Pages

Thursday, April 30, 2015

Postcard Number 5 - Postcrossing from Yvonne in Singapore

More postcards received today via Postcrossing.
This time Postcard Number 5 from Yvonne in Singapore. 
I had put in an advertisement in the forums to swap privately for map cards
from around the world and received a whole lot of interest. 

Yvonne's was the first to arrive from Singapore.





This is the stamp on the envelope.

I am awaiting more swaps from:
 New Zealand, Israel, USA, Canada, Switzerland, Russia, Ireland and Croatia

Wednesday, April 29, 2015

WOYWW # 308 and Postcrossing Official Postcards Number 2 & 3

I almost forgot WOYWW, wow imagine that, what a dilemma hahahaha.

Anniversary WOYWW is here again-week 312 which falls on May 27th, so if you'd like to participate HERE is what Julia has in mind for that post. If you'd like to swap an ATC with me let me know in the comments so I know how many to make and send me your snail mail address via EMAIL

On Saturday 25 April we remembered 100 years of the War in Turkey called ANZAC. Hubby and I went to the Dawn service at 4am at the Shrine Rememberance Cenotaph in Brisbane City, about 40,000 people attended. It was very sad to hear of one war story where a family of 6 brothers went to war and only 2 came back. Imagine receiving 4 Dead Man's penny and 4 pink telegrams. (Dead Man's Penny was sent to families with fallen soldiers, and the Pink Telegrams was to announce their had been killed in action)
You can read about it in THIS POST


So this is my desk at craft club as I made a start on my WOYWW Anniversary ATC Swaps


This is the drying process on the floor. 
Nothing like what I imagined and set out to do but unique in itself hahaha

My Postcrossing Postcards have really taking off after only a month. 
I purchased some notebooks to write back in to some members who want to be postcard penpals.
 I love colourful writing paper with designs on each page.  


My 2nd postcard arrived from USA, she was kind enough to send me 2 postcards which is not the requirement. The top postcard is an oil painting by George Caleb Bingham made during the Festival of Arts Laguna Beach California. The 2nd postcard is a postal car on the Burlington Worlds Fair Exhibition Train. Both a Vintage postcards to be treasured.


The USA stamps that graced the envelopes the postcards came in.


My 3rd postcard arrived from Germany on 27 April, 
below is the gorgeous stamp that was on the envelope.


Joining  Julia's Stamping Ground to see more desk around the world and what they are up to

Tuesday, April 28, 2015

T Tuesday Bitter melon


I kept the Achacha seeds and skin from a previous weeks post and dried it in the sun, hopefully we can plant the seeds and I wanted to experiment with the skin to see if I can make tea with it like my Bael Tea which I will show you another time.

To the right is Bitter Melon, also known as karela, very good for cancer and diabetes and other ailments. I was told to salt it and rinse the salt off to take the bittterness out of it. It worked but the salt cooked my gourd and it shrunk to half its size.





I cut it up as small as I could and put it into a beef stir fry. But the first mouthful I could taste the bitter melon so I added my mango kuchela to it and that did the trick LOL.

Joining Elisabeth and Bluebeard for T for Tuesday

Apologies for not getting around to everyones blog last week, got called into work everyday with shift hours and just couldn't keep up with myself. Definitely going to visit all this week.

Saturday, April 25, 2015

ANZAC Day April 25th

It would be remiss of me not to write about ANZAC's 100th anniversary. With a husband that is Ex-US Navy, a cousin who is Ex- Australian Navy and a brother who is current Australian Army reserves. I am surrounded by family who have offered their lives to fighting war.

Hubby and I will be attending the dawn service held at 4.30am in the Shrine of Remembrance

It is a National Holiday in Australia which falls on the 25th April and is celebrated on that day. All over Australia at dawn there is a dawn service that is held at a cenotaph or leading to a cenotaph. 
This is a typical schedule of a Dawn service:

Schedule

4.30 amThree 15-minute excerpts will be read from letters and diaries of Australians who experienced war firsthand
5.15 amAll will be quiet before the Dawn Service commences in darkness
5.30 amDawn Service commences
6.00 am (approx.)Dawn Service concludes
6.15 amCommemorative Area opens
8.00 amCommemorative Area and Hall of Memory close
  1. 'ANZAC' stands for Australian and New Zealand Army Corps. On the 25th of April 1915, Australian and New Zealand soldiers formed part of the allied expedition that set out to capture the Gallipoli peninsula.
  2. Anzac Day is one of Australia’s most important national commemorative occasions. It marks the anniversary of the first major military action fought by Australian and New Zealand forces during the First World War.
  3. Thousands lost their lives in the Gallipoli campaign: 87,000 Turks, 44,000 men from France and the British Empire, including 8500 Australians. To this day, Australia also marks the events of 25 April. Among the dead were 2779 New Zealanders, about a fifth of those who served on Gallipoli.
The tradition and our history can be found HERE.


HERE is the New Zealand history

 This photo below was taken at the Felton annual markets with posters recruiting soldiers to the military.

I bought these books for hubby and myself to read.




A book for children about Gallipolli on the home front as well as the battlefield.



I will be making a visit to the Australian War Memorial this year. When I lived in Canberra I used to go to the War Memorial and experience a sadness so didnt stay long, this year will be different, I will take it all in and remember all the sacrifices given by all including the men and women at war and the families left behind.



There is an ANZAC Biscuit made specially for this occasion.

Here is the recipe by the CWA Brisbane. CWA is a War Widows Guild. The story behind ANZAC biscuits was the women were concerned about the soldiers nutritional value. They needed to make something to send that would last. The answer was a biscuit with all the nutritional values possible. The basis was a Scottish recipe using rolled oats which helped counteract the extremely cold climate

Anzac Biscuits

1 cup rolled oats
1 cup plain flour
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup desiccated coconut
125g (4oz) butter
2 tbsp golden syrup
1/2 tsp bicarbonate soda
1 tbsp boiling water

Heat oven to 150C or 300 F

Combine oats, sifted flour, sugar and coconut.
In a pan combine butter and golden syrup and stir over a gentle heat until melted.
mix soda with boiling water, add to melted butter mixture, stir into dry ingredients.
Take teaspoonfuls of mixture and place on lightly greased oven trays, allow room for spreading.
cook in slow oven (150C or 300F) for 20 minutes.
Loosen while still warm, then cool on trays.
Makes about 35.

I have never made Anzac Biscuits but will attempt it this year.
Hubby does not like coconut so I will make a batch without coconut.

I have a craft friend in Melbourne whose husband entered his/her Anzac biscuits recipe into the Melbourne Royal show and won first prize. HERE is the recipe

Here is a little important History about Australia

Anzac Badges we bought for Michael's collection








Wednesday, April 22, 2015

WOYWW #307

I had to split my photo up as I work on two desks. Unlike Julia I am not 6foot tall and can't stand up and hold my camera up above my head, I'd probably manage to take a photo of the ceiling. I had to stand up on a chair and hold my camera up above my head and hope for the best LOL.


So much junk on my desk, maybe you can make out what they are hahahahaha
In the picture below there are some new purchases, dies from Heartfelt Creation and a stamp to match. Some Sparkles and paint


If you'd like to see the cards I made this month you can see them HERE and HERE and HERE

Anniversary WOYWW is here again-week 312 which falls on May 27th, so if you'd like to participate HERE is what Julia has in mind for that post. If you'd like to swap an ATC with me let me know in the comments so I know how many to make and send me your snail mail address via EMAIL

Joining Julia in her Stamping Ground to see more desks and activities around the world.

Today is Earth Day, make everyday Earth Day and save our planet

Tuesday, April 21, 2015

T for Tuesday - Annual Felton Markets

April 25th each year is the anniversary of ANZAC Day the landing at Galipolli by Australian and New Zealand armed forces in 1915 . It was an 8 month campaign of war with many lost lives. I have a special post for ANZAC going up on the 25th April with a recipe for Anzac Biscuits, if you'd like to come back and visit.

This was the poster at the Felton Food Festival advertising for solders in 1915 to go to that war. I love these posters, love the antiqueness of it.


 We went to the Felton Food Festival last weekend, it was 2hrs drive inland, hubby found out about it. It was a very country type of markets that is on once a year. It was a long drive and we only stayed an hour. I got some great stuff from there that was locally made 





I tried to get a picture of all the hay bales around the place that was put down for seating, very good idea.

A relic cannon on display nicely painted green


oh heres a hay bale with goods displayed on it. The fields leading up to this property had sorghum growing all over the field for miles and miles, its the red one lying down



Local fauna wandering around the market grounds and the entertainment area


We weren't sure if they were advertising the sale of the plants or the planter here



Joining Elizabeth and Bluebeard for T for Tuesday

Wednesday, April 15, 2015

Postcrossing Postcards for Swapping Set 2 - #050 - #082

CLICK on the pictures to see a larger view
You will find Set 1 HERE and Set 3 HERE
#051                                                 #052
     

#053                                                           #054
  

#055                                                              #056
  

#057                                                              #058  UNESCO

                                                        

#059                                                                   #060
 

#061                                                       #062
 

#063                                                           #064
 

#065                                                                 #066

#067                                                                     #068
 

#069                                                        #070
 

#071                                                    #072
 

#073                                                          #074
 

#075                                                               #076
  

#077                                                                  #078          
 

#079                                                             #080 UNESCO
  
                                                                 Blue Mountains No longer available   
                                                      until I can find some more



 
081
082 Not available until I can get more

LinkWithin

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...