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.

                                       Open your hearts..Let the World In.

I don't want to come across as "the charity queen",I don't want to sound like ..me...me...me..I do this...I do that...I just let others know that there are heaps of things you can do for your fellow man.So please don't think I am always saying what I do,it's just me,I would rather "do"for others and that means family first then others,than to "do'for me.I take after my grandparents..much to many in the families disgust lol..
So my last blast at what we are doing as a family this year for others and also the cackle Club and as i have talked to the towns people on my deliveries many more are doing it..I placed my article in our little paper we have for our town"The Aberdeen Whisper"(we even have a web site now through Upper Hunter Council"whoo whoo..) asking for everyone that can to come onboard or join in with a couple of others to make things possible.
Each year I attach a "Tear" certificate for a mosquito net for  overseas kids to our kids Christmas stocking,it is only $5 for one and this year we were trying to do shoe boxes for the children overseas,as we are far from the city it just did not happen,all the churches are doing them but I could not get 100 delivered to distribute.So feeling a bit down I Googled what I could do for Australians.
I found a site that has been looking after our Servicemen and women for quite a long time, so we have chosen to do this ,this year.We have high hopes that many soldiers that have no family to receive from will be blessed this Christmas.Our grandchildren have drawn pictures etc to go in the family one and we have put our email address in case the soldier wants to contact us.In the Cackle Club one we are putting a little story about us and Aberdeen and a contact address.
Would you like to join in also..here is everything you need to know.
I did a shop at Woolworths, it came to about $35..but..If you got the listed products by other brands you could do it cheaper,you can add babywipes also as when I read the web site (there are a few) it said they really appreciate them.When my brothe rwas in Vietnam he loved getting packages from home,all I could think of was the mail being handed out and having no family it must be awful anyway just letting you know what is out there.
From now on no more whining from me to think of others,off my soapbox and back to the sewing machine!

To send a care package to an Australian Soldier in Afghanistan, you need to purchase a "B" size box (weighs 175g itself) from Australia Post, they cost $2.25 They'll give you some customs forms which you will also need to fill out. The address you need to send the package to is below. Make sure you seal all the edges of the box with packing tape. If the box after being packed ways less than 2kg, Australia Post will send it for Free.

“An Australian Soldier”

Op Slipper

AFPO 13

Australian Defence Force

SYDNEY NSW 2890

To give an example of what can be sent, a care package could be:

1 x Lynx Shower Gel Travel Size

1 x Pack of Schick Disposable Razors

1 x NON-AEROSOL Shaving Cream

1 x Lynx Role On Deodorant

1 x Small Baby Powder (Talc)

1 x Chap Stick (SPF 30+)

3 x Bags of Allen's Lollies (NOT CHOCOLATE)

1 x Beef Instant Noodles

1 x Pack of Scotch Finger Biscuits

2 x Canned Tuna (Pull Ring Style)

If you want you can also include a self addressed envelope and a letter. I include my email address as well just in case they want to contact me or have something specific they want me to get for them.

Things not to send:

Alcohol

No Clothing, Except socks

Aerosols

Cigarettes

Pork

chocolate (melts)

Magazines with naked people.You can also send a female specific care package, including feminine deo, perfume sample sachets, girly mags. All you need to do is when addressing write

“An Australian Soldier - FEMALE”

I think this is a fantastic way to help out our boys and girls, and show your support. More examples of what can be sent...Just remember it has to weigh under 2kg.

dried fruit
drinking choc (individual sachets)
easy mac
individual small cereal boxes
individual ring pull tuna cans or sachets
lollies
long life milk (small packs)
microwave popcorn
microwave rice (reject shop $2)
oatmeal (individual sachets)
pepper (individual sachets)
powdered energy drinks
salt (individual sachets)
sauces & condiments like mustard etc (individual sachets are good, ask Macca’s if you can have some and why...)
spices - to go with lamb/goat for example, rosemary, garlic, thyme, greek spices
sugar (individual sachets)
tabasco sauce
tea
trail mix
twisties (can also be used as packing in spaces in the box)
wasabi peas
NO PORK AT ALL TO BE SENT

Hygiene

aftershave (they complain they smell)
air fresher (non aerosol sprays & the cardboard card ones)
baby wipes (bulk & travel size)
cotton buds
deodorant (non aerosol)
foot powder
hair conditioner
hair shampoo
inner soles
lip balm (chap sticks)
moisturiser
mouthwash
razors (NOT the real cheap ones like Bic! Personally I use Schick and I’d only send those, we don’t want them cutting/slashing themselves to shreds!)
shaving cream (non aerosol)
soap (normal & travel size)
socks (black & white)
talc
tissues (medium & travel size)
toilet paper (one roll in a box)
toothbrushes (sometimes)
toothpaste
if female troops then add the following
female hygiene products
gel or hair spray (non aerosol)
hair ties
hairbrush (only send 1)

Misc & entertainment

blank cards (for troops to send home)
board games
board games (some marines have a wonderful photo of them playing twister)
book (try not to send romance novels)
cheap dvds please write on cover & disc in permanent marker “Aussie troops property” to avoid theft
drawing paper
envelope
footballs/basketballs (and a pump)
magazines (nothing rude)
music CDs (Please write on cover & disc in permanent marker “Aussie troops property” to avoid theft)
other sporting goods
pen/pencils
playing cards
poker chips
sport sections of newspapers
tennis balls (if you have tennis courts nearby you can buy second hand balls cheap – I got some from the University tennis courts $1 each, Slazenger and other brands)
writing Paper

NO Alcohol to be sent to any troops
DO NOT SEND CLOTHING except socks

If you would like to do one for the doggies there here is the info.

 1 x box dog biscuits 
 1 x beef bone (not fresh) 
 3 x "greenies" 
 1x toy 
 1 x tennis ball 
  and don't forget a couple of 
packets of lollies for the 
handler. 
The dogs do a magnificent job 
under very trying conditions 
and to date, four have lost 
their lives serving their 
country. 
  
The address is: 
  
An Australian EDD 
Handler" 
 Op Slipper 
 AFPO 13 
 Australian Defence Force 
 SYDNEY NSW 2890
  
This is a fantastic way to help 
out our serving soldiers, and 
show your support. What 
about getting the local kids at 
school involved and send some 
special packages from them 
there are still 4 or 5 weeks 
before they finish the year. 
  
Don’t just wait for festive 
seasons, our troops serve 
overseas all year long. And 
don’t forget the Navy and Air 
Force.

                                        Thank you for your kind words.

I am a closet poem,verse ?writer due to a traumatic,discouraging time in high school and so I do write it but never put it up,this time I did and although my work is child like I really appreciated your kind words to me..thank you all...

Mum had a very confusing start to the day today, I awoke will Molly barking beside me, I jumped out of bed as the only way molly could be in was to have been let in, pitch dark I ran down the hallway to find Mum sitting in the dark.."what are you doing Mum".."I thought you had slept in and it was 5.30am but it was only 4am" so you guessed it I stayed up and got ready for work, wrote a blog lost the lot(and the plot) and so the day went on,the washing was hung out before 5am,I sewed the extra bags I needed to make,watered the garden(then it rained today)lol.
So the day went on,now this afternoon I have been productive,finished my items for this week for the Christmas challenge and now have to do my items for our little towns monthly flier/mag named 'the Aberdeen Whisper".I do an item for the little op shop Treasures Talk and we just thank the town for supporting us an announce if we have excess books,anything like that.Then I need to do an article for the cackle Club,and this month I will be talking about how our craft group is going to join up with Sand Angels..they make scarves for the troops in Afganistan so we are hoping to make 10 a month if possible, we have yet to join up but we discussed it and we are all excited,why not Google Sand Angels or Sand Scarves and maybe you could consider doing some now and then.

I will also tell you about our other little exercise in another blog when I have it ready to show...but it is the time of the year that while I was buzzing a hundred miles an hour in my head about what to do for this friend ,that relative,those kids lol..I realised...stop...you need to think a bit...
I had already started to add to the homeless and hamper foods for the poor,and so are all the local churches etc as per usual..
I was looking for ages for a connection for shoeboxes for the children overseas,I had no luck in getting boxes here and time was gone,as I googled...I found what my heart was looking for....I will share as soon as I have the item ready...
Have a blessed day and be kind to yourself as that will give you the energy to be kind to others.

                                                                Love is.......
For Elijah (and of course all the other little ones).

Your chubby arms cuddle me so tight
Your butterfly kisses on my cheek a delight
You hug me ,never letting go
"O'h Nanny I have missed you so".

You don't mind my wrinkly neck
As you touch me softly so you don't forget
That Nanny's wrinkly map of life
Is the memory you will have for life

I squeeze you back,and smell your hair
I touch your cheek for this is where
Your tears will fall the next day
When Nanny has to go away

I will be back very soon
We can play and swing and sing a tune
We will sit together for while
You will read to me and I will smile

Being a Nanny is the best
My heart beats loudly in my chest
I wave goodbye and beep my horn
I must go home my heart is torn

Poppy and  Greatnana await me so
It is home for me , I have to go
 I will be back ,and you will see
I miss you like you miss me.

Being a Nanny and Grammy to my 6 grandchildren is the most precious thing in life there is for me.Now Elijah and William are turning 6 it is so much more  noticeable that the bigger kids have a totally different reaction to my visits,they squeal, run into my arms for hugs and kisses then off to see what goodies there is lol,but the little fellows they cling for dear life as if they are holding onto the memory of my arms ,Elijah and William hug like there is no tomorrow.
I have just been to visit my sons family as they needed me to babysit for them and it does not happen that often, I have to go alone as Bob has to stay behind with mum,he is missing out but there is nothing much we can do at this time.
I have come home with the feeling of being "all loved up' and had fate has it both the grand daughters are in dance concerts next month so I get to see the whole lot of the children before Christmas.

The blessing and reward for the hard job of parenthood is the gift of being a Grandparent..God is good.

                                  Just an Observation..Is it so for others or Just me?

It is that time of year when we bustle and hustle and worry about what to give whom..who..?I should have listened more in English class..too late now lol.
I am trying to make a lot of things this year to instill in the kids the love of getting something made by hand and also that it does not have to be placed in an electronic machine to be fun by the things I am finding for their stockings..I am off track...how unusual for me lol....
What I really wanted to talk about was the gorgeous people in our lives we have lost, they have passed away but the void sometimes seems bigger each year rather than diminishing,I guess that happens in time but it is time that can't seem to be measured.
As December approaches we come to the 12th, Mum and her twin Thelma's birthdays except when they got to the 85th year Aunty Thel was in hospital,and by the 18th I was holding her hand as she left this world, that day the light went out in Mums eyes a lot and she really feels it more as each year passes.
My darling best friend Eva will be absent for her 3rd Christmas and that brings me to the subject...
How come when these lovelies were here with us was it so hard to find something "just perfect" for them as a gift and now everywhere I go we say Thel would love that or I would get that for Eva.
It brings it home more and more that the gifts are just "stuff" as a postie I am at the moment delivering all the Chrisco and Castle hamper items,not the food just the things people have been paying off all year and if the boxes get any bigger I will need to buy a truck!!!
I just wish it were simpler, I do not get much pleasure from receiving,I love to give and would prefer the family give something to the poor rather than to me,it is all material really, ...the saddness that comes into the heart as you remember the special people that are no longer here is profound, Eva was such a big part of my life and we travelled all the way to the Uk, I pushed that wheelchair all over and i loved it!I would have walked on burning coals for her as she would have for me, her family however should have been fed to the wolves,very naughty uncaring..but..the saddest thing for me and I cannot change it is the lost,yearning look in Mums eyes as she counts down the days... 6 years on... Thel was sick about now... Thel went to hospital today ... and I would love to see Mum light up again, and for short bursts she does but it must be very hard to be a twin and be the one left behind.
On a brighter note,when you go shopping it does bring a smile,my friend Eva was a very striking woman,  (6 ft tall, tanned not typical English complection and blonde to boot everyone always noticed her,but disease has no favourites)that would not even consider wearing underwear that did not match, she was 53 and the only patient in the nursing home that wore a G String, so walking by the lingerie shop this week I saw in the window the most amazing, cheeky underwear,"ohhh I thought wonder how much that is?Eva would love that!then I realised she's not here anymore.
I hope that if you have lost some one special,and close ,that you are coping ok,I have decided that it is easier for those that have gone on ahead of us as they are at peace and we are all back in this mad,mad world missing them like crazy.Be kind to yourself, there is nothing wrong with loosing yourself in their memory for a little while as you sit quietly,have a lovely heavenly Christmas Aunty Thel and Eva,Sue and Kim,Leriva and Shoey,all such special people that will be in my heart forever.

What do you think???is Georgie spoilt.

Everyday after work and after Bob has watered the garden, Georgie comes in for time inside,you will notice the old green chair, that's his(hers lol) it used to be cream and we decided to revamp it..however it did not eet with approval and Georgie would not perch on it till al the paint was chipped away by him!

 Georgie sits on Bobs lap and puts his head down for a scratch, if you stop before it is enough your hand is picked up and placed on his head... I have tried to capture this (not sure if i did).

Georgie does this with everyone not just the love of her life.I tried to video it but it has not turned out...

                                             Tall Dark Object in the Corner
In the corner near the table where I take all my main pics is an old pot belly stove...you were right Cro.

Everything has a story and this does too.One day we were on the front verandah and a lady we know pulled up to say hello..we were putting the wrought iron up ...she said she was off to the local rubbish tip when she thought of me..delightful!!!...lol..they had an old pot belly stove and thought they would try  to burn some coal in it...well they ended up with a  huge explosion,the back of the pot belly blew out,so did the wall!

She thought I would like it to paint,and I did I was thrilled,I at that time painted everything that was not moving being obsessed with folk art.I did it in old typical style and won first prize at the local show!that was a big shock.
It has sat in the same place for many years, it is near Bobs chair and it normally holds all his paperwork and books(I removed them out of vanity to take the pic)..the great whopping hole is still in the back ,I guess one day when the kids clear the house out it will finish its journey to the tip,at this point it is part of Pa Pa and Grammy's place of useless but interesting items lol.

I have been doing the Christmas challenge and  Tuesday is the day we post our progress, some of you that follow are also in the challenge but as I do not know how to put the link up I have posted it here too...just in case there are any ideas I can share with you...It is a challenge starting Nov through till Christmas but because of my work I have a smaller time frame to get it all done,it is to help get organised lol not stress!

I am known for loving Christmas, I do not really like getting pressies that much but I love to give.. I make many little things for the kids Christmas stockings,so when you come to the surf bags these are for their stockings,they can just grab that bag and a towel and off they go.

My mother tells me that the kids are too spoilt as I collect goodies all year for them but once we are on the pension I will have to cut back a long way so I have no vices,this is my joy.It is not about the gifts I know but gee I love seeing their faces light up..I also make sure each one had a "Tear "certificate, I buy a mosquito net for 6 little children and put that on their tag,they know they have helped a child in a poor country, a net is only $5,I think next year I will have a sealed jar and pop change into it and we will aim for a water well.
Anyway below is my list so far completed and still some to go eg the cake and pud etc.and still waiting for 2 little books I ordered with some special makes in them...


        My Finished items so far.........

Remember my deadline is Dec1 because of work so I have to go full steam ahead lol.

 Tuti Fruiti and Lemon cordials for Christmas done..small bottle to go with cackle Club girls little pressie.(3 more next batch).

 2girls and 4 boys Christmas T Shirts trimmed( I got these on sale at 2 for 1 so each cost $1.50.) then i put lace trim on the girls and just stars this year on the boys.

 Christmas boxer shorts there are 10 pairs here lol,6 for my lovelies and the others I rescued out of the wrong pattern,Lyn my friend got 3 pairs and I shall give the others to some little sweeties I come across.

 The embroidered and trimmed pillowcases,I really wanted soft pink for the girls but could not get them last week, this week I walked in and they were there! anyway too late I had started the embroidery.The butterflies are sparkly.

 Michaels pillow bag..everyone calls him Mick I hate that I loved his name anyway he is Mick to all so Mick it is.

 A surf bag for everyone... I ended up doing 10 one for each child and the parents.I went into a store on Saturday and they had the good caps,thongs and sunscreen all on sale,everyone will have a pair of thongs, a cap and a tube of sunscreen and it has cost me a whole $6 complete for each bag.

 2 peg bags... I never did find the pattern so had to do it the best I thought I could, I really like them they have velcro under the buttons as my button hole maker would not work for some reason..I remember the pattern just pegged the bag on the line but I did not like that idea..so now i just have to buy 2 bags of pretty pegs.

 Georgies 2 Christmas suits....

 6 handtowels so far I have three more waiting for their pots and flower stems.

 Christmas bands and hair elastics for the two girls.

I bought 5 of these little tubs for $6 each,these are for my 5 special friends,they will have a calendar,a hand towel,a tea towel(have them made from before) a 2012 Diary, a lovely soap from  Karen at Grannies Garden, I have ordered these and I gave them last year and they loved them, a bon bon of lollies, and a heat bag, and a little lavender bag..the total cost will be about $12 ...I hope they like them,just thought I would show you as it may be an idea for you.

For me now my list is 4 heat bags
4 lavender draw bags
Christmas cake
Christmas pudding.
little mini puddings that I give the elderly each year.
some more small bottle of lemon Cordial.
depends on time 2 more peg bags.
I will stress if I add anymore
I still have to do my Christmas swap and my summer swap...still waiting for my books to arrive so that I can make something different.
Whew thats all for me folks I am pooped lol.