tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49503617203481944902024-03-05T19:44:19.037-08:00Blogtastical BanterLady Louhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18395965124271562724noreply@blogger.comBlogger47125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4950361720348194490.post-86800011902284141852012-11-13T13:08:00.001-08:002012-11-13T13:12:48.840-08:00Total eclipse of the sun here in Australia, far north Queensland.....incredible!As life's daily events continue each an every day, I must write a few words and voice my opinion on fabulous mother nature and her solar eclipse witnessed here down under today.<br />
<br />
Just minutes ago, here in Australia's far North Queensland, we witnessed a total eclipse of the sun as per my photo. I am not a scientist nor have any real fascination with science as such, but I think it would be a little sad if I didn't acknowledge this sometimes once in a lifetime experience and praise mother nature for her work.<br />
<br />
This photo shows the total eclipse of the sun taken just minutes ago and oh now mother nature continues to amaze me. <br />
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I really have nothing more to say. I will let the picture say the rest. Enjoy!<br />
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<a href="https://twitter.com/couturechicness/status/268458260921733120/photo/1">https://twitter.com/couturechicness/status/268458260921733120/photo/1</a>Lady Louhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18395965124271562724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4950361720348194490.post-28843948303650843082012-07-31T16:18:00.001-07:002012-07-31T16:26:49.478-07:00London Olympics....sending my hugs!<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I think I would be a poor blogger if I didn’t write about
the current Olympic games being held in London.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I admit, like many of my dear friends, the washing, ironing
and general work has been put on hold whilst I catch up each
morning and evening with the progress of Australia and no doubt as is the rest of the
world and theirs. The achievements, disappointments and general euphoria of the games are relayed
to us beautifully via our Australian journalists currently experiencing the excitement in London and clearly loving each minute of it.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Our wonderful Australian swimmers (and I have a penchant for
our swimming prowess) are achieving well and we are so proud of them all (75% of
the team, I might add, come from my home state of Queensland and naturally I
must boast about this, especially having been a very decent swimmer in my
youth. There must be something in the water here, pardon the pun). I was,
however, nearly brought to tears yesterday when one of our wonderful female
swimmers was clearly devastated she had not procured a gold medal but a silver.
It was not the clear disappointment expressed in tears that I wanted to jump
through the TV screen and hug her for but the words she spoke basically saying
that she hoped that because she procured the silver medal and not the gold, she
hoped her parents would still love her. It felt like my heart had stopped for a
few seconds after hearing these words and oh how my empathy flowed to her. The
questions going through my head was firstly do we have a family here who
requires Olympic gold medals for satisfaction?</span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">This became our family discussion and indeed the discussion
of a plethora of Australian media for the next 24 hours but none of us could
believe we had heard these words. Our fabulous Ray Warren, our legendary Australian
swimming and general sports commentator clearly felt for her too the same way I
did. After hearing the same words I did he sent a message to her via the TV
airwaves assuring her she is much loved. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Me and mine came to the decision that this
gorgeous young lady had clearly conjured a few slightly crazy thoughts in her
mind over a period of time which she released by verbalising these words simply
expressing her own personal disappointment and the need to confirm her need for
unconditional love from those she loves and who clearly love her. Totally
understandable.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">This also lead to a discussion amongst ourselves in front of
our television that evening, about how none of us could ever imagine the mental
pressure these amazing athletes must have to endure and overcome to be able to
prepare themselves and focus entirely on themselves and their events allowing
them to achieve their very best, leaving no stone unturned.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Our amazing Susie O’Neill, a past Australian Olympic gold
medallist was interviewed just previous to the commencement of the games. Susie
stated that to be able to succeed as an elite athlete that you must become
totally selfish in your journey to be coming an Olympian. Susie also stated
that, since becoming a mum, she found it hard to look back and to remember just
how incredibly selfish a person she was during <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>those years but that it had to be or you would
not be able to give 110% to your sport. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I often wonder what that must feel like to be totally
engrossed in your life whether it is an elite athlete and quite frankly I envy
their selfishness. Clearly complete selfishness works and as we sit and watch
these amazing human beings achieve greatness. We forget about what they have sacrificed
and also very importantly what their families too have had to sacrifice to be
able to support these young people in totality when one of them is being
preened to becoming an elite athlete with an Olympic goal. My imagination
cannot take me down that road but how I admire them all for it.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Mental agility, through life, is a huge asset to
behold. It determines how we manage to cope or not with life’s curve balls and
being able to cast aside mentally, things that really do not have any real weight
in the grand scheme of things is a talent clearly to behold. One of mine told me that she very recently had had a discussion with some friends who are
students of psychology; these students had been in a tutorial discussing just
this subject, the Olympics and the mental preparation of athletes. The
conclusion was that mental strength held 80% weight of an elite athlete’s
preparation and physiology was just 20%. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So as I sit in awe of these amazing humans, whilst watching
the day’s achievements and disappointments, I can do nothing but admire each and
every one of them. Their disappointments and their triumphs must be experienced
because that is what life consists of and I have no doubt that after such
extreme mental agility as an elite athlete, their coping mechanisms with their
future lives would be better than most of us.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">To each and every one of them I wish them well and no matter
what, ladies and gents, we, your admirers do truly love your work and I will continue
to enjoy your fabulous achievements.</span></div>Lady Louhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18395965124271562724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4950361720348194490.post-3085081838988862562012-07-29T15:40:00.005-07:002012-07-31T16:25:49.731-07:00My shop on the corner<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I have spent a lot of time driving in my car over the last
six months, more so than usual for family reasons. </span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I love driving. I love plugging my phone in to my radio and
listening to my personal music collection, music I love. (When my loved ones
are with me, I also love them asking if they could skip that song or even plug
their music supply in just for a change and yep, that is fine too. As they say,
variety is the spice of life.) Yes it is true that I often break into song in
my car and pretend to be Gaga, The Beach Boys, Cher, Michael Buble and so many
more. </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I used to work for a pathology company and was in charge of
answering a plethora of phone calls from hospitals, doctors, nursing homes, our
clinic rooms etc and can say quite honestly the job was very stressful at
times. Theatre rooms calling to order more blood urgently ‘stat.’ The process of
making sure you had the correct patient name, date of birth etc, relaying that
info to our cross-matching lab and getting it to that hospital urgently was a
real challenge. Some days it seemed that everyone in the city needed urgent
blood and the end of my shift was very welcomed. I often looked over to our
courier department which was just across the corridor from our nurse’s station
and thought how nice it would be to be in a car and picking up pathology
products from clinics, hospitals, surgeries etc and not have to deal with the
urgent medical side of my job. I have digressed..</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">These many many trips over the last six months brought me
day after day passing a particular shop on a corner which is quite dilapidated but
at the same time quite appealing. Quirky, eclectic are certainly words I would
use to describe this shop. It is dark brown in colour, two storeys and has a
wonderful large window in the front of it allowing us to view the contents. It
is a book shop but not just any book shop. It sells antiquated books including
military and historical books and I am sure many others. The shop has what
appears to be living quarters attached to the rear of it, also looking like
they need a bit of love but I guess this is clearly what makes it look more appealing
at the same time. </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">As I sat in my driver’s seat, day after day, taking the same
route taking me past this shop, I would often imagine myself (and still do) as
the owner of this lovely eclectic shop. However I am not selling military or
historical books. No, I am selling my lovely handmade wares; my lovely up
cycled bling denim handbags (made from preloved jeans I source from our charity
shops); my hand made cushions; my hand made cards featuring gorgeous origami
dresses and ladies in gorgeous hats; my hand painted coffee mugs and tea pots
lovingly painted with designs which make my heart sing. These are the items
adorning this lovely shop as I stand behind a small but welcoming counter,
fussing over the appearance of my shop and ensuring that visitors feel very
welcome and always greeting each with a smile and welcoming words.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">My dream expanded with the idea of having the shop not just
as hand craft shop but also as a cafe where people could come, admire and
relax, have a cup of tea or coffee (yes, served in my hand painted mugs and tea
poured from my hand painted tea pots) accompanied by some fabulous home-cooked
food of their choice. </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Naturally this leads me to needing to dream about the cafe
menu. What would it include? Cooking has always been a huge part of my life and
I have developed some fabulous recipes over the years, I have tried and tested recipes
found in my plethora of cook books, as well as recipes which have been handed
over to me from friends and family. In fact I am about to commence my third
recipe book of hand written recipes I continue to accrue and which my girls
continually debate amongst themselves as to who will acquire which book when I
am no longer walking God’s earth. I take all of this in good stead naturally
hoping that this event will not occur for a long time yet.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Back to that menu....I couldn’t possibly commence my menu
without scones, jam and cream which are always a winner <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>with a lovely hot cup of tea or coffee and I
can admit that I have a fabulous recipe for scones which rise so high they nearly
touch the clouds. I would even attempt to make my own jam with berries which
were in season. Next would have to be chocolate cake. Not just any chocolate
cake though. It would be my chocolate and orange cake with genache.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>An entire navel orange is cooked then
processed, skins included to give this magnificent cake a flavour to remember
and my oldest has often requested it as a birthday cake and yes, has even
requested it for her eventual wedding cake. My youngest has become the best
bruschetta cook so I am hoping she would allow me to follow in her footsteps
and include it as some savoury offerings into my menu. </span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I wouldn’t be happy if I failed to include some gorgeous
finger sandwiches made with the freshest bread, delivered each day (oh now I
must consider finding a baker who delivers maybe?) The fillings for these would
include my chicken with tarragon mayonnaise; tabouleh and lovely leg ham; sundried
tomato, walnut and ham; smoked salmon, cream cheese and dill and for those
vegetarians and royalists good old cucumber sandwiches would be fun too. There,
I think that would do.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I would ask my gorgeous loved ones to help me out on those
days they could spare me. They are both great cooks and very attractive and
would be nothing less than a huge asset to my dream. I think I would make the
tablecloths and put my helpers in gorgeous handmade aprons. These would not be able to be too over
the top and I know they would like to be included in the choice of fabric. </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">A dilemma whilst dreaming was if I should also offer classes
in craft making? Well clearly I would need someone to manage the cafe/shop
section whilst I tutored my classes. Yes, good idea. These would include basic
knitting and crocheting leading to advanced classes. Basic sewing then leading
to creating cushions and I may even touch on basic clothes such as pyjamas and
shorts (it is quite a while since I constructed lined blazers and skirts –this was
all during my pre-mother days and some time ago.) Anyway, that would be a good
start.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Yep, I like this dream very much. Life would be very busy
but fun too. May be I would build the business up so well that reservations
would be required for this very busy cafe. Wow, reservations......that would be
amazing. </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">That very important name for my shop, well it would have to
be Creatively Couture, my current business name. I thought long and hard about
this name prior to my decision and I think it sums up my work beautifully. </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">You would all be most welcome. Please come along with a good
heart, the willingness to have a good giggle and a chat if you would, and I hope it would be
a place you would enter possibly with a few of life’s troubles niggling in
your head but then leave with those troubles feeling a little lighter. I hope a smile would adorn your face along with the memory of having had a wonderful
experience and wanting to return soon. That would be my dream for all of us at
my special shop on the corner and you have to be able to dream. </span></div>
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<br /></div>Lady Louhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18395965124271562724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4950361720348194490.post-13161268035028456992012-06-30T15:53:00.000-07:002012-06-30T16:19:13.794-07:00Find the creative you and turn your lows into highs<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Every one of
us is tested off and on through life and I am no exception. Over the last five
months a loved one has been faced with a grave health situation which caused our lives
to be turned upside down and quite frankly I felt my life had come to an abrupt
stop. My brand new business had to be put on hold as this young lady is 100%
reliant on me for the time being and that is OK. Hospital admissions followed by discharge then
second daily blood tests which turned into us spending six hours each of these
days waiting for blood results and future medication instructions was our life
for the first three months of this year. It has basically been this way now for
five months now but we are used to it I guess. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Through
these months her health concerns continued but I knew that I had to have another
focus because we had started to feel a little low as she could not study nor work either as she was so unwell and we have no idea how long
she would be under this “medical microscope.” I can certainly say that if it
wasn’t for my creative side, I would have suffered. I have always been a very
keen crafter and cook and love these so so much they both make my heart sing and this has been my saving grace.
My teenager had never ever shown any interest in craft and in fact I know she
would agree that she found craft possibly the lowest thing on her list of things I find incredibly boring. However, after months of nothingness except
hospital visits and medication changes, I suggested I teach her to crochet and
to my amazement she took me up on the offer. I was so impressed with her change
of heart. So she now knows how to crochet. The blanket she is creating is still
a work in progress but that is OK too. You see, anything is possible.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">With her happily occupied with her new creativity, I went back
to stocking up for my new business </span><a href="http://www.creativelycouture.aradium.com/"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">www.creativelycouture.aradium.com</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">
and I am more than happy to continue to sew and stock up until we have a more
definite medical outcome and I have time to spend more time on my business, finding stockists etc. On one of my 'not so great' days I sat in front of my computer and googled, trying to find somewhere, anywhere to possibly stock my wares which I thought was going to be an impossibility due to my mental attitude. How wrong I was. I have found a fab shop where I rent a space each month and that makes
my heart sing. All it took was a simple email and hey presto! <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">It was while
signing the contract for this shop space that the owner and I were chatting and
I was singing the praises of this fabulous shop which supports us, the local
artists and it was she who suggested that she felt that if more people were
creative that possibly mental health problems would be less and I absolutely
agreed and so too did my “new to the craft of crocheting” daughter. I truly
believe this.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Now by being
creative I don’t mean to go and buy yourself a kiln or sewing machine or easel and become Andy Warhol overnight. No, I simply mean I know we all have some creativity in us and we just need
to find it. What makes you smile? Gardening, painting, drawing (even stick men), writing a blog, reading,
cooking, dog walking, maybe sounds like you? These are all signs of creativity
in my opinion. Sitting alone in a house/apartment day after day is not good for
your mental health, research has proven this. I rented an apartment many years ago and lived by myself and
I know it was the loneliest time of my life, so I am speaking from experience.
Even living with friends/family and just working to pay those bills, in my
opinion, is not living. We all need to have interests, each and every one of us. Creativity makes my heart sing and I know always will.</span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">So for those
of you out there who have just been ‘hit’ by some gut-wrenching news or just
feel that life is just not what it should be, that nothing seems to make your
heart sing, hang in there. Life can get better but you need to help find
that positivity by finding your creative side and then get moving, literally, because no one can find it for you but you. Going
for daily walks is great. Too lazy or just couldn’t be bothered
to go for a walk......make the effort, please. You will not regret it. If you
are living alone and feel low, find someone to apartment-share. If you have
just lost the love of your life recently, yes feel sad for a while but please get out
there and do something positive. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I know your creative
side exists. Only you can find yours. It is there somewhere. My daughter who detested craft found hers. Make
an effort and free up those concerns about life. There will always be clouds in
the sky but we need them to allow us to appreciate the better days and make your heart sing just as mine does, it may be a little off key some days but that is OK.</span></span></div>Lady Louhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18395965124271562724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4950361720348194490.post-30931409217484440762012-01-29T12:17:00.000-08:002012-06-26T14:41:27.434-07:00An ultracrepidarian I am not, but I know one or two<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Growing up I was never really into my English classes nor
reading and so my appreciation for the English language didn’t rate very high
at all in my world back then. My father, however, has a verbal repertoire which would
have challenged William Wordsworth if Wordsworth was still with us. </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">My father, having grown up in South Australia, is often mistaken for English gentry due to his pronunciations of particular words. South Australia is the state
where the English gentry settled and it was a “convict free” settlement when
Australia was 'invaded' by the English.
I grew up being corrected often with my Queensland pronunciations of certain
words. For example, dad pronounced the word ‘castle’ as if he had been educated
at Oxford, England, and so his pronunciation was ‘carsel’ where as the good ol’
Australian accent simply stated it as 'casel,' much to dad’s annoyance. He would state
that we were going to a ‘darnce’ where I would say dance etc. A rockmelon fruit
to us was just that, a rockmelon. However a South Australian would call it a
cantelope. A school case or bag to Dad was known as a port and so it went on. Back
then and to this day, friends will ask me if dad is English by birth due to his
fabulous Oxford accent to which I explain the first settlement story to them. </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Apart from his correct pronunciation of the English language,
he is also a fabulous orator along with a magnificent wordsmith. I am sure that
if you walked into his abode today and peruse the various magazines and
newspapers containing crosswords that not one would not have been completed by
my father.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">It was not until later in my life that I started showing any
real appreciation of the language which clearly Dad had grabbed on to at an
early age. I commenced writing letters etc to which Dad commended me on my
writing prowess and is one of the reasons I now have this blog. Regardless, I
think I have come of age now and can now exclaim with pride that I currently
have three books I am currently reading <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and my blogtastical banter has given me the
freedom to exercise my talents of writing which clearly did not arrive until
fairly recently.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I have clearly inherited Dad’s love for words. All through
my life and particularly during my schooling I would approach Dad for some assistance
with regards assignments etc. He would always captivate me with his responses
which would always contain at least one word which I had no idea meant. Feeling
inferior, often I would simply nod and thank him for his help and hope that by
the time I reached my study desk, I could hold that word in my head long enough
to clamber through the dictionary and find not only the word but also the
meaning and hence be able to complete the entire conversation we had just had
together which would then make sense to me. I think it was from these ‘get
togethers’ that finally, I realised there was much to learn when it came to my
native tongue and that I should really show more appreciation of it by learning
more about it.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Consequently, as my girls have walked through their years of
education, the two books which I purchased when they were very young were
indeed the Concise Oxford Dictionary and the accompanying Thesaurus. These two
books still adorn my bookshelf and always will until I am some ‘six foot under.’
</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">It is just recently that I too have commenced the challenge
of crosswords in my local newspaper which apparently makes me a cruciverbalist.
I do so enjoy the occasional medical question which occurs sometimes and which I
usually have the answer to due to my nursing background. One beauty which is
not found very often at all is the word choleduchojejunostomy which is a
surgical procedure of the gastrointestinal system which I learnt in my nursing
days but is seldom used now but I hold on to regardless. Regardless, to be
brutally honest here I have a very long way to go to even becoming remotely
close to Dad’s talents but that is OK. Words like belligerent, sanctimonious, ultracrepidarian
are just a few I do so love to use when I can. Autolatry is one word some may
currently use to describe me as I type this blog.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Regardless, I hope that I never grow tired of improving my
English vocabulary. As my darling grandfather would often say to me, ‘every day
you learn something which you should file away for future reference.’ How true
this statement is. So clearly I have not only my wonderful father to thank for
my newly found talents but also Poppa for forecasting what I do so
appreciate....the magic of words and how I do so love to refer to those extra
special ones on a regular basis.</span></div>
<br />
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<br /></div>Lady Louhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18395965124271562724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4950361720348194490.post-31900199655346006102012-01-18T11:59:00.000-08:002012-02-15T21:28:45.781-08:00Self-praise....it should be mandatory<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz6WqrUQj8cVXbAwCxKsTmOboEYoKOC1x5A3pGjlrEo8yXb3aby3SfFX-i_RFB0QFQlPFuBmiSDU2jPlYggWjW5m_WRxYux3T2-VFdiU-NFO7FG26CdXSxe_yB8krizKAOgMypEfal0Tc8/s1600/IMG_1069.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz6WqrUQj8cVXbAwCxKsTmOboEYoKOC1x5A3pGjlrEo8yXb3aby3SfFX-i_RFB0QFQlPFuBmiSDU2jPlYggWjW5m_WRxYux3T2-VFdiU-NFO7FG26CdXSxe_yB8krizKAOgMypEfal0Tc8/s320/IMG_1069.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAXA26QAyVVjik0Fo8Jwf_jj8sLyegctSqyB8RL5VjfoH7-O3LGOq1ih7cMmFqqFaOmeOtQA2U7Y-hZECJeNOM0GkKDx9CeVm8LOYNOk1tNUFwkUvaPiyE3himOAMQ67-598p7ctGXB-FQ/s1600/38cm.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAXA26QAyVVjik0Fo8Jwf_jj8sLyegctSqyB8RL5VjfoH7-O3LGOq1ih7cMmFqqFaOmeOtQA2U7Y-hZECJeNOM0GkKDx9CeVm8LOYNOk1tNUFwkUvaPiyE3himOAMQ67-598p7ctGXB-FQ/s320/38cm.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
Oh wow, photos I can hear you say. Yes, I know, I tend to just write my blog without any photos. I figure that my Lady Lou Lettuce blog has enough lovely photos in it. However, as I have found another love in my life, sewing, I have decided to share my wares with you all. I am now selling them on EBay.<br />
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This love commenced after I sat down a week ago and created some very much needed cushion covers for our sofa. The little beauties have turned out better than expected and consequently I cannot stop sewing!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1lHwkuScW0pqwgbnrLwtC3Eynlojay_lepKRUBidA4hx02YA1ZT0FN0WMYzpUL1tjRtYfAKZB0dvKXOyL0gbsl37NpPnQ9_w2RHNGawYlmpOLVthyphenhyphenlq2w82YSRo-r_Fw6-SoZodyFrBmt/s1600/IMG_1099.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1lHwkuScW0pqwgbnrLwtC3Eynlojay_lepKRUBidA4hx02YA1ZT0FN0WMYzpUL1tjRtYfAKZB0dvKXOyL0gbsl37NpPnQ9_w2RHNGawYlmpOLVthyphenhyphenlq2w82YSRo-r_Fw6-SoZodyFrBmt/s320/IMG_1099.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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I have found a wonderful shop selling gorgeous quilting fabrics and I am using these for my creations. Yes the fabrics are a little more expensive to purchase than your average fabrics but worth it in the end. Aren't they gorgeous! As an added bonus, I have managed to perfect my zip insertion technique too and for the first time have decided to use piping on my cushions. All in all, things are great and these gorgeous creations have already started to sell in just 24 hours of being on EBay. Life is good. Interested? You will notice them in the "Home Decor", "cushions" section as they will always be propped up on my cream sofa chair as per above as you scroll through the cushion section on EBay. Overseas readers....if you are interested in them, let me know by sending me a comment via below comment section.<br />
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They can be found on EBay<br />
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Have a great day :)Lady Louhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18395965124271562724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4950361720348194490.post-31319658365310775132012-01-14T14:57:00.000-08:002012-01-14T14:57:43.178-08:00That makes cents<span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">I guess
it is because of the past three years and the economic climate, every time I
download a newspaper or walk past one in the news agency, the headlines seem to
be topical of this economic climate. Let's face it a country can't survive
without trade, tourism etc and being a proud Australian has shown me that
regardless of how small, young a country is, good economic policies leads to a
wealthy country and Australia is certainly right up the top of that list.</span></span><br />
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<span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">I pride
myself on having taken my own advice early on and set up savings bank accounts
for the girls with regular direct deposits into them. Last year my eighteen
year old travelled overseas instead of presenting herself at the annual
schoolies event and her savings account was her saving grace for her overseas
spending monies. Actually she took far too much of the princely sum of money I
had managed to save for her but as I told her, once it is gone, it is gone and
therefore future savings would be her responsibility.</span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">My
youngest is 'in the same boat' with a nice little bundle but has decided to do
the schoolies thing instead of overseas travel (she accompanied us overseas not
so long ago and I think she is a little 'over' it for the time being.)</span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">I was
recently at lunch with some girlfriends and we we were discussing our children
and the road ahead for them. I mentioned the savings accounts to them and they
both commented on what a great mum I was to initate the savings. I honestly
didn't think much of it back when I signed them up so I patted myself on the
back for my efforts. </span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">I often
joke around with my own girls about probably not being able to leave them too
much financially when I am gone. My jewellery collection will probably have to suffice which
interestingly my youngest informs both myself and her sister that she would
prefer my collection of hand-compiled cookbooks instead of the jewellery (yes
I am a very keen cook and I am thrilled my girls have caught my 'bug'). At this
point my eldest 'chimes in' and states that she too would like the recipe books. I advise them that they will just have to work that out for themselves
when I am 'gone.'</span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">The
experience of being a single mum for a number of years back then, and needing to have a
meeting with our then bank manager and explain to her that it will be 'me' that
she will need to communicate with in future due to my ex jumping on a plane and
heading back to his motherland, apparently because I just wasn't giving him
enough attention (his words to the marriage counsellor, not mine) and so ending
our marriage. The bank manager's response was that she always liked me more
anyway, to which we both giggled like school girls, shared a cup of coffee
whilst she attempted to console me and help me hold back my tears and she and I became great
mates. The tears are well and truly gone I can assure you. So whilst my marriage had ended, this time was also the most
character-building time of my life and I am not just saying that. It is
absolutely true. I grew so much as a person and as a female some days I do feel I can take on the world.</span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">So I
managed to be able to put aside these savings for the girls which would be no
more than enough to be able to assist on the purchasing of maybe a decent
second-hand car, maybe but that is okay. Knowing how financially tough things
are out there I also yearn to also be able to leave them well 'cashed-up' when
I am gone, and wouldn't we all want the same for our children? However I know
that, from my own personal experiences, having to strive for your money and
ensure there is enough to pay those bills and to also have some set aside for
those rainy days, makes us all the more appreciative of our purchases. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">I
reassure myself at these reflective times and having been able to give them a
good education for which I do expect them to work hard toward a good
occupation. I explain that this will allow them to fall back on their
education/degrees no matter what they are dealt in life, and this is possibly
the most valuable asset I can leave them and yes I am very satisfied with that.
No I think that I can remove the word 'possibly' from that last sentence.</span><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: #0400; mso-bidi-language: X-NONE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: #0400;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>Lady Louhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18395965124271562724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4950361720348194490.post-90059578907872132392012-01-07T17:01:00.000-08:002012-01-07T17:01:45.100-08:00Lisbeth Salander or bust!<br />
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<span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">It is a
very long time since I have been hooked on a book. I can probably count on one
hand the number of books I have read in my lifetime which have totally
engrossed me. The first to come to mind was "Jaws." Next from memory
was "Silence of the Lambs" and though not as gripping but I enjoyed
it nonetheless was "The Horse Whisperer"</span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">In recent
times and allow me to reiterate the word "recent" I cannot believe
the excitement and enjoyment I am experiencing whilst reading Stieg Larsson's
works commencing with "The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo" and oh how I
loved this book. The first of Larsson's Millennium Trilogy. I have, just last
week, commenced book 2, "The Girl Who Played With Fire" and again I
am really enjoying the read and am very proud to be able to state that I am a
quarter of the way through it already.....I hope this is the positive sign for
my deep wishing to turn over a new leaf and read much much more this year and
for the years to come.</span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">I am
ashamed to admit that it has been a long time since I have read a book cover to
cover in less than a year. Yep, some have really bored me to distraction and
hence I have left many to gather dust after just a few chapters. However thanks
to the works of the now deceased Mr Larsson, I am hoping that those days are
gone. </span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">Don't get
me wrong. It is not that I don't enjoy reading it is just that reading sends me
off to sleep, like a good sedative, especially when reading is the last
activity at night and after a busy day, this sedative always seems to triumph
after the first page of any laborious book is read. But oh how things have
changed in the last weeks. So much so that not only have I purchased the
Trilogy as audio books, I also have them as iBooks and have paperback copies
too. Yep, I am enjoying the reading that much.</span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">The
characters and a good story line are of course what make a book a good one and
Larsson has certainly won on every count here. The heroine, Lisbeth Salander, a
computer-hacking, bisexual who has a few grudges in life and rightly so; her
boss Armansky; her friend/associate, Mikael Blomkvist, and many more make up
the characters who make this trilogy such a damn good read. I find them all
engrossing. </span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">However,
as a true suffragette, it is Lisbeth Salander whom I am enjoying the most.
Larsson has made her into quite a dark figure, very gutsy character, always
masterfully avenging her wrong-doers with such intrigue and brilliance that I
am in awe of her. Her multiple disguises, her brilliance in computer hacking
and her internal personal confusion and torments allows us to be both fearful
of her and at the same time sympathise and empathise with her.</span></span><br />
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<span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">The
non-English movies of the Trilogy have already been released. I did hear of one
young man removing himself from the theatre as he found the dragon tattoo too
much to cope with. Interesting. However I am looking forward to seeing the
newly released English version. Yes, there are some parts of the book which are
disturbing and no doubt my heart will beat a little faster during those more
intense scenes but being the mother of an eighteen year old, challenging and
often infuriating child who is slowly turning me into Attila the Hun in her
presence (oh and this new 'me' is actually a good thing so don't worry,) it
will take a lot to turn my stomach! Maybe Lisbeth is my alter ego? Who knows?
Regardless, it is a great read. Thank you Stieg Larsson for your brilliance.</span></span></div>
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</span></span></div>Lady Louhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18395965124271562724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4950361720348194490.post-3300601913671602722012-01-07T13:23:00.001-08:002012-01-07T13:30:52.913-08:00A shellsuit or designer clothing.....little did I know!<br />
<span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">I was
chatting recently to a group of girlfriends, some I know well, some just
acquaintances, and one of the topics of conversation that came up from one of
the acquaintances was how she envied the couple X as they had just acquired a
new house<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and had returned from a very
expensive overseas holiday etc etc and I stood, not saying anything but
thinking how naive this lady</span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">’</span><span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">s comment was. I knew exactly
who she was talking about and I knew that her assumptions were, sadly, a long
way from reality. In fact, it was quite the opposite reality.</span></span><br />
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<span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">If there
is one thing I have learnt in my so-far 50 years of life is that one should
never assume a person's wealth nor poverty by the size of the house they live
in, the holidays they take, the car they drive, nor the clothes they wear
especially in this fragile economic climate. The world's economic status is so
precarious that real wealth can only really be determined by, at the end of the
day when you sell your assets off and pay off your debt, is what you have left
held in your hand. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">Here is a
story I can share with you. I was invited to attend an auction at one of London</span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">’</span><span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">s prestigious auction houses. Art was the subject of
interest and let me make it clear that I was simply a guest, not there to bid.
Whilst perusing the collection of interested parties gathered for a particular
piece of art, a Dutch Masters painting found in someone</span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">’</span><span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">s attic after the passing of a loved one and found to be of
incredible worth, I noted the finery most were dressed in. There was one
person, however, whom quite frankly I thought belonged in the storage rooms, as
she was dressed in a shell-suit, which looked like it had come from an op shop and
she looked as if she was ready to go for a jog around the block. I later
discovered that this lady, was indeed one of the most wealthy human beings
walking the planet and who ended up procuring many fine pieces of art that day, worth a king</span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">’</span><span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">s ransom. The moral of this story.....don</span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">’</span><span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">t judge a book etc etc. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica;">I often think of this lady, the garb she wore that day and how clearly, she was not out to impress anyone. She had me fooled! She didn't need to impress anyone and had nothing to prove to anyone. Fantastic!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">Whilst
reading a financial magazine late last year, the author of a particular investment
article was advising what the best investment ventures were at that current
time. Interestingly, property in Australia was certainly not high up on their
list, nor, understandably investing in shares (apart from blue chip companies.)
No, indeed, they offered a very interesting suggestion to invest in U.S.
property. That is correct. They even had a photo of a house, 3 bedrooms I
recall from memory, which was originally purchased for somewhere approximately
$US350,000 (remembering this was before the greenback fell and pre GFC, so it
would have been originally purchased for approx $AUD800,000+ give or take a few
thousand.) The same house was now on the market for $US65,000, and remember the
Australian dollar equalled and may have minimally surpassed the value of the
greenback at the time the article was published so it is worth $AUD65,000, give
or take a few dollars. Incredible! Yes, they were urging us to purchase
property overseas in the great US of A " for a song" and I believe
this is still being suggested. Who would've thought?</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">However,
I have digressed slightly from my original topic of what is really a naive
mindset some people have of wealth and how envy seems to be the underlying
factor in so many circles. Ladies, you will have all experienced the female
insecurities as you walk into a social setting and the ladies, and so too many
of the men, "eye" you up and down before the routine salutation is
offered. Is it Givenchy? Is it designer? Never in my case as the only time I
would go so far as to by a designer outfit to don would be for my child's
wedding. However I am guilty of having the 'Imelda Marcos' shoe fetish,
especially during my nursing days when I was known for picking up a bargain or
two in the designer shoe shops every other pay day. Those days, sadly, are long
departed though I do manage to procure the odd pair now and again.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">The point
I am trying to make, readers, is that we are ruled by a world of media telling
us to buy the best car, the biggest house, the most expensive clothes, eat at
the most expensive restaurants if you want to be noticed and for what! It is
not for OUR personal financial gain. Good grief how could it be? No. It is
simply so that that car manufacturer, that designer or that five star
restaurant accrues your hard earned monies (and this is going to hurt a lot of
you but you and I know that once those credit cards appear, or that bank is
contacted for that car lease/purchase, that money is your DEBT.) Oh yes, I can
hear you say, 'oh but it is a good investment!' Property, yes. Expensive cars,
no. They depreciate by a massive percentage the second you drive it out of the
dealership. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">Come on
people. Let's get off that cycle of "keeping up with the Jones'" (who
are fictional characters anyway), drop those " if only I could
afford" laborious and pathetic banter and look around you and tell me what
really and I mean REALLY makes you happy. Is it that fabulous husband who is
working his butt off simply to pay off the interest on that collection of
credit cards you have accumulated over the years just to keep up with the
Jones' and is so fed up with it all, he is cranky, exhausted and hasn't laughed
in what seems to be a lifetime? Or is it that amazing lady who holds down a
job, is a fabulous wife and mother, a great homemaker and who is so exhausted,
she falls into bed each evening often not being told what an incredible human
being she is!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or is it those amazing
children you bought into this world, gazing at them lovingly whilst they ignore
you both completely because they a so engrossed in that IPod, iPad, X-Box, bla
bla bla you bought for them on those bloody credit cards?</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">If you
haven't been listening to the media for the last three years and how that
"American Dream" of wanting to have everything, clearly isn't working
for those who own the star spangled banner. The ones who led us into the GFC
due to their lack of financial legislation, whose housing market has gone down
the shoot and who's unemployment is through the roof, then where have you been?
</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">You don't
get everything you want in life! Did your mum and dad not tell you that
repeatedly whilst you were growing up? Mine sure did and so did theirs. So tell
your children that too. I tell mine repeatedly. No it is not appreciated but I
stand my ground and still have the one credit card I acquired when turning 18
and my limit has never changed since the year the bank gave it to me. It's cash
or I don't buy it. Yep, I am a simple girl with simple tastes and appreciate
everything I have every day. No, I may not end up being Australia's answer to
Warren Buffet, (who I might add went from a worth of $US58 billion to $US37
billion in 2 year period due to the GFC) but then may be I will! He still buys
some of his suits from Wal-mart and that says "normal" to me. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">Stop
envying those around you and getting down on yourself or your partner just
because you don't have the latest Mercedes Benz or can't afford to go on that
holiday to the Maldives, because what you really have no one can afford. Health
and happiness and may be a credit card to buy those eBay bargains on line is
all we need. It doesn't get any better than that! No one has everything, not
even those Jones' and not even that shellsuit-clad lady I saw at the auction. Trust
me, I know a number of them!</span><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: #0400; mso-bidi-language: X-NONE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: #0400;"><o:p></o:p></span></span>Lady Louhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18395965124271562724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4950361720348194490.post-48261770214801570632012-01-06T13:56:00.000-08:002012-01-06T13:56:33.695-08:00Book 'em Danno!<br />
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<span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">Never
minding a bit of a verbal challenge and usually quick with my rebuttals, I am
about to create some upset to a large number of the community and all I can say
is "tell someone who cares people!" Cyclists....mmmmmm......yep you
can feel the tension rising can't you?</span></span><br />
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<span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">The
bicycle: also known as a bike, push bike or cycle, introduced in the 19th
century, there are now about a billion worldwide, twice the number of
automobiles. They are the principle means of transport in many regions, they
provide a popular form of recreation, children's toys, fitness, transportation
for military and police, courier services and bicycle racing. That's right,
bike racing. </span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">If you
Google bicycle racing, one discovers that there are various forms of this sport
such as road races, track cycling, mountain bike racing, cyclo-cross (that's a
new one to me) etc etc, which are performed in a controlled environment in a
designated area etc etc. Well, that is reassuring and if someone wouldn't mind
letting our local cyclists know that riding on our city streets last time I
checked, does not mean that you are all in the running for the Tour de France
yellow jacket, not on my watch anyway!</span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">I have
watched the increase of road cyclists over the years and the increased testosterone
flowing from so many of them. I know of a friend who had an incident with a
female cyclist, watching the cyclist land on a friend's car bonnet, not knowing
where the cyclist had even come from (wait for it......the cyclist was coming
through changing traffic lights around a corner and thought she would make it
in time! Thank goodness life was not lost) and who quite frankly is still in
shock from the incident. Keeping fit in our ever- increasing technological
world of "sit down in front of the PC, TV etc etc for hours on end and
help increase our cholesterol levels and weight, whilst working on that
spreadsheet/latest video game which I must conquer before the guys at work beat
my score" is a good thing. No it's a great thing.</span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">I admit
to having purchased one of the same metal-framed modes of transportation myself
and then sold it not too long after, having feared for my life whilst cycling
through the suburbs while semi-trailers rush by, causing me to nearly ride into
trees whilst trying to control my bike due to the wind force of these huge
mechanical masses. This is something I have seen repeatedly as these crazy
cyclists (yep I am using that word and I don't care) try and defy the laws of
physics whilst cycling next to modes of transport 100x their size and weight.
If you are that crazy (yep, again) then so be it and so be the consequences my
friends and my goodness aren't there many of those. I feel sorry for the
ambulance men who are eternally being called out to bicycle/traffic crashes. I
know this because I have seen many.</span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">You see
the last time I checked, we have had a plethora of bike tracks created, worth
millions and millions of tax payer dollars, yet so many of these crazy (yep, I am
enjoying this) and selfish cyclists (and yes I know that many of you are good
little cyclists who do the right thing and thank you) seem to give the
appearance that it is their God-given right to cause chaos on the roads and
I thought the roads were created for automobiles etc long before the
cyclists donned their testosterone-driven lycra-clad bodies and seemed to take
the roads as their own! Oh and God help you if you get in their way as the
testosterone drains out of their sweat-soaked bodies because interestingly,
just because we pedestrians/car drivers weren</span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">’</span><span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">t
born with eyes in the back of our heads and amazingly can't see them
approaching from behind, is absolutely no excuse people! </span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">I for one
am hoping that bike registration, just like cars, motorbikes etc must, will
become compulsory and I do know there has been talk about it which is a
positive sign. Recently, a spokesman for some cyclist association was against this idea.
I can't think why (I write with much sarcasm intended!?) My keenness for this
registration to come to fruition is due to the fact that if I had a dollar for each time I
saw a cyclist ride through a red traffic light, or not stop at a stop sign, I
would be driving a Lamborghini which I would have paid cash for and I would be
rivalling Warren Buffet's fortune! How more cyclists aren't killed on the road
for this arrogant and reckless behaviour amazes me but then how do I know the
numbers aren't through the roof, and maybe the media are not permitted to
advise us of such catastrophic events?</span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">These
bikes need to be registered so that the offenders, and goodness knows there are
many of you out there, can be booked and charged accordingly. If we as drivers
have to adhere to the road rules, why in heaven's name don't these maverick
cyclists have to comply too? Watching the lack of respect for the local traffic
rules in my area nearly every day, I am thinking that half of these characters
would lose their rego in a very short period of time as they cycle through
those red lights......good grief, I just saw someone do it just now! Book 'em
Danno"</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>Lady Louhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18395965124271562724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4950361720348194490.post-2556350628822552532012-01-02T14:43:00.000-08:002012-01-02T14:44:22.928-08:00Beauty and the Beast<br />
<span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">I guess I
am fairly old fashioned because I am not a believer in implantations for the sake of beauty. Sure, with
nursing as my background, I have always been wary of what the medical world
sees fit to put inside our bodies and deem ok. Also, being the mum of a
transplant recipient, I am well aware that to preserve life, risks must be
taken but breast implantation etc is not a life preserver in my eyes anyway.</span></span><br />
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<span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">Therefore
it saddens me when I hear that, yet again, more breast implants manufacturing
has been found to be faulty. I recall that not so long ago a celebrity had her
implants removed because they had begun to leak and their have been a plethora
of cases similar. Now, a French breast implant company has been found to have
been using a petroleum industry additive in their implants. </span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">The
lawyers defending the now defunct company have stated that such additives found
in these implants are consumed by humans in our every day lives and also can be
found in cosmetics.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As if that makes it
all ok? According to the media, the company commenced using industrial strength
silicone when it began to face financial difficulties. Sales people for the now
defunct company were reported stating through their emails back as far as 2005,
after implants were reported arriving at their destinations with erupted
shells, that their sales were more important than what the shells of the
implants were made of! (The Australian, 3/1/2012.) I am not so sure the 30,000
women throughout France and indeed the world who have had these particular
implants inserted and are now being advised to seek prompt medical attention,
would think that sales were more important than health.</span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">I have
absolutely no problem with corrective surgery when it comes to burn cases, car
accident traumas etc which have caused terrible disfigurement to those injured.
In fact, I encourage such assistance which I believe is usually very necessary
both psychologically and to aid the return of their physical health. But
implants just to keep up with the Jones' is not a good enough reason for such
drastic surgery. </span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">I know a
couple of girls who have undergone the breast implants and tummy tucks just a
few of years ago and how their recovery was long and very painful. Ironically,
I have seen both only recently and quite frankly they should have saved those
pennies for a nice cruise with hubby. The ' tummy tuck' is back to the weight
she was prior to the surgery and the boob jobs are no longer recognisable.
Admittedly, these ladies are close to, if not arriving at the doors or 'menopausal
heaven' and menopause is not very forgiving when it comes to bodily changes for
we girls. As the years pass, Mother Nature is going to take her course, surgery
or no surgery. All you need to do to confirm what you are heading for is to
watch the TV show The Housewives of Orange County etc! What amazes me about
these TV glamour queens is that whilst they line up for their next surgeries,
which have to be slotted in before their next big social event is that so many
of their husbands/partners are already in extreme financial hardship yet they
think nothing of spending these monies on their looks instead of paying their
debts. Incredulous! Only in America?</span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">No, my
attitude is let nature take its course. If I was so shallow that my circle of
friends only consisted of girls who looked like they had just stepped out of
the glamour TV shows, then knock me over the head and put me in the nearest
bin. My circle of friends are so because they bring out the best in me. I find
them all intellectually stimulating, they make me laugh, they are good and
caring women and that is enough for me. I don't know their bra cup sizes or
where they shop for their clothes etc and frankly I couldn't care less.You can
keep your silicone boob jobs thank you and I'll keep my friends!</span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">In my
opinion, these botched implant cases will be an ongoing saga which will
continue to arrive at our front doors via the media for years to come and all
for the sake of beauty. Look I for one would love to be able to have a breast
lift and a tummy tuck. However knowing what I know about this surgery and how
things can go wrong, even with the most reputable medics, I won't take the
chance and I will just accept nature's course. You see I rely on my appealing
sense of humour, intelligence and welcoming smile framed by my iconic bright
red lipstick to hopefully hide my floors and so far this is working just fine.</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>Lady Louhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18395965124271562724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4950361720348194490.post-35894534500710336632011-12-27T16:09:00.000-08:002011-12-27T16:14:48.891-08:00To "e" buy or not to "e" buy? That is the question.<br /><span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">I</span> was
recently chatting to hubby about the GFC and how the economic world is clearly
changing, how so many businesses and consumers have to look to the world of 'e'
buying and just what this means to the retail world and indeed the changing economic
world.</span></span><br />
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<span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">I
mentioned during our conversation that, just prior to Christmas, I was
listening to one of my fav radio stations and one of the two female presenters
was telling the listeners how she had purchased all of her Christmas presents
via the Internet this year. Her co-presenter then informed us that she had
never purchased anything over the Internet. Naturally the Internet savvy
presenter was stunned (as I was) that this was the case. Being a very keen eBay
shopper myself and purchasing most of my adornments for my handbags/ handbag
business via the Internet, you can appreciate my surprise and hubby</span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">’</span><span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">s as I told him this fact.</span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">Later
that week, I met up with some girlfriends for a "girly" lunch. One
advised us that she too, had purchased all of her Christmas gifts via the net.
Again, another girlfriend advised us of her having never made any net
purchases. I was once again very interested and surprised.</span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">This
clearly growing trend of Internet purchasing bought me back to the conversation
hubby and I was having. We both agreed that the number of shops closing down
has been caused by a number of factors, one being the number of people
purchasing goods online instead of physically walking into shops and making
purchases. He advised me of one particular Australian businessman who actually
wants the government to bring in a tax for online shopping, clearly due to his
business suffering. Hubby also explained that some retail shops want to charge
shoppers who come in, try on items of clothing and then leave without making a
purchase. Apparently the trend is for the savvy internet shopper to go into a
shop and try on items, work out the correct size and then go home and purchase
that item online, thus saving you quite a substantial amount. </span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">I can
certainly see the retailer's points of view. After all they have staff to pay,
rent to pay and clearly along with the GFC and the increase in Internet
shopping, the retail shops are certainly suffering.</span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">As we all
know, we can now read the local papers, even any overseas newspapers/magazines
online are available to us through the press of a button without having to leave the house let alone the country to purchase them
and I for one love this technology and reading The New York Times too! I have a
friend who purchased their house online without stepping one foot into it
before signing on the dotted line. Crazy? In my opinion yes, but who am I to
say what is right? Australia Post has even set up a 24 hour post office in our
city to help cater for the ever increasing Internet shoppers and their purchases/returns.
The facilities will soon be spreading too many other post offices to
accommodate all of us.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">After
much deliberation, I decided to set up my business website for this exact reason.
I want everyone out there to be able to purchase my goods no matter where you
live.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Though I absolutely love attending
our market each week to sell my wares (</span><u><a href="http://www.louisedempsterbags.com/"><span style="color: black; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">www.louisedempsterbags.com</span></a></u><span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">) I, too, came to the
realisation that if you are not Internet savvy with your business, eventually
you are going to be left behind.</span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">There are
a plethora of reasons for not shopping online. One reason for me being that I
have declined to grocery shop online due to my preference for being a
touchy-freely grocery shopper. I do not want someone else choosing my tomatoes,
apples, shallots. I like choosing my fruit and veg by touching, feeling and
smelling. How can I possibly use an avocado tonight for that guacamole if it is
as hard as a rock when it arrives today via my online shopping? What about that
lovely pineapple that grandmother taught us to smell before we bought, to test
how ripe it was? You see it isn't going to work for me in this way because I
need that ripe avocado for tonight and Mr online fruit and veg packing person
doesn't know that.</span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">A</span>s I sit
and write these words, I must lament about how one day, I will have to succumb
and abandon my touchy-feely grocery shopping and join the band wagon of online
grocery shoppers. If the rest of you dictate that this is the way the world is
going, then so must I. I can't see my local greengrocer leaving my local shop
opened for little old me! </span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">Until
then, my friends, I hope that the world will allow me to continue to 'talk' to
the fruit and veg in my shop of choice. I enjoy voicing my opinion of them and their suitability for consumption whilst standing alone chatting to 'them' whilst other shoppers wonder if I have recently escaped from a psychiatric
facility due to my conversing with the item in my hand. Oh and I will continue to walk into shops
and purchase that item of clothing or pair of shoes so that I get the right fit
the first time and help keep the staff remain employed. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">So, until
you all force me to do such online shopping my friends, I remain the
touchy-feely shopper today. Tomorrow? We will all have to wait and see.</span><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: #0400; mso-bidi-language: X-NONE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: #0400;"><o:p></o:p></span></span>Lady Louhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18395965124271562724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4950361720348194490.post-67030112960088422862011-12-25T14:27:00.000-08:002011-12-25T16:07:50.339-08:00Christmas gift giving and please take it back?<span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">Here we are and it's the day after the day we celebrate when the Saviour was born.
The day we celebrate Jesus Christ's birth day and we do
have reason to thank Him for so many things.</span></span><br />
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<span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">On the lighter side of Christmas, it would be far too
serious of me not to mention the topic that most media seem to trigger off on
Boxing Day in a light hearted way and that is the day after the gift giving and
oh not again! The day when we have time to reflect on those gifts we received
yesterday. The day when can finally admit out loud, without having the
gift-givers in the same room and within audible distance when<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>may have offended them. We can now voice our
opinions on those Christmas presents received that we just won't be using and our
plethora of audible reasons we have: it's too small; too big; not my colour;
not my style; I have absolutely no use for Jamie Oliver's latest cookbook
because I don't cook, never have and if I have anything to do with it, I never
will during the remainder of my lifetime (of course that certainly would not be
the response from me if i had received the gorgeous Mr Oliver's cookbook
because those who have read various blogs know that not only do I adore him but
that I adore cooking too.)</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">I know, I am hearing you loud and clear. So what do we do
with them? Shove them in the top of that cupboard and hopefully forget they are
there? Regift (I can honestly say I have never regifted though I do know that
many humans walking this earth have carried out this interesting act.) Do I
sell it on eBay and pray that that gift-giver is not an ebayer and discovers
their gift for sale whilst they are perusing the website whilst searching for a
bargain? Do we put that gift aside and donate it to the local charity shop? You
must hope that that giver of the gift does not happen upon your item whilst
they are, let's say in that particular charity shop, purchasing let's say some
preloved denim jeans they need for their new-to-the-retail-world fabulous up
cycled denim hand bag business??? Anyone you know? </span><u><a href="http://www.louisedempsterbags.com/"><span style="color: black; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">www.louisedempsterbags.com</span></a></u></span><br />
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<span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">This, readers, is your dilemma and decision. Personally I
would choose the latter. I don'tknow, I guess it is my Catholic upbringing but
I would rather a piece of clothing I wouldn't wear "in a month of
Sundays" (as the chances of me fitting into that shirt in my post
menopausal years-to-come is less than zero) and so I would let it go to a charity shop
and to someone who would appreciate it. I would rather this than allow it to sit in a cupboard for months
only to be left prey to the moths, silverfish etc then to be thrown in the bin
later due to the plethora of holes in it. But hey that's just me.</span></span><br />
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<span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">On the brighter side of Christmas gift giving, this is one
dilemma that I am not faced with this year. I received everything that was
practical and might I add there was not one piece of clothing intended for
me.....a nice change I must say. No, all my prezzies were suggested by me to
my darling family and clearly they have great hearing.</span></span><br />
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<span style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">So, allow me to wish you all a fun Boxing Day and I will
leave you to lament on what is now your problem on just what to do with those
challenging gifts you now own and don't require and no, I am not interested in
your outcomes. I am sure you will handle it all admirably!</span></span><br />
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<br /></div>Lady Louhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18395965124271562724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4950361720348194490.post-24831920363087534972011-12-20T12:49:00.000-08:002011-12-21T17:38:32.437-08:00Hi, I'm Australia's correspondent for the New York Times....Nice to meet you!<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Have you ever turned your current thought whilst you create that next email to send to your fellow work colleagues advising them of the next management meeting and turning that thought into something
quite mesmerizing, pondering and imagining yourself in another job. You know, that dream job where you are earning twice
your current salary and loving every second of that new job? Well I certainly
hope you have. I for one do this regularly. Earning twice my current salary
would put me barely as the average wage earner which would be nice (being self-employed
having just ventured into my new business of designer handbags
www.louisedempsterbags.com <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>is a tough
gig I’m telling you, but I am loving it regardless and would love to write professionally as
well.) </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Moving on....so whilst I ponder this dream every now and then, whilst bent
over my sewing machine, creating another handbag and thinking of the monies
spent at Christmas and how I would love to buy my hubby that new car without
having to take out a loan etc etc led me down this path of what if? You see
loving putting my fingers to keys and create something to read regularly, takes
me into this world of<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>standing next to a
make-believe person, obviously my employer or maybe just a work colleague at a
networking event and being introduced as “and I would like you to meet
Australia’s correspondent for the New York Times” when I would smile, shake ‘their’
hand and say “lovely to meet you” and hoping my new acquaintances
response would be “oh really, how incredibly exciting.”</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Okay and now I am hearing many of you giggle under your
breath and shake that head of yours whilst thinking she is such a dreamer. Yep,
you are correct but I for one know that anything can happen in life...just ask
Barak Obama if he ever dreamed of being president of the USA? If you don’t
dream, how can you look forward to anything? My other current dreams are
making a princely sum from my handbags, holidaying in Ireland and Italy, losing a number of kilograms in weight and
publishing my own book! All achievable too.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Now one would naturally assume that wanting to work for NYT one
would be an avid reader of NYT and that my friends has not been the case
until the last few days. Due to the ever-improving world of incredible internet
technology I can access this newspaper via the net and have read various articles in
this large newspaper. I am really enjoying perusing the plethora of articles
and choosing those of interest to read whilst sipping a cup of tea, poised over
my PC. It is interesting whilst reading that it is indeed a
small world regarding their similarity of articles compared to our Australian
newspapers and that, although they already have a plethora of contributors,
what is one more? Who can resist an Aussie? </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">What are my qualifications I can “hear” the editor asking me
during my Skype interview? The fact that I lack a degree in journalism, in my
opinion, is irrelevant. How many current authors have qualifications in
literacy? Not many I am pretty sure. "How long have I been writing for?" Since
grade 1 I presume. My 50 year old memory takes me back to Sister Marcelina in
the classroom showing me how to hold my pencil so, yes, that must have been the
beginning of my writing prowess. "My life’s experiences?" Heaps already and no
doubt heaps more to come. "My interests?" Family; current affairs’ the stock
exchange; <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>humour; the world of medicine
(being a nurse); fashion; conversing with people in general; counselling;
music; cooking; gardening (hence my Lady Lou Lettuce blog) designing and
creating my handbags and putting fingers to keys and expressing my points of
view. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So would this be enough to impress the editor? Well,
frankly, why not? After all what does he/she want? This is me they are talking
to. I am not the average overindulging-alcohol-consuming, cigarette-smoking desperate
journalist. Well this was certainly the case some thirty years ago when I met
numerous 'journos' via a family friend. I casually warned her about being
careful not to go down the same dodgy road as her journo ‘friends’ whom seemed to be perpetually intoxicated whenever we met and who seemed to be willing to sell
their soul just to have an article published. I discovered this whilst chatting to them. I was advised of some of them turning up to work and
submitting their work on time, and many not. At the age of 50, alcohol and me get together far less than in my younger years and my employment record re punctuality over the vast years has been A1 so who wouldn't want to employ me? Oh dear, am I dreaming again? Nah, I don't think so........</span><br />
<br /><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Well, let’s just wait and see if I get any offers. Maybe
someone reading this fabulous blog of mine is in The States (and yes I do have
readers in the USA) who might just be related/knows the editor of the NYT,
mentions my blog, the editor reads it and hey presto.......yep I am dreaming
again and I can dream because it is healthy and stimulating and goodness knows
I love doing it. </span>Lady Louhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18395965124271562724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4950361720348194490.post-169249893524396222011-12-14T13:53:00.000-08:002011-12-14T13:58:38.202-08:00Merry Christmas and thank youAs it is the season to be jolly (and goodness knows after this challenging year I certainly need some jollying-up) I want to wish each and every one of you a Merry Christmas and a fabulous 2012. <br />
<br />You, my followers, have been quite incredible and as I reach my 800th visitor in the next few days, I want to thank you all for reading this blog which was only created in July this year. I have readers from all over the world and I am quite humbled knowing this fact. <br />
<br />
Thank you for taking the time to read my points-of-view on various life issues. I hope I have put some smiles on some faces with my words and I look forward to writing more in the future and putting more smiles on faces.Lady Louhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18395965124271562724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4950361720348194490.post-83071849954898998162011-12-02T19:05:00.001-08:002012-01-12T11:18:08.351-08:00Blokey blokes v girly girls<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I have just returned home early from my selling my wares at the
local Saturday markets, I now await the 'breakdown' guy to arrive to tell me what is
wrong with my little car and hopefully repair it. I was told it would be a 90
minute window either side of 2pm (the time I requested him to come) so I have
been given an early pass by hubby and daughter to make sure I am here when he
turns up.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Trying to organise this visit took nearly a ‘cast of
thousands’ though slightly exaggerated, that should be myself, hubby and at
least five phone calls to organise it. Now, hubby has quite a decent Scottish
brogue left over from his first sixteen years growing up in Scotland. When he converses on the phone, more than often, the
person at the other end of the phone finds it difficult to understand him so
after him advising me that they couldn’t find my car’s details on the breakdown
companie's computer, regardless of the registration being at hand for them and that I needed to
phone them with the VIN, which did not satisfy me at all so I took matters into my own
hands. Yes, we were on their computer file and yes they would organise the breakdown
man to visit us at home and to be there at a certain time etc etc once I
chatted to them. Naturally, hubby was a little frustrated to think I had managed
to organise it without the VIN and so be it my little Scottish thistle! Regardless,
I did feel a little sorry for hubby as I realise that females organising male ‘car
business’ would not have sat well with him and his maleness.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">This had me wondering about female v male ‘jobs’ or ‘roles’
in general. I know the word ‘equality’ is a word that we are constantly reminded
of and one which will hopefully break that ‘glass ceiling’ we girls talk about
so often as the hinderer to our ‘climbing that corporate ladder’ and bringing
home that equal pay. We do have a while to go and hearing recently via a third party that a young relative of mine, graduated and now in the world of laws, is quite horrified how male-dominated this profession is, regardless of the amazing increase in female lawyers. I can only hope that she and my darling daughter, who is about to commence B Laws, will be able to aid in the change this current male-dominated situation. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I however, and ladies don’t judge me too quickly here,
feel quite sorry for the blokes of today. With the increased number of females
qualifying and taking on what were predominantly male jobs eg medicine, engineering, accounting, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>mechanics, plumbers, not to mention the
fabulous Gayle Kelly now CEO of Westpac , and are now first Australian female Prime
Minister, I often wonder if there is a possibility of one day having absolutely
no need for males in the world and how sad that would be for all concerned. We all know the one thing men can’t do and women can is fall pregnant and carry that babe for nine months then deliver. To replace their contribution to this miracle of life is store some frozen sperm and we are it....all powerful.....finally a world
dominated by females.....I am kidding myself, we already dominate the world and
yes we can run the world single-handedly, possibly. It’s true though sad too.</span><br />
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I was brought up in a very strict and traditional Roman
Catholic household where dad was the breadwinner and ex-army. Our family consists of four
children, three females followed by a male. The three girls are tertiary
educated and so was little bro until he gave uni away for a job in tourism. The
three of us girls are very pro-female equality and dad over the
years has sometimes found the three of us a little overbearing at times and I
have no problem with that. ‘All’s fair in love and war’ as the saying goes.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Along with this feminist attitude during my upbringing, I
ended up being a single mum of two for some eight years after a marital
breakdown. I can honestly say that as shocking as this time was, it was also
the time where I truly grew as a female and came to be a woman of substance. Matters when my ex would normally have dealt with, now needed
my supervision and responsibility. It was I who went to visit the bank manager
(female) and to give her the ‘heads up’ as hubby had left the country and it
was now me she would need to liaise with. She was wonderful and we became
really good friends until her transfer to a branch quite a way away. I grew an
amazing backbone during these years, needing to advise hospitals (eldest was a
transplant recipient), schools, kindergartens, utility companies etc etc that
it was now me in charge of bills etc and as initially devastating and embarrassing
it was to admit to a marital breakdown, it became the making of me as a mother
and as a woman. It was now me who had to deal with everyone and everything that involved any of the three of us. I remember during my nursing training back in the early 80’s a
doctor referred to me as a suffragette (I was only 19 at the time) and I was
unsure how to take this. I now own that word with pride after going through the
last decades.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Which brings me back to female v blokes scenario. I don’t
find it daunting ringing up the breakdown service or the car service department
or anyone or thing that has to do with what was once traditionally male
role-taking and I think this is becoming more and more prevalent with females
in today’s world. Wives/partners of our servicemen and women come to mind when
I think of this fact. The waves of farewell to the brave people who travel overseas
to defend our country are owned by the partners left behind to look after the
families. These are the people, predominantly women, who are now left with the
responsibility to raise these children in every way possible. These are the
women who will have to produce a balanced life for these children she is now
solely responsible for. She will be the one they rely on each and every day for
every single need they have and not knowing if she will have that partner to
welcome home at the end of their deployment. It is now totally up to her and oh
how my admiration for these women sky rockets each time I see them on the TV.
This is how I felt for those eight years as a single mum. As those of us who
have been in that position knows, you don’t think about it, you just do it.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So are we becoming a ‘near’ male less society? Not according
to the birth rates but in a strange way, yes. Do some men already feel they have
been made redundant due to the changing roles of women? Many I am sure would
say yes. I however never want that to happen. I don’t like having to take on
male roles and I try to avoid them at all costs. Yes, I can even admit I sit
and play ‘dumb’ sometimes when I see hubby struggling with changing that light
bulb or when looking for that screw driver (the tool, not the drink) which I
managed to use just last week to tighten the door hinge, constructing that new
table I purchased from IKEA and fixing the sinkerator. Who fixed that hinge and that sinkerator? I think it is necessary
to play the ‘maiden in distress’ occasionally. I think it is good for their
manhood for them to puff out that chest whilst looking for a ‘pat on the back’
having finally completed that task set some six months ago by you and what is
now finally, finally finished. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The last think I want to have to do is carry those trestles
into the market for my market stall from the car park, only to slip another
disc in my back whilst doing it. Nope, leave that to him. He is good at it, he
has much more strength than me when it comes to carrying things and I will just
sit back, smile and nod and say ‘thanks so much darling’ and just be glad that
I am woman and I know I can do anything but sometimes I just don’t want to and
there’s nothing wrong with that.</span><br />
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<br /></div>Lady Louhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18395965124271562724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4950361720348194490.post-30335366744713164802011-11-29T14:45:00.001-08:002012-01-12T11:54:42.906-08:00Mum and dad, what the?<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I am not at all interested in people’s views on this blog topic
because I think I have come to the end of my tether when it comes to having
enough of hearing and seeing how respect and standards have diminished over the
last decade or so when it comes to Gen X, Y and Is (my youngest informs me that they are generation I ie Ipods, Ipads, Internet etc) and their standard of acceptable language v my standard.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Maybe being the daughter of an army officer might have
something to do with my views but I have finally accepted that the world has
certainly dropped its standards in too many ways and the respect we showed our
elders whilst growing up have sadly, to a very decent degree, parted company
with the next generations. My peers do not use bad language so someone has let
the standards down and hence it has come from somewhere right?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I can start with my children’s peers. Thank goodness the majority
of them are respectful and have fabulous manners. There are a minority however where
calling me by my first name without asking my permission is just ‘the norm’ and I have a problem with that.
Dropping explicit language at my feet whilst engaged in conversation with
myself or my offspring does not seem to phase some at all. Yes, I can assure
you I do not hesitate in standing my ground, expressing my displeasure in their
offensive language and asking for them to watch their ‘P’s and Q’s’ whilst in
my company. This is usually followed by a forthcoming apology from them and a
very red face and our next encounter is always void of such behaviour, thank
goodness. I think that is a lesson in respect is it not? So why do I have to do
it and not their parents? I have brought up my children with a clear
understanding about language which will not be tolerated neither in our home
nor in my presence EVER! As a very learned gentleman said on TV recently, if
you wouldn’t say it to your grandparents, don’t say it ever! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Now I will jump onto my high horse here and blatantly state
that I blame mum and dad/guardians for this decline in good behaviour. As a
child I was constantly reminded about respectful behaviour and my goodness I stand
by it. Many will now think how, due to the increase in divorce, parenting has
become harder and parents aren’t around enough to govern behaviour which is
true to a point but I say RUBBISH to letting this be blamed for increased bad
language in society. I was a single mum for eight years and if I can have well
behaved children then there is no excuse. Just the simple words, ‘oh your girls
are so lovely and polite’ makes all my hard work worthwhile and yes it is hard
work to teach your children, but worth every minute of it. There are NO
excuses. The simple words ‘shut up’ are spoken by children to parents and vice
versa and I have been witness to this many times recently and have become the ‘norm.’ I dislike it intensely and unless using it in a frivolous
manner, do not use it in my presence thank you. Once we allow the ‘odd’ bad word into our family life,
the rest of those words will follow. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Walking through shopping centres nearly brings me to despair
when overhearing these younger people drop the F word or the S word etc etc as
if they use it as often as we use the word AND. It is horrifying but
understandably horrifying when, if they are walking with their elders, these
elders are using the same words.....I ask you? As they say you learn what you
live and ain’t that the truth.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Reading some tasteless comments on Facebook from some of the younger generations makes my blood boil and I can assure you that if it appears on my youngest's FB page from a friend of hers, I will put a comment on that comment. Yep, parenting is hard work and until mine are of legal age, I will continue to parent and voice my opinion and yes you lose the odd friend because of it but they come back with more respect and having learnt a lesson.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">May be it should be a New Year’s resolution for families to
have a swear tin in their homes for 2012 where monies are put into it by anyone
who uses bad language or is it too late? Nope, it is never too late to improve
ourselves.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Beware, anyone whose children/family members/friends are in my
presence and utilise bad language when conversing with me, you will remember me
forever. I will not tolerate it, never have and never will so watch out!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">PS, It is now some two months on since I wrote the above and I recently noted my eldest had dropped the F word on her Facebook page. Appalled at this, I took a photo of it and then proceeded to block her and then informed her of this episode, ofcourse she was very red-faced (I told you I have standards.) Why the photo? Because she is 18 and denies all wrong-doings in her life that she is responsible for .......Sherlock Holmes has nothing on me! This little darling lives out of home, her choice not mine, and reads my Facebook page to keep up to date with home life. Not any longer. Now she has to pick up the phone and communicate with me. Perish the thought of her talking to her mother. Will she be permitted to rejoin my FB? Possibly not. It is not because I want to punish her 'until the cows come home' but I don't particularly wish to have an eighteen year old watching over my shoulder. </span>Lady Louhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18395965124271562724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4950361720348194490.post-18480645189153673392011-11-20T16:51:00.001-08:002011-11-20T17:01:19.027-08:00Time for a little Christmas cheer and some green thoughts<span style="font-family: Calibri;">As we approach the festive season I need to remind myself as
well as hopefully you, my readers, that, although many human beings find the
Christmas season to be an absolute pain in the proverbial.... Yes I am hearing
you and say there is too much materialistic emphasis put on the season
and quite frankly I agree. The world economy is not prepped to allow a season
of spending, spending, spending, this year. The upside for those of us who look forward to putting
up the Christmas tree and preparing those popular rum balls (my grandfather’s recipe -
which naturally contains copious amounts of our fabulous Australian Bundaberg
Rum and just enough Madeira cake, Cocoa powder, coconut and condensed milk to
soak up that rum and hopefully hold together) is that I think we have learned
that the year needs a little or should I say a lot of Christmas cheer to help
us rid the roller coaster ride many of us have been on.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I can honestly tell you that I have had quite enough of this
year and am, frankly, looking forward to farewelling 2011 and welcoming 2012 in
with gusto. It seems there has been heavy clouds hanging over many many heads
throughout the year all over the world and we were no exception. We were greeted at the beginning
of the year with our dreadful floods which affected us both emotionally and
physically (my car went under 5 metres of water) and caused such incredible
devastation and loss of life; following this was the sudden and sad loss of a loved one to be
then followed with a large negative influence which attempted to fracture our
family unit; as well as constantly hearing from others the hardships the flood has brought
upon so many; the Japanese earthquake; the New Zealand earthquake; the Bangkok
floods; our local news constantly discussing whether the hydrologists should or shouldn’t release water from our large Wivenhoe dam as
they predict another big wet season is about to greet us even though it has been
our driest November in many many years and so it goes on and on. Accompanying
this I can tell you that it was the quietest year I have had in my five years
as a stallholder at our local market as we all understandably watch our pennies and through all of this, the constant of the GEC which we have all woken up
with and gone to bed with for some two years now. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Quite frankly I have had enough and it is time for some fun.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Last evening we had our annual community BBQ around our apartment
pool and which was a huge success and where the common theme of conversation
was just as I have said, we all need some Christmas cheer to help turn the
tides. Yep, I am talking some damn good belly laughs with some smiles thrown in
for good luck.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So I am asking all who read this that although so many have
suffered in so many ways this year and, including me, we may not have had the
laughs and good fortune we had wished for on New Year’s day this year, as we
all go about our Christmas shopping, albeit low key spending for many, can we
all please make an effort to find a smile and pleasant comment or two for those
we encounter whilst we enter into the festive season. I mean we all know Christmas
shopping time seems to release in some of us the “Grinch” type attitude (and I
am talking the pre-Cindy Lou Who-let’s-show this creature what can be achieved by
being nice instead of angry period) with the “serve me first and quickly and
let me get-the-hell-out-of-this-shop” type of human being. Yeah, it is true,
shopping is tiring and boring and futile to many but have a thought of those
behind the counters serving as well as the man or woman next to you in the
line-up, not to mention that person who stole your car park seconds before you
set foot inside the shop.
That person next to you may have lost everything in the recent floods or in the
GEC; they may have just heard the worst news possible about a loved one or about themselves, they may
have even just lost their job and may be just about to lose their home. It is
everywhere at the moment folks and no-one is immune from any of it. </span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So in this busy, exhausting and financially challenging Christmas
season, instead of reminding yourself how much negativity life has allowed to
land on your lap as I have just allowed myself to do, remember the saying ‘what doesn’t kill you only makes you
stronger’ and let’s allow some green and positive thoughts creep in to our heads. Before you want to give the evil glare to that car park thief, don't! And remember, e</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">ven the wealthiest of the
wealthy aren’t wealthy every second of every day....just look at the
stock market!</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So keep those heads up, find that smile that costs nothing
and do one or two random acts of kindness for someone this Christmas season and
some ‘thank you’s, ‘cheers’ or a’ Merry Christmas’ to a stranger or two even
though you really just don’t feel like it. Trust me, it will make you feel like
a million dollars.</span><br />
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<br /></div>Lady Louhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18395965124271562724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4950361720348194490.post-56854552739609411472011-11-06T11:59:00.000-08:002012-01-07T14:16:32.450-08:00What the?<span style="font-family: Calibri;">It was such a lovely morning yesterday, Sunday, that I, hubby and youngest
daughter decided to visit the new Boggo Road Gaol Market, set up by the original
Brisbane market trail blazer Ms Peta Hackworth. Peta set up the original Riverside
Market many years ago and which kick-started the market world here in Brisbane and I thank you Peta for your foresight as I can now officially confess that I am indeed, a market junkie, I truly can't get enough of them!</span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">On arriving at Boggo Road, hubby and I noted how the
precinct had become modernised with the new to us Ecoscience building adorning
the area, along with a new bus stop, just off Annerley Road. The old gaol has
been looked after well, aesthetically speaking having clearly had an external
gurneying in the near past and although they were conducting historical walks
which meandered through the market area, these walks did not allow entry into
the gaol.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Regardless, the market, though clearly in its early days,
was substantial in the areas of fruit and veg, hot food stalls, craft stalls as well as having a couple of musicians/bands placed strategically throughtout the area and the
surroundings were more than pleasant. Note: in these summer days, best to get
to these markets in the earlier hours to avoid the heat. Note II: Don't be concerned, there are always adequate stalls ready to cure your hydration problems.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I felt in the mood for more market observing after our roaming at Boggo Road and not wanting to go home and conquer what was
awaiting me in the laundry I encouraged hubby,
with great success, to visit our old haunting grounds of Mitchelton, Blackwood Road
Markets, run by Jan Power. On arrival, we noted that the set up was the same
and I looked forward to seeing some familiar faces. Unfortunately this was not
to be the case. Though the market had clearly expanded a little since my time there as a
stall holder some two years ago, there were only three remaining original stalls which
saddened both hubby and I. Not only was this a sad situation but what I found even more confronting which maddened me somewhat was that adorning
market stall space at these markets are the local real estate chains and the local sitting
politician! This young lady was handing out red carnations randomly to us to give to
grandparents, as it was, she informed each person passing, grandparents
day? Well I have since surfed this on the net and according to Wiki, yes it was
National Australia’s Grandparents day, the first Sunday in November. Note to
self for future reference! </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">It is a wonderful thing to see the weekend market life
expand in our fair city, however as a stallholder for some 5 years now, I feel
I must put my foot down and ask what the? According to Wiki, a market is any
one of a variety of systems, institutions, procedures, social relations and
infrastructures whereby parties engage in exchange. However in my eyes, this does not include real estate agents and pollies!! Don't these people like being on TV? So what are they doing occupying these wonderful markets?</span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Now we all know that in the
good ol’ days, money was not factored into the original produce selling country
market. Exchanging of goods was how it was done in the old days, alleviating
the want for cash, and quite frankly this still exists in some situations. I
for one exchange my products for other stallholder products and the almighty
dollar does not enter the exchange which I truly love. Bring these days back I
say! So how does a real estate agent and a politician exchange anything? The
only things these people had were business cards and dehydrated flowers. Okay I
will always settle for a flower, albeit dehydrated, but having these characters
in a market place is just wrong in my eyes. No doubt they paid to have their
stalls, I certainly hope so anyway. So this makes me question, and knowing how
difficult it is to secure a spot at any popular market, did these characters
take the place of a local producer eg farmer, butcher, candle stick maker, who
are struggling to keep their heads above water especially in the present
economic climate, or is it just that money talks and market organisers are much
happier taking that almighty dollar from anyone who is willing to pay including
politicians and real estate agents? I think someone may be missing the whole
point of why we the people go to markets! It is to buy local products from our
local supplies for affordable prices and to cut out that middle man, the BIG
TWO, and save a pretty penny or two of the household budget. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Yes, I was extremely disappointed to see these groups now
clearly working their way into the happy market place but I certainly hope that
this is not a growing trend. As a stallholder I am not wanting to involve a
middle man who I know will place another 300% on top of my asking price for my
wares should I put them in their retail world and hence the markets is the ideal place for me and my gorgeous wares. Please leave the market stalls
for us the local, hard-working producers, trying to make a penny and at the
same time, make the public happy too. Keep the politicians on TV where they all
seem to like it anyway!</span>Lady Louhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18395965124271562724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4950361720348194490.post-91380051697507577382011-10-20T22:23:00.000-07:002011-12-14T13:39:49.082-08:00My creative side.....made with love and now available for purchase<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitpSIxkK3sVDftLvk5sGzYi80sXAUVkGh4mUU1d5EFYIjritY-VEYc84ob_-RC0N8oxxKUOrAuq-rKE2sEfQ6iGu3HkCgkIQnSybGYkjgk_yq4WEvOuOwBm4aMPTXfr9afXiaomJ6NUHZ5/s1600/Lizf.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitpSIxkK3sVDftLvk5sGzYi80sXAUVkGh4mUU1d5EFYIjritY-VEYc84ob_-RC0N8oxxKUOrAuq-rKE2sEfQ6iGu3HkCgkIQnSybGYkjgk_yq4WEvOuOwBm4aMPTXfr9afXiaomJ6NUHZ5/s320/Lizf.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
I just wanted to let you all know that I have an addition to my market stall where I sell my lovely handmade greeting cards....these new handmade by me, upcycled denim bling bags are now available. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5EWfObfT5Q0_IzKo400D6KKIW4qoJmn_eCDxqnXxgvg18t9Lzg7Gf0oFJN32Rx6l7KtXnL1x02prX9HlYBdWeLDRQkqCRz2ZBvGwnSR6GuXVDBkEO_23l-LKCBf9AiBHk1q1Pp1g81sGK/s1600/IMG_0900.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5EWfObfT5Q0_IzKo400D6KKIW4qoJmn_eCDxqnXxgvg18t9Lzg7Gf0oFJN32Rx6l7KtXnL1x02prX9HlYBdWeLDRQkqCRz2ZBvGwnSR6GuXVDBkEO_23l-LKCBf9AiBHk1q1Pp1g81sGK/s320/IMG_0900.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Made with heaps of love, the bags are made from denim jeans I purchase from local charity shops, are adorned with bling procured from near and far, come with a lovely scarf and are all fully lined and hand stitched. They are available online at <a href="http://www.louisedempsterbags.com/">www.louisedempsterbags.com</a> and from the Davies Park Markets, Montague Road, West End here in Brisbane each Saturday 6am - 1pm (weather permitting). Come and say hi and peruse the latest collection. Eftpos facilities available.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB5AeLesFgnzim-IAA0RQvJgrfq4cygAQ78AFSiP8GPvujp6VlRMwkzeabfIxB5_MeFfj4_UR0XOYHZeDA6Cle0DWlg7E2I9OO-Honv_kM64AjE1JaxQskMWUnJzyoGDlXVPR64mzxtJp-/s1600/IMG_0912.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB5AeLesFgnzim-IAA0RQvJgrfq4cygAQ78AFSiP8GPvujp6VlRMwkzeabfIxB5_MeFfj4_UR0XOYHZeDA6Cle0DWlg7E2I9OO-Honv_kM64AjE1JaxQskMWUnJzyoGDlXVPR64mzxtJp-/s320/IMG_0912.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br />Lady Louhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18395965124271562724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4950361720348194490.post-52246884218641255272011-10-15T03:20:00.000-07:002012-01-12T11:58:40.256-08:00It's soccer or bust Australia!<br />
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<span lang="EN" style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Association football (also known as <i>football</i>
or <i>soccer</i>) is the most widely played sport in the world. An estimated
3.5 billion have some interest in association football, either playing or
watching it.<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span lang="EN" style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">To say that the only codes of football in
Australia are AFL, NRL and ARU is a fallacy my friends. History tells us of
early evidence of soccer being played as a sport finds the occurrence in China
and soccer is one of the most popular sports in Europe and the Americas.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span lang="EN" style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">In Australia, social football (soccer) has no
specific start date since it was played sporadically across the country from
the late 1870s between rival mining communities and visiting ship crews –
mostly by English and Scottish natives. Organised football began with a game on
Parramatta Oval (NSW) in August 1880 between Wanderers and Kings College.
Wanderers won 5-0. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">With a worldwide
following in 2010 of </span><span lang="EN" style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Association
football (also known as <i>football</i> or <i>soccer</i>) it is the most widely
played sport in the world. An estimated 3.5 billion have some interest in
association football, either playing or watching it ie 53 separate countries/teams
compared to Australia’s 10 A-league teams.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span lang="EN" style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">I predicted this some three years ago and I
predict this again in 2010: Australian soccer, or soon to be known as
Australian football in the European scenario......will have the largest
following population in Australia, far outweighing the rest of all the leagues.
<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
As the saying goes my friends.....if you can’t
beat them......join them.... and I have. Go the mighty Brisbane Roar.....Go Ange
Postecoglou<strong> </strong><span lang="EN" style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">and the boys....Go the A-league. We love you
all! Go Australian soccer, we are right behind you all!<br />
<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
</span><br />
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</div>Lady Louhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18395965124271562724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4950361720348194490.post-68073661590802216742011-10-13T16:33:00.000-07:002012-01-12T11:59:46.600-08:00As Australian as football, meat pies and being a passionate female supporter<span style="font-family: Calibri;">This weekend is a huge weekend for Australian footy ( the shortened
word for football for my overseas readers who are not ‘in the know’ re
Australian slang.) Australia vs New Zealand in the Rugby League test (go Darren Lockyer) as well
as the World Cup Rugby Union semi-final in New Zealand, again Australia vs New
Zealand. Now I know that so many of my female readers will be about to close
this blog and wander off to do something a little more exciting than reading
about men’s football but I for one must state that I LOVE AUSTRALIAN FOOTY! Did
I receive a little more testosterone than the normal female dose?(Females do have
testosterone.) Nope I don’t think so. I grew up
in a female-dominant family, two sisters and one bro. So why the great love of
these male-dominated sports? I put it all down to great patriotism and a little male
influence too.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">My maternal grandfather was a keen sportsman in his younger
days and I cannot remember a weekend when visiting both him and my darling
grandmother that the television wasn’t on and featuring some form of a sporting
event be it cricket, league, union, tennis, golf and being a made keen golfer
(he lived across the road from the Ashgrove golf links here in Brisbane and
frequented it very very often) I remember him often standing in front of the television, talking to the commentators and voicing his opinion to them as if they could hear him. Hilarious at the time and guess who has now picked up this habit?</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">My father too was a feather-weight boxing champ in his army days; a cross
country enthusiast again in his army days; was a keen cricketer and a very good one (wicket keeper mostly) and I was fortunate enough to meet the
great Sir Viv Richards because of dad's interest in cricket. Dad also found himself on the judiciary
of the Mt Isa Rugby League back in the days when we lived in ‘The Isa’ (great
times) and let me tell you this position evoked much passion from the offending players and their supporters but we won't go there! After having three fabulous daughters, came my brother eight years my younger who
not only was a fine goalkeeper for his Hilton soccer club in Mt Isa but also
represented North-West Queensland as captain for age team; he captained his
secondary school ‘firsts’ in cricket and had an outstanding year and he also played
Rugby Union at the same school. I am sure I will be reminded by family members
who read this that I have missed some things out but regardless this is a fine
list of sporting prowess on so many levels. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">This fine list has clearly been a
major contributor to my interest in a plethora of sports. To add to this fine
list, I married a Scotsman who not only follows the great (cough, splatter)
Aberdeen team (which is sad for him as I am a Celtic supporter, the great green and white – my grandmother
was a Glaswegian lassie and me being Catholic...yep.....and of course then there is the
fab Rod Stewart too….) Hubby represented Scotland in Volleyball, was a
cross-country runner, naturally played soccer as a youngster growing up in Scotland (dah!) and is also a retired junior
soccer referee. My youngest daughter also plays soccer (oh and can I mention
that she received the award for ‘most improved’ for team this year…so so proud
of you darling…...thanks Paul!) </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Don’t get me wrong, my female siblings were also great
sports people. We three girls were fabulous swimmers and we took many awards
away with us at meets, my mother was an ace tennis player, so too my eldest sister
and the list goes on too.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Hence these have been my connections to the sporting world and I guess this
is where the passion has come from and yes passionate I am! I was sitting in a
room at a family friend’s house last weekend and we watched the last half of
the Australia vs South Africa World Cup Rugby game after having a scrumptious
BBQ lunch and to my amazement - ‘tis true, I did not think we would make it
after watching our thrashing by the fabulous Irish, and how lovely it was that
I was wrong -we beat those Seeth Africins but was sadly disappointed by the lack of Australian support in the room!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Now let me tell you what happened:- whilst sitting in this room which was dominated by Scotsmen (who sadly?….I
don’t think so…. are out of the cup whoop whoop!) I discovered by their clear
lack of enthusiasm for the score that they were NOT supporting the great
Australian Wallabies. Sacrilege!! Due to this obvious lack of support, I dutifully
reminded them all that I thought that theirs was a ‘poor call’ and I asked them
to think about what country they were all presently living in and which they
chose to live in! What country they had all found wealth and a great lifestyle?
What country provides sunshine to them for three quarters of the year as opposed
to their mother country and what country’s economic climate has held up against
all others including the UK in the present economic climate oh and what country
were they all presently living in, oh did I already say that? Yes, you could hear a pin drop.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Karma happened to them as Australia went on to win that game
resulting in me jumping up, punching the air with my fist whilst yelling
jubilantly GO THE WALLABIES!!! My fellow viewers were silent. Wanting to make
the most of their clear demise, I then regrouped and just prior to me momentarily
leaving the room to seek out the bathroom, I counted out loud whilst pointing
to each of these Scots, yes those ‘non-Australian supporting offenders,’ and informed
them I would be returning with a tissue for each so that they could cry into
it. Again, their response was complete silence.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Yep, I am a very passionate Australian and Queenslander and more than proud to support these male sports, female and all! It doesn't always 'go down' terribly well in male company at times when I quote players names;
declare that I thought that that pass was a forward pass and then the referee
agreeing with me and awards a penalty etc. I am known to regularly tell THE MOST BIASED NSW league TV commentator, Gus Gould, to 'be quiet Gus' during any game he is commentating where a Queensland team is participating, because Gus really, really, really dislikes Queensland and takes great joy in showing his clear bias....shame on you Gus! I am often momentarily disappointed when my
wonderful Brisbane Roar soccer team miss goals but so proud of their achievements during last season after having such a poor start. They won the A-League premiership last
year….Whoop! Whoop (take that Mark Bosnich....love you Adam Peacock!) Being competitive is healthy and without competition we
wouldn’t be able to use the letters VS would we?</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So let’s get together my fellow Aussie girls and you lads….show
your support for our great Australian sports men and women we have produced and
I say Go the Kangaroos, Go the Wallabies and go Australia. The land of the
great! </span>Lady Louhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18395965124271562724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4950361720348194490.post-77126351952024906942011-10-09T14:32:00.000-07:002012-01-12T12:00:42.289-08:00The glass ceiling and women.....it is slowly being lifted<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I am a suffragette from way-back-when. I was labelled with this word whilst working in the operating theatre during my
nursing training days whilst I voiced my opinion to the ‘then’ surgical registrar whilst I assisted him during a procedure. He then referred to me from that day on as a suffragette, a label I feel proud to hold onto to this day – oh and might I add he dated
me for a couple of months after that so he also felt comfortable with my outspoken approach to the powers of being a female.</span></span><br />
<br />
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The day women won the right to vote back in around 1893, was
clearly a day when many men or maybe I should say <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">most</b> men swallowed with difficulty. History shows us
that women seemed to have been created for the purpose of breeding and then
child rearing, cooking, cleaning etc etc. However, thank goodness, gone are
those days. Yes clearly we are required for breeding purposes and quite frankly
any man who had to endure hours and hours of labour pains let alone birthing,
in my and millions of other female’s opinions, would not be a good idea.
However I must give credit where credit is due and let’s face it anatomically
male musculature clearly allows our men to be physically more apt when it comes
to laborious duties involving the expanding and contracting of the old muscles and
that is a great thing. Don’t get me wrong, nobody adores men more than I and
socially I usually feel more cerebrally stimulated listening to male
conversation than those of my own sex but there is no doubt that women are
extremely capable at pulling in the dollars when it comes to employment as men
are….just ask Westpac’s CEO Gail Kelly. There are more females than ever
entering into the world or law, medicine, IT, engineering etc, and quite
frankly I feel the boys feel very threatened by our presence in these male
dominated professions.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We are repeatedly hearing the anecdotal comments regarding the
corporate world allegedly trying to get rid of the ‘glass ceiling’ when it
comes to women in corporate/CEO positions and indeed all top positions including
political via the media, it is going to take an army of women to get this going.
Mr Rupert Murdoch (born Keith Rupert Murdoch) and his News Ltd empire, clearly
has a very strong hold on influencing our political views and controls most of
what people read, watch and hear when it comes to Australian politics. Being a
capitalist and as Australian political history shows us, capitalists and the Liberal
party go hand-in-hand here in Australia, Mr Murdoch has, and this is not just
my opinion but those of Australian advertising companies along with truly
honest males, Rupert has a clear dislike for Ms Gillard and her Labor
Party. We hear EVERY DAY AND I MEAN EVERY DAY currently Julia is clearly being
pushed out by Rupert thanks to his media control. Julia cannot walk, talk,
blink, breathe, dress, eat or do anything right in ‘his’ (the media’s) view. A
recent male advertising guru agreed on national TV that Julia is being given an
extraordinarily hard time and he believes it is mainly due to the fact that she
is a WOMAN! Yes, admittance by a male.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Here is our first female Prime Minister, a graduate of law
who became a partner at 29 at the firm she was employed by….is no mean feat.
Clearly a tough and highly intelligent female who has had to contend with a
male dominated political party from way back, during her uni student days and
so knows that the boys are tough nuts to crack, but oh how she managed to do it
at our last federal election. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">During a recent TV interview an advertising mogul who
admitted to the rough treatment of Julia by ‘the boys’, he was quick to state
that he felt Julia was a very strong female and he had the utmost belief in her
that she is strong enough for the clear ‘stirring of the pot’ she is currently enduring
as a female prime minister and will no doubt have to endure this agitation for
some time to come, maybe even forever. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Julia is lacking talent in presentation and marketing. Is
Swanny any better at selling? No and this is the problem these two face. You
cannot take away from the Howard and Costello or Hawke and Keating advertising
campaign that they managed to ‘sell’ their party’s strategies hence their political
longevity. Yes, they suffered from verbal diarrhoea and it worked. Yes, Julia
needs to scrub up on her salesmanship big time, however, support/teachers for
this absent talent come from the back rooms advisors of Labor. They are clearly
not stepping up. Why? Because they want her out too maybe? <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">My thoughts…….hang in there Julia…..you are a forced to be
reckoned with…..yes we do live in a world where it is clearly dominated by the
attitude of “jobs for the boys” and the lack of CEO female positions talks for
itself. Quite frankly whether you were Liberal or Labor, you would be given a
damn hard time by many due to you being female. Yes, we have to change things
and yes it will be left to the females to do so unfortunately. Are we not capable of managing these top positions? Absolutely not. Do the men feel threatened by females moving
up the corporate ladder? Understandably and absolutely yes and that is a pill they are just going
to have to learn to swallow. We gals are more than capable of holding these top jobs. Some would say no thank you and that is fine. Many would say yes please and to those ladies I say hold on because your day is fast approaching.</span></span></div>Lady Louhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18395965124271562724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4950361720348194490.post-19723137792659165142011-08-30T13:16:00.000-07:002012-01-12T12:01:43.671-08:00Stop and smell the rosesThose of you who read my blog regularly will know that I am a market stall holder and sell my gorgeous handmade cards very cheaply here in Bris Vegas. There is never a weekend that goes by that I don't go home from our day at the markets, inspired and enthralled by chatting to the public for whatever reasons. I was engaged in two consecutive conversations at our last market day by customers who own parrots. Now I am meaning that one converstation happened straight after the other, with about a 15 minute gap and I am pretty sure that neither know eachother. I was fascinated as was my hubby.What are the chances? <br />
<br />
I love nature very much and my Lady Lou Lettuce blog clearly confirms this fact. I don't think, however that I have ever taken enough time to learn about these amazing creations. I have a father who over the years has been a keen bird watcher and was often sighted with binoculars in hand gazing up at a gum tree observing the feathered creature of interest. I also, bought a rather expensive book on birds so that I too could start identifying various bird life which surrounded us as I lived across the road from a reserve. On a recent visit to our fabulous Lone Pine Bird and Koala Sanctuary I stood in wonderment gazing at the plethora of bird life on display and I guess in my case it is more the amazing colours that mother nature has bestowed on them that attracts me to these lovely creatures. However my parrot people taught me much about these amazing creatures that day and just how incredibly intelligent they are, how they do take on the role as a feathered human being when mixing with humans and I was in awe about my lessons that day and am truly appreciative of my newly acquired knowledge on parrot life.<br />
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On the same day, as I sat and crocheted my soon to be eco-friendly and very colourful shoulder bag, I realised my craft was being observed by a male bystander. On lifting my head, he stood there not a foot away from me and I smiled and said hi. He returned the favour and we commenced a conversation about the fine old craft of crochet informing me he was waiting for his partner to complete the fruit n veg purchasing across the path from me. He explained to me how his grandmother used to crochet and how he used to admire her workmanship and I explained to him that it was my grandmother who indeed taught me to crochet. We then conversed about craft and how wonderful it is, he admired my handmade greeting cards, told me they were too cheap for the workmanship and advised me to increase the price. I thanked him for his advice and his compliments and then he parted as his partner approached having completed his purchases. It was a short but pleasant encounter and I appreciated his kind words and his story about his grandmother.<br />
<br />
I cannot explain to you how my days at the markets inspires and motivates me and how much I appreciate human interaction. I guess being head down and bottom up for the week here in my work room allows me my personal and quiet time, especially being a busy mum of two teenagers and I do so appreciate my "time out" creating. Also, however, I very much look forward to my market day, conversing with those who are from all walks of life, who I can learn so much from and who make my heart sing with their compliments of appreciation for my card workmanship.<br />
<br />
Life makes us all so focused on that 9 to 5 clock, paying that bill, worrying and wondering why your child isn't showing any interest in a subject or two at school and "oh what will become of them?" Chill girl, chill! Yes, crappy things will happen but these too shall pass and will be followed by laughter. I have learnt to let toxic words from others dissipate into nothingness as they own them and not me. There will always be clouds with silver linings. It is time to stop and listen and take time and worry a little less about those dirty dishes in the sink or getting that washing in off the line. I do very much love to stop and listen to the positivity of others about things like say parrots and grandmothers who were great at crocheting and oh how I appreciate it all.Lady Louhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18395965124271562724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4950361720348194490.post-1645483529837547592011-08-16T13:50:00.000-07:002012-01-12T12:02:21.329-08:00Keeping up with the Joneses<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I was privileged enough to be having a cup of coffee with some of my wonderful girlfriends the other day. I love to catch up with my BFFLs (best friends for life), and as the majority of females will agree, I honestly believe and so too will the world of psychology, that female interaction with females, strengthens the soul. Well it strengthens my soul anyway.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Women are experts at being able to chat about any topic and give wide and intelligent opinions about these matters. I have often, on occasion, sat down with a very direct opinion on life’s matters and come away from my BFFLs with a completely different attitude about that topic. The change in attitude I attribute to listening to various opinions and then being intelligent enough to heed these incredibly wise women thus analysing and accepting the contributions of their differing ideas and forming a sometimes different opinion from my learned colleagues….the most powerful people roaming this earth……females albeit mothers, wives or whatever! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Now my collection of girlfriends varies greatly in backgrounds and social status etc and I love them all. I however, and those who know me well, will know that snobs Ville and I don’t mix well at all….a bit like water and oil in a bottle. Regardless, I love to sit and listen and of course contribute with my verbal input and take home with me all I have heard (well if that is possible as retaining all of the information these women contribute in one coffee session would be a little impossible on some days as not even a court secretary be able to type fast enough, trying to record our chat). Regardless, it is great information which I hold very dearly as I do my girlfriends.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">These female friendships have taught me much over the years, and will continue . I guess some think that I have had a slightly privileged upbringing having had private schooling but my parents have taught me through life, not by words but by actions, that life has its ups and downs, especially financially and I have never taken anything for granted, oh..........maybe those Barbie dolls over the years oh and OK, no doubt a few other things. Forgive me.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Having relatives who have been associated with ‘old money’ and have travelled much, no doubt spent much but who also have had very difficult times too, again, has taught me to never take anything for granted.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Sure I have owned a Mercedes Benz, eaten at The Ritz in London, have travelled a fair bit and live in a fabulous apartment but none of this has been dropped in my lap, so to speak. Having a nursing background exposed me at the tender age of eighteen to death and dying; I watched by first and only autopsy on this person at eighteen; I have given a colonic bowel wash to one of our leading neurosurgeon’s relatives and survived, both of us that is; I have watched my own flesh and blood at the age of two undergo live-saving surgery; I was to sit and watch, on an eight hour shift, a young man who was on suicide watch and who was simply needing to feel he belonged in our society; I was assigned, again at nineteen, to sit and encourage a group of adolescent females who suffered from anorexia nervosa to eat nutricious food during many of my nursing shifts; I have been and still am privy to chats with girlfriends who have come asking me for advice on a plethora of serious life topics which still humbles me whenever this occurs; I have experienced quite a bit in life thus far.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I guess these things have really ‘grounded’ me and made me very aware that good things come and good things go yet can be obtained again and this is why when I hear of friends and acquaintances trying to keep up with the Joneses makes me squirm and protest a little. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I was chatting not so long ago by a parent who I had known for some time who informed me that they were off overseas skiing, had purchased their new luxury car, had enrolled their eldest at one of the elite male schools and were building a brand new and very large home. “Oh how wonderful” I remember exclaiming to her, most envious and wishing to be in that position. At that time I was a single parent, hadn’t been on a holiday with my beautiful children for quite some time and lived month to month hoping that that maintenance payment would be received but always in the back of my head knowing that if it didn’t, the house would have to be sold, the children taken out of private schooling and goodness knows where I would have to reside with my precious kids. As I stood there gazing at this lady and being quite envious of her conversation, it was in her next sentence that allowed me to regroup. “Oh, we are on final notice from our electricity supplier due to our failing to pay the past couple of bills, but hey, so what, we are going ahead with our plans regardless.” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Say what? Yep, it was all true and I stood in bewilderment about her ‘devil may care’ attitude. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">To this day, I cannot tell you if all of this lady’s plans fell into place or if indeed she has electricity in her life. Is this the reason why Australia’s credit card debt is $50 billion dollars presently? How much of it is owed by her? I don’t know and quite frankly I do not want to know. All I know is that very very very little of it is owed by me . I still have the same credit card limit I had when I applied for it at the age of eighteen and that’s the truth. My attitude is if you don’t have the cash, don’t buy it. Okay, there are exceptions such as buying a house, car and any emergencies such as medical etc but hey boys and girls what is this world coming to?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I watch as my now adolescent teenager mixes in her university circle of friends, who are children of a large demographic of families. I listen to some of them chat about the latest mobile phones they have, whose parents drive what cars, where holidays are taken and what suburb they intend living in when they are all “degreed- up” and I love to hear it all. My teenager, who has been taught much by her frugal mother, but currently listens little, spending her plentiful supply and interestingly-sourced funds and watches me intently watching her acquire another designer good purchase whilst I shake my head in disbelief and disapproval. This “Burberry-wearing, Givenchy-talking” adolescent knows that I have my proverbial tongue in my cheek as I nod at her saying “oh, fabulous.” Yes, she knows that “credit card city” is not the place where I want her living in the future but I can rest easy knowing that, as a student of law, and who is now eighteen and hence legal, she is responsible for her actions and thank goodness her bills, should she walk into 'that' city. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So I sit back and watch the next credit-card and money-crazy generation coming through, not all but many, and listen as some of my generation chat about the who’s who of Brisbane and who’s travelling to which exotic resort and how many pairs of Jimmy Choo shoes who has acquired over the last month on which credit card and I heed it all. In my eyes, the people who are so busy keeping up with the Joneses don’t realise that they are sitting with a member of that Jones family, sipping that cup of coffee and that would be me. No, I don’t have to have acquired the latest Mercedes Benz or the ten pairs of Jimmy Choo shoes to be a Jones family member, I just need to have the money in the bank to pay for that upcoming electricity bill and thank goodness I do, and it’s cash!<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />Lady Louhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18395965124271562724noreply@blogger.com0