Kitchen - Operational

The new kitchen took 10 hours to strip out the old and install the new.  It is a big operation.  Water and power off and all cables securly taped up, water pipes cut off and and sealed, then out it all came.
Then slowly the new base was set in place and the new pantry was the first to go in, then the oven and microwave cupboard, then the base sections for the bench top and the bench top it self.  Then the splash back and the last cupboard.  Back came the electrician and the plumber arrived to reconnect up the water and out pipes.  Cabinet maker did a final door check and cleanup and the new kitchen was commissioned.

Photos Old kitchen on top and new below
Yes I thought you'd like to know who did the work
Mark Kleinert of Wolf Kitchens mobile 0409786389
Excelent ideas, craftsman workmanship, has a good electrician and a reliable plumber who work in with him

Pre Flight Check...

T,M,F,F,I,C,H and off we go.  (All those who read this and who have learnt to fly will know the checks off pat.)
Well, remember the PeeWees of a week or so ago, the young one that survived is getting ready to go solo.  A big step up in the flying world and a big step up from the bird we saw in the fork of the hybiscus tree.

There has also been some good looking visitors too.  Not to annoy, but just dropping in to witness the solo flight.

How can we find you on the web...

This exercise is for those who understand HTML
If you feel uneasy about doing it, DON'T TRY

How can we find your blog on the web... Google says it doesn't use Meta tags which is a code that was read by the web crawlers to add words and locations to the WWW dictionary.  But is seems that other crawlers are still using meta.
So the easiest way to go is to open and generate the meta code and click continue   Then copy the produced code into your blog.  Use the Dashboard, Layout, HTML Editor  and you will see some meta lines in the code, insert a space after the last meta and paste your code in. SAVE. and that should be it.
If you are not game to do the above, there is nothing lost.

RAIN....

Rain all comes down in little drops and those drops have added to 113mm at our gauge.  It was still spitting when I put the bin out.
The Peewee is still sitting in the fork of the tree and the parents are still feeding it.
Another problem now and that is ANTS.  We must be going to get more rain?

Peppie came for a visit today.  We were out and he was waiting on the door mat when we came home.  He drank a huge amount of water, then we had a game and after an hour or so I took him home.  About 3 hours later he was back on the mat.  Then back to the bowl of water, some little doggy treats and back home again.

85mm rain and more on the way

I'm very pleased I live south of the cyclone, they had the high winds and over 450mm of rain.  We had some severe gusts of wind and 85mm of rain.  It has slowed down a bit now, but still raining on and off.

We decided to start the cleaning out in the kitchen, what a job, we had food dating back 5 years.  So the contents went in the bin and the pakaging in the recycling.  Glass jars, plastic containers, junk, you name it, the only stuff that is left is going back into the new cupboard.

With the storms around Peppie has been alowed to sleep inside.  He is a great little dog, marvelous watchdog, great friend, very faithful and if he could talk, he'd have some very interesting stories to tell.  He is welcome at our place anytime and I've always got a supply of special dog biscuits just in case he visits.

Laura is an amazing young lady with an achievable goal in her life.  She works hard doing school assignments, and has a job so is earning a bit of cash, but Laura had a printing problem.  Her computer uses a Netgear wireless dongle to join in on the family Internet and doing so has access to the family printer.  But being wireless can be a bit tricky at times.  The problem I think was a packet blocked in the printer box, we cleared that, sent a test print, rebooted and it was all go.  Laura was happy.

I haven't seen the little peewees today, but I did see the parents swooping into the hybiscus tree to feed.  It is amazing they survived the wind and rain last night.

Helen has finished the quilt for Crystals baby which was born on the 16th March.  It is certainly a lovely quilt and Crystal is the first of the three girls to be presented with a quilt.

The last on the PeeWees

Today, I found a third peewee youngster, but he/she had passed away a couple of days ago.  Peewee 2 is still sitting in the fork of the hybiscus tree and the parents are still feeding it.  So there is still a chance.
I think the PeeWees undoing was more sinister than a crow attack, but I have no proof.  Some don't realise how wonderful nature is, be it 'only' a peewee, but in years to come they too may have the same interest as I have had in the whole process of nest building to flying away safely.

Both parents have stayed right through the whole process and are still in the area, even though the little ones are no longer in the nest.
So another day dawns, less wind today, even though the Cyclone is still hanging about just to the north of us.
Keep Smiling

Heads up, but tragedy has struck the PeeWee family

Yesterday I said that the little peewees were showing themselves in the nest, but today at 9:30am when we left to go to the Doctor we saw one young PeeWee on the footpath around the house with one of the parent birds.  This afternoon the second young one was in the hybiscus bush, protected from the elements, but looking a bit sad.  The wind is up and the tree is moving a lot.  I don't know if it was the weather, their time to leave the nest or something more sinister like a crows visit.
The Peewee watch is over.

Fine before the storm

It is fine before the storm if it gets here.  Two cyclones out over the Pacific and if they unite we will be in for some more rain.
Mr & Mrs PeeWee are still feeding the new arrivals.  With all the wind over the last few days I'm amazed the nest wasn't blown out of the tree.  We could probably learn alot from PeeWee Engineering.  So simple, but strong and home for the family until the chicks leave.
While I mowed, mum and dad followed me about getting numerous grubs to take back to the nest.
I was a bit worried about Jessica Watson, there had been no communications from the 11th March to the 14th.  But is was a relief last night to read her Blog.

I watched last night as the rower swam ashore on 90 mile beach in far north New Zealand after he had spent two months rowing across the Tasman in an open rowing boat.

I downloaded Google Earth 3D and it makes a huge difference to viewing the world

I now need to go to the Gym.  I will not be doing any lifting because I've been for a blood test, but I can do some leg work.
Have a good day and Keep Smiling
Cheers

When will Office become user friendly

When will Office become user friendly?

I'm working on my laptop which runs Vista and thought I'd be able to continue writing a note to go in the U3A Journal.  I uplaoded the file from my computer down stairs and tried to open it with MS Office 2003.  But to no avail.

So I downloaded OpenOffice 3.2 installed the program and opened my file with no further problems.

So there is an answer in itself for those who are having problems with word or text files, people send to you that your version of office will not open. 

Open Office will open ALL MS Office files created in any version of Office

This is a real treat and rich too

Christmas only comes once a year (thank goodness) but isn't it nice to eat something very different, something you've never had before.  So for Christmas last year I made two different cakes.  The top picture is the Chocolate Mousse (without the horns) and although it looks a little different to the one at Taste it was still very nice.  So instead of re-writing out the recipe just go to Taste 

We served ours with Mango Sorbet and didn't make up the mascapone mix

The ice-cream cake can't find the recipe so from memory... 

2litres vanila ice cream

300ml ordinary cream
1 pkt ginger nuts
2 punnets  strawberrys
1 punnet cranberries or tinned berries
2x 250g dark chocolate
1/2 cup of Brandy

Partly thaw the ice cream until it is stiff to stir

Melt one bar of chocolate and add the cream

slowly fold into the ice cream

Fold in the brandy

Blend up the ginger nuts, chop the cranberries, lightly blend the strawberries and mix the three together carefully and then fold into the ice cream

Line (bottom and sides) a 4litre S/S bowl with glad wrap

Spoon the mixture into the container with the gladwrap. Cover the bottom with glad wrap and place back in the freezer.

On the day of serving

Melt the remaining bar of chocolate, chop up some strawberries

Wipe a hot chux over the outside of the S/S bowl until the ice cream drops out.

Remove the gladwrap

Then with a flexable spatula ice the outside of the ice cream with the melted chocolate. This is not as easy as it sounds but perserver

Add the chopped strawberries and a couple of mint leaves for decoration and a fresh minty smell

For a winter effect dust the cake with icing sugar and serve

So that is it.  Enjoy

Next day go to the Gym

We are what we eat and drink for that matter

Stand up all those who just cook bacon & eggs for breakfast or just have cerial and milk every day.  Ever though of changing the routine? 
At Coles and IGA ( I'm not sure about Woolworths) you can buy an Easiyo and make your own Yogart.  Many varieties and far less chemicals.  I know it is popular because the stock at Coles is always on the go.  I make unsweetened Greek style, successful every time and you make a kilo for $3.85.
Instead of having bacon & eggs what about trying some crispy fritters.
Just grate one zuccini and one sweet potato into a bowl.  Add one tablespoon of rice flour, two eggs and some black cracked pepper.  A couple of shakes of Moroccan spice and mix it all together.
Into a hot pan of 5mm deep olive or canola oil place a dessertspoon of the mix and spread it out with the side of the spoon.  90 seconds a side and out onto draining paper.
Serve with home made Easiyo Greek Yogart
Enjoy
Keep Smiling

New family to feed

I noticed this morning that Mr & Mrs PeeWee have a new family to feed.  Both mum and dad look very tired, but very alert when other birds visit and are now taking it in turn to bring food back to the nest.

No little heads are looking over the top yet, but they are being fed well on grubs and worms.

Hopefully in a couple of days time we will see the new ones looking out over the top.

Amazing to think that an open top mud house, bonded on to a single branch can serve so well.  This family at least built their home in a leafy area, the last lot built in a more open area and after the family moved out the nest was washed off the branch.

We'll keep you posted

Morning tea with the Rockhampton Order of Australia group

In the Australian Honour system appointments to the Order of Australia confer recognition of outstanding achievment and service.  The Medal of the Order of Australia is awarded for service worthy of particular recognition.

In 2006 in the Queens Birthday Honours I was awarded an OAM.  The award was an extreme honour!  My mother was outside of her self, I had told her when I received my letter of acceptance.  She had so many friends to tell, but had to hold it back until it was announced on the Queens Birthday weekend in 2006.  However, I did not receive my award until October 2006 at Government House Brisbane and it was presented by Quentin Bryce AC the then Governor of Queensland.  Quentin is now the Governor General of the Commonwealth of Australia.

At the presentation, my wife Helen, my sister Amanda who flew over from Auckland New Zealand and close friends and work colleges Barney and Carolyn.  

So each year the Order of Australia group hold two meeting, morning tea in March and a luncheon in September.

Since its inception there has been 15,933 Order of Australia Medals presented.  You can go to the site and read about all the other awards presented to Australian men and women.

Todays morning tea was held at the Rockhampton Leagues Club approx 40 people attended and listened to Emra Marxsen OAM speak about what he has been doing for War Widows over many years.  I invited two close friends of ours John and Mary and after the meeting John and I had lunch at the Brunswick while Helen and Mary went to a 60th birthday party.

The highest award in Australia is the Victoria Cross of Australia and there has been only one presented to Trooper Mark Donaldson VC

It is Sunday again...

First up, it is good to have good friends.  On Tuesday Helen and I went to a Memorial Service for Merilyn Johnson.  It should have been a happy day because it was Merilyns 60th birthday, but Merilyn wasn't to attend.  Unfortuneately Merilyn perished in a house fire on the property 'Zeta'. John took us into town at 0630am and picked us up again at 11:30pm. Thanks a million John.

Approx 200+ people attended and at the front was a Memorial board for photos of Merilyn.  Flowers, both in arrangements and loose and baskets of carnations for anyone to place a tribute to Merilyn.  Merilyn will not only be missed by her family, but the whole community.  The town came to a standstill for the length of the service.  Helen took the quilt she had made for Merilyn and left it for the family.

Merilyn would have been very proud of her four children who spoke so well about their mother.

 

The Gym & then Computer Club

I've just got back from the gym.  I'm still shaking and the buzz is still inside.  But I'm tired too.  I don't know it it is the tablets I'm on or what.
There is no resting now, in half asn hour I need to start heading over the the City Library for the U3A Computer Club.
The COIN facilities are the best you can get.  The Regional Council provides the venue and the CQUniversity supplies the computers and the Internet and most of the Instructors are volunteers from U3A.
People like you and me, who have an interest in helping others become familier with using computers.  COIN has a manager Stev, he is a Qualified Microsoft Engineer and I think he knows more about the working of a computer than Microsoft themselves.  The person you'll meet most is Christine and she is very helpful and friendly.  So see you at COIN.

The week has gone already

Wednesday, March 3, 2010


It was an interesting week, starting on Monday we went to the Rockhampton & District U3A Inc AGM. Professor Scott Bowman has become our Patron and what a wonderful knowledge this young man has. He is an assett to our Central Queensland University and I'm sure our University will grow under Scotts leadership.  Professor Bowman is also a Blogger at this address and a proud Granddad too.  You will find this information if you look at his Jan 2010 blog.

The AGM saw a few changes and additions on the executive. One new member John E was elected Vice President after only being a member for about 6 months. John brings with him a knowledge of leadership and new ideas.

During the weekend and into the week I worked on a computer problem caused by a software glitch. The PC had been bought with software LOADED. This means you get the computer BUT no disks of operating software. So if you have a drama.... that's right you don't have a CD to fix things up. So I carefully worked on it to ensure the families photos and iTunes were safe. I removed all the log on passwords, made up folders for the four users and filed their photos under their folders. A couple of drivers had to be downloaded from the web and I found that HP has a great site for those with a reasonably modern HP computer. By typing in the model number, HP can provide the drivers for that model.

Looking at the notes for Week 5 of Computer Club we may have to slow down a bit so that some members can catch up. I hope you all have done some homework?

Jessica Watson is sailing on and now well around the Cape of Good Hope on her last leg back to Sydney.

I have linked her progress to my Facebook site, so I always know how she is going.

When I returned from Vietnam I visited home in New Zealand for Christmas. I still remember flying into Auckland on Guy Fawkes night (5th November) and watching the "friendly" rockets heading up to toward the plane. It was a lovely clear night and we could see fires and crackers going off all over the place.

It is hard to believe that the military can post a person to a war zone for 12 months, then return them to Australia and discharge them back into the civilian side without any debriefing after only being back 3 weeks . It is not hard to remember arriving back in Australia at 2330Z time and having no one to meet us at the airport. We were given three choices, spend the night at the barracks, go home with family or find your own accommodation for the night. Three of us took the 3rd option, not knowing that it was going to be nearly impossible to get somewhere to stay. The word was " ...we don't take servicemen..." how's that for a stab in the back.

Anyhow to the left are my two sisters Elizabeth on the left and Amanda on the right taken on Christmas Day 1969.

Who can remember this style? Two lovely ladies I know spent a year on a working holiday in New Zealand in 1969. Here we have Merilyn and Helen ready for a night out.

We have been through our photos looking for pictures of Merilyn who died in a house fire at Alpha. Geoff has lost everything and everyone is rallying around looking for memories.

Andrew rang last night and said it was rather wet at Chinchilla. The river is 30cm over the bank and they don't want anymore rain.

TV tonight is all about the Charleville floods, but I think they'll have to add a few more towns after looking at this weather map

So that is it for today and I hope to see you all at class tomorrow.