BGT stalker...

Last Thursday, in between a meeting at work and a site visit within our Heritage Glasshouses, we came across this little critter. She is an Echidna and is only young. Needless to say, that it took a little longer to get up to inspect the Glasshouses!!

BGT Stlaker

She was a visitor from the Zoo to our Education department, and was one of two that had recently been attacked by the Zoo's resident Ravens...

Isn't she cute?

thursday thirteen # 3 'my dad'

Thirteen Things about my dad

1. 'nevertheless' is one of my dad's words


2. my dad has been married to my mum for 38 years


3. he is the youngest of 5 children


4. he has a passion for traditional bookbinding which he has learnt to craft through TAFE


5. my addiction to shopping and collecting is to a good part in genes I have inherited from my father


6. I look like my dad and his side of the family


7. if you need a pep talk you can count on dad


8. dad is a master handyman, he fixed all the broken panes of glass in our house when we moved in two years ago yesterday


9. he is also the master provider; when we needed curtain rods he miraculously came up with enough for every room in the house and for the neighbours too if they had wanted them. The rugs in the loungeroom, dining room, bedroom were also supplied and come to think of it quite a bit of the furniture. I think this reinforces number 5


10. he likes to watch Home and Away, although when we were growing up he would call it Far and Away


11. he still closes the door to the car for my mum when they go for a drive. If you are female he will also see you safely into the car and close the door for you


12. he is the most careful driver I know


13. my mum is responsible for one of his passions, the family tree, she wanted some photos of our ancestors to put into an album for my 21st birthday. I never got the album because dad is still working on it.

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

thursday thirteen

would you look at this

Vicki now has a website, and isn't her art great? Vicki and B used to work together and became friends, and I am proud to say I am the owner of 'walking the dog' which you can view in the gallery on her website. The trees are collaged (not a word I know) and the man in the photo is B walking Macc (our dog). These last two aspects are my interpretation. But that's what art is all about isn't it?

There is a nice little story about how I came to own this picture, B had taken me to Vicki's exhibition at the glasshouse in the Botanic Gardens, he was supporting his friend and knew I would love her work. A lot of the artworks were sold but this was among those left and I loved it. I am a bit of a procrastinator and couldn't really justify buying art, what with a mortgage and me being the home financial nazi. Crazy really because we have a lot of art on the walls, I have a real weak spot for it. But I wasn't really expecting to be be buying art this particular day.

Anyways, B had a quiet word with Vicki that I didn't know about, and back at work made arrangements to divert his superannuation payments for a period of time to pay Vicki for the painting. This was particularly sneaky because it would not affect what was being banked from week to week. I was given the painting for my birthday that year, and I was sooooo surprised.

joining in

given the fathers day celebrations that seem to be taking place in the USA and UK, here is a photo of my dad taken recently.

Dad enjoying High Tea in the tearoom

I really love this photo it was taken a few weeks back at the tearoom in the QVB when we were celebrating B's graduation with High Tea. My dad looks so well, handsome, proud of our achievements, and pleased to be treating us to tea and cake.

So even though it is not fathers day until September here in Australia, I thought I would share and join in on the celebrations nevertheless*.

*'nevertheless' is one of my dad's words

TT # 2... l's thursday thirteen

Thirteen Things about 'L' 1…. My family home was number 13! 2…. I love chocolate, if you leave it in my presence for too long I will eat it. Sorry! 3…. My favourite colour is blue, although currently in a pink period! 4…. I am a 'Magazine Aholic', we have thousands...! 5…. I will NOT barter for a better price at market stalls. I have 'B' to do that! 6…. I procastinate too often and for too long! 7…. Anxiety and me go hand in hand! 8…. I'm additcted to eBay! 9…. Eldest of 4 children, and last to become pregnant (but working on it...)! 10…. I am a sucker for something marked as reduced or SALE! 11…. Although I say it now, I have finished doing any more study (until my next degree..)! 12…. Celebrating International Webloggers Day on 14 June! 13…. It has taken me three days to put this list together and I needed B's help to finish it (he knows me better than I know myself)!! The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted! View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

thursday thirteen

Like father (my favourite brother) like son.

Like father (my favourite brother) like son.

I love this photo of my favourite five year old nephew. After a day of x-box with a bit of gardening thrown in, it was time for a nap whilst watching ABC kids.

What I really love about this picture is that it is a bit of history repeating. His dad, my favourite brother, always made sure his toys were comfortable and taken care of before he went to bed at night, even if this meant there was no room left for him in the bed. I am sure this is an indication of a caring and gentle personality.

My favourite nephews were spending the day with me whilst renovations were being carried out on their new home, so whilst the terrible (tongue in cheek) two year old was napping I planned to sew on the binding of the little boys quilt that was inspired by him and his lurv of cars. However, the five year old nephew decided it was right just as it is, and who can resist such admiration of your work. Not me.

i saw a circus

circus in central park quilt top

I have spent the day with mum and dad. It would have been a good day to spend at home as it was unbelievably stormy, and in typical me fashion, I got us real lost right from the get go. Thank god, I have a navman, he is called a husband on speed dial.

I had planned this day to get dad out of the house and as a bit of a distraction. Anyway, I totally distracted him, I think he was a bit incredulous that I had got us lost only 15 minutes into the trip. The destination for the day was Dural, where we could take in a couple of antique shops, and lunch at Greenshades in the warmth of their open fire.

If we hadn't got lost we wouldn't have seen the red and white striped circus tent at Silverwater that has provided me with the inspiration for the backing fabric for the Circus in Central Park quilt top that is now sewn. I shall just have to find it.

thursday thirteen...

Thirteen Things about burntofferings (L & B) 1. We own a Greyhound (Macc), a cat (Jasmine), an inside fish (Fighting Fish that Jas drinks from) and fish in the bathtub/lilly pond up in the back garden. 2. We are both keen gardeners, but only one has a qualification. 3. L enjoys any sort of craft (Quilting, X-Stitching, Knitting…). 4. L has finally finished her studying (for now). 5. How stupid am I, as I am doing another degree! 6. I have 3 scars from two operations. 7. Both L and I have a combined age greater than our house which was built in 1928. 8. On average each day, both L and I, we do in excess of 150klms to get to and from work! 9. When L smiles, she does not have any dimples in her checks. 10. The longest time away from L was in July 2005 when I went to Nth Wales for 3 weeks. Not bad in the 10 years I have known her! 11. I would like to get a new car (Suzuki Vitara of course). 12. I love it when there is the smell of fresh cut grass and a thunderstorm is approaching. 13. I love you L.

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

a point in time...

I know, so it's a little bit silly, but hey, we need a laugh about now...
Date/time of post:
12.34 on the 5/6/7!

the week that was... a review!

Well folks, let me update you all on the week that was.

As you will remember, last Monday, the F-I-L-M (Father-in-Law) went in for (using his words) a small procedure on his heart. 49 burns to his heart & 10 hours later, a very heavily sedated FIL returned to the ward and all concerned family were around his bedside. Tuesday, which was to have been his return home, found the MIL in a very distressed way, so I left work no sooner after arriving (and not to return all week mind you, thanks for a caring boss...) so it was me dashing off to pick her up, down the M2 and to the hospital. At this stage, FIL was in considerable discomfort in his chest.

We left the hospital that afternoon so as he could rest and to get some lovely Lebanese food for lunch, returning a couple of hours later. A very late night after visiting the FIL, we were exhausted and L had to pack as she was going to Melbourne the following day.

Wednesday saw me taking the MIL again to the hospital as the FIL was still in pain. More tests were required today and by the evening, he was being ventilated and another drip was put into his arm for IV antibiotics. That night, his AF heart rhythm had returned and sent him into depression and in a phone call to the MIL, he was quite upset as this procedure was to have helped, even though it was experimental. So, off again I go to pick up the MIL, off to the hospital, sit there all day with them whilst tests are being performed... yikes, it was a long day, and have you ever noticed that hospital food is not that great!! Even the FIL was not impressed, come on, your in Coronary Care, of course you can't have SALT with your dinner!!!Whilst L was in Melbourne, I was trying hard to keep her informed enough so as not to be distressed, not that there was anything she could do, but she almost was going to fly back home, I was also either at the hospital, at the in-laws, or getting to bed very late! Needless to say, NO study was done during the week for my Uni.

After what seemed an eternity, we finally got discharged and off home we go along the M2. After dropping the FIL at home, I took the MIL off to the shops as there was going to be a roast pork for dinner, YUMM!!! During the evening, L calls to see how everyone is going, and I couldn't resist so I put on the nephews on to say hello, then the FIL, then the MIL and back to me. Then found out that she was rushing between a meeting and for the business dinner that she was there for so I was only able to say a quick HI!!

Friday saw L busy all day in Melbourne and on a return flight home in the early evening of which we stopped by to say a quick hi to the FIL and home about 10pm...

So, that was the week that was. The FIL is continuing to get better, although, bitterly disappointed in his heart operation not being a success. So it was a weekend back to the books, or in the case of this subject, to the PC as it is all on-line about Global Environmental Systems: - Climatology!