Original Art for purchase www.melaniealfred.com (waiting for an image)
Quote of the Day.'The advice of Jonathan Alpert, a Manhattan-based psychotherapist. "If you view travel as an adventure and a challenge -- including the long lines and delays -- then it can be fun," he says. His advice is to build in enough time to experience this adventure -- a cushion of time, "just in case there are delays." Avoid tight schedules and deadlines. After all, you're on vacation.
Comings & Goings
The MI Ts have gone on a road trip to Colorado. The G Family will be back downunder soon. Jarrah Kim arived safely. I'm heading North soon
This image is from cnn.com Using a conversion chart I find that we here in Australia are paying around $6 a gallon of fuel. The exchange rate dollar for dollar is about 95 cents to the US $.
THE Queen has become the landlord of her very own McDonald's outlet, but don't expect to see her flipping burger patties any time soon.
A retail park containing a McDonald's near her home of Windsor Castle has been bought by the Crown Estate for £92 million ($191 million), The Sun reports.
She can apparently even see the golden arches at the site in Slough, Berks, across the Thames from her home.
"We are delighted she chose us rather than Burger King," a McDonald's insider told The Sun
"The only trouble is the drive-through is one of the smaller ones so she'd have a job getting her Rolls-Royce round it."
The retail park also includes a baby store and sports store, where the monarch could buy supplies for her next hunting expedition.
The Crown Estate reportedly manages a £7 billion ($14.5 billion) property portfolio for the Queen.
When I was 17 I met Johnny (as he was then), appeared on a TV show with him. A couple of weeks later 3 of us went to lunch with him. At the old Latin Resturant in Melbourne. For Years I kept a scrapbook but I'm not sure if I have it now.
Dressed for business today, I set off to several places of business. Conducted interviews and made selctions. Did all the paperwork and was pleased with the end result.
However...grrr I find I have left the folder with everything in it somewhere -
My short term memory loss, in these days of grief is proving challenging.
I have narrowed down my search to 2 places and hope to safely retrieve all tomorrow.
I must get a good nights sleep, for tomorow I babysit x3.
"It's with great sadness that the nation reflects on the passing of Jane McGrath
Monday, June 23, 2008
title quote from Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd to the Nations Parliment.
click on image to access more photos.
Nothing in sport beat
Jane McGrath's courage
By Robert Craddock www.news.com.au
STEVE Waugh spoke for a shattered Australian cricket community yesterday, honouring Jane McGrath for showing courage far beyond anything possible on a sporting field.
"Courage is often associated with feats on a sport field but the true meaning of it lies elsewhere and someone like Jane best exemplifies that," said Waugh.
"Jane was always putting everyone else ahead of herself."
* * * A MEMORIAL service for Jane McGrath will be held this Wednesday at the Sydney church where she and husband Glenn sealed their love. The public is invited to attend The Garrison in The Rocks at 11am to honour Jane, who who died aged 42 at her Sydney home yesterday.
Although the evenings are crisp and full of winter promise, a relaxed blog-stroll is called for this Monday evening.
In the delightful village of Stirling, in the Adelaide hills I found The Laurel Hedge Recommended as not having an image that wasnt wonderful I headed straight on over and sure enough: the 'Blue Monday' images that came up first were a sure indication of what was to come.
Sighing at the beauty of it all I moved on to meet Emma at 'White&Wander' apparently posting from the wilds of WA, Emma presents delightful scenes and wonderous goodies, to bring charm and empty pockets to us all. I have kept the details of a most charming 'otel on the west coast of France - Le Maison Douche seems like a gracious place to rest a few days.
Popping back to Paris (as one does) I came across 'Paris Breakfasts' a series of watercolours representing the day to day adventures of the artist, in in Paris' pastry and chocolate shops. Not for the faint hearted....
Finally, in keeping with the Parisian wanderings - the 'Paris Hotel Boutique Journal' fits nicely...though you might be surprised at the location.
Le Chat Noir thought he could hear something coming from the a/c. It was turned off. He lept up upon the bench and onto the microwave. When we listened, we could hear a little sqweak.
He kept a close eye on the a/c...just in case there was any movement.
Apparently eggplant (aubergine) is very healthy. I have done some research and found some recipes. I will get back to you with the outcome.
I have added a daily dose of fish oil for Omega 3. I started with one at night but have been able to increase the intake. I eat tuna, but am working out how to add fresh fish to my diet. It's the smell that bothers me. I read BBQ is the best way to cook fish - perhaps I will try that.
I got the help I needed. Uninstalled Firefox 3 - returned to the earlier version everything is working. Another lesson learnt: don't download on the 1st day of release. My apologies if I led anyone astray.
I bought a box of tomatoes for $4.99. I rough cut them into chunks, and cooked them with sauted onion and torn fresh Basil.
There was enought to make 7 meals for 2, and 2 meals for 4 Here they are cooling int he refidgerator before being stacked into the freezer. We had some tonight poured over hot penne pasta and top with grated mozarella cheese. Served with crunchy bread. Yum yum
(Ju-Longevity, Raku - to enjoy, En - a place for public recreation)
is Australia's largest and most traditionally designed
Japanese stroll garden.
Its elements of mountain stream and waterfall, Dry Garden, central lake, Azalea Hill, 3 kilometers of paths, 230 species of Japanese and Australian native trees and plants, and lawns combine in a seamless and restful harmony.
Japanese gardens emphasise the use of rocks to create three dimensional pictures in stone. All the large rocks in Ju Raku En were accurately placed by the designer of the garden, Professor Kinsaku Nakane of Kyoto, so as to appear naturally dispersed in a random way. Ju Raku is more than just a group of rocks stitched together by water and artificially created hills and forests. It is actually a presentation of Buddhist paradise with the celestial sea (the lake) lapping the rocky shores of the three islands where the immortals are said to dwell. The material world is the outer edge of the lake and a symbolic journal to paradise may be made by crossing one of the four bridges to the islands.
It is estimated that over 50,000 per year visit the gardens. Most visitors stroll through the garden or relax on the seat near the Dry Garden; it is not uncommon to see an artist quietly painting a scene or children feeding bread to the fish or birds, which include swans, ducks, geese and smaller natives.
Japanese gardens emphasise the use of rocks to create three dimensional pictures in stone. All the large rocks in Ju Raku En were accurately placed by the designer of the garden, Professor Kinsaku Nakane of Kyoto, so as to appear naturally dispersed in a random way. Ju Raku is more than just a group of rocks stitched together by water and artificially created hills and forests. It is actually a presentation of Buddhist paradise with the celestial sea (the lake) lapping the rocky shores of the three islands where the immortals are said to dwell. The material world is the outer edge of the lake and a symbolic journal to paradise may be made by crossing one of the four bridges to the islands.
Though not American, I have always been interested in the American Political Process. I am intrigued with the current Presidential Campaign that is underway.
Thus
Al Gore backs Obama for president
is a headline that grabbed my attention.
In front of thousands of cheering supporters, Gore made his '08 election debut
Gore: America cannot withstand another four years like the previous eight
The Nobel Prize winner drew a connection between JFK and Obama
Gore's support carries significant weight, analysts say.
The former vice president turned Nobel Prize winner playfully said he recalled
one Republican nominee wondering out loud
whether his Democratic rival for president was "naive and inexperienced."
"And yet another said the United States cannot afford to risk the future of the free world with inexperience and immaturity in the White House," said Gore. "Who were they talking about?
Every single one of those quotes came from the campaign of 1960,
when the the Republicans attacked
John Fitzgerald Kennedy
for allegedly lacking the age and experience necessary to be president."
(these guys became familiar to me through years of late late night, and early morning television - everything on delayed broadcast downunder - as I struggled through years of illness and associated insomnia.)
It was back in April when Pope Benedict XVI came to Washington. The Rev. David O'Connell, the president of The Catholic University of America, was hosting the pope for a large meeting with bishops.
In April, Tim Russert, right, was a guest of Pope Benedict XVI,
along with Wolf Blitzer, at left in blue tie.
Before that meeting, the Vatican said O'Connell could invite 10 guests to a small session with Benedict. Tim Russert and I were the only journalists on that special guest list. We were both thrilled, but Tim, a devout Catholic with deep roots in the Church, was very excited.
While we were waiting for the pope to arrive, he was like a little boy. He had his rosaries in his hand, ready for the pope to bless them. This was not the Tim Russert whom we all saw and admired as he grilled presidents, prime ministers, kings and mere politicians. When the pope finally approached him, he could barely utter a word. This was a special moment, and he knew it.
For those of us who knew him for a long time, we certainly could appreciate what he was enjoying. His roots in Buffalo, New York, were deep and very humble. His dad, "Big Russ," was a sanitation worker who had often worked two shifts to make ends meet. Russert knew where he was coming from, and as a result never complained about his own hard work for NBC News
It is Georgette Heyer Month over on the Historical Tapestry Blog. Marg, Aneca & Kailana have been running competitions for GH books , as well as providing great resources for this Regency Writer.
I have a Guest Post 'Growing Up with Georgette Heyer' eeek I found a couple of errors in my writing.
The Sorbonneis a nice place to study in the heart of the Quartier latin. It was founded in 1257 by a theologian from Paris, Robert de Sorbon. At the very beginning, they were only 16 students. Nowadays they are 12.000.
The library's collectionrepresents approximately 3 million volumes and 18,000 magazine titles. All the books could fit on a shelf 25 miles long ! This university is specialized in human sciences, philosophy, history, literature, and geography. The collection includes ancient books, handwritten manuscripts, and historic documents.
On the painting, the Duc de Richelieu is examining the prints of the Sorbonne with the architect Lemercier. In the background you can see the church of the Sorbonne where Richelieu was buried.
