new collection begins

B and I are collectors and we do not stick to just the one thing. Some of our collections are:

• Noddy (L)
• M&M's (B)
• Noritake (pink label 50's style cups and saucer sets)
• Vintage Sewing items - cotton reels, pin cushions, thimbles, tape measures, buttons, buckles, braids, etc)
• Linocuts,
• Martin Boyd pottery,
• Shorter and sons pottery,
• Melba Ware,
• Deco stuff,
• things Greyhound (nice ones, including a live one)
• Dinosaur designs, and
• Blythe dolls, I think I could count as a new collection as I now have 2, well almost, the 2nd is on the way (new ones of course).

We have many collections, as you can see, but that didn't stop me today. I have admired Lea Stein jewellery on many an occassion, and a trip to the antiques and collectibles fair at Wentworth Park today saw me walk away with a purrrfect specimen - a sleeping cat with a ticked coat and aqua eyes brooch. I have since been to ebay, and international sellers abound, so I suspect that kitty won't be lonely in the jewellery box for long.

Lea Stein Cat

Lea Stein sites found from a quick trip around cyberspace - Deco Girl, and French Bijoux (good for dating pieces).

three little fish

I am home again for a few days. Yay! And have finished the body of the trout. I purchased this Elizabeth Bradley kit in England earlier this year. When it is finished it will have a navy background, and the plan is turn turn it into a long cushion. I have some pink toned fringing which I plan to edge the cushion with, and funky it up.


Rainbow Trout

Further on the fishy theme, this morning B and I did a brief survey of the backyard, including the fish pond. We were considering what could be done to liven the fish pond up, noting that a few (3 or 4) of our bright red goldfish seemed to be no longer. Was it birds? Natural attrition? or some other factor? When B spotted a tiny little fish. I couldn't see it at first, but as we continued to peer into the water, we found not just 1 but 3 new additions. Unfortunately they are not the brightly coloured orange ones like the original inhabitants but, a deep reddy black colour, which is a bit difficult to see. We know who one of the parents is - last summer we added a large reddy black fish to the clan, and these are the same as that one, just a lot smaller.

she's arrived!!!!!!!!!

Blythe arrival!!

I couldn't wait any longer as the parcel arrived the other day. It has been secretly deposited somewhere about the house where L would not find it!! Sorry L, I just had to do it!!!!!

She is larger than I (we) thought too!!


Looking at the arrival proceedings

getting closer

WOW!!! Isn't she cute!! 

Close up 

and again... 

Ooooohhhhhh, what a cutie! 

pheeeeewww!!!

What is the biggest flower in the world???

Well if you were to go to the Royal Botanic Gardens in Sydney to see Titan Arum you can see it for yourself!!

Cheers

please explain!!!!

As the title says, PLEASE EXPLAIN!!!
I do not understand it how Chanel got through on Australian Idol, and how Emelia, aka Pauline, got the boot!! Ok, whilst Emelia is very much the novice (in her own words), what an experience for her, she gave it her all, well done!
And as to Chanel, I mean, how much of this girl can we bear? I don't know about you, but I am sick to death of how she puts on the 'cutesy' (if that's a word) look all the time. I find her boring, cant sing, and certainly can't be cute while trying to sing!!!
And then there's Marty, poor soul, felt sorry for him too last night about again being in the bottom three, but then again he was boring as hell on Sunday night too!!!

views of our garden

Here are a couple of the things that are flowering in our garden right now!
As you can see, we are having a bit of colour, and the Star Jasmine out the front is also about to flower, so wait for that pic!


Isnt our Orange Blossom Orchid nice!


Camellia japonica


Our first Rose of the season!! 

the birthday celebration that was not!!!!!

Well N, sorry to say this, and A will agree, dinner was a huge success!!!
Not only as good as the last time, but this time I added in a new element........CHILLI!!!
Sorry you couldn't make it, but alas, someone had to make sure that the 'office' was manned!!!
Oh by the way, I have sent a parcel home with A, so make sure you get in contact!!


N, look what you missed out on!!

a blonde moment

Yes I know, 1 October is next week. So it isn't Jasmine's Birthday at all today.

This is going to provide B with hours of entertainment. Especially, as I have organised him to cook a special dinner (chicken of course) and special guests have been invited (who will hopefully be bringing the Toberlerone Cheesecake).

the cats birthday

It's our little Jasmine's birthday today. She is three. Well actually its her guesstimated birthday. As she is far from pedigreed, coming from a backyard encounter (B's mums ex-neighbours' tabby cat had with a local persian/chinchilla...got that!) we are not really sure of the exact date. And as her human parents at the time were the most irresponsible cat owners, allowing their cat to have up to 3 litters a year, they couldn't remember the date Jasmine was born. So we settled early on that her birthday would be 1 October.

Being a 98% of the time indoor cat, today she has been shown the door and given the opportunity to roam and investigate the backyard biodiversity, as well as bask in the sun.

I visited Loobylu's site earlier and she had provided some commentary regarding her dislike for cats. I must say that we too went for the boisterous kitty of the litter (we actually had a choice of two by the time we rescued our Jas). I wanted a female, and of the two (both identical) she showed the most spunk. Now I have had cats before and they were very docile, so one with attitude would be nice for a change however, as with the nursery rhyme... when she is good, she is very very good, but when she is bad, she is rotten - and I have the scratches to prove it.

Jasmine is a beautiful cat (not biased of course), she has beautiful large eyes, impressive whiskers and an equally impressive tail. She is very playful, playing fetch with bottletops, and is also extremely inquisitive. I wouldn't trade her for another, however she does command respect.

Thank goodness for Macc who provides us with lots of cuddles and affection. It is funny how individual and different the personalities of cats can be. I am not sure with all breeds of dogs but you can be sure of one thing, greyhounds are all very affectionate and gentle. It is so sad they are so misunderstood and that someone, and I refer to the article B posted earlier today, could be so cruel to such a gentle creature. The sad thing is that this is actually more common than the article reports.

What a sad state of affairs.....

Below is a copy of a story in the Tasmanian Mercury. Isn't it disgusting what some heartless people can do.......

THE RSPCA is hunting a cruel killer after a greyhound was found mutilated and left for dead near Hobart yesterday. The dog was found by a young man early yesterday after he heard whimpering coming from a popular dumping area off the Lyell Highway between Granton and New Norfolk.
The dog's ears had been hacked off to hinder identification and it had been buried alive under several large rocks and a sheet of tin.
The dog was an older female with a black body, white chest, white fur under its chin and two white "socks" on its back feet.
RSPCA Tasmania chief animal welfare officer Graeme Lewis said the RSPCA was determined to catch the culprit, who faces a maximum penalty of a $10,000 fine and/or 18 months in jail under Tasmania's Animal Welfare Act 1993.
Inspector Lewis said the dog had obviously outlived its "usefulness" for greyhound racing or breeding and those responsible for its death knew the tattoos on its ears would help trace the owner.
"This poor creature was left to suffer for a long time," he said.
"When the young man discovered her, she was suffering immensely and near death.
"Her rescuer then put the dog out of her misery. He is extremely distressed and traumatised by what he found."
Insp Lewis fears the perpetrator may also be responsible for the death of at least one other greyhound.
"We found evidence of another dog being dumped in the same spot and found the remains of another greyhound's vertebrae, head and a jaw," he said.
"We are very anxious for information that will help lead to the person or people responsible, before they can cause any more suffering."
Mike Stiles, the chairman of stewards for greyhounds for Racing Services Tasmania, said DNA testing would hopefully identify the dog and therefore its owner.
Mr Stiles said he had not heard of an incident like this in his five years as chairman of stewards, as most older greyhounds found loving homes once their careers were over.
"It's certainly something we would frown upon -- I wouldn't think people would treat their pets like that," he said.
"This is not the right way to get rid of them. That's why we have the Greyhound Adoption Program to try to find new homes for them.
"We would certainly like to find out who did it and trust that the maximum penalties would be enforced."

the real economy in the long run

That is the topic for this morning, with the focus on production and growth.

I'm home again for a few days, this time on study leave. I get a whole 3 days study leave a semester, and I have taken them at this time to get my assignment finalised and submitted by Friday PM. I am not too worried about it, as it is essentially finished, but unlike an essay, this one is entirely multiple choice. So you are either right or wrong.

I will also be having 3 days off next week, this time annual leave, however, I will be using my time in a similar way, to continue with the study. I am going to rethink my strategy for next semester, I seem to have had a lot of leave but somehow the more time I give myself, the less motivated I am to get through the work. I think the old saying "if you want something done, ask a busy person" rings true in my case, as the more I have on my plate the more I seem to get done.

I think getting the career blues a few weeks back, kind of upset my drive to get things done. Although I made some changes as a result, which have had positive outcomes already.

what a weekend.......AGAIN!!!!

Well, what a weekend. It all started on Friday, my flex day, where I went to see the Thunderbirds movie with A. And I must say, it is a hoot!!! Very cheesy in the send up of it all really, but it is worthy of seeing!
Saturday, when we got the call from the MIL, I just knew it was going to be a bad day, we went off to the dinosaur Design that L has mentioned. What she failed to say though, is a phone call to the bank manager should have been made as well!!! For it was not only just the Saturday that we went, but L also went on the Sunday to get some MORE!!!!!!
And what's more, I was at PetFest for HCC all day on the Sunday for GAP, and all MACC could do was try and get into the tent and sleep!!!! It was a good day though, with a lot of people coming to the display we had set up. Even an old mate S and girlfriend R was there with their puppy too!!! Today, S mum is flying out to London to meet up with her other son and his GF. I hope that she has a good time, for I wish I was going with her, I am sure she could utilise my services as baggage handler, visitor guide etc....
Well, I had better go, as I am busy preparing for a presentation for Sydney In Bloom, being held here in the Domain, and it is also going to be the same presentation for the HCC Garden Awards this coming Thursday night!
Cheers

dinosaur designs

B and I were up and out of the house early today, thanx to mum. She let us know about the Dinosaur designs clearance sale at Strawberry Hills. I really love the designs, colours, and feel of the their stuff. I have quite a few pieces now, and today was able to add 2 pairs of servers, a small dish, round lidded bowl, a couple of small spoons (one really tiny), some buckles (for when I get around to making some bags) and some buttons. All in all quite successful.

Now that I am home however, I wish I had bought some of beads, and a pair of their silver inlay earrings. I didn't want to push my luck with B though, who was ever so patient, and had already had to walk a mile to get some cash out for me. Also, as it was total bedlam with people pushing and shoving it was good just to get out of the place in one piece with our existing purchases.

Thunderbirds are go!!! Well, nearly!!

Well folks, it's almost here, Thunderbirds are go!!! This week will see the opening of the movie, I hope it is as good as it is made out to be!! Although so far, the reports I have heard that it is a bit sad, but heck, it is a spoofed up version anyway, isn't it???

I left for Wagga Wagga last Sunday, just before the mother of all storms hit Sydney. You can see some of the pics here! Wagga was so green, not to mention wet!! Charles Sturt University put on a fine conference. Although, for the field trips, the tour that was the "Highlands Trip" left two people behind (clearly no school teachers there doing a head count) and had to get a hire car to get back to the Uni, the tour that was to the "Irrigation Regions" upon return to the Uni, took a wrong turn and required a Uni tractor to get them out of the bog it found itself in, and we ate most of the food of the third tour, as they got lost and arrived 2 hours late!!

However, I upon my return, with a rather upset tummy, I decided it was better for both my tummy and for the toilet, that it is best NOT to have dinner that night, and as L has mentioned (first as I was not going to say a thing) yes, she burnt the rice in the MICROWAVE!!!

I what's more, I am blaming Loobylu for L obsession with the Blythe dolls, and her resulting purchase!!!

Well, that's it for now, so stay tuned!!!

No longer home alone

Things are now back to normal. B is home again.

My week home alone (except for my four legged companions) did not provide me with much to report on; work, study, feed and interact with said four legged companions, and sleep. I had to cook my own dinner each night and am pleased to report NO BURNT OFFERINGS, although I made up for that when B got home by burning the Basmati in the microwave.

Friday, picked B up from the airport and shopping with mum.

Saturday, we had a flyby visit from the littlest sister and her partner, in the area to look at tiles. A also visited for dinner and to show off her new phone. I was meant to study but was easily distracted searching out Blythe sites.

Sunday, another success on ebay with the purchase of Hollywood Blythe.

Back at work today.

Family Fireworks a Tradition for Fathers Day

Being Fathers Day today, the family gathered for lunch at mum and dad's. It was a bit of a frantic day for B & me. We had a few things to finish off at home - like replacing the backyard light and planting the last of the plants bought on Friday, all before 11am when we needed to hit the road to Willoughby for the Fathers Day celebrations. For B the celebrations were only in passing as after a quick bite to eat he had to be at the airport to catch his plane to Wagga Wagga to attend a conference on Weeds.

I drove B to the airport and returned to Willoughby to enjoy pudding and a cup of tea, and this is where it got interesting.... The 'sister-next-in-line' and SIL had an altercation, which saw both end up in tears and the favourite brother (actually the only brother), littlest P, and SIL leave.

Now by 'getting interesting', I don't mean I took any enjoyment in words being said, feelings hurt and tears being shed, but I seem to recall that last year on this very day, the littlest sister and I, got into a heated debate, that saw a similar version of events take place and end with me (and B) leaving the party early. I think this could be a tradition in the making, I'll let you know next Fathers Day.

its been a little quiet in my corner....

for the following reasons, and not in order of priority or significance:

• career blues,
• uni study,
• competition for the computer, and
• work.

Each of the above has been in combination at some stage or another which has ment a very up and down week for me. I do believe however, that the week ended significantly up, not only because I had a day off on Friday (organised on Monday, because I didn't believe I would make it through a week at work), but because work and the career blues thing might be sorted. The turnaround commencing Tuesday afternoon with a phone call from my manager, and a discussion about some options for the direction of our unit. I think I am valued! This is always nice to have reaffirmed.

So whilst the work front work might be on the up and the career blues put away until next season, study for uni took a turn for the worst with my complete lack of understanding of the calculations required to determine a firms optimal output with regards to marginal revenue and marginal cost. I just don't get it!! and its not likely I'm ever going to have to use it again if I ever pass this subject.

Is Father's Day going to be the appropriate time to get the littlest sister's fiance to give me a tutorial? Oh hell, is he even going to be at mum and dad's tomorrow? I need to finish this blog and further consult the textbooks. And besides B has just arrived in and will no doubt be wanting the computer soon.

GAL today!

Well, what a day!

Today we went and picked up the MIL and then headed down to GAL (Gardening Australia Live). We had a great time, looked at lots of great ideas for the garden, lots of interesting plants, and we even managed to buy a couple (more than what the budget allowed)!!!

We were there almost all day, and I was very tired by the end of the day! By the time we eventually got home, I was TIRED!!!

At one of the exhibitors, they were doing some cooking with herbs,mainly cooking a chicken breast on Kaffir Lime leaves, and another one on Lemon Thyme. For dinner tonight, now A, NO drooling here, I stir fried some chicken, then added some of the Kaffir AND Lemon Thyme finely diced, and then added some Vietnamese mint before some Coconut cream to make a bit of sauce. This I added to some rice, flavoured with the same mint, YUMMMO!!!!!

I have just gotten onto the pc, as L has been studying, and I am about to go to bed.

Night night!!

what's in a name I hear you ask?????

I have been asked, (again) as to how we got to the name of our website/blog!

Well, here 'tis.

When we were looking at some of the other blogs out there in cyber land, I was on the puter and L was (trying) to cook dinner. If my memory is correct, I think it was sausages. Why, do I hear you ask, if I remember it was sausages?

Well, L was definitely cooking sausages, on HIGH, and was distracted out to the puter room for what ever reason, and it was the sound of the smoke alarm that convinced her that "Houston, we have a problem"! No, not really the smoke alarm, but there was enough smoke there that should have set it off though!!

This is one (of many) attempts by L to add that lovely, smoky, atmosphere to the house. Her attempts in the kitchen, whilst are intended to be very helpful and is gratefuly accepted, come to the end result of either being a 'burnt offering' or there is something wrong with it. Like on Monday night for example:

I was on my way home from work, and talking to L from my mobile (hands free of course *grins*) and she suggested "Why don't we have the chicken Kiev we purchased from Baiada" these were a very cheep *giggles at ones own joke* buy.
I says, "ok, but can you get it started"?.
When I get home, the oven was on, and the chicken was on the side of the bench and still FROZEN. L did not think that it needed to be thawed out before going into the oven.

Now after seeing a show on the ABC (which name escapes me at the moment), we saw exactly how food poisoning happens from un-cooked chicken, and wanting not to have this happen, I suggested to L that this needs to be thawed out so she put it in the microwave.

But, we did have some (limited) success on the weekend with some Friand's. In fact, there is a pic of them in the 'Pics' section of burntofferings website, so go and have a look. They tasted as good as they looked, and nice and (very) crunchy on the edges, whilst being a little raw still in the center!

Well, had better go now, cya!

B

what a weekend.......

WOW!! What a weekend! Firstly, on Saturday morning, we had the Gardens of the Future Expo which went really well, (even though L was not there for my presentation)!!! A got to see it though!!!
We had a really tiring day on Sat, after the expo, we got some rolls for lunch, worked on A's blog a bit, went to the video store to get some DVD's (Shattered Glass a story about a disgraced associate editor who fabricated many articles for the The New Republic; you can read more here) & (House of Sand and Fog you can read all about it there!!) Two very good movies.....

On Sunday, we took B (not me) and A (not the previously mentioned A but A.... are you confused????) to the airport to see them off to Fiji! It was sad to see them go (only because I wished it was I, not them, going through the magic doors....), but I hope they have a good time!! After that we went to the new Westfield at Bondi Junction. L bought herself a new Spencer and Rutherford bag Go Fetch. I will get a pic of it loaded shortly so as you can see why L HAD to have this bag. Then we went on to Manly Vale to go to the Nursery there, and finally we got L her Globe Artichoke, then went home to rest when it started to (finally) rain.

B

gardens of the future expo.......

well, the day is here tomorrow when I am making a presentation for the 'Gardens of the Future Expo' at Central Gardens.

I have spent most of today mucking around trying to finalize what I am going to say, make some posters up, and locate, work out how to set up and stick on works banners!!!!! AAAARRRRGGGGGHHHHHHH !!!!!!!!

Now all that I have left is to get my posters laminated, and go home!!!

I hope that tomorrow is as fine a day as today, even if we got about 2 mins of rain this morning, but after that, I hope it pours down rain on Sunday!!

B

Greyhound for sale, going cheap!!

no, not really, although I suspect that L is a little hopeful!!

Yesterday, whilst having a break from studying, L was out the back pulling out the Poa annua (Winter Grass) from our yard. Now hear is where the problem is, she was using her kneeling pad and it got a little damp. So, by the end of the day she put it on the outside table for it to dry and promptly forgot about it.

Roll clock forward about 4-5 hours.

Macc the lovely Grey was wandering around the lounge room making us all know he would like to visit the men's room. So, I got up from the computer, trying hard to work out how to put in thumbnail's (and that's another story), and let him out, and promptly forgot about him and went back to the computer to make some bids on eBay.

Now roll the clock forward about 2 hours.

I was going to the kitchen to make a cup of coffee, and I glanced out the back door to see the said Grey lying like an angel (not) on the cold tiles on our verandah, DUH!! So, I let him in again.

Roll the clock forward 2 hours.

"Ok Macc, time for bed", I heard from L as she went to the pantry to get M his sardines, and as she went out the back to what appeared to look like it had snow in our courtyard! oooohhhhhh!! she yells.

So, as a result, he was now out for the night in disgrace!! Oh, and I worked out the trick of thumbnail's, won 2 eBay auctions and managed to put the clock on our website!!!

Cheers

B

They went the way of the muffins

It's true really! I didn't eat them all by myself. Macc is to blame.

The triple chocolate muffins and now the pancakes. I'm suprised he didn't succeed in getting the choc chunk cookies I made yesterday. This has been a very domestic week - cooking, cleaning, and x-stitching. Probably because this is infinitely more exciting than the economics I am supposed to be studying.

Macc and I have just been to the park, it was as we were leaving that I thought I would take one of the pancakes for him as a reward. He gets a bit of time off the lead to chase a ball and some form of yummy enticement reminds him that he needs to bring the ball back to me. However, the plate upon which the freshly made pancakes were cooling was bare. I can't say I was overly disappointed though, as they were a bit burnt. However, this continual thieving when it comes to food is getting to be a bit of nuisance.

B and I are going to have to work harder to establish that the kitchen, Jasmine's dinner, and any food generally that is not in his bowl is off limits.

duh!

Well what a coincidence!

Yesterday, L made a post to welcome A to the WWB (Wonderful World of Blogging). But when she did the 'update' thing, she saw that my post (almost at the same time) was there too!! AND, what's more, the title on both were THE SAME! What are the chances!

I have now had emails from Loobylu, FluidPudding & UGC all saying it was ok to link to their sites, Thanks all concerned, your sites are really good reading for L, and a pain for me as she wants me to work on our site, to make it worthy of yours. L is always looking for some sort of inspiration (as an excuse to get away from studying I say!!)!!

On Monday morning, we had the construction of the townhouse development up the back, put in the cables for Telstra. What this meant for us is, that they had to dig a trench from the corner of our property, to almost the 7- Eleven up the road! Whilst they did an ok job of it (particularly in front of our place) it is pretty ordinary the rest of the way. What is really disappointing is we could not water it until today, and only up to 10 am thanks to the water restrictions in place, thanks to Sydney Water. So hopefully L is out there watering it now.

Well, that's it for now, whilst I am at work, and L is at home studying, or at least I hope you are L!

Cheers

Macc Mayhem

Congrat's A for the birth of your blog 'Blue Monkey Jammies'. B has added the link to our list of favourites, because it is sure to be one.

Today is the second day of my week off. I had a great morning with P and M, generally just catching up, looking at the purchases for February's baby, showing my craft purchases from Melbourne, and commiserating over hours wasted studying (both P and M are also studying).

I then headed over to mum and dad's to pick up the keys the littlest sister had whilst minding our house. On the way home I passed a truck with a really funky design that caught my attention, so that when I got home I had to look up the web site. Now if I was in the need for 'fine paper' I would be sold on this company. I just love the colours and the images of the dogs. The only negative I can find with it is that there isn't a greyhound. My Macc would make a fine model, he is as cheeky as the dogs depicted and is even the right colour, black.

Speaking of Macc, I gave him a bath in the backyard this morning. He was pretty good about it, I think he thought it was a bit of a game. We used to take him to scrub dub dog but apart from it being a good hours drive away, the admin of the members card was a continual problem and detracted from the fun of going. Instead we have used the services of one of the other Greyhound Adoption members who has a dog wash business and they live in the same suburb. L is great about giving Macc a wash at short notice, and Macc loves to run around with her dogs. However, today I did the honours in the backyard with a bucket and scoop. The logic being that apart from a clean dog, any water splashed around would be good for what remains of the lawn. Needless to say both of us got quite wet and muddy.

Blue monkey jammies

Well, announcing the arrival of blue monkey jammies well done A.

All I can say is, ABOUT TIME. I have been trying to 'walk her through' some of the scripting to change it a bit, but it is a bit to difficult to do over the phone. So I guess I will have to go over and have a look at it soon to have a closer look, and play some placated if that's ok with you A (and L too for that matter!!

Cheers

#@*^!

......... 2 minutes ago I was shrieking expletives for the monumental stuff up I just realised I had made. Now it is kind of funny and means I can enjoy a night in front of the TV, morning tea with P tomorrow and possibly even lunch with mum. It does not however, bring back the weekend which could have been spent in Melbourne or going to the 50's fair today.

What was this monumental stuff up? I am way ahead with my uni study by no less than 4 weeks. How did this happen? I have mistakenly assumed week 1 for module 1, week 2 module 2, etc when in fact from week 3, module 3 was to take 3 weeks, and module 4 was to take 2 weeks. Get the picture, we are now in week 6 and I have been busting a gut to complete all the work up to module 6. Module 6 is actually due for completion by 29 Oct.

I can now see the funny side and am relieved, as I can now go back and do the stuff I skipped.

Planes, trains, automobiles...and trams!

This year has seen me do a lot of travel. This time to Melbourne for a conference and workshop on Triple Bottom Line (TBL)/Sustainability reporting. The conference was hosted by the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI) and the City of Melbourne. ICLEI sponsored the Study Tour I undertook only a couple of months ago.

Whilst in Melbourne I was also able to catch up with my friend B, whom I have known for as long as I can remember. It was quite an ordeal navigating the suburbs, thank goodness for A back in Sydney who provided the instructions over the phone, once we had become hopelessly lost.

We also spent a night with K and Uncle P, which was really great. K kindly offered us to sleepover which meant that we could really relax and enjoy ourselves. This was the first time that I had been to their home and I felt that I was really able to get to know them both a little better.

Whilst we were in Melbourne I managed to get to the one shop I really wanted to visit 'Patchwork on Central Park', and pick up a few supplies.

On the way home we travelled via Ballarat. B and I are definitely making this a week long holiday destination down the track. I was able to visit 'Country Mouse' and discovered 'Ballarat Patchwork'. When I have finished the projects I already have waiting, I am going to purchase the 'Bright Coin' kit from Ballarat Patchwork - maybe that might be a good time to do the next trip to Ballarat.

Having a great time in Melbourne!!

Well, its all good down here!!

Weather is fine, all be it a bit cool over night!

Last night whilst L was at her dinner, I watched Idol, boring I know, but I HAD to see who got through after the previous night's drama, but that's another story, I went of to China Town for dinner. BUT, guess what I had...... Mexican! (must have volume ON!!) Taco Bill to be exact!!
I have been all over the place yesterday and so far this morning. I am back at the hotel to watch the men's gymnastics, and I am going to the Melbourne Botanic Gardens so go and have a look yourself!
We are off to see L's friend from across the road, B tonight, which should be fun. Then off to see P & K tomorrow night, before heading towards Ballarat for Thursday night.
So, I had better go now, off to the Gardens!
Cheers
B

In Melbourne!!!

Hello from MELBOURNE!!

Well, after a very easy drive down on Saturday, we had a very pleasant drive from around Goulburn in the RAIN! It was very weird driving with these things going across the windscreen every couple of seconds! Victoria is so green at the moment. The further we went south, the heavier it got and the colder it got too!! We got our hotel agent, (A) to book us a room at the Bayview on the park which apart from being a bit tired, was ok. It was funny, as A was doing the booking when we were still about 30 mins out of Melb City. Thanx A!

Yesterday, after we checked out, we drove up to St Kilda to go to the markets along the Esplanade. These were great, as L bought herself a new necklace. It must have been really obvious we were from the northern states, as L had a shirt, jumper and then her leather jacket! We had a late breakfast, jumped on a tram to Sth Melb markets, (boring) and then went back to St Kilda to the car and to go to our hotel in the city, the Grand Hyatt very nice here! We had a plain dinner, and whilst L was studying, I was watching the Olympics, Idol (on the phone with A), then retired to a good nights sleep around 11.30.

L has gone off to breakfast with the conference, and I am going to McDonald's (or somewhere else that is cheap as it would cost around $30 for me here!!), then off to see something of Melb! Maybe the 'G' who knows (I don't!). Well, I had better get ready.

C'YA

B

More exciting news! P and M are having a baby (due Feb 2005).

I spoke with my special friend P today, and have arranged to have morning tea with her when I get back from Melbourne.

Other exciting news, but nowhere near as important. I think my Korean craft books written in Japanese have arrived. The posties postcard advising we had a parcel to collect was amongst the mail when I got home from work. I think tomorrow I'll be a bit late to work, as I don't know whether I can wait till after work to collect them from the post office. And what perfect timing, the littlest sister is coming over tomorrow evening to help B with some graphic design work, so I will be able to test her Japanese language skills.

Gotta go! B has dinner on the table.

Breaking news!

The littlest sister is now engaged. This event took place at Mundi Mundi (Broken Hill) at sunset today.

Congratulations Liv and I.

We said goodbye to the Cabbage Tree Palm this morning!

It was not a great start to 3 days leave. Have you ever noticed that there is some sort of consipiracy thing that happens when you get a few days off work, and you think you're going to get a sleep in. You know, someones car alarm goes off, or in the case of this mornings effort it was tree removers and their chainsaws.

We like our neighbours across the road, and we really liked their tree. I'm not a great fan of palms in general, but this Palm was so elegant, and tall. Lying in bed it was the only thing I could see other than the sky, and it could be quite mesmerizing as you gazed at its fronds swaying in the wind. The birds really liked it too.

I can't understand why they got rid of it. It certainly improved the look of their house, softening the brick veneer and colorbond, not to mention breaking up the expanse of concrete that is their front garden.

Well for the part it played in the aesthics of the street, providing a resting place for birds, its efforts in reducing greenhouse gases and purifying the air we breath it will be sadly missed by us across the road.

I'm addicted to ebay!!

I have been procrastinating over some books for sale on the internet through a seller on ebay 'Kitty's Oriental Craft Shop' for a few weeks now. The books get listed, someone else buys them and I curse myself and say I'll get them next time. Why didn't I just get them? They are written in Japanese!

Anyway, I've taken the plunge and bought them, I hope

1. they have lots of pictures and diagrams to overcome the language barrier, and
2. the littlest sister can help out, after all she did spend 3 months in Japan, teaching English to the Japanese.

Well this has been enough of a distraction from my study time, and B and Macc will be back soon, and more time will be wasted as I tell of my new purchases.

Just so you know ~ B has taken Macc for a tub at L's which he desperately needed as he was so dusty from rolling around in the nonexistent grass in our backyard. L is also hosting the meeting of the committee for GAPNSW, so not only will Macc be getting a bath he is also able to run around with another 'grey' and Sam who thinks she's a 'grey' for longer, and may be other puppies who are visiting as well.

I'm back!!  It has taken a bit to settle back into the routine of home and work.  I had a week of terrible jet lag and then got a cold which knocked me about a bit.  I have now been back at work for a couple of weeks, and can't believe that it is only a couple of days short of a month since I have been back.

This is also my first week back at uni, this semester the subject is Economics.  What can I say, this is definitely not one of my strongest areas.

More excitingly, today was my first flex, and mum and I went to the Affordable Art Show.   We had a great time and I made a purchase of a piece of art by a Western Australian artist, Rebecca Cool.  I love the colours of the 'Guiding Angel' and the incorporation of recycled fabrics.   I am not sure where it will eventually be hung, but I will have plenty of time to think about this while I save up for the framing.

Hi everyone!
 
Well, it's now been 3 weeks since I have been back and I want to go back!!!!
 
But, alas, I cant!  We are now back in the swing of things with work, duh!
 
We have been trying to get the garden back into order, as there has been next to no rain. Macc is back at home, and again the garden is under stress!
 
Over last weekend, I got a new X-Box game, Dr Muto! It is great, thanx A for finding it and fight the other guy off it!! I am getting through (slowly), but it is good!
 
Lou is now back into the swing of study, lots of reading!
 
Well, whilst there has been a lot of time since the last post, I don't have a lot to say, so cya next time!
 
B

Good morning, it is 7.10am, Canada time. This is a really quick one to let you all know that we arrived safely yesterday. I am now off to get some breakfast and then R and I are off to Hamilton to meet with the Vision 2020 coordinator. Can't really tell you much about Canada, except to say from the brief glimpse I got as we travelled on the coach to the hotel that it looks a lot like Sydney.

Well, it's almost over!!
I am in Heathrow duty free area, waiting to get my boarding call. Then it is off to Narita then home to Sydney!!
I did the bus tour around London this morning after both L & R left for Chicago. It was a good tour, but, I think it would have been better if L was with me :-(.
For £1 I get 15 mins on here, and it is a very stiff/hard keyboard to use, so I will "sign off" for now, and update in Narita!
Cheers
B

Hi Folks,
Well I am in lovely Liverpool with my Auntie Pat. This afternoon, I was taken to the Cavern Club:- home of the Beatles!
It is quite cold here, but nice all the same.
We also went to where my dad grew up, which is where auntie Pat has recently moved out from! I was also taken to the church where we thought dad was confirmed, but after looking through the records to find his confirmation entry, we found both Pat, and also uncle Bernard (whom by chance was Bernard James Patrick! I have also taken Patrick for my confirmation as well!!!)
Well, I had better go now, I hope all is well with you Louise over at Furness Vale tonight, and will see you tomorrow afternoon!!
Cheers
B

Hi all, It is 1.54pm in lovely Leicester. We are right on top of the technology - I am emailing from a Caffe Nero through a wireless connection whilst we have our lunch. We have visited with the Council and are grabbing a bite before we head to the Leicester Eco-House.

We have not been able to post any blogs for a couple of days as we were staying in a bed and breakfast without a phone connection. It was a really georgous place, in the heart of squirrel country (and I should mention the hare, one was in the backyard last night but not interested in the piece of bread I had). I have some funny stories to tell about it but will save them for later or when we get back. I need to be really quick as R needs some internet time too.

We are off to Stockport this afternoon. I will hopefully be able to blog more then.

Cheers!

Hi,
Back on line again. It was amazing, a couple of days without internet/email access was really trying!!
We have spent the last couple of days in Holt's End, in a little B&B. I say that it is little because I have to duck or bump my head on the beams in the lounge room!!
After saying that my hayfever was getting (slightly) better, I hasten to say, it's WORSE! After a visit to the doctors, I have been prescribed a couple of drugs, and a Ventolin to assist with my now wheezing!! I have a constantly running nose/eyes, to the point that they are nearly red raw! OUCH!!
But, apart from that, I am still really enjoying it over here.
England lost the soccer (yeah), and it is all that is being talked about really!!
We have had a couple of really (strange for here) hot days! To the point of breaking out in a sweat!
I will be going over to see my auntie Pat tomorrow, but my brother has just given me my other auntie (Ann's) address, but I am unsure if I will be able to get over to where she is given such short notice. I will be at Pat's from Thursday night, and Friday, then getting the train back to where both L&R are, so as L and I can hope over to Nth Wales and have a look through on the Sat. On Sat night, we are going to be having dinner with R relatives, then Sunday morning, heading back to London, find a hotel for the night, before both L&R fly out early Mon morning. I have a late flight out for Japan Mon night, arriving back in Sydney around 7.30 Wednesday morning.
Well, I had better pack up my things, and look around town for some things/shops for the girls to see.
Cheers for now.
B

UPDATE, UPDATE, UPDATE ! ! !

You can now comment, and we will receive an email to read!!
At the bottom of the post we make, you will see a link from the post. Click on it and leave a comment and we will get an email!!
Cheers
B

Hello there!!
Well, we are now in Coventry, and at the moment, both L & R are in a meeting with the local council.
We had a little bit of bother finding the little B&B we are staying in, but we did eventually get there. It is a quaint little place, everything looks sort of authentic, until you either knock it or look closer at it to see that it really is a bit of a replica!!
We all boarded the same flight (a first for the whole trip) out of Aalborg, for the 35 min trip to Copenhagen. L made the comment after we landed, that there must have been a trainee pilot as there were three people in the cockpit, and it was an extremely rough landing!
I had (what was supposed to be a quick 20 min connection) but was eventually nearly 1hr 30 min delay due to technical difficulty on the plane. We eventually took off, and the seat belt light was not removed AT ALL for the entire flight. The only people that were allowed to walk the aisles were the cabin crew!! It was and very bumpy ride, and when we did land, either the brakes were squealing or the wheels had locked. You know the noise of car tyres locking up......
The weather here is much better than in Denmark, and it is absolutely football (Soccer) mad with Euro 2004 starting on the weekend. Unfortunately, it appears as though Britain lost to France, YEAH!!!
I am doing this entry from the Library. As I am a visitor, I get a 1hr FREE access, where as if you’re a resident, you have to pay for it!!!
Well, I had better go now.
Cheers
B

It has been a busy couple of days, yesterday was the last day of the presentations for the conference and finished with technical visits. R and I did a bit of a swap which meant that I went on a sailing boat on the fjord, viewing some of the Aalborg urban renewal projects. It was very pleasant and I was able to catch up with Michael from Moreland City Council in Victoria and Belinda from Aberdeen, who are new contacts we have made. I also met a women from a South African university who was quite interesting.

We only got half of the boat trip as the police would not approve the bridge being raised to allow the boat through. This meant about half of the tour was them done on foot.

We had dinner back at the Kunst and Spaghetti, and met up with Michael, and his wife and daughter just as we were finishing, so walked into town for a drink at the pub. It actually got quite chilly (and rained on and off)so we didn't stay for long. We could have gone inside but it was very smokey. We also had an early start with the nature tours today.

I think we could have all done with a day off today. However, the nature visit was really worthwhile. It meant we got to go out and drive through the countryside and villages. We did a bit of 'bushwalking' through the Rold Forest, and were given a guided tour by the Forest Ranger. Part of the tour included the troll forest, unfortunately no trolls were found, I guess we were too noisy. My favourite part of the day though, was the Blue Spring. It was a very gentle walk to get to it, mainly because most of the path was over peat, which made it kind of springy. The Spring itself was crystal clear and didn't look as deep as it's 4m. The Blue luminesence was created by the chalk base of the spring. B will probably provide a few photos.

Well it is time for a bit of a rest before we walk down the road to meet up with Belinda (from Aberdeen) to have dinner together.

Tomorrow we are travelling again. So next entry will be from Northern England.

Good morning (or evening back home)!
Well, my hayfever is (slightly) better this morning!
Yesterday, I spent some of the morning, trying to find a company that will rent out a motor bike so as I could ride around town a see some of the country side. But, after going to the local Polite (Police) Station, he looked in the phone book and found a company in Lindholm, which was a short train trip North. When I got there, all it was, was a service station which rented out "Motorcycle Trailers"!!!!
So, I walked back to the station, and jumped on a bus to get back to Aalborg. On this bus, after talking with the driver and asking him about renting a bike, he let me stay on the bus all the way up to Gitstrup, which was about 45-60 mins out of Aalborg. We went through the University, and gave me a "Private Guided Tour" all for 15DKK!!! This was supposed to have been a zone 3 ticket, but, he let me do it on my zone 1 at no extra cost, and we spoke about me being a greenkeeper, and his love for golf!
He also told me about the abundance of windfarms around town. They produce around 40% of energy for the City (and surrounds), which is a pretty good result!! And, when talking about land prices, he mentioned that for 1000m2 block in the 'Rich' area, (after converting to AUD) would cost around $60k! WOW!! He nearly had heart failure when I told him that a 450m2 block in Sydney could cost around the $300k mark!!
After I got back, I came back to the "Hotel Hvide Hus" (The White House Hotel) and had a sleep, whilst L & R were at the dinner as part of the conference.
Well, I had better go, as I am hoping to find where the harbor cruise goes from, for a trip around the harbor!!
Cheers
B

It is 11.42pm, Denmark time. R and I have not long returned to the hotel from the conference dinner. We had a great time, we met up with the Leicester people, and a gentleman from Germany, with whom we shared a table.

Towards the end of the evening we also met up with Moreland City Council, from Victoria, Australia. We have agreed to find Yarra Ranges (also Victoria, Australia)tomorrow and get together for lunch.

The dinner was a lot of fun, amazing amounts of food, I think about 4/5 types of wine to accompany the various stages of the dinner, lots of speeches, some of which I am sure were impromptu, it would seem that people were having so much fun they felt the need to go onto the stage and up to the microphone to say a few words, sing a song, say a poem.... and propose a toast. A band came on before it was our turn ("Australia's") to sing Waltzing Matilda or something similar. The band was excellent and did a fantastic rendition of Crowded House's, Weather With You, which made me feel right at home.

The conference itself continues to be very worthwhile, and we are learning heaps and making lots of contacts.

They have used some interesting concepts to get everyone thinking. I particularly liked this mornings gentle start to the day which consisted of a meeting in the Aalborghallen to share in locally grown strawberries whilst images relating to food and sustainability were shown on large screens, and a gentleman played the piano beautifully. It was such a gentle and peaceful start to the day, and very evocative. This session I believe was sponsored by the World Health Organisation.

Well time to go, it is late and I have still got a stiff neck, which has resulted in me affectionately being referred to by B as "the pain in the neck", B's payback for such rudeness is that he is suffering with hayfever. What a pair.

It is Wednesday, 7.30pm Denmark time.

I have just returned to the hotel following the first day of the conference. It is amazing the number of people attending, at least 1000. There are even a few other Australian and one New Zealand Council. I only have a few minutes as I need to get back to the conference centre for the reception.

Yesterday was a mixture of good and bad. I woke with a REALLY BAD neck and shoulder, which lasted all day, with residual pain continuing to now. I think it was because the bed is way too soft and the pillows also being soft,and square, I slept funny. It wasn't funny at all though - thank goodness Bern was here as I couldn't move, my neck and shoulder were tightly locked. This all took place in broad daylight at 4am in the morning. We still managed to get out and have a look around town. R and B were very patient with me and my crooked neck. We had dinner at Kunst and Spaghetti, this was entirely a new experience, with the menu in Danish (requiring translation). It was fantastic food though, I lashed out and had the Fisketallerken whilst R and B played it safe with lasagne.

I believe we might be going back there for dinner tonight, as the people were so lovely.

Sorry, I must get going. It is great to hear from so many of you and that you are keeping up with our travels through this site. Congratulations AK on giving up the ciggarettes, I can see why you were unable to do it whilst you were in London over Christmas. Everyone here seems to smoke, and everywhere (restaurants, hotels, hire cars, taxis, etc). It is also the case in Denmark. This seems really weird as there is such an emphasis on other health issues such as mobility, obesity, eating organic products, even meat pies have been targetted due to cholesterol.

WOW!
When the sun is up around 4:30am, and does not set till around midnight, it makes for a very long day!! Thank goodness the hotel here has heavy curtains!!
It is really lovely here, some nice (old) buildings, lots of little lanes with shops down them, and lots of parks!
I have taken 2 panoramic pics (and loaded them to the 'Briefcase' to show you the views.
I have tried to find some of the memorial coins from Freddrick and Mary's wedding, but they had to be pre ordered. But I am on the trail for them thanks to the lovely people in the visitor centre.
Yesterday, we went to the top of the Aalborg Tower here, it was worth the look!!
Both L & R are at the conference now, and I am about to go and look through town, so see you later.
Cheers
B

It is 8.30pm Denmark time. R and I have just arrived in Aalborg. We are in fact still at the airport, at the free web station, waiting for the bus to arrive. We must have been on the smallest plane in the British Airways fleet from Oslo to Aalborg. It seated 18 passengers. It was a bit claustrophobic for my liking.

I am pleased that we are almost finished for the day. We have been traveling all day if you include the hair raising taxi trip to Heathrow with Darius the taxi driver who was definitely trying to hit on R. I kept thinking just keep your eyes on the road, stop using the mobile, and writing his phone number out for R.

More later, the bus is due in less than 10 minutes.

HI!
Well, here I am in Aalborg, Denmark. After a hot, humid day yesterday, it is cold, wet and miserable here!!! But, I am not complaining, it is just a bit of a shock to the system!!
I have just had a call from L to say that they were in Oslo late, and may be late here in Aalborg, but I am fine with watching a few (very small airport) planes come and go.
I have just had a 'snack' whilst waiting, and it was a bowl of 'fries'! I say it like this as they were fried to within an inch of there lives, and in some cases, they were!!!
The hotel here looks quite good. I have only been in it for probably less than an hour, as I wanted to get to know the transport system. I located the bus that goes to and from the 'Lufthaven' from the city centre.
I have not had a chance to get all of the pics loaded up yet, sorry, but I will do it over the next couple of days, hopefully tomorrow!
Oh well, I had better go now.
Cheers
B