[QUOTE=Shad]
- The Kiwi eats roots and leaves. Some enterprising Australian put in a couple of commas (probably about the only time an Australian has ever used commas!!!) - therefore the Kiwi was having a fine time stuffing himself with food, doing the horizontal happy dance (well put by the way) and getting out of there before the consequences hit.

Yes it's me again...another 5 minutes in the sand box and Miss Mel will be turfing me out saying I am taking her turn as well as mine!!

Anyway I wanted to say that there is a book published fairly recently over in the UK at least that's called EATS, SHOOTS AND LEAVES and has the story of a panda that goes into a bar and orders a drink and a meal, eats everything, then pulls out a gun and shoots the barman before leaving.....hence the title of EATS, SHOOTS AND LEAVES.
Hmmmmn....time I definately went, I think!!!

Good Morning, Happy Easter weekend to all of you. Teel it was so nice to read your posts. I laughed all over again I do hope you are able to get into seeing the Dr. Sounds like you have some good neighbors by you. Your friends here are all sending good thoughts and prayers your way,too. I really like your name Teel is there a story there?
Oh Miss MEL, I am sure we are all wondering how you are today and how yesterday went for you. I do hope you are alright. Let us hear from you!
Shad I do hope you are enjoying your weekend and just kicking back a little bit. SO it is your dog's name Shad...is he a german sheperd? Have you ever hiked through any parts of the Dorrigo Nat'l Park? That is as far North as I have been during my trips to OZ. and the furthest south was hiking in Wilson's Promontory Nat'l Park. I so enjoyed my trips there..... probably my once in a lifetime adventures.
Linus how old are your lads? Are you ready for the holiday weekend? I won't be able to be with my boys this holiday but have sent them a few things to enjoy, no matter how old they get I will spoil them. School is very stressful for them right now and they both have girlfriends who I know will make sure they have a nice meal.
Happy hope you are doing well and we are all pulling for you in kicking the butts. The more times you try to quit the more successfull you are...... This site with these terrific woman is a great place to come and vent and to keep those fingers busy.... Where are you going on your trip?
WEll, my exercise didn't work out quite the way I had planned but I am not giving up I am still going for increased activity this month.....It was very windy at the end of the day yesterday and I think I see fresh snow on the tops of the mountains this morning.
Many Blessings to everyone and their loved ones this weekend......
Take Good Care,
Roseblush

You Gals have been busy for sure I have done enough sulking for the time being. But I kept busy too. I am going back next Weds. to the eye guy and will argue for steroid drops. I found another bottle with about 4 drops in it and put 1 drop in each eye. Like a miracle they are much improved. I know there is a danger with them but I think we all need to sit down and trust each other. We'll see if they are truly concerned with my "happiness" of pain free eyes and if they have faith in ME as well as I with THEM! Thanks for all the warmth and caring. Reading these posts today was good for what ailed me. You all keep me "rolling" along!

Happy~Loved the Annie story. I once set a paper towel on fore and it flew all over the kitchen while burning! I almost had a heartattack trying to run around chasing it! I am cooking today and had to use new ideas for spices. I made a soup but have to eat it only warm and not hot Thank God summer is coming. Many salads! Hope you are getting packed and how goes the ? Hope it goes well my friend! Lots of hugs!!! Keep visualizing!! I'm visualizing blue eyes with no RED in them!!!

Shad~ My Southern friend. What would I do without you? Perish the thought.
Sorry to hear about the priest but happy to hear about the loan!!!
Maybe the folks next door won't buy after all?!?! When next you cook the bacon look over by the cat and I will be there waiting for my bits too! My most favorite food!!! Hope the CV's find a good home and bring some new and wonderful job your way! i almost bought myself flowers but remembered they would probably start the eyes even worse!! WTF!!! My sense of humor prevails and hope it can keep up with these visits. I AM WOMAN!!! HEAR ME ROAR!!!

linus~I may need that bunk bed! I imagine clydesdale riding could be hard on the fanny......oops......I mean the bum or whatevery you call it!!!
The kids will think these posts are X-rated!! Hope you get to ride again soon and how goes the WW. Hope you ignore anymore rude stuff!!! I have adopted a new oputlook that helps most of the time.....I will endure whatever I have to just to get where I am going. I has been working so far. Once in awhile I threaten to run over toes or whatever gets in my way!!! Keep us posted.

teel~ My God Woman.....What more can go wrong with us!!! I am very SORRY to hear about the morph and the professor story. I cannot believe it! Is there no one to intervene? What a big pill to swallow! (((((HUGS))))) I was glad though to hear about the pounds and hope it continues. Yay for one thing that is going right Hope you are feeling a bit better and getting around. Can you go to the pool at all in the near future? Take care.

Rose~ I laugh in wonder of what you will write next!!! Turtles! Having gone through many animals with Jen, I had a chuckle at the story. My DD had a small turtle and was so delighted with it and the responsibility that went along with it. I thought the DH was keeping tabs on her and IT and he thought I was!! Well one day she came and said "He doesn't want to eat anymore" I went in there and there was an empty shell! I said he was sick like Grandma and off he went to turtle heaven. God only knows how long he was dead or why?! I have been sitting here laughing and feeling bad all at the same time for that poor turtle of long ago! Now that I remember this.....I think I'll find someone else to take care of me when the time comes instead of Jen!!!

I must go and package up my soup and grilled chicken. Made the salad and cut fruit up already. Easter will be quiet. Kids and a movie on Sunday night with a light dinner of their choice(take-out) I have many days to get into window cleaning and perhaps hang some curtains with some help.
Have a wonderful Friday and take care. Happy Saturday to the others!!!
Has Shaker gone and left us?!?!?

Hi Chickies,

It's a cool day but nice and sunny and I got a little extra sleep today because it's a holiday weekend - yeah for 3 day weekends! DH has to work today so I have the house all to myself. Extra sleep, a quiet house and energy - perfect makings for getting lots done today and lots I have to do. I want to have a clean house and everything put aside for vacation Friday so that I'm not running around like a headless chickie on Thursday night. Very often, no matter how organized I am it seems I don't get any sleep at all the night before vacation. Always one more thing to do. I'm trying to break that habit this time. Am doing well with the smoking - getting it into my head that I WANT to stop this instead of the negative idea that I am giving something up. I start the Zyban today and quit day is next Friday.

Mel and Teel, I hope you both are feeling better. Such trials you both have to endure. Makes me really grateful for my health even if there are occasional aches and pains along the way, they are really nothing to speak of.

Rose, everytime you describe your area, I get such a lovely picture of the wide open spaces. I'm sure Alaska must have been pretty too, if not rather cold - brrrr. Someday DH and I hope to take a cruise to Alaska. Let's get moving next week - we'll be watching you!

Linus, how's the Slimming World coming along? What do you do there?

Shad, sorry to hear that the house didn't work out for DS but I'm sure he'll find another. Sounds like you'll be quite busy yourself out and about the garden this weekend. Enjoy the weather!

We are having the Easter family dinner at my nephew's place on Sunday. I am in charge of desserts. Will have to come up with something tasty but not too sinful. The company that makes the best chocolate in the world was bought out by another company earlier this year and they have been shut down. It was depressing but also in a way good as I will not be tempted by chocolate bunnies or a face full of pimples as an after effect. It still won't be the same without - yes Linus don't laugh Fannie Mae chocolates.

Well half the day is over and I'd better get moving along here. Have a good weekend and Happy Easter to you all!

No chocolates here either Happy. Both DS and I have a horrible habit of forgetting they are there. We once threw out a box of chocolates that was 2 years out of date. Obviously exDH was not around at the time - otherwise it would have been gone.
Teel, what can I say about the British Health System. Nothing really and I guess the same thing happens here as well. Bureaucracy gone beserk. The 3lbs is good news though. Just as an awful afterthought - what happens when they have turned you into a Heroin addict??? Do they then have to treat you for that as well?? Horrible, horrible, horrible thought Shad. As if you didn't have enough to cope with
Yes Linus, how did you go at Slimming World? We need to know. You know how nosy we are. Pity Mel and I weren't over there. We would have gone to WW with you and caused some consternation with the leader. They are not all like that you know. I think you just found the wrong one for you. I have heard of it happening before from a friend in Phoenix who. when they changed leaders on her did not do well at all and then my friend was finally asked to leave the group and find another one. I think that sort of finished her at WW.
Rosblush - Shad the dog is a crossbreed, part Australian Kelpie and part German Shepherd. He is 15 years old this year and is slowing down quite rapidly. It is hard to watch the degeneration, but I have promised him that as long as he is happy to go for his walk in the morning, and to line up for dinner at night and to generally be glad to see us home at night then he shall stay. When the time comes we will sort it out for him. Right now in spite of his various aged related problems he seems indestructible.
I have been to Wilsons Promontory, Rosie but obviously not the Dorrigo. Presume that must be in NSW. I have heard of it but can't recall much about it. I live in sub-tropical Queensland near Brisbane. I've seen most of this State and must admit that my favourite area is Central Inland Queensland - Carnarvon National Park has to be one of the most beautiful places in this country if not elsewhere as well. I like the area because of the diversity. I can go Sapphire hunting, Opal hunting, go to the Stockmans Hall of Fame, go to the Birdsville races, and generally have a great time. There's plenty to see and do. Only State I haven't been to is the Northern Territory. I had hoped to do that on this job, but it was not to be. This is a big country and theres lot's to see and do yet. Such a pity that it is cheaper to holiday abroad than it is here!
Did a couple of hours in the garden yesterday and got rid of a large amount of weeds and those darned sweet potatoes. Today I will go out there again and rake it smooth and plant a few veges and make a final plan for that part of the garden. It's the area I want to put in some pavers and a seat. It should be cool enough down that corner for lounging around even on the hottest summer days. Well I hope it is anyway. Then I can move on to other parts of the garden and mow the lawns. Probably for the last time this summer. Lawns grow very little in winter over here. Then I better get to and do some housework and the washing etc etc etc - who ever said 'A wonan's work is never done' was spot on the mark.
Funny thing happened last week. Robbie has taken away my computer. He is about to fix the problems I have been having since the virus. He left a message for me to ring him on Thursday. I rang him on Friday and he has gone away for the 4 day Easter break. Now it occurs to me that my resume is on that computer!!! Ho hum. So now I have to take the written copy and re do it. Probably not a bad idea as the layout is dated anyway or find it on the back up disk and try to get it up on Simons machine. Guess that is tonights job. Oh no it isn't. There is some good British TV on tonight - new series of Monarch of the Glen. I love that program. Also a couple of lifestyle programs I want to watch. So the resume will fit in somewhere. Mind you I have done it so often now - for me and for others - that I could just about do it with the eyes closed. Only dates and times change.
Alrighty eno' of this blether as Linus would say. Time to go get on with it.

OH Monarch of the Glen!!! It's on Monday nights over here! Love that show!!! I missed it last week though. I must remember to set the VCR next time!

I have cooked my tushy off and cleaned the kitchen too. I even made SF pudding and salad dressing. Such a Suzie Homemaker am I I have a pot of soup, hard boiled eggs, tuna salad and rice for the grilled chicken. No cooking for a week. Freezer and fridge are filled.

Goodnight all and good morning Shad!

morning all feeling a bit crap after affects of a night out my back keeps trying to insist im 90 so ill medicate all day and pop back on tonight and give you all a nice big post thanks for the nosiness its what keeps me going
speak tonight
kirsty

SATURDAY, SATURDAY..........LA LA LA
HAPPY SATURDAY EVERYONE! I will put on something a little warmer then.....Going to throw open the window and CLEAN the bedroom. I think I hear the dust bunnies multiplying under the bed! Hope you all have a lovely day. See ya later!
Linus~ Hope the back feels better too!!

HAPPY EASTER!

GOOD NEWSThe mall bus driver is on vacation so Willie is driving them. He asked if I wanted to go as his LIFT is in working order!!! So on Monday I am taking my BD giftcards and going out for clothes!!I should be able to get a few pieces!!! I'm soooo excited! Hope nothing happens to throw a spanner into the works again! Seems like I'm doomed each time

hi all and a good easter to you all MEL thanks for the kind thoughts but i think my spine thinks its eighty and the rest of the body is following suit its my own fault i was really sore after sitting in the hairdressers for an hour getting my hair cut my back was screaming so i went for a kip and felt a bit better when i woke up decieded for once that my illness wasnt going to rule my life and went to hubbys cousins thirtyth party anyway i had a really good night didnt dance well one slow one with hubby but i refuse to give that up {you never know when i lose this weight he can carry me}and for some strange reason the function suite is down three flights of stairs and when it came time to come home getting up those stairs was so painful i just about cried so to cut a long story short i ended up on the floor at 4 oclock this morning and couldnt get up to get my painkillers and wouldnt wake hubby up to get them as my brother in law was asleep in the living room and he was working this morning so i lay nd cried like a baby and to make things worse my dog decieded i was playing and kept jumping on me from the bed and god does she weigh a ton i think its all those muscles so now im stuck indoors for another week and bang goes any thought of exerciseing now slimming world its like weight watchers and i joined on thursday night and was made very welcome and the diet is going to suit me down to the ground there is so much food you are allowed and whats really good if i stick to red days i can eat as much meat or fish or seafood as i like because ive never been on a diet before i was worried that it would be all salad and fruit neither of which i eat much { salad not at all} actually ive not found anything i cant fit into the diet somewhere so heres hoping i might be able to stick to this i just need toi put aside some time to work out my eating plans and i should be set anyway ive bored you all senseless now so im going and hope you all have a nice easter
kirsty
ps yes rose i love having all these special days with my kids and because myself and my sisters only buy easter eggs for our own {its too expensive to go all round them all }hopefully they shouldnt be sick last year my youngest had munched his way through six large eggs and the accompnying sweets before we had even got out of bed and no he wasnt sick so didnt learn any lesson from it so this year hes only got three and the best of it was he still ate his dinner i think hes got hollow legs

Here's hoping he's hippity hopping your way.............la la la
HAPPY EASTER

Ah MEL you are such a big boost to the brain in the morning - log onto Rainbows. You are so amazing with your kindnesses.
Actually I got up this morning fairly late for me and only just got back in the door when the phone rang. A call from England no less. So good to hear from you Teel. Sorry that I couldn't arrange for the birds to sing for you. They've all gone down the bush to keep warm for the winter - actually I can hear a couple in the trees now that that the day has warmed up a bit. We are now officially 9 hours in front of England. Teel and I declared that it was eleven hours but when I go back to do the maths, it is nine 10 oclock on Saturday evening in Suffolk equals 7 oclock Sunday morning in Queensland. It should be ten but Teel is on Summertime and we are not.
Linus so sorry to hear that your back is so painful. I hope you enjoyed that party because otherwise it wasn't worth the pain. I well remember the stairs in England and Scotland. There are heaps of them. Particularly in the Underground in London. Not all that many lifts either. (Umm elevators). DS got up shortly after the phone call was terminated and asked if that was my wake up call from America. No said I, it was the wake up call from England. He's gone outside muttering something about international alarm clocks.

So I am back out into the garden today. I feel better and better for this break, despite the fact that I am still coughing after the cold, usually when I laugh. Maybe I should just be serious until the cough goes away. Naaaaaah that won't work.

So happy, how is the medication going for no smoking? I'm trying to work out how it works - does it make you feel sick if you smoke while taking it? Or is it controlled doses to help the nicotine intake reduction or something?

Had an interesting experience last night. (No not that kind of experience) I told Teel about it on the phone. My cat is a little dimwitted to say the least. Well maybe she isn't since she tends to get her own way most of the time. But a hunter she is not. Anyway, last night was a beauty. Bright moonlight and the stars were big and twinkling in the sky. In fact it was so bright that you could see the plants just moving in a very slight breeze. And into this idyllic setting that I can see from my bed comes the cat - she is white, ginger and black and she stands out in the light like she has a uv light on her. Silently she goes about her secret cat business, intent on the lizards and geckos in the bushes when she hears the birds twittering in the tree next door. They've seen her too. She, fairly stupidly, is trying to stalk a bunch of birds in a tree 30 feet in the air. What an idiot. All the way up the tree, she stands out like a beacon and when she gets within cooee of the birds, the branches won't even bear her weight and she plummets to the ground with a cat like roar. Doesn't stop her tho. She must have tried that tree half a dozen times. The birds were almost falling out of the tree with laughter I think.

Oh and Teel, remember you sent me some photos to my mailbox some time ago. I meant to say that unfortunately I couldn't open them (that was about the time I got the virus) so I had to delete them. When my computer comes back I'll get you to send them again if you will.

So time to get on with the day. I had best go and see if the markets are open today for some fruit and veges. They probably aren't but it is a nice day for a drive.
Catch up later.

Hi everyone, Happy Easter to you all! Great colorful post there Mel - very festive!!!

I'm ticked off. I called the doctor more than a week ago to get my Zyban. Tuesday the pharmacy faxed them a letter that they had to call the insurance company. I kept checking with the pharmacy, no approval yet. Yesterday I stopped at the pharmacy and they said the doctor never called the insurance company. I was supposed to start taking the medicine yesterday. Today I tromp to the doctor's office and the nurse says oh yeah, the form's right here - there's a note to follow up with the patient to get an answer to a question (is patient enrolled in a smoking cessation program - YES!!!!). She said the doctor signed the paper Tuesday and "I guess we should have called you, huh??" DUH YEAH!!!! And here I thought it was the insurance company holding up things... You have to take the Zyban for at least a week before you quit to get the right levels in your system. Timing was important as it was my plan to stop smoking the minute I landed in California - a place that is not smoker friendly I figured it would be much easier to deal with if I was in a place I couldn't do it. We will be in California 7 days and are wrapping up the trip with a 3 day weekend in Las Vegas - smoker heaven. I know that's going to be a HUGE challenge to ignore it when everyone around me is puffing away freely, but I thought that if I had 7 days smoke free at that point, I could (with gentle prodding from the hubby ) maybe stick it out. What with the weekend and all, the pharmacist said today she thought that by maybe Tuesday everything would be straightened out. We'll see if willpower (which is NOT my strong point) will carry me through. I hate to have to shell out $50 - $60 for a box of nicotine patches too - besides the expense, they did irritate my skin. But I might get a small pack just in case... Shad, to answer your question, I'm not exactly sure what the Zyban does - it's an antidepressent that in studies they found really helped people quit smoking as a "side benefit" to the drug. And they've been prescribing it for that reason for several years now. I think it helps to lessen the cravings a bit and as Mel said, probably helps with the tempermental mood swings a drug addict would be having : Guess I'll find out when I start taking it. I told DH he has to let me know if I start acting weird which might be hard to tell as I am naturally wierd.

Was a busy day today, can't believe 2 days are gone from the 3 day weekend already and it seems like I barely touched the to-do list and tomorrow's blown with the family dinner. I'm sorry Grandma but I'm just going to have to do some laundry on Easter Sunday when I get home. She's in heaven scowling at me now.

DH wanted to pick up a movie and I really didn't have the time but you know how they get pouty if you don't spend time with them... so we got the Jack Nicholson/Diane Keaton "Something's Gotta Give". It's a really cute movie and they have good chemistry. Enough laughs so it's not entirely a chick flick.

Time to go fix the Easter Baskets for the kids and then off to bed. Happy Easter everyone. Enjoy your Sunday!

happy ive sen that movie and its not a chick flick its a blooming good comedy my aunt stopped smoking with zyban and she swears by it much better than the patches she smoked while being on them the only thing is one of the side affects of zyban is if you try and smoke while on them you will get very nauseus and might even be sick thats one way of stopping i suppose but she hasnt smoked for three years now so good luck and one of these days i will stop iwill iwill
kirsty

Linus~ Hope the back is better. I forget what you posted now!

Happy~ So sorry about the meds!!! Be calm and just go with the flow!! Deep breaths! In through the nose and out through the mouth. In with the good and out with the bad!!! Try it it works Good luck!!

Shad~ happy little gardener! Loved the cat story! You still work for the same place till the end of the month? I forget?! Was wondering if you go back up the hill this week?! I'm so confused!

I'm showered and ready for company! BUT...No visitors till late. OK I'm hopping down the bunnytrail======================================hi ppity hoppity Easter's here today..........la la la
Have a Great Day

HAPPY EASTER

I found a few Easter-tide pictures to attach to add to the general colourfulness of the posts this weekend...hope you like them!Shad everytime I post I forget to ask a question from my mum...she even asked me if I had mentioned it on the phone yesterday..(oh, b.t.w., sorry DS for the early wakeup call!!)It is this! What has happened to all the crops the locusts were homing in on over your end of the world? Mum said there had been heaps on our news channels about a plague of locusts attacking everywhere and everything but I have seen nithing at all about it!!
It has come out a lovely afternoon here in Suffolk so I made Holly's day by taking her on a 20 minute circular past the lovely horse in the field that ate my pear for me and said thank you quite lovingly. She is about 16 hands, a bay and the name printed on her bridle was Saffron Bay . It made me yearn to be able to get back on a horse again. I did used to love it years ago.