A new handbag

I haven't taken a picture of it YET....don't you just LOVE a new handbag ?
I can take months to find just the right one. Sunday was the day !!!!! I see what I want in magazines and wouldn't you know it...the very one you LOVE costs an outrageous amount....so you keep looking every time you go to the mall.....then the right one just pops out at you.....YES !
It's just the right size....bigger than last years.....not too big tho... ( I am easily swamped at 5'3".)
black....part mock croc and part fake leather.....plenty of zips and nooks and crannies that are carefully designed to suit ME. Fake leather is so good these days....very soft and smooth.
I'm not giving it a trial run....just going to pile everything into it the day we fly out !
Two weeks from tomorrow.
We are flying Virgin....VAustralia and apparently we are going to be treated like rock stars ! An upgrade to a seat that turns into a bed would really do it.....not a chance....but Perry says he is going to ask. You don't ask....you don't get...right? Thirteen hours, nailed to the seat for at least eleven of those hours doesn't quite sound like rock star treatment to me. A glass of wine and a sleeping pill with dinner will hopefully send me to sleep for a few hours. Perry can fall asleep on a barbed wire fence....I seem to have to be lying down.....or is that laying down ?
Anyway....we will make it. New handbag and all.

Yes...I am a VERY BIG DOG....wanna make something out of it ?

Have you ever seen anything like this DOG ????? Glad I don't have to clean up after this guy !!! Or buy the food !!!



To Blog or not to Blog.....That is the question.... hmm.....let's see.....
The weather has cooled down. Summer sort of suddenly switches off up here. Doesn't get cold......just feels a lot more mellow, and it stays this way for months and months and MONTHS. LOVE IT !!!!!
We fly out to visit family in less than four weeks. Staying for three weeks and now that Perry is coming too we wish we had planned more carefully and could stay for another week or so. We checked out extending the trip, but the extra cost mounted up to where we thought we will just leave it as it is....will just have to pack in as much as possible....or change plans when we get there if necessary. We arrive around lunch time on Wednesday the 3rd.....off to the river for the first weekend....that is pretty much locked in. I want to visit Christopher's school...hopefully meet his teacher....watch him at football practise. (Glen says he is fearless....as was Glen... I used to watch him play and pray he would finish the game in one piece.) Do some grandmother stuff.....get to know Catherine... who sounds like a lovely lady and maybe get to play a game of bowls at Balboa Park.... Perry played there a few times six years ago.....
The second weekend we can hopefully sort out how to visit Mike, Gayle and as many nieces, nephews and children as possible....then Nancy and family....keep on going to Coleville and visit Jack and Margaret for a couple of days and be back at Glen's around Thursday.
With both of us visiting....Glen wondered if we might prefer to use his motor-home as our mini apartment instead of one of the bedrooms. We agreed that it would be really good ! He will park it up close to the side of his home and hook it up to water and power....that way we will all have privacy!

Airfares are really very reasonable at present....$2400 to L.A., but another $600 to fly down and back to S.D.... rather ridiculous. It's the extras that add up. We use a limo service to get to the airport and back.....an extra $200. Travel insurance, which is an absolute must.....another $600 for the two of us for between 17-24 days. If we change plans, the insurance really jumps, plus another $500 to the airline for altering the itinerary..... Then we will most likely need to rent a car for a week or so. Oh well....it's only money !

WELCOME TO OZ !

We live just south of the poisonous snakes ! We used to live near the convicts and plan to explore the deranged gunmen area....maybe next year.
I suspect someone dreamed up the above in the hopes that our population level will not rise too quickly....especially where we are. Queensland is the fastest growing state in Australia. The population hugs the coast as there really is red desert.....more red desert and even MORE red desert. Hardly any water, but very spectacular scenery, best viewed from above from what I have heard. At some point in time we want to fly in a helicopter over parts of Central Australia, as many of the rock formations look pretty specky.

We both went to our local doctor today...me to get results of the usual tests. Everything fine....just the usual.....maybe think about losing a bit of weight.... HA HA.....I do more than think....but what happens ?????? NOT MUCH.
Oh well....that's just the way it is !!! Perry to have a couple of skin lesions looked at ....one is a not very aggressive cancer and the other is probably another one of those things that will be burned off at a later date. These are the things one gets from not protecting young skin !

Barbara and Ray are enjoying a short break up at Noosa....about 100k's (60 miles) north of us. Might get to see them later in the week ! Hope so.

It's O.K. mom....he's cool....

No news.....just finished dinner....and I'm no longer hungry....just have a craving for something sweet. Drat.
I found a truffle recipe from Kraft Foods.com a few days ago....very Christmassy...but NOW would be REALLY good.

Here it is !

Oreo Truffles

1 pkg. (1 lb. 2 oz.) Oreo Cookies, finely crushed, divided
1 pkg. (8 oz.) Philadelphia Cream Cheese, softened
2 pkg. (8 squares each) Baker's Semi-Sweet Chocolate, melted

MIX 3 cups of the cookie crumbs and the cream cheese until well blended. Shape into 42 (1-inch) balls.

DIP balls in melted chocolate; place on waxed paper-covered baking sheet. Sprinkle with remaining cookie crumbs.

REFRIGERATE 1 hour or until firm. Store any leftover truffles in tightly covered container in refrigerator.

I'm not going to make them....I'm NOT.....

Yes...I think we make a great looking couple...

Just checking my mail....this pic is another one to share....

Checking around for travel insurance. Slim pickings once you get to 70. I slide in .....just !

Spoke with Glen today.....a guest room has already been arranged for us. Catherine's folks are replacing their bedroom set and have offered the old one to her and Glen. Perfect for our visit. Seven weeks today.
He is looking forward to just hanging out with us....sounds good to me ! I haven't had a long chat with Catherine yet...can't wait to meet her. Glen sounds so relaxed and happy. For a big start....Catherine....COOKS...and they both like the same food. That in itself is a huge plus in my books. We don't eat out very much and I am looking forward to just sitting at a dining room table at their home. I'm pretty sure I will have to do at least one dinner. That is very definitely O.K. with me.

Tonight we played night bowls for the first time. What a great evening ! Two greens....about 80 people playing triples. Perry and I played with a guy we hadn't met before and he was a really good bowler....very quiet and serious ....also deadly accurate. We won by one point which makes for an enjoyable game. Next Wednesday night is the last night till October. We will be up for all the night games when the new season begins. The evening seems to include early dinner at the club (Bribie Island) for a lot of people, then a couple of drinks after the game. Very social and lots of fun. Perry has emailed the club in Balboa Park to see if we can play a few games while we are at Glen's house. Perry played there a few times almost six years ago. He had a really nice time. Bowlers are nice people !!!!

No wonder I am tired....it's almost midnight. Yawn......

What ?.... I can handle it...no problem !

Isn't this a CUTE picture !!!


However the rain is NOT!!!!!

I'm OVER it !!!!!!!! Do you hear ??????

Yesterday was lovely.....the Easter BBQ with friends and neighbors....lots of yummy food....mm.

Pam and Phil called....had a lovely chat with Pam....Phil's was a message as we missed his call.

Perry bought the phone out to me to listen to the message and as usual...Phil sounds like a radio announcer. He has the loveliest voice.....my mother badly wanted him to go for voice over stuff. Not Phil's scene at all. Anyway....I passed the phone around to the ladies to let them hear for themselves....at the same point in his message they all smiled and looked skyward....even Mia's 83 year old mother. When he called again today I teased him, telling him that there are six ladies here that definitely want to meet him..... Didn't hear from Glen....I suspect he has gone away for a mini Easter vacation.

Anyway....the day was great.....but today....RAIN RAIN RAIN and more to come. We have already gone past the usual for April and it's only the 13th.

Thankfully I have several books on standby!

Crowds panic as flooding threatens Ireland.

A bit like this at our club today.....we got rained out again.
Tomorrow is supposed to be wetter and our joint venture Easter BBQ could be in jeopardy. I have made the applesauce and have a crab and chili dip ready to put together tomorrow. Have also made the good old standby ... Lime and Cottage Cheese Jello. Looking forward to a feast.
Perry called his brother Jack yesterday, to tell him to expect us sometime between June 10 and June 17....or thereabouts...to visit with them for maybe two or three days. Jack sounded very good as did Maggie. She and I had a good newsy catchup. Suzy no longer works at the casino after being there for 26 years ! Sherrie still works there 4 days a week after 25 years. Can't wait to see them again !
We will get to visit with Nancy and her family.......hopefully Gayle and Mike also. Way too many years have gone by since we last visited with them !