Pantry perfect
Here's a link to a cooking site that shows what you need to have in your kitchen to have a well stocked pantry.

Click here

I realized that I do this naturally, but this is a ready made reminder list of what should be inside a well stocked food pantry. It's a great list to print out, especially to get things ready and organised for Christmas. Its time efficient to have things on hand when baking or cooking, rather than running out to pick up groceries or ingredients at the last minute.

Plus there's a lot of other great articles and tips for cooking on this site. Enjoy browsing!

A busy day here, I hope you'll excuse today's meagre offerings. More tomorrow. I'll leave you with a photo of the orchid I received as a gift last week(?) and then sketched.

Here's the link to jog your memory

orchid

AHA...it worked...bottle brush close up




Unusual isn't it?

Bottlebrushes
Adding a splash of colour to a Spring garden.
Here is the whole bottlebrush bush ablaze with 'brushes', its an Australian native plant, which in water restricted times is a good choice as it requires virtually no watering or maintenance.

It carries a great deal of pollen, and is loved by native birds as a food source.

Angelfire has been having some problems with uploading photos today - so I'll post in the bottlebrush close up piccie tomorrow if its working.

The TV is showing almost non stop coverage of the US elections. We are watching and wondering which way it still may go or is it a fait accompli as we speak?

Horsey update
I won, I won!! Ok, I'm feeling very pleased with myself here, having jagged $10. Um....if you're going to do the maths you'll see that having bet $15 all up, some losses were recorded but not acknowledged due to euphoric delight!
I watched the race whilst cramming cheese and tomato sandwiches into myself so that I could be well ready to go back to the turf accountants to collect my booty!
I felt really sorry for the horses that did race - the weather was shocking, the rain bucketted down, but didn't manage to dampen anyone's spirits.

The betting shop was chock full of people, the computers promptly obliged by shutting down due to heavy demand. We all waited patiently to be paid out;then with cash in hand I skipped out into the afternoon sunshine, heart all a flutter.....only 363 days now to wait till next years race!!

Adding a bit of spice
We all need a bit of spice in our dull lives....

Today is the THE DAY when the whole of Australia grinds to a halt at 3.00 pm Melbourne time for the BIG race at Flemington race course, known as the 'Melbourne Cup'.

Run every year on the first tuesday in November, the tradition is akin to the races at Ascot,UK, and begins the season of horse racing Down Under. The course is awash with hats, posh dresses,champagne, excitment, and all things that accompany the spending of big bucks on a flutter or two on the Gigi's.
I'm not a better, never have been,and in fact I don't even know how to place a bet at the betting shop. But a rather nice young man ( at the the TAB) showed me today how to do it!
DD - senior, got a hot 'tip' on a horse, from a friend, and needed a lift to bet on the chosen horse. As I drove her to the betting shop, I could feel the excitement in the air, and before I knew it was parting with $15 dollars on a sport I'd never even taken part in before! Hows that for living on the edge?

Now, I'm racing through all my chores so that at 12 pm, western time, I can put the tv on and watch the race as it starts.
Last year, the invited star celebrity to the races was Paris Hilton, an infamous filly and dubious fashionista, whereas this year its Carson Cressley from Queer Eye - celebrity heavy weight and makeover champion.
I'm all agog with excitment now!

Wishing you a spooky night of Halloween fun...
...wherever you are....

It took much perseverence on Dh's part to find a supermarket that sells pumpkins like this. Since Halloween is basically a non event here, I think we were very lucky to even get these.
Last year, when we were in the UK I bought a pumpkin carving kit in Asda. I was just gagging to rip it open and use it this year, since I didn't get a chance to have a go with it last year, we had to leave the UK just before Halloween.

So with new tools in hand, this is this years effort - Didn't do too bad a job eh? even if I have to say so myself!

I also happened to find a great recipe on how to make the pumkins smell nice too. I sprinkled the area next to the candles, with spices: nutmeg, cinnamon, and a few cloves. As the candles warm up inside the pumkin, the air is filled with wonderful aromas! We had the candles burning all evening last night, and the room still smelt nice this morning. Happy All Hallows Eve to you all...where ever you are!

Blog Dog - Snowy, Snowy, who's got the ball?
Here's 'Blog Dog' Snowy - playing with his ball. Actually as he gets older he likes to play ball less with us, as it requires more effort, and now when we throw the ball for him, he gets it and bats it around with his paws, and plays catch by himself. Or he lies down and just chews the balls to bits!They get pretty wet and squishy,so he's quite welcome NOT to give them back to me!

Don't you just love to bake?
Happiness Cake

1 cup health
2 cups good cheer
1 cup depression
2 cups fun
2 cups work
2 tsp. pep
1 tsp. smiles
1 dash laughter

Sauce:
Love
Good wishes

Cream health and good cheer. Add well beaten depression. add the pep sifted with the fun and the work. Flavor with the smiles and laughter. Bake in a cheerful oven. Cut into generous slices and serve with a sauce of love and good wishes.

Great recipe!

Sugar Daddy
Click on this link to take you to my latest poem.

Poem

Orchid
I was given this rather exotic looking orchid on Saturday, from a parent who is very pelased with my work with her child. I love gifts like this, cos teaching is HARD work. It does require bucket loads of patience. It is demanding. It is great when the children finally 'get it' on the subject that you're teaching! It IS nice to get a thank you gift.

The orchid itself, is starting to wither, so I wanted to 'catch' it before it completely dies.