Sizzlers

I was "baby sitting" the boys last week and as it was the oldest's birthday and he loves Sizzler we were going to take him there for dinner.

The plans of men and mice (and mine) are there to be changed as Grandson was scheduled to work on that night, so I was the driver instead and dinner was put off til the next night when all could attend. They had to come here as we have one of only four Sizzlers left operating. I dont know if that is correct but I know the one that we went to for Christmas dinner has closed down as have several others across Australia.

It had been ages since we have been to Sizzlers, everyone ordered steak except me, I decided the grilled garlic prawns would be a lighter meal. We tried not to fill up on salads while our meals came and we didnt do too bad. My meal came out first and it was sizzling and spitting fat/juices everywhere. I was reminded of Chinese meals in China when a sizzling plate would come out but they would always hold a napkin in front of the person being served so that they didnt get splatted. I adopted the same thing as it did spit and splat for some time. My grilled garlic prawns were in a sea of fat with some rings of capsicum and a few chips that were so salty, I couldn't eat them.

The steaks were apparently very good, Warren had some ribs with his and he gave me one, so melt in the mouth. We followed up with chocolate mousse and a small piece of pavlova and then left as it was very cold in there. As they had stuffed up the order a bit and it didnt come out together we were given a 30% off ticket for the next time we go and it is valid for three months. I must remember to ask for the ribs not the prawns!

Locating a church

I set off on Friday to find a particular church. It was down a country road with a cemetery alongside.
I had to turn down a main road to get there and under the road sign was a sign announcing cemetery which I found strange, I would have thought the church would have been placed before the cemetery. Not to worry I was heading in the right direction and it was a pleasant drive, no cars and I could beetle along at whatever speed I wanted looking at the scenery.

I turned a bend in the road and in front of me I could see head stones but no church. I parked and seeing a large stone with a plaque on it, I wandered over to read it.


Apparently the church has been here but had burnt down and when it was replaced, it was built closer into the township. The pictures comes from a website.



It was a very serene type of place on the side of a rise overlooking a lake. I am not sure if the cemetery is still in use although it did look well kept but this would be a great final resting place.

Home made Guy ropes.

We bought a shade for the side of the caravan the other day, it was a purchase through ebay from a camping store that also does on line sales.

It arrived as is and no guy ropes to peg it out, they went on the shopping list.

  Even though Maggie two the caravan came with a full annex if we are staying just overnight or a couple of days, its too time consuming to put up and we like the extra space that this cover gives without shutting us away from other people. We had one in Maggie and used it a lot.

Warren told me that he thought he could make the guy ropes, he had the rope and he had wood.

 This is one of the finished guy ropes. The ropes go to the top of the awning and then pegged out, the wooden block acts as a brake or tightener.

Love it when we can make something instead of buying even better if we can use stuff we already have at home, total bonus.

He has also made a power cord reel. It is usually my job to put out and pack away the power cord, if it has been damp, it can be a wet job, resulting in getting dirt dust and or grass on myself. He cut two rounds of wood and placed a cup holder inside and it can just roll up, the last addition was a bolt on the outside to act as a little wheel, Except for unplugging, I dont need to touch the cord,again all stuff already owned.

The BeeGees

The brothers Gibb (BeeGees)

Last week while we were in Redcliffe, we took the time to walk down the BeeGees walk. As the name suggests in it a walk between shopping areas and has many photos and stories about the group who grew up in Redcliffe.

A Chinese lunch

I had a call from our travel agent and we need to make a start on our Chinese visas. She had sent me the forms and advised how to complete as it is mainly in Chinese.

It is the same as we used to fill out before so no dramas once I saw it but we will need to get passport photos to go with them, ours are well and truly out of date.

I had bought an egg plant last week when I was shopping. Thinking about China and so I turned the egg plant into my favourite Chinese dish. I used to have it often at school and when we went out to restaurants. One time we were invited to a students home and his grandmother showed me how to prepare it. I dont do it quite the same way as they cook with very high flames and a lot of oil but mine still has the taste with out as much oil.

Nay Nay (grandmother) had no English but when needed Sam translated. I start the egg plant off cooking in about a tablespoon of oil and move it around until it is covered, then I add some water if needed. A very small handful of mince meat, could add more but I was trying to cook as close as possible to Nay nay's dish. I doubt if it was more than 20 grams of mince. In China meat is used more for flavour than anything else. I added GF soy sauce, some oyster sauce and a tablespoon of sugar, no salt as there is salt in the soy. Serve over rice and that is done.

I cant remember the last time I cooked this. Warren likes it as well but cant eat it in China because of the soy sauce used, it is very high in gluten but with some many foods now available GF, it is not an issue.

Cherzi is the name in Chinese and it is also used when taking photos, we would say one two three cheese, they say E, I san cherzi or in English translated, one two three egg plant.

A different way to shop

I spent some time away babysitting/kid sitting for a few days. I didnt know what to do for meals so did some shopping after asking what they would like to eat. Both boys need a high fat diet so very different to how I shop and cook. Pies were requested along with "little boys" I think the real name is cocktail franks but i did know what he meant.

After the school run, I went shopping and again it was an exercise in reading labels which I dont usually need to do these days. Pies were easy and so were the little boys but we cant exist on those alone. I didnt buy a great deal but it took quite a time to shop because of the different needs.

Its funny how quickly one gets used to what can and does work. Oldest one made himself two bacon sandwiches before we left to take him to work. I had the last pie after younger one says he doesnt like pies, he had ham and cheese sandwiches. Movie night was the next night so it was little boys and chips.

A maccas run for brekkie the next morning as younger one had been a big help and that was pay off. Lunch was potato and cheese pies with dim sims. Chicken and chips for dinner. Chicken with fried rice and vege for lunch and roast lamb and roast veges for dinner.

Weighed myself this morning after getting home and it must have been a good diet for the boys but in four days I had regained what I had spent the last six weeks discarding so back to the drawing board again.

Of course there was no Lucy's walks either for me so not a lot of exercise while I was there.

Six months with Lucy

We realised the other day that Lucy has been here with us for six months and it would seem strange now if she wasn't here.

She has gained some weight, grown taller and longer. She was stretched out on the carpet a few days ago and I measured her from toe to toe and my goodness she was over one and a half metres long. Because she has grown her colour has changed and she is more brown now than red.

Some family members have said that she is a spoilt dog, not sure why they would say that but here is one of the latest of her photos.

She will actually stand in front of Warrens chair side on so he can pick her up and she is quite content to lay there and go to sleep. It doesn't happen all the time.  She had been asleep but when I got off my chair to get the camera she was watching me with her beady eyes.

After a few episodes of her having car sickness, we think we have that under control well, Lucy hasnt vomited in the car this year and I guess she would have a couple of trips in the car each week. Ginger biscuits and the back window open for her as we drive, we open it about half way just so she can get some air in her face. problem then is to remember to shut it when we stop.

Valentines day and Lunch

We had an appointment changed from Tuesday to thursday. Monday night I suggested to Warren that we go out for lunch as we had nothing else on, which is a bit of a rarity these days.

We threw around some ideas, more it was places that we have already been to and liked. I suddenly realised that the next day Tuesday was Valentines day. Nuh, we figured that as we would be gong for lunch it wouldn't be that busy. We dont "do" valentines day.

We had settled on going to a beach side town for fish and chips then a walk along the beach with Lucy as she had not been on sand before. About 10.30 am it looked as though it may rain so Plan B was put into action still going to the beach but in a restaurant.

We left early to get a table, lucky as when we got there they only had one left, they had a lot of bookings. Pink and red heart balloons were dotted around the place. It is not much more than a cafe with outdoor covered seating but it was very popular.

Last time we were there we ordered a pizza and a bread, the bread came out pizza shaped with herbs and cheese and was like a pizza in itself so we constrained ourselves and only ordered one pizza between us, even then that was plenty.

Coming home, I couldn't believe how many places on the roadsides selling or advertising flowers for Valentines Day. In the space of twenty kms, I didn't count but there must have been six or seven vehicles out with flowers for sale, shops had hearts up and teddy bears. Oh boy it has gone very commercialised.  I guess once Christmas and then Boxing day sales are over, retail sector runs into Valentines day, Hot cross buns have been available for some time and then Mothers day.

We (Australia) hasn't moved on to Children's day but it wouldn't surprise me if that comes up soon especially as it being the first of June, it would definitely fill a "void" as its rather slow between mothers day and fathers day in the retail market.Then there is Grandparents day/ old people day plus singles day, these are all celebrated in China. The retail giants could have a field day if they adopted these as well

Heat and a quick project

Oh, its has been hot and while cooler today, only 31 degrees, it is still hot. All of Feb so far has been over 30 degrees each day and it seems that it will continue for a few days yet.

I finished my denim bag a few days ago and there was still some fabric left. I hate throwing out what I think are usable pieces and I was washing the pegs that came out of the camper van ready to go into Maggie Two when I had a light bulb moment. Got to love them.

I could make a peg bag from the denim! No pattern of course, and this is what I came up with in the end (and still have some fabric left over)

It is bigger than it looks and holds two dozen pegs and a hanging line.

Again all materials came from my stash. The letters I had left from when I made something for the Grandkids and I wanted to put their names on them, as there are a lot of A's between them, I needed two packs.

With the heat and staying inside, its a good opportunity to get these little projects done, just need some inspiration and ideas.

Yu Gardens

These are in Shanghai and the area around is a very busy market place but tucked away in a quiet street is the entrance to Yu gardens and that is a quiet and serene place of beauty.

It is a few years since we have visited but while having lunch yesterday in front of the TV as it was too hot to do anything but vege out, a program we had been watching changed very quickly to the next program and suddenly on the screen was this imposing Chinese building. Warren and I both said at the same time that looks like Yu gardens. The new program was called The Travel Bug and this guy was travelling around Japan and then on to China finishing up in Hong Kong.

They focused on the market are for a couple of minutes and then into the gardens themselves. Cool shaded and tranquil like we remembered. Its nice to see places that we know and have visited.

Later there was a Landline program on and as we are both from the country we like to watch that program occasionally to see the new  techniques being using in farming. It was a completely different program from normal as it followed a group of farmers who were travelling to China to meet with potential buyers of their produce. They travelled around meeting government officials and Chinese business groups then did some sight seeing and you guessed it one of the places was Yu Gardens.

Yu gardens was also featured on a travel program that we watched this morning so three times in the space of less than 24 hours on three different channels we had seen Yu gardens. have never seen it on TV before.

It is on my agenda to go back when we are there in May, maybe this is a reminder to re visit it. In my opinion, it is one of the best things to visit in Shanghai.

Beautiful Cards

I have never one for cards and its not something that i write, send or give. I would rather ring or speak to someone or if I am buying a gift, I would prefer to spend extra on the gift.

In saying, I do like it when I/we receive a card, possibly i am a hypocrite or lazy to do the cards thing.

Anyway we were sent a card from a Chinese couple that we met when working in China. This was for their Chinese New Year or Spring Festival as we know it. I always said to my students that their Spring Festival was like our Christmas, not in the religious side but where its the gathering of family together where possible. Spring Festival was 28 Jan as the start of their spring and good things to come in the way of crops and better weather.

When we were teaching we were told not to engage in politics or religion theirs or ours which was fair enough but of course the kids had questions.

This was the card and unlike our cards, it didn't open but the white area slipped up and then that part opened up (I have taken the photo on the side)

Such as this. I also received another card for my birthday which was recent, the card was all black with kimono dolls on the front. Very striking and all the members of our ladies group signed it for me.

Finally I finished my bag

I read about "Share the Dignity" bags a couple of weeks ago and thought it was a good idea. it is to donate a handbag to women who for whatever reason may not have a bag. Women in homes, refuges etc, while reading the person who put up the link was talking about bags for teenagers and young women. If they have had to left the family home especially with children then they would be more likely to grab things for the kids rather than themselves.

I thought it was a worthwhile charity and researched where a drop point is, I actually know the woman who accepts bags to the STD.

Then a brainwave hit me, younger girls/women could be happier with a younger type bags and as I had denim material sitting in my fabric stash with no purpose, I decided to design and make one.

It has taken awhile and I had to modify it and because of that the zipped top then didn't fit so I have done away with that and the closure is just the flap over. It is lined and had a zipper pocket at the back.

With the bags go some toiletries as well so I am on the lookout for some small shampoos, soaps etc to go in the bag.

I did use dark blue cotton and now in the photos I can see it but it blends in well otherwise. This is the back with the zipped pocket.

It doesn't have adjustable straps but I measured it on me and it should be okay.

It is lined inside and has a hem along the top of the bag. Being denim, it should be hard wearing.

I had a little to finish this morning and I was sewing along and suddenly it seems the lights went out but the machine was still going. I hadnt turned the light on as it was brilliant sun when I went in and Warren put a skylight above my sewing machine a few years ago. The sun had gone under a cloud and made it dark!

Off to find some more material to make a couple more, now that I have ironed out the hassles. 

My "hooky"day

On Monday night I was asked to work today and I did say yes, couldn't yesterday, work that is as I had Red Hats. I had thought about dinner and our lunches for today being a work day and pretty much everything was under control for it to be a work day.

A phone call last night asking if I really wanted to work or could I be replaced. By all means replace me, I was happy with that. Dont get me wrong, I do like the work but the travel and the heat gets to me these days and I like being at home pottering.

Warren went for a shower at 6.15 am and as I turned over in bed, I thought, if I was working, I would have had to be up and about by now. i did up soon after as I was awake. Lucy apparently wasn't well in the night and Warren had a bit of a mess to clean up. With that in mind, I opted not to take her out this morning.

Then I realised that it was like a free day for me or a chance to play "hooky." I did a bit on the computer and rang a friend and arranged to go for coffee, not something that I do very often. I fixed up some insurance issues that I had at the back of my mind to do but it had been put off. went for coffee, shopped with my friend, she bought, I didnt as I only needed to go to the bank.

Came home and Warren wasnt home so I did an hours sewing before getting lunch, put food or the jug on for coffee and he seems to come home.

Dinner is already just to heat up so a good and different day, now if only I could get my sewing project to work out how I want it to, but maybe tomorrow it will work.

Ah, the internet is a wonderful thing.

Last night a family member rang and we were chatting about different things as one does and within a few minutes she invited me (and Warren) to go on a trip. I agreed but Warren told me to go and enjoy myself and he would stay home and "keep the home fires burning' as it were.

Within a short time i had an email telling me what flights we were on. I thought i should do my bit so this morning before going to a meeting. I looked up hotels/motels and transport and booked both of those.

Less than twelve hours with sleeping in between it was all done. I still am old school though in that I like to do a hard copy as well as having it on my phone, its just easier to have a piece of paper.

Lucy's walk

Yesterday evening I took Lucy in the car to an area for a walk, I think most people had the same idea as there were people riding horses and exercising their dogs. it is a off leash area. we didn't get very far and i could see that Lucy was a bit freaked with barking dogs and big things (horses) that snorted at her, so we came home. Almost as soon as I had Lucy back in the car with her harness on, a guy drove up with a ute full of dogs, they were leashed in the back and when he released them, they all piled out and ran and ran, one about Lucy's size cleared the ditch and covered about six metres with one jump.

We returned this morning as it is a nice area, it was like a very different place. The horses were all confined to one area and they were together under the shade and just ignored us as we walked past which suited us. Only one other dog and he and his owner were well in front of us no dramas there. Lucy was a bit interested in the ducks that on the ground and stood in amazement when a couple took to the air.

A huge area with a pathway around it and exercise equipment dotted here and there.

Lucy bemused by horses, there were about eight altogether. The darker one on the right, came over to the fence yesterday while we were walking and really put the wind up Lucy, there s only two strands of wire and a few feet between them and the path.

There are some ducks in the middle of the shot, I didnt want to go too close and frighten them off.

Excitement in our household!

We put out our first geo caches for others to find. I didn't do it quite right and the reviewers sent me an email asking for more information.

I got Sheridan to check the co ordinates and she even took what we had and attempted to find them, two were put out. Thankfully she was able to find them quite quickly. Which indicated that the co- ords were right.

The first ones are easy ones, a D/T of 1.5 which means it is a bit of a walk but less than one kilometre and the terrain is not hard but it is not on concrete paths. D standing for difficulty and T meaning terrain.

I sent the answered questions back to the reviewer and they must have been happy as it was published within 24 hours and two hours after that a cacher found it well two actually as they went out together at 9.20 at night. it is in a park but there is no street lighting. Five people have found it since Wednesday. we get an email each time some one logs it.

These are the caches that we have prepared with "swag" in them, the idea is to take something and leave something if you want, usually its stuff for kids. A log book and a pen/pencil. The one on the left is what is out its called January and has a code as well. Warren made the two on the left with storm water pipe and bungs.

Today we went for a drive as I have some other spots where I want to leave a cache and needed to check a suitable place, parking safely and the co-ordinates, it also needs to be suitable for the size that we have. I do have smaller ones called bison tubes which only hold a log sheet but I want to get the bigger ones out first. 

What one does between lunch and afternoon tea.

Make a bath mat of course. I washed our bath mat a couple of weeks ago and t must have been on its last legs as when it came out of the washing machine it had developed hoes in the fabric. I put it back in the bathroom but then thought nuh, one of us probably me would cacth our toes and go belly up so it went in the bin. I had pink towels that had come out of the camping van so we used ne of those folded up as a bath mat.

Why I bought pink, I have no idea, its not even a nice pink, I call it salmon pink, Warren talks about red towels

Anyway I digress, Warren showed a thing on face book about this woman, I am assuming it is a woman who makes things and the one he pulled up was pics of her making a bath mat.

Light bulb moment, I could do that!

Here's the towels being cut up, the pink ones already done and there was another blue one with ribs that Warren doesnt like using.

Roll the cut edges in and then start plaiting.

After plaiting, then roll the plait into a round and sew it together. luckily I had an upholstery needle in my sewing room and some thicker cotton. Warren had to help with the plaiting and the roundy bits but yep, two hours between Ellen, she finishes at 1 pm and that marks the end of my lunch and The Chase comes on at 3 pm. Two hours work and we have a "new" and thicker bath mat.

Hot Chilli

I bought a three pack of olive oils the last time I went to Costco. The first one I opened was herb infused and there was a faint taste of herbs when I used it for cooking, it was good.

Then I opened the second one which was chilli infused, oh my goodness, talk about knock your socks off! I think I used it in a salad.

Mindful that it was rather hot, I thought that I need to be careful where and how I used it. We went out to lunch on Monday and so had a light dinner. In the microwave I baked the last sweet potato until it was soft, added some peas,corn and tuna and made tuna patties.  I thought they may have been a bit bland so I used the chill infused oil to lightly fry them.

The patties were nice and then the heat from the oil hit. There was a can of coke in the fridge and we shared that in a hurry to cool our mouths!

I wont be buying that pack again and much as I hate to throw out food, I did put the rest of the oil out in the bin. It was an Australian made/grown product.

Maggie Two (second caravan)

Last week we picked up Maggie 2  from Hervey Bay, the yard had fitted the couple of things that we wanted done and Joe, one of the workers went through it all with us. he turned on all the lights and fittings and then the tow bar, it took almost an hour and he was very through.

Te ute went well and Maggie towed very well, didn't realize that we were towing anything of course it did not have any thing in it but still, happy with the way it towed.

Maggie Two is safely behind locked gates now ready to be packed and take for a couple of short jaunts to test.

Side view with the awning out, it is a pop top and unlatches form the out side and then there are bars inside to raise the roof.

It has a boot, pretty excited about that, means that hoses etc can travel there instead of inside the van. The caravan yard got two new gas bottles and filled them.

Taken from just outside the door. I always wanted a front kitchen.

The mattress had a rust strain on it, they had rested something on the bed that was wet and it had a large square rust stain so I have covered it with a doona cover that I bought in China.

The lounge dining area which is in very good condition.

The corner cupboard on my side of the bed, in Maggie Warren had some drawers but I didnt so, happy with that.

Storage and there is a full sized mirror on the wall above it.

Microwave and cook top, the  cook top looks as though it has hardly been used. There is an air vent as well as range hood.

Maggie Two is ready to go as soon as we pack her, nothing needs to be done! Quite a bit of difference from when we brought Maggie home, the work that needed to be done on her was a lot.

We had a call from the caravan yard on Monday and the registration papers turned up there, we think it is due in early March, anyway they said they would be six months registration for us. Thats a bonus and something that we weren't expecting but a nice and welcome surprise.  

Although Maggie Two looks newish, she is twenty years old,