This link is to a very moving memorial of the events of September 11, 2001. It will be quite slow on dial up as it is a 7mb file. It is worth the wait.
America Attacked 9 11
America Attacked 9 11
(Hat Tip: One Hand Clapping)
12 September 2005
Bob the Builder Scandal!
As part of our Sunday Family day with the children we are watching Bob the Builder - Celebrate with Bob
. The children remember watching some of this back home and it was Clare's turn to pick a movie.
Shock! Horror! The local version is dubbed with American voices. No longer do Bob, Wendy and all the gang have fine English accents. They are pronouncing their "R"s like every good American!
Not only the voices are changed, but also some of the words to reflect the local names for things. Also, some of the equipment has changed sex to female or children's voices rather than adult males. All very odd to our ears expecting what we remember.
. The children remember watching some of this back home and it was Clare's turn to pick a movie.Shock! Horror! The local version is dubbed with American voices. No longer do Bob, Wendy and all the gang have fine English accents. They are pronouncing their "R"s like every good American!
Not only the voices are changed, but also some of the words to reflect the local names for things. Also, some of the equipment has changed sex to female or children's voices rather than adult males. All very odd to our ears expecting what we remember.
11 September 2005
Katydid - or didn't
This is a Katydid. After hearing their incessant noise all night each Summer we have been here, we have finally seen one. It looks so like a leaf it isn't surprising that we haven't seen one until now.
In Spring and Summer they start singing to each other in the evenings and seem to say "Katy did... Katy didn't ... Katy did ... " and so on all night.
This was quite a surprise for us. Normally night time is quiet time, but in Spring and Summer it is noisy time here.
In Spring and Summer they start singing to each other in the evenings and seem to say "Katy did... Katy didn't ... Katy did ... " and so on all night.
This was quite a surprise for us. Normally night time is quiet time, but in Spring and Summer it is noisy time here.
10 September 2005
Learn about Identity Theft
Identity theft is a big problem. Criminals obtain details about you and your financial information - especialy your Social Security Number in the US - and then proceed to charge your cards or clear out your bank accounts or get loans in your name. It can take a long time and lots of expense to get it all cleaned up.
A great site to learn about methods these criminals use is http://www.identitytheftsecrets.com/ This fellow has a selection of on line tutorials showing how these tricks are perpetuated.
A great way to learn.
A great site to learn about methods these criminals use is http://www.identitytheftsecrets.com/ This fellow has a selection of on line tutorials showing how these tricks are perpetuated.
A great way to learn.
Woodcutters
James and Peter have been enjoying themselves playing in the woods and getting dirty. I heard them call to me, "Dad! Look at this!"
And there they were with this big chunk of wood they had excavated from the heart of a tree which had fallen in some old storm.
"What do you have that for?" I asked.
"We're pretending to be woodcutters." they replied.
Of course.
Clare is just there because she wanted to be in a photo with her pretty red dress and pink gum boots.
And there they were with this big chunk of wood they had excavated from the heart of a tree which had fallen in some old storm.
"What do you have that for?" I asked.
"We're pretending to be woodcutters." they replied.
Of course.
Clare is just there because she wanted to be in a photo with her pretty red dress and pink gum boots.
The joys of moving
As part of the relocation back to Australia we have to sort through everything. It isn't just a matter of throwing everything in boxes and taking it with us. There are several categories
- books and movies to be sent back via boxes (done)
- Stuff that is broken and of no redeemable value (done and continuing)
- things to take with us in suitcases - hopefully about 12 will be enough.
- clothes to donate to thrift stores (opportunity shops)
- the rest is to be sold.
Naturally enough, with two weeks to go, the children are starting to get irritable caused by a combination of excitement, uncertainty, changing surroundings and wondering about the future.
Lana's job has been to sort and pack (with the children volunteering their assistance). My job has been liaising with external parties for shipping, hotel accommodation, getting the house ready at home, organising a car for when we get there, ensuring our banking is straight and so on. And continue to do my job. So we're all pretty busy.
But the biggest challenge is the daily meals using up what is in the pantry. I expect the meals for our last week will be pretty interesting!
- books and movies to be sent back via boxes (done)
- Stuff that is broken and of no redeemable value (done and continuing)
- things to take with us in suitcases - hopefully about 12 will be enough.
- clothes to donate to thrift stores (opportunity shops)
- the rest is to be sold.
Naturally enough, with two weeks to go, the children are starting to get irritable caused by a combination of excitement, uncertainty, changing surroundings and wondering about the future.
Lana's job has been to sort and pack (with the children volunteering their assistance). My job has been liaising with external parties for shipping, hotel accommodation, getting the house ready at home, organising a car for when we get there, ensuring our banking is straight and so on. And continue to do my job. So we're all pretty busy.
But the biggest challenge is the daily meals using up what is in the pantry. I expect the meals for our last week will be pretty interesting!
9 September 2005
Angel of Mercy - so far
by Lana
This is another Lavender and Lace pattern called "Angel of Mercy". I started this about August last year and I still have about 20% to go. The final piece will be 16.25" x 16". The face and hands are all one over one. Click the picture for more detail and you will see how different the hands and face are.
I normally have a large project which takes a while as well as smaller ones I can do in the car, waiting at Soccer practice and so on.
This is another Lavender and Lace pattern called "Angel of Mercy". I started this about August last year and I still have about 20% to go. The final piece will be 16.25" x 16". The face and hands are all one over one. Click the picture for more detail and you will see how different the hands and face are.
I normally have a large project which takes a while as well as smaller ones I can do in the car, waiting at Soccer practice and so on.
Important instruction for new parents
I discovered this important instruction for new parents and felt the need to share it with you.
6 September 2005
Children in the Apple Tree
by Lana
These two designs are by Sister Maria Innocentia Hummel.
These are designs based on her paintings created between 1931 and 1946. Aren't they cute?
Immaculate Heart
by Lana
This isn't really a cross stitch - it is a tapestry done in continental stitch using Perle thread. We had the picture scanned by a fellow who converted it to a pattern in sepia tone using 10 shades.
It is an interesting result. Close up most of the detail is lost. Further away and the picture is almost three dimensional with lots of detail. This is quite frustrating to complete as you can't see anything just shades of brown!
Click the picture for more detail and sit back from the computer. You will get the same effect!
This isn't really a cross stitch - it is a tapestry done in continental stitch using Perle thread. We had the picture scanned by a fellow who converted it to a pattern in sepia tone using 10 shades.
It is an interesting result. Close up most of the detail is lost. Further away and the picture is almost three dimensional with lots of detail. This is quite frustrating to complete as you can't see anything just shades of brown!
Click the picture for more detail and sit back from the computer. You will get the same effect!
Celtic Spring
by Lana
This is Celtic Spring by Lavender and Lace. This company has many lovely patterns with flowing dresses and pretty scenes and fine needlework.
I completed this whilst we were in the US. It is part of a series including Summer, Spring, Autumn, Winter and Christmas. If you look closely you will see that the face and hands are done "one over one" - which means that it is one thread over one thread of the material. Normally crosses are two over two. This gives the completed picture finer hands and faces.
I'll have more to post as I am packing them away ready for the big trip. Once we are home we will frame quite a few and I'll take another photo - without the creases!
This is Celtic Spring by Lavender and Lace. This company has many lovely patterns with flowing dresses and pretty scenes and fine needlework.
I completed this whilst we were in the US. It is part of a series including Summer, Spring, Autumn, Winter and Christmas. If you look closely you will see that the face and hands are done "one over one" - which means that it is one thread over one thread of the material. Normally crosses are two over two. This gives the completed picture finer hands and faces.
I'll have more to post as I am packing them away ready for the big trip. Once we are home we will frame quite a few and I'll take another photo - without the creases!
Clare's Baby Animal Quilt
posted by Lana
This is a quilt I started just after we moved to our new house in Australia back in 2000. It was an idea my mum and I worked out using nine animal baby cross stitches into a quilt for Clare. The patterns by Ellen Maurer-Stroh were originally free, and now they can be purchased from Patterns Online.
The first pattern was completed when I was in hospital having Clare and others whilst feeding, travelling or watching a movie.
I finally finished the quilt this winter as the children like to sit watching a movie with a blanket across them. Now it is being packed, ready for the trip back home.
Click the photo for a closer look.
This is a quilt I started just after we moved to our new house in Australia back in 2000. It was an idea my mum and I worked out using nine animal baby cross stitches into a quilt for Clare. The patterns by Ellen Maurer-Stroh were originally free, and now they can be purchased from Patterns Online.
The first pattern was completed when I was in hospital having Clare and others whilst feeding, travelling or watching a movie.
I finally finished the quilt this winter as the children like to sit watching a movie with a blanket across them. Now it is being packed, ready for the trip back home.
Click the photo for a closer look.
5 September 2005
Who needs branches?
Peter has learned how to climb a tree without branches. He just shimmies up with his legs wrapped around the trunk.
Here he is hanging on the lowest branch with me standing underneath him.
Last time he showed us how he climbed I asked him to get down. Whilst he was coming down he said, "I hate it when I wear shorts doing this!"
Here he is hanging on the lowest branch with me standing underneath him.
Last time he showed us how he climbed I asked him to get down. Whilst he was coming down he said, "I hate it when I wear shorts doing this!"
A Bush Cuppa
Peter was fiddling about inside so Lana told all the boys, "You just need to go outside and play!"
Eric spotted a dip in the ground and thought, "That would be a good place to build a fire." This was the start of a plan. First he cleared everything flammable around the hole, then he filled a bucket with water in case there was any trouble. The other boys gathered bits of leaves and sticks to serve as fuel. We have trained him well in fire safety.
What could they do with a camp fire? Boil a billy! A "Billy" is a tin can for heating water used to make a nice hot cup of tea when camping. (Think of the words to "Waltzing Matilda") Eric found a tin we had just emptied in the kitchen, and fastened a twisted wire handle.
As the children didn't really want tea, they settled on hot chocolate with mini marshmallows. A much nicer alternative!
Once I had shown them how to build a fire where the air would assist the kindling burn, and the appropriate application of blowing the embers (photo 1), the water eventually boiled.
This was carefully poured into the waiting cups by Eric, with James in charge of stirring. (Picture 2) Eric was very careful to use a stick to lift the bottom of the billy tin, and the handle was cool enough to touch.
Finally they were all able to sit around the campfire and sip their hot chocolate. It was a fine execution of a plan.
Eric spotted a dip in the ground and thought, "That would be a good place to build a fire." This was the start of a plan. First he cleared everything flammable around the hole, then he filled a bucket with water in case there was any trouble. The other boys gathered bits of leaves and sticks to serve as fuel. We have trained him well in fire safety.
What could they do with a camp fire? Boil a billy! A "Billy" is a tin can for heating water used to make a nice hot cup of tea when camping. (Think of the words to "Waltzing Matilda") Eric found a tin we had just emptied in the kitchen, and fastened a twisted wire handle.
As the children didn't really want tea, they settled on hot chocolate with mini marshmallows. A much nicer alternative!
Once I had shown them how to build a fire where the air would assist the kindling burn, and the appropriate application of blowing the embers (photo 1), the water eventually boiled.
This was carefully poured into the waiting cups by Eric, with James in charge of stirring. (Picture 2) Eric was very careful to use a stick to lift the bottom of the billy tin, and the handle was cool enough to touch.
Finally they were all able to sit around the campfire and sip their hot chocolate. It was a fine execution of a plan.
Hurricane Katrina
We have had a few people ask how we fared with Hurricane Katrina. Only the outer edge brushed past here with some reasonably high winds, but no damage.
The main impact is from the catastrophe to New Orleans and the towns that were destroyed along the gulf coast. There are around one million people now homeless with no hopes of returning to their homes (or what is left of them) for at least six months or longer.
Once more the generosity of Americans is gushing out. Families are being hosted with families here and even further North. Churches are opening their camp sites, families are letting homeless families stay in their houses, one couple even let a family of nine stay in their new house whilst they remained in their old one.
If all you relied upon was the television and newspapers you would have a very distorted picture of what is happening. Try instapundit.com, michellemalkin.com, and the local Brendan Loy, the Interdictor, and many more. These sites link to other blogs giving local information of the bad, the good, the stupid and the ugly. The best article I saw on who or what was to blame for the tragedy put it simply - it appears this big wind storm called Hurricane Katrina had something to do with it!
Update: This is a very good timeline of the fore-knowledge regarding the hurricane risk to New Orleans. http://www.americandaughter.com/timeline.html
The main impact is from the catastrophe to New Orleans and the towns that were destroyed along the gulf coast. There are around one million people now homeless with no hopes of returning to their homes (or what is left of them) for at least six months or longer.
Once more the generosity of Americans is gushing out. Families are being hosted with families here and even further North. Churches are opening their camp sites, families are letting homeless families stay in their houses, one couple even let a family of nine stay in their new house whilst they remained in their old one.
If all you relied upon was the television and newspapers you would have a very distorted picture of what is happening. Try instapundit.com, michellemalkin.com, and the local Brendan Loy, the Interdictor, and many more. These sites link to other blogs giving local information of the bad, the good, the stupid and the ugly. The best article I saw on who or what was to blame for the tragedy put it simply - it appears this big wind storm called Hurricane Katrina had something to do with it!
Update: This is a very good timeline of the fore-knowledge regarding the hurricane risk to New Orleans. http://www.americandaughter.com/timeline.html
4 September 2005
Peter brings in the dough
We have tried lots of different methods in allocating the jobs that need to be done around the house. Our latest method (which seems to be working so far) is to write each task on a piece of cardboard about the size of a playing card, place them all into a bowl, and then have the children select their jobs for the following two weeks.
Currently it is Peter's job to make the bread using the bread machine. He is doing quite a good job as you see. We put in all the ingredients just after breakfast and the bread is ready by lunch time.
Hmmm. Freshly baked bread. Yum.
Currently it is Peter's job to make the bread using the bread machine. He is doing quite a good job as you see. We put in all the ingredients just after breakfast and the bread is ready by lunch time.
Hmmm. Freshly baked bread. Yum.
Web Worms
This is another odd local insect. The Fall Webworm makes a nest at the ends of branches encasing the leaves for its food.
Initially we thought it was a spider web, but we had a closer look at some nests and saw all the worms. Very odd. As they normally only come out in the Fall (Autumn) when the leaves are on the way out, they don't do too much damage.
In some places they are spread across many branches and the trees look very spooky.
Initially we thought it was a spider web, but we had a closer look at some nests and saw all the worms. Very odd. As they normally only come out in the Fall (Autumn) when the leaves are on the way out, they don't do too much damage.
In some places they are spread across many branches and the trees look very spooky.
Taking the back back seat
When we first arrived in the US this type of thing really amazed us. It is OK under the local law for passengers over 18 years old to ride in the back of a pick up truck (called a Utility truck or "Ute" in Australia).
We have also been surprised that there is even a debate about wearing seat belts. As it has been compulsory in Australia for so many years we always "buckle up". It feels very odd not to have that slight press of the seat belt when sitting in a vehicle. So the option of sitting loose in the back of a truck with nothing between you and the road gives us the shivers!
We saw this fellow last week. It looked as though a baby capsule had his seat in the cab so he got to "relax" in the back.
We have also been surprised that there is even a debate about wearing seat belts. As it has been compulsory in Australia for so many years we always "buckle up". It feels very odd not to have that slight press of the seat belt when sitting in a vehicle. So the option of sitting loose in the back of a truck with nothing between you and the road gives us the shivers!
We saw this fellow last week. It looked as though a baby capsule had his seat in the cab so he got to "relax" in the back.
2 September 2005
Gas/Petrol prices - Hurricane Katrina
Yesterday $2.61 gallon
Today $3.45 gallon
Earlier this year $1.65
July to Sep 2003 $1.35
Australian prices for comparison are $1.20 (aud) litre = $3.49 (US) gallon.
Locals always marvelled at how much Australians pay for petrol. Now we all are about the same but the price change is a bit of a shock! The overnight increases are a direct result of the Hurricane Katrina disaster. The area hit by the Hurricane supplies about 25% of US oil and has a sizable percentage of the oil processing facilities. The port at New Orleans is one of the five largest ports in the world and it is off line.
Over 1 million people are homeless - and many will likely never be able to go back. Their homes are either destroyed by the winds, subsequent flood, fire, looting or the toxic sludge left behind by the waters when the water is pumped out of the area.
It is now time to help those affected by the Hurricane Katrina disaster with prayers and donations.
Today $3.45 gallon
Earlier this year $1.65
July to Sep 2003 $1.35
Australian prices for comparison are $1.20 (aud) litre = $3.49 (US) gallon.
Locals always marvelled at how much Australians pay for petrol. Now we all are about the same but the price change is a bit of a shock! The overnight increases are a direct result of the Hurricane Katrina disaster. The area hit by the Hurricane supplies about 25% of US oil and has a sizable percentage of the oil processing facilities. The port at New Orleans is one of the five largest ports in the world and it is off line.
Over 1 million people are homeless - and many will likely never be able to go back. Their homes are either destroyed by the winds, subsequent flood, fire, looting or the toxic sludge left behind by the waters when the water is pumped out of the area.
It is now time to help those affected by the Hurricane Katrina disaster with prayers and donations.
Homeward bound ...
Well, our time here in the US is coming to an end. Our visa expires at the end of September and after weighing up the costs and hassles of renewing it, we have decided to return home.
So we now start packing. We are only taking with us books, movies, clothes and the electronic stuff we use often that will work on Australian power. The rest we sell.
As you can see the children are getting right into packing! That's Peter checking whether the boxes are strong enough.
We will continue to update this blog when we get home. Bruggie Tales has been a great way for us to keep in touch with our friends and family and now we have lots of US friends too.
So we now start packing. We are only taking with us books, movies, clothes and the electronic stuff we use often that will work on Australian power. The rest we sell.
As you can see the children are getting right into packing! That's Peter checking whether the boxes are strong enough.
We will continue to update this blog when we get home. Bruggie Tales has been a great way for us to keep in touch with our friends and family and now we have lots of US friends too.
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