Happy New Year

Well now, to everybody everywhere, may the coming year bring you whatever your heart's desire and a pocketful of coinage.

And so it is the last day of the year and time to make our New Year resolutions - do you make resolutions? I'm thinking of some that I know I'll be able to keep - I mean it's pretty silly making all those grandiose reso thingies and just knowing you ain't gonna keep 'em!

So... better to make ones you know you'll be able to keep without too much difficulty. Like...um...let's see now...
1. I promise I will eat all my hot chips and food that's bad for me
2. I will not give up smoking for 2010
3. I will make sure there's petrol in the car
4. I will eat chocolate when and where I feel like it
5. I will not go on a diet
6. I will wear daggy clothes and sloppy t-shirts
7. I will keep the house messy
8. I will not vacuum unless I really, really have to
9. I will not give up stuff for Lent
10. I will annoy my grown-up kiddies and embarrass them.

Reckon I'll have a pretty easy job of keeping those resolutions. See, no point in making stuff you won't keep - you're just fooling yourself.

Out with the new and In with the Old

Oh yes, this is much better - at least I can read the damned thing. Honestly, my eyes were jumping all over the place and I kept seeing spotty dots. Ever tried reading letter/words on a spotted background? Not one of my better ideas that. So, I'll forgo the "swirly" side bits and stick with the plain.

New BAckground?

Hmmm, I've just found out how to get a nice, swirly patterned background, but somehow I don't think the photos and text are going to fit it.
This is just a test run to see what will happen. I may have to go back to the original plain pink.

Edited to add: Well it's official - it looks pretty dumb - writing all over the place and not down the middle of the page on the white centre. It's making the place look untidy, so - it'll have to go.

Back to the original.

Christmas - Aussie Style

Christmas Downunder

A few shots of an Aussie Christmas - outside under the sun. Just as well it wasn't over 30º - the trees (what there is) are in the wrong place!

There were so many of us (19 - one was absent due to illness) that my daughter had the bright idea of bringing all the Chrissie pressies outside and opening them there. This of course was met with some opposition (who else but by one of the "blokes"), however, we won that one, so out they all came. And an excellent idea it was too.

I mean honestly, can you imagine two prams, three toddlers, a high chair and numerous adults all trying to squeeze into my lounge room? Pfft! Outside was much better.

Little Christmas Angels

From left - Miss 7 months, Miss 8 months and Master nearly 2.

Christmas Day

Today is Christmas Day.

Adeste Fideles sung by Bing Crosby.

May your Christmas be filled with happiness and joy.
God bless.

The Six White Boomers

As you know, Christmas "Downunder" is in summer and the poor old reindeer (Rudolph, et al) couldn't stand the heat. And would probably suffer terrible sunburn!

And so, apart from a rusty Holden Ute, if Father Christmas/Santa did use his sleigh, it would of course be pulled by six white boomers. For the uninitiated, a boomer is a kangaroo. Why, we even have a song about them.



The Six White Boomers

Well, yesterday was certainly a "stinker" - 37º with a hot northerly. Junior and I went to the fruit shop and did all the shopping for fruit and vegies. He's been very good and has been a marvelous help - I did my back in and am unable to do very much and he's been a tower of strength. He picked out and carried all the stuff, while I waited near the car. I saw one very hot "Santa" walking along the street, ringing his bell, in full Christmas regalia - red suit, hat, and beard. He must have been terribly hot and I'm sure he would have like nothing better than to be down at the beach, (trying to) cooling off.

Best thing for hot summer days.

I may not be able to post for a bit, so I wish you all a merry Christmas. And for all those who are unhappy or troubled, may the Spirit of Christmas bring you joy and peace. And above all, be happy.☺
God bless.

An Aussie Christmas

Australians let us barbecue for Christmas time is here
A time to stop and rest a bit, and psych up for New Year
On patterned plastic tablecloth we’ll eat our pudding up
And drink a Christmas cordial in polystyrene cup.

Australians let us barbecue for Christmas Time is come
The time we sing that silly song ‘Parum, pum pum pum pum’
We’ll fa la la and ho ho ho and all that Christmas stuff
We’ll crack a gag with Pop and Gran and chuckle our heads off.

Australians let us go for broke in backyards great and small
With Christmas gifts and outdoor chairs, with cricket bat and ball
We’ll pass the salad dressing round, we’ll eat potato chips
And compliment the hostess on a great French Onion Dip.

With sausages and coleslaw too, then let us barbecue.

(Sung to the tune of Advance Australia Fair)

Christmas Downunder

Christmas in Australia - IN the red roofed homes of Australia across this wide brown land, hundreds of people sit down on Christmas Day to a piping hot Christmas lunch (usually) at one o'clock in the afternoon. And there will be a selection of hot meats - roast pork (complete with crackling), or roast beef or lamb,or a couple of roast chooks, roast turkey and ham - the ham is often cold.

And it will be accompanied with all the trimmings - baked spuds, pumpkin and carrot, and green vegies. This of course will be followed by piping hot Chrissie pud with hot custard and/or cream and maybe ice-cream. Very nice on a cold winters day I'm sure. Only thing is - Christmas Day in Australia is in summer and here we are sitting down to a hot meal that would warm the cockles of your heart - and it'll be Forty degrees in the shade! - that's 40ºC - 104ºF!

Christmas Fashions

And you'll find many will be dressed in their Christmas shorts...

and thongs.

With a t-shirt instead of the usual singlet. (A tshirt is dressier)

We've even had to change the words of some of the Christmas songs - like Jingle Bells - To reflect the Aussie landscape of course! I mean, could you imagine singing about sleighs and snowmen? In Australia? There wouldn't be any reindeer (they couldn't take the heat), the sleighs would wear out crossing the Nullarbor, and the snowmen would melt! Here's our version of Jingle Bells -

Oh Christmas Tree...

Christmas Angel

One of our "Angels".

The Tree

Junior bought me a new Christmas Tree -the biggest he could find. I would have preferred the next size down but he was having none of it. So - he had his way (well he was paying for it so what else could I do?)

He decorated it. And had to bend the top of the tree down to get the angel to sit there, otherwise she kept falling off! I put the gold beads on though.

Oh Christmas Tree

I hope you enjoy this song as much as I do. It was a toss-up between the Vienna boy's choir and Nana Mouskouri. The Vienna boys won.

Work Christmas Party

MY work put on our Family Christmas Picnic last week - free food, free drink (non-alcoholic alas), icecream, rides and a present from Father Christmas for the kiddies. Yes, the "Man in the red suit" is always a popular figure at this time of year. Why, he's even known to have been "mobbed"!

Now, in countries on the other side of the world, wearing a nice thick velvet suit complete with fur - fake or otherwise - might be a nice, warm thing for those gents who work with their elves, in shops, along the street, and have the little dears sitting on their knees while they listen to the hastily whispered, "I want a.....". And a happy, smiling, jolly chap listens attentively and nods his head, and at the end of a four hour shift (or however long it is) goes home, puts his feet in front of the fire, sips a warm toddy and toddles off to bed, snug under his electric blanket.
Sounds nice eh?

Well, spare a thought for those who don't live "on the other side of the world" - Terra Australis. (To you of course, it is the other side of the world, but not for us) Yes, Terra Australis - here in Australia it is summer, and all those nice, jolly gents who wear the 'nice thick velvet suit complete with fur - fake or otherwise -' swelter, as they discreetly dab the sweat that runs down their faces. Doing this when it's 40º is no picnic. OH, 40º is 40ºC - that's 104ºF.

And so...I take my hat off to them - they do a wonderful job and make little people very happy.

Baby's First Christmas

This little bub didn't even cry, although she wasn't too sure who he was. But she did like the colour red.

The Farmyard

There were farm animals which amused the kiddies and even many adults had to be dragged away.


Having Fun

Everybody loves a picnic and when it's free, it's even better. The weather turned out to be quite nice - not as hot as last year's one which was a relief for many.


The Drinks King

Meet our king of the drinks. Take a bow.


Master Carver

And here - meet the master carver. He did a wonderful job.


The Queue

Have you ever noticed which is the l.o.n.g.e.s.t queue? It's always for the ice-cream.

A Birthday

Master Five
How many of you remember the children's version of Happy Birthday? You know, the one that goes -
Happy birthday to you
Happy birthday to you
You look like a monkey
And you smell like one too!

And of course somebody just had to remember it and sing it - caused a few raised eyebrows I can tell you. Honestly, some people have no sense of humour.

It's A Stinker

Today it's 38ºC or 100ºF for those who don't do metric and it's a stinker. A "stinker" by the way means it's a stinking hot day - 38º in the shade! As I sit here working on my blog - siomething which sadkly I've not had time to do - the fan is on to keep me sane, otherwise the sweat just runs down my face like a river flowing after a flood.

Weather people tell us this is the hottest November since 1925. Adelaide had 41º yesterday and 39º today which means we get it a few days later. Perth is far west, then Adelaide, an then Melbourne. So, whatever Perth gets, Adelaide gets and so on.

Everyone complains about the weather - it's a national pastime. Where would we be without "the weather"? It's a great conversation starter - good for at least half an hour or so. Another one is tea - having a "nice hot cup of tea" or in the local lingo "a cuppa" that too is good for half an hour. It is said the Melbourne gets four seasons in the one day. But not today, not on your nelly, definitely summer today even though it is spring.

How do you cope with the weather -when it's hot. If you have air conditioners then you don't cope at all for the simple reason you don't have to - it's all done for you. But for those who don't have air con - how do you keep cool? What do you do, where do you go to keep cool?

My Little Angel

A Little Cherub
With her angel wings and cheeky grin, this little poppet makes a fashion statement.

Rooftops - Little Boxes on the Hillside

When I saw these rooftops all snugged together, they reminded me of little boxes, and the words of the song "Little Boxes" came to mind, and I started singing -
Little boxes on the hillside,
Little boxes made of ticky-tacky,
Little boxes, little boxes,
Little boxes, all the same.
There's a green one and a pink one
And a blue one and a yellow one
And they're all made out of ticky-tacky
And they all look just the same.


People did look at me a little strangely!
The words are true of many of us, even though we may not realise. How many of us lead rather set lives - Mum bought X cereal, we buy X cereal. DAd went to the footy, we go to the footy. How often do we mirror our parents? We may like to think we are different, or original, but really - have a think about it. Just how different are we - if we're honest, not much at all really. (See the video below.)

I've always loved this video version mainly, I think, because of the pictures - they capture the words so beautifully.

Scanning On My Printer - Not!

WEll this is a bit of a RANT today. Talk about the ungratefulness of one's offspring ! Huh!

You see, I didn't have a digital camera before and my travel photos were takne with an old Instamatic - $24.95 from the local chemist. Well, anyway, the only way to get them on my webiste/blog/Picasa, is by either

a) Taking them to a shop and having them scanned or
b) Doing it myself.

And ata price of a b out $360 a pop for the bleeding photos I'm not spending that amount of money - for starters I don't have that kind of money and secondly, I have discovered Junior (youngest lad still living at home) has a printer which is also a scanner.

Sweet I thought, I'd gone to visit one of my older boys who told me this - older boy rang him blah blah, anways.... I asked Junior on Monday would he show me how to use it. His reply?

A very definite "No - I'm going to Warwyick's house" Hmm... so then I asked him when would he be able to show me and about connecting his printer/scanner to my computer.

Therein lies another problem, "I'm not wasting time disconnecting my printer from my computer then connecting it up to your computer - You have to install printer software and that takes too long. It'll have to be done on my computer"

Of course then we have problen number 3, or is that number 4? If my photos are scanned onto his computer, they then have to be downloaded onto a thingy (forget what they're called) and then that thigny gets plugged into my computer and then downloaded. And that's not all -= having to scan them in his room means what? I can't do it when he's on the 'puter plus, his ruddy printer's on the floor which means a hellava lot of bending down and at such an akward position, I reckon the result would be pretty poor anyway.

So, what's the solution? Dunno. my older son's missus has a scanner, maybe she'll let me use hers? Still they live a fair way away which is a real pain, and if that was an option, surely he would have said "Mum, you can use A's scanner?"

Ah well. maybe I'll have to fork out money I don't really have and just go and buy one.
BTW, this was Junior when he was younger -

- Such a nice boy he was too!

Rant over - gotta get ready for work.

Dig Those Crazy Actions...

One of my favourite songs -



She's pretty good with the hand movement, try it and see if you stuff up - it's not as easy as it looks.

I also like this -



At least with this song, you only have to remember one word, so it's easy to sing-along.

Modern Mistress Mystical

I am the very model of a modern mistress mystical
I've knowledge of all things from confident to egotistical
I've knowledge of all things that you will find are untranslateable
I know what is deplorable and that is not debatable
I know of the imperious and of the improbable
I've information of the curious and imponderable
I know that right is right and sometimes things may go ballistical
I am the very model of a modern mistress mystical.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

This of course is sung to the tune of

Double Trouble -

If I was Prime Minister
Of all the Aussie states,
I'd live on chocolate truffles
And swing on all the gates.

I'd have lots of money
What I wanted I would get
I'd buy me a brand new car
And then a Lear jet.

I wouldn't have to worry
When the water bill fell due
Or phone, or gas, or SEC -
They'd all be paid by you. (The taxpayer)

I'd be living like a king
Rub shoulders with the best
And then I could look down my nose
At all the poor in jest.

And so you see dear people,
As dear old Malcolm said,
"Life wasn't meant to be easy"
You elected me instead!

A Child Lives Here

Oh what a cluttered mess we see
With pots and pans all over
The apron hanging on the knob
With fingerprints all over
The walls made by little tots
With sticky fingers here and there
And everywhere there is a sign
Of children living in the house.
~ ~ ~










A house is not a home at all
If everything's pristine
And no mark-ed mess
Or toys and such
A littering the floor
For these are signs for all to see
Of laughter, love and fun
Of happy times spent doing things
When you're always in the run




So if you should see a messy house
Don't frown and don't condemn
But remember back when you were young
And things were different then
You had an outlook, an agenda
That was on another plain
For you saw the world with children's eyes
And innocence was fun.

Use A Cushion!

"Don't let him die like a savage - put a cushion under his head."

I laughed so hard when I heard this, it really made my day. So simple and heartfelt. It is a line from an Australian mini series called "The Harp In The South". Set in the Sydney suburb of Surry Hills in the 1950's, it follows the life and fortunes of the Darcy family, an Irish Catholic family.

Winter Haute Couture

Even inside, you need to wear all manner of winter clothing - including a beanie! Plus, a dressing gown over your clothes!

My House Is An Icebox!

Well, it's OFFICIAL - my house is an ice-box! An unmitigated catastrophic iceberg of Antarctic proportions. I swear it's so cold the words come out of my mouth in ice and I have to fry them before I can see what I'm talking about.

Love In The Supermarket.

Love in the supermarket? Hmmm.... difficult but not impossible. Bit hard in the freezer aisle though - too damn cold. Brrr..which made me remember this

THE CHINESE EMPRESS

WEll, this is me - all tizzied up as a Chinese Empress. Of course this was taken a few years ago and I was fatter then but with all that Royal Regalia on you can't really tell, can you?