A Time To...

Well, it really isn't a good time just right now. I really do feel really cheesed off and of course there isn't a punching bag nearby, I can't go and yell in the back yard (the neighbours would think I was a crazy old bat) and I'm too old to flounce and lose my temper so I'll just have to take it out on here.

Warning
This is a rant so if you don't wanna read and hear me whinge then I suggest you skip this post and go make yourself a nice, hot cup of tea.

Well now, don't say you haven't been warned. It all started off the other day, I was on a forum, someone asked about presents and mentioned Christmas, asked for suggestions. People offered suggestions, I gave this, we gave that, you know the kind of thing, then one suggested several things, a number of which were really OTT expensive - think plasma tv, chopper rides, kitchen items costing hundreds of dollars each, expensive courses. (These weren't the actual items but are in a similar price bracket).

I was flabbergasted and I'm thinking how commercialised Christmas has become, and quoted the three (OTT expensive) things and asked what happened to the meaning of Christmas and has it now become about buying expensive presents and spending hundreds of dollars?

Then a few hours later that one tells me to get off my high horse and then goes on about how she said presents and didn't say the pagan solstice festival I call christmas, (note - not even a capital letter for the word Christmas) then has the gall to say I'm comparing a single income with kids and grandkid(s) with 'dinkys' who only had each other to buy for. Blah, blah, blah how much he likes his ring/watch/whatever more of the same etc.

Sheesh, where do some people get off with having tickets on themselves? So alright, I have mentioned I have children and yes, I've said I have grandchildren, it's not a great big secret. But gee whiz, there's no need to carry on like a two bob watch. Much as I wanted to type off something in a flurry of fingers on the keyboard and tell her what she could do with a pineapple, I knew getting angry and saying nasty things achieves nothing and anyway, that's not my style.

After giving it some thought I did respond in what I thought was a dignified manner, without getting rude or nasty. I qouted the bit about getting on one's high horse and the bit about finances, incomes 'dinkys' etc. Then wrote that I wasn't on my high horse and I didn't think that I was better than anyone else - that's what the meaning of the phrase is - and if somebody said something I didn't agree with, I hoped I'd have enough courtesy and  good manners not to make pointed or personal remarks about what I thought somebody's financial or family situation was.

I wasn't prepared for the avalanche which followed - Oh please, if you chose to bring money into it and make a comment implying that I'm only buying presents because they are are, to you, expensive - of course I'm going to comment on it because it's not comparing like with like, and you do this on a board where you post a lot about yourself...well suck it up princess

In the words of Hermione Granger.."What. an. idiot."

Then of course we have those in the "select" little clique who always seem to come out and have their own bit of loveliness to add. Like Yes, and frankly it doesn't matter what so-and-so (me) thinks since she's not invited to my family home for Christmas.

Well Doh! Even Homer Simpson could have worked that one out. Not to mention there is an ocean or two in between. Anyway, that little remark (about not being invited) prompted someone to say, Ahh the smell of Christmas spirit is in the air... nothing like Christmas to bring out the best in people!

I tell ya, it's better than watching boring soapies on the telly.


You know something? It never ceases to amaze me how the people who are the favoured few can say things and and that's alright, but if somebody else were to say the same thing, the pack of the elite all band together and jump down your throat. I've witnessed this a few times. One person I quite like posted about something that happened at her work and oh boy oy vey... you shoulda heard the catty remarks that came forth - she had committed the unpardonabloe sin of not being one of the "clique" you see. Same thing has happened to some others as well. Another time the nastiness that was directed at someone was horrifying and a few people remarked on it - the amount of venom that spewed forth combined with a complete disregard and utter lack of emotion. It made my head spin.

I came upon this phrase - Never keep up with the Joneses. Drag them down to your level and I thought how appropriate. It was Quentin Crisp who coined that little pearl of wisdom and it made me laugh.

Well I think I've worked it out of my system now, I actually started writing this before today and wasn't going to click "publish post", but then I added some more and thought why not? It's probably good for one's equalibrium to get it off one's chest rather than bottle it all up inside where it festers. So, I'll finish this and have my tea.

Derby Day 2010 - Rain, Rain, Rain

A lake in the garden
This is our front garden yesterday ~ Wet, Wetter, Wettest!  Fancy a swim?

I took a short video with my camera - listen to the rain (For some reason, Youtube videos don't have those nice frames around them anymore)


"Rain" Songs
Listening to this made me think of the song "The song of the rain", which brings me to this - how many songs are there that are about rain, or have "rain" in the title?
Off-hand, there's ...hmm..now let me see (better put my thinking cap on)
I
l'll do my crying in the rain
Rainman
Rainmaker
April showers
Somewhere over the rainbow
Raindrops keep fallin' on my head.

And then there are sayings, like "It never rains but it pours", or putting something away for a "rainy day".

Saturday's storms dumped over 53mm on Melbourne and broke a 35 year old rainfall record and in north eastern Victoria they had 147mm of rain. That's a lot of water.

I am so glad Junior mowed the lawn on Thursday.

I Am Now A Snapdragon!

Remember that quiz I took a while back? And I bemoaned the fact that I was a something or other - can't remember now but I know I wasn't pleased with it. Well, guess what? I did the same quiz again (happened to see it on someone's blog) and lo and behold.......

I am now a Snapdragon!

That's a great improvement on what I was before.

You Are a Snapdragon
"Mischief is your middle name, but your first is friend. You are quite the prankster that loves to make other people laugh."

Now that sounds more like me - I do like playing practical jokes on people. When my daughter was in her mid 20's, she'd come home on a Saturday night very late, and I used to hide behind the door and as whe walked past spring out and yell, "Boo" and I caught her out every time. I got a great kick out of scaring her - she'd nearly jump out of her skin.

I wonder if other grown up people do stuff like this?

Australian Election 2010

The Mad Monk on the left, the Red Head on the right
Julia Gillard became Prime Minister two months ago when Labor party members made a political move and decided it was time for the then PM Kevin Rudd to step down. Rudd had been on the nose for some time - and had he gone to election, it was felt he would lose them the election. And so - Ms. Gillard was given the job.

We went to the polls on Saturday 21st August and it's looking like a hung Parliament. Of the 150 seats, Labor has 72, Libs 70, Greens 1, Independants 3 and still in doubt 4. A party needs 76 seats to form a government.

If neither of the big two (Labor and Coalition) get 76, whoever either gets more or can get the 3 Independants on their side (the Greenie will side with Labor), will then go to the Governor General and ask to form government.

Oh, decisions, decisions. Will it be the mad monk or the red headed lefty? Some say they think Abbott will be in.......who knows. One thing is for sure, unless they (whoever they may turn out to be) can work with the Independanst, it doesn't bode well for an easy time.

If I Was Prime Minister
If I was Prime Minister
Of all the Ausie 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 tax-payer)

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 elelcted me instead.

What Kind of Flower Are You?

I did a quiz titled "What kind of flower are you"? and the result was...well a little disappoining. Visions of all the beautiful flowers in the world rose in my mind, I love roses, stately hollyhocks, delphiniums, fragrant freesias, all kinds of flowers really. I hit the 'submit' button and found out I am an --- Echinacea.
"This is What Kind Of Flower You Are
You Are an Echinacea

"You are a health conscious person, both your health and the health of others. You know all about the health benefits and dangers of the world around you."

Oh dear, I'm not a very pretty flower now am I? Why couldn't I have been a rose? Or at least a hydrangea.

Oh well, at least I can look at the flowers in an English Country Garden -

Remember When...........

Remember when things were different? When you always left the back door open? Your next door neighbour popped in for a "cuppa"...when your mother asked the lady next door for a cup of sugar...when the kitchen was where everything happened... and you had lino on the floor and the cupboards were painted red...

 

and the ice man came each week....when your parents finally bought a fridgedaire...when mothers always wore an apron and the aroma in the kitchen heralded dinner was nearly ready...

 

when there were hardly any cars on the road...petrol was cheap and you'd go for a Sunday drive...

 

when the letter boxes were red and the postie came twice a day and once on Saturdays...when Monday was washing day and Tuesday was for ironing...Wednesday was "poor night".....Friday was fish and chips...on Saturdays dads went to the footy and you always knew if his team lost because you'd hear the dustbin being kicked...

 

very few people had a caravan...holidays were a week at the beach in the summer holidays...bathers were frilly things with elastic and nothing ever showed...when a ladder was what appeared in stockings...when you'd play outside on the road until tea time...grass was something you mowed...there was sawdust on the butcher's floor...biscuits came in large tins and were sold by weight...a meat pie cost 10d...pocket money was "tuppence" and you'd spend ages deciding which lollies to buy...lollies were 4 a ha'penny...
you always had roast lamb with all the trimmings every Sunday followed by apple sponge...and the leftovers were made into a casserole on Monday...the radio was set to 3DB and there was no television...families did things together and you made your own fun...remember those times...life was simpler then
I sometimes wonder if the children of today are better off - with all the new-fangled gadgetry and technology are they happier? Somehow...I don't think so.

A blast from the past

Araluen

Above: Olinda gardens
I though this was a fitting picture to go with a favourite song of mine. I can't find it on Youtube anywhere but can write the words. "Araluen" is the name of a poem written by the Australian poet Henry Kendall for his baby daughter whome he named Araluen.

Araluen

Take this rose, and gently place it on the tender mosses deep
Where our little darling, Araluen, lies asleep.
Put the blossom close to baby -- kneel with me, my love, and pray;
We must leave the bird we've buried -- say good-bye to her to-day;
In the shadow of our trouble we must go to other lands,
And the flowers we have fostered will be left to other hands.
Other eyes will watch them growing -- other feet will softly tread
Where two hearts are nearly breaking, where so many tears are shed.
Bitter is the world we live in: life and love are mixed with pain;
We will never see these daisies -- never water them again.
. . . . .
Here the blue-eyed Spring will linger, here the shining month will stay,
Like a friend, by Araluen, when we two are far away;
But, beyond the wild, wide waters, we will tread another shore --
We will never watch this blossom, never see it any more.

Girl, whose hand at God's high altar in the dear, dead year I pressed,
Lean your stricken head upon me -- this is still your lover's breast!
She who sleeps was first and sweetest -- none we have to take her place!
Empty is the little cradle -- absent is the little face.
Other children may be given; but this rose beyond recall,
But this garland of your girlhood, will be dearest of them all.
None will ever, Araluen, nestle where you used to be,
In my heart of hearts, you darling, when the world was new to me;
We were young when you were with us, life and love were happy things
To your father and your mother ere the angels gave you wings.

You that sit and sob beside me -- you, upon whose golden head
Many rains of many sorrows have from day to day been shed;
Who, because your love was noble, faced with me the lot austere
Ever pressing with its hardship on the man of letters here --
Let me feel that you are near me, lay your hand within mine own;
You are all I have to live for, now that we are left alone.
Three there were, but one has vanished. Sins of mine have made you weep;
But forgive your baby's father now that baby is asleep.
Let us go, for night is falling, leave the darling with her flowers;
Other hands will come and tend them -- other friends in other hours.