Good Morning Thursday

[Marguerite]

G'day from way up near the border of Queensland. As I type this husband & I are having dinner at a local sports club where they have free internet. It's very slow. The dinner, as well as the internet... I'm typing this while we wait for our order. difficult child 3 stayed back at the apartment, we had a fight today and he hit me. I told him he could come out to dinner with us, but I didn't want to stay in to cook for someone who doesn't appreciate what I do. Long lecture to him about values, integrity, respect... he chose to stay in and forage in the fridge, said he needed time on his own. I think he's doing some hard thinking. Good.

Dinner is almost over and I still can't get online properly, so I'm emailing this in. I can do this again (if my friends don't mind passing on messages/updates for me!) but other than to say "Having a wonderful time, wish you were here," there isn't a lot to say.

My nephew's wedding is Saturday, this is a beautiful area. We've had a bit of exploring around, checking out the white-sanded beaches, rolling breakers and various tourist traps as well as the amazing food. There are fruits up here that I've never seen before. Look up "Tropical Fruit World" - we're five minutes away. The weather - typical tropical summer, absolutely fabulous. We went for a swim at the beach this afternoon, late in the afternoon, and could still feel the bite of the sun. The water was comfortably warm, crystal clear. Long, smooth breakers.

I'll post more later on, probably after we get back. If I can't access CD, then I can't access anything else including FaceBook. So all those wonderful photos will also have to wait - besides, we left the camera cable at home!

husband is downloading/uploading emails at the usorious rates charged by our apartment complex. He logs on, transfers messages then logs off. We were told this club would be a lot better. Not on my little white box, it ain't!

Oh well, I need a holiday. It's forcing me to get some more writing done - deadlines!

I'll post more in about ten days' time, including photos where possible.

Luvyezall!

Marg (and Marg's Man)

 

[Estherfromjerusalem]

Marg, it sounds wonderful! After all those reports of your so-very-busy days which leave all of us breathless and exhausted, it's good that you have got away for a real rest and relaxation. I adore the beach and the sea, so I can appreciate your description, it sounds glorious.

Today in Jerusalem it is grey and rainy, for which we are very grateful. We never have enough rain, and winter started very late this year so we were worried, but thank heavens it's still winter and raining. Some beautiful freesias have popped up in the flower boxes on my veranda. They are my favourite flower, especially the smell. I had forgotten that those bulbs were in there, so it was a nice surprise.

difficult child seems to be doing OK in Australia (Sydney). He's working, building wooden fences round houses. I have now got a camera on my computer screen and we talk by Skype. I love it (Skype, I mean).

Today will be very busy. Besides doing my weekly shopping (always on a Thursday), I have promised myself that today I shall start my spring cleaning properly -- the Passover holiday is fast approaching (three and a half weeks away) and the whole house has to be thoroughly cleaned by then.

Have a wonderful day, everyone.

Love, Esther

 

[Malika]

As far as I can make out, we are the only non-American members of this forum (may well be wrong about that!)... Good to hear news about Australia and Israel. Here in the south of France the spring weather has finally arrived and all is bathed in sunshine, though there is a fierce breeze today... The cherry blossom that I can see out of my kitchen is waving its branches in the wind, which is also whistling through the chimney. The time for log fires is still not over and I have just taken delivery of a large store, which has been piled up in the former pig shed! J is at school - a minute's walk away down the hill - and I am a bit footloose and fancy free, having no work projects on right now. Have down the housework (mostly), done the washing, may go to the cinema this afternoon or to see a friend... Or a swim!
May you all have a good day, wherever on the globe you are.

 

[HaoZi]

We had spring weather last week, then it snowed last night and it's going to be cold all week. Have I mentioned how much I hate snow? Yes? Thought so. Blarg.

Glad to see you're having a lovely time Marg!

Always good to see you're safe another day Esther.

Malika, make sure you get some "me time" in there.

 

[SearchingForRainbows]

Good Morning Everyone,

Marg, It's so nice to hear from you. Sorry to hear that difficult child 3 hit you though. The place you're at sounds absolutely beautiful. When I have a bit more time, I'll look up the area. I think it's good you're being forced to take a much needed vacation... ENJOY!!!

Esther, It' nice to see you on the GM thread. difficult child 1 has Skype and loves it too. Hope you have a productive day and the cleaning goes quickly...

Malika, Nice to "meet" you! Enjoy your day!!!

HaoZi, Have a good day. Hope the snow melts quickly!!!

In a rush - Headed for more caffeine... Hope everyone has a great day!!! SFR

 

[Star*]

MARG!

I was thinking about you this morning! They were talking about the East Coast of Aussie world on the local news this morning saying how hot and dry it was. You're having your Fall there and it's bloody hot huh? I hope Saturday is a bit cooler for the wedding. They said you were in the 100's - not sure what that calculates to in C. (not figuring it out either). I know you're not on that coast - but is Fall where you are brilliant with colors and changing leaves and such like it is here?

If so - Time to go to NZ and ride the railroad right? (hint for Margs Man) ----I got yer back Mate!

Hugs Star

 

[Marguerite]

I know it's late to add to the morning thread. We worked out how to make the 'Net go faster at this place, but you have to fuel it with coffee lol.

It's mid-morning Friday here now, difficult child 3 is back at the unit working on his Physics (while sneaking peaks at a DVD he brought and loaded on his laptop). He apologised to me last night, I had been pushing the emotional blackmail buttons pretty hard. That, and leaving him to fend for himself made him realise how much he's been abusing our fair dealing.

It's hot here, but not unpleasantly so. There is always an ocean breeze to take the worst of the heat out. i actually have been wearing a cardigan this morning, but I think I've caught a cold. That's the trouble with these resort places - lots of other people including snotty kids who don't wash their hands before handling communal equipment.

They had forecast a change in the weather today but this was revised last night to another beautiful, cloudless sky. We're up on the lower edge where the floods hit, and everything is lush and green. And humid!

Esther, it's good to hear from you. I'll have to organise with you to meet up with your son at some point and take him on a tour.

Malika, there are other non-US people on this site. A couple in NZ, a couple in Australia (besides me and husband), a few in the UK. And, of course, Allen-Matlem also in Jerusalem somewhere.

All of the rest of you in the northern hemisphere, enjoy your spring weather. You've had a hard winter and need some joy in your life!

We're having a few unusual experiences (for us). As we were leaving this club last night, we realised the bright lights had attracted some weird-looking beetles. They were dark grey and shiny, s if made out of polished hematite. And as my mobility scooter rolled along its inevitable path, it sounded like a flamenco dancer on a packet of crisps! We also have been roaming the resort at night (me and difficult child 3) collecting cane toads, which are one of the nastiest pests in Australia, they're wiping out a lot of the wildlife here. Cane toads were introduced to deal with the sugar cane beetle pest, and we ended up with a massive ecological disaster (and still just as many cane beetles!). Now the toads are on the march south, west, everywhere. And the recent floods washed them and their toxic tadpoles further afield. Last night we got about 20, including six large females. The night before - three dozen. But last night we saw (and carefully did NOT collect!) two green tree frogs - endangered, protected. The toads went into the freezer - the humane way to kill them.
Brush turkeys forage the grounds every morning and evening, and the magpies here warble for their breakfast. Not a lot of other predatory birds other than crows and sea eagles. Lots of sea eagles. But the cane toads again... anything that tries to eat them, dies. Except for the clever crows - they've worked out how to eat them via the belly, to avoid being poisoned.

This is a beautiful area here. It was once a volcano, very large. The hills that form the ancient rim are still here, eroded down. Mt Warning is just inland, eroded down to the old lava core.

Star - temperature conversions are fairly easy. To find out what C temp converts to in F, you double it and add 30. It's a good rough guide. To convert back the other way from F to C, subtract 30 and halve what's left. So 100 F would roughly convert to 35 C. Actually it's a bit higher because 37 C is body heat or 98.4 F. 100F is about 38.5C. It's not that hot here, varying form about 30 C to 35 C. Pleasant, near the sea.

Gotta go. There's places to go, beaches to see... a swimming pool with waterfall waiting for me...

We'll be back in just over a week.

Marg