Wednesday 30 April 2008

It's gonna be one of those days!

According to Quiz Farm, my celebrity soul mate is Donald Trump (100%). I guess that'd be OK as long as I could persuade him to get a haircut. He's intelligent, can dance, and is probably quite an interesting guy. Being a workaholic, he'd also give me the bit-o'-space I like in my life. Step-children would be the killer!

It's quite cold in the Western suburbs this morning - so cold that The MOTH turned on the heater, let the dog in & then snuggled back into bed (that's saying something!).

It's now time to get moving and go to work. What will the day bring after that little lot? LOL

Sunday 27 April 2008

Special to me

ANZAC Day is special to me because my grandfather, Staney Joseph Graves, was a soldier who went to Gallipoli. My father, his son, was also born on ANZAC DAY in 1928. Today is the anniversary of his 80th birthday.



Friday 25 April 2008

ANZAC DAY 2008


What is ANZAC Day?

ANZAC Day – 25 April – is probably Australia’s most important national occasion. It marks the anniversary of the first major military action fought by Australian and New Zealand forces during the First World War. ANZAC stands for Australian and New Zealand Army Corps. The soldiers in those forces quickly became known as ANZACs, and the pride they soon took in that name endures to this day.

Why is this day special to Australians?

When war broke out in 1914 Australia had been a federal commonwealth for only 14 years. The new national government was eager to establish its reputation among the nations of the world. In 1915 Australian and New Zealand soldiers formed part of the allied expedition that set out to capture the Gallipoli peninsula to open the way to the Black Sea for the allied navies. The plan was to capture Constantinople (now Istanbul), the capital of the Ottoman Empire and an ally of Germany. They landed at Gallipoli on 25 April, meeting fierce resistance from the Turkish defenders. What had been planned as a bold stroke to knock Turkey out of the war quickly became a stalemate, and the campaign dragged on for eight months. At the end of 1915 the allied forces were evacuated after both sides had suffered heavy casualties and endured great hardships. Over 8,000 Australian soldiers were killed. News of the landing at Gallipoli made a profound impact on Australians at home and 25 April quickly became the day on which Australians remembered the sacrifice of those who had died in war.

Although the Gallipoli campaign failed in its military objectives of capturing Constantinople and knocking Turkey out of the war, the Australian and New Zealand actions during the campaign bequeathed an intangible but powerful legacy. The creation of what became known as the “ANZAC legend” became an important part of the national identity of both nations. This shaped the ways they viewed both their past and future.

http://www.awm.gov.au/commemoration/anzac/anzac_tradition.htm

Thursday 24 April 2008

Getting the Message

There was this fella with a parrot and the parrot swore like a
sailor. He could swear for five minutes straight without repeating
himself. The trouble was, the guy who owned him was a quiet,
conservative type, and this bird's foul mouth was driving him crazy.
One day, it got to be too much, so the guy grabbed the bird by the
throat, shook him really hard, and yelled, "QUIT IT!" But this just
made the bird mad and he swore more than ever.

Then the guy got mad and said, "OK for you," and locked the bird in
a kitchen cabinet. This really aggravated the bird and he clawed and
scratched, and when the guy finally let him out, the bird cut loose
with a stream of vulgarities that would make a veteran sailor blush.

At that point, the guy was so mad he threw the bird into the
freezer. For the first few seconds there was a terrible din. The
bird kicked and clawed and thrashed. Then it suddenly became quiet.

At first the guy just waited, but then he started to think the bird
might be hurt. After a couple of minutes of silence, he became
worried and opened up the freezer door.

The bird calmly climbed onto the man's outstretched arm and
said, "Awfully sorry about the trouble I gave you. I'll do my best
to improve my vocabulary from now on."

The man was astounded. He couldn't understand the transformation
that had come over the parrot.

Then the parrot said, "By the way, what did the chicken do?"

Wednesday 23 April 2008

Blissful Birthday #48

My MIL, Elaine, gives the most wonderful gifts. She has even inspired a new tradition with the 'big knickers' idea from Christmas 2007. This birthday, I am gobsmacked at how much effort she went to for me.

The model has morning hair & a saggy chin, but she is getting long in the tooth. What you are admiring in this pic is this gorgeous cardigan detail. I am the recipient of a fabulous piece of art. My MIL has had out her knitting needles in honour of my 48th birthday... I love it! Thank you Elaine & Trevor.

Thank you, too, to everyone else who sent me birthday wishes and/or stash. Once I have written thank you notes, I will get it all together and take a photo to add to the site.

I had a lovely birthday. It really started on the Sunday evening with dinner at my favourite Princess Street restaurant where my two eldest daughters & their partners served to the family a feast of all my fave foods (oysters, smoked salmon, blue vein cheese & pumpkin bread for entree; beef strogganoff for mains, cream sponge for dessert). It was a lovely evening.

Then today, The MOTH, donned a suit to take me out to dinner at another fave spot on Southbank.

Everyone has made me feel very special. Thank you.

Blissful Birthday #48

My MIL, Elaine, gives the most wonderful gifts. She has even inspired a new tradition with the 'big knickers' idea from Christmas 2007. This birthday, I am gobsmacked at how much effort she went to for me.

The model has morning hair & a saggy chin, but she is getting long in the tooth. What you are admiring in this pic is this gorgeous cardigan detail. I am the recipient of a fabulous piece of art. My MIL has had out her knitting needles in honour of my 48th birthday... I love it!

Thank you, too, to everyone who sent me birthday stash. Once I have written thank you notes, I will get it all together and take a photo to add to the site.

I had a lovely birthday. It really started on the Sunday evening with dinner at my favourite Princess Street restaurant where my two eldest daughters & their partners served up to the family a feast of all my fave foods (oysters, smoked salmon, blue vein cheese & pumpkin bread for entree; beef strogganoff for mains, cream sponge for dessert). It was a lovely evening.

Then today, The MOTH, donned a suit to take me out to dinner at another fave spot on Southbank.

Everyone has made me feel very special. Thank you.

Blissful Birthday #48

My MIL, Elaine, gives the most wonderful gifts. She has even inspired a new tradition with the 'big knickers' idea from Christmas 2007. This birthday, I am gobsmacked at how much effort she went to for me.

The model has morning hair & a saggy chin, but she is getting long in the tooth. What you are admiring in this pic is this gorgeous cardigan detail. I am the recipient of a fabulous piece of art. My MIL has had out her knitting needles in honour of my 48th birthday... I love it!

Thank you, too, to everyone who sent me birthday stash. Once I have written thank you notes, I will get it all together and take a photo to add to the site.

I had a lovely birthday. It really started on the Sunday evening with dinner at my favourite Princess Street restaurant where my two eldest daughters & their partners served up to the family a feast of all my fave foods (oysters, smoked salmon, blue vein cheese & pumpkin bread for entree; beef strogganoff for mains, cream sponge for dessert). It was a lovely evening.

Then today, The MOTH, donned a suit to take me out to dinner at another fave spot on Southbank.

Everyone has made me feel very special. Thank you.

Thursday 17 April 2008

Off the stitching topic


Don't you just love this new chart from X's and O's? It reminded me of something that occured a few weeks ago. The story goes something like this:

While I was busy at work one day, the MOTH sent me text message: We've been invited to an important work event. Go out and buy yourself a new dress.

I shot him back a reply: Oh goodie, new shoes!!!

The next message took a while. It was as if the MOTH had deliberated for a few minutes about how to ask a tricky question: What is it with women and shoes?

My husband is a simple man. He's lucky I thought of shoes first. I didn't bother replying.

Shoes, handbags, perfume, lipstick, chocolate, cross stitch and diamonds - though not necessarily in that order. What has need got to do with it?

Surely everyone knows that women's shoes are more than just an accessory. Hello! Doesn't the MOTH remember Imelda Marcos and her supposed ownership of own 15 mink coats, 508 gowns, 888 handbags and 1060 pairs of shoes? As I said, he's a simple man. The oldest princess displayed an understanding of the magnetic attraction between a woman and a gorgeous pair of shoes by the time she was 18 months old & able to direct her feet into her mama's shoes.

I believe that one can read the life story of a women by the tye of shoes she has in her wardrobe.

My golden rule of buying shoes goes something like this:

A new outfit equals new pair of pretty but comfortable shoes.
Change of season equals new shoes.
Specialty activities equals specialty shoes.
A day out with one or all of the princesses equals the search for new shoes.
Being happy equals new shoes.
Being sad equals new shoes.
Oh to hell with it! Need has nothing to do with it. Any time is the right time to buy shoes!

One can tell if a woman is happy, sad, frustrated, active or disinterested in life. Maybe a psychotherapist should visit a woman's wardrobe before s/he interviews a new client. It'd save Medicare a fortune!

The first thing that my wardrobe tells the observer is that, apart from a pair of wedding shoes dating from 1980 & some golf shoes that I wear once in a while, I don't keep shoes that I don't wear often. The second thing is that I have pretty shoes, but none with super high heals because I've got to be able to walk and dance in them. Despite the practical nature of heal height, looking in my wardrobe is like reading a series of happy events from the past 3 to 5 years.

Let me see ...

There are two pairs of wedding shoes (self explanitory), the red shoes I bought while out for the day with the Cadet Princess in Berlin, the Sydney sandals I bought with my mother- and sister-in-law in December, the Perth shoes I wear to work & to Southbank on Friday nights, the shoes I bought to wear to opening night of 'Notre Dame de Paris' in Singapore, my 'Circus Soleil with Marg & Mike' shoes, a pair of birthday sandals, the red christmas shoes that the MOTH gave me last year to go with a gorgeous red handbag, the brown boots for a romantic getaway to Tasmania, 3 pairs of sports shoes (one for indoors aerobics, one for taking Lucy for walks in the park, & one for wearing in the garden), 2 pairs of ballroom dancing shoes & two pairs of shoes (one black & one brown) that I wear day to day when I'm not in the mood for making a shoe statement, which, I guess, is a statement in itself ...

Handbags, diamonds, lipsticks, they too tell a story, but I've save that for another time.

Happiness & laughter always,

Bliss

Off the stitching topic


Don't you just love this new chart from X's and O's? It reminded me of something that occured a few weeks ago. The story goes something like this:

While I was busy at work one day, the MOTH sent me text message: We've been invited to an important work event. Go out and buy yourself a new dress.

I shot him back a reply: Oh goodie, new shoes!!!

The next message took a while. It was as if the MOTH had deliberated for a few minutes about how to ask a tricky question: What is it with women and shoes?

My husband is a simple man. He's lucky I thought of shoes first. I didn't bother replying.

Shoes, handbags, perfume, lipstick, chocolate, cross stitch and diamonds - though not necessarily in that order. What has need got to do with it?

Surely everyone knows that women's shoes are more than just an accessory. Hello! Doesn't the MOTH remember Imelda Marcos and her supposed ownership of own 15 mink coats, 508 gowns, 888 handbags and 1060 pairs of shoes? As I said, he's a simple man. The oldest princess displayed an understanding of the magnetic attraction between a woman and a gorgeous pair of shoes by the time she was 18 months old & able to direct her feet into her mama's shoes.

I believe that one can read the life story of a women by the tye of shoes she has in her wardrobe.

My golden rule of buying shoes goes something like this:

A new outfit equals new pair of pretty but comfortable shoes.
Change of season equals new shoes.
Specialty activities equals specialty shoes.
A day out with one or all of the princesses equals the search for new shoes.
Being happy equals new shoes.
Being sad equals new shoes.
Oh to hell with it! Need has nothing to do with it. Any time is the right time to buy shoes!

One can tell if a woman is happy, sad, frustrated, active or disinterested in life. Maybe a psychotherapist should visit a woman's wardrobe before s/he interviews a new client. It'd save Medicare a fortune!

The first thing that my wardrobe tells the observer is that, apart from a pair of wedding shoes dating from 1980 & some golf shoes that I wear once in a while, I don't keep shoes that I don't wear often. The second thing is that I have pretty shoes, but none with super high heals because I've got to be able to walk and dance in them. Despite the practical nature of heal height, looking in my wardrobe is like reading a series of happy events from the past 3 to 5 years.

Let me see ...

There are two pairs of wedding shoes (self explanitory), the red shoes I bought while out for the day with the Cadet Princess in Berlin, the Sydney sandals I bought with my mother- and sister-in-law in December, the Perth shoes I wear to work & to Southbank on Friday nights, the shoes I bought to wear to opening night of 'Notre Dame de Paris' in Singapore, my 'Circus Soleil with Marg & Mike' shoes, a pair of birthday sandals, the red christmas shoes that the MOTH gave me last year to go with a gorgeous red handbag, the brown boots for a romantic getaway to Tasmania, 3 pairs of sports shoes (one for indoors aerobics, one for taking Lucy for walks in the park, & one for wearing in the garden), 2 pairs of ballroom dancing shoes & two pairs of shoes (one black & one brown) that I wear day to day when I'm not in the mood for making a shoe statement, which, I guess, is a statement in itself ...

Handbags, diamonds, lipsticks, they too tell a story, but I've save that for another time.

Happiness & laughter always,

Bliss

Wednesday 16 April 2008

Shoes

A few weeks ago, the MOTH sent me text message: We've been invited to an important work event. Go out and buy yourself a new dress.

I shot him back a reply: Oh goodie, new shoes!!!

The next message took a while. It was as if the MOTH had deliberated for a few minutes about how to ask a tricky question: What is it with women and shoes?

My husband is a simple man. He's lucky I thought of shoes first. I didn't bother replying.

Shoes, handbags, perfume, lipstick, chocolate, cross stitch and diamonds - though not necessarily in that order. What has need got to do with it?

Surely everyone knows that women's shoes are more than just an accessory. Hello! Doesn't the MOTH remember Imelda Marcos and her supposed ownership of own 15 mink coats, 508 gowns, 888 handbags and 1060 pairs of shoes? As I said, he's a simple man. The oldest princess displayed an understanding of the magnetic attraction between a woman and a gorgeous pair of shoes by the time she was 18 months old & able to direct her feet into her mama's shoes.

I believe that one can read the life story of a women by the tye of shoes she has in her wardrobe.

Kathleen Noonan of the Courier Mail newspaper will cringe at this next statement.

My golden rule of buying shoes goes something like this:

A new outfit equals new shoes.
Change of season equals new shoes.
Specialty activities equals specialty shoes.
A day out with one or all of the princesses equals the search for new shoes.
Being happy equals new shoes.
Being sad equals new shoes.
Oh to hell with it! Need has nothing to do with it! Women simply love shoes.

One can tell if a woman is happy, sad, frustrated, active or disinterested in life. Maybe a psychotherapist should visit a woman's wardrobe before s/he interviews a new client. It'd save Medicare a fortune!

The first thing that my wardrobe tells the observer is that, apart from a pair of wedding shoes dating from 1980 & some golf shoes that I wear once in a while, I don't keep shoes that I don't wear often. Hence, looking in my wardrobe is like reading a series of happy events from the past 3 to 5 years.

Let me see ...

There are two pairs of wedding shoes (self explanitory), the red shoes I bought while out for the day with the Cadet Princess in Berlin, the Sydney sandals I bought with my mother- and sister-in-law in December, the Perth shoes I wear to work & to Southbank on Friday nights, the shoes I bought to wear to opening night of 'Notre Dame de Paris' in Singapore, my 'Circus Soleil with Marg & Mike' shoes, a pair of birthday sandals, the red christmas shoes that the MOTH gave me last year to go with a gorgeous red handbag, the brown boots for a romantic getaway to Tasmania, 3 pairs of sports shoes (one for indoors aerobics, one for taking Lucy for walks in the park, & one for wearing in the garden), 2 pairs of ballroom dancing shoes & two pairs of shoes (one black & one brown) that I wear day to day when I'm not in the mood for making a shoe statement, which, I guess, is a statement in itself ...

Handbags, diamonds, lipsticks, they too tell a story, but I've save that for another time.

Happiness & laughter always,

Bliss

Guilt Free Start No. 3


Nora Corbett
Released on August 26th, 2005.

Two daughters of the sea swim gracefully toward treasure lost.
Their tails sparkle like diamonds and emeralds.
Their hair flows around them like veils of silk.
They are real and fairytale combined to become beauties of the deep.

I have had the chart and fabric for quite a while but didn't want to start this project until I had finished other WIPs. Then last year, my son's girlfriend, Nadia, went through my stash collection and fell in love with this work. For Christmas, I gave her the pattern, fabric, beads & floss to do the project. Her fabric was much nicer than mine (& a totally different colour), so I sent away for a second piece of fabric to put with my waiting kit.

Finally today, I have started gridding. I'm so excited!

I don't usually work on more than one item at a time, but this is going to be something special. I'm going to work in with the Yahoo Mirabilia group's Wednesday SAL timeframe.

Watch for weekly updates either here or in the Mermaids' blog (look to your left for a new sidebar link).

Happy stitching until next time,

Bliss

Guilt Free Start No. 3


Nora Corbett
Released on August 26th, 2005.

Two daughters of the sea swim gracefully toward treasure lost.
Their tails sparkle like diamonds and emeralds.
Their hair flows around them like veils of silk.
They are real and fairytale combined to become beauties of the deep.

I have had the chart and fabric for quite a while but didn't want to start this project until I had finished other WIPs. Then last year, my son's girlfriend, Nadia, went through my stash collection and fell in love with this work. For Christmas, I gave her the pattern, fabric, beads & floss to do the project. Her fabric was much nicer than mine (& a totally different colour), so I sent away for a second piece of fabric to put with my waiting kit.

Finally today, I have started gridding. I'm so excited!

I don't usually work on more than one item at a time, but this is going to be something special. I'm going to work in with the Yahoo Mirabilia group's Wednesday SAL timeframe.

Watch for weekly updates either here or in the Mermaids' blog (look to your left for a new sidebar link).

Happy stitching until next time,

Bliss

Sunday 13 April 2008

New Home Found - Five Simple Rules fabric


Pattern & fibres on sale here


I love the design & I love the floss colours but I don't like the fabric I chose - natural light Jobelan 28 count. Would you like to finish the project? If so, let me know. My email is to the left (a little bear with a ball of yarn). Send me details & I'll put your name in a hat & the MOTH will draw the winner out on my birthday (23rd April). I'll send you the fabric sans floss or chart. Go for it!!!

Update: 4th May 2008

Congratulations to Linda in Oregon. She's the winner of the draw for the fabric. I will get that fabby out to you before I leave for my vacation.

New Home Found - Five Simple Rules fabric


Pattern & fibres on sale here


I love the design & I love the floss colours but I don't like the fabric I chose - natural light Jobelan 28 count. Would you like to finish the project? If so, let me know. My email is to the left (a little bear with a ball of yarn). Send me details & I'll put your name in a hat & the MOTH will draw the winner out on my birthday (23rd April). I'll send you the fabric sans floss or chart. Go for it!!!

Update: 4th May 2008

Congratulations to Linda in Oregon. She's the winner of the draw for the fabric. I will get that fabby out to you before I leave for my vacation.