded and painted/varnished, there is just some touching up to do. Oh and the new stair treads need to be finished. The room looks brilliant! The main walls are a soft white with just a hint of gold. The colour is called 'Sarah's Place'. The feature wall is a rather odd shade of green entitled 'Field Maple'. It's one of those colours that looks far better than you could imagine from a colour chip.
The kitchen and dining room have been the focus of attention over the last week or so. Rob took a week off from work to do the main work. We had fun stripping the wallpaper - NOT! He ended up washing the glue off the walls with #7 Thinners. All the walls, where they aren't tiled, are now a soft creamy colour - just 1/2 shade darker than the cupboards and tiles in the kitchen. Rob's worked so hard and it's his first project that he's tackled on his own. I'm really proud of him. We have timber ceilings in the kitchen/ dining room and also a set of cedar louvres that open into the feature wall of the lounge - the wood tones add warmth. The dining room has one huge, high wall, which I intend to use as a display for many of our pictures, collected over the years. Once all the trims and the skirting have been painted, I'm going to have fun (nightmares) working out where to put them!
When those rooms, which have been finished, are back in order, I'm going to concentrate on my poor garden. It's in real need of some TLC. Eventually we will get back to the house...the new laundry still needs to be sheeted on three walls, the water pipes need rerouting and the new laundry tub unit needs installing...then it needs painting. I've come to regard the smell of paint as a good thing - it means 'completion'.
Now for some other updates:
My daughter Deena has a place to live. I found it through the net and Courthouse Realty (the agents) were really great and actually phoned us when they said they would. She now lives in a lovely Villa at Kewarra Beach, one of our northern suburbs...and yes, there really is a beautiful beach! It's a small area and not many tourists find their way there. It's large for a villa - 3brms, study, lounge, kitchen. dining room, ensuite and bathroom. It's also less than a year old, which is a definate plus! Add to that a huge garage with auto door and a large patio area out the back, and you have a lovely home with little or no maintenance. Just what the doctor ordered. It's also cut her travelling time from 3hrs per day to 1 1/2hrs - giving her more time to relax and study.
Our new grandson, Seth, is now 20wks old and thriving! He's teething, so making himself heard.
We had a BBQ on Sunday night (my birthday was on Friday). Deena prepared the salads and Rhys (grandson) suprised me by taking over the cooking! Deen, Rhys and Jodie, Karl & Seth, gave me two large copper patio flares from the Jamie Dury Patio collection. They are going to look terrific when the warm nights arrive. My darling Rob gave me a box of authentic Turkish Delight...he found a Turkish Cafe in Cairns and decided to indulge me. He spoils me rotten...but then, I'm worth it!
Zelda had a trip to the vets last week. She has a large lump at the base of her skull. The vet says it's a soft tissue injure caused by a bump to the head. She's always crunching into something or other, so it's not suprising really. Rob adds antibiotic drops to her food at night to make sure it doesn't become infected. It's a closed injury, but the blood needs to be dispersed.
Ziggy (Deena and Rhys' dog) is now a fixture at our place. They can't have a pet at the new place. He really is a charactor. He has a very narrow black 'moustache' and Rob nicknamed him 'Errol' after the late Mr.Flynn. So now we have two dogs to care for...but then I guess that means we get twice the love back.
Anyway...gotta go - lots to do!
See you latter.
Vickie.
I ask the question and already know the answer.
Today marks the 50th Anniversary of my arrival in Australia. It also marks the beginning of a love affair that will last as long as I breath.
I was very nearly 14 when my parents decided to uproot our lives and emigrate. It was a huge step and one I wasn't really keen to make. It meant leaving the rest of our family, our pets and our friends, not to mention all hope I had of going on to University. Making a fresh start in a new country isn't an inexpensive venture. I want to say now, that it was worth the sacrifices we made.
We were "10 pound(stg) tourists"...Pommies, but we were accepted by the wonderful people in Rockhampton, where we first settled. It was a joy to live the way Aussie kids did back then. I am of a generation of Australians who grew up in a small town and had very few restrictions. At weekends and school holidays, we would get up at first light and a group of us would peddle our bikes out into the surrounding country. No one worried about us - we would be home at sunset, hungry and ready for bed. We had no TV, no computers and no video games. There were pinball machines, but they were viewed with suspicion.
I've travelled, lived and worked in most States in Australia and I've experienced so much. If I'd stayed in the UK, I would probably have never left the place. I would never have had the family I now have or have seen my second generation Australian grandchildren. I wouldn't have my husband or the lovely life we share.
I just want to say 'Thank You God' for letting me be an Aussie!
Vickie.
Today marks the second Anniversary of our wedding.
In some ways it seems like it was only yesterday, but in others, it feels like Rob and I have known each other forever...maybe we knew each other in a past life. The last 5 1/2yrs have been wonderful.
So much has happened in the last two years, there has been sadness and great joy. Decisions, made on the spur of the moment, have paid off in Aces! Moving back to Gordonvale proved to be the best thing we could have done. I thank my wonderful husband for, yet another, courageous act. I've never regreted one moment of my life with him.
Things here are still chaotic. Renovations are taking longer than was first expected...I think that's about par for the course though, from what I gather from other renovators. Enormous progress has been made though - even though cement dust coats everything. It's a horror time for this 'neat freak'.
The last few weeks have seen us with 2 extra 'real' rooms now. Temporary divisions have been replaced by permanent walls. We now have a proper dressing room with an open plan robe. Once the odds and ends from the lounge room are back where they belong, we will be able to enjoy it. I actually have a laundry that I can close off from the rest of the house, instead of an area hidden behind a bookcase! The ceiling trims and the skirting boards still have to be put in and the window frames finished, before painting can start, but the end is actually in sight. My son Karl has been wonderful and has saved us so much money. Once painting has been finished, the new steps will go in and the new blinds. I can hardly wait to see the end result! I will post pics as soon as the furniture and other decorations are in place. The new wall in the computer room (the main entry to the house) is going to be turned into a floor to ceiling bookcase. We are going to put in a desk which will take up the length of another wall and, hopefully, hold all out computer gear. It should give us a little more room to move in.
We had a good week of fine weather, so we trundled off to the wholesale paint place and purchased all our painting needs. My grandson Rhys gurneyed the roof and then Karl spraypainted it. It looks like a totally new roof! It was good, because the whole roof got checked out for any prospective leaks and fixed where it needed it. The entertainment area roof was also leakproofed and, when time and weather permit, will also be spraypainted. I must say I'm very relieved because it won't be too long, before the next Wet Season.
In the process of all the work going on, Karl and I have acquired quite a few new 'toys' for our respective workshops. I suspect that some of mine, might find their way to his, for a prolonged sleepover.
Our new grandson, Seth, is now just over 11wks old and thriving. There were a few hiccups in finding a suitable formula for him, but he's now on a soy suppliment and is much more content. Jodie has gone back to work in Childcare, which is a bonus, because she can have Seth at the same centre she works in. It's amazing to see my son turn to mush, when he's around the baby!
We still have my daughter Deena living with us. Houses are just about impossible to find at the moment and I have the feeling that she may have to move into an unit. I guess we could end up with Ziggy (her dog) as a permanent boarder. We don't mind, he's a lovely little mutt and Zelda likes the company. Deena's son Rhys, now has a job with Vodaphone, which is a relief. He also has an attractive new girlfriend and yet another reason for not donating his time to our renovations.
I have an appointment at the hairdressers this afternoon. My usual hairdresser is off with a bad back (result of a car accident a few years ago), so I'll have to make do with a quick wash and blow wave. It's a pity, because I really wanted to look good for my dinner date with Rob tonight. Anyway, I'd better go find something to wear and tart myself up, ready for the big night out! It will be dinner at Perrotta's...a favourite spot...but I still miss the Blue Cheese pizza from the Normanhurst Cafe.
Have a good one, friends - We will!
Vickie.
Sorry for the looong delay in posting anything new, but I have a valid excuse this time - Chaos reigns at our place.
Major renovations have resumed and the contents of the lounge room are spread throughout the house and some larger items have migrated to my son Karl's garage. Even our bedroom and dressing room are in turmoil. It's a major achievement to get dressed in the mornings.
The electrical upgrade happened about 2 weeks ago - what a blessing that was! We have an extra 4 power outlets in the computer room (now giving us 6), which finally gets rid of most of the need for powerboards. We have an extra 4 outlets in the lounge and, when the renovations are finished, the speaker wires will be rendered nearly invisible. The kitchen now has 5 double outlets. We also replaced all the ceiling fans with nice stainless steel ones. It's weird being able to see your reflection in them. I have developed an absolute phobia where electrical cables are concerned...I HATE them and, unfortunately, I tend to be rather vocal about it. Poor Rob is left in no doubt about my problem. Once things are back in place, I'm hoping we can install some sort of conduits to run the offending item through. Up until now, we have had absolute rats nests behind our desks and the entertainment unit. It becomes hard to keep the dust, fluff and dogs hair under control and those things make for real fire traps. I guess the phobia comes through being the daughter of an electrician.
My son Karl (father of 2mth old Seth) is doing the renos for us...God bless his little cotton socks!
So far he's put up the frames for the dividing wall between the lounge room and the laundry. Prior to this we have used bookcases to do the job. We are actually going to be able to close a door and pretend it's not there! The temporary wall between the computer room and our dressing room has been torn down and the wardrobes (to which the wall was attached) have been torn assunder. I kept one narrow unit for use as a broom cupboard in the laundry. The cabinet maker who did my kitchen and all the new cabinets in Karl's house (he's doing major renos at his place too) is building the frame for an open plan closet for our clothe, at a really cheap price. Karl will install that when it's ready. At the moment, all our clothes from the wardrobes are hanging on mobile racks...which is a pain in the arse, but at least we can find them.
We are resheeting the entire lounge room - I can't wait to see what it will look like. At the moment, apart from the feature wall, it's just painted cement block, which acts like a magnet for every speck of dust and dirt. We're having a grand throw out of accumulated possessions that are either just dust collectors or out of place in the entirely new decor.
Once the lounge is painted and the new furnishings back in place - especially our new lounge suit - I'll post some pics, so you can see the end result.
The part of the garden fence destroyed by the cyclone has finally been replaced and the whole fence straightened up. Now...well when I get time...the garden will get a make over. We are going to have to fence off the area that needs replanting. We have my daughter Deena staying with us and also her dog Ziggy. Our Zelda and Ziggy treat the garden as their own private race track, so it would be pointless putting in new plants without some sort of barrier.
I'd better stop having fun now because I'm expecting a load of wall sheeting to arrive shortly and I need to let them know where I want it unloaded. As I said in the heading...It's all GO here.
Vickie.
Baby Seth made his entrance at 1.28am this morning Friday 26th May, 2006. Weight 2.72kgs (6lbs 9ozs) length 52cm. Mum, Dad and baby are all well!
We are all really proud of Jodie because it was a totally natural birth...Karl was wonderful too.
Gotta go...lots to do!
Vickie.
Like most uninvited and unwelcome visitors, Cyclone Larry left us a big mess to clean up.
The kitchen skylight developed a persistant leak and the TV antenna was totalled. Both have been replaced as insurance claims.
We've been working our butts off, trying to get the yard back to a semblance of order. It's looking pretty good...just so long as you stop before you enter the treed area at the back of the garden - from then on in it's pretty chaotic.
We lost approximately 12 tree in the blow and have removed a couple of others since, that didn't look too safe. There's a lot of really big palm fronds to come down yet, but they are out of reach. It's going to be a case of keeping a careful eye out, when we venture close to them. If it hadn't been for our neighbours, we would never have cleared the yard on our own. Mick came over the day after the storm and started helping me clean up. The next afternoon he came with his two teenaged sons and they got stuck in with the chain saw. The pile of vegetation on the nature strip, out the front of the house was huge...Rob and I have added a lot more during the week too. Monday, the Council clean-up team took it all away. It nearly filled the back of a 10tonne truck.
The Insurance company gave us the go-ahead to get a fig tree removed from the back yard. It totally uprooted and fell on the dividing fence, so they will, thankfully pay for it. The quote was for $1650...and that doesn't include the root boll, which is too heavy for the tree loppers to move. At a later date, we will have to find a backhoe or somesuch, big enough to handle it. (again an insurance job)
I can't believe how lucky we are. When I see the devastation of other coastal towns and the towns on the Atherton Tablelands atop the mountains, it's hard to believe that we got off so lightly. The winds were Catagory 4 here in Gordonvale but they were Cat.5 at the centre. I'm not sorry we didn't get to experience them. It's going to take years to rebuild those areas and many, many years for some of the farmers to have a crop again. Sugar Cane and Bananas will be back within 18 months, but Avocado, Mango, Macadamia Nuts and other tropical fruits can take 7 yrs before the trees are mature enough to fruit. Milk quality will drop too, until pastures return to their previous condition. It looks like a pretty lean time for a lot of people - so many are jobless because the agricultural side has sustained such heavy damage. It's a time for taking stock and realising that we can help, even if it is only by going through our wardrobes and donating things we don't wear.
Many of our State Emergency Service personel and our Council workers, who are involved in cleaning up the towns that have been worst hit, are at burn out level. My son Karl, is working in Babinda...he has a chain saw licence...he's working from 6am to 6pm every day, including week-ends, and he's worn out. He thinks that it's going to take at least 3-4months before the clean up is finished. It's going to be a continual drain on the physical rescorces of the willing - I just hope that others will step in and give them time to recover.
Today is fine, weatherwise. It's been just over a week since Larry and this looks like it might be the first day that we don't have rain. I'm not taking bets on it, but it looks OK so far, though there are a few dark clouds heading our way.
It's nice to be able to find a few minutes to post. I've been slack, so far this year, with no excuses. Funny isn't it...now I'm busy as all get out, I decide to use my break time to post. I really am just a little odd!
Speak with you soon,
Vickie.
On reflection, I can't seem to think of anything I've achieved over the last week...other than a shopping trip to Cairns last Friday.
Rob and I went to the movies last Monday, thanks to free tickets from his work. I did my usual trick of agreeing to go on Sunday and then changing my mind. I'm glad we finally did go, because it was well worth the drive to the City. We saw 'Mrs. Henderson Presents' starring Dame Judy Dench and Bob Hoskins. It's the story of how the Windmill Theatre, in London, came into being. We both loved it and can thoroughly recommend it to those of you who don't need a movie to be non stop action and violence.
It's still raining here. The monsoon trough has finally arrived to give us our annual drenching. We were beginning to think that we were going to be in real trouble, but it's here and water for the rest of the year should be OK. I hear they are planning on putting in a new dam, but so far it's only talk and I don't think any location has been nominated.
This Summer has been appalling! The humidity and heat have been disgusting. Both Rob and myself have been suffering with skin conditions bought on by being continually damp. On top of that, I managed to fire up an allergy that I'd all but forgotten. On Friday, while I was shopping, I stopped for a sandwich. I had egg/lettuce and mayo...sounds pretty mundane eh? Later in the evening, I asked Rob what he felt like for dinner. Not being particularly hungry, he said "Scrambled eggs." I scrambled 8 eggs and that's what we had. It wasn't long after that, that I started to itch and my eyes began to become irritated. It's been 20years since I've had any sort of reaction to eggs, so I'd thought I was over it. Wrong! I guess the equivalent of 6 or more eggs in one day was just too much for the system! It's now 5 days later and I'm still not totally rid of the problem.
One of the worst parts of the egg fiasco, was that I had to bow out of an RPG session. That's right...we've finally found a couple to game with! It's only taken 13mths. I knew how much Rob has been hanging out to GM again, so I insisted that he go. He toddled off to Simon and Cristals house at about 10.30am. First off, he and Simon went into town to do some grocery shopping. S&C don't drive and have 4 small girls, so I think they were more than happy to not have to take the bus. I understand that Simon has a rather large thumb and that's the excuse he has for missing some of the items on the list!
Rob tells me that they later watched some wrestling on pay TV before starting the game. The game was "Dogs in the Vineyard"...for a detailed report, please check out Rob's website...you'll find a link to it on my menu. He arrived home at about 6.30pm, totally wired. He and Zelda went for a run to get rid of the excess energy that both of them had generated during the day. He came back in a far more relaxed state...thank goodness!!!
Sunday, Karl (son) arrived with a friend and they, together with Rob, loaded the ute with the garden refuse, accumulated over the last two months. It took two trips to the dump, but it's finally gone. Later, the three of them took off and came back with a full load of concrete sleepers for me. The plan is to use them to 'pave' an area down the back yard. It's close to the site where my vege garden will be...after it's cleared of the ever present weeds. We also have some pavers to lay as stepping stones, along the pathways through the trees.
Poor Zelda has a problem. The bloody Indian Minah birds are continually swooping at her, whenever she goes into the garden. She usually ignores them, but it's pretty difficult to do, when she's attending to calls of nature. I curse the stupid person who introduced these 'Rats of the bird world' into Australia. I don't think there's one state that they've not invaded.
Later on Sunday, my daughter Deena and her SO Peter arrived and stayed on for dinner. Rob and I are always happy to see them. We had our usual good time together. Rob remarked later that he had really Lucked On, when he joined our family. It's so nice to have them all get on so well together. Families are great ... when they work!
Enough of my rambling. Time for me to tackle my wardrobes! I'm finally going to go through my clothes and dispose of a lot of them. I'll never wear most of them again, so better they go to someone who can use them.
See you soon,
Vickie.
Finally we've met some fellow gamers who aren't totally committed to D&D or Goth type games - even though they are both GMs in those genres!
Crystal and Simon have just moved to Cairns from Brisbane and so far they love the place. They are fortunate to have found a large house in one of the better suburbs. They need a large house because they have 4 young daughters (including twins.) It's set into the side of a hill in a nice quiet street, quite close to the botanical gardens.
We visited them for the first time today and were relieved to find they were our sort of people. What you see is what you get...and Rob and I both liked what we saw. We are getting together next Saturday lunch time for our first game. It's going to be 'Dogs in the Vineyard' which fortunately doesn't require a massive rule book and huge amounts of preparation. Anyone whose played in a group with me, will know that I get a glassy look in my eyes when things get too technical! I just play for the fun of it and it will never be 'life or death' for me.
Crystal is keen to start an herb garden, so I'm going to see if I can strike a few cuttings for her. My herb garden is thriving, even if it is a bit water logged at the moment. Yes folks, we've actually been getting some decent rain! I measured about 90mls in one 24hr period the day before yesterday.
Rob finished the painting in the computer room last weekend and the bookcases etc are now back in place. It's amazing how much brighter the room is. The new tiles make a huge differencetoo - I totally loathed the old carpet we had there and took great delight in ripping it up! The only rooms with carpet now are the bedrooms and our dressing room. As soon as we can afford it, that will be going too. It's too humid in this area for carpet. You may not be able to see it, but mould loves carpet and I can't stand the thought of going through another wet season cultivating a bumper crop of the rotten stuff!
Tomorrow we are off to the movies...we have freebie tickets, so it's going to be a cheap afternoon of entertainment. I'm not exactly sure that we've settled on what we are seeing yet, but I'll let you know.
Anyway...It's goodnight from me - see you all later!
Vickie.
Hi all,
Sorry for being so slack lately. It's that time of year, in Cairns, when my brain goes into melt down.
I know that most of you have been experiencing extreme weather conditions of one kind or another, but the humidity here has been terrible.
8/2/06
It's effect on people is weird. Even the most sensible of people, suddenly develop sponges instead of brains...Ask Rob!
The renovations to the Computer room and the hallway are STILL not completed. My grandson has been procrastinating and, instead of taking a week to do, they are still waiting on final coats 5 weeks later. I'm totally fed up with living in a mess! Soon it will be time to strip the walls in the dining room and start painting there...I'm honestly considering Rob and I doing the job ourselves - I can't bear the thought of a repeat performance!
The lovely rain we had last week, seems to have disipated. It's a pity, because we need a lot more to bring the water table up to a sustainable level. The garden is flourishing...apart from the cucumber plants which drowned. The weeds have been horrendous, but are (fingers crossed) within management range. I think Rob has nightmares at the rate the lawn grows! We actually gave in and purchased a motor mower a couple of months ago as it was just too exhausting for Rob to be using the hand mower in the heat.
Speaking of the rain, our clothes dryer went on the fritz just as the rain arrived. Rather than race off and buy a new one, we put up clothes lines in the outside entertainment area. I have a rotary line out in the garden, but I hate standing in the sun, so, even though the rain has ceased (for now) I still hang the clothes on the undercover lines. Each time I do so, I think of how much money I'm saving on the electricity bill. My son will be buying a new and larger dryer soon. They need a larger one because of the, not to distant, birth of their baby. Karl is going to pass their old one over to us. I'm going to make sure that it only gets used in an emergency.
It's nearly time for Zelda to have her annual shots. Hard to imagine that she's owned us for over a year now! Amazing how one stray dog can have become so important to us - but she certainly has. I'm very grateful for her companionship and the lavish love she spreads on the family.
I guess I've rambled on for long enough...time to go read the latest edition of Better Homes and Gardens, that the postie just delivered!
Catch you all later!
Vickie.
Hi All!
Hope you had a wonderful Christmas day and enjoy the rest of the break...if you're getting one.
We had an early Christmas gift this year. My youngest granddaughter Christine, who lives in Melbourne, underwent major surgery earlier in the month, for what turned out to be a huge benign tumour. They say 'benign' but it was still potentially fatal and did quite a bit of damage. It was pressing between the lung and the chest wall. It had invaded the lung and the cardiac sac. It also totally destroyed the main nerve between the lung and the diaphragm. It was an anxious time for all of us, but she totally blew them away with her recovery. Her lung reinflated spontaniously and she was discharged from hospital a week ago. She still has a way to go, because she will have to have continuing physio to combat the overdevelopment of the right side of her diaphragm...but she's looking well. Did I mention that Christine is 2 1/2yrs old?
Christmas Eve, my daughter Deena came over to see if she could help prepare for the family dinner on Christmas Day. To save time, we bought fish & chips for tea. Rob, myself and Deena all ate them. Later we prepared prawns for the Prawn Cocktails that I had decided on for entree. Deena ate a couple while we were peeling them.
Today she rang me to tell me she'd been up all night kneeling before the porcelain alter. I immediately thought it was the prawns, because neither Rob nor I were ill. She came over at about 9.30 but ended up on our bed under the air conditioner.
I was in the shower and thinking about whether to throw out the beautiful prawns we had, curtesy of my son Karl, when I had an epiphany! Deena has been using patches to give up smoking, but the evening she was here, she hadn't used one but she DID smoke quite a few cigarettes. My eldest daughter rang us and when I mentioned it, she confirmed that it had effected a few of her friends that way too. Puzzle solved/ Prawn Cocktails still on the menu.
Unfortunately Deena wasn't well enough to eat and she wasn't in the best of moods either, so of course we had
far more food than we needed...cold cuts for the next week are indicated because I did my usual trick of overcatering. We had a bit of a blow up with Deena's son (19) saying something she took exception to, but that blew over eventually. What would Christmas be, without an incident like that!?? Zelda enjoyed her Christmas dinner too.
We received some lovely gifts...one of the best was Karl's wife Jodie announcing that, the baby she is expecting in May, gave her the first kicks she could actually feel, on Christmas Eve. It's their first and Karl is being a wonderful father in waiting.
All in all, Christmas was Christmas.
Thanks to those of you who sent cards/phoned/e-mailed/sent E-Cards or SMS'd us. We hope we didn't miss anyone on our list, but if we did, we apologise and hope you know we were thinking of you.
To our families...thank you for your support and love. It means so much to us
Lastly, to my husband Rob. You're the reason I wake up with a smile and I love the life we have together. Thank you Darling.
My wish for 2006 is that it be the year the people of the World come to their senses.
Vickie.
It's the time of year when I wish I could change the date to the previous month. Only 35 days to Christmas and I'm only just thinking about gifts. Actually that's a big fib, I've been thinking about them for ages, just not got around to doing anything about them.
This year has been really expensive for Rob and myself- what with the move and the renovations, which still aren't completed. I'm lucky with my kids here. They aren't really big on receiving gifts, they just like the get togethers. The Melbourne connection is just about covered, but the Goldcoast remains a problem.
It's all the grandchildren that I have, who are difficult to give to. Two of them I've never met. One of them I only met when he was little. Strange that those three children have the same mother. Her eldest daughter visited Rob and myself at Easter last year and we had a great time together...she's now close to 17 and not living at home - Goodness knows, when the next time we see her, will be.
I've not seen my granddaughters on the Goldcoast since 1998, but at least we keep in touch. I dearly want to see them before they go their own ways.
It's funny but my eldest daughter's little girl,who was our ring bearer, never seems far away, even though they live in Melbourne too. I guess that's because her mum and I yack on the phone quite often. I'm hoping that they might find time (and money) for a visit before too long.
Anyway, enough of my whinging. It's nearly time for the annual "Rob & Vickie Silly Season Party." Invitations are out and so far we've had 8 replies. Only 5 days to go before the RSVP date is here. It's on Dec.10th and this year I'll have my daughter Deena to give me a hand with the catering. She's probably the only person I know, who can work alongside me in a kitchen, without getting in my way. She has the ability to get on with things without having to be told what to do. Deena is nearly as much a perfectionist in the kitchen as I am.
I did a trial run of Christmas dog bikkies yesterday and they proved to be a munchie success with Zelda. Karl (son) took home a couple to test on his two dogs. If anyone wants the receipe, just ask. My son ate one himself and declared them to be pretty good. I nibbled one and it gets my seal of approval too.
I've made one batch of cheese straws and they go into the freezer today. I'll make another lot about a week before the party. Freezer space is one thing we don't lack!
I've been collecting nice bottles to use for Taragon Vinegar. I make my own labels and I must say, the finished product looks really professional on the shelf. I love giving home-made pressies.
Having said that, I've got to go make a batch of ANZAC biscuits for our own use. I'll probably make up some more to package for the kids for Christmas gifts.
OK...time to get my A into G.
Catch you all later.
Vickie.
Today the trees got a haircut.
Not much style to it. Four of the them have gone to the great woodpile in the sky...well actually to the huge piles of mulch which are dominating our back garden. The four in question were a Foxtail Palm from the front garden, a Jacaranda which gave up the ghost (they are prone to do that) and two trees of indeterminate species. The 70 year old Lychee has been drastically reduced in size and so has the Ficus. All this frenzied activity is due to the expected onset of the cyclone season - February to April.
It took 3 guys with all the right equipment, a total of 3 hours to do the work. Of course the green ants got angry and no one was safe! Unfortunately I was silly enough to go down the back to inspect, wearing a skirt. As soon as I brushed against a branch, I was attacked. I have bites in places that never see the sunlight!
As soon as the tree lopers departed, I started carting the mulch to the front garden bed and the ones in the dog yard...by this time I'd changed into some, much more practical, shorts. By the time Rob came home from work, I'd moved about 13 loads. We moved another 7 or so by the time it was too dark to see. Those 20 loads have barely made a dent in the first pile!
Zelda is having great fun with the mulch. She burrows into the pile and comes out with a tiny piece of wood in her mouth. You'd think she was looking for that exact piece, the way she carries on!
Saturday looks like being a pretty full day. Probably a trip to Rusty's Market in the morning and more mulching in the afternoon. I'm hoping to get the weed mat (for the pathways) down on Sunday and covered with chip by the end of the day.
I was so glad that I put the furniture dusting off this week. It would have been totally wasted time...the amount of sawdust in the air was amazing!
Anyway...it's Midnight and I'm knackered. So it's goodnight from me!
Vickie.
Hi All,
I thought I'd better clarify something...the previous posting was not taking a shot at our friends from overseas. It was intended for those of our friends who live in the Sydney area.
I'm sorry if I upset those of you who live elsewhere. I should have stated my intentions in the offending post.
Love,
Vickie.
It's been some time (as usual) since I've updated my site. This time it's been because I've not wanted to. Nothing to do with time, or lack there of. It's more a feeling of wasting my efforts.
I've considered the situation and have decided that distance definately is a case of 'out of sight, out of mind' with many of the people that Rob and I considered to be good friends. We've made a point of staying in touch, whether it be by e-mail, voice chat or phone calls. One thing I've discovered is that people we hardly know, have been the ones to keep in contact.
We remember birthdays, Christmas and any other occassion that's important. Very few of our friends bother with remembering us. OK, so that makes me sound like a spoilt child, but I really don't care. It's not about ME, it's Rob that I care about. He's bent over backwards to be a really good friend to many of you and you've just shrugged him off. Well, believe me, if you intended to hurt him, you've succeeded!
Fortunately he works with a nice bunch of people at the Cairns Post and so gets some interaction with others. I, on the otherhand, have very little outside contact. If I need to go into Cairns City it means an hour long bus ride and I'm limited by what I can carry on the trip home. Needless to say it's not exactly condusive to meeting friends for lunch!
I have my garden and so on to keep me busy. Rob spends his by researching games that he can play online with friends. The problem there is, that we only have one person who really wants to play and his time is limited by his young children...at least he tries!
The RPG scene in Cairns seems to be limited to those who never passed D&D and those who are into the Vampire scenario. Not places where we really want to go. D&D is fun but the rules lawyers take up more time than the actual game does. Rob's a dyed in the wool gamer...I became one through osmosis. Of course both of us prefer f2f gaming, but it's not an option here.
Recently I even became tardy in answering e-mails from a couple of you. Something I would never normally neglect. I guess the feeling of being so forgettable got to me. I remember the get togethers in Fraser Road and feeding the hungry hoards and wonder now how many came because they really enjoyed our company or for the food. I truely hope it was the former.
If I've bruised a few people by my remarks then tough. If you take it personally it's because you feel guilty and you deserve to.
I thank God for my kids, because they ring me or e-mail me, or, if they live in this area, they visit us and are only too happy to help us where they can.
What's your excuse for relegating good friends to the trash bin?
Vickie.
Living in a small town is like living in a time warp.
About a month ago I was in the local supermarket and I bumped into a woman I was acquainted with, when I lived in Gordonvale, before my move to Sydney.
We exchanged the usual pleasantries and she then remarked that she'd not seen me around for a while. I laughed and told her that ' a while' constituted 4yrs.
Time just drifts here, without any really noticible changes. We only have two seasons...Wet & Dry. The Dry is Autumn & Winter. This year even Autumn was wet and Winter lasted two whole days, with a couple of chilly nights thrown in for good measure.
February to April is the time for Cyclones. It's muggy then and the mould grows like it wants to take over the world. The drumming of rain on our iron roof will lull us into a state of lethargy and we'll find a tendancy to 'go troppo'.
We have so many jobs to do before the Wet starts and it's really hard to get motivated enough to even start on them. Our garden has some really huge trees that need drastic pruning. Not a job for the average gardener. The trouble is, tree loppers charge an arm and a leg for their services. We could really use the wood chip for the paths in amongst the trees too. Nothing like recycling!
Yesterday afternoon was spent pulling weeds and raking leaves. This afternoon is going to be spent bundling branches from the mandarine tree and bagging the leaves from yesterday. Well that's what I'm going to be doing. Rob will be painting the dog kennel that my son, Karl, made. It's going to be Shammrock Green with a green colourbond roof. Nothing but the best for Madam Zelda!
Rob's settled into his new job at "The Cairns Post". He's back working to deadlines and keeping track of what the advertising team is up to. He's lost the nervous tic he'd developed working in the Centrelink callcentre.
Being on a really tight budget, Rob and I haven't had a lot of opportunity for social outings. Rob working for the paper has made it possible for us to get out and about to events we wouldn't have, otherwise, been able to. Three weeks ago we had free tickets to the premier of "Look Both Ways" and got to chat with the lead actor (William McInnes) after the movie.
Two weeks ago Rob's name was drawn out of the hat for two tickets to see the Australian Shakespeare Company's Rock production of "Much Ado" set in the Flecker Botanic Gardens in Edge Hill, Cairns. http://www.australianshakespearecompany.com.au.We took a picnic basket dinner and sat on a blanket on the lawn. The weather was perfect for the show and everyone had a great time...including the cast, who obviously enjoyed themselves.
Last Saturday we went to "Food, Wine & All that Jazz" held in the gardens of the Cairns foreshore...again, complimentary tickets. It cost us $20 for a food voucher pack, but we both, surprisingly, ate and drank well for that price. We had a lovely stroll along the Esplanade boardwalk.
It's amazing the work that's been done on the Esplanade while we've been away. Not only is there a fantastic lagoon for swimming (free) but they've put in a wonderful playground for children, called "Muddy's" - in the water playground the main feature is a giant Mudskipper and that's where the name comes from.
There is also a really nice cafe, where parents and others can have coffee or food while watching the kids. http://www.cairns.qld.gov.au/tourism/esplanade_foreshore/muddys.htm
While we were sitting gazing out to sea and watching the moon's reflection on the waters of the Inlet, Rob remarked on how lucky we are to live where we do. He's right, it is beautiful. It's even better that we don't have to live in Cairns itself. Time warps have distinct advantages.
Vickie.
Apologies for my absence.
I've been busy doing (and achieving) absolutely nothing!
Rob and I have both had this disgusting head cold that appears to have reached every corner of Australia. I managed to nip Rob's in the bud, with a mixture of Lemsip and 1/3rd tspn of dried chili infused in it. Sort of 'Kill or Cure' but it worked. Unfortunately I wasn't so lucky and am now barking like a dog.
Retirement...I now understand why people say it's a difficult thing to get used to.
Prior to retiring, I was always organised and everything managed to get done. Now I have trouble deciding what to wear! I rarely leave the house and at the end of the day I wonder what I did to fill in the hours.
Sometime soon, we are having the new floor covering for the kitchen and dining room, laid. It will be lovely to get rid of the old vinyl(kitchen) and dust catching carpet. The vinyl was laid on top of old tiles, which, to my amazement, have asbestos in the mix. The vinyl has a paper backing which is also impregnated with asbestos! My guy from the flooring company told me that it was standard practice when they were put down. Anyway...up they come and down goes a nice warm wood patterned vinyl with a felt backing.
The worst part about getting new floor covering, is where the heck do we put the furniture and fridge, while this is all going on? It's not an exercise that I'm looking forward to! Still, I feel lucky to be getting it done, as it's a month for heavy bills. Tax this year is a killer...$800+ to pay and just to add insult to injury, the rates notice came in - there goes another $700. Sometimes you can't win for losing.
One bright note. I had a poem published as 'Poem of the Day' (which seems to run nearly all week) on the Australian Poetic Soc. web page.
My son Karl and his wife Jodie, have put their house up for sale. They want to buy another one, which belongs to a friend. The new house has a huge shed...and as we all know...every boy(man) deserves a shed! It's also a larger house and they have plans to rip the kitchen out and replace it with a more functional one. (Sound familiar?)
Zelda is my constant companion during the week days. Mind you, as soon as 'Daddy' gets home, she tends to forget I exist...unless I'm preparing food. We now have her trained to 'speak' on command. She also 'speaks' when she wants to of course, but when we ask her to, she tries to do it very softly and it sort of comes out as 'huff' instead of 'WOOF', which is really cute.
Anyway, time for me to finish this ramble and log on and pay the bills. I really do appreciate internet banking.
I'll be back!
Vickie.
Yes...it's that time of year again and today is Rob's 28th birthday.Happy Birthday Darling!
We celebrated yesterday, with a BBQ in the back garden entertainment area. Sounds swish eh? It's really only a double carport with a cement floor attached to the house by some laserlite. Actually it's a nice spot to have a party because it doesn't matter if you make a mess...we can actually hose the place down after if needed. (Sorry Sydneysiders - I couldn't resist.)
It wasn't a big party, only 12 all told, but it was nice and relaxing. As usual I over catered, with family taking away excess salads etc. Seeing as Rob was BBQ chef (complete with striped apron) he felt free to indulge in a few Heinekin. He certainly deserved them! I must thank my daughter Deena for giving me a helping hand and for icing the birthday cakes. That's right 'cakes'. My daughter-in-law has a wheat allergy, so I made her a seperate cake - I certainly didn't want her to miss out.
Zelda had a pretty good time too. She had so much to eat that she forgot all about dinner last night. It certainly won't do her any harm.
Rob e-mailed me a short time ago, to let me know that his workmates put on a morning tea for him...only trouble is they forgot to tell HIM! :) I know he managed to find a sausage roll and some dip, so at least he had something.
I'm going to have a quiet day today. I think I may even make a start on a jigsaw puzzle. At least I can go back to it if I get bored.
Vickie.
Yep that's the time Rob and I were out of bed this morning.
Those of you who subscribe to Rob's website, know that his Nan died last week.
This morning he flew to Sydney for the funeral. He will be back in Cairns at 10.10pm.
We were expecting the bad news, so it's not been a huge shock, thank goodness. Still, it's hard for Rob to lose so many, loved family members, in the last 2 1/2yrs. We have to thank Rob's dad, Ian, for 'shouting' him the ticket to enable him to be there. If nothing else, he's a very generous man. It would have made a huge hole in our savings otherwise. I'm hoping that Rob's reunion with his dad won't be as traumatic as he imagines it's going to be. I'd like to think that having distance between them will improve their relationship.
It's going to be a bit of a shock for Rob to return to Sydney weather, even for a brief while. It's raining here this morning, but the temperature is still 23oC. I see that it's 9oC in Sydney at the moment. Needless to say, he's taken a warm jacket with him.
Ian will be meeting him at the airport, but many, many, thanks to Lauren for her kind offer of transport. It's a pity that there won't be time for Rob to catch up with our Sydney friends, but it's not possible. My son Karl will be picking him up tonight, so I won't have to drive the 38kms in the dark. I owe him.
Getting up before dawn has it's advantage, I guess. So far, apart from the trip to the airport, I've made the bed...probably a futile exercise, because at some time during the day, I'll crawl back in. I've had breakfast, put a load of washing on, trawled through my forums, read the news, listened to the news and given the dog her breakfast. Later on today I'll be bottling the next batch of pickled onions.
We had a marathon picking of mandarins on Sunday evening. We picked enough to feed an army! Somehow the crop has escaped the attention of the 'Big White Stupid things' (cockatoos). It's the first time I can actually remember that happening. We have mandarin juice to spare and still have a large box left, even after selecting some for Rob's work mates at Centrelink.
Next Monday, July 11th is Rob's 28th birthday and we have a BBQ planned for Sunday afternoon. Hopefully the weather will be fine and the mossies will be on holiday.
This is the first time that Rob and I have been in different States since the beginning of March 2001...and I miss him already...even if it is only for 1 day. Actually it's the first time we've been in different cities, since then, too. We have our first Anniversary on August 14th and it only seems like it was a couple of weeks ago. We still miss the Normanhurst Pizza Cafe's Blue Cheese Pizza Bread! Those of you who were at the 'reception' will know why.
OK...time for me to go put the clothes in the dryer and wait for Rob's phone call to say he's arrived safe and sound.
Sooner....
Vickie.
Just a quick note to let you know that my villanelle "Lace Curtains"has been nominated for the InterBoardPoetryContest. It's the first time I've been nominated twice in a row. I usually manage to get one nomination per year.
Vickie.
Good morning all...actually I should be saying Goodnight.
The last couple of days have seen my lazy b**ch of a creative Muse come back from vacation. Hopefully she won't decide to hibernate for the Winter.
I've just posted 4 new poems below this message. Two of them were in answer to the bi-monthly challenge at About Poetry.com. We are given some lines selected from a poem by a published author and use them as a trigger to hopefully inspire a masterpiece...for some it works!
The other two poems are my take on a couple of well established forms of poetry. One is the Villanelle Lace Curtains (dedicated to you know who!) and the other is a Ghazal (Guzzle
Next time I hope I have something more interesting to write about.
Vickie.
The title just about sums me up at the moment.
I haven't a clue what I'm going to write about, so bear with me for a while and I might actually come up with something worthwhile.
There's not a lot going on here, just the garden taking up a lot of my time, not to mention my constant companion Zelda, who thinks she owns me - until Rob comes home. Of course, when Rob is home, he has my undivided attention. Unless, of course, it a night when there's something decent on the TV!Zelda demands his attention and usually gets it. She even manages to get him running on their morning and evening excursions.
Actually Rob's been pretty engrossed with a debate he's into on one of the sites he visits, so he hardly misses me sitting at my computer next to his. He's also been busy submitting his resume in search of a permanent position. Hopefully one will eventuate before his contract at Centrelink runs out.
One snip of news that may interest some of you; my poem "Today I Make Polenta", which I posted previously, is one of three selected by About/Poetry Forum to represent them in the IBPC (InterBoardPoetryCompetition). There are approx. 26 Poetry forums who each submit 3 poems each month - so the competition is pretty stiff. I'm just happy to get a look in. I did place second a couple of years ago and I made the cut about a year ago, but nothing since then. Now it all depends on the preferences of this quarters judge. Keep your fingers crossed for me.
I caught up with an old friend the other week, when we invited her for dinner. She's one of those wonderful down to earth people, very much involved with her family and her siblings...she is one of 8kids, so I was delighted to have her accept. She came armed with a nice bottle of vino and a box of chocs, of which, I must admit, I ate the majority. It was a really lovely evening. The next day she returned to bring two large bags of lemons and limes - she has a large surplus. I've turned them into Moroccan Preserved Lemons, Lime Pickle and some Lime/Olive Oil/Chili salad dressing. I have, of course, made some for Suzy too.
Doing the preserves gave me the bug and I stayed up late the other evening bottling spiced pickled onions. I also strung up some of our chilies to dry. My herbs are doing well and are finding their way into a variety of dishes.
Speaking of cooking, I've got a casserole that needs removing from the oven, so I'd better finish. I'll be back soon with another poem to post.
Vickie.
G'day all.
I've not posted for a while, due to having an unpleasant bout of back pain (slipped disc) bought on by merely planting some basil. Thankfully I have a pretty good chiropractor.
The subject for my dissertation today is "The Archibald Prize". For those of you unfamiliar with the 'Prize' - it's the foremost Art award for Portraiture in Australia. It's worth a cool $35K(au) to the winner, which ain't to be sneezed at!
One thing about the Archibald Prize is that it's always controversial. I can't remember a year when there wasn't a shermozzle about something. This year, as far as I'm concerned, should be no exception.
The Winner is John Olsen - an artist who is apparently revered by many and obviously by those on the panel. Frankly I'd give $20 for the painting...and then only for the value of the canvas to paint over. If you think I'm joking just take a look for yourself.
Here are the portraits his was up against.
I've been to some fine Art Galleries, The National Gallery, The Tate, The Art Gallery of NSW, ditto Victoria and South Australia, not to mention The Art Museum in St.Louis and many other smaller ones in various countries and even including the Cairns Art Gallery.
I have an appreciation for just about every genre, but I wouldn't hang this particular one in the Museum of Contemporary Art at Circular Quay(Sydney)! It would be an insult to some of the other daubs hanging there. I actually prefer the paintings executed by a couple of Asian Elephants in an exhibit entitled 'When Elephants Paint' (June/August 2001).
I'm wondering if Mr.Olsen was awarded the prize because he's not getting any younger. If this is the case, maybe I should give away the jewellery and pick up the palette again?
Your comments on this award, would be viewed with interest.
Vickie.
G'day All!
It seems like only the other day it was Christmas and now Easter has come and gone. It wasn't until I was removing spam from the guestbook, that I realized that it's been nearly 7 weeks since I last posted here. Sorry, but life's just run over the top of me!
What's new? Well Rob is 1/2 way through a stint with Centrelink...for those of you who aren't in Australia, that's the central office for Social Services here in Australia. He's been working in the call centre and the money isn't at all bad. He signed on through one of the agencies for 8 wks. He seems to like the work, so that's an added bonus.
The new kitchen is installed, but until we can raise a few more $$$, the splashback and the painting will have to wait. It's really nice having somewhere to actually put all our appliances and china, without having to delve into the depths of cupboards and still not find what I was looking for.
I had an overnight stay in hospital in February. A return visit of my old enemy Kidney stones. Fortunately it wasn't a lasting thing this time. Friday week I managed to get a dose of the flu...the cough was awful, but I'm pretty fit now, so I managed to shake it off in a week. I hear that it's making