More F'S........ What the heck is going on.


My Mother in Law is also 91 and lives far from us and we are going to see her for the June long weekend as she is 8 hours away we can only go then.However she is very active but this week it was her turn to ....wait for it...
FALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!
poor sweetie was on a day bus trip and got off the bus at Casino,walked 4 paces and fell flat on her face,broken wrist,broken dentures and broken glasses cut inside of mouth and a very bruised chin.MY SIL lives in the same units and so is at hand but at this time I feel guilty that we are so far away,at the same time I have my Mum here as you know.Get well soon Joan and we will be with you next week,poor old pet never hurt a fly and she is the healthier one of the Mums.

A good F now...Fun and games for the soldiers in Egypt their care packages have arrived and they were going to be distributed last night ,we sent 25 over as there are only 25 serving Aussies there.

Now another F...funny.... my daughter read my blog and rang me up..Mum she said you are a funny lot of buggars got a new stove eh? she said she almost p.....herself laughing nice talk for a young lady. We had not told the kids we had put another one in in fear they would think we were mad lol and guess what she did,but she was so glad that Nan is warm,the other little family don't know yet,we thought it could be a surprise lol...

A gorgeous lady in town came to the door on Saturday afternoon bearing a bag full of beautiful coat hangers for the Seniors prizes(I am collecting the prizes but have had to pull out of all the other work that has to be done) and she gave me some just for me and an envelope for soldiers care packages to help out,after she left I opened the envelope before putting it in the safe..it contained $150!!!!!!!!!!
Where do these angels come from and how blessed am I that they come to my door.Now I have money ready for the next lot of boxes for the troops and at the moment I am doing boxes of books for Afghanistan as they need reading matter..people are just wonderful in fact another F word FANTASTIC!!!!!

                                                  A Week full of F......'s

It has been one of those weeks,starting off last Sunday evening with Mum having a fall.
Next was that were were freezing and as I blogged about some time ago we had removed our wood fire and we miss it far more than could ever have thought possible.
Then a little bit of frivolity..I bought something because it was $2..I could not resist.

 Poor old darling Mum slipped on the floor in the bathroom...yes talcum powder and tiles do not mix,we laughed today as she saw the funny side she ended up with her head inside the bathroom cupboard!!! 5 stitches and bruises now a nice shade of yellow she is almost back to normal,she has her stitches removed on Tuesday and then the hairdresser is going to wash and do her hair,the one thing she is upset about is that they shaved some hair away..Mum certainly knows how to make sure your heart is still beating she frightened the daylights out of us.

 After Mum and Bob both groaning every night about how cold they were Mum decided last Saturday to send us to the next large shopping centre one hour away to buy a new wood fire, we had removed ours and had the ceiling repaired and sold the other one,and here is the new one,everything so beautiful and cosy and Mum happy because she really does need to have the gentle warmth the fire brings,she is happy,Bob is ecstatic and Molly has picked her spot,and me well I guess I will get used to the dust again lol I have to say because this one was installed better that will not be a problem,yes I love it too!

Now my frivolity...I love pink,I love polka dots but....I am a size 7 these are size 9..I could not leave them at the op shop $2 was the price and they will be loved by Livvy next time she visits,I have them sitting near my work area to remind me that although the week can be a bit dark and worrying there is something simple waiting to make you smile.These have not even been worn..O'h I wish I could wear them,just wish I could balance in them....How grand they are...well i guess that is a matter of taste lol.
Have a wonderful week...

                                                 Just a little of everything...

First of all I received my Colour swap parcel and it was just so lovely and useful,thankyou Anthea and thank you to all those lovely ladies who run the swaps and make them so much fun to do.

Here is the beautiful Macha Tor,i have never seen his sitting around before but it has been so cold and he is enjoying the sun,his little friend is back in the same paddock,the Shetland pony has always been with him but in a different place for some time now, lovely to see them together again.

 Look at that face,isn't he gorgeous he is probably thinking about Kath and how kind she was to send him a card all the way from the UK.

 This is one of the farmers I see daily,I could not get up any closer as he had a whistle in his mouth training his dogs,because the area is so vast here most farmers have 5 dogs or so helping them round up the cattle they are amazing to watch and follow whistles for orders and words I do not understand lol.

 Now our area is a horse stud area as well and many rich Arab,Irish and Chinese own huge studs where the horses are literally worth millions.Sometimes I feel sad at the changes I see but I am in awe at the same time, this side of the last farm recently purchased  was like this on both sides of the road.

 This is how the opposite side of the road  looks the enormous shed ain the distance sprung up over one weekend all the paddock is now holding yards,dozens of them,where in the furure Iwill take pics of foals that will be sold world wide for amounts of money we cannot even imagine.This particular stud has mostly Irish staff so I guess the owners are Irish .The works are no where near finished,I wish i had taken progress pics from day one for you.

 Now this is a cottage almost completed.The stud had several old cottages on it, they simply burned them to the ground, the people owning this one saw what was happening and their parents actually originally owned the stud,and this was their old  home and looked nothing like this, the family asked the stud if they could buy the house before they burnt it and they said take it away,they got it for free and gave it a new life,not quite finished but looks lovely,what a waste there must have been many people that would have taken the other homes,it makes me sad that when  lots of money is involved it becomes easy comes easy goes.

Look here,Mum shows me little miss Cloe,he last puppy from the last litter,they are jack Russel dogs and a breed many farmers choose for their house pup.The Mum is such a beautiful natured dog and looks like little Cloe will be the same.

                   I'm on my way from Australia to Egypt on Wednesday..uhh haa uhh haa(trying to sing it to the tune of the  Pretenders lol)well I tried.


This is not really for comment just for a record and for the Quilt ladies who take a great interest in us as we do with the Aussie hero Quilters.

There are 25 young Australians in Egypt at the moment as so we thought they all deserved a Care Package so they are all done but the sticky tape and will be posted Wednesday.
Most of the contents are from cash donations made to me through a dance group and the Veterans Corps Inc that gives me money for the Afghanistan boxes.

On the outside of the boxes we mark if for male or female and I always write under that a simple.. Because We Care.
Each box also contains a little letter when I send ones personally from me I put a personal note in but here is a sample of the letter from the dance group and I just adjust it when ever I need to.(O'h of course I do it in a nice font ) lol.



Hello,
We want to express our gratitude to you, our serving troops for all you are doing for us at home.This is a small way that we can say thank you.
A group called Veterans Corps Inc. has a raffle once a week and gives me money to put packages together,also a little group called Aberdeen Community Caring inc. gave me a donation as well.With this I have put together packages for you,just little things that may make your day brighter.
We send packages to Afghanistan and just last week learned that you were in Egypt so our first thoughts were to get a package to you all.
So enjoy,and know there are ordinary people in an ordinary town thinking of extraordinary people serving their country every day.
We send you our prayers,love and an abundance of blessings for your safety and return when it is time for you to come home.
If there is anything special any of you may need do not hesitate in letting me know,we will endeavour to do our best for you.
So stay safe,stay healthy and never feel that you are not appreciated.
Yours in friendship across the miles.
Carole.

 Like hungry little birds the boxes wait to be filled.....

and

Here we are all filled up waiting to be packed neatly checked and addressed..this is all done now 25 ready to go.These will be posted on Wednesday.Hope they enjoy them they deserve them so much.
That's about it really..Please think of a soldier today,say a little prayer,just a moment of your time for they are giving you their lifetime.

                                       I get by with a Little help from my Friends.

The gorgeous Jan-Maree from Aussie hero Quilts put out a call this week for some children's clothing because of a request from a Chaplin in Afghanistan.
We are not positive of what is required at this point but a local lady gave me some beautiful handknitted  items and they are off to the Chaplin along with  some other boxes of lovely mixed clothing...9 boxes in all...This was right up my alley as I am co-ordinator of  our little op shop and we are happy to supply whatever we can,all the clothes are as new so it is not anything shabby.Also our shop decided to buy the boxes needed and also another 25 ready to do some for the troops in Egypt.Did you know we even had troops there? well there are 7 ladies and 18 men so we are going to spoil them,Jan-Maree and her wonderful quilters are doing them quilts and we are doing Care Packages,these will be lovely to do as we do them for Afghanistan and it is a joy and an honour.

I know I am supposed to be slowing down but I cannot do nothing and it is no strain to do  and a joy to do these things.So here are the 9 boxes ready to be taped up(now done) forms filled out and they will be posted tomorrow.Hopefully the Chaplin will let us know of his needs,and hopefully we can help him,These boxes are mixed summer and winter,girls and boys.
Jan-Maree and her wonderful ladies are at Aussie Hero Quilts  go across and have a look at the wonderful things they do.
Have a blessed evening.

                                                      Who Weeds Your Garden??????

The winter is approaching and the summer blinds gone up so we can enjoy the gorgeous sun on the verandah,it looks like Molly is waiting to see if any visitors come.

Well the winter mornings are here at last but the days are glorious and no frosts yet.Just a few pics today no ramblings.I am blessed to have Mum still with us and she is so good.Her life was her garden once she gave up work and she is a nagg...yes a nag...always telling me what needs to be done but by the time I get all the inside caught up the garden seems to be left to Bob mostly unless a weekend comes up where we can catch it up together. Anyhow this is just a few pics of the garden and the resident gardener.

 Our garden lady awaits the bulbs to bloom.

 Eva's rose,all her friends have one in our gardens in memory of a beautiful person.

 This rose just never stops blooming it is a lovely soft apricot colour and has a beautiful perfume.

 Here is the gardener,91 and a half lol she is just in her glory thank goodness someone invented walkers they make Mums life so much easier,she could not do this without it,her plastic bag is for the weeds she pulls up.

 Just has to stretch as far as she can,this was on Saturday it was glorious day,no coldish wind like yesterday.

 WE picked the petals of the orses as they smell so devine.

 Then we dried them ready to make some lovelies.

 


                                 A Different Perspective for Mothers day.

This Sunday in Australia it is Mothers Day.It is bitter sweet in our family as I still have Mum and my daughter in law has been without her Mum now for 10 years.
I would love to say that perhaps she loves me as another Mum but I do not think that is true,however I have always tried to make no difference between my daughter and my daughter in law,on this day it is always a bit of a struggle for her so we don't usually have a gathering on that day as it is too hard for her,knowing we all still have each other and although I make sure she feels loved it is not the same,and I understand that,to be honest it is far easier to see each other on non special event days that way no one feels any pain.
However every year on Mothers day and Fathers day,I make sure that both daughter and son and their partners know that I am proud of their parenting.
I do not look for cards or presents on the days leading up to it,they are so busy working and just living,if something comes it is lovely if not then so be it.A parcel did arrive yesterday from my son and family and I have put it away until Sunday,they always call on the day and I hear their voices and that is enough for me.
For me the most important thing is for them to know that I think they are awesome,doing a wonderful job,that they know that although it is a tough job it is an honour to be a parent.That they know I love them and feel proud to have given birth to both of my children and that they know on this day it is not so much a celebration of them honouring their Mum but for me to be honouring being their Mother,so i send them a card each on those days,I buy them without verses and write my own,it is more personal that way.
Just a different outlook on Mothers Day,we will take Mum somewhere for lunch and we are asking my friend who has 2 sons but they do not seem to "look out" for her so we will share lunch with Lyn and her day will be not so long,as special days are when no one calls.
Our children will have the day with their families and go to church and they will think of Mum and me as the day goes on and we will think of them and that is what counts...how many times do we say"it's the thought that counts" and it is so true,as long as I hear their voices,know they love me,what more could a Mum want.
As I look at the adds on TV,....buy Mum a diamond,a vaccumn,a car,a holiday...what Mums want money can't buy,just a simple I am thinking of you call or a nice card,nothing else really matters.
Besides for me what can we get two 91 year olds lol so it's lunch out for Mum and a lovely card, phone call and some scratchies for Bobs Mum as she just loves them.
Happy Mothers Day to all the wonderful young Mums struggling and juggling each day and well done to all of us that have finished to youthful years of parenting and now into the next generation of Grandparenting.

                                             A Little bit of loveliness


I paced myself this year and have only joined a couple of swaps,I love doing them but I really felt I was at the point of not overloading myself.
So my first one is done and wrapped waiting for the right time to post and the next almost ready.
I love to pack my parcels with sprinkles of Lavender from our garden and try to make things look pretty.I struggle at times to have that loveliness mojo happening,so here is my first one ready to go,I won't say to who or which swap,just hope the lovely lady enjoys her little bits and bobs.

                                                       I Love my Girls....


Who says Bob is not an old softie....just goes to prove he has his moments,this was taken after doing the lawns and having a cold beer at the end of summer.......

Georgie comes in every afternoon for a sit on Bobs lap and Molly is not always willing to share lol.