Friends Swap and Happy Days

I received my friends swap package yesterday and Illene was so generous with her lovely package to me.
I am not sure who enjoys the swap parcels more Mum or me she gets so excited when we open them, I never open one without her,many times she claims some items for herself lol.Thanks you again Illene and all the girls that joined in seemed to have a lovely time.

F..fabric..R..runner..I.. inspirational Xmas placemats,E.. embroidery threads and chocolateN.notebook and nail file,D..decorative candle holder..S..Stationary...just all so lovely I was blessed thats for sure.

We are off very early in the morning for our first caravan adventure we are all packed ,the van is parked out front plugged into power so the fridge is really cold to travel.We are just going 3 hours away(for Australia it is just a morn drive lol) that way coming home Monday is not such a long drive that we will feel like we have not been away.We are going to a little fishing place called Manning Point and it is actually just near where I grew up,I still have school friends there and we will pop in and see my best friend from school (if the fish are not biting) lol...hope we at least get a bite!
Anyhoo I will look forward to reading what everyone has been up to when I get back,we have made a concious decision not to have a TV in the van, we have a book each and I have my embroidery in case of emergency and no computer but because Mum is so elderly we will take our mobile for emergency only such as letting the kids know we have arrived safe etc.
We have our bikes on board,fishing gear and plenty of food,some nice wine and ..what more can I say...bring on Saturday 5am!

                                                             A Little Post Note

A little addition to my last post...from somewhere all of a sudden 2 sisters have appeared at Bills home..one lives in our next town 10 minutes away,the other in Queensland.
Now remember he never saw anyone and was all alone,everyone is shocked that he had a family! where were they when he was so lonely.
Bill was found on Friday,Monday morning there was movement in the home, the paper came out on Wed and a garage sale advertised at his home,the adds have to be in by midday Mondays,the sale is this Saturday,the house for sale sign will be up by the end of this week!
The sister that lives nearby saw Bob and thanked him...what a shame no one can thank her for watching out for her brother.
I should not be judgemental but I feel really angry...what a difference the chance of collecting some dollars makes.
Rest peacefully Bill as there is movement afoot at your home and you are yet not laid to rest,bless your soul and enjoy the company of angels.

                                              Do  you have Someone Lonely Nearby?


As we are the postman and parcel lady and country parcel lady, we seem to know all those who are lonely and have no family to visit or bother to visit..there are far more of these people than one would think...very sad.
Last week Bob took the mail to old Bill who in fact is only in his 50s,he always sits on the verandah,he only gets bills never "mail" from anyone.Over the time Bob has known him he has told him he has no family, no friends just himself and he likes it like that.
There are many like this and over the years Bob  makes sure that they "see: him and he just keeps a quiet eye on them same as for me I the bush, I have a few that I like to "see" around to make sure all is well in their isolation.
Bills home is right on the main highway so he can sit and watch the traffic and that's where all the towns people see him.
Last week Bob had not seen him for a few days,so he asked the neighbour has they seen him and they said"yes on Sunday we saw him". It got to Friday and Bob felt worried and called the police,when they came they found Bill dead in his bedroom,they felt he had been there for a week.
All alone poor man, no one to care he has gone except the postie,Bob believes that he should have gone around there last Sunday and just knocked but you can;t go back and he may have been ok then who knows.The sad thing is that although the neighbours and the garage across the road where he got his milk and bread did not think to even pop over to check when his usual routine was broken.
I imagine the reason Bob is so loved by the lonely and elderly is that he takes the mail right to their door and knocks to make sure they are alright and when Bill was not on the verandah on Monday he wished he had done this but the volume of mail was so huge that he was rushed off his poor old feet.He looks after many elderly ladies in that they cannot get to the path to their mailboxes anymore.He is the only person that many see regularly and so if anything is amiss it is usual the postie that alerts someone.
Can you spare a thought today for someone that you know is alone, maybe just call out as you pass by and hear their answer,there is no need to commit yourself to having to spend time chatting if you are busy ,like I say just call out and await their reply,if there is none just investigate,they may have fallen and broken a limb or something nasty.
I hope that if i am alone when i am at the "certain age" we have a caring postie to take Bobs place.

                                                                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                                                 
                                                                Catching up

First of all Livvy's concert was wonderful, the first thing we saw was a huge sign..."no videos or photos allowed" buggar!!!! so until the school puts some out I do not have any,apparently it is to do with privacy laws and common now..ho humm ...

I have also finished my spring cleaning, no more fire to be lit now, we have to use the electric one if we have a cold snap( like today) lol once the ashes and dust have been washed away thats it!!Everything is twinkling clean...well for now anyway.

The caravan is all packed ready for next weekend and we just have the perishable food to go in...
And then  this is what we did today....made strawberry jam...fresh bread, juiced many oranges and did roast lamb and vegies in the Webber yumm...and also cooked rhubarb and apple for Mum to have tonight..
Here are a few pics,and I finished my knee rug I was making,all the others I have done have been nice and square and flat and this time I wanted a frill.Not sure if it is better but Mum loves it.

 I forgot to mention I was in a friends swap so my package above has been posted.

 We have bought a bike each to go with us when we go away in our van, these are fantastic and fold up into a bag! of course we have to practice down the back lane lol..

 Not too wobbly, just a bit we had a few giggles.

 Fresh Strawberry Jam awaiting fresh bread!

 Freshly squeezes oranges and Mums rhubarb and apple.

 Got too impatient for the bread so had some scones..notice no cream...there will be next time lol

Here is my rug just finished today,Molly looks like she likes it too,thanks for modelling Mum.

So that's my week, I am still trying to put a new blogger on top to get rid of the tag, I am following Bernard's idea for the moment...hope it works.
I have at last fixed it I think I put a new pic up, the tag is still there(the brand of blog I used) but now it does not worry the text.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxI am just testing,I cannot get rid of the CKOTB tag on my blog, I have tried everything, removed my nice pic and the tag stayed!!!! I thought it I did a string of x's then started writing at least you can see what I have said lol.Anything is worth a try until someone with a better brain visits.

Thanks girls I signed in and out and I am back in the land of commenting...thanks so much.xx

I apologise to all those blogs i regularly follow and leave comments on..all of a sudden I cannot leave any ,I do have Google Chrome...any ideas anyone...thanks.

                                     Sorry folk take two but you need a magnifying glass.

                               

                                     








                                           If Easily Offended Turn Back Now!!!!!!!!!

I was sent this as an email attachment from a friend and I did not realise how happy I am to born in the "Baby Boom" era  where woman have many choices,the best one being no need for hair rollers anymore lol.

I just wanted to share it as it was sent tongue in cheek..I hope you read it that way otherwise I apologise for the content.

                                         The Hills are Alive with Grammies Pride

This is our gorgeous Miss Olivia,her loves are dancing singing and Barbie..in that order.
I am going to Newcastle after work today to see her in the school play tonight,she is in Sound of Music and I can't wait.
As the middle child she is just that lovely little person that never causes a stir,quiet as a mouse in the middle of 2 riotous brothers! Livvy just recently did her Tap dancing exams and got all AAA's we are so proud of her,she is such a delight to be around,singing as she plays and hugs galore.
We will sleep together tonight on the big sofa and to me that is worth every bit of the going to work ,racing home,driving 2 hours just to make it in time to see her, I am waiting for her eyes to contact mine and to know she has made my day just as I will have made hers.

I am sure that one day I will be travelling far to see our grown up girl in a production somewhere,you can see the new lounge is loved by all even Barbie,these Barbies and baby Cabbagepatch live here for the girls,the boys have soldiers and jungle animals.
A shadow shot for Molly.
Have a wonderful weekend everyone.

Hey Mrs Postie,Look at Me!!!!!!!

Being a bush postie is wonderful, life's wonders abound and I just love my job,lately it has been a heavy load with health being an absolute nuisance but you know there is always something to make me smile.

Sometimes I see no one for days in my two and a half hours each day ,other days I see Mr Miles (my favourite) he is 83 and recently widowed so he has had a little cry to me and now in his healing time is always ready with a joke,he often gives me fresh vegies and if I make jam he is the first to get a jar.

As usual I am off track lol...The mail boxes are many and varied from old milk cans to boxes,tin miniature huts,one is a hollow log on a pile of rocks lol this is because every time they have put their box up the horses have a good scratch and knock it over,at last they seem to have found  something to trick them.

Anyway on Monday Mr Kilmore surprised me this this beauty,he had put it up over the weekend,his old mail box was a plastic 4 litre container with a hole cut in the side..Now just look at this beauty..

This is an old pie oven with sliding doors, he has put a tin roof and it even has a solar light in it so they can see the driveway at night,a little pot of cactus and 2 little frogs to greet me...Mr Kilmore you made my day!

                                               HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR BOB.


Today I was expecting Bob to wake up singing the "will you still need me when I'm 64". He went to sleep 63 and woke up 64 bless him.
We saw all the family last week so the day started with just Bob,Mum and I with a nice breakfast for him and then phone calls from his Mum and all our grandchildren called and sang "happy Birthday "as has been tradition since they could all speak and we do the same to them all.
He spent the morning with me fiddling with the caravan as we are getting it ready ,we are going to get a weekend away in 3 weeks we cannot wait,we have bought all the things we need for it now,so it is ready.The I cooked him his favourite lunch a roasted chicken stuffed and draped with bacon and roasted vegies,lightly steamed cabbage and home grown peas and gravy,home made Pavlova and fruit salad and cream for sweeties but he was too full to fit it in so we will have that for tea tonight.
So happy birthday dear hubby we have shared 43 of your birthdays now and I hope many more,that we can weather some more storms and come out laughing.

                                       



                                                Everything we do is for Love of.....

Everything Bob and I do for the community is for the love of this little town,its people are so caring,and so homey.
There are many now that call Aberdeen home that just stay for a short time,in the Coal Mining boom there are homes going up everywhere, accommodation is scarce and so duplexes are going up as fast as they can be built,its a shame really,at the same time wonderful as many of our town are aged,it seems generation an after generation settle here,once they would have all worked at the Abattoirs,now its coal taking over.Where farms once stood there are craters,I hate it but it is not so visible from the roads...yet...going south it is though.
Anyway once more I digress,after our Big Boys Toys day we were exhausted,Bob saying it was his last year..yudda.. yudda... yudda...Then by Monday refreshed and accepting the happiness of those that attended saying it was a great day he was thinking of new things for next year.
Then the doorbell went and the Florist from the next big town was at the door and this is what she delivered.

This grand old car with sweeties and a lovely dish and soap for me..even though Bob went off at first saying he did not expect to be thanked he really loved it.
Thank you for all of your nice words while I have been having a shocker health wise..my friend told me I have a disease called"run down" guess she is right!
(I see you can't read the cards,mine says behind every great man is a great woman lol thats debatable and Bobs says he is great or something like that but we know he is).

                                                               






                                         A Couple of new Bits

At the weekend at our event we had stalls and one was for Red Cross,the lady knows I love jugs and pink ones especially,just the old type you see in church halls etc,we eat off this Meakin ware everyday but I am slowly adding to it we have bits and pieces and I it know it is as common as muck but I just love it.Maybe because it is like me,it is durable and almost everywhere you go lol,it is welcoming and warm,hopefully like me and I like the pink because it is soft like me on the inside I do not show my pain and sorrow but just keep on going...mostly...sometimes just like china we develop a crack and we have a day where we cannot hide it any more.
That was yesterday for me,a young girl came into our Cackle Club and wanted to inquire about the hall hire as she wants to start classes,we had a lovely chat,then just as she was about to go I asked how old her little ones are now and as she is a friend of the past of my son and his wife I was interested,she then said"I can't believe Mick and Kirsty have been married 13 years..it was on Facebook yesterday".
My mouth would not close I left the hall with my mobile and rang my Daughter In Law straight away and when I heard her voice I could not stop crying,in all those years she had only seen me cry at the births and the passings of family,this girl has given me some sad times long ago and I was afraid this would take me back there...she was wonderful and settled me down,it is me that usually has a card and money for a nice dinner in the mail and that reminds them its their anniversary! but she knew we had been so very busy and said it was ok...but it is not you know..family comes first but i literally had been feeling so unwell and just plodding along that this was the outcome...
I will be fine my doctor tried to catch me all last week to triple my Thyroid meds for a month,if we are still in this mess then I am off to a specialist..I am looking forward to feeling normal ,things are catching up...it was a shock to find I was not superwoman..I thought I was just that I had not bought my outfit yet lol.My Daughter In Law rang last night so concerned for me, I know they are so worried and that she gave me a lecture so I have learnt a lesson,no matter how busy I am look at the diary! lol no really I am going to slow down a little,the sad thing is that it is my job wearing me down and I can't leave as we work for ourselves...34 months to go to retirement!
WHAT A WINGER...ENOUGH YOU SAY?OK..back to where I started but I digressed.

 This is the egg holder I got off the stall,we usually just have them in cartons and I loved this although usually not a pottery person.

The latest little pink jug,I seem to be mad about jugs I have quite a collection now ans until the kids pointed it out I did not realise how many,someone's got to love them....yes?
I apologise for my rambling up higher but the nice thing about blogging invisible friends don't say "I told you this would happen" lol .
Then I may be speaking too soon lol...have a beautiful day I am praying mine will be sweeter than yesterday.Bless you dear blog friends.

                                                      Grateful List...

I read a lot and hear a lot about one good way to be content and feel complete is to be aware of a grateful list in our lives.
I think we all do this everyday of our lives without saying"Iam grateful",but I think there are definitely times we need to.... stop....listen...observe....and breathe.

At the weekend I had many of these moments looking at the grandchildren and my son and daughter.mostly at the children as they are growing at a rate of knots I almost cannot keep up with.Alex the oldest is almost as tall as PaPa,and William the youngest not so naughty now he is a big boy",all the joy of them all being together was written on their little faces and I will remember that imprint for all time.
Another unforgettable time was in the pics below,the small boys all got blow up swords and spikey balls on handles and of course William is still a larakin and he does so love his Great Nanna and I guess the pictures tell the story of why he does.

                                                          Good shot Great Nana

William thinks they should change weapons,Great Nana kept beating him!

                              Not Missing in Action just Busy and now Exhausted.


I have not blogged for a week or more as the lead up to our Big Boys Toy day was approaching Bob and I hardly had time to scratch.
We hold the annually for the men as the women have their Quilt Fair and we are the same committee of 3 that does it all.

Our son and 2 boys came on Friday night to stay and helped us set up in the frost at 6.30am,and then our daughter arrived with her 3 beauties and helped on the day and to pack up.
We had over 2,000 people through and all the money of $2 entry goes to running the Information Centre that we also control.
So leading up to this day no crafting was done, no special cooking, plenty of getting a collectors stall ready,and buying lolllies from a wholesaler for a lolli stand...lol the grandchildren sent me broke! rides,lollies snow cones.....glad I have another year to save up before it all happens again.
The pics show Eden and Elijah,the other children had not arrived and their daddy took the pics,lovely little grandsons that had the time of their lives.

                                                      Eden on left and Elijah

                                                             Eden on the slide.

Eden on the bungee run, you are tied to a harness and run for your life,when you stop you are snapped back, I do not thing they have ever laughed so much, at the end Kate our girl and Micko our son had a race it was hysterical,Alex her eldest filmed it on his ipod,I can't wait for him to email it to me.
I did not want bore you all with more cars trucks bikes boats etc but there were so many,I actually did not get to see them we were busy on our stalls.