Carry on Studying, lol

Have to say, the last few weeks have been like living in a bubble with the real world curiously distant - no newspapers and not around for the news on the telly much, lol. Got two assignments posted last Monday after getting a weeks extension. Had one question that took me a week to understand the reading alone, lol but the WM and I put our completed ones in an envelope with a sigh of relief on Monday and the office lady got them posted for us.

I chose in the end not to go to the Mullewa show - it was a freezing cold day and though the WM said they were only going in for a couple of hours, they were gone from 9am - 5.30pm and I got all my readings done, lol and all my washing dry. Was still wading through study on the Sunday so stayed on here instead of going to footie, - such devotion, lol. It was a glorious day and only procrastinated in small amounts stopping for choccy biscuits and coffee on my verandah with the DP as he was in procrastination mode as well. The WM turned up midafternoon and said we were having a campfire for dinner as she had invited this group of kids out who were working for the primary school that her boys go to. This was a group of yr 11 students who were helping serve the Mullewa community as part of a values based course they were doing through their school (a Catholic college from Perth). They also helped out at the flower show and the Mullewa show over the weekend as part of their service to the town. They arrived by bus with three staff not long after we had the fire lit and we had a fantastic night. They had been eating very basic food all week and sleeping on the floor of the town hall - no soft drinks, biscuits etc, and were blown away by the campfire food that we had which was heavily carnivorous with cake as desert. The WM and I cooked the barbeque and we had two big fires going so it was very cosy and warm. One of my neighbours bought down three emu eggs that he still had and he got some of the students to blow the eggs which we then scrambled. Needless to say the kids were amazed to be able to try emu egg. Just to explain - two emu eggs filled a litre icecream container in their raw state! It was SO nice having kids on site, even if it was just for a short time. They bought two guitars with them and could some of these kids sing. Many of them had never experienced anything like a campfire in the bush and when they left we were told over and over it was the best part of the whole week!. We continued to have a very social week - our cook's 90 yr old mum flew up from Perth half way through the week and stayed until Monday, the DP had a mate pull in with a caravan and stay a few days, and the boss had six friends up over the weekend. We all went up to school each day for morning tea and ended up by having an afternoon tea on the DP's lawn one afternoon, and two dinners up at school, with lots of laughs - lot at my expense with my kiwi accent. There were several more outings to view wildflowers and I was very strong, turning most down (for study, lol).

In a curious turn of events, had gone over to the DP's place for a procrastination cup of coffee and a choc biscuit last Friday afternoon and was having a chat to his visitor, as you do, when he asked what I had trained as work wise. I said I had been a social worker at Waikato Hospital a wee while back now when he looked at me and said, - my cousins wife worked for them as a nurse - get outta here I said - ....... his first cousin is the dad of one of my best social worker mates from back then, and I knew exactly who he was talking about. So, caught up on all the family news as the DP sat on just shaking his head from side to side in bewiderment, lol.

On Sunday it was the WM's youngest son's First Communion and the whole Tardun community was there in support as it turned out. There was a cup of coffee in the school hall afterwards which is directly next door to the church and caught up with various locals who said hello. Because I have been to footie several times, church and some school events people have got to know me and that I am to all intents and purposes part of the WM's extended family. The cook's mum had a beautiful red hat on so I asked her if she was a 'red hatter', but no, she just liked the hat (had bought it on a trip to NZ!). She told me she belonged to a "Hazel Club". It transpires over here there are 'Shirley clubs" with every member named Shirley and the "Hazel club' is the same except they are all called Hazel. They used to meet once a month - (now down to every three months for the cook's mum), and they are all over Oz. Had never heard anything like it and wonder how a Lynn club would go, lol. Would it have to be the same spelling or would you let lyns or lynnes in as well. Hmmm will have to think of that, lol.

Three dead brown snakes have been sighted over the last 10 days, on the roads mainly. The office lady killed a baby King Brown (poisonous) as she was weeding in her garden last Sunday!!!!!! I have also seem my first blue tongued lizard of the season on Tuesday afternoon - the WM stopped the car so I could get a photo, lol. No freesias over here to tell of the first movements of spring - snakes and lizards instead, lol . We were on the way into Mullewa for the boy's footie break up that went well. Both boys won 'Most Consistant Player' for their respective teams. Had a sausage in bread for afternoon snack and back here by 7pm. Yesterday went into Geraldton for the first time in weeks it felt, lol. We went and did some industrial espionage at a boarding facility in town as part of another assignment the WM is doing. Had morning tea with the staff and were shown plans of the building and given a walk through. Very impressive - three of our ex pupils live there but were at school so did not catch up with them. The manager gave us heaps of information and then gave me info to send a CV to their head office as the people who run that facility have 10 others all over Oz and he said they are always looking for staff. There was also an ad in the local paper yesterday for a boarding school down nearer Perth so it looks like the universe is sending me messages re new employment, lol.

We were also in town to take the WM's eldest daughter out for afternoon tea for her 15th birthday which is today, so had time to shop in between. I was going well until we passed a clothes shop I had not seen before, and left with two new shirts and a sleeveless crocheted longish (with tassles on the bottom) waistcoat type of thing - just think scarey 1970's, lol. I don't think I had one of these the first time round and cannot help chuckle at all the 70's clothing in the shops at the moment. So whilst not quite looking like a walking piece of macrame, you get the picture, - sort of 70's meets the wild west, lol.

It has blown a living gale today though the sun has shone somewhat tepidly. Had to sit in front of an open window holding the wireless/broadband gizmo in one hand earlier in the day to get reception!!!!!!!!! At least we had power so am thankful for small mercies.

Now I have tv going again (got fixed a couple of weeks ago) I was able to catch the All Blacks/Wallabies game, and then the Wallaby/Springbok game. They do not televise them in WA until midnight nor do they play the national anthems for each team!!!!! It was good to see a win by the AB's though it was more by good luck than management from what I could see. Last night I watched the start of the Silver Ferns netball game but headed off to bed after the first quarter - played at the same time of night as the rugby, lol.

Still havn't entirely sorted out my latest photos, am giving myself off tomorrow from assignments so just may get around to uploading the next lot. No promises, lol.