Thursday 28 April 2022

STANLEY SAVIGE

 


Another bloke I have read about is, Lieutenant General Sir Stanley George Savige, KBE, CB, DSO, MC, ED was an Australian Army soldier and officer who served in the First World War and Second World War. In March 1915, after the outbreak of the First World War, Savige enlisted in the First Australian Imperial Force.

He was born 26 June 1890 and died the 15 May 1954.

During the early years of the Second World War,he commanded the 17th Infantry Brigade in the North African Campaign, the Battle of Greece and Syria–Lebanon Campaign.

His outspoken criticism of professional soldiers earned him their rancour. He returned to Australia in early 1942, and later commanded the 3rd Division in the Salamaua–Lae campaign.

He ultimately rose to the rank of lieutenant general in the Australian Army, commanding the II corps in the Bougainville Campaign.

In later life, Savige was a director of Olympic Tyre c Rubber Ltd from 1946 to 1951 and chairman of Moran & Cato Lt from 1950 to 1951. He was also chairman of the Central War Gratuity Board from 1946 to 1951, and a commissioner of the State Savings Bank of Victoria.

He received the following awards Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire, Companion of the Order of the Bath, Distinguished Service Order, Military Cross, Greek War Cross.

He was also the founder of Legacy Australia.



Tuesday 26 April 2022

EMPEROR PENGUIN

 


Well it is Tuesday and school has returned for term 2, those two weeks went fast. This weeks extreme creature is the Emperor Penguin.


This penguin lives and breeds in bloody freezing weather of the Antarctica the coldest place on Earth with temperatures going as low as -60 degrees Celsius.


The emperor penguin is the tallest and heaviest of all living penguin species and is endemic to Antarctica. The male and female are similar in plumage and size, reaching 100 cm in length and weighing from 22 to 45 kg. They have a lifespan on 15-20 years.


They can dive deeper than any other bird, including other penguins, they do not build nests.

    Like other penguins, emperors leap into the air while swimming, which is called porpoising.



Baby penguins are called chicks or nestlings. A group of baby penguins that band together for protection against the cold and predators is called a creche, which is derived from the French word that means “manger”.






Monday 25 April 2022

ANZAC FACTS


Hello everyone here we at Monday and this Monday is a special one as it is ANZAC Day. A day that has come to mean more to me the older I get.

Like many my great-grandfather on dad's side served in WW1 and my Pop (mum's dad) served in WW11, dad's father didn't serve as he was a coal miner and they were needed at home.

Here are some facts about ANZAC Day.

ANZAC stands for Australian and New Zealand Army Corps. ...

The Anzacs were all volunteers, there was no conscription. ...

Two-up is a traditional gambling game only allowed to be played on Anzac day through pubs and clubs in Australia. ...

There is no town called Gallipoli.

Anzac Day was first observed in 1916. The day has gone through many changes since. The ceremonies that are held at war memorials up and down New Zealand, and in places overseas where New Zealanders gather, are modelled on a military funeral and remain rich in tradition and ritual.






Sunday 24 April 2022

WEEK 16 OF 2022

 

Had a decent night, found myself wide awake at 5.30 so up I got, washed, dressed and made my own breakfast.

Tim up at 6.30am and off to work by 7am.

Leo came down at 8am to hang out in his room. He left at 11am to go meet Emma (girlfriend).

Tasha came down and cleaned out 3 kitchen cupboards.

I was expecting Kelli to come and get me ready for bed but she hasn't turned up. Thankfully Tasha was here and put me to bed.

Awake and out of bed at 5.10 just felt awake so go up. Had some trouble dressing but got there in the end.

Found 3 letters on my table this morning, Tasha checked the P O Box yesterday. I answered all three this morning.

Kathy turned up around midday with the girls and her and Tasha cleaned out more kitchen cupboards and threw a load of clothes on to wash.

Sydney-May walked down and posted my letters for me.

Kathy also showered me.

Tuesday is here and I had a good nights sleep last night. Although I had to sit naked in the bathroom waiting for Tasha as all my clean clothes were in the dryer and the dryer is outside.

Kathy here by 8.45am and her and her dad have cleaned the bathroom and behind the TV and changed the curtain over the front sliding door. In fact her and Tasha have done a bloody lot as well as getting their dad motivated to chip in and do stuff.

I even found a new shower curtain now just have to get Tim to change it over.

The house is looking good.

SAMANTHA'S BIRTHDAY

A new day and I have been up since 5.20 but for the most part I slept well.

Tim drove me to see podiatrist as him and the girls are not cleaning today.

He also to the cans/bottles over to be cased in. We have borrowed the neighbours trailer to throw rubbish in for a tip run.

I had a shit night so bloody restless and unsettled up and down like a bloody yo yo.

Dad passed 3 years ago today.

Kathy and the girls arrived at 9am and left around 1pm, she cleaned out the storage under the dinning tables seats. I even let her throw out a few things.

Tasha here cleaning out the fridge a job well overdue.

Spoke to Sandy about going to the cemetery and she agreed the ground will be to soggy for me to visit.

Had a better night last night did sit up with Tim for an hour but after that I settled ok. Slept through to 4.30 but then felt wide awake so I got up at 5am.

Kathy and the girls arrived at 9am and stayed till 1pm, she cleaned off the book/storage shelves in the dining room.

She also showered me before leaving.

Only saw Tasha when she dropped off the shopping she did.

Had a real good night waking at 11.30 to pee but going straight back to sleep. Then waking again at 4.35, I peed but found afterwards I was wide awake so got up.

No bloody internet this morning even though the computer and modem show it is working, so restarted the computer that didn't work so turned modem off and back on which also didn't work.

9.30am and still no internet at 11am after restarting laptop twice I got it back.

Tim at last was able to go and get Kathy's old fridge for Jess as the two Jess had are on their last legs.

Kathy helped me get ready for bed.

Wednesday 20 April 2022

POEM DAY

 

In Our Hearts

©  More By Rose M. De Leon

Published: December 2007

We thought of you with love today,
But that is nothing new.
We thought about you yesterday
And days before that, too.
We think of you in silence.
We often speak your name.
Now all we have are memories
And your picture in a frame.
Your memory is our keepsake
With which we'll never part.
God has you in his keeping.
We have you in our heart.



Source: https://www.familyfriendpoems.com/poem/in-our-hearts--loosing-a-father

Tuesday 19 April 2022

THE EASTER BUNNY

 

Hello Tuesday today's extreme creature isn't that extreme, it is the Easter Bunny.


He or she has been around a bloody long time and some may have a name for the Easter Bunny but I don't.


The thing is, the Easter Bunny does not talk. That's okay because kids usually have a lot to talk about and the Easter Bunny has big ears to listen.



Scientists put the age of the Easter Bunny between 400 and 500 years old. So that means the Easter Bunny was born sometime between 1515 and 1615. Stories about the Easter Bunny began taking shape in the late 1600s.


The care the Easter Bunny takes in hiding the eggs and the decades of continuous work also suggest the Easter Bunny is female. It's common knowledge that hormones encourage the does, not the bucks, to look after the kids. And the ability to remember holiday dates definitely indicates that the Easter Bunny isn't male!


According to legend, the Easter Bunny lives on Easter Island, although no one knows exactly where.


Historically, his first stop is Christmas Island. American Samoa is often his last stop.


How is the Easter Bunny related to Jesus?


In short: The Easter Bunny is not related to Jesus at all. At most, they're both obviously tied to the holiday celebrating the resurrection, and they're both considered symbols of new life—but the links to one another, essentially, end there.

Monday 18 April 2022

FACTS

 

Good morning all on this fine Easter Monday, yesterday being Easter Sunday marked the 3rd anniversary of my dad's passing although he died on the 21st but it was Easter Sunday.


Anyway here are some facts.


The naming of the celebration as "Easter" seems to go back to the name of a pre-Christian goddess in England, Eostre, who was celebrated at beginning of spring. The only reference to this goddess comes from the writings of the Venerable Bede, a British monk who lived in the late seventh and early eighth century


The Easter Bunny legend began in Germany.


The act of painting eggs originates from a Ukrainian tradition.


The exact origins of this mythical mammal are unclear, but rabbits, known to be prolific procreators, are an ancient symbol of fertility and new life.



Standing at 31ft tall and 18ft wide is the world’s largest Easter egg. Found in Vegreville, Alberta, Canada, the egg weighs a hefty 5000lbs and took 12,000 hours to complete.




Sunday 17 April 2022

WEEK 15 OF 2022

 A new day has arrived and it saw me up at 5am feeling awake and with it.

Home alone today as Tim is at work today.

Wrote out blog posts for Monday, Tuesday and Thursday's posts.

A warm dry day.

Kelli putting me to bed today.

Managed to sleep in 5.40am and even got up a couple of times during the night to pee.

Tim off work today as there is a bus strike. He has whipper snipped the back yard but can't re-thread the whipper snipper, so has gone out to Bunnings to ask for help as it is new and the first time he has used it. He got it done and finished the yard.

I spoke to the doctor he said he will email me the referral I need will check that tomorrow.

Woke at 4.50 to pee went back to bed but couldn't settle so up at 5.20am. Tim also up at 5am as he has an early start.

Tim home by 9am he has a split shift.

One year ago today we lost mum, been a hard day.

Started work on a memory book about me for Leo, I need Tim to get more photos out of the cupboard for me.

Had a so so night was a bit unsettled for a couple of hours but managed to sleep till 5.30am.

A wet start to the day and heavy rain on and off all day.

Tim home by 9.30am another split shift.

Not much to do today with no letters to answer and still waiting for photos to be gotten out of the cupboard.

Slept better last night up at 5.45am, washed and dressed and ready for the day.

Tim is off today as he is working all over Easter.

Managed to get the photos out of the cupboard on my own and finished off Blain's Nana Memory book. Now Tim just has to go through it and write who is who under each photo.

Tomorrow I will add photos to Leo's book.

Woke at 5.20 went and peed and decided to stay up.

Saw Leo at 7.15 and got a nice big hug, it felt wonderful.

Decided to add a little more to the memory books so worked on that today.

Jess putting me to bed today, first time I have seen her in a week.

A new day is here a cool day but no rain, slept in what I will wear today as I will have to fend for myself today as Tim is working.

Kathy turned up around 10am and stayed till 12.30, she cleaned, dusted and vacuum out as well as washing down part of the loungeroom walls.

The shopping was scheduled for delivery between 1 & 2pm but when I checked the site at 2.20pm it had changed till between 4 & 5pm, damn I hate afternoon deliveries.

Groceries arrived at 4.15, Jess came to help and got me ready for bed.

Thursday 14 April 2022

PHILLIP SCHULER

 


Another chap I have read about is Phillip (Peter) Schuler, heard of him? Nope, me either,till now. The book was titled Phillip Schuler by Mark Baker.


Phillip Frederick Edward Schuler was an Australian journalist, a war correspondent at the Gallipoli campaign. He later joined the army, was wounded in action, and died in France.


Four journalists played leading roles in forming the indelible legend of Gallipoli in the minds of Australians. Yet it was the one who remains least known today – Phillip Schuler – whose part was the most immediately profound.



He volunteered to write reports and take photographs for the newspaper during the Gallipoli campaign. He documented – with evocative accounts and remarkable photography – the entire experience. Less subject to censorship than official correspondent C.E.W. Bean, he exposed flaws in the campaign, particularly the scandal of British treatment of wounded. Historian Les Carlyon considered him “a much better writer from a newspaper point of view than Bean.”

He later enlisted in the AIF, and died on the Western Front in 1917, aged 27.




Wednesday 13 April 2022

POEM DAY

 

Becoming a parent changes many things about your priorities and your outlook on life. In this famous poem, Edgar Guest (1881-1959) shares how life was before children and what changed once he became a father. The speaker realizes that he needs to be a better person because there’s a little one who will look up to everything he does, whether it’s good or bad. Edgar Guest wrote many poems on the topic of family. This poem is made up of octaves (eight line stanzas) that follow the rhyme scheme ABABCDCD.


The Responsibility Of Fatherhood

Edgar GuestBy  More Edgar Guest

BEFORE you came, my little lad,
  I used to think that I was good,
Some vicious habits, too, I had,
  But wouldn't change them if I could.
I held my head up high and said:
  'I'm all that I have need to be,
It matters not what path I tread,'
  But that was ere you came to me.

I treated lightly sacred things,
  And went my way in search of fun,
Upon myself I kept no strings,
  And gave no heed to folly done.
I gave myself up to the fight
  For worldly wealth and earthly fame,
And sought advantage, wrong or right,
  But that was long before you came.

But now you sit across from me,
  Your big brown eyes are opened wide,
And every deed I do you see,
  And, O, I dare hot step aside.
I've shaken loose from habits bad,
  And what is wrong I've come to dread,
Because I know, my little lad,
  That you will follow where I tread.

I want those eyes to glow with pride,
  In me I want those eyes to see
The while we wander side by side
  The sort of man I'd have you be.
And so I'm striving to be good
  With all my might, that you may know
When this great world is understood,
  What pleasures are worth while below.

I see life in a different light
  From what I did before you came,
Then anything that pleased seemed right;
  But you are here to bear my name,
And you are looking up to me
  With those big eyes from day to day,
And I'm determined not to be
  The means of leading you astray.



Source: https://www.familyfriendpoems.com/poem/the-responsibility-of-fatherhood-by-edgar-guest

Tuesday 12 April 2022

TARDIGRADE

 


Well here we are at another Tuesday so that means it is extreme creature day this week it is the Tardigrade whatever that is.


This animal is no bigger than a flea but it is by far the toughest animal on Earth. It can survive temperatures hotter than 150C and colder than -200C. It can go up to 10 years without water and can go six times deeper than the deepest point in the ocean and still survive


Tardigrades, known colloquially as water bears or moss piglets, are a phylum of eight-legged segmented micro-animals. They were first described by the German zoologist Johann August Ephraim Goeze in 1773, who called them Kleiner Wasserbär.


Tardigrades pose no threat to humans. Scientists have yet to identify a species of tardigrade that spreads disease

Monday 11 April 2022

JUST SOME FACTS

 Hello everyone, here we are at Monday again and so here are some facts.

In ancient Rome no one was allowed to leave a theatre while Emperor Nero was singing. A favourite escape plan for reluctant listeners was to pretend to be dead and be carried out by doctors.

Donald Westerholt was jailed for 50 years in Houston, Texas in January 1983 for shoplifting a pair of shoes worth $20.

In the 1350's doctors treating patients in plague-hospitals use to shout instructions from the street. As there was no cure and doctors were too frightened to go near the infected.

Spooky” a blue Russian cat and “George” a Boston Terrier were the first animals in America to be fitted with prescription contact lenses.

In 1995, fifteen iguanas were accidentally out to sea on a raft of water-logged trees. They travelled over 200 miles from Guadeloupe to Anguilla in the Caribbean arriving safely.


Sunday 10 April 2022

WEEK 14 OF 2022

 Daylight saving has ended for now and I slept till 6am or (7am daylight savings time) getting up only 10 mins before Tim. I had a pretty good night sleep as well.

Not having much in way of breaky just not hungry.

A productive morning blogging and writing letters.

Leo went on his first date and he returned really happy with how it went.

Monday at last so not having to fend for myself which is great as doing that is hard.

Had a solid 9hrs sleep.

Having a so so day doing nothing other then blogging.

Woke at 4.30 and went and peed thought I would go back to bed for an hour but no that didn't work as I was too restless, so up at 4.45.

I decided to give myself a shower so I am nice and clean, more or less.

Getting frustrated with the computer so not doing stuff for a while.

Slept so so at 3am I got up to pee and couldn't settle again till around 3.50am as I was shaking and sweating and in a bit of a state.

Tim isn't well today, had to make Dr appointment for him for tomorrow morning. Had trouble logging into doctors website using his log in details, so did it using mine. Tim came home early from work.

Not much else happening around here.

Woke at 4 to pee and manged to go back to bed till 5.50am, happy me.

Tim off work today, he has a doctor appointment.

Kathy rang and the first thing she said was Jessica has covid in a laughing tone, I do not think it is funny. So I won't see her or Leo for a bit.

Jessica also has a blocked toilet so Tim rang the maintenance line and was on hold for 1.45hrs by the time he had arranged for a plumber she had managed to unblock it herself. I wouldn't be able to do that.

Had a pretty good night, woke at 5.30am. Tasha sounded annoyed when I rang her but she said it was only because she had just started to do something.

Tim back at work this afternoon, a warmish day.

Last day of school for term one of 2022.

Wrote one letter today but did little else

Tasha putting me to bed.

Had another good night although I have been up since 5am woke at 1 to pee not issue then again at 5 when I decided to stay up.

Had a good morning, been another wet day.

Kathy and the girls arrived around 1.30pm, they did some housework and cleaned out the linen press (cupboard) throwing out a bunch of stuff.

Had a shower and dressed in the clothes I will wear tomorrow. Which will make it easier for me in the morning.

Thursday 7 April 2022

POEM DAY

 

To You I Promise

©  More By Danny Blackburn

Published: October 2008

My love for you is unconditional and enduring.
To you I promise to always be reassuring.

My love for you protects you and is honorable.
To you I promise to always be faithful.

My love for you is understanding and passionate.
To you I promise to always be compassionate.

My love for you is thoughtful and cherishing.
To you I promise to always be devoted and caring.

My love for you is patient and kind.
To you I promise this always until the end of time.

My love for you is selfless and forgiving.
To you I promise this always, for as long as I am living.

My love for you is devoted and encouraging.
To you I promise to always listen and never be detouring.

I promise to show you, my wife, that I love you in all that I do.
I can promise these things because with all of my heart I love you.

Tuesday 5 April 2022

ANGLERFISH

 

Hello everyone on this lovely Tuesday morning, this weeks extreme creature is the Anglerfish.


The anglerfish are fish of the teleost order Lophiiformes. They are bony fish named for their characteristic mode of predation, in which a modified luminescent fin ray acts as a lure for other fish.


Sometimes they're caught and they have whole fish in their stomachs. If you touch the stomachs, it's quite squishy, for lack of a better term.” But don't worry too much about these deep-sea horrors:They're far too small to hurt a human, making their oversized teeth and misshapen bodies


They dangle a glowing or worm like bait called an esca, from a long lure that sticks out from the front of its head like a fishing rod. It then waits until a hungry fish comes to investigate and then wham it gobbles down its prey with lightning speed.

Monday 4 April 2022

FACTS

 Good morning all it is 8am here I have been up for three hours shaking a bloody lot, anyway here are this weeks facts........

The sun travels at a speed of 155 miles per second but it still takes 230 million years to complete a single revolution of the galaxy.

Damascus, Syria was flourishing a couple of thousand years before Rome was founded in 753BC, making it the oldest continuously inhabited city in existence.

The length from your wrist to your elbow is the same as the length of your foot.

About one-tenth of the earth is permanently covered in ice.

The first successful kidney transplant was in 1954

Sunday 3 April 2022

WEEK 13 OF 2022

 

Cyberspace ate Saturday's diary entry how annoying. After a restless start I slept well a solid 9hrs. I am not getting dressed for the day till Tim gets up and can help me.


So far this morning I have been ok but it's only 7.30, I have been up since 5am.


Had a productive morning, wanted to do more but lost motivation and concentration.


Kelli came and put me to bed.


I slept well, Tasha doubled my restlessness medication and it helped.


I am managing to do some stuff this morning so hopefully this week will be better then last week.


Had a reasonable day.

Woke to rain at 5.10am managed a wash ok but needed Tash to dress me.


Had a good morning even managed to write 2 letters.


Leo was playing with a screwdriver this morning and when Tim went to find it he couldn't and that put him in a foul mood.


Raining heavy here today, couldn't go up with Leo.


Had a so so night woke at 4.15 and decided to get up. A restless morning.


Took Leo up before it pissed down rain.


Restless but managed to do some stuff here on the laptop which has made me happy.


Heavy rain on and off all day.


Woke at 4am but managed to dose off again till 5am when I got up. After my wash I rang Tasha but she didn't answer, rang 3 times. She did at last turn up.


Still raining so couldn't go with Leo this morning.


Seems like he got into trouble at school yesterday for taking a weapon to school, my letter opener, which was confiscated will have to talk to Jess about getting it back.


Raining on and off all day


Had another pretty good night woke a 4.30 needing to pee so got up at 4.40am, a coldish morning.

Had nothing but trouble with Coles online it is so frustrating I ended up packing it in and will try tomorrow.


I am in a right state with the shaking and sweating and feeling confused and frustrated.

Awake and up at 5am after a decent enough night, fend for myself saw me in tears of frustration.


Micheal has gone camping with his mate Jerry so unable to help move the fridge for Jess/Tasha.


I am in long pants for the first time this year.


Bought pizza for lunch stuff crust for me thin & crispy for Tim.


Managed to write 3 letters.

Friday 1 April 2022

NANCY WAKE

 

Another book I read this year was about Nancy Wake a woman whose name I knew but knew nothing about except she was known as the White Mouse by the Gestapo.


She was born on the 30 August 1912 in Wellington, New Zealand, she passed away on the 7 August 2011.


Nancy Grace Augusta Wake, AC, GM was a nurse and journalist who joined the French Resistance and later the Special Operations Executive during World War II, and briefly pursued a post-war career as an intelligence officer in the Air Ministry. The official historian of the SOE, M. R. D


Trained by British intelligence in espionage and sabotage, Wake helped to arm and lead 7,000 resistance fighters in weakening German defenses before the D-Day invasion in the last months of the war.

She was credited with saving the lives of hundreds of Allied soldiers and downed airmen between 1940 and 1943 by escorting them through occupied France to safety in Spain.


She received the George Medal, 1939-45 Star, France and Germany Star, Defence Medal, British War Medal 1939-45, French Officer of the Legion of Honour, French Croix de Guerre with Star and two Palms, US Medal for Freedom with Palm and French Medaille de la Resistance for her courageous endeavours.


After some 60 years, Nancy Wake finally received Australian recognition for her heroism. In 2004 she was made a Companion of the Order of Australia. She once said of being snubbed of Australian recognition… 'They can stick their award and be thankful it's not a pineapple'.



North American Porcupines

  It is Tuesday all day long and half the night and Tuesday as we all know is creature day this week we have the North American Porcupine. ...