You know when you sign up for your agreement on your telephone and they give you a monthly price, and then
Phones for Heroin or Shoes?
when you get the bill, you find the surprises that go to taxes and fees? Ever wonder what those pay for? We do of course. You can say the government does all you want, or even Obama (hence the Obama Phone term), but the fact is WE DO.
The program didn't start with Obama as some ... Read More
Featured News
Friends Far Away..
No matter where I am in the world, I am far from someone I love. Petra (from Holland) who lived with us for a year as an exchange student and quickly [+]
Miniature Birthday..
My birthday was nearly a month ago, but it's not over yet. Petra's gift arrived yesterday. Petra has already sent an assortment of Dutch houses and shops, so now that she's [+]
Vue 11..
It's happened again, I found another landscape program to play with. It all started with John and I talking about 3d printers, the programs and software needed for the printers, and [+]
Rubi’s First Picture..
"The bond that links your true family is not one of blood, but of respect and joy in each other's life." ~Richard Bach ~ Today, our 3 year old Rubí created her [+]
Pink Ladies..
My husband tells me I am his favorite Pink Lady, but I know he has another... I miss him so much that when I was shopping with mom yesterday, I couldn't [+]
Teddy Bear Cookie Birthday..
While Rubí turned 3, I was in Australia. When I returned home and I was looking at the photos of her blowing out her candles, she pouted at me, "Nana, [+]
Until August..
Everyone that knows me well, knows I stink at good-byes. I get misty weeks before the actual good-bye events. I love being around loved ones. That's it. Good-byes usually accompany others [+]
Waiting in New Zealand..
“For a while" is a phrase whose length can't be measured.At least by the person who's waiting.” ― Haruki Murakami, South of the Border, West of the Sun If saying [+]
Mothers Day Continued..
Not sure how it happened, but we bought our first book together and it was declared my Mother's Day present. Orchids of Western Australia Then John suggested we go [+]
Mothers Day..
I missed my own mom and my children on this day, but it was sweet to spend it with John. I got told Happy Mother's Day very early in the [+]
Posted By Xerraire On Tuesday, June 18th 2013 In News Items | Tags: abuse, Carlos Slim Helu, heroin, lifeline program, milestone partners, mobile phones, obama phones, poverty, shoes, TerraCom, TracFone, vitter |
You know when you sign up for your agreement on your telephone and they give you a monthly price, and then
Phones for Heroin or Shoes?
when you get the bill, you find the surprises that go to taxes and fees? Ever wonder what those pay for? We do of course. You can say the government does all you want, or even Obama (hence the Obama Phone term), but the fact is WE DO.
The program didn't start with Obama as some ... Read More
Posted By Xerraire On Monday, June 17th 2013 In News Items | Tags: africa, cheetahs, elaborate, expensive, lions, president obama, tens of millions of dollars, trip |
Most Expensive Trip in World History
To me, it's amazing what Obama will do to protect himself and his family while leaving our borders open and free to any terrorist who cares to walk in from many unprotected borders. Now, once again, while our people continue to struggle day to day to earn enough to pay the bills, Obama is running up a tab for our country. He will be taking the most expensive trip in world history. (This even ... Read More
Posted By Xerraire On Sunday, June 16th 2013 In News Items | Tags: guns, maryland, popping noise, president obama, role model, tweet |
Leaders are supposed to lead by example.
Our leaders are telling us every day in every way how bad guns are.
So why did Obama tweet this photo?
President Obama and one of his daughters playing with toy water pistols.
The Tweet comes at a time when several schools around the country—fearful that such toys make kids more prone to violent behavior—have launched trade-in programs that encourage children to exchange their harmless toy guns for chances to win prizes, like books and bicycles.
Children ... Read More
Posted By Xerraire On Saturday, June 15th 2013 In Featured, Personal | Tags: holland, leoni, marta, missing, pepe, petra, spain, vera, you |
No matter where I am in the world, I am far from someone I love.
Petra (from Holland) who lived with us for a year as an exchange student and quickly became family, along with Marta and Pepe (from Spain), who I met in Yahoo online, are also friends. They recently had a get-together, and quickly sent me the following photos!
It was nice to be missed and thought of!
Leoni, Vera, Marta, and Petra.
Vera, taking the picture, L-R: Marta, Leoni, ... Read More
Posted By Xerraire On Wednesday, June 12th 2013 In News Items | Tags: billions, governor, Larry Hogan, martin o' malley, maryland, taxes |
Governor Martin O' Malley of Maryland
Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley has approved 40 new and increased taxes and fees since he took office in 2007 that are projected to cost Marylanders $9.5 billion through fiscal 2014.
"Nobody expected the total impact to be this staggering, not even me," said Larry Hogan, founder of conservative group Change Maryland, which compiled a report on the increases.
That's a lot of new taxes. No wonder Maryland lost the most residents in the mid-Atlantic between 2007 ... Read More
Posted By Xerraire On Sunday, June 9th 2013 In Featured, Personal | Tags: Barb, bicycle, birthday, bread, dolphin, france, frenchman, georgie, house, john, lyon, miniature, necklace, petra |
My birthday was nearly a month ago, but it's not over yet.
Petra's gift arrived yesterday.
Petra has already sent an assortment of Dutch houses and shops, so now that she's in Leon, it looks I will have at least one representing France.
Love the Frenchman that came with it, carrying it's bread on a bicycle.
I love my birthday present!
Along with this miniature house, I should add that Georgie also gave me something small, but sweet.
Two dolphins to hang ... Read More
Posted By Xerraire On Saturday, June 8th 2013 In Featured, Personal | Tags: 3d, cornucopia, free, landscape, pioneer, programs, renders, software, vue, vue 11 |
It's happened again, I found another landscape program to play with.
It all started with John and I talking about 3d printers, the programs and software needed for the printers, and then a search for 3d programs. I found Vue 11 by Cornucopia.
It has a free download and many optional extras.
This is what I get before reading the manual, hopefully I improve. :)
Download yours!
... Read More
Posted By Xerraire On Saturday, June 8th 2013 In News Items | Tags: jim bridenstine, list, president obama, scandals, video, you tube |
Speaking on the House floor Monday, Rep. Jim Bridenstine (R-Okla.) delivered a brief-yet-scathing review of President Barack Obama and his administration. In just over a minute, Bridenstine rattled off the lengthy list of scandals and missteps FELONIES that have occurred under President Obama.
I guess we can consider ourselves lucky it could be done in just one minute.
... Read More
Posted By Xerraire On Friday, June 7th 2013 In News Items | Tags: adolf hitler, documents, goebbels, google, hacker, himmler, holocaust, president obama, skype, verizon, yahoo, you tube |
As I use a popular chat program to talk to my husband each day, I now have to contemplate if I really want to. Surely you've heard the stories? Government now able to know your every move on Skype, You Tube, Google mail, Yahoo mail, Verizon phone...
Very few people are aware of this, but there is no document -- not one -- linking Adolf Hitler to the Holocaust. Why not? Because Hitler didn't need to sign a document ordering the ... Read More
Posted By Xerraire On Wednesday, June 5th 2013 In News Items | Tags: audit, dance videos, doug shulman, gilligans island, irs, jon stewart, obama administration, obamacare, parodies, sarah hall ingram, scandal, star trek |
So if there is a funny way to look at yet another Obama Administration Scandal, Jon Stewart draws humor from the tables being turned on the IRS.
Stewart savaged the IRS for its secretive closed door meetings, targeting of U.S. citizens, and the wasting of millions of taxpayer dollars on idiotic dance videos, Star Trek and Gilligan’s Island parodies that look like amateur porn setups, and other madcap hijinx.
Stewart downplays a few things in the video, like former IRS head Doug ... Read More
Posted By Xerraire On Monday, June 3rd 2013 In News Items | Tags: ap phone records, bankruptcies, benghazi, clueless, cover-up, crony, fast and furious, green energy, gun running, irs enemies list, mexico, president obama, spying |
It's beyond believable what he doesn't know.
... Read More
Posted By Xerraire On Sunday, June 2nd 2013 In Featured, Personal | Tags: 3 years old, drawing, family, happy, picture, Rubí |
"The bond that links your true family is not one of blood, but of respect and joy in each other's life."
~Richard Bach ~
Today, our 3 year old Rubí created her FIRST drawing, and I think it's pretty GOOD!
A drawing of her family.
The artist poses with her work. ... Read More
Posted By Xerraire On Saturday, June 1st 2013 In Featured, General, Personal | Tags: apples, australia, Barb, golden delicious, john, lady williams, pink lady, western australia |
My husband tells me I am his favorite Pink Lady, but I know he has another...
I miss him so much that when I was shopping with mom yesterday, I couldn't help but pause to see a display of John's favorite apples, the Pink Lady.
Taken with my cell phone, the produce department at Food Lion
You don't see this variety of apples everywhere and they are relatively new to our stores. More supermarkets do seem to be carrying them, and they ... Read More
Posted By Xerraire On Friday, May 31st 2013 In Featured, Personal | Tags: bed, birthday, cookies, honey, nite nite, pinterest, Rubí, Silas, teddy bears, teddy grahams |
While Rubí turned 3, I was in Australia. When I returned home and I was looking at the photos of her blowing out her candles, she pouted at me, "Nana, you weren't HERE!"
Fortunately, I already had a plan before I left Australia. Inspired by a pin on Pinterest, I had planned to make a special cookie for her and Silas. They looked so cute, I was sure I would be forgiven for missing the birthday party.
So using Teddy Grahams for the ... Read More
Posted By Xerraire On Wednesday, May 29th 2013 In News Items | Tags: 1984, big brother, data, george orwell, government, national security agency, spying, zattabyte |
Returned from Australia and BACK TO OUR REGULARLY SCHEDULED PROGRAMMING.
Remember when Gigabyte seemed too much to understand?
The zettabyte is a multiple of the unit byte for digital information. The prefix zetta indicates the seventh power of 1000 and means 1021 in the International System of Units (SI), and therefore one zettabyte is one sextillion (one long scale trilliard) bytes. The unit symbol is ZB.
1 ZB = 1000000000000000000000bytes = 10007bytes = 1021bytes = 1000exabytes.
A related unit, the zebibyte (ZiB), using a ... Read More
Posted By Xerraire On Saturday, May 18th 2013 In Featured, Personal | Tags: beam me up, good-byes, heaven, sad, transporters |
Everyone that knows me well, knows I stink at good-byes. I get misty weeks before the actual good-bye events.
I love being around loved ones. That's it. Good-byes usually accompany others prying me off, finger by finger, not willing to let go.
Not wealth, not anything can take the place of being around those you love all the time.
Being surrounded to those who I love the most, all the time, is the closest thing to heaven, I feel, that we can have ... Read More
Posted By Xerraire On Friday, May 17th 2013 In Featured, Personal | Tags: airport, auckland, fog, middle earth, money, new zealand, sunrise, sunset, time, waiting |
“For a while" is a phrase whose length can't be measured.At least by the person who's waiting.”
― Haruki Murakami, South of the Border, West of the Sun
If saying good-bye to my husband, being injured and worried, and a long trip ahead of me wasn't tragic enough, I had a 15 hour wait for my flight out of New Zealand. I think it's pretty bad when you arrive before sunrise and leave way past sundown, but that seems to ... Read More
Posted By Xerraire On Thursday, May 16th 2013 In Featured, Personal | Tags: book, fortune cookies, Hillary's boat harbor, mothers day, orchids of western australia, oriental food, sunset, wok in a box |
Not sure how it happened, but we bought our first book together and it was declared my Mother's Day present. Orchids of Western Australia
Then John suggested we go to Hillary's Boat Harbor, which I loved the idea.
I love the area, the shopping, the eateries. A lot of Moms were there.
Dolphins sculpture at Hillary's, it's also a wishing well.
It was shaping up to be a nice sunset.
Ripples made by a passing boat.
Hungry, yet no ... Read More
Posted By Xerraire On Monday, May 13th 2013 In Featured, Personal | Tags: alan, Barb, dad, flowers, graham, hilda may, iris, john, mothers day |
I missed my own mom and my children on this day, but it was sweet to spend it with John. I got told Happy Mother's Day very early in the morning by the man I love and I sunk into his arms all smiles.
The plan was to go to Dad and Iris's early, but unknown to me was the other plan to go to the Cemetery where John's mother is laid to rest.
Immediately I became aware that the cemetery was ... Read More
Posted By Xerraire On Monday, May 13th 2013 In Featured, Personal | Tags: 50 pounds, airlite, Barb, birthday, injury, john, orange, samsonite, shower, suitcase, travel |
Since my birthday and my time here coming to a close was in the same week, the day was a bit of an emotional roller coaster. Won't do that again.
But it was also very happy, it was my FIRST birthday in Australia!
John, in spite of the infinite about of hints given to him, didn't know what to give me for my birthday. Finally, that morning, I gave him a long list. Didn't really get any of it, though we looked. ... Read More
Posted By Xerraire On Monday, May 13th 2013 In Featured, Personal | Tags: Barb, john, kangaroos, whiteman park |
John drives home from work past Whiteman Park and often sees kangaroos at that time of day.
So on his day off, we went by at around the same time...
... Read More
Posted By Xerraire On Monday, May 13th 2013 In Featured, Personal | Tags: Barb, bottlebrush flower, daisy, john, john forrest, kangaroo, national park, waterfall, wild |
After nearly a week of rain, John and I thought we would make one more trip to John Forrest National Park, in the hopes that with all the rain, we might actually have a waterfall to look at.
28 Parrots were there in the picnic area.
I loved watching them parade around the picnic tables.
Catching them in flight is fun too.
These two seemed to be having a disagreement over a gumnut.
Lovely in the tree.
Arriving at the ... Read More
Posted By Xerraire On Monday, May 6th 2013 In Featured, Personal | Tags: black faced cuckoo shrike, grebe, heron, pardalote, whiteman park, willie wagtail |
And God said, “Let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the heavens.” Genesis 1:20
First part of the chair project done, it was time to do something fun. We have a list of things we wish to do and one by one scratching them off. Bird watching is something we like to do. So off to the Whiteman Park Bird hide and Eric Singleton Bird Sanctuary we went.
... Read More
Posted By Xerraire On Sunday, May 5th 2013 In Featured, Personal | Tags: Barb, chair, dad, dining room, fabric, foam, john, mom, sanding, upholstery |
John and I decided each time I am in Perth that we should take on a project, like the last time it was the kitchen floor. We were online when we discussed the next project. Since airplane tickets are so much money, getting new furniture all the time is out of the question. John had two sets of tables and chairs given to him, both old, and one set was one too many. We decided which table to keep and ... Read More
Posted By Xerraire On Tuesday, April 30th 2013 In Featured, Personal | Tags: 2013, armstrong siddeley, bill cosby, car, chevrolet deluxe, citroen, classic, daimler, delorean, GT40, holden, humber, lotus, mini moke, model t, mustang, rover p3, shelby cobra, show, tail end charlie, the bandit, the chev blitz, tintin, tractor, vauxhall velox, whiteman park, whiteman park classic car show |
Whiteman Park is a beautiful place and just the area alone would be an attraction for me, but it seems to hosts a lot of events and always seems to have an emphasis on children. Last weekend though, they held the Classic Car show.
The largest display of collectible vehicles can be seen at the Classic Car Show which caters for a wide range of motoring enthusiasts in Western Australia. Each year the show attracts around 1 000 cars and ... Read More
Posted By Xerraire On Sunday, April 28th 2013 In Featured, Personal | Tags: australian rules, australian rules football, Barb, footy, georgie, john, matt |
Georgie likes Aussie rules and her son Matt plays, so I was curious what the game was like. Georgie invited John and I to watch her son play, so we went.
The game's objective is to move the ball downfield and kick the ball through the team's goal. The main way to score points is by kicking the ball between the two tall goal posts. The team with the higher total score at the end of the match wins.
A goal, worth ... Read More
Posted By Xerraire On Thursday, April 25th 2013 In Featured, Personal | Tags: anzac day, Barb, birds, biscuits, chocolates, cookies, jamie, jeff, john, kangaroo paw, lullfitz, nursery, pink fairy orchid, pizza, skyrim, watercolor, World of Warcraft |
Anzac Day Cookies
Anzac Day is a national day of remembrance in Australia and New Zealand that broadly commemorates all Australians and New Zealanders "who served and died in all wars, conflicts, and peacekeeping operations" and "the contribution and suffering of all those who have served." Originally 25 April every year was to honour the members of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) who fought at Gallipoli in the Ottoman Empire during World War I. Anzac Day is ... Read More
Posted By Xerraire On Tuesday, April 23rd 2013 In Featured, Personal | Tags: banksia, bird, Eucalyptus caesia, garden, silver princess, white cheeked honey eater |
Long before John started calling me "Princess" I admired his photos of this flower. All my other times to Australia, these were not in flower in his garden. I was so happy when I noticed this time around it was starting to show its lovely pink flowers.
Eucalyptus caesia, commonly known as Caesia, Gungurru or Silver Princess, is a mallee of the Eucalyptus genus. It is endemic to the central Wheatbelt region of Western Australia, where it is found on a ... Read More
Posted By Xerraire On Monday, April 22nd 2013 In Featured, Personal | Tags: art deco, Barb, brockman house, bussel family, cat, Chapel of St. Mary and St. George, grace bussell, grammar school, Guildford, heath ledger, john, Roses, sam isaacs, town hall, western australia |
After riding through Guildford some time ago on our way to somewhere else. we decided to return as it looked like a lovely place for photos.
Guildford was established in 1829 on the Swan River, being sited near a permanent fresh water supply. During Captain Stirling's exploration for a suitable site to establish a colony on the western side of the Australian continent in the late 1820s, the exploration party of boats found a fresh water stream across the river from ... Read More
Posted By Xerraire On Tuesday, April 16th 2013 In Featured, Personal | Tags: birthday, cake, candle, cheesecake factory, cvs, enric, jenny, laura, lilac, miquel, miranda, party, party hats |
When you're far from the ones you love, sometimes you just do what you have to do to be with them, especially on important occasions. Enric set it up so that we would Skype when they would celebrate Miranda's actual date of birth, as it seems she already had a sweet weekend to celebrate, which is the Lopez way. So my Tuesday morning in Australia, and the family in Maryland their Monday night, we were off.
It was just getting ... Read More
Posted By Xerraire On Tuesday, April 16th 2013 In Featured, Personal | Tags: aquarium, aqwa, blue devil fish, crayfish, daisy coral, devil fish, lion fish, lobster, moon jellies, ray, sea horse, sea snake, spotted jelly, stone fish, touch pool, turtle pool, western australia |
Continuing from Part 1 of our visit to the Aquarium of Western Australia
Lobsters, called crayfish here, have teeth in their stomach!
I had always admired John's photos of moon jellies in the past. This is my attempt.These animals have no brain, blood or heart!
Spotted Jelly
The Common Lionfish is a spectacular looking fish that has 13 venemous dorsal fin spines.
The Scorpian Fish
Blue Devil Fish
Sea snakes are some of the most venomous snakes in the world! ... Read More
Posted By Xerraire On Tuesday, April 16th 2013 In Featured, Personal | Tags: aquarium, aqwa, clown fish, grey nurse sharks, leafy sea dragon, pineapple fish, shipwreck coast, slime, sting ray, weedy sea dragon, western australiam |
So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living thing with which the water teems and that moves about in it, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.
Genesis 1:21
This is only my second visit to the Aquarium here in Western Australia. The first visit was new and sweet, but this second visit seemed to give us more time to explore.
AQWA is divided into five ... Read More
Posted By Xerraire On Sunday, April 14th 2013 In Featured, Personal | Tags: carnival, children sand, Hillary's boat harbor, L.I.T., lights, perth, rides, sunset, western australia |
We weren't sure it was a good night to get sunset photos with all the clouds, but we thought Hillary's would be a good place to try. Even if the sunset wasn't a great one, there are other things to do at Hillary's Boat Harbor.
Been here a few times and never noticed that little lighthouse.
There started to be a little color in spite of the thick clouds.
Loved the color on the wet sand.
Then it got ... Read More
Posted By Xerraire On Sunday, April 14th 2013 In Featured, Personal | Tags: australia, Barb, dining room chair, john, porch, rainbow, sanding, skies, verandah |
I call it a porch, John calls it a verandah.
The view across the street while sitting on the porch.
John sanding the dining room chairs, our project this year.
The view from the side of the porch.
One morning, a rainbow.
Another day's view across the street.
What's growing in the yard.
One of many Banksias. ... Read More
Posted By Xerraire On Monday, April 8th 2013 In Featured, Personal | Tags: Barb, blue crab, boat, canals, crow, cruise, dolphin, john, kisses, mandurah, signs, silly, tour |
We should have known we were in for a silly day the way it started.
Earlier in the week, John received a call from a fellow who was interested in buying one of his photos. They were settling on price and a place to meet for delivery, how many photos and what size, and then John found out where he lived, in Mandurah. Instead of meeting somewhere or having the man come here to pick it up, John offered to take ... Read More
