Rain!

Hey, hey, hey...guess what? We got rain here today. I was very excited at work when I went on the Met Bureau's site and looked at the radar. It was raining at my place! And...and, it also rained at the train station where I drive each morning. My car's parked there all day and today it rained. It looks like a new car! The rain must have been pretty heavy to get all the dirt off...(blush). But my little Getz is lovely and white again.

Wacol (where I catch the train) is so dusty and I believe less rain falls in that area than anywhere else. So leaving my car there all day, even two days a week, means that I have to wash the dust off the windscreen and then there are muddy streaks where the wipers don't reach! Plus at home I only have a carport rather than a garage and because it's been so dry, there's another layer of dust. What's the point of washing the car??

Anyway, I'm sure that because of the lack of dirt, my car was lighter to drive tonight (and it went faster, too!...oops). I was on the motorway but even though I was doing 110 kph at one stage, people were passing me...the speed limit is 100 kph. I don't usually do above the speed limit and find when I'm on the motorway or freeway, it's so easy to creep up over the limit.

However, I do not want a speeding fine so I do keep within the legal limit...usually. I remember a couple of years ago...again when I was working full time covering for holiday leave...for a week there were coppers everywhere I went, pointing radar guns at me. It got to the point I was starting to take it personally! Especially since I hadn't seen any sign of police for the previous 18 months. Actually thinking about that, it's probably about time they'll be on my route home any time now. That's all right, I've paid my registration and I will keep within the speed limit.

It's getting closer to the weekend and my stint of full time work ends on Friday week...you'll hear me yelling "woohoo" for sure.

You Know You're Living in the Noughties When...

1. You accidentally enter your password on the microwave.

2. You haven't played solitaire with real cards in years (or mahjongg with real tiles).

3. You have a list of 15 phone numbers to reach your family of three.

4. You email the person who works at the desk next to you.

5. Your reason for not staying in touch with friends and family us that they don't have email

addresses.

6. You pull up in your own driveway and use your mobile phone to see if anyone is at home to

help you carry in the groceries.

7. Every commercial on television has a web site at the bottom of the screen.

8. Leaving the house without your mobile phone, which you didn't have the first 20 or 30 (0r

60) years of your life, is now a cause for panic and you turn around to go and get it.

9. You get up in the morning and go on line before getting your coffee.

10. You start tilting your head sideways to smile :)

11. You're reading this and nodding and laughing.

There has been rain in the catchment areas, but not a lot, and none at our place. I had a comment from Peter in Gympie saying they'd had a reasonable bit of rain. There were a couple of good downpours in the city much to everyone's delight. Hopefully we'll get some more. With level six water restrictions staring us in the face, I certainly hope so. Apparently, we're heading for La Nina conditions, rather than El Nino, which is supposed to be good. I'll believe it when I see it.

Brisbane is the only capital city on level five restrictions, which goes to show how dry South-east Queensland is.

Oh well, we live in hope of water falling from the sky. It's got to sooner or later...preferably sooner.

Soapbox Time

I've just finished reading a book called "Obsession" by a British writer called Susan Lewis. It would loosely come under the genre, if there was one, of "Chick Lit". It's a murder, mystery, romance, psychological thriller type book, well written and set in the television industry. First published in 1993, it features the usual sex scenes, but not gratuitously so, and some rather disturbing scenes written of the sexual abuse and degradation of women and children. Again, a lot is left to the reader's imagination but enough is given for the reader to get a pretty clear idea of what is going on. All well and good (or maybe not).

On the cover of this book is, in black print, the comment "deliciously decadent" with, underneath, in green print, "Living". Presumably some yuppie-type lifestyle magazine. I've never heard of it, not that that means anything, but it gave me pause to wonder. Who, in their right mind, would call sexual abuse and degradation of women and children, deliciously decadent? Only someone with serious psychological problems themselves, I reckon. I mean this is the background of the whole story...because the main protagonist commits murder trying to exorcise what was done to himself and his sister, as children, by a violent and perverted father.

To call this novel deliciously decadent is crass and unmitigatingly insensitive and I really do wonder about the git who wrote that comment. Was he/she so totally oblivious to what this book was about, or did they close their eyes to the thread of abuse running through the story, or did they even read the bloody book? I find it very hard to credit that someone would make that comment and that whoever designed the cover, would actually include the comment without questioning it (then again, they probably hadn't read the book, either).

Actually, if I'd had any idea of the storyline, I probably wouldn't have taken the book out of the library in the first place. As I said, the scenes aren't too graphic, but are descriptive enough to give anyone a chilling insight into what these women and children had to put up with. The blurb gave no idea whatsoever about that. When I read the few lines on the back of the cover, I thought it was murder mystery with a bit of romance and naturally, a bit of the bitchiness and sabotage that probably goes on in that industry...and I felt like a bit of "Chick Lit" this weekend.

Anyway, that's my rant...thanks for listening or, should I say, reading. I hope you've had a lovely weekend. No rain, but what's new?

Another Meme

I got this from Meow's blog. I won't pass it on to anyone in particular, but if you want to do it, just copy it and replace my answers with yours.

1. The phone rings; whom do you want it to be?

Ooh, the Golden Casket office telling me I've won first division.

2. When shopping at the grocery store, do you return your cart?

Yes

3. If you had to kiss again the last person you kissed, would you?

Yes, it my lovely little grandson, Cooper. I love kissing and cuddling him.

4. Do you take compliments well?

Better than I used to.

5. Do you play Sudoku?

No, give me a cryptic crossword any day.

6. If abandoned alone in the wilderness, would you survive?

Probably not.

7. Do you like nipple rings?

Yuk, no!

8. Did you ever go to camp as a kid?

Sure did. My parents weren't well off and it was a lovely as well as cheap holiday.

9. If a sexy person were pursuing you, but you knew he/she were married what would you do?

Run in the opposite direction.

10. Could you date someone with different religious beliefs than you?

Yep, as long as they didn't try to convert me. I would respect their religion, though, but not necessarily adapt it.

11. Do you like to pursue or be pursued?

Depends on who is doing the pursuing and depends on whether I wanted to pursue!

12. Use three words to describe yourself at the moment:

Calm, tired, full.

13. Do any songs make you cry?

Yes, but I can't remember which ones.

14. Are you continuing your education?

Not at the moment, although I believe we never stop learning.

15. Do you know how to shoot a gun?

Yes, and I can outshoot my brothers.

16. If your house were on fire, what would be the first thing you grabbed?

Oscar, my photos and my purse.

17. Who was the last person you shared a bed with?

Oscar.

18. Whom do you text the most?

My daughters

19. Favorite children’s books?

Famous Five, Secret Seven, Narnia

20. What do you buy at the movies?

Maltesers.

21. Do you know how to play poker?

Yes

22. Do you wear your seat belt?

I certainly do.

So there you go, some more useless information about me. At least it's pretty innocuous and you can't blackmail me with it...lol. Now, I'm going to check my Lotto numbers to save Golden Casket the trouble of ringing me.

For all Baby Boomers

You've gotta see this. Go on to You Tube and enter the Zimmers and play the video. It was on Seven News tonight. Just goes to show that life starts at 90!

* * * * * * *

A few days ago, I was thinking...great! Just one more week to go on the five days a week working caper and I can go back to my two days and not feel so tired. Wrong! I miscalculated and I still have two weeks to go...I checked the calender and June 8 is today fortnight.

After my last couple of hectic weekends, I'm not going anywhere or having anyone over this weekend. I even braved the hordes at the supermarket last night to do my shopping and I also had my hair cut. I hate going anywhere near the shops on late night shopping but I did last night just so I didn't have to shop in the weekend.

* * * * * * * *

For those overseas bloggers, Queensland won on Wednesday night. The series is out of three games. The next game will be held in Sydney, so we have our fingers crossed. One of the doctors' secretaries was living dangerously on Wednesday. She came to work with a NSW patch on her uniform (!) and when anyone commented on it, she lifted it up to display a button saying "As If!".

That's it for tonight, I'll try and get around to visiting you all but it may take me a couple of days. But...I'll be there eventually.

State of Origin tonight

PUSS IN BOOTS...PROUD QUEENSLAND SUPPORTER

Unfortunately, I won't be watching it as kick off's at 8 o'clock and I'll be in bed by then...albeit reading but I'll be asleep by nine at the latest.

Anyway, Queensland versus New South Wales tonight. The train was packed until Milton station when heaps of people got off to head for Suncorp Stadium...all with their maroon jerseys, scarves, hats, banners, etc. Anyone wearing blue got a bit of flack, but it was good natured.

So...Maroons you'd better squash those cockroaches. I've got some really good cockroach spray that works amazingly well on the critters at home...maybe I should buy a few cans and donate them. They should work equally well on the field...evil laugh!

Ok, Queensland, you're on the line tonight. Everybody let's give them some encouragement!

One...two...three...

QUEENSLANDER!!!!!!!!

I'm Tired and Cranky

This working full time is no fun...nothing done at home, Oscar's getting bolshy and I'm TIRED! Now I know why I stopped working five days a week, the two days will be going down the drain too, next year and then I'll just do my work from home. But I can't give up my two days until my car's paid off, which is at the end of the year.

So that's my grump for the day.

On Thursday, the third Pirates of the Caribbean movie starts...I'm going to see that one. I enjoyed the first two and unlike most follow ons, the second Pirate movie was better than the first and the first was pretty good!

I'm also going to buy myself some shoes, a memory stick for my camera, get a new tyre, put the car in for a service (I'll go shopping while that's happening, heheh!) and get my hair done. I'm going to have a busy weekend, methinks. Fun one, though.

Anyway, this is just a quick post tonight before I go to bed. I'm having really early nights lately.

Ciao for now

The Kindness of a Stranger

First, thank you all for your messages of faith in me after my post about my ex-colleague. I have felt on top of the world both with your kind comments plus the fact that I've been able to prove my innocence. It's a wonderful feeling because for the last three-and-a-half years it has bugged me. Now I can lay it to rest.

Now for the next post. Yesterday, I had my granddaughter over for the day as her mother was at a netball carnival with her sister. Then her younger brother was dropped off from a weekend stay with his dad and I took them both home.

The road I live in is about 4 km long and although it's not a freeway, it's plenty wide enough for two cars to pass with ease. However yesterday, I had both my grandchildren in the car, we were driving down the road when this navy four wheel drive came towards us, more on my side of the road than his. I had to take evasive action to the left and hit a very rough part of the verge. There was a hell of a bang so I stopped and checked. One front left-hand tyre dead as a dodo. The speed limit is 70 km and I was doing that, so I hit this rough part in rather a hurry.

Oh well, nothing for it...I had to change the tyre. So, kids out, gear out of the boot and haul the tyre, jack and start undoing the nuts. A ute pulled up and this guy got out and offered his help which I gratefully accepted.

Let me tell you this...the jacks that Hyundai provide with their cars are less than useless. The gadget they provide to wind the jack up just doesn't do its job. It slips and makes the job long and difficult and probably dangerous. If that guy hadn't pulled up and used his own jack (after giving mine a go), we'd still be there!

Anyway, this kind stranger changed the tyre for me and sped on his merry way before I got his name so I could at least buy him a petrol voucher or something. However, I will write to the Courier-Mail and thank him that way.

It's really lovely to know that there are still people in the world who will lend a hand to a stranger and I really thank that chap. He didn't have to stop for me, but he did, and I very much appreciate his kindness. It's people like that who restore my faith in human nature.

Comments

On reviewing my current post, I've noticed the comments section is missing. I've tried to put it back on...but with no luck.

I'm not sure what I can do about it...maybe I'll try cutting and pasting into a new post. I'll see what happens...

I've just checked and the comments section is on this post, so it could you please add your comments on the last post to this post? Confusing, I know.

Karma Strikes...and Vindicates Me

I decided to do the work for the orthopods today. They didn't pay me $50 an hour but they paid pretty well. But, there is another reason why I said yes. You ever get the feeling you have to say "yes" to something you're rather ambivalent about doing? Well that's what happened to me.

I have to go back about four years. I was working as a temp and one of my assignments was this orthopod practice which had just been set up about six weeks prior to my assignment. Consequently there was a few weeks' work there. So I pounded the keyboard for them for about 10 days and was offered a permanent job. As I had rather enjoyed the assignment and the surgeons I met were really nice, I jumped at it.

So I helped set up systems for them, tackled the backlog of reports and watched the practice grow. Eventually, they decided I needed someone to help me (much to my relief) and hired a lady who had worked in the same building. (The practice is in a large hospital). I was just so relieved to have someone to assist with the backlog of work, I welcomed the new lady with open arms. Her first comment to me was, "I'm here to work, not have a social life." Okaaaay, I thought to myself, so be it.

I duly taught her the ropes and I reckon I was pretty helpful, but it wasn't long before I was thinking...oh no, a control freak. Bear in mind I had set the system up that we were using, however this lady decided that I needed to be told my job. Little hints didn't work, so I used humour...Ohhh, I didn't realise you were practice manager...chuckle. Nothing worked. So I had a chat with the practice manager, mentioned I was having issues and told her I was going to have a chat with this lady (butt covering exercise...grin).

Baaaad move. After my, what I thought, was a reasonable chat about the fact that I didn't need to be told my job and I'm sure that if there were problems, the practice manager or the doctors would let us know, she become worse. It didn't help when one of the doctors, every time he brought back my work to be finalised, told me how good the work was and how fast I was. I could feel the waves of resentment and dislike, so much so I felt really uncomfortable and wished he would shut up!

The day came when I was given a large documenting job to do. I worked for weeks on this, to the extent that I took draft copies home, checked and amended them in my own time. Once I was truly satisfied they were correct after my hours of proofreading and checking, I printed out final copies and gave them to the doctors, destroying the drafts.

A week went by and the practice manager called me into her office and tore a strip off me for the mistakes in the work. I was totally gobsmacked and said so. Her comment was, "Do you think someone else has done this?" I mean what do you say? I didn't have a leg to stand on, but I knew that work wasn't mine. One clue was a misspelled word. Now, at work, I always read the work through and spellcheck. I can't afford not to, and I said that to the practice manager. I also said there'd been no problem with my work up until then, so what was going on?

I eventually left rather than have my reputation ruined. I was very unhappy and it was the best thing for me.

To cut a long story short, today I got the answers and was vindicated, much to my delight. The new lady I trained was sacked yesterday. She was a complete controller and manipulator, they couldn't keep staff and the morale of the place was at zero. How all this came to light was that this lady couldn't get her way about something, threw a tantrum, stormed off downstairs to have a cigarette, slipped, fell and broke her arm quite badly. It required surgery and she was off work for eight weeks.

Then...things started coming out. The practice manager was appalled as were the doctors. It's too long to go into here...suffice to say people's eyes were opened and a watch was kept on her. It all ended with her being sacked a fortnight ago and finishing up yesterday. (Who would wait around for the fortnight's notice to end, especially after being sacked...I'd have demanded to be paid out and gone.)

Now with regard to my work, I'd always had my suspicions, but I couldn't believe someone would actually do that to another person. Sabotage their work? It was the stuff of movies, wasn't it? Pretty naive of me, I must admit. But to have my suspicions confirmed (I wasn't the only one) was wonderful and being able to tell the practice manager exactly what went on and to describe how I felt was complete closure.

So...the Universe was working for me and I was able to prove my innocence and put the whole sad episode to rest. This lady's behaviour was so bad, from what I was told today, that it seems she needs psychiatric help...sad, really. But a person cannot go through life treating people like that and not expect it to bounce back. As one psychiatrist I sometimes do work for likes to day, "She has no insight into her problems." So true in this case, as far as she was concerned it was every one else's fault.

But I feel GOOOOOOD!

I've been tagged

I have been tagged by Meeyauw.

Here are the rules:

Each player starts with seven random facts about themselves. (Cats who are tagged need to write on their own blog about the seven things and the rules. You need to choose seven cats to tag and list their names.) Don’t forget to leave them a comment that they have been tagged and to read your blog!Here are my seven random facts:

I spent the night in gaol in the early 70s.
I adore smoked oysters
I love watching Home and Away (Please don't hold that against me)
I'm a closet award winning author (I wish)
I love broccoli
I don't like pears.
I'm allergic to marriage

I guess I was a bit of a wild child in my youth...age has tempered that. But I was protesting over the Vietnam War...a good reason to protest and it was peaceful. It was a "sit in" and we didn't fight against being arrested...we just...sat. Actually the coppers weren't too bad, I think they felt the same way, but they had a job to do.

Now I tag:

1. Lee
2. Merle
3. Jeanette
4. Meow
5. Pea
6. Peter
7. Rel

* * * * * *

I had a really strange day yesterday. As you may remember, I'm doing a full time stint while my colleague is enjoying herself in England and France. Well, about 10.00 am yesterday my mobile rings. On the other end is the practice manager from an orthopaedic clinic I used to work at about four years ago. I had said that I would be available to fill in if they wanted...so she rang yesterday with a story of staff on leave, work piling up and could I help them out? Of course I had to tell her I was working full time for the next few weeks. Her next question...could I work in the weekends?

I ask you...I'm doing 8 hours a day, five days a week, plus two hours travelling a day and my weekends are now being poached? I don't think so. Anyway, I told her I'd think about it. I've thought...and I'll do it for $50 per hour. If they're that desperate they'll pay me, otherwise? Well I don't really care...heheheh!

Mother's Day

I had a lovely day today...Mother's Day. Both my daughters, their respective partners and five out of seven grandchildren,one with her boyfriend, came along, too. That was 11 people in my small place...however, no-one worried about it. The teenagers sprawled on the floor and the adults were able to have the chairs.

We had two bottles of strawberry champagne, thanks to No 2 Daughter. That went down very well, indeed. We took photos, some of us with cameras, others with their mobile phones. Cooper had a wonderful time. I had the radio going and he turned the volume down...then later on turned it back up again. A very loud rock song suddenly belted out and he shot off, then turned to look to ensure it wasn't coming after him...really funny.

It was an overcast but warm day...we'd had rain during the night and first thing in the morning, but it certainly didn't dampen spirits, quite the opposite. It was lovely to have clouds instead of endless sunshine. The ground was wet, the dust settled and the trees looked quite refreshed.

Back to the luncheon. We finally ate around two o'clock after waiting for some stragglers. The quiches, one bacon, the other vegetarian (spinach and leek), smoked chicken, salads and hot bread disappeared. There was silence apart from the sound of munching. Once people had blunted their appetites, conversation started up again. I had made a banana cake this morning and iced it with cream cheese icing. One of the grandchildren had bought his mother a beesting, so that was on the dessert menu, too, along with fresh fruit salad.

After that little lot and some more champers, all were replete and then the conversation started getting quite ridiculous (as it does when champers is involved). I was so pleased with my two eldest grandchildren, though. They were both driving and very responsibly just stuck to soft drink only. They are only too aware of the dangers and also the fact that, both being probationer drivers, they could lose their licences...so, they had their OJ and flavoured milk drinks. Thank heavens, they don't worry about what others may think...actually, Nick, my eldest grandson, doesn't even particularly like alcohol. He rarely drinks, if at all.

Anyway, we had a wonderful day...it's always nice for the cousins to get together and catch up on what each is up to. Poor Gabbie was rather quiet, though. She hurt her knee at netball last weekend and had to go on a biology camp at Stradbroke Island for school. The poor girl was in a lot of pain and on the third day, her teacher rang my daughter asking if Gabbie was able to be given something to help the pain. They were going home later that day and Gabbie was supposed to have been playing indoor netball that night. The painkillers kicked in and she felt she could take the opposing team on her own. To her chagrin, her mother and her coach wouldn't let her play. She's got to see the physiotherapist tomorrow...and from there, who knows?

Anyway, that was my Mother's Day. I tried to ring my mum, but she was out. Probably one of my brothers had taken them out for lunch. As they're two hours ahead of us, I didn't expect a phone call back, so I'll try again tomorrow.

I hope you all had a wonderful day with your families.

I've Been Critiqued!

Yes, I've had my blog critiqued and Billy Mac has very nice things to say about it. So...below are the comments, giving me bragging rights...yeah!.

Puss in boots brings us a fantastic blog that reads so naturally and freely you can feel like your a fly on the wall. I started to read her posts and felt like I needed to continue from post to post. One thing that I would add is a site meter (http://www.sitemeter.com/) to see how many fans you have visiting your blog each day. Her most recent post about eating pistachios in bed is a great example of her writing style. I recommend a visit. Great job with the blog and keep up the nice work

Isn't he a nice man, and I've taken his advice and added a site meter, too. Thank you, Billy! So if you want your blog critiqued go the link in my sidebar and send Billy an email. I think it's a wonderful way to get one's blog "out there".

That has been the high spot of my week. I've been bashing the keyboard in the city all week, mainly to get the bulk of the work out of the way so I can start next week without a huge pile of patient charts staring accusingly at me, while my colleague swans off to France and England. Unfortunately, because I haven't yet learnt how to be in two places at once, I had to notify my home job that I wouldn't be available until 08 June. The reply was "aaaarrrrrgh!". It happens every time I have to do a full time stint...for some reason or other, the work at home goes absolutely haywire. So I did six hours for them this morning and I'll do some more tomorrow (if I get up early enough).

The reason why I need to get up early is because I had a bright idea while I was grocery shopping today. I thought I would put on lunch for the family tomorrow for Mother's Day. However, I was not really worried about having to do this because I thought they would have other plans. Oh, I knew they'd pop in, but they have their mothers-in-law to visit as well.

Anyway, I phoned both girls and yes, they'd love to come for lunch tomorrow. So...I've made salads, quiches, fruit salad and tomorrow morning, I'll make a banana cake. We'll also have cold smoked chicken, Turkish bread and strawberry champagne which is sooooo yummy! The grandkids are coming as well, which I was rapt about...I love seeing them. Especially as two of them are moving overseas in two or three months' time.

Another reason why I want to get up really early is to help out a bit with work...eight hundred files downloaded to be done by us by Monday...gulp! Our fingers will be worn down to the elbows at that rate.

I hope you ladies all have a wonderful Mother's Day, whether you are mothers or not. I shall finish with a quote which I rather like.

Avenge yourself...live long enough to be a worry to the kids! Heheheh...

Eating Pistachios in Bed

Believe me, that is not a good idea. I did it the other night. I went to be early (for a change) to read, as there wasn't anything on TV that particularly interested me. As I'd had a very light dinner...soup...I felt a trifle peckish after about an hour or so. I would have loved some chocolate, but sadly I had none. So...I grabbed a handful of pistachios and a small bowl to put the shells in.

Trying to read and crack pistachios has its trials, I would want to turn a page so would have to drop the nut back in the bowl, turn the page and try again. Some of them were so difficult to crack open, it would be page turning time again...repeat steps two and three. Not only that, but if I was in an exciting part of the book, I missed the bowl and the shells ended up in the bed. They're worse than toast crumbs.

I can hear the thought processes...eating pistachios in bed? Eating toast in bed? Hey, it's my bed, I'll eat what I want in it. The only one who would worry is Oscar and he couldn't care less. It's one of the sublime blisses of living on one's own...I can eat what I like, when I like and where I like.

I very rarely go back to bed after I have risen. Once I'm up, that's it. If I do make myself a coffee and some toast to take back to bed...I feel decidedly hedonistic. No, my usual time for eating in bed is evening...on those evenings I go to bed early enough to do so...not that that happens all that often, either. I'm a bit of a night owl, even though I do get up early. But usually when I have a late night snack, I'm either on the computer or watching TV...not in bed.

However, the other night I was in bed and because I had no chocolate, pistachios it was. I must have missed a shell in the sheets because at some stage, I remember something being bloody uncomfortable and sticking into me, but couldn't wake up enough to do anything about it. Sure enough, when I made the bed the next morning, there it was. One neat half of pistachio shell lying very innocently on the sheet.

I don't mind eating in bed...it's the crumbs and/or shells from the toast/nuts that annoy the hell out of me. Because no matter how much and how carefully you brush the sheets, you do not get rid of all the detritus from those two food stuffs. It must be sod's law...eat in bed...pay the price!

However, I only do that in my own home...I would hate for people to know what a slob I really am...chortle.

Friday Night Musings

What a week. I have been working extra days in the city to cover for illness. Wouldn't you believe it, all doctors were back from their conferences, holidays, charity rides, etc and the charts were multiplying at a rapid rate. I'm going to need more than two glasses of wine to recover...and the week after next I have three weeks of full time to cover for holiday leave. My colleague is swanning off to France...so I'll be a wreck by the time I finish that stint. I'm really not used to working full time, haven't done it for a few years.

Cooper and his mum came and visited yesterday. They are off to New Zealand to see his great grandmother in a couple of weeks but she doesn't know they are coming. It's a surprise for her. I nearly put my foot in it when I was talking to my mum on Sunday and managed to save myself just in time.

I'm watching the movie "Whale Rider". It's on at the moment. I've seen it before and it doesn't lose its magic the second time around. It reminds me of my childhood, not so much the whales, but the Maori people and the chanting and songs. My grandmother was Maori and I was very close to her, this movie seems to bring her back to me. I love the spirituality and the mysticism of the movie...stories of the Ancient Ones...ooooh, it sends lovely shivery feelings through me.

While I remember, I must mention the generous bloggers who offered me places to stay when I make my world trip...Don, Rel, Pea, Kim and her Oscar the Puppy cat. Thank you very much, I would love to meet all some day. I've been doing some research and because I want to go to so many places, I think I'm going to have to take several trips...one will be to the US and Canada alone...otherwise I'll be away for a year or more! It's gonna be fun planning it though.

I've just been watching the story of the missing kids who weren't returned to their mother from an access visit to their father six weeks ago. The mother went to the courts who allowed their names to be broadcast on national television and they were returned to their mother pretty promptly. Now she doesn't want the father punished and they (the parents) seem to be on pretty good terms.

Call me suspicious, but there is something really odd about the whole scenario. Why would you want to have your kids' faces plastered across the media? Why wouldn't you want to press charges? Was it a set up? If so, why? The mother seemed really calm and in control even though she stated she was worried about her children. Just the fact that they were missing would send most mothers absolutely out of control...I know how I would feel. But this mother either has nerves of steel, or there's something fishy about the whole thing. As I say, I have a nasty suspicious mind.

I hope you all have a lovely weekend and for those of you who are celebrating Labour Day and going away...drive carefully. There are idiots on the road.