Another year shot to hell!

Well, that's that for another year. Neville and I had a very quiet Christmas Day. It was spent making salads and cooking meat for the next day. Our daughter and her family did not grace us with their presence this year, on 'the' day, as they went to the coast to do some fishing. It was a very unpleasant day, as it was blowing a gale, and would have been quite chilly down at Kingston. They did not catch any fish. Peter's mother, Margaret, is staying with them for a week, from Queensland. She will be returning in Feb. to live permenantly. I am not sure if that is dependant on whether she gets a job at the abatoir or not.
They all came here for tea last evening. Deb made a Coleslaw for me when she arrived. The boys opened their Christmas prezzies before tea. They only stayed a couple of hours, as Pete was not feeling well. Neither was Deb. It is typical though. He never wants to stay long.
The other day, after I had done the grocery shop, Neville got a block of Coon cheese out of the fridge. I asked him where it came from, and he said it was in the fridge. I said I had wanted to buy Coon, but it was too dear, so had bought Bega, instead. I couldn't work it out. Yesterday, Deb said she had left her Coon cheese here on Thursday. I said,"So, that is where it came from"
"I am sorry, but we have been eating it. you will have to take the Bega!" For someone who was not feeling well, Pete still put away a goodly ammount of food, including trifle and strawberries and cream!

Out of the mouths of babes.

Deb and Riley and I went on our fortnightly shopping jaunt today. On the way, I had scratched a sore on my arm, and made it bleed. It is Excema, and it itches, so I scratch. Riley asked me why I had a sore on my arm. I explained it was itchy and I had made it bleed. "Why have you got a sore on your arm, Nan?' I said I must have got a bite. Quick as a flash he said,'Did Pop bite you?' Deb and I cracked up laughing.

Can't complain about the service, coz there isn't any!

Last Friday, my husband and I went to our capital city, Adelaide, to do some shopping and deliver Christmas presents to my mother and some friends. After we had driven around the far flung burbs,for several hours, we called in at a shopping centre so I could get myself some lunch. It was 1.30 pm by this time, and I had been up since 4.30 am, and was ravenous. I went into a Subway fast food outlet and asked the girl for a Chicken Parmegiana with Marinashi sauce on a wheat roll. She got a white bread roll out and proceeded to slice it. I told her I asked for Wheat, not white, and I wanted the afore said chicken roll. She then got another white roll with cheese on top, and started to slice that. I stopped her again and asked wht she was doing.She said I had asked for a Parmgiana roll. I said I did not, and pointed to the huge poster in the window advertising the roll I had asked for. She tossed her head, and said something uninteligable, in a very rude manner, and slammed the roll on the counter. By this time there was a long queue, and I pobably should have just walked out, but I was hungry. I finally got what I asked for, and went to pay for it. I was told it was $8.00 something, and handed the girl a $20.00 note. She gave me the change for $10.00. I said, "Excuse me, but I gave you $20.00." "Did you?" she said. "Yes I did." says I."Oh, OK." says she and gave me the correct change. I will never go back there. I was bitterly disappointed with my roll, as it looked nothing like the ad on TV, and tasted foul! As my dad used to say, 'All that for nothing, how much for sixpence?'

Tatiara. (Aboriginal for The Good Country.)

This afternoon, my friend Sue called, and asked if I would like to go and check out the Treats of the Tatiara. This is an annual display of local crafts and one lot of home made wine. My aunt and her husband are friends with the chap, and gave my mother a bottle of his wine for Christmas one year. Mum said it was undrinkable, and would have taken the barnacles off the keel of a ship! Sue had a sample of it this afternoon, and heartily agreed with me.
There were not a great lot of crafts on display this year, which is a pity, as there are some very talented people here.It does not take long for the novelty to wear off, unfortunately.
I met a woman that had been my 'best' friend, 36 years ago, when we were married. Haven't heard a word from her since. She recently moved back to the district, and is making soaps and paper, etc. She was unable to avoid speaking to me today. Don't think I will lose any sleep over it, if that is the last I hear from her.
I 'shouted Sue and myself some pancakes and a cup of tea. Two small pancakes with strawberries and cream were $5.00, cup of tea, $2.00 . Rather expensive afternoon tea. The local cafe doesn't charge like that!

'Smiley' Riley

This darling little boy had his third birthday yesterday. Deb took him to Naracoorte, and we went too, in our own car, as I had a dentist appointment. Deb wanted to put two push bikes on lay-by for the boys for Christmas. She didn't want Riley with her when she did, as he would have told anyone who would listen, and there would have been no surprise for Lachlan. We arranged to meet her at a play ground on the outskirts of town. However, Riley was having none of that, as it looked too much like the Day Care/kindy he attends once a week. It has a fence around it for safety. I suggested I go with Deb and stay with Riley in her car while she did her business. This worked out OK, but Riley didn't utter one word untill he saw his mother coming back! Usually, you can't shut him up.
After tea, we went to Deb & Pete's place, so Riley could have his presents and birthday cake. Deb had made him a lovely green frog cake, as that is what he said he wanted. When we were leaving, he gathered up some of his new books and some of his brother's and put them in a bag, and asked his Pop if he would take them home as he didn't want Lachlan to play with them. Then he asked me if I had any more presents for him! This kid will go far.

Grandma knows how to slice it!

Yesterday, I was home alone, and decided to make myself a toasted cheese sanger. (sandwich to non Aussies) I was slicing the block of cheese with a ver sharp, very finely serrated knife. It is very good for slicing those red things that are passed off as tomatoes, with their skin as tough as leather. As the cheese is hard, and I don't have much strength in my hands because of Athritis, I thought it would be a good knife to cut it with. I was loosely holding the cheese as I sliced it, and quick as a flash, the damn thing slipped and sliced a large chunk of skin off my finger. As you can imagine, it bled pretty well, and I suddenly found I could yodel!
Oh boy, could I!! As Neville was not here, I was unable to get to the hospital for treatment. I rang them and the RN suggested I make an appointment to see the doctor today, which I duly did. When he saw the finger, he said he would have to put some alchohol on it to clean it up. He said it would sting a bit. That was the understatement of the century!! I have taken the full layer of the epidermus off. It is right down to the flesh! He then put a small piece of adhesive weblike
gauze on it, and told me to leave it there as long as possible, as it helps the skin to regrow underneath. He gave me some more to take home. Thankfully I heal quickly.

more of it to take home.

Stop. stop with the soccer, puleese!!!

As I have stated before on this site, I am NOT a sports fan. Once again, I have missed one of my TV programmes, because, the 'powers that be' decided the cricket was more of a vote catcher that the special edition of the game show I watch at 5.30 pm. For the last three days, we have been bombarded with news reports, front page photos, and pages & pages devoted to the Socceroos win. Once would have been too much! There are more pressing things that need to be dealt with. Come on, people. Get over it!! It is not the be all and end all of life.
I would have thought the news of a terrorist threat to our leaders and life style would have rated front page headlines, but no, it was relegated to page three. And this was two days AFTER the Socceroos won. Get a life, people.

Making concessions to one's age.

It appears that Charles has seen sense, and given up polo. It has also been reported, that his papa, gave up at 50, and took up carriage driving, and Charles might follow in his footsteps, once again. It is debateable, which is the more dangerous sport. Prince Philip has 'lost his seat' numerous times, which also had the potential to be just as risky to his bones, and his life in general,as falling off his horse at polo. I hope Camilla can prevail upon him to find something less hazardous to his health, if he wants to 'make old bones', and/or ascend the throne, eventually. It is widely reported, that when Charles was growing up, his father thought he was too soft, and was always trying to toughen him up. I don't think any one could say he is a 'wus' as polo is not a sport for the faint hearted

No fanfare please!

It has been reported on the tv news, that the Warne's have started divorce proceedings. I hope it can be done quietly and without any trumpeting in the papers/magazines. ( Fat chance.) The irony of the news item was that Shane is considering a contract with a phone company. I am not sure what he will be doing, but it was his phone (amongst other things) that got him in to his present predicament! I suppose you have to stick with what you a good at.

Dumb drivers.
Today my daughter, her younger son and I, went to Naracoorte to do the fortnightly shopping.
We usually have Red Rooster for lunch. As we drove around to go through the drive through, we were unable to, as there were three big wheelie bins across the driveway. This was somewhat puzzling and frustrating, so she drove round the block and parked in the car park of the pub across the street and walked over to get our lunches. She was soon back, and said the bins were there because some dimwit with a too large vehicle had driven or tried to drive through and had bent the steel pole that indicates the maximum height allowed. I would have thought any 4WD would have been able to drive through. He must have been in a truck!! We decided, unwisely as it turned out, to have fish and chips instead. My piece of fish had been reheated at least three times by the look and taste of it. Yuk! The chips were'nt much better. It was somewhat better than the thought of having chicken fron the take away in Keith. The young woman DEEP FRIES them. She has a rotisserie, but won't use it.

Rain, rain everywhere, and not an Ark in sight!

Where I live, in the Upper South East of the state of South Australia, 2 hours north o f Mount Gambier, our average rainfall, is 19/20 inches in the old imperial scale. That is 76 or more Mils.This area has been a grain crop and sheep and cattle prodicing area for nearly 200 years. It has been getting less certain every year, as to whether we would have enough rain for a good harvast. This year, it did not start raining in a manner that gave the farmers hope for a good year untill July. Then, it was only dribs and drabs, but in September we had good rains and also October. Untill then, we needed at least 10 inches to reach our average. In the last two or three days it has poured! Mainly in Adelaide, our capital. They have had major flooding and homes have been inundated. In one part of Adelaide, Waterfall Gully, there was major flooding which could have been avoided if a dam wall had been erected. Because it is part of four council areas, all four needed to sign the agreement to build it. Two refused to sign, consequntly, they now have a BIG clean up bill. The rate payers are no doubt outraged that their rates money has been 'wasted'.
We have a 5,000 gal rain water tank connected to the house. We only use town water for the loo and washing machine. It has been some years since we have had the tank full at this time of the year, but it is overflowing!!! Praise God! A couple of weeks ago, hubby and I were at our small farm in a nerby town. The feed has grown so high, when we had to round up the sheep, Neville said he would have to go over to the nearby small airport and hire a plane. I fell for it again, and asked what he was talking about. He said the grass was so high he would need to be airborne to see the sheep! Never was a truer word spoken in jest! We did lose sight of them several times.

Grandkids

Talking with my daughter last night, and she was telling me that she has been having trouble getting Lachlan to do his reading home work after tea. He just flatly refuses to, so in absolute frustration, she made him do it as soon as he got home from school. Voila, no worries! Kids! Lachlan had two days away from school last week, and was given the usual five word spelling test, and got his usual 100%.
This is a short posting, as there is thunder in the air.

Kedgaree!

I am partially 'laid up', and am still finding it very difficult to get around. Consequently, the meals are pretty haphazzard around here. I can only stand for about a minute, then I have to sit down. #1 husband came inside this evening around 5pm, and said he was going to cook some rice. I had forgotten to put a loaf of bread on to cook in the bread maker, and there is no meat cooked. There was nothing for tea. When Neville said he was going to cook rice, I said in that case, I would make kedgaree, if he took me to the supermarket so I could buy a tin of canned beef. He said, 'What the heck is kedgaree? It sounds like dog food. ' I said it is similar to risotto. He remained unimpressed., so when I got to the supermarket, I bought shaved ham and a small tub of coleslaw and a loaf of bread. Yawn!! Later, after we had our sangers, I was feeling a bit warm, as my chair is next to the window, and it has been a warm day. I asked him to turn the fan on to the lowest speed. He said, 'That is the lowest button, right?' I said it was. He pressed it and nothing happened. I said that it may not be plugged in far enough. He checked all connections and tried again. Still nothing. It was then I looked around to find him vainly pressing the 'off' button!!! When I remonstrated with him, he said, 'You said the bottom button'. I said, 'Yes, the bottom one, up from the off button, surely you can read?' Mere Male page look out!

Car repeirs.

Father has been working on our daughter's car for two months or more. He has had the motor out twice, as he discovered when he put it back the first time, it would not turn over because our son-in -law thrashes it, and two of the pistons were too tight.It is hoped that when he tries to start it next time, it will go. It will be nice to get it out of the yard, and Deb will be glad to have it back. At first, she was complaining of having to walk, but now she does not seem to mind as she is losing weight, on purpose, and the walking is helping.
Minor fire!
Last night, I was cooking fish and chips for tea. I had an old carving fork that I was stirring the chips with, and put it down on the top of the stove. With my lousy eyesight, I failed to see that the handle was touching the hot plate. It was a bone handle and soon ignited, and burned on top of the stove. I grabbed the chip pan, as I have had two fires because the oil caught alight, and didn't want a repeat performance. I yelled for #1 hubby, who put it out. Boy, do those old bone handles pong when they burn! I burned the bottom of my brand new frypan, too. Bugger.

Post script to yesterday's posting.

I was trying to be kind to Camilla, but after having seen some photos of her in evening dress and tiara, I think she should sack her designer, hair stylist, and makeup artist! She needs to lose a few pounds. (Don't we all?) The clothes I have seen her in so far on the tour of the USA, leave a lot to be desired, too. I wouldn't be BURIED in any of them! Charles, by all accounts, thinks she looks fab in everything she wears. I think he needs to stop looking through the eyes of love, and be honest with her. Black is most definitely not her colour! The tiara was lovely, but it didn't suit her. She needs a smaller one, so as not to look overdressed.I just wonder, who chooses the fabrics for her outfits? I think 'blind freddy' could do a better job. I wish she would wear some colours!!!

Camilla is NOT trying to 'be' Diana.

At the risk of sounding like a Camilla fan, I am sticking my neck out again. The aforementioned lady and Prince Charles have started their first official tour as man and wife, in the USA. Before the poor woman even disembarked from the plane, she was being panned in the press. The Yanks believe that anybody in the public eye is fair game, and can be extremely vitriolic in their critisism. Everybody who has read a news paper or magazine etc, knows the story of the doomed marriage of Charles & Diana, and the part Camilla played in that. For some reason, most people seem to think they 'own' these people, and therefore have the right to pass judgement and critisize, even though none of us 'know' the full facts of their lives. While I do not condone that kind of behaviour within a relationship, it is time to move on and not bear grudges. Diana has been dead for eight years when all said and done. Give Cmilla a chance to prove her mettle. She has never tried to replace Diana, as she knows it would be a very foolish thing to do. She knows she does not have the looks or glamour of Diana, nor does she want it. She is very comfortable being herself. One elderly man in Yankee land, said, very unchivalrously, that Camilla looked like Sea Biscuit. My late father used to tell us, 'If you can't say something nice about someone, say nothing'.

Maddest day of the year.

Though today is All Hallows Day, it is also the day of the Melbourne Cup horse race. I think it is a public holiday in Melbourne, but not sure. Anyway, this day brings the whole country to a standstill at 2.30 PM, while the social elite and the wannabees throw their good money away in the hope of winning big , by betting on some poor benighted animals that have been brainwashed into thinking they have to run like the wind for their owners, and anybody silly enough to bet on them, or they will be letting the side down. I wonder how many of the owners, trainers and jockeys really care about the horses. I don't think the punters do. They only care about winning. As someone said in the letters to the editor, if the roles were reversed, what would the horses think of the whole thing?

Can't help lovin' that boy!

I have three gorgeous grandsons. The youngest of them, Riley, is such a happy, cheeky sprite, he is irristable. He reminds me of my son when he was young. Nothing seemed to faze Mark. He was like the proverbial cork. You could never keep him down, he would always pop straight back up. Riley, I am told by his mum, has a 'nose' for chocolate. Deb told me it makes no difference how well you think you have hidden it, Riley will find it. I was therefore somewhat surprised last Saterday when we visited them, that he was so slow in 'sniffing' out the Smarties I had in my bag. I buy a bag of small boxes of Smarties, and give the two boys a box each whenever they visit. When we arrived, Riley was eating a small bag of Cheezels, and as I had copped some flak from his dad last week on my way home from hospital about the Smarties, I decided to play it differently. After we had been there about an hour, Riley sidled up to me, and with his cheeky grin and sparkling eyes, he somewhat shyly asked me, "Nan" "Yes darling." "You wouldn't have any Smarties in your bag, would you?" " Why do you want to know?" "'Cause I'd like some." How do you resist such a request? I said I did, but I had to ask Mum if they could have them. Deb said it was OK. So both of them were happy with their treat. They got covered in the colour off them, as they held them in their hot little hands. I think this boy, like his uncle, will go far.

Western Movies I have seen.

Now that I have a DVD player, I am buying old movies I saw when young, so I can see them properly for the first time. As I have mentioned previously, my eyesight is very poor, so I didn't actually 'see' these movies when I attended with my parents. I remember most of them, but some I have forgotten, to wit, The Magnificent Seven. I purchased this on DVD two weeks ago and watched it with my husband. The main reason I bought it was because it has Yul Brynner in it.(I wanted to see what he was like in a role other than the king of Siam.) I was surprised to find I hardly remembered the story at all. I am glad it cost less than $A15.00, as it was very disappointing, to say the least. It was classed as a classic western! Last night we watched An Invitation To A Gunfighter, also with the aforementioned actor in the lead role. Once again, I paid less than $A15.00, again I am thankful for that. The only' action' was when Yul's character got drunk and smashed up some of the buildings in the one horse town! When it was finished, there was some of the International Rules football game on the telly. There was more 'action' on the footy field than in the movie. Not that I condone that kind of biffo in any sport.
I have checked out Yul's other films on Google, and if the two we have seen this week are anything to go by, I think I will pass.

Getting to know me.

1.What time did you get up this morning? 6.am
2.Diamonds or pearls? Pearls, Diamonds leave me cold.
3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema? Don't recall. I can't see that well, so haven't been for years.
4. What is your favourite TV show? CSI NY, House.
5. What is your middle name. To horrible to reveal.
6. What is your favourite cuisine? Italian.
7. What foods do you dislike? Capsicum, pumpkin.
8. What is your favourite crisps flavour? Smiths original crinckle cut.
9. What is your favourite CD at the moment? Hank Williams.
10. What kind of vehicle do you drive? I don't drive.
11. Favourite sandwhich? Curried egg, lettuce, carrot on wholemeal.
12. What characteristics do you despise? Child and animal cruelty, and greed.
13. Favourite item of clothing? Skirts and blouses/tops.
14.If you could go any where in the world on vacation, where would you go. UK, New Zealand, Canada.
15. What colour is your bathroom? Gold and white.
16. What colour Knickers are you wearing. Mind your own business.
17. Where would you retire to? Somewhere by the sea.
18. Favourite time of day? Bedtime.
19. What was your most memorable birthday? My 5oth.
20. Where were you born? Right here. Haven't moved far. South Australia.
21. What was the last thing you ate? Tuna mornay and rice.
22. If you were a crayon, what colour would you be. Red.
23. Favourite flower? Roses and carnations.
24. Favourite Beatle? Hated the Beatles!
25. Coke or Pepsi? Coke.
26. Do you wish on stars? No.
27. Do you have any pets? Yup, my cat.
28. Last person you talked to on the phone. Dr's receptionist.
29. What did you want to be when you were little? Nurse/ Air Hostess.
30. What are you meant to be doing now? I'm doing it.
31. What do you first notice about someone? If they are friendly or not.
32. Siblings? Two sisters, one older, one younger, one younger brother.
33. What was you favourite toy as a child? My doll. Which I still have.
34. Summer or Winter. I prefer Autumn and Spring.
35. Favourite cartoon character, The little Martian.
36. Chocolate or Vanilla? Both.
37. Who is most likely to respond. Mark.
38. Who is least likely to respond? Husband.
39. When was the last time you cried? When I watched something sad on TV last week.
40. What is under your bed? I shudder to think!
41. How many countries have you visited? None.
42. In how many cities have you lived? One.
43. Favourite movie of all time. Overboard.
44. The current friend you have known the longest from the list you sent this to. Pauline.
45. Favourite musical group. No group, just Elvis.

If only we could see into the future.

Last weekend I ran out of black printer ink. I had some spares, so proceeded to install one, only to discover it was the wrong size. I got on the phone first thing Monday to let my supplier know they had sent the wrong cartridges. The girl who answered the phone sounded as though she had just woken from her morning nap. She wasn't the least bit interested in my problem. I said I had sent several emails the previous week, to ascertain the cost of cartridges for my daughter's printer. She said in a very 'so what' kind of way, that she didn't think they had received any from me. "I could check if you like'. I told her not to bother. She then said she would have to transfer me to Julian. He turned out to be a very pleasant Phillapino sounding young man, who was almost uninteligable. I told him the problem, and he looked for the correct ink cartridges. I said I didn't think I should have to pay freight on the replacements as it was their mistake. He asked me for the invoice number. Thankfully, I had it right there, and he could see I was telling the truth. When he had found the right ones, he said he would get them out overnight. Yesterday we went out for the day, and I was worried as last time they were here the next morning. I received a garbled email from them , but no cartridges. I thought I had missed them, as they have to be signed for. This morning I bought a cartridge whilst I was out shopping. Half an hour after we got home, the courier arrived with the cartridges! If I had only been able to see into the future, I would have saved myself $26.95!! The replacement cartridges were complimentary, too. Bugger!

It has been a long day

I didn't sleep too well last night. That is nothing new. I have not been sleeping well for YEARS! Trouble was, I had to go with hubby today, as he was going to the farm, then to the cattle/lamb market in Naracoorte, and that is where I do most of my grocery shopping. With the price of fuel these days, I felt sure he would not have appreciated having to drive 8okms again this week. I would have loved to have gone back to bed for some more shuteye. I am jack of waking up with the spoggies. About 5.30 am. (Sparrows, for any non Australians out there) I suppose it is pointless whinging, as we will be on daylight saving this weekend. I find the notion of trying to convince my brain that it is an hour later than it really is, boring and fruitless in the extreme. I probaly would not have gone back to sleep, anyway.
The reason it has been a long day, is because I am very tired and my knees have had a strong work out. It is just under a week sinc surgery. I don't think I will need rocking tonight!
Father lost his credit union access card. He had it in his shirt pocket, but was unaware that it has a BIG hole in it. He was fortunate not to have lost his driver's licence, too, as he had it in the pocket as well. No big drama. he reported it as lost, and will recieve a new one soon. He was still able to withdraw some money. No idea where he lost it.

Post Op surprises. Nasty & Pleasant.

Last Wednesday morning, I had another Arthroscopy. This was on my left knee. I had a small tear in the Anterior Meniscus, a small ammount of Arthritis, and my knee cap needed at least a third scraped off, as it was deteriorating and ragged. As I had terrible trounle and excruciating pain for months after the last one, I was not looking forward to the post op period. I was therefore, pleasantly surprised and greatly relieved to know the extent of damage was nowhere near as bad, and I could walk almost normally the next day. I had been walking on it, to go to the loo etc, but not any great lengths. The physio was very chuffed with how well I was able to walk too, which is a greast boost to one's confidence. My Quads were very stiff for about 24 hours, but seem to be OK now. Last time, I had to put a long plastic bag over my puncture wounds when I had a shower. This time I only have Bandaides covering the wounds. Much better! I remarked to my husband last night, that #1 son-in-law, was VERY surprised to see me walking so freely, just 24 hrs postop. He laughed and said, 'I think everybody was.'
The next BIG thing is for me to shift some of this lard I have been carrying around for far too long. Not an easy task at the best of times, but now that I cannot exercise, nigh on impossible. But I am nothing if not determined when the need arises. I will just have to pschyc myself up, or suffer the consequences. A daunting prospect.

He did it!

Call me a cynic or whatever you like, but Simone Warne recently said, and was paid handsomely to say it, she would not have her filandering husband back under any curcumstances. Well, it has been reported in another women's mag, that they are together again. Now, I am all for working through problems in any relationship and keeping the family together, but, this is too much. There is no need, in my humble opinion, to air one's 'dirty laundry' in public. Not if one expects to be paid to do it. It is too humiliating for words. It was far too soon for her to be making such statements, if she had to make them at all. She was hurting and very angry, and probably wanted to lash out at him for the pain he has caused, but it should have been done in private.
We all know the public persona of this man, but he must have some redeeming features, or maybe Simone couldn't leave all the perks behind. Either way, I wish they would stop shoving this in our faces.

My new DVD VCR combo unit is installed.

I bought myself a new combo unit on layby, some weeks ago, from Target. Due to the fact my daughter has not had time, until last Friday to install it, I have been hoping the old VCR would not 'die' just yet. It was doing some uncharactaristic things, when I used it. For instance, it would keep ejecting the tape and turning itself off. Most annoying! I, however, showed it who was boss! It has been used nearly every day, for the last six years, and has not missed a beat, nor has it been serviced. I had a separate DVD unit, which Deb installed, too. I have plans for that, but I can't find the manual. I have never seen it, so don't know what to look for. The only negative aspect of this combo unit is this. I am unable to watch a DVD whilst taping a programme. Some boffin or other needs to overcome that little hitch. It will take a while to work out what I can and can't do, but I am making rapid progress already.

Johnny is still following Dubya.

It has been reported is the news, that our 'esteemed' PM wishes to have a four year term between elections. The reason given is, the government does not have enough time with a three year term to accomplish all they wish to. This may or may not be a valid arguement. Excuse me if I seem cynical, but it seems more a case of following the yanks as they have a four year term of office for the president, after each election. This would be OK for us to emulate, only, if after two terms in office they were forced to fade into the background, and not be allowed to seek office again. We then might be able to elect some people who really have the good of the country and it's inhabitants, uppermost in their policies. The present system is seriously flawed, in that it allows one party to be in office too long, and they do not always want to run the country for the good of the people. We need to have fresh ideas coming more often. Some of them might be good for us. At least after two terms, we could boot them out, so they don't think they own the place.

Some people just should not be doctors!

It has been a while since my last post, so I hope I do not repeat myself too much.( Memory's not that wonderful.) I may have reported that my otjer knee has 'gone' like my right one. I am unable to walk many steps before it starts to THROB! The pain is unbelievable! I have a wheelchair for when I go shopping. It is interesting to see the reactions of folk when one is in a wheelchair. It does not take long to determine their attitudes. Most people are accommodating, but some just stand and stare.
Last weekend we travelled to the 'big smoke' so I could have MRIs on both knees. On the previous Tuesday night I had a bad attack of Hay Fever, and consquently developed a nasty cold/chest infection. By Saterday I had a hacking cough, and was concerned about it, as you have to lie perfectly still for these scans. They are very expensive to do. I asked for more pillows to sit me up a bit to try to eliminate the tickle in my throat. Once it takes hold, there is nothing I can do but cough! The young doctor doing the scan was less than kind. To say he needed to brush up on his bedside manner goes without saying. But his manners were apalling! I asked for a glass of water at one stage, and he refused to get it, telling me I needed to try harder not to cough! I thought to myself, 'I hope he treats his mum better than he is treating me' He is about my son's age.
The next day I had a different doctor, totally! To cut a long story short, he managed to get the information he required, is spite of me having a HUGE coughing fit. I thought I was going to explode.
My doctor rang me on Tuesday morning to tell me the results, and said I need to have another Arthroscopy, as I have a tear in the back of the cartelege, and he would get his girls on to it right away. I have not heard a peep from them yet. Will have to ring them in the morning.
More fun and games.

Did the butler do it? They said the bouncer didn't.

So, the bouncer didn't do it, cause David Hookes' death that is. How can Macevic say it was self defence when Hookes was trying to walk away from him? If, as has been stated, Hookes was walking the other way, he was no threat to any one. I am pleased to hear Hookes' family is suing for compensation. I hope they get some.

Knees and things.

Neville and I travelled to the 'big smoke' in the Red Cross car today, so I could consult my Orthopoedic surgeon about my other knee. Eighteen months ago, the anterior horn of my carteledge in my right knee tore. It went off like a rifle shot. He performed an arthroscopy on it, and the upshot of that is I need a knee replacement operation. On the 3rd of this month, the other one did likewise. Now, with two buggered knees, I am finding it nigh on impossible to walk, as it is very painful. Dr. Oakeshott said in his usual flippant way today,' use it or lose it' That is fine for him, he does not have put up with the pain! He has ordered an MRI.
I have had many, many procedures and tests in my life, but this will be the first MRI.I am not relishing the prospect.

Nice day for a drive!

Husband Neville & I had to go to the 'big smoke' today so I could have an x ray & ultra sound of my left knee, which has 'given up the ghost', like the right one. I am once again confined to a wheelchair. For how long is anyone's guess. We were unable to travel in the Ford, so had to make do with the Corolla wagon. Both cars are VERY old, and somewhat unreliable. The wagon is OK on short trips, but not long ones, it would seem.
We got about 40 miles from Adelaide, and the car conked out. It had been struggling up the hills, and I asked #1 hubby if it was hot. He said nothing was showing on the guage, but the wire could have come off. He looked up to see the steam pouring out from under the bonnet. (Hood, to any Yanks) This was at about 9.30 am. My appointment was 2pm. When Neville opened the bonnet, he discovered that most of the oil had been pushed out of the sump, too. He said later he had thought about putting another seal in, but thought he would not need it! Pity about that,eh? He put in more water and a small ammount of oil he had brought with us, and we turned around and limped home. Thank Goodness for my mobile phone. I rang to cancel my x ray etc, and we crawled home at 45 to 50 mph. We called in to Murray Bridge and he bought more oil and some bags of potting mix our daughter had asked us to get from Woolworths.
It truly has been a glorious day for a drive, but it was not how we would have planned it. We were sitting in the car for 91/2 hours, and my knees and backside are very stiff and sore! I have an appointment to see my surgeon next week. Hope we have a reliable car by them.

Life's a Bitch!

They do say, Life's a bitch and then you die, but I'm not ready to shuffle off this mortal coil just yet.Eighteen months ago, just after I had returned from Perth and Mark's graduation, my right knee started to do silly things,like catching and cracking. It hurt a bit, then one day in March it went off like a rifle shot, and hurt like H*** and went out from under me. I finished up in a wheelchair for a month, then had an Arthroscopy. The upshot of that was my right knee is stuffed and I need a complete joint replacement. I am not looking forward to that, I can tell you.
When I went back for the first check up a year later, my knees were x rayed, and no problems could be detected in the left knee. I am the least supersticious person on the planet, but it was April Fool's Day.( April 1st.) About two to three weeks ago, the left knee started to do the very same things, and on Saterday morning, very early, it too, cracked! I am now back to square one, and in a wheelchair again. I go to the 'big smoke' for more Xrays, and an ultra sound,tomorrow, and back again a week later to see my surgeon. In the interim, I am supposed to see the doctor, who is not my usual physician, and in whom I have very little faith. Mainly because he speaks so softly and has a thick African accent.
I shall keep you posted.

At last, I am in!

Howdy folks.I have been off line(if anyone noticed) for nearly two weeks, and it has been hell! My son talked me through a software installation nearly three weeks ago, over the phone. He lives in Perth. I was able to use the computer for the next two days, then it started playing silly buggers. I was able to open my email accounts and write one, but it refused to send it. Then I couldn't send a Blog posting, then it would not let me into that, either. Then it opened up with a blue screen and I couldn't close that or proceed. Then Mark and I tried to work out what the problem was . No luck! We spent hours on the phone. I got so stressed, I was nearly sick. I then decided to call in my Greek friend Spiro, who has a computer business and get him to fix it. He reinstalled it yesterday. No go! Spiro had it for a week. I tried to do a posting yesterday, but no go! I hope this publishes OK.

Modern Technology.

I may be a baby boomer, and not have graduated from high school, but that does not mean I am averse to learning about IT and other techno advances. But, I have a loooong way go to catch up to my son. I am not foolish enough to think I ever will. If I only knew half as much as he does about computers, I would be a very happy chick.
Over the previous two nights, as mentioned in his Blog, Frugal Bastard, he instructed me on how to apply some new soft ware. Now, it is hard enough when you are on the other end of a telephone and 3.000klms away and cannot see the screen, but it is even more difficult when your old Ma is legally blind,(less than 10% in one eye, and bugger all in the other) and she is not very savvy with the jargon and has great dificulty reading. It makes for a VERY slow process. I'dips me lid' to you son! I guess if I had a job where I had to use the thing all day, I would soon learn more. Speed the day! I have tried to publish a post since we did the work, but it would not publish. Here goes nothing. See you all later. I hope.

Crocodile Hunters

I have just watched an item on A Current Affair about Steve Irwin, the so called , crocodile hunter. He is not one of my favourite people, as I think he is over the top with how he presents himself. But that aside, he is passionately trying to protect the wild life indigenous to the Top End of this great country of ours. Tonight's story was about one of the daughters of the late Sara Henderson from Bullo River station, Marlee, by name. She is trying to get a licence to hunt crocs for sport. She wants to bring 'big game hunters' here, and charge them exorbitant fees to hunt these reptiles. There are a certain number that are culled each year, and she can't see why they should not be shot for sport. Now, I am not a lover of anything reptilian, but, I think this is a bit obscene. She wants to charge $1,000.00 per foot, and for a fifteen footer, that is a lot of moula. Steve Irwin was very crafty, if you like, in getting the minister for the envoironment to participate in the capture and tagging of one of the big fellas, to try to convince him they need to be protected more. They are left over from the Dinasaur age, and I think they need to be looked after. It would not do a lot for the tourist industry either if they are hunted like this.

The manners of some people

I shall start with a conversation I had with my brother, nearly two weeks ago. I rang him to enquire as to whether he liked the singing style of Cleo Laine. He said he did, but asked why I wanted to know. I asked if he had a record player. He said he did, but again asked why I wanted to know. I said I had been given some of her records, and wanted to know who I could give them to, as I am not a fan of her style of singing. I admire her talent greatly, but she doesn't 'send' me. I asked him what he was doing, as he seemed more distracted than usual when I ring. He said he was mucking around on his computer. What is so unusual about that you may be asking? Nothing, apart from the fact only a couple of months ago, this same man had said, he didn't know anything about them and didn't want to know anything.He was having a ball! I asked him where he had bought it, and he said from the local High School, and it had cost him peanuts. Later that week, I was talking to my daughter Deb. When I mentioned about her uncle having a computer, she asked if I would make enquiries for her as to the availability of any more. I duly did so, and was told they had three more, but the hard drives didn't work. I was talking to my son about it, and told him I had been quoted a price of $1,500.00 for a new HDD. He said that was ridiculous, and told me he could get one for a mere fraction of that.
I went into the school yesterday morning and told the receptionist, that if they had a computer that needed a HDD, and they were prepared to sell it to me as is, I could get the HDD myself. She went to ask the teacher about it, and came back and told me I could take it there and then. I was quite surprised, but very chuffed. I was not expecting that to happen so soon.
I went in to pay for it this morning, and ran into the woman I had phoned about it. I think she is on the school commitee and said I had my computer, with the sole purpose of letting her know that I had it, so she could take my name off the list. She then proceeded to let me know that it was not meant to be mine it was meant for someone else. Intimating she thought I had jumped the queue! This is NOT the case, as that is one of my pet hates.
She continued to heap coals on my head, at the same time agreeing with me that it was not my mistake. If I had been in her shoes, I would not have said anything, being very concious of the other person's feelings, and not wanting them to feel bad.
This is the bad manners the title refers to.

Charities

I have just had another worthy cause phone call. Now, I am not averse to helping these charities when I can, but I object to being patronised by total strangers , over the phone( or in person) at the best of times. A woman from The Heart Foundation rang me from Queensland and said they needed people to help with their doorknock appeal in September, and could I help. I aasured her I would be only too happy to oblige, but I am crippled up with Arthritis. She said she has arthritis too, and it wasn't untill September, and it would be OK in the warmer weather,Honey! I had to tell her very firmly, that it would not be OK in my case, as I can not walk very far as I also have a very bad back and a bung knee. . She then asked if I knew of anyone in my street who could help, so that when she made the next phone call she would not be wasting time and 'losing more goodwill'! I think these organisation need to 'vet' there phone operaters a bit more stringently, and give them some pointers in tact. I am sick of being treated as though I am in my dotage and have a bottomless pocket.

Health cover

I have had private health cover for some years now, but was somewhat surprised to receive in the mail today from my Fund, an application for accident and accidental death cover. For a small premium I can be covered to the tune of $25.000.00 or $50.000.00, depending on how much I can afford to pay, for accidental death. I don't require any medical checks, I would not be covered if I have an accident, resulting in my being hospitalised or my death. on the day the cover commences. It is supposed to give me peace of mind that if I were to die, my family would not need to worry about my funeral expenses. The thing that gets my attention is this, the cover expires the day I reach the grand old age of 85! As reported in the press today, scientists are saying that the possibility of us living to 120 is not too far away. In the light of that news, the accident cover scheme sounds like throwing good money away to me.

Magpies.

Magpies, or Piping Shrikes, as they more correctly should be called, are nesting near our home. They are a small to medium sized, black & white bird.They nest in the same place each year, providing it has not been destroyed. They can be extremely territorial and swoop anything or anyone they see as a threat. There is a large Gum tree,(Eucalyptus) in the garden across the street & for the past few weeks the male (I think) has been gathering material for the nest. I have two hanging baskets which have thatch type linings. He has been desamating one of them for his nest. He flies in and slams into the window.He either, misjudges the distance, or he sees his reflection in the glass and perceives it as another bird. Then tugs a beakful of the stuff and flies away. He does this three or four times a day. He has been known to swoop my cat and terroise her, too. I think the nesting process has finished, as I have not heard or seen him for a few days now.He is not the least bit afraid of humans, as he sits in my Ficafolia (gum tree) and squawks at me, & he is only two or three feet away. I am dreading the time the eggs hatch, as he swooped me several times last year, & I was in my own yard!

How lucky was that?

Nearly two weeks ago the bleep bleep washing machine went 'on the fritz' again! I had done most of the washing on the Sunday, and on Monday I tried to wash the sheets & anything that I had overlooked. This is the fifth time in 18 months that it has broken down with the same problem. On the Monday, I received the news by phone that a very old cousin of my late father's had died. I did manage to get the load of washing done, but it took ALL day, as I had to keep switching it off & on and trying to over ride the problem. When my husband, Neville, arrived home the next night, I asked him if he wanted the bad news or the really bad news. I told him of Pearl's death then gave the machine a hefty kick and told him it had broken down again. He didn't say anything which was surprising for him. The next day I asked him what we were going to do about it. He said there was a twin tub for sale at a clearing sale on the Saterday and if we could get it for a reasonable price it would tide us over until we had a good look around for a new automatic. We missed out on that one, and another one the same yesterday. This morning, our daughter, Deb, rang me on my mobile and asked if I had seen in the local paper that there was a garage sale with a washing machine for sale. I said I had not , and she said it started at 9.30 AM.It was 8.30AM. The sale was only 6 miles away so we hurried out to have a look. They had a price of $250.00 ono. Neville asked them if they would take $200.00 for it. The guy said he had an offer of $200.00 if it didn't sell. Neville then asked if he would take $210.00. He said yep, that would do. I wrote them out a cheuqe, and the guy helped Neville load it into the back of the wagon. It is a Simpson automatic 4.5kg, and only two years old. It has been working hard all day, and seems to be tickety boo!! If Deb had not told us, we would have had to go to the laundramat. Just as we were about to put it in the wagon another couple got there and were looking at it. They asked if it had been sold and Neville said it sure had. If we had been five minutes later we would have missed out again.

Grandkids sleeping over.

This is a first. We have our other #1 grandson,( he was born the same day as Yu-Jin) Lachlan, staying with us. I asked Deb if he would like to come and stay for a couple of days these school holidays. She said it would be OK, so I asked Lachlan if he would like to. He assured me he would. We had to wait to see what Deb & Pete were doing, as Pete is on holiday too. Then on Monday a relative rang to say that a very elderly cousin of my late father had died. Pearl was nearly 96. I wanted to go to the funeral which was at 4 P.M. yesterday. I rang Deb to let her know that we would be late getting back from Adelaide and it would probably not be possible to pick Lachlan up at that time. She said it didn't matter as Lachlan didn't want to come after all. She said he would not say why. Then on Thursday morning Neville woke up with a bad sore throat. As he usually gets much worse before he gets better, I said we need not go to the funeral as he is the only driver and it is no fun driving or doing anything for that matter, when you feel crook.Rang Deb to let her know we would not be going. The next day she rang and asked if Lachlan could stay with us for the day while she went to Naracoorte to do some shopping. I said of course.
Lachlan and I played a couple of games on the computer, then I cooked lunch. After lunch, we went to the wild life sanctuary to see the white kangaroos. I got a couple of pics of him. Then I asked Neville to drop us off at the Apex Park play ground so Lachlan could play on the swings etc. I was very 'pooped' very quickly pushing him on the swing and generally walking around, as my back is not the best nor my leg. When Deb rang as arranged , I said what we were doing so she drove home and came back two hours later. We went to a local cafe and had hot chocolate and half an iced donut each, then went back to the park. It was only when we got back home that Lachlan asked if he could stay the night. He only had the clothes he came in, but that was no problem. I rang Deb this morning to say he wanted to stay longer, so she brought enough clothes for him to stay until Monday if he likes. I asked him last night why he had not wanted to stay and was it because he didn't think he would have anything to do. He said it was. He has been having a ball and not had time to be bored. He has been no trouble at all.

Scams.

Recently, my son, Frugal Bastard, had a posting on his blog about a lottery scam from Spain. I received a pack of 'post cards' in the mail today and in it is one for a lottery called Euromillions. It emanated from Double Bay in Sydney. All I have to do is order my FREE information pack and I will be automatically entered in to the $9.000.000.00 Bonus draw. I still have my doubts about it, even though it is not asking for money.

Yu-Jin

My gorgeous #1 grandson{he was born first. there is no favouritism } and I had a chat on the phone last Friday, when his dad, my son (Frugal Bastard) rang me. In a previous conversation, I had told Yu-Jin I had some new Click Art fonts, and there are letters with Dinasaurs on them. I asked if he would like me to print his name with them. He said he would. I duly did same and posted them the day before our chat. When I told him I had done this, he asked me if I knew how to spell his name. I said I did and spelled it for him. He said,"No, Grandma, I mean my last name. Do you know what it is?" I assured him I did, and he said what it is, and I said it is the same as mine. There was a stunned silence while he digested that bit of information. "How come Grandma?" I told him I am his Dad's mother so therefore our name is the same. He was speechless for a few seconds, then said in excited tones, "So, you're my Grandma Ham!" We talked a bit more then he said "Goodbye Grandma." and abruptly handed the phone back to Dad while he went to check out what I had told him with his mum. Yu-Jin is five.

Scams.

Everywhere you look there is a scam for something or other. If it is not some lottery that you have not entered but have seemingly by magic won, then it is some wonder diet , new book to help you in every aspect of your life etc. The only thing they succeed in doing, is lightening you wallet. I received a promotion in the mail last week telling me that I could lose 6-20 kilos in 4 weeks, for only $105.00AU.if I sent away for their miraculous patch. It is supposedly impregnated with Iodine from the bottom of the Dead Sea, and works by 'revving up' my metabalism , allowing me to continue eating anything I desire, and still lose weight! I would like to know .a. how did they obtain my address,& b. how do they know if I need to lose weight? Aah, if only it were that simple, I would be 'in like Flynn'. But i, like my son the Frugal Bastard am not that gullible. But a girl can dream. This scam eminated from Singapore.

Princess Diana.

Once again, one of the late Princess of Wales' 'friends' has come out of the woodwork with more salacious tidbits. She has 'revealed' that DNA tests were ordered on her two sons to determine paternity. Well, if we are to believe her, they proved what I have always believed, they are BOTH Charles' sons.The fact they look more like their mother does not prove they are not Charles' sons! Diana had , so we are told, an affair with a man with red hair and therefore Harry could be his son. No-one seems to have taken into consideration the colouring of the Spencer men, and on of Diana's sisters. The tabloids and others, have not done their maths either. And all for a story to sell their rags. I do wish the media would lay off these people, they can not defend themselves, and let her rest in peace. Give her wonderful sons a break too.

Celebraties?

Well, here I go. I was not going to sully my Blog site with anything about Shane Warne, but the man should get a prize for his shenannegans, and his utterly selfish idiotic behaviour. Why do people in the public eye think no-one is watching and thinking if they do it, it must be OK? I cannot for the life of me see what these women find so irresitable about him. Is he so self absorbed he can't understand that there are youngsters who look up to him, and therefore he should be setting an exemplary example to them on how to conduct youself in public & in privete? I feel soo sorry for his wife & children. He seems to think he can have his cake and eat it too. When you marry you are supposed to remain faithful to your spouse. If you can't, then you should not marry at all. It is so hurtful and humilliating for the families.

Obscene Golden Handshakes

I have just heard on the TV news, that the retiring chairman of the Commonwealth Bank is to be 'paid' $30,000,000. How can this obscene ammount of money be justified? No-one is worth that ammount of money, unless they have made it by honest hard work. I am also incensed that the incoming CEO for Telstra is to be paid $10 to $11million as his annual salary. He has also indicated that after he takes up the position on July1, there is the possiblity of a hike in service charges. It has been hinted in the media, that it might include timed local calls. How are the battlers of this country supposed to afford any more of these fee hikes, when they are so isolated and a telephone is an essential requirement in the Bush?Telephone call charges are far too high, and in light of these so called salaries, it is not to be wondered at. Where will it stop?

Princess or not a Princess?

In The Advertiser (Adelaide Daily) today, is a list of the Royal Family and where they rank after the Queen. Somehow Camilla has been ranked lower that The Princees Royal,(Princess Anne,) even though she is married to the Prince of Wales. Camilla is not classed as a princess, only a Duchess.I suspect this is becaus certain members of the family baulked at the idea of having to curtsy to Camilla, as the second Lady of the land. She is even ranked lower that Princess Alexandra, the Queen's cousin.Camilla probably does not give a hoot, as she is a very down to earth person.But it smacks of a snub to her in my book.

Camilla

Well, surprise, surprise. The journos & fasion police have started in on Camilla already. They have accused her of 'upstaging the Queen' at the official parade to mark her Majesty's birthday, because she wore her wedding outfit again. As the Queen did not attend the civil ceremony, she had not seen the outfit before, so how does that contitute being upstaged? What is Camilla supposed to do with the outfit, toss it out? She only had it on for a very short time and she should be able to get some wear out of it. It probably cost Charles a packet, & he is reputed to be tight. So he would applaud her frugality. She did have a new, very stylish hat.
Give the poor woman a break. She looked very nervous as this was her first official joint engagement, and I thought she carried it off with great aplomb.

Shapelle Corby

I have just heard the verdict & sentence for Shapelle, & I am horrified & appalled. In Australia this is probably deemed a 'light' sentence for this crime, but I have always believed this young woman to have been set up & innocent of the charge
Our government has announced, now the verdict has been brought down, they will send two QC's to help her appeal against the sentence! Where were they when this whole shameful mess started? Why were they not made available at the beginning? Shapelle & her family are going to need all the finacial, physical, legal, spiritual & emotional help they can get. If Jonh Howard & his government have been doing as much as they have said, why have we not been made aware of it?
Is it more important to protect relations with Indonesia, or any country for that matter, at the expense of one of our citizens? When is this guy going to show some real leadership & moral backbone?

I'm baack!

Vale, Graham Kennedy.
I never liked the man, or his brand of 'humour', but I never like to hear of anyone suffering, for what ever reason. At least now, he is not suffering any more. May he rest in peace.
Grandies.
My daughter & her family have been quite ill with severe chest infections, my daughter in particular. Today she is improving, but she did not need to have to wash the doonas! It was not a good day for washing, but Riley, her two and a half year old, wanted a drink of cordial. He is not supposed to get it out of the 'fridge, but boys will be boys. His older brother had all the doonas in tha passage, who konws why, & Riley took the bottle to his Mum, & dropped it, the result being, of course, it burst!!!
Lachlan, the eldest, started school this term. He was five, along with my son's boy, Yu-Jin, two days before term started.in May, as they were born on the same day. Lachlan is loving it, & told me he has made lots of friends. So far that is two girls & one boy.
Creative writing.
I have signed up for a short course at T.A.F.E. {Technical And Further Education} I have no illusions, but am bored out of my brain. I doubt that I will be able to write poetry, but am hoping to write a short children's story. The readers of my Blog may think I am wasting my time, but time will tell.

Shapelle Corby

Well, well. So, Shapelle was once married to a Japanese man. He has been called her' secret ' husband. How, pray tell, does this have anything to do with her present situation? So she was married. Big deal! Why can't the tabloids print some helpful & positive news about the poor girl, or, just leave her alone? None of this is relevent, so why print it at all? The Federal government has done precious little to help her by trying to find any evidence that may have been useful in proving her innocence. Her mother was interviewed on A Current Affair last night, & she is hopping mad with the government & their puny efforts, & rightly so!

Prince Charles

It haas been reported in today's press, that the Prince of Wales has made a clumsy bid to out rank The Queen, and have the Australian government invite him to open the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne next year. It was also reported at the time of his marriage to Camilla, that Her Majesty would be scaling back her overseas trips, as she is now 79 . This does not appear to be the case, as she is reported as not being aware of he son's bid. It was also stated that he whished to do the opening of the games, because he was not happy about the lack lustre low key tour he made just prior to his wedding, and wishes get us to accept Camilla, as he feels that since the nuptials, the Republicans are rallying to have the Monachy made obselete. Who does he think he is dealing with? We are not a bunch country bumpkins who can't see through posturing and palarver (sic) the aristocracy tries to unload on us. Let his wife earn our love & respect or otherwise, by her own actions. She is not some prize pet that need to be paraded for approval. His attitude toward her is demeaning to say the least.

Eugine McGee post script.
Since he was sentenced, the state Premier has come out fighting, & has initiated a Royal Commission into the handling of the case & evidence that was not brought into court. Watch this space.

Our Justice System

That which passes for a justice system in this country, is, as some have called it, a joke, though the people who seek justice, are not laughing. A case in point involves a hit & run that occured two years ago in this state. A lawyer & former police officer, had enjoyed lunch with family & friends. He has openly addmitted they consumed between them, three bottles of wine. Later that night, he hit & killed a cyclist & failed to stop & render assistance, but drove his large 4WD to his mother's house in the country. He gave himself up the next morning, but as has been revealed, the sargeant in charge 'overlooked' the requirement of either breath testing him or getting a blood sample. All through his trial he has been stony faced when anyone was looking. There has never been any sign of emotion or remorse. He is said to be suffering Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, from some previous incident. He was fined $3,100 & a twelve month licence suspension.
This morning, plastered over the front page of The Advertiser, is a picture of him & one of his legal team, laughing after sentance was passed, preumably.
Our Premier has called him ' a white feather coward', among other things.
The lenient sentance was bad enough for the family of his victim to take, how galling is this photo? It has been proven over & over again, if you have friends in high places you will nearly always get a soft sentance, but the little people go to jail for much lesser offences.
Jonh Howard.
This guy gets worse by the day. Is there no end to his ego trips? He is overseas again, somewhere, doing goodness knows what, & H.M.A.S. Kanimbla is steaming home as I write, bringing our brave Defence Force Personnel home , after they have been in Indonesia doing great humanitarian things. Little Johnny has had the ship delayed for a few hours, so he can fly home in time to greet them in Sydney! The guy missed his calling. He should have been a Stage Manager in show business! Why should these good people & their families have to wait on the whims of this man's ego?

Beleive it or not!

The question below about Australia, are from potential visitors. They were posted on The Australian Tourism website & the answers are the actual respones by the website officials, who obviously, have a sense of humour.
Q. Does it ever get windy in Australia? I have never seen it rain on TV. How do the plants grow? (UK)
A. We import all plants fully grown, then sit around watching them die.
Q.Will I be able to see Kangaroos in the street?(USA)
A. That will depend on how much you have been drinking.
Q. I want to walk from Perth to Sydney, can I follow the railroad tracks? (Sweden)
A. Sure, it's only three thousand miles. Take lots of water.
Q. Is it safe to run around in the bushes in Australia? (Sweden)
A. So it's true what they say about Swedes.
Q. Are there any ATMs (cash machines) in Australia? Can you send me a list of them in Cairns, Brisbane, Townsville & Hervey Bay? (UK)
A. What did your last slave die of?
Q. Can you give me information about Hippo racing in Australia?(USA)
A. A-fri-ca is the big triangle shaped continent south of Europe.
Aus-tral-ia is that big island in the middle of the Pacific,
which does not, oh forget it. Hippo racing is every Tuesday night in Kings Cross, come naked.
Q. Which direction is North in Australis(USA)
A.Face South and turn 180 degrees. Contact us when you get here and we will send the rest of the directions.
Q. Can I bring cutlery to Australia?
A. Why? Just use your fingers like we do.
Q. Can you send me The Vienna Boys' Choir Schedule? (USA)
A. Au-st-ria is is that quaint little country bordering Ger-many which is, oh forget it. Sure, The Vienna Boys' Choir performs every Tuesday night right after the Hippo racing in Kings Cross. Come naked.
Q. Can I wear high heels in Australia? (UK)
A. You are a British Politician, right?
Q. Are there supermarkets in Sydney, and is milk available all year round? (UK)
A. No. We are a peaceful nation of vegan hunter/gathers. Milk is illegal.
Q. Please send a list of all doctors who can dispense Rattle snake serum. (USA)
A. Rattle Snakes live in A m-eri-ca, whic h is where YOU come from. All Australian snakes a harmless, and can be handled and make good pets.
Q. Do you have perfume in Australia? (France)
A. No, WE don't stink!
Q. I have developed a new product that is the Fountain of Youth. Can you tell me where I can sell it in Australia? (USA)
A. Anywhere significant numbers of Americans gather.
Q. Can you tell me the regions of Tasmania where the female populatin is smaller thatn the male population? (Italy)
A.Yes, Gay nightclubs.
Q. Do you celebrate Christmas in Australia? (France)
A. Only at Christmas.
Q. I was in Australia in 1969 on R&R, and want to contact the girl I dated while I was in Kings Cross. Can you help? (USA)
A. Yes, and you will still have to pay her by the hour.
Q. Will I be able to speak English most places I go? (USA)
A. Yes, but you will have to learn it first.

Fast Food.

I have a 'beef' with fast food outlts. It has been noted of late they are trying to improve their images by adding salads & less fatty content to their burgers etc. This is good and I applaud their efforts. But why oh why, can't they take it one step further and use Wholemeal or Grain rolls for those of us who take their diets seriously? Not just from the aspect of weight control, but because for one reason or another, we can't eat white bread, or prefer not to.
I made myself a egg & bacon muffin for breakfast this morning, & enjoyed it much more than one of MacDonalds. I used a Multi Grain Muffin. Yum!
The only fast food outlet that uses Wheat rolls is Subway.

Mary's having a baby!!!

Great Day in the Morning! At last, Mary & Fred are having a baby!! Marvelous news. As it appears she was already pregnant on their recent tour down under, she can't be suffering from Morning Sickness. Half her luck. It is a pity there will not be any break with tradition for the child's name. Christian for a boy, & Margretthe for a girl. Though we are told that Mary & Fred will have some say in subsquent names, & be able to be more hands on, than in previous years.
Prince Frederick was raised by nannies, but does not seem to have suffered too much because of it. Being 'invited ' to dinner with his parents when he was three, seems odd to mere mortals such as myself though.

Eddie McGuire

In the words of Sir Percy Blakeny in A Tale of Two Cities, 'You see him here, you see him there, that demmed ellusive Pimpernel is everywhere!' So it would appear, is Mr McGuire. He is now going to host The Logies. Does the man not sleep? Is there no-one else who could do some of these gigs? As my son has said on his Blogspot, the guy seems to get his 'mug' on telly somehow, some way, somewhere.
Just for laughs
A young boy was at the Optometrists, but he was taking a long time to choose the new frames. He kept saying 'No thanks' to each one he tried on. His mother was getting quite exasperated, and told him to hurry up, as he was being inconsiderate to the assistant. When asked why he didn't like any of the frames he had tried on, he said in an aside to his mum, 'They are trying to rip us off. There are no lenses in those frames.'

Charles & Camilla.

The signatures are hardly dry on the marriage certificate, and already the tabloids are calling Camilla 'the other woman'. There is a story in one of the women's mags, saying that Charles had an affair last year, with the Duchess of Douro. They were seen on some ski slopes somewhere, & that means, according to the story, they had an affair. They are distant cousins,both being directly descended from Queen Victoria. That is not to say that cousins, however distant, don't have affairs, but this is ridiculous. They have both strenuously denied any 'extra curricular activity'.
If Charles had bedded as many women as he has been reputed to, he would not have the strangth to do anything else. Leave the bloke alone!

Daylight Saving.

I knew it would happen one day. The city folk want daylight saving extended for another week. All because some sporting fixtures have had to be changed, mainly because the Adelaide Cup horse race has been moved from May to March! I don't like daylight saving much, and someone in their wisdom(?) lengthened it by a month a few years ago. I do not like getting up in the dark, & feel it should finish at the end of Feruary, like it did when it was first foisted upon us by the 'powers that be'. One person had the brilliant suggestion that it should go all year! When are they going to get the message that, a. sport is NOT the be all and end all of life, & b. the universe does not revolve around them and what they want?There is much more to life thatn sport.

Charles & Camilla.

The writing on the marriage certificate is barely dry, & already the tabloids are saying Camilla is 'the other woman'! Charlie is supposed to have had an affair last year with the Duchess of Douro, who happens to be a distant cousin. She is the grand-daughter of Kaiser Wilhelm II of Prussia. She and Charles are directly descended from Queen Victoria through her daughter Vicky,wife of Frederick of Prussia.. Antonia & Charles have strenuously denied the affair. The poor bloke can never be seen with ANY woman and the papers have him in bed with her. If that were the case, he would not have the strength to do anything else. I think it is high time the tabloids gave us the truth and left these people alone. They are still making things up about Nicole Kidman. She has denied that she is even involved with Steve Bing!

Royal Wedding

I have tried to send an email to the happy couple, but there is no way it can be done. I have very little hope they will read this, but here goes. I have been told by a friend, that there are many blogspots by this name.
I wasn't sure if I even wanted to watch the tv broadcast of the wedding, but found myself unable to resist. It is history in the making, after all.
I thought the hat Camilla wore to the registry ceremony was stunning, and she looked so very happy, and a lot younger that she has in recent photos. They both did. I was not at all enamoured of the feathers she wore to the Blessing, but loved the outfit. I believe she will bring some stability to Charles' life, though they say she is not a pushover and is someone not to be toyed with. He, apparently , has a temper too. All in all , they seem to bring out the best in each other. Good luck to them.
There were only a few boos and banners that were negative, but in the words of my daughter, someone should give them a box of matches so they can build a bridge , and get over it!

Princess Mary

Well, now I have heard it all! Princess Mary is 'too glamourous' for the Danes. The courtiers, anyway. They think she will 'upstage' Prince Frederick, like Princess Diana did Charles. The courtiers do admit it is not her fault if the paparazzi follow and photograph her as much as they do, but, it has to be nipped in the bud. I do not think Frederick is as self centred or insecure a navel gazer as Charlie, so I doubt that he is fazed by her popularity. He seems to be very comfortable in his skin, and very proud of his wife. I think she is doing, and will continue to do a fabulous job, but she had better produce a heir before long, or that will be the next thing she will be lambasted for. I would not want to be a member of any Royal Family as your life is not your own.

Single Mums.

It seems our Treasurer wants to have his cake and eat it. He says on the one hand he is all for families, then, on the other hand, he says single mums are a drain on our society and should go back to work, even if only part time, as soon as their children are of school age. I saw an interview on ACA with a few single mums, and agree he should get a reality check and come out of his ivory tower and smell the nappies and see how hard it is to raise even one child on his own. Especially on the pittance they get, in comparison with the salary he gets. He said a society that allows them to stay at home is far too generous, and it is inappropriate to allow it to continue. It is nigh on impossilbe to find child care places, and, if they are lucky enough to find one, it eats up most of what they earn, anyway.
I know there are a few young women that have multiple children just to get a big handout, but I do not believe that the majority of them do. All the women interviewed said they wanted to work outside the home, but it just is not feasable while their children are so young. Most work places do not have the facilities for single mums to bring their children to work place creches, and most bosses it seems are not inclined to facilitate them, especially if the child/children get sick etc.

Modern Technology!

Three yeas ago, this month, we had to buy a new washing machine, as the old one had given up the ghost after nearly thirteen years of hard labour. We were somehow seduced by the whiz bang touchpad ultra modernness of the latest models, and bought a Fisher & Paykel electronic one.
Twelve months ago, when it broke down the first time, we were told that , because we had had a big discount on the price, even though it was brand new, because of a miniscule ding in the front of the cabinet, we had lost one year of the usual two year warranty, & therfore, it could not be fixed under warranty. Eleven weeks ago, it was repaired for the second time, with the same fault! Today it broke down, yet again, with the same fault. I have not finished the washing either. I wish I had listened to my inner voice, and bought another one,like the previous one, and not one like this. So much for the advances in modern technology. One would think that the parts would last longer than eleven weeks!!!

How to lose weight without really trying!

Well, now I have heard it all! It makes me sick to think all these years of angst and strugge I have endured over my weight, and all I have to do is threaten to play some sport or other, and it will scare the weight off! I read this week that lack of sleep, is a contributing factor to weight gain. Well, I now know what to do. Sleep all day and I will soon be as slim a a reed! The fact that I would not be eating much might have some bearing on the matter, too. As I am unable to do anything much in the way of moving around, is a real dampener on that theory, of letting my body think I am taking up sport, or some such.

So, the historians have finally realised that if Charles becomes king, Camilla will be queen. Surely Charles himself should have know that!? There has been some talk in the press about Camilla committing bigamy if she marries again, because she has not sort an annulment from her marriage to Andrew Parker-Bowles. This is guff, as she is an Anglican not Catholic. Andrew , being the Catholic has to do that, and he is already remarried. Camilla has to seek a special dispensation from the Anglican church to remarry, as she did not convert to Catholicism.

Let's hear it for Grandparents!

Well, most of them anyway. Mine weren't all that crash hot, and my children have only known a maternal and paternal grandmother. My daughter particularly has keenly felt the lack of a grandfather. Now she has two boys, and the eldest, Lachlan, is wanting to spend more time with Pop, she is only too happy to acceed to his request. It is pretty boring for a nearly five year old to drag around with Mum & Nan when we do the fortnightly grocery shopping. Today Lachlan went to a clearing sale with Pop, and had a great time. It was a new experience for him.
It is wonderful that his Pop is so willing to take him with him,as he didn't do very much with his own children, and I know they have regrets about that. So do I! Neville was going to try to buy an old header, but finished up buying a mister sprayer! I think he only wanted the diff shaft off it and could have paid $10.00 for one, but it was with a header and the farmer wouldn't let them be sold separately. He only got $10.00 for the lot! Men's thinking begger's belief sometimes.

One Ham to Another

Well, they are everywhere. There were more of them here today. Neville's brother Lew & his wife Maureen are making a quick trip to visit some friends and rellies. They came to lunch , and then we went to Naracoorte so they could see the 'Thistle Farm'. Mionr problem getting in. Neville forgot the key to the gate! He had taken every other one but that one. He & Lew had to climb over the fence, while Maureen & I stayed in the car.
Maureen's nephew & his family own a dedli/cafe in the town. They called in yesterday on their way up here from Millicent. We decided to go there for a cuppa, & Maureen commented that Kate would be surprised to see them again. I said, jokingly, that she could tell her that they had got lost on their way to Bordertown , and finished up back there. I must learn never to say things like that to Mo. She only went & done it!
I walked in just in time to hear her. The thing is, she knows her way round the district & Bordertown very well, as she grew up here. She & Lew raised their kids in Millicent. I had to tell Kate the truth. There was much laughter. Kate should have known Mo was pulling her leg.
I cooked Apricot Chicken & veg, and all but Lew had home grown watermelon for afters. Lew had some jellied strawberries. He doesn't like watermelon. Everyone agreed the meal was 'scrumptious' . Not restaurant standard by any means, but very nice.

The saga of the digital camera drags on.

I told you with my last Blog, that I had had a great deal of trouble getting the damn thing here at all. Now Deb can't use it until she buys a battery charger, as the battery is flat. You would think it would come with a fully charged battery for crying out loud!
Frugal Bastard has had a bitch about SVU's. I totally agree with him. Why do the Yanks think their version of the English language is the correct one? They misspell , mispronounce and misuse words, so we who know how it should be done, get very frustrated. Another thing that annoys me no end, is the incorrect and overuse of the apostophe.
Another thing that I have complained about that really annoys me, is when people call and ask for my husband and treat me as a nonperson!! If they knew how to use a phone properly, I wouldn't feel like they think of me as 'Scotch Mist'.
The other thing is, when they ring and I give them the information they require, and they do not take heed and remember, then have to ring me again the next week and ask for it again!
The person who is in my sights at the moment, is the Works Manager at the Naracoorte council. He has rung me twice in the last week, and did not listen when I told him how to get to our property. As Works Manager, he should bloody well know where the property is! He also took no notice when I told him we don't have the phone on down there, and Neville is never here on Mon & Tues. Neville never said he wanted him to ring him, anyway.
I have written him a scathing letter, but will have to 'hold my fire' as we are trying to get the road into our place sealed. It was supposed to be done two years ago.

Gross incompetance, Pt.2

Well, since my last post, I have had to deal with more incompetance and indifferance from the store where I purchased my daughter's digital camera. Three weeks ago, I had a phone call from them, and the girl said she had my final payment cheque, and asked me which freight courier I would like them to send it with. I had specified one, and she asked if I would like her to ring them, or use one that they use. I asked her to ring the one I had specified, and if they didn't charge more that $10.00, to go with them. She called me back and said that courier service did not pick up parcels from Adelaide, and said she would send it by Australia Post. She said I had to send a further cheque for the coverage of postage. This I duly did that day. Last Wednesday I recieved another call from them to tell me that my two cheques were still sitting in the office, but the guy said he was about to process them. This was almost two weeks AFTER the date to finalise the layby!! Shortly after this call, Neville brought in the mail, which consisted of a letter from this store, telling me that my layby was over due to be paid, but they had extended the time for me. I rang them and the girl checked for me and said that it was not an active layby anymore, so it must have been sent to dispatch. I asked why the cheques had not been processed, and she said the first girl had not known how to, and, and thought someone else would do it. When the camera had not arrived by Monday, I rang them again to ascertain it's whereabouts. The young man said he would look into it for me and ring me back.
After waiting a further hour, with no phone call, I again had to ring them, and this time I got a very helpful young lady who told me that it was still there!!!! She said she would ring the bus company and try to get it on the next bus out, which was the next day. She said that if no-one could take it into the city, she would take the darn thing in herself.
I explained that I don't drive, and that my husband would not be home until after 5pm. the next night. She rang me just before lunch and said she had rung the bus depot and the one here. She said it did not matter what time I went out to collect it, as it is open 24/7.
We duly went to the bus depot, and Hallelulia, it was there! Shelley, the competant girl at the store, apologised for 'the stuff up' and said they had never had anything like that happen before. I hope somebody was taking notes, and it never happens again.

Charles & Cammilla.

It would appear that she is totally shocked by the hostility she had recieved since the announcement of the wedding, She thought that people would have 'forgiven' them and be ready to accept her. She has by all accounts, told Charles to call off the wedding, as it has become a nightmare, and is not turning out how she wanted it to. People have very long memories.

Gross inefficiancy

For nearly three months, I have been paying off a digital camera and printer dock , which is a 30th birthday gift for out daughter, at a big variety store in Adelaide. I have abided by all the layby rules, and had the cheques sent well in advance of the next due date. After I sent the final payment, with instruction as to who I wanted to deliver it, I recieved a phone call from one of the staff, two weeks ago, when the cheque arrived. She asked if I wanted to use the carrier I had specified, or one they use. I said mine, so she rang them, only to discover that they don't do pick ups from Adelaide. She then said she would organise one of their own to deliver it. She also said that I would have to send a further cheque to cover the cost of freight. This was duly done that day. I have been expecting it to be delivered this week. I got another phone call from them today, with some guff about a privay act that every customer had to read and sign before they could dispatch any goods. He read it to me and said he had the last two cheques and would deal with the transaction himself. Later, I received a letter from this store, telling me that the last payment was overdue, but they had extended my layby period for another two weeks. I rang them this afternoon, only to discover that the reason for the delay and the strong possibility that I could lose the goods, was because the girl didn't know how to cash the cheque, and had thought someone else would do it! I said to the young lady I hoped that the girl in question had been told a few home truths, and that I could not afford to lose something that cost $300.00 through no fault of mine. It would be entirely unjust and unfair. I said that as a pensioner, I could not have paid outright, and by the time I had, the goods would not have been at such a bargain price. It would be just too much of a disappointment as they are for my daughter's birthday. She checked the computer, and said it was no longer an active layby, so must have been dispatched. I can assure them, if it is not here by Monday, there will be ructions in the camp!! Why don't these young people use their brains and consider how they would feel in the same circunstances?
Poor Queen Elizabeth, she can't win! The papers are going to make a meal of her not attending 'the wedding' I fully understand why she won't attend. Besides, she has beeen there, done that, got the T shirt. And why the hell should she have to pay for the reception? Charlie's got enough ready cash to cover it!

Sport!

In the imortal words of Ebenezer Scrooge, Bah, Humbug! I am NOT a sports fan. I am not all that interested in the Olympics either, apart from the swimming & diving. The reason is simple. I have been nearly blind all my life, though only legally blind for the last 21years. I was a natural at sport, but not quick enough for competition sport like Netball, or Basketball as it was known in my youth I could not focus on the ball and react quickly enough.. It is therefore, irksome in the extreme that there is so much sport on telly. It is even more so, when any decent programme gets 'hijacked', because the TV channels want to broadcast a sporting event that has not been advertised in the guide. Not being in the business, I neither know or care about the ratings. When our son, the Frugal Bastard, was younger, he played cricket & football. He was a natural & very good. I could not enjoy watching him, as I could not see him properly. I can only watch so many videos & DVDs, as they get boring if repeated too often, no matter how much I love them. Now it seems, we are to get even more of the bloody cricket, if the twenty20 matches catch on!

How to get a wet behind without even trying!

17.02.05
Twice, in a week, I have had the indignity of a wet behind when I have been going somewhere in a car. The first time, it had been raining, and as we have nowhere to put our little car, it was out in the rain. The window was up, so I do not know how the seat covers got wet. If they were a dark colour, I would have noticed before I sat down. Today, my daughter & third grandson were driving home from our forthnightly grocery shopping trip. Riley was in his car seat in the back. He had wanted another drink, as it is quite a warm day. I handed him a bottle with a small amount of water in it. He drank some, then started to mess about, pretending to give it to me. Next thing, he lobbed it over the seat, & unbeknownst to me, it did not have the top on. I thought it was empty, but rapidly discovered my error!! I cracked up laughing, as it was too funny that it happened again. It was a bit embarassing, as I had to go to the butcher & our local supermarket. Luckily, my T shirt is long enough to cover the wet patch.

I'm baack!

Is it just me, or do other Baby Boomers feel affronted, & caught on the back foot, when total strangers from businesses ring you and address you by your first name. By the time I have realised the lack of courtesy & good etiquette, it is too late to do anything about it. Most people don't mean anything by it, but I was brought up in a very different era , and find it mildly disconcerting, to bloody rude. Another thing that gets my dander up, is when people ring and totally ignore my status as a wife, and ask for my husband . The fact that he is the person they wish to speak to not withstanding, ackowledgement of my existance at least, would be nice.
Why can't tele marketers ring you during the day? I guess the answer is , because they know they are more likely to get somebody to answer the phone in the evening. But why is it always just as you sit down to tea? !

It's on again

Well, I can't believe how much space the world's Press have devoted to 'The Engagement'. One day of all the hype would have been enough. I wonder how long they will be given front page treatment? Surely, there are much more edifying & interesting things to read & write about. I agree with the Brits, when they say they are happy they are finally getting hitched, but don't want Charles as king. I would have thought they would have made a more discreet announcement, like Prinsess Anne did. Ho hum.
Yesterday, I entertained my other eldest grandson, & played games on the computer. Lachlan is exactly the same age as Yu-Jin, but does not have access to a computer. He did very well for his first time, but, I wonder how long it will be before I need a new mouse! He was pretty hard on it, but I guess he will get the hang of it with practice. I wish we could see them more often, & for longer. He stayed with us while his mum, our daughter, Debra & her younger son,Riley & Deb's friend did some grocery shopping. I must start writing the funny things the children say, down again so I have something to write on this Blog.

What happened to Summer?

Not that I am complaining mind you, as I have said in a past blog, I hate the hot weather, but this is supposed to be our hottest month. We have had rain forcast for days, but that has not realy eventuated either. With all the techno aids they have for forcasting weather, they seldom get it right. It seems that we are going into Autumn early. Having said that, we will probably get a heatwave next week.
In an editorial yesterday, one journalist was lambasting Prince Charles for not putting Adelaide on his itinery. As one who used to have great admiration for him, I am glad he is not coming here. I cannot for the life of me, understand why anybody would want to meet him. What useful purpose does he serve? His 'skills' as a parent are nonexistent. He needs to pull Harry into line before he self destructs. He seems to leave the 'heavy' stuff to his aides, and is more interested in huntin' , shootin' & fishin' & some charitable work. I don't think the monarchy will last much after the present sovereign has shuffled off this mortal coil. I think they should all work for their bread and butter, except, when they become monarch.

Makes me tired thinking about it!

I have just read today's addition on the Frugal Bastard, & it reminded me of a time , which seems very long ago indeed, when I rode a bicycle. I don't know how I managed it, but one day my friend Mary, who is about 10 years my senior, & I rode to the hamlet six miles from here, called Mundulla. We hadn't planned to go that far, when we got there, we decided to ride down a back road to see what we could see. We finished up riding over twenty miles before we got home. I couldn't sit down let alone ride, for days afterwards! I think Yu-Jin is very game for a nearly five year old. He will certainly be fit and no wuss. I miss the freedom bike riding gave me, as I have never had a driver's licence, either. Eyesight no good.
#1 son must get the tendancy to make anagrams out of number plate letters etc, from me. I do that , but nothing as interesting as his efforts.
Another thing I love is beautiful old buildings, especially if they have some history. My Great-Great Grandfather Gray was a mason, and built, or oversaw the building of, many of the buildings in Gawler in the 1800s. A lot of his handiwork is still in use today. I have seen some of them.

More about what I enjoy.

I love doing crosswords, especially the clueless ones where you only have two or three letters to get you started. I like two speed ones, with ordinary and cryptic clues. The Hard One, in the Adelaide Advertiser, is a real test of your word and history knowledge. Even my very widely read and highly educated mother gets stumped on that one at times. She hates it when I know the answer! I also love old cars. We sometimes have car clubs come here for a couple of days. They had a rally in Adelaide this weekend. As it is a three hour drive from here, & I don't drive, it wasn't likely that we would have gone. Saw some of them on the news.
I love some, not all, classical music, some opera excerpts, country music, & Elvis. I enjoy Pop music, providing it has a melody & is not one phrase repeated adnausium

Hope I get it right this time!

February 4th, 2005.
Hullo out there fellow Bloggers. I tried to do a blog yesterday, but once again, I clicked the wrong spot and it was lost in cyber space! As my Mum would say, all that for nothing, how much for sixpence. Now, that is dating me, is it not? I am very new to this blogging, & my son, the Frugal Bastard, is getting a bit exasperated with me. But I will get the hang of it eventually! Let me tell you something about myself. I have been married to Neville for nearly 35 & a half years. We have two wonderful children,& 3 fantastic grandsons. I love God, my family, my friends, steam trains, cats, dogs, horses, photography, mucking about on my computer, big rigs, & flowers. I love my Anglo Saxon heritage, particularly the Welsh bit. My paternal great grandparents came from the Rhondda Valley. I have a bit of Danish Viking in that mix as well.
I love ancient & modern history. I used to be very keen on the British & European Royals, but that has palled somewhat of late. I love murder mysteries, especially Inspector Morse, & Agatha Christie. I am a great fan of I Love Lucy. Catch you later folks.