TEA ROOM # 122...

Good morning everyone. Time for a move as the road was getting too long for my aging legs...
We came from here.
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1310262/#top

Its freezing here but hubby says a fine weekend, so I hope hes right.
We had about an inch of rain on Thursday night.
Everything is well watered and the weeds are having a great time because I have not been able to spray them again.
I will get them over the weekend if it does stay fine.

Hubby will be away all today & tomorrow at his radio ham convention.
I can have a break from cooking meals etc and just curl up with a book in the warm....lol

Better get back over to the old place and put up a sign so noone gets lost.
Have a nice wander through the Chinese garden area. It always a pleasant warm day in our virtual world..
Enjoy your weekend and stay safe and dry..
Jean.

Oops I didn't see the new Tea Room

Just posting this again ...Congratulations Jean.

http://www.brugmansia.us/forums/index.php?/topic/25104-new-brugmansia-cultivar-name-sweet-jaffa/

Cheers everyone !

chrissy

Bravo Jean....what a lovely flower. You must be grinning.

Jean, that's my idea of visual heaven......years ago the Melbourne Zoo was developing a Japanese garden (I don't know the difference between a japanese/chinese garden)....and I fell in love with it even at that early stage....

Colleen, we are extending the house for our daughter and G.daughter to come and live with us...
They will have their own entrance and be totally independent.....
The dear plasterers and painters are back again....bless 'em.....I shouldn't complain, the build has been so quick and they are very careful about damaging the garden.....

Sorry about last night Anthony.....it was so sweet.....now don't turn purple....it's just a game...lol....

Apart from Anzac day it's the game I wait for, every year ever since the 80's, when you were in short pants...or maybe a magenta bikini and wrap....

Have a nice weekend everyone....hope the sun is shining where you are...
Dianne.



This message was edited Jun 8, 2013 11:37 AM

Nothing doing here today. Its cold and I am sitting with the heater on my feet.
Hubby is away for the day again, so I will just munch on Kit Kats and cups of green tea.
Anyone tried Pods ???
Lovely little biscuity mounds with a nice filling and chocolate top. I like the ones with Mars Bars filling and also the honeycomb.
I could nearly trade in the Kit Kats for them. Not quite , just nearly.
I need my choccy fix at night .
We also discovered chocolate fingers. Little thin biscuit fingers covered in chocolate.
Hubby has taken a liking to them and is always asking can he have a few.

Moon, the name for my newly listed brug Sweet Jaffa, came to me when I saw the first flower which was a lovely orange just like a jaffa. Of course the flower was such a sweet thing, hence the name.

I hope Anthony finds us again. Wouldnt want him lost in the cold in just his bikini.

Teresa, I bet your figure was just as good as the model with the bikini.
I remember many, many moons ago when I looked a bit like her too.
I know the figure is still here, its just a bit lost under a few wrinkles.
Thats my story anyway, and I'm sticking to it.


Heres a few of the zygos coming out now. Looks like another good year for them..

Jean.

I think Teresa is playing it down, and it was her!,,,,,,,,,funny thing, I went into Amazon and purchased 2 books, and they had me listed as looking up a magenta sarong'The one Howler listed'..cant get away with anything!!...Dont worry, Im not getting cold, with this brilliant wood..WHEW!!!!,.I come up inside and just relax to the warmth....

Sweet Jaffa is beautiful Jean I am so tickled for you. And yes...that lovely 25 year old's body is still around....just slightly rearranged....giggle

Aha Anthony....I knew magenta was your color....GRIN

Lovely day to you all, enjoy the birthday celebrations.

Looks like everyones loafing around, enjoying Lizzies birthday..shes so good to us!! Note: I missed the queens honours list yet again?

there's a thin woman inside me crying to get out...
I can usually shut her up with chocolate
& if that fails then wine always does the trick ;)

Funny weather today, light rain but not too cold.
I put Sugar's Drizabone coat on & took her out when I got home from work.
we both enjoyed the walk & the drizzle held off most of the way round.

I need to make a bit more of an effort with Sugar, been getting a bit slack with it being cold & dark when I get home.
So am resolving to walk her every night unless it is belting down with rain.
And it won't be too long before the longest night is over & it starts getting lighter again :)

Oh - happy Matariki everyone ...

http://www.mch.govt.nz/nz-identity-heritage/matariki


Must go see if I can identify the stars when I let the dogs out.
Mind you I suspect it may still be cloudy so that will spoil it a little.

I do know the Southern Cross & Orion.
And Orion's belt is a guide for finding Matariki.

Hi everyone. Had a very busy weekend with G/kids coming out of my ears. Just my 2 now and they are in bed ready for the back to school tomorrow. Did have a chance to walk around the garden with my son and a bit of a chat. The brugs still all think it's Autumn or maybe Spring going by the amount of buds and flowers on everything. Have another rooster thinking he belongs in my yard. He is definitely a brother to the ones I already have here that were dumped in the street about 2 years ago. We have named him Richard and he goes back and forth from here to the neighbours. They don't want him [neither do I] but they called the dog catcher. The dog catcher said to try to catch him if I liked and he would dispose of him. Well, I can't do that. The poor thing has been roaming around from one place to the next for 2 years. It's about time someone gave him a place to call home. Hope everyone has had a great weekend and I'll see you all tomorrow. Colleen

poor Richard the rooster...

last night's star gazing was a bust - too cloudy.
But tonight looks a better bet, it was clearing up when I took Sugar out & the predicted low is 0C.
Brrr!

right now I have Copper asleep beside me & Sugar is on the other couch with Baz, both asleep.

Sugar is dreaming, making funny yipping noises & twitching, woke Baz up.

Bravo Colleen.....Robert Rooster has a forever home....grin

I have often wondered what dogs dream. I think foxes and rabbits in bright sunny fields....at least that must be what Benny, my blind Beagle dreams of....sometimes his dreams are so vivid he wakes himself up baying.....and everyone else in the house too.....grin

Good morning everyone.
Its still a bit dark here and very overcast. More rain coming but we do need it.
I said to hubby, we could have warm rain. There is no rule that says it has to be cold when it rains...lol

I think the plants would disagree, as they need that cold time to rest.
Summer & Winter are the plant's night & day, just longer.

Teresa, I can usually keep the skinny woman inside me quiet with chocolate too.
But I do put a limit on the amount ...lol

Anthony, I thought I missed your name on the Queens honours list.
Seems they forgot all of us..
Oh well maybe next year...

Not going to be much done here today . I am getting back into my Winter reading.
Must visit the library again next week and stock up .

Hello Moon, Dianne, Charleen & Colleen and anyone else popping in..
I have been in the kitchen cooking madly , so here is a tasty treat for morning tea...
.....Blacberry Coffee Cake...

Charleen, make sure Charley shares the cookies..
Have a great week everyone.
Stay safe ..
Jean.

Good morning everyone. Just a quick visit to tell you about the loudest thunderstorm that I've ever heard I think. It was so close that you could hear the lightening crack and the thunder followed immediately. We had heaps of rain all afternoon. Heavy soaking rain. I have grooves down my drive way where the water raced. I was just wishing that I had more rainwater tanks. Now this morning everything is soaking wet and we have a fog. I have to go to Berri later so there will be heaps of water still across the road in several places. Will have to have my wits about me so I don't hit a puddle straight on otherwise I'll be in trouble. Hope everyone has a great day. see you all after. Colleen

Colleen, is that Richard?....or is that your other one...he's very handsome......
Hope you don't get any more storms like that one......
Moon I think that it would be a very nice dream for dogs to be chasing rabbits across an open field...
I think when Tilly dreams, they are nightmares, with our siamese slapping her across the butt....she jumps all over the place...

Very interesting about Matariki, Teresa, I hadn't heard of it before...but the first clear night I will locate it..
Orion won't be over my back door until next autumn....so I'll have to get up earlier...
Jean, cold, wet and damp...it's winter....
Linda brought in some black forest cake, so for once I will resist your cooking...
Keep warm all...
Dianne.

another foggy start this morning but when it burned off we had a brilliant day.
It was a clear sky when I walked Sugar, should be a good frost tomorrow.

I know the ground was already very cold as I had to pick up after Miss Sugar & could feel the chill through the plastic bag.

Years ago somebody taught me how to use Orion to find the Southern Cross...
we were travelling from Brisbane to Perth via the outback.
Such an amazing trip, we went to Birdsville, Innaminka, down the Strezleki track, climbed Ayers rock.
Saw wild camels, an echidna wandered into our camp site one night, we had budgies nesting in a tree over our tent in one spot.
there was a rain storm one day - luckily we were able to camp the night in rodeo sheds, the rain was torrential.
It was amazing to see the desert with huge puddles along side the road & the wild flowers that followed were spectacular.
I love living in Christchurch despite the cold & earthquakes but I have the deepest affection for Australia & am so glad i spent my teens there.

'THE RAINS R ERE'.!!!!!-thank the lord,..,finally, its drizzling 'beautifully'...Im hoping, that the native animals will be able to back away from suburbia a bit, now,..,

Love the rooster picture. I'm here. Just wandering around and remembering why I don't like housework. Going to get me a new Convection Gas range and started cleaning. Oh, My Goodness!!! I am a mess!!! But I got it. The dogs don't like clean. they don't like mopping nor vacuuming either.
but it sure looks and smells better.
Hope everything is great in your corner of the world...

Well I have to say the sky is not playing nice :(

The only time it has been clear has been when I was busy walking home or walking Sugar & not able to take time to star gaze.

I tried something different tonight, as well as the usual walk I took Sugar in to the park for a run by torchlight.
She was mostly good - ran off in the opposite direction once, I think she lost me in the dark so it took her a while to come back.
She should sleep well :)

G'day all

There's good news and there's bad news. Good news is I found out what is eating my lilies (the Amaryllus, the Crinum, the Eucharis and the unknown one which has yet to flower). The Lily or Crinum Grub. They bad news is - they're baaa-ack! They apparently pupate in leaf litter, which I have been stockpiling so I can site my Sydney Rock Lilies next to the palm trees. Wasn't that generous of me? Yesterday the crinum had at least a hundred of the little s..ts sited on the back of several leaves. I sprayed them all with lebaycid and hosed all the palm flowers out of the cosy leaf pockets lined with same. All the litter will be going out and the lilies, I suspect, will have to go, too. Oh, and the little darlings quite like Agapanthus, too. My garden is full of them!

I have quite enough pests to deal with in my garden, thank you. I never saw these horrors until I was given lilies!

Good news for the old man. Trev had three stents put in his left leg yesterday and a balloon opened one of the arteries in his right leg. Of course he's supposed to take it easy for a couple weeks, but he is dying to get out there. It was getting to the point where he had to be very quick with a shower as he couldn't stand up for long enough to finish it. He has been begging the specialist for 3 years and of course, with no exercise on the legs has put the weight on tremendously - to go with that, he has Diabetes 2 as you might imagine. After 7 hours lying on his back, 5 of them on the operating table, his back is out! LOL! I shouldn't laugh but it is getting better, thank heaven.

Here is Miss Jinkie in her carrier which fits neatly under the coffee table next to the computer desk. Well lined with towels and old bath mats, she is quite snug, thank you.

Good morning everyone. The sun is trying to get out from the clouds and the rain has stopped for a while.
I may get out and chase a few weeds today if the rain holds off.
Cant do Roundup in this weather and the weeds know it..
They grow twice as quick , but I will get them all eventually.

The garden is looking lovely and green.
I am pleased to see the brugmansias are still looking great, but that will change once we start getting any frosty weather later.

Lots of daffodil bulbs coming up . I love the daffies.
I must mark the spots so I can dig a few up to place in other parts of the garden.
Still a few nerines out and more jonquils flowering.

I am waiting on a few days of fine weather so I can get into fixing up the new area for my bromeliads.
I need to clear a few old plants out and get hubby to cut the old melaleuca top off. I will leave the bottom half for hanging plants on .

Your cat looks cosy Gabi.

Teresa. Sugar must have wondered what was going on, with her being walked in the dark.
Its lovely that you saw some of the best of the Aussie outback. It certainly is an eye opener to see the desert after rain.
I, too have been lucky enough to see it.
Living for so long in the mid north of West Aust. I saw so much that visitors miss.
Its not just all sand out there as some people think.

Anthony, glad you are getting rain too.
Keep that fire going, it will be snowing around you soon.

Charleen, glad you got your new stove.
I got rid of mine when the element went and never regretted it. I never used it much anyway.
I use the smaller more energy saving appliances .
The way our power bills keep going up even though we use less is awful.
I saw Charley wandering around looking hungry again . Poor starving mule...lol

Dianne, are you getting all the rain too ?
It seems to be widespread . My plants are enjoying the winter so far.
Still lots of flowers and buds on the bruggies.
I hope you put the bikini away. I would hate to think of all the goosebumps in this weather...lol

I am off to check out the garden while its fine .
Heres something nice for morning tea. .....GingerBread Cake..

Keep warm and safe
Jean.

Yes, Jean....
It's pretty wet here too...very welcome...
Mick's paddock hasn't gone squelchy yet, so that's a blessing...we can still drive in...
All the camellias are in flower so it looks pretty in the garden and the Brugs look really lush....

Hi Gabi, yuk those grubs, hope they don't travel.....nice bed for Miss Jinkie...

The sun is trying to break thru....no wind so that's good.
Have a great weekend everyone....
Dianne.

lol Jean, no the out back is far more than sand ...
lots of rocks too :)

We went through Sturt's Stony desert, that was amazing.
The shadows from the rocks made it look like a huge stretch of bitumen from one side & a Martian landscape from the other.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sturt_Stony_Desert

We also visited South Lake Eyre at one of the few times there has been water in it. There were sea gulls - miles inland!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Eyre

If you love a spectacle on screen, then go and see The Great Gatsby....I loved it....
It's a simple story told with such style....it's visually very beautiful.....
Those gorgeous clothes, cars and homes......there is so much to see in every scene....
Did I mention that I loved it? lol.

Dianne....

I have been waiting for your comments Dianne, many critics say it's all style and no substance compared to the original.
How do you think it compares ? does it do the original one justice ... critics aren't always correct.
Which one do you like best ?

The Original was very entertaining but left me feeling kind of melancholy, wanted to shake that Daisy until her teeth rattled. Mia was having some scandals in real life when she was playing the part, you couldn't help but feel she was being her real self in it. I liked her so much better in Rosemary's baby.

The only time I ever traveled inland (Broken Hill) it was under flood ...couldn't believe it ! Our Bus was stranded due to the flooding, we crossed a Bridge about to flood in the middle of the night on foot, to be met by a bus on the other side.The streets of Broken Hill were under a couple of feet of water the next morning. It was1998 Jan New Years Day ...255 mls dumped in 45 minutes. I never did see the red dust of Broken Hill, only red water and red mud. I took a jar of that red mud and took it home to dry out so I could see that red dust in real life.

chrissy

I did that with sand from Moreton Island in Q.....it always brings back memories....

Of course Daisy was a selfish drip in both versions, Chrissy.....
I think that RR was a more suitable Gatsby but LdiC is great to watch....
I wouldn't say one in preference to the other, they are too different....
There were small details in this current one that really gave it punch.
Go see it......

Dianne.

Glad you liked the movie Dianne.
Its not my cup of tea.
I'm more into something with maybe Steven Segal or Harrison Ford.
I think I'm a bit old fashioned in liking men who are men not some of the slick types about in some movies.
My favorite actor was always Humphrey Bogart, so that will tell you the type I like. ( and my age....lol)
My all time classic favorite movie has to be African Queen with Humphrey and Katherine Hepburn.
I can still watch those two classy actors today.

I'm not really a fan of going to the picture theatre.
I prefer to read and let my imagination bring the characters to life .

Its lucky we are all different or it would be a boring world.
I think theres a place for us all to enjoy what we like best.

I did like the pictures when I was younger, but there was nothing else back then.
Imagine todays generation with no TV...LOL

Better get myself outside before the rain starts again as I want to spray a bit of fert on the plants .

Chrissy I was very lucky in living with that red sand for a time. It is beautiful and comes in a myriad of red shades . There is nothing quite like our red centre.

Hello Charleen, Moon, Anthony and Teresa..

Jean.

That's in my top ten list, Jean......African Queen, that is....
Katherine Hepburn was a delight in all her films...
Loved Philadephia Story...
Dianne.

Dianne, if we are talking good looking men, what about my favorite man on TV ..
.Richard Dean Anderson.......mmm

You know, I said to hubby the other day, all those good looking fellows I used to watch at the pictures are starting to get old . He started laughing so much he nearly fell off his chair and pointed out ... I was their age....lol

Well, he didnt have to point it out, I like to ignore that fact...

Jean.

Quite right, Jean....he didn't have to point it out.....totally tactless of him...lol

Dianne.

Geez...

Shame on your Hubby....GRIN

On our first trip to Au, I collected small bags of sand/soil. A bit from Bondi Beach, Uluru and the Olgas, Mt Connor, Daintree, Cairns, sand from GBReef, Noosa and the Gold Coast, Mary Cairncross and Kuranda....beautiful reds and golds and grays....

So glad you enjoyed the movie Dianne...LdiC is a versatile actor. I must admit i am more of a Cary Grant, David Niven, Danny Kaye fan But have a lot of respect for Humphrey Bogart and his ability to dissolve into a character.

Hope you all had a lovely weekend

Moon

Hello everyone. Its freezing here so I hope all you people in the warm are enjoying it. 8C here now.
Its warmed up 2 degrees since I got out of bed.

Now Al, you being a male should know we ladies do not talk about age when men are around....
Hubby should have made a nice comment about how I was so much younger than he is. ( a whole 2 years ..lol)

Moon.I must say , I am no fan of Cary Grant , David Niven types.. I was never one for the smooth lookers.
I like a bit of ruggedness.
Now give me William Shatner along with those I mentioned above.
I used to love Clint Eastwood in all his movies and I am certainly a fan of Bruce Willis.
For getting into a character you cannot get better these days, than Tom Hanks.

Enough of men...
There were certainly plenty of great looking women.
I thought ( from my female view ) that Elizabeth Taylor had to be the most beautiful woman.
Her eyes were so lovely.
Bettte Davis was another.
Talking of Bette. I just love Bette Midler in her pics ( and her wonderful voice)
She is so funny.
For singing voices, I shiver when I listen to Barbra Streisand. Such a wonderful voice.
Joan Baetz was great too.

Its funny, when you start to think of all those artists you like, more and more you had forgotten , pop into your head.


I had better stop before I fill a page as we all had favorites from each era as it came and went.

Moon , did you put all your colored sands in a jar ?
I have seen it done as souvenirs in various places.

Hope everyone on this end of the earth is keeping warm.( Anthony, Dianne and Teresa)

Charleen , Al & Moon, our sympathies to all those who have lost loved ones or homes in the fires over there.

Stay safe ...
Jean.

Don't get to watch many movies, but wifey is partial to Harrison Ford and Tom Selleck when we do go. I really want to see the new Superman "Man of Steel" remake coming up soon, the comic book series goes back to my childhood days in the 1950's

Rain has been constant here, but good for the crops. Finally got all of my tomatoes in the ground and waiting for the August harvest, for now we just wait and hope nothing goes awry before then.

Al

I would love some of your rain Al.

Jean i am a big fan of Astaire, Hope and O'Conner also...none of them have the smooth looks, just a ton of talent, and I always have time for a Chuck Norris movie...grin.

Yes, a grouping of small jars each with its' own memory...grin

Superman, got great reviews, Al.....I saw the preview last week......looks a bit different to the others....

Gene Kelly is in my jar, moon.......along with Astaire....now it's Johnny Depp or maybe it's his pirate character...Cap'n Jack Sparrow....yes, it's definitely Cap'n Jack...

I also loved some of the theme songs from different TV shows......Moonlighting has to be #1
Maverick, Hawaiian Eye, Bourbon st Beat....Sugarfoot and of course for Jean, 77 sunset strip.....
All those Warner Bros tv shows had great themes....
Dianne.

Dianne, I never left the 50s-60s. It was the very best time so I decided to stay... Dont I wish...

Kids playing around under the streetlights or wandering around the neighborhood in complete safety.
Neighbors all gossiping over the back fences , keeping any eye on everyone kids and houses.
Mum & the neighbors always left the back door unlocked or the key in the front door in case someone needed to go in.
We kids could walk to the shops or school with no worry about stranger danger.
I was a gypsy, my gran used to say. Always wandering for miles around. Noone ever thought anything could change so rapidly.
What happened between then & now ???

I feel for the modern kids ( well , most of them anyway ) not knowing that total freedom from care .
Just free to enjoy being a kid..


Yes, Dianne, I did like 77 Sunset Strip. 3 yummy men especially that cheeky Cookie.

Al, I loved all the comics back then and do not like the modern versions of them ...Batman, Spiderman, Green Lantern etc. I am sure I would not like the Superman remake either.
Anyone seen The Phantom... nothing like the original.
None if the other Superman movies were much good.
Some things should be left as they were, in comics and books.

Probably okay for the younger generation who dont know the originals...
Now Tarzan, with Johnny Weismuller wasnt too bad ...nice body there,,,lol
It did stick to the comics more.
I used to wait for the serial on the radio along with Seahunt and a late night favorite, Inner Sanctum. Quite tame these days but scary back then..

Better go finish my cuppa.

Enjoy the memories. One memory always triggers a lot more you thought you had forgotten...

Jean.






.

Yay for Jean ...
http://pinterest.com/chris_tonitto/the-garden/

http://pinterest.com/chris_tonitto/beautiful-people/

http://pinterest.com/chris_tonitto/brugmansia-aka-angels-trumpets/

Welcome ...pictures speak a thousand words ^_^

Hop into the boards and pin away. lots more too just click around and see.
I know you will love the Iris places etc.

Buckle up and have fun.

chrissy

Good morning everyone ...loving your pins ^_^

It's quite cold but sunny here, I am off to work till this arvo, I hope everyone is keeping warm, except those over the pond !

Dianne your garden board is lovely !
Jean go pin some Crockpot/ Slow Cooker stuff, it's unbelievable what is out there, perfect weather for it.

Bogey was on last night !
The Voice made me cry ...
Enjoy your day/night ^_^

chrissy

Chrissy, I had to smile at one of your angel pins, someone wrote that your shouldn't close your eyes around the angel statues...... obviously a Dr Who fan......

Don't mention any more sites.....your confectionary and liqueur pins have put lbs on me just looking.
I want to finish putting my garden ones on and then I will explore.....I love it too...
I haven't had a chance to look at anyone's boards yet.....just the pins that come onto my home page..
Glad that I started in Winter....probably wouldn't get around to it in summer....and I can't do much with the building going on...only about a month to go...

Jean, remember Hop Harrigan....control to CX4, coming in.
I usually turn off the TV around 9.30-10.30 and go straight onto the BBC and listen to the radio plays and serials....much more my style and I can work on the computer or do anything else I fancy except cook, at the moment the freezer is full...

It's cold and sunny here.....
Dianne.