Growing Up Too Fast

Monday 6th February, 2012

It was great for Katie to have Maddi here over the weekend.  They kept each other occupied most of the time.  No squabbling between the two of them which makes for a much better weekend for me.  It ended up being a great weekend.

When walking through the mall on Friday night Katie came across this store that sells piercings.  She had been going on earlier about wanting a "stretcher" for her ear.  Not the real kind, these are fake.   NO WAY would I allow her to get the real thing!!!   She had some money of her own and so she bought herself one for $10.

We notice with Katie that whatever the other girls from school are doing/getting she wants to do the same.  So far we have convinced her not to put a colour in her hair, have false nails, or any other piercings other than in her ears.

Crikey, these girls are only 10/11 years old and Katie has told us that some of them are allowed to get their hair coloured, or have "false" nails.  Some have got their eyebrows pierced and/or lips and nose.  What are their parents thinking?

Luckily Maddi is not one of these girls and talking with her over the weekend it sounds as if she's not interested in any of those things.  Well, not at present anyway.  Hopefully some of Maddi can rub off onto Katie.

Like when we went shopping and the girls were looking at jewellery, Katie wanted this and that, but Maddi would look at the price and say "I'm not paying that for THAT!"  Katie would then think about it and say "Nah, me either."

On Saturday night after the pool I got the girls to have showers and wash their hair to get the chlorine out.  As Maddi's hair is quite thick I had to blow dry it off for her before she went to bed and while doing so I noticed she had a patch of grey (silver) hair.

I asked her about it and she said that when she was born she had a bruise or something and that's how she came to have it.  She said that she had been teased about it at school, and her hairdresser had even offered to colour it for her if it really bothered her, but she said it didn't worry her now as she was used to it.

She said if anyone says anything to her about it now her answer is "One day you'll have silver in your hair too."  Good response.

From the Lens..........

"Nanna And Poppa, You Are The Best!"

Sunday 5th February, 2012


Thursday and Friday the weather warmed up again, the temperatures got into the high 20's.  Yesterday it was warm and humid and this morning it is overcast and we have had some rain.


On Thursday night Bob, Robyn, Tony and I went up to Hahndorf and to the Old Mill for dinner and to see Adam Brand.  He is a well known country singer here in Australia who has won numerous Golden Guitars, CMC Most Popular Artist and various other awards.  For the past 18 months he has been living in Nashville, in the States, hoping to break into the American country scene.

I thoroughly enjoyed his concert.  Our table was close to the front and even though the music was loud, and our ears were ringing at the end it was great.  Just goes to show we are getting old......bwhahahahaha.  Like I said to someone the following day "Just as well it wasn't heavy metal."


During the week I had a phone call from Kahra telling me how they were in a dilemma this coming weekend.  Katie was due to come to us for the weekend, Kahra was going to a baby shower on Saturday arvo/evening and Katie's friend Maddi, well her mum had rung her and asked if Maddi could stay over on the Saturday night as they had made plans to go out.


I told her that Maddi was more than welcome to come and stay as well for the weekend, if her mother agreed to it.  Around an hour later I got a phone call from Katie, all excited.  "Guess what Nanna? Maddi's allowed to come to your place."  "Thankyou Nanna, you are the best!"


So, on Friday night at the usual time we went and picked up Katie and Maddi.  It was great to finally meet Maddi.  We have heard so much about her from Katie and she is her first real close friend.  They told me that they are like sisters.

Tony had booked us into the Hampstead Hotel for dinner, but not until 7.00pm.  He thought that I might have wanted to do some shopping first, but I said we would do it after dinner this time.  We went back into the city as I needed to go and pay our subscription for the Chemist.  The girls wanted to have a wander down the Mall.  When we came back to the car Katie asked Tony whether Maddi could go up to the 31st floor and walk around the edge of the building.  BTW it is covered in, just that there is a small ledge you can walk around in case a contractor needs access from that side.

She was quite impressed and was amazed to see swimming pools on some buildings roofs, gardens and other things.  She couldn't believe how high up she was and was even more amazed when we got to the car, in the basement, looked up and saw how high we really were.


On Saturday we had to hang around until midday as the contractor was coming around to confirm our roof measurements.  We have decided to go ahead and have solar panels put up.  Electricity prices here are going up and up all the time and so if we can cut down on the cost of our electricity we will.  He said that our house position in relation to North is just about perfect (7 degrees out) and our roof pitch is 0.4 degree out, which makes that practically perfect.  He is going to install 12 solar panels.


After he had been we had to go to the Village.  Katie had brought her school backpack with her and wanted to return it as the stitching had started to let go.  She had told me earlier in the week what had happened, and luckily I had still kept the receipt.  We returned it and she got to choose a Hurley backpack this time.  As it was cheaper than the Roxy, she also was able to get a necklace to make up the price difference.


We went off and had some lunch and then down to the swimming centre at Marion.  The girls and Tony spent around four hours in the water, swimming, playing around and jumping from the diving board.  I don't know what was wrong with Katie this time around, she wouldn't jump off the diving board the first few times.  When I asked her why she said her tummy hurt.  Hmmmm!  She was quite happy swimming in the deep pool and after awhile she tried the diving board again and success!  She had 3 jumps before they closed it off.  They also had 4 goes each on the water slides.

It was after 7pm when we left the swimming centre and so we called into Vili's for some dinner.  Maddi is not a very big eater of anything.  As I found out on Friday night she doesn't like vegies, fruit, meat, chicken.  She said her mum tries to make her eat some vegetables and she usually does when her mum makes stir fry.  She will eat meat patties as in a cheeseburger and the only fruit she likes is apples.

Last night the girls said that they wanted to go to the movies.  When we checked to see what was on the only movie they were prepared to go and see was "Alvin and The Chipmunks - Chipwrecked".  They said that they had already seen it but wanted to see it again.  I wasn't too keen.  Knowing Katie, she would be telling us what was going to happen next and with two of them in the movies, they would be talking and making noises.

So, I gave them a choice of what to do, movies, a dolphin cruise or the Zoo.  They both screamed the Zoo.  I made some sandwiches to take and we headed off.  It had been a few years since Maddi had been, way before the Pandas came she said.  They enjoyed looking at the animals, especially when we came across the monkeys and there was a little baby monkey who was clinging on to it's mum.  As we left the enclosure the parents of the baby were in a 'perspex house" and the interaction between the dad and the baby was a joy to watch.

We left the Zoo and still had about 45 minutes before we had to drop the girls off.  We took them to the playground so that they could use up some of their excess energy.  I think Maddi was having a too good a time and wasn't too thrilled about having to go back home but I told her that she was more than welcome to come again with Katie.  She was happy with that.

From the Lens...........

Does Anybody Care?

Wednesday 1st February, 2012

Jeepers, January has gone and so has the warm weather.  Yesterday and today the temperatures have been in the low 20's, I seriously considered putting on the heater last night.  It felt cold! 

I am outraged!  Obviously someone, I don't know who, has way too much time on their hands, sits in their plush office and comes up with the most ludicrous ideas.

This morning I woke up to the news that they (the government) are going to consider making Easter Sunday a 'normal' Sunday.  Whaaaaaat, did I hear right?

Now, I'm not a church goer but I did have a Christian upbringing and I believe that there are three days that are sacrosanct and should not be interfered with.  They are Christmas Day, Good Friday and Easter Sunday.

I thought that the whole Christian teachings are based on the death of Christ and His resurrection.

For well over 100 years we have always had Easter Sunday as a public holiday, and over the years more and more businesses open on Easter Sunday resulting in their workers being paid penalty rates.  

I believe that they want Easter Sunday as a normal trading day so that businesses who choose to open on that day do not have to pay penalty rates.  Does this mean that we no longer have the Easter Monday as a holiday too?  No mention was made of that. 

Whenever Christmas Day/New Years Day falls on a Sunday, we have the Monday off as the holiday.

Now I know that today is the first of the month but I didn't think it was the 1st April for it to be an April Fools' Day joke.

There is a push to have the retail shops open on Public Holidays and so I think this may be the reason for it.  Like last week, Australia Day, a public holiday usually, the shops in the city opened for the first time.  The suburban shopping centres weren't allowed to open.  Then just after Christmas they allowed both the city and suburban shops to open on one of the public holidays.

They (the Retail Trade Asocciation) claimed that these days were a roaring success and it was what the public wanted.  I think it may be to cater for any tourists who are in town over these periods.

There hasn't been much of a public outcry to this announcement.  Maybe it's because no-one gives a damn!  They will when they realise that they won't get a four day holiday for Easter.

Chinese New Year

Saturday 28th January, 2012

This morning Tony and I took a trip into town and to the Central Market where they were having celebrations for Chinese New Year.

It was so hot and humid and there were lots of people crowded into a small area that they call Chinatown.  The street was closed off to traffic as they had a lot of food stalls and other variety stalls.  A stage was set up at one end where Chinese performers performed.  There was lots of  singing, dancing, instrument playing and firecrackers.

The thing I had come to see was the Lion Dance.  I don't think they performed the traditional Lion Dance as they were restricted for space, but I loved it anyway.

I don't know what this instrument is called but it's sound was so haunting.....beautiful!

The Chinese Association had brought out a Chinese man who makes figurines out of dough.  Because it was so hot and the dough would have dried too quickly he wasn't demonstrating his skill on the occasions we walked past.  There was also caligraphy writing in Chinese that you could try plus making a chinese lantern or a fish from a cardboard 'box'.

I bought these two figurines, so much detail has gone into them and in Chinese folklore they represent "Longevity".

We tried some traditional Chinese food that they sell on the streets in China, it was like jelly rolled in crushed peanuts.  Very sweet!  We didn't stay very long as it was too hot.  The Central Market itself was very busy too.  We ended up going back into the suburbs to do some shopping although we did get some Dutch 'Taai Taai' biscuits and  'Pepernoten'.

From the Lens.............

Good Luck!

Tori Flies Back To Tasmania

Friday 27th January, 2012


This morning I was up at the crack of dawn and ended up going into work with Tony.  We drove in because I was going to the airport to see Tori off.   She was going back to Tasmania.


I decided that I wouldn't drive to the airport, instead I would catch the Jetbus (J1 or J2) to the airport.  It leaves from just outside Tony's work.


Her plane was due to fly out at 9.30am and so I caught the bus just before 8am.  I got to the airport around 8.15 but there was no sign of Jodi.  I rang her and she was still around 30 minutes away.  I rang Dianne's phone and they were just parking the car at Ikea and would walk over.


After I had gone through security, I was taken to one side and asked to submit to an explosives test.  Fair go....do I look like the type to make a bomb?  Anyway I know they're just doing their job so that was fine with me.  BTW no residue was found on my bag or person.

Tori finally arrived at 8.45.  She got her boarding pass and the plane was ready to depart on time. 

After Tori left, the others were going over to Ikea for breakfast and shopping. I didn't want to go so I decided to catch the bus back into the city.  As I walked out the doors the J2 bus came along but I didn't feel like running for it.  Shortly afterwards another bus came along and I swear it had J1 on the back.

I got on board, some other people came along and asked if it was going into the city, the driver said "No".  I thought, that's OK I'll go for a "tour" because it would either be going to Harbour Town or down to Glenelg and then coming back to go into the city.  Plus it was too hot to sit and wait for another bus, not knowing how long one would be.

Off we went.  The bus didn't turn off to go to Glenelg or Harbour Town.  I thought that perhaps they changed their route. It turned left into Henley Beach Road and shortly afterwards turned right into some other street.  I had no idea where we were. 

We were going along, I was looking for places that I might know when we came to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital and Port Road.  Turned left up the Port Road and I thought maybe we would end up in Port Adelaide.  Nope, we finally ended up at West Lakes.  Everyone got off and so I asked the driver if he was going into the city.  "No," he said "My shift is finished and I'm going home".

I got off too and luckily there was another bus waiting, that was going into the city and so I caught that.  What should have been a 15 minute ride from the airport to the city ended up being around 90 minutes.

When I got back to Tony's work we had a good laugh about it.  It has always been my fear with catching public transport, that I would end up on a wrong bus.  Well today my fear was realised and it wasn't as bad as I feared.

From the Lens..........

Australia Day

Thursday 26th January, 2012


Happy Birthday Australia!  Today, being Australia Day, means a public holiday, bar-b-ques (lamb of course), concerts, fireworks, free breakfasts and some new immigrants being naturalised as Australian citizens.

I don't think we do it as well as the Americans do their Independance Day, but this year we seem to be showing a bit more patriotism.  I have noticed several cars flying the Aussie flag.  It's a start.


Then, on Tuesday we had this learned University professor from Perth, come out and say that she had done a study and people who chose to fly the flag on their cars were RACIST!   Whaaaaaat!!!!!!

"People who fly Australian flags on their cars have more racist views than the rest of the population, a new study has found.
Many flag flyers also support the now-defunct White Australia Policy and are afraid the Australian culture is under threat, researchers from the University of Western Australia say."

On reflection, maybe she has a point.  I think we are all racist in some small way, whether it be against a persons' nationality, religious views or culture.  I put my hand up, I know I am.  We are all Australian, therefore we should all be treated equally, not favoured because you were here first.

 We know we're Aussie because we......

* Believe that stubbies can either be drunk or worn. 
* You pronounce Melb...ourne as 'Mel-bin'.
* You believe the 'L' in the word 'Australia' is optional.
* You can translate: 'Dazza and Shazza played Acca Dacca on the way to Maccas.'
* You believe it makes perfect sense for a nation to decorate its highways with large fibreglass bananas, prawns, sheep, lobsters, oranges, and pineapples.
* You call your best friend 'a total bastard' but someone you really, truly despise is just 'a bit of a bastard'.
* You think 'Woolloomooloo' is a perfectly reasonable name for a place. 
* You believe it makes sense for a country to have a $1 coin that's twice as big as its $2 coin.
* You understand that 'Wagga Wagga' can be abbreviated to 'Wagga' but 'Woy Woy' can't be called 'Woy'.
* Beetroot with your Hamburger.   
* You believe that the confectionery known as the Wagon Wheel has become smaller with every passing year.
* You wear ugg boots outside the house.  
* You believe that the more you shorten someone's name the more you like them.
* Whatever your linguistic skills, you find yourself able to order takeaway fluently in every Asian language
* You understand that 'excuse me' can sound rude, while 'scuse me' is always polite.
* You know what it's like to swallow a fly, on occasion via your nose.
* You know it's not summer until the steering wheel is too hot to handle and a seat belt buckle becomes a pretty good branding iron.
* Your biggest family argument over the summer is about the rules for beach cricket.
* You shake your head in horror when companies try to market what they call 'Anzac Biscuits'.     
* You know how to abbreviate every word, all of which usually end in O, arvo, combo, garbo, kero, metho, milko, muso, rego, servo, smoko, speedo, righto, goodo etc.
* You know that there is a universal place called "woop woop" located in the middle of nowhere...no matter where you actually are.
* You know that none of us actually drink Fosters beer, because it tastes like shit. But we let the world think we do. Because we can.
* You have some time in your life slept with Aeroguard on in the summer, maybe even as perfume.
* You've only ever used the words - tops, ripper, sick, mad, rad, sweet - to mean good. And then you place 'bloody' in front of it when you REALLY mean it.
* You know that the barbecue is a political arena; the person holding the tongs is always the boss (well, us women let them think they are) because it is usually a man. And the women make the salad.
* You say 'no worries' quite often, whether you realise it or not.
* You understand what no wucking furries means.
* You've drank your tea/coffee/milo through a Tim Tam
* You own a Bond's chesty, in several different colours.
* You know that roo meat tastes pretty good, but not as good as barra, or a meat pie with dead horse.
* You know that some people pronounce Australia like "Straya" and that's ok. 

So Tony and I spent most of the day doing nothing.  That's what Australia Day can mean too.   After having a late lunch we headed off into town to watch the Australia Day parade.

This year it was much better than last years parade.  There were quite a few more nationalities represented and more people watched along the streets.  Maybe because it coincided with the finish of the days play of the cricket test at the Oval.

We wandered down to Elder Park where thousands of people had gathered for the Australia Day concert and the fireworks.  We didn't stay for very long. 

We ended up going down to Henley Beach and had some dinner at Zoots Cafe.  It got quite cool sitting outside while we were eating.  Even a coffee didn't warm us up.

On the way home we came back through the city, and parked the car along War Memorial Drive and watched the last of the fireworks.  It gave a different perspective seeing and hearing them from behind.

Ouch!!!

Tuesday 24th January, 2012

On Saturday while Tony was working in the garden I decided that the pot plant that was standing on the drive at the corner of the fence was no longer needed.  I was scared that when I reversed out of the garage I would side swipe the car with it being there.

Yes, we have got reverse sensors on the car, but once you are past an object they don't beep anymore.  We couldn't park the car on the driveway and open the back passenger door because it would hit this pot plant.  So, I decided, it had to go.

Tony lifted it up and then got me to help him to lift it to the top of the green's bin, and then we were going to tip the plant into the bin.  Well, we got the pot to the top of the bin and then it slipped out of my hands and cut my little finger.  Blood was dripping everywhere.  Tony went and got a bandage for me.  We also used some paw paw ointment.

It is healing nicely, but my poor finger is bruised.

From the Lens.............