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!