The Quick News Post
OLIVE’S TWENTY-FIFTH POST
Mike
Hi, everyone, some very quick news. Olive did not take part in the Five Lands Walk. She was sick during the night before and she felt it better that she not go out. She was terribly disappointed, feeling she’d let us down.
“Nonsense,” I said “Your health always comes first, Ollie. We don’t take chances with someone who’s 107 and an inspiration to the world with her blog, or blob as you call it.”
In any case the walk itself was cancelled, the track too muddy. But there was art and music along the way and you’ll see photos when Olive sees them.
Avoca Beach became quite quite creative for the day. It’s nice when a community does something together . Have any of you found us on Google Earth?
On July 2nd. Ollie flies to Queensland to stay with relatives for two weeks and so there may not be a blog for a while. She’s promised to bring back photos, especially of a visit to the school of her great great grandkids which is planned apparently.
In the meantime, speaking of images, a Russian painter who’s a friend of ours, Vladimir Sobelev, has done a brilliant formal portrait of Olive, the sort that will hang in a museum someday. He took photos of her a year ago in preparation for the portrait.
(You can learn about Vlad. at www.vladamirsobelev.com/)
It is almost finshed I gather. Here’s Olive’s head as seen by Vladimir. He has painted her full figure so there is more to come.
………………………
………………………We know that you are especially interested in Ollie’s memories of the past.
I discovered an interesting book the other day, The Myth of the Great Depression by David Potts, a Melbourne writer.
…………………..
………………………Davd looks at the Depression in Australia by means of 500 interviews which were done with depression survivors in the sixties. He concludes that the Great Depression, in Australia at least, was not as bad as it was elsewhere.
There are many reasons, amongst them because people were very resourceful in growing vegetables, keeping chooks, etc. to feed themselves.
Secondly, they helped each other a lot as was part of the mateship code. And thirdly, because of the strong unions Australia had, the pay scales had been relatively high in the years before, and people had been able to save for that rainy day.
I thought it would be interesting to read Olive parts of the book and see how the stories recounted therein accord with her own memories.
I’ve now started that process so soon you’ll hear of expressions like; “the moonlight flit, “dropping your bundle” “wagga blankets” and “bullocky tart.”
Olive has her set piece stories, like catching the ragman, which I’ve heard many times. But I’m hoping that this book might prise forgotten memories out of that dear old head.
I’ll never forget the day I heard the expression; giving a boy a “blue duck” for the first time. From Olive of course!
Try and find the meaning on the internet. There’s a prize for the first person with the correct answer, a copy of Olive’s movie, All about Olive.
By the way, Mandie won. Several of you were right but she was first . See comments.
Now, another comp. A copy of the film for the most inventive explanation, can be farcical, for Bullocky tart.
Sunday, June 24th, 2007 at 2:46 pm
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26 Responses to “The Quick News Post”
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June 24th, 2007 at 3:39 pm
hi all.
i have been following the blog since it began (i came across a link for it a while back) and have loved every story, every picture… i really feel like my outlooks on quite a few things have been expanded, if just by a bit, through reading about Olive’s adventures, her positive and often witty outlooks and all.
i liked having the challenge of searching for the meaning of the “blue duck” saying, and believe i may be onto something perhaps. at least i hope so because i have been very much trying to figure out how to see the movie but read somewhere it can’t be sent to the U.S., though i may be incorrect on that fact.
i found that a “blue duck” refers to a venture that has failed or flopped.
i hope i’m right! haha
take care, Olive!
-Majal from the South
Not quite right Majal. See below. At least that’s not Olive’s definition Mike
June 24th, 2007 at 7:39 pm
Hi Ollie and Mike,
Sorry to hear that you were feeling a bit poorly Ollie - sending get well wishes your way!
Now..this blue duck business, all that I can find so far is this;
blue duck - a venture that has failed - a flop.
I think I’ll continue searching!!
June 24th, 2007 at 8:09 pm
Found it!!
1. blue duck
According to 107 year old Olive Riley, born in Broken Hill in 1899, blue duck was what you did when you stood up a boy you’d promised go out with.
Yes, you are the winner, Mandie. First with the right answer. Mike
June 24th, 2007 at 8:57 pm
Sorry to hear Ollie’s not feeling well. Ollie, I hope you get well, soon!
That was a very good challenge, Mike. I believe I have an answer for you. If the boy is given a blue duck, that would mean that she was supposed to have met the boy for a date of some sort, but for some reason, didn’t, and so Ollie gave this boy (who would be the one waiting for her) a blue duck.
That was a great challenge for this former linguistics student! Thanks for making me cudgel my brains!
Lyn F., Durham, NC, US
June 24th, 2007 at 10:42 pm
Is it: An Australian saying for something that’s so outrageous nobody would ever agree to accept it – something that gives you a churning feeling when you see it.
June 24th, 2007 at 10:52 pm
I Googled Blue Duck and found it was a duck in New Zealand but knowing Olive I hardly think this is the correct answer. I check every day for a new Blob. Enjoy it so much as I am a mere baby(55) from Alabama in the USA. Kathy
Sorry I cant aSWER YOU All. i’M AWAY FROM HOME AND THIS MACHINE IS VERY SLOW. mIKE
June 24th, 2007 at 10:57 pm
I found it!!! She stood up a boy she was supposed to go out with! Thank goodness. I thought it was something much worse she had done to him. Kathy from Alabama.
June 24th, 2007 at 11:23 pm
Hi to Ollie and Mike, a blue duck was a term used when a girl stood a boy up I believe.
June 25th, 2007 at 12:27 am
I looked for it - but nothing came up that seemed to be related. Tell Olive I’m sorry she was ill, but since the walk was cancelled, there’s no harm done. I look forward to the photos to come.
June 25th, 2007 at 2:13 am
Hi Olive, I hope you are feeling better! The portrait is lovely.
“blue duck” - I found a definition for this on only one website (I looked at dozens). http://www.dagree.net/aussieslang/ lists a blue duck to mean a dissapointment or a mistake. Not sure what it means to give someone a blue duck though.
June 25th, 2007 at 3:06 am
Giving a boy a blue duck is promising to go out with him then standing him up, I believe.
-Scott from Woodbridge, VA, USA
June 25th, 2007 at 3:16 am
Hi Olive and Mike,
I’ve been reading the “blob” for awhile now, but this is my first comment. I’ve greatly enjoyed reading about Olly’s life and her unique perspective on the 20th century. Thanks to both of you for putting the blog out!
I found a definition for giving someone a blue duck on http://www.urbandictionary.com. They actually cite Olly! Here’s the link: http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=blue+duck.
Have a great day!
June 25th, 2007 at 5:33 am
Ha! I found it! It means to stand someone up. Here’s the link: http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=blue+duck
Do I win???
I’d love Olive’s movie! You just can’t get it here.
Sarah in Canada
June 25th, 2007 at 3:40 pm
Hi Ollie and Mike…good to see you again. A blue duck…when I saw that I had visions of a certain part of a bloke’s anatomy that had been…oh never mind…heheh!
A bullocky tart…well, let me see. How about a saucy bovine flashing her…um…udders!
June 26th, 2007 at 8:15 am
Bullocky Tart?? That sounds like what we’d call a cow pie - what you scrape from your boot after you’ve been in the pasture!! Olive, thanks for taking care of yourself ~ for us! I know you’ll have many more opportunities to get out. Don’t risk your precious health.
Mary in North Carolina, USA
Mary. yours is the best so far. But we’ll keep this open for a bit and see what comes in. Mike the helper.
June 27th, 2007 at 8:58 pm
Hi Mike and Ollie,
I actually saw this new posting before anyone had commented. I was getting ready to be reply number 1 (kind of exciting), but a friend dropped by the house and we went out for a cold one, and I totally forgot to get back until today. Oh well…maybe next time.
Sorry to hear about the walk and Ollie feeling poorly. We’ll all be looking forward to the pics you have.
Congrats to Mandie (reply 3) for her winning the prize. I was just beginning the search when the friend and the pub called me away.
Not like you Eric! Glad to know that you speak of “cold ones” there in Florida too. Our parlance as well. Mike the helper
June 29th, 2007 at 3:32 am
Hi Ollie! Hi Mike!
Greetings from Salt Lake City, Utah, USA!
Thank you both for a wonderful “blob”! I love to stop by every few days and check in on you. Keep up the good work!
Ollie, I hope you’re feeling better by now, and looking forward to a pleasant trip next week!
I hope to see your film one day!
Best wishes of Love and Sucess!
Thanks for the kind message. Ron. Olllie has been in hospital. Comes out today I think. We’ll hope she’s Ok. Mike the helper
Ron Hyer
Salt Lake City, UT
July 1st, 2007 at 10:40 am
Mike, I think you should get in touch with Peter Oakley…
http://www.youtube.com/user/geriatric1927
http://www.askgeriatric.com/
…and arrange either a taped telephone call or a video conference between Olive and Peter to be posted to YouTube. Now that would be cool. Best regards from sopping wet Central Texas (it’s been raining for days now).
Don, have a look at the latest post. Mike
July 1st, 2007 at 12:55 pm
Olive- I’m a single mother in Bellingham, Washington, USA, and just want you to know you’re an inspiration. Thank you for this gem of a blog.
Athena, so lovely you found us. and thanks for the kind words. Let’s hope olive is abck on dech soon. Mike the helper
July 2nd, 2007 at 2:21 am
Hello Ollie and Mike..and crew! What a lovely ‘blob-blog’ for a Sunday reader to chance upon. Someone sent me a link and I followed it and have had a great giggle, learned several things I didn’t know about people, and Aus and have just sat here with a grin on my face for 10 minutes. Thanks so much for your reminiscences and colourful depictions of life past, Ollie. I am an amateur genealogist, hunting up my familie’s pasts and as I have some around The Entrance, it’s giving me a little more ‘flavour’ to add!
Best Wishes and Keep it coming…Wish I knew you in person…
cheers, from British Columbia, Canada
Marilyn
Maryln, you are one of the first from BC I think. You have relatives near here if I undertand correctly. Good luck with your own digging. Any bloggers in the family? Mike the helper
July 2nd, 2007 at 3:43 am
bullocky tart? Hmmmmmmm.
A transgender lady of the night?
Christina, I hope you don’t mind my script editing. Thats a pretty good description but we’ll wait a bit for some others. Mike the helper
July 3rd, 2007 at 12:13 am
Oh Mike, that YouTube video of Olive is just precious, especially when she’s up dancing at the end…it brought tears to my eyes, wondering what she was thinking and remembering at that time!! Please get better real soon dear Olive!!! The BLOB world needs you:-) PEA from Canada xoxo
July 3rd, 2007 at 8:42 am
mike, that response was a joke and i wouldn’t have been offended if you hadn’t even run it! edit whatever you think appropriate. no worries!
Christina
I thought you’d feel that way, Christina. Mike the sometime editor
July 3rd, 2007 at 2:45 pm
Olive, my thoughts and prayers are going out to you to get well soon. I check your blog everyday and so enjoy reading about your life. Take care and get well real soon.
July 3rd, 2007 at 2:47 pm
I didn’t add but I live in Seattle WA. Again, take care and get well soon. Thank you Mike for such insight into Olive’s life and times.
October 23rd, 2007 at 9:08 pm
I hope this finds Ollie and Mike in a good health these days, although this is for July blog and it is the month of October right now.
I am interested in the film of Ollie’s, but I am Deaf so it’d be necessary to have it either closed-captioned or open-captioned. Is it either closed-captioned or open-captioned?
I love the stories about history of one’s life as it would tell more and more truthful than those “Hollywood’s” movies.