Well My favourite childhood memory...Wow there were so many from riding my horse all day and playing on the grassy hill with a piece of cardboard sliding down the grass into the river with mates all yelling a screaming in glee..But my favourite childhood memories would have to be the ones I have from going to my grandparents on the christmas holidays as kids...

My grandparents lived in a place called Jackadgery...Which is between Grafton and Glenn Innes on the Mann River in NSW...They lived on the largest property...There was no power..No flushing toilet...and no dramas at all...I remember time spent with my pop going for walks with him and looking at things us city kids knew nothing about...Him taking us camping on the river and telling us the sreams we heard were ladies being eaten by the yowie hehe(peacocks) ..Him taking us riding in the rapids on tyre inner tubes...Taking us gold panning as this bush man stood with us smiling all the time in his bush clothes and his Akubra hat ...my memories of him are so vivid and wonderful...Then there was my nanna...Going back after a day of fishing with pop or builing a dam in the river and smelling the wonderful feast she was cooking up wafting through the air...And my favourite saying she used to say to my pop as I dobbed on him for all the little stories he told me...The words ring in my ears as she gently turned to him and said oh Eddie... with her lovely friendly smile...We used to sit out on the verandah at night and watch the sky on the seats my pop had made with his own hands form the wood in the bush and watch the night sky so peacful and un iterupted by the city life....My times in Jackadery were wonderful....

I look back now and think of things that were so wonderful there and all the smells are still very vivid in my mind and I always smile at the thought of that place...My poppa Is gone now he died in december of 1993...I always thought the old bushie would die in the paddock leaned up against a tree somewhere and I am sure that is the way he would have liked to go...he was such a bush man...My Nan is still around she lives in a granny flat on my mums place now...She just celebrated her 94th birthday a couple of days ago and she is still going strong....

Sometimes when times are hard or I am feeling blue I turn in a room and I swear I can smell that smell of my pop like he is standing right there with me next to me....

Cheers
Angie

1. At Lunch Time, Sit In Your Parked Car With Sunglasses on and point a Hair Dryer At Passing Cars. See If They Slow Down.

2. Page Yourself Over The Intercom. Don't Disguise Your Voice.

3. Every Time Someone Asks You To Do Something, Ask If They Want Fries with that.

4. Put Your Garbage Can On Your Desk And Label It "In."

5. Put Decaf In The Coffee Maker For 3 Weeks Once Everyone has Gotten Over Their Caffeine Addictions, Switch to Espresso.

6. In The Memo Field Of All Your Checks, Write " For Smuggling Diamonds"

7. Finish All Your sentences with "In Accordance With The Prophecy."

8. Don't use any punctuation

9. As Often As Possible, Skip Rather Than Walk.

10. Order a Diet Water whenever you go out to eat, with a serious face.

11. Specify That Your Drive-through Order Is "To Go."

12. Sing Along At The Opera.

13. Go To A Poetry Recital And Ask Why The Poems Don't Rhyme?

14. Put Mosquito Netting Around Your Work Area And Play tropical Sounds All Day.

15. Five Days In Advance, Tell Your Friends You Can't Attend Their Party Because You're Not In The Mood.

16. Have Your Co-workers Address You By Your Wrestling Name, Rock Bottom.

17. When The Money Comes Out The ATM, Scream "I Won!, I Won!"

18. When Leaving The Zoo, Start Running Towards The Parking lot, Yelling
"Run For Your Lives, They're Loose!!"

19. Tell Your Children Over Dinner. "Due To The Economy, We Are Going To Have To Let One Of You Go."

20. And The Final Way To Keep A Healthy Level Of Insanity.......

Send This E-mail To Someone To
Make Them Smile.

Its Called .......
therapy 

Okay guys I am back on my medication....Got a wake up call from a very close and wonderful person who I love very much so I went back on them with no guilt at all....The point is mate If I dont take my meds how can I expect my son tooo DER.....Well I am over the whole depression stuff and feel like a new person....So look out advice pages here I come hehehe......Got a few ideas burning away hehe so we will see how it all goes....The positve vibes I have had from here have soo put me in the mood to claw myself out of the black hole I had dug for myself....My kids are not going to know what hit them....I am one person and there is 9 in this house so they can give some help or they get nothing from me...I dont think I will even wash the teenagers clothes if they dont start doing their share....hehe....All they have to do is if they drop it pick it up if they make a mess clean it up and do not expect me to do it all while they sit down on the phone or playing in the yard...I am the parent not the slave hehe see they are in for a culture shock huh.....And Aidan if he goes to school well and good but if he doesnt he will have to go back to work and do something with his life....Hes nearly 17 and I can be his mum and mentor but I can not make him do things or live his life for him thats for sure......Okay well I will see you all around MINTI in the near future....Take care all and MWAH to you all but most of all MWAH to that really good friend of mine who made me see the light you know who you are hehehe.....
Cheers
Angie

Well Guys thought it was time I wrote a quick blog to let you all know Why I haven't been around for a bit and that I will be back soon for those of you who were wondering...I have been trying to get my ebay store up and running again after a fair while of being offline and out of commission as this is my extra spending money for a much needed break to  Bowen and I have also been combating a few of my own demons and dramas with Aidan as he decides once again that he no longer needs to be medicated...I have been battling with the highschool over Aidans attendance even though he has doctor certificates they want him to drop his op subjects or leave and come back when he is emotionally capable...Mind you his report card was B's and C's with the amount of time he has had off....I am stuggling with a bit of guilt again with the whole Aidan has Bipolar and it is my fault issue and I have ruied his life thingy which I fall into sometimes when I am sick and down...i broke down the other day in front of Alana and Deb poor buggers I don't think they knew what to do...I am struggling to stay off the cipramil but alas I think I have no choice and will probably have to take it to keep me on an even keel to help all 7 of my kids....I have had a few positives but I got reoprt cards YAY and for the first time ever Tiana got an excellent report card...She has never had a c in her life and guess what..............A B and C's one D i was over the moon we had a chat and she is deciding what she would like to do and she wants to come second hand store scouring with me hehe....I told her for her first mark over a d we would do something she wanted to do....Anyway guys for those of you who are interested I will be back full swing on messenger and Minti after the school holidays....I think this will give me time to read my own advice and maybe take some on board LOL....Just been feeling a little low and negative to be hanging around here for any amount of time...That too means I will be back on messenger tooo soon...Take care all luv ya's all
Mwah
Angie

 To some very special moms and grandmothers!  JUST A MOM?

A woman, renewing her driver's license at the County Clerk 's office, was asked by the woman recorder to state her occupation.
She hesitated, uncertain how to classify herself.

"What I mean is," explained the recorder, "do you have a job or are you just a ....?"

"Of course I have a job," snapped the woman.

"I'm a Mom."

"We don't list 'Mom' as an occupation, 'housewife' covers it,"  Said the recorder emphatically.

I forgot all about her story until one day I found myself in the  same situation, this time at our own Town Hall.  The Clerk was obviously a career woman, poised, efficient, and possessed of a high sounding title like, "Official Interrogator" or "Town Registrar."

"What is your occupation?" she probed.

What made me say it?  I do not know.  The words simply popped out.  "I'm a Research Associate in the field of Child Development and Human Relations."

The clerk paused, ball-point pen frozen in midair and looked up as though she had not heard right.

I repeated the title slowly emphasizing the most significant words.  Then I stared with wonder as my pronouncement was written, in bold, black ink on the official questionnaire.

"Might I ask," said the clerk with new interest, "just what you do in your field?"

Coolly, without any trace of fluster in my voice, I heard myself reply, "I have a continuing program of research, (what mother doesn't)  In the laboratory and in the field, (normally I would have said indoors and out). I'm working for my Masters, (first the Lord and then the whole 
family) and already have four credits (all daughters).  Of course, the job is one of the most demanding in the humanities, (any mother care to disagree?) and I often work 14 hours a day, (24 is more like it).  But the job is more challenging than most run-of-the-mill careers  and the rewards are more of a satisfaction rather than just money."

There was an increasing note of respect in the clerk's voice as she completed the form, stood up, and personally ushered me to the door.

As I drove into our driveway, buoyed up by my glamorous new career, I was greeted by my lab assistants -- ages 13, 7, and 3.  Upstairs I could hear our new experimental model, (a 6 month old baby) in the child development program, testing out a new vocal pattern.  I felt I had scored a beat on bureaucracy!  And I had gone on the official records as someone more distinguished and indispensable to mankind than "just another Mom."  Motherhood!

What a glorious career!  Especially when there's a title on the door.

Does this make grandmothers "Senior Research associates in the field of Child Development and Human Relations"
And great grandmothers "Executive Senior Research Associates?"  I think so!!!  I also think it makes Aunts "Associate Research Assistants."

Please send this to another Mom, Grandmother, Aunt, And other friends you know.

May your troubles be less, Your blessings be more, And nothing but happiness come through your door!

I thought I would write a blog as I am sitting here thinking about the whole lot of events that have gone on in the week so far that Alana has been here with us...I asked Alana aka kellzacar up here for some interaction between her daughter and my son as they both have been diagnosed with Bipolar and this week it has all fallen into place...it was sooo out of character for me to ask someone I had just met on the net yes here on Minti to meet me especially someone who lives sooo far away to meet me let alone stay at my house for over 2 weeks and soo out of her comfort zone for her to accept but living with our teens the way they are can be soo isolating some times that it just made sense...I was nervous having her here because sometimes I can be the kind of person with my houswork that says okay it can happen tomorrow...Houswork is definately not my strongest subject...Actually I hate it hehe...I have been sick from the time she came and have been having a few problems with Aidan and his moods so I was paniced....I would have to say but that this has probaly been one of the best experiences of my life...i have friends who have teens but mate having someone here who knows exactly what I am saying and nods as I say my feelings and thoughts on Bipolar is a fantastic feeling....When I first joined Minti I was desperate to find someone just anyone who knew how I was feeling and who had dealt with the emotional rollercoaster that goes along with this disorder.....I know I dont have it myself but as my son is on the rollercoaster I too feel we jump on the back end with him....It is so hard watching him just slide into that downward spiral of depression and being there with him at times...And the lack of sleep when he is on a high and as I have said befor an adrenilin junkie who takes risk that are not only dangerous but can be life threatening at times is so tiring because on that high he actually belives he is ten foot tall and bullet proof most teens think this but he believes this ....I feel by stepping out of my comfort zone I have made a friend for life...Alana would have to be one of the strongest and wonderful people I know she grabs everything by the horns and faces it head on and I think I have learnt alot from her...I hope she walks away from here feeling she has learnt something from me and my son too....Her daughter is now back on her medication so obviously my son has got somewhere with her daughter....I have another week of Alana here with me and I think it is time we started to have a little us time...Some time to look at this great place I live and show her some of the reasons why I stay here....It is amazing how different our lives are yet so similar when it comes to our eldest....She lives near the beach at one end of the country and I live in the middle of the bush at the other end yet our lives are soooo similar in the fact we really do not like what this disorder does to our kids....the weirdest part about the whole thing is that one of closest friends is from the same place as Alana....After a chat with her we have found that they knew each other as kids and were actually friends so much so that she named her eldest daughter after her....So we will see Louise while she is here as well jsut to let them catch up....Well I better go as I am starting to feel a little better and a bit less clogged up after this terrible flu I have had so I actually might start to slip back into a little normality in my home and yes do some more of that neverending housework.....That was a maybe hehehe......thanks Alana for coming and making me feel just that little less alone with dealing with Bipolar in teens...This has so opened my eyes amd I am sooo looking forward to making the whole step to meet other great friends I have met on here....For all of you who I have formed this sort of friendship with thank you and I sooo look forward to forming it with many more of you tooo.....
Take care and smile
Cheers
Angie

Well I was going to put a photo of me and Alana (kellzacar) up as most of you know she is vistiting me and staying for a while but just have not had the time to do it as yet....So thought I would put a freaky photo that my son took of his the skatebord.... And some flowers in my yard Michaela took and is  hoping someone will be able to tell her what they are....So here is my different mob of photos this week....


Flowers from my garden now





Cheers
Angie