Good morning all and welcome to the first “did you know” post this will be a new Monday feature here at Jo-Anne’s Ramblings, why well I will tell you Leo has this book called “1000 Facts” and I thought why not use it for blog posts so each Monday I will share something from the book with you all.

This week we have this little fact:

As you all properly know The Seven Dwarfs are Happy, Dopey, Grumpy,Sleepy, Sneezy, Bashful and Doc, but Walt Disney had a list of over 50 names and characters to choose from for the movie. Among the dwarfs that didn’t make the cut and end up in the movie were Hotsy, Nifty, Shifty, Blabby, Gaspy, Dirty and Awful.

Ok world guess who spent most of yesterday in so much bloody pain she felt like an old frail woman and she is only 54, if you guessed me you guessed right, Tim said it is because I am big he didn’t use the word “fat” but that is what he meant. I said it was because I spent a lot of the day on my feet, have to say I was thankful for my walking stick. Tim said I didn’t do much during the day yeah really Tim wake up and notice how much I do.

I did spend a lot of time standing and cooking and I pegged two loads of washing on the line and got it off again and of course I started the day doing 1hr 45 mins of exercises all of which is not good when one has a bad back.

Speaking of lunch I did honey soy chicken with fried rice and pasta, Tim complained that I put seeds and nuts in the rice and said the chicken was a little dry, Jessica complained she didn’t like the pasta that much and Kathy said the chicken was a little dry but she really liked the fried rice but they all ate it which I guess is something.

Blain had two cheese pies as he said he didn’t like honey soy chicken, Natasha wasn’t here so she ate nothing which is about how much she would have eaten if she had been here.

Today I have been moving better managed to get dressed and put my own socks on my feet which is more then I did yesterday, I had to have Tim’s help getting dressed yesterday morning I was in that much pain. Although I am expecting things to go down hill as Natasha dropped of washing for me to do another three loads of washing, so more time spent on my feet again today.

At the moment I have Blain while Natasha goes to get Jessica from Wallsend, she had to take the work van she used yesterday back and needed someone to pick her up, Blain is unwell so he is here in the lounge room watching cartoons while I am in Tim’s office using the computer. I still do not have my laptop, although Tim has ordered a new hard drive for it.

Natasha is going to loan her car to Steve, so will need Jessica to drive her home and she wants her dad to take her washing over when it is done I bet he ends up wanting me to do it though.

Tim has taken Leo for a ride on the motorbike they are meeting Jessica out at Wallsend and Leo will come back with his mum and Natasha, Leo loves to go for a ride on the motorbike.

Well that is all from me for this post.

Good morning here it is Friday again, I as usual will have a busy day been up since 4.30am done 1hr 50 mins of exercise now for a quick post before I get dressed to go shopping, Friday being the only day I generally go shopping of a week.

So without further ado here are this weeks five things.

Last day of the school term

Jessica working tomorrow

So we will have Leo all day and night as well as maybe tonight, depending on what time she starts

Struggle to get ones socks or knee high stockings on ones legs, needing Leo’s help

Feeling happy as well as stiff and sore, life is good

Milk we all know what milk is the definition of milk is a pale liquid produced by the mammary glands of mammals, such as cows, goats and humans to name just a few. When I was a girl there was only two types of milk regular milk and skim milk and then that changed and there was the in between milk known as light milk. There was also a choice between pasteurised and non-pasterrised milk.

It was usually delivered first thing of a morning by the milk man, in glass bottles you would put the milk bottles out the night before if you wanted three bottles you left three empty bottles out. If you wanted extra as in more bottles then you had you left a note in a bottle as you left a note if you wanted cream. Each week the milkman would leave you your bill and you paid in an envelope left with the empty bottles.

My nan would put the milk bottles out as a sign it was time for guests to leave as the family were going to bed.

When I was at school we would get a small bottle of milk each day this of course was free and often warm due to being left in the sun.

Now you go to the supermarket to get your milk generally speaking, yes you can still get milk delivered here but it is a lot more expensive. Also there is so many different types of milk to choose from now days, full cream, light, skim, calcium enriched, lactose free, buttermilk, A2 milk, all of these are milk you.

You can also chose between fresh milk or long life milk or powered milk, when my daughters where little I used to buy powered milk as it saved us a lot of money but when long life milk came out I switched to that and yes both powered and long life taste a bit different but I would use the milk to make milkshakes for the girls and they drank it without complaint.

Then one day Soy milk came out even though it is called soy milk it is not milk it is a plant based drink produced by soaking dried soy beans and grinding them in water. Soy Milk is a traditional staple in East Asian cuisine, it is a stable emulsion of oil, water and protein and is often used as a substitute for dairy milk, it can be produced at home using a soy milk machine.

Now you can also get Almond Milk which is also a plant drink made with almonds with a creamy texture and a nutty taste but not really milk.

Other non milk type “milks” are oat, rice and coconut now I know these drinks may be good for those who cannot drink real milk due to allergy but they are not milk, and there are some pretty stupid people in the world who may in fact think they are milk.

When I was a child you couldn’t get flavoured milk either if you wanted chocolate or strawberry or banana milk you had to make it yourself with white milk and some flavouring such as NesQuik now of course you have Oak flavoured milk or Moove flavoured milk as well the supermarkets own brands.

Moove has been a New South Wales icon since 1978. With a delicious range of flavoured milk including Chocolate and Strawberry flavours. The brand is known for embodying summer fun and Australia’s beach culture.

Just a quick post today been busy as with going to two different Easter Parades today, first was Leo’s then Blain’s, Sydney’s was cancelled and will now be on Friday.

On the way to Leo’s school after I picked Jessica up the car felt strange and had a weird sound so I pulled over and got Jessica to get out in the rain and check the car and yeah I had a flat tyre. So I rang Tim and he said he couldn’t come to change it and would ring the NRMA, then Jessica rang Natasha to see if she would be able to come get her and drop her at Leo’s school while I waited for the NRMA. Natasha said she would come as she was nearby and she had Steve with her and he would change the tyre and to tell dad to cancel the NRMA which we did.

Oh yeah after I dropped Leo at school this morning Tim rings me to tell me that Leo didn’t take his morning medication I said I would ring the school when I got home. However, when I got home Tim was already on the phone with the school, Leo was confused as I gave him a half of Ritalin at 6.30am because he was doing my head in but the office staff gave him a dose of medication so all was good.

Also this morning Steve and Natasha gave me a new cane it is a nice red one, I was only thinking yesterday that I could do with another cane to have here in the house I have one in the car but also could do with one in the house.

That is all I have to go and feed Leo

Hello everyone, I had planed to write this post yesterday afternoon but I was somewhat tipsy when I got home and went to have a nap and then when I got up mum rang as she does every night and we talked for about 40 minutes, anyone would think we didn’t spend 4 hours together chatting yesterday afternoon.

Anyway yesterday was my nephew Dawson’s 18th birthday, here in Australia turning 18 is a big deal, so there was a BBQ lunch held at his father’s place only family and while there I drank some of my brother’s Wild Turkey with Pepsi Max and ended up a little tipsy.

Dawson was born at the John Hunter Hospital here in Newie at 7.21pm he was 49cms long or 19 inches, he weighed 7lb 3oz or 3208grams, for some strange reason here we talk about a babies weight in pounds and ounces and length in centimetres, I don’t know why we just do.

Now he is about 5’10” I think, he is tall compared to most of the family, although his father (my brother) is also tall.

At the BBQ there was his dad and step-mother, her parents, his mum and her dad, my parents, my sister Sandra and myself and about 4 children. The weather was lovely and everyone had a good day.

Because it was his birthday and he can legally drink grog now his father gave him a can of Wild Turkey and Cola of which he drank less then half he said he didn’t like the taste after he had cake but I said to mum he just may not have liked it and didn’t want to say so. When I was his age I never drank and I just don’t think Dawson is interested in grog at this stage of his life.

Hello Friday the end of the working and school week and the start of the weekend, this weekend I have told the girls I want a quiet one so no visitors over the weekend please. Anyway here is this weeks five things for Friday.

Stinking hot one day

Cool and wet the next

Debbie causing a lot of destruction in Queensland

Followed by torrential rain in not just Qld but in NSW as well

Tim so exhausted he isn’t well, so called in sick today, he needs to rest

For all those who are interested I have increased my daily workout to 1hr 15mins each morning, getting up at 4.30am now and I also added 15 mins at around lunch time to take my daily workout up to 1hr 30 mins each day. The morning workout is all yoga, I have increased the sets of each exercise from2 to 3 sets each, the lunch time workout is different I am doing what is called a bike ride but is just walking on the spot over an course that takes around 6 mins at the moment as I went back to the beginners course and I can tell you that 6 mins takes a lot out of me. In time though I hope that changes and increases.

What is it with news readers and other female television presenters with long skinny bony necks, I find looking at them makes me feel uncomfortable and they all wear tops and dresses that do nothing to hide their necks.

I guess such necks creep me out like some people (my daughters) get freaked out by feet, I also do not like looking into someone’s eyes, when my girls were little if they got something in their eye it was ask your dad to look at it I couldn’t and still cannot.

How about other people what creeps you out?

Ok as most people know I watch Sunrise of a morning but you know what annoys me is when on days like today they have a special broadcast and repeat the same news over and over again I get it Cyclone Debbie is big news she will be destructive and will affect the lives of many people but it is still somewhat annoying.

It is now 315pm and I am at last getting back to the computer, this morning I had to go to the chemist to get Leo’s Webster pack for school and of course take it to the school for him, I also bought more ice cream for him and this afternoon Tim went mad because I let him have ice cream this morning after his cereal, whatever Tim I don’t care what you think about this I said it was ok and I am the one here with him.

When I got home a few minutes ago I got distracted and nearly reversed the car into the house,and of course Tim went off but I said didn’t hit anything, didn’t do and damage so get over it, I was listening to Blain and his friends and not taking any notice of what I was doing.

Blain just walked in his mum rang him and told him he has to be here when she gets here,she annoyed or angry about something and wants to talk to him face to face.

Leo had his school photos done today and said he isn’t in the class photo as he wouldn’t behave or something. I hope that isn’t the case as his mum paid $40 for the school photos.

Ok started this yesterday morning, came back to it yesterday afternoon and now it is Wednesday morning and I am back at it, just got distracted yesterday afternoon and didn’t get it finished, this morning there is more news about Debbie but at least there is other stuff on Sunrise and not just Debbie, people are being told to stay home and not go out if they don’t need to. Debbie lasted all day yesterday and into last night, it is being reported as one of the worst cyclones to hit Queensland in a bloody long time because it lasted for so long, thankfully none of my family live in the affected areas. At the same time they say it wasn’t as bad as they thought it would be it was only because it lasted so long that it is considered so bad.

Of course they are saying that the price of tomatoes and bananas and sugar will rise because of the cyclone.

I have increased my exercise workout of a morning from 60 minutes to this morning 80minutes and of course I am doing them 7 days a week.

Mum saw the specialist about her hip replacement yesterday she is now on the waiting list for the surgery the doctor said the wait should be around 9 months which is what both her and I thought it would be. She also said when he was examining her that he hurt her a lot she was nearly in tears as was my sister Sue who took her to the hospital, Sandra was unable to go with her due to the time of the appointment it was in the afternoon and Sandra had her daughter she had to get from school.

There is a plan to pay people to adopt children the reports are that people could be paid up to $35,000 per year now this is new for Australia but it is something that has been around in other counties for a while well that is what they said on the news.

Well now I am going to post this rambling post this morning at long last.

Good morning all here we are at another Monday another start to the working or school week I am up dressed and exercised and now waiting for the boys to arrive yes boys both Blain and Leo will be here and I hope I do not have a repeat of last Monday.

Didn’t do much in the way of blogging over the weekend as Tim wanted to use his computer and who am I to tell him he can’t did manage to read some blogs each day around maybe 20-25 blogs but didn’t get back here to read comments nor write anything but I guess that is life.

This morning after I take the boys to school I have to go and do a few things for mum as I do each pension day for her,banking money into Dawson’s account for her to pay for his Chrisco which for those who don’t know is a Christmas Hamper company. He orders gifts for his parents and grandparents and since he doesn’t get pocket money mum is ok giving him the money for this.

Dawson is for the most part a good kid well he isn’t actually a kid any more he will be 18 in a few days on the 1^st April. There will be family party for him next weekend at his dad’s house which I will be attending.

Many may have heard of Cyclone Debbie just for those who do not know it will be no where near me it is in the top end of the country in a different state but it is suppose to be a very destructive cyclone and I hope it doesn’t do as much damage as they are predicting.

Ok have taken the boys to school and now I am hoping to get this finished and posted it is now 11.30 and I started this at 7.30. The boys were well behaved this morning although when the school rang at 10am I was oh no what’s happened but all good just rang to tell me Leo needs more medication by Wednesday so I rang the chemist and arranged that will have to pick it up tomorrow and take it to the school.

I went to the GP and asked about weight loss surgery she has referred me to a guy in Gosford about 45 minutes away I think anyway the GP told me the surgery will be between $6,000 and $8,000 my sister said her sister in-law and a couple of other people she knows have had it and thought it was about $7,000.

So on Saturday night Tim went online and enquired about health cover and joined a health fund which was going to cost him $57 a week and I would have to wait a year to have the surgery. So I worked out he would be paying around $3,000 in premiums and our out of pocket would still be around $3,500 according to the doctors website so we would only be saving between $500 and $1,500. I told Tim I thought it made more sense to just save the money and have the surgery in a years time, so he will ring up and cancel the health cover in the next week or so you have a month to cancel if you change your mind.

Well that is it for this morning