General Chat

Wow CG - butter about the job ad the entitlements - not a nice situation but coming at a time when options are opening up for Anne and you hmmm, in my prayers
JA

Blimey Cow Girl ,you had a brainstorm or what? come to blighty ,with 6000.000 out of work ,a gooshed economy and firms closing down every day?
move if you must to another state in Oz ,or even kiwi land but over here ,a no no i'm afraid.,were i younger ,i would be coming YOUR way, lol
I spent most of yesterday morning chasing the goats that got into next doors garden after they somehow got over the fence,and Joan has just got the garden fixed after they got over earlier in the year.
The owner of the goats thought it was a bit of a lark 'till i told him he was lucky ,and had it been my garden ,i would have shot the lot and then sued for crop damage,can't abide people who have these animals and can't keep them under control,it might help if he shifted the hut away from the fence so that the goats can't use the roof to jump from.
The pretendy Christmas dinner went well anyway ,though i was a bit late getting there after my rodeo performance ,lol,
The turkey was spot on ,and the veggies were delightful too ,but i stayed away from the roast tatties just having boiled new ones.
Have to swan off now ,to get the wife her cuppa,but i WILL be back later ,i am having the day off ,no garden ,no housework,and no cooking,just chilling out.Fred.

okay let me clarify "live" in England.........

Anne was born in Old Blighty and therefore entitled to live and work there, and as she is a Minister of the Word, (Reverand, prient, father, paster whatever you understand) means she can get an exchange with another parish, or come to a parish in UK or take up a contract position on Iona....

I would not be able to work (excpet on Iona) , but have lots of volunteer skills so would be useful.....

so not really thinking of emigrating......just popping in for a while then comming home to Gods own!!

Cheers June

That sounds a jot Better June,he he,that could almost be classed as a working exchange on a temp basis .lol,let me know when you are coming and i will make arrangements to stow away in your luggage on the return trip.lol,
I have just gone round to see the lady re the goats [to get my rope back],and note with satisfaction that there will be no repeat of the rodeo performance in future.
Seems the son of the house [the eldest] is moving house and all the livestock has been donated to a local city farm ,so the bairns will have extra animals to make a fuss of ,and we will be getting our quiet lives back,the animals and fowl get collected tomorrow. yippee.
I have now got the snuffles good style ,so i'm off to take a couple of lemsips ,and then off to bed[ ooooooer maybe i have the dreaded goat flu ,he he argjh ,not fair ,lol ,i WAS going to do a small B B Q as well .oh ,well ,maybe in a couple of days .Fred.

Hi everyone,
Lovely to read back and catch up on you all. I haven't visited in a while, being a bit busy with job and such, mostly getting DD through Year 12, we're nearly at the end now so life is less complicated. Like June said, we are looking at a new life next year when she goes off to spread her wings - or even if she's still at home, it will be a different household with no school-child.
I have been liking the new features on Ancestry lately and adding to my tree quite a bit sideways, and last night in bed I had a brainwave which was to retire and live in Kent for three months so I can visit all the little villages I keep coming across !! Then I read about June going to Iona! Great idea. I like the plan of having a firm base and exploring from there.
After Kent, Yorkshire! Ah dreams !
Fred, I laughed about the goats, they can be rogues ! Just the last week I have had my early carrots start germinating, so perhaps we have seen the end of winter here. I will be direct planting as many varieties of seeds as possible for the next 8 weeks, our best growing time is between now and Xmas, after which it can get too hot. I am still picking last years broccoli side shoots! (though they are flowering now, time to surrender and make space!).
Marie does your local library have much historical stuff. I have a person of interest who lived in Bathurst from 1887 to 1882, he worked for the Telegraph Office, may have even run it. So I wondered if there was a newspaper of the time, three children were born in those years. OK time to do the dishes then put the feet up. I won't leave it so long next time,
Keep Well, Hz

Evening....:>))

Well, our trip to Phuket Thailand, came and went, as holidays do. We flew from Melbourne to Bangkok,( 9hrs ) and then Bangkok to Phuket.( 1hr ) Then a 40 min bus drive took us through Patong City arriving at Merlin Beach Resort.

http://www.phuket.com/merlinbeach/

After leaving a coolish winter Melbourne at 15c to arrive in Thailand at 34c and 90% humidity the warmer weather hit..... like standing to close to an open fire on a hot day...lol

Our body temps soon adjusted though, and after unpacking in an air-conditioned room and a nice dip in one of the 4 pools followed by a few half price Cocktails by the pool bar, we relaxed into it real quick. We could not fault , and our Accomodation was 4-5 star and i would recommend this resort for cleaniness and freindlyness at a very cheap cost to the pocket. Being in Thailand one must do as the saying goes " When in Rome!!" so i tried every coloured chicken Curry i could muster . Yellow , Red, Green, and a large jug of water....hee hee
I do like my chicken Curries...:>)) and what better place to eat the real thing "Thai Curries"

We stayed on the ground floor with the pool lapping up against the step, just outside our bedroom patio sliding door, so if you were to hot,all you had to do was just roll out of bed and keep rolling out the bedroom door....."Splash!!!.....:>))
My daughter and 8 year old grandaughter stayed on the 4th flloor as children under the age of 10 are not allowed accomodation in a ground floor deluxe Room with access to pool. ( Resort liability Policy )

Al in all a very lovely place to holiday, and as for cleanliness - freindlyness and at half the price you would pay for the same 4-5 star resort in Australia ( and Barb and myself have stayed in some very shoddy so called resorts around Oz ) i would not hesitate to return to Merlin beach Resort next year.
Even returned home with money in my wallet..??????????
:>))))

Have a 3rd cousin from England (Essex ), arriving in Melbourne, Aussie on Friday. This is their first trip down under, and will be staying with us for 3 weeks. We will be taking them on the grand tour of Victoria and showing them some of our great country, and they will see why some of their convicts ancestors never returned home to the mother land...hee hee
She wants to cuddle a Koala and pat a Kanga....and he wants to catch a 4lb fresh water Rainbow trout and cook it on the B.B.Q....so i feel preety sure we can accomodate them in those matters....:>))

A trip to the Gold Fields ( Ballarat - Bendigo ) in Victoria to see what all the fuss was about during the 1850s, and a drive along the Great Ocean road in Victoria is a must. A few day trips into the High country ( aka Man from Snowy River ) and fish n' chips by the beach at Phillip Island waiting for the fairy Penquin parade to arrive at dusk and waddle their way up the beach to there burrows. A quick stop off at the cheese tasting factory should see our guests sleeping well at night...lol

My cousin asked me about our rail system from where we live,( Outer Melbourne ) into to Melbourne city CBD and that she may get lost as she possibly wont reconise the stations ( suburbs )
Mmmmmm. i said....... our train stops into Melbourne CBD are Ringwood, Mitcham,Blackburn,Box Hill,Surrey Hills, Chatam, Cantebury,Camberwell, Hawthorn, Burnley, Richmond......do you think you can remember those names, i says???.....Sounds familiar to me ....lol( England )

Hope everyone is well and positive thoughts to all who are not 100%

Tony...:>))

Still reading even if I don't post often :-)


Tony, is your cousin a Sadd one?

Hi Joy....:>))

No, this cuz is not related to our SADD family.
She is related to my grandads mothers side ( Williamson line in Essex ) whereas the SADD are related to my grandads fathers side ( Hull line )...........Our 2 x great grandfather Williamson's were brothers, and little did they know that two of their Great, Great, grandchildren ( from different countries ) would still be in contact with each other,after 190 years had gone by.
The internet has bought the world closer....if nothing else.

Hope you are well.

Tony...:>))

Morning all ,hi to Tony,nice to see you enjoyed your hol's and have rellies coming out to show around.
The carrots sound as though they are off to a good start,you could do with planting parsnips among them too ,the different scents confuse the carrot fly,and they go elsewhere to lay the eggs,seems spring onions do the same.
We are off to a malay palace for a meal today [ sons treat] so itwill be toast for tea tonight ,lol.
Hope everyone is okay over there and getting into the spring mood [out with the shorts'blouses and whatever .
catch you all later,Fred..

I am well, thanks, Tony, and still enjoying retirement. Yes, the world seems to get smaller :-)

Have a nice meal, Mr Badger.

Hi Tony, Welcome back,sounds like you had a great time. Hi Fred have a nice day.
HZ ,The local Family History group works out of the Library,I will pop into the library and ask about the Newspaper of the time. I will email you through Genes Reunited after I visit the library,I will pop in to-morrow .
I hope you are all well .
Best wishes to you all ,
Marie from Bathurst, ( It's still cold here)

Hi all.. We are still mild and whoo hoo we had a bit of rain last night, but its back to sunshine again..

June. What a butter about your job..but your ideas of a trip to the Old Country sounds fantastic..will you have a spare room if I come over,lol..I got a disapearing distant grandmother who I cant find in Kent..got her name on the marriage cert but cant find her anywhere else before that...bet she changed her name..your party sounded great and that restaurant sounded yummy...bummer about the house...put it on hold for a little while till you get back from the Uk...

Marie.. Would be great if you can find more info for HZ.. I went to the Sydney Library and had a great time finding some info for her ..so excited that you would have thought it was my ancstors I had found..wish I could find stuff like that for my lot...lol..mine are all under a bush somewhere in the UK..hee hee hee..

Tony Enjoy your cuzzies visit.. Am sure that they will have a great time and bet you they will want to emigrate by the time they go home...lol...

Fred. Ya should have got one of those goats before they left..Roast goat is yummy...we have it most times when we visit the kids in Canberra when we go to the Helenic Club for dinner and they make sure they have roast goat on the me and you for us..yummy...seems terrible cos I love goats...hope Sean is over the bite and back sparking on all 4's..

Love to Merle..xxxx

Hi Joy..nice to see you drop in..

Well am off to do some FH..Hope all are well..

Love Mary xxxxxxx

Heard that goat was nice Mary ,and i will give it a go when i get over there, but for today we have settled for a small stuffed marrow that we found in Morrisons for 35 p,which i reckon was a steal .
i have made up a cous cous added some lime juice and lemon to the mix,along with some butter fried chicken pieces and a yellow pepper fried in with the fowl,mixed it all up and pushed it into the scooped out marrow halves.
I have done a few carrots out of the garden ,some kale ,ditto ,and some nice new potatoes that i will toss in a little butter before serving ,a meal fit for a king ,and so easy to do.
If you need some rain over there ,you can have our rain for a bit of your sun ,lol,fair swap i reckon .
The cat has had half a poached plaice for her tea,which after the love i got off her afterwards i will do again in a few days , ,pity the missus hates fish ,i could have been on a promise .,he he.
Off for a look around the boards,so i will see tou all later.Fred.

Hello all , I am mad as a cut snake I had just written a post and was signing off and the whole lot just dissapeared Butter. Hi Tony, 'Badger,Mary,and Joy.
HZ by the River I have sent you an E-mail.
The rain has gone after a big hail storm last night.
It is a beautiful day now and I must get out into the garden as I have soooooooo much to do.
Best wishes to you all.
HZ I hope to hear from you soon.
Marie.

Morning all ,from a nice sunny Newcastle ,steps back in amazement ,lol, so old Badger got his wellies on and shot off into the back garden to get some work done.
I say shot ,but it was more like a totter ,he he,owing to a bad night and sleeping in the wrong position .[ouch],any way ,i got the green bean plants pulled because they are finished ,and got the smelly stuff put into the buckets so it has all winter to penetrate all the soil,followed by a good dose of lime to kill the bugs.
I also did as quick clean up and pulled a few weeds and put the stuff in the recycle bin ready for the bin men in the morning.
Have two of the grand bairns this weekend and have been requested to make a nice chicken curry for the dinner ,great stuff seeing as i made up a new curry sauce late last week ,no shop bought gear in this house ,lol only use shop paste in emergencies.
Luckily we have four nan breads in the freezer to go with it so i will make a start in a few minutes.
Need to get the lawn done after dinner if the rain holds off ,we still need a few bits and pieces for the cases.
Nearly time to fly now ,he he ,this time on the 27th we will be getting near to Paphos airport and sun sun sun ,whoopee .
Fred is off upstairs to try on the new shorts ,[rubbing it in .],so ,i will catch you all later.
Next year we will have three new airlines operating rrom Newcastle international ,so who knows ,if the wife manages cyprus okay,,we will have Emerates ,Singapore,and easy jet,giving us real scope with prices becoming more competitive .
Fred.

The delinquent returns!!!. Hello all you lovely peeps.Thanks for your concern, those who were.I'm fit and well. Had my two weeks in Perth and enjoyed it but glad to come home. The specialist wasn't much help. He just told me the retina tear that was lasered is fine but another one there and he doesn't propose to do anything about it. but don't get your glasses changed yet.. Thats all I got. thank you very much. Everything else was as expected. Irreversible.Live with it.
I modelled clothes from our local Millers last week at the Hospice day, and just for once didn't fall over my feet. It was a very successful day, raised lots of moolah and had fun.
Also, have a new man in my life. He's seven yrs old, black and white Papillon and absolutely gorgeous. His owner died so needed a home. He's well trained and we seem to have clicked.He sings to me, loves his cuddles, like all males, and actually sleeps in his own bed.unlike all males! He's also 2kgs overweight so we're both walking every day, when it isn't raining. this week has actually been quite nice. My knees groan but I'm sure it does me good.
Am busy making more cards. Sold 85 at the school chaplaincy fundraiser a couple of weeks ago.That was my donation to them. Yesterday, got an order for 10 xmas cards with Australiana theme. Have written another ditty to follow on from last years and am trying to find other stuff to put on them. Not easy to get..
Homeswest had a unit for me while I was in Perth so missed that one. Don't mind really.
The family have finally decided what to do with himselfs ashes. Kevin and Amanda are finally in their own home and in November will plant a tree especially for him. We're also Christmassing out there so that will be nice.
Well, enough of this rambling on, have a good day everone, and as usual, luv Me

Merle So great to see you back and sparking on all fours..Your cards sound lovely and you and Tony should go into business together..He writes the inside and you do the outside..You two would be millionairs in no time...lol.go easy on those knees and no pole dancing please..Love ya.xxxx

Marie Am so glad you were able to help HZ.. It gives me a buzz when I can find things for other people..

Fred WOW Newcastle Airport is come of age..Singapore airlines is the best so if you can travel on it do..Dont know much about the others..Did you pay 25pounds for a marrow..or was that 25p..If it was pounds was it studded with diamonds..lol..sounds yummy though..

June Hope you are ok,,Have you found another job or are you now retired...

Tony is having a great time with his English cuzzies,, He is playing lots of Aussie jokes on them and they are cooking him some real Englaish dishes,,They made him Spotted Dick the other day..lol..What is it please fred...lol..

Have a lovely weekend all and keep smiling..

Lotsa love Mary xxx

Never had a spotted dick Mary? lol ,a well known pudding in blighty ,but ,please ,i don't know where,or how the name came about.
It is a steamed pudding ,done in a cloth in boiling water ,though there is a version done in a basin and steamed ,
Six ounces of self raising flour,three ounces of shredded veggie suet,a teaspoon of lemon essance ,two ounces of raisens ,or sultanas ,and you are ready to go ,mix ,put in the cloth and put into a pan of boiling water for one and a half hours ,turning one half way through the cooking time.
Good on it's own .or with custard.
Done in a bowl and steamed you can add jam ,or syrup instead of the fruit,also yummy.
I never pay that sort of money for a marrow our Mary ,lol,i have scots blood you know he he,30 to 40 p is the max ,lol
Emerates is as big as singapore by the way ,run by the arab gulf states ,so we are now spoilt by choice ,the return fares to oz are now down to under £700 return ,so ,if they come down even more ,and Liz travels okay ,we will be going for it.
Back later Fred.

Hi Mary, Good to hear from you . I have received the info from HZ and hopefully will start on the research on Monday.
Tomorrow is the big Grand final of the Aussie Rules Football for our area and the Bathurst Bushrangers have all 4 grades in the competition so it will be a big day for our family the comp. starts at 9.30AM and finishes at 5PM and we will probably all be hoarse from Barracking.
Hello Merle it is lovely to see you back and you do sound happy and very busy Modelling and making cards I had a cousin and a daughter -in -law who make cards and they are really nice I am too busy in the garden to do things like that. Keep well Merle, Tony will have to go on a diet by the time his friends go home LOL he will also need a rest He He. Badger how was your Malay meal ahhhhh HOT!
Time for me to Push off and have a bite to eat and some of that lovely Rickadonna wine I started Last Night.Have a nice evening all HUGSSSSSSS Marie

G'day....:>))

Well the English ( me Cuz ) arrived safe and sound at Melbournes Tullamarine airport at 7:30 pm last friday week, after there c.23hr flight from Heathrowe, with a quick one and a half hr stop at Kuala Lumpur while in transit. After lots of cuddles and handshakes they were happy to set foot in the Colony. A quick walk to the car, and luggage packed safely in the boot, we whisked them away through the Melbourne streets, and arrived home after a 40 min drive.
First thing me cuz did was go into the kitchen and turn on the tap to see which way the water went down the plug hole.....lolol
( considering we in Oz are the upside downers....lol )

After all her myths were dispelled....:>)))).... the Kettle went on and they relaxed into the first night on Aussie soil. Cuzzes hubbie had a browze outside at the full moon, and the clear skies showing off the stars of the "Southern Cross",and took in his surroundings, and then asked me what were those big growling cats high in the trees outside!!!, to which Barb and i had a giggle. Those arent cats i says...hee hee..they are our grey Possums ,and a bit like your grey Squirrels i says ...more vermon than anything else, and will reek havoc inside our cavity walls where some nest and sleep during the day. Ours are as big as a full grown cat, and come mating season ( spring ) they will growl like dogs,or if you get to close to them. Normally harmless, but very sharp claws for climbing trees, and not a nice feeling if they run up your torso to escape you.

After a good 15hrs sleeps to get rid of the jet lag, and get the body and mind set to Ozzie time, they sat down to a full Ozzie brekky/brunch. A jump in the car and we took them on a guided tour around Melbourne suburbs and city to see the sights and to get the feel of the Aussie layed back culture.
A pub lunch in the bush saw my cuz and hubbie bog into a 500g rump steak with side salad and chips that overflowed the plate, and they left quite contented with a smile on their dial.

Barb then took my cuz into the large shopping plaza's to compare prices and to check out the similarities of our food prices. From what i am told by her, that our ( Aussie )traditional small leg of Lamb ( say,Roast for 3 people ),.....c. $12au.... would cost them back home in England 12GBP ( $24 au )

They eventually hired a car, once they had got their bearings, as our road system and laws are similar. The only difference perhaps is that on a 3-4 lane Highway/Freeway in Victoria Oz ,you are allowed to overtake on the left, which to their amazement....lol
Cuzzes hubbie says if you do that on our freeways in the U.K its a definate No-No....to which i replied......well this is not England mate, and here its legal....so relax, and you know that saying...... When in Rome!!!....lol

After a few days driving here and there, and getting to understand our traffic laws, and feeling a bit more comfortable with it, they took off on their own, taking in a few short trips to the towns of Ballarat & Geelong, and Victoria's Great Ocean road. They will also take in a few Country towns along the way to get that being in the "Bush" feeling.
We will see them again on this coming Tuesday, and i'm sure they will have some great stories to tell us.

I did say to them ( out of curiosity )...Although you have only really been here a week, and just touched the tip of the ice- berg, as far as sightseeing............In one word decribe what you think of Oz so far....lol

Cuz said...."Space!!!!!!!" .....and her hubbie said. " Relaxed Atmosphere" and he could feel the tension and stress just dissapearing from him by the minute.....lolol

So i think they are enjoying it so far......:>))
Cuz's hubbie did make a comment that our Beer prices are very steep, and a lot cheaper in the U.K.......but i did explain that Oz is a very warm Country generally, and the average Aussie ( Male ) are big Beer drinkers, come summer, and our Government take full advantage of it. ( tax )


Tony....:>))