General Chat

Bugger! Oh well - have a happy Easter anyway. Don't eat all your choccy at once and watch out for wascally wabbits. Have been to the family reunion today and I'm totally wrecked. Catch you all tomorrow Anna

Mmmooorrnnniinng Wattlers, from a very cold Canberra. Up just before 6 and it was minus 3 but at 7 its now minus 4 - bbbrrrrr Was planning my morning routine as I headed to the shower so I would be ready to leave for work at 8 then realised we aren't opening until 10 this morning and I start at 9.30 instead - d'oh - could have stayed in bed a bit longer - never mind. Hope the Easter bunny has left lots of choccies for those who indulge and something equally nice for those who don't. Anna - sounds like you had a great day yesterday. Sue - you should be over the moon with the footy result - OH thought he heard the score wrong but apparently not so. Very interesting season so far - for most teams - couple not having a good start tho. Don't toss out your weekly budgets just yet folks - our turn is coming tho - thought it might have been last night as I had an itchy right palm at work yesterday - bad luck I was counting money at the time - lol. Have a great day Wattlers. Catch y'all later Gwenda

Gwenda ................ it was 5.7deg at Springwood at 6.00am - and to me that is very very cold!!!!!!!!!!!!! How am I going to survive Canberra next weekend :-((( Coldest morning since last winter methinks............... brrrrrrrrrrrrrrr Jood

Morning All, bit chilly here in Mudgee, but not feeling it as the underfloor heating is work a treat! Sorry, just had to boast a bit. Had a lovely evening with friends last night. He was very impressed with house and that's a huge compliment coming from an architect and she come carrying 2 Pawphan cats from the RSPCA range. They had to put their cat Harry down 2 weeks ago and he was a wonderful cat. Anyway, we had a little ceremony and drank a toast to the 2 of them up in catty heaven. Hope to bunny has been good to you all. Ooo, just had a sign! While I was typing my right palm started to itch. Better luck next time Wattlers. Hope you all have a fantastic day. Lew Lew xxx

Hi all again Lew................must be cold everywhere. Is it central heating you have there? My grandaughters used to run round in nappies and nothing else all year round, with central heating. Did you design your own house then?? I'm off to have a bite to eat (no, not choccy) and put the heater on after I've dusted it all out .......... :-(( Might even have to do some h*******k to keep warm. Jood

Happy Easter Morning to you all :) And our first decent frost of the season! Cars were all icy. Thanks for the temp updates Gwenda - I'm glad I didn't have to get out of bed to check them! (poor you, hope it's a good day :) Balloons are aloft and travelling west this morning. My visitors were up early to go back to Sydney for family Easter lunch. Tomorrow morning I've promised hubby to go balloon chasing (early) on the lake. They all set off from near Lake Burley Griffin foreshores and drift around. very very pretty. This morning was perfect so I hope tomorrow is just as good. We will launch the boat and watch the balloons from the water. Hope to get nice photo opportunities :) (Brrrrrrrrr - must be mad!) have a great day. Vonny

Morning Vonny & Jood. My BIL is an architect in Adelaide and he designed the house. I promise photos will follow, I just want the turf to go down first. The whole house has underfloor heating and you can turn it off/on in each room which has a thermostat control. Same as the music - piped to each room and all the tv's are controlled by infrared signals. It's called 'Smart Wiring'. Going to have my first spa bath today - might relax in it with a book and a glass of bubbles after lunch! Lew xxx

Happy Easter Wattlers! The bunny came to our house - grandson was staying and he was up at the crack of dawn so lots of excitement as Poppy kept grandson busy in the back garden whilst nanny hid eggs in the front garden!! Couldn't do it overnight or the local wildlife would have had easter eggs for breakfast!! Teenage daughter was woken by all the kerfuffle so she was out searching too! Would you believe the bunny even left a basket for her. I guess for as long as she's at home there will be a basket for her. Caught up with hundreds of rellies yesterday - what a huge day. The family history book they produced is unbelievable - the line starts at 1710 and goes through every descendant until the book went to press this year. It is 150 pages long with photographs of everyone, stories submitted by family members etc Has photos of where the family originally came from in Schleswig-Holstein (government swung betweeen Germany and Denmark during civil wars) and they were lucky enough to have the support of a lady who is fluent in German and German dialects who was able to write to family history societies in Germany to chase up details. Also one of my cousins has actually visited the area and had his own photos of the locality which were included in the book. It is a fabulous publication - I can't imagine how much work went into it.. It includes copies of early documents - ship's log, naturalisation, land purchase, bmd certificates - unreal. So - no more research that I have to do on my maternal grandfather's line of the family!! Off for a Sunday drive to the country so will catch up with everyone later. XX Anna

Hi Wattlers Have been busy but hope to catch up with you all soon. Will add properly then but for now.......................... HAPPY EASTER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :-)

Okay which one are you, Twin 2? Me thinks you might be Julie Cat!! Lew Lew x

Yup Lew - its Julie all right - I had to ask her !!!! (Curiosity killed the cat - not Julie cat pmsl) Jood

Happy Easter Wattlers, Everyone sounds to be very busy. I am glad that I am not the only one to have a senior moment on Friday. All day I thought that it was Saturday. Maybe I was the one to confuse you all. We had a lovely day yesterday. We decided to go out and risk the traffic, but instead of the coast we went inland to Rosevale, well we intended to go to Rosewood but took a wrong turn. We took bread and cheese, a typical Ploughman's lunch and had it on a hill with wonderful 360 views. There was no one else there, the dogs had a great time. We hardly saw any traffic all day, so in future if we go out in the holidays it will be the country side. Lew Lew, your friend bringing 2 pawphans, does that mean that you now have a new member of the family? I also have been almost caught with that error message thing and it came up to download even though I had cancelled it. A bit cooler today in Sth East Qld. It rain overnight, not much, and this afternoon a wind had blow up and cooled things down. Today is the first time I can remember in ages that I have had to close the windows in the computer room ( glorified spare bedroom.) Anna, has your son had any luck yet finding a house? You are lucky having a family who are also interested in your family history. I keep asking my cousins for information but it is not forthcoming. I have recently made contact with someone who may have the same rellie, one who has put up a brick wall, so I am now going to look through my records to see if I can sort something out. Bye for now, hope no one has choccie hang overs. SuzyQ

Hi all - just back from the hospital from looking at my lovely little grandson. Suzy - Im not suffering from Choccy hangovers, only Choccy withdrawals :-(( Beaaaaaaautiful day here - sun nearly drove me beserk coming back up the mountain, it was just at eye level and full blast - but now its gone completely and its c-o-l-l-l-d again! Hope everyone had a nice day. Jood

A HAPPY WATTLE EASTER TO ALL !!! (Not yellin', but singin') Nearly missed you all . . . . had a great couple of days will catch you all later - got mail !! cheers luv Laurie

Hi Wattlers.. Had a lovely day.. went to church this morning and then had a relaxing day at home.. Now all the drama of the caravan and car are over it is nice to relax and get the place ready for my Uncles visit early next month..I feel so much more relaxed now and am rearing to go... Joodles.. It must have been lovely to have a cuddle of the new grandson.. I bet he is so lovely and new and soft and cuddley.. Nothing nicer than a new baby but I think I have had all I am going to get,, Must be happy with my 9 grandkids who I love to bits..It must be getting cold up the mountains now and even here in old Sydney town it is getting cooler in the night.. I love it when I can cuddle down into the doona and get as warm as toast..Are you off on a trip to Canberra,, I know you will love it and have a great time.. Laurie.. Have you been gallavanting around again.. What have you been up to... Sue Your picnic sounded beautiful and you are right if you get out of the way of the tourists there are some lovely places to visit and enjoy.. Anna What a fantastic day you had with the family.. was it big reunion or just a family gathering.. whichever it sounded so good and I can imagine the talking and laughing going on.. what a great help for your family tree.fantastic..... Lew.. How was the first spa bath.. are you soaked to a crincle or was it fantastic.. You must have had a sparkling sparky do your house as it sounds fantastic...I vote we have the next meetup next year in Mudgee.....so we can all see the new house...any one second that..??? Vonny I have seen the balloons when I was visiting my daughter in Canberra and the sight is so beautiful.. Bet it is cold when you get there as it is so early in the morning... My grandaughters row on the lake on Saturday mornings and they must be mad also.. too cold for us.. Gwenda Hope your day at work was not to busy.. Did it warm up from your -4.. I hope so.. Well it wasent our turn to win lotto,, perhaps next week..I wont pack until I see the colour of the money.. I must admit I would love to ge to the Records Office at Worcester or Stourbridge.. My brick wall is there and I need to get a sledghammer to it.. Hope you all had a lovely Easter and diddnt eat to much chocky... Back soon and hi to all I havent mentioned as we are so numerous it is hard to include all.. Love Maryxxx

Me again (sorry) First of all Tony, I must re-iterate my thanks for you for the West Aussie site - I sent it on to a friend in Qld, and she is beside herself with all the information she has found - ...... so take a bow laddie. Mary - have you sold your car already? Here you are talking about the new one, and I didnt even know the 4WD had gone, or did you trade it in (oh silly me, of course you did lol) Mary - it was decidedly chilly this morning in the Blue Mountains ....... something like 6 deg..................... buggar the minus deg in Canberra (sorry Gwenda)- I found 6 deg was more than cold enough. Yes - ............I am off to Canberra just for the two days with the travel group. We are going to the Film Archives, Black Mountain, and Cockington Green, that I know of...... I'm to ring JA. .. Mary, dont know if I will actually see her, or just say hello. She is on duty at the Old Parliament House. I used to live at Royal Millitary College, Duntroon 1967-1970 so I do know the Mountain, but not the other places. I've passed through there at times since then, and got horribly lost - ........... all those ****** roundabouts!!!! I wondered about Lew too, whether she'd frizzled to a frazzle, but she upped and had her say on here, I just hoped she had a dressing gown on (sorry Lew) I promise I wont write again tonight Oh - and yes, I did have a cuddle with Lucas -............. he is soooo gorgeous. I have some pics too - 2 days old. Jood

hello and happy easter to all that havn't already said to ,all the visitors and family in bed been watching a movie on tv first one for ages , Mary darling you must have missed this just before you came home Lew has already said next February while hubby is of skiing we are all descending on Mudgee for the inaugral Mudgee Meet up so by hook or by crook I will be there , and we will be entertained in style by the sounds of it too , Laurie that was the quickest post of all times girl , Anna send me down some of the eggs grandchild and daughter didnt find mike was given some Lindt of my grandson for having them here and guess what he did he hid them and wont twll me where they are Bugger!I have to go to bed and get the location out of him somehow LOL Sue will be floating on air won't she, I wonder if we gave her the choice of us winning tatts would she forgo that win they had or keep it what say you Devily Joodles lucky nanny having cuddles bet he is gorgeous please put photos on asl for us all to see him, must go to bed sorry if I didnt talk to you I will tomorrow when free again love Lara

Happy Easter Monday all. Hope nobody has a sore tummy from too much chocolate! Gorgeous day here in Mudgee, although a bit chilly. Should warm up as the day progresses. Well, the first spa was wonderful and I stayed in way too long. 'Life is like a hot bath, the longer you stay, the wrinklier you get!' Yes Mary, Mudgee Meet next February. Date will be confirmed when Hubby tells me when he is going skiing. Our sparky is a genius, but so is Cable Guy. There is apparently several kilometres of cable through this place. Filled the fish pond with water last night and now have to get some pebbles and plants in and settled before I had fish. Spending the day outside in the fresh air and sunshine. Love to you all Lew Lew xxx

Morning all, Been outside in the fresh air and sunshine. it's VERY fresh!!!! :) Up at 5.30, launched the boat before 6.30. off into the sunrise as the mist curled over the water. lots of photo opportunities. the balloons launched around 7am. magic moment - they drifted over the lake just above us. Next thing we know all these tiny sparkles came from the baskets - they were photographing US!!!! pppppppp. Wish I'd known, I was dressed up to the nines - not!! (old clothes, beanie, army greatcoat.) Helicopter flew over, really low - THEY were photographing us too(and the balloons.) Looked over to the wharf - lots of peeps looking at the balloons and.....................photographing us!!!! LOL Must have looked all photogenic with old wooden boat, mist over the water and sunrise............................. next time I'll dress the part! Picked up daughter and Son-I-L from the wharf and chased the balloons down the lake. Lots of lovely photos, will get SIL to give me some and I'll try to post on Surnames site perhaps. Best balloon was an enormous Scottish bagpiper in a kilt. There were also two bees, a windmill, a house and many colourful conventional balloons. Lovely morning and we were home by 9.30. georgeous day. We are going Antique store window shopping in Yass this arvo - has one of the best Antique shops I've ever seen. have a great day, Vonny

Hi all - Vonny - how often do the balloons go up? Or is there a balloon festival there at the moment? How lucky you are to have a boat and be able to chase the balloons down the river. I'll look out for you on the news tonight !!! I take it you live close to Lake Burley Griffin? For me ...... I have been rather industrious this morning, did washing and hung it out, did a wee bit of weeding ( you know how you see one weed and another, and before long you are right into it).........well my back didnt let me work too long ............. into the kitchen, made vege soup, my back is killing me by now, so I have retired to the computer room for a short break. After a while, I'll be ok. A glorious day here in the mountains again, not a cloud in the sky. Hope you all had a wonderful weekend. I dont think Ive seen or spoken to anyone the whole time except when I visited the hospital twice. Ahhh woe is me. I'm used to it tho. Another busy week coming up and then the weekend away. Back later Jood