thoughts & happenings

What can I say?

2012-01-29T01:06:00.000+11:00

What can I say about my amazing day! Saturday.

Always an honour to see and be present when a baby is born...today was no exception, today was extra special because I was present when my 3rd grandchild was born.
My daughter in law to be gave birth to a healthy boy today, both are back home from hospital this evening.

The circumstances of the baby's birth was amazing.
I was driving my daughter in law to be (son was at work) with their 2 little girls in their seats when the baby decided to come. We were on our way to the hospital, but fell rather short of it. I had to park on the side of the Motorway and help with the birth, when baby was born all was well but of course I then rang the ambulance, and off mum and baby went to hospital to check things out before returning home.
One thing is I kept my cool, for I do that because I was trained that way in one of my professions.

I wonder how many other Nan's or Grandmother's in recent times have been present at a birth of their grandchild with the mother not being their daughter!

Shield Huntsman Spider!

2012-01-27T13:40:00.001+11:00

Came across this Shield Huntsman Spider this morning on the fly wire screen door.
Killed it with fly spray. R.I.P
Looked on the net & a photo with a description was the same as my photo.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Sunshine Coast

2012-01-23T23:17:00.000+11:00

The Sunshine Coast is a lovely place to be. Weather is humid and warm which I really like.
I am staying with my youngest son and his partner till after their 3rd child is born. Of course we don't know when that will be exactly :)
Today was the first day of school for my eldest grandchild - yes, I was there, also today she has a loose tooth, in fact 2 loose teeth. I expect the fairies will vist soon. Her younger sister missed her whilst she was at school and told us so.
I have been up here for a week having a lovely time, it's certainly something different for me.
My husband won't fly, so he is looking after my father for me :)

Marmite...Why We Can't Buy It.

2012-01-18T14:48:00.002+11:00

Amazing! After doing a post about Marmite & how much I like it, I CAN'T BUY IT!
I contacted the Manufacture via email and received a reply which is as quoted:

'Unfortunately our factory was damaged badly in the NZ earthquakes and we are currently not able to produce Marmite. At this time we do not know when production will start again. It will be a long time until it is back on shelf'.

This morning I tried Vegemite, but only a very light spreading.

Sunshine Coast

2012-01-16T23:14:00.000+11:00

A couple of photos taken in winter on the Sunshine Coast, which is in Queensland, Australia. This is the area where our youngest son lives...

Marmite!

2012-01-14T16:26:00.000+11:00

Marmite is an Australian 'thing' along with England and New Zealand and a few other countries.

A link to Wikipedia where more can be read about it. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marmite

Marmite is a bitter taste and only a scraping is suffecient for me on my toast in the morning time. Marmite is also nice on fresh bread. You either like Marmite or you don't!

Part of the ingredients

The contents.

Eating Out!

2012-01-11T16:54:00.013+11:00

It's good to eat a meal out at a Restaurant, to have something different however there are Restaurant and Restaurants. Many of them have what I cook at home, so hence I prefer something different which is often a little hard to find at times.

Often I am asked to go out for breakfast - not a good idea, no Restaurant has Marmite & Toast. I have been eating Marmite & Toast ever since I can remember for breakfast.
I once ventured out for breakfast and oh my goodness, the Toast was soggy, just brown on either side certainly not to my taste...the Tea was like dishwater, not that I have actually drunk that.

Lunch out, well not one for a light meal at lunchtime, I prefer something very light and healthy, not many Restaurants cater for me, no, I am not fussy I eat most things. I could no more eat Sausages or such for lunch...as they are not a favourite food of mine.

Dinner in the evening well that is another story when eating out....Entree, Main and not often sweets.

As for a Cup of Tea, they are hard to find. People who drink Coffee have it made, so I believe but Tea drinkers like me, mostly have to go without because I haven't come across any Restaurant with a person in the kitchen who can make a good cuppa!

When travelling, that is another story!

Great Days Ahead!

2012-01-05T12:49:00.004+11:00

Great days behind me, great days ahead of me!

Have had my dad staying with us before Christmas and after, then we wandered down/up the road about 1 hours drive to stay with my dad and have been home a day or two, who's counting!

Living with a legally blind man is very interesting even though he can see shadows out the corner of one of his eyes. He can't tell a male from a female until they speak.
Can't always have the TV on some days or evenings, this causes his eyes to draw out of their sockets, so he says.
Lights have to be dimmed or not on at all.
Everything has to be put in the same place each time.
Each drink has to be poured especially in our house, dad can't see when the cup/glass is full.
Walking on his own has gone by the wayside when out and about, so it's hanging onto my arm in the special way that blind people do along with his white cane.

The past 3 years for me have been wonderful, living with my father in another city, living at home with my husband - juggling the two homes I have without a fuss. Says something for my husband. Once in a while he travels and stays with me at my dads house which is a large two storey house with a wonderful view of Bass Strait.
We sit at the dinning room table and watch the Spirit of Tasmania sail past each evening sometimes we see it twice a day in the busy season. The sea can be seen from nearly every room in the house.

My husband and I are becoming grandparents again, twice this year and I am off to Queensland soon to be there before the birth, being our youngest sons and his partner's 3rd child, and it's to be a 'boy' as they have two girls.
This year they intend to get married in winter so another trip to Queensland.
My husband is going to take care of my father whilst I am gone for the birth.

When I return there is a birthday - I will be home before that, dad will be 88 years of age, and he's as sharp as a tack and uses his treadmill most days, his iPod earplugs listening to music as he treads :)

Happy New Year!

2011-12-27T15:33:00.000+11:00

Happy New Year!

Two Sweeties!

2011-12-20T17:09:00.000+11:00

My two grandchildren live far away so it's wonderful when their mum sends me a photo of them. There are 2 more grandchildren due next year.

Their ages 5 and 3.

In The City

2011-12-18T19:14:00.002+11:00

Several times of late I have been in our small city, if the lights are with you can be there in 10 minutes, then to find a parking place well!! A certain unnamed person is so tinny that he always finds one very close to the city if not right in it! If I was driving no such luck for me...no I am not a defeatist it's just the way it works mostly.

Today we had lunch in the city at a Pub, I had Smoked Salmon salad with chips. Yes, I am going to cook dinner tonight after I finish this post. We are hungry now :) at 7.15pm

All the visits to the city I ask where are all the people, this year there are not many yet.

I took 2 photos with my phone whilst there during the week and of course they are below.

The Mall without a lot of people during the week.

This tree is the only decoration that I have seen in the Mall.

Something I Made!

2011-12-09T17:38:00.000+11:00

I enjoy making Graphics during my spare time. I often do some graphics in the evening at my dads as I can talk and do at the same time.

I found this Koala free photo on the net and made remainder.
We don't have snow at Christmas and wonder why we don't have our own Christmas Cards with the beach, sun and sun umbrellas on the front of the cards...guess it's not viable.

From A Far

2011-12-05T17:38:00.001+11:00

I have two lovely internet friends from Canada, such beautiful people with wonderful 'hearts'.
I met both Ladies about the same time and have been corresponding with both of them via email. They are 'B' and 'G'.

Now 'B' was looking for garden information all those years ago and came across 'our business homepage' as it was called in those days, wishing to know information 'B' sent an email & that started our long relationship.

When 'B's' mother passed on a few years later all that 'B' wanted to do was travel to Australia to be with me :) her husband being a commercial Pilot at that time was thinking of flying in a small plane to Australia but decided against it without a co-Pilot, just too many hours and many days. So 'B' and I emailed just about everyday, I was her therapy & I suspect that my medical degrees came into being at that time.

'B' from the 2nd Christmas of our meeting sent me a small Christmas Cake wrapped in a cloth soaked in Rum, wrapped in cellophane and pipe cleaners to tie, then put in a box and posted. This happened every year & I must say I never expected a cake each year.
Last year 'B' wrote that, that was the last year a Christmas Cake would be sent to me due to the cost of the postage plus I totally agreed.

Today, I just happened to be home for about 15 minutes around lunch time and the postman came in his van with a parcel. There were tears of joy from me, for it was as always a surprise but this year more of one - it was my Christmas Cake from Canada with a Christmas Card saying: "I just could NOT send you one this year"...:)

God Bless You, my friend from afar, & Thank You.

How's your Washing Hanging?

2011-11-27T14:15:00.001+11:00

Towels not paired.

Have you ever thought about washing on a clothes line.
Are socks in pairs of the same kind!
Are underpants of the male persons all together!
Are the women/children of the house's knickers all neatly put in place!
Are handkerchiefs if used all pegged together!
Are your white's snow white!

All of these things I was taught to be placed towards the inside of the clothes line.

Are all the towels put in pairs!

So you get my drift...thicker clothes on the outside of the clothes line and smaller items towards the middle.

I was also taught to hang the wet clothes in a tidy manner, plus your washing reflects upon your cleanliness and tidiness of inside your house and yourself. Being taught this when I went to school years ago I still try and carry out what I was taught regardless how strapped for time I am, and I am appalled at some women's plus men's clothes lines.
I wonder what their houses look like inside.

A house inside I was taught should be clean and tidy but looked lived in.

How many women know how to iron a table cloth correctly these days! Though not used often many of these items these days are geared towards easiness which is good :)
We don't iron much at all, if at all only when necessarily.

Thinking back I remember taking great pride in ironing, which included sheets, towels, table clothes, shirts with the seam at the back ironed, the serviettes white ones crisp and spotless. Even to this day my 87 year old father has white crisp serviettes, of course I am refereeing to cloth ones. Who does this for him, ME :) At my home I use paper ones.

Sometimes The Colour Doesn't Work!

2011-11-15T18:01:00.000+11:00

The Pink Iceberg Rose is what I call a delicate colour. I recall when this rose was first sold and it was unbelievable that it had pink in it, it was bred to have that colour. However many people believed it wasn't pink after being planted for 1 year. Each year I take a photo of it and it's always got pink in it. Iceberg Roses are known for blooming and blooming.

Will They Brighten Your Day!

2011-11-11T14:38:00.002+11:00

Some flowers from my garden, some have finished blooming. I hope the blooms brighten your day. I took these photos over a period of 1 month.

Plus the dishwasher decided to leak, so gone only a day with new sealers all is going well.

Freesia Floribunda Rose.

Waratah. Shady Lady.

White Iris

Purple Iris

Yellow Iris

Yellow Iris.

Blue Iris.

Still blooming is the Spanish Lavender, also known by other names.

I managed to get a close up of the bee!

The Things One Finds!

2011-11-07T00:08:00.001+11:00

As we surf the net we sometimes come across 'things' this time being a morphing.
It's amazing how clever some people are..I have no idea who made the morph.

It's Exciting!

2011-10-31T15:32:00.008+11:00

For me it's exciting to receive the products I ordered online. I am not really an internet shopper, but I was told about being able to purchase makeup at the link above for a much lesser price than in the stores. Many brands are available, but not all products are available all of the time, however I kept an eye on this site watching and procrastinating, finally I took the plunge for me and bought some eye shadow.
I received 2 free gifts.
I ordered and products arrived today = 3 working days, free freight and delivered to the door. What more could one ask for!

The Eye Makeup Case.

Lime colour Eye Shadow which I will use to lighten and open my eyes.

The darker colour Eye Shadow for the outer corners.

My free gift, I chose the colour plus there was eye shadow to choose from.

Last but not least is the Strawberrynet carry bag.

Amazon Kindle

2011-10-28T00:17:00.000+11:00

For nearly 2 years I have been thinking of buying an Amazon Kindle e book reader but always put it off. Now they are sold locally I had a peek and after several weeks decided I would like one, more importantly I would use it.
I had my father in mind as well because the Kindle has 'text to speech', so if I had a book he might like to 'hear' it read to him whilst I was staying at his house each week. Great idea, we can choose a male of female voice, slow, medium or faster...great. He can put his earphone on and plug that in as well so my husband and I can't hear.
It's easy on the eyes is the text, and yes, I can read my books outside, no glare just can't praise the Kindle enough.
I don't have to have paper to hold onto when I read and it's a great place to store books.
They can be removed onto your computer very easily and new ones put back on if necessary. I can connect to my Wi-Fi if I want to, it also comes with 3G.

Due to my life style it's easier for me and good for me to share with my father.
My husband! He doesn't read novels only on a rare occasion.

The Amazon Kindle e reader in it's box.

The users guide.

The Dunny!

2011-10-20T12:30:00.005+11:00

Wonder how many people can remember 'The Dunny', 'Out house' or what ever you like to call it these days. Few people have them now thank goodness but I have come to realize through my father 'the smell and acceptance of the inside toilet/lavertory'.

For those who are old enough and perhaps those that are not might recall if they visited their grandparents in the country more so on an isolated farm, there wasn't an inside toilet/lavertory, you had to go outside often a long way from the house to the toilet....

I myself can remember this :) oh, yes my age but my grandparents were old and lived till very old age and wouldn't have a toilet/lavertory inside, so as an early adult I remember the smell of the 'Dunny'. Dreadful!

Now my grandmother would have white tissue papers on Sunday's off the bed in the Dunny, all other days was newspaper cut up into the right sized squares, a hole placed towards the top corner with a piece of string through it then hung on a nail, and it was these pieces of paper that we used to wipe our 'bum' :)
Well I mean you just have to laugh!

Now the newspaper was ok, for one would start to read what was written, tore off the next bit and hope it fitted like a jigsaw so one could read on, good it worked. Sometimes reading a good story the jigsaw was not there and one was always left wondering.

I can only imagine what it must have been like, the fights, quarrels of having the dunny inside and the unkown of having a nice smelling dunny inside - today the toilet/lavetory.

Can You Believe it!

2011-10-15T14:29:00.002+11:00

I downloaded some Nursery Rhymes recently and I was rather intrigued by a lot of them.
A lot of them are rather harmful, many are violent. I suppose I had never really thought about that before until I started reading what I expect are the original versions. These are free on the Internet to download. No Copyright.

The Old Women Who Lived in a Shoe.

I found out why 'The Old Women Who Lived in a Shoe' was living in a shoe..as I did with many of these Nursery Rhymes...it's no wonder many of these have been shortened to a 'nice version' in the Rhymes that I knew.

However, as an adult it good to read the full version of many of these Rhymes/Tales/Stories.

Feeding of a Crocodile

2011-10-09T15:07:00.006+11:00

A man feeding a Crocodile.

Not a bad View!

2011-09-29T23:18:00.006+10:00

The city that father lives in has a new children's playground, skateboard area, barbecues, plus surf club with steps to the small beach.
This has cut the carpark greatly where before one could park looking at the sea, now away from the sea.

Finally these works are just about completed and it looks lovely and clean, kind of wonder how long it will be like that.

I drive past this area every week several times even though I live in another city.

When my children were little we would all spend time at weekends in this area.

There is also a bike/walking path which goes from the swimming pool then back down along the beach, past where the Spirit of Tasmania is berthed (when not sailing) over a bridge and down the other side of the river - lots of kms.

My husband, myself and our children would ride most of this area every second weekend when they were small when we used to go and stay with my parents.

One of the new barbecues, there are 2 more before this one.

The skate area, there is also a smaller one on left. (not in the photo)

Part of the play area plus the path to the beach.

It's a Good Thing!

2011-09-25T18:09:00.000+10:00

A computer to me is extremely useful, it permits all of us to do many things on it and the internet. One of my favourite things is making 'graphics' from scratch or from a photo.
These Freesias are now out in bloom in the garden so I photographed it, feathered what I wanted to keep and made a Frame for them, all of this does take several hours.
Self satisfaction to me and is relaxing....plus if I get interrupted it doesn't matter :)

Japonica 'Margaret Davis' Camellia

2011-09-19T14:33:00.006+10:00

The 'Margaret Davis' Japonica Camellia originated by A. M Davis in N.S.W Australia .
There is information and a photo of Margaret Davis at http://humecamellia.wordpress.com/2011/05/19/850/

Japonica, 'Margaret Davis' Camellia which grows in our garden.

Cooking today!

2011-09-17T18:40:00.005+10:00

It's a good thing I don't mind cooking sometimes, but I am not a cook.

I made my father some rissoles, then I make a jelly slice which has my mouth watering.
The rissoles I pre-cooked have frozen them and will take to my dads next week, he can manage to make some gravy and give them a bit of a cook in the microwave - he has this special magnifier that he puts up to the numbers on the microwave and off he goes...for he who helps himself will get on ok :)

This week I spent over 1-1/2 hour reading the mail to my father. (paper & emails)
I replied to 8 emails for him.
I took him grocery shopping and I bought what I thought he would like to eat, and what he can manage to cook. Of course I let him give me some input.
Everything has to be separated, wrapped in wrap for freezing it's easy access for my dad.
He has to remember where I put things in the fridge & freezer downstairs plus where I put things in his cupboards.
I did his washing, 3 loads.
He had messed up his TV which is nothing unusual, he does a wonderful job of using the remotes with his special magnifier. So I fixed the TV again!
I helped him make the bed.
Took him and I paid some accounts for him.
We went to the Chemist.

Simple for most of us a big effort for my dad, and when I am on my dads phone talking to someone it's Murphy's Law that my mobile will ring. My father listens to where the ring is coming from as I watch him and then he somehow manages to pick it up, bring it to me, I slide the 'thing' to answer the call and I put the ear piece to my father's ear so he can hear who is phoning me whilst I keep talking on his house phone.

When my father & I go shopping etc. he has his white stick which is only given to those who are legally blind plus my dad hangs onto my arm in a special way to steady himself.....next February he will be 88 years of age. God has been kind to him thus far.

Whilst I was away my husband on that day took one of his friends who is recovering from an operation on a long drive....5 hours about, it worked out they averaged 56km an hour with only a few short stops along the way. They drove to part of the north east coast of Tasmania and back.
One can see how so many people that live not on this island can not imagine traveling as so far without getting too far. If that makes sense.

My Jelly Slices I made and I am sure most women have made these.

Back to the Holiday

2011-09-09T17:02:00.001+10:00

The Sunshine Coast for me is not warm enough in winter. I was amazed and amused that several nights the weather was warmer where I live in Tasmania, Australia than on the Sunshine Coast.

Jessica Watson lives on the Sunshine Coast, she is the young teenager who sailed solo around the world a few years ago.

A photo of part of the Mooloolabar Jetty/old Marina.

A town we passed through was Moree, as above.

Narrabri on the north side of Dubbo, NSW

A Murray Cod at Tocuwal. NSW

We were talking to a local man and the bank behind the fish was man made, behind that is the Murray River which at the time of passing through was swollen, a sign nearly covered over. There was once a port & jetty when the steamships sailed up the Murray.

At Tocumwal NSW.

The Pier in Melbourne, Victoria. It's here we go through Quarantine and drive around and wait in the que until it's time to drive on board to sail home.

Don't You just love it!

2011-09-08T14:46:00.000+10:00

There was an update for one of the software programs, how cool it that as it often happens to one of my 'special software programs. So today I installed the normal update, and then the software wouldn't work as before, couldn't do this, couldn't do that!

Dilemma, can't find the original disk which is not like me, must be my age showing.
I could find the item on the net and download the software and drivers - looked at that option but of course it's the same download as caused the problem.

Well not being that stupid for a blonde :) I thought about 'Restore System', never used or had to use that before. How easy that was, and how lucky am I after doing a 'Restore System' for everything is back to normal with my software, so that made me happy.

Back in Business

2011-09-06T17:00:00.000+10:00

Wasn't connected at 7am this morning.
I made another phone call to the company about lunch time, and about 1 hour later a 'linesman' came from the phone company, apparently there was a 'join' in the phone wire outside and over time water had ruined this line, so he replaced it with a totally new one and also came inside and checked out the speed of my Broadband which was satisfactory seeing as I am very near the end of the line regarding the exchange.

So I am back in business, so to speak and happy about that.

No Landline!

2011-09-05T23:03:00.001+10:00

Amazing is Technology when it breaks down.
Here am I with no Landline Phone so therefore no Internet.
The phone is dead, no dial tone and it's rather eerie.
This happened - the dead phone - mid morning without warning. It's supposed to be repaired by 7 am Tuesday morning, but I do think that will be so over my dead body :)

So what have I been doing?

A little normal house work, playing games and reading...used my iPhone to ring my father, so now he knows not to phone me on the house phone, important for a blind man, & important for me.

Thank goodness I have iPad2 with Wi-Fi + 3G, it's with the 3G that I upload this post.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Happy Father's Day

2011-09-03T23:29:00.000+10:00

Happy Father's Day to all dads...which is Celebrated in Australia on the 1st Sunday of September.

Sunshine Coast, Australia_2

2011-08-17T12:41:00.001+10:00

We are confined to the Apartment due to the virus we have. Friends up here have it too and their Dr. told them to stay away from anyone till Monday, as the virus is very contagious. We are slowly on the mend but feel rather weak due to the fever, coughing and cold. So it's been starve a fever, feed a cold. We haven't been to the Dr. because virus's take their natural course and you treat the symptoms as they come. I remember being taught this in my early days of training.

So fortunate we were to visit some of the lovely areas around the Sunshine Coast when not with family.

The glass house mountains are several this is just one of them. Near this area the Authorities are searching for a boys remains, he has been missing since 2003 when he was aged 13. He went to the bus stop to catch a bus to go Christmas shopping and was never seen getting on the bus and hasn't been seen since. The alleged offender has only been discovered this past week. What a nightmare for the boys parents.

A view in the opposite direction.

This is our view across the road. Most of which can be seen from the apartment.

Sunshine Coast, Queensland. Australia

2011-08-15T22:27:00.001+10:00

Our two grandchildren, aged 5 & 3 using my iPad.

The 3 year old wanted me to take her helmut off, so hence the look on her face.

Things often can go wrong when you are on holidays. My hair dryer died, the GPS died then half came back to life. Now we each have the same virus, so we are keeing to ourselves for a few days. They say things come in threes!

On The Way!

2011-08-14T21:45:00.005+10:00

On the way up to the Sunshine Coast we came through Coonabarabran, have the best chips in that town.

Then onto Moonie which has been cleaned up since our first visit

then onto Black Butt in Queensland. A photo of the Pub, also we had lunch at the Bakery, a good old Aussie meat pie which we hadn't had for a long time.

What a glorious Saturday!

2011-08-06T14:19:00.001+10:00

Alexandria Heads on the Sunshine Coast the surf is sweet, the sun shinning, the sun is warm, warming bones, Good Vitamin D about today. Plenty of people sun baking on the sand across to my left as I sit on the balcony and watch.

Having guests for dinner thus I have made everything and put in the fridge for safe keeping till we eat this evening.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

What is Present!

2011-08-01T22:04:00.002+10:00

Arrived at our destination on the Sunshine Coast of Queensland, Australia some 1,800km approx. from Melbourne, Victoria, Australia a few days ago.

We passed many types of terrain, farmland, canola growing, cotton bales, wheat to name a few..also land that will not grow anything. Towns are sometimes over 220km apart.

Coming up inland mainly on the Newell Highway.

Nagambie Lake where the Olympic Rowing was held in 2000.

Having a rest in a rest area before the town of Dubbo NSW.

An Australian Gumtree.

We stayed in Motels at night, had breakfast in motel, lunch at a cafe along the way and dinner in the evening at RSL Club or Service Club.

Now we are settled in the apartment with a dishwasher, hotplates, oven, microwave, washing machine, clothes dryer, ironing board plus much more. Including all of the linen that we will need.

The apartment will be serviced 2 times a week! So not a lot of house work for me giving me more time with my 2 little grandchildren.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Have sailed! A Journey

2011-07-27T21:24:00.012+10:00

Sailed away into the sunset last night for a months holiday visiting our youngest son and his lovely family.
Today my husband & I shared the driving from Melbourne, Victoria to Parkes in NSW a distance of approximately 730km.
No time for breakfast on the ship, for we only had 40 minutes to get showed and ready then to be sitting in the vehicle ready to drive off the ship.
For breakfast we had a Jelly slice & a Vanilla Slice which we bought and ate at Nagambie.
Lunch was a sandwich somewhere between Finley & Narrandera.
Dinner was at the RSL club at Parkes.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

iPad 2 with Wi-Fi + next G

2011-07-24T18:46:00.001+10:00

I bought myself a white iPad 2 about a month ago which is a Wi-Fi + 3G 64GB. Ordered and took about 3 weeks to arrive at the Mac Shop in my city.

Thought about what I had researched on the internet as to whether it was for me, so I decided that is was, easier than my laptop to pack/carry about from home to my father's house where I stay days, return with him to my house sometimes then take him home which is nearly a full time job within itself.
I knew I couldn't upload photos from my iPhone to this blog, so therefore the iPad would be the same.
Books I could read on it for at night time we don't usually have the TV on as the flickering of the screen hurts my father's eyes, (remembering he's legally blind) he has 4% vision can tell day from night, plus see some objects at times.
So I thought it would be easier to read books on the iPad than on my iPhone which it is.
I could play a few games on it, and I find this relaxing when and if my father falls asleep in the evening time, the iPad keeps things quiet and me occupied.
Each of our needs are different at certain times in our lives.

I wanted to connect my iPad to the internet from home with the Wi-Fi plus when I was away from home be able to connect with 3G which is nextG where I live...so the fun began when I looked for a service provider, the only one that works or has the broader coverage is Telstra, so hence began looking for information as in cost plus being sent on a stupid goose chase finding a TShop that sold the nextG micro sim card.
In the city where my father lives there is such a shop but they really didn't know what I was talking about, send me to another shop that 'would' sell what I wanted, alas that was another fruitless adventure, they sent me somewhere else and lastly I was told that there was not such thing as a nextG micro sim card with the carrier I preferred. I came away from the city rather bewildered.

Next day I came to my own city, went into the Tshop and this great big women (sorry no offense intended) was extremely helpful, she knew exactly what I wanted, past it to me and said take it to the counter and we can activate it or you can if you wish when you are ready..I thanked her, and activated 2 weeks after purchase.

Extremely pleased with my iPad 2, does what I expected it to do, can't upload photos to this blog which doesn't matter because that can be done when on my laptop or tower computer when home at my own house.

However due to download limit on the iPad 2 when away from home, I don't view blogs and keep away from sites that take the download/upload which is a little tricky at times because many sites have large photos and small videos.

The iPad 2 will be great when my husband and I go on holiday very soon.

Blooms in Winter!

2011-06-20T00:43:00.002+10:00

I have cleaned out most of my old posts, still a little more to do. Like to start afresh every now and then.

It's amazing how my roses are blooming in our winter. The only protection they have is a fence behind them. Never before can I remember them blooming at this time of year.
We have had several frosts as we go towards the shortest day which is the 21 June.

This rose is Nana Mouskouri.

Rose called Pink Iceberg.

Great Saying!

2011-06-11T16:21:00.000+10:00

Fiddling again thus came up with this saying I found on the net. The rest I made in a bit of spare time I had recently.

Amazing Morning!

2011-05-22T16:57:00.000+10:00

Recently in between my schedule I had time to visit the East Coast of Tasmania for the day. Bicheno is a pretty little seaside town, with a small variety of shops, but you always are able to get the essentials. I visited a cousins house with a magnificent view of another bay.
The photo below is of 'The Gulch' at Bicheno mid morning on an Autumn Day.

Isle of Hope, Isle of Tears

2009-11-29T23:30:00.010+11:00

I heard this song the other evening sung with much feeling so hence I share the words of this Irish song. It was sung by Tommy Fleming.

On the first day on January,
Eighteen ninety-two,
They opened Ellis Island and they let
The people through.
And the first to cross the treshold
Of that isle of hope and tears,
Was Annie Moore from Ireland
Who was all of fifteen years.

Chorus:

Isle of hope, isle of tears,
Isle of freedom, isle of fears,
But it's not the isle you left behind.
That isle of hunger, isle of pain,
Isle you'll never see again
But the isle of home is always on your mind.

In a little bag she carried
All her past and history,
And her dreams for the future
In the land of liberty.
And courage is the passport
When your old world disappears
But there's no future in the past
When you're fifteen years

Chorus

When they closed down Ellis Island
In nineteen fourty-three,
Seventeen million people
Had come there for sanctuary.
And in Springtime when I came here
And I stepped onto it's piers,
I thought of how it must have been
When you're fifteen years.

Chorus

The Wind

2009-09-11T20:55:00.002+10:00

I was travelling near Broken Hill, NSW Australia a couple of years ago and I came across a piece of paper with these words written on it.

the wind is scary,
the wind is sad,
the wind is pleasant,
the wind is bad.

that wind that blows across the plain
tells us to be careful and look for rain,
the wind that howls at night,
tells us that death is in sight,
the wind that blows from the North
tells us that hot days are coming forth.

the wind can tell us stories happy and sad,
it can direct and divert us to good and bad,
it can be our greatest friend I've learned to trust,
but when it is upset, it covers us with dust.

so give us the wind that is soft and gentle -
the wind that rocks the cradle soft as a mantle -
the wind that caresses the flowers in their bright array,
is the wind I love to greet me at the break of day.

Through My Eyes

2009-08-10T22:23:00.002+10:00

Shopping at the supermarket with my 85 year old father is rather fun, for he is discovering new things 'through my eyes'.

so off we go shopping and trolley he does push
up each aisle, but along the way
he stops and says,
"daughter, what is that shape, what does it say"?
i say, "feel it father, feel what shape it is",
he puts both hands out to touch it, with a smile upon his face

"it feels like plastic, daughter but tell me, what's inside it"?,
say I father, "it's peaches in slices",
he said, "oh you don't say, peaches always came in tins",
i said, "not always these days, father"
he pushes the trolley and see the shapes of people
man or women, he said he can't tell

i asked him would he like some potato chips
the reply was, "your mother wouldn't buy those"
well i said, "let's give them a try,
you can sit and listen to the cricket
whilst you eat your chips",
another big smile came upon his face

"what are those things on the shelf, daughter"?
i explain each item, what it's used for
what the ingredients are, he listens with interest
and he asks more, seems I never stop talking,
now when we go shopping he has memorized
where most things are :)

Misty

2009-07-14T23:00:00.004+10:00

Misty

things that are misty are certainly never clear
the mind is clouded with ’something’ she fears
that ’something’ will suffice one day
and then all her pain will go away.

in the meantime she sits and thinks
takes herself a little drink, it takes away what she thinks,
she then unscrews the bottle of the pills
takes a handful to her mouth, and swallows.

next day she wakes in a strange place
though things are clouded in her mind
she vaguely remembers what she did
that ’something’ has not surfaced in her mind
written by JMBD

*I can recall not long ago that I read about a women who tried to take her own life, so hence I wrote the words above.

What a Beautiful Sea

2009-06-09T17:37:00.006+10:00

I wrote these words back in February this year. What I have written is so very true.

he walked into the room
and sat down on the chair
look out the window and said,
“what a beautiful sea”.

with surprise he said,
“i see that ship, it’s all coloured white, the size of a match box”,
he turned and looked at me
as i sat in my chair looking at him.

the sun was shining bright
glaring into the room
he said, “are you there, daughter, for i do not hear you,
where are you, are you there my daughter?”

i sat there in silence, listened to his words
as he looked straight at me
but of course he didn’t see,
for the sun was not shining on me.