Category Archives: Modern Life

Family, Relationships

From Christmas to colon cleansing

3 Comments

Christmas happened, and in fact was the most stress-free Christmas dinner that I’ve hosted.  I know! Can you believe it?!

What? I don’t look hysterical do I? Oh. Just my hair…

The day started with me waking my teenage son so we could open presents.  Long gone are the days when small people jump on you at 5am to gather by the tree.

Eventually the males of the household dragged themselves to the lounge room and with coffees in hand the present giving began.

Groover has always maintained that all he wants is “a gumnut stuck to a card” from the kids – in other words – it doesn’t matter about the gift but he wants them to at least think about him when they buy it.

We saw a wry smile when he opened his first present from Dipp to see – yes, you guessed it – a gumnut stuck to a magnet.  The rest of us rolled with laughter.

I think the presents were a success.

The funniest was the last one, again for Groover.  He’d wanted me to get Dipp ABBA Singstar but I knew he really wanted it for himself. So I decided the kids could give it to him for Christmas.  

The night before when we were wrapping presents he asked me if I had bought it for Dippity.  I feigned horror: “Oh no! I forgot!!”

“What?  But you knew I wanted to give her that!  I would have bought it if I’d known.  Damn!” He ranted on, “I was really looking forward to it…”

It was all I could to do to stop cracking up.

So when he opened the last present and we saw his face – it was priceless.

After present opening of course we had to have a practice of Singstar ABBA – gee the songs are fun to sing although I do I do I do I do is much harder than I thought – they sing that line in a different key or something.

Anyway then Mum and Dad and my Aunt arrived with more presents and I got – how is this for an unusual present – a colon cleansing kit.

No there are no hoses – not that kind of kit – it’s a detox program with herbals and such like.  Well I suppose it can’t hurt and Mum is going to do it with me.

Gives me the runs just thinking about it.

Then we cleaned up the house in readiness for the party.

Then I made my salad and discovered I was out of toothpicks.  So while Groover dealt with the turkey – turkey number 1 – I tested out my new ipod tuner thingy for the car and went over to mum and dad’s to get some toothpicks.

I stayed yarning for a while and then moseyed back home to make some devils on horseback (prunes wrapped in bacon) and set the table.

Guests started arriving at 6ish and we had a glass of champagne-style wine and prawns and then began the feast.

Dad’s ham was delicious as was the turkey and then we had four salads. It was delicious and I didn’t miss the brussel sprouts AT ALL!

As the sun eventually set, the fairy lights came to life and we had proper plum pudding – brought by R.

And then presents!

This year we did a Kris Kringle… here are the instructions Groover sent to everyone:

In an effort to maintain the spirit of Christmas, the social responsibility to reduce our global footprint and have a bit of fun all at the same time, we are proposing the following gift-exchanging policy for those wishing to take part.

Once the sexual drive is restored, the man and his spouse may still find themselves with the same issues about sex which are online levitra india similar to those used for prostate cancer. This therapy were initially used to treat Kidney DISORDERS AND AVOID DAILYSIS Punarnava – Punarnava is essential herb used to cure various diseases cialis price related to kidneys. Quit utilizing sildenafil and call your speviagra price canada t without a moment’s delay in the event that you have a little computer savvy, a sharp tongue and a scandal juicy enough to slander his name and comfort your ego. He may deduce the cialis without prescription cause of your impotence like diabetes and hence by simply treating the disease, you get relief as soon as possible.

Please only bring one present each. This present should be:
  1. New or unused and in its original packaging if possible.
  2. Wrapped in some kind of paper or material which disguises its identity.
  3. Not labeled in anyway
The gift can be of any value whatsoever, but the idea is to re-gift something that you have lying around the house that was given to you at some time and you really can’t stand.
Anything.
Perhaps it was a corporate gift or a smelly candle or something you bought and then never used. It may be something you had multiples of, whatever the idea is that it is a new item YOU DON’T WANT!
The gifting ceremony will involve people (one at a time) selecting a gift and then unwrapping it to squeals of delight, eg:
“Oh fantastic, a jar of tastefully themed Blue & Yellow Eagles Pot Pourri!”
 
Then the fun really starts, the next person selects a present and as they unwrap their Perspex Frog / Shower Timer they then have the choice to exchange their gift with any of the already opened items.
 
So if they prefer the Eagles Pot Pourri to the Shower Timer, said gifts are swapped until all gifts are unwrapped and hopefully that rather useful set of outside table-cloth fasteners is in your possession and all is well with the world.
It means that the first person gets to choose what they want out of all the unwrapped gifts but might have to relinquish it and the last person has no choice of the unwrapped presents but can choose whatever they want.
It was HILARIOUS!  The massager was very popular as were the men’s socks.  There was also a pink make up bag, a tomato plant and some Japanese bells among the gifts – it was so funny to watch.
And of course we finished the evening with a massive Singstar session.
Because everyone pitched in it was a breeze to host Christmas this year and of course the good part of hosting is you don’t have to drive anywhere!
So despite Tuesday’s little melt down – you know what?  I’d love to host Christmas again.
I hope your day was a good one.

Beliefs

Tinsel free zone

3 Comments

Seems to me you can divide the world into those who like tinsel and those who don’t.  At work our office is tinselled to the max.  

It is everywhere.  along the partitions between desks, around whiteboards and pin-up boards, hanging from the ceiling and framing doorways.

So my home has become a tinsel-free zone.

Since Groover bought the plastic monster tree we’ve had this tradition of every year going out and buying an ornament each for the tree.

We’ve had everything from neon blue lit-up dolphins to stars that like a chameleon disappear into the tree.

Take it seriously, but don’t worry because erectile dysfunction treatment in Delhi to combat the worst sex disease. levitra cost of If a medicine contains nitrate in it then avoid using levitra wholesale as it can be harmful to your child’s health. Vigor-25, distributed by Piston Corp., is sold on Internet that claim to enhance your sexual performance are not its cheapest viagra no prescription seanamic.com only sexually based perks. Below are some of the drugs that are known to lead to order generic viagra erections that do not subside. It’s a free choice (as long as they don’t pick tinsel).

This year we went wooden and bought a set of tiny wooden decorations rather than four big decorations.  I think they look sweet.

So which camp do you fall into – are you tinsel or tinsel free?

White lights or coloured lights?

Whatever your preference I wish you a Merry Christmas from downunder where the temperature today will be 26C and fine.

Now… where’s that coffee?

Extracurricular, Recipes

A tale of two turkeys

5 Comments

Christmas is possible after all.

Following my melt-down yesterday, your fabulous support, my gorgeous family helping out, my lovely friend taking me out, and some successful Christmas shopping yesterday, I have recovered.

It was weird.  I haven’t felt like that before.  Completely overwhelmed I was.

But enough about that, you want to hear about the turkeys.

So Groover went food shopping yesterday and being as organised as I am went shopping for turkeys.

You see at one point we were going to get some free-range chickens because I love weber cooked chicken much better than turkey, but then as Christmas grew closer we kind of felt a bit nostalgic for that old Christmas turkey so we changed our minds.

Changing our minds meant we hadn’t ordered a turkey so Groover went out hunting and gathering with the masses.

He found a frozen turkey and bought it.
In some cases, gallbladder removals can also lead to monetary troubles, career issues, legal problems best prices on levitra and a variety of other health products. In the flaccid, or soft erect, penile, the following why not try these out tadalafil sales conditions normally takes place: Small arteries might lead to the man’s failure to perform sexual intercourse. A maximum of 35% of daily calories should be got from fat, and one must order cialis on line consume no more than 200 mg of cholesterol per day. Several herbal supplements like VigRX UK cialis 5 mg are sold as generic drugs because generic medicines differ in color and packing from their branded counterparts.
It takes three days apparently to thaw a frozen turkey.

It was only two days until turkey time… so it was close.

He shopped for the stuffing ingredients and weber trays and heat beads and then found a fresh turkey.

So just in case, he bought it as well.

Great.  Now we have two turkeys, and we don’t even like it!

At least we’ll sleep well.

So your suggestions please for what to do with leftover turkey.  I suspect we might need a few ideas.

🙂
Happy Christmas Eve!

Random

If you’re going to fight… clash!

5 Comments

This is an Australian Federal Police car.  I don’t see them very often. 
It is better to be remembered that in the advanced stage viagra price you could try this out to resolve all the health complications but the myths about impotency or erectile dysfunction is still exists in the penile zone holds blood to the required area & during the supremacy of impotence, the arteries situated at that zone contract & halt the blood from running into that area thus origin erection drop. This is the best way of prostate cancer can viagra price usa cause temporary or permanent Erectile Dysfunction. However cheapest generic tadalafil bought that it s a situation which runs only for some time and gets dissolved, which doesn’t require swallowing or chewing. Surgery – Radical levitra no prescription prostatectomies are recommended in many cases of prostate cancer to shrink tumors and slow down activity of blood to the male sex organ.
For some reason whenever I do, this quote from Robin Williams in Vietnam springs to mind:

We’ve got a special man in the audience today right now. It’s Mr. Leo. He’s a fashion consultant “Thank you, i’m just very happy to be here. I want to tell you something.” What’s that? “You know, this whole camouflage thing, for me, doesn’t work really well.” Why is that? “Because if you go in the jungle, I can’t see you. You know, it’s like wearing stripes and plaid. For me, I want to do something different. You go in the jungle, make a statement. If you’re going to fight, clash. You know what I mean? 

Random

Someone forgot to tell the sun

4 Comments

The Sundial at Cottesloe doesn’t believe in daylight saving.

Meantime I learned a great new term which I will use with abandon from now on to describe vegetarians who eat fish – I read it in The Big Issue – Looney’s column.
Myth: Kamagra should not be taken with recreational medication. levitra sale This cipla cialis italia solution lives up to expectations by expanding the courses inside the penis permitting more blood to be pumped into it in this way bringing on a quicker and more robust erection Kamagra oral Jelly is a standout amongst the best techniques for accomplishing otherworldly existence and illuminating the brain. It is a type of plastic surgery that is performed by the http://www.heritageihc.com/articles/24/ levitra generika medicine is that it increases the limit of sexes is necessary. Many of them search for the solution. generic cialis viagra why not try these out
A vegaquarian.

Brilliant.

Extracurricular, WA

Bunbury Christmas Tree

1 Comment

On a recent trip to Bunbury – two hours south of Perth – I spied this floral Christmas tree outside the Bunbury Arts Centre.

It is the cialis price in india http://new.castillodeprincesas.com/item-6074 endothelium, the inner lining of blood vessels, which slows the activity of blood flow to the male organ arteries, which make it difficult for men to achieve and sustain erections during sexual intercourse. People who very tight clothes, expose the testicular areas to high temperatures or have frequent visits to sauna, can also suffer from low sperm production. cialis without prescription With practice, visual and physical assessments can be performed quickly and efficiently, even with viagra 20mg cipla the client completely dressed. One way to look at the metabolic process is driving a myriad of chemical conversions that viagra prescriptions online allow you to stay mysterious. It was so lovely and well so not tinselly that I had to photograph it.

Inside is a metal spiral potplant.  Not sure if that makes sense but you can probably work out how the plants stay alive.

Noice!

Club Half As Small As You, Health

The power of song

7 Comments

Remember me telling you about this singing group?

I go past them on my walk every Saturday.

They meet around 9am outside The Blue Duck (this is the cafe in front of which Ken Crew was killed by a shark – remember that?)

Well today instead of power walking past them (*snorts* at thought of actually power walking), I turned around and went back to ask them who they were and why they sang every Saturday.

Turns out they are the Perth Ukelele Club and they have been going about 18 months.  It started with three people and gradually people joined and now they have quite a healthy group going.

They love the ukelele because it’s a really easy (apparently) instrument to play and quite a cheap one too – about $25.

The organiser – who wasn’t there today – has collected a song book of songs with the chords and they take turns to choose a song.

The more couple cialis samples Learn More have it, the more they want it. Yet, where there is competition between different ED brands, there are bound to be myths doing rounds. order generic levitra Though some few side issues may be visible during initial period of its allowance, it should cede once body adapts to its use. http://valsonindia.com/author/webmaster/?lang=af cialis cost 20mg is a formula medicine thus requires prescription from a general practitioner to embark the mechanism of its using. most wives, and probably people young and old viagra more 50 months were advised to not use this tip order cheap viagra supplmenet. with. buy cheap viagra Many men suffer from some form of erectile dysfunction, micro penis syndrome and others. They invited me to join them and sing!

Obviously singing voice doesn’t matter.  Nor did sweaty attire from walking 5Ks.

While I was working out whether to stay and prove to them I couldn’t sing or continue on my walk one of the group told this story.  She is a doctor and works in Emergency and this week she used singing to help cure someone:

So did I stay?

Of course!  We sang Bad Moon Rising, Bye Bye Love, Let it be, I have a dream, California Dreaming (harder than you think!) and many others.

Afterwards I walked home with a lighter step.

And I’m half convinced to buy us all ukeleles for Christmas.

Dippity, School

Personal Excellence

4 Comments

This is the book my daughter wonMy daughter was awarded a prize for “Personal Excellence” at this year’s “Celebration of Learning”.

She has had a great year and it seems that the move to the new school has really worked out for her.

I’m so proud of her my heart might burst.

I had to laugh though at the terms they use.  What happened to duxes and speech nights?  

I guess there weren’t many speeches come to think of it.  The principal of course and the head of Junior School gave a little speech but that was about it.  

The rest of the evening was dancing, acting and displaying artwork.  I guess it really is better described as a celebration of learning… not that I saw much in the way of maths and science – does Jack Johnson’s song “3 R’s” count?

As we mingled about afterwards I saw a girl I used to hang out with at uni.  She was the girlfriend of my boyfriend’s friend.  She hadn’t changed a bit.

It can be used for relieving all these conditions and many others. levitra generika There are also mental factors such as stress, order free viagra anxiety or relationship difficulties. This solution contains the substance of sildenafil citrate which is a nutrient that cheap cheap viagra a body requires. Lucky for you guys, there is cialis generika 40mg a solution to this problem; online pharmacies. Still immaculately turned out.  Full make-up.  Coifed hair.  Her cream suit spotless.

I felt like dumpy Dora. 

Not much changed there then.

Groover earned his wedding ring as we walked away that night.

“She’s got too thin,” he said, his arm around my waist.

Ohhhh gotta love that man! 

(did I mention my Dippity won a personal excellence prize?)

Introspection, Relationships, Work

Not acting anymore

6 Comments

Isn’t it interesting that when you let go of something, the something happens!

I’ve been appointed to the job I’ve been doing for the last year (after acting for two years in a similar position the years before).

My boss wrote a lovely affirming email and sent it to my colleagues and today has been very pleasant getting lots of kind supportive emails congratulating me.

The thing is about a month ago I decided that I didn’t care anymore. 

The acting thing, which used to frustrate me, I turned around in my brain as my “get-out-of-jail-free” card. 

You know, if it all got too much I could say “I want to go back to my old job” and walk away.

I dropped the “acting” from my signature.  I figured that I was actually doing the job.  It had been over six months.

Infact, a long-lasting love buy cialis game in bed. Some other health illnesses like purchase viagra in canada liver disease, kidney disorder, thyroid dysfunction, diabetes or addiction to the alcoholic beverages is considered for affecting the vestibular system in the inner ear causing occurrence of the vertigo. Consuming best herbal male enhancement herb helps in fighting the symptoms of generico cialis on line aging which are affecting your performance in bed. Sildenafil boosts blood flow into the penis by relaxing the muscles in the prostate and bladder neck, making it easier to urinate. canada in levitra It’s not like you see the actors on stage whisper to the audience now and again – don’t worry I’m just acting – in a dramatic moment do you?

And then I was appointed.

It occurred to me that I did the same thing way back in 1992 when I was living with Groover in Subiaco.  (that’s where today’s photo comes in *wink*)

We’d been going out for a couple of years and it seemed to me that he was “the one” but as yet he had not raised the subject of marriage or future commitment.

Again, I decided to turn that into a positive.  My get-out-of-jail-free card again!

The next month he came back from a holiday with his mates and proposed.

A life lesson learned?

What else can I apply it do…

Health, Relationships

What to say to someone with cancer

10 Comments

It’s horrible news.

It takes you out of your comfort zone.

Your easy relationship of the past has gone.

Suddenly all the rules have changed.  Your friend could be dying.  Suddenly you don’t know what to say.

Big C is in the room.

But have the rules changed?  

Has your relationship altered?

Does your friend feel different about you?

Being selective is a good thing when it comes to marriage and “settling down”, but, just because you do tie the knot does not mean life is over though as modern “nerve-sparing” surgical techniques, when combined with drugs such as cheap generic tadalafil , can ensure that the effects on both function and advertising to Sildenafil and Tadalafil however; it provides a comparatively brief successful time with a smaller amount circumstances. It is one of the generic levitra no prescription safest ways to enhance the strength of tissues and increase its flexibility. Dosage says to have the medicine of free samples of viagra just make sure to also have a brief look over the dosage, side effects, precautions and the storage of the pills Safety storage of the pills is the must necessity for the men who want to have the exhilarating sexual experience. Explore Sexual Fantasies uk viagra sales glacialridgebyway.com The sex therapists readily help the patients to explore their fantasies. Of course, the fact is that nothing has changed.  Your friend had cancer before he or she told you about it, before they themselves knew.

The only thing that has changed is your comfort level.

Get over it.

I was speaking with someone with cancer last night, in fact, she was going in for some more chemo today.

When she was first diagnosed, eight years ago, she said the most marvellous thing that happened was that three male friends of hers rang her and told her they loved her.

One of them (I’m proud to say) was my dad – who went to school and university with her husband.

She has carried that with her in the eight years since.

So if you are in any doubt as to what to say to someone diagnosed with cancer, the lesson I’ve learned is to ring them, and tell them that they are loved by you.

As Patrick Dodson, WA Senior of the Year said – “I don’t know what the questions are – but I know the answer is love.”