Handstitched

Yeh I agree, but we never take it for granted, it could stop anytime. Our lil ol' 'town only has 1700 people, and the majority are elderly, the original people that were born here, so perhaps thats why we have a bulk billing Dr . But for any specialist care or treatment, we have to travel, thats the downside, the disadvantage of living in the bush. I also agree with SUP, perhaps not to get into it too much, don't want '" polutiks '' clouding the issue HS

We have something similar in Oz , Medicare. Its not perfect, but it 'works''. I can go into our local Dr get treated, and walk out again, no charge, its 'bulk billed'. Not all Dr's can do that, some are private.. . The same goes for most public hospitals. Go in , have a stay, get well, come out and no charge. But for anything like specific surgeries, people end up on a loooong waiting list, thats where its not perfect.I live in the bush, so our "major" public hospital is 70kms away, or Royal Perth Hospital is 3 hrs away. Too far for me. Private hospitals and specialists and Dr's are the money munchers We also have whats called the 'PBS', Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme . A lot of meds are listed on the PBS, so For those on benefits, pensions etc. meds etc. are heavily discounted. Capped around $6.00. But there are a lot of meds that are not on the PBS, and we have to pay full price and can be quite e$xy. HS

I have found that a wood slicker works a little better than a plastic one. I also use the edge of one of my tool handles, like an edger as they have a nice curved shape to get into some awkward places where a round slicker can't quite get into. HS

Why is it that cats just like to lie on stuff. I'll have paper work and other bits and bobs, phones, my glasses on my bed, , my bed is like my '' office desk' and one of my cats would jump up and lie down on it. My dog does the same. My previous dog had the brains to know "o'h theres stuff on the bed, therefore I won't lie down all over it " HS

Perhaps incorporate some leather? , dunno what or how..... Those pics look relaxing HS

@chuck123wapati Hwy Chuck, good to see you're 'baaaaack' Just a quick update, I'm having all sorts of issues with ISP's , 'pooters' and 'teknolagee' atm . ( have a look at 'Pet Peeves' thread) Using public access pooters atm so I won't be on as much as I used to, not for a while at least. Thats the disadvantage of living in the bush. Haven't done much cooking lately either, other than the usual plain ol boring evening meals . All the best, HS

We still have a land line as our mobile phone system is so unreliable , a bit of rain or a bit of strong wind and the signal drops out. The land line is good for emergencies , also good to check for power outages , as that too is an issue in our town. My "Jenny "is on permanent standby. HS

I was totally blown away by the speed it went down , it took literally seconds . God bless those that are tasked to recover the remaining bodies. And then the clean up begins. HS

I know how you feel. My workshop is a 20 x 20 with a few 'island cutting benches' down the centre, a dyeing bench, a few work benches and 4 machines, plus storage , and just when I thought I had plenty of space, it filled up real quick . Now I need a bigger workshop. I keep saying, 'One Powerball', and I'll expand my workshop. Still waiting HS

Thats how I describe our telecommunications atm , laughable . I seem to be in a bit of a 'blackspot'. My friend can get wireless as I said , and her aunt can sort of get it on the other side of the main road, and she's closer to the wireless tower over looking the town, but right where I am, ...nuthing, and neither can my neighbour over the road. Patience is a virtue ...and a PITA , lol HS

Can't help but feel for those that have been lost and their families and friends after the ship hit this historic bridge . When I saw it on the news, it was just shock , horror and disbelief . How on earth could this happen? It seems that the ship had a history of problems . Peace to the Families HS

That was a consideration, until I found out how much it costs. Here in Oz in my patch of the universe, from $170 - 230 p/m ...ouch!!! My complaint that I made with telecommunications authorities has been 'moved up' the list. Get this, here in Oz we have the NBN 'National Broadband Network', fibre optics and wireless internet access. Thats all well and good in the cities, but out here in the bush, its very hit and miss. A friend of mine can get access to her house via wireless, but, I can't get it at my house...and we're in the same street, go figure. I can access Yahoo mail on my ye olde bunky 'pooter at home using 'hot spot 'on an old apple iphone, but here on this fancy state of the art pooter with the most up to date software( public access) , I can't. Yahoo is supposed to send a 'verification code'' to my mobile phone, hit send......waiting waiting...nuthin. Perhaps I'm too from the US , lol. Morse code was more reliable, and faster I'm sure LOL. HS

Naughty cat !!! You should see our lounge suite . I have two cats, one of which likes to use our 'once really nice lounge suite' as a scratching post. HS

I'm still here, still having issues with ISP. Still dealing with communication authorities.....gggrrr

I've only had a little bit of success. My neighbor suggested that I use 'hot spot' on my phone, that I actually use for my eftpos on my computer at home. That worked, but it chews through a lot of data quickly. But when I tried to access my Yahoo acc on a public access computer, yahoo was supposed to send a verification code to my mobile phone, but its not sending a code as it should. Grrrrr!!! HS

@Northmount Thank you for that. I did go onto the AOL site. According to the online chat thingy, AOL don't own Yahoo, but AOL called Yahoo '' a family of companies'', within the AOL brand, apparently. My ISP has cut me off without notifying me. I''ll be lodging a formal complaint with the telecommunications authorities here in Oz . HS

I'm having issues with my provider, so I'm using public access computers. I now have an issue getting into my yahoo account, that I use for business.. I have tried all the phone numbers that yahoo have, mostly in the US , but to no avail. I've tried online chat services, to no avail. How do I contact Yahoo Australia. Is there an email address, or phone number, preferably in Oz to contact Yahoo Australia ?? I have tried the 1800 number, could not be connected. Help HS

Still using public access pooters gggrrrr . My ISP here in Oz, f**ked me around , changed companies, and type of service etc etc., effectively cutting off my service without telling me, I now know why my pooter won't work. Time for a new ISP . HS

One happy customer Those tasty craw fish look very similar to 'Yabbies, 'an Aussie delicacy . We also have Maron, like a fresh water crayfish or lobster, but can only be caught at certain times of the year, with a permit, due to low numbers. We no longer have cheques here in Oz . I only take cash or EFTPOS using a square reader. HS

$150 is cheap . It may inspire you to make other items if you bought it. But I'd be getting it at that price. HS

HS

I'm still here . I am still to get a new 'pooter', still using public access pooters atm . Its one of those 'round to it 'jobs. My pet peeve in my town atm that the power keeps going off. Just a little bit of rain on the power poles and they seem to short out because of the build up of dust, , even causing pole top fires. HS

Very nice indeed

Yeh, oak leaves & acorns are great. One of my fave patterns to carve, that and roses. I use Al Stohlman patterns, but on rare occasions , I 'try' to do them free hand. I am getting a little better- ish. You done a great job on that HS

Yeh, its become a bit too commercialised . You don't have to wait all year to give or do something special for your fave person, it can happen any time. HS