Annie's Blog

Meet my friend OLIVE. I went to see her yesterday. She was quite well and very happy, having returned from a couple of days up at the North Coast with her niece from Melbourne. So that was nice for her. Apart from the fact that she said that it rained..and rained.... and rained. Not that anyone is complaining about The Rain. How could we? Not having had any for 3 months now. And being in the worst drought in memory! Anyway, I took her photo, so she would be very surprised to know she is featured in this morning's blog. And her zygocactus, and birds on her verandah. Thought the kids might like to catch up with her again , since she was a great neighbour while they were growing up, and taught them the basics of any music education that they have. Basically she was teaching Jo to play the organ. Then Allan to play some hymns. No, Ian didnt want to learn thanks, unless it was ..Toccata and fugue in D Minor..is that what it was? Anyway, so they sat down and learnt it!! Great fun. So lo...

OK. Here are some photos from a trip to the botanic gardens nearby in February. I did say I was going to go back and take some more, but that will have to wait for another day, and another posting! These are just too good to waste anyway! As you can see there isn't a lot of news, apart from that Joanne had a good report from the dr's appointment, an d is now officially back at work. (Had an email from her six hours ago). I know she thinks that I am funny, but as I said, a lot can happen in six hours! Even babies. (Actually I am sure she knows already)! So it will be good to see how well she manages being back at work. She is now taking guesses on what the date will be for the baby's arrival. I am going for some nice round figures, perhaps the 30th May, or the 1st June. Or maybe it will be during the next doctor's visit when the doctor said she would break her waters if she reached 37 weeks! Wonder if the little chap can even wait till her birthday. Well, it will be inte...

No, it wasn't me, sorry. I went down the road to the river to have a look yesterday. I wanted to see if they had done anything along the river bank there, since they put up signs "to the river" a while ago. No, nothing has changed. Actually it would be difficult to do anything. There is so little space to even turn the car around there. However, it was fun to see there were some keen water skiers out there enjoying themselves. This is all by way of apology. I had been over to the Gardens, and thought , well I already had some really lovely photos to show you from there. Can I find them, no! Must have deleted them off the computer. Only a couple of the best left on my card. What a shame. Which means that it is a good excuse to head back over there another day, doesnt it? I did get to have a little look at the Lapidiary show. Wow. What a great selection of beautiful rocks and gemstones we have. Don't know that I would have been allowed to take photos. So I am glad I t...

Well , Here is the Saturday morning news. If you are lucky. For some strange reason this blog has decided to do it's own weird thing, and it is making it very difficult for me to do this post this morning..argh.. Had a great long walk through the park earlier this morning. Called in at the shop to buy the paper on the way home, and discovered there is a new fruit shop there, squeezed in beside the shop and the cafe. Wow. Looks good. He said they had only been open 3 days. Two recent visitors to the yard. Terrible photos of the stick insect, and the scrub turkey. Oh no, not the turkey again. Does that mean my yard is going to be scratched to pieces again? mmm. Have been enjoying Bill Bryson's A Walk in the Woods again. He is soo funny. I laughed all the way through it first time, and am doing so again. Actually , there is a heap of information in it that isn't all that funny really. But it is a good read anyway. I must get fitter so I c an do some longer walks! Well, as you ...

Well, as you can see, another quick trip to Twmba to babysit. Great fun. But it seems as if I have forgotten all about blogging..how come the photos are so big? Argh...I think I changed the setting the other day. Shouldn't try to do it while I am so tired. Anyway, hope you enjoyed the trip. I will enjoy the pineapples and bananas I bought at the Big Orange on the way home. ymm. Kath enjoyed singing in the eistedfod while Allan absented himself at a conference in Melbourne, and so was able to catch up with Ian and Nat and their family while there. And Ian and Nat have managed to buy themselves a house. Great excitement all around. Had a nice cup of coffee on the way home , at Penny's place. Good to catch up with her, before they head off to mind their grandchildren. Hello Pen and Trev if you get time to read this!!

Hopefully this is a post of the MIT Harvard Building I was telling you about.......Sorry it didn't appear in the last edition..somehow it dropped off the end of the post!

REFLECTIONS WHAT IS MAN THAT THOU ART MINDFUL OF HIM. ...wonderful PSALM 8 was the reading for Sunday. Which gave me the perfect excuse to hunt down the photo of the building (Emerson Hall) at MIT Harvard Boston, which boldly proclaims the verse from Psalm 8 above across it's portal. (see below) Don't you just love the buildings that are bold enough to proclaim these things? I certainly do, and will use it as another excuse to show you some more of them from my ramblings through New York. On another day though. While I was hunting for the photo I came across this other one of the refection of a church in a business building, also in Boston. Well, at least I think it was a church. Actually if I am not mistaken, it may have been a very happening downtown church, that had heaps going on for the community. I just love that too. Where the church is invloved in the community life..as it should be! After having been knoocked sideways by a stomach flu/food pois...

OK.. It is washing day. But it isn't finished yet as I sit here, so I have posted another wash day! I think it is a bit more bright and cheerful. I took it when I was hopeful of starting some patchwork. Well, that hasn't happened yet, but I am still hoping! When I went out to buy the papers this morning, and check on the neighbour's mail, I suddenly saw these great patterns on the backs of these huge cactus leaves at the front gate. I am sure I must have seen them before, but they sure looked great with the early morning sun shining on them!

Come with me on my early morning walk. Down the road, past the bougainvilleas, the magpie on the lampost, and walk with me through the park. Here it is that a bypass is proposed. How awful. Glad to see some are starting to protest.

Good News from Jo. She is allowed out of bed ...wow. After taking herself to the doctor this morning on the subway, what a surprise. How delighted she is at being able to do her own thing. Of course, after the effort of getting up early, and then celebrating by popping in at her work next door to the doctor on the way home (as well as buying some goodies from the bakery), she suddenly discovered it was really nice to get home and go back to bed! I was going to post a photo of some balloons to help her celebrate, but then I thought everyone might think she has had the baby already, so I will save them for the proper occasion!

Well, as you can see I coudn't wait to post this photo of Jo and Andrew. They had a baby shower , and Jo was delighted to get out of the house! Some kind friend took some photos on her camera, so I thought I would post this here, and let you know news of them tomorrow. Well, everything is still ok..it is just that they have another dr appointment today, so I can give you the latest news after that! I also stumbled across this photo I took of the Babies Hospital where she will be having her baby! Well, this is a very old sign, near the new building! I love New York, and all the old buildings and facades. So...historic! Jo is on her way to the doctor as I post this, by subway! Without Andrew! What a daughter. She says she will be doing the same trip on her own when she gets to go back to work in 2 weeks time! God Bless!

Had to share with you this lovely rose from the Rose Show on Sunday. I think it is my favourite. I don't know why , but whenever I see it, I think of my Mum and Grandma. Must be because it is so delicate! Tuesday means tennis. Remembered to take my camera to take some photos of a couple of flowers I saw out there last week. (Just on the day you dont take the camera)! This dear sweet little purple flower was flowering on the rocky bank. Well done little flower! Bloom where you are planted, a phrase that pops into mind! I am not much of a photographer, I could hardly see the digital display out in the bright sunshine, so I have chosen the slightly ou t of focus photo. I thought it had a nice softer image to go with the rose above! Then there was a lovely yellow flower on a bush that Sue has blooming away in a large pot. Well done Sue! Judith says her bush at home will not flower. Maybe they prefer to be cramped in a pot? Sorry I have no idea of the names of any of these flowers, I am...

It is Mother's day. It seemed an appropriate place to post a photo of my Mum....talented lady and devoted mother of four. (1912-2006) It is Sunday. Follow me over the little bridge across the creek, and come to church . A favourite way to get to church. Why park in a concrete car park, if you can walk over a lovely little wooden bridge across a creek? Some very talented people had decorated the main church for Pentecost Sunday. We were invited to go check it out after our service in the little wooden Pioneer church down the back. After church, I discovered a wattle blooming walking back down to the car. Already. A little early, surely, for wattles? Not this one apparently. After church off to the Rose Show at the Gardens. Have posted a small sample of the many beautiful blooms on display! Hope you have/had a wonderful Mother's Day. Wherever you are and whatever you do!

Sunrise in Toowoomba. There are no words for sunrises and sunsets, however much we enjoy sharing them with others! They are just there to be enjoyed! And a painting by Hannah for me for Mother's Day. What a clever girl. How lucky I am to be spoilt by my children and grandchildren! And a wonderful Tree Dahlia I found in a friend's garden in Toowoomba. I don't remember seeing them before. How spectacular.

Hi there. A short post today to say that I am feeling much better, thanks to the wonders of modern science, antibiotics, good food, and all that. As well, I have ben able to get out and about and go walking again. So lovely early in the morning, before the world gets going! This morning, although I knew that we had had a cold night, I was very surprised to find a bit of frost on the footpath up here. Most unusual. And no signs of it down in the park where the land is lower. Jo has about another week of bed rest, then will be allowed up on her feet gradually while they wean her off the medication. By then she will be at 36 weeks, and she says she will be allowed back to work! mmm...that will be interesting. Well, at least she couldn't get much closer to the labor ward than where she works! That is a handiest place to be, in the latter stages of pregnancy, I guess!! I think she is getting a bit tired of games of scrabble, and looks forward to something a little meatier. Today I am...

The view from the kitchen window in the afternoons, now that the sun is shining from a different angle. Such an amazing view. Can never find the right words to express my delight at this view every afternoon, where the light is changing from daytime to evening. It reminds me of the effect people see on Ayers rock, and even the light I saw on the mountains in the Flinders Ranges once! Well, I am sure it happens everywhere, but to me it is a very special sight and time of the year. Talking of finding the right words and phrases. I have been reading the most wonderful book. It has taken me a long while to actually pick it up and get "into it". But now, devoid of other more tantalising choices, I am, well, I am hooked. This lady, Hannah Hinchman, is amazing. Her descriptions of life , her drawing, and nature rambles, in her journal "A Trail Through Leaves "(the journal as a path to place) are just so...mmm...can't quite find the right word. Clever? I so admire peop...

My Strelitzia is still flowering. I am so pleased , as I thought they had finished a long time ago. A quiet day today. Some chores accomplished, with great relief. A whole day spent without a cough, until my sister rang this afternoon. Cough Cough! Wouldn't you know it? Anyway, it sounds like they are having a great weekend in the bush, and a friend is taking them metal detecting for gold tomorrow. What fun. Another lovely friend rang also to have a chat, and catch up with NY news. Cough cough. Hi Rochelle, if you are reading this. Good to chat, and to know that Caitlin is doing ok. Do hope her back will be better soon. And my favorite show of the moment, Doc Martin, finished tonight. And they ended up not getting married after all. Very sad. I shouldn't get attached to these shows. Very silly. That is almost the very first series of anything that I have ever watched in its entirety. Well, almost. I think I might have missed one there somewhere. But it is nice to be at a time o...

Well, life takes some funny turns doesn't it? Here on my private blog, I happened to post a link to an interesting blog. I wonder why I did that, when this is the blog that no-one reads...yet. Well, that has all changed now, cos I got posted on their blog. Mmm...very embarrassing when you think you are leading a private life. Guess there must be some etiquette to these blogs. But thankyou anyway to justbeingjohnmichael for your kind words. Anyway, it has been drawn to my notice that I haven't put my book list on here. Serves me right for trying to keep two blogs, one public , one private. Actually , this was a blog in practice, as I was trying for a more inspirational theme, and not just the run of the mill ordinary news that I usually post for the family and friends! So I have posted a list of some of the books that I have read...recently, or not so recently. I read so much, it is just as well I try to keep a list of them, as I would probably never have the memory to remember ...

While the tea cools...it has been another lazy day. Trying to rest up and beat this nasty virus that is trying to lay me low. Finally a trip to the doctor, and a course of antibiotics. Hopefully that might shift the cough that has settled in my chest. A smokey haze last night and today doesn't help when you have a chest complaint. But a lovely sleep in the afternoon does help. And reading inspiring books and blogs! I will have to look into a higher megabyte limit plan for my computer usage! This afternoon a wonderful inspiring blog, complete with restful music accompaniment. Some poeple are so creative. Will have to record a few of them in the sidebar for you. But now for that cuppa. mmm. And then time to brave the smog and take Abbey the labbey for a stroll on the footpath. She can't go far because of her own respiratory complaint. Perhaps we should forego the walk, on reflection. The news and weather is on...when will they bring news of rain. Will have to take steps of water...