I'M BACK!!!

Just in case anyone was wondering where I was - our family has just finished three weeks of moving two households into one - a very exhausting and stressful time indeed. My eldest daughter & her son now reside with myself & my son, so we will all be saving money in no time I'm sure. It's seventh heaven seeing my darling grandson each and every day, except when I want to have a sleep-in of course and he doesn't know the meaning of that word yet, the little sweetie!

The move turned out to be a case of necessity even though we had been looking for a suitable abode for all of us to share for quite a while. The urgency was moved up when, on Mother's Day, our 'lovely' (this term used VERY loosely) landlady (& her boyfriend) took it upon themselves to move some of our personal belongings out onto the nature strip for hard rubbish pick-up. I had already told them not to do that when they had arrived to do some garden maintenance, and before I left to go to my daughter's for Mother's Day. I told them that the Council had to be notified first before any hard rubbish could be put out or you could be fined (mind you I only had my old fridge, old TV & inner metal frame of couch bed near gate to be put out but these people decided that lots of other items of ours were rubbish and put them out as well).

When she was told again by my son (he was on the lease & he was still at home at the time) and my middle daughter that she couldn't do that because a date had to be booked with the Council first and that she did not have our permission to touch ANY of our property she told my children that "your mother's on a month to month lease, if you don't quit this I'll give her a month's notice?" It took us making a call to the Police to have our things moved back on to the property. Happy Mother's Day!!!

To cut a long story short, the following Tuesday, we were served with a Notice to Vacate. I was shocked to find out that standing up for your rights after being a very good tenant for 4 years could lead to this. It turns out though that she has actually done us a huge favour because we upped our house-hunting efforts and we found the most fantastic house, two totally separate living areas under the one roof and it is gorgeous. It is an older clinker brick house which has been totally modernised inside. It has ducted heating (our old place had a space heater which the landlady had not repaired/replaced since the first year we were in there when it broke down and she had a 'quick fix' job done on it) the new house has air conditioning (the old place had none) & a dishwasher. We also have a huge back verandah where I can sit and sip my morning coffee in the warm Winter sun and there are roses, roses, roses everywhere (my favourite flower of course), it's heavenly really. We are very, very happy indeed. (Photos later).

Anyway, now you know why I have been absent from cyber-space but you can't get rid of me that easily and I have lots more tales to tell.

My grandson asleep on couch last night

OUR PETS - PAST & PRESENT

Crystal has been missing since 2002, we miss her. 

Our sweet girl Meesha, sister of Crystal.

Muffett & Rusky (dec. 24/12/2007)

Do We Value The Right Things?

A well-known speaker started off his seminar by

holding up a $20 note.

In the room of 200, he asked, "Who would like this 

$20 note?"

Hands started going up.

He said, "I am going to give this $20 to

one of you but first, let me do this." 

He proceeded to crumple up the $20 note.

He then asked, "Who still wants it?"

Still the hands were up in the air.

Well, he replied, "What if I do this?"

And he dropped it on the ground

And started to grind it into the floor with his shoe.

He picked it up, now crumpled and dirty.

"Now, who still wants it?"

Still the hands went into the air.

My friends, we have all learned a very valuable lesson.

No matter what I did to the money, you still wanted it 

because it did not decrease in value.

It was still worth $20.

Many times in our lives, we are dropped, crumpled, and ground 

into the dirt by the decisions we make and the circumstances 

that come our way.

We feel as though we are worthless.

But no matter what has happened or what will happen, you 

will never lose your value.

Dirty or clean, crumpled or finely creased,

You are still priceless to those who LOVE you.

The worth of our lives comes not in what we do or who we 

know, but by WHO WE ARE and WHOSE WE ARE.

You are special -  don't EVER forget it."

Count your blessings, not your problems.

Elijah James Ocean's Baptism Day

We had an amazingly wonderful day today, Elijah was Baptised at St Paul's Anglican Cathedral, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia during the 9.15am service.  He was so well behaved, the only slight glitch being when his Mum, Lisa, had to hold him backwards over the font, he sort of objected to that.  He sang along with the hymns and after all the prayers he said 'Amen'.  He is just the most gorgeous little boy and we all adore him.  I am attaching a few of the photos we & our friends took yesterday, some of them (mine anyway) are a bit grainy as taken with my mobile phone camera, would you believe it I forgot to take my camera to the church - old brain disease!!

Sorry - It's Blonde Joke Day!! [I'm a grey/blonde so applies to me too I guess!]

The Last Blond Joke You'll Ever Need

Two blonde girls were working for the Brisbane City Council Parks Department.

One would dig a hole and the other girl would follow behind her and fill the hole in.

They worked up one side of the street,

Then down the other, then moved on to the next street, working furiously all day without rest, one girl digging a hole, the other girl filling it in again, then moving on.

An onlooker was amazed at their hard work, but couldn't understand what they were doing. So he asked the hole digger, 'I'm impressed by the effort you two are putting into your work, but I don't get it – why do you dig a hole, only to have your partner follow  behind and fill it up again?' The hole digger wiped her brow and sighed,

'Well, I suppose it probably looks odd because we're normally a three-person team. But today the girl who plants the trees called in sick.'

Alligator Shoes

A blonde woman was driving through the Florida Everglades while on vacation.

She wanted to take home a pair of genuine alligator shoes in the worst way, but was very reluctant to pay the high prices the local vendors were asking.

After becoming very frustrated with the attitude of one of the shopkeepers, the blonde declared, 'Well then, maybe I'll just go out and catch my own alligator and get a pair of shoes for free!' 

The shopkeeper said with a sly smile, 'Well little lady, why don't you go on and give it a try? 
The blonde headed off to the swamp, determined to catch an alligator.

Later in the day, as the shopkeeper is driving home, he spots the same woman standing waist deep in the murky water, shotgun in hand. As he brings his car to a stop, he sees a huge 9-foot gator swimming rapidly toward her. With lightning reflexes, the blonde takes aim, shoots the creature and hauls it up onto the slippery bank.

Nearby were 7 more dead alligators, all lying belly up.

The shopkeeper stood on the bank, watching in silent amazement.

The blonde struggles mightily and manages to flip the gator onto its back.

Rolling her eyes heavenward, she screams in frustration, 'Shit!...........This one's barefoot too!'

Why go to Church?

If you're spiritually alive, you're going to love this! If you're spiritually dead, you won't want to read it. If you're spiritually curious, there is still hope!

A Church goer wrote a letter to the editor of a newspaper and complained that it made no sense to go to church every Sunday. "I've gone for 30 years now," he wrote, and in that time I have heard something like 3,000 sermons. But for the life of me, I can't remember a single one of them.  So, I think I'm wasting my time and the pastors are wasting theirs by giving sermons at all."

This started a real controversy in the "Letters to the editor" column, much to the delight of the editor. It went on for weeks until someone wrote this clincher:

"I've been married for 30 years now. In that time my wife has cooked some 32,000 meals. But, for the life of me, I cannot recall the entire menu for a single one of those meals. But I do know this ... They all nourished me and gave me the strength I needed to do my work. If my wife had not given me these meals, I would be physically dead today.  Likewise, if I had not gone to church for nourishment, I would be spiritually dead today!"

When you are DOWN to nothing... God is UP to something!

Faith sees the invisible, believes the incredible and receives the Impossible! Thank God for our physical AND our spiritual nourishment! All right, now that you're done reading, send it on! I think everyone should read this! "When Satan is knocking at your door, simply say, "Jesus, could you get that for me please?"

A Trip Down Memory Lane

I was taking a trip down memory lane earlier today and came across the following pics of some of the art works I have done over the years - pencil, watercolour, oils & computerised.  Hope you enjoy the look at what inhabits my mind from time to time!!

  

   

    

PERSPECTIVE  

I've learned...That the best classroom in the world is at the feet of an elderly person.

I've learned.... That when you're in love, it shows.

I've learned.... That just one person saying to me, 'You've made my day!' makes my day.

I've learned.... That having a child fall asleep in your arms is one of the most peaceful feelings in the world.

I've learned... That being kind is more important than being right.

I've learned.... That you should never say no to a gift from a child.

I've learned... That I can always pray for someone when I don't have the strength to help him in some other way.

I've learned.... That no matter how serious your life requires you to be, everyone needs a friend to act goofy with.

I've learned.... That sometimes all a person needs is a hand to hold and a heart to understand.

I've learned.... That simple walks with my father around the block on summer nights when I was a child did wonders for me as an adult.

I've learned.... That life is like a roll of toilet paper. The closer it gets to the end, the faster it goes.

I've learned... That we should be glad God doesn't give us everything we ask for.

I've learned.... That money doesn't buy class.

I've learned... That it's those small daily happenings that make life so spectacular.

I've learned... That under everyone's hard shell is someone who wants to be appreciated and loved.

I've learned.... That to ignore the facts does not change the facts.

I've learned.... That when you plan to get even with someone, you are only letting that person continue to hurt you.

I've learned... That love, not time, heals all wounds.

I've learned.... That the easiest way for me to grow as a person is to surround myself with people smarter than I am.

I've learned.... That everyone you meet deserves to be greeted with a  smile.

I've learned.... That no one is perfect until you fall in love with them.

I've learned... That life is tough, but I'm tougher.

I've learned.... That opportunities are never lost; someone will take the ones you miss.

I've learned... That when you harbor bitterness, happiness will dock elsewhere.

I've learned.... That I wish I could have told my Mom that I love her one more time before she passed away.

I've learned.... That one should keep his words both soft and tender, because tomorrow he may have to eat them.

I've learned... That a smile is an inexpensive way to improve your looks.

I've learned.... That everyone wants to live on top of the mountain, but all the happiness and growth occurs while you're climbing it.

I've learned.... That the less time I have to work with, the more things I get done. 

I've learned.... That when your newly born grandchild holds your little finger in his little fist, that you're hooked for life.

by Andy Rooney

St Paul's Anglican Cathedral

Inside our magnificent St Paul's Anglican Cathedral in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.  This is where we spent most of the day today meeting with the Precentor to discuss details for Elijah's Baptism. 

The photos which follow are of Elijah in the Cathedral, isn't it wonderful his hair matches the colours of the tiles?  

Sorry the pics are a bit grainy but I forgot to take my camera so took them with my mobile phone camera.

Elijah at St Paul's Cathedral

More Autumn Pics

The colourful maple at the kinder in Chapel Street and the beautiful oak trees in Clarke Street - Lilydale, Victoria, Australia.

Two Gentle Creatures - My Son Mark & Meesha Our Cat

Mon 11 May 2009 - This is the view from my driveway, looking towards the street, I love the contrast of the eucalypts across the road and the autumn leaves of the maple in our garden.  This is an example of a perfect Autumn day in Melbourne, Australia - crisp air with blue skies and sunshine.