Have A Great Weekend Everyone ...

Another week has ended

It was a good one, too.

I enjoyed myself immensely ...

I hope it was a good one for you !

Friday night is a-looming,

We are off to German School,

Then home for dinner and TV ...

But that is not a set rule !!

The weather has been lovely,

Although the rain is now looming.

It probably will be stormy soon ...

If the cat gets wet it will need grooming !!!

I have a busy weekend ahead

With lots of things to do.

I won't have too much free time ....

Will yours be busy too ?

Have a great weekend, all my blogging friends.

Take care,

MEOW

A Joke For You ...

I found this in the Melbourne Herald Sun today, and just had to share it ...

A little boy goes to his father and asks: "Daddy, how was I born ?"
The father answers: "Well, son, your mum and I first got together in a chat room on Yahoo.
"Then I set up a date via email with your mum and we met at a cyber cafe.
"We sneaked into a private room, where your mother agreed to a download from my hard drive.
"As soon as I was ready to upload, we discovered that neither one of us had set up a firewall, and it was too late to hit the escape key.
"Nine months later, a blessed little pop-up appeared: 'You've got male,' it said."

Now, isn't that just too cute !!!

Hope your day is going well.

Take care,

MEOW

Another Really Bad Poem ....

I love the world of blogging,

It really is such fun.

Sometimes I prefer it

To sitting in the sun !

I've got to meet new people

From all around the world.

I'm learning about other countries

From lots of guys and girls !

Everyone has very different ideas

About all the different things

That are written about in blogland ...

It's always very interesting !

( I apologise for the rhyming,

Or perhaps the lack of it !

I never claimed to be very good

At writing like a poet !! )

Making my blogsite attractive,

Fiddling with the HTML code,

Is something I'm enjoying

On my computer in my little abode !

So thank you, to all my new blogging friends,

For being a part of my world.

You've opened up the grey-blue eyes

Of a happy Aussie girl !

I hope everyone is having a wonderful Wednesday

(if you are even at Wednesday yet !!).

May all your hopes, dreams and desires come true.

Take care,

MEOW

What's New Pussycat ....

In case anyone would like to sing along with my background song, here are the words ...

What's new pussycat?

Woah, Woah

What's new pussycat?

Woah, Woah

Pussycat, Pussycat

I've got flowers

And lots of hours

To spend with you.

So go and powder your cute little pussycat nose!

Pussycat, Pussycat

I love you

Yes, I do!

You and your pussycat nose!

What's new pussycat?

Woah, Woah

What's new pussycat?

Woah, Woah

Pussycat, Pussycat

You're so thrilling

And I'm so willing

To care for you.

So go and make up your cute little pussycat eyes!

Pussycat, Pussycat

I love you

Yes, I do!

You and your pussycat eyes!

What's new pussycat?

Woah, Woah

What's new pussycat?

Woah, Woah

Pussycat, Pussycat

You're delicious

And if my wishes

Can all come true

I'll soon be kissing your sweet little pussycat lips!

Pussycat, Pussycat

I love you

Yes, I do!

You and your pussycat lips!

You and your pussycat eyes!

You and your pussycat nose!

Have a great day / night / week.

Take care,

MEOW

Ooooh, I'm happy now !!! I have found another way to put music to my blog-site, using Ripway. It let me upload the song I wanted ... Tom Jones - What's New Pussycat ... and even put a control panel on, so that you can turn it off if you want to !! I have placed this on my sidebar, just under my Meow Cat, just above my Profile ... near the top, easy to find. I don't think it puts any ads or pop-ups on my blog when you open it ... once again, please let me know if it does. Thanks. Hope the music doesn't drive you too nuts !!! I like it ... it's fun !!!
Have a great day.
Take care,
MEOW

Thank you, dear Blogger friends, for helping me make my decision (see previous post). It appears that some of you were getting pop-ups, some were not even getting the music (shame, it was cute !!), and other were OK. I don't want to continue annoying anyone with the pop-ups, so I have deleted the music. If anyone has any suggestions as to another method I can use, that doesn't create pop-ups, to put music on my blog, please let me know.
Thanks again.
Take care,
MEOW

Hmmmmm, I wonder if this is happening to everyone who visits me now ...

Are you getting pop-ups when you visit my blog ???

Please let me know, as I think it may be connected to the music, so if it is happening to lots of you, I will turn off the music.

Thanks, your assistance in this matter would be appreciated (don't I sound formal !!).

Take care,

MEOW

Know that although in the eternal scheme of things you are small, you are also unique and irreplaceable, as are all your fellow humans everywhere in the world.

- Margaret Laurence -

I would just like to say thank you to all of you, my blogger friends, for your kind words and advice regarding my anger toward my neighbour's cat in Sunday's post. I am now armed with a squirter bottle, and a Super Soaker water pistol ... I'll get that darned cat, if it's the last thing I do !!

I must apologise for having turned on my Word Verification again ... I know it is a pain, I hate it too ... but some moron keeps spamming me (it seems to be always the same person), a number of times each day. I am so over having to delete his/her posts ... so for the time being, we are stuck with the Word Verification. Oh well, things could be worse, I s'pose !!

The Commonwealth Games finished last night, with a spectacular closing ceremony. I don't know, however, if anyone other than Aussies (Melbournians, in particular) would have "got" a lot of what was going on and was displayed ... it was so Melbourne !! The Indian part of the presentation was amazing, and the next Games in Delhi in 2010 should be extra special. The Aussie team came up trumps in the medal department (to be expected, I guess, as they had the most athletes !!). It was a great 11 days, with heaps of wonderful sporting achievements. I think each and every athlete in every country that participated deserves a medal for all their hard work and effort.

I hope everyone has a wonderful week. Catch up again soon.

Take care,

MEOW

I'm Really Angry ...

Now, I'm not normally one to let off steam via my blog, but today I am ... so, here goes ....

As you all probably know, I have a cat called Bambi. We got Bambi as an 8 month old last September, and kept her inside for about a month and a half, in order to properly familiarise her with us and our home. I was hoping that she would remain an indoor cat, but having been a stray, she had already experienced "the big wide world". When we first let her out, it was very tentatively ... on her part and ours. It would only be for a few hours at a time, and we would constantly go out looking for her. Of course, she would be inside from dusk until dawn.

These days, she is still inside all night ... from dusk until dawn ... and is still really timid first thing in the morning when she wants to go out ... she won't even consider going out unless it is totally daylight. She sticks her little nose out the door, sniffs the air ... and if anything doesn't meet her satisfaction, she puts herself in reverse and comes right back again, only to try again an hour or two later. Well, this works fine for me ... she feels safe inside. She seems to prefer going out into the backyard, rather than the front yard.

Anyway, on to the reason I am so angry .... The neighbours over the road have a white cat called Max, who they have had for a number of years. He was a real nuisance with our old cat, Ratbag (who was a male cat, and very, very tough ... nothing four-legged could come on our property without being beaten to a pulp !!). I lost count on the dollars we spent on vet bills, when Ratbag came home with another cat-fight abcess. We lost Ratbag about a year before getting Bambi (he had lymphatic cancer ... he was 16 years old). During this time, perhaps Max took too many liberties, and felt safe visting our property ... there was no cat to beat him up !! We tried to shoo him away constantly.

On with the story ... This morning, Bambi did her sniff the air thing, decided it was safe, and went out the front door to do her thing. Being Sunday morning, I went back to sleep and dozed off. About 20 minutes later, I awoke to an awesome yelling and growling and screeching from a cat-fight. I jumped out of bed, ran out the front door calling Bambi, and chasing Max away (all this in a t-shirt nighty !!). Bambi came running inside ... poor little thing, she had peed herself, and reeked !! She appeared uninjured ... hope she gave Max a beauty, though !! She sat herself down to wash herself ... eeewww !! Poor little cat was terrified of everything for a good long while afterward. She is OK now, no injuries, and is outside playing again.

This rotten cat, Max, is constantly on our property ... I am always shooing him away. The owners don't give two-hoots about him ... all they do is feed him. He is never allowed inside (it is a rule here in Melbourne these days, that cats are to be locked inside at night), and is always looking dirty and scruffy. He seems to be stalking my poor Bambi ... not fair, really , that she can't feel safe in her own garden.

I got a female cat, this time, thinking that it would ensure no cat-fights, and no urine spraying. Who could figure that a male older cat would want to pick a fight with a young female ... don't cats live by the rules we humans do ... men don't (or at least shouldn't) hit females ??

My beef, really, apart from the fact that this Max is stalking my gorgeous Bambi (isn't she a cutie !?!) is why they even have a cat, when they don't pay it any attention. Pets are meant to be given love ... that's why they give us love, cause they know we care about them. I feel really sorry for Max, as he so obviously needs some loving care ... but it's not up to me to give it to him ... I have Bambi, she is my priority. I need to keep her safe and well. I can't do that properly with Max around all the time. I feel like locking her in the house, to keep her safe from him, but that would be cruel ... she loves being outside, and why should she be punished.

Some people out there shouldn't have pets ... it's as simple as that.

There you go, I've said my piece. Let's change the subject ....

Hope your weekend is going well. Mine is plodding along ... I have been fiddling with my blog template (changing text color on the side bar, mucking around with the header, trying to put a picture background in the header ... no success yet, but will keep trying !), doing some scrapbooking, washing, reading (I finished a great Jonathon Kellerman book this morning), and generally having a relaxing time.

Take care, everyone ...

MEOW

PS... I have added some music to my blog ... "The Dance of the Sugerplum Fairies" ... I thought it was cute. I really wanted "What's New Pussycat" by Tom Jones, but couldn't get it to upload. Please let me know if this one is reaaaallly annoying !!

Well, it's Friday night in Australia ...

That means the weekend's here.

Time to let our hair down

Let's all give a little cheer !!

Our Autumn weather's so Summery,

It's being very kind ...

The trees aren't changing colour yet,

They can't make up their minds.

I hope your week's been a good one,

With lots of laughter and fun.

If it's Spring now where you're living,

I hope you're seeing some sun !!

Have a great weekend in your part of the world.

Bye for now,

MEOW

Obstacles don't have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don't turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.

-- Michael Jordan --

I have added a couple of links on my side bar, just below my profile and just above the licking kitty, which will take you to 3 more blogs about me .... one is "My Favorite Pictures" (you may have already been there, as I have had this one for awhile ... it is, however, a work in progress), another is "100 Things About Me", and the other one is "Craft and Stuff" - which shows photos of a lot of the various craft projects I have completed over the years. Don't know how many of you would be interested in any of these blogs, but if you are ... there they are. If you do have a look, please let me know what you think.

I hope everyone is having a wonderful day.

Take care,

MEOW

My One Hundredth Post ...

Wow, this appears to be my 100th post ... at least that's what Blogger Dashboard tells me !! I think that's pretty exciting, don't you ?!?!

Today is Wednesday 22nd March, 2006, in sunny Melbourne, Australia. We are expecting around 28ºC today, with the next few days forecast to be in the 30s ... a lovely extended Summer in my part of the world. The weather has been glorious for the Commonwealth Games ... Go Aussies !!

I got a lovely surprise when I went to my letter box yesterday ... a package from DayByDay. It is a gorgous package, with all sorts of wonderful goodies in it. Have a look ...

DayByDay put together some great stuff ... now how did she know I loved cats !! There are some great toe-socks ... Winter is not too far away, they will certainly come in handy !! Some gorgeous earrings that she made ... check out her jewellery site, she makes some amazing stuff. Some beautiful postcards ... now I know what it looks like where DayByDay lives. Some yummy Michigan cherry-almond Milk Chocolate Wafer chockies, some Scooby stickers, a gorgeous "Meow" magnet, a bookmark, a hat pin, a sticky note pad and a daily planner (don't think I forgot anything !!). She also made an amazing card, with quilling ... such a clever artistic person, she is. Thank you, thank you, thank you, DayByDay. I absolutely love what you sent me. Your package is on it's way, in the next couple of days. I doubt Australia Post will be as quick as yours was, though !!

I decided to cook myself one of my all-time favorite meals today. I guess it is sort of comfort food, but it is really yummy. We call it Chow Mein, but it may not be anything like what you call Chow Mein. Here is how I made it ...

CHOW MEIN

1 pound mince beef

1/4 white cabbage - chopped

1 onion - chopped

1 dessert spoon curry powder (I add more .. yum !!)

3 teaspons sugar

2 cups water

2 soup spoons rice

1 packet chicken noodle soup

Seasoning to taste

Brown the mince and onions in a large-ish pot.

Put everything else into the pot, stir, bring to the boil, turn down to low, and cook for around 40 minutes (or until everything has collapsed and it is a nice mushy consistency, and the cabbage is no longer crunchy !!). Make sure you stir regularly, as it can stick quite nicely to the bottom of the pot (unless you have one of those fancy non-stick ones !!)

Anyway, it sounds kinda yucky, but is sooooooo yummy. Try it, I bet you love it !!

I'd better finish up now, as it is 10.30am, I haven't had breakfast yet (I have showered, however!!), and I need to do some housework. Hope everyone has a wonderful Wednesday.

Take care,

MEOW

Those Noisy Cockatoos ...

As a follow up from my previous post about my weekend away, here is the video of the noisy White Cockatoos (or maybe they were Correllas, not sure !) I was telling you about. The video was done on my still digi-camera, so the quality is not brilliant, but I think you will get the idea ... the reason I wanted to share was so you could hear what we had to hear ... ALL DAY !!

The birds were really cute, though ... they were showing off to the camera (at least I reckon they were !!). I had to show it really small, as when it was bigger, it lost even more quality.




Anyway, this might drive you bonkers ... it goes for about a minute !! As I said, we had to put up with this noise all day !!! So much for a peaceful weekend !!

Enjoy !!!

MEOW

What A Wonderful Weekend ...

Hi There ... We're Baaaack !!

We had the most gorgeous weekend ... let me tell you about it ...

We left home on Thursday morning, around 7.30am, in order to meet our friends at their place at 8.00am. We had an approximately 4 hour drive ahead of us ... not too long, not too short.

The weather was disgusting when we left home ... cloudy, rainy, cold. We were really worried that we would have to put up our tents in the rain ... not the most fun thing to do !!! However, as were continued to drive north, to our ultimate destination of Cobram, on the Murray River (The Murray River, part of which borders Victoria and New South Wales, is one of the longest navigable rivers in the world, stretching 2,700 kilometres from the mountains of the Great Dividing Range in north-eastern Victoria to journey’s end near Adelaide in South Australia), the weather gradually improved, until there was nothing but blue sky and sunshine !!! What a contrast to the weather we left behind !!

We arrived at Cobram, and our campsite on the river bank around lunch time, and then proceeded to assemble our tent, and other items. This didn't take too long, and then we were ready to relax. Aaaahhh, how beautiful ... nothing but a swiftly flowing river, sunshine (hopefully) and fresh air to contend with for the next few days. After we had settled, I phoned my mother at home in Melbourne ... the weather was atrocious, it was cold, and had begun to hail. Gosh, I was glad to be on the Murray !! Here's a photo of our camping set-up ...

We don't usually take the stripy shade house with us (it generally lives up at our caravan at Bonnie Doon, and we use it when we go down to the lake), but thought we might need some extra shade, as the tent doesn't give much shade around the outside. The blue tarp on the left sheltered our camp-kitchen. Not in the photo is also our toilet tent, and portable shower (aren't we fancy ... no roughing it for us !!!). We have the most comfortable mattresses in the tent ... they are self inflating, and feel like you are home in your own bed ... no more of those uncomfortable blow up mattresses for us !!!

We had a lovely dinner of hamburgers (we picked up some fresh bread rolls on the way), and settled in for a good chat around the fire. A reasonably late night for all of us, and a good night's sleep.

On Friday we awoke to more brilliant sunshine. Whoever ordered the weather must have done something right, as we couldn't fault it all weekend !! A relaxing day of sitting, chatting, reading, taking photos, swimming (yes, I even got in the water, but sorry, Greeneyes ... there was no mud ... it was all sandy !!!), and generally doing not much !! The men took the boat out and went fishing ... no luck, though ... don't think the fish were hungry (lucky we weren't, either !!). I got myself a bit of a sun-burn ... silly me, should've put the sunscreen on earlier !!! Chicky spent her days digging in the sand ... she built a whole island / mountain system on the edge of the river ... it was amazing. There were no other kids for her to play with, but she was an absolute angel, didn't whine at all, just had a wonderful time keeping herself busy ... she is the most wonderful child. We had some fun in the water ... it was great !!! Had yummy steak, fried potatoes, and salad for dinner. Chatted around the fire until late, again !

Saturday was a repeat of Friday, only warmer !! More of the same activities. We had a bunch of visitors during the weekend ... thousands of white cockatoos, squawking their way through the day. I have a little video I did on the still camera ... if I can figure out how to upload it, you can have a look (and listen !!) at the noise we had to contend with all day. They only quietened down when it got dark !! Lovely dinner again, nothing special, but everything tastes wonderful in the fresh air !! Spend the evening star gazing ... the Milky Way was really visible, and we spotted eight satellites passing over us. Fascinating stuff ... I love looking at the stars. Can't help wondering if anyone else, on some other planet, is doing exactly the same thing ... looking down at us !!!

The view from our tent site was amazing ... the above photos are just a couple of the many I took !! There was this interesting tree, with half it's roots exposed, directly opposite us. I thought it was incredible that it remained there, and hadn't toppled over. Have a look ...

We started out on Sunday slowly, had breakfast, and began packing up all our stuff !! It was the hottest day yet ... bugger ... shame we had to pack up and go home !! Got moving around 1pm, stopped for fish and chips in Benalla on the way, and arrived home around 5.30pm. The weather at home was OK, not as warm, pretty cloudy, but at least it wasn't raining.

It is now around 10.00pm Sunday night, we are all unpacked, have done some washing, and thought I might share some photos and stuff. I am really, really tired though, so may have to go to bed shortly. It's been a loooooong day !!

Well, that's about it for my story about our weekend ... there's probably heaps I've forgotten to tell you, but I will fill you in further when I remember !! Sorry if I rambled on too much. Hope your weekend was as wonderful as mine !!

Take care,

MEOW

PS. Don't know if you are all watching, or even receiving coverage of, the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne. We have missed many of the events over the past few days, but the Aussie medal tally is amazing. What champions !!

AUSSIE, AUSSIE, AUSSIE, OY, OY, OY

A Quick Post ...

Hi There !!

This is just a quick post to say Hi, and Bye !!!

I may or may not have time this evening to blog, so I am getting in early !!!

We're just finishing our packing, ready to head off tomorrow morning, with the birdies !! Off to the Murray River for 4 wonderful days of camping ... can't wait !!

Hope everyone has a great weekend, I know I will !!

Will catch you all on Monday.

Take care,

MEOW xx

I've Been Tagged ...

I've been tagged by Kyahgirl for this one ... thanks, Kyahgirl !! It is very interesting, I had to think quite a bit about some of the answers !!

1. If you were to be re-incarnated, who or what would you want to come back as and why?
I think I'd like to come back as a cat (how predictable am I !?!?) I think cats have a wonderful life, no worries ... knowing that you will be fed twice a day, sleeping all day (wherever you like), chasing mice & birds, enjoying life. How wonderful it would be to snuggle up to your human every night, knowing they won't move, or kick you off, until you are ready to move yourself. To be pampered ... aaahhh, that would be the life.

2. What’s the nastiest thing you’ve ever done to a friend?
I don't really know that I have an answer to this one .... let me think about it and get back to you !

3. What is your FIRST memory (and don’t say ‘I can’t remember’)?
I don't know that I can remember much, if anything, before visiting Germany as a 9 year old. I have one particular memory about touching some plants, which were something like poison ivy ... boy do I remember that feeling !!!

4. What’s the most embarrassing thing you’ve ever done when pissed/blind drunk?
My husband and I were still "going steady" at this stage, and we had all been out to a friend's birthday party. The guys were encouraging me to drink rum (which I now no longer can even smell !!), and I drank it like a good little girl !! I remember we stopped at another friend's place on the way home, and another person and myself spent what felt like hours vomiting in the gutter outside the house. Eeewww, not the most elegant way to end an evening.

5. Your 3 best and worst qualities?
Best ... friendly, compassionate, loving
Worst ... interrupting people when they talk (sometimes), impatience (although not always), speaking too fast.

6. You can change one thing about your partner. What is it? And what is the thing you would NOT be happy to change about them?
Change ... I would like him to stop smoking !!
NOT Change ... I wouldn't change the fact that he loves me unconditionally.

7. Have you ever taken drugs (illegal)?
NO WAY

8. Your perfect night/day?
Day ... Spending time with my family, out on a picnic, on a warm sunny day.
Night ... Watching some brilliant TV, curled up on the couch, with a table full of munchies !!!

9. Have you ever had anything up your bum that ain’t human?
Ummmm, NO !
.
10. Three things that make you really angry?
Cruelty to animals, children, the elderly ... well, cruelty to anyone, really !!

11. The saddest thing you’ve ever seen on TV?
A few things, actually ... September 11, Princess Diana's Death, the Thredbo avalanche (here in Australia) ... these things come to mind because all our TV stations had non stop coverage of these things for days. Other things, such as the Bali Bombings, the Tsunami, and other disasters, of course, were terribly sad, too.

12. Apart from a sexual organ/region, which part of your body do you really liked being touched by a partner?
My hair

13. You’re fave jelly flavour?
Strawberry

14. Tell everyone something you’ve been too ashamed to tell anyone before. Your answer to this will guarantee your entry into Heaven.
When I first had Chicky ... well, actually after a few months ... I was suffering from Post Natal Depression. I felt inadequate as a mother, and didn't feel confident in what I was doing. I felt I had done the wrong thing to have a child, that I wasn't cut out to be a mother. Fortunately, I went and saw a doctor, who diagnosed me, but let me choose whether to take medication or not. I chose not to, and almost immediatly began sliding out of this depression.

15. Something you don’t tell you’re partner, or do enough and know that you should.
I don't always tell my husband when I buy something new for myself (like clothes or a book, or something like that). However, pretty much everything else I tell him.

That was fun .... I'm going to tag Connie, Michelle, Greeneyes, Susie and Ange for this one. Don't feel like you have to do this, but if you want to, it would be fun !!

Take care,

MEOW

Another Wonderful Weekend Away ...

Hello There !!

It is Monday evening, and I am home, unpacked and back on the computer, after a wonderful 3 days away. The weather was amazing, for the most part, although today started out very wet (finally !).

Yesterday was about 38ºC (very, very warm), and I spent much of the day hibernating with the airconditioning, watching old Elvis movies. It was lovely. If I had've been at home, I would have felt obligated to do some housework, or something else yukky, so it was good to not be at home !!

Saturday was pretty warm, too. We spent the morning at the pool, and the afternoon down by the lake. The water level has been dropping dramatically lately, so the lake edge is very muddy. Personally, I really dislike the squidgy feeling of walking through this mud, but the kids so do love it. Chicky and her friends had some amazing mud-fights, and smothered themselves in the stuff. They looked horrendous, and their bathers were disgustingly dirty ... but it all washes off, and is all good fun. Besides, mud baths are meant to be good for you, aren't they !?!?! The day started off with an amazing sunrise (I wanted to sleep in, but old habits die hard ... I usually wake up around 6.30 in the mornings, and it takes awhile to break that habit !)

We didn't do anything particularly exciting over the weekend, other than relax, so I guess I don't really have much else to say. I have a busy couple of days ahead, getting sorted and packed for our camping trip ... we are leaving Thursday morning early, coming back Sunday or Monday. Should be heaps of fun. We will be going back to nature ... no amenities, byo toilet, shower, etc. Good fun !!

I might leave you all there, for now, but will hopefully post again before we head off again.

Hope everyone has a great week.

Take care,

MEOW

A Quick Update ...

Hi All !!

Just a quick update from me ... I don't know whether I will get a chance to post again until next week, as we are heading off tomorrow (Friday) night to our caravan at Bonnie Doon.

Had another busy day today ... took Chicky to school (as usual), then headed off to the local Shopping Centre - Knox City. Got myself some scrapbooking stuff, a couple of bits of clothes for Chicky in a clearance sale, and then did the groceries ... what fun !!! When I got home, I chatted to one of my neighbours for awhile, out in the street, then unpacked my groceries. Spent a brief moment checking emails, had some lunch, then headed to the retirement village again to do some more typing for my elderly friend. Straight to school to pick up Chicky, then home for 1/2 an hour for her to change, recharge, and then off back to school for her school sports evening. She was wonderful. They had a sort of Commonwealth Games Opening Ceremony ... she was in a fabulous dance routine, where she was the centre-piece at one stage with an amazing acrobatic walk-over thing ... check out the photo (she stood herself up again, from that position ... bet you can't do that !!) ....

The athletic events were great, she did well, bringing home 7 or 8 ribbons (they all got ribbons, whether they placed or not, which is wonderful ... no kid missed out). The events finished around 8pm ... there was a BBQ and drinks available, so we had dinner there (yay, I didn't have to cook!!).

Now I am home. I quickly hung up two loads of washing, and now sit at the computer catching up on emails and blogging. Think I might make it an early night, as I have another big day tomorrow.

I hope everyone has a great weekend. I will try to read a few blogs whilst I am away, but the weather is looking to be really hot, so we may just be sitting at the pool, or down by the lake (or in it !!), so I may not want to even go near the computer !! If not, I apologise, but I will catch you all next week, before we head off for 4 days of camping !!!

So, take care everyone,

MEOW

What Have I Been Doing Lately ?

Well, I haven't really posted much since Friday, other than a couple of small pieces, so I guess I should fill you all in on what I have been up to !!

On Saturday I basically did a lot of sitting in front of my computer. I needed to get myself up to date with my Web Design course, as well as catching up on some other things. Hubby was sleeping, after a night shift, and Chicky was out with friends at a festival. Hubby and I watched The African Queen on DVD in the evening.

On Sunday we were basically out for the day. Firstly, we went to Yarra Glen (about 35 minutes from home), to a 4WD Swap Meet. This is basically a trash & treasure market, with only car parts !!! Not much fun for Chicky and myself, but hubby found it interesting !! Next, we dropped by some friends who live not far from there. Spent a delightful few hours, chatting and then chatting some more. On the way home, we detoured via some other friends, who we will be going camping with next week. We visited with them for a couple more hours. We finally made it home around 7pm, after having left home at around 9am. It was a great day, the weather was wonderful, we had some good company.

Monday, I attended school assembly (like a dutiful mother !!), did some shopping, helped out an elderly lady in a retirement village with some typing (a weekly occurrance), took Chicky to netball training after school, then to her dance class. Came home, cooked dinner, played some more on the computer (whilst watching the Academy Awards).

Tuesday, I went to my parent's place, to help Mum with her new DVD burner ... unfortunately, her computer wouldn't recognise it, and I tried everything, but couldn't get it to go. She was going to get another computer-nerd friend to have a look at it & see if he has better luck. I made a huge pot of potato & onion soup for dinner (it was a coolish type day, and I love soup !!) In the evening, I went to my weekly painting class, where I completed another cat drink coaster ... here it is ...

I think it is the best one yet ... the eyes turned out great. The next three will be: a tabby (using my Bambi kitty as a model !), a black/white cat, and a white Chinchilla type cat. It has been great fun, so far, painting them, as my usual painting is done with patterns and instructions ... these I am doing all by myself (using a basic head shape outline !!).

Anyway, today I have done some scrapbooking, DVD burning, a small amount of blogging ... not much though, went and had my tax return done, had a friend drop over for awhile, caught up with a TV program I recorded last night, and did the school run (morning & afternoon ... which I do every week day !).

There you go, that's my week so far !!! I apologise for having rambled on (and on) about my daily activities ... it was simply something to write about. This is, after all an on-line journal, is it not ?!?!

What did you do today ???

Have a great week, take care,

MEOW

PS ... I have added a link, on my side bar, underneath my profile, titled "Pictures I Love", which is a bunch of photos that I love, with commentary, which I thought I might share with my friends ... you all !! It is a work in progress, with more photos being added here and there. Please have a look, if you like.

Memory... is the diary that we all carry about with us.

-- Oscar Wilde --

Take my Quiz on QuizYourFriends.com!

I found this on Chloe, DaybyDay and Devil Mood's blogs ... probably other's too !! Have a go at it, if you like ... I made it myself !!

Make sure you name yourself as you do on your blog, so I know who it is.

Have fun !!

MEOW

It's Friday Night Again ....

It is Friday night in my part of the world .... jealous ??? .... my weekend has started !!! Sorry, I shouldn't tease, that's just mean !!! But I'm excited ... the working / schooling week is over, it is time to relax and have some fun.

It has been a nice, busy week for me. Haven't managed to spend a great deal of time at home during the day. I am a couple of lessons behind in my Web Design course ... it is only week 3 of a 6 week course ... guess what I'm doing tomorrow ?!?!? I have managed to catch up with a number of friends. Had my parents over for dinner on Wednesday night, went out to dinner with them Thursday night. Did some typing for an elderly lady at a local retirement village. Shopped, cleaned, cooked, washed, you know the drill !!

Went shopping with my hubby this morning, to get some new stuff for camping. Rays Tent City had a 24½ percent off sale ... thought this was a good opportunity to get a few things we wanted. We bought a portable on-demand hot water service doo-dah which operates on propane gas, so that when we go camping, it doesn't have to be in a camp ground, and we don't have to go through numerous wet-wipes to wash, or jump in a rather chilly river to have a bath ... we can have a good old-fashioned shower, just like at home. Luxury, eh ?? Also bought a new lantern, as we managed to smash the glass on our other one (again !!) ... this new one has an automatic starter, so that you don't need to light it with a match or lighter, and risk losing eyelashes and eyebrows !! We also got a new aluminium non-stick hot plate to go on our two-burner camping stove. Somehow we destroyed the non-stick capabilities of the old one, and got sick of trying to scrape our food off it !!! Can't wait to go camping to try out all this stuff.

There is only on week left of Term One for the kids in Victoria. They have made this term a short one, in order that the holidays fall the same time as the up-coming Commonwealth Games, which are being held in Melbourne.. Next weekend is actually a long-weekend, with Monday 13th March being our Labour Day holiday. We will be going to our caravan at Bonnie Doon for that weekend, and then on the 16th we are heading up to the Murray River (which borders Victoria and New South Wales) for a few days camping. Can't wait. Gonna have a ball !! Hope the warm weather continues until then ... I'd hate for it to rain for the whole 4 days of camping !!!

I guess that's all for me for now, I have probably got you all yawning out of boredom from my rambling post !!!

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend, full of fun, relaxation, love, happiness and adventure (choose whichever applies !!!).

Take care, stay safe,

MEOW

Thank You From My Mum ...

After posting my happy birthday to mum post yesterday, and reading all the beautiful comments from everyone, I sent mum to look at my blog (which she regularly does, anyway), to have a good read of my post and your comments. When we went out to dinner last night ... Chicky, Hubby, Mum, Dad & Me ... Mum arrived quite annoyed at me. "Why did you make me read that, it made me cry !". She read it all just before leaving to meet us for dinner, and it made her quite emotional (that's not hard, really!!) ... but she loved it. She wanted me to say a big "thank you" to everyone for your wonderful comments ... you are all a great bunch of people. She also wanted me to share with you all a recent photo of her and dad (one of very few where she actually admits to liking herself in !!), so you can see what they look like now.

This photo was taken last New Years Eve, and it certainly looks like they were having a ball !! Don't they look just as gorgeous as they did on their wedding day ??? I think they do.

We had a gret evening at one of the local hotels. They have a smorgasbord type dinner available, at a very reasonable price. Don't know about you, but when I go to those "all you can eat" type places, I end up eating more than I should, and finish the night feeling really uncomfortable. Luckily I wore a loose skirt !!! I think the desserts are the best part of these places ... I just love the soft-serve icecream, with all the yummy toppings and sprinkles !!! (Yes, I am still a big kid !!!) We ended up having to leave around 9pm, as my hubby is on night shift, and had to start work at 10pm. Was great fun, though. We chatted about when mum and dad met in Germany, and stuff like that. Really nice.

Anyway, this post was basically to say Thank You from my mum, for all your comments and best wishes, and also for me to say the same thing. You are all wonderful, thank you.

Take care,

MEOW

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MUM ...

Today is my mum's birthday ... she is only 58 years old.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU
HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR MUM
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU

I think she is about 9 or 10 in the above photo.

My mum is the most wonderful person. Her and dad are still very young ... they go dancing every 2nd Saturday (and not old people dancing ... they get in there and do some pretty awesome rock and roll !!).

Mum and her family migrated to Australia from Germany in 1958 ... she was 10. Dad and his family followed the next year. They have known each other since she was 8 ... isn't that gorgeous !!

Here is a photo of mum and dad on their wedding day ...

I dearly love my parents, and am very lucky to have them. I don't know what I would ever do without them. They mean the world to me. We are on the phone to each other, every other day. We email each other regularly. We have dinner together every Wednesday night. And catch up as often as possible. We are very close. They love being grandparents.

So, to my mum on her very special day ...

Happy Birthday Mum

I love you heaps.

Have a great day, everyone.

Take care,

MEOW

A PINCH AND A PUNCH FOR THE FIRST OF THE MONTH ....

Where I live, this is a common custom, particularly with the kids, where on the first day of the month they try and sneak up to you and call out these words, whilst actually doing the actions (hopefully not too hard !!) ... adding afterwards "No Returns", so that you cannot do it back !!! Those who are fast thinkers often respond ... A FLICK AND A KICK FOR BEING SO QUICK !!!

Do you do this where you live ???