Ciao Stephania & Pietro

I've got friends overseas traipsing around Italia at the moment... thought I'd just put this map up so you can see where they've been... some of the place names don't appear on this size map - but a more detailed map didn't allow a quick glance over the whole area so I've done the best I can...



and while I'm here... whenever i hear the word "ciao" I think of a song by Lynne Randell (or Randall?) that came out in 1967 - good Aussie music - "Ciao baby"... and I couldn't believe it was on YouTube... so here it is... I so wanted to be Lynne Randell when I was 12!!!! Best get onto the 60's hey... so much to write about!!!! Soon - I'm on holidays for a couple of weeks so there's plenty of time!!!

Enjoy!!!

It's the Winter Solstice in Australia

So I couldn't let the day pass without acknowledging the transition from dark to light... today is the shortest day of the year but they're going to get longer now... more light, more encouragement to work in the garden... and isn't it lucky that two of my favourite vegies can be planted right now - garlic and onions - ohhh, how could I live without these two staples!!??? They also look lovely when growing...

and better still, they're versatile and I rarely make a dish without one or the other!!! Looking for recipes?? or Crafts... Check out Comfy Country Creations

or have a look at Gardenate to see what else you can plant in June in Australia - guess I know what I'll be doing for my holidays next week!!!! and of course I'll be doing some more blogging... and of course entertaining hey SailorLil'!!!!


but ahhhh... what will she blog about next???

Been so busy...

This was going to be the weekend I got right back into blogging... but guess what - worked Saturday afternoon, Sunday afternoon, busy Monday - it's just not happening - so it's just a quick post... well, a slideshow actually - had to put up some pictures of the new house (sorry, the application I used takes a while to load)... got holidays coming up from Wednesday week so I WILL be making up for the 'neglect' of my blog...

Make a Smilebox slideshow

almost ready to post!!!!

Sorry SailorLily!!!! Will be back to bloggin' later this week... the most important thing was getting this house together... oohh, I've moved!!!!

I've moved into this grouse house with Brann (my partner of "many moons", and so much shared his/herstory!!!), Allie (aka Beauty, the old girl), Shadow (Thereheis, The Boy) and Little Louis (Louigi, Looey Longlegs and a few other names!!)

It was a really 'spur of the moment' thing, moving... the little 'box' I was living in was being affected by a monstrosity being built next door... the back fence was falling down... the agents were notified of this and of course coming to do something immediately - numerous calls, numerous promises, no action... then they decided to put the rent up due to the "time I had lived there" (5 years) and the rise in market value in the area and the difficulty in getting accommodation - thanks for paying your rent on time for so long, here's your reward - we're 'upping the rent!!!!

We'd just paid the rent there, this house was advertised - and one of the most appealing things was - PETS WERE WELCOME!!! - you don't see that very often... so we came, we applied, and we got!!!!

And we have been extremely busy ever since... this house is so large we had to get more furniture... there were a few step that were steep but narrow - that had to be modified for the old girl to be able to get up and down - so did a few other things so it's not a case of just moving in and enjoying... everyone has to enjoy it... now she loves it... not bad for a 16 year old 'buxom' dog!!! and Thereheis had to be eased in to the new house... it's harder for cats than dogs... and there is a cat across the road that's about 3 times the size of my boy (need to get a photo of him!!!) , so I really needed to know he was comfortable where he was living before he had to deal with Gigantor!!!! He's checked out every roof in the vicinity, knows what's going on... he's a really happy boy now he's allowed outside again!!!! Didn't think he was ever going to see real dirt and real trees again!!!!

Anyway, have been working hard to get this place really ready to be able to have friends over as well... such a grouse big house for entertaining... will post pictures next weekend!!!!

I have to finish... I ache all over at the moment... finished off the moving stuff (what ever possessed me to think I could still move a house full of furniture in my 50s????) 'Out with the old, in with the new' - I can't say it enough - this house is grouse (and it's so big - with a grouse backyard... with a grapefruit tree and a grapevine, a few herbs and lots of space to grow vegies!!!!) and space to entertain there too!!!!

Bad news week...

You could say it's been a suck of a week where bad news about friends is concerned... one friend diagnosed 7 years ago with cancer - she's had a mammoth fight - admitted to hospital for emergency radiation treatment... then admitted to the hospice... waiting to see if she can get palliative care are home... only 52 years old... another family friend diagnosed with an extremely aggressive cancer... told it's only a matter of weeks... the tears have been flowing!!!!

I came across this poem on a site called Susan Weed's Wise Woman forum, and thought I'd share it...

I WILL WEAR PINK!

When I am a Breast Cancer survivor I will wear pink.

I will wear pink for my mother-in-law who received no treatment because the doctors thought she was too old to receive treatment, and
who looked lovely in pink.

I will wear pink for my friends who lost their health, their hair and their youth in their struggle to fight breast cancer.

I will wear pink for the non-survivors who seem more comfortable with this watered down color of the blood lost while fighting this terrible illness. Maybe the white of their optimism mixes with it.

I will wear pink to soften the lines and the hardness that has come in my face.

I will wear pink to remind me that Spring always comes and flowers bloom and I have time to change and bloom again myself.

I will wear pink when my chest aches where my breast is missing and my heart aches for missing friends and I will remember the miracle of my survival.

I will wear pink when I stand in for my deceased friends at their children's wedding and I will remember their beauty at their own wedding.

I will wear pink when I visit the graves of those whose bodies gave out before their spirit was ready.

I will wear pink when I race for the cure and speak against dollars wasted on the useless testing on animals whose bodies are so different from humans that they are poisoned by medicine that helps humans and cured by medicine that is poison to cancer survivors.

I will wear pink when I listen to the names of those who have lost the fight with cancer and celebrate with those of us who still survive.

When I am a breast cancer survivor I will wear pink.

and another one:

you can't help but think about mortality and weep for the sisters that are losing their battle!!!

And looking around YouTube I found this song, Standing all the way pink ribbon original by Rachael Chatoor - for all the sisters.......