First Word -

DOGS

Drake looks very beautiful... Thank you for sharing his photo T2l ...

I feel like I've been gone forever? Just a quick one you know I'm better in the mornings

ALFIE go, go, go, keep being happy little boy... I love happy endings.

Good on you for making those tatties Von, proud of you... And, Sturgis does everything have to be fried? Great to see you again Daisy, and that humor of yours.

I just wanted you all to know I am alive and well, just have been flat out though we treated ourselves out last night, so I went back to bed this morning, shhhhhhhh..

DUCTHY!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm a little shocked, is our Dutchy still in the hospital? Things have been slow lately on a few of the threads and I'm dealing with unrealistic expectations from a few in laws I inherited when my son got married, so have been posting as much. Anybody know if he is home or coming home soon? I hate hospitals. Patooie!

1VISIT

Always good to hear from you, Foundy - even briefly! Don't blame you for going back to bed, you must be exhausted - glad you had a good night out though - sounds as if you had a great time!

I echo your call to dear Danny - GET WELL SOON - (hope he hears us and responds soon!)



Fried what, Sturgis? You made that sandwich then fried it! Errr - is that an American dish?



Here's something a bit healthier for you!



Didn't cut myself yesterday - well, I didn't use the mandolin!!! Anyway, my hand is covered in sticking plasters (bit of an exaggeration, two sticking plasters to be exact). Or bandaids, as I think they are called in the Americas - what do you call them in Oz? Wonder where I can buy some of the sexy blue ones that chefs use when they cut themselves?



So what gadget did I buy yesterday? A bean slicer - wheeeeeee what a fun life I lead!!! WHY did I buy a bean slicer? .......... Do you know, I can't think of a good answer to that one - 'cos it was there, I guess! Oh, and 'cos I like beans



And on that fascinating note, I bid you farewell. For the time being anyway - must trawl A2K, have a looksee at the various threads ..... then TTFN to everybody - getting to be too many people posting on here to reply to individually - just include yourself!

LAUGHTER

You guys/girls make me smile and laugh. Nice post and I hope Dutchy is okay.

Edit: I hope your thumb heals up.

HOSPITAL

Foundy is the one to tell you just how Dutchy is - or Izzie. Not sure how far you've caught up with posts - Dutchy went into hospital on Tuesday - into ICU - some sort of infection from his heels. Last I heard was a couple of days ago when Izzie posted on Yabber-Liner that she'd spoken to Anna, and Dutchy's BP had showed a slight improvement. Poor Danny, they spent so long trying to sort of the problem with his heels last time he was in there - can only hope that he recovers from this latest setback very soon.

Good to see you back here - hope the family business has been sorted satisfactorily - at least you can escape to First Word occasionally and chat, rant, laugh - whatever you want to do - just relax! Always good to see you.

BANDAIDS

We call them bandaids in Australia too.
You can buy the different coloured ones in the supermarket, right where the other ones are.

GRINS

Always good to be able to laugh and relax - tension is soooooooooo tiring! Lovely to see you here again Monica - glad you like the posts - definitely my favourite thread.

Still sighing over your sister's lovely dog - those eyes are so honest and true - remind me of my wonderful Harvey - he had such honest eyes - they say eyes are the windows to the soul - dogs don't hide their feelings do they?

Aaarghhhh - got to go shopping soon - BORING - wonder what wonderful, can't-live-without-it gadget I can buy today? Perhaps I'll buy some beans to try out my bean slicer! Or .......... can't think of anything ............... Can't even buy treats for Megan since we put her on a diet and stopped biscuit and rawhide treats - sigh - but she is looking fit and slim for a nearly 11 year old Labrador. TTFN again - have a good day!

OTHERS

Wow, cherrie - do you know, I honestly forget about this thread being available to all to read! Always great to see another nice person here - and great to get speedy answers to questions. I've got to go out shopping soon - bleughhhh - so I'll look for the plasters/bandaids in my local supermarket. Thanks for that!

Don't be a stranger - lovely to see you!

Hi Glitter...

They say we can't choose our family, but I do think that it's worse when it's in-laws, feel for you.. Don't you hate grinning and baring things that you really don't want to... !!

I will go and see Dutchy during the week..... All we can do is as we always do, put it out there into the Universe and send healing vibes and stuff!! He is back in hospital but we are praying he will get out and spend that birthday and Christmas 25/12/13 with his family as he has intended on doing...

Thanks heaps for asking about him, he knows he is much loved here at A2k by so many...

Thanks also to all of you asking about him, just send the healing hugs and stuff out there ....

Cherrie another Aussie, YAY!!!!

Von, you do make me laugh, you bought a bean peeler ? LOLS! Just kidding, go you.. Why not, not going to be able to keep you out of the kitchen and thanks for your on-going support, comments here over things I personally am dealing with, I'm OK like I say, I am one tough cookie.... Though the sleep in was awesome to do, I must admit... All-be-it that you have to wake up first, feed the little critters and then go back to bed

STURGIS I seriously want to know about this fried friggen sandwich thing No, I do. And, more so, how are you? You too are going through an aweful time though you play it down, think of you every time I come here, that's enough You know what I mean.

DAISY - Hope you are as crazy as ever, I know you have enjoyed your banter with Dutchy, back and forth on the game threads and visa versa, he'll be back...

Sunday blerdy Sunday and again I have to work, no rest for the wicked, though the weather is nice out there today...

DUTCHY Sending my love . x And, David's. xxx

PLAID

Never understood the thrill and fascination with plaid. Considering my small amount of Scottish heritage this may seem criminal. Not to worry though, I'd still be mesmerized by Sean Connery in a showing of wearing various plaids.

Tiring day, although I can't say I did all that much. Searched in vain it seemed for a danged Phillips head screwdriver, never found it when it was needed, then discovered it hiding under some emergency clothing in the bathroom. Yes, you read that right, the bathroom. No idea why it was there.

Having a low cholesterol level and having low weight issues, the benefit of fried foods should not alarm anybody. And there are all sorts of fried foods which I never tried, many of which I have no intention of trying. A deep fried candy bar or a deep fried Twinkie makes absolutely no sense to me. Started frying sandwiches some time back and found it was an interesting way to add some flavor in. Strange I suppose. I don't deep fry them, just a small amount of oil or some butter and I'm good. Not much into bacon so there's no issue of getting that horror in me in anything anywhere near excess. Been over a year now since I last touched bacon. Just not that fond of it. Some of this goes back to 2009, after the surgery eggs became vile and actually made me sick. Bacon was a close cousin to it. Perhaps the bacon issue came from the woman who would visit me in my medical stay and come with a tray of bacon. One of those round aluminum containers from a take out place, filled with bacon, which she would then consume as I sat there. The smell nauseated me. So did the potassium dripping through the I.V. So did the smell of many things and the taste of many things. Eventually I learned to manage eggs again, and rarely, very rarely some bacon.

I don't even understand the show United States of Bacon. YUCK!

Health mostly moderately decent, no change to report on it, the itching is still horrendous late in the night, guess that's a given here on in. Well into sleeping the circulation is at its slowest, and therefore the itching.

On the 'didn't need but got it anyway' list, I purloined, a new television set. Okay, I didn't purloin it, I purchased it and gave it a test run. Works well, screen is frighteningly large, especially considering the miniature screen I'd been dealing with for several years. Strange purchase since my interest in television has diminished quite a bit in the last year or two.

Welcome cherrie, nice to have another person join in.

Vonny, why slice the green beans? How can you? What did they ever do to you? I can't remember ever slicing them length wise as the picture had. I cut them when necessary into proper size bite size pieces or just eat them raw. I have loved many vegetables raw for years. Always washed of course. Just try not to cut yourself again, the sight of blood makes me lightheaded...although that might be the fried taco.

That's it for now, my best to you all, thoughts and goodness towards Dutchy as he puts himself back together. Needs to get himself ready for when Dolly arrives in town.

Back again later

SLICER

My new gadget is to slice my beans, not peel them - don't think even I would spend time peeling a bean. Who was it said 'Life's too short to peel a mushroom' - Shirley Conran, I think - one of my favourite sayings! On the other hand, I do like to fiddle around with the presentation of foods - even when it's just for an ordinary salad. Curls of carrot, shavings of celery, balls of melon - must have too much time on my hands!

Not a lot though - truth be told, I never seem to have a spare minute nowadays - so many e-mails to reply to, new computer and OS to get used to, about a zillion threads on A2K to read - it's all go! Don't know how you do it, Foundy Girl - you seem to be juggling a hundred and one balls in the air, all at one time, and you don't drop a single one - phew, it makes me tired just to be a bystander!

Dutchy, hurry back dear friend. You play the word games faster and better than anyone else - and keep me amused with games of verbal ping-pong, teasing me and Foundy constantly with your Dolly banter! I'll bet you even have a poster of the luscious one on the wall in hospital - and compare every nurse to her - poor ladies!!

In the unlikely event that you haven't managed to sneak a photo of the Dolly-lady in there, here's a couple to keep you company until you break out (better not be in there too long, you have a birthday and Christmas to spend with your family - SO GET WELL SOON

BITSA

So you are a bitsa there Sturgis, a bit of Scottish in you.. I have Irish, predominately, a bit of Swedish and Spanish, that's 3 S's? No, 4, Sean... Now that is one heck of a Bond man, the Bond man, well the last one wasn't too bad either.

I don't think I better comment about the screwdriver hiding in the bathroom, unless I was to say it was a screw loose?

Ahh the fried friggen chocolate, what is with that? That started in America I think, but, but, the Chinese fried bananas or ice-cream? Well, that I agree with and eat... Yum.

French Toast.

Toasting bread a little then putting it in oil, or butter with scrambled egg, turning, turning, is simular... Or cut a hole in the middle and fry an egg in it If you are a skinny little thing at present, eat as much fried food as you want, I get it I think hospital food sucks, I know Dutchy HATES hospital food, ( he sneaks food in via Anna), don't you Dutchy It's a little better I think than air line food, ewe that makes me feel sick, the smell...

A show ? United States of Bacon? Is that really about the politicians and well, the bacon is calling them out?

Do you cover your legs at night? Put them up onto a pillow? I can only relate to bee stings and the like, I have to leave my leg un-covered and sitting up higher, maybe that will work a bit?

LOLS. There are some good interesting programmes these days on TV, on the right channels and now, once your eyes adjust you can feel like you are amongst the animals as they stare at you from the screen

I like my veggies with the skin and all on, happy to bite the bum off of a bean and put it back onto the plate.. Oh, no, not David... No way, it's like nup must slice that bit off, thanks.. Though he is ok with skin on potatoes ...

Dolly...................... I see Von has done an EGGSELENT job of posting her, may add one for our dearest DUTCHY.... myself...

Another working day for this woman.. Sun is shining... Always a good thing, must remember to check my oil and water, yes, I am a woman, yes I check my own, why are you surprised?

GOOD MORNING FROM "DOWN UNDER" THAT WAS FROM DUTCHY OFF COURSE I WROTE IT FOR HIM, BUT HE WOULD HAVE WRITTEN IT !

VONNY

Good morning English Rose. Well I think Dutchy called you that

What have you found in your cook books that you are going to try? I think we will have a BBQ tonight, just the two of us home, so steak sounds easy and perfect .... Keep that knife faced the other way!!!!!!!!

What is the weather like over where you all are?

I once sent a list to Dutchy of what I was doing for a living, it went something like this and gave him a head ache hehe.

Currently,

Sales Person - currently 11 properties to sell. Brochures/Internet/Signboards/Opens/Contracts/Settlements/Answer emails/ private appointments

Buyers Agent - currently looking after 2 buyers, organising settlement, makeovers, maintenance - photos and then put up for rent

Property Manager - Around 60 properties looking after tenants maintenance, have 7 going on the market for rent this month, organizing all the tenancy agreements, checks, paperwork, monies, bonds, keys, and off course open inspections

Accountant - someone has to pay the bills

Trust Accountant - data entry of monies for all landlords/tenants, payment to landlords, record keeping of 3 books and 1 programme

Marketer - Up-load website and facebook

Shop - Keep it clean, attend to people that are visiting to purchase items

Makeovers - Currently have one client that wants me to gut the place, get quotes, fix it all up and then rent it out. .

Wife / Mother to the animals / Friend to people here, facebook, then off course WH, which I haven't been on in like days, and when I am it's in and out, may have to resign from that Moderator position... Don't have the time.

So headache yet? hehe.

It's ok, we have a date (day) or night every Friday... Phew, I get to let go for a day.

DUTCHY

Good morning young man, at some point I know you will read here, so ya know we will keep the stuff coming for you to read... Hope you had a good sleep and get Anna to sneak you some food.

I'm going to visit the man tomorrow all going well from his end, COVER UP DUTCHY PLEASE



Had to add one too Von

MORNING EVERYONE !

KILT

I had a genuine plaid kilt as a child - strewth, absolutely yards of material, and it weighed a ton! I jumped in a boating lake whilst wearing it (don't ask why - it's a long story) and could hardly get out, the weight of the water in the heavy fabric was weighing me down. My boy cousin was in charge of me and his sister, and he didn't dare take us home until I dried out, so we walked round and round and round - needless to say, I was still pretty damp when we arrived back home - mummy was livid! I've never worn tartan since!

Screwdriver in spare clothes in the bathroom - mmmm - that sounds like a long story too - better not ask why!

Eggs - love 'em. Love free range, organic, yellow yoked brown eggs to be precise. Boiled, with soldiers - poached - scrambled. Not fried though - don't eat anything fried. Bacon - only lean smoked bacon - and only very rarely. Hospital food - it was great last time I was in there - can't recall what I ate, just that it was jolly nice! Salad, fresh crusty bread, rather nice butter - seem to remember that .................

Beans - as I told Foundy, I like to slice them for the appearance - plus I like the taste! Always hard to cut them with a knife - I'm not very good with sharp objects (as you might have gathered from previous posts) - so finding the bean slicer was great! Oh, not just sharp objects - I managed to burn my arm today - put it in the combi oven to remove something - ouch!!! Oops - that's a cut thumb, cut hand, burnt arm - sigh, what's next!

LARGE televsion - we did the same thing. Husband watches it more than me, but usually online catch-up tv. I watch DVDs like the box set of 24 Hours (only watch one hour per day, makes it last longer!!!) on a 24" set But our old tv died on us, so we invested in a 42" monster - strewth, it is giant! Not sure how enamoured I am of it. Bit too big - or will I get used to it.

Itch gets worse when you've been sleeping - I guess it is logical that legs don't move = blood pooling = itch. Poor you. But it does sound a bit better - I hope so. You've not had a good year painwise. Let's hope 2014 is a better year - for all of us!

EVENING

Hello again, just flying through...how do I get this confounded broom to stabilize itself? Darn thing keeps going left and right and almost tossed me in the river!

On a more serious note, hope Dutchy came through his procedure today and is resting comfortably with visions of Dolly singing in his head.

Nothing more to add for now, hope all are well.

Later.

EVENING

You need lessons from us witches, you know that !!!!!!

Dutchy got through his procedure today and is very happy that the bug has not reached his heart so no operations there needed, but more to go..

I am sure any good news is worth sharing hey Dutchy xxx

Will see him tomorrow in the afternoon, to check up on him and ensure he isn't chasing the nurses.....

Nothing to add either except I slept for 1hr and 20 minutes this afternoon before David woke me up to pick up the pests from the Vet. Little Rawaii had a grass seed in his ear and had to go under as he hates his head touched lordy does he fuss over that .. So whilst there, microchip and desexed.. All at once sounded sensible.. He has a cone on his head and is laying on his back legs spread so I can't take a photo to show you LOLS... But full of life so happy with that.

Kia had a manicure shhhh.. She had too, her nails had grown so long, and her blood reading for her diabetes for the day was good, they are happy but we are now changing to 3 monthly visits, I guess that means she is getting old.... And, they are concerned on checking up on her sooner ...

Sold a house YAY... May also have sold another YAY.. A great Christmas present for me, as it's at our house.

Speaking of which it's close, I've done no shopping!!!!!!! What is everyone doing for Christmas?

DUTCHY'S BIRTHDAY!!!!! CHRISTMAS DAY!!!! BLESS !!!! Get well beautiful and home for your birthday with your family on that plane ticket you organised.

LOVE

BROOM BROOM



Practice makes perfect!

CHRISTMAS

Firstly - hurrah for Dutchy - so glad the procedure went well and the bugs stayed well away from his heart! All he has to do now is GET WELL SOON and get back here - pronto!

Seriously though - we do miss you Dutchy! Sturgis is taking flying lessons - perhaps he'd be good enough to lend you his broom - that would save on fares when you go to see your son at Christmas!

Ah, poor Rawaii - such a baby, and such a big boy's operation - castration is so necessary, but little chaps like him must wonder why mum and dad have allowed the vet to take such liberties! And to have a grass seed in his ear too - poor wee mite, he must be well and truly cheesed off! Extra cuddles and treats are due I guess - bet he gets plenty of them!!



Christmas - eeek! Already! Just got over last year! The only thing I've done so far to prepare for it is buy a Christmas cake and order my Dogs' Trust Christmas cards and calendars. Oh, and frantically searched my old laptop for the Christmas card list and Christmas food list from last year! Managed to print them off - big sigh of relief - but then worked out that on the new Toshiba, and with Windows 8.1, I don't have the Works or any other way of typing up and printing out lists or correspondence! Oh dear, I am still such a novice - all too technical for my poor brain!

Shall reply in my Morn

EVENING XX

See Yabber on update on Mr Boss, yeah right, I mean Dutchy

LOLS

Can you imagine, Sturgis and Dutchy flying around haha ha....

MORNING DUTCHY
MORNING ALL!!!

Little Rawaii is exploring the back yard at present, he doesn't like the cone on his head but he's dealing with it and there is no little whimper fortunately, now I guess it made sense, whilst under for the grass seed, do it, why make the little boy go through that twice... He's a cutie, must up-load some photos again

Very good photo there Von !!!!

Mmm you could email to someone that you know that has a printer, or the local post office, or library ? They'll charge you maybe but that's one way..

Haven't even put the Christmas tree up yet Ahh, still have 4 weeks OMG! Just David, me and 'our' daughter and his Dad for lunch and my clan over for dinner, well nibbles as they call it. David said we are having Goose WT? For dinner Dunno yet, I am sure I will come up with stuff, prawns will off course be on the menu, have to be rich and fork out for a lobster as well the only time of the year !

Some Christmas lights are in order I think ..