Boxing Day Sale

Hi everyone,

I have been looking at all your posts and comments.
Hope you all had a merry Christmas?
Helen and I went to the boxing day sales because Helen wanted a portable d.v.d.
we found one at a well known electrical goods store (not Harvey Norman). When we went to plug it in it didn't start. I was already wary of this store as i had an experience once before with a computer dvd which worked for a few minutes then nothing. We had taken it back to the salesman who took it out the back to test it and then came back out and said that it was working fine. He wouldn't let us see it working on a computer and because we had already opened the package we couldn't have our money back or an exchange. This is so stupid as to find out if it is faulty you would have to try it first!
Needless to say i was worried we would have problems.
We went back the next morning and the man looked at it closely and said their was fingerprints on it. Mind you we had it for less than 24 hours. Mark said of course there was, we had to open the lid after all. Sure enough he sent it out the back to test it. Guess what? He said it was working! Mark said what about the charger and the man plugged it in and it didn't come on so we were right, yay!.
So they got another charger from another box and yes it did worked.
What was strange was that he could have given us a new box and kept ours. The store manager asked him why he didn't do that too. He just gave her a look and said he only needed to replace the faulty charger because our dvd player was working okay. Therefore I think the same thing happened to some one else earlier. Because we got a faulty charger with the dvd player that we purchased. The box had already been opened.
I have heard a lot of complaints about this store. They are very reluctant to give you your money back.

My Prize won for me by Kooka

This is what we won at our church fair. I have waited years
to win this. Mark bought 3 more tickets at the last minute.
It was a bit embarrassing as Mark was asked to draw out the raffle ticket.
To his dismay he said it was his ticket. He asked if he should draw another ticket.
I hoped that he wouldn't draw another raffle ticket and luckily everyone said that he won it fair and square.

This is a picture of my happy wanderer over the arch way. It has taken many years to get to this size. Sadly the flowers are just finishing:



Here is a close up:



This our jasmine at our front door. The perfume is devine. It was here when we bought this place twenty-seven years ago. It has survived all these years despite Mark's heavy handed hacking. I remember when my parents came to visit and were aghast at Mark's handiwork. He wasn't forgiven until after it had started to grow again. ha ha ha lol

When did my daughter become me as the mother?

Role reversal is happening.
Yesterday Helen and i were crossing our very busy road and i said "i can't see the cars coming!" because a 4 wheel drive was blocking my view.
Helen said, "don't worry." I can see," she says grabbing my sleeve. "when i say go, we go!".
Half way across I'm thinking oh my God, i just put all my trust into her hands and hoped that we would get across in time.
When did she grow up? It has happened in a blink of the eye.

Hi everyone,
Been doing the rounds of every one's blogs and just thought I'd give you an update.
My step-mum is alright. She has left hospital after a week there and has gone to a rehab place for about ten days to recover. The stroke has given her a bit of dementia or it could be old age or a bit of both. Anyway apart from that she is going home next Tuesday.
I am having the one day off for a while and was really looking forward to it when the phone rang at 9pm last night asking if i could do the kitchen upstairs tomorrow which is our dementia unit. Naturally i said sorry i can't do tomorrow.
It is cold here so a nice relaxing day inside with the heater on will be nice.
We have been hearing about the fires in California and Australian firefighters are being sent over to help.
Thanks all of you for your concern with my step-mother.

Best wishes Jo.

It is mid-winter here and this is a picture of our wattle tree in full flower.



Also last Thursday I got a call from my brother to say my stepmother had a mild stroke. She had a big stroke 18mths ago so this was not a surprise. She seems ok at the moment and is relieved that she dosn't need surgery again. We don't know how long she will be in hospital. Apparently she fell as she was saying goodbye to her daughter. The nurses think that she had the stroke after her fall.



Hope you all had a great Independence Day!!

Jo.

Hi everyone,
Thought i better put in a new post as i looked and noticed i hadn't posted for 2 weeks. As you saw our cat Polo has been in the wars and now back to his old self asking for food and enjoying being outdoors again. He is not staying out long and wanting to come in a lot during the day.It is winter and being outside is not too pleasant at the moment.
I have been working everyday this week. We have a new c.e.o start last Monday I have only seen her in passing but she hasn't been around to meet all her staff.
On Thursday one of the residents fell over in her room while i was making her bed, i pressed the assist button and waited for staff to come and assist her. I waited and waited called out down the passageway still no sign of anyone and eventually i decided to go to the office and saw the head charge nurse who went down to the resident. At the same time other personal carers arrived and one of them said to me" next time press the assist button" as she looked up and saw the light on said "oh you did". Trying to cover themselves for the charge nurse.

BTW Do you like Polo's mono-brow?

Jo

Polo

Today we took Polo to the vet because he had a swelling on his head. He had fluid on his head from a bite and he had to have it drained. He is back home and well but not too happy about having a collar-buster around his neck.

YAY!!! I have just passed my first 12 months at work. Having said that our manager has just resigned and we will be getting a new manager. I am still the only casual there but at some stage when the other cleaner finishes with the other days of cleaning i will become permanent part time. At the moment she is doing her P.C.A. work and cleaning which means she is sometimes doing 6 days a week
It is also 5 years since my father died of a heart attack. Unfortunately he had the heart attack on mark's birthday and died the next day. Helen was very close to him and he would of been so proud of her playing the french horn.
My mother died 15 years ago 6 weeks after Helen was born and at Easter time which means with the holidays we were not able to have a funeral for a week and on the Easter Saturday my brother was getting married. So we had a wedding before the funeral. It sounds like like a comedy.
After my mum died dad became friendly with mum's best friend and married her 6 months after. Helen got a Grandmother and I got another mother.
She had a Stroke about 18months ago and was living alone at home when she had a few little incidents with her health and her family got her to sell her home and move into a retirement place where she is with other people and there is help if she needs it at any time.
Oh dear I have rambled on . When you start writing something one thing leads to another.
Thanks to everyone who contributed to Mark's birthday he really got a kick out of it that so many people we haven't even met had given up their time to say Happy Birthday.
Bye for now
JO

Hi everyone,

Sorry i haven't written a new post for a while but you hear from mark via his posts.

Just letting you all know a certain 54 bomber is having a birthday on Mon 19Th may.

Hope all you mother's had a happy mother's day. We went to a french restaurant just down the road from us. It was different from going to the RSL (Returned Serviceman Club) for lunch that we have done in the past.

Helen and i went to the open day of the college of the arts secondary school last Wednesday morning. there are only 50 places and about 400 will apply. She will have to sit a theory music test and audition with her french horn in august and September. If Helen doesn't get in it will be an experience for her.

Bye for now Jo.

PAVLOVA

Here is the recipe for the pavlova that was mentioned on Cielo's blog, "The House in the Roses". This dessert is one of the many delicious desserts in a post titled, 'Desserts from Across the Globe.' The pavlova was named in honour of the famous ballerina, Anna Pavlova and is Australia's national favorite.

The fact that it is so disgustingly easy to make is really too boring even to mention.

Whys and Wherefores
4 egg whites - no yellow specks (fish them out) or it won't beat up stiff.
3/4 cup white sugar - to make the meringue outside and give sweetness
1/2 teaspoon Cream of Tartar - to make the egg whites stiffen up
1 and a 1/2 teaspoons white vinegar - to make it marshmallowy inside.

Hint: Don't use a plastic mixing bowl or the egg whites won't whip up stiffly.

BASIC RECIPE
4 egg whites beaten stiff
3/4 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon Cream of Tartar
1 and a 1/2 teaspoons of white vinegar

Method:
Add sugar to beaten egg whites and beat again
Then add Cream of Tartar and vinegar
Grease tinfoil and make a 'nest' shape with the mixture
Place in oven 125 degrees celsius ( no higher) for 1 hour
Then turn oven off and leave until oven has cooled
(It really dries the mixture out rather than cooking it.)

Whip up some cream and spoon into the meringue case and top with whatever seasonal fruit takes your fancy. Enjoy!

This is Polo having a nap on Helen's keyboard. He is so big and long the keyboard rocks when he jumps on it. Our other cat, Simba is small and light and Polo has seen him jump up on it and thought he would do the same.

Hi everyone,
Helen is very disappointed today as her France trip has been cancelled.
Not enough people paid the deposit by the deadline. I think only about 3 people paid. Her passport came in the mail the other day. Oh well at least it is valid for 5years.
Helen has an easy week at school. Yesterday was a teacher personal development day, no students. Today a half day because the teachers a striking because their pay is lower than other states in Australia. Tomorrow is parent /teacher interviews no students. Thursday they go to school and Friday is a public holiday. (Anzac Day) So they only go to school for 1 & half days out of 5 days. This is only Helen's school most will only have the public holiday off.
Jo.

Hi everyone,
Here are two photos of our sasanqua camelia.
I really didn't expect any flowers this year. Seeing as the drought has just about killed it.

Dear Kylie,
re your post about dresses for your girls although i don't know how old your girls are. Helen has bought a dress for a friend's 15th birthday party recently with her own money. We thought it was nice.

hi Everyone,
Just letting you all know that we are all safe and sound after the big wind storm. As Mark said, it was very rough. I thought because Autumn is here this was the normal stong winds to be expected. Little did I know that it was the tail end of a cyclone from Western Australia. Their cyclones don't usually come to the east coast of Australia as they generally blow away before they get here. I went to work in the morning thinking our old Wattle tree won't be standing by the time I come home but no, not a limb missing;but looked to the neighbours and their tree (don't know the name of tree) had fallen over with roots pulled out of the ground. Their internet line across the road pulled down by the tree. Helen used to climb that tree when she was little and remembered when the previous owner had planted it. My tree dahlias have lost some small branches but rest is ok. Years ago we had a Malaleuca Gum tree where we have planted the wattle tree. This tree went when we had a lot of rain day after day.(those were the days of rain). I looked out the window and noticed the tree seemed to be moving down slightly and I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me when finally the whole tree crashed down to the ground. My father was sawing it up the next day and people passing by were saying how could you be chopping a lovely tree down . He was so annoyed about this he kept telling them it came down in the storm! As if he was doing it for the fun of it. Funny how memories come back to you.

Hi everyone,
we're back. Our internet useage is renewed for another month. A certain teenager spends alot of time chatting to her friends hours on end. Oh well what normal 15 year old wouldn't be.
Nothing much to say has happened in our little world apart from going to work and the usual mundane things you do in life.
I have just put a deposit down for helen to go to France in september for 12 days with her french class at school. AHHH! Alot of money. The trip was for 18 days but has been cut back to 12 days because of the expense and not enough girls going on the trip. If some more girls join the cost wiil come down a bit more. Helen is dissapointed it is shorter but i told her a least you get to go and maybe in years to come you may be able to go yourself.
I have been filling in the application form for a passport and go for the interview at the post office Thursday morning. We had her passport photo done and she is not happy because she was not allowed to smile. That is her personality always smiling. Back to school next monday.
I have been looking at everyone's blogs so haven't missed anything.
Hope to hear from you all soon.
Jo.

Ahh...! relief the hot weather is over for now. Happy Easter to everyone there in bloggerland.

Helen & I have been to our local shopping centre (Saturday morning) and it was really crowded! You would think the shops had been closed for a week not one day for Good Friday.
I have been told by someone that our district sales manager had been giving the team leaders updates for avon but i have't been receiving them. Mark finally agreed with me when I thought I was not getting any other emails as well. So rang ISP Help Desk and now the problem has now been fixed. I discovered there was 33 emails waiting for me. The lady on the phone said to Mark, "You won't be popular with your wife now. "
School Holidays are on now for Easter & end of term. Schools get 2 weeks holidays including Easter and go back early April. Helen & I are going to see " The Other Boleyn" movie tomorrow. Has anyone else seen this movie?

It is stinking HOT here. So much for autumn weather. Summer is still hanging around. It is going to be102 degrees farinheit today. It is now 95 degrees with a strong hot wind which is a worry for bushfires. We can expect more of the same right through to the end of next week.
Helen and I have returned from going to the Magistrates Court in the city where Helen wants to do work experience working with the Multicultural Liasion dept. Helen has got the position. She does not start work experience until the last week in july. It is for 5 days. Helen gets to sit in court and see how the interpreting side of things work. She is very pleased with herself as many want to go to the courts, but as clerk of courts or law side of things. They were told Courts were popular so you would have to get in early if they want to go to the courts. She has gone on a different angle. Helen wants to be a french interpreter. Anyway she went back to school to catch up on lessons and have her French Horn lesson.
Oh well the weekend is hear and we haven't any plans this weekend except sit inside with the air conditioner on.

I HAVE BEEN TAGGED.

Bindi has tagged me!
Here's the rules:

1. Grab the nearest book of 123 pages or more.

2. Open it to page 123.

3.Find the first 5 sentences and write them down.

4.Then invite 5 friends to do the same.

Here's the book I am reading at the moment.

"The Year Of The Fog" by Michelle Richmond.

It is a story about the disappearance of six-year-old Emma who vanished from a foggy San Francisco beach while out walking with her soon - to - be - step-mother.

First 5 lines on page 123 are:

"For my brother in Iraq," he explained to me once. Darwin has taken my order so many times I suspect he lives at Java Beach.
"Any good news yet?" he asks, punching up my purchase.
I shake my head. "I have more flyers," I say, setting them on the counter. It's the ninth stack of flyers I've brought to Java Beach - one a week for the past two and a half months.

I am tagging '54 Bomber and Hezzy Magee. Idon't know anyone else that Bindi hasn't already tagged,but feel free to join in.

Hi bindi,

Thanks for trying to send the rain to us ,we really need the rain here. Weather forcasters keep telling us we might get a late thundery change but it never happens.

Goverment has just announced we will be on water restrictions for the next 3 years. Even number houses are only allowed on sat & tues morning between 6.30am & 8.00am.I have been planting drought tolerant cuttings into the garden.

Just looked at your post and read you had met Cecile. I always think it must be great to meet someone after you have been coresponding with them, it reminds of the old fashoin pen pals days. Bye for now Jo.

God.com

Dear Lord,



Every single evening

As I'm lying here in bed,

This tiny little Prayer

Keeps running through my head:

God bless all my family

Wherever they may be,

Keep them warm and safe from harm

For they're so close to me.

And God, there is one more thing

I wish that you could do;

Hope you don't mind me asking,

Please bless my computer too.

Now I know that it's unusual

To Bless a motherboard,

But listen just a second

While I explain it to you, Lord.

You see, that little metal box

Holds more than odds and ends;

Inside those small compartments

Rest so many of my friends.

I know so much about them

By the kindness that they give,

And this little scrap of metal

Takes me in to where they live.

By faith is how I know them

Much the same as you.

We share in what life brings us

And from that our friendships grew.

Please take an extra minute

From your duties up above,

To bless those in my address book

That's filled with so much love.

Wherever else this prayer may reach

To each and every friend,

Bless each e-mail inbox

And each person who hits "send".

When you update your Heavenly list

On your own Great CD-ROM,

Bless everyone who says this prayer

Sent up to GOD.com



Amen

Hi everyone,
Hope you all had a good weekend? We have come back from going to hospital for Mark to have a MRI Scan on his knee for a study by Melbourne Uni. We got there on time and were seen straight away. This was the last scan to done. Unfortunately for us, after the scan, they wanted Mark to fill out a questionnaire that took 40 minutes to complete. Melbourne Uni has almost completed a year's research on his left knee. The study should finish in May '08. We had intened to look at the shops afterwards. The shops are the clearance/factory outlet types and would have been nice to look through. But we had to get back home early because Helen had a party to go to and had to get ready.

Hi everyone.

We were thrilled to hear Helen has been made music captain for this year at her high school. Helen is in year 10 (middle school) this year.I am not training to be a pca the other lady who has been cleaning is and i am cleaning on mondays & wednesdays and any other days she does pca work. Not much doing today apart from Helen forgetting to take her french horn to school and i had to go to the school to give it to her.I also cleaned a lady's house this afternoon otherwise a bit of catching up with chores at home.

Hi everyone, well here i am with my very own blog. After a lot of setting up i am finally on. Today is Helen's 15th birthday. (25th Feb). It doesn't seem like 15 years ago she was born. Time has flown by so quickly and already halfway through high school. My job is back to 2 days a week although three days this week. I'm hoping to get more days as the the lady i will eventually take over has been training to become a personel care assistant and has finished but is still doing cleaning as well as doing PCA work. She is getting tired of doing both. I work in an aged care hostel and been there 9 months. Iwas working every day (weekdays) over Christmas filling in while the other cleaner had 5 weeks off. The reason there is another cleaner is the hostel is divided in half , she does one half i do the side which is 2 storey with the top a dementia unit where they have their own kitchen where i sometimes fill in on other days. I also sell Avon Products. This is my 10th year.,although business is not exactly booming in fact i'm not making any money at the moment. My customers are reluctant to buy after christmas. I'm also a team leader which is becoming more of a nuisance as they expect team leaders to do more for the company voluntary.Avon doesn't give much away for nothing. 'Bye for now, Jo.