Dribs & Drabs from Down Under

[Dexky]

Yeah but when you're singin' for 'em, it's already too late!!!

But yeah, I guarantee you go to church more than me!!

 

[DustyKat]

I'm a saintly soul Dex.

St Dusty of Oz.

 

[Dexky]

Hey, there's an Aussie from Perth on my route! He is at the gun crazy resort I deliver to! Guess he didn't like it when they took his away!!

 

[DustyKat]

Well even we have our bogans Dex! It's just that you have more than your fair share! Ahahahaha! :kissgrits:

Bogan: Definition -

A fascinating beast. The majority of the species are hideously repugnant and unintelligent, and yet they manage to breed in ever-increasing numbers and populate an area known as the outer west. It is quite common to find five or six offspring in each family group, often with a different father for each new baby.

Their habitat consists of a weatherboard or brick-veneer dwelling and is characterised by an early-model Holden or Ford in the driveway surrounded by a group of males discussing why the carby is stuffed and the results of last night's footy (a primitive gladiator-like spectator sport enjoyed by most bogans).

The female of the species, while smaller in stature, is far more loud and aggressive than the male. While the males tend to be very friendly and congregate with other males, the females spend most of their time in supermarkets and shopping malls, using a shrill high-pitched call to discipline their children and contact other females.

Males and females rarely interact socially except during breeding season, which is otherwise known as Friday night. During this time, females are allowed to enter the male-dominated area known as "the pub" and display their impressive coloured plumage to a prospective mate.

Herein lies an intersting phenomenon. Males will often fight over a particularly attractive female and she will mate with only one male, while some less attractive females have been known to have several partners simultaneously.

 

[Dexky]

He was sure to tell me that Perth was about as far from NSW as one could get and remain on the continent!!

 

[DustyKat]

Is that mean't to offend me? Cause it didn't .

 

[Dexky]

Moi!! I would never intentionally offend you Dusty...I would try like hell, but as you so often have let me know, you're bullet proof!!

 

[Aura]

Hi D and M, how go the battles?

 

[DustyKat]

Hi Aura! :kiss:

I'm winning! Dex isn't even on the scoreboard yet!

 

[Aura]

Good to see you are both at

 

[DustyKat]

I think they look like immigrant children wondering if they will be let off the boat. :lol:

 

[DustyKat]

More pics...

1. Winter still has its grip 2. But Spring is sprunging! 3. My new great niece, Maci.

 

[Dexky]

I think they look like immigrant children wondering if they will be let off the boat. :lol:

No wonder Matt didn't get pred cheeks...he was born with them!!!

 

[DustyKat]

Awwww, couldn't ya just pinch them! :lol:

 

[Tesscorm]

Aww, they are so cute! :kiss: Don't you just wish they could stay that way?!?

And Maci (love the name!) is a princess!!

 

[DustyKat]

I sure do Tess! :ybiggrin:

 

[hawkeye]

Dusty - cute kids, all 3 of them. Is there someone climbing the blooming tree in the picture?

 

[DustyKat]

Bingo! Good eye hawkeye!

It is my friend Lina.

 

[DustyKat]

Spring!

 

[DustyKat]

It's wine o'clock somewhere...:wine:...must be here!

 

[DustyKat]

Sarah out on the campaign hustings...

 

[hawkeye]

Dusty:

Did her party win?

 

[DustyKat]

Her party didn't win hawkeye but the candidate she was campaigning for retained his seat.

 

[DustyKat]

Well hush my puppies and prune my magnolias! I was cleaning out a cupboard and found an old external hard drive with loads of pics and other stuff on it. Here is one of Sarah's scar. I reckon it was about 6 months post op??

 

[upsetmom]

That must have brought back bad memories...

 

[DustyKat]

Sure had me thinking again hun! {sigh}

 

[RosaleeMae]

Looked like it was a really deep scar. I hope it will fade nicely for her. She looks so young!

 

[DustyKat]

Hey RosaleeMae,

Yes it has faded to just a very thin silver line now, Sarah's surgery was 7 years ago when she was 14.

In case anyone is curious about the geography of the scar, horizontal as opposed to vertical, it is because when she went for surgery she was undiagnosed. Crohn's wasn't on the radar so the surgeon was going in to do an appendectomy and have a 'bit' of a look around. Hence it started as a standard appendectomy cut and then was extended when they quickly realised it was far more than that.

Dusty. :Flower:

 

[hawkeye]

In case anyone is curious about the geography of the scar,

Curiosity....how ironic I am calling my gastro tomorrow to pull the trigger on a surgical consult

 

[RosaleeMae]

Oh, I am so glad for her being young to have to get a scar. I'm happy it is better now

 

[DustyKat]

Mooning...

 

[Dexky]

It was so bright last night, I had to wear shades!!

 

[RosaleeMae]

Here too, I went downstairs at 4 am and didn't need a light on!:ycool:

 

[DustyKat]

Spring ...the farm...

 

[RosaleeMae]

So pretty Dusty! I have cosmos that grew to be like 5-6 feet tall in a huge pot. I had to tie them to my post so they don't break. They are still blooming pretty pink flowers. Also some petunias in there too and Sweet williams which have not bloomed yet! I planted them a little late. I hope I get to see what they look like. I planted from seeds this year to save money.

 

[DustyKat]

It was the 100th anniversary of the arrival of the Royal Australian Navy into Sydney Harbour yesterday. The fireworks were spectacular, wish I had been there instead of on the lounge! :lol:

 

[Niks]

Looks fabulous! xx

 

[Dexky]

I know I could just Google, but arrived in Sydney from where??

Oh and yeah, yeah it's beautiful and all that!!

 

[DustyKat]

The first time the whole fleet was together in Sydney Harbour from their various locations around the country.

 

[Guest323244]

Nice pics, but is that your entire navy? Still, larger than ours, which with austerity consists of a rubber dingy and four gravy boats.

 

[DustyKat]

LMFAO El Loco.

 

[DustyKat]

Connecting with Mother Earth...:lol:

 

[upsetmom]

Where were your gloves?

 

[DustyKat]

In the shed. :eek2:

 

[upsetmom]

I learnt the hard way about wearing gloves. A few years ago l was working outside and got bitten by something. I ended up in hospital for a few days. So now l just don't do any outside work..

 

[DustyKat]

:lol: Sounds fair enough.

I know I should wear gloves but........well there really is no excuse is there!

 

[Grumbletum]

Saw this on Sky News. Absolutely amazing

 

[Dexky]

Saw what Helen?? That Dusty had chafed her soft, supple hands??

 

[Tesscorm]

:lol:

 

[DustyKat]

Oldies but goodies.

This was Sarah's debut (2007), about 9 months post op. Happiest day of my life after what she had been through!...

 

[Tesscorm]

She looks beautiful!!! Excuse my ignorance but what is a debut? Is it like a prom at school?? :redface:

 

[DustyKat]

Hey Tess,

It is one of those old traditions that sort of morphs a tad over time. :lol:

In Australia, débutante balls (or colloquially "deb balls") are usually organised by high schools, church groups or service clubs such as Lions or Rotary. The girls who take part are in either Year 11 or 12 at high school (i.e. aged between 16-18) and the event is often used as a fund-raiser for local charities. Although still popular in many country towns, there is no pressure on most girls to 'make their debut'.

The debutante girl wears a white dress similar to a wedding dress, however the dress does not come with a train on the skirt and the debutante does not wear a veil. The boy wears a tuxedo or other formal dress suit.

Most Australian schools have replaced the deb ball with a "formal", similar to the American concept of a prom. The formal, like a débutante ball, consists of a dance but participants are not presented to a guest of honour and girls are not restricted to wearing white dresses.

It is customary for the female to ask a male to the débutante ball, with males not being able to "do the deb" unless they are asked. Débutante ball students who are partaking in the official proceedings must learn how to ballroom dance. Débutante balls are almost always held in a reception centre or ballroom. Usually they are held late in the year and consist of dinner, dancing and speeches.

Sarah's school has a Deb Ball every two years as a fundraiser, it is held over and above the annual Formal.

Dusty.

 

[Tesscorm]

Wow, that sounds like so much fun!!!! My daughter Em would have LOVED another reason to get all dressed up! And, as I said, she looks so gorgeous!!!

 

[DustyKat]

Thanks Tess.

 

[DustyKat]

Well as I have said in a couple of other posts things have been a tad topsy turvy here of late, hence you all getting a well deserved break from me! :lol:

My dad's health is far from the best and he seems to be bouncing between not good at all to okayish. Anyway we back into the okayish realm for now.

The other news is Sarah is moving back home! This has resulted in a major reorganisation of the house as I had such plans for her room that I have been working on. :lol: The reason she is moving back is she has just completed her undergraduate degree and has decided to do her Masters in (Teaching?). Only a few universities offer this and one that does is the university near us. She has had enough of city life just now, never thought I would hear that!, so has decided to move back home to continue her studies.

Matt has also just completed his undergraduate degree and will do honours next year in pure mathematics. He has applied to go to a summer school at ANU in Canberra for three weeks in January. I hope all goes according to plan with this as I think it will do him no end of good to go and I wouldn't be surprised if he pursues his Masters and/or PHD there.

I think Sarah's arrival home won't be before time either...Stella is no longer her snow white cat! :rof:....

 

[Tesscorm]

Oh you must be so excited to have Sarah coming back! :dusty: I guess your decorating plans will just have hold off a bit!

 

[DustyKat]

:lol: The dynamics will be interesting Tess!

 

[DustyKat]

Cool cat???…

 

[ronroush7]

Love the different colors of the leaves.

2

 

[DustyKat]

A couple of pics from yesterday…

1. Waiting for Matt, and his bed, to arrive back

2. Reading one of the many papers while waiting…and what do I see? Now all you non Aussie’s should know what a ‘route’ is by now. :lol:

 

[DustyKat]

G’day,

Well things have been going along okay here.

Sarah has fully moved back home now and is now doing the whole home-Sydney-home shuffle due to the boyfriend being down there. She is heading off again tomorrow till who knows when. Peace shall once again reign supreme! :lol:

It won’t be too long before Matt is in Canberra for a month for his mathematics Summer school. All has been organised and he did manage to secure funding for his flights, accommodation and most of his meals so that is a huge bonus! …

I’m heading down to Sydney on Friday to spend Christmas with Mum and Dad. Mum is doing fine but Dad continues to slowly decline. Anyway it will be good to spend the time with them again and also give my brother my break. The rest of my mob aren’t coming down and in many ways I don’t mind as I am wanting to spend this time primarily with my parents.

I haven’t done the usual decorating this year. I have been more constrained and have gone for a more traditional red and white theme. Bit hard to see the tree because of the light. Can you tell Christmas is my thing? :lol:

 

[ron50]

G'day Dusty,
Hope you enjoy Sydney and have a nice time with your folks. I always came home for Christmas,my Mum and dad are both gone now but I know it meant a lot to them. I'll spend all of Christmas working thru a pile of high school sewing machines . I hope I get them done , my kidneys are starting to fail me . I'm well into nephrotic syndrome and start taking cyclosporine early January. another crappy drug. Merry Christmas Ron.

 

[DustyKat]

Thanks Ron.

I’m so sorry to hear that things aren’t going well for you mate.

I hope you get through the work alright and your Christmas holds some cheer for you. :ghug:

Good luck with the Cyclosporin and be sure they keep an eye on the levels.

Thinking of you Ron.

Dusty. xxx

 

[hawkeye]

Dusty - nice tree, put ours up last weekend, now to finish the shopping.

 

[upsetmom]

Hope you had a nice Christmas.:ghug:

 

[DustyKat]

Thanks upsetmon. I hope you did too. :ghug:

It was good to spend it with my Mum and Dad and shocks of shocks…my cousin, and his family, from Scotland paid a surprise visit on the day! The look on my parents faces was priceless!

 

[ronroush7]

Hope everyone has a good New Year.

 

[hawkeye]

Happy New Year folks.

 

[DustyKat]

A very happy new year to everyone. May you all be blessed with good health and happiness.

[youtube]acxnmaVTlZA[/youtube]

 

[Guest323244]

I would like to congratulate the England cricket team on there wonderful performance in the Ashes.

 

[DustyKat]

As you should El loco, the have performed wonderfully well…

 

[DustyKat]

Well a fair bit has happened since the New Year…

Sarah’s move back home has remained a permanent one due to the fact that she broke it off with the boyfriend, so rather than head to Sydney to do her Masters she will do it up here instead. Uni starts this week so it will soon be all ahead go. Sarah turned 22 on the 13th of this month…Happy Birthday Sarah! :birthday2:

I have updated Matt’s thread in the Parent’s forum so won’t repeat it all here. Have posted a pic in Matt’s album on my profile page. It was taken when he was in Canberra and I assume it was Australia Day (January 26) waiting for the sun to go down and so the fireworks could start.

My Dad had a fall 3 weeks ago and fractured his pelvis. He is still in hospital and isn’t getting moving as quickly as they would like, plus having some prostate issues. I spoke with him today and he is in good spirits but wanting to get home. I also spoke with the discharge planner the other day and going home may not be an option unless he starts mobilising well and soon. So still very much up in the air as to what will happen.

It is sooooooooooooo dry and hot here, the drought certainly has had its grip on us but last night we finally got some rain. Here’s hoping there will be more!

Dusty. :Flower:

 

[DustyKat]

A friend took these of the drought. These pics are farm land that surround the town…

 

[DustyKat]

Is this true Grumbletum? :biggrin:

 

[DustyKat]

Well the new university year has begun for the kids so it is head down and arse up time for them! :lol: Not a bad gig when this is what you look out on from the library...



I met up with a friend the other day who use to be a Tibetan monk and he was showing me some pics of when he lived in Nepal. How breathtaking are these!…



Dusty. tiara:

 

[Trysha]

Beautiful pictures and I just love the Koala in the tree.
Never visited Nepal but would like to some day., especially to take in these breath taking views.
Thanks for sharing Dusty...
Trysha

 

[DustyKat]

Morning walk…

 

[DustyKat]

Autumn has well and truly hit. I didn’t think we would get much colour after the drought but I was wrong!



Dusty.

 

[DustyKat]

First big frost of the year...

 

[DustyKat]

Time for more pics. :ybiggrin:

Well Sarah finally took delivery of her car on Friday and has already headed off to Sydney. ….



The weather has been glorious for late Autumn and the sunset today was equally glorious. …



And the little church just out of town has put on another fab display this year…



Dusty. :soledance:

 

[Grumbletum]

Cute car And I love the pictures of the trees. We don't have any in Uist - well, some poor, stunted, wind blasted wee things - and I miss them. Have been know to hug a few when I go to the mainland. :hug:

 

[hawkeye]

Nice little car.....hopefully we are over that frost stuff here for a few months... time to put the tomato plants in

 

[DustyKat]

:lol: I can just imagine Grumble…the lack of trees and the hugging!

Good luck with the tomatoes hawkeye!

Sarah loves the car and of course the biggest hit is bluetooth. You really can’t beat the Asian car makers for packing them out with all bells and whistles for not a huge amount of dosh.

 

[DustyKat]

Fluffy plants on my cold and frosty morning walk.



And do you think it’s appropriate that I made my boss’s skeleton eat a zombie?



Dusty. :sheep:

 

[DustyKat]

Late Autumn sunset…



Guess who was cooking tea tonight? No! Not me, it was Mr Kat’s turn…



Don’t we just have the most considerate council? :tongue: #resinbum



Dusty. :clown:

 

[DustyKat]

Well it is four in the morning and sleep has been hard to come by...

I flew down to Sydney on Wednesday the 18th to see my Dad. His heart was failing and he had severe pneumonia. The day I arrived he was sitting up in bed talking but obviously breathless. From that day he became progressively worse and he passed away last Monday. I was blessed to be with him at the end as were my Mum and brothers.
The funeral was yesterday (Friday 27th). It was a lovely service and wake but I still can't quite believe he has gone. Having said that I would never want him to suffer on but rather have the peace he now finds himself in. Dad had many difficult years and times growing up in a large family in Scotland and enduring the difficult times of the depression, WW2 and the post war era. Those times denied him the life he truly wished to follow but in doing so it steered him into the navy and his eventual life in Australia where he met my Mum. RIP Dad. Tears of sorrow at missing you already but tears joy at life lived long and well.

To add to all this our beloved big hairy Himalayan cat, Bailey, was taken ill on Thursday. He hadn't been in top health of late but he was doing okay. We received Bailey when he was three years old and at a time when Sarah was undiagnosed and at her most ill. He proved to be an absolute godsend. Anyway, Bailey was taken to the Vet on Thursday and it turned out that he was in severe renal failure. So yesterday we had to make the decision to put him to sleep. I couldn't let him suffer on. l
Ironically my Dad had hated cats his whole life until he met Bailey, there was something about him that my Dad fell in love with. So all in all a very emotional day yesterday and one I was dreading in many ways.

I will post some pics when I get home as I am only using my phone down here and have limited access to them.

Dusty. :Karl:

 

[Clash]

Aww Dusty I'm sending hugs your way. I'm so sorry for your loss, you have been in my thoughts lately. I hope you find peace and comfort in the life lived well and of the freedom of suffering.

 

[Trysha]

Hugs and prayers Dusty..........thinking of you a lot.

Trysha

 

[upsetmom]

:ghug:..I am so sorry for your loss.

Been thinking of you and wondering where you've been.:ghug::ghug:

 

[ronroush7]

Sorry for your loss.

2

 

[Jennifer]

I'm sorry to hear all of this Dusty. I look forward to seeing the pictures of the good times. Big HUGS to you and your family. :hug: :ghug:

 

[Susan2]

I'm sorry to hear about your double loss, Dusty. You were fortunate to be able to be with your father until the end - the saying goodbye is so important.

And I really feel for you losing Bailey, too. Yesterday my Miniature Schnauzer was diagnosed with a tumour on the pancreas and the prognosis is not good. He could deteriorate really quickly. Our pets are so important, especially when we have chronic illness ourselves - they are a comfort, they don't complain, don't judge, keep us company and always give love.

 

[hawkeye]

Dusty, out thought are with you during this time.
Hugs.

 

[Jmrogers4]

Sorry Dusty, glad you got to be there with him and also the loss of your pet. Thoughts and prayers are with you and your family

 

[Tesscorm]

So sorry to hear of your news! :ghug: Lots of prayers and hugs to help you and your family through this sad time. :ghug:

 

[DustyKat]

Home again…it was hard leaving Mum though.

RIP Dad…



RIP Bailey…



It has been bitterly cold here and I have been loathe to leave the company of the wood heater!…



I hope everyone is travelling okay, I have missed you all. :heart:

Dusty. xxx

 

[Grumbletum]

Is this true Grumbletum? :biggrin:

View attachment 2567

:ylol2:Absolutely!

 

[Grumbletum]

Oh no, Dusty, I am just catching up with this thread A double blow and so, so sad. Is your mum coping OK? Sending you huge hugs across the miles :hug:

 

[DustyKat]

Hey Grumble.

She is doing okay but I know she was upset at my leaving, although she tried not to show it. Made it all the harder to leave, bless her, but I do have my brothers living in Sydney and one them lives with Mum so it is comforting to know that she isn’t on her own. Plus all my Mum’s extended family live there too.

Dusty. xxx

 

[DustyKat]

Frosty mornings…Brrrrrrrrr…



Dusty.