Welcome to the new home for Winter/Summer depending on where you are in this wide wonderful world.




A warm welcome awaits those who lurk but pluck up the courage to comment. We might be fairly nuts but we are really very nice.

If we are all very quiet, maybe we can decorate this place before Shad wakes up!!! I'll get the tree and be right back.

What's a holiday without a few pointsettias?

... and Santa at the gate peeking in to make sure we are more nice than naughty!

You two are conniving to tart up the house already??? We only just shifted in during the last 6 hours. Still I guess we wouldn't be the women that we are if we didn't want to 'improve' things somewhat. Just don't run over the original inhabitants as you zoom past please Mel.

I just woke up with a raging thirst and a sinus headache so decided to do something about both those things and check out the garden while I was around. Then I checked to see if anyone had gone back to the old house and found you too decorating the new one!

Uneventful flight home - only 2 screaming kids, 1 drunk male and a petulant old 80 year old lady who couldn't understand why anyone would want to 'put her on a bus at this time of night.' Let's just hope it was the right bus!!!! and she wasn't supposed to be in Adelaide, Hobart or Perth. I had a spare seat beside me, so managed to curl up and doze a little, then had a longish wait for the DS. Because Queensland doesn't embrace daylight saving and Victoria does, the flight got to Brisbane at 10.00 and not 11.00. DS needs to sleep so I said that I would wait for him and not make him come in early. Interesting places, airports late at night. You get to meet and talk to a range of characters. The security guard who is more interested in the dog races than actual security etc. Oh and I must tell you a funny. The big red suitcase that I was using is fairly old - I took it with me to UK the first time I went there. Anyway nothing lasts forever and the wheel fell off my little red wagon as I left the office for the last time and I more or less had to drag it, trying to balance it on one little wheel. Can you guess how many people both in the office and in the street stopped me to tell me that my suitcase has only one wheel? It's even funnier when I think that I had the other wheel in my hand!!!

There were plaudits aplenty when I left - made me quite sad I was leaving - they even bought afternoon tea for me. They thanked me for the hard work I had put in. I forebore to tell them that I could have done twice as much in half the time if only they had got their act together sooner. That sounds a bit arrogant but really it isn't. Even yesterday they were changing the standards and guidelines yet again, and everyone has to yet again re format their documentation.

Why am I whinging?? for heavens sake, I am out of there. The recruitment agent rung me yesterday to tell me that some bloke or other is delighted that I am coming to work on Monday and that they are waiting eagerly for my arrival. Hmmm wonder if they will feel like that on Monday afternoon. It would be so interesting to know exactly what it is that I am going to do for them. I'll cope, but am I prepared for the reality??

Well better go and track down the rose that I can smell from the computer. The roses are looking good, but the DS has been 'trimming' the lavender hedge. Hope it can survive his trimming! Weeds are proliferating and I will be out in the garden at some time today - so what's wrong with right now? It's cool, there's a slight breeze, the sun hasn't got up high enough to burn yet and it is only 0600 hours!

i stay off for a couple of hours and you move and decorate so i thought ill be the angel {as long as no one looks for the halo its around the ankles}
im terrible with last postage dates so im posting everyones cards this week and if you get them to early DONT OPEN THEM or at least dont tell me just dont tell the family they are used to getting there cards very late i think the worse was giving my dad his birthday card in august which wouldnt be bad but his birthday is in june
so now let me see whats been happening talked to teel she had a run in with munglani and she wasnt very amused and personally i dont bloody blame her he told her that shes disabled so shell just have to expect to be in pain !!!!!! the mans supposed to be a pain doctor obviously nobody told him hes not to cause the pain!!!! so it looks like shell not be home till monday now
getting a wee bit more organised took down all the pictures and the big mirror from the livingroom walls and washed all the nicotine off them and the throws and cushions and curtains and the vertical blinds so the place smells a wee bit better still not wanting to smoke but im not dwelling just going with the flow and take it one step at a time
we dont decorate the house till december and then kill each other arguing where everything goes dont know where the tree is going this year as my comp is now in the living room along with a very large desk and chair
so at the moment it seems like ill be sending you posts from the top of the tree wearing baubles and tinsel the mind boggles isnt that a picture youd rather not see !!! right im goint to put away the ironing and take the last load of washing out the machine and get it hung up and then i think ill have a cup of coffee anyone want to join me???
kirsty

thought you all might like this just incase you dont like the idea of me on the xmas tree

kirsty

O goodo, the tree is here, Santa's at the gate, the kirsty kitten is on the top of tree and there are poinsettia all around the joint. Looks like I might have to get in the mood for Christmas!!!! Not pretty thought.

Thanks Kirsty for the Teel info. I'm about to pick up the phone and dial until my fingers hurt - now let me think 001844.................... - it just goes on and on. I really will have to store these phone numbers on the phone and not in my head.
Aaah maybe I wont just ring, I best check time zones first.
I really can't imagine some of those nursing and medical types being over impressed with this brash colonial attempting to hijack a patient late at night.

Lucky I did that, it is after 10 over there. Later, later, maybe around 7 or 8 tonight my time. Hang in there Teel the cavalry is coming. Interesting folk you have in medicine over there Linus. Wonder what they say to people who are terminal. Just get over it????

While I think about it. Sounds like you are doing great on the smokes or rather no smokes - go for it girl. You sound a bit like the way I did it. Just decided to give up and got on with life. Can't say I ever craved much either. The only thing that really happened was that about six months after I gave up, I was helping my brother to shift. He opened a new pack of smokes and the smell was just wonderful. I still like the smell of a fresh pack of ciggies. I begged, finally stole one, lit up and spent the rest of the day on and over the loo. I was so sick. It cured me for once and for all I guess. I do not advocate this for everyone tho' It is up to the individual and I'm really proud of Happy and you for getting over the weed.

Anyway, I better go. Don't mean to spend all day on the computer.

I'm happy to sit here with my 4 ounces of Aussie wine and enjoy the view. I don't plan to decorate our house for Christmas this year, but other family members may have other ideas. If any youngsters show up, you KNOW this house will be decorated in a flash!

I ran the 5K last Sunday evening and came in third in my age group - BRONZE medal! And really cool t-shirts. The Fast Old Ladies must have had other plans. We're planning another 5K tomorrow - called The Sister Run. The proceeds go to ovarian cancer research. Then Sunday we have an excused absence from church - we'll be volunteering at a local marathon. I'm looking forward to that. We're going to work the finish line together.

We went to our dear son's yesterday for the US Thanksgiving dinner. Our dear DIL is the one who got us started thinking about our weight and then actually doing something about it. The dinner was totally clean and yummy. I made an apple pie (surprised? ) and used only minimal sugar so even dessert was 'clean.' She said she'd like to train for a 15K race and dearest Hubster said he would too and I said I'd love to watch the sweetie DGBoys. Our son can't be sure of his schedule so DDIL didn't want to commit to training with her YMCA group if she couldn't race. The race is in March.

I finished the apples today with 12 more quarts of applesauce!!!! We took applesauce and apple butter to our son's house yesterday and the DGBoys were thrilled. It's nice to enjoy enthusiastic, sincere appreciation.

How to make applesauce: First you buy the Ball's Blue Book aka The Canning Bible. I have been canning for years, so I have all kinds of equipment. All it really takes though is apples, sugar, cinnamon, canning jars, lids and bands and a canning kettle. And time and the willingness to have a warm kitchen.

Dearest Hubster is making his special chicken chili and jalapeno cornbread. YUMMMM!!!! The best part about going to other people's houses for holidays is No Leftovers!

Excellent new digs, thanks Shad! Good to have you back where you belong Fingers crossed for Monday. ps. your suitcase has aquired a limp Hugs for your poor sinuses, Tylenol sinus meds are the only thing that ever kicked that pain away for me.
Your lovely elves have decorated it a treat, just one thing missing

Antonio of course

I spent all day organizing my daughters room. They share, so the mess is quite colossal. I put one of their dressers in the closet and moved their desks side by side and shifted the bookcase with the videos over closer to the bookcase with the books to create a little corner of entertainment Looks better than it was

Linus-looks like we were both in organizing moods today. Doesn't shifting stuff give you a good feeling? Accomplishing something concrete, so rewarding. I can smell the coffee

Tig-yummy, cinnamon and apples, I bet your house smells divine. Sounds like the majority of your family is into making fitness a priority, lucky you to have so much support.


Mel and Happy, and all the rest of you adorable little elves, I am smiling right now at your decorating mischief, commando decking of the halls in our new abode, beauty!

Hoo boy, seems Christmas mayhem is upon the thread. I'll go up into the roof tomorrow to see what I can dig up from the days I did celebrate, decorate, eat drink and merry.

Nice to hear from you Meadow. Thanks for the welcome home. Glad I'm here although the first day home always seems to be pretty dead for me. Always a sinus problem from the plane. Usually a headache and thirst too. I guess I will be better tomorrow.

Tig you little exerciser you. Way to go. I'm going to the gym tomorrow to get back into the swing of things. Then early mornings again for me. Two days of 5k in a row would be tiring for me still. Although I must admit I am getting better again. 4 days a week at the gym is the least I must do!
Have you built an extra closet for the T-shirts yet?

Been and done the shopping. Made a fresh fruit salad for my breakfasts and cut back the roses. Now I have 3 vases of roses giving the house a much nicer fragrance than the closed up smell it had when I got in last night. Had a siesta, sort of tidied the lavender hedge, (hope it recovers) and picked up Sunday the cat (who is being very loving right now. She must be hungry) and some of the plants. Womble will be pleased with me.

Better go feed the animal before she butts me into next week.

Shad~ Hope no one puts speed bumps in the housse to slow me down! good luck on Monday and hope the appreciate you right away and not when leaving!!! congrats on the plaudits, you deserved them!the house must smeell lovely and I bet sunday follows you everywhere just in case you try and slip away again! fingers crossed for the lavendar hedge! although I know it's not funny when you grow something and then someone takes a machete and gives it a crew cut!!

Linus~ Thanks for the Teel story. maybe what the Dr is trying to say but isn't being very tactful about is that there is a certain amount of pain that must be tolerated because of all the problems. It seems to me that they have done to her what they did to the American footballers. Overdosed them in pain meds so that they have become not only addicted but pain-sensitive to the extreme. It's not an easy condition to treat. I feel so bad about all her mishaps. Send her my ((((HUGS)))). You sound like the busy elf this week too! The house must smell great and we should get you some of Shad's roses to sweeten it up even more!! Be careful of your BACK!! Especially if you need to climb the tree each day to post us notes!! Best get a step stool for the job!!

Tig~ A big congrats on the Bronze medal!!! Very nice job for an old lady! Love the apple butter story! Love apple butter too! Just send some along with the chili and cornbread! Maybe the husband should be a caterer to people who have no time to cook?!? Or one of those personnal shoppers?? i am drooling over here!! I'll be right over to decorate while you sip the Aussie wine!!

Meadow~ So good to see you again! And sooooo very nice of you to put Antonio under my tree!!! Hope you are fine now and over the flu???? missed you and your pics! You certainly did a great job with furniture moving!! maybe you and Linus should go into the moving/rennovation business! My DD and I saw a closet made into a computer area and it was great. I keep thinking about it but I need the closet for my junk! LOL

Well Chickas, I should get a move on. Still sorting and decluttering. The story of my life. If it gets warm enough, I hope to get out even if it's only for 15 minutes. Hope the weekend is good to all of you and stay well.

First time with a 'Cross Country' type of race with running a sandy utility road and still got a medal. Where ARE the Fast Old Ladies?? I was second in my age group and Dearest Hubster was third in his. We had our pictures taken together with our medals.

They had a very good Ovarian Cancer awareness program and there were about a dozen survivors. We became acquainted with Joe who is 60+ and teaches exercise and fitness to seniors. Fun morning!

The t-shirts are really cool. I've decided the only thing to do is to throw out work clothes to make room for my t-shirts!

Shad ~ I laughed at your big red suitcase story. I threw my poor trashed suitcase away after this last trip - evidently the airline employees are pretty mad at their employer and took it out on my suitcase. As far as w-o-r-k, when the powers that wanna-be start changing the documentation rules, it definitely is time to shake the dust off and leave. hmmmm...that's going on with my project at w*, too!

linus ~ wow! Congratulations on how well you are doing with the no smoking, and washing those blinds and curtains is definitely making it a no smoking zone. It is amazing how technically good some docs are with absolutely no people skills. I'm disabled and have pain, but if my doc told me that, HE'D be in pain!

meadow ~ NOW I recognize the place with AB here. I've missed the pix.

happy ~ nice job decorating! Evidently dearest Hubster was inspired by you. He decorated the dining and living rooms while I've been on the computer.

Mel ~ we've got plenty of decorations. I'd be happy to sit on the sidelines and watch the experts!

Kirsty, I need to get to my laundry and ironing, too. Keep that coffee pot going!

evening all and how are we on this lovely freezing cold rainy pitch black november evening good i hope? now how are we all enjoying our new home ? MEADOW has brought antonio complete with santa hat how are the girls , are they starting to get excited? i didnt think mine would but they are well conner is craids got flu so hes a wee bit off and its definantly not cool to be excited about santa{but he is} but whats getting to them is i have presents for all the family but after they found most of the pressies last year this year we havent bought them yet
TIG you are way too energetic for me but good on ya girl keep running maybe one year you can do the london marathon and teel and i can take you for tea at the palace my son puts his old football shirts in frames and hangs them on the wall as i dont know about your football teams but ours change there strips every season and of course you must have the newest one
SHAD is it good to be home you cant really tell from your posts??????? bet you sunday s glad your home and your plants will soon be home what happened to the hedge ? my mum said they really do grow back hope the job goes good and it lasts a long time and you can stay home good
MEL teel sends hugs back and says thanks for the thoughts and she says dont be too nice or shell keep crying hows the snowmen going??? they actually seel cupboards{closets}that are computer desks and storage you can see them on the website i use for all my houshold stuff as the superstore is just up the road its, www.argos.co.uk and go to computer storage and youll see them
HAPPY thanks for the addie and your cards on the way so you will be able to hang it from the dashboard in the car if you end up sleeping in the car teel had given me it before but i lost it or deleted it from my emails i think !!!
ROSE hows the neck of the woods you hail from ?? must be so lovely up there at this time of the year you really must ask santa for a digital camera and take some pics for us where are you going for xmas ? are you going away or staying and having guests ?? god i am being a nosy sod tonight
anyway i suppose id better go and take the washing out the machine and the load in the dryer should be dry ive been so busy today ive changed all the bedding in the room and the throws and bolsters and gave the place a good dusting as dh is at the pub and i showered the dogs and it took nearly three hours to blow dry benjy that dog really has far too much hair ?? and ive got loads of washing still to be done but in between times ive gave myself a manicure and pedicure {ouch id forgot the ingrown toenail}and plucked my eyebrows and as soon as ive had the dogs out at 10 im going in the shower as ive got that new perfume au de doggy and it pongs a bit and yes im watching my back ive got a walk in shower so no lifting dogs that weigh far more than they should so im off and ill speak to you all tomorrow
kirsty

Busy lot yesterday weren't we?
Yes Linus, I certainly am glad to be home for a while. They don't have smilies doing somersaults otherwise I would use them. I just need to get the *** into gear now and get cracking - not leave evertything until I have to think about going away again. I am going to work out a plan for getting things done regularly and not in my usual gangbuster style. What happened to the hedge? The DS thought he was doing me a favour and decided to 'trim' the lavendar hedge. The shears weren't too sharp and he never thought to get the power trimmer out and he just butchered it. Always in too much of a hurry that lad. Lavender doesn't grow well in Queensland and I had just got the thing to almost perfection. Aaah well, if it doesn't grow back, I will just have to think of something else. Sunday is following me around like a shadow. She has settled in quite well again, and shut up which she never did at DS's place. She was not impressed when I put her back in the carry cage. Arms and legs were all over the place trying to stay out of it. She sure hates small spaces.

So good to see that everyone has found their way over to the new pad. They are no speed humps in the house Mel, those were the 1st family that you just ran over. George will not be pleased as he and lil Johnny were great friends!!!!

The red suitcase has been round the world twice. It came to grief in the streets of Melbourne and will be trashed here. I couldn't believe it when so many people asked me if I knew one of the wheels had fallen off and how difficult it must be to pull. Airline employees are not known for their finesse with baggage. I can only presume that is why from inside so many airports you can't see the baggage handlers zooming around in their carts anymore. That way you don't get to see how badly they treat your luggage.

So todays plan is to get back to proper eating. To start cleaning and clearing around here and catch up with the housework. I also want to try setting myself a menu for the week. I know I have put on a kilo or so since the end of last month, drat it. It's time to get serious about the weight again. I was so close at one time a month or two back to being under 70K by Christmas. Now it is still possible but.................. might have to leave the wine tasting to Tig.

Been in touch with the family yesterday. They know I am home now. I should expect to see them knocking on my door today. Hey these are my brothers!!!! They forget me unless they want something. Well almost. I'd better go check out some friends if I want company.

Anyway out to work in the garden for an hour. Catch you later.