G'day all,

Slavika I had a look at your fridge and new stove........very nice. The fridge is similar to mine with the freezing compartment down the bottom. I think you are very wise getting white. I have all stainless steel appliances and they are an absolute nightmare to look after. I am forever wiping the finger marks off.
My stove is gas for the top and electric for the oven, is yours all electric???

Marnie pleased to hear your son got to his destination safe and sound.

Have any of you seen the movie/documentary 'Bowling for Colombine High'???? DS was here last night and insisted on hiring this DVD as there was little else on TV.
I found it very disturbing and scary
The gunlaws in the USA are very foreign to us in Australia and I wondered if anyone else saw the movie and what they thought.

I hasten to add that is not intended as a debate on gunlaws. I have my thoughts and would respect anyone elses thoughts.

Beautiful winters day here today, hope it is good wherever you are.

Cheers
Maria

Trudy Trudy Trudy: I do not agree with what you said at all! I enjoy your posts as well as everybodys. You are missed when you dont post to.


Marnie: I dont think there is a mother who doesnt worry. Sounds like a long trip. Im sure they will be fine!

Slavika: I have heard about the deep fried Turkeys. Never tried one tho.
Love your fridge and stove! Never seen the freezer on the bottom before.

Maria: That pudding looks good. Yummm Cept the raisians, would have to leave them put.

Best get to work its been so crazy lately!

Hi Everybody

Maria I didn't see the documentary on Colombine. I'm sure it was a very difficult show to watch. The gun laws are very strict in Canada. People in Canada do not have hand guns in their home for protection but some do have hunting rifles. These fire arms have to be registered. As a kid growing up I know that my Dad did not go hunting and when my brother was old enough he didn't have any interest in it either but I knew lots of men who did. I love animals and I could not possibly harm one, but by the same token I understand that when there are lots of deer (for example) the herds have to be thinned out or else they will die from starvation, come winter. The few people I know that still go hunting, usually go after ducks and if they do manage to shoot a couple they do eat them.
I am just waiting for my family to come so that we can celebrate my dil birthday. DS is back to work today, his holidays are over and of course DH is working today too.
Late last night I watched a show called "What Not to Wear". Have any of you seen that program? That was the first time I saw it and since it was on so late it was likely a repeat.
Not much else new with me.

Hi everyone: I agree with Slavika, our kids are never to old that we don't worry about them, or want them to have the best. I spent today waiting for a telephone call from my eldest DD to tell my that the surgery on her sister was complete and that all was well. Finally came, but you know a mothers imagination can sometimes get the best of us, even tho' intellectually we can tell ourselves that everything is all right.

Marnie: glad your 'kid' got there all right.

Slavika: I used to have a refridgerator with the freezer on the bottom, and loved it. Of course the one we have now came with the house, and when I have to replace it, I will go for the bottom freezer. You don't look into the freezer nearly as much as you do the Fridge, and I'm always having to bend way down to get to the bottom shelves, and my dh can never find anything, :

Trudy: Just keep on posting, tell us about your and just what's going on.

Maria: Thanks for the new thread. did you do any 4wheeling on the beaches this weekend?

Hi all. See you tomorrow. Ann

G'day all,

Love the new look of our board, the three chicks at the top on the left hand side are just gorgeous.

We had a great weekend, did a bit of 4x4 wheel driving, watch ds play footy and came home again about 7 pm. Sunday was a very wet and yucky day so spend most of the day either doing cross stitch or continueing with dd scrap book. Got lots done

Slavika In the documentary it was mentioned about the Canadian gunlaws. The most frightening statistic was that approx 1200 people die as a result of a gun every year in America, in Canada 68 and in Australia 65. I may be slightly out with my statistics but not much.
I am a bit with you, I can understand why there needs to be a culling of kangeroos, deers (depending on the country you live in) but I personally would hate to have a gun in the house.
The point was made in the documentary, for countries in such close proximity as Canada is to the USA, it was amazing that there was such a huge difference in the attitude of ownership of guns.

I have not heard of the program 'what not to wear'.
Talking about clothes, a fabric shop nearby is closing down and everything is half price. It is a very expensive shop and some of the fabrics are just beautiful but......very expensive.
I just had to check it out and I got 2 lovely pieces of fabric to make into a shirt that can be worn as a jacket as well. One is blue denim with beautifully randomly embroidered flowers, it was $A48.00 (US$94.00) per metre but at half price, still expensive but couldn't possibly resist. The other piece was a lovely denim hot pink.
Something else I will have to get on with!

Ann why do we always imagine the worst Pleased to hear the surgery went OK.

I have to be on my way and check out how the Australian Netball Team is doing in Jamaica, so far they have won all their games

Cheers
Maria

Hello, all!

Thanks for your concern about DS; got home Monday at 4:00 a.m.

In case you're taking a poll: I HATE GUNS, period!

Slavika, tell me what not to wear. I'm sure I am not a clothes horse, yet I love clothes.

Maria, I am a fabricholic! I envy you your find. I'm a quilter, so just go into quilt shops and touch it all and take in all the wondrous colors.

Ann, grateful that the surgery went fine.

Marnie



PS: I think the chicks are cute, too!

New Smilies, I see.

Hi Everyone.. ok.. I'm not boring..
I haven't been here since last week and the new board and all the extra smilies are so nice.
I picked up some audio tapes at the library today and whoever had them before did not rewind them. that really ticks me off. I am sitting here re-winding .. don't want to use up all my batteries at the gym.
I had never heard of fried turkey either. Slavika I wonder where your friend got the recipe? I really liked the Chocolate Cherry Angel Cake. Slavika had some cake left and gave us a taste at Tea Time yesterday.
I didn't see Bowling for Columbine, it won an Academy Award and the writer, (Roger ?? forget his last name) made a commotion about the Iraq war when he made his acceptance speech.
On the program "What Not To Wear", they can be quite brutal in their criticism. It is quite funny, most people are so comfortable in their style of dressing. They get $5,000.00 worth of clothes as their reward for being humiliated. It is amazing how much better they look at the end of the show.
It's a beautiful day today and I am heading out to enjoy ...

Have a great day all..

G'day all,

Never realised the new smilies until you mentioned it Trudy, aren't they cute!

It is another sunny winters day here and we are starting to re-do our very small front garden.
My friend who is in her last year of garden/landscaping design has helped us with the designs and suitable shrubs and tress etc. It will look really great when finished. I will have to be a little careful with what I plant so the plants will survive when we are not here.

Trudy I did remember and was rather annoyed at the acceptance speech by Michael Moore when he received the Oscar, now having seen his documentary I can sort of understand why he did it.

Marnie I can soooo relate, wherever I am, I am always drawn to fabrics and just HAVE to touch and feel them. I have been very good though and have not bought any more fabrics to add to my collection
I made the hot pink shirt yesterday and all I have to do now is clean the spare room where I sew. I am a very messy sewer!
I haven't sewn for a long time, I am pleased the shirt/jacket turned out well and I will wear it Sunday when we have some friends over for a b-b-q.

I better get onto tidying up.
Have a great day all.

Cheers
Maria

Hi Everybody did I tell you that I stopped taking estrogen a couple of months ago? Well the hot flushes I've been getting are just unreal.
I have the air turned on so high that everybody coming to my home is freezing their butts off and I am barely comfortable. My poor DH, has to turn his side of the electric banket on when we go to bed he is so cold, even if the temperature outside is in the 80's. I don't know how long this will go on.......do any of you know what happens AFTER you come off estrogen??? My DH has been STRONGLY suggesting I pay a visit to my doctor. hee hee This was certainly not a good time to try doing this, but I decided I would like to wear my hair in a "different" style. I thought maybe all one length just to the bottom of the ears. Well between the hot flushes and my hair looking like something, that trust me, you have never seen in any stylist magazine I am not a pretty picture. My hair dresser has been on holiday, but is back now, and I have an appointment to have my hair cut tomorrow morning, so at least that problem can be quickly fixed. The other...may take some time. Oye Vey!
I bought quite a lovely outfit today (to wear to my brother's sons wedding) which is in September. It's actually fairly dressy, with sheer lined pants, tank top and sheer over blouse (jacket). I like it very much but it seems to me that it is the sort of thing that I would only wear that one time and that would be it. I tried to think of where I might wear it again (not another family function) and I couldn't come up with anything. I am thinking that purchase will go back to the store and I will look for something else. I had initialy thought of getting a long wrap skirt and some sort of top. I did find a skirt I liked but it was too big and the top was too small. My other purchase today a big bag of chunky wool in mint green and white. I have some one in the family who is due to have a baby in October and I thought maybe I would make up a blanket for the new arrival. Well a short while ago I looked in the bag and thought, "I don't really feel like doing this", so I guess that will go back to the store too. Ok....one last bit of complaining. Besides having these hot flushes I am not sleeping very well, so I guess I am getting a little cranky, (maybe lots cranky) Some postive things I am doing...... is trying to exercise more. The next thing is to try and eat according to WW progam not mine. Talk to you all later.

I just have to reply to your post Slavika, I have no answers to what happens when you come of estrogen but I do know what it is like not sleeping.
I also realised yesterday that my embroiderie sewing machine will remain a dream
For those sewers amongst us here you will understand that there is a lot of standing when you sew, standing to draft patterns, standing to cut out, standing to iron as you go along etc. etc. Unfortunately the standing is just something I cannot do for any length of time. I was very cranky yesterday mainly because I had to admit to myself that it would be stupid to spend so much money on an embroidery machine and then to be limited in using it. DH couldn't work out what was wrong, wasn't quite ready yet to concede defeat.
I know I have been unbearable to live with so last night I told him the reasons I have been so cranky.
I am happy that I have my computer and enjoy doing lots on that but I am very disappointed that a new embroidery machine is no longer a good thing to have.
Life can be so good but oh so trying at times.
Your dh is probably right a visit to the doctor won't go astray, I know I MUST do that myself. I will soon........

As far as your outfit, could you mix and match with black crepe
pants???
It sounds very similar to the outfit I bought for dd wedding and that is what the shop person suggested to me, I thought it was a great idea but guess what......I have never worn it since, by itself or with black pants/skirt.

I must get on, I mainly came back to my computer to check if the Australian Netball side beat Jamaica, the match finished a few hours ago but so far no scores have been posted.

Thanks for listening to my tale of woe.....

Cheers
Maria

Don't know where the time is going anymore. Just seems to fly by and I am not doing anything exciting.
Maria I did the color site and I am water beads. I like blue but don't have a blue room in the house but am going to paint the bedroom blue. Just painted the living-dining area a Laura Ashley Heath green. It is taking a little adjusting to. Should have seen that site before I painted. I am going for the shabby chic look. I will see if I can find the painted suitcase on ebay. I have to go back and look at the other sites you posted. I have done a few scrapbooks of the vacations we took. If the kids were little I would be doing their stuff. All their pics are in those old magnetic books and have turned a little yellow.
Haven't seen the Bowling for Columbine movie and have no desire to. That whole episode is very upsetting to me. Hate guns, don't have one and never want one. Have a friend who is a cop-their son committed suicide when he was 16 with a gun. No clue why-was the most popular kid in school.
Sent the dog I was watching home Monday. Glad to say that she stayed healthy under my care.
Been walking in the park in the morning. Saw some little twin baby deer yesterday. They were so cute.
Slavika I have to go and look at your appliances. I would like to have a smooth cooktop range. Would really like to have a restaurant style gas range. That would be dh's dream. He is into all those cooking shows.
Trudy your posts are never boring. I like to read about everyones everyday life. Take care of the angel.
Marnie and Lily are you working hard?
I want to start painting the hall today if I can. Pale green. Maybe I should go do that test again. LOL

Been looking for that pretty piece of painted luggage but she must have taken it off. I will keep looking. There is an unusual thing-a pretty painted potty seat. The lady that paints these has MS. She is a beautiful painter. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...tem=2335715189

The one who had the luggage is samilla. Put a search by seller with her name. Her stuff is gorgeous and the prices she gets is incredible. There is a feature in Aug issue of Romantic Homes with some of her stuff. She is a rose painter.

Now I am going to look at those links you all posted.

G'day all,

Nice to 'see' you Peggy, the colour of the painting that you are doing sounds lovely. I like the shabby-chic look but if I try anything like that it just looks shabby
I hope you enjoy some of the other sites I posted.

Another sunny winter's day here. Yesterday we ripped all our 'lawn' out the front. We hired a machine that cuts out the lawn just under the surface and then you just roll it up and remove. Sounds a piece of cake but it was very hard work. I tried to look after my back a bit but alas this morning all I will be doing is sitting behind my computer and taking painkillers.
So annoying but it could have been worse, dh was also very sore last night but he has bounced back ok this morning.
So we now have a 'blank' canvas to work on. I planned with my friend the things that would be suitable to plant. Cannot wait for it all to be completed.

Have a great day all,
Cheers
Maria

Hello everyone:
I don't know where the time has gone. I haven't been on line too much because we havae been having a lot of thunder storms in the late afternoon. So I have had a lot of catching up to do.

I find it very interesting that so many of us are classified as Water Beads. Thank you all for all the interesting sites to view. I'm not sure if I could handle a hand painted toilet seat.

My DD came home from the hospital yesterday. I can't believe the way they get put out so soon. She had the surgery on Monday at noon. When I had my hysterectomy, I was in the hospital for a week.

Maria: What fun to plan a whole new garden. I hope when you get it all established, you sent us a pic.

Slavika: When I went off the HRT I had the hot flashes, but not as bad as you seem to be experienceing. Have you thought about some of the soy derivitives. They are supposed to be a sort of estrogen replacement. I eat a lot of soy products, so maybe that is what helped. But now I take Evista and that gives hot flashes. Mostly at night, for me. Sometimes it is no covers at all. But I don't have the problem every night. Strange.
Your outfit sounds nice. If you were planning to go on a cruise it would be a great outfit for formal night or the Captains party.

Hi Trudy: Glad you took all our advice to heart, and posted. Sounds like you are having good summer.

Marnie: How are things going for you in the WW department? I have about decided that I might try this South Beach Diet for a bit. I have sent for the book, and am hoping that it will give me a jump start again, because I find that the older I get, the harder it is to lose weight. I want to get back to my goal weight again and I just seem to be at a standstill. Even the Curves is just firming up the 'blubber'. But at least that is a step in the right direction, I guess. I know the WW program is good for maintenance, and I will certainly stay with that. I just want to get going on the down side again.

Glenda: What is going on out in your part of this world?

Ash: Where are you?

Next week my DH will have his second cataract surgery. He is anxious to get is done and be able to see clearly from both eyes. Then he'll be able to get new glasses that fit the new eyes.

Love the cute chicks and the new similes are great too. 'See' you all another day. Have a great weekend. Ann

I just had a longer post and it got lost somewhere. Ann I hope your dd is ok. Is she close to you?
Maria you need a message for your poor back.
Went hunting on ebay for painted luggage and this is all I could find. Ebay is slow in the summer. Not a good example but an idea. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...29415&category