Surprise, Surprise?

I get up in the morning and normally have a plan for the day. Sometimes that changes, perhaps because of the weather, not fitting everything in, asked to do something extra and the occasional surprise.

24th July was one of those surprise days, if you're one of my Facebook friends you would know what happened. I had just collected my two grandchildren from their school, Sue was home early from work, (that's a surprise in itself, but nice). My son Dean and Rachel arrive, I presume to take home Charlotte and Jacob, I have a beer in my hand when in walks Joseph. My Grandson had just arrived from England, everyone else knew about it except me. What a great surprise, happy to admit I cried.


*I was surprised when reading an article last night about fathers and sons, how memories came flooding back of the time I took my son out for his first pint.
Got him a XXXX ..... he didn't like it - so I had it.
Then I got him a Tooheys & then a VB .... he didn't like them either so I had them too..
It was the same with the Kilkenny & Guinness..
By the time we got to the whisky I could hardly push the pram home.

We had some great times while Joe was with us........

After just over four weeks with us, Joe went back home this week,

we really had a good time.

Will miss him, thank you Joe for the surprise.

*I was surprised to read in the paper about this dwarf that got pick pocketed... How could anyone stoop so low..?

I mentioned in my last Blog Questions? Answers?, (can't believe it was 3 months ago) that Sue entered a competition and we were very surprised that she won. The prize was two Square Foot Garden Bed systems and they were installed a few weeks later.

Two months later!!!!! Must be good compost.

Cabbage, varieties of Lettuce, Broccoli, Kale, Peas, Beetroot, Onions, Garlic etc.

Really surprised how well it has grown with it being winter. Although the days have

been around 18-23 deg's, the nights dropped to around 6-8 deg's.

My 'allotment' has been slightly neglected because of the contents of the above, but the Potatoes, Lettuce etc. are doing well but not as well as the 'Square Gardens' system.


*I just read an article on the dangers of drinking. I was so surprised, it scared me!
So that's it!
After today; no more reading.


Over the last few months the Nickisson Family Tree hasn't been growing as well as the vegies above. I have been looking at my outstanding list of 'things to do' and I have just received some certificates ordered a few weeks ago from England.

What surprises (or disappointments) will they bring?

Just opening the first envelope;
Death certificate for Frederick Nickisson, why did I need it? Right, I know he died in 1839 and I'm trying to find more information about his birth.
Marriage certificate for Agnes Fryer. I was searching for her death around 1944 when I found a possible second marriage. Is this the same person?
Emma Nickisson Death certificate. There is conflicting information on the year she died and a quick glance at the certificate, looks as though I got it right. She was only three when she died.
Marriage certificate for James Dobson. This is a complicated issue around his possible desertion from his wife and his possible second marriage. This could be an item for the next Blog as someone out there may be able to help with this one.
The last three certificates are connected to Hannah Nickisson. A few weeks ago I was surprised, but pleased, to have a comment made on a previous Blog from February 2012. Thank you Michael (a relation of Hannah) for correcting me on the date of death and informing me that after Hannah's husband died, she married again. The certificates show more detail about this new information.

It shows that I can be wrong on information added to the Nickisson Family Tree and I appreciate anyone contacting me to allow me to correct/add/change any of that information.

Please don't hesitate to get in touch, I'm happy to be surprised.

I wonder what future surprises will bring?

*The mother-in-law arrives home from shopping and was surprised to find her son-in-law Paddy in a steaming rage and hurriedly packing his suitcase.

"What happened Paddy?" she asked anxiously..

"What happened!! I'll tell you what happened. I sent an email to my wife (your daughter) telling her I was coming home today from my fishing trip. I get home... and guess what I found? Yes, your daughter, my wife Jean, naked with Joe Murphy in our marital bed! This is unforgivable, the end of our marriage. I'm done. I'm leaving forever!"

"Ah now, calm down, calm down Paddy!" says his mother-in-law. "There is something very odd going on here. My daughter would never do such a thing! There must be a simple explanation. I'll go speak to her immediately and find out what happened!"

Moments later, the mother-in-law comes back with a big smile.

"Paddy. I told you there must be a simple explanation ....... she never got your email".

Speak to you soon

Questions? Answers?

I was surprised when I realised that three months had passed since my last Blog. So much has happened in that time but not really in a way that should affect me in doing an update. I could easily have updated you on the family visit of Sue's dad, how the garden is growing and the Nickisson family tree developments.

I think the main reason for not updating my Blog is that I haven't really felt like it. Been honest, life has been a bit of a downer lately with issues coming and going that knock you about a bit.

There have been a lot of questions asked of us, answers given that are not always agreeable but have needed to be said.

So, can we be happier?

Stop Blaming: People make mistakes. People don't always meet expectations. Who's to blame? Take responsibility when things go wrong instead of blaming others, because then you focus on doing things better or smarter next time.

Stop impressing: No one likes you for your clothes, your car, your possessions, your title or your accomplishments. Those are all "things". People may like your things - but that doesn't mean they like you. Genuine relationships make you happier, and you'll only form genuine relationships when you stop trying to impress and start trying to just be yourself.

Stop whining:  Whining about your problems makes you feel worse, not better. If something is wrong, don't waste time complaining. Put that effort into making the situation better. Unless you want to whine about it forever, eventually you'll have to do that, so why waste time? Fix it now. Don't talk about what's wrong. Talk about how you will make things better, even if that conversation is only with yourself. Do the same with family and friends. Don't just be the shoulder they cry on. Don't let them whine, help make their lives better.

Stop criticising:  You may be more educated, more experienced, been around more blocks and climbed more mountains. That doesn't make you smarter, or better, or more significant. That just makes you you: unique, matchless, one of a kind, but in the end, just you. Everyone is different: not better, not worse, just different. Appreciate the differences instead of the shortcomings and you'll see people, and yourself, in a better light.

Stop. Listen:  Want people to like you? Listen to what they say. Focus on what they say. Ask questions to make sure you understand what they say. And what they say may be right!

Today is the most precious asset you own - and is the one thing you should truly fear wasting.

A song that says a lot to me - The Living Years (Mike and the Mechanics)

Say it loud, say it clear

You can listen as well as hear

It's too late when we die

To admit we don't see eye to eye.

Wow, sorry it's a bit deep, it's just my thoughts.............

Questions? Answers? Do you believe in miracles?
According to the Bible, Jesus was born in Bethlehem, in Palestine, a country where people are called Mohammed, Abdul, Mounir, Aziz, Ahmed, Farid, Omar, Youssouf, Mouloud, etc.

And he managed to find 12 friends called John, Peter, Paul, Phillip, Mark, Thomas, Luke, Mathew, Andrew and Simon ... who all drank wine !!!

That's what I call a  miracle!

So what about life over the last few months?

'Keithybabe' arrived on holiday from England.

It was his first visit, would he like Australia? Will he come again?

Sue's dad arrived in April for 3 weeks and it was a fantastic time for us all. Thank you for being with us Keith, we really did enjoy your visit. Come again.

Questions? Answers?  What should we do with people who rely on government handouts but are too lazy to work?

Kick them out of parliament.

Stoke City V Blackburn Rovers?

Competition in our household has now been made worse by the addition of a Blackburn corner.

The question: Which one is the best?

No competition; Come on you Reds, it's also got the beer fridge and BBQ, nothing else to say!

What do you think?

Questions? Answers?  What's the ideal weight for a mother-in-law..?

About 2.3 kilos including the urn..

So what's growing in the 'allotment'? It is now Autumn in Australia so the weather is a lot cooler and far better for growing vegetables, it's about 22/23 degrees in the daytime dropping to 12/14 in the evenings. A little more rain helps too.

Newly planted Radish, Peppers, Onions, Beetroot, varieties of Lettuce and Zucchini are now really starting to grow in the sandy/composted soil. The potatoes have been planted but are not showing yet.

Question: Why are the Zucchini (Courgette) flowering but not producing any fruit? Anyone have an answer?

Have you ever entered a competition without even thinking of winning? Sue did! When Keith was with us we went to a garden festival and Sue entered a competition with the 'Western Australia' Sunday Times newspaper. The prize was two Square Foot Garden Bed Systems supplied and fitted with plants and growing material. Sue won!!!!!!

Awaiting arrangements for the installation.

Questions? Answers?  Should he have asked? A bride on her wedding night says to her husband 'I must confess darling, I was once a hooker!'.

He says 'That's all right, dear. Your past is your past, but I must admit that i find it quite erotic. Tell me about it'.

She answered 'Well, my name was Nigel, and I played for Wigan Warriors Rugby Club!'

As I mentioned above, Autumn is now here and there is less to do in the garden. The lawn is Buffalo Grass (St Augustine Grass) and only needs mowing once a month during Autumn and winter. This will now give me more time to devote to the Nickisson Family Tree.

So what are my Nickisson Family Tree plans? I have 488 family members in the Nickisson tree, of those, I need to find births, or marriages or deaths for 121 of them. So there will be questions asked, hopefully answers found and the certificates to order to prove the connections.

Really missed having time to delve into the research. Let's see what we find.



Questions? Answers? Two Irish hunters get a pilot to fly them to Canada to hunt moose. They bag six.

As Paddy and Mick start loading the plane for the return trip, the pilot says "The plane can only take four of those."

The two lads object strongly. "Last year we shot six, and the pilot let us put them all on board; he had the same plane as yours."

Reluctantly, the pilot gives in and all six are loaded. However, even with full power, the little plane can't handle the load and down it goes and crashes in the middle of nowhere.

A few moments later, climbing out of the wreckage, Paddy asks Mick, "Any idea where we are?"

"I think we're pretty close to where we crashed last year." Says Mick.

Speak to you soon.

A day in the life of?

Yes, I know what your saying, he's going to say sorry again for being so long in producing this next Blog. 

Sorry.

When I produced the last Blog in December, I was so sure that 2014 would bring a regular monthly update, obviously I failed.........

A day in the life of?
Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Years Day have all gone and what a fantastic time we had. Plenty to drink and eat, perhaps too much at times. It was tinged with sadness when remembering family we now don't see so often, a bit upset when things didn't go as well as we wanted, but we really did have a very good time, "went well" (as we say in Stoke on Trent). Thank you to everyone.

One day: I read in the paper that drinking beer is dangerous, so after today, I'm not reading anymore!


A day in the life of?

Australia Day was celebrated in January and we decided to go and watch the annual firework display in Perth. Sitting aside the Swan River, we watched the air display featuring many types of planes and helicopters before the start of the fireworks. A really good show.




One day: I was watching the London Marathon and saw one runner dressed as a chicken and another runner dressed as an egg. I thought: 'this could be interesting'

A day in the life of?
We usually go to bed around 10pm in the week and I switch on the TV, mainly so I can't hear Sue snoring, when this particular day we had a phone call. Sue's dad rang to say he was making arrangements to visit us in Australia, more details later, he said. 'Keithybabe' rang a week later and he will be here for 3 weeks in April, really excited about seeing him and giving him a glimpse of our life in Perth.

One day: Two communists were sitting on a porch of a nudist colony. One says, "have you read Marx?" The other says, "yes, I think it's these wicker chairs".


A day in the life of?

There are so many ways of keeping in touch with family in this technical era and I use most of them daily to find out what is happening here as well as back in England. Emails, phones, text messages, social media sites, etc. give so much information about your family and friends. Blogs are another way of keeping in touch, passing on as well as finding out who, what and where. I follow my sister Carol's Blog, Wide Beam - Still Rockin'  daily as Carol and her husband George are having a wide beam boat built to replace their narrow boat that they have lived on since 2008. A new home for new adventures.

One day: A dyslexic man walks into a bra.


A day in the life of?
Sue got home a little late this day so we decided to just have a snack night rather than cooking a meal. Just as I was going to have my cheese on toast, my mobile phone rang. I have two ring tones, if it's Sue ringing then it is 'Jupiter' (from Holst 'The Planets Suite') but for general calls the tone is Delilah (a true Stokie). At this stage Rachel, my daughter-in-law would now be saying, "Stop waffling Garry".

So I had this phone call...... "Hi grandad". It was Joe, my 13 year old grandson who lives in Stoke with his mum Joanne, Neil and my other grandson Izac. He was just eating an Oatcake with cheese on and then he was off to town with his mates. It was a fantastic 15 minutes conversation, he sounded so grown up. Although it was the start of his day (8 hours difference), it finished my day off with a really good feeling.

The one thing about grandchildren, they take you for who you are rather than who they think you should be.

One day: There was this cross eyed teacher who couldn't control his pupils.


A day in the life of?
I mentioned previously about social media sites and the way they can keep you up to date with events. Lately, my Nickisson Family Tree research has been put on the back burner as the weather is too nice to be stuck on the computer. It is surprising though, how many times that relevant family information is updated especially by way of Facebook. Birthdays are mentioned, Wedding Anniversaries come and go and the occasional sad news that someone has died. Many events in the family tree just show the year of the event due to documentation found on genealogy sites. Information from Facebook etc. can update it to include the day and month, more proof of the occasion.

One day: An Englishman, an Irishman and a Scotsman walk into a bar. The barman asks, "Is this a joke?"


A day in the life of?
For the last four/five weeks the temperatures have stayed in the mid 30's, today being a little cooler, about 32 in Perth. Daily, it is a constant effort to keep the vegetable patch going as most of the plants are wilting under the heat. Saying that, we are still getting a good supply of Lettuce and Radish, it seems as though quick growing veg fair better than the longer growing varieties like Onions, Beetroot etc. Also, I seem to be struggling with growing tomatoes as the leaves seem to shrivel up as the plants grow. Anyone know why?

More than - A day in the life of?

One day: A duck walks into a pub and orders a pint of beer and a ham sandwich.
The barman looks at him and says, "Hang on! You're a duck"
"I see your eyes are working," replies the duck.
"And you can talk!" exclaims the barman.
"I see your ears are working too," says the duck. "Now if you don't mind, can I have my beer and my sandwich please?"
"Certainly, sorry about that," says the barman as he pulls the duck a pint. "It's just we don't get many ducks in this pub. What are you doing around this way?"
"I'm working on the building site across the road," explains the duck. "I'm a plasterer."
The flabbergasted barman cannot believe the duck and wants to learn more, but takes the hint when the duck pulls out a newspaper from his bag and proceeds to read it.
So the duck reads his paper, drinks his beer, eats his sandwiches, bids the barman good day and leaves.

The same thing happens for two weeks.

Then one day a circus comes to town. The ringmaster comes into the pub for a pint and the barman says to him "You're with the circus aren't you? Well, I know this duck that could be just brilliant in your circus. He talks, drinks beer, eats sandwiches, reads the newspaper and everything!"
"Sound marvellous," says the ringmaster, handing over his business card. "Get him to give me a call."

So the next day when the duck comes into the pub the barman says, "Hey Mr Duck, I reckon I can line you up with a top job, paying really good money."
"I'm always looking for the next job," says the duck. "Where is it?"
"At the circus," says the barman.
"The circus?" repeats the duck.
"That's right," replies the barman.
"The circus?" the duck asks again. "With a big tent?"
"Yeah," the barman replies.
"With all the animals who live in cages, and performers who live in caravans?" says the duck.
"Of course," the barman replies.
"And the tent has canvas sides and a big canvas roof with a hole in the middle?" persists the duck.
"That's right!" says the barman.
The duck shakes his head in amazement, and says .....
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
"What the hell would they want with a plasterer ??!"


Speak to you soon.