Mother's Day 2015

[Doolhof]

Hi everyone. Mother's Day can mean so many things to different people. I am wondering how you all think about Mother's Day?

Do you have a close relationship with your Mum, Nana, Grandma, Mother in law, Aunty or a lady in your life who is like a Mother to you?

If you are a Mum, how do you feel about that role in your life? If you have never been a Mum due to choice or circumstances, how does that make you feel?

For me, Mother's Day can be a sad and lonely time, and at the same time I can celebrate with my Mum and my Mother in law.

Am I a Mum? Yes and no. I have been pregnant 5 times but have no live children.

I have a Mum whom I try so hard to love and care for but who also has mental health issues so the relationship is often strained and hard to live with at times. It seems often that Mum is not aware of how much pain she causes people. But she is still my Mum.

So are you looking forward to Mother's Day or are you dreading it?

If it is the latter, then try to come up with things you can do now to ensure you do not feel too much sadness, regret, misery and pain on Mother's Day.

We will be catching up with my Mother in law this year and I will phone my Mum as she lives too far away for me to visit unless I stay over night. I will be thinking of my babies with lots of love and may mark the day with flowers for myself, or I may light some candles.

I will leave this for now and see what replies I receive.

Cheerio for now, from Mrs. Dools,   Lauren

[the_motorcycle_boy]

Hi Lauren,

Glad you had a good time at the footy, and the Crows won! I know what you mean about an adrenalin rush, unfortunately there was no such thing, or very little, when my team played on Friday night. They were never in the game! However, we made up for it last night as Australia beat New Zealand for the first time in 4 years! in the union. They played really well and deserved a hard fought win. But enough of footy!, I know you love it! lol.

Sorry to hear your stress levels are still high, that's no good at all. And the fact that it is affecting your memory sucks too! As long as you remember the important things eh!...Nice to hear of your visit by your sister and niece, hope you all have a marvelous time. Perhaps you can introduce them to your latest addition, the sheep! and the carrots! and the milk, lol!

I saw a fantastic show on tv yesterday. It was all about Vietnam and cooking. I found it enthralling and my travel bug was awoken. Would love to go there someday, just keep improving and I think I will. It certainly appeared a very interesting and attractive place! Before I do a big trip like that I want to go to Sydney for a day or two and see how that goes. Little steps!

TLC can certainly help things to grow, people too. I need to be more tolerant and kind in ways. Because I'm getting the black dog off my back, these things are improving naturally! In other words, as I get kinder I treat others the same. You are right, neglect fosters nought!

That's very interesting that you like to read other people's travel adventures. I can't recall reading many books like that. Have you read My Wicked, Wicked Ways by Errol Flynn? If memory serves me correctly, he sailed a boat from Australia to Papua New Guinea before taking up acting and becoming famous!

My friend and I had lunch out at this cosy, relaxed little restaurant on Saturday. The food was delicious and the people friendly, oh and it was cheap! Today, another beautiful sunny day, we are off to get my friend a new charger for her mobile phone. We may have lunch out again too. The place we are going to is a huge supermarket complex so I might have a quick look for movies!!! while I'm there, as well. Oh, behave!

Well, I hope this message finds you happy and content, or well on the road to that!

Enjoy your visits, your weekend and managing your time.

All the Best,

Cheers for now,

TMB

[Doolhof]

Hi TMB and anyone else reading this!

So did you manage to find any movies to purchase? Hope you had a wonderful weekend with our friend.

Our weekend seemed so busy. It flew past extremely quickly. We had a wonderful time with my sister and niece. My husband cooked us all lunch so that was a wonderful treat. I certainly thanked him for that and for all his attention on the weekend.

(He is going away for a couple of weeks soon, so I think he is making sure I am "well" before he leaves)

Back to my sister and niece. Yes, I did introduce them tot he sheep and the sheep wandered off. They didn't seem all that impressed. The sheep seem happy enough...as far as I can tell! Ha. Ha.

The four of us all went for a walk down a gully which is close to the town where we live. There is quite a steep cliff above one side of the gully. Right on top of this was a huge kangaroo looking down at us. There were lots of delightful birds along the way and also a couple of horses that were friendly enough for us to pat. I was quite tempted to jump up onto the horse and to go for a ride!

Regarding the travel stories I like to read, funny enough I find them in the "travel" section at the library. I read a fascinating story about a guy who wanted to run the length of the Great Wall of China. He hid in people's chook houses and barns along the way to keep hidden from the Chinese authorities. One guy rode his bike the length of the Nile.

I've read stories of missionaries all around the world, of people travelling through Africa and all the continents of the world and of a group driving an old car from Paris to Mumbai. Another story was off a couple who walked from Paris to Portugal.

I like the Michael Palin stories as well. He also had a T.V. show that I liked to watch.

Ah yes. The travel bug. It might be a good idea to visit Sydney to see how you cope with that. I used to go into the city centre at Christmas time to help me adjust to lots of people. I hated it with a passion and would almost have a panic attack. It was my way of "toughening" myself up for some of the cities in Asia that are so fast paced.

I will see if I can locate the book on Errol Flynn.

If you could go anywhere for a holiday, where would it be? I would love to visit South America and do a safari in Africa somewhere. As a kid I always wanted to do these things including a boat trip up the Amazon.

Cheers from Lauren

[the_motorcycle_boy]

Hi Lauren,

The weekend went very well, with the Wallabies beating the All Blacks! in the Rugby Union. This made up for our shock loss in the cricket. My friend and I dined out twice, both times enjoying delicious Thai food.

I ended up going to a popular store called "JB Hi Fi". Here they sell all kinds of things such as games, Dvds, Blu-rays, music CDs, mobile phones, big screen tvs and accessories.

I hunted around looking for bargains, eventually finding a movie called "The Drop". It looked really good. Starring Tom Hardy it received 4 stars from film reviewers Margaret Pomerance and David Stratton.

Unfortunately it cost roughly $40. Anyway, I ummed and aarghed and finally decided not to get it but it is stuck in my memory banks definitely for the future!

Glad your weekend was such a success, and that the sheep are doing ok lol! It must have been a thrill seeing all those animals near the gully!

Wow, you have certainly read some great adventure stories about travel. Walking from Paris to Portugal, amazing! And running the length of the Great Wall of China! I have seen snippets from the Michael Palin show but not an entire episode. It did look good though.

Yes, I am planning to go to Sydney in the not too distant future. I want to see how I handle it, the noise, the hustle and bustle, the crowds. It's a pretty big step from that to going overseas but I may just get there one day. I have been to Asia several times, once alone so I believe I am capable of achieving it. So, where would I go?

Would love to go to the United States and visit all the cities and sights. That would be a big trip costing a considerable amount. Wouldn't mind going to New Zealand either and seeing all the breathtaking scenery. Another holiday I'd like would be to go to Thailand and check out all those beautiful beaches like Phuket. Just recently I've come to think about Vietnam. I know very little about it which in a way makes it attractive to me. And it is a little bit off the beaten track!

Hope you have a good day!

Cheers

TMB

[Doolhof]

Hi TMB,

I have not heard of "The Drop". I am sure if movies and CDs were not so expensive more people would buy them instead of illegally down loading stuff!

The sheep can be really entertaining. They do have some funny antics, like head butting, paying chasey and scratching themselves up against the trees. It has been drizzling with rain here the last few days so I have not been down "chatting" with the sheep so much this week.

My morning client has cancelled, so if the sun is shining, or at least the rain is not too "wet" then I might go and see what the sheep and the chooks are up to.

I was just starting to get that darn black dog under control when my Mum came along and set a whole pack of wolves howling at my door! I'm just going to have to learn to tame those wolves and turn them into adorable cute little puppies!

So when you get to Sydney, what do you plan to do there or will you just wait and see what comes along?

I sometimes go to the travel agent and request brochures on different destinations. There is no harm in dreaming! The library also has so many books on places around the world.

When we went to Vietnam, we went on a small group tour of about 12 people. It is a much nicer way to see a country rather than on a huge bus of 40 people. We also went on a tour with another couple. As it was just the four of us, the tour guide was very flexible and took us to other places of interest off the tourist route.

This weekend we are heading to a town called Strathalbyn where they have a special weekend selling antiques and second hand stuff. There are sellers in just about every nook and cranny within the town. It is fascinating to see what people have to sell.

We have not been to this even for many years now, so it will be interesting. The town is really attractive as well with a lot of park area and some beautiful sandstone buildings.

Friends were coming up to see us but have cancelled now as they are just too busy with life. They do manage to fit so much into their week, I don't know how they keep going.

Sunday I hope to make it to Church and to catch up with some of my friends there as I didn't make it last weekend.

Hope your week has gone well, and you have some nice things planned for the weekend. Cheers for now, from Lauren

[the_motorcycle_boy]

Hi Lauren,

Sorry for not replying sooner, have been very busy with a friend's stay in hospital and trip to Sydney. Will be in touch as soon as possible.

Cheers

TMB

[Doolhof]

Hi TMB,

I do so hope your friend in hospital is okay and they are being well looked after.

Congratulations on making it to Sydney! Hope you have a wonderful trip and you have many interesting and happy experiences. 

One thing I remember from our first trip to Sydney was just how huge it was compared to Adelaide! Then again, a lot of cities are a lot bigger than Adelaide. Ha. Ha.

Hope you are keeping well. 

Cheers for now from Lauren

[the_motorcycle_boy]

Hi Lauren,

Sorry it's taken so long to get back to you. Have been very busy helping a friend. She is ok but has a heart operation scheduled for 6-8 weeks time. Now, back to your message...

The movies are pricey. especially brand new. I finally decided to get "The Drop". It cost $18 online for the DVD. I also bought "Butch Cassidy & The Sundance Kid" on blu-ray for $15. I couldn't help myself so I lashed out and got a guide to Vietnam! and a book on adapting novels, true stories etc to film. All good stuff but no more spending for a while! Haha!

I imagine it would be interesting watching the sheep's behaviour, just seeing what they're like. Keep the black dog away from them! lol. The chooks too would be fun and curious to observe. The weather here has been magnificent, warm sunshiny days and nice and cool. A bit overcast today though.

My friend went into hospital Friday for a standard procedure. She got out on Monday and on Tuesday we went to Sydney to see a heart specialist. Just attended the appointment and then came back almost straightaway. I really enjoyed the trip though.

Wow, so you had a pack of wolves at your door! I hope you can learn to tame them. The black dog's growls and howls are diminishing slowly for me but they are diminishing! For that I am grateful. I hope yours go away very soon.

As I said, this trip to Sydney was just there and back but I am planning another one, by train, fairly soon. I plan to get off at Central Station and walk to Chinatown and check out Paddy's markets. From there I will go to Darling Harbour for a look around. Might go for a harbour cruise. Then I'll decide whether to stay the night or not (probably will). I'll get some decent accommodation and hunt down a nice restaurant for tea. Then? The Casino perhaps?

Your trip to Vietnam sounded great! A smaller busload as you say was better. How long were you there? And then you toured with a group of 4. That sounds even better! getting away from touristy places, seeing the people and their culture!

Strathalbym sounds terrific, I hope you enjoyed your time away and best of luck with Church.

Due to her procedure, I needed to stay with my friend all day Monday. On Tuesday, going through Sydney was an experience! Traffic everywhere, endless suburbs, buildings and cars. Stopped at Roadside cafes for lunch and tea. Going back for a week in mid October when my friend has her heart operation. She will need the support.

Hope you are doing well, making that black dog behave!

Cheers for now

TMB

[Doolhof]

Hi TMB,

It was great you were able to help your friend out by going to Sydney with her. I am sure that would have meant quite a lot to her.

"Butch Cassidy & The Sundance Kid" Wow. I haven't seen that movie for a long time! I was having a look in the local paper today and saw a movie called something like " A taxi ride to Darwin" have you seen or heard about that one? I am thinking of going tot  the cinema next week to see it.

Excellent news, my Mum called the wolves off! I am so very thrilled that we have been able to come to a compromise. I had a chat with my Dr. today about this issue and he gave me some different ways to cope with the situation.

Sometimes all we need is afresh pair of eyes to view a problem and a different way to think about working out a solution or at least to make an attempt to do so.

It is wonderful that you have been able to keep the black dog at bay. I made friends with a cute little white fluff ball of a dog, a Maltese cross, the other day. One of my clients has just bought herself a rescue dog as her husband recently died. The dog didn't try to bite me so that was a good thing!

We didn't end up going to Strathalbyn as my husband changed his mind. Our Church was having an auction and a sale of second hand stuff so I went along to that instead. There wasn't much there that I wanted, apart from an out door setting that was too big for me to put in the back seat of the car! Ha. Ha. I did look at the Cds and DVDs for sale but nothing caught my eye.

This week I have managed to make it to the pool for my three visits so I am very pleased about that. Tomorrow I can sleep in for a while. Excellent.

I saw a clip recently where some one was playing music to a herd of cattle in a paddock, and they all just stood around listening. I might try that with the sheep and see how they react! Ha. Ha.

We have friends coming over this weekend supposedly, they have cancelled before so we will see if they actually make it or not.

cheers for now, from Lauren

[the_motorcycle_boy]

Hi Lauren,

Thanks, it was no problem helping my friend out by going to Sydney with her, her and I have been through a lot together, she has seen me at my worst! She is not a "talker" but she did thank me sincerely for helping her. Am looking forward to 2 months from now when she has her heart operation and everything will be fine.

Butch Cassidy is an old one! I got it to study as it is used in exercises in one of my text books.I have heard of "Last cab to Darwin" and I did a search on it and read some of the reviews. It looks great! Not really into Australian movies that much but this one, starring Michael Caton, looks exceptional. I won't say what it is about but it sounds really worth seeing. Two big thumbs up!

Hey that's terrific! I'm so glad that your mum called the wolves off! and that you could compromise with her. That was smart thinking talking to your doc about it too, they are clever people! and I think you're right, a fresh pair of eyes can see things anew and from different angles as well. I find I get tunnel vision a bit (one track mind!) and could do with a new perspective from time to time, lol.

Yes, my black dog is gradually receding into the kennel and it is such a relief. Thanks for your nice comment. And I hope no dogs (black or otherwise) are bothering you!

So you missed out on Strathalbyn but made the Church's auction. That's a pity you couldn't get the outdoor setting. I am thinking of moving house soon but would like to be depression free first so I am able to handle the stress involved with relocating! I am getting there.

That's great you made it to the pool 3 times this week! Is it a heated pool? (must be I suppose!) Do you do laps or aerobics? or just relax. And you'd like to get a bit more "shut-eye" by sleeping in. Sounds good! I try to eke out every last drop of the night meaning I usually get to bed around 2-3am but I don't sleep in. Instead, I nap like Grandpa when watching the telly! lol.

Playing some music to your sheep sounds interesting, now what could you play? How about Paul Mc Cartney's "Ram", or Pink Floyd's "Sheep" or The Bureau's "Only for sheep" there's some possibilities! Ha Ha!

Hope you have a top weekend and that your friends actually make it over!

My friend is coming down to my place for the weekend. Apart from the norm, i.e. shopping, watching the footy etc, we might try something a bit different.

Cheers for now,

TMB

[the_motorcycle_boy]

Hi Lauren,

Just a short note to say "Hello" and to wish you well.

All the best from

TMB