10th Anniversary!!

Wow!!! whoever would have thought that Holtieshouse would have a 10th Anniversary??

 

When I first started this blog it was more as a tech challenge, a can you do it sort of thing, who knew that it would develop into the cherished part of my life that has given me friendships all over the world, these friendships are in the main with people I have never met and probably never will meet, but with whom I have shared my life and in turn have been invited into their lives.
Sad to say, over the last couple of years my blogging has become a bit intermittent I have maintained contact with a lot of my friends through FaceBook which has become the modern sort of short hand version of blogging.
To all who might chance to read this I would like to say... THANK YOU for making my life so much better, we have shared so much, Good and Bad times, and have formed a bond with one another as strong as with those we have contact with.

Here's to the next 10 Years!!!!

A Year of Poetry

It will come as no surprise, to anyone who has been a reader here for any time, that I am a lover of poetry (among other things) so I was delighted to learn of a blog from the UK being written by Stephen Saunders.
Stephens blog premise is based loosely on the movie Julie & Julia, you can read  more of this at the beginning of his blog if you haven't seen the movie, his challenge is to write 365 poems in 365 days, a poem a day for a year!!!!
This is a huge task, I wish him well and I am following the progress with interest and admiration, when you have some time to spare have a look at this blog.

http://stephenofbowleyfarm.blogspot.co.uk/

7th Anniversary

If anybody looks at the gadget under my blogname they will notice that this blog has been in existence for 7 years, having started life on April 4th 2005, if this is of no interest to you then you should stop reading now as the entire post will be about that!!!!

Wow, 7 years, it hardly seems possible that I've been rattling on for so long... and even more unlikely that you, my loyal readers (both of you) have stuck with me all that time.
I have extracted some facts and figures that frankly amaze me...

This is my 1,087th post.
There have been 11,658 comments posted over that time, unbelievable... thank you all.
There have been 100,198 page views in the 7 years.
My readers come from...

USA                       416     well there are a lot more people in the USA than Australia!
Australia                228
UK                           83
Rest of the world   190

total                       917     another fact that amazes me!!!

I like the way these numbers mostly round out in the 100s and 1,000s,

Holtieshouse has evolved from the nothing that it started out as into the nothing that it is today over that 7 year period and it has been a joy to get to know so many lovely people through these pages.
For some reasons that have been discussed before my enthusiasm for blogging has waned a bit lately but I hope to keep it going in some form for more years to come.

Follow up to ??? post.

Hi folks, My ??? post brought a smile to my face, personal contact with people I consider to be friends, sad to say there was nothing from some others I put in the same category, such is the price we pay for progress be it from changing attitudes, life or facebook!!!!
I have a facebook account which I opened when I found that such a lot of my family and friends were going there, I believe that I gave it a fair trial but found it was not for me.
I think that my very first commenter Cliff summed it up beautifully, not the first time he has done this by the way,
"I think blogging is like running some 'set' lines down in the river. You go check them every morning and every night just to see if you've had a bite but if you don't bait the hook, don't expect much.
I'm not good at baiting the hook." Cliff.
For any of you who are not familiar with Cliff's home spun philosophy do yourself a favour and go visit, I'll be surprised if you don't make regular visits, don't believe the part of his comment that said  he didn't bait his hooks well !!!

From WT, I learned that it was Dean Martin who used the sign off "Keep those cards and letters coming" also that Dean had borrowed it from a radio show... nothings new is it??

In Australia, and in other countries too I'm sure, we had a very popular radio show called "The Amateur Hour" which used to plead with us to "Keep those votes coming" for the acts that we enjoyed now at this time I was a very naive young lad aged probably about 6 or 7 and I was totally amazed to hear that act 3 had got 183 votes, knowing nothing of the electoral process, thus no idea what a "vote" was my brain?? heard Boats instead of Votes and I used to wonder what on earth anyone would do with that many Boats... Ah the blissful ignorance of youth.

From Walker I learned that "life" rather than Facebook that was getting in the way of blogging and that's a fair comment, but not an excuse I can use.

Judy, one of my first readers, thank you for your loyalty, and Jack both have said that Sacebook had become more their thing than blogging, I respect the rights of anyone who makes this choice.

Joy and Pamela (two of my favourite ladies in the world) probably came closest to where I'm at,as previously indicated its certainly not Facebbook or any of its copies that have distracted me, nor can I use the excuse of being too busy.... I have nothing but time!!! I'm not prepared tp call it laziness... although I will admit to being just a tad lazy, I also hesitate to calling it "writers block" as for this to apply you need to be a writer... I just scribble.

All of this to say thanks to all who visit and especially those who comment, Ill be around for a while yet.

Merry Christmas to all Bloggers.

Well here we are…. Almost Christmas 2011

And I’ve finished this years “family & friends” poetic message and low and behold I came across the Bloggers 2007 Christmas Message which I decided to reprint ‘cos I like the idea!!!!

I write a Christmas message for family and friends

each year ( it’s a 22  26 year tradition) and this is the

third year I have done one for my blog buddy’s.

I thought it might be a good idea to post this early

as I know I have some poetic friends who might want

to join in to this idea (budding tradition?)

Bloggers 2007 Christmas Message

Another Year has ended

And with this, I’m sure you’ll agree

I’m broke…. my money’s spended

Thank the lord blogging is free

Once more I look back with glee

At what’s given and taken both ends

Just to think that we, Yeah, you and me

Though still strangers, we’re friends

Oh what stories we make-up

And with all of that hype

Cyberspace we fill up

With all the stuff that we type.

It’s been said many times

We are closer in “here” than with others

Here I’m searching for rhymes

I’ve got it… in “here” we are brothers.

As I read a sad, or happy, post

I often sit with tear in eye

The thing that surprises me most?

Just what has made me cry.

Another time I’ll burst into laughter

As I admire the writing skills

And I’m hooked, a fan thereafter

With all my morning coffee spills.

So to all of us, yeah, I’ll include me too

Whose memories and imagination

No matter whether false or true

Write our posts and avoid litigation.

To all of my blog buddy’s

Wherever from far or near

As you sit in your study’s

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

( If you celebrate some other form of religion or belief

I hope you have a good one)

Better try to add a verse or two

To bring this up to date

So this is from me to you

Yeah…. from your Aussie mate.

It seems like my bloglist is broken

There are so many “retiree’s”

Such a lot of my original contacts

Are no longer shooting the breeze

To say they are missed

Is so obvious, and so understated

But life has a habit of getting in the way

For many the writing urge just dissipated

There are other reasons for giving blogging away.

But to those hearty souls who continue

And are happy just blogging away

May your lives be filled up with gladness

As you find something new to post each day.

Trying out new Blogger features

Seems I've been away for such a long time that Blogger has changed the format for posting I am now offered lots more alternatives for things like Fonts and text size As well as text color I now can have different background colors

I can now insert a "jump break" although I must admit to being baffled as to why I would do this.

Please click on "read more"

About Blogging.

Every now and again I feel compelled to shout out the reasons I love blogging, now that may sound a bit funny coming from one who only posts every couple of weeks or so and often the post will be just a joke or cartoon that has caught my eye.

OK so what brought this one on? this week I had my 75th birthday... the realization that I was now the same age as "Ol Horsetail Snake" was when I first discovered the magic that Gene wielded over his readers.... and him an old man in his 76th year!!!!

It is only now that I realize that the years you have spent on Earth have little to do with your AGE, this is much more an attitude of mind, sure, the body starts to remind you that you're no longer young much more often than it used to... the muscles and joints have their nagging aches more often, but in the long run its your mental attitude that counts... be happy, think young and stay young.

This brings me to the second reason for this post... I received about 30 messages of congratulations on my Facebook account, I thank everyone who took the time and trouble to send these messages, they really do mean a lot to me BUT I must be honest and say that I have never embraced Facebook... its just not for me, I don't honestly care what colour shirt you have chosen to wear to lunch with Aunt Betty or whether you prefer strawberry jam to the more conventional marmalade on your morning toast... these inane topics seem to be what Facebook is about, not the topics that make bloggers you have never met into friends that you cherish, friends that you share laughter and tears with as you read of their lives and share glimpses of yours.

I received an E-Card fro Karen and to say thanks for the thought I visited her blog where I read a story that brought a tear to my eye as I read it, "Just a little love is huge".

I left my comment... Hi Karen, thanks for the birthday card and more particularly for the thought behind sending it.
Great post by the way, this is exactly why I've never embraced Facebook and the like, nothing does it like a blog!!!

...case closed.... no, I got an email from Karen that I want to share with you, it illustrates my point very well.

You're most welcome!! I'm glad you got the card and hope your day was special. You and Merle mean a lot to me and have since I "met" you both via the blogs. Facebook is fun but I can't be myself on it - well, the real sense of humor, anyway, since my mom and some relatives read my small posts. A blog was always my special place where I felt safe to write what I felt and didn't have to sensor anything. Yep, nothing like a blog :-)

*HUGS*
Karen

Niether of the links to "O'l Hoss" or "Karen" seem to want to work but both blogs are available from my blogroll "Reserve - Sidelined Players" Karen is there only because I'm lazy, Hoss has a much better reason... he passed away in 2009.

To all my many friends out there in blogland I hope this endorsement of what we do will help in some small way to make up for the lack of posts and comments.

And in response to those who have asked about my "Bells Palsy" I'm now in my 6th week of what is reported as an ailment that normally lasts from 2 to 6 weeks and I'm thoroughly sick of it... having said that there are countless ailments and people suffering them that are MUCH worse than Bells, but one does get sick of dribbling drinks everywhere and the constant threat of chewing a piece out of your lip or cheek when eating... did I mention the joy of washing your hair with an eye that won't close fully its bring on the "No More Tears" time, Not to mention the fact that my natural beauty has a whole new slant on things.... so as you can judge things here are great... thanks for caring.

Blogging... and other addictions

I find it amazing how this "Blogging" thing seems to wind its way into the very deepest parts of our beings and resurface after we have virtually given up on it.

I have been suffering the greatest "writers block" that I've ever known for the last few weeks, so much so that I had decided that my career as a blogger was over.... but something??? kept pulling me back to "holtieshouse" and kept me browsing through my favourite blogs, I have mentioned before that my sidebar bloglist shows that a lot of us after 3 or 4 years seem to give up blogging or at least become very irregular with our posts.

I was surprised and delighted to see that one of my favourite bogs has been given the kiss of life, I'm talking about Lightning Bugs Butt if you feel like a chuckle or want to laugh out loud Rich will seldom disappoint you, so all I need now is for a few more of my friends to resume blogging to give me the incentive to blog again... so how about it Pamela, Jamie Dawn, WT and the others we all enjoyed reading so much.

A Proper Post

It seems like such a long time since I did a proper post... So here is one,

Its a huge old gatepost at Dixons Creek, that's where we lived for the first six years of my life, the post is adorned by our cat named Streaky who was born not long after me... so he would be a bit over 70 if he hadn't gone to cats heaven about 60 years ago.
Hope you all enjoyed this post!!!

holtieshouse 1000th post

Once more from "The Throne Room"

And on a brand new template just for the occasion.

I owe my start in blogging to my son Marcus and my competitive/inquisitive nature, to explain that a little... Marcus began blogging about 1 month before me and when he told me about this I thought I would see if I could master blogging as well.
Suffice to say we are both still at it although I must say not with quite the same enthusiasm that we had back in those first 3 or 4 years.
My blog headquarters here at holtieshouse has survived for the full time, although during the changeover to "New Blogger" an exercise that many will recall was often not accomplished without some traumas, they did manage to loose almost all of the comments left between April 05 and October 06.
Not that there were many to loose in those first few months, my Son Marcus and my Sister Merle were IT for a while but as my confidence grew so to did the readership and I would love to have the record showing this expansion, I note with great pleasure that two of my earliest readers Kenju and Maria both left a comment on post 999.
I mentioned that I'd lost MOST of the comments, for some strange reason the comment were retained on a few posts, 2 of note were on Nov 24 2005 and may 30 2006 if you want to go back to my archives quite a lot of you made these comments and I thank you for them, BTW I got my first spam comment on Aug 31 2005.
To illustrate the innocence that was the early holtieshouse I have reprinted my first 2 posts!!!

The birth of a blog

Monday, April 04, 2005

kicking and screaming into todays world

Well so far I've pushed about 100 buttons, but there seems a chance that I'm finally in the right spot to become a blogger, all that remains is to think of something to blog about!
I bought my first computer about 3 years ago and after learning to type, a comical exercise in itself, I now try to learn something new at every given
opportunity, so now it's time to look into blogging.
I already use Picasa, so have extended that to include hello, it seems the
door is now open, if this is so I will become far more adventurous with my
next try.

Posted by Peter at 4/04/2005 07:14:00 PM 0 comments

Labels: Blogging

Tuesday, April 05, 2005

My 1st Post April 5th 2005

Anyone that I would expect to be visiting this blogsite will
know enough about me already, but for any unwary surfers
who have wound up here accidentally;
I was born in 1936 in country Victoria, so that makes me an
"old" Mexican (from south of the Queensland border.)
Having tried marriage twice, without much success, I now live
a pretty happy life alone in Gympie Queensland.
My first marriage produced four wonderful children, (so it
wasn't a total failure) so I have 4 that call me Dad 11 that call
me Grandad and to date 1 that will call me Great Grandad
when he learns how to speak.
My second marriage produced 25 wonderful years, (so it wasn't
a total failure either)
My passions are movies and music, (mainly country, but pretty
much anything gets a go.) and my family.
My three sons live in WA, two in Perth and one in Busselton,
and my Daughter lives in country SA, so travelling plays an
unusually large part in my life.

Posted by Peter at 4/05/2005 04:21:00 AM

Labels: Blogging

From these early efforts holtieshouse gradually emerged and expanded with 2 more (now unused) sites, Poetry Galore and Peter's Pictures, like most bloggers I have run hot and cold over the years so much so that I retired in August 2008... only to resurrect holtieshouse again 2 weeks later as a site dedicated to Australia, the first post under this guise was on Aug 15 2008 if you want to have a look via the archives.

Over the years I have been an advocate for Australian poetry so I'm going to finish this post with a poem by the late Bobby Millar both the poet and the poem are among my favourites.

The True Australian

What makes a true Australian?
Have they set some stringent test?
Should he ride a stallion stockhorse
Round some station in the west?
Does he camp at night with ringers
When the dust has turned to mud?
Could you smell the eucalyptus
That is running through his blood?

Does he drift with sunburnt drovers
On the overlanders track?
Should he gallop through the timbers
With a stirring stockwhip crack?
Does he rush down mountain gullies
Chasing brumbies in the scrub?
Would you find him Saturday evening
In some lonely outback pub?

Am I any less Australian
On my green suburban block,
Where I’ve never heard the gunfire
As they slaughter starving stock?
Where I can little but imagine
Tragic tales in times of drought.
As I’ve never wandered westward
To the stations further out.

I have never known the horror
When the water holes go dry.
I can only grasp at glimpses
Why a drovers wife would cry.
Am I any less Australian
‘Cause my crops just do not fail?
Or I’ve never humped Matilda
On a dusty trackless trail?

I live in easy splendour
On a manicured city street,
Is it guilt I should be feeling
For the bounty that I eat?
When my taps are never empty
And my grass is always green,
Should I feel regret and sorrow
For the things that might have been?

Now there’s not a single stockman
In the circle of my friends,
But they stick like mates together
And they’ll be there till it ends,
They are plumbers and they’re painters
And I like ‘em just the same;
They’re true Australian Aussies
Who are proud to bear that name.

Written by Bob Miller
(The Larrikin)

I hope that you found something of interest in post 1000, I had fun digging back into the past for the facts.

History in the making

This afternoon I made visit to Blogger "Dashboard", this is not something I do often, its perhaps 6 months since I was there last... anyway the reason that I raise this point is that I was quite surprised to see that I had made 998 posts here at holtieshouse (this is post 999) and I've got my thinking cap on for a worthwhile inspiration for the 1000th post.
I'm not going to rush into this project just so I can cross the milestone off my list, I would like to think that someone will think it a worthwhile post (even if that someone is only me) so if you happen to be in the Gympie region over the next few days you can expect to hear some grinding and whirring noises as my brain tries to come up with a suitable topic and the ability to commit it to this space.
Stay tuned... well more like... come back for another look in a few days.

Boy I can hardly wait!!!

Where has all the enthusiasm gone?

See I'm not dead...
just a bit disoriented!!








Has the blogging craze started to wane?

Or should I just seek out some new players?

Or should we all just sing "Auld Lang Syne" as we bury our blogsites?


At the time of writing my sidebar blogroll is crammed full of "Ho Huumm"

Now I'm as guilty as anyone else here Holtieshouse is down from almost daily to a couple of times a week, and those couple of times are "weak" efforts usually, Peter's Pictures last entry... 2 years ago, Poetry Galore last entry... 1 year ago.

My blog roll off 49 contains 19 sites that have not posted for 1 month or more, much more in a lot of cases, I must admit that 2 of these have an excellent excuse, they died, but in so many instances it appears to be more a lack of interest.

Of the remaining sites there are 7 who have not posted for between 1 and 4 weeks which leaves us about 20 who are posting at least semi-regularly, I make these observations only as observations not criticisms or notes of impending doom, it is never the less sad to see the enthusiasm that once fired us up now appears to be little more than embers in so many cases.

One who has done something different about this situation is my friend
Marti who has invited guest writers to fill in some of the voids that her very busy life has created.

I mentioned that 2 of my blogroll have departed for ever, they still have a place on my blogroll and in my heart.

Gwen Who's last post was on Oct 30 2008 RIP

And my old friend Hoss Who's last post was Feb 29 2009 RIP

Fun Trivia Quiz

UPDATE As well as Australia the topics are animals, General knowledge, World trivia, Geography, and Movies, I don't get to choose the questions, only the categories so if the Australian ones stay as sporting specific I will change the category.
Come and try it... remember, winning isn't everything.



I have been playing (and getting badly beaten) Fun Trivia on WT's blogsite for quite a while and although my talents are strictly limited have enjoyed the experience.

Accordingly I bit the bullet and set up a new quiz here at holtieshouse, there is a slight emphasis on Australia but it isn't sufficient to mean that players from other parts of the world need feel intimidated.

Just click on the invitation to play on my sidebar and join in the fun, a word of warning results are based on correct answers AND time taken (this is often my downfall!!)

Another crossroads, where's the GPS

Don’t worry I’m not going to tell you that I’m really a sun bronzed 6’2” 25 year old lifeguard… well not yet anyway.

But as we all know the internet offers the unscrupulous the perfect opportunity and venue to tell whatever lies they might choose and to take advantage of others intrinsic faith in their fellow man/woman.

What started me along this particular track was the fact that I’ve hit another “Writers Block” with my blog, when I traced the blog back to its beginning it was intended to be a humorous look at life and a vehicle for some well chosen jokes to, hopefully, create a few smiles and laughter.

A couple of years ago I was approached by the authors of “Humor Blog Directory” to allow them to list holtieshouse on that directory, when I checked today I found that my blog had slipped to a “good” rating on page 71, now I’m also not going to claim that it was ever very close to the top, but it was certainly higher than it is now.

So in another bid to keep holtieshouse alive and well I am again going back to my roots in the hope that will unclog the drain that is my brain, you can expect “anything” to follow this decision, very likely mediocrity at best.

Just remember,

A big milestone coming up for holtieshouse

Some time in the next few days
holtieshouse

will register the 100,000th visitor.... very shortly!!!!!

To mark this occasion I am running a contest or maybe a couple of contests.
Stay tuned for more details and please get into the habit of checking the stat counter on my sidebar so we don't miss out on the 100,000th visitor, should you be 99,999 or 100,001 please let me know as sometime my own visits seem to be counted, not always but sometimes!!!


These will be (a) for the 100,000th visitor, (b) for the overseas visitor who correctly answers a
question, (c) a local 'ie' Australian who answers a question.
Please note the questions will be published here very shortly, stay tuned.

For the winning overseas contestant there will be a range of DVD's about Australia (what else on a site that is dedicated to Australia) this is your opportunity to have a look around our wonderful country from the comfort of your own home, there will be a set for the local winner too. who knows we might even run to a few place-getters , time will tell.

Project Green

Project Green - Take 1

This photo shows my mate Warren and I on the green grass at the front of my house even
though I'm the one with the green shirt on it should be Warren.

(Oh, by the way his surname is Green)



Project Green - Take 2


Here at Fosters Farm in Wudinna they take pride in being "Green" farmers
especially the "John Deere" green.


The said John Deere Green is everywhere one looks.

Even at Holtieshouse, it is fitting that Vicki & Rex's daughter Stacey should be
astride my green John Deere rider mower.

I'm sorry to say that will be the last of my project green posts as Anna
who's idea it was has declared it finished, oh well I had other things on my mind
while it was going.

Blog Stats.

Holtieshouse Stats.

A recent readers comment sent me scurrying to my stats only to find to my amazement that there
have been a little over 80,000 “hits” on this site during its short lifetime (3 years come April).

What is even more amazing is that just over 8,000 of the people visiting have made a comment,
this figure is obtained, in blogger at least, from the “edit posts” section where the number of
comments made on each post is shown, now just add ‘em all up.

I am really stoked to think that 10% of my visitors felt the post they read was worthy of a
comment, BTW in the first 6 months I got only 400 comments (thanks Merle, Marcus, Maria,
& a couple of others who have since disappeared) this means the next 2 years brought in over
7,500 comments, WOW!!!!

Blogging for me has never been about the figures, its always been the friendships that have
been important, but I can’t help but be surprised by, and proud of, those figures too.

Quite apart from the decision to cut back on blogging, for the past 3 or 4 days I have lost
even more interest and not just in blogging, any of you who have ever had a kidney stone
(renal colic) will understand my lack of interest in world affairs as I have snuggled into
my own little world of pain, for those of you who have not had the joy of a kidney stone,
I pray that your luck holds out forever.

During an attack there is no place on earth that is comfortable, under a warm shower
is about as close as I have been able to find, then you are faced with the fun of drying
a pain wracked body, this is the same pain that makes your normally comfortable bed
feel more like the infamous bed of nails.

About the only other place that I've been able to find any semblance of comfort is in
a recliner lounge chair, I must admit though I made a serious mistake on the first
night that I spent in my recliner chair.... I reclined the chair... wonderful, almost
comfortable and I did get a few hours sleep... BUT.... came the time for getting out of
the chair.... my pain wracked body wouldn't allow me to exert sufficient pressure to
collapse the chair back to an upright position.

For the next ten minutes I tried in vain to rise from what had now become my not
so comfortable chair, eventually I managed to wriggle myself far enough to get
my feet over the sides of the extended foot rest and painfully force my body
into an upright position, with my weight removed from the chair it was a very
simple operation to return the back of the chair to the upright position.

I will forgive you if you had a chuckle over that last paragraph, even I can smile
about it now, but for the time that I was trapped in that chair humour was at
the very bottom of my scale of emotions.

Ah, the joy of living alone!!!!!!!!

I have no idea what to call this post

I seem to run out of things to say or time to say them a lot lately,
neither of these traits are like me so I'm not sure what's going on
but as I still enjoy blogging, don't interpret this as a farewell
speech, rather it is notice that perhaps my intermittent posting
might have become the norm.
Like anything that we get deeply involved with there comes a time
when the passions cool, it has been more and more a chore instead
of a pleasure to make regular posts lately.
Having spent almost 3 years at the helm of holtieshouse, and having
developed a network of friends spread throughout the world I am
not going to lightly just give them away, however I'm aware that
unless contact is maintained on some sort of regular basis these
friendships are in danger of failing.
What is the answer to this quandary? Oh for the wisdom to answer
that, all I can suggest is that you put holtieshouse on bloglines or
google reader and pop in for a chat when you see I've posted, be
assured I will be in your neighborhood quite often and that if you
post something that I think I can leave a worthwhile comment on
I will certainly do so.
For those who do not use a feed reader and simply tire of calling
in and not finding a new post and decide not to call again.........
Please accept my sincere thanks for your friendship over whatever
period of time it may have been, for someone like me who does not
make new friends easily, it has been an absolute joy to welcome you
into my world.
I intend, at least for the moment to continue to partake with the
"Fun Monday" posts and I commend this to you as a pleasant way to
spend your Monday's, give it a try sometime.
I sincerely hope that with this post I haven't said goodbye to any,
or at least many of my friends.


Speaking of Fun Monday, this would have suited last weeks assignment well.

You've been framed!

Update!!!! there were just too many good friends left out so I weakened and
bought another frame, so now there is room for 14 more faces but then I
run out of wall space too so this will be the last update of photos, once again
I apologize if you miss out, I'll post the extra frame later (it's not done yet)

Thought you might like to see my latest project, its 28 of my friends
from my blogroll, there are a lot more than 28 on the blogroll but
as the frames are designed to take 14 photos of varying sizes there
are only 28... I had to print all different sizes and then fix them all
in place without getting them mixed up or twisted... very time
consuming so I think we are stuck on 28... sorry if you missed out.






















The lucky ones that feature are

In L/H frame................................. In R/H frame

Jack K, Trucker Bob................., Ken, Marcus,
Monty, Poopie, Hoss,................. Laurie, Ann, Robyn,
Meow, Big Dave......................., Jamie Dawn, Lois Lane,
Joy, Judy.................................. Jan, Warren,
Sandy, Rachel, LBB.................... Merle, June, Christina,
Jules, Maria............................... Walker, Cliff.

These will take pride of place in my "Office/Computer Station" which is
where I seem to spend an inordinate amount of my time these days, so
you will never be far from my sight/thoughts.

Blogging Friends

There..... I just wanted to get you all smiling and in a good mood.

Before you ask, no I didn't take this photo... wish I had though!!!!

I'm on a blogging mission today, we have all experienced the bond that grows between
ourselves and our friends in cyberspace, this extends to a feeling of sadness when we hear of
any of these friends falling on hard times, or conversely those with glad tidings bring forth
a smile.

One of my blog friends, Marti from "Enter The Laughter" is one who is doing it tough at the
minute, I'm sure many of you know Marti (for those who don't, do yourselves a favour and
pay her a visit) as a very funny lady who can smile through adversity and take you along
for a very funny ride at the same time.

Marti is an eBay marketer (and pumpkin farmer) who for family reasons is, as I said,
doing it tough at present, please go visit the links below, buy some Christmas gifts from
them, or add to your collectibles at Grandma's.

Grandma's eBay items = http://stores.ebay.com/Grandma-s-Timeless-Treasures
Books at Lulu = http://lulu.com/martilawrence
Enter the Laughter Cafe Press shop = http://www.cafepress.com/enterlaughter

Not to take away anything from Marti's situation, there is another of our favourite
b**g buddy's who is not to well, drop in and say howdy to Ol' Horsetail Snake.
if you haven't already.

Its Friday here so another weekend is about to start, hope you have a good one when
your turn comes.