One day down - 12 to go!

I am over this hoing business!!!!
Set up last night took hours of back breaking lifting and carrying - there were eight of us there and it still took from 5pm to 9.30pm to get organised.
But thats over now and it's down to sell, sell, selling!
Traffic in Sydney is crazy - thank goodness we dont have too far to go and Miranda Fair is huge with three levels of shops that go on forever....too many to fit into one building, so you can cross the road and go into the other half of the complex if you so desire!
How many shops does one need?

We are stuck up one end, but the food court isnt far and we have crispy cream donuts close by too!
Looks like I'll be gaining weight while I'm here!

My friend Patty and I are staying with her daughter, and they have been gracious hosts.
They made tea tonight and it's my turn tomorrow - I am making nachos!
It's really cold and I am having trouble sleeping, not to mention the fact that the man's hot bod is not next to me keeping me warm.

Can I come home now?
Please?

Hi Ho, Hi Ho it's off to work I go!

Stone the f*****g crows, I am going "hoing" again.

But this time it's all the way to Sydney!

I have been offered to help a friend do another booksale at Miranda for two weeks starting on Monday.

The money should be worthwhile, considering the people in Sydney tend to have more money to pay a poor ole' country ho like me!I will look suitably poor and do a lot of begging!

I do not relish this...I have never been away from family for more than two nights and now I will have to go for 14 days. I am travelling with a friend and once I get there, its work all day every day.

I miss the man and baby girl already.

But, I must pay for the stinking, shitty very expensive retaining wall that will keep our house from sliding down into our neighbur's yard somehow, and these two weeks will pay for a few more concrete blocks.

But it means that I will miss out on my YAAD classes, Diane's Aromatherapy night, Michelle Smudgetick night, the next Market day and Michelle and Larry's Exhibition Opening night.

POO BUM!!!!!!

I will get to see the exhibition during the week when I get back...I am sure, and Lisa assures me that Cottage life will go on regardless of the fact that one wiggle elf will be missing in action somewhere 'hoing' her butt off in down town Sydney.

Hopefully, I can get internet connection somewhere there and I can keep you all informed on my antics!
Otherwise I will feel as though my arms have been cut off.

This work stuff sucks.....
See you on the dark side of the moon!

Next time your children whinge about putting out the garbage!

Have you ever seen the show "Worst jobs in History"?
Last week they were talking about jobs in the Industrial era in England and showed us how little children were used to clean the floors in the cotton mills for 12 hours a day, on their hands and knees, half naked, because of the heat and rushing in and out of the machines to avoid being crushed.
At the end of the day they would get a bowl of slop with a piece of bread, if they were lucky.
They were also used down the mines, to either push the carts full of coal up the small openings, again on their hands and knees in total darkness for around 12 hours A DAY!!!!!
Oh yes, they could have candles, but they had to buy them and this would cut into their meagre wages. Also, you could hardly hold a candle while pushing a cart full of coal and avoid continually falling over.
To avoid getting their clothes dirty and ripped, they mostly worked almost naked.
Now these kids were as young as seven ( could you imagine your seven year old doing this? ) and there is even a case where a three year old was sent to work down the mine.
These kids worked so hard that many died because of continually inhaling all the dust and the injuries they sustained. They were eventually replaced by pit ponies which did the same job.
There were also little kids that were left in charge of door ways that would have to be opened and closed as the carts came past.
So these kids sat in the dark, with the dust, the silence and the RATS, waiting for the signal to open the door and close it when the carts went past - for 12 HOURS A DAY!
My God.....
So next time your child complains about some simple task that you have just asked them to do for the tenth time.....you and I both know...they really have no idea just how lucky they are!

Don't you love T.V.?

Another rivetting t.v. program appeared last night, and as you all know, I kind of like the bizarre...
This one is called..."embarrassing illnesses" and we had the joy of seeing one man's haemorroids, another's athelete's foot and the sheer delight of watching a whole English football team stripping down and playing with their testicles while they are being taught to look for testicular cancer...
Riveting T.v. indeed!
This was followed by "life of Grime" where we were taken to England and shown a decomposing body of a man who had died in his bed and was not found till two days later and a rat infested council flat piled high with unimaginable shit.
Makes you remember just how lucky you are...eh!

Yep...this is for real!

The Blobfish inhabits the deep waters off the coasts of Australia and Tasmania. Due to the inaccessibility of its habitat, it’s rarely seen by humans.

Blobfish are found at depths where the pressure is several dozens of times higher than at sea level. To remain buoyant, the flesh of the Blobfish is primarily a gelatinous mass with a density slightly less than water; which allows the fish to float above the sea floor without expending energy on swimming. The relative lack of muscle is not a disadvantage as it primarily swallows edible matter that floats by in front it.

August Winds

Just read Fairy Mary's about the winds and how alive she feels and I must say that I really feel the opposite - the wind always irritates me. I am unsettled by the hot winds of August.
Have a good weekend all!

Ouch!

My back is killing me at the moment - ouch.
This has been going on for two weeks now and I am over it.
Time to hit some anti inflamatories I think.

Everyone has the flu - at YAAD last night all I saw was a group of very sick ladies with snotty and red noses. Half of my daughter's class at school has been off with it.
It's pretty ugly at the moment so stock up on the vitamin C's and Evening Primrose everyone, and don't listen to those sceptics that say that that stuff doesn't work.

Bruised Testicles!

And so I hear you ask...what sort of title for a blog is that?

But this is where our world rotates at the moment.
"Man of many scars" spent the night up and down with ice packs on his nether regions to alleviate the pain,hence the blog title, but all in all it's not too bad, so he says.
There are some strange bruises starting to form in funny places....some interesting colours Anchell - you might want to come over and get some inspiration?
I can see a soul collage idea possible as well ( he he! )
I am sure, if I look hard enough, I will be able to create something.

Today is a quiet day for the family - the child has been asked to go and see the Simpsons movie with her friends, but wont be, due to a very shitty little attitude that was demonstrated last night and the fact that she is still barking like an old man with chronic smoker's cough.
I think the most exciting thing that we will do today is watch some dvd's.
Could be worse!

Another day..another grey hair!

Bright and perky...up at 6am.
Got to Belmont Hospital at 7am.
Lord and Master of my Universe got his "puncture" repaired at 8am and got through it with flying colours.
By the time I got back to see him at 2pm ( after pleading with the nurse as "visiting hours ARE STRICKTLY between 3pm and 8pm!!!!) he was already sweet talking the nurses!
Stop.....one big sigh of relief breathed in and released!!!

"Don't do this again", I say in my head as I take his hand and sit looking into his eyes wondering ( yet again )what I would ever do if I lost him.

I stayed and we talked for a few hours and then I went back home to sick baby child.
I went back at about 6.30pm and the man had already chatted with all the other patients in his room, had tea and managed to still look gorgeous even in his blue hospital gown!

So far, all is good - he is suffering little pain at the moment and is on track for going home tomorrow.

He has souveniered himself another nice little scar to go with the other five that he currently has on his tummy....I'll be able to play join the dots!

Belmont Hospital is as far removed from the John Hunter as two hospitals can be - every time I drove into the car park..there was no problem in finding a spot. I did not pay for parking.It took me two minutes to walk to the entry.The Hospital was quiet, the nurses are lovely...we can't complain!
Lucky again!

24 hours to go!

Tomorrow is D - Day!
Hubby has worked hard all week to lift, pull, push and drag everything that he could think of before the operation as he wont be able to do any of that for some time afterwards.
Baby girl woke up this morning bleary eyed and hot - definately viral.
So she is at home, in bed and as far away from the man as possible - the last thing he needs is getting sick right now!
Last night I attended a ritual at the Cottage which turned out to be such a special night.
Not too many turned up but those girls that did experienced a great evening.We talked, shared experiences and knowledge. We experienced the essence of Brigit and her energy and watched the full moon peak in through the trees outside the window.
It was a serene space.
P.S.Deb looked fantastic with her new hair cut.
You have just got to check her out - Wow! What a super cool chick!You certainly have style!

Warning! Warning! Emotionally challenged Woman Approaching!

No, it's not that time of the month - it's operation week!
The man heads off to hospital on Friday to have a hernia operaton.
That means lots of loose ends to tie up this week before he is incapacitated for about a 6 weeks during his recovery. We have heard many scary stories of what to await after the op from not being able to move even an inch due to excruciating pain, fevers,constant 24 hour care for weeks on end to mild pain,restricted movement and no lifting, carrying, or anything for about eight to ten weeks.

For anyone who does not know what a hernia is, let me enlighten you.
A hernia is an abdominal wall defect where a tear in the muscle wall occurs and YOUR INTESTINES start to poke through!

Ewwwwwww!!!!!!!
Because the tear is in the muscle wall it needs to be repaired and the intestinal bit poked back in or all hell can break loose if left to rupture.
Its a bit like repairing a puncture in a tyre.You dont want to be on that bike when the tyre blows!!!

Sounds straighforward - but apparently its quite a delicate and painful proceedure and because of where it is that means no lifting, bending, turning etc until the internal stitches have healed or they may split.

Yet another challenge for the man to endure and one of the reasons he chose to take a year off work. We have been waiting since the beginning of the year for this surgery to come around. It is taking place in the public hospital system.

So my time will be a precious commodity for the next few weeks and we will take it one day at a time.

Market Day

Yesterday “Rose Cottage” held it’s first Market Day.

We had many of our crafty ladies display their beautiful hand made items for sale while Leanne and myself did readings.

A day like this is only made special and successful because of the commitment of others - and I send out a big thankyou to the community members that gave of their time to come and support us with either their work or their money!

Bee had her fabulous bags for sale but also took care of kitchen duties. Diana sold her hand made creams and provided a yummy pasta bake for lunch. Kathleen showed us where her crafty talent comes from by bringing along her mum who had some stunning pieces on display. Eva brought some plants in for sale and graced us with her presence for much of the morning.Leanne did some readings and was bright and cheerful, as usual, and lit up the whole place with her energy.

We had cakes comming out of our ears, thanks to all that donated, and the cottage made some money from the purchase of coffee and cake!
I hope we introduced some people to the great energy of the Cottage and that they will be back for more.
Everyone that came, expressed the great feel of the place and our ladies certainly made them feel welcome.

Thank you all again -

What colour Aura do I have ? and Oscar the Psychic Cat!

Your Aura is Blue

Spiritual and calm, you tend to live a quiet but enriching life. You are very giving of yourself. And it's hard for you to let go of relationships. The purpose of your life: showing love to other people Famous blues include: Angelina Jolie, the Dali Lama, Oprah Careers for you to try: Psychic, Peace Corps Volunteer, Counselor

What Color Is Your Aura?

Did you hear about the two year old cat called Oscar who lives at a Nursing Home in England and can predict when the oldies at the Home are going to die?
Saw it on the news this morning - he curls up next to the oldie that is going next and that person is guaranteed to die within the next four hours.
True - this cat is so accurate that they have already done University tests and written papers up about what Oscar is doing.
When this cat chooses its next "victim", the nursing home staff get on the phone and call that person's family to come over and say goodbye.

Boy, if I saw that cat comming close to me I would be telling it to piss off!

They are calling Osar the "angel of death" in cat form.
How spooky - how incredible!!!!!
It's like Bast coming back to life!

Boobie Names(?) and officially F.A.T.

Your Boobies' Names Are...

Dixie and Daisy

Boobie Name Generator

Yes, folks sad but true - had an overall medical done over the past week and went to get the results today.
I am super fine accept.................that I am officially fat!
Yes, it's true...my BMI is 25. something and should only be 21 so I need to move lard off my arse.
But I knew that anyway, I have been steadily gaining weight over the past 6 months and dont know why?
(Maybe the lack of real exercise and meat pies and croissants has something to do with it but I fail to see see how).
So I have been put on a diet , sort of, from tomorrow ( not today, as I still have cake and assorted goodies in the fridge and pantry and, well....waste not want not!) and then I begin....
ohhhhhh...life will not be worth living.

Does any one want to start up shrinking witches again?
Cause if you do, I am there - even for a month or two??? Hmmm?????
I will need someone to hold my hand.
I cannot face the doctor in four weeks time without some progress.

My Power Colour!

Your Power Color Is Indigo
At Your Highest:You are on a fast track to success - and others believe in you.At Your Lowest:You require a lot of attention and praise.In Love:You see people as how you want them to be, not as how they are.How You're Attractive:You're dramatic flair makes others see you as mysterious and romantic.Your Eternal Question:"Does This Work Into My Future Plans?"

Which Tarot Card ARE YOU?

You are The Moon
Hope, expectation, Bright promises.
The Moon is a card of magic and mystery - when prominent you know that nothing is as it seems, particularly when it concerns relationships. All logic is thrown out the window.
The Moon is all about visions and illusions, madness, genius and poetry. This is a card that has to do with sleep, and so with both dreams and nightmares. It is a scary card in that it warns that there might be hidden enemies, tricks and falsehoods. But it should also be remembered that this is a card of great creativity, of powerful magic, primal feelings and intuition. You may be going through a time of emotional and mental trial; if you have any past mental problems, you must be vigilant in taking your medication but avoid drugs or alcohol, as abuse of either will cause them irreparable damage. This time however, can also result in great creativity, psychic powers, visions and insight. You can and should trust your intuition.

Fluffy Bunny Night 2007

Once again, Shann out did herself by hosting a fantastic night last Wednesday - and all the girls that attended made a huge effort and dressed up and really got into the spirit of the Fluffy Bunny.
The fairies were certainly running amok and the ritual slid downhill as the minutes passed....
Thanks to all of you - Shann you did a great job and the craft was fun!
Helen added to the evening by allowing us to choose a stone straight from either Avebury or Stonehenge!
How cool was that!!!!!

Baby Girl's winning entry

The Sorting Hat’s New Song.
Unsurity and danger lurks at every door
Waiting to pull you in.
The apple of society splintered at the core
And rotting at the skin.
Authorities are wavering
The ministry is slavering
To keep our world safe
From the Dark Lord’s wraith.
What would our brave founders do in our place?
Would they, for one second, let the confusion out-pace?
Gryffindor, bold and noble in his stride
Hufflepuff, working hard not to be pushed aside
Ravenclaw, thinking of ways, planning to overcome
Slytherin, slipping around till the final deed was done.
And so, as our brave founders would
We do as we always should.
We keep our chins high,
And calm our racing heart;
For with the Deathly Hallows nigh,
Hysteria might rip you apart!
Consider these warnings,
And be careful and brave,
Now let’s start the sortings,
To get into the houses we crave.
Practise your magic
And feel inner power click,
For the Dark Lord doth call
To the ruin of us all.

SHE WON!

While at Greenhills last week, I noticed that the Centre was running a competition where if you drew a picture, wrote a story or poem about the new Harry Potter book, you had the chance of winning the first copy of the book and opening the first box to be distributed in the Centre book shop this Saturday 21st July 2007.

Well I came home and told baby girl and she went...ho um....well....I dunno...
Do it...I said.
For days this went on.
Come on write something, go on, you can win....I kept saying.
I wasn't letting up.
I knew she could win.

Well, I finally got my poem.

I went and put it in.

Today she got the call.

SHE WON!!!!!

So this Saturday at 8.45am Baby girl will be interviewed for the Maitland Mercury Newspaper and will be opening the first box of Harry Potter books and will be receiving the FIRST book out of the box.

HOW COOL IS THAT!!!!!!!

Who loves her mother now???
Mmmmmmmmm?
I will post her winning entry tomorrow! (proud mother)

I'll believe it when I see it!

Another week begins and that means yet another phone call to our insurance company to ask when the farking hell will we be getting our promised cheque for the replacement of stuff that got damaged in the storms.
"But we have some good news for you today...your claim has been approved..."
But it was approved two weeks ago..
"and we will be sending you a cheque..."
but you said that you sent us a cheque last week
"for"
and the week before that
"less than what we told you that you would get last week"
WHAT?????

Every week the amount that we have been promised has dropped by about $300.
Every week we are told that our claim has been approved and a cheque will be comming out shortly.

I WANT A SUPERVISOR.....NOW!

A Ms.C ( alleged supervisor ) was then sacificed by her peers (you do it, no you do it, no YOU do it ) to listen to my tirade of ranting and abuse before she could interject with a pathetic, " and what would you like me to do for you?"

Please, I am losing my will to live here.....
Yes..another promise made.
Another cheque will be sent.
I'll believe it when I see it.

Have a nice day!

Well, this morning started really well.....It was market day and I rolled up at Adamstown markets early to try and find a spot to park as all the regulars park at probably 4am to secure a park close to their sites and I spotted one park on the main road side so I parked there. But it meant that I would have to cross the main road with all my stuff ( several trips ) so I went for a walk and found a park round the back. I got into the car and drove to the spot and drove in. As I was getting out with my stuff a lesbian and her girlfriend came up to me and abused the shit out of me for parking in their spot...
What?
"You drove straight in front of me you bitch and parked in MY spot!"
"Did I, I didn't see you "
"Well, what sort of a PSYCHIC ARE YOU?"
She had been sitting on the other side of the road and must have seen the sign on my car and decided that it was very important to RUB IT IN MY FACE"

I went all shades of red and purple as steam started to rise from under my white skivvy!
There was no point in engaging in conversation with this tart so I told her to have a nice day and stormed off, to several other choice expletives being thrown at me by the both of them.
I have nothing against lesbians, but I do have something against arrogant angry women with "the world revolves around my arse issues" at 6am in the morning.
Have a nice day indeed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Goddess bless that I never see them again.

Harry Potter Hysteria!

I had a moment of unreasonable thinking!
I was considering going to see Harry Potter at Glendale Cinema today....but..
I could not even drive INTO Glendale yesterday - the traffic jam was horrendous.
When I got into the gridlock it took me another 15 minutes to just do a loop and drive straight back out.
I CAN'T STAND CROWDS!
SO Harry, you will have to wait!
My ho-ing is comming to an end this weekend and I will have a bit of a breather...the extra money has certainly come in handy.
The Lord and Master of my Universe is slashing and thrashing out in the back yard in preparation for our $10,000 revamp of the retaining wall.
We had more bush over the back fence then in front of it - which is an unfortunate place for bush to be found, so it has had to go.
Back passage still has bamboo in it, for anyone asking!


OHHHHH! I JUST NOTICED THAT I STARTED BLOGGING EXACTLY ONE YEAR AGO TODAY - YAY!!!!
What a year it has been!Happy blogging anniversary to me!

OK.....SO WE ALL NEED TO GET CRACKING!

The plot thickens....
First it was Anchell who needed to get cracking.
Then I told her that I had some and she could come over any time.
Then Raihn admitted that she really needed to get cracking too.
I told her that she was crackless..but she pretended not to admit to it.
Now Rylah said that she has found the Cracking shop in Mayfield...
bu that we should not go there...
Has anybody been there other than Rylah?
Is the cracking not good enough?
I have PLENTY of cracking and so does Kristy..so to clear up this mess just come and ask us and we will sort you out!

One wave short of a shipwreck!

Somewhat tired today....getting up at sparrow fart does drain an elderly lady like myself!
Markets were ho - hum today (note...I am still ho-ing!)
But I did sell two suncatchers which I made weeks ago and had no takers until today!
So am very pleased.
Little Kathleen faded at the end and we had to send her packing. Diana sold some creams, Deb made a million bucks ( smirk ) and we had a visit from Kristy and the Captain and oh Crackingless one's husband and son ....( you can ALWAYS get cracking at my place! )
It was freezing until the sun poked out about 11.30 and by then it was time to go home.
Another magnificent Sunday.....
Good company...some laughs....some sales..
It could be worse!

I HATE our Insurance Company...who shall remain nameless to avoid litigation!

Our insurance company told us that we could go and purchase a fridge to replace our one which went up like a firecracker after the storms a few weeks ago.
"Go ahead, buy a replacement, as long as it's the same size as the one you currently have we will refund you totally."

No.....

Now they are saying that they will refund us for the amount that THEY say that the fridge is worth...not how much we bought it for in the shop!

We were also told that we will have to wait 2-3 months for any repairs on the house caused by the storms. So we asked whether we could get a quote from our own repairer if it was going to get done more quickly...they said SURE...as long as their quote is cheaper than the insurance company's estimates.
So we asked....well, what is YOUR quote..
to be told,
"We wont tell you"...
So how do I know if my quote is going to be cheaper than your quote?
"You don't"
So you are asking me to spend money on getting quotes in the hope that one of them may be close or cheaper than yours, before you consider someone other than the allocated repairer doing the work.
"Yes"
But that means that we may have to wait three months......
"Tough tities!"
Thank you Mr Creep shit bastard rip me off insurance company stinking call centre employee....

People! Get a grip!

Kmart had their toy sale on yesterday. It started at 12 midnight and went all night and all day...when I walked into Greenhills at 8am this morning I went and got a cup of coffee before I started work.
A woman dashed up needing a coffee quick - the staffer asked her why was she so out of breath, the woman said that she had been at Kmart all night long standing in queue to lay-by her toys and then she rushed in to Big W this morning to do exactly the same thing. Someone was minding her spot in the queue as it wound its way throughout the whole store and out the front door.....
CRAZY!!!!!!
Why do people go so crazy....?
I saw shopping trolley, after shopping trolley stacked to the top with toys being carted out of the centre all day long.
Where do people get all the money?
And do kids really need all those toys?
It's only July, I hope people will be able to pay off all those laybys before Christmas.

I walked up to my stand and uncovered an edge to place my bag on the table and put the float in the cash register - I "inadvertantly" exposed one book, yes, ONE BOOK and some crazy woman appeared from nowhere and started pawing at it.
The rest of the stand was totally covered. I was not open. I did not even look remotely open.
Yet this moron decided that one exposed book was fair game!!And she HAD to look at it.
I humpfed and spluttered at her, and gave her the evil eye, as if to say,"MOVE AWAY FROM THE TABLE BITCH"....and she did.
Humpf......

Your Gemstone is Emerald

Balanced, liberated, and peaceful. You bring luck into any situation.

What Gemstone Are You?

Do the Accountants of the world celebrate a Happy New Year today?

It is the start of the new financial year today - I am wondering if accountants have a New Years Eve Party?
Are they still in bed with a hangover right now?
Mmmmmm....

I was up at the crack of dawn again today to go ho-ing at the markets....
It was bloody cold, poor little Fairy Mary nearly froze to death.

So now I am very t i r e d....
Have done my work for this week and need to rest.

See you soon.

Zorse?

One-year-old Eclyse the zorse looks as though she has been covered in white paint.

Eclyse the zorse is striking proof of how an offspring inherits genes from both parents - which in her case was a male zebra and a female horse. The result is shown in her amazing coat which looks like a zebra's that has been partly covered in white paint.

Wow!
Now I've see everything!
See you at our Anniversary do tomorrow!

The Nobby Jobbie!

Our local radio station gave the refloating of the Pasha this official name today!
Only in Newcastle can we crack a joke about having a freaking big ship stuck on our beach!
SO is she going to be refloated or not?
What do you think?

Or does Newcastle get a new floating hotel....

Blue Moon!

Blue Moon
Comming up soon,
enough to make you swoon,
howling at the moon

seeing shadows,
feeling maddness
crazy saddness
harrasment
entrapment
chaos

wild weather,
wind blowing
frozen fingers
the chill lingers
leaves scatter across the road like scurrying creatures
looking for a warm spot to hide

Blue Moon
comming soon
every loon
will be howling the tune!

Still Ho'ing at Green Hills!

What have I started...I will now never hear the end of these ho'ing jokes...must admit,I fell right into this one!
Yes...am still ho'ing my arse off ( ha ) - but the hard ho'ing is over for now.

No more great lumps of heavy books to heave, just sorting and tidying as the day progresses.
Things are slow - I dont think people in Maitland have all that much money after seeing their houses float away a week ago.
The Shopping Centre is very quiet.

The traffic to and from Maitland is horrendous - worse in the morning, especially coming into Newcastle. The line up of cars is sooo long.

I have heard stories of people watching their washing machines and fridges float out the door and down the street - even some guy who watched his caravan disappear and end up two streets away in somebody elses back yard.

Boy, this rain really screwed some people over very badly.
I need to be greatful.

By the way, I won $10 in Powerball last week - WOW, see "Lucky" is already paying off (double ha!).What did I do with the money?
I purchased another ticket of course!

Oh my aching back!

I have lifted and "ho-ed" and heaved today, adjusting and putting the books in some semblance of order after yesterdays attempt of fitting 7 pallets worth of books onto a space that can only fit about 4 at a pinch.
We all worked god damn hard - Baby girl walked around with one book at a time going, "Where do I put this one?", the girls sweated and toiled and did ok considering it was their first attempt, the lord and master of my universe lifted
(even though he wasn't supposed to)and we had Hungry Jacks for tea cause we were passed cooking (yes, I hear Diana saying "cancer food").
That's all.
Very boring.

On the move

Helped move copious amounts of furniture today as daughter of mine moved from small bedroom in rental into big bedroom in rental, and can now relinquish bits and pieces that have been stored at grandmas to fill up her new big space.
Also picked up two unwanted bookshelves from sister in law and took them to the Cottage for use in the study room.Hope you like them Mother Mary.
Lord and Master of my Universe ( formerly known as "the man" )who should not be lifting.....did a lot of lifting, and I dare say will be sore and sorry tomorrow.
Have made many little shiny things to sell at the markets tomorrow..better sell many little shiny things,its been a lean few weeks.Looking foward to getting together with the girls at sparrow fart tomorrow.
Later, I will be setting up for another stint at Green Hills selling books.More lifting, heaving and hoing......

Romy has run away with the Gypsies!

Anyone who has navigated to this blog over the last year, will know that the person behind it was affectionately know as Romy.
But alas, being her true self, Romy found herself ever increasingly restless, and being a true Gypsy,packed her bag last night and took off joining a wandering gypsy caravan.
Good luck to her....she was getting bored and tired and longed for an adventure to move her soul. Maybe we will hear from her again in the future?
You just never know where she might turn up.
But she bequeathed this blog space to me...Lucky!

She told me to go for it and write to my hearts content.
So here I am - I hope that you embrase me with the same amount of love and affection that Romy got - she said that she will miss you guys!
Why did I choose the name of Lucky?
Because the labels we place upon ourselves are very powerful things - they can make or break us...labels such as fat, stupid, idiot, careless, unhappy, sick, are just some of the negative tags we can give ourselves.
I have chosen a more uplifting one - hopefully it will rub off.
I HAVE been lucky enough though - especially over the past year having stood back and watched my man be diagnosed with prostate cancer and go through the whole process and emerge on the other side cancer free.
Pretty damn lucky, if you ask me.
So I welcome you all, maybe I can share my good luck with you in the future!

Colour Code Test

renata took the free ColorQuiz.com personality test! "Preoccupied with things of an intensely exciting n..." Click here to read the rest of the results.

A new blogger!

It's only new ..... but it belongs to hippyMary ( aka Diana )
go to - http://hippywitchz.blogspot.com/

Onya Diana!

We always welcome new Marys.
Well, the mother of all storms did not eventuate. I actually see the sun trying o creep out at this moment.
That is a good sign - we need a dry brake.
Dragon Lady is in Syndey as I type and probably at the airport waiting to get on the plane with husband and Baby Bear.
Fancy her getting those dragons working and blowing all that wind away last night!
Pretty powerful.
But then we are -

More Rain!

A few weeks ago I had a dream that showed Newcastle being engulfed by water because of a tsunami.I had to escape to Mt.Sugarloaf, as it was the highest point in the area....we have come pretty close lately with all this rain.
This rain is just not going away and there has been a warning of more wild winds for tonight!
Everyone please stay safe and warm.

Little baby girl needs to go the the John Hunter to have an ultrasound on her dodgy kidney today. She had an operation about two years ago as her kidney was damaged from birth and this kidney was only working at a small percentage of its capacity compared to the other healthy one. It made her very sick at times and there were many visits to the emergency dept of the hospital cause we really did not know what was going on.
She has been perfect since the operation but this is the last check that she needs to do, just to make sure that all is ok and that the kidney has not deteriorated in any way.I am pretty confidentthat all is well.

We said goodbye to Helen today - she is leaving for England tomorrow and her household is quite tense with all the prep that needs to happen for such a huge trip.I will be sending her calming reiki healing, so that all runs smoothly for tomorrow. See you when you get back Dragon Lady!

It's Wet....still

And the rain goes on....
I think we have had enough for now...thank you very much God!
We could not go to the markets this morning, but I still went and organised some spots for the next few weeks.

Did very little today - went to Charlestown Square, cant stand the place but needed a new pair of uggys as mine evaporated in last weeks rain and now smell very bad.

What a night!

The Gods brought down the rain again - right in the middle of our commitment ritual.
It sent many of the initiates into a panic, having been so traumatised last week with losing possessions and animals in the terrible storms of last Friday.
Their hearts were in the ritual but their ears were outside the window listening to the rain!
It just goes to show the individual commitment of each woman and it was not lost on me....
It WAS a lot of work to set up, no doubt...I am hoping that the ladies enjoyed it..with so many, the ritual took its time to weave everyone into it - but it had to be so.....not all our rituals will go for that long - rest easy ladies!
Today I am fluey and a bit drained...but by tomorrow I will be fine - nothing a mersyndol and a small shot of vodka cant fix! ( old slavic witches trick )
You didn't know they had mersyndols back then?
See, you learn something new every day!

Buy it, cook it, eat it now!

Waste not, want not - that's the catchcry in our household at the moment.
I have been slowly eating my way through our fridge leftovers as it was just so "urky" to be throwing out so much food.
The dairy had to go....dodgy for sure.
The meat went on the bbq quick smart.
The bread and cheese held out for a few days.
The veges wilted quickly and were very sad, so some of them went in the bin and the rest were salvaged.
I have decided that I must eat cake and biscuits for the next few days until we get our fridge fixed cause they have so many preservatives in them that they can last for days before going off!
Somebody has to do it!

Paris.....just shut up! Will ya!

Oh goodness...Paris has had a sign from God!
More like a sign from her legal advisor.....

and what DID God tell you Paris?

to stop making a goose of yourself?

well take his advise will you..please?

You are burying yourself - it's not a pretty sight.

But I guess with so much money, this will only be a hiccup in your career.
I can hear the spin doctors smacking thier hands together with delight as each hour passes...

Houston....we have lift off!

Yay...I am back and have turned on everything that uses power over the past 24 hours!!!!
It's a bit scary that we are so dependent on electricity. It was a lesson on how life used to be before we could stay up till midnight and still be sourrounded by light.
I am thrilled that Maitland missed being flooded - but there are many more that need our prayers and help. Please offer assistance if you can - I think it really helps if we act like a community and lend a hand to those more unfortunate. If any of you need anything, even a hand to help clean up call me!
We lost a fridge, cracked a side window, a mobile phone died and water damage in the garage, relatively little.
Jen, I feel for you baby, I would be having a nervous breakdown if my house got water logged, but I guess you just get in and do what you have to!

Dark side of the Moon!

Its that spot when astronauts go around the back side of the moon and NASA cannot contact them for a few minutes - that's where I am now.



No power ( am currently using generator for a short while)
Mobile died - have to use old one.
It's dark and getting cold.
We will be showering somewhere other than at home tonight - had a cold shower last night.



But, it could be much worse -
I could be living in Maitland and shitting myself right now.
My parents where caught in the 1955 flood - they lived just behind the Town Hall. They were rescued from the roof top of their next door neighbours two storey house.

Did you survive?

It was torrential last night.
I thought we would lose our roof! That goodness all is fine accept for some minor rainwater damage and no power, so all the food in the fridge will be dodgy.
I took my mother a thermos of hot water so she could make herself a cup of tea.
Being a wicth, I at least have a multitude of candles and can boil water on our bbq for a cuppa.
We are temporarily on battery power so that the computer can work but it is only for a short while.

Trees are down over power lines in streets around us and all roads were flooded last night.
Cardiff and Wallsend are both a mess with water comming into all shops and causing major damage.
My thoughts are with you all and I hope that you and your family is well and that your property has not had too much damage done to it.

We may get another bout of wild weather this afternoon....so settle in for a dark, cold night ahead.
See you at the other end of this......

wet!

First pic is the flooded road two streets aways from our place at about 2pm this afternoon.We have a friend whose house used to be just on the right hand side of the street right in the middle of that huge puddle, but the council paid her out and bulldozed the house so now there is just an empty block there. In the last big rains about two years ago, she got flooded out and the house and furniture got damaged.
Second pic _
This is a pic of the tanker that has run aground at Nobby's. I am praying that this does not turn nasty with the thing breaking up on the rocks.
Stay safe everybody!

It's wet and Paris shits me!

It is wet outside, have you noticed?
I had to go shopping in that, and take baby girl to school cause she would have melted like the witch in the Wizard of Oz if she got wet.
I am glad it is raining, but please God, remember to turn the tap off will you!

And Paris - shits me off, completely!
What this whole fiasco has taught me and most everybody else, is that big money can buy you anything, even freedom.
But , it seems not only I am shitted off, becasue they are calling her back into court to make her serve the rest of her time ...Ha.
What's the best, she now gets diagnosed as mentally unstable or something so she doesnt have to...

A Poem

In the hunter's eye, nothing is as beautiful
As a wild creature's body shot dead on the ground.
Pick it up, clean it, leave it to cool
And send to the butcher's for a pound.

But you see, karma shall eventually pay back
For once again he set off searching
on the long lost overgrown track,
With the bag on his back a - lurching.

Far into the forest, he came to a stop
Finding a rock and sitting down with a sigh,
He felt his mood beginning to drop,
But alas, he looked up at the sky.

While in the shadows, a silent carnivore's eye
Saw the hunter spot a bird and take aim
And suddenly, with a terryfing cry,
Rushing out of the forest, the guardian came.

The poor hunter had no time to realize
As the leopard's claws swiped at his head
The guardian of the forest made him meet his demise
And in a few seconds he was dead.

Now, remember the hunter that tasted his own medicine
When he was dragged off to be shared with the leopard's mate
Foe he had not learned to respect all creatures, even flesh like venison,
And the opportunity to understand came too late.

Realize that you must not be like he,
Who slaughtered animals for some pence
Rather, happiness, good luck and fortune's key
Is to treat all creatures with reverence.


Not bad eh?

My 13 year old , Aleks wrote this tonight for a school assignment!
I am impressed!

The week that was and the week that is!

Monday morning and instead of going to arty farty class, I took myself to Centrelink to jump through some more hoops...one thing though, if you ever have to go to Centrelink, I reckon 9am is the best time...all the other centrelinker's are still in bed!
The queue was actually tolerable!
Yesterday was Market Day, and I guess we had a quiet one...I did ok, I can't complain but I do run the risk of taking everything that isn't tied down at home to sell....
I missed going to Shrek 3 - I had won free tickets to the local premier screening, but sent both daughters and two friends instead.
Last night saw us facing a large group of Year and a Dayer's all keen as mustard to pick our brains dry when it comes to wicca and the Craft.
Boy, what have I gotten myself into?
Tonight is my psychic development course...we will be scrying.
Today is a beautiful day, the sun is shining and my world is peaceful - relatively.

Joke of the Day!

Did you hear about the redundant clairvoyant who retrained and became
a contortionist?


He saw his own end.

The Skivvy Story continues.....

Well, I got caught out today..
I actually walked into the Euro Bar Cafe in Hamilton in my skivvy!!!!
I was on the run, and did not have time to change before meeting Lisa and Michelle for coffee.
I could hear the groans from well dresed women who turned pale at the sight of me sauntering, loud and proud,straight passed the full tables, right to the back of the Cafe.
"There goes a fashion disaster!!!!".
Yes..indeed.
But I have never been fashion savvy..everyone knows that.
Especially my daughter who would openly admit that her mother is "frumpy".

It must be a karmic lesson.
I must have been incredibly beautiful in a previous life, and vain and arrogant I'd say..so this time around I was hit with the "frumpy stick".

Skivvy wearers of the World Fess Up!

Ah! So now it is comming to light...
We ALL have a skivvy in our wardrobe - admit it!
Do not be ashamed.
Admitting to it is the first step in recovery.

I might even wear my black one on Sunday morning when I am freezing my nipples off at the Markets at 7am.

The man had a very fround experience yesterday - he cut down one of our bamboos in the "back passage". He has been growing bamboo in our backyard for about 10 years now and really loves them. It was a painful experience for him, but we are kind of moving on from the bamboo stage. I am not quite sure what the plan for the back yard will be. I know that our retaining wall is being eaten away by white ants and it's going to cost a fortune to fix.

If anyone wants a small bamboo to plant in their back passage...we have a few for sale.

News Flash : Unknown "White" Wiggle spotted at Elermore Vale!

Yes folks.....yesterday a historic event occurred....
A white wiggle was created...
and who is this mysterious person, you may ask?
It is I....

I made a disturbing and tragic fashion decision by purchasing a white skivvy at Big W.

Why would a sane person do this you may ask?

Well, I have been having severe pains in my neck and shoulders every morning when I wake up and am putting it down to the fact that we sleep near an open window and I could be getting a chill during the night ( it doesnt help that I have a bulging disc )...so I am trying to sleep in a skivvy, where my neck and shoulders are covered and seeing if it makes a difference.
Last night was the first night...and I cannot report any great improvements yet..but I will give it a go for a week or two.

Needless to say I was given a thrashing over this particlar item of clothing by both the man and baby girl.
I will never live it down.

Also the man and I are starting a 12 week weight loss challenge today!
The man is going back on the Tony Ferguson program and I am doing a bit of a combined diet/exercise thingy.
It is 10.30 am and I am already starving!!!!!I will have to have yet another coffee!!!
I will share this with you all at Shrinking (or Starving) Witches tomorrow.
Maybe you can all suffer along with me.
It is all too easy to hide in thick and big clothing during winter.
I love the girls below, but to tell you the truth, their thighs are looking better than mine at the moment so it is time to act.

To market we shall go!!!!!

Ah yes...
It is so peaceful at 6am in the morning!
Diana and I got to Wickham Park markets at 6.30am and the place was full!!!!
We ended up doing "sad eyes" at the organisers and they told us to move in next to them...bless their cotton socks!!!

The lady next to us was pissed off cause she had been there since 5am (hmmmmm) to secure her spot, and we just "strolled" in.
Deb turned up very soon afterwards and we all stood there freezing to death, grabbing any sun that we could.
Business was slow today...I think we will not be doing Wickham Park again very soon -there was a lot of shit there, thats for sure. Do people have no taste at all?

But, I guess what is one man's trash is another man's treasure.

Leanne came over at about 9am and we had a scream of a morning.
I think Leanne bought most of what we sold this morning - God bless her!
We called it quits at 12.30...
and went to Sunny's Cafe at Islington for a decent coffee.

All in all, a good morning had by all.
The day was certainly beautiful - we all managed to get wind burn and sun burn!

Bracelet going to a good home

Last Sunday I sold a rose quartz bracelet to a lady, hunting me down via ebay, who was buying it for a friend who had just lost a baby.
She contacted me yesterday asking if she could buy some more - her friend loved the bracelet so much that she wanted to get one for all of her friends.
How nice!
I am quite chuffed about that!

The lady ended up purchasing 13 more bracelets!

Am heading to Medowie with sore arse witch tomorrow and going to the markets with Diana the now unemployed witch at the crack on Sunday....
The pensioners start to line up at 6am...
6....A....M...!!!!!!!!
yes.....6....a...m...
to get a spot at the Wickham Park markets on the last Friday of every month.
That's insane...
That means I have to get up before the sun does....
Hmmpf.
Not happy Jan!!!!!
That's even to early for a coffee.

Australia's Biggest Morning Tea!

Today was a big day.
We ran a fundraiser at the Cottage..our first big one.
I am SO proud of the work that went on at our little place today!

We raised a total of $188.20!!!!!!!
That is an amazing result.
$6.20 donations
$66.00 for tea/coffee and cake
$116.00 from sales and readings

I would like to thank everyone who came along today and donated their time and money.
I especially want to thank Deb, who trooped in at the "crack" and manned the kitchen all day long.
Also special thanks to Leanne and Lisa for doing readings and reiki.
Thank you to Diana and Kathleen who brought along their craft and creams for display and sale and to all those that donated cakes for consumption.

I could only poke my head out of the reading room from time to time and did not get my hands dirty in the sink....I was hiding!

What a great day!

Tibetan Monks in Newcastle

We went to see the Tibetan Monks at the Civic theatre today.
They had really just begun the mandala that they create in every city that they go to.
Two monks work on it at a time, in shifts, and when there is a big crowd then you may get four working on it. I guess it also depends on whether they are on track with its completion.
It was very peaceful sitting and watching the monks take on this task.
To do it over and over and over again....
It would drive me insane.


But then I am not a monk.

I went to my next tai chi lesson tonight.
Learnt another move.
It looks so simple....yet it is so complex.
I also learnt the qi gong walk ....a special walk that you do with a double breath in and one exhale out. It is supposed to be excellent for cancer patients cause it floods the body with oxygen.


I am learning not to underestimate this ancient art.

A Day at the Markets

Today I went back in time....to yet again sell goods at the Markets.
I have done this many times in my life and here I was back again.
I did a lot of market stalls when my big girl was just a baby.
I used to set up a cot and have her sitting in the back while I tried to make some extra money.It wasn't always successful, but then that's the markets for you.
Nothing has changed.
Thank you to all those girls, Jen, Deb and Michelle that turned up to give us some support today.
Kathleen and Diana joined me today and we all had sales!
Diana makes fabulous hand made face creams and oils, and even thought she just finished work last Friday, she still managed to make some items for sale today.
Kathleen makes her amazing whimsygal range of brooches and goddess dolls and she had a lady buy one and come back to buy another!
I also did not do too badly for my first attempt
All that fresh air is not healthy though....neither is getting up at 6am on a Sunday morning!
So I am suffering tonight.
A touch too much of sun and no sleep in make this old girl a little pooped out!
Our stall looked very fancy shmancy though.....I had a good day!

Happy Birthday Baby Girl!

My baby turns 13 tomorrow!
Officially a teenager.
We went to the hair dresser tonight for a fancy shmancy grown up hair do - so she got some streaks and a fringe!
Tomorrow we will go out for tea and on Monday she goes to see Pink in concert.

What did I get when I turned 13?...mmmmmmm.
I can't remember.

I cleaned out my undie draw today....Yes...gross. I had undies hiden in there from the 1980's I think.Ewwwwwww!!!
I found a thong ( not the one you wear on your feet ).Whatever possessed me to buy it back then, I dont know. Someone told me that they were comfortable.Maybe for someone with no arse, or a frame that is only carrying about 50kg, but not for ole' cottage cheese arse me!
So most of my undies went in the bin...I even outgrossed myself.
Once the elastic goes....it's time.
Once they are no longer white....it's time.
Once they have been sitting in your drawer for over a year and you have not worn them....it's time.
What if I had an accident and had to go to hospital in those pitiful underpants?
I would not allow them to touch me...I would have to die, I guess.
I think there is a lesson in this.

Have you all dropped off the edge of the world?

Hello!
Hellooooooo!!!!!
Is anybody out there?


Are you there now?

Come on ladies, here I am, avidly waiting for new blogs and....
and.....
Give me a sign!

Who says mother's rest on mother's day?

Was your mothers day as hectic as mine?

Sparrow fart saw me heading down to Adamstown Markets to book a site...and good thing I arrived when I did cause there was only one left.
Then I took mother down to Glendale and attempted to introduce her to a half decent cup of coffee at Brumbys.I was bitterly disappointed ( should have stuck with Macca's).The old dentures could not handle the egg and bacon foccacia so I dived on some sample danishes at the counter to save the morning from total devastation.

Then it was off to a friends place to pick up some things before said friend takes off for a two week cruise on the Whitsunday Islands ( bitch )...

Then older daughter needed a lift to her car which she left at Shortland as she was at her friends wedding on Saturday. On the way we stopped off at the cemetary to pay respects to my dad.
I got some cheeses at the supermarket on the way home to have with crackers, just to find that when we unwrapped them they were off!!!
So the man headed back to the supermarket to make a noise. He scored some exchanges and bought them home only to find that they were off too!C R A P!!!!

Then the man's niece turned up and spent a few hours at our place chatting.
So I offered some free reiki to both my daughter and the man's niece and they both said..."Heck yeah!"

Then I went out for tea with the Daniel women...to be told later that I was only invited to provide a buffer against possible uncomfortable moments and occurring during the evening.(Ah family!)
Hell, I got a free meal. I was not going to complain!

Came home bloated, full and tired.

Yep, just another day...

I DID get a beautiful hand made box from baby girl, rocky road chocolate (eye's off, it's mine) from big girl and a bouquet of tulips from the man.
NOICE!!!!!!!!

Happy Mothers Day!

Yes...it's THAT day again this Sunday. How many of us will actually score breakfast in bed?
Mmmmmm.
I have already stuffed it up by inviting my mother to breakfast at Charlestown Square (yes..I hear you say...very chique!)But at 84, my mum does not have an exotic palate...anything other than a hash brown and a cup of tea from McDonalds can send her into a bit of a spin out.

I will be heading to the Dynasty Restaurant in the evening for a family tea kindly donated by a member of the family who IS working.Should be yummy!

The man had to do another PSA test this week, to check his levels with regard to detectable levels of cancer.
But GOOD NEWS - ALL IS CLEAR!!!!!!!
This will happen every three months till the end of the year.

Please rememberthat we will be hosting a Biggest Morning Tea event on Thursday 24th May at the Cottage commencing at 10.30.We are going to do mini psychic readings, angel card readings, reiki healing and chakra balancing. Also we will have handicrafts for sale and second hand books.
Come a buy coffee/tea and cake and donate to cancer research.
Tell a friend..and better still, bring them along!

Inner Peace

: Inner peace

I am passing this on to you because it definitely worked for me, and we
could all use a little more calmness in our lives, right? By following the
simple advice I heard on the radio yesterday, I have finally found
inner peace.

The phone-in show was talking about the stress of returning to work and
the routine of the New Year. Dr. Phil proclaimed,

"The way to achieve inner peace is to complete all the things you've
started and never finished."

So, I looked around my house to see all the things I started and hadn't
finished, and before leaving the house this morning, I finished off a
bottle of Merlot, a bottle of White Zinfandel, a bottle of Bailey's
Irish Cream, a bottle of Bombay Sapphire, a packet of Jaffa Cakes, the
remainder of my old Prozac prescription, the rest of the cheesecake,
some Doritos and a Box of chocolates.

You have no idea how bloody good I feel!!!! The man is a Genius!

Please pass this on to those you feel might be in need of inner
peace...

A new move tonight!

Goody - I am going to learn my next tai chi move tonight! One move a week is about all my brain can integrate!
We spent the afernoon attending our first prostate cancer support group meeting - lots of "older" men with very thick glasses who have been through it or going through it.

There was not a great number of people there today but we introduced ourselves and the man did a bit of an impromptu talk about "his journey". It was interesting to listen to these guys and their different attitudes and stories.We were certainly the youngest ones there.

I had a great evening last night with my girls that came to the psychic development class. We did execises on seeing the aura and feeling the aura - it was so interesting and we got such great results that I think we will have a night of aura work next month at "Around the Cauldron".
You should come along to psychic development......it's fun!We have a ball!

Mind, Body, Spirit Festival and Deborah Gray!

Spent the day with some lovely ladies from the Cottage at the Mind, Body, Spirit Festival in Sydney. As usual, lots to see and buy.
I tried to be sensible about it, but the temptation was great!
I did purchase a small salt lamp, at a very reasonable sale price - and a scarf.
That was it.

But, we walked over to the stand promoting the new Spellcraft magazine and started talking to the ladies on the stand.
I was introduced to the editor of the magazine, and told her how we all thought that the mag was great and that we actually advertised in their Noticeboard section.

At that point she proceeded to introduce us to Deborah Gray, the author of many magical and witchy books, who was also at the stand doing book signings, and asked us whether we would mind being interviewed by her for her wiccan tv channel which would be seen world wide ( at some point in the future).
Of course I said, why not!
Deborah said that she had heard of Rose Cottage (see....We ARE famous) and asked us to speak about the Cottage and the work that we do there.
Yes, it would be seen internationally, as she proceeded to explain exactly where Newcastle was, and an open invitation to all and sundry went out suggesting that if they were ever visiting the area that they should drop by for a cuppa and chat!
Cool or what!!!!!
Whether this interview goes to air, or ends up being wiped...I don't now
But...we did it.
And it was damn fun!
We had a great lunch at Chinatown and brought many yummy cakes to take home with us and didn't get back home till 8pm - it would have been somewhat sooner, but we managed to get lost trying to leave the CBD ( as you do).

Ah!!!!

MAY THE 4TH BE WITH YOU!

Samhain

Last night at the Cottage was AMAZING! We, as a group, have truely come of age.
No more giggles, no more turning the wrong way, we even dress up and don't feel silly about it.
Ladies - you are all so inspiring. It is an honour and a pleasure to be in circle with you all.

I am SO OVER my dreams lately. I keep wandering around Wallsend, but how it must have been about 80 years ago. But then, there are some modern day buildings there, that just dont fit.
I am continually dreaming on winning money, but nothing is happening in reality.
I wake up and feel like I have completed a fifty mile hike.

The influence of the moon is still strong.

Ouch!

Yes....all my muscles now hurt!
I did one FRIGGIN (thanks Lisa) movement!!!
But I will keep practising today.Yu must let me demonstrate tonight.
You will be sooooo impressed with all 10 seconds of it.

Dreams....yes...yet again a dream about winning money. Lots of money.
Am heading down to the newsagent soon to buy my winning ticket ( although I thought I already had that one).

Maybe I am compensating in my dreams for what I do not have in reality.

Samhain, full moon...the energies are crazy.

My baby went to the Great Aussie Bush Camp today. She will be away for two days.I miss her already.
I am looking forward to ritual tonight. See you there.

Why is this so bloody difficult?

The man and I went to our first Tai Chi class tonight.
Our tutor is a little old lady who is probably about 153 years old.
She has been teaching Tai Chi since before Noah built the ark and makes it look sooooo easy.
But it is soooooo not!
We learnt one movement last night.
One movement.
By the time we remembered to bend our knees, go slow, feel the energy, hold the "ball", turn our foot, shift our weight etc...etc....oh lordy!!
Tai Chi works a lot on circulating our chi and the more our tutor talked about the principals the more witchy it all sounded.
Movements where we sweep our hands close to the earth to stir the energy then gather it in to our heart....sounds strangely familiar.
I hope I can master this...or it could send me insane!
The man thinks it's great too!

Before I complain yet again.......

The man and I took a trip out to Belmont Hospital this afternoon to book him in for his hernia operation which he will be having in August.(His spots are slowly going by the way.)
On the way back we stopped at the Belmont North Butcher shop, on the main highway, owned by a guy called Dave. The man worked out at Belmont while working on the buses and always got our meat from this guy over the last few years.
This is the same guy that got shot on Boxing Day last year by his own staff member - a low life mug who came in to steal all the Christmas takings ( over $175,000 ). Unfortuantely Dave caught him in the act and was shot protecting his property.
Dave was shot through the left arm which has left it permanently damaged. He also got shot in the stomach area and has lost part of his liver, small intestine, large intestine, bowel and while in hospital he got staph in his spine.
Yet as I listened to his positive outlook on life, on what happened to him and his statement about feeling sorry for the slime bucket who did this to him , I felt ashamed at my own attitude towards life.
To add insult to injury, while Dave was in hospital he hired another butcher to look after his shop so that he would not go bankrupt. This new skumbag ripped him off for over $12,000 by pocketing money and taking stock during his few weeks at the shop.
My goodness, how horrible!
Yet, Dave thanks God that it did not happen to anyone else, that his family was safe, that he is now back at work ( three months before he was due to return ) and he says that he is continually bowled over by people's support and good wishes.
Dave is a great guy. He is Irish. He will have a chat with anyone. He always has fresh beautiful meat and often adds in a freebee for his customers.
Go and say hello and buy some meat...it's worth a drive!
Yes this is a plug - but this guy deserves it.
He is a real inspiration and he has certainly put things back into perspective for me and the man.
How do you get to have such an attitude?
God bless you Dave - may he take good care of you from now on.

What ARE those spots?

The man woke up this morning to find that he was covered head to toe in a red rash.
Oh my God.....it's not German Measles is it?
No, no symptoms such a sore throat or fever.
So it was off to the medical clinic in town to see yet another doctor.
Turns out that it was an allergic reaction to his antibiotics.
So, he took some anti histamines and has been lying low all day until he can go to his doctor tomorrow and get the all clear to start new tablets.
Poor boy.

Awaba House!

This morning I had an invitation to go to Awaba House for morning tea with members of my family.
The man's cousin has an older sister who has a mental disability and she lives in a group home close to the lake near Boolaroo and loves the cappuccino's at Awaba House.
So we met her for coffee there this morning.
What a lovely spot it is!
If you have never been, and would like a lovely spot for morning tea, then it is worth a try.
Lots of old people go there....oops...that includes me!!!!!

I have also been to "Sunny's" organic/vegetarian restaurant at Islington this week.
The young lady who currently runs it, her name is Amanda, is very nice indeed and I am going to go and enjoy a meal there very soon. You are all invited, of course!

I am also going to be hitting the markets selling crystal chip bracelets shortly.
I have just placed my first order and am expecting a delivery next week.They will also be on my other blog site at witchybitz.com.
I am very excited about it all and am hoping that I sell heaps.
You want one...I know.
And you too!
I am doing this, ofcourse, while I am waiting for my big lottery win......ha!

The wheels of progress keep turning...and we have to move along with them.

Before you say that you had a bad day........

Today the man and I spent a few hours at Lake Macquarie Private Hospital.
Darling had to get a lesson about self insertion of a catheter.OUCH!!!! He is trying to avoid yet another surgery to remove more scar tissue, by re inserting the catheter every day for about three weeks so that the urinary flow does not block at the neck as it has previously done.
This may work.
It may not.
We shall see.
The man had to first watch a video of the whole process, unfortunately being done by an 85 year old man.That turned the man off the treatment straight away.
But, unpreturbed, he was then given the "equipment" and shown the toilet and told to try it for himself.
"Call if you get stuck" said the nurse.
Right.
I then went to get some remedial massage on my very stiff and sore neck and shoulders and spent the next half hour in pain with tears streaming down my face as the masseuse gently massaged two little spots on both sides of my neck.
Ah winter...when I always wake up feeling like I have had a truck parked on my upper body.
Indispersed in all of this I was having to do my mothers shopping and buy her medications, deliver her groceries and also go for a walk as those bloody scales are STILL telling me that I weigh more today than I did yesterday.
Enough for one day!

Phew! All is well!

The man returned home this morning and all is well.
Blood clots were blocking the catheter,so it was removed and he is feeling much better.
It meant an overnight stay at the hospital, just to make sure that all was ok.
Tomorrow we go back to see his doctor. No coffeeing at Goldbergs for me girls, unless it is in the evening.If you are all still going at 11 then have one for me and I will catch up with you all on Saturday or Monday at the Cottage.

As for today - it is Anzac day and bloody pissing down.
I have a soft spot for the diggers - they are not my ancestors, but I do feel some sort of connection to the spirit of the Anzacs.

The whole thing was such a hopeless situation from the start and it proved more insane as the days, then months, continued. These lads were so young and believed they were fighting for freedom.
I am reminded of another battle that occurred during WW2 which was named the Battle for Monte Cassino in Italy. The allies were fighting their way up from southern Italy towards Rome, and the abbey of Monte Cassino stood at the strongest point of a powerful German defensive line. Monte Cassino was an important milestone in this struggle. The soldiers involved in that battle were convinced that by helping to solve the problems concerning the whole of Europe, they were on the way to an independent Poland.
It became the symbol of the most noble values of the Polish spirit, and above all of the courage and willingness to give one's life for 'your freedom and ours' - just like the Anzacs in Gallipoli.
It was known as one of the hardest fought battles of WW2 and the victory came at an incredible cost of loss of life.
The poppy is again very symbolic of this battle as the hills around the mount were scattered with these flowers. On the Mount was an abbey founded by St benedict in AD600,one of the most famous in Europe, which held some art treasures that now are stored at the Vatican.
It is said that the generals often disagreed on battle stategy and made many mistakes during this battle that lasted four moths with over one quarter of a million dead or wounded.For many Poles this is one of those places and battles that stands apart from others, just like Gallipoli for the Aussies.
So today I remember them all.
Lest we forget.

So what else can happen?

It just gone 12 midnight.
I have made myself another coffee and the man has just left to drive himself to hospital.
Mmmmmm.
He has had blood in his urine all day.
This is kind of expected at this stage , but we think that there could be a clot blocking the water works.
So it's off to hospital to get it sorted.
It may mean catheter removal, an overnight stay...I don't know what.
I am staying put...little one is asleep upstairs.
I sit and contemplate the fragile line between sanity and insanity that is currently in my life.
I am beyond the worrying stage.
I need to trust that all will be well.
I need to just go and do some distance reiki healing and turn off stupid big brother which is blaring at me on the t.v. right now.