We're having company

Hi all,

A dear friend of ours is coming to stay for a few days so I've been busy cleaning and making preparations. Can't wait.

Hope you are all well,

Love KB
xxx

Keeping Up With KB

Hi all,

It's been a couple of weeks since I've posted because we've been busy enjoying ourselves. Last week was Mum's birthday and Father's Day, so we headed out to my parents' place for a yummy feast. A good time was had by all.

A friend of ours who I've known for thirty years, recently moved back to our neck of the woods, so we had a catch up earlier this week. The last time we saw him was at our wedding so it was lovely to share a couple of yummy meals, a few laughs and more than a few wines. We convinced him to stay the night rather than drive home. We made him breakfast before we sent him on his way and I was chuffed that the poached eggs I cooked came out perfectly...I've been practicing.

We spent the rest of the day having a bit of a tour around our neighbourhood. Even though we've lived here a little while now, there are still areas we haven't explored. We found a great place to walk Coco, (she loves the sea), really looking forward to going back there with her.

We dropped Coco off for a haircut later on in the day so she's prepared for the upcoming warmer months. Check out the before and after shots...

Today, we bought a new barbeque, water blaster and lettuce to plant in the garden in preparation for the spring weather.

A great week for us.

Hope you are all well,

Love KB
xxx

This post has been shared with...Our World Tuesday.

Meeting up at the Midway Tavern

Whitesnake's brother picked us up and took us out for the day. Whitesnake is a big supporter of the Adelaide Crows and it was fun to visit their home ground.

 

We took a tour around Whitesnake's old neighbourhood and visited his Mum and Dad at the cemetery.

 

 

I've heard many stories or Whitesnake's time at the Midway Tavern so it was a real treat for me to visit and share a meal with friends and family. I even tasted the legendary Chicken Schnitzel with Diane Sauce.

 

 

 

One of the things I've loved about visiting Whitesnake's former home is meeting the people in person I have known via facebook. I feel like I know some of them so well already but it was wonderful to talk to them and see them face to face.

 

 



A fun day.

 

More pics tomorrow.

 

Love KB

xxx



 

 



Spreading The Love

I'm a member of challenge.meyouthhealth.com. Each day I receive an email suggesting a way to improve my physical/mental health. I'd like to share today's challenge with you.

How To Do It

Take a moment to tell someone a positive thing about a friend, family member, or co-worker that you have in common. It can be an observation about a special skill that he or she possesses, a remark about why the person is important to you, or a sweet anecdote about a time you two spent together.

Why It Matters

Although gossip gets a bad rap, studies have shown that certain kinds of gossip can actually be good for us. It can be a powerful way of strengthening bonds between friends and colleagues, and studies show that positive gossipers tend to feel a boost in their own self-esteem when engaging in this type of talk.

Fun Fact

Shakespeare was the first to use the word "gossip" as a verb. Prior to that, gossip referred to a woman who attended the birth of a family member or neighbor. Because it was considered a social event, women would gather and chat about the latest news.

KB's Challenge

I decided to put a twist on it. I'm going to say something positive about everyone who leaves a comment on this post and invite you to share something positive about me or anyone else you know who has left a comment.     


See you tomorrow
Love KB
xxx

Friends Are Like Underpants

 Friends are like underpants.... Some crawl up your ass.. Some snap under pressure... Some don't have the strength to hold you up... Some get a little twisted... Some support you......Some are your favourite... Some are cheap and just get bent out of shape... And some actually DO cover your ass when you need them to :-)

Love KB
xxx

Keeping Up With KB

Hi all,

I'm feeling great, Whitesnake and I had a wonderful weekend. Whitesnake's brother and sis-in-law arrived from Australia on Friday. I was a little nervous as I've never met any of his family before. I shouldn't have worried, they are both lovely people and we had a relaxing, fun time together.

We visited one of our favourite beaches, had a few bbqs, a yummy lunch at the pub and we invited G round to meet them, which led to Sing Star (of course), hehe!

Are they here yet?

Are they here yet?

Yay, they are here.

                                                                               




They've headed off on their travels again and we'll be catching up with them before they head home. They'll probably be relieved that they won't have to watch any more cooking programmes for a while. Whitesnake and I are addicted to cooking shows :) Coco enjoyed all the extra cuddles and playing catch, she'll probably sleep for a week after all the excitement.

Had a lovely Valentines with my man. Actually, it started off a little rocky but we will blame some crappy service from Vodafone and the heat. The rest of the day was fab and Whitesnake cooked me a delicious Valantine's Day dinner.

That's all from me today. I'll be posting more pics later.

Have a great day/night.
Love KB
xxx

30 Days Of Me - All Smiles, With A Little Help From My Friends

Day 3 - Share a picture of you and your friends.

Hmmm, this one really upset me at first. For those of you who don't know, I separated from my husband last year. I was having a look through my photos from when we were together and the images made my mind flashback to the times with friends we'd shared. Unfortunately, most of those friends have turned their back on me, which I guess means they weren't true friends to begin with.

Anyway, I shed a little tear and continued looking through my photos. I began to see a change in my face as I moved further away from those times. I'm not just smiling at the camera with a dead look in my eyes, I'm actually grinning from ear to ear. Then I thought about all the people who HAVE stood by me and those few who are gradually coming back into my life. I may not have photos of us together because I've either never met them in person or they have moved away but they are still very dear to me. Of course, my best friend of all is Whitesnake and he's been here for me every single day. So what if my closest friends are now my family, Internet buddies, people I haven't seen in years and my dog. This last year has shown me who my real friends are. They love me for being me, they love me unconditionally and who could wish for better friends than that.  

 KB and Whitesnake

Mum and Dad

KB and Coco

Sweet Discoverylover

View previous 30 Days Of Me   

I'm also adding this to Sunday Scribblings as the prompt is... Flashback.

Love KB

xxx

FOR MY FRIENDS

A true friend doesn't care what you're wearing, if you're home is tidy or not, if you're car is making funny noises, that you only have $5 in the bank this week, or that you and your loved ones aren't perfect and do actually fight...a true friend just likes you for you! Repost this if you have at least one true friend!!!

OLD FRIENDS

QUOTE OF THE DAY

It does not do to leave a live dragon out of your calculations, if you live near him.

-J.R.R. Tolkien


Hubby bought me a copy of the movie Australia on DVD. I told him I had heard the cinematography was amazing but the story was average. He responded by informing me Hugh Jackman was in it so did it really matter? Good point hubby. Let the drooling begin.

It was a rather predictable story but I shed a few tears, drooled, laughed a bit, drooled, admired the scenery, Hugh put his shirt back on, I refocused on the story and cried some more.

I'm going to dinner with friends tonight. I've been in the banking industry all of my working life. There was one particular branch I worked for where it was a joy to go to work every day. The people moved on,(as they do in the banking world) but we have all kept in touch and meet for dinner every six months. I'm really looking forward to it.

Have a great day/night.

Love KB
xxx

A SINGING, DANCING SNAKE

It's almost time for Whitesnake to toddle off back to Australia. I've been lucky enough to catch up with him a few times while he's been in NZ. He's exactly as I imagined and has had me in stitches with his stories and jokes.





He came over to my place for dinner last week. He was staying in a motel about 15 mins from my place so I drove over there to pick him up. We had a great night. My dog usually barks when visitors arrive, I was surprised when she greeted Steve like he was one of her best buddies.

NOW YOU SEE IT




NOW YOU DON'T




Our friend Laurie cooked a Seafood Gumbo - yum, yum. I wasn't able to drink much as I had to drive Steve back to his motel later so I settled in and watched the boys have a few too many. They were doing fine until hubby brought out the shot glasses.













Steve seemed to be having a great old time until he fell asleep in the car. When we arrived at the motel, he opened his car door and informed me he wasn't feeling very well. After fertilizing the bushes with his dinner, I managed to get him up two flights of stairs and into his bathroom. Being sick must have done him the world of good because he told me he was fine the next day. The same can't be said for the other two blokes.

THIS IS WHAT I CAME HOME TO




When hubby is away, I often have dinner at Mum and Dad's place. There's a bit of a standng joke between Steve and I because whenever I visit my parents on a Friday they say we may as well have fish and chips. Mum assures me they only eat fish and chips when I come over. Anyway, when I told Mum that Steve was visiting, she asked me to invite him for dinner and of course, Steve thought it would amusing to visit on a Friday. Yes, we had fish and chips.

Steve arrived and kinda took over the place (which is his way) much to the amusement of my mother. He came bearing flowers, wine, beers and made a yummy salad. We had a few laughs and he fitted in well. I think my Mum wanted to keep him.












If you ever have the chance to catch up with Whitesnake...don't pass it up, he's a great guy. I'm gonna miss ya buddy.

INTRODUCING...MISSY

I'd like to introduce you to my friend.....

MISSY

She's funny, kind, loving, loyal, a talented poet, a Mum and one of my dearest friends.





A couple of years ago, I joined Helium (a site for writers). If I remember correctly, Muttars and Keith were already writing on blogspot and many more of us followed suit when we grew tired of the restrictions placed on us by the Helium site.

One of the first people I came into contact with over on Helium was Phil, affectionately know to Missy and I as sandwich...it's a long story. Anyway, Phil was always mentioning this lovely lady he knew named Missy and suggested we get in touch. He thought we'd get on like a house on fire. He was soooooooooo right. Missy and I have remained good friends since, she is like a sister to me.

Missy and I are alike in many ways but I think what we have most in common is our sense of humour. I find this amusing in itself because for a start she is American and many Americans I have come into contact with don't relate to my sense of humour. Also, she is a woman and I usually get along better with men. I know a conversation with Missy isn't going to be hours going on and on about shoes and shopping, etc. Not that there is anything wrong with that but I tend to nod off when those kinds of topics come up.

Missy and I support each other, cheer each other up when needed and generally just have a laugh. I'd be lost without her friendship.


Why don't you pay her a visit and tell her I sent you.

Love you Missy!

Bye y'all
xxxxxxxxxxxxx

P.S. If you'd be interested in being introduced to any more of my blog buddies...drop me a comment here and I'll do another poll.

INSPIRATION

Why is it that some days, I can have a day to myself without interruption, all the time in the world to write something down and I can't write anything? I always have ideas of topics in my head but some days they decide they'd like to make a home for themselves in there and stay a while. Other times (usually when I have other things I need to be doing) I have so much to say, I have to stop what I'm doing and write it down.

I'm noticing more and more when these moments of inspiration come to me and instead of trying to ignore them, I go with the flow. I've always written privately, usually rambling on and on to myself but this sharing thoughts is reasonably new to me and I must say, I'm really enjoying it.

Inspiration comes in many forms for me. I listen to music constantly, it's often easier to listen to the words from the head of someone else than those in my own.

There are many special people in my life who inspire me. Some are long gone but their words remain with me. Others have been through terrible loss and tragedy yet still remain strong.

I often wonder what makes a person strong. Is it in their genes or is it a
combination of this and life experiences? I used to think to myself when I was depressed. Why do you feel this way? You have a good life? People I care about have been through incapacitating injuries, homelessness, child abuse, death of a loved one and come out of it stronger than ever.

These things have never affected me yet looking back on the past there were some days when I couldn't bear to get out of bed in the morning, I would close my eyes and think, this is too hard, I just want it to end and find some peace.

Luckily, I found a wonderful therapist and he made me look at my life in a different way. The way I take on other people's problems and help them, which is easier than looking at my own experiences and dealing with them. Ah, he was a wise man...I used to want to slap him on a regular basis, LOL.

I've totally lost track of where I was going with this post but I kinda like the feeling. See, that is one of the things I struggle with when I write. I do so much editing at times because I want to be 100% happy with the result, that the post loses it's originality.

A good friend told me I should try writing and going with the flow and just tweak it at the end...if I must. I'm trying but I'll probably go back and spend another hour changing it. LMAO, What am I like?

I originally came here to thank my blog buddies. All of you inspire me in some way or another. Stories, pictures, laughter, poems, rambles and your comments often leave me in stitches.

Thanks for sharing and making my world a better place.

P.S. I checked my spelling but that was all. Step away from the computer Karen...NOW!

INTRODUCING...

A few months ago, our friend

MORGY

began interviewing her blog buddies and posting snippets of convos she'd had with us, on her blog. I was firsties *glows with pride* but all I could think of at the time was what a great idea it was and how I wish I had thought of it first. It's kinda been at the back of my mind and I thought I'd try my own take on it.

I often visit blogs and wonder how others who comment, found each other, whether they know each other in real life. Maybe I'm just nosey but those kinds of things interest me.

So, I'm going to do my own interview series. Not the same as Morgy because let's face it, I can't get half way through the interview and say, 'That's all very interesting but now, let's talk about me.' *giggles*

I'd like to introduce my blog buddies to you, maybe include a few pics, how we know each other, include some of my favourite blog posts. Don't worry, I won't divulge your deep, dark secrets (saving that for when I need some cold, hard, cash) or include pics without your permission.


What I'd like from you nutters is for you to vote on my poll over there *points to the right*. This is not a popularity contest. I don't want you to vote for your favourite blogger (cause obviously that would be ME). I would like you to vote for a person you have seen around and maybe found interesting or wondered what on earth they have in common with this crazy blonde.

It's my way of introducing my friends to you. Also, there are a few people on my blog roll I hardly know so it will be a good way for me to learn more about them too.

Happy voting, I hope I didn't forget anyone, I did it in a bit of a rush...will check it again later.

P.S. Mr Grumpy Pants - the last option is especially for you :)

JUST A QUICKIE

I've spent all day cleaning while hubby has been preparing the food for tomorrow. I am so excited about my party tomorrow and you are all invited. I just wanted to send a quick thank you to Erik for my card and the posting on helium. I haven't replied as yet cause I have been too busy but I do appreciate it dear friend.

Also, thank you to Keith for the lovely poem. I'm having my first red of the day..Cheers buddy.

FOR KAREN POEM HERE if you wanna read .

To all of you who have made my day very special...I thank you.

Love ya'll

KB
xxxxxxxxx

I'M BACK

I'm back.

Missed ya, except the following:

because

D - I'm only his second favourite blonde

Darlin - tried to sneak a post under the radar

Daniel - only posts once a week these days

Dickiebo - informs me his team is playing much better than mine

Erik - hasn't returned my umbrella

Jadey - types faster than me in the cafe

Keith - it's almost the end of the month and still no poem about ME

Little Wing - I miss my lil soul sista

Missy - constantly asks for help locating her brain and often her bra

Morgy - went to the booby convention without moi

Mutters - hates it when I use kisses instead of punctuation in text msgs

Phil - half cut sandwich

SEE - speechless

Steve - my blondness if rubbing off and I want it back

Toadee - wearing a suit, offering chocolate only to tell me he is a lesbian


P.S. I have decided to forgive Keith as he sent me chocolate and pics of naked men hiding behing their balls.

So now you know the way to my heart - chocolate and nudity. If I've missed you off the list it's because I don't know you well enough to cause you public humiliation YET. BE AFRAID, BE VERY AFRAID!

P.P.S. Damn, this means I must also forgive Toadee and SEE for the fig leaf and bathtub incidents


Wow, I know some strange people but I love y'all really.

Later
Love
KB
xxxxx

IT'S ALL A MATTER OF TRUST

I've encountered my share of scary people online. Most of the time I've been able to laugh it off and move on because I've realised these people are nutters and not worth my time.

I had an upsetting experience online recently, with someone I considered a friend, which was much harder to deal with. I'm a very open person and I wear my heart on my sleeve. I don't want to go into too much detail but I must say, the whole experience made me look at people in a different way. I felt paranoid and closed off... no wonder I couldn't write...I didn't trust my instincts anymore and wondered if other people I knew on the net would turn around and stab me in the back too.

There I was feeling miserable and untrusting when somebody I hardly knew offered to phone me. I considered saying no because of recent events but I'm so happy I decided to say yes and trust my gut feelings again. We laughed for hours and my faith in bloggers was renewed.

There are many nutters in cyber land but most are just normal people like you and me; looking for companionship, a place to share ideas and opinions or escape from the 'real' world for a little while. The good souls I've met here, far outweigh the crazies.

I've learnt a lot about myself. I know I have to be more careful but more importantly, I mustn't let one bad experience change who I am inside because that would be a real tragedy.

Love you guys, be careful out there.
xxx

Revised and published to Bubblews 15/12/2013

BUSY, BUSY, BUSY!

I've been lucky enough to catch up with just about everybody I know these past couple of weeks. Unfortunately, I've eaten and drank so much...I'll have to diet and possible have a liver transplant!


Here's a pic of my buddy whom I've know since I was a wee lass of 15. He's living in the States now and I hadn't seen him for two years. We ate too much (especially me), and drank too much (me again). I made him stay up till 3am because he kept beating me on the singing game and we just can't have that. He won't be invited back again!






I couldn't resist licking the bowl.







No, I didn't eat the chicken but I was tempted.




How come the boys won't let me play with their real guitars? I always have to settle with the plastic one.

















Wow, a lot of food in this pic...I must have been really hungry!



It's all been nice, very, very nice!