Here I am...

As usual, it has been a while since I blogged. Just plodding away doing my thing - homeschooling, housework, scouting etc.

Last weekend, Daniel and I went on the annual District Cub Scout Camp. We were lucky as it was held close to home at the World Heritage Naraoorte Caves. We both enjoyed ourselves. One of us was up very late the first night but then was so tired the second night that 10 hours sleep was had!! It wasn't me! Although I didn't have much sleep either, between the snoring from the other leaders I shared a room with and the chatting from the children in the next room!! I probably snore too - do ya think there comes a time when you just can't share a room with anyone!! I am afraid I like my room to myself and I like it dark and quiet. Might have to take a tent next time and put it way down the flat!!

While waiting for the Cub Scouts to reappear from the bottom of a cave, I took these photos of some of the native trees. I loved the gum flower - all on it's own - there was no others on the whole tree.

I think the second one is a Correa? Almost looks like a fuschia flower.

After a big weekend at Cub Camp, I came down with a very nasty tummy bug or maybe food poisoning. I spent Monday and Tuesday being very quiet and still, except for the mad dashes to the toilet! The rest of the week was fairly slow too and even now I am still off my food. This is probably not altogether a bad thing - a bit of weight loss happening! A silver lining in this cloud of ickiness!!

Today, I have done a couple of pages of scrapbooking - very simple ones. They are for my class at the local scrapbooking shop, that is on Wednesday this week. I am now off to do some more - am very into the simple look at the moment. Of course, I scraplift most of my pages, so am into Cathy Zeilske, Ali Edwards and Donna Downey. These ladies sure now how to make a simple but stupendous page!

Enjoy the rest of your Saturday!!

Ohh those eyelashes....

Isn't she just the most gorgeous thing?


We managed to get to the feeding time for the Giraffes. I couldn't believe how many carrots this giraffe ate??? It would have been at least 20 large carrots sliced in half or quarters. Everybody was amazed how she just kept on taking them from all the outstretched hands.
















Daniel was first fella in our family to feed her.







Then Gregory.

Check out that tongue - they can be up to 46 centimetres long!!!










Then Andrew had his turn.














Still doesn't beat Dubbo - Western Plains Zoo, but we all enjoyed ourselves immensely!

Skins, hooves and bones

Daniel using an Elk horn to pretend to be a Unicorn.















Gregory took a photo of the Axis Deer head skeleton - he thought it was really cool!














My favourite was the zebra skin with the hooves still attached.

We went to the zoo, zoo, zoo!!!

Zebras, White Rhinos, Spotted Hyena and Lion - we went to Old Tailem Town on Saturday, then to Monarto Zoo on Sunday. The zoo was great - although I have yet to go to a zoo that matches Dubbo!! We enjoyed looking at all the animals. More pics to come....

Who remembers these??

Little bottles of milk given to you at morning tea time. Often they were warm by then - I lived in Qld!!!





















Wooden desks attached to the floor, room for two little people to sit at them, flip top lids - had to get your stuff out at the same time as the kid next to you!! Also had to watch out for fingers getting caught if the kid next to you didn't like you!!





















Teacher's neat writing of the alphabet along the top of the blackboard!



Ahh those wonderful old days!! I couldn't believe that I went to school long enough ago to qualify for my school days to be on show at Old Tailem Town. I also found a butcher's shop with the lino on the bench and the big green cash register exactly the same as the butcher's in little old Inglewood, Queensland where I grew up! Very freaky feeling!! Nah not the being old bit - the remembering the colour of the lino and the cash register from 35+ years ago!! What a weird piece of memory to have??

Now where was I?

oh yeah that's right busy doing I don't know what?? Where has the last 2 weeks gone - certainly not on housework!! My house is desperate for a clean, maybe later today. Have I been in my vege patch --nope!! Hope to dig some dirt tomorrow! Have I been immersed in my scrapbooking? Again nope! And my poor mother is still waiting for her birthday present!

Well......... last week I spent in the kitchen. Every year, I get involved with The Biggest Morning Tea for the Cancer Council. I am the secretary for the local branch as well. I do it for my Dad, who died from Cancer nearly 5 years ago - and damn it I still miss him. I hope the little bit of money I raise will help someone else not lose their father, mother, husband, wife, child etc at a younger age than anyone has a right to die!

Anyway I made morning tea for 12 bank johnnies at $5 each and then for the local scrapboking shop. I raised over $100 for the day then fronted up the next day to help run the branch do at the local bowls club where we took $500 on the door, $750 for the raffle and $650 on the trading table. So even though I didn't feel like baking again for a while- it was worth it.

It must have been a drain on my emotions, thinking about Dad all week as this week I have been BLAH!! Not sick but not feeling my usual chirpy self. I felt a little let down by a couple of people so that didn't help! So I stayed home for the 3 nights in a row that I should have been out and today I am feeling a bit better!

Nice quiet weekend coming up! Andrew and I and a couple of friends are off out to dinner at a very posh restaurant on Saturday night. We treat ourselves once a year to blow the budget and spend way too much on way too little food!! Woohoo!!

Righto better get my self into gear - off to Homeschool group today. We are meeting in Penola today - love that little town! Great park for the kids, great coffee for the Mums and great lolly shop for treats to eat on the way home!!

It’s better to keep your mouth shut and appear stupid than to open it and remove all doubt. Mark Twain


Ciao for now.

No Photos

How the heck am I supposed to improve on photography skills when I don't take any photos, not one, nada, none for over 3 weeks!! Gees Louise! That is soooo long!!

Well I did take a couple a few weeks ago - here they are!

Sad I know... photos of a box and its contents. The box was from Donna Downey and it did contain her newest books, signed by her no less!! Highlight of my week - Susy and I went a little silly when we opened the box - our boys thought we had gone slightly mad. Well madder than usual!

We held the books to our heart and said things like - Donna touched this book!!

Told you it was sad!! Susy understands don't you Susy??















The second photo is of some Kim Archer flowers I made for Tanya for her birthday! Aren't they the cutest things? Tan loved them so much she has them sitting on the main desk at the shop - I love it when I give a homemade gift and it is so appreciated.

I am hoping to make some more for family and friends but time is a bit tight at the moment - hoping to find some spare on the weekend!

Well folks, I will leave you with a quote:



The best way to prepare for any moment in the future is to be fully conscious in the present.
- Deepak Chopra

And with that it is time to feed the family some healthy warming lunch on this cold rainy day in beautiful South East, South Australia.

Ciao!