IT’S BEEN A GREAT YEAR.
OLIVE’S SIXTY FIRST POST
Olive
Good morning everyone. I’ve feeling much better after my transfusion. Not 100% but certainly better.
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Mike
I brought Ollie a pie this morning as promised. And she nibbled at it.
Olive
It was very good.
Mike
I also bought a vegetarian one for Katya. She’s off meat these days
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Olive
I bet she loved that!
Mike
Then, inexplicable, I bought a third pie, a Beef Burgundy. I think I just liked the “b” cut into the crust.
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Olive
You must’ve wanted it yourself.
Mike
Absolutely not! Though after a while the “b’ began to look like a mocking face and I did the only thing one can do with a disrespectful pie.
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Olive
You ate it?
Mike
No, I consumed it.
Olive
Same thing, seems to me.
Mike
Moving right along, the only thing I consider more dangerous than an Aussie pie is a…..
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Mike
In a few days it will be the first anniversary of our blog, Ollie and I.
If you can remember back that far, we began in activist mode. We were very worried about Johnny Bosco’s lettuces.
Olive
What’s happened to Johnny?
Olive
Tell you in a sec, Luv. ……………..
Johnny was a local lettuce farmer, folks He was growing his lettuces hydoponically, and the local council decided that that his land was not zoned for that activity.
He could grow them in the ground, they said, but not on the tables he’d set up.
I won’t go into the whole sad story of bureaucratic bungling , but Ollie and I were incensed.
Olive
I was too!
Mike
Here was delicious produce grown for us locals and Council put the Kybosh on it, expecting us to buy lettuces from China or somewhere, I guess.
We’d just begun but still we got together outside Nina’s little shop and planned a blog campaign
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That’s Nina’s little shop, McMaster’s Beach, famous for miles around
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And here’s Ollie spinning the wishing wheel which used to stand outside. You tied on a bit of colored ribbon, made a wish and spun..
I think you can still ask for the wheel if you have an urgent need to wish. Nina will then trundle it out.
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I assume Olive was spinning for Johnny and his lettuces. Sadly, that wish didn’t work. But mine did.
I guess I can reveal that wish now.
It was that Ollie would be still with us a year on… and she is!
That’s one of Johnny’s lettuces, by the way, one of the last.
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And here’s the lettuce patch in it’s glory and Johnny.
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And Johny again with our girl, then a mere 107. You’re doing your usual victory salute, Ollie, prematurely as it turned out.
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I’ve just phoned Johnny to find out what’s happened since he was kicked off his land.
The lettuce tables have been moved to Warnervale. He hopes for a rezoning sometime in the future at McMasters.
But don’t hold your breath, he said.
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He was so glad to hear that you were still kicking, by the way.
Anyway, we’re still got our various causes going. Ollie and I.
At the moment they’re wind and song .
We are keen to get everyone singing, though Ollie insist it’s painful to hear her croaking, which is nonsense of course.
Olive
I do croak!
Mike
Here’s she’s singing with Christina who keeps us all as close to pitch as possible.
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…………………………..Actually, a creeping envy had been growing in me ever since I visited my cousin, Jonty, up at Wingham.
I found that he’d joined a Thursday night choir of locals and was having an ridiculously good time. I was very jealous.
And they were not even singing in English! (My cousin’s the one with the white Abe Lincoln beard)
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……………………Anyway, we’re singing as a family now.
Katya already sings very well but in Russian. Here she is with Vladimir Sobolev, the well known portrait painter who painted Olive many months ago.
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Then, singing got a further boost when I found some old footage from the Cook islands.I’d made friends with folks in an evangelical choir there, and just loved this song, Joy in my Heart.
Finding the tape again after fifteen years in storage, as fresh as the day it was recorded on my very first video camera, was a thrill which was meant to happen.
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If the people of this world just learned each other’s songs and then sang them together, just imagine what a mess that would make of wars.And in fact, one Xmas night in 1915, enemies did sing together, men who’d hours before had been killing each other.
This song may take some time to download but persevere. It will thrill you with it’s beauty and sentiment.
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Mike
So, you see we’ve got quite modest goals, merely to stop war with song
And here’s Ollie with her most popular number, also from the same war.
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So, that’s our campaign of song.
Our other campaign concerns the wind. It’s an ill wind, they say, which blows nobody any good.
The truth is a well behaved wind can blow a lot of us a lot of good if we let it
If you have not looked at this clever ad. you really should. And there’s a connection to Ollie too!.
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Isn’t that clever? Did you guess?
Anway, if you’ve been keeping up, you know Ollie got curious about a wind farm to be built near where she grew up in the Broken Hill area, a really big one.
My guess is that it will look a bit like this one in Spain, at least the opening images.
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Ollie’s wind farm is going to be in much more remote country. It’ll have 500 turbines eventually for a cost of 2 billion.
How she’s going to pay for it, we haven’t worked that out yet.
Olive
Pay for it?
Mike
Just a joke, Ollie.
Hey, I just discovered another great use for wind that’s making a sort of come back.
Huge kites are helping drag tankers through the sea.
Olive
I seen pictures of those.
Mike
And I’ve found a video.
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Mike
As we came to the end of our get together, Ollie and I, two wind bags, shooting the breeze, Ollie showed that she was back to indeed 100%, perhaps even 110% .
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Friday, February 15th, 2008 at 7:20 am
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23 Responses to “IT’S BEEN A GREAT YEAR.”
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February 15th, 2008 at 9:12 am
Hi Mike and Ollie, hope you have a bit of sun up your way, Sydney has been W.E.T. for so long I think I’m getting webbed feet ! Wasn’t the story about the kites pulling big ships amazing? Talk about lateral thinking, how do the designers do it? There was an item on the news the other day about the Silverton wind farm, and I immediately thought, I read about that on Ollies blob!! Should we start a campaign to have it named for Ollie, as a famous citizen of the area? June Bronhill has things named after her already, so I think it may be Ollie’s turn. Just a thought !
Have a look at my blog Mike, I’m taking part in a textile challenge, and the theme for February is “What are you old enough to remember?” Not a patch on Ollie’s blog, but still they’re my childhood memories. Once I started, they just kept pouring out. Now I just have to figure out how to interpret them in stitching !!
Wishing you continued happiness Ollie, and to Mike and Katya also.
Hooroo,
Christine in cloudy Sydney Australia
http://missmuffettwo.blogspot.com/
Christine, yes, isn’t it amazing what they are coming up with. I have the feeling that the energy crisis is unleashing great creativity. Great idea of yours about naming the farm after Ollie. I wonder of they’d come at it?
I’m just adding a bit about a shark to the 61st. post. (That is no added as is a wonderful ending monologue from Ollie about wind and Broken Hill. Don’t miss it.
I forgot to mention that I really enjoyed the story about tracking down the other side of Autumn Leaves on your blog. Worh a look, folks! Mike the helper
February 15th, 2008 at 10:21 am
I’m glad you’re on the mend, Ollie. Sending you all the very best get well wishes from Canada.
Congratulations on your first Blog-o-versary!
Mine’s coming up in just over a week.
Thanks, Sarah, but you did not give your blog address and so we can’t go look. Mike the helper
February 15th, 2008 at 9:44 pm
Dear Olive and Mike ~~ Congratulations on your first
blogoversary. We have enjoyed all your stories and songs and photos and videos. Glad you are feeling
better Olive - good for you. Mike you have a beautiful wife, Katya - those lovely blue eyes.
Take great care all of you, Love and best wishes
to you all. I mentioned the anniversary on my blog
tonight, (15th) Cheers, Merle.
Don’t miss Merle’s s blog folks, It’s magic, full of wonderful jokes too! My two favorites are “teeth” and discovering the high school friend, now a dentist. Mike the helper
February 16th, 2008 at 4:25 am
Hello Mike, Katya and Ollie. Great stories today. Loved the singing. Congrats on a year of blogging. Cheers!!
February 16th, 2008 at 10:20 am
Hello Mike, Ollie, and all,
Happy blogaversary! Here’s to many more years!
I’m glad to hear that Ollie is back up to snuff, and Mike, you must be taking your ‘chipper’ pills! Your humor on the Aussie pies story was so picturesque. I could almost see you devouring that baby.
The 1915 Christmas song was so hauntingly beautiful! Could hear a tinge of an Irish brogue.
We’ve had a LOT of winter this year. Snow, sub freezing weather, more snow, more sub cold, more snow….well, you get the picture. Seems this is the worst winter in our area in many a year. Speaking for myself, I am soooo ready for any tiny sign of Spring, but alas, we have at the least, another month of winter to endure.
We have wind farms here in Wisconsin, and on a trip back from South Dakota last year, we were coming through Iowa and came upon the largest wind farm we’d ever seen. Windmills as far as the eye could see. It was the most awesome sight! We detoured off the main road to get a closer look and when we got out, all we could hear was a gentle whoop, whoop, whoop as the propellers twirled in the wind. The traffic on that side road was louder than the turbines. Got a couple pictures of the farm, but they can’t do justice to what our eyes took in.
Everyone take care of yourselves and try to avoid that flu bug that seems to be hitting a lot of people.
Sandy
Sandy, thanks for the great word picture of a large wind farm in action. We would like to see the photos of you want to send them., I gather the fears about noise are pretty much unfounded. Your letter is also good for people round Singleton who may be having some doubts. One can understand that any change is scary , but we have to go down this path to cut our reliance on coal which we know is fills the air with greenhouse gases. Thanks agian for taking the trouble to describe how the turbines actually feel. Ollie will be interested. Mike the helper
February 16th, 2008 at 11:45 pm
Mike, you ate one anyway! I hope someone smacked your hand for that-just a little ;o)
So sad about Johnny, it’s always beaureaucracy, isn’t it? I’m hoping he’ll be re-zoned.
All that singing! I come from a long line of singers. We would get together in the car - mom, grandma, grandpa and I - and sing all the best songs together. I was on the phone just last night with my mom-in-law singing “Mare’s Eat Oats” -fun.
Happy, Happy Anniversary to one of the most wonderful “couples” I know. I’m thrilled that Oliie is still here - and you, dear Mike - you make this all possible and it’s so great to read about Ollie and you. Thank you for bringing her to us.
Indeed, I did succumb and ate the darn thing, Anne But is a rare event these days, me and a pie making whoopie. Johnny did sound cheerful enough so there must be other things on the go. He promised to tell me.
Bing with Ollie is rollercoaster-ish. She gets down, one goes down, and up she comes again, like as kite swooping up. Mike the helper
February 17th, 2008 at 2:08 am
Ollie,
How nice that I found you through Merle’s blog. I think I’ve visited here once before. I love the way you have this all decorated with the black and roses. Your header is absolutely stunning.
Congratulations on your Blogoversary. A year is a real milestone in blogland.
Glad you are feeling better, Ollie. I hope you continue to have that beautiful sparkle in your eye and a song in your heart.
Mike, please drop over to my blog and pick up a Blogoversary gift that I’ve left for you and Ollie. I wish you many more happy times together.
Blessings,
Mary
I wish you I knew how you made that lovely card with roses, Mary. Anyway thanks from both of us. Eric will print it out and show it to her. Mike the helper
February 17th, 2008 at 4:23 am
Hi Mike and Olive - Greetings from Michigan. Happy blogoversary to you! I am here from Mary’s blog and have really enjoyed my visit. Olive is an inspiration and thanks to Mike for helping!
February 17th, 2008 at 7:39 am
Mike,
I used Photo Suite 4 to make the card. You can also use Paint Shop or Photo Shop, which are all computer software.
Thanks for being such a great help to Olive.
Blessings to both of you.
Mary
February 17th, 2008 at 4:01 pm
Dear Ollie and Mike,
Happy “Blogging” Anniversary! I’ve been reading your blog over the past year and it always puts a smile on my face and sometimes tears in my eyes. I’m so thrilled to have met you both through your blog. I would love to be able to sing but I can’t carry a tune worth anything. But I do love listening to people sing and play music together. I am celebrating a significant anniversary this year as well, 40 years living in Canada, though it could easily have been 40 years in Australia, had my mother decided to take us kids down under instead of up here. Thanks Mike for making the blog possible, and Ollie, please stay well and keep on blogging. Wishing you all the very best and a happy anniversary once again. Lots of love to you both from Victoria, Canada. Elena
February 18th, 2008 at 5:57 am
Dear Olive and Mike!
I just hopped in to wish you a great and happy anniversary!:)
I remember the very first visit on the blob a year ago and you had the second post about the lettuce man. Since than you have put lots of great stories about the past it was a pleasure to read all of them. By the way I remember the time when Olive went to eat thai at Avoca beach and that moment you decided to give a certificate to restaurants or other interests what she would like to protect. I recall that somebody made that certificate as well. What happened with that? Have you given out more?
Right now in Hungary a company is planning to build 3 big windmill farms. So far there are only experiments in different points of the country with 1-2 towers.
Well Happy Birthday again for the blob and I wish to celebrate together next year in good health!:)
Take care and hugs,
Attila
February 18th, 2008 at 3:27 pm
Dear Olive and Mike - happy belated Blogiversary to you both. Great timing to have a succession of celebrations with the profound and moving Sorry Day on 13 Feb, then St Vals on 14 and then your own anniversary. You keep great company and are great company and illumination on the web. I think everything is looking a little brighter now!
Go well, stay well
Clare
February 18th, 2008 at 7:47 pm
Oh, dear, it’s been a year already?
Dear Ollie and Mike, happy anniversary to you!
Ollie, hope you do well! Keep blogging and give us some great reading for many-many years!
Love,
Vica
February 19th, 2008 at 2:55 am
Happy Blogaversary!!!
And I’m glad to hear that you’re feeling better.
I loved the pictures.
Cas
February 19th, 2008 at 5:48 am
Hello Olive and Mike,
Happy Anniversary and best wishes from Seattle,WA! Your site is one of the best treasures on the Web.
I’ve forwarded your videos on wind farms to my whole family. We’re interested in it for our family farm down on the Texas Gulf Coast. I think the main concern is that it not interfere with all the birds that migrate through the area, but I think we can make it work.
Olive, I hope you continue to feel better and share your thoughts and stories with us. And, Mike, thank you for sharing Olive and yourself with us. You are both wonderful!
Warm wishes,
Sarah
Thanks for the texas wind farm news, Sarah. ollie will be interested. Mike the helper.
February 19th, 2008 at 9:06 am
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!!!! Here’s to another great year of Ollie stories!!!
February 19th, 2008 at 3:45 pm
Dear Olive & Mike..
Happy Anniversary!!
I am so glad to know that you are better ..
:)
February 20th, 2008 at 4:35 pm
Belated blog anniversary wishes on your first! Sorry to read you were ‘under the weather’ a bit, but glad the transfusion picked you up.
Haven’t been doing much blogging for awhile partially due a trip during the holidays, then to battling some “bugs” of my own
Those pies surely do look good. Just read airlines may finally come up with some low fares to Australia from Los Angeles, California in USA, so everybody will want to come and get some pies and meet you.
Waiting for your visit, Mike and Ollie
February 24th, 2008 at 2:31 pm
One year of posting and looking forward of reading more.
I like the song “Joy in my heart”
February 24th, 2008 at 10:03 pm
Hello Olive and Mike,
That’s a wonderful photo of Katya eating her pie and I enjoyed her Russian song with the guitar player.
I’m so glad to hear you’re feeling better Ollie and have loved listening to your songs. Keep singing please! Those pies look so tempting. I don’t know how you could resist Mike…and I’m sure you didn’t
It’s amazing to think that a year has passed already since that first blog.
Keep on enjoying life Ollie!
Love and warm wishes for your anniversary,
Kerri
February 25th, 2008 at 2:46 am
Hey Olive and Mike…
Just wanted to stop by to say hi and great job on a wonderful blog!!
All my love and well wishes,
Elena
February 25th, 2008 at 7:36 am
Hi!! Wowww, you’ve posted a video of Spain. Thank you! Hehehe. Mike, those pies look absolutely delicious. I wish I could eat one of them. By the way: the “B” sign looks like a mocking face to me aswell. It’s been a year… it looks like it was yesterday to me. Time moves way too fast, don’t you think? Anyway, as you say, it’s been a great year. If I could make a wish on that wishing wheel it would be many more good years to come.
February 25th, 2008 at 10:33 am
Happy one year anniversary, Ollie and Mike. I haven’t been around as much lately, work’s been interfering with the quality of my life. Can’t wait until retirement on 30 April…yippee! then I can let loose.
Take care