Three days after Christmas recipes

Time for more gobbeldechook.

Hmmmm...

We three Kings of Orient are, bearing syntax most unusual.

Christmas Thoughts ...

Weather here at Christmas ...

Cloudy with a chance of rumballs ...

Christmas weather forecast

Slight chance of rain, dear.

Speed texting - @ 90km/h

Aboriginal Art – from the land

During my walk in the black forest, I came across some things that I saw a little differently from what they really were.

As I was taking photos of them I became more aware of the similarity between what I was looking at and some art I had seen hanging in galleries around this country.

I am no guru on aboriginal art, but I think I can perhaps see where some of the ideas come from.

What about you?

To see what I really saw click on the link below.

A walk in the black forest

It is now the season of Gurrung (hot dry weather) in the eyes of the indigenous people who are the original people here.

Yesterday, we went for a short walk through a recently burnt out area of land about an hour’s drive from the city. It was quite a hot day, around 35 degrees C, trying to be dry but not quite succeeding. There was some protection from the sun, as the eucalypt trees had been burnt through at the lower level, but had started their regrowth and provided some shelter. Down at ground level the fire had spared little before it, and small animals must have run for their lives or run into holes in the ground to escape the flames and intense heat.

The plants, however, without the ability to run, or even hide; stood their ground as the flames rushed past, charring their trunks black and incinerating their leaves. Walking through the area, most is black and the remaining fallen leaves on the ground, the ones which were not immediately burnt, crunch underfoot.

But, once the fire passed, it was not long before rehabilitation began.

Lizards and skinks were out and about, searching for food; and the trees and cycads were growing again.

There is beauty in the burnt remains and promise in the regrowth – hope for another season, as both plants and wildlife wait for the cooling rains to continue their growth.

For some more photos, click below


http://www.flickr.com/photos/28321444@N05/sets/72157624832260056/show/

Long weekend coming up

www.swamp.com.au

It's all relative ...

“As the snow flies
On a cold and gray Chicago mornin'
A poor little baby child is born
In the ghetto
And his mama cries
'cause if there's one thing that she don't need
it's another hungry mouth to feed
In the ghetto

People, don't you understand
the child needs a helping hand
or he'll grow to be an angry young man some day
Take a look at you and me,
are we too blind to see,
do we simply turn our heads
and look the other way ...”


Sometimes, even when it is nothing like the song, it's not in the ghetto, and even when it's tough there is love and food and education and family holidays and school and sporting trips ... and the young man grows, and it’s a special day; the last line can still be the same ...

"And his mama cries."

(In the ghetto lyrics by Elvis Presley)

Open Garden - Phoenix rising

Come on in with me …
























Down the pebbled path in the shade …

Past the beautiful blue jar …























Beside the cool water of the pool …































Yet another interesting pot …








































Looking back …

































Yet more colour …





























View from the window …































Someone keeping watch …








































Orange door.

All in all, a beautiful place ... don't you think?

The work situation ... ah ... about that

As I have said before, we must maintain the humour; even if the rage takes a break now and then.

Perplexity

Off track

Words that aren't

Do you ever have that feeling that the advertising / spin world has really developed a new language. Not just buzz words but a whole new language. In the last few days I have come across quite a few examples.



Help: When you travel overseas with your Telstra mobile you will receive a text message advising you that technical issues can be reported to Telstra’s 24x7 helpdesk … and provide the number. A couple of years ago, that meant if you had a problem with any part of the Telstra system they could help you ie finding an Australian phone number and you didn’t have immediate computer access, they could connect you to the Australian directory services (for a fee, but they could connect you). Recently I needed to find a phone number for Medibank Private and after running the gauntlet of recorded messages, finally got an operator in the Philippines, who tried gallantly, but then advised me that she was sorry but she couldn’t find me the number for that bank! At that stage I said thank you and hung up because I was almost choking myself stopping laughing.



Solutions: When you are staying in a hotel and the airconditioner is not working properly or there are no towels in the bathroom; one used to call housekeeping or reception or an operator. The phone was answered by a real person and you were connected to the person who could help you. Not now – you press the Solutions button on your phone and hope for the best. After pressing several more numbers you may finally get connected to someone who will neither, have a solution, turn up to fix the airconditioner or supply the towels. Best idea, wander the halls and find a housekeeping trolley and get your own towels (and pick up a couple of extra coffee and sugar sachets while you are there as they never leave enough of those!); the airconditioning, forget that until the next day…

Flexibility

Another day, another milestone in the hip hop journey.

I have been away on a small trip. It was a good opportunity to see how the hip performed. I am pleased to advise that it behaved admirably. A reasonable number of situations were presented and it performed very well. Travelling on many different types of “vehicles” can really put some stresses on a learner hip, but it did well.

First there was a four hour trip with Jetstar, sitting in their almost unmovable seats (they recline about 5cm), and that was OK. Then there was a variety of transport services – more planes, mini busses, trains, monorails, city busses and more.

But it was at the Sepilok Orangutan Sanctuary in Sabah that I realized that I still have a way to go.























When I can do this, I will KNOW that the hip is really working well!

Oh yes, and if you want to know more about the place, click below.
http://www.orangutan-appeal.org.uk/sepilok-rehabilitation-centre

It's not just the Christmas Beetle ... now it's Cricket

I thought I was the only one who had trouble with the tiny wildlife; but it would appear that, in the tropics, those little blighters can cause others trouble too.

While reading the local newspaper I came across the following article ...

Cricket

A slight distraction - a workplace restructure

It is a while now since the restructure was announced.

We waited with bated breath.

Then we waited some more.

We were positive, we were brave and we were patient.

Then came some announcements ...

We are still waiting. But we feel loved.

Now we need humour.

I can fly! Truly, I can!

I really don’t want to fly, but over the last (almost) three months I have found humour and even encouragement in the cute little Aussie cartoon which hits my inbox every day.

Sometimes, and I have said this in my blog, I have even felt that the cartoonist has been looking over my shoulder.

A few weeks ago there appeared the following group of cartoons in a mini series. The lead was played by Ding Duck “the world’s worst flying student. After or in spite of 5397 flying lessons at last count, he still can’t fly”.

One would think that people would read, laugh and then move on. But no ... some Swamp watchers decided to offer suggestions to the poor little duck.

Even Ding has encouragers.

Click and read.

http://www.swamp.com.au/dingducksanysuggestionspage.html


I am not running a marathon yet; and there have been times when I have sat in the corner and sucked my thumb, but it seems that, at those times there has been a pick me up from someone. No names as you know who you are. Well maybe you don’t realize the support you have provided. Just as I haven’t always realized the progress I have made and have had to do a few checks and balances to realize.

When you live in the body you are sometimes just too close to notice and it takes those checks and balances or someone to remind you.

As I almost reach the three month mark after a major operation that has become a turning (walking?) point in my life I would like to thank my supporters from all around the world. Who would have thought even a few years ago that you would receive encouragement, get well cards and you can do it cards from places as diverse as my comments and emails have come from.

THANK YOU! And really, it is a small world after all.

Oh, and yes thank you http://www.swamp.com.au/

Swan Lake turns pink … Flamingo Flutter?

A new exercise in my regime involves training for an attempt to balance firmly on my left leg, without wobbling all over the place, something I have been unable to do very successfully for some time.

Does this remind me of something?

Once again it requires a certain amount of trust or faith. Why would I not be able to stand on this leg? Logically, it is a heck of a lot stronger and more reliable than the one I had been hobbling around on for quite some time.

Strangely enough my balance and my idea of vertical is a bit off true. I notice this when, as instructed, I practise in front of a mirror. I feel that I am standing evenly on both legs, but the mirror tells me differently. Perhaps the mirror is not straight?

I’ll get it right and there may still be a chance for me in the corps de ballet.

Ticks, tacks and tasers

I think a little guy with a hammer and a bag full of sharp tacks has taken up residence inside my hip. Well, not in my hip joint, but in my hip area.








I wonder did someone let him in there during the surgery?

Maybe he has a nail gun rather than a bag of tacks. Or perhaps he has gone really cutting edge and invested in a taser.

Why?

Since a few days after my surgery, every now and again, he starts practising tacking, nailing or tasering. During the day it is OK, but during the night, when I am sound asleep, it is a more effective wakeup call that the loudest alarm clock, or for that matter, the loudest screaming hungry baby.

It feels like a very fine, long needle going into the tissues near the wound.

It is, however, probably only the result of one of the sutures which has perhaps hogtied a nerve, dissolving and the nerve is free. "I’m back" it screams, very much like pins and needles on steroids.

The good thing is that it’s another area of the rather stressed “boned out” section of muscle and tissue bonding with the new prosthesis and coming back to work. Regular massage in the area has helped a lot too, even though it was tough letting it happen!

This is all good and another step along the road to recovery.

Not even the wet, dull weather can distract me … well, maybe if I had a good book and a couple of days off work to read it!