An Aussie breakfast

G'day. We have had a very busy weekend here. On Saturday it was the Grand Final for one of our biggest sporting codes, The Australian Football League. We had the TV on throughout the day and I explained how the footy rules worked, to Ratty, Toad and Mole. The teams playing were The Sydney Swans and Hawthorn (the Hawks) I was barracking for The Hawks as they are a Melbourne based team, but sadly they lost by 10 points. I think it was all a bit much for my three new friends, as at one stage I checked on them and they were fast asleep.Sunday morning was a bit on the cool side, but hubby and I knew we were going to be spending the day getting another garden bed on the go and The Willow boys wanted to be part of the action, so a good breakfast was in order for them. Of course, being in Australia, they had to have toast and Vegemite. I think they really liked it as I caught Ratty trying to open the jar when he thought I wasn't looking.

They were most intrigued with my breakfast as well and couldn't wait to gobble some of it down. This is my favourite breakfast and I have it most days. It's porridge, kiwi fruit, strawberries and a banana. Very filling and healthy. 

Toad took a great liking to it and asked could he have his own bowl of it tomorrow please....

After many hours in the garden, it was time to come inside and I had to finish a fabric book that I had started some time ago. It was a good time to show Ratty, Toad and Mole a few of the animals that live in Australia and with the map on the back cover, the three travelers could see exactly where they are living at the moment in this beautiful big country that I call home. My state of Victoria is in the lower right hand side, just above the lovely island state of Tasmania (where I was born) We live just off to the right a fraction from the centre of Victoria. Ratty, Toad and Mole said they would love to go in a hot air balloon, but I told them that sadly that is not on the plans. They were all very disappointed.


"Strewth" (means an exclamation) said Mole, "That's a funny looking animal, what is it?" I said that this is a Kangaroo and in this book, his name is Hoppy and he goes walkabout and meets lots of other native Australian animals. "Can we meet them too"? asked Toad. So our adventures with Hoppy and some of our other Aussie animals will be in my next post.

Take care. Hooroo from Liz, Ratty, Toad and Mole...

A good day to be home

G'day. I have a day off work as I am not feeling very well. It's been good having Ratty, Toad and Mole to keep me company, though it's probably been pretty boring for them. I ushered them outside after breakfast this morning, to do whatever a Ratty, Toad and Mole need to do and it was only a short time later that I happened to look out the kitchen window and saw the three of them huddled in a basket. The poor dears looked rather frightened, so out I rushed to see what was wrong. Immediately I saw what was worrying them. A storm was brewing and it looked to be a cracker. The sky was black, thunder and lightening was out in force and clearly my three friends wanted to be inside where it was safe and warm.

I quickly went and grabbed them just as a huge lightening bolt lit up the sky all around us. "That was a close call, you nearly went up in smoke" I said to them. "Fair dinkum" said Mole, using the Aussie slang word for really or truthful.So inside to the safety and the warmth of the house and we let the storm roil and boil outside, while we watched it from the kitchen window.

The little ones were quite happy to stay inside with me for most of the day, they knew I wasn't feeling the best and they were very well behaved and just sat around with me and watched a few DVD's or had a nap with me.

We are all looking forward to more adventures tomorrow.

Take care and Hooroo (Goodbye) from Liz, Ratty, Toad and Mole... 

Best of friends.

G'day. Well, as you can see, Ratty, Toad and Mole and our little dog Lucky, are best mates.This morning (Tues)  Lucky has been showing them all around the backyard and more than likely showing them where he hides his bones!!! I don't know if the three travelers are interested in bones, but at least it appears that Lucky is willing to share.

It's my one day off work and while I have been busy doing the usual stuff that needs to be done when I am home, I entrusted their care to their new four legged friend. The day is just lovely, weather wise, sun is shining and it's a great day to be outside. Shame I couldn't be out there with them, but someone has to keep the house running and today, that's me. Though I have found time to get another T shirt embroidered for the girl at work, to give to her two nieces.I left the backdoor open so Lucky could bring his new best buddies inside if they so desired and next thing I knew was that Ratty, Toad and Mole were up beside me, checking out the embroidery machine. They were very interested in how it worked and wanted to have a play with it. But after I explained that it was not a toy, they were happy to hop down and have scampered back outside to soak up some more sunshine. I must be careful and keep an eye on them. I don't want them getting sunburn. 

 They are really cheeky little fellows you know and have already picked up some of our Aussie slang . This morning they greeted hubby with "G'day Mate" and I am sure by the time they leave here, they will be able to talk like a True Blue Aussie. I'm sure they must be getting hungry now, I know I am, so it's time for some lunch. Take care. Liz, Ratty, Toad and Mole and of course Lucky...

Oh, they are daredevils...

G'day.Well, it looks like the lovable Ratty, Toad and Mole have recovered from their jet lag and are determined to make the most of their stay with us here in country Victoria (Australia). I left them to their own devices yesterday afternoon while hubby and I got stuck into making another garden bed and a short while had passed and hubby said "What's that noise"? Coming from the garage we could hear vroom, vroom, vroom, vroom. On closer inspection, there were our three visitors on top of one of hubby's motorbikes and Ratty was  was really going for it, jumping up and down yelling "vroom, vroom".

"Why won't it go"? chorused Toad and Mole. I think it has something to do with that key, replied Ratty, as the three of them scampered up to where the key dangled from the ignition.

Please can we go for a ride? asked our three visitors." Maybe another day replied hubby, Liz and I have a lot of work to do here first". Being good little troupers, they hopped off and scampered around the garden, enjoying the sunshine and seeing what fun could be had.

After running around, looking at this and that and asking a lot of questions, they were feeling a bit on the tired side and took themselves off to have a nap in one of the Azalea bushes.

Before we knew it, the day was over and it was time to think about getting tea ready. We were all tired and ready for a good meal.After filling their tummies with some good tucker, our three intrepid travelers were ready for a good night's sleep, with the promise of more adventures tomorrow. Take care. Liz, Ratty, Toad and Mole...

The Willows have arrived.

G'day. Those lovable rascals from the Wind in the Willows have finally arrived here in Australia. Ratty, Mole and Toad were exhausted after their long flight from France and even though they had slept rather well on the flight, they still needed to recover from the jet lag.I decided they would surely like to spend the day in the garden with me. The sun was shining and the day promised to be glorious. After a quick tour around and a brief description of some of the things that we were still planning to do, to make our garden look lovely, I realised that my new friends were rather quiet. I think the sun may have been a bit too warm for them, so I left them on a seat and they could still watch what I was doing.

When I checked some time later, they were nowhere to be seen. I just happened to walk past my old wicker baskets and there they were, sound asleep and I am sure it was Ratty that I could hear snoring!!

After letting them get some well earned rest, it was time to come inside.Toad jumped up on my small cupboard to see the little ceramic dog in the basket. Mole and Ratty also seemed very intrigued about this animal. "Why is he just laying there"? asked Ratty. "We want to play with him" said Toad. I explained that the little dog was not real, he was one that I made a lot of years ago when I was still doing ceramics. I did tell them about our real dog, Lucky and that they would get to meet him when he and my hubby came home from work. They were very excited at this news and were talking among themselves about this new playmate they would meet soon.

But, it wasn't long and the three weary travelers were fast asleep again. I quietly tiptoed out of the room and let them sleep. 

We will have more adventures tomorrow.

Take care. Liz. Ratty, Toad and Mole...

A great time to be in the garden.

G'day. I have spent most of the weekend pottering around in the garden. The spring weather here has been just lovely, to nice to be inside. 

I purchased this lovely wrought iron, three tier plant stand last Friday and it is just perfect for the three cyclamen that I have had for some years. I think they were meant for it, don't you? 

 I mentioned some time ago, that I am hosting three of the lovable characters from the Wind In the Willows series. These have been made in fabric and hand painted and they have been winging their merry way around the world. They have been visiting with Troc, Broc and Recup in France trocbroc.blogspot.com and have been having a great time and are now on their way to me here in Australia. I look forward to having some fun times with them and letting you all know what we get up to.

One of the girls at work asked me last week would I embroider a Minnie Mouse on a couple of T shirts for her nieces. After saying that I had only had the machine for a short while and was still practicing on it and didn't feel confident about doing something like that just yet, but somewhere down the track I might give it a try. I would have thought that  all of that was plain enough and  that I didn't want the responsibility of tackling it and stuffing it up. She didn't listen. Two days later, in she came with two store bought T shirts. I nearly fell off my perch to say the least. I patiently explained once again that I was still learning the machine and embroidering on a T shirt was totally different than just on a single square piece of fabric. She was not to be deterred. So, after asking various people, visiting the shop where I bought the machine, (this is an hour away and luckily we had to go up that way last Friday) I with much trepidation sat down yesterday afternoon and gave it a go.I had purposely stayed out in the garden all day Saturday and much of Sunday, so I didn't have to do the blessed thing, but in the back of my mind, I knew it was waiting and that I couldn't put if off. It took a bit of working out to get it centre, which is not as easy as it sounds and also I had to pull the back of the shirt completely up and out of the way of the needle and hold it with my hands to keep it free. This shirt is a size 4, a small size here in Oz, so it had it's problems. But, I am proud to say, it turned out perfectly. I am sure it was just a fluke, a one off lucky chance. I had spent considerable time worrying about tackling this project. But, it is not over yet, there is still the second one to do, that is a size 7, a bit bigger thank goodness, but nonetheless, still a headache. I must learn to say no and put my foot down a bit harder. Some people just won't accept that you are reluctant to do things for them.Of course it's not all her fault, I am just as much to blame for not being louder and firmer with my "No". Take care. Liz...

Won't be long now.

G'day. It's just a little over four months until my son and I go back to Paris. I have just heard from the travel agent, in whose capable hands I trust for everything to go smoothly. She has never let me down.

She contacted me with the good news to say that the hotel we booked some months ago, will now serve us breakfast each day at no extra cost and because we have a very late evening flight when we leave Paris,  they will let us have the room also at no charge. This will be handy in case we want to have a rest or a shower before our super long flight home. This hotel is costing us quite a lot of money each, mainly because of it's location to the Eiffel Tower and the time of the year, which probably still comes under the New Year period, that's their story anyway and breakfast was not originally included in the price, but we could have it if we wanted to part with something like 20 Euro each and that in Australian dollars is close enough to $38.00 a day. Way too much for us. So at last some good news.

Anyway, enough of Paris. I have been having great trouble with my blog, only for the simple fact that Blogger said I have a problem with something malicious trying to worm it's way in. Though, when I contacted them, my site was coming up clean all the time. Through much angst in trying to sort this problem out, I was advised to remove all blogs that I follow and in doing that, silly, silly me, removed all followers as well. Oh dear, what can I say? Hubby would say that I was having a blond moment. It appears that by removing the sites I follow,the problem has gone, at least I hope so.One of those sites (I couldn't isolate it) had been hacked. If anyone has trouble with my site, can you please let me know, as another blog friend (Michelle) did last week.

Beautiful weather in my part of the world today, gorgeous blue sky, only a few white fluffy clouds. All is well and everything is pointing to happiness.I am going to brag now and tell you that at the Weight Watchers meeting last Tuesday night, I had lost another 1.5 kg. All up, it's 18.1kilo off now and I am hoping for a good result tonight. My goal was to get 25kg off before our trip, if that happens, well and good, if not, then so be it. I am proud of myself. I can even get my favourite jeans down now, without undoing them if I so wanted!!! Take care. Liz...