Ten Thousand!

Ten thousand!

That is how many visitors I've had to my site since I first put the sitemeter on!!

It's a little daunting to think that ten thousand people have stopped here....and many of those have actually stayed long enough to read my words!

So if you are one of those ten thousand people, I'd like to say thank you...thank you for stopping by....thank you for reading....thank you for leaving comments....that you for returning!

And my picture of Jasper and Ruby has absolutely no significance except that I thought it was darn cute!

Old Me and New Stuff!

I admit it, I have been slack. Time to blog has slipped through my typing fingers of late and I can do nothing but blame a hectic life, sick children and work, work, work! Do you know that story?

At the end of most evenings, when I am feeling exhausted and my brain is sitting in a haze of tiredness and numbness, I've found myself finishing my evenings by watching television and listening to music. To my delight, some of my favourite television shows are back in prime time viewing and some of my favourite musical artists are starting to release new music.

So, in the spirit of sharing, I can't help myself.....I just have to put these links here for you to check out, too!

My favourite tv show at the moment:

Hooray for season 2 of Packed to the Rafters. One of Australia's finest light dramas.

To catch up with current episodes, click here.

My second favourite tv show at the moment:

I've lost track but I think that we are in about season 3 of The Farmer Wants A Wife. With two successful pairings behind them, this series is on a winning streak. And I think that that is its charm....the fact that there are genuinely lonely farmers out there who are willing to risk public scrutiny by going on a national television show to find their true love! Awwwww....sweet! And hard to resist for romantics like me!

To catch up with current episodes or to check out the next lot of eligible singles, click here.

(Oh, but one small query....where was Farmer Damian, the Tassie farmer, in last night's episode? He seems like one very nice guy...more air time please channel 9!!!). Oh and watch this space for my future impressions of this series.

My favourite new song at the moment:

I love, love, love Bob Evans! Man, I was jumping out of my car seat (well, almost!) when I heard it on commercial radio the other day.

Check out Bob's (aka Kevin Mitchell's) latest fantatic and talent filled song here!

My second favourite new song at the moment:

If you are into dark and interesting music, then check out Brendan Welch. I first became a fan of his after hearing his fantastic song, Burn. I've been waiting and waiting for his debut album to come out and so far have heard nothing. But he has put up new songs on his myspace page. Click here to hear!

It's All In the Jeans!

Dear Husband and I were driving out to dinner with Miss Nine in the back seat. Our conversation was centred around the fact that we have both decided that we need to lose a couple of kilos!

Both of us at the time were lamenting on how, in the process of driving to an all-you-can-eat restaurant, we needed to not over-do things as we didn't want that 'Bler, I've eaten too much and I feel uncomfortable as well as guilty' feeling!

"Never mind, Mummy" Miss Nine pipes up from the back seat, "It's just all in your genes!"

I thought then about how I somehow inherited my nanna's curvy figure and how, as I've hit that middle age have felt like I'm developing the 'spread' that is so common on my mum's side of the family! :( Yes, I decided, Miss Nine is right.....it is all in the genes!

"You know Mummy, it's easy to fix" Miss Nine spoke out into the street-lit darkness.

"It is?"

"Yes! All you have to do is undo that little button at the top of the zip and you'll feel much better!"

Hmmmmmm....so much for blaming it on genetics then!

My Sleeping Beauty!

But how does she fit on that bed?

I remember a few years ago, some mothers were discussing their daughters' obsessions with Beanie Kids. My daughter was quite a few years younger at the time and although I nodded in apparent understanding, although secretly I had no idea what was ahead of me!

It seems that when you are a nine year old girl, Beanie Kids (along with Zac Effron, of course!) are all the rage! Collecting them is a 'must do' and you obviously get bragging rights when you can espouse to your peers that you have over a certain number in your collection. Not only do they come with personalised name tags already marked with their own name and birthdate, but upon purchase you get your own collector's card stamped so that after a certain number, you are eligible for free one!

And to top it all off, the Beanie Kids manufacturers (who know when they are on a good thing!) stop making each individual after a certain time, effectively making some of them more desirable than others!

Now, when you look at that pile you would think that we have one hellova spoilt child there. Not so, in fact. The truth is that every cent of pocket money, birthday money etc etc is poured into her obsessive little collection.

And who knows! One day, they might actually be worth mega bucks! In the meantime, we have to find somewhere better to store them or one of those little fellas is gonna get squished during the night!

Happy Valentine's Day

Not the greatest quality video (I can't find any better that only has the lyrics on it...sorry!) but this is one of my favourite love songs....Homesick....by one of my fave Aussie bands...Thirsty Merc.

Enjoy!



Lotta kids with a homesick view
deep down
I know that ive been homesick too
but something tells me its alright
I know ill be back in your arms tonight

I've travelled down some lonely roads
Almost lost my way

I would give all my time
just to spend my nights with you
i would lay down my fears
just to spend my years with you
Cause when i'm standing at your door
i don't feel homesick anymore
when I'm standing at your door
i don't feel homesick anymore

And after all is said and done
We've made the most of love

I would give all my time
just to spend my nights with you
i would lay down my fears
just to spend my years with you
Cause when I'm standing at your door
i don;t feel homesick anymore
when I'm standing at your door
i don't feel homesick anymore

Spirit

As quoted from askoxford.com:

spirit

• noun 1 a person’s non-physical being, composed of their character and emotions. 2 this regarded as surviving after the death of the body, often manifested as a ghost. 3 a supernatural being. 4 the prevailing or typical character, quality, or mood: the nation’s egalitarian spirit. 5 (spirits) a person’s mood. 6 courage, energy, and determination. 7 the real meaning or intention of something as opposed to its strict verbal interpretation. 8 chiefly Brit. strong distilled liquor such as rum. 9 a volatile liquid, especially a fuel, prepared by distillation.

How often do we loosely use this word? How often do mutter things like, "In the spirit of things", "the spirit of the game", "highly spirited". But do we really stop to think about the true meaning of such a simple word?

As children growing up in our country, we are also saturated with this notion of the 'Australian Spirit'. This invisible concept that Australians band together, fight and defend our beliefs and uphold values of integrity and mateship beyond anything else. These simple words that we hear so often, bandied around in the media and in cultural reference that give us a national ethos to uphold.

These last few days, as the images of the Victorian bushfires saturate our televisions and newspapers, I have wondered about the simplicity of this word, 'spirit'. Whether spirit is something that you display in simple form (a mother living off no sleep defying odds to care for a child; a man struggling through illness to go to work to bring in an income for his family; the simplicity of a child enjoying play!) to the more extreme that has been demonstrated by individuals and groups over this last week.

These images of people rallying to support others in needs. Of volunteers putting their lives on the line to fight fires. Of groups united in providing and distributing clothing and other items of necessity to those who have lost everything. Of everyday people searching and caring for animals that have been injured in the fires. Of those already in the grip of total devastation who are spending their time aiding others. Of a nation offering overwhelming support for people whose lives have been all but destroyed in such devastating carnage.

I once lived and worked in the country. Next to our worker's residence was a huge piece of grassland (at the bottom of a mountain) that would often grow long and dry out. As a part of its routine operations, the local rural fire brigade would come by annually and create a controlled fire to burn off the land, effectively removing the hazard and keeping our little homes safe. I remember once when we were concerned about the weather conditions and the land beside our units, we contacted the rural fire brigade and asked them to once again, do a controlled burn off. Without blinking, they were up within a couple of days, doing (without pay and after hours) the painstaking task of managing a controlled burn off. To thank them for their efficiency, we bought them a carton of that other kind of 'spirit' and presented it to them on their completion. They were touched by this simple gesture. I still remember the words of the man in charge....'We were just doing our jobs. That's what we're here for'.

These, I believe, are the real meaning of spirit in its purest form. And through them it is obvious that the Australian Spirit is still alive and well and currently working at its best in Victoria and in all volunteers across our country!

I was going to.....

I was going to write about how weekends seem to go by quickly, compared to week days........
I was going to write about how the Superteen has spent today at Wet N Wild with a friend, while I sit here and worry about him...........
I was going to write about how Miss Nine had her netball trials yesterday............
Or about how the Superteen had his first cricket match and was selected as opening fast bowler..........

But as I sit here, with the nightly news blaring on the television next to me, I am watching images of the aftermath of one of the most horrific bush fires that our country has ever seen.

I have seen pictures of whole townships toppled.
I have seen pictures of grown men reduced to tears.
Of normally stoic politicians trying not to break down.
Of landscapes and wildlife desecrated.
Of fire-fighters and volunteers working beyond capacity.
Of people suffering burns and injury.
Of death toll numbers that just keep rising (it's 65 people at the time of writing).

.......The pain and suffering of normal, everyday people whose lives will never be the same again.....those people who have faced the hell of an on-going inferno and lived to tell the tale.

And the numbers keep coming. I heard a story of one fire front being up to 20 kilometres long and one kilometre wide. How could anyone escape that?

Suddenly, as I look out the window next to my desk at the houses on the hill to the east of us, to the distance across to Moreton Island - I realise just how lucky I am.

Thinking of all those Victorians who have been affected by this cataclysmic event and keeping you in my prayers.

Car Park Tales!

A new Aldi has opened up down the road from me. Although I have never really found Aldi to be the kind of place that I want to do my regular grocery shopping, I finally succumbed to curiosity and ventured down there for a little look. I had a half hour to fill in before picking Miss Nine up from school so a little drive to this new shop seemed like a good idea.

Inside, the Aldi store really was no different to any other Aldi store in Brisbane. Same stacked boxes opened with supposedly cheaper goodies, same unknown brands peeking out from said boxes. It's an interesting place but I'm still to be convinced of its grocery-shopping potential.

While inside the store, I noticed a few people. It wasn't full of people, but there were a few browsers and shoppers like me.

Afterwards, I headed out to the car and began the drive to pick Miss Nine up from school. I was quickly able to back the car out of the car park in pursuit of the only exit.

As I went to put the car into drive, I noticed an older gentleman slowly moving across the drive way in front of me. I did remember seeing him inside and so decided to stop the car in the middle of the road and wait for him to pass....the same courtesy I would given any pedestrians.

As he moved, however, I began to feel uneasy. Instead of making a straight path across the road, he walked at an angle towards my car......in effect, constantly blocking my driving path.

As he picked up pace and headed to the front left hand corner of my car, I started to become suspicious and without thinking, hit the door lock on my driver door. Thank goodness for central locking because this obviously locked all the doors in the car.

The man was now walking very closely down the left hand side of my car. It all happened so quickly but at this point I remember being afraid that if I moved forward, I would run over his foot. Within a split second, however, he was at the passenger-side door, grabbing the exterior handle and trying to open it.

It was then that I freaked, hit the accelerator and drove off. I saw the stranger turn and walk towards other parked cars and then I lost sight of him as I advanced further.

Now, I'm not saying that this man had any sinister intent. In fact, I think that he was either mentally impaired or just plain drunk (there is a tavern about half a kilometre down the road!). But the whole incident was scary enough to have my heart pumping in my chest. While I don't live in an area that is known for crime and while it was broad daylight, the whole incident was still unsettling.

When I told my husband, he asked why I didn't go to the police. Although I probably could have, the weirdness of the incident along with my belief that there was nothing the police could have done, stopped me. That, and the fact that I was running incredibly late to pick Miss Nine up by that stage. I believe that I passed the man in Aldi previously so did wonder if perhaps he - in whatever state he was in - had a case of mistaken identity.

But I did learn one thing - make sure that you lock your car doors cause you never know who might try to get in! Thank goodness that my mother always taught me that!

Phone Delights

It doesn't seem that long ago when 'calling someone' meant that you either sat at home with a massive earpiece attached to the side of your head while you were anchored to a dial-up phone stuck on a wall, or you found a public phone box and stuck your finger in your ear whilst trying to chat to the person on the other end of the line!

These days telephones are far more advanced! Or so I found out when trying to purchase a brand spanking new one on the weekend!

Words like WAP, SIM, 3G, Next G, GSM, UMTS and the like are commonplace (and if anyone can tell me what they all mean, you get a brownie point!!!). And a phone is no longer just a place to speak to someone far off....it's also a hub of music, photos, messages and internet services.

In fact, the language and uses of mobile telephones has become a thing of the 21st century and beyond.

Of course, once you decide on a phone that you want, you then have to look at service providers (hmmmm...or should that be the other way around??!!). Costs are no longer as simple as a 50 cent phone call to a local area. You also have to consider flagfall, talk costs per 30 seconds, costs of text messaging, costs for internet connection, costs of message retrieval etc etc etc.

And once you finally find a carrier whose service appears close to what you are looking for, then you have to consider whether or not they actually get good service in your work and home areas!

So with all of that headache in mind, I set off! For the past couple of years, I have had a Sony Walkman 810i phone. A great little phone and one that the Superteen has had his eye on for a while! Now that it's out of contract however, a long and involved internet search had me obsessed with telephone companies and making up comparison charts on costs and provisions. I knew that I really wanted an upgraded version of my old phone...something slimmer, with a larger viewing screen and perhaps with a slightly better camera.

Finally, I found the phone I wanted with a plan that sounded ok to me. I settled on this little beauty! A Sony Ericsson W575. I spent last night playing with it and oh my goodness.....I feel like I have a whole new world to explore!

So now, as I sit here marvelling over my new mobile, I can't help but wonder....how did we ever survive without them!