First Word -

POETRY

That's beautiful, cherrie, first time I've heard it. Must read more of her poetry - seems to come right from the heart.

Good news about the fires - let's hope that 2014 is as bushfire free as possible.

MORE

More to say later. Still putting things together and not sure what else to say on the matter.

Here's hoping all is going well and that people are setting in for a fantastic 2014.

Back later...

COMPLETION

Good luck in putting things together!

Hope that all is going well for you too - and that 2014 will be a wonderfully happy year for you.

And, when it's midnight!!!! I mean MIDNIGHT!!!

Ah Sturgis, you WILL get it all sorted, you are too feisty and don't back down



I'm always early, ok, just ONE and later I'll get going got to get into the spirit right?



Hey Von going to have a drink with me, just one, later?


I said, (one) where are you going? Glitter, Cherrie what is she doing?



Oh dear she's headed for Sturgis house!!!!!!!!!!!!



Who are they ? But they're watching her - oh no !



Tis ok, she put a spell on them, take a look at them now, phew!!!



AND she found the boys, Dutchy and Sturgis... Ok, soon it's party time



GIGGLES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

New Years Eve here so I will wish you all a very Happy New Year, Health and Happiness. May 2014 bring you all you wish for. Dutchy.

Happy New Year! I hope it is a good one for all of you.

Well, see, I have tomorrow for you lot, the above is for Dutchy What? I had to, it's his fault



Ms Cherrie Celebrating with us... that's it yes? The rest are not in Aussie Land yes? Von, yes?



Just to get you guys into the spirit for 24hrs plus time

Thank you Foundy, a well meant kiss for a shy boy, kisses sweeter than rum and coke tonight. Returning the favour via cyber space.

SHY
BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Thank you and Anna, very much for the prawns Dutchy



And, the fish! We will make something nice with that...



Then again this looked good, look away ladies, look away !!!



To your Rum and Coke!!! Our Champagne!!! Everyone's toast for 2014!!





Note the glitter, Glitter Hope they get you the right antibiotics and this clears for you soon!

FOUND you a money tree Sturgis


Some chocolates to help keep everyone that needs to stay awake, AWAKE! We made it to midnight!! New Years Resolution, which one, what to do, which one !!






Na that's not it, didn't party!!!!!








THAT'S IT!!! What ever yours is, START it! Happy New Year from Aussie Land to those now celebrating!! Or ALMOST !!

My pleasure Foundy, hope you enjoy the seafood. Naughty girl for publishing my photo, I presented that one for your 50th birthday for your eyes ONLY! What are the other ladies here to think? Trust you will be more discreet in 2014

HAPPITY

Happity new year everybody!

LOLS Yeah right, if you were it would be of yourself bahahaha. LOLS

Happy New Year Sturgis Thank you for being you, sharing your funny side, real side and just you...Onto 2014!~

AMAZING

That was a simply amazing picture there Foundy... But I am not usually such a snappy dresser. (must be someone who just looks like me)

Hope all is well,
back later...

SLIPPERS

You missed the slippers, they are smiling

Mr Dutchy , Ms Von, Ms Glitter, Ms Cherrie, Ms Monika, Ms SSSSS hhhhh can't think of anyone else or it's a Mr next?

Seeya in the morn.. Going out for Dinner with my man

APPEARANCES

Your appearances are somewhat mystical, Sturgis - I sense the warlock has been active of late - you've been neglecting us! Too busy saving young men from the dangers of supermarket shopping



Foundy - you're only putting in brief appearances today too! You haven't given yourself an award for best post of the New Year yet - tut tut - you deserve it if anybody does.



Dutchy - dear Dutchy - hope the New Year is treating you kindly - you deserve some good health and good luck after the travails of last year. Here's some virtual seafood for you to enjoy!



Cooking? I've hardly done any since Christmas - too busy with my new e-reader - wow, what an invention! Must admit, I was rather puzzled by it at first, but now .................. loading e-books onto it as fast as I can find them. There are two cookery books - of course, my new hobby! Also found a book by Jeremy Clarkson, the Top Gear guy (do you get his tv programmes in Australia and America?) - oh, and a book about Britain in the late 1950's - plus Ibsen's, The Doll's House. Such fun! I never thought I'd get used to holding a piece of plastic instead of a 'real' book, but hey ... it's great! Oh, and Stephen King's latest novel - looking forward to starting that one very much.



Happy New Year to you all on First Word - Found Soul, Dutchy, Sturgis,
Glitterbag, Cherrie, Monica, Bill ... et al

Good morning everyone, a beautiful Sunday morning here. It's been a bit wet and cold the last few days but today the sun is shining again.

Foundy - I hope you had a good night out. Did you go somewhere special? I used to go out with a chef many years ago. He was a real pain to go out to dinner with, he was so critical - he could do it better, he wouldn't have cooked it like this, blah blah blah. I hope your partner isn't like that, it wasn't much fun. We didn't go out for long.

Vonny - I saw the tidal surges on the news here, pretty serious stuff. There was a cliff falling into the sea somewhere, stone walls being knocked over, and water everywhere. Hopefully you don't live too near the coast.

Good morning cherrie The sun isn't shining here "yet" I believe though by tomorrow we get some fair weather again.. Hasn't it been cold.

We had a lovely night. We went to Willunga which is about 15 or so minutes from here. Superb Restaurant there known for it's dedication to food and slow cooking and aging. The poor waitresses had worked until 6.15 from lunch and kept going for dinner but the best service ever. You felt like everyone was waiting on you and not just us off course, all the tables. A few humorous comments and just superb food and service, oh and wine.

Cherrie, I was engaged at 25 to a Chef like that Mind you I spent 17 years Managing Restaurants before Real Estate or other ventures I entered into, so it was inevitable. D laughs when I cut potatoes, a standard joke " you don't cut them that way"... Which is what my ex fiancé used to do... D is perfect, I'm a cook he's a Chef. If he wants to dabble, I stay out of it, visa versa so we mix very well in the kitchen, or we do things together. Trust me, otherwise, I'd be out of here

I've seen our seas rise high, beautiful to look at, yet scary, we've never had anything major really for years, I can't imagine how England, Scotland etc are coping with all of this... I often wonder honestly, as beautiful as it is to look at, if I would really want to live by the sea.

Procrastinating today, not sure if I should take the whole day off or do "some" work...

She's one beautiful looking lady Thanks I can't select my own lols.. But, thank you x

Happy New Year everybody. Still taking antibiotics and cough pills, this sucks (she proclaimed in a ladylike fashion). Sunday we are supposed to meet up with some old pals from the factory, but I think my better half will have to go alone. I would really love to see these folks, but some of them (not me of course) are in their late 70's so I don't want to be coughing and hacking while I'm there. If one of my old pals got sick I would be inconsolable. I don't want to jeopardize anyone's health.
It's times like this I realize how much I miss working. I realize that sounds crazy, but my colleagues were so bright and came from all over the United States, it was a cultural bonanza. I also rubbed shoulders with our British, Canadian and Australian partners. I absolutely loved, loved, loved the connections we made. I wonder if my parents influenced my career choices. After WWII, my Dad worked in in Greenland, Newfoundland and Iceland as an Air Traffic Controller. The stories I remember best are the ones from Iceland (where I was conceived) and lived until I was about 4. Dad talked about guiding planes over a huge rock to the runway safely. Mom said the pilots would ask for "Goldie" if they were coming in thru bad weather or heavy fog. I can still remember things about Iceland, I remember nights that ran 23 and a half hours with the sun coming up an then descending rapidly. Oh, and the snowfalls!!!!

My mother talked about the Northern Lights but that's not something I remember. I have old photo's of me outside an awful Quonset Hut with rocks piled up on all sides to keep the huts from blowing away in the high winds. That was before housing was built for civilians and Air Force personnel stationed in Iceland. I also remember being at the airport when the first jet pilots arrived. They still had on helmets and the suits were so floppy it appeared that they didn't have feet. I also remember my dad teaching me to recognize aircraft flying far overhead.

I think everybody probably comes from a dysfunctional family, I'm not different but my parents were so interesting. My friends loved them, even when I didn't, I just hope my son feels as warmly about his upbringing as I did about mine. Sorry to be maudlin, but stuck in the house for 15 days trying to get rid of bronchitis makes me restless, and apparently nostalgic.

I have to thank Dutchy for inviting me to this thread, and thanks to all of you for making this experience so warm and welcoming. It's always good to find friends who can make each other laugh. Laughter is the best medicine.