A crescent moon...

Goodnight, sleep tight, don't let the bed bugs bite...they won't get a chance for me, hope not you either!

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This was a saying that Angus and Brianna used to say when they said goodnight each night..it was a race to be the first to say it!
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Cheers - Joolz

Hunters & Collectors Coonawarra Bus Trip...

On Saturday, after the fog had cleared we joined a merry crew for a trip to the Coonawarra wine region, 50 kms from where we live.

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Gaynor (our hostess with the mostest), kept us entertained with raffles and prize giveaways on the way there and back. She had dip and nibbles and easter choccies for us too.
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First stop, Katnook Estate. We were all feeling nice and happy. It was proving to be a lovely day.
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Next stop, Leconfield. The cellar door ladies made us feel very welcome and we tried lots of their lovely grape juices!

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We had lunch at the Prince of Wales pub in Penola. Lots of yummy dishes on the menu there. Our third stop was at Rymil Wines. The men got friendly with the statues.
(they were just horsing around!)
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Fourth port of call was Parker Wines. Once again, lovely wines on offer. We bought a few, here and there.
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Oh, the sky was so blue - not a cloud in the sky!

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On the way home, things got a little untidy! Oh dear, it's Barry the pole-dancer!
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All in all, a great, fun day. We had a great mix of people with different professions - 2 policemen, financial adviser, vehicle salesman, agronomist, 2 funeral directors, Castrol Oil rep and many domestic goddesses. I think everyone was just interested in having a good time. Same time, same place next year, folks!
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Cheers - Joolz

A foggy, dewy autumn morn....

On Saturday morning, we were greeted with a lovely foggy, damp morning. I raced out to take some photos.

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My back garden
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A dew covered cobweb
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and another...
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..I'm starting to freak out about these cobwebs because where there are webs, there are spiders!
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This really freaked me out! Our front lawn was just a sea of webs covering the grass. I walk over this grass every morning as I go for my walk. I'll use the driveway in future! Yick!
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They are pretty to look at though...
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(MCLeod's Daughters rose)

...and so are these.
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Back later with a few pics of our trip to Coonawarra on the second annual Hunters & Collectors bus trip. What a big day!

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Cheers - Joolz
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Busy times ahead...

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Things are getting busy around here. Clipsal weekend is over and gone. Its Friday already then this weekend we are off on a winery bus tour to the Coonawarra on Saturday. Sunday will be a catch up - laundry, tidying, baking, Gus will mow lawns and tidy outside. Another full week of work then it is the first round of our local football/netball league for the season. B15 has an all new netball uniform this year - a body suit style all-in-one top, skirt and knickers. Pretty flash!
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The following weekend, Gus' brother has his 40th Birthday so we are off for a party. K18 is coming home for that and to catch up with friends and have her hair coloured by her dear cous Bianca.
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Then Easter weekend we are off on a 2 week jaunt. It will be nice to spend time together as a family again since K18 has been away. We all miss each other very much. B15 is busting to see her.
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Looks like we are in for a nice weekend. This morning it was very crisp so I had to put on a long sleeved top for my walk. I can't believe how green things are now that we have had a sprinkle of rain. My back garden is a flush of colour with all my roses flowering.
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Have a good one - Joolz

NO SMOKING....!

It is 12 months today since I gave up smoking. I have not faltered once. I had my last cigarette (Alpine Ultra Lights) at 10.50am on Monday 25th March, 2008. I then went and got hypnotised in a group session with about 25 other people. I threw my cigarettes and lighter in the bin as I went in, lay down on the floor and listened to the hypnotist. One hour later I walked out and have not had a cigarette since. It maybe mind over matter, but it worked for me. It might work for you too, but you must really want to give up.

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I loved to smoke, but I really wanted to give it up too. I love the smell of ciggy smoke on the air. It was ruling my life - everywhere I went, I was checking if I could smoke there and if not, where could I?
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I found the habit harder to give up than the nicotine. I can tell you exactly at what time of the day I had each smoke. An hour after I arrived at work, one when I got home for lunch, another after I had lunch, another before I went back to work, another at 3pm, another when I picked B15 up from the bus, then several more until I went to bed. I suppose I was smoking about 18-20 a day.
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The nicotine withdrawal didn't seem to worry me as much as breaking the habit of going outside to have a smoke. Each night while making dinner, for example, I would get something going on the stove then turn it down so I could go have a smoke, then come back in and finish cooking the dish. When it was finished, I'd go outside for another. I would wander around my back garden, inspecting the plants, puffing away. When I gave up, my garden suffered because I didn't go outside to the garden. It became very neglected!
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Probably, one of the best things when I was giving up was the fact that none of my friends smoked so I didn't have to worry about being tempted. You immediately think people look really stupid, puffing and blowing smoke into the air like a chimney! Everytime I walked past the smoke counter in Woollies, I would say to myself - "I don't need smokes, I am a non smoker! " and "Look at that lady, wasting her money."
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Anyhoo, I am really proud of myself today. If you really want to give it up, I would recommend hypnotism - it worked for me!
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Sincerely, Joolz

Adelaide Clipsal 500 V8 Supercars....

Adelaide came alive on Sunday with the Clipsal 500 V8 Supercar race being held in perfect conditions. 'Ford took the crown - Jamie Whincup took the flag ahead of Holden's Will Davison as runner up.

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This is a view of a man's hat that he had painstakenly modelled into the Clipsal track, complete with cars, drivers, officials and all the bends and twists of the track. I snuck up close behind him (shadowing) and took the photo without him knowing. Lol! it was very cool.
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It was a great weekend!

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Cheers - Joolz

Natasha Richardson...

Natasha Richardson - R.I.P

I can't remember how many times my girls and I have watched this movie over the years but it is one of our all time favourites. I was so sad to hear that Natasha had tragically passed away. I enjoyed her acting in Parent Trap and also Maid in Manhatten. A beautiful woman, wife, mother, daughter, neice and lady - gone too soon.

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- Joolz

Explosion of pink in the garden....

I was out the back having a look at my garden when it dawned on me that my garden consists of mainly pink roses and flowers.

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See the little green critter having a munch on this rose?

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This carpet rose (coral pink) has not been pruned since winter 2007 (just didn't get around to doing it last year because I had tendonitis in my right arm) and it is about 5 feet high now.
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The latest addition to my garden. This is a Delbard Bordure Rose (delcoussi).
Probably hasn't had the best summer as it is at the dryest end of my garden where the auto sprinklers don't reach so it is lucky to get a hand water once a week. Still, it seems to be doing okay at the moment.

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Pink is definitely pretty.

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Cheers - Joolz

Why I live where I live...and love it!

Caroline at http://caroline-thesimplethings.blogspot.com/ has been showing us around her neck of the woods and she asked Why do you live where you live? So here goes.....

I was born nearly 45 years ago in the town where I live. My late father and his parents before him were born here too. It is a small country town of approx. 5,000 residents. It has been a great place to raise our two girls. We feel very safe living in this community. I can walk down the street and greet people who I have known all my life.

The air is clean and the seasons roll in giving you the crispness of autumn, the chill of winter, the freshness of spring and the heat of summer. We have been know to have 3 seasons in one week!
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The area is known as the Green Triangle (inland) and also the Limestone Coast (coastal). Even in summer, there is a bit of a tinge of green to the landscape (though not in this photo!) .

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The area is rich in primary industries like prime sheep and cattle grazing, dairy (agriculture) cropping (wheat, barley, oilseeds like canola & rapeseed, feed and seed beans, potatoes etc. and feed pastures), aquaculture, pine forests for timber and wood pulp for paper manufacturing at the KCA mill (employs some 600 people), blue gum farming (timber), rock lobster industry, vineyards (viticulture) and we have a wind turbine farm that is spread across the range just outside our town.
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(View over pine trees, with town in the distance)

There are over 130 windmills utilizing the crisp ocean breezes, generating power for SA and Vic power grids.
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Some of the main attractions and facilities in our town are our Civic & Arts Centre which is used for live performances, large functions like wedding and cabarets. The complex houses an Art Gallery which has first class local and travelling exhibits and there is an extensive library.
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The Living History Museum is a popular attraction and has the reputation for being one of the best regional museums in SA. It features Victoriana, Aboriginal, maritime and natural history displays and the largest collection of horse-drawn vehicles in SA.
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Our Tourist Information Centre is staffed by knowledgeable locals who volunteer their time to assist visitors. Locally crafted souvenirs and treasures from the region are on sale.
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We have a man-made swimming lake (chlorinated), open from Oct-April, admittance is free of charge and it is patrolled by lifeguards during the busy summer season. Extensive grassed areas are great for summer picnics and get togethers. A Vac-Swim programme operates in January for swimming lessons.

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We have a new Mega Playground which is enjoyed by children and adults alike. It is completely enclosed with lots of play equipment - swings, flying-fox, slides, climbing ropes etc. We have heard of people who have travelled 400kms from the Adelaide to let their children play here. There are under-cover gas BBQs next to the playground to cater for families. Also nearby is a good skate park for boards and bikes.
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Lake McIntyre, just a few kilometers out of town, is a man-made lake and home to many species of native birdlife with board walks and bird-watching hides and grassed picnic areas.
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We have a modern Hospital, Sheoak Lodge Nursing home (state of the art) and Boneham Cottage Homes for aged care. Sporting facilities are well patronized and include - 3 court Basketball
Stadium, Bowling Club, Soccer Club, Football Club, Squash courts, Cricket and Tennis Clubs, Sporting Clay Shooting club, Photographic Club, History group and active Rotary, Lions & Apex Clubs.
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The town hosts a 3 day Agricultural & Horticultural Show in early November. Horse eventing (show jumping, dressage) is a big draw card for the show, together with a huge Moto-cross motorbike feature held on the Friday night, plus an extensive fireworks display.

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A local Farmers Market operates weekly with a huge range of handicrafts and produce. There are 2 primary schools, one high school and a Catholic primary school with buses running from outlying areas. A bus also travels to the Catholic college in the nearest major city, 50 kms away - a 40 minute drive through pine forests and grazing country. You are nearly always guaranteed to see a kangaroo or two when travelling at night time.

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(Family and friends enjoying a day at the beach)

There are two fishing ports close by (22 kms & 35 kms). Both of these towns have safe, clean swimming beaches, near coastal National Parks and are accessable by 4WD vehicles and the population of these town expands over the summer months with affordable holiday rental houses being a popular form of accomodation. Both towns have good caravan parks. A seaside holiday is within easy reach and local seafood is on the menu at most eateries.
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This is just one stretch of the pristine beaches close by. Cars can access this beach easily.
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This is a favourite spot of ours which is about 1 hours drive through sand dunes to get to it. It is a horseshoe shaped bay with a reef that holds out all the nasties so that swimming is safe in the shallows. You can fish from the rocks, fossick for crabs and shells, kick back and enjoy the sound of the waves rolling in.
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In our main shopping area we have: 3 supermarkets, 2 hardware stores, 1 paint shop, 1 sports store, 1 surf shop, 1 photo/scrapbooking shop, 1 electrical appliance store, 5 hairdressers (including 1 with a day spa), 2 new/used vehicle dealerships (Ford/Land Rover and Toyota), 3 fuel stations, 1 shoe shop, 1 nail salon, 2 chemists, 6 delicatessens, 2 chicken takeaways, 1 Chinese/Thai takeaway, 2 pizza joints, 3 oubs, 3 banks plus sub-agencies, 1 newsagent, 1 Community Club, a post office, police station, 5 ladies clothing boutiques, 1 Target Country store, 1 menswear shop, 1 huge laundrette, Accountants, Lawyers & Solicitors, Centrelink office, Community Health, 2 tyre centres, 3 stock agents, 5 real estate agents, 2 bargain $2 shops, 1 fabric/quilt shop, 1 wood furniture shop. Anything else we need is only 50 kms away
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(View of our main street)
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A few things that our town does not have that would be handy - a cinema & a heated swimming pool for winter use.

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Nearly all of my immediate family live in this town - My mother, 3 out of 4 sisters, 5 out of 8 nieces and nephews and their growing families, hubbys mother and his sister and her family. It is important to have family nearby and we have a strong support network because of this. I have never had to pay a babysitter to look after my children.
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By car, we are 4 hours from Adelaide and 5.5 hours from Melbourne or 1 hour by plane to either.

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Sounds like I have everything at my fingertips, doesn't it? You'd be right.

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I love living where I live!
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I hope youve enjoyed a quick trip around my area,

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Cheers - Joolz

Mulberry Jam...

B15 and I went Mulberry picking on Sunday - not sure who owns the tree but I'm sure they won't miss a few of these beauties. With what I had frozen from last time and this trip, I had just under 2 kgs so I made jam.
It made 12 jars. It is quite tart in taste but should be good on toast or drizzled over icecream.
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Cheers - Joolz