These Days of a Busy Mum

The Six Months From Hell

2011-12-10T21:12:00.002+10:00

To say that your life can be turned upside down in the blink of a moment is so true. But this last six months seems to be a series of many moments that have meant that this blog site is really, really neglected.

There have been good times....a trip to Thailand and a trip for a family wedding to Tasmania in September.

And there have been bad. No, I'm not seriously ill, although have been diagnosed with a form of arthritis that means that I'm on prednisone for the long term. There is hope that it will disappear after a couple of years, but who knows. Apparently, I am very young to suffer from it. Just my luck!

There have been family issues as well, but that's not my story to tell. Needless to say, the stress has been huge. If you are still here after all of this time then I thank you for your loyalty. I don't know if I'll be posting regularly. I'm going back to work full time in 2012! Scary and probably crazy given the arthritis (but now it's under control I do feel like a new woman....and have not had one migraine since I've been medicated. The migraines plagued me for years and I thought it was a post script of glandular fever back in the early 90s. Now I know!)

I have thought long and hard about deleting my blog but decided not to. I love my blog list and refer to it often to visit fabulous fellow-bloggers. I am thinking of turning comments off soon though.

So thanks again for all of your loyalty. Maybe I will be able to get in here and post more frequently...it will just depend on time and my energy levels! Wish me luck!

In Memory

2011-09-11T12:55:00.003+10:00

In memory of all of those who died on 9/11. May they rest in peace. And may their families be comforted by the fact that people around the world never forget them!

Not Hijacked Anymore!

2011-09-06T19:18:00.004+10:00

Some nasty little bug got into a gadget that I had on the side of my page and infected my site! Not happy! Unfortunately, the host gadget had to be deleted but hooray....my page is back up and running!

Despite all of this, I don't have too much to report! Life continues as normal....or as normal as it normally is! In the meantime, enjoy the fancy page that was in my nanna's cookbook! It's an ad for an old Brisbane department store, Bayards! I have vague memories of Bayards being around when I was a very very little girl. Each week, my mother would do a trip to the city to do her shopping.

In those days, the suburban shopping centres were few and far between and the city offered great choice for the astute housewife.....apparently! Often, we kids were left to fend for ourselves amongst the dangers of other generation x bubs in the Brisbane City Hall Kindergarten! Apparently, I loved it there! Mum would scuttle across King George Square, in the days when it was actually topped with real, green grass (boo to those politicians who got rid of it!) and make her way with my brother's pram and all, up the rather shaky elevator to the place that offered her a few hours of delightful, child-free shopping! Who could blame her??!

Brisbanites reading this would probably also join in memory searching with me to reminisce on the other city delights of our child-growing years: Coles cafeteria where you actually had to pay to go to the toilet. Lining up in Woolworths, a few doors up. A Queen Street filled with cars. McDonald and East....the other BIG department store. Just to name a few!

I must say that I do love the fashions of the newspaper clipping. Bayards were obviously up with the times, too....they did mail order! If they were around these days, they would no doubt be doing on-line ordering. It makes you wonder though....what will our kids be remembering in 30 years time!

For more memories visit my other site here: http://cookingnannasrecipes.blogspot.com/2011/09/defiance-coconut-drops.html

Remember That Pie

2011-08-23T18:20:00.002+10:00

Do you remember the Palm Island Pie recipe that I posted a few weeks ago? It has inspired me! Not only did I attempt to reproduce it, lovingly as my nanna would have done, but I've also started a side blog! Yes, you read right... a side blog!

This blog is an attempt by me to (hopefully) recreate one recipe each week from my nanna's collection. It should be fun! I feel like one of those 60s cooking ladies....Julia Childs, eat your heart out! Lol!

No doubt I will have hits and failures and I will probably have weeks where posting seems like torture but I hope you'll stay with me while I pay homage to my nanna and her fabulous retro recipes!

To see my first recipe post....the outcome of the Palm Island Pie....click below:

http://cookingnannasrecipes.blogspot.com/

Slow Cooker Thai Inspired Potato Soup Recipe

2011-08-21T16:23:00.008+10:00

It's been a while since I posted a slow cooker recipe. So, in keeping with my recent trip to Thailand, here is a very yummy Thai Inspired Potato Soup that I had cut from a magazine years ago and have now adapted for the slow cooker. I hope you enjoy!

Ingredients

1/2 bunch fresh coriander
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon crushed ginger
grated rind and juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 teaspoon Thai curry paste (I used a green curry paste)
2 cups chicken stock (or vegetable stock for vegetarians)
425 ml can coconut milk (I used lite)
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
1 tsp sugar
3 cups peeled and chopped potatoes
chopped and roasted peanuts to serve

Method

1. Chop stems of coriander and place in slow cooker with garlic, ginger, lemon rind, curry paste and potatoes. Add lemon juice and rind, stock, sauces and sugar to slow cooker pot.

Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

2. About 15-20 minutes prior to serving, use a blender to blend all cooked ingredients from slow cooker.

Return to slow cooker pot and add tinned coconut milk. Stir. Let warm in slow cooker for a few minutes.

3. Serve in bowls with fresh coriander leaves and crushed nuts for garnish.

Sunshine On A Cooking Day!

2011-08-15T10:04:00.003+10:00

On the weekend, I raided my mother's recipe cupboard in search of old recipes of my grandmother's for one of my children's school project. I knew that my mother had managed to salvage the recipe books from the rubbish after my grandmother had passed, but I'd never really had the time to investigate her find.

What I discovered was a treasure trove of tidbits from the 50s and 60s that any housewife of the era would have been proud of!

My grandmother was a pretty amazing woman who had a pretty interesting life. She was born to Irish immigrants in Queensland but was put into an orphanage at a young age. After leaving the orphanage, she worked for the famous Brisbane Archbishop, James Duhig on his kitchen staff until she met my grandfather (in church, naturally!), married him and ended up having eight children! My memories of her were always of her cooking in her kitchen.....ensuring that we all knew that great Irish Catholic hospitality when we visited!

So back to her cookbooks....in amongst the many pages of the books that she had handwritten were many different recipes and bits and pieces that she'd cut out of magazines and kept. One of these was the Golden Circle recipe for Palm Island Pie. I couldn't resist taking a photo of it and am sending a big shout out to Fun & VJs as this recipe works beautifully with her pineapple inspired cooking theme! This recipe, as you can see from the photo, is pretty retro swish these days!

So in the interests of sharing the recipe love, I've taken a photo of the recipe for you all to have a try of. I am yet to have a go of it, but that is on my 'to do' list!

Please Vote For My Niece-In-Law

2011-07-23T12:19:00.005+10:00

My niece-in-law, Bianca, has been lucky enough to become a finalist in the Ultimate Ford Focus Competition. Currently, she is running fourth.....being pipped by three blokes for the lead. So, in the interests of fair competition and girl power, I'm asking you to rock on over to the voting site via the link below and hit the 'vote' button next to Bianca's picture! Don't forget to secretly fist pump the air in front of your computer after you've done so and sing 'Go Bianc' to send her the sweetest vibes for success ever (not to mention the fact that you'll feel great for having done such a good turn!).

You can vote once a day, every day, until the end of the competition. If she ends up being the winner, she gets to keep the car so that she can drive those gorgeous little cherubs around to their various kindy dates until they are old enough to say, 'Gee thanks Mum, you drive us everywhere!'

Here is the voting link: http://www.carsales.com.au/ehub/ford-focus-ultimate-test-drive/blogs/details.aspx?BloggerID=6

And don't forget to follow her on facebook, via the link on her voting page!

Go Bianc!

My Town!

2011-07-21T18:33:00.004+10:00

This is not just a testimony to the beauty of gorgeous city lights on a cold winter's night but also to the commitment of a mother (ahem....me!) who braved the cold to pick son and his girl friend (yes, he has a girl friend!) up from the other side of town so they could see the latest Harry Potter movie together! And who just happened to be waiting for said son and his girl friend to arrive at car and was admiring the view! Total mother-love, if you ask me!!!

(PS...pic taken on my iphone!)

A Little Inspiration

2011-07-16T22:22:00.002+10:00

I am so not a photographer, but as I was waiting for Miss Eleven to finish her netball training, I couldn't help but admire the sunset in the side mirror of my car. So I outed my iphone and here you have it! I love the way that it's like one car looking at another! Hmmmm...maybe there is hope for my very sad skills yet!

Oh Thailand!!!

2011-07-04T16:44:00.009+10:00

Karon Beach (above) and some temples at Chalong (below)
Tuk-tuks everywhere!
The fruit was huge. These lychees sit next to an Australian 50 cent piece:
The view from our resort room:
We rode the elephant on the right. Thai people look after their elephants cause they are a huge source of income for them!
The Big Buddha overlooks Phuket Town and many of the Phuket beaches. As you can see, it was still under some construction on our visit!
Chicken Pad Thai that we had in Patong.
My holiday is complete and I firstly have to apologise for not posting earlier. The reason....I discovered that you cannot post from you iPhone! Go figure!

So, five days in Phuket just goes too quickly, I've discovered! Firstly, you have to get over the approx 9 hour flight, then settle into a culture that is so completely different, yet so familiar in many ways. For the uninitiated, Phuket is situated on the south-west coast of Thailand and is famous for its fabulous beaches and laid-back lifestyle....the perfect mix for a couple of laid-back Aussies!

Perhaps the biggest point of interest, to my mind is the complex mix of eastern and western cultures. On the one hand, you have amazing Buddhist temples, Asian-style rooftops, mopeds and tuk-tuks and all sorts of gourmet, spicy smells as you walk along the main street.....and on the other, you have 3 storey shopping centres, high rise buildings and McDonalds (along with other multinational companies) everywhere. Our days in Phuket were very filled. We spent a great deal of time exploring, walking the beach and main street, eating the local food, riding in taxis, tuk-tuks and on hired mopeds, visiting sights like Big Buddha, Chalong Temple etc and shopping, shopping, shopping! Each day, we returned to the resort for an afternoon swim (temps were around 31 degrees each day so completely comfortable!), sipped cocktails by the pool and rested. What a life! If only, I could do it all the time!

My favourite things about Thailand were:

* The people. They are the sweetest, gentlest people around!
* The food. I have always loved Thai food and enjoyed savouring 'the real stuff'.
* Fruit. Walking into the fruit section of the supermarket here is depressing after visiting Thailand and tasting exotic fruits like dragon fruit, mangosteen, rambutans, lychees the size of golf balls, sweet pines, papaya, melons and cheap cheap bananas!
* The costs. One Australian dollar equalled about 30 baht so everything was cheap, cheap, cheap! My favourite cost-saving treat.....one Cornetto ice-cream was 25 Baht.....less than $1 for something that we often pay around $4 for! Needless to say, I had to sample this saving every single day of my visit!
* The weather. The locals say that there are 2 seasons in Thailand...hot and wet! Luckily, we got hot but no wet!
* Fantasea. Phuket's famouse elephant cabaret show. It's big, cheesy and costly (in terms of everything else) but something you have to see once to appreciate.
* Mopeds. We hired one for the day for about $8.50. I don't think I've laughed more in years than I did that day! It was soooo much fun!
* Resort living. Resorts in Thailand can be cheap but still be clean and comfortable. We stayed in one of those big chain resorts in Karon Beach and loved it. There's nothing like having someone clean your bathroom, make your bed and serve your breakfast every day.
* Thai bargains. Thailand is famous for a number of things.....one of which is silk.....and shopping for amazing Thailand goods is so much fun.
* Thai massages. In Australia, you pay up to au$100 for a good one hour massage, depending on where you go. I had a one hour plus massage in Thailand for au$10! Spot the difference! * Patong. You haven't lived until you investigate Patong on an evening and enjoy the sights....including the very steam y Bangla Road.
* Buddhas. Everywhere you go, offerings to Buddha are everywhere. It's so interesting to learn about other's beliefs and appreciate them!
* Duty free. I bought make-up duty free that was a third of the price of what we pay in Australia. God bless duty free!
* Medicine. In Thailand, unlike Australia, you do not have to have a doctor's prescription for anitbiotics. I found this out when I thought I was getting an ear infection. The pharmacy regulates these. So much more sensible than clogging up doctor's time with simple medical issues.
* Markets. I'm going to put this in the 'beware' section, too. While there are issues associated with market shopping, you can get some fabulous things for small prices!
* Elephants. Yes, we rode one! And yes, they are amazing!

Things you need to note if you are going to Thailand (ie...the 'beware' section):
* Hagglers! They are everywhere! In markets, on the street. Everywhere! Most of them are polite and respectful but some are down-right rude and don't deserve business! And by the 400th haggler, you probably won't be feeling that cross-cultural relations are at a prime, either!
* The smell. We were told that the 2004 Tsunami damaged sewerage under the ground that could never be fixed. Regardless, there is a definite sewerage odour as you walk along the street.
* The footpaths. Or read: What footpaths?? They are cluttered with tables, chairs, goods, people, etc etc, so that you end up walking on the road. And often, if there is a footpath, beware cause you are most likely going to trip over something (including the uneven concrete).
* 'Thai belly'. We'd heard many scary stories of food poisoning in Thailand. Luckily, we didn't suffer from any but we were super vigilant about what we ate and where!
* The water. You cannot drink Thai water. That was ok cause we often buy bottled water anyway, but not being able to brush my teeth under a running tap drove me nuts!
* The 'drive'. 9 hours plus (via Bangkok) is such a long time!

Travelling to Thailand was such an amazing experience. As you can see, the positives far far outweigh the negatives. Would I go back? You betcha! In fact, I can't wait for next time!

Surprise!!!

2011-06-17T09:19:00.003+10:00

No, I haven't fallen off the face of the earth!

Yes, I am still here but have been very busy with work commitments!

Now that that is over for a while, I'm free to blog again. But that's not the only surprise! My husband (not normally the organiser of surprises!) decided that our wedding anniversary was a good time to give me a huge surprise! Knowing how full-on life has been lately, he sprung a massive surprise present on me!

So it seems that next week I am once again joining the jet set lifestyle and will be sunning myself on the above beach...among many others...without a care in the world!

Oh, and did I happen to mention that grandparents are fabulous people who agree to mind your children while you are enjoying said lifestyle!

I can't wait!

(Image courtesy of here: http://phuket08.wordpress.com/2008/07/29/phuket-informationkaron-beach/)

Creature Features!

2011-05-20T00:13:00.002+10:00

Another interesting creature to venture into my house. This not-so-little fella decided to take up residence on the plant that I have sitting on my window sill, over my kitchen sink. There are many who would run a mile at the sight of him but I decided to put on my big brave face in front of the kids so that they would not know that on the inside I was panicking just a little!

A Right Royal Celebration!

2011-04-30T11:24:00.010+10:00

Monarchist or republican, I don't think it mattered yesterday when the entire world celebrated the Royal Wedding! It was such a nice change from seeing death and devastation on our television sets!

So, to celebrate (and have an excuse for something a bit out of the ordinary!), we decided to have our own little Royal Wedding Dinner!

Firstly, I dressed the table. Not particularly regal but with a couple of special touches!

These included a couple of London double decker buses (direct from our trip there last year) and some kissing love birds who we've named Wills and Kate!

The entree was a plate of canapes......smoked salmon, cream cheese and fennel on one and cream cheese and sun dried tomatoes on the other!
On the menu for mains was Dear Husband's speciality....Oyster Soup Rockefeller.....accompanied by herb bread and an extremely fine bottle of grape drink plonk from Coles (the kids love this stuff and it was pink so all the better!)
Dessert was particularly successful.....Berry Chiffon topped with a fresh strawberry. As you can see, the effect was very nice!
Naturally, we were completely full at the end and retired into the media room to view the live telecast of how the real royals do it! My only complaint was that I could not find a crown in any shop anywhere for us to wear! They seemed to be all sold out. Go figure!

The whole evening was heaps of fun (despite my children being completely fussy in their eating!) but was followed up by the inevitable scourge...the washing up! If only we had a few maids to wait on our dishes at the end, too!

Happy Easter

2011-04-25T23:33:00.002+10:00

I am a little late in posting this, but for all of you who are still reading my blog, hope that your Easter was fabulous.

As well, I hope that all Aussies and New Zealanders today had a restful and reflective ANZAC Day. Usually, I write a lot more. This year, I'm not! Such is life!

Easter Holidays and a Trip To GOMA!

2011-04-22T16:17:00.007+10:00

For the uninitiated, GOMA is short for the Gallery of Modern Art, situated on Brisbane's Southbank cultural precinct. During the January school holidays, I had promised to take Miss Eleven to visit there as a) we'd heard that it was fantastic and b) it was free!!! Unfortunately, the week we had planned to go was so rained out that that entire area flooded and everything shut down until the waters receded.....so no GOMA visit!

Fast forward to the Easter holidays and no floods meant that we could go! And what a fun time it was! Not only was it very hands-on and child-friendly but there was something of interest there for kids and adults alike! Unfortunately, there were a few queues (nothing compared to our Europe trip though!) but the exhibits were well worth it!

My favourite was the finches exhibition and the 'First Jobs' pictures! I hope you enjoy my little iphone montage of our day! Miss Eleven loved the balloon room despite the hour's wait! The exhibition finishes next week so we are probably one of the last people in Brisbane to go! But it was fantastic fun and very much recommended!

The white brick construction table:

Wall of posters? Messages? Not sure:
I loved this exhibit....so retro and interesting:
Down the slide to the GOMA exit!

Brisbane Planetarium and Botanical Gardens

2011-04-17T23:57:00.002+10:00

I took this when doing my motherly duty and volunteering as a parent helper for my daughter's class excursion. No, it wasn't to the planetarium proper, but to the surrounding Botanical Gardens. At one point, when I was just about to drop, I sat down and looked across to the imposing Sir Thomas Brisbane Planetarium building and just couldn't resist getting out my phone for a picture!

(And yes, I have worked out another way to get my iphone photos onto my computer! I have no idea why it wouldn't work the old way!)

I Am Not Ignoring You!!

2011-04-08T22:22:00.002+10:00

Life is hectic so this is one of those 'excuse posts' for why I haven't posted!

1. My pictures won't load from my iPhone to the computer! No idea why! It's so annoying cause I have a gorgeous picture or two to upload....download....whatever!

2. We got carpet laid! Anyone who has done this will be taking sympathy on me about now! It was a whole weekend of moving the furniture of half of our house! What a job! Boxes and boxes of important items/junk/crap....along with the furniture....had to be moved out of five rooms and stored into 2 rooms! It was a nightmare and I still cannot get my car in the garage as my kids decided to store some of their belongings there and it is a standoff as to who puts it back!

3. Work! I know, we all blame work....but I have worked a few extra days and....well....you know the rest!

4. High school interviews. Can you believe that my baby is going to high school interviews? She has another 18 months to wait, but after sitting through interviews, waiting on offers and taking up an acceptance, she is counting down!

5. Children who have a social life that is better than mine......enough said!!!

6. The study renovation! As I type this I am actually sitting in it....although it's not finished! More on that to come!

7. Sport...the netball season has begun and that takes out our Saturday mornings again.

8. Running to doctors. I was sick with swollen, aching joints. I went to doctor...had blood test...went back to doctor....went to specialist....went for another blood test....went back to doctor....went for another blood test.....went back to doctor annnnnddddd....it is a virus! They have no idea what but it mimicked arthritic symptoms and was very painful. I'm on the mend now and my blood levels are returning to normal! Phew!

9. Ok, I'm at a loss about here....but you get my drift! I've been busy!

I am hoping to have pics etc up soon! Right now, I am off to pick up my teenager who is currently enjoying himself at a Good Charlotte concert!

Wired For Power!

2011-03-24T22:59:00.003+10:00

It's amazing what catches your eye while you are sitting and waiting for your daughter's netball training to finish!

It's also amazing how we live around these huge man made structures and they just tend to blend into the environment.

Oh and did you notice the left-overs of that pretty sunset. If only I'd thought to drag my phone out a few minutes before!

Miss Eleven The Artist

2011-03-18T20:26:00.002+10:00

Miss Eleven has been doing an art class. Last year, it was on Thursday afternoons, this year she is doing the painting class on Saturdays. I wanted to share with you her latest work because I think (unashamedly bias, I admit but that's a mother's privilege!) that it's great! Can you spot the wolf and the frog that she has painted in? Kudos to her teacher as well, who is obviously inspiring the artist within my child!

B'gosh and B'gora It's St Patrick's Day!

2011-03-17T21:25:00.005+10:00

Happy St Patrick's Day to all of you who, like me, enjoy honouring the Irish blood that flows through your veins!

For me, it's a couple of generations back...my great grandparents to be precise, but their courage in the face of adversity and adventure meant that their descendants now live, not amongst rolling green valleys and castle-topped hills but rather grey-green, gum tree riddled bushland and fabulous white beaches! If only they could see now what their hard work has resulted in!

I should also add that 19 years ago tonight, I first met my husband. So I guess that is another reason to mark the day as significant!

To celebrate tonight we had Colcannon for dinner - an Irish potato and cabbage dish. Ok, apparently it's traditionally a Halloween dish but I reason that their Halloween is in Autumn and it's Autumn here now so.....meh!

This is my little effort, topped off with a bit of meat. I must say though that it was obviously meant to pack a few pounds onto the hips in preparation for the on-coming winter....cause it's soooo full of food that is way too yummy!!!!

Iphone City Pix

2011-03-12T22:43:00.004+10:00

Here is my city....taken from Coronation Drive on my iphone (Hey, I don't profess to be a photographer but I do enjoy playing around with Hipstamatic)! Gotta love an iphone! This road was all underwater a few weeks ago!

Support A Queensland Flood-Affected Business!

2011-03-06T00:18:00.004+10:00

Last week it was my birthday. Next week it is Dear Husband's birthday. To celebrate, we dumped the kids on their grandparents (yay for grandparent babysitting when the 'rents - as the Superteen likes to refer to us - need some hard-to-come-by time off!) and headed out to tea.

I decided to surprise Dear Husband and booked a restaurant without telling him where. All today he has been trying to guess where the mystery dinner would be. We ended up going to Lure Restaurant at the Coro Hotel. This was for two reasons....firstly, I'd been there before and thought it was ok and secondly, I am of the total belief that we need to support Queensland businesses who are trying to recover from being flooded.

Ok, this is slightly personal as, if you are a regular reader to my blog would realise, that Dear Husband's work also went underwater. Like every other business in the same position, they are slowly recovering but every little bit of support is greatly appreciated.

Our Lure meal was delicious. I have taken a photograph of the scrumptious dessert so that you can understand why I think I've put on a few kilograms over the last few hours! The only hint of flood devastation was that the car park lift was not working and we had to walk up the easily accessible car park ramp.

After dinner we walked around the block and onto Coronation Drive. As we walked we tried to imagine the whole area being underwater. All we can say is that the immense clean up has been worth it....it looks almost as good as new!

PS...I think I've finally fixed the small picture problem! Yayyy!

Queensland Creepies!

2011-02-27T22:34:00.004+10:00

One of the joys of living where we do is that home 'visitors' are common. Our back yards are full of interesting creatures....some cute and some not so cute! While I do love checking out the native fauna, this little girl was a little scary. She is one of the biggest red back spiders that I've ever seen!

Before Christmas, we bought a new outdoor table setting. Thinking that we were very trendy, we opted for a nice black number. We didn't even consider how black also makes the perfect camouflage for black spiders. I knew that she was in there....her messy web gave her away.....but I just couldn't spot her. She was hiding up under the rim of the table, in a little hole! Actually, I think it must have been a huge hole to fit her in.

For those outside of Australia, these spiders are deadly, although if bitten, it usually involves a few days in hospital, an antivenom and feeling very sick. They are not fast and are usually easy to spot. Their abdomen tends to be not much bigger than your little finger nail. The problem that we have with them is that they like to get up under outdoor furniture to nest and so can take you by surprise if you don't know they are there!

I can assure you, however that this red back was enormous...more like thumb nail size! And yes, I think that is a grasshopper she was chowing down on!

I am sorry to say, however that a can of repellent did a quick job....after I took the photograph, of course!

Excitement Plus

2011-02-26T11:52:00.002+10:00

It was with a little 'jumping up and down' excitement that I discovered that I'd won a couple of movie tickets from Kylie on her blog, "Flying Ducks". Now, to put it into perspective, I never, ever win anything. I am probably one of the most unlucky people when it comes to competitions, so this little win just made my day! Thanks Kylie. And I am very much looking forward to going to see the movie!

Sushi Train

2011-02-12T22:30:00.003+10:00

Miss Eleven's first experience at Sushi Train! She liked it but just couldn't bring herself to appreciate the smoked salmon (I know, I know...I love it, too!).

A Lazy 'Booked Out' Sunday

2011-02-06T22:49:00.004+10:00

On a lazy Sunday afternoon, Dear Husband said, "Let's all go to the Lifeline Bookfest!"

"Not I", said Superteenager!

"I suppose I will", I replied.

"I will", said an excited little Miss Eleven, "But can I ask my friends to come?"

"I suppose" was our weary response.

So, this afternoon, Dear Husband, Miss Eleven, two of her friends and I all packed into our car and drove into the city to visit the Lifeline Bookfest!

There were books everywhere! Tables were packed with them, even though today was the last day.

We browsed, we looked, we played, we walked and we spent!

And the best part of it all was......it was all air conditioned!!

Reading and coolness are what lazy Brisbane Sundays are all about!

Life Is Too Busy!

2011-01-29T17:28:00.003+10:00

A quick up-date:

* Holidays are over :(
* Kids are back at school and I am back at work
* Dear Husband is still recovering from his work going underwater. He has had very few days off since the floods hit.....and is still going!
* Australia Day was a family bbq....nothing better.
* We are intensely watching weather forecasts for Tropical Cyclone Anthony crossing the Queensland coast....more bad weather!
* Family history research has continued to be interesting.......I am still trawling through ancestry.com for information.
* I bought a new lamp for the lounge room...pic later!
* The dogs continue to bounce around the yard and house in their own contented way. We put them in a kennel for the first time ever when we went up the coast after new year's and they weren't even excited to see me when I came back! What was that all about!
* I have joined a reading group! The plan is that all books are to be easy to read and it's a great excuse to get together and have some quality girl time! I like it!
* And Miss Eleven is continuing to enjoy her reading....as you can see!

Rocklea Flooding

2011-01-15T14:40:00.006+10:00

My husband had the opportunity to go up in a helicopter in the middle of Brisbane's devastating flood, to assess damage to his work. He took these pictures from the air. His work went underwater, but as you can see, so did a whole lot of other businesses!

More Flood Pictures

2011-01-12T22:35:00.009+10:00

My husband had to make his way into work this morning to the suburb of Rocklea as water was rising quickly and they were trying to move stock out. Sadly, he wasn't able to get through (he did move stock at another office on the other side of the river though). The clearing out of the company office proved futile as the water was rising too quickly for the enormity of the job. However, all are safe and DH did get some good photos. Now, they are waiting for the waters to recede and for the clean up to begin.

As I write this, many people who live in and around the Brisbane and Bremer Rivers are living in emergency shelters while their homes go underwater. Most Brisbane people know someone (or know someone who knows someone) who is affected by this flood. Devastation is everywhere and as a Brisbanite, born and bred, it makes me cry to see the footage coming out of our televisions. I was a little girl in the 74 floods (hmmm...giving my age away a bit there!) so my memories of it are very dim, but to watch footage of places so familiar to me being destroyed by flood water is heart-breaking.

So tonight, I am thinking of all of those people who have lost so much and I'm thanking God for the emergency workers, volunteers etc who are helping them! And I'm thinking of the city that is my home!

South East Queensland Floods....Local Pictures!!!

2011-01-11T20:50:00.014+10:00

I Should....

2011-01-10T22:50:00.003+10:00

I should be writing this blog post on happy things.....the holiday that we just had in Maroochydore (pictures waiting to be posted!), the New Year's Punch Party, the new camera that I bought, a few exciting new pieces of furniture that the post Christmas sales just forced me to buy!!!

I should also be writing about the not-so-nice mundane things in our lives....the Superteen being rather sick and having a blood test for Glandular Fever (fingers crossed for a negative result!), husband's middle ear infection that got him an extra albeit painful day extra on his holidays, etc etc!

However, as it sit and write this I can still hear the rain falling outside and my mind has turned to thoughts of the many, many families who tonight are homeless while their houses fill with water. I am also thinking about the people in Toowoomba who were going about their usual business in the centre of town when a wall of water roared in and swept them away. I am thinking of the Queensland farmers who, once again, bear the brunt of mother's nature's brute force by watching their income wash away.

While we are high and almost dry, we have had a few flooded pergola/drainage issues through all of this. But our lot seems so trivial in comparison to the huge devastation across our state.

So, if you can spare just a few cents, I encourage you to make a donation. I'm sure that every little bit would be appreciated by all of those stoic people who are truly in desperate need. Official donation links are here:

Queensland Government:
http://www.qld.gov.au/floods/donate.html

St Vincent De Paul:
https://vinnies.org.au/appeals-processor-national

The love of field and coppice,
Of green and shaded lanes.
Of ordered woods and gardens
Is running in your veins,
Strong love of grey-blue distance
Brown streams and soft dim skies
I know but cannot share it,
My love is otherwise.

I love a sunburnt country,
A land of sweeping plains,
Of ragged mountain ranges,
Of droughts and flooding rains.
I love her far horizons,
I love her jewel-sea,
Her beauty and her terror -
The wide brown land for me!

A stark white ring-barked forest
All tragic to the moon,
The sapphire-misted mountains,
The hot gold hush of noon.
Green tangle of the brushes,
Where lithe lianas coil,
And orchids deck the tree-tops
And ferns the warm dark soil.

Core of my heart, my country!
Her pitiless blue sky,
When sick at heart, around us,
We see the cattle die-
But then the grey clouds gather,
And we can bless again
The drumming of an army,
The steady, soaking rain.

Core of my heart, my country!
Land of the Rainbow Gold,
For flood and fire and famine,
She pays us back threefold-
Over the thirsty paddocks,
Watch, after many days,
The filmy veil of greenness
That thickens as we gaze.

An opal-hearted country,
A wilful, lavish land-
All you who have not loved her,
You will not understand-
Though earth holds many splendours,
Wherever I may die,
I know to what brown country
My homing thoughts will fly.

Dorothea Mackellar

Merry Christmas

2010-12-26T10:43:00.006+10:00

This year, I decided to make my nanna's Christmas pudding. A recipe that she used to make all of the time and that she gave me before she passed away. It's one of those ones that you make in calico and was always my very favourite as a young child! She used to put coins in it, so we all lined up for a piece in the hopes to find a tooth crunching silver treasure that she'd swap for new coins (we had to give back the old style ones so that she could reuse them the following year).

Unfortunately, I had no coins, but as you can see, the final results were still brilliant!
And eating it, along with her special brandy sauce (not pictured cause I forgot!) was a treat!
And we also had a visitor on Christmas Day...someone who was making sure that he wasn't on the dinner plate!!!!
Hope that your Christmas was excellent!

Retro Fabbo

2010-12-16T09:54:00.008+10:00

Being on holidays means that I get the enviable (ha, ha!) opportunity of cleaning through hoarded boxes that have been shifted from our previous storage space/new study nook!

Although this is not a particularly fun job, there were some exciting moments when I opened boxes that held little treasures. Note the retro anodised canister set that was salvaged from my mother-in-law's house before she went into a nursing home (and consequently passed away....so the memory is a tad bittersweet!). We saved these canisters along with the cup sets, from the second hand dealer who came to take away most of her stuff. I have now washed them and have them on display, but as you can see from the picture, the black lids have a discolouration to them. Hopefully, someone can tell me how to fix this!
I also rediscovered these anodised cup sets...retro from probably the 50s or 60s. Once again, there is some staining that haven't come out with a simple soapy wash but it's probably more obvious in the photo than in the real!
And then there was this funky leopard belt that, back in the late 80s/early 90s, I thought was the absolute ultimate in fab!
And then I came across this little treasure! No idea how old it is and no idea if it is still good to drink, but it was a treasure anyway!!!

U2???? Me, too!!!!

2010-12-09T10:18:00.014+10:00

Jay Z warms the crowd!
U2 appeared on stage!
Bono gets into it!
Singing up a storm in front of 50 000 people!
One lucky viewer got pulled out of the crowd!
The stage effects were amazing!
The crowd was packed in!
We bought cheap seats (at over $170!) but when we got there, they told us that our section had been closed and we were being reseated.....into corporate!!!! We took a millisecond to think about it before doing a happy dance!
Lights out and mobile phones on made a magnificent effect!
After a couple of hours of energy, entertainment and enthusiasm........
......they waved us goodbye!

I Love

2010-12-08T14:21:00.004+10:00

I love my new Freedom Aiken cushions. But I think that I need a black one behind it instead of the beige. What do you think??

Btw, this lounge is looking way more yellowy than it is in real life. Weird photo colour thing!

Renovation Revamp!

2010-12-05T18:44:00.005+10:00

When your children suddenly become so large that they can touch the ceiling with barely a stretch, you know that it's time to look for more room!

For a long time, we have ho-hummed over the best way to gain more room in our little house...not an easy task when you are on a budget of a pittance!

At the back end of our garage we had a space. On the house plan, it was marked as just a part of the garage and probably a work area but for years, we've used it as a storage spot. The corner had no window, one bare brick skin wall and one plastered wall, one power point and a whole lot of open shelves. The shelves were a total embarrassment and a certain someone (who shall remain nameless!) got into the habit of dumping any old thing on the floor in front of the shelves. You could see this mini dumping ground from the kitchen area and it always disturbed me!

So, after going mad with a measuring tape one day, we decided that that area would actually make a great little study nook. We knocked down the shelves (goodbye storage!) bought a window and employed a fantastic builder to come and install it, along with a wall along half of the garage opening (can't put a door in cause of a cupboard in the way, but meh, I can live with that.) He also lined the brick skin wall and organised for a plasterer to complete the job!

I have taken a pic of the semi-renovation. Stupidly, I did not actually get a 'before' shot. Don't know what I was thinking! You can see that the window now looks out to my clothesline so I might have to consider that one but it does let in an amazing amount of light. The room is now taking shape. The plasterer came last week but I haven't had a chance to photograph that yet. Now, all that is left is a light (electrician organised and waiting on fittings!), paint (us!) and floor coverings (not sure yet!).

I'll keep you posted on progress!

The Joys of Having A Teenager!

2010-11-29T00:05:00.007+10:00

Are you a parent reading this and listening to the sounds of your sweet child in the background? Be warned...in years to come, these gorgeous, sweet, loving children metamorphasise into creatures far scarier than anything that your wildest dreams could ever imagine.....that's right, I'm talking about TEENAGERS!!!

Even the name 'teenager' stirs a sense of panic within that makes you want to run for the hills! And believe me, it is justified. Let me explain.....

1) Teenagers can be selfish! Everything is about them. They work on teenager time when doing the chores but expect you to stand to attention when they want something.

2) Teenagers sleep! No longer are early rises customary. They live like vampires....sounds emit from their now-closed doors late into the night but come sunrise they are fast asleep!

3) Teenagers eat! We have taken to hiding our favourite foods away from teenage eyes. For example...that huge jar of olives that we bought a few days ago....well, I found the remnants of it in the Superteen's room yesterday....seeds and all! Which leads me to my next point....

4) Teenagers can be lazy! They are prepared to sit and watch you run around like a slave but ask them to hang their towels back on the rack or put their clothes in the clothes basket and you'd think that you were asking them to gouge out an eye! Ouch!

5) Teenagers can be looks-obsessed! That kid that would wear anything you bought suddenly becomes a style expert...naturally in a style that is a polar opposite to yours! Clothes, shoes, hair and even accessories are all scrutinised on their 'cool' factor!

6) Teenagers become music experts (eat your heart out Molly Meldrum)! That quiet little spot that was your child's room now has a never ending 'doof-doof' sound emitting from it when they are home! I believe they call it music although it's not something that I recognise! But take heart, now they have ipods so if you ask them to get rid of said music, they shove little white plugs into their ears - ensuring deafness for future years - so that you cannot even have a conversation with your teenager without screaming at them to get the things out of their ears!

7) Teenagers can be friend crazy! No longer are you the centre of their universe and, to be honest, it hurts! Suddenly, their friends are THE most important people in their lives and their social life is all important. Believe me, you can tell them that that new shirt that you bought for them looks great but it will sit in the cupboard untouched. Have one of their friends come over and admire same shirt and you won't get it off their back! And don't get me started on the texting, skyping, msn-ing etc that goes on between 'the friends'! That is an issue left for a whole other post!

8) Teenagers can be computer maestros! If you think that you are pretty computer savvy cause you read blogs and use facebook a bit, think again! That teen will outwit, outsmart and outsneak you on almost every level...unless of course, you are Bill Gates reading this and if so, then ignore point 8!!!

9) Teenagers don't drive! Remember those bumper stickers that were huge in the 80s that had 'mum's taxi' on them? As a teenager then, I'd roll my eyes when I saw them....now I want one for my car! Don't expect to have much free time when you have a teenager cause your life becomes about dropping off and picking up without so much as a please or thank you (until you remind them, of course!)

10) Teenagers don't like rules! This is the age when rules are challenged....and challenged....and challenged again! Firm consequences are fine but when you enforce them expect a psycho tantrum despite all of your previous warnings and reminders. It's just par for the course though...roll with the tanty and you do survive!

11) Teenagers can have girlfriends...or boyfriends! This is the age where, for most kids, the opposite sex is suddenly very, very appealing. The whole boyfriend/girlfriend thing sends a shudder down my spine but I'm living through it! Unfortunately, they are past the age where having a 'girlfriend' means that you sit next to her at lunch time. These days, it's serious business! It's the age and stage where you can only pray that all of your life lessons on responsibility and trust pay off and that having a 'friend' means no more than a few snogs and holding hands down the street! And of course, that your nagging voice of 'be responsible' keeps echoing in their head as they jump out of the car on their next social adventure!

12) Teenagers are emotional roller coasters. One moment they will bite your head off, the next moment they will give you a great big hug! Go figure! It's these latter moments that mums like me live for and realise that there is just a glimmer of hope that we'll all get through these years in one piece.....maybe!

PS...If you have a teenager and are reading this going....'That's not my child' then you are so lucky and I envy that fact that you don't have to go through the fun and games that I'm experiencing right now.

PPS....I do love my teenager though....I really, really do!!!

Family History Updates!

2010-11-28T23:19:00.004+10:00

It's been a while since I posted about my on-going family history research so thought I should update!

Good news #1: Remember how I posted about my grandmother's family history here? Unfortunately, I have not had any further information on this family but have managed to track down my grandmother's step sister. I now know that she was still alive right up until the early 2000s and does have descendants living in Queensland somewhere. I've been searching for this woman for years and thanks to a little further information through a contact was able to piece it together.

Good news #2: You might remember me posting about the Gilbert family here! Once again, thanks to a collaboration, we have discovered when and where James Gilbert died. Although not a lot of further information was listed on his death certificate, it appears he was English - if the death informant was correct!

Good news #3: I have invested. After years of lying in an unmarked grave, my great grandfather now has a small but still significant headstone on his resting place. It is weird deciding how to memorialise someone who you have never actually met but without whom, you would not exist! I am yet to visit his grave as it is in a large Queensland country town, but perhaps will get a chance to travel there soon. I hope that somewhere, wherever he is, that he is feeling a little chuffed that he wasn't forgotten!

I love that I have been studying family history for more than 20 years now and am still finding things that surprise me! It's one of the joys of this interesting hobby!

Ps...Tonsils are healing ok. The pain is still significant but is getting better each day. Pain meds are still being given though and I have this week off work to care for her!

Oh Those Tonsils!

2010-11-26T18:12:00.005+10:00

For many years now, Miss Eleven (did I mention that she is now eleven??) has had throat issues. They started when she was little and had to get grommets put in and adenoids out. After that, her tonsils decided to take on Hulk proportions and gradually have become the massive tombolas that you see in the picture. Every time she has had so much as a sniffle, the tonsils got larger, the sore throat got worse and the space in the back of her throat restricted more and more.

At the beginning of the year, after many years of sore throats, Miss Eleven cried that she had had enough. She was sick of the sore throat thing and sick of having tonsil issues. It was at that point that we decided to take her to a specialist who, not surprisingly, declare that they should come out.

So yesterday, after much anxiety and sleepless worry, the tonsils in question were removed!

Miss Eleven came through the whole thing perfectly, apart from a sore throat of course, and is loving the fact that she gets to choose the dinner menu for the week!

Thankfully, we had a wonderful doctor (whose only flaw was that he decided to start his hospital rounds at 6am this morning....yes that does say AM!) and all is well!

The only real issue was that I had to stay at the hospital overnight with her and had one very uncomfortable night's sleep on a makeshift bed. Luckily, I have been able to sleep in my own bed this afternoon to make up for it!

So, the next couple of weeks are recuperation ones! And hopefully, we will never have to deal with tonsillitis again!

Today.....

2010-11-21T23:32:00.004+10:00

......I have caught up on work!
......I have washed clothes!
......I have cleaned the bathroom, including the ceiling!
......I have wiped down the outdoor table (that's new...pics later!)
......I have cleaned the dust off the shade above the dining table (and now the whole room seems brighter....go figure!)
......I have shopped!
......I have had coffee with a friend!
.......I have talked on the telephone!
.......I have cooked dinner!
........And.......I have added new Brisbane (and a couple of non-Brisbane) bloggers to my blog role.....check it out at the side!!!!!

Enjoy your week!

Media Room Makeover

2010-10-25T21:52:00.006+10:00

We have always had a media room....even before media rooms were the trend! Unfortunately, it has been neglected as it has suffered all of the side effects of having small children. In simple terms, it was 'child trashed'!

Now that our kids are growing older, however, I decided to give it a 'joojsh' albeit a reasonably inexpensive one!

Firstly, I rearranged the furniture and gave the whole room a good clean. By moving the two single lounge chairs side-by-side, adjacent to the sofa, it made a huge difference in the feel of the room. Thankfully, the tv and cabinet were only a few years old, so they stayed!

Being the avid shopper that I am, I obviously had to force myself to go bargain hunting to add to the decorations. We bought a cabinet and cane basket inserts from Ikea some weeks earlier (great idea but don't get me started on how I asked DH to pick up one colour and he came home with another!). Then I picked up a mega bargain mirror and black rug.

One of the best hints that I can give is to reuse furniture to save money. Remember the make-over that I did in Miss Ten's room? I took her old bedside drawers and put them under the mirror. They make the perfect place to store remote controls. Then I placed the cheap and rather old Big W (or was it Target???) lamp on the top. It makes a wonderful feature in the room. I also dug out an old print that was in storage and got it reframed for $50. It goes perfectly in the room but I only picked it up today so didn't get a photo...sorry!

Finally, I decided that the whole look needed black cushions (hello Target!) and a black throw rug. Voile! Room complete!

The whole look cost less than $500. Ok, one day I will need a new lounge suite (I am thinking red!) but in the meantime, this room which started out as one I avoided has now become a place where I want to spend time!

It's a Dog's Life!

2010-10-20T22:21:00.003+10:00

I so wish that I could do this all day!!! And no, she is not supposed to be there! I found this picture on my camera when I was downloading others that I'd taken. I wonder who took it??? Hmmmmmmm!

Faves and Fun Stuff at the Moment!

2010-10-14T15:37:00.002+10:00

It's been ages since I've done a run-down on my favourite things at the moment, so here goes......

Favourite Book

This is hard cause I haven't been doing as much reading as I should be lately! I have completed the final book in the Riley Jensen series though and loved the ending! I am also currently reading a book called 'Haunted Brisbane' by Jack Sim. It's a great little read about supposed haunted parts of the city. The family historian in me loves how the author has been able to maintain anecdotal history which would otherwise run the risk of being lost through generations. And it's a great read for the locals amongst you readers who are interested in that type of thing!

Favourite Television Show

I have many of these at the moment. Still love Packed to the Rafters and am soooooo loving Nathan at the moment. The actor who plays this character is improving before our eyes!

My other all time favourite at the moment is Offspring, the Channel Ten series about a doctor and her neurotic ways in dealing with her life. I love Asher Keddy and have been a huge fan for ages so it seems natural, I suppose that I would love this show. And I must say that the romance between Nena and Dr Chris on this show is hot, hot, hot!!!

For those of you with cable tv, I can also recommend Spirited starring Claudia Karvan. Although the final episode of series one aired last night, they are having repeats this weekend on Channel W, I think. I love this show and I love the character of Henry Mallett. My only complaint is that the final episode left me itching for season 2 to begin. What a pity, it won't start again until next year!

Favourite Movie

I don't know if I have a favourite at the moment but I did see Eat, Pray, Love yesterday. I had read the book and heard all sorts of negatives about the movie, so I went in with little expectation. The reality is that I really, really liked it! I thought that Julie Roberts was excellent as Elizabeth Gilbert and the scenes in Italy made me want to go back there! Definitely worth the effort to see it, however, don't expect big whopping emotional roller coasters during the film. Like the book, it just really bubbles along the pathway of the author's life.

Favourite Music

I started off revisiting my youth and all the songs that reflected it, after some conversations with my teenage son. What has followed is a love of the new music of Mark Seymour (aka, ex-Hunters and Collectors lead singer). He really is fabulous at singing those melodic, soulful tunes. I cannot believe that there isn't a greater commercial market for the amazing music that he is making today. I am now a huge fan!!!

I Feel Like Noah!

2010-10-12T17:53:00.006+10:00

.....Noah of the flood variety, that is! All that is missing is my ark! Lol!

Yesterday, we in Brisbane experience a massive dumping of rain! They say that in one night we had our monthly average of rain. Although it rained non stop all night, at around 7am, it decided to come down in bucketloads!

At that time, I was getting ready for work and sleepily headed out to the kitchen to start breakfast. A quick look out the kitchen window and I discovered that my back pergola had turned into a lake. As I ventured out, lifting pyjama legs as I went so that they didn't hit the water, I turned the corner of my house where my clothesline is and discovered more lake....only this time getting dangerously close to entering the house!

Now, I am not a photographer and don't profess to be one, but you can get an idea from my photos exactly how much water there was and how dark and heavy the clouds were! At this point, DH decided to take the day off work and spent his morning standing out in the pouring rain, digging a channel to open up a gravel-covered drain and help water escape. I left him to it, of course and went to work but thankfully, the rain did ease off enough to prevent any further disaster!

Ikea Loving!

2010-10-09T11:57:00.017+10:00

About a month ago, I spotted a gorgeous butterfly lamp in a Pillow Talk advertisement. It was lime green and looked so nice that I decided to buy it for Miss Ten's room. What followed was a month long decorating frenzy that saw, not only her room revamped, but a few extra odds and ends bought for other places in the house as well.

Miss Ten has always had the small room! A lot of the decor was mish-mash and left over from other places in the house. Her old bedside table was a hand-me-down and her 'desk' was an old table that I used as a baby's change table at one stage! Her drawers were bought for $10 at a garage sale and were falling apart and her curtains were cheap Big W ones that were bought before she was born. My BIL, at one stage, gave us a set of wall shelves for her Beanie Kid collection (which is brilliant), but apart from that, the whole room had a 'thrown together' feel!

So, on the day that I went to Pillow Talk to buy the new lamp, I came out with....new curtains, a new doona cover and a new bobble bed cushion.....all in lime green! I then went to the local shopping centre and bought a bobble lime green mat, a hanging thing for more soft toys (I really really dislike the oversupply of soft toys, btw!) and lime green bucket-style containers!

.....And then I discovered Ikea!

Ikea is a long drive from my house and involves going over the Gateway bridge toll road! Regardless, we made the venture in search of a new desk that would fit Miss Ten's little room! We found the perfect one, of course with an additional hutch! Two trips back to Ikea later and we also have a new bedside chest, a new chest of drawers for her cupboard, a lime green wall mirror and a great lime green throw rug! I think I love Ikea now!

So I have included photos of bits and pieces of the new room! What do you think?

Butterfly lamp above from Pillow Talk. I love this colour!

Green throw rug only $5 from Ikea. Doona cover and curtains from Pillow Talk.

Aneboda bedside cabinet from Ikea.

Aneboda chest of drawers fit perfectly inside the wardrobe!

Micke desk and hutch and Snille chair all from Ikea.
Miss Ten loves the Micke hutch as the backboard is a magnetic white board...perfect for holding old Littlest Pet Shop toys (don't know why that $5 was there though!).

Green hangy thing from Target...although I noticed that Ikea has them, too! I also bought a green mat from Target but didn't take a pic for some reason!

The Delight Of Holidays and Other Such Stuff!

2010-09-28T00:06:00.002+10:00

Ten things I'm thinking about right now:

1. These days, I have to fight a couple of children to get on my own computer! Go figure! The joys of motherhood and kids getting older and more computer savvy!

2. We are on holidays now and are loving the sleep-ins! While the kids usually complain about being bored on holidays, it hasn't been so bad this time....perhaps because the last holidays were so full on!

3. I love, love, love the new Australian drama, Offspring! I have always loved Asher Keddie. She plays the slightly neurotic, nervy type so well......maybe I relate!

4. I spent a mini fortune at Ikea over the last week. It is a good 45 minute drive to the nearest Ikea for me but it has been worth it. Miss Ten now has a brand new desk and hutch! Hooray! Her room is looking neater and I have overhauled it with lime green trimmings! Pictures would be on the way, except that a certain Superteen decided to 'borrow' the batteries from my camera without asking! :(

5. Speaking of 'Superteen', he has just celebrated another birthday making me feel decidedly older but still proud of him, despite his total teenage attitude! (Ok, the teenage attitude is driving me round the twist but they tell me that I only have a few more years for him to grow out of it! Greeeeeattttt!)

6. The dogs are doing fine! I am currently looking for a good kennel to board them in over the Christmas/new year period so if anyone knows a good one in the greater Brisbane area, please let me know!

7. I really should not have eaten those last two chocolate koala biscuits!

8. Speaking of food....we are having visitors for tea tomorrow night. What to cook? Bbq sounds like a good idea and perhaps chocolate coated strawberries (chocolate done in slow cooker, of course!)

9. I am currently listening to fabulous music by Mark Seymour. I think he sounds better than his Hunters & Collectors days! Check him out here!

10. I have just clocked over 20 000 visitors to my blog! Hooray! Thanks for visiting!

Farewell To The Finger!

2010-09-09T15:50:00.003+10:00

Most Australians have heard of Powderfinger! And if you have lasted with me over the coarse of my blogging years, you will know that I love them! You will also know that my dear son was in their video clip some years ago and you will know that they recently called it a day and are currently on the very final Australian tour....ever!!!

So last Saturday night, we treated ourselves and our son to a ticket to one of their final Brisbane concerts. Us and thousands and thousands of other people braved the gray skies to stand on a hill next to the Brisbane River to hear our favourite band play one last time!

On arrival, we were treated to the poppy sounds of Operator Please - a young Australian band who are currently most famous for a song about ping pong than anything else. I liked them! I predict more hits for them if they stay together!

After that, we were witness to the amazing spectacle that is Brisbane Riverfire! Twenty full minutes of massive fireworks filled the night sky, along with the awesome sight of three F1-11 fly overs (the final ever, too as the government is retiring this particular aircraft), dumping fuel as they went to form a massive fire-ball tail on their aircraft! Amazing!

Following the fireworks, The Vines took to the stage. Now, I am not a young, hip teenager but am not completely mega-conservative in my music tastes, I don't think. The Vines, however, made me feel about a hundred years old as apparently, screaming into the microphone is far better than actually hearing lyrics! Ok, there were some songs that were alright but I think I'll leave their music for the young 'uns in future!

Finally, Powderfinger began. They offered, as usual, a full night of entertainment....performing songs that we all knew, had grown up with and could sing along to! To see these guys in full stage flight is really a treat! Their heavy guitar-based sound brought back memories of smoke-filled concert venues of years gone by! At one stage, they left the stage, only to arrive on a second stage at the top of the hill a few minutes later (much to the delight of the crowd at the back, I'm sure!). We were thrilled, actually, when they ran right past us to return to the main stage. No super-special pathways for these normal blokes....just a quick dash with a couple of security back to where they began the concert! And to top it all off, Bernard Fanning played one of my all-time favourite songs when he arrived back on-stage....a little number called 'Whatever Makes You Happy'!

The Superteen, at his first ever concert was impressed. Although he did not want to rage in the mosh pit, he enjoyed the music and came away more of a Powderfinger fan than he was previously. He was disappointed, however, that they didn't play 'I Don't Remember', the song that he played a younger version of one of the band members in the video clip!

At the end of the night, and after two encores, they sang their swan song....These Days.....one of my all-time favourite PF songs! I admit that it was here when I started to get a little emotional. They say that all good things must come to an end, but this song signalled, not just the end of the concert but the end of seeing Powderfinger in concert again! (They do have a return trip in November but we don't have tickets!).

So, from this little Aussie fan, I'd like to say thanks Powderfinger....for the songs, the experiences and the memories! I will miss you!

(Apologies for poor photo quality. I forgot to bring my camera so ended up trying to take a few snaps on my mobile phone. Seriously waiting for my phone plan to end so I can get an iphone!)

Easy Peasy Banana Pikelets with a Twist

2010-08-29T14:14:00.005+10:00

Are you one of those people who avoids cooking pikelets because you just cannot get the cooking part right? Are you sick of pikelets that burn on one side and yet are soggy in the middle? Or do you have pikelets that become a concertina fan as soon as you try to remove them from the pan?

If you answered yes to any of the above then you are not alone. In fact, that was me until I discovered a fantastic and idiot-proof way of cooking pikelets. Here is my favourite banana pikelet recipe made on my sandwich press:

You need:

2 1/2 cups self raising flour (I combine wholemeal and white)
2 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon bi-carb soda
3/4 cup milk
3/4 cup water
3-4 very ripe bananas mashed

What you do:

1. Beat eggs, sugar, milk and water in a bowl.
2. In another bowl mash banana (I use a fork) and add the bicarb so that the banana mix expands slightly.
3. Add the banana mix to the milk/water/egg/sugar mix. Stir.
4. Add the flour to the bowl and combine. (you can add a little more water or milk to make the mix slightly on the runnier side).
5. Drop tablespoons on the preheated sandwich press. I do not use cooking spray but rely solely on the non-stick surface of the press.

6. Lower the lid so that it sits just above the pikelets. After about 30-60 seconds, drop lid onto the pikelets.
7. Your pikelets will spread so start with smaller sized spoonfuls until you get the mix correct.

8. After about a minute, lift the lid. You may need to lift them off the surface with a plastic spatula.
9. Enjoy!

Chocolate Decadence In the Slow Cooker

2010-08-15T19:06:00.004+10:00

It's been a while since I posted a slow cooker recipe. It's not that I haven't been using my slow cooker, just that I have been slack at posting! Lol!

This one is fantastic for the kids and grown ups alike and makes a quick and easy dessert which is not only delicious but not as bad for you (ok, minus the chocolate and cream) as some! It's also great for us Queenslanders who are currently in the middle of strawberry season!

You need:

1 packet chocolate buds or buttons. I used a large packet of dark chocolate
1 container thickened cream
Fruit pieces including strawberries, bananas etc. You could also use marshmallows or assorted lollies.

Turn slow cooker on high and fill with some water.

In a heat proof bowl put chocolate buds and cream. The ratio is about 4 : 2 tablespoons (ie for every 4 tablespoons of chocolate, put in 2 tablespoons of cream). Mix together.

Sit heat proof bowl in the water that is in the slow cooker (so make sure that your bowl fits before starting this recipe).

Place lid on slow cooker and heat for about half an hour, stirring occasionally.

When melted through, serve in a bowl so that fruit can be dipped into chocolate. We used skewers to handle the fruit pieces.

Enjoy!

I Wonder If His Nose Twitches, Too!

2010-08-12T17:08:00.003+10:00

Our family was lying on the bed, doing what families usually do (talking and laughing) when Miss Ten suddenly changes conversation topic......

"Mum, who are you going to vote for?"

For those of you who don't know, our federal elections are coming up in less than a fortnight and at the moment, our televisions are saturated with coverage of the two main campaigners - current prime minister Julia Gillard and leader of the opposition Tony Abbott - vying for political kudos!

"Gee", was my rather shocked reply, "I don't know" (ie, me the fence-sitting, swinging voter!). Then Miss Ten looks at me in the most innocent, wide-eyed way and says:

"Are you gonna vote for Tony Rabbit?"

Naturally, I burst out laughing and then went on to explain that his name is actually 'Abbott' and not 'Rabbit'.

"Oh, I know that!" she calmly replied. "I just call him 'Tony Rabbit' because he has big ears!"

Leave it to kids to say the very obvious!

Photo courtesey of: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:CROP_Tony_Abbott.jpg

Rocking In Rome!

2010-08-06T10:09:00.011+10:00

The final leg of our holiday was . It sounded like such a wonderful place, however even before our arrival we had an idea of things to come when people starting talking about a 'heatwave'.

And heatwave it was! After leaving our train from Florence and walking into a wall of heat, we arrived at our apartment only to find that there had been a mix-up times with the owner and we had a two hour wait with luggage and children! Thankfully, things picked up after this and the apartment owner was fantastic following her error and offered us a bottle of wine and a little economic saving on the rental agreement!

Our apartment's position was amazing. It was literally a five minute walk to both the Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps and overlooked Barberini Piazza. And to make it even more pleasurable...it was air conditioned!!!!!!

We once again took the option of an open bus tour of to help us find our way. We also managed to take the obvious sites like the Colosseum and the Vatican and because of the heat, we booked ourselves on a bus tour to Pompeii and Naples for a day. Pompeii was incredibly hot once we got off the air conditioned bus and this did somewhat spoil our visit to this incredible place.

Finally, after a week, we waved goodbye to and began our long voyage home to Australia. It definitely was an amazing holiday!

BEST SIGHT SEEING EXPERIENCE......the Vatican. Without a doubt St Peter's Basilica was the most beautiful church I have seen. It literally took my breath away. We joined a tour outside the Vatican which did help us avoid some of the waiting crowds. The Vatican museums were very interesting but because of the volume of people, we felt like cattle being herded through it. St Peter's Basilica, however was the opposite......no rushing, temperatures cool and architecture that was completely stunning.

OTHER THINGS WE DID.....the Colosseum (btw, only EU children get a child's entry price here....totally unfair if you ask me!), the Pantheon (lovely), Pompeii (hot), Naples (did not appeal to me), and my 'Roman Holiday' experiences....the Spanish Steps (loved these), the Trevi fountain (beautiful) and La Bocca Della Verita...the mouth of truth (which was closed by the time we got there but we still managed to snap a photo!).

CULINARY DELIGHTS......gelati! We had one every day! We did try some of the pasta dishes which were ok but we all loved the local prosciutto which was far, far better than any we've found at home!

THE KIDS RECOMMEND.....Villa Borghese is a huge park that has a zoo, which we went to and where you can hire bikes, which we did! fact, we hired a four-person bike for an hour and laughed our heads off for most of that time!

BEST TIP......You can fill up your bottles at many of the . At first we were worried about what the quality of this would be like but after we started seeing locals doing it, we figured it must be ok. The was cold and tasty and my family preferred it to most other .

NEXT TIME....We would not travel the middle of summer!!!!

Flouncing In Florence and Pouncing in Pisa

2010-08-03T13:03:00.009+10:00

We used Florence as a stop-over for a day trip to Pisa. We arrived there early evening after our horrendous exit to Venice thanks to a national transport strike.

Our hotel in Florence was fantastic. I cannot say this enough. We were hot, tired and stressed when we arrived at the hotel and were thrilled when they offered us a complimentary welcome drink. The room was a family room but was one of the few hotels where my kids had genuine single beds (no pull out/fold out sofas or cot beds!). The staff were friendly and helpful and gave us fantastic tips on getting around. The breakfast was delicious and the owner even went out of his way to drive us to the train station on two occasions. I cannot recommend this hotel more and suggest that if you are taking a trip to Florence then book the Hotel Giglio.

We found Pisa - like most of Italy - hot! I bought one of those lacy tourist fans for a couple of Euros in a stall across from the Leaning Tower and declared that it was the best two euros that I'd spent on the whole trip. The tower itself was interesting although we decided not to climb it. We did take the 'holding up the tower' pictures that every tourist puts on their 'must do' list when visiting there.

BEST SIGHT-SEEING EXPERIENCE......We loved the markets in Florence. Fantastic shopping to be had!

OTHER THINGS WE DID.....We went to Pisa by train then took a bus to the Leaning Tower.

CULINARY DELIGHTS.......We had dinner at a restaurant called 'Trattoria Da Tito'. This was a recommendation from the hotel that we stayed at. It was a great place to eat with friendly, helpful staff who delighted us with a complimentary tomato bruscetta to go with our meal. I would definitely recommend this place to my friends.

THE KIDS RECOMMEND......The markets in Florence. The spent a lot of money there!

BEST TIP.......Buy leather goods in Florence. This was by far the place that we visited that sold the best price and quality leather. There are so many to choose from as well so you can afford to be picky and bargain with the sellers.

NEXT TIME....We would definitely stay longer in Florence. We didn't even get to see a lot of the main sites in this city. We had intended to see the Statue of David but were too hot and tired to bother in the end and went back to the air conditioning of the hotel.

Venturing in Venice

2010-08-02T10:50:00.010+10:00

We only stayed in Venice for one night. And what an interesting night it was!

We took a short flight from Paris to Venice via a 'cheap as chips' airline! Once there, we queued up at the ticket machine to get one-way water bus tickets to the city proper. Fifty-three (yes 53!!!) euro later, we set off dragging our bags on the long haul from airport to boat dock.

Naturally, things could not go smoothly. In the heat of the afternoon, we arrived only to be told that the water bus was full and that we would have to wait an hour for the next one (thank goodness that there was a toilet nearby!). The swaying of the waiting dock didn't help my non-sea legs so I opted to stay on terra firma for most of this time.

Once in Venice, we took in the beautiful sites......lovely waterways filled with boats and the famous gondolas. We were lucky as our hotel accommodation was near the Rialto Bridge, therefore not a long walk with luggage.

Our evening and next day were spent mainly taking in the sights and walking the narrow streets of Venice. I loved the beauty and the uniqueness of the city. The fact that there are no cars in Venice makes it so much easier to manoeuvre. Unfortunately, this beauty is marred by litter and graffiti. We saw bins over-flowing with rubbish and waterways that had debris floating in them.

Our exit to Venice, however was not particularly fun. When we arrived at the Vaporetti station with luggage in tow, we were told that there was a strike and we would have to walk to the station. What following was a 30-40 minute walk in the incredible heat lugging bags over oh-so-cute bridges that were not made for heavy bags with wheels. This also meant that we missed our train and had to wait for over 2 hours for another one....without designated seats....as the strike had effected all national transport!

By the end, we wondered if we were cursed with transport issues!

BEST SIGHT-SEEING EXPERIENCE.....walking through this city is an experience in itself and nothing like anything we've ever experienced before. Of course, we did the obligatory walk to San Marco Piazza.

OTHER THINGS WE DID.....we shopped! There are amazing little shops in Venice.

CULINARY DELIGHTS......Gelati!!!! They are everywhere in Venice and very cheap. We had dinner at a sidewalk pizza and pasta ristorante which was very tasty.

THE KIDS RECOMMEND......shopping at the street carts in San Marco. The Superteen was delighted with his Italian football team shirts that he bought there.

BEST TIP.....watch out for hawkers who shower you with compliments while giving you long-stemmed roses. They want money for them! And if you decide that you do want to feel romantic while carrying a long stemmed rose around Venice, barter with the street seller before accepting. They want one price but are willing to go lower!

NEXT TIME....we would love to do a trip to some of the outer islands and stay longer.

Prancing in Paris!

2010-07-31T15:08:00.010+10:00

Our trip to Paris began poorly. Unbeknown to us, beggars are everywhere and will do little chores for you (the kind that we in Australia do out of kindness) and expect to be paid. Then there is the whole language barrier issue. So within minutes of arriving via Eurostar in Paris we had an elderly gent hail a cab for us.....then expect payment. This would have been fine except that we had no Euro coins on us, just a handful of large notes that we'd taken from the ATM. Naturally, the guy got irate and started yelling at us in French. Then he snatched a ten pound note out of my purse as I tried to find him something for payment. It got quite nasty after that and we ended up having quite a tense few moments before it was resolved. We then had a taxi ride to our apartment (5 streets away) which cost us a fortune. All of this, we ended up putting down to experience, but it definitely shook us and was a terrible introduction to Paris!

The rest of the week in Paris, however was great. The Superteen's asthma disappeared immediately. We loved the picturesque buildings and interesting food and we loved visiting places like Montmartre, Giverny, the Eiffel Tower, the Champs Elysee etc. Although we had been warned about arrogant and rude French people, to be honest we found them, on the whole, to be courteous and helpful. One lady behind us on a bus started translating for us and the driver when we were trying to find out if we were going in the right direction. Our apartment was trendy and very close to a metro stop (and the headquarters of Ella Bache which was interesting!), and although food was expensive everywhere, we managed to find places nearby that sold cheap fruit and groceries.

BEST SIGHT-SEEING EXPERIENCE......I loved our day visit to Giverny and Monet's Garden. It was absolutely beautiful and gave a real impression (lol!) of a French country town. DH however loved Montmartre. He says that sitting on the steps outside the Sacre Coeur, listening to street performers and taking in the view was a fantastic experience.

OTHER THINGS WE DID.....We did go to the top floor of the Eiffel Tower, went to Euro-Disney, and spent a day going to the museums and art galleries. The Musee D'Orsay is brilliant if you want to see originals of familiar works of Monet, Renoir, Van Gough etc.

CULINARY DELIGHT.....Paris is supposed to be the food capital of the world although we kept our eating simple as we had a couple of hungry kids with us everywhere we went. We loved the local croissanterie which had gorgeous pastries. We did have dinner at a creperie near Notre Dame which was delicious. We were amazed at how much the French love sugar and Nutella! We were also thrilled that gorgeous French cheese was so inexpensive there compared to home. There was also a gorgeous patisserie in Vernon near the train station that stopped at and the food was just mouth-watering. Unfortunately, I don't know the name of the place.

THE KIDS RECOMMEND.....Disneyland Paris. For both of them, this was the highlight of their trip. For me, it put a huge hole in our budget but was an experience that we'll never forget.

BEST TIP......Buy your Eiffel Tower tickets on line before you leave. This saved us a huge wait. We also loved the tip that most museums and art galleries opened their doors for free on the first Sunday of the month. This saved us a lot of money and we saw the Louvre, Musee De L'Orangerie and Musee D'Orsay.....a full day of fun!

NEXT TIME.....I would like to do a boat trip on the Seine perhaps. And maybe spend more time sitting at a Parisian side-walk cafe (it freaked us out that Europeans always sit side-by-side facing the road at these cafes). We would also do Versailles, I think.

London Calling

2010-07-29T18:33:00.011+10:00

We arrived in London tired after our long flight and basically went straight to the hotel room to sleep.

The following day, we stumbled our way to the nearest tube station with our luggage and then to the apartment that we had rented. We stayed in Kensington which is a short tube ride to the city centre and near a little reminder of home.....Westfield London! (Yes, we spent quite a bit of time cooling off here!). Our apartment was small but clean and serviceable and thankfully on the ground level so we had no nasty stairs to climb!

London itself was busy, smoggy, noisy and full of people. In fact, I don't think I've ever seen so many people in my life. Thanks to our common language though, we had little trouble finding our way around and did manage to see quite a lot of sites.

Our first day of sight-seeing was spent on an open-topped bus...worth the money and helped to orient us. We also went to many other landmarks including Madame Tussauds, Harrods, London Tower, Buckingham Palace and the London Eye. On one day we hired a car and drove to Windsor Castle, Bath and Stonehenge. Having our own car space was a delight after a few days of crowds. We all loved Windsor - I can understand why the queen prefers it to Buckingham Palace. We arrived at Stonehenge as the sun was starting to drop from the sky and thought that it was just beautiful.

Our impressions of London were mixed. We really liked the people and loved that we could manage our way around it so easily. The weather was hot which surprised us as we'd heard the it wouldn't be. We found costs not unsimilar to ours....some things cheaper and some more expensive. We did, however find the air there not so great....the poor Superteen had terrible asthma there that stopped almost immediately after we left!

BEST SIGHT-SEEING EXPERIENCE.......I loved our car hire day. The English countryside is just beautiful and we wish we'd seen more of it. We drove through towns that looked like they were out of Hansel and Gretel!

OTHER THINGS WE DID.......Buckingham Palace, London Tower, London Eye, Madame Tussauds and we rode across the Tower Bridge on an open-topped bus.

CULINARY DELIGHT.....We ate at a London pub. The food choices are so typically English. DH, however did insist on having the cold beer....he wasn't game to try the luke-warm stuff!

THE KIDS RECOMMEND......Madame Tussauds. They loved it! They particularly loved getting their photographs taken next to famous people and I blushingly admit that Miss Ten and I paid for an official one next to Robert Pattinson. Pity they weren't real though!

BEST TIP.......Morrisons grocery stores are much cheaper than Waitrose!!!

NEXT TIME.....We would stay in the country! It is so gorgeous.

Singapore Stop Over!

2010-07-26T09:05:00.005+10:00

We are back in Australia, after almost a month of frantic traveling. Unfortunately, internet connection was not consistent and was often timed, so I've waited until we returned home to post about our trip.

Singapore was our first stop on our holiday. My DH had insisted that we only spend a night in Singapore.....a decision which we argued over and which he later regretted. Singapore is actually a fantastic (although hot!) place and had so many interesting things to see and do.

About a nine hour trip from Brisbane, we loved the diversity of the culture represented in the city and we loved the fact that the Aussie dollar was strong there. It was one of the few places that we decided that we would return to one day.

With it's national language being English, it was easy to get information in Singapore and the accommodation that we had at the Novatel there was brilliant. Certainly, if you were looking for a safe, clean place for a quick holiday, I would definitely recommend it.

BEST SIGHT-SEEING EXPERIENCE.....we took a trip on a bum boat down the Singapore River and this was lovely. We got to see all of the sights in a short space of time and with commentary!

THE KIDS RECOMMEND.....The bum boat tour. We all enjoyed it!

OTHER THINGS WE DID.....a trip to Singapore would not be the same without a trip to Orchard Road. We also went to a place called Bugis Market for cheap clothes and the most fantastically cheap fresh juices!

CULINARY DELIGHT.......the buffet breakfast at the Novatel was the best that we had on the whole trip. Don't miss it!

WE LEARNT.....that you cannot hail a cab from the street in Singapore. You have to wait at a taxi rank!

BEST TIP.......Singapore airport is a fantastic place and even for a few hours stop over, you can purchase showers, do a tour of the city, get a massage and see a movie.

NEXT TIME.....we would visit the Changi memorial and go to the world famous night zoo. We would also stop in at Raffles Hotel for a Singapore Sling cocktail!

Hello From Rome

2010-07-17T20:32:00.003+10:00

Finding internet overseas is difficult....especially when you are relying on an ipod with limited capabilities. I suggest that if you are traveling, an iphone or small laptop would be worth the investment!

At present we are in Rome. Our holidays have been long and filled and we are very tired. The heat here is massive. Many days have been 40-plus degrees celcius!

We started our trip in London some 3 weeks ago. Then we spent a week in Paris, then a flying trip to Venice and Florence and now Rome. I will post more when I get back to Australia....I have heaps of photos to put up, too!

In the meantime, say a little prayer for our flight back to Australia....it is a very very long one!

Blast Off!

2010-06-23T00:25:00.001+10:00

Stay tuned for updates!!!

Thai Potato Soup....Yum For Winter

2010-06-19T18:58:00.006+10:00

With the Winter cold now upon us, this soup is probably my very favourite of all. I got the recipe from somewhere unknown, wrote it on a scrap envelope and keep digging it out every winter. And it's delicious! I haven't tried making it in the slow cooker yet...that is on the 'to do' list....although I can guarantee you that it is worth every minute of making it the conventional way. My greatest piece of advice though is buy fresh coriander. It just isn't the same with the packaged stuff!

Ingredients:

1/2 bunch fresh coriander
1 teaspoon crushed garlic
1 teaspoon crushed ginger
grated rind and juice of 1 small lemon
1/2 teaspoon Thai green curry paste
500 ml chicken stock
425 ml lite coconut milk
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon sweet chilli sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
3 cups peeled and chopped potatoes
Chopped roasted peanuts or almonds to serve

1. Chop roots and stems of coriander and reserve leaves for later. Place in a large saucepan with garlic, Ginger, lemon rind and curry paste. Cook over a low heat until mix is soft and fragrant.

2. Stir in lemon juice stock, coconut milk, sauces ans sugar. Add potato. Bring to boil. Reduce heat. Simmer for 30 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

3. Remove from heat. Puree in blender.

4. Return to heat. Serve with coriander leaves and nuts.

(BTW, for all of you WWs out there....1 serve = 6 points!)

Looking For MORRISON Family in the USA!

2010-06-11T22:09:00.011+10:00

A few years before my maternal grandmother died, I sat her down and asked her a few questions about her mysterious family. Mysterious, I call them because we knew so little. My grandmother grew up in an orphanage from the time after her mother died. She had sporadic visits from her father until he died but she really knew very little of her extended family.

The few details that my grandmother did know were sketchy, to say the least. She knew that her father had siblings back in Ireland, although how many was an uncertainty. She thought that he had a sister who went to America.

Back in those days there was no such thing as Internet research. I was a member of a family history library. Research was painstakingly slow. We looked up books and microfiche and we sent letters out. These days, with a touch of a button, your query about a long lost relative is already on the other side of the world.

My grandmother died a couple of years later. I was able to find out some information for her, including where her parents were buried. But her father's family were still an unknown factor.

Now, thanks to a third cousin about fifty times removed who lives in Ireland and was able to give me a few snippets of information, I think I've finally found my American connection!

This mystery relative was able to give me a married name! From that, I used my ancestry.com membership to scout more information. I've now discovered that my great grand aunt immigrated to Chicopee Falls, Massachusetts, USA in 1914! She and her husband had two daughters who grew up as American citizens. From looking at phone book records, I've been able to work out that my grandmother's aunt was still alive right up to at least 1965 and probably beyond.

It's so sad to think that my dear little old grandmother whose own relatives were so scarce, had a whole group of family living in America. If only she had known where they were. She would have been so excited!

I am stuck in my research though. Public records seem to fade out as they get closer to current times. For that reason, I'm asking anyone who stumbles across this blog who happens to be from Chicopee Falls, Massachusetts, to think back. I am searching for a Jane and Elizabeth MORRISON who were both born around 1910 and who were my grandmother's cousins. I have no idea of their married names and I am guessing that they are no longer living, but they may have descendants who are! Feel free to let me know!

Does She Sparkle Though???

2010-06-09T14:03:00.005+10:00

Miss Ten has always had pretty amazing eyes. From the time she was about 13 months old, their colour changed to this really unusual light amber brown colour (difficult to catch the real colour by camera but you get the picture!)

Little did we know, when admiring the unusualness of her eyes, that a few years down the track that particular colour of eye would become quite famous in their own right, thanks to a certain popular book!

Miss Ten did discover this recently though. She came home, rather amused, to tell me that some Year 7 children were near her at the tuckshop when one stopped, looked into her eyes and said...."Wow! You have amber eyes!". This was followed by shrieks of delight and admiration from the Year 7 person's nearby friends who squealed, "Vampire eyes!!!! You've got vampire eyes!!!"

Apparently, eyes the same colour as Edward Cullen's (on a good feed day) is the 'IN' thing for tween girls!

Three Weeks And Counting!

2010-06-01T22:28:00.002+10:00

Time is flying by. One minute I'm downing Easter Eggs (slowly this year, obviously!) and the next, I'm counting down three.....yes three!!!.....weeks until we hop on that big silver metal bird into the sky!

I can't say that the late stages of planning have been hiccup free though. Last week we received an email from the people we had rented London accommodation with.....it basically said, "Sorry, the flat is no longer available!" Ok, so the owner died (how rude and inconsiderate of him to do so prior to our departure!) but it did leave us in a terrible position. For about 4 days we went into panic mode, emailing every London accommodation rental that we could think of. Not to mention the worry of getting our deposit returned. Luckily, persistence paid off. We did find what was probably the very last accommodation available in London for that period of time (minus a day but a sleep over in a hotel room will probably do us good!). And who knew that we were landing in London in Wimbledon week??? Not me! Apparently there are usually no rooms left at the inn during this week so to find somewhere that accommodates the four of us and within the inner city area was pure luck!

And yes, we did get our deposit back on the original place. It warmed my heart to think that there are still honest people out there in the world....even if they don't have London accommodation anymore!

Finally, I am deciding on what places to pre-buy tickets for. I've been told that the Eiffel Tower is a must. Where else though? The Vatican? Louvre?

I'm sure that as the next few weeks go by, there will be a million things that I'll have to do. In the meantime, I'm hanging on to this roller coaster ride and looking forward to the thrill!

I Know That You're There

2010-04-29T17:42:00.004+10:00

No, I'm not in hiding!

I've had a lot going on. Some good, some not-so-good and some downright hard! That sounds cryptic but it's not meant to be. Basically, I think it comes down to having an operation and going back to work too soon which means that coping is not something that I've been doing particularly well! Don't worry, I'm ok now, but I think I'll look back on this period of my life and decide that, despite key hole surgery, I should have had at least four weeks off work after it!

That said, life rolls on!

We have eight weeks to go until our holiday and the count down has been worrying thanks to a mother of a volcano in Iceland! Here's praying that it keeps its ash to itself!

We are down to one major booking left.....Italian transport. What is the cheapest and safest way to get from Venice to Florence and then on to Rome? Rail?

On the to do list is the following:

*Book Paris rail pass
*Book EuroDisney tickets
*Work out how to get to Monet's Garden in Giverny
*Practise French and Italian phrases
*Get international driver's permit (they tell me that RACQ has these)
*Buy ac-dc plug converter for Europe
*Buy better bag locks
*Get swine flu and flu shots
*Try not to panic!!!!!

Despite being so close to our big trip, we decided last weekend to have a night up the coast at Maroochydore. A quick flip to wotif.com and we ended up at the Sebel Resort. A whole day of lazing by the pool and spa definitely refreshed our batteries! Thank goodness for long weekends!

The photo is the view from our twelfth floor balcony, looking north to Coolum etc and of the living area of our apartment taken from the balcony. They are photos from my mobile so . It was just so lovely!

Easter?? What Easter???!!!

2010-04-06T16:57:00.004+10:00

With the recent surgery still fresh on my mind, I have to admit that Easter was kinda forgotten in the aftermath!

I actually stayed at my parents' place for a few days to convalesce and get over the pain of having one's gall bladder removed.

To be honest, chocolate isn't actually giving me the same excited thrill that it usually does this year. I ate some and ended up with terrible indigestion! I'm sure that this is a passing thing...at least, I hope it is!!!

Our Easter naturally, then was a quiet day at home. I had bought eggs etc for the family prior to going into hospital so thankfully, that was pre-organised! In the afternoon, we all sat down and watched Ferris Bueller's Day Off on dvd....a bonus in the Superteen's Easter gift stash!

My recovery is going well. Today, I took the outer layer of bandaging off my wounds to find some nice, neat little cuts that are healing well. I am getting around ok but bending and stretching do create some pain. I rang the doctor's office today and they tell me that I should be right to go back to work next week! Nice of me to organise hospital recovery time on my holidays, wasn't it!!!

And for those of you who are wondering.....the holidays are mostly booked. We have found places in Italy, including Rome, Venice and Florence. The Eurostar tickets are booked. I am just contemplating Italian train travel (ideas please!!!) and EuroDisney tickets! Can't wait for that one!

I hope that your Easter was a good one!

Smooth Operation!!!

2010-04-03T20:04:00.002+10:00

A few days ago, I went into hospital and had my troublesome gall bladder removed.

Apart from a couple of Cesarean-sections, I've never had an operation before and have never been completely put out to it, under anesthetic.

The experience, while not one that I want to repeat, certainly was a learning curve.

Firstly, I now know that I can tolerate anesthetic. I also know that when you come out from anesthetic you feel as though you've just experienced a wonderful sleep. For a few groggy seconds, you feel a combination of relief that you came through and a sense of just wanting to return to the land of nod to enjoy what is left of that fantastic sleep!

I now know that a couple of hours after the anesthetic wears off, the pain of healing sets in. Not fun but essential.

I also know that any movement after an operation is painful!

I've learnt that a key hole gall bladder removal is called a Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy which equals a fancy couple of words for ouch!!! Pain!!!

I've discovered that eating after a gall bladder removal can be a nauseating feeling for a few days. Even now, I'm only on small meals....large ones make my tummy hurt!

I have also found out that while you are having a gall bladder operation, the surgeon pumps your tummy full of carbon dioxide gas. This helps her or him to see what they are doing. Once the operation is finished, this gas has to come out somewhere. While the doctor tries to get it out, some is inevitably left over and can cause nasty pains in your shoulders especially!

I have four cuts in my tummy from gall bladder surgery. They tell me that one near my belly button is where they removed the actual bladder and put the camera in. The others are where instruments went in.

Most of all I've learnt that when you have surgery, your friends are family are the absolute best people in the whole wide world. They send wishes, love, prayers and (in the case of my parents) look after you while you recuperate!

The Gall Of It All!

2010-03-25T16:33:00.005+10:00

Having gall problems is not fun!

It's particularly not fun when you love yummy, interesting food.

It's really particularly not fun when your side hurts and everything that you eat which has a fat content of more than zero means that your side hurts even more!

So these days I'm limping my way through the kitchen, digging in cupboards and the refrigerator trying to find something, anything that is fat free and nicer than boiled rice.

OK, boiled rice is part of my stable diet at the moment but how to make that rice tasty is the challenge. Chicken, vegetables, fish and fruit are on the 'to eat' list. But so many of my favourite foods are off the list....yoghurt (which I love!!!), avocado, bananas, light sour cream, cheese and even too many cups of tea.....all a big no, no!

I'm sure that part of the issue I'm having at the moment is caused from the fact that my body is still adjusting to the recent attack. I'm also trying to be really, really good so that everything is ready to go for the operation.

If you are reading this and dealing with your first adjustment to a gall bladder attack, take heart...there are some tasty things that don't set you off! My absolute favourite, however is a simple jar of mild tomato salsa. Not too spicy and it has virtually no fat! Last night I fried up some large mushrooms and mixed them with salsa. Then I put it on rice. It was totally delish! I've also used salsa as a topping for meat instead of sauce. And it makes a great dip and spread as well.

So these days it's a forced diet. My friends tell me that I have never really eaten badly anyway, although do admit to having a weakness for take away food when I'm too tired to cook and for cooking cakes and biscuits (hey, I blame my Irish Catholic stock here...we like to cook and feed people!). These days though, I'm open to any suggestions for completely fat free eating! Anything to avoid the pain!

Picture courtesy of: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Mexico.Salsa.02.jpg

What A Gall!

2010-03-22T18:28:00.002+10:00

When planning a big holiday, the one thing that sits in the back of your mind is the worry of the possibility of the unknown. Naturally, I worry mostly about sickness with the kids, accidents etc etc. But it is not the kids that have me stressing over thwarted holiday plans....it's me!

Last night, just prior to bed, I started feeling pain in my abdomen. Just a bit of indigestion, I thought....until I was buckled over in pain hours later. I tried everything....nanna remedies, codeine and hot water bottles. After a night of no sleep, I relented and rang an ambulance who diagnosed......gall bladder!!!!!

Omg! I thought that gall problems were an old person's illness!!! Apparently not! In fact, I've found out today that if there is a family history (tick!!) then you can be more prone to them.

The paramedics offered to drive me to the hospital or suggested that I wait for an hour or so for my own doctor to open. I decided on the latter. So after a day of doctors, blood tests, scans etc, I can now tell you that I have gall stones - one in particular blocking the duct in the gall bladder!

This nasty little invader has caused issues around that area...inflammation and a flow-on effect to the liver.

So what does all this mean? Operation!!! I'm not sure when but it will be soon so I will keep you informed! In the meantime, I'm on the world's most boring diet of bland, bland foods! Yuck!

But the best news....if it all goes well, I'll still be ok to travel!!! Counting down till June!

Igor Eat Your Heart Out!

2010-03-20T10:09:00.002+10:00

Miss Ten has discovered the love of cartooning. This is her effort after watching the kids' movie, Igor. You might have to click on the image to read her writing!

A Little Green.....Happy St Patrick's Day

2010-03-17T12:25:00.005+10:00

I posted on another well-known site.....

Happy Saint Patrick's Day to all my Irish family and friends, to those of us who have Irish blood running through our veins thanks to our amazing, brave ancestors and to those who just feel a little bit Irish today!

Today I'm thinking about why a celebration from the other side of the world is acknowledged by so many of us here. When I was growing up, my nanna (maternal) would always talk about us being Irish. It was her father actually, who came to Australia from County Armagh and her mother's parents who fled the same area. It was my nanna's father-in-law who emigrated here from County Cork, with his parents soon to follow. And it was her mother-in-law's ancestor who came here as an Irish female convict many, many years before. It was also the reason that my all of my aunts and uncles and my mother continue to carry Irish names.

So does this give us a right to feel such Irish affinity? On studying my family history, I am constantly awed by the bravery of the people who came here. To leave your home country for a journey that took months and could even kill you certainly meant that our ancestors faced an uphill battle from the beginning. Often they came here in complete poverty and ignorance to the conditions that lay ahead. I've no doubt that my great grandfather made the agonising journey with the belief that his adventure would strike riches through gold, only to find that life on the goldfields meant back-breaking work and disease that put him in a relatively early grave.

But it was these same ancestors who proved that they were survivors. They instilled in their children, not only a life ethic of strength and industry but total belief that Irish blood helped it happen. It is also important to note that most of these Irish men and women seemed to practise a belief that many of us could learn from today....that regardless of prejudices back in the homeland, you unite regardless of religion! Researching their stories has helped me to admire their tenacity that withstood the test of many trials. A walk through Gympie Cemetery reveals the strength of their commitment to this. Epitaphs which read 'A true Irishman' and 'Originally from Ireland' are spread throughout.

So today, I am honouring the families for Atkinson, McNally, Tennyson, Quain, McCabe, O'Connell, Tully and McCallum who were my first Irish-Australian ancestors.

Top of the mornin' to them, I say!!!

(Image courtesy of clipart-for-free.blogspot.com)

Slow Cooker Apricot Chicken

2010-03-15T19:21:00.006+10:00

It's been a while since I posted a good slow cooker recipe. The reason? Dear Husband decided sometime before Christmas that he wanted to cook the meals for a while. He held out for about 2 or 3 months but needless to say, I am back doing the meals now. And a good thing too, because my slow cooker was feeling neglected.

Did you know that you can convert simple, standard cooked meals to the slow cooker? Apricot chicken is a classic example of a great dish that so easily works in the crock pot!

I use this very simple basic recipe. It is fantastic for those mornings when you haven't got anything prepared for tea and decide that you would like to come home from work to the smell of the night's dinner cooking. And the good bit? Everyone in my house (fusspots included!) like it!

Ingredients

1-1.5 kgs chicken pieces (I used chicken drumsticks only for this one!)
1 extra large tin apricots done in natural juice (ie not syrup)
1 packet French Onion soup
1 onion, chopped
1 chicken stock cube
1 cup water
Light sour cream
Parsley (if desired)

Method

1. Place apricot and juice (entire tin), French Onion soup packet and chopped onion in the slow cooker. Stir.
2. Mix the stock cube in the water and pour into slow cooker.
3. Place chicken pieces in the slow cooker and stir gently so that all the chicken has been covered/glazed by the juice mixture.
4. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.
5. Serve on a bed of rice. Top with dollop of sour cream and sprinkled parsley.

Favourites at the Moment

2010-03-04T23:17:00.000+10:00

Favourite Books: I have been reading like there's no tomorrow! For the mystery/sci fi lovers out there, there is a new JD Robb book - Fantasy in Death. Follow another adventure with Eve and Roarke. I love them still. This one started off slow but in the end, it pulled me in! For the romance lovers, I have discovered the Janet Chapman Highlander series. Ok, seriously light escapism but meh....it is still a fun read! And for the travellers like me, I totally enjoyed Almost French by Australian, Sarah Turnbull. Great true life read. Sarah's adventures as an Australian in Paris had me quaking in my boots in anticipation of our upcoming trip...and not in a good way! Parlez vous Anglais anyone??

Favourite TV shows: I am loooooving Cougar Town. Omg, the mid-life crisis of a mid-life woman has hit a few rare nerves in my little psyche, I can tell you! And the on-going laughs aren't bad either!

Favourite Music: I love, love, love Mumford and Sons cd, Sigh No More. It's so different and an eclectic mix of pop, folk and possibly a bit of light country. Ie, it is impossible to pigeon hole into one category. I have played the cd many many times since I bought it and cannot recommend it enough. And if you don't believe me, then believe all of the Australians who voted Little Lion Man as the number one song on the Triple J top 100 this year!

Favourite Movie I admit that I have nothing for this category...at the moment. My head is still reeling after seeing Avatar in 3D. Anything since then has paled in comparison. Maybe I need to get out more! Lol!

Favourite ......

To finish off....my favourite drink....soda, lime and bitters! A small amount of lime cordial with 3 drops of bitters and topped with soda water! Yummmmm!

Life Is Not Fair

2010-03-03T10:11:00.003+10:00

We have a friend. I have known her for about 18 years and DH, even longer. She is a good person...a mother, a wife, a medical worker etc etc. She lives about a two hour drive from us, so we manage to see her a couple of times a year, however, we are in contact by phone far more regularly. It's more than fair to say that her husband and my DH are very close.

A couple of years ago, our dear friend was diagnosed with a debilitating illness. We were shocked but she was handling it. Medication became a part of her daily life. There was a hope that she would last out for years before this illness tried to beat her.

Last week we got news. Not good. She is in hospital. The possibility of full time care is very, very real. Her story is not really mine to tell, so I guess I've been vague. But it is an understatement to say that we have gone through many emotions over the last few days......shock, sadness, disbelief, anger, etc etc.

To see a good person who lives their life helping others become stricken by illness (be it terminal or chronic) is devastating. For that person to be someone that you feel close to is even worse. And for that person to be young, the mother of school-aged children and someone who already has faced many of life's battles, it's even worse.

My thoughts about our friend eventually lead me to contemplate all the strong women who have influenced my own life. Immediately, I think of my nanna who was a breast cancer survivor, who lived for many years close to poverty and who did not have the 'mod cons' that we have to help her get by. Despite all this, however, she still found time to enjoy the simple pleasures around her.....the beauty of a native flower, the surprise of a bird landing in the yard, unwavering love for her family. Despite the hardships that life threw at her, she managed to rise above it and left us with unending admiration for her strength.

Today, I am praying that my friend can find the type of strength that my nanna has. And that she can somehow live peacefully with the fact that her body is letting her down. And through it all, may she find that same strength of love through her young children and her extended family.

Sometimes, life just doesn't seem fair!

February News From Us!

2010-02-27T22:29:00.005+10:00

It's been quite a while since I gave an update on our family. And yes, I admit to being a slack poster! What can I say...life is busy!

The Superteen......has continued to work, eat, sleep and play. Notice that I didn't put 'study' in there! Grrrr! Don't get me started. He really is a fully fledged hormonal teen. He still has the girlfriend! Double grrrrr! But I am still biting my tongue over that one! He recently went on a week long, white water rafting camp to the Clarence River with school. Unfortunately, though it didn't last a week. He called us the day before he was due to return to say that he was on his way home. Why? Some kid upended his boat and all the tent poles are still sitting on the bottom of the Clarence River! That, along with the fact that the teacher in charge also capsized, cracked his boat and lost the entire camp's breakfast for the next day meant that he (the teacher) pulled up stumps (*sigh* cricket slang!) and headed home with our boys! Lol! I don't blame him!

Miss Ten......is continuing school, violin, choir and netball. Unfortunately, netball hasn't started the year well with a lot of issues regarding the team, training and management. Don't get me started! At present it is all still in discussion stage however we are hoping that we can work out a compromise. Apart from that her life revolves around friends, tv and pets and not necessarily in that order!

Dear Husband......is about to have a HUGE birthday! It is only going to be a small celebration between family but the place is booked, the cake is ordered and already my head is spinning in anticipation! (If only I could get him to mow the grass as efficiently!)

Me.......work, eat, sleep, run after kids, work, eat, sleep, run after kids....you get the picture! And yes, I am about to have a birthday, too...yay me! Did you realise that DH and I have birthdays that are close together? What does this mean?

Ruby and Jasper....have found an escape hatch. Not sure where it is but I've come home for the last 3 days to have them greet me in the front yard! Not happy!

Heat and the city...it's pouring here is Brisbane Town! After extremely hot, hot weather, it has begun to rain and already my water tank is overflowing.

The yard reno....The grass is fully laid on the back yard. Pity we don't know what to do with the top level and the gardens are being overrun by weeds.

And as for the trip....I'll keep you posted!

And the pic is of Ruby...who loves sitting on my lap when I'm on the computer and checking out what I'm doing. Excuse the messy desk though....that cleaning fairy must have been on strike on the day that this pic was taken!

Cricket 2010 - Australia Vs West Indies

2010-02-23T18:58:00.013+10:00

We did our annual trek to the Gabba to see Australia play the West Indies in a one day international. The crowd was disappointing....I think that the extreme heat and the introduction and popularity of 20-20 cricket, not to mention the Valentine's Day date weren't helping! The game was a lot of fun though and yes, we won!

Ricky Ponting plays at the crease and goes on to make a century:

The early scoreboard:
Ponting again...it was soooooo hot there:
The wicket in action:
Drinks break:
West Indian batsmen:
Wicketkeeper and two slip fielders:
Mid pitch discussion between Ponting and the very yummy Mitchell Johnson:
MJ again...doin' what he does best!

A Sad Day For Brisbane

2010-02-20T13:30:00.003+10:00

Many people in Brisbane and for that matter, Australia are still in mourning this week over the shocking death of 12 year old Elliot Fletcher at his school on Monday. I know that when I first heard the news, I stood in stunned disbelief. (For more info see here.)

For those of you who do not live in Brisbane, you need to know that the Shorncliffe/Sandgate area is one of the loveliest areas on the Brisbane northside and only about a 10 minute drive from my home. I have spoken of it here before. It sits alongside Moreton Bay and has managed to remain relatively unaffected by development up until recently. St Patricks College sits on the point and overlooks local houses, the foreshore parkland and bay beyond. As a family, we love to drive there, have fish and chips, go fishing, walking and cycling and investigate all of the interesting little shops in the nearby village. In fact, my wedding photos were taken on Shorncliffe pier. The words quiet, peaceful and family-oriented are all words that I would use to describe the area. Not an area that you would expect such a sad crime to happen in.

Watching the news over the last few days has been very disturbing. As a mother, my heart aches for both families involved in this incredibly sad tragedy. The thought of anyone losing their baby (and let's face it, they are still babies when you are their parent!) under any circumstances is heart-wrenching. As well, as the mother of a son who goes to another northside boys Catholic school, I have looked at images of boys in uniform mourning the loss of their classmate with looks of bewilderment on their faces and thought how incredibly close to home it feels. Every day my son goes off to school in those same little baggy grey shorts, long socks and similar grey shirt; every day I wave him off to the bus stop, effectively placing his safety in a system that we trust will protect our boys. Words cannot express the feeling of sadness I have now I realise how fragile that trust is.

I did not know any of the boys involved in this incident. I do know people who live in the area and I do know people whose sons go to that school. Like many, I have heard rumours but I think that we may never know the true story behind the events of last Monday.

What I do know is that there are two families in pain in Brisbane right now and my thoughts and prayers go out to both of them. May God hold all involved in the palm of His hand.

Fifteen Thousand!!!

2010-02-13T18:05:00.004+10:00

That's the number of visitors that my blog has just clocked over on!!!

Thanks for visiting!

It's interesting to see what brings people to my blog! The most popular google searches that have brought people to my blog:

1) Osso Bucco Slow Cooker Recipe
2) Phone Delights (Please God, tell me that there isn't some rude connotation to this phrase!! I can't work out why it attracts people otherwise!!)
3) Fisher And Paykel Fault 49 (Boo Fisher and Paykel! This washing machine is one of our biggest regrets as far as purchases go. And judging by the number of people who have searched this term, we aren't the only ones!!!)
4) Mango Chicken Slow Cooker Recipe
5) No Fail Healthy Banana Cake

Yes, the recipes are popular. I'll have to find more to put up. And there are other terms that do come up frequently (present for dad, AFL footy for dummies and Cats the Musical have all had a few hits and I notice that the Gluten Free Chocolate Jaffa Cake recipe is starting to become very popular, too!

Holiday Update - February!

2010-02-12T17:59:00.001+10:00

The bookings are almost complete!

We have decided to travel by plane from Paris to Venice.

Do you know of a good place in Venice to stay - preferably one with quad rooms?

Then we need to decide how we are getting from Venice to Rome, not forgetting a stop-over to see the Leaning Tower of Pisa in between. Ideas here from the experienced readers would be appreciated, too!

We have been fortunate enough to book our Rome accomodation. It was a bit hairy for a moment there when we thought we'd booked for the wrong week, but a rather expensive phone call late at night direct to Italy solved it all (amazing isn't it, how we eeeeexteeeend our vooooweeeeels when trying to communicate to someone who speaks broken English *blush*).

Sooooo...stay tuned! More info coming soon!

Holiday Fun

2010-02-02T20:02:00.003+10:00

The holidays are now over :( and all the kids are back in school. I couldn't help but take a quick photo of our last holiday activity. Every post Christmas sale, I try to buy a 1000 piece jigsaw for us to piece together as a family. It's great fun and often involves the kids and me sitting down together and sorting and laughing our way through colours and shapes of haphazard pieces. This year's cat was relatively easy, completed finally by the Superteen whose competitive streak had him sitting in front of piles of jigsaw at all hours of the night and day in his determination for finality. Ah, it's the thing that memories are made from!

We Have Grass! (Well, sort of!)

2010-01-30T16:20:00.004+10:00

Remember that backyard renovation that came to a stand-still?

Well, in the interim, we have decided to grass it. Mind you, it's only half done, but you get the idea.

As for the top level...that is still under discussion!

Nothing gets done quickly round these parts!

Happy Australia Day!

2010-01-26T20:00:00.005+10:00

Yes, I am the daggy one who has the flag on my car!!!!

And how's this for great overseas wear???

Travel Up-Date.....Frustrated by Italy!

2010-01-21T20:25:00.002+10:00

The plans are still in motion!

1) London.....booked!
2) Paris......booked!
3) Italy.....not-so-booked!

Now, if anyone can tell me a good apartment or hotel in Rome that is reasonably priced but fairly central....please let me know....quickly!

The Plight of Parenting A Teenager!

2010-01-13T11:09:00.004+10:00

I love my son, I really do. He's smart, sassy, social and has a wicked sense of humour. And I really enjoyed talking to him. But now that he's a teenager, our conversations has taken on a completely different turn. They go something like this:

Superteen: Mum, can I go to the city with my friends?
Me: No.
Superteen: Why not?
Me: Cause you are too young and the city is a big place with lots of unknowns.
Superteen: That's not fair....my friend *insert name here*'s mother lets him go.

And then there's this one:

Superteen: Mum, can I catch a bus to the(far away, major) shopping centre?
Me: No, I don't think so.
Superteen: Why not?
Me: Cause you are too young.
Superteen: That's not fair....my friend *insert name here*'s mother lets him go.

And one of my personal favourites:

Superteen: Mum, can I walk to (the next suburb over) McDonalds?
Me: No.
Superteen: Why not?
Me: Cause you are too young and it's a long way with a whole section of river.
Superteen: That's not fair....my friend *insert name here*'s mother lets him walk there.

Yes, there seems to be an unending theme of me thinking that the Superteen is too young and him telling me what other parents let their children do. Now, don't get me wrong, I realise that in many ways I am probably over-protective....my kids tell me that all of the time. But I do wonder about the wisdom of the decisions that other families make.

Sometimes, it seems to me that some people offer their kids a whole lot of freedom that does not sit comfortably with me. Kids riding bikes on busy roads, kids waiting around at night times in dark places for pick-up rides, kids being trusted to walk streets and shopping centres, often on their own. Perhaps it is because I've worked with children for a lot of years and know that despite what they seem on the outside, they are still children on the inside. And at the ages of 13, 14 and 15 this is legally still the case as well. I also understand that while parents are particularly vigilant with their first child, by the time their third or fourth one comes along, there is a much greater understanding and ease that comes with parenting.

I also accept that I cannot 'cotton wool' my teenager forever. In a few years, he has to be trusted to drive a car and heaven help me when that happens! Imagine the worry that I'll do then!

So I am getting better. I have now consented to him walking to the local shop (ok, it's a 7 minute walk with no major roads to cross) and am allowing him to go off on his own to shop, while I am in the centre. I'm even agreeing to 'dates' with the new girlfriend.

But inside me, there is always that worry for his safety. Mobile phones are great though and I have a new piece of armoury in my parenting arsenal. If he nags me about going somewhere or doing something that I am not comfortable with, the solution is simple. My response? 'Ask Nanna! If she says it's ok, then I agree, too'! Works every time!

Gluten Free Jaffa Cake.....Yum!

2010-01-01T14:31:00.007+10:00

This recipe was given to me years ago by a friend and is one of the best and easiest cakes to make and impress your friends with. I made it last night and took it to the new year's eve party that we went to. It is great for those gluten intolerant people (check the other ingredients before adding obviously for gluten products) although is tasty for everyone to eat! Be warned though...it is very rich and full of calories!

Chocolate Jaffa Cake

Ingredients:

2 large oranges
250g almond meal
1 cup sugar
5 eggs
1 teaspoon bi carb soda
2 teaspoons orange liqueur (optional although I've never used it in this recipe).

Method:

1) Cook whole oranges in water for 2 hours, simmering. You can do this the night before making the cake if you like. Drain and let cool.

2) Chop cooked oranges and blend (skin and all!).

3) Beat eggs and sugar in a bowl until fluffy.

4) Add other ingredients.

5) Line cake tin with paper. Bake for about 80 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius (I baked in a fan forced oven at 170 degrees for a little over an hour and then turned the heat right down as it was virtually cooked, so check your oven after the first hour to decide!).

Chocolate Icing:

Melt 250 grams of dark cooking chocolate in a bowl over boiling water. Beat in 300ml heavy cream until smooth. Cool for it to stiffen slightly. Spread over cake. Keep in fridge. This cake only lasts a couple of days so best to eat quickly.

Which Inn Is In??

2009-12-30T19:30:00.002+10:00

One of the joys of travelling seems to be the accommodation. The concept of where to stay seems to fall into two mindsets...either you view it as just a place to sleep (as you are really there to see the city, not the inside of a room) or you see it as a part of the whole experience.

When travelling with four people...two being very vibrant children....a tiny hotel room on the other side of the world somehow does not seem very appealing. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure that said hotel rooms can be magnificent. But when you are on a budget, it is only one option of quite a few.

Apart from hotel rooms, we have considered backpacking (too sterile for kids), B&Bs and apartment rental accommodation.

Who would have thought that finding somewhere to rest your weary head could be such a dilemma! Firstly, the costs can be anywhere between 'cheap as chips' and 'Omg! The taps must be solid gold'! Times that by 4 cause most places make you pay per person and you end up with one heck of a tummy ache!

Then there is the whole bedding situation.....a double (as in 'bed') or a twin (as in 2 x singles). And what if you want both? Can these be linked somehow by an adjoining door or do we have to take a cut lunch to see our kids on the other side of the building??

And let's not think about payment. The thought of money exchange in foreign currency makes my head swirl!

So, at present, we have finally settled on some accommodation. We have booked holiday apartments for two cities. In Italy, however, we think we will grit our teeth and book quad rooms in hotels! Scary, I know but the idea of concierges who speak a little English explaining to ignorant Aussies like us how to get to wherever somehow appeals! (OK, we have little French, too but I do remember a few basics from high school...surely that can't be too bad!).

So the plans are in motion. Stay tuned for details....just in case we end up in a stable! Lol!

Another Christmas Over!

2009-12-27T14:07:00.003+10:00

Christmas is over for another year!

This year, our day was filled with much of the same - church on Christmas eve, being woken up early by a couple of eager kids to open presents on Christmas morning, eating lots of food, spending time with family etc.

Food in our house is always a treat but this year DH excelled himself and marinated 3 inch long prawns in garlic the night before and did them on the bbq for breakfast. They were delicious! He also has an obsession with fruit at the moment so we have spent much of the last few days eating cherries, lychees and mangoes. Yum!

On Boxing Day, after sleeping in and watching some of the test match on television, we went to the movies and saw Avatar in 3D. It is one of those rare movies that we all wanted to see so therefore became a family event. It is definitely worth recommending, although I would add that seeing it in 3D is a must! But I'm a bit partial cause I've been a Sam Worthington fan from way back when he did Bootmen and Love My Way!

Today it is raining thanks to the left overs from Cyclone Lawrence breaking up across Queensland. Time for a nice, lazy day....oh, and heaps of washing and cleaning up that I'm totally avoiding!

And what am I reading at the moment? The last two books from the Riley Jensen Guardian series by Keri Arthur. I have no idea what time I went to bed this morning cause I just could not put the book, Bound To Shadows, down. I read somewhere that Keri Arthur only has one more book to write in this series! *gasp* I love Riley and Quinn and I love the way that Arthur writes so that the pace of the book is continually fast and interesting. One more book only? Nooooooo!!!! *sob, sob*

Hope that you have also had a great Christmas. Roll on new years!

Merry Christmas

2009-12-24T13:39:00.002+10:00

The presents are waiting to be wrapped!
I'm running late and was supposed to be at a friend's house ten minutes ago.
I still haven't finished my Christmas shopping!
And I cannot find a Chinese cabbage in any store on this side of Brisbane.

But......I still love Christmas!!!

Hope that you have a great time with your family and friends over this Holy season. Enjoy!

What Will I See in 2010???

2009-12-22T14:45:00.006+10:00

I really want to see this!

As well as this:
And am hoping to see this:

I'm a very lucky girl!!! (OK, poor yes but definitely lucky!!!)

Btw, any travel hints would be greatly appreciated!

Flying!

2009-12-18T16:45:00.003+10:00

Life is too short!

For numerous reasons, we have realised just how true this is.

A few months ago, we made a brave and exciting decision......to not wait for 'one day' to come! To 'seize the day' so to speak and to begin doing some of those things that we really want to do but keep putting off.

So, 2010 is going to be our year of travel! Too bad that we need new carpet and a new kitchen. So what if it means a few more years with the clunker car! And so what if we should be waiting for the kids to finish school so that it would be much cheaper!

We have already booked our flights!

This is one to cross off our bucket list!

Life is good!

Christmas Catch Up

2009-12-13T23:21:00.002+10:00

The past month has flown and once again, I've proven to be a very slack blogger and not updated my little site here! My apologies to all those who had given up on me. Unfortunately, life is like that however, now that holidays have approached, perhaps I'll improve...who knows!

The past month or so have been very busy. Here is my update for you:

* The Superteen finished another year of high school. He now insists on growing his hair longer and not shaving (yes, he is actually shaving!) while holidays are on. He began cricket again last term and received his certificate for 20 wickets so obviously his bowling skills are improving! He also has a real pocket money job at a local shopping centre. He's pretty thrilled to have his own money but is sick of me nagging him to save half each week. On the scary side, he now proclaims to have a girlfriend. Being the mean mother that I am, I have loaded them both up with rules (ie, no getting serious, only movies in a group, etc etc) but he has managed to maintain this relationship for a couple of months now so only the future knows what will happen.

* Miss Nine is now Miss Ten! Yes, I somehow managed to prepare a birthday party for a dozen or so ten year olds at a local swimming pool in the midst of the chaos that was last month! She has continued to play summer netball once a week as well and has also finished school for the year in great excitement as her bestie is in the same class as her next year! Woo hoo!

* The dogs, I'm sure are the healthiest in the neighbourhood! They had a recent trip to the doggie parlour and are looking very spiffy on these hot summer days! Jasper celebrated his first birthday at the end of October, too.

* The back yard reno is at a standstill. I feel like it is a nightmare as DH and I have debated over finished products, etc and whether we should install a swimming pool. If it progresses, I'll let you know but atm I am still facing a mountain of soil each day!

* We have decided that 2010 is the year of the holiday for us! I'm talking great big holiday on great big airplane for great big hours....with great big cost! I guess that this is the reason why the backyard has stalled but it was a totally selfish decision based on the need to take the opportunity to seize life with both hands while we have to opportunity!

* I have finally had the chance to see New Moon....in Gold Class! (Gotta love Gold Class!). Btw, I loved it much more than I thought I would and actually think I prefer it to the first movie.

* I have finished every book in the Eve Dallas In Death series by J.D. Robb (aka Nora Roberts!). I can't recommend them enough. Totally fell in love with the characters!

* I have also been listening to the novel Eat, Pray, Love read by the author, Elizabeth Gilbert on cd. It's a great way to pass the time while out driving from place to place on my own. I'm actually really enjoying both the format and the literature!

* I am still in the process of doing mountains of Christmas shopping however am now enjoying holiday sleep ins with the kids!

I know that that's a quick summary but who knows...perhaps 2010 will see me being a more regular blogger. Here's hoping!

Today......

2009-11-12T00:27:00.004+10:00

I went to see the author Paullina Simons speak. My lovely friend (waving at ya!) came with me! Paullina was very interesting. She spoke, then signed books, including my great big stack! I specifically asked her to personalise 'The Girl In Times Square' to me as it's my fave book of hers.

It's fascinating to meet the people who create the characters of your reading-fantasy life! How they are and aren't what you expected them to be! How suddenly you are more focused on the fact that they have fantastic hair rather than the fact that their imagination 'birthed' a character that you obsessed over and cried for. Although you still spend time taking in what they say and hoping to get a glimpse into the workings of their creative brains.

I did have a photo of me taken with Paullina but when I got home I realised that my girl bits were gaping out of my blouse! Errrrr! Hence, only the pic of Paullina alone in the shot, talking to a room full of (mostly) women!

What a great way to spend a Wednesday!

Weird Stuff!

2009-11-06T22:14:00.004+10:00

There must be something in the air...over the last week, three weird or merely co-incidental (depending on which way you lean) things have happened to me.

Weird Occurrence Number 1

The Superteen was home from school due to a teacher's strike. I was channel hopping on the television and stumbled across an Oprah episode involving an interview with the author, Elizabeth Gilbert, about her book, 'Eat, Pray, Love'. Now, I've flicked through this book a few times at the local book store, but have always decided that it wasn't for me. After watching the television show for about 5 minutes, I was distracted by the Superteen and went off to talk to him. I didn't think much about the show after that but about half an hour later, I had an urge to go to the library to drop a close-to-overdue book back. As I walked in, I felt a compulsion to head to the cd section...and you guessed it....there was the entire 11 cd version of 'Eat, Pray, Love' lying face-out on a shelf looking at me.

Needless to say, I took it as a sign and borrowed the collection. I have been playing it in my car when I'm driving alone and to be honest, I find the story mesmerising. There is no way that I'd have read the book but the cd is such an intimate way (and one which I've never done before, btw) for listening as it's read by the author herself. I may write more about this book once I've finished all of the discs (I'm up to disc 5) so will pause here only to say that this was either one very spooky co-incidence or a sign from above!

Weird Occurrence Number 2

I fell asleep in front of the tv last night. Ok, I do this semi-regularly but this time the tv show that was playing was 'Drop Dead Diva'. I only saw the first 5-10 minutes of this particular episode until I woke at 3am with the lights on, the dogs still inside and the tv blaring. What was on the tv when I awoke, you ask? Drop Dead Diva....at the almost exact part where I dropped off to sleep at.

Now, if this wasn't eerie enough......after watching Channel Go's second run of the episode for a little while, I looked at the bedside clock and decided that it was definitely sleep time. I turned the show off at the part where one of the characters was wearing bunny ears whilst being questioned on the stand.....about 10 or 15 minutes from the end. Today, after suffering a very nasty headache and trying to sleep it off for a couple of hours, I awoke at about 2pm and turned the tv on. Yep....the exact same episode was repeating for a third time and I stumbled across it at the part just prior to the bunny ears section that I turned off at in the wee hours of this morning! Talk about Groundhog Day (love that movie, too, btw!). So, I actually watched a whole episode of this show across 3 different screenings, all within 16 hours of each other!

Weird Occurrence Number 3

This evening I was packing party bags for a birthday party I'm holding for Miss Now-Ten. I had a sudden thought. I wondered to myself if my bestie would be staying to watch the kids at the party or if she'd be dropping her daughter off and picking her up later. Within a split second of me thinking this, the phone rang....you guessed it....it was my friend ringing to tell me that she'd stay and help me.

I've always been a believer in 'signs from God'. Maybe these occurrences were just co-incidences, but if they were a sign from God, I'm now wondering what He was trying to tell me!

Driving Along

2009-10-31T22:42:00.003+10:00

When I was still a teenager my dad just came out one morning and told me that I was buying a car! He insisted that I pool the small amount of hard earned money that I had accrued and invest it into my very first set of wheels. To help, he even drove me around to places that had advertised in the Saturday morning paper to inspect and purchase this automobile. Why on earth he would even consider such an option came as a bit of a surprise to me.....after all, I had perfectly good parents who dropped me off and picked me up everywhere. But still, under duress, I agreed!

In my head, of course, I had envisaged a flash, shiny and almost new car. One that had people's heads turning. My friends who had purchased vehicles were all driving cars that one would term 'interesting' or 'cute' or 'cool'. Brands like VW, Mini and the like were common....all great students' cars and all with 'hip' classifications! Somehow, my first motor investment wasn't quite so swish. I ended up coming away with a not-so-new, not-so-shiny and definitely not-so-hip Hillman Hunter!

Now, I know that these days, Hillman Hunters have a kind of quaint and collectible appeal to some. Back in the mid eighties for a teenage girl though, they didn't! But still I drove my little white beast around cause, apart from walking, she was the only transport that I had! And beast she was! Her paint work, while once must have been sparkling white, always had a dull, powdery sheen while she was in my possession! And the interior was simple and (to put it nicely) merely serviceable!

Throughout the three years that I owned that car, I can say that life as an automobile owner wasn't dull. Money always needed to be spent on her....albeit small and wear-and-tear things like new tyres, a tune up here and there and (ahem) a new clutch (but we won't mention the lecture I got about 'riding' the clutch after this little mechanical failure)! In those days, fuel was averaging about 30-40c per litre so thankfully those costs were down. And although I can't remember what price registration was, I can guarantee that it was the astronomical $800+ per year that the Queensland Transport Department thinks is perfectly acceptable in 2009!

By the end of my time with my Hillman, it had seen all sorts of auto events......a few little prangs (who ever did invent posts in car parks that were impossible to see out of back windows!), storms (the hail damage from the very large storm in the summer of 1985 pocked cars all along my street...except mine! The steel on the Hillman was so strong that it barely scratched when marble sized hail landed on it!) and theft (someone broke into it, only to find about 50c in the glove compartment! Obviously, they didn't want to take the car as a whole!). I even remember once when my friend and I were driving in it that we smelt rather nauseating petrol fumes. Logically, we wound down the windows to let the fresh air in, only to realise after a few kilometres of driving that the fumes were actually coming from the outside of the car.....so we wound the windows back up again!

A few years later, after I finished university and got an actual job that didn't involve flipping hamburgers and cooking chips, I bought a new car. My Hillman owning days had come to an end. And to give you an indication of the sad state of my car, I eventually sold it to a wrecker for a couple of hundred dollars! I didn't cry and I didn't miss it....it's only now, all these years later that I realise that that little 'bomb' was probably a great, inexpensive car for a newbie driver like me!

Today, as I drive my considerably newer car around, I realise just why my dad insisted that I needed my own wheels. My life these days fits in between driving my children to their own life events.......to school, from school, to sports events, parties and now work. I even got a 'Mum, I missed the bus, can you come and pick me up!?' call last week! Obviously, my children aren't old enough to drive themselves yet, hence the need I have for one of those 'mum's taxi' bumper stickers. I admit though that once they are old enough, a good sturdy second hand car is what they will be getting, too!

Image courtesty of http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:MHV_Hillman_Hunter_02.jpg for study purposes only.

Rockin' The Wall!

2009-10-11T16:13:00.004+10:00

The second day of back yard transformation came in the form of another dirty looking machine. This one, however did not require whole pieces of fence to be removed! Phew! Instead, it came right through the gates and delicately selected huge pieces of rock to create a pretty snazzy retaining wall!
After a while the wall statted to take shape! It was amazing to see how quickly the driver worked.
This wall ends up going right across the back yard but it's definitely looking better.

And for those of you who have asked, yes, we have been talking to pool builders but no, we aren't sure if we will build one. It's awful but we just can't decide!

The Backyard Reno - Finished (Sort Of!)

2009-10-05T18:01:00.005+10:00

Not quite finished, but the machinery has gone. What a difference it has made!
Stay tuned over the next few months for further wall and planting developments!

The Backyard Reno - During!

2009-10-04T18:05:00.007+10:00

First came the truck to dump big rocks for future retaining wall!
Then came the massive excavator to dig out all of the soil!
It also created a dust bowl!
Piles of soil were trucked out!
A little machine flattened out the back yard!

Stay tuned for the half-finished product!

Back Yard Reno.....Before!

2009-10-03T21:38:00.005+10:00

I have always hated the layout of our backyard. People who ventured up there likened it to mountain goat climbing. The kids preferred the flat front yard to kick balls, ride bikes etc and seriously, the whole space really was a waste!

After much nail chewing, DH and I have decided to begin major renovations and reclaim our back yard. It is always going to be steep (can't change what is!) but we think that a bit of earth works to make the space more usable would benefit all.

It's not going to be an overnight job....after the excavating, we have retaining walls to build, drainage to install and grass to lay. Here, however, I'm giving you a general idea of the 'before' picture so that you can see the progress for yourself. Stay tuned for the 'during' and 'after' shots to come!

Another Year Down

2009-09-25T20:17:00.003+10:00

There comes a time when you realise that although your children are thrilled to be getting another year older, their age is actually starting to make you look very old! To say that I now have a fourteen year old does make me feel suddenly 'middle aged' but not enough to stop any celebration surrounding the Superteen's birthday!

The day was particularly quiet as he is having friends over on the weekend, however we did celebrate with family.

What, btw, do you get a fourteen year old boy? Vouchers, of course! And a singlet-type jersey of his favourite basketball team!

And what do you feed him? A Dreamy Donut stack cake covered with lollies (gummy ones are the only way to go, apparently!) and candles!

The day was going well until the Superteen decided to play a football kicking game at the end of the driveway. Somehow he managed to stub his toe so badly that we thought he'd ripped the complete top of his toe off (it was hard to tell with all of the blood) and an urgent trip to the doctor's was needed. Three numbing needles, no stitches and lots of bandages later, he was home to show off his birthday war-wound!

Yep, just another day in my busy life alright!

Dust Storming!

2009-09-23T19:47:00.005+10:00

I woke today (the Superteen's birthday but more on that tomorrow!) to news reports that Sydney was shrouded in a dust storm. I watched the images on television as I looked out the window and was thankful that it wasn't here.......that gloating feeling lasted all of about an hour when I looked out the window and realised that the sun was nowhere to be seen. Somehow the incredible mass of dust had found its way to south-eastern Queensland and to every manageable space of my neighbourhood!
(There is a hill with a water tower hiding behind those trees in amongst that dust somewhere!)
There are some things that I have learned about dust storms. The first is that it gives everything an eerie glow. For us it was a golden-orangey colour. The second is that it decreases visibility so that you are lucky if you can see anymore than a few hundred metres in front of you! The third is that everything...and I mean everything....becomes completely covered in a fine layer of dust. Even though we stayed inside and I closed all doors and windows, the tiles still feel like they have a layer of fine, powdered dust on them. And don't even get me started on allergies and asthma - the fact that I have a sore throat tonight means that I'm hitting the hay fever meds! All I can do is thank God that we didn't have any reason to be out and about in it today.
(And here, behind the trees is Moreton Island...somewhere!)
The news reports are saying that it's the worst dust storm to hit eastern Australia in years. It certainly was an experience and one we'll never forget!

Have You Ever Blog Surfed?

2009-09-18T22:18:00.003+10:00

Have you ever spent the time clicking through the 'next blog' icon at the top of your blog page?

I tried it today.

Sometimes it takes you to the most interesting sites. Today, I've stumbled upon a German person travelling through Australia, a Taiwanese sketch artist, a Japanese person who was tripping through somewhere (no idea where cause I can't read Japanese!), a Malaysian woman who is 14 weeks pregnant, a guy from Philadelphia who blogged about everything from snowboarding to rat pranks, Ingrid from Adelaide who blogged about her family and someone who was blogging about the televisions show, Fringe. And this is just to name a few!

Beware though, 'blog surfing' comes with its pitfalls.....namely lots of spam-type sites and the occasional unsavoury one! Not to mention those that just make no sense whatsoever!

But it does make you realise that the world really is an interesting place and it's made up of an assortment of fascinating individuals!

So what did you stumble across on your blog surf?

My How They Grow!

2009-09-10T21:48:00.003+10:00

The Superteen decided recently that as he was approaching 'employable' age, he would like to put his name down for a few casual, after-school-pocket-money-type jobs.

I was hesitant to agree at first as he has such a full life with school and sport already and I was sure that somehow this job thing would probably mean more work and running around for my already full life!

It appears, however, that he has convinced me. A few weeks ago, he sat and registered himself on numerous web sites belonging to companies that employ high school students for casual work.

I didn't think much of it when he got a couple of notices about job vacancies, although I did help him write a resume - what type of resume can you really write for a never-employed semi-child? And I stoically drove him along to a couple of interviews so that he could get a real feel for what he was getting himself in for.

I can now tell you that he was actually offered both of the jobs that he interviewed for!

The Superteen is incredibly excited. He is especially thrilled at the prospect of his having his own money which he can use to expand his ever-growing shoe collection (And they say that women are into fashion!!! Not when you are a Nike fan, apparently!).

Yes, I am excited for him. But, like any parent, I worry that about so many things: his ability to handle the responsibility that comes with gainful employment, his ability to juggle school, sport and work, his ability to manage his own meagre income, his ability to remain a fairly sensible kid even though he is now 'cashed up', etc etc etc.

But I think the thing that really gets to me is even simpler than that. It's the fact that I no longer have a child. The child that sprang, screaming, from my womb only a few short years ago is now suddenly someone else's employee! Ok, I know that I've watched him grow into a six foot tall teenager, but deep down, he is still that little baby who looked soulfully into my eyes almost from birth and who I vowed to protect and adore. No longer is that boy under my total care. Now he is making decisions without me and now I have to let him.

It's times like these that I wish they came with a manual!