A few Happy Shots

Well not long till the man in red visits and as a postie I will be so pleased it has come and gone,but as a believer my main blessing is that it is really all about the birth of Jesus,our grandchildren will have a birthday cake for him as well as the "normal" Christmas things,it is important to remember the "reason for the season".

On my mail delivery this week I had she is a dog but the dogs ran faster a lovely welcome by a little lady named Leila,she is at a farm house and runs with the dogs,thinks she is a dog and it was hilarious as she ran to greet me..the joys of my work...

 Running to greet the postie...

 Another country mailbox...this one is fantastic.....

 I found some things...toadstools probably..but I rarely see them so I took a couple of pics....

 A closer look......

Bob took a pic of our house last night ,it did not come out too well but anyway here it is all lit up for Christmas.
We have our Santa bags ready to do the lolly run on Christmas Eve,some little toys for the children that cannot eat sweets,we do it every year on our big bike but as we are going to sell it this could be the last time...
Have a wonderful Christmas if I do not get time to blog again,at the moment the house is slowly filling up with people,we have Bobs Mum here and his sister Janet and it is nice to have others in  the home,all the children will arrive Christmas Eve day and then there will be 14 for two full days and nights.Our walls will stretch lol lots of fun and games ahead I imagine...
Blessing from our home to yours.xx

                               


                       Bush Christmas and a pic for Kath and 2 for Mel

As you know the people  I deliver mail are very isolated,here are 2 mailboxes,another popped up on Friday so I will take a pic tomorrow,just because hardly anyone will see them at least they still have the spirit....

 This is a milk can converted to a reindeer for Christmas.And a Panda Santa.

 How cool is that! I showed it last year but this year they have added some more bits.

 This one has a Christmas tree and it has little solar lights,must look good at night.

 Now for Mel I mentioned to her that I had a mirror the same as hers,it is off an old dressing table and we have hung it upside down so Mum has a little shelf for pretties,sorry about the old girl in the pic,funny thing about mirrors they reflect the taker lol.

 This is for the interest of kath, a friend gave us a mantel from the old railway cottage down the road!! Bob has installed the woodwork but this is going to have a gas fire in front with the log look,I noticed it is almost the same as the one Kath has put in, I wanted to strip the timber back but Bob has to win some so it is very dark,but we just love it and feel so blessed that they gave it to us, very sad though that they took it out of "its home".

Back to Mel,here are my little shoe stretchers like yours a bit worse for wear and they live on top of my little writing desk, I love them..

We had our Treasures Christmas lunch here at home for all the girls yesterday and it was wonderful,I forgot to take pics...anyway a huge change is on its way,my partner in crime in our community work told me yesterday that she hand hubby have bought a home in the next town..I was shocked but so happy for her..I am now not sure what the future will bring,I know when Val moves her heart and soul will go into her new town,she is the Treasurer and motivator for many things that we do and I cannot do it alone, there are no young people coming through the groups,everyone too busy.. I will have to refocus, I will see the park finished and the Treasures shop ...well this makes its future unsure as I also was going to slow down ready to let someone else take over in 3 years time when we retire,at this stage we will go one step at a time until Val and I can have discussions....I can feel a big change about to happen and I am not sure if I want to stay on the train lol.I am getting tired,I think perhaps the time is approaching when I will concentrate on the soldiers and the seniors...God will lead,I will wait with patience while the future unfolds...

                                      Today I am in Awe of all things Amazing...
I know this will be boring to many but like many bloggers I just write things so they are in my little journey through life.
Those that have followed me for a while know I work like a mad thing to get things for our little community and add to our little park that we built from the op shop takings.About 6 months ago the mines representative asked could he come along to our meetings to see how a 5 man band works,he kept coming back each month amazed that we move a step forward each time.I have been desperate to try and get adult exercise equipment at our park so mum and dad can do something while the children play,Matt  came to the meeting last night and announced that the mines are giving us $10,000 towards our park...what!!!! o'h how wonderful,that means we have to put the same amount in (which is exactly what we have) and the Council has promised to put the soft-fall etc in to the value of $20,000.I never thought I would see this happen...but it is not over yet,once we have this in I want a bike track at the park for the little ones to learn road safety,it is a miniature road setting and it is circular with stop signs,crossings,rail crossings,traffic lights all pretend of course but they can learn there and know what is what..but first things first as they say.This young man Matt is the liaison officer as the mines are raping our beautiful area and they are trying to make amends to us all,as most young people in our town now work at the mines it is fitting that they help us,but he is wonderful and is also going to help me with the Soldiers Care packages next year...thanks Matt for caring about us.
Last night a friend and I babysat a 92 year old while Edith our friend went to her granddaughters school presentation, Edith has Olive full time just as I have Mum and it is really important that every now and then someone comes along so that Edith and her hubby could share the joy of watching their granddaughter be presented Dux of the school and be there together.
If you know someone like us,could you offer to give them a couple of hours break and even if they went out of the home to share a coffee or do something together,it is such a small thing but the joy in their eyes when they got home was wonderful and looking after Olive was a joy,she told us to go an amuse ourselves lol how gorgeous,she said she has a good cricket score 92 not out!
I had a nice time also as Wendy and I are good friends and we rarely just sit and chat for any length of time,so as we looked after Olive we talked about this and that and I got to thinking about friendship.Friends are the people we choose to be our family,they accept us and our funny ways more than family do at times.I just think it is an under rated part of our lives,the place that friends sit is so important,to find a loyal one is like gold,there are acquaintances and there are friends,to have 1 friend is lovely but to have several is like a lottery win.
I find that to them I am always here,I am not available for the lunches and the coffee's as I work and most of my friends do not,I am not good at the long phone calls as when I get home from work Mum has to be my number one priority so therefore I loose touch a bit now and then,but they know where to find me and they do when they are in trouble and need a chat.
For the coming year I am going to make myself a little promise that I will make a short quick call to check in with them,and make sure they know how important they are to me,enough time is spent in life wishing we had,and loosing friends this year has made it all the more obvious to me that no one knows you care really unless you tell them.

                                           GUESS WHO IS 91 TODAY?
Happy birthday Mum you are much loved by all,presents have been arriving all week from family and Mum opened them this morning,she was feeling very spoilt but she certainly deserved all her lovely gifts.

 Lovely cards,always Mum reads the cards first,she is  someone that drinks in all the words.

Have a lovely day Mum.

I have been away again as William and Olivia were in their tap dancing concert this weekend it was wonderful,no pics allowed so I will have to wait for the official ones to be sent,too proud for words with all the little ones,William was so gorgeous in his little suit tap dancing and Olivia ever the beautiful dancer,well done kids and Lilli last weekend was so lovely too.
Michael is getting a bit better each day, they have placed him on a low GI diet and already that is making a difference,all the blood tests should be back early this week and the problem hopefully revealed,but he sounded like his old self last night.
Life at work is so busy with parcels etc,and our days are long but it will be all over soon, I am all ready for Christmas as such.
Our Cackle Club will have their little gathering on Tuesday,bitter sweet as our lovely Angela not with us, also Gwenyth our eldest member lost her husband last week so we will have them so much in our thoughts bless them.
On Saturday we have the Treasures girls party here at home,and then Sunday Bobs Mum and sister arrive after an 8 hour train trip so it is all getting closer.
I am so happy to say that many people sent care packages to the soldiers and the newspaper from Newcastle rang me to do an item on it and they will get in touch next October and see if we can't get many more sent next year,thanks to all those that sent them to our soldiers.
Be kind to yourself today, yesterday I got to go to church with my precious daughter, the message was about carrying all the baggage around that drags us down and we need to be reminded to give it up to God and he will lighten the yolk around our necks,it was a timely reminder as someone close to me was being less than 'nice" and I stressed over it so much and then I realised I have no problem it is them with the baggage so it was wonderful to dust off ..give it up to God..and start afresh..the wonders of having Faith,not preaching each to his own but without Faith my life seems so empty.
Have a wonderful week and I will catch up on all the blogs as the week goes  along,feel blessed by your good health, your wealth is not monetary but it is that you are living,loved and shone upon each day,let life's battles wash over you today ,if you have hurt someone and been unkind ,fix it,if someone has been unkind to you forgive them and move on,you will feel so much lighter,if someone loads their worries upon you, listen and then let it go,it is not your burden,you have done a good job the listen,it is a rare thing to be able to hear the troubles of others,even a more rare thing to lay those words aside,keep the confidence and be loyal,all gifts that are a true blessing and a gift of the spirit that makes you who you are.
Have a truly blessed day.

                                                                 Bits and Bobs

I have not been able to get a chance to read or blog much,work and worry taking over lately,after a week of broken sleep waiting  for Michaels results it was a huge stress so for all those lovelies out there in the same position our hearts go out to you,we went through this with Bobs sister and her results as you know were not good but she is on track,chemo all done, radiation all done and now hormone therapy for 2 years and she is Ok at this point.
Michaels results thankfully took out Pancreatic Cancer as that was what his doctor was quite certain he had,praise God, however,they have to find what the problem is as his body is a bit of a mess poor kid,he is 38 but always,always our little boy in our hearts,so another anxious week of special diet,fasting and then more blood tests Friday and more waiting...I had the weekend with his family and that gave us the chance for many hugs and moments,he knows he is loved,that will carry him through and prayer,he is a good Godly man.


Now a little bit of light stuff,you all know I can't sit still, I have been so busy delivering parcels that when I get home I am still on the run lol..I saw these little decoration things at a benefit that my daughter in law went to and  decided to make some and use as table decoration for two lunches we are having one at Cacle Club and the other the treasures Christmas lunch we have here...I made these in the evening while watching TV...

So what you need is a packet of wooden skewers
Roll of florist tape
roll sticky tape
4 different wrapping papers,in reds,greens ,gold,silver whatever you like not too stiff and nice and bright also red and green tissue paper, I got this because my papers were not as bright as I would have liked.
1 bag of chuppa cups(I got the mini ones from the bargain sop but the normal is fine)($2 bag)
1 bag of chocolates(also from bargain shop)that are individually wrapped.($2 bag)
I pretty square box
I piece florists green sponge(at bargain shop $2 it makes 2 boxes)

 You will see a packet of garden ties in this pic,it does not work as ot does not stretch,so take no notice of it lol.

 On the flat end of the skewer sticky tape the chocolate or chuppa cup to the skewer firmly,cut a piece of wrapping paper of choice about 4x6 inches and wrap it around the sweet,at the base put a piece of sticky tape to hold it in place then with the florist tape stretching gently as you go ,wind over the sticky tape down t about 4 inches from the bottom,with the tissue paper you need about 4 layers as it tears otherwise.
Cut your green florist sponge to fit the box of choice and place the tulips you have made into it, I then put candy canes around the edge and some tinsel.I am going to add a star or something onto a skewer and put in them when I can get to town.

The finished product,now some of the papers I had were too stiff and that's why I used some in tissue but I think they look ok I am no flower arranger but I am sure you clever ones out there could make these look fantastic,they were very cheap as there are 15 chuppa cups and chocs in each bag so it is not expensive for a different table piece.The original one I saw was all hot pink as it was for a child benefit,the little girl very ill and they were raising money for her and they had balloons in them too.Have fun.

                                           Update,Sadness and Joy.
On Friday I posted my card and letter to kerry thinking if she were well enough the family could read to her ,tell her my words of how wonderful she always made my day when I ran into her,she always had a joke mostly a little bawdy but always histerical,sadly Kerry passed away on Saturday while I was away,when I received the message my first thought s were of little regrets.
I never did get to "drop by" to have that cuppa,look at her renovations and garden,this is one thing I can rectify with life ,if someone asks me I am going to make the time,since Mum had lived with us I have rushed home to her so in the last 3 years I have not done many of these little things that make friends keep their relationships up to date.Mum and Bob have my every moment once I am finished work and I don't like the feeling of "wish I had"I am going to make sure that I just keep in touch with a quick pop by to those in my life.Kerry is at rest now,it was so fast I guess if we could choose a way it would be the fast way to go.

The great news is that I got to go to my sons home for the weekend and I needed to see him so badly as this last week has been many tests and scans for him,we are bracing ourselves in case the news is nasty as that is what the doctor has told us,we are very positive though and refuse to think that this is going to happen,there should be some news today, we were expecting the results on Friday so we are thinking if it was the nasty senario Michael would have gotten that call..praying our pants off .
The other reason I went down was to see  Lilli in her dancing concert and presentation.It was wonderful the three year olds stealing the show.I had a wonderful time lots of cuddles for my son and we both needed that,Bob stayed home with Mum as only one of us can go away.
On the way to their place a 2 hour drive I have to go through the beautiful wine country and at 6.30 the hot air balloons were landing from their dawn rides,what a beautiful sight,but I do not think I will put that on my bucket list,it is a lot of money for 1 hour!

 I just held the camera at the windscreen and hoped I got the balloons

 I love travelling at this early hour as there is no traffic,by the time mid morning comes there is traffic everywhere as the tourists arrive for the winery visits.

 Look at our girl and her bounty,she received a trophy for best improved in the combined age group,she was thrilled as she has been only learning 6 months,you could not wipe the smile off her face,bless her.We were not allowed to take pics on the stage so had to wait till she came to us to get some.

Lilli, proud Mummy and young Mr Elijah,what a long night it all started at 5 and finished at 10.30! the kids were exhausted not to mention the Nanny and parents lol.Very proud Lilli great job.
Next weekend I get to go to my daughter place as Olivia and William are in their dance concert.How I am looking forward to that,they both do tap dancing and love it,I have seen Livvy dance before but not Will I think this is going to be a memory bank one as he is a nutter lol honestly I think it will be just gorgeous.
Don't forget now, if someone asks you to pop by just take that 0 minutes,there is someone I need to do that with today,and I will!

                                     Wrapping Up and Counting Down.

All my Christmas wrapping is done,the decorations waiting to go up this evening and now the countdown.

Life at work is so busy,we are up at 5am,I hit the ground running and do not stop until I leave for work at 7am( make half an hour of that time blog time or less cannot afford more lol but it makes my day start well,the last 2 weeks I have no idea what lunch is..I have breakfast at 6am and that's it till 4pm,I have been taking fruit with me to get me through.

On Monday I delivered over 200 packages and that's after I did my bush run!It amazes me that I still love Christmas!Some items were so heavy that Bob had to come with me when he finished work.
I do love the parcels that are addressed to "The best Nanny and Poppy in the World" and the address.It always makes me smile and when I deliver it the nanny is reduced to tears....life is so good you know..there are hard times happening but someone forgot to tell the shoppers.

I love to give the children a book at Christmas (as well as everything else I know)! but when toys come and go and get broken,the book sits upon the shelf and when they open it up to read 5 years on they remember they got it in what year etc.
Unfortunately many bookstores have closed down as EBooks become more popular and online buying.We no longer have a book store in our area or the next large shopping town over 1 hour away...so this year Amazon came to the rescue for me.
The boys books are coming from Amazon Australia but the girls for Uk.. I ordered them a Girls Annual 2012 as I still have mine from 1956 etc. I know they will love these as they are a thing of the past here.

Tonight the house light will be lit for the first time, I do not know why(my grandmothers fault) but I seem to have the idea that if we light them up before the wrath of God will be upon me lol.

Absolutely always in my mind is the real meaning of Christmas,my faith keeps me strong, I am exhausted, everything aches and what doesn;t will soon I imagine,but to think that I have some one ever watching over me is a great comfort.
Darling Angela was laid to rest on Tuesday, and Monday I heard of another friend that I only see occasionally as she runs a B&B and is so busy that she is terminally ill and to add to the shock it has happened so fast that only family are allowed to go to the house as she is so ill..boy did that make me feel sad,you see everytime I saw kerry in town she would say pop up and have a look at the renovations,have a cuppa...you know I just did not get round to it,now she will not know that I always thought about her...I feel very blessed to be healthy..
Please if you have a friend that needs a little call ,do it today or in the next few days or even drop a little thinking of you card in the mail, I am going to do that and hopefully Kerry's hubby Rob will read it to her..
Maybe it's a good thing we don't know what's ahead,makes you realise you have to live for the day,have the best day you can and be blessed with good health because at the end of the day good health and faith is all we have.

                            Bowls Day and Sealed Jar Challenge Pot ready to go.....

First up we had our bowls day Sunday and it was Hawiian theme,thankfully Bob did not take close ups,but it was a great day and we raised good dollars.

 All gathering ready to start,we filled all the rink with people by start time, it was hilarious really,only very few had bowled before.

 The lady in action was on our team(thank goodness) otherwise we would have had no score lol

The sealed Pot challenge is about to start so here is my glam pot!I might explain this is not a race to see who saves the most it is about saving your change for yourself and getting a nice surprise next December..

Ours will go towards going to the Uk in a few years time,so we have decided to do this for the next couple of years and see how we go.Why not do it yourself.

I have absolutely made my last cake for this year, i saw this recipe and decided to make it for our Treasures girls for our Christmas lunch.

I have done everything on the list as well as many extras I have added I am now finished all my sewing and cooking for the Christmas Challenge ,I  have our soldiers package and Summer parcel ready to go.All I need now is my Uk mail to go and do my Chrissy cards..So now its all stress free and just work,work,work!!!

I was gutted this week when the girl that helps me Tuesdays and Thursdays says  she can't do it sometimes, I am getting really tired and although I did not really get a day off as I still do the parcels,I did get a little break from driving..no matter all is good,life is going along and God has us in a good place.

The weekend ahead sees me going to our sons to watch Miss Lilli in her dance concert.The following week I am off to our daughter to see Miss Livvy and Mr William in their concert,I am busting to see these events.

Spring is ending today..Summer officially starts tomorrow..someone forgot to tell Mother Nature who has already given us days of 35 degrees plus!.

                                              Signs of Christmas in Australia.

Look who popped in for a visit.....our first Christmas Beetle...Bob took him back out into the garden where all his friends were waiting....

                                            These are a few of my Favourite things......

 This is a beautiful typical Australian home that has been renovated back to its glory, a photographer has bought it and people can have their photos etc done in the back gardens, I will see one day if they will let me show you...it is opposite to where I work each day,but I wanted to show you their Cape Chestnut tree, it has been glorious and it is amongst Jackerandas so it has been a picture.

 Now this is such a special little building,"back in the old days" we had our own butter factory and the milk came there via the little river punts long gone, a young couple have bought the fallen down place and they are very slowly restoring the butter factory part in the original brick.The little hut is the old pay office, still standing,it is so small and I smile everyday when I drive past, I love it when I have parcels for these people I can walk by huge piles of sandstone waiting go be placed and touch it as I walk by and wonder where it will be in the big picture of things.

 This is a street named Segenhoe Street and it is a very hilly street , these wonderful trees line the entire street and the buses are parked outside of the school.

A thank you to my lovely swap partner..Vintage Sweetheart,you spoilt me very much and I was thrilled with the old magazines and everything...thank you again...

I pinched the idea of these bags from another blogger doing the Christmas challenge I had done some for the girls but not the boys, in these I put bubble bath, a hair brush some "product" and some other boy stuff..they looked great, I thought they could sit them on their bedside tales with their DS'S and earphones etc in them.
Anyway have a wonderful day, we had a charity bowls day today with an Hawaiian theme I think Bob took a couple of pics,I will see and maybe share some of the day...

A Day at the Office.....

 Hello little froggy,there is a family living in this mail box and not the usual green ones that were there last year,altogether there are 4...he just looked at me and I carefully put the mail and paper behind him and he did not even blink!even posed for the pic.

 This is a typical little hut that are spread around properties that are large,these little huts usually just have a fire place in them,they are almost always tin,I have seen them down in the old goldfields made of mud brick and they were rounded,I was told back in those days the chinese lived in them..but back to these.. lol as always I am off track.The workers would stay in these watching stock,probably lambing time and foaling time and probably only for a little while at a time, I imagine in the summer they would have been like little ovens and just as cold in the winter,my neighbour told me her father in law used to go stay in them and go rabbiting for a week at a time,they would just have a stretcher bed and a timber box served as a table as space was very limited, and then come home and sell the rabbits,  I imagine they are a big part of our past.

 6 little ducks went out one day.....I see duck families every day,this day though no babies...also I see the Quail families I love seeing them the babies no bigger than a cockroach,and you just imagine something is moving on the road,so if i see Mr and Mrs Quail I always stop...just in case...

 This to me signifies Australia,a bush church with a dunny out the back..if I saw this pic anywhere in the world I would know it was in Australia,the old dunny (toilet) faces the road,if they had put the door around the other side you could watch the river flowing by,perhaps thats why they did not face it that way,maybe they though people would sit and think too long lol...can you imagine!!(yes it is a drop toilet..meaning there is a seat as normal but a long drop for the business to fall lol).

 More pedestrians...cattle are real sticky beaks and they wait for me to drive right up almost touching them,give me "the look" and then move,after all I am interrupting them...

 After rain at the weekend there were several little Echidna's out in the sunshine looking for ants and insects,not often one keeps his nose out for me,it wriggles all time smelling,wonder what we smell like?the perfume we wear or he human smell...you can see the little hole in the end of his nose,I just love these little creatures,they cause no harm to anyone and when I get to see a baby that is a real blessing...

 No Mum I am not going near your baby,I tried to get a pic of a more recent born but this family see me everyday,I think Mum is thinking "O'h here's that old mail lady again".

                Mums favourite thing on the way home...see the tree at the top of the hill,its Mums chook tree,every time she is with me she says "there's the chook"..  

I did take some more of a few things in town but the camera is in the car again,as I wanted to get a pic of another little building for the interest of Cro..the Jacaranda trees  have been magnificent and purple carpet covers our little town..next time maybe...    
Have a lovely day,we heard today that Angela will be laid to rest next Tuesday,far from here,and that is Cackle Club day ,Edith will not go to the funeral,it is all too much for her so we will comfort her and have a prayer as we remember a special girl.

                Mark,Lucia and Angela taken at Edith's last Christmas , I am not being morbid but it is nice to see a pic of who someone is referring to, a sweet Angel is singing in heaven this evening and a new star shines in the sky,Mark and Lucia will name a star for Mum ,they can look up to the heavens and maybe one day Lucia will understand poor little darling.

                                           Mum at Work

This is my Christmas Challenge Post that we have to put up each Tuesday so that we get our list completed...it is posted on my Christmas Challenge blog but just wanted my regulars to see Mum at her best bless her old heart, we did this together but someone has to take the pics lol,Mum never wears an apron,I am the apron lover,yet her Mum never ever went without one.


                                                    Carole's week 3

This week has been slow sewing wise but I have completed some of my cooking  challenge.
It is the tradition in our family that the eldest has to do the Christmas pudding and the next generation cannot take over until the elder can no longer manage.
This year Mum found it really hard to stir the pudding once it was all together,and as we were the only ones in the house just the two of us stirred it, we also have the rule that everyone present stirs the pudding if they are present,last year we had family home so many wonderful love stirs we had.
So here are our pics..91(almost)years young as we made 2 puddings and 2 Christmas cakes.

 My Mum Joyce,we have the money soaking(we have used the same coins for all time as far back as I can remember),in our pudding,when you get a coin you pick a surprise from a basket and place the coin in the centre of the table.

                               

 Mum getting the baking paper ready for the bottom of the pudding steamer,one cake almost ready to go  into the oven.

 Two lots of fruit on the boil,one Pineapple fruit cake mix and the other a traditional fruit mix.

 Looks good enough to eat, it actually looks a bit brown here but it was not burnt lol.

One pudding out another ready to go on.....we used to do the cloth ones but 3 years ago Mum found that our summers are so humid we had a mould problem so we do it is a steamer now...I was blessed this year,I got to stir and do most of the making,it is sad at the same time as it means Mums time of making them is close to an end and that makes me sad.
Well that's the main cooking done until the week leading up to Christmas when I do the mini puddings etc.
Back to sewing now and I have some little bags to make for the boys,copying one of the other blogs ideas and a pillow bag for Stephen as he is the only family member I have not made one for.
Hopefully they will be ready for next week..we will see lol

                                                Sighhhhhhhhhhhh...

Angela  and Mark were up at the farm they just bought and little Lucia was with family on a farm across the way as far as I know(Angela's 2 sisters live on farms across from where they bought,and her Mum and Dad 20 minutes away)this is why they bought it,they actually live at Scone and travel the 3or so hours each weekend to get it ready to build a little cottage...to  have for a holiday home and hobby farm.
Angela was riding the motorbike up a hill and was thrown off and the bike landed on her..God I cannot bear the thought!!
Can you bear with me a minute,Angela lead a very painful life.. I mean pain from past injury,when she was in her late teens there was a Tornedo ( I did not even think we had them here) but it ripped through Walcha and her families home was literally ripped from the ground,Angela was too and when they found her she was terribly injured,leading to over 2 years in a wheelchair.She was such a strong minded girl and she got herself out of that chair and lived life the best way she could.
Angela met Mark and they fell in love,he was a great help as there were many days that walking was about all she could do, Lcia arrived totally unexpected,they never thought it possible,but there could be no more children,what a delight,she is the most lovely little person,so Edith met her one day when they moved into her street and adopted the family and bought her to Cackle Club where we all became extra Mum and Grannie to lovely little Lucia.
Mark does not come from a loving family in fact he was always treated as a non event and Angela gave him to confidence to go forth and be the best he could,moving from a shop assistant to a Tech Colledge teacher after many courses,Angela also studied..Real estate... and then when she received an insurance settlement decided that she could not get employment as she had too many days when she would not be capable of a "regular" job so she started building homes and selling them,all from her study,she got a crew together of workers that took a woman's direction and reliable builders and off she went.. I was always in awe of her..how amazing!
Some people really live...others just live...
Bless you Angela,I have no idea how everyone will cope,Mark and Lucia have a hard road but so many prayers and love for them that I am sure one day at a time a new life will have to start,whether it will be where they live now,or if he will go closer to family for support.I do not know,maybe it would be too painful to live there now or maybe they will feel closer,I just know it will be a long time before they "feel" again..thank you for all the lovely things you have said and your thoughts, I will pass them to Edith as she battles her own feeling of total loss.

             Why? ?Why?Why?

The Cackle Club girls are devastated that one of our darling girls has tragically died on Sunday the 20^th November.

Angela Stackman of Scone was the  loving wife of Mark and loved Mummy of Lucia.We will sadly miss Angela she was the youngest member of the Cackle Club, at 33 and life at last going so well,we are still reeling with the news,we are especially sad for Edith who came to love Angela as a daughter.Our little family is hearbroken for the loss of one of our girls so young.

(At this point in time we have not been told how this happened,only that Angela and Mark recently purchased a farm in Walcha and were there for the weekend,Edith received a call from a very distressed Mark with little information),we just cannot take it all in..prayers for her darling hubby and little Lucia 4 who Angela simply lived for.

                                               Our Bedroom...O'h Dear!!!!

Recently some bloggers have posted pics of their lovely calming bedroom...I am a bit flabbergasted as I said I would post mine,it is my favourite room yet I leave it at 5am and do not enter again until about 9.30 10ish pm..if I do it is just to put ironing etc away.
Some of the ladies rooms look so restful, I am thinking as we are painting soon i had better de clutter as you will see...I have no idea what will have to go to make it more peaceful,one lady a while back commented you should not have your children's pic in your bedroom as they should not be watching what goes on lol hysterical,I have always had pics on my washstand and we have even got our mums looking on..O'h dear better turn them round the other way...errr maybe a coupla times a year..just joking Bob...
Here we go....Our room is the first room off the hall as you enter into our front door..Mum is opposite.(for the information of an axe murderer lol).

 Sorry the pics not too clear but my camera seems to be on the wrong setting..anyway..our bed cost us $30 ,30 years ago it is iron with porcelain and brass and about 100 years old and the bedspread is an antique damask one given to me by a friend from her family,she is modern,.

 Sorry head on the side  people, my bedside table, my daily prayerbook,jewellery box a small icon given by a friend for protection,got no idea what its about as i think it is catholic but I was grateful,and Bobs Mum gave me her engagement ring,this is her little blue box and it even has the receipt in it!

 A flower wreath made by a friend and given to me.

 I did not realise I had covered up the blue floral tiles..but as you can see the kids pics are there,the royal doulton flowers I bought at a car boot near Bristol, they were too heavy to bring home so our friend bought them over when she came to Australia,I was so surprised that she had done that for me,I was already overweight with things.More stuff!

 Heads on the side again lol my dressing table

 Bobs chest of drawers bought from Canada by his Grandfather in the late 1800's,we love this .

 His cupboard my stuff!!! a little cupboard Bob bought me last year as a gift.

 It contains another little collection..oops...

 Above the chest is a painting of Christmas Bells by Bobs grandmother,she did illustrations for books.

 An old foot warmer, have to fill every space you know lol

 Little miss Teddy by one of the door that goes to the front verandah.

This little stool is our doorstop,and that's our room...when I was taking the pics I though crickey too much..I will try to declutter..later...one day..when I work out what I do not want...sometime..on the 12 maybe..12th of never more like lol...thanks coming....hope you did not mind the dust..
This week I will take some more pics of my "office",as I go about my mail run.
Have a wonderful  day.