G'day all,

We had a lovely breakfast of bacon and egss (the non-fat variety ), it is raining and cold outside, nice to spend the day indoors just relaxing, doing a bit of reading, watching the football on TV and prepare for a roast dinner for tonight.
Life is bliss

You have probably seen the article in the paper I emailed, I feel very happy that the demands on me looking after Matilda are not so great now.

Next week is the final week for dh to be in Sydney.
He has had lots of interest from different people in the company since he has made it known that he is interested in doing contract work. Who knows what the next phase of our life will bring!

Hope you are all having a great weekend.

Cheers
Maria

Slavika: Congrats on your lossl but did you have to send your loss to me?: I'm doing the old yoyo routine now, down and up and down and up.

Maria: Now you can enjoy the occaisional baby sitting and not feel pressured. Thas was a nice headline about your dil. And how true, that family should come first.

Hope you are all having a great weekend. Ann

Trudy: I have had an MRI before. Its not bad. Every one was great and helped me thru it. But the tube is nothing as long as you have great people there. ANd I have found most people that do these things are. Have it done it might show what is wrong.

Slavika: Such a cute story. You are so good at telling them.

I did read all just dont remember Nada!

We got back today. We had a late flight last night. Got in to LA this morning at 5:00 AM and waited for Plane to my home for 2 hours. I cant sleep on planes so I was up all night. So Im not all here to say the least Did pass out as soon as I got in the car tho. But that was like a 30 minute drive

Had a wonderful time. Every time we go we want to move. This is a much Smaller Island and way more affordable. Even eating out was reasonable. We Had a condo so did most the cooking. We would go out during the day and Explore then come back around 3 and sit on Patio and enjoy. Then cook a nice dinner and relax some more.

We wanted to do th Napol'i coast but it was getting stomry by the time we got around to it so Didnt do it. It is suppose to be Spectaular tho! So we will go back!

We had bought a guide book and it said stay away from the grocery stores, you will be shocked! But it was only .40 cents more than we pay here. So I thought it was reasonable. Had some great meals at still alot less than if we ate out every night. And Resturants were about the same as we pay here to go out to a nice place. Wasnt like the other Islands where we spent a mere fortune to eat. But I also think we did them wrong as we were going from one to the Next and never really got use to where to go.

Gas prices were at least $1.00 more and it was really the only Big shock to us.



Off for 3 more days. Want to get some yard work done and catch up on my sleep.

Havent weighed Myself yet will tomorrow. Dont think I did bad. But I had some to lose before I went. So Im gonna push myself next week to really get back in gear!

Also bought about 5 Hawaiin Dresses. Love to wear them on weekends.

And I splurged and bought this
http://www.walfrido.com/heart_rock_release.htm
Scroll down until you see "The Color Of Memories"
Signed by Artist. Its a small one. But I had to have as it reminds me of just about any Island you Visit there.

It came with a Free Lithograph and Hubby Picked this: First One "Essence Of Paradise"
http://www.walfrido.com/htm.%20folde...ithography.htm

I am more in love with this Island than any other. So few less people anywhere. So relaxed. Was not Touristy at all to me. Didnt have to Dress up to go out. Could if you wanted to. Still love Maui and Hawai'i. But this is my fav. And Im sure it due to the lack of People.


Attached is the Wameia Falls. It was also used in Fantasy Island if you remember that show.
Later!

Welcome home Lily

It's late for me to be up, but I had a nap this afternoon and so then I stayed up to watch a movie because I knew I would just toss and turn. I think I'll sleep now tho.
It sounds like you guys had just a wonderful time. I thought you would love the island. "Color of Memories" was a good choice and you will remember this holiday everytime you look at it. Nice having you back.
Night.

G'day all,

Nice to 'see' you home Lily sounds like you had a wonderful time. The waterfall was quite spectacular, thanks for posting it.
How difficult to choose one of the many wonderful pieces produced by heartrock productions.
I am impressed with your choice...one I really loved was Emerald Bay.

This is supposed to be dh's last week in Sydney....I am not holding my breath at least he will definetly be home the month of October as he has the whole month off on holidays

How is your dh progressing Slavika, we haven't heard how he is going for a little while.

Off to the library....

See you all tomorrow.

Cheers
Maria

By the way, have any of you had a look at google earth???? Another wonderful time waster I can pick out my house quite distinctly, just amazing. If you have a fast internet connection, it is certainly worth having a look. Here is the link where you can download it http://earth.google.com/

Hi Everyone:
Nice to hear from you Lily. It sounds like you had a wonderful and restful time. I have forgotten which Island you visited. Was it Kawai(Spelling)? I loved your choice of picture. They were all wonderful. It must have been hard to choose one.

Slavika: So glad to hear that your DH is doing well. How wonderful for you both. We are off for the weekend now for DH college class reunion. It is a real 'flying' trip since we go on Friday and are back on Sunday. But that is what he wanted to do. He is back in Physical therapy again, and i sure hope this will continue to make improvements for him.

Greetings to everyone. Hope to see you one more time before we go. Ann

Welcome home Lily. Love the picture you bought and what wonderful memories it will bring every time you look at it. You can pretend you are back in Hawaii.

Maria that was a nice article about your dil. Now isn't it nice to know that you can enjoy Matty and not have to babysit? She made a good choice. I have looked at the google thing before. They took mine when the trees were full and it is hard to see.

Slavika what good news to find in my inbox this morning. I like waking up to happy news.

Ann enjoy the class reunion.

I am hoping that Rita doesn't hit the Florida girls. I am tired of all this destruction.

It is raining today. Finally we can use it cause it is so dry. You can tell fall is in the air. It has cooled and soon the trees will be dropping their leaves. I love fall but hate the raking of leaves. We have so many. Got to make an early morning run to Wal Mart for some spray paint for a project.

Hi Everybody

In our emails, some of us have been talking about feeling kind of down or just not our usual selves. With all that is going on around us in the world it has to affect every sane person on the planet. Hurricane Katrina and now Rita coming is bad enough but what upsets me the most is the way people act during these times. It seems it brings out so much goodness in most people but others behave worse then animals and I just don't understand that. The looting that went on during Hurrican Katrina, with people stealing, T.V. DVD, computer games etc from stores I thought was the most ridiculous thing I had ever seen. I could actually understand people stealing food and water but electronic equipment, when there wasn't even any power was just plain stupid. When we have one of our BIG snow storms and most of the neighbors are all out shovelling, many help each if they can. When DH had trouble shovelling snow last winter when he thought he "just" had a sore back, a lady neighbor of ours came and blew out the snow behind our garage so the DH could get his car out to go to work. I know she doesn't bake, so I made up a big batch of cookies and took it to her as a thank you. She appreciated the cookies and we sure appreciated her doing the snow. That's how things should work, people should help each other. We now have a snow removal service, but we won't forget how she helped.
While everybody is out there working to clear a path here and there, you hear laughter, and talking about how much snow we got, and what a hardy bunch we Canadians are. The kids of course are in their glory....schools are closed, and forts and snowmen have to be built.
We all have sadness in our lives from time to time and we all deal with it the best we can. Yesterday was a very good day for DH and I at Cancer Care, but just after we saw the doctor, and were feeling so great, another fellow that was sitting with his wife waiting to see his doctor suddenly keeled right over on to the floor. Forunately there was lots of medical people around and they brought a stretcher for him. I heard his doctor ask what had happened to him, and he said he didn't know. All he could remember was laying on the floor and about 10 people in white jackets looking down on him. Seeing the worried look on his wife's face brought me down and my heart went out to her. Later DH had to go and pick up some sheets of food rich in potassium from one of the nurses and I stayed in the waiting area. There was a young man sitting by me, maybe, he was 19 or 20. I started up a conversation with him and he was so sweet. (DH later told me he had gone to the counter to annouce that he was there for treatment). He had all his hair, and didn't look sick, but I KNOW he was. He was such a good looking young man, with blue eyes like my grandson has and it just broke my heart to know he had cancer. In a matter of a few minutes,
I went from feeling so happy and great....
I guess life isn't about being happy and feeling great all the time, it's likely more of us having "pockets" of happiness and that gives us the strength to deal with the rough stuff.
So gals what are your thoughts.
I have WW today, and I hope I do well....I have been trying.
Talk to you all soon.

Hi Everybody

I went to WW and had a really good loss of 2.6# which made me feel so good!
I just might get into those swimsuits in January yet.

Slavika, I know you are right. Just about everybody I know is dealing with issues of some kind and we just have to gather our strength from where we can. My preacher said to pray for the people of Katrina, write a check for what you can and stop absorbing so much sadness. I was getting into the sadness, but that frustration of not understanding the selfishness bothered me a lot until I read the article about the felons being let out of jails and prisons and they just ran amuck (how about that? Never used that word before.) Anyway, guess today I am feeling somewhat better. Slavika, congrats on your DH's progress. There is nothing like sitting in a cancer waiting room to make you feel so blessed--I have seen young mothers with children, young men and even once a 3-year-old child who were so very sick.

Lily, was nice to hear about your amazing trip. I congratulate you on even thinking WW during on such a delightful trip. And it sounded just like what you needed--relaxing and restful. I cannot even imagine the beautiful scenery you much have seen. I am sure this made Slavika and husband even more excited about their upcoming "celebration vacation."

Gloria, thanks for all the cute emails. Peggy, wish we could get some fall weather. It is 93 degrees here and really humid! Weather has been so unpredictable this year.

Ann, enjoy the class reunion. Hope you only get a little rain from this remarkable weather.

All others, love you all. I am doing WW this week perfectly. Last week when I weighed I had not lost anything. So, I bought a journal and this week am measuring everything and drinking beaucoups of water. Wish me luck.
Glenda

G'day all,

I agree with the sentiments of Slavika, Glenda and Trudy Life can be so challenging at times. When you see the sort of stuff like the looters etc., you wonder if anyone is normal anymore...
One of the reason our dd did not want to work in oncology was because she found it just so hard to see young people with terminal cancer.
She has always liked aged care and helping older people enjoying the twilight years of their life. Her job now is assessing aged care homes and recommending (or not) subsidies for the high, medium or low care of the residents of the homes. She has been amazed at what she has found, homes where they have been claiming high care subsidies and on interviewing the resident no high care was provided. There have been many instances of major descrepancies with the care provided and the care claimed for. She now realises that aged care is just yet another money spinning venture for many involved.
She is young, quite idealistic and is determined that she is going to make a difference. Good for her!
I sometimes feel that I just don't want to go anywhere, stay in my cocoon at home and not be bothered with any of the depressing news.
I hope I can stay here till they carry me out in a box!!

On a brighter note, I have a little family living in my tiny backyard! The last few weeks I have been watching a black bird building a nest in one of the pine trees. When I hold a mirror over the nest I can see how well it is constructed and this morning there are 4 eggs in the nest!!!

Slavika aren't you just the star with your weight loss good for you. Your bathers might be too big for you when the Maui trip comes around

I have to rush....hope everyone is well and happy,

Cheers
Maria

Slavika: I so agree with you. I have seen to many bad things said over Katrina. People Blaming Blaming. No one helping. And thats what it is about. People getting out there and doing what they can. I also agree with the pockets of Life. One day it will be great the next who knows what hits. We all need to be prepared to help freinds when they need it. Its life. Sad things happen. But you can support when its needed. Thats what people should do. Help. Forget the Blaming.

Congrats on the Loss!

Tomorrow we are off for a short trip. Last day of Vacation. Going to a small town. Have lunch, shop and drive back. Should be fun.
Then Alas. Work......... Need to move to Kauai'i Now! LOL

Hi to everyone else!

Hi all,

I haven't felt much like posting. Now that i know that others are in a funk too. i feel at least i have company.

We are getting some much needed rain with Rita. Along with some wind but it is just the outer band that we are feeling. I have a friend in Texas City, Texas. That is located right in the path of Rita. Hope she and her hubby have gotten out told her I have a spare room now if she wants to come here. I haven't heard back from her so hopefully she has a plan.

Well we are going to Minnesota for Thanksgiving. We have our tickets to fly. Sprout will be going too.Am looking for a soft sided pet carrier that doesen't weigh too much. The carrier and Sprout can't weigh over 15 pounds. He weighs 11.5 and stands 12 inched high. My fear is I will get him to the airport and he will weigh too much with carrier. They will want to put him in the cargo hold and THAT AIN"T GONNA HAPPEN! So am looking for a carrier that weighs about 2.5 to 3 pounds. I have found one that weighs 3.5 and that cuts it too close. I may have to go with it. And pray!!!!! Can you tell I'm a bit uptight over this trip. We had not planned to go but Our Kids were so crushed we gave in.

Have been enjoying all the emails that all of you are sending.

Slavika good news about DH and how he is getting along. And i did enjoy the story of the poopen pups.

Maria, I don't know if I have ever shared with you that even though i lived with in spitting distance from 5 of my grandchildren. I did very little babysitting. Not my bag. And the wore me out when I did once in a while. My thing was I had a job and house and a husband that took up much of my time. And i neede some alone time . So I most often said no to babysitting. I did short term like for doctors appointments and things like that. But not long term. I didn't ever trad of babysitting with people when My kids were youg. either i paid a sitter or I didn't go. Thats just me. I am not good long term with kids. My daughter always wonders how I managed to raise 3 of my own. I've always countered with they were my own thats how.

Took Sprout walking in the rain tonight. It's always warm even when it rains so we go. He has taken a liking to water. When people have their sprinklers on he runs through them. And when I give him his bath he just sits like a good boy .

Well thats enough for now. Hi to everyone .

Karen

G'day all,

I can understand that you get a bit like not wanting to post Karen, so much bad is happening around the place.
Hurricane Rita certainly does not look good

Well this morning I watched a movie I got from the library 'Countess from Hong Kong'. It was a very 'nothingy' sort of movie, very politically incorrect, but just enjoyable to watch and you certainly did not have to think
It starred Sophia Loren and MArlon Brando, what a stunning looking woman she is/was. Marlon Brando looked pretty good too
The film was made in 1966, of course we all looked stunning in 1966
I think it was Ann, Trudy and Glenda who resolved to only watch 'nothingy' type stuff on TV well I can recommend watching these sort of old movies.

DH is home next week so I won't be able to sit in my pijamas watching old movies till lunch time!! I have been feeling a bit yuck and have been waking up with very bad headaches (I don't normally get headaches). I think perhaps my neck is out so I have made an appointment to see a chiropracter tomorrow.

On the baby sitting front, we are looking after Matilda from Saturday morning till Sunday morning. We have to attend a 60th birthday party on Saturday afternoon, it will be a very boring affair so having Matilda as a bit of a distraction might be a good thing!!!

Karen good for you taking a stance on baby sitting, I don't feel quite as strongly as you do but hear what you are saying.
I hope all goes well with your trip at Thanksgiving. Does that mean if Sprout is a certain weight you can actually have him with you in the cabin???????
I have not heard of that before.

Hope you are well,

Cheers
Maria