Hey don't forget to pause the music over on the right
the middle button (") will do that..
then prepare to giggle along...
scroll down and click on play

end the year with a laugh!

2007: My Year in Review

BESTS:

Book - tough call this -

Non Fiction: Jane Fonda's Biog.

Fiction: Paullina Simmons 'Road to Paradise' which I must finish by midnight.

See my bookwritingblog link in index to right to read more about what I have read this year.

Movie - Miss Potter - for the personal serendipitous moment in it, plus the animations.

Favourite Song - I keep going back to the 'Anniversary Song' by Eva Cassidy.

The sound of it, the tune, the lyrics.

Funniest Moment: Watching Eiko do the twist at her 60th Birthday party

Saddest Moment: Watching mother struggle in hospital.

Best event: attending book signing by Paullina Simmons. (scroll down)

Best visitors: brother and Uncle

Highlight: reaching 1000 kms on my scooter.

Lowlight: someone running over top of my scooter (I was not on it)

Greatest Relief...I was insured.

Poignant Moment: Thai dinner with mum the night before she was air ambulanced home.

Best student: Eiko!

Favourite Radio Program: Tony Delroy's Nightlife on ABC

Best Surprise: My laptop

New Skill: digital artwork and loading video clips from my mobile (cell)phone on to my Blog.

Best Craft: Made a mini cottage garden (inspired by my mother's)

Best Win: Tickets to the Opera

Best TV show - still like my old favs ER, Amazing race, don't watch much really.

and YES! Home and Away.

Fed Up with - Elections.

Wonder about: Maddie (where is she) and why haven’t they caught 'Pumpkin's' dad yet.

T'was a great year for thinking, break-withs as opposed to break throughs (Covey says one is the other)

personal growth, weight control, exercise and yoga implementation; overcoming life long fears,

passing medical check ups with flying colours; exploring and learning.

As ever, a great year for/with great friends.

The best thing I learnt all year was that I love my mother and she loves me.

I learnt to value her experiences and wisdom she shares with me. I began to learn some things shefeels will be important for me. I learnt that we could talk through life-long-tough stuff andresolve it.

At the end of this year what do I know?

The glass really is half full.

All things are possible.

and to expect the unexpected...be it good bad or indifferent.

Toowoomba: view from front verandah

Eiko decorates Christmas Tree:clip from phone

Australia Day 2007: Getting ready!

I am inspired by this image...

high above a southern city in Argentina.

this house is up for auction in Toronto, I think.
It is built where a lane was intended to go.

One or the other...

You will need to scroll down

and pause the music in the index

#6 in top 10 gadget ads for 2007

One or the other

You will need to scroll down

and pause the music in the index

so you can hear the You Tube clip....

A hautingly beautiful song

I received these in my Christmas stocking.

Another tragedy - another loss.

'If I am murdered...' Benazir Bhutto wrote in October ... more information HERE

Violence and grief erupts as nations and individuals
strive to come to grips
with the murder
of Pakistani Political Contender Mrs Bhutto.
Another light extinguished - too soon.

Melbourne Icon

One of the famouse Oak trees on St Kilda Road in Melbourne.

Melbourne looking Green

Recycled water is keeping Melbourne's park green.
This is the park opposite the St Kilda Beach.

St Kilda

The Airport Bus weaves through many suburbs - here passing through St Kilda.

My Bag waits for the bus.

I thought now days, a bag alone was something we are meant to be concerned about. No one stopped or even looked as they drove past my suitcase waiting alone at the bus stop. I was near by in the shade.

Christmas Lights in Melbourne

I was driven passed these on the way home from babysitting.

Late lunch.

Ceasar salad

Bus to Melbourne airport.

Heading back to Brisbane.

Christmas DAY Luncheon

seved on the beautiful table you can see further down...

THERE IS A SPACE PROBLEM
IN THIS AND THE NEXT DOWN POST...
I'M NOT SURE WHY..
PLEASE SCROLL ON DOWN

Christmas Eve Luncheon

The 2 Grandfather's went to kindergarten all those years ago. Members of the 2 families gathered for a Christmas Eve Luncheon in Decembver 2007.

The oldest guest was 85 the youngest 6 the day before .

The Year in Pictures

TIME magazine (with CNN) Presents ..click HERE

A special and unexpected 'gift' was the request to Bless the food
before we ate our special Christmas Dinner.

Although old enough to know better we are none the less young enough not to care,

we were awake at 2am and so we opened some parcels.

It was exciting! Then we went back to sleep.

All dressed up to party...

A glorious Melbourne day was the best gift we could have.

After the rains, and storms and given that other places were sweltering in extreme heat,

and struggling with weird weather.

A gentle breeze enhanced the afternoon sunshine
as we sat in the garden
eating seasonal berries and pineapple pie.

Christmas Day 2007

A table set with love and care, and creativity.

We feasted upon seasonal delights.

A family together.

It's raining, It's pouring

This was fun! A first time for me...inair Cable TV. I watched a doco on rebuiliding Stonehenge and then CNN. (of course)

At the airport I was surprised to find a very long line of people for Virgin Blue checkins and a mere handful for Qantas. There were huge storms and flash flooding in Melbourne, however I had come prepared for delays with my laptop and a triple DVD pack. Also I was more than 90 minutes early. They tried to get me on the flight before mine, but at checkin stage it seemed to be fully booked. Nice thought though.

My hand luggage was scanned and I was scanned with a detector, this made me a little anxious as I thought my metal heart valves my trigger the censor, but no so on my way I went.

Christmas Trip to Melbourne

Waiting for the Airtrain in a very hot Central Station

I drove to the city and met a sweet friend for lunch. Then I walked to Central Railway station to catch the AirTrain to the Airport.

When we went over the now infamous roundabout at airport drive, and the associated traffic jam,

I finally managed to find some good feelings about this train service.

roses from Eiko

Why the Turkey Story?

My father told me this story (below) every year and that is how I knew that Christmas was upon us...

no one wants to hear it now, so I have posted it here as I want to tell it.

So there you go dad, the turkey story has been shared.

Now I know it must be almost Christmas...

thanks dad, I love you!
And you too mum!

It Must Be Nearly Christmas Becasue

One Christmas, when my father was younger he was sent, or realised there was no turkey for the Christmas Dinner.

He went with a friend (I don't know who - maybe it was an older brother) and they drove out into the country and saw a turkey sitting on a fence post.

They parked the truck and carefully climbed the fence some distance from the turkey, in the approach to it. The circled around and snuck up behind it. They managed to throw the sack over the unsuspecting birds head before it knew they were there.

Voila! Turkey for Christmas Dinner!

A reading of Dickins 'A Christmas Carol' is on Nightlife on ABC radio, listen live HERE

Each night until Christmas, sometime after midnight Brisbane time.

Night Visitors

Brown paper packages tied up with...

...well, not string in this case.

As the drought breaks...

the land was lush and green as we traveled west. Not what I expected at all.
Rather like the gentle rolling plains of New Zealand farmland.

Turns out that 'a run to the farm' isn't about running, but driving out there!
phew...

Life on the farm....

west beyond Drayton...

Cardboard Men in the Lyric Foyer

I found these guys just siting around...clever work I thought.

Nutcracker Ballet at the Lyric Theatre

While I am familiar with the music and some of the dances in this wonderful ballet I have not in fact seen the entire performance before. It was magic and wonderful. I was impressed with the dancing and characterisations - and the sets were delightful: creative and evocative.

Interesting Sign on the Warrego Highway heading west.

On the Road to Toowoomba

near Gatton

A Quote for the day

Problems can become opportunities when the right people come together.

Redford, Robert on Problems

Quote from Quotations Book

I think it applies in reverse also"
Opportunities can become problems when the right people do not (or fail to) come together.

powerpoint presentations and learning about Photostory

Over the last couple of weeks I have learnt a lot more about how to use this program.
I Googled and found a tutorial on how to imbed music and that worked really well.

A local someone who 'cooks a lot of rice' taught me how to get music in the format required and then when I called my favourite Help Desk I learnt how to save the presentation so it could be played even if the PC does not have power point installed.
(well it would have been good to know that last Christmas)

Then in a throw away line I was asked if I was familiar with Microsoft Photostory?
I AM NOW!!!

SEE ABOVE IMAGE

if you are using an authorised version of Windows then PHOTOSTORY can download it for free from HERE

Myspace Christmas Graphics