Musical interlude aka Pax is being dull

http://marionsmeepings.blogspot.com/2010/06/musical-interlude-aka-pax-is-being-dull.html

My Johnny was a shoemaker and did he love me
My Johnny was a shoemaker but now he's gone to sea
With pitch and tar to soil his hands
And to sail across the sea, stormy sea
And sail across the stormy sea

His jacket was a deep sky-blue and curly was his hair
His jacket was a deep sky-blue, it was a do declare
For to reeve the top sails up against the mast
And to sail across the sea, stormy sea
And sail across the stormy sea

Some day he'll be a captain bold with a brave and a gallant crew
Some day he'll be a captain bold with a sword and spy glass too
And when he has his gallant captain's sword
He'll come home and marry me, marry me
He'll come home and marry me

More lyrics: http://www.lyricsty.com/lyrics/s/steeleye_span/#share

A Question on Balance

Serious post tonight - a question aimed at my friends that have supported Troops abroad or *are* themselves military and been stationed abroad.

I try very hard to keep my communications with my adoptee's upbeat and happy - I figure they have enough dramas and worries of their own without me adding to it. But what happens when something goes wrong at home - something life shattering enough that will colour all I do and say?

Am I wrong in keeping it from people that I've developed a connection with - or should I just pretend everything is 5/5 and not add to their burdens? Do I make a brief mention and then gloss over the details - leave it all "stuff  is about to happen/has happened but I'm getting there" and go back to the quirky Pax-did-something-foolish tales?

What would you prefer if you were the one I was writing to - week in & week out - for months on end? Would you want to know?  Would you be angry & hurt if you found out from another source? Or is it just one thing too many to have to deal with?

I really don't know what to do

[and no - I can't give specifics here - it involves a family member and one of my siblings hasn't yet been advised]

Pax impressed(?)

http://marionsmeepings.blogspot.com/2010/06/pax-impressed.html

So I've heard from one of my adopted guys - seems like a nice normal enough soldiery sort right up to the point where I watched the videos of him on facebook experiencing tasering and mace as part of his training**

HOLY SHEEP!,* BATMAN!

And in both the vids he's like super cool. shrugs it all off... very smooth.   (yes yes we all know that at that point I'd be blubbering like a girlie but if I can't use my girlie points for something - what use would they be?)

So having managed to acquire Mr Extreme as an Adoptee how the heck am I going to be able to keep him amused with "Pax is a Klutz" tales in my weekly letters?  The Poor lad is going to be bored witless.

Sigh... maybe I should just start juggling chain-saws - there's got to be an amusing story or two I can dictate to someone with fingers afterwards.

**Looks at the CI & Momma sorts to ask - so do all law-enforcement types have to be on the receiving end of that to "know what it feels like"?

*yes yes you all know the word I really wanted to use there but that's Baaaaa-d language :D

Treating the Troops... early June

http://marionsmeepings.blogspot.com/2010/06/treating-troops-early-june.html
Sorry for the recent silence everyone - some family health things are happening that are taking a lot out of me.  I've updated a few posts today. This one will be on the troopy treats (hey! we should totally copyright that name ;D)

Weekly letters sent off to my adoptees and hopefully goodies parcels should be reaching them this coming week (just some snacks & tinned/untinned marsupials for K & C; and the arrival of the WBL to J).

And I have heard from K via facebook - he seems a lovely soul and I'll enjoy sending him more munchies and postcards of Australia.

I've also been sending donations of pre-paid coffee vouchers to random troopers (RAK's* make me smile).  It's easy to do via the Green Beans "Cup of Joe" program.  For every US $2 you donate a Trooper gets either a standard cup of coffee or $2 off their special drinks. (mmm... caffeine!). I also added a personal note telling them "Hello from Downunder" and have received 8 different "Trooper X would like to be a penpal" responses.  I've sent emails back to all of them so we will see how many reply (I try to make sure I mention that I'm more of a "dotty-adopted-auntie" type person rather than "wow-chicka-dundee"** - don't want any mis-communications)

It's a long weekend here (sunday of the Queen's Birthday weekend) so I have a few plans of house cleaning and fabric sorting for pre-sewing (I was inspired at yesterday's History Alive event - need to get myself motivated and sewing medieval costumes again). Also need to deal with some family issues; and spend some quality time with B (he's become interested in Table top gaming again so he is busily creating tiny hills and townships. I'm hoping I can convince him he needs some toy electric trains too - I've always loved playing with those :D)

Catch up with you all soon - stay safe peeples!

Pax

*Random Attacks of Kindness

**well yes... in my dreams maybe ;)

History Alive!

http://marionsmeepings.blogspot.com/2010/06/history-alive.html

Well yesterday Miss M and I headed out to the historic Fort Lyton site to attend History Alive 2010. We were to meet up with Cozzles there (She was one of the 14th century re-enactors and had camped on site).

The Historic range of groups goes from Romans up to World War II so it was pretty common to see them all interacting together. Best Historical dichotomy is summed up in the above photo. But then I guess they are both enacting Italians :D

Cozzles at war :)

Pax Romana (oh how I wish!)

And just before the medieval battle began one of the Australian Naval ships steamed into port.

Possibly a VERY good thing that the Queensland Regiments gun salute wasn't till later that day or things might have become "interesting"!

We definately had the best day - Thank you to C and her group Citadel for letting us invade their camp for chats; and to the Roman group for the laughs and hugs (and not looking too scared when I wanted to play with the ballista)

How can you tell it's winter in Australia...?

http://marionsmeepings.blogspot.com/2010/06/how-can-you-tell-its-winter-in.html

http://www.ourbrisbane.com/suburbs/i-knit-brisbane

I Guess we can call them Wooley Jumpers!

Catching up

http://marionsmeepings.blogspot.com/2010/06/catching-up.html
Sorry - It's been a few days since I had meant to make a post (works' been super busy as it's almost the end of the financial year here in Australia. My job is purchasing/payments & worrying about whether next years budget will be enough to keep the libraries services ticking along. Finance books close on the 20th of June so I'm hoping things will calm down for a bit after that)

Well last weekend saw Pax & Cozzles (*aka Coral) off on another wondrous adventure.  C was indulgent enough to let me drag her off to the locally held International PBR (Professional Bull Riders) - think Rodeo but with huge Malevolent 1-ton+ Bulls - however her price was that I would travel with her up the coast to check out a new venue for an upcoming medieval event (C belongs to the 14th century Group Citadel that I am very tempted to join. I am actually a member of the SCA, a peer even, but I've lost the enthusiasm for it over the last few years)

So we headed off about lunch time Saturday - off towards Bribie Island (North of Brisbane on the coast).  Found our way to the Abbey Museum okay. Their new tournament grounds are at the back of the property so we needed permission to venture that far - easiest way to do it seemed to be to chatter to the ticket seller for the Museum; and since the entrance price was really reasonable we decided we would first have a browse through the collection and see what was new.

It's a fascinating place - their section on manuscripts is amazing (no photos as they don't allow flash photography in that area) and well worth the Aust $8.50 ticket. 

We then browsed the selection of touristy souvenirs (finding some cute knightly pins for my three adoptees) and then, grasping the hastily drawn map supplied by our Tickety host, proceeded to check out the swampish zone that will shortly be home to about 10 different medieval encampments and about 30,000 day trippers (it's a weekend event so X2 on that).  I guess the best that can be said of the area is that it's adequate and that everyone will be praying for it to stay dry [my last few times of camping at the Abbey event with the SCA involved much rain and being cold so it's not something I am keen to do again now that I'm older and have dodgy knee joints. Oh a note for the Overseas readers - it's winter here in Australia which means the locals are freezing even if the visitors from colder climes are wandering about in t-shirts and shorts, commenting on how temperate it is]. 

So fact finding mission over and local Kookaburra spotted and photographed (sorry it's such a bad shot - he was leary of the tall human creeping up on him and flew away before I could zoom in) we then headed off to the Boondal stadium and the fun of the PBR.

Hmm... they really should put a Dress Standard note on the tickets for these things. We were both rocking the jeans & boots fine but had NO HATS!!! (seriously I was feeling rather naked in a sea of Akubras & Stetsons)  That it was an INDOOR AT-NIGHT event? Yeah... made no never mind to the hat wearers (shakes head in bafflement - it's a country thing isn't it?). Actually C's jeans were sporting a super huge rip in the nether zones so she was trying to ensure her long coat covered the goodies at all times (and no - no photos - she's meaner than me LOL) - perfect excuse for her NOT to join our two Bunny-ish seat mates in the "shake your booty for a t-shirt" moment [I still think she should have had a go - I could have done with a new T from it :D]

So the Bullriding - Amazing! yet sometimes scary. I'm back to wondering about the sanity of these uber-buff (and yummy... opps.. sorry.. need to wipe the drool from the keyboard) cowboys. It was an international event so half were from the USA and the others were Australians.  They have some of the rides posted on their Youtube page if you are keen to see the talent.  Definately the best birthday gift I've given myself for years!

The Rest of the week has since been super busy and rather dull.  Highlights were sending off a few more goodies to my adopted soldiers (J now has a water balloon launcher heading his way; C & K have Aussie munchies due shortly and the usual weekly letters written. Of course they are now going to realise I am a tad weirder than first they suspected - the medieval/rodeo mix might give it away - but meh... unique & original aussies are hard to come by.  And possibly harder to get rid of :D)

Stay safe Y'all!

Pax