Finding joy in the everyday

I love bright cheery yellow. If there was a colour that said JOY  or HAPPINESS , yellow is that colour.  Yellow brightens a sad day, yellow brings happiness, yellow is joy all wrapped up in one.  Yellow brings warmth from the sunshine and beauty from daffodils. Yellow isn't a colour that is angry or miserable.  "Every day is a beautiful gift.  Don't send it back unopened" Don't waste a moment of today, think joy instead. *****

Are you after a new clutch bag? Something simple? Why not this? Its a designer bag by Jill Sander and is considered a "fashionable throwaway".  And yes, it is made of brown paper . . .  and will cost you . . . $285 (Aus/USA). But if you would like the one made from leather which is more likely to last longer than paper, you will need $800.  And yes, people are buying them and one of the stockists in London has sold out of all their brown paper bags!! Disappointed :( The leather version - no handles! Or, what about this acetate one from the 2011 collection priced at $286 (Aus/USA) - and yes, this also sold out, very popular!!

Who remembers free school milk? I can. And yuck . . . warm, creamy milk in glass bottles that tasted horrible. Why were the bottles always left in the sun to get warm, especially in summer? They could sit for quite sometime until recess, some probably went slighly off! And if you forgot to shake the bottle you got a mouth full of clumpy cream! The programme started at the beginning of the 20th century with all children in kindergarten, infant and primary schools receiving free milk to improve their nutrition and general health. Between 1951 and 1973 the Commonwealth Schools’ Free Milk Scheme  provided one third of a pint of whole milk per day to primary school children throughout Australia. The scheme ceased om 1973 but reintroduced in 1994. I don't think I looked that happy drinking my milk!! (taken in 1957) Providing the milk had cost $72,000 in 1951, whereas it had grown in cost to just over $10 million in 1969.  By 1970 the government was star...

  On the 23rd November, 1913, the Violet Crumbl e bar came into being in Melbourne, Australia — why am I blogging about this— to celebrate my favourite chocolate bar on its 97th birthday! It’s creator (Abel Hoadley) wanted to call his new bar just “Crumble”, but learned that it was not possible to protect the name with a trademark. He thought of his wife (Susannah) and her favourite flower, the violet, and registered the name Violet Crumble, using a purple wrapper with a small flower logo.  Isn’t that romantic.     Hoadley, a devout Methodist, treated his staff very well, support the Pay Board and was known for having premises that were praised for their cleanliness, airiness and well-equipped dining rooms. What is your favourite chocolate bar?   P.S. When I eat Violet Crumble (or any chocolate in fact ) I always freeze it first and once it has gone crunchy, sit down with a cup of tea and my icy cold chocolate.  Delicious.  Just need to be caref...

I have been tagged by two lovely ladies, thank you Amanda at My Secret Garden and  Lady Rose at A Queen in Her Castle . Thankyou ladies. Instead of doing two of these I have combine the questions (as several were the same) - enjoy.    1.Where did you meet your husband, generally speaking? Workplace romance. 2. What is one of your most favourite movies? I couldn’t think of just one movie, so here are three favourites: “I am David”, “Miss Potter” and “An Affair to Remember”.  As to mini-series this would have to include: Emma (2009), Pride and Prejudice (BBC) and Jane Eyre (2006).   3. If you could have any career your what would it be? Owner of a small bookstore as in the movie “You’ve got Mail” with a little reading nook and perhaps a spot to enjoy Devenshire tea. 4. What character in the bible do you really relate to the most Elizabeth, she never ceased trusting God, even though she didn’t understand why she was still b...

Did you know: Australia can lay claim to having the largest homes in the world. The average floor area of new homes hit a record high of 214.6 square metres (2009/10). The average floor area of new free-standing houses was also at a record high of 245.3m².  The United States has traditionally possessed the largest homes in the world. But for the first time in a decade, new homes in the US are shrinking. In 2010, the average size of new homes started in the US stood at 201.5m², with the average new house estimated at 217.8m². ( this one is near me and I think it would be lovely ) Why would you want a huge house – it has to be cleaned, heated, furnished. - it wouldn't be very cosy. Plus the Australian family is shrinking in size (average of 2.56) - you could go for days without seeing your family as  you all rattle about in the McMansion.   Look at these stats, the most common household is a couple with no kids - so why would they need such a large home.  In 2006-07...

I thought I would do something different and test your skills!!!   Can you guess what the following items are? Hint: they all belong in the home and follow a certain theme. Item 1. What am I and how old am I?  Item 2.What is my use and when was I made? Item 3. Why would I be wearing this and what is it called? What era? Item 4. Do you know what I was used for and from which decade? Item 5. What was my use? What is my year?  And for an two extra points what am I made of and what do those white parts look like? Enjoy!!!  Have fun!!! I will give you the answers on Monday (13th)

AND (oops - who noticed??) T is for the TERRIBLE  aTTENTION To deTail !!!!!!!!

Apples – "lived" in an apple bin when little (!!!)  and love eating stewed apples with crumble Bananas – no thanks, NOT EVER, never never never . .  . not even banana cake Cats – cute and cuddle and o’ so sweet Dobermans – love their owners, eat the neighbours (have owned/own 6 Dobermans) Edges   - I have a height phobia so never go close to edges or ledges!! Fitness –  what is fitness, too l a z y . . . I just walk very quickly to the car Giggles – my brothers use to make me giggle at dinner (when we had visitors) and I would get into trouble (they didn't) Hills – I am surrounded by hills and I love looking at them (don’t climb them, see F) Illness – had German Measles as a child and almost died and still have no immunity to the disease Jo – named after my grandmother Johanna, meaning “ a gift from God ” which I was after my oldest sister died from cot death at 4 months Knitting – I have knitted 1 jumper and 2 scarves in my life time . ...

Forty years ago Doug Engelbart and his team at the Stanford Research Institute in California designed something we use everyday and probably something we now take for granted.  The MOUSE . When patented the mouse was named the X-Y Position Indicator for a Display System (glad that didn't become its name!!), and was deigned to control their computers. The result was a carved wooden block mounted on wheels, with a long cable trailing out the back. One researcher nicknamed it a mouse. The first commercial product was released in 1981. But it wasn't until Apple acquired the license for the mouse for $40,000 from the Standford Institute that the technology really took off. The Apple Macintosh, launched in 1984. Now with the touch screen on the iPhone and iPad, what is the future for the humble mouse? * * *