Celebrating Australia Day
Today being Australia Day, I thought it prudent to start looking out for the first of Easter chocolate eggs to appear. I remember as if yesterday, going to a WW store last year and seeing a perfect synchronisation of dusty Christmas trees being taken down and replaced with Easter eggs. As I left WW store I noticed the first of children harassing Mum for a sugar chocolate Easter egg hit. One even kicked poor Mum in the shins. Well done Dr Spock!
H and I are both holed up behind computers but will brave the streets soon. Fortunately all Australian capitals are predicted to have torrential downpours. Many will stay indoors waving their little flags in front of the TV with one hand and a stubby in the other. Chips on the table and obstinate flies sprayed into banging their heads against the fly screen doors only to end insanely spinning around in their final death throe.
This makes it all worthwhile though;
“A thrilling burst of hitting by Andre Russell carried the West Indies to a one-wicket win over South Africa in the fourth one-day international at St George’s Park.
Half-centuries by Marlon Samuels, Darren Sammy and Russell trumped a maiden international ton by South Africa’s David Miller as the tourists chased down a victory target of 263 with nine balls to spare.
The West Indies gained their first win in the five-match series after they several times looked doomed to defeat”.
Could it get any better? Oi,oi oi.Aussi aussi.
Waking up and having had our second coffee, we switched on ABC 24 and were in time to hear the glorious news of Prince Phillip being mad (made) an Australian Knight. Can you believe it? No, we can’t. What hope have we got for this poor country when Knighthoods are still thought of as relevant. Has Australia even got a round table for Knights to sit around, or anvils to sharpen swords? Does prince Phillip know about this? Has his wife gently broken him the news?
Perhaps all this is a devious Cadbury commercial attempt to make us a bit insane so that the Easter eggs will be passively and non questioningly accepted as normal, even in January.
It is the money you know!
Tags: ABC TV 24, Andre Russell, Australia, Cadbury, Dr Spock, Knighthood, Prince Phillip, West Indies
Oosterman Treats Blog 
January 25, 2015 at 10:49 pm |
As if today weren’t cringe-worthy enough….
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January 25, 2015 at 11:36 pm |
It will all come to pass. Tomorrow cometh yet another day.
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January 25, 2015 at 11:12 pm |
Well written gerard, I do enjoy your writings.
Love from Dorothy
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January 25, 2015 at 11:37 pm |
All praise is welcome here. 😉 Thanks Dorothy.
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January 25, 2015 at 11:27 pm |
Happy Australia Day Gerard! Hope you made it in time to gather a basketful of chocolate eggs. Another good post Gerard.
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January 25, 2015 at 11:39 pm |
Thank you Kayti. You too have a nice day. Is Charley behaving himself?
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January 25, 2015 at 11:41 pm |
I will avoid TV, radio and stay home to write. Meanwhile the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ‘long grassers in Darwin will prepare to bunker down if we get the rain that’s supposed to arrive’ while Darwin celebrates the colonial invasion in whatever stupid way it has decided to. Chocolate eggs indeed!
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January 26, 2015 at 12:03 am |
Welcome Mr Sedwith. You have a great blog and am chuffed you found this little community of blogger larrikins.
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January 26, 2015 at 4:06 am
Thanks Gerard been watching for a while…and love the Chookies! by the way its Ms Sedwith. will keep in touch.
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January 25, 2015 at 11:47 pm |
Round here they’re doing their best to boost St valentine’s Day right now – before going into overdrive for Easter. I assume you Aussies have this wonderful feast day?
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January 25, 2015 at 11:55 pm |
Geez, completely forgot St Valentine’s day. More chocolate and raging domestics lighting the night skies. Cunning market gurus going short on red rose futures, making a killing.
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January 26, 2015 at 1:08 am |
At least Australia Day Celebrations and Valentine’s Day gifts occur on the set date. Of course, Hot Cross Buns and Easter Eggs are in the shops about now. And what of having Mardi Gras well after Ash Wednesday when the calendar used to say it is time to cut back on celebrations and go onto a fast? Never mind, nothing stays the same, you got to go with the flow or find your own little niche.
When we first came to Australia there was only one big Easter Egg in a box surrounded by pralines on offer. If you forgot to buy your box on time, you had to survive Easter without any eggs! Ah, I guess you could boil some hen’s eggs and add onion peel to the boiling water to give the eggs a bit of colour. Once, we tried to buy one box with an Easter Egg on Easter Saturday. No luck. All the boxes had already been sold! Well, this is what it was like in Australia more than fifty years ago.
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January 26, 2015 at 1:30 am |
Far out Aunty;
What has the country come to? I can’t remember first impressions for Easter but vividly remember my mum, in desperation in seeking help for her schizophrenic son, ( brother Frank,) during Christmas time, knocking on the church’s door and being met by the priest who smelled of beer. He told her to buy the Herald.
Such a disappointment and let down. But now, sixty years later… ach, why can’t a priest enjoy a beer? Things do change and mellow.
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January 26, 2015 at 1:17 am |
Bought a loaf from the local Bakers Delight the other day and there they were the hot cross buns!. I had to pick myself up off the floor after reading Sir Prince Philip had received a knighthood. What on earth for services to buffoonery and putting ones foot in ones mouth. And why do we need these anachronisms in the first place.
This leader of ours if that’s what you call him has lost the plot!
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January 26, 2015 at 1:40 am |
Hi Algy,
I think this episode of Australia day has been devalued by the giving of Knighthood to an English person, let alone the spouse of the Queen.
What will the neighbours think?
I mean where is the recognition of Julian Burnside or even those locked up in our detention camps. If ever there was survival of the most oppressed.
We bought a loaf of sour dough and just now, and none too late, had breakfast of this bread with eggs and salted fillets of anchovies.
A modest celebration of Australia day!
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January 26, 2015 at 7:59 am |
You are a good observer of life in Australia, Gerard. Prince Phillip will be chaffed by the new honour from the colonials from down under. What more has he to endure? It probably means we have now to pay for his funeral.
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January 26, 2015 at 8:10 am |
Yes, and it is not that he is lacking in awards and medals. He is probably embarrassed as well. Surely Abbott will get a bucketing tomorrow.
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January 26, 2015 at 9:15 am
The bucketing has already started. This man is beyond a joke.
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January 26, 2015 at 9:31 am
Yes Peter, some are now saying he (Abbott) will be gone at the end of March. ( so might the Knight) What happens to all those titles when someone dies? Do others inherit them? I suppose they do, but don’t they get watered down if there are many that may claim the inherited title, otherwiswe we are all Knights or Dukes? We would never stop genuflecting or curtsying to each other. You can call me Duke now . 😉
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January 26, 2015 at 9:47 am |
Apparently Abbott didn’t discuss his Prince Phillip knighthood with anyone! Surely they will have to set him aside, preferably soon. I love the way you write about the way of life in Australia Gerard.
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January 26, 2015 at 9:46 pm |
Yes, I noticed just now, many from his own party are now getting out openly and questioning what went on in his mind.
The clock is ticking.
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January 27, 2015 at 3:50 am |
Life is not funny in Australia, but Gerard has a way of looking at life in Australia from another angle. The fun went out with Whitlam in 1975. Three years of excitement was too much for Australia.
The knighthood went to Prince Philip because Abbott will look for political asylum soon. Great Britan is the right country for the monarchist.
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January 27, 2015 at 4:11 am
I reckon he must have been on a bender. There is just no other explanation. Anyway, mother England is beckoning and I am sure Abbott will be welcomed back in the many folds of her voluptuous bosom.
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January 27, 2015 at 12:50 pm
Ah Berlioz1935 – Great comment. I think Abbott has gone a step too far this time. I hope the whole country can maintain their rage at this inappropriate action.
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January 26, 2015 at 10:11 am |
Perhaps Abbott should have sent Phil the Greek an Easter egg and kept the knighthood for himself. Arise Sir Tony.
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January 26, 2015 at 2:47 pm |
Good job, Dr. Spock!! Ha! A generation or two of over-indulged spoiled children are his legacy. I digress. Gerard, we have Valentine’s Day in between here and as you say, the tinsel is put away seconds before the heart boxes of bad chocolate are stocked. Egad.
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January 26, 2015 at 9:52 pm |
Yes, it is confusing. Many just give up and stay under the doonah till it all blows over. We are up though. An unbelievable 13c and have both heaters on!
I remember at Easter on the farm, chocolate eggs so well hidden only Milo found them and left the tinsel wrappers laying around the bushes but not the chocolate!
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January 27, 2015 at 12:13 am
Good boy, Milo!
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January 26, 2015 at 9:27 pm |
I spotted a phalanx of Lindt chocolate bunnies in Waitrose two weeks ago. I think there may be a little confusion, what with Burn’s Night Haggis, Valentine’s Day hearts and Easter eggs all on sale at the same time. (I’m ignoring the Knighthood stuff, it has nothing to do with anything useful at all.)
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January 26, 2015 at 9:58 pm |
Yes, the merchants of chocolate are busy, soon it will be chocolate day every day. We discovered chocolate eggs from last year’s Easter hidden in the cupboard next to the chicken stock cubes and pasta noodles.
We both are not good with chocolate or sweets in general, prefer cheese and crackers for snacking or a couple of olives.
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January 27, 2015 at 1:00 am |
Is it not sort of an after thougth to knight Prince Phillip after all these years? Sounds absurd but then I know nothing. He does seem to be a long suffering individual and perhaps this will make him feel accepted into the boosom of Australia. 🙂
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January 27, 2015 at 8:36 am |
No, Tony Abbott was born in England and now holds duel nationality. It is confusing because a British subject used to be British if born in a Commonwealth country. Not anymore now.. The Knighthood awarded to Prince Phillip is on the basis of having done good to Australia and was meant for Australians. In his 93 years he has spent a total of just 90 days in Australia and on the few visits here managed to insult the aboriginals with his silly question, ‘do you still throw spears at each other’?
The warm bosom he is likely to feel welcome to is the Uk and not Australia. His days are finished here. I am not sure if the UK feels the same. I noticed the papers there are a bit mistified as well.
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January 27, 2015 at 5:00 am |
So what do we call him now? Sir Prince Phillip or Prince Sir Phillip. I think our illustrious leader can see the end and is hoping for a knighthood himself.
Haven’t seen easter eggs but saw hot cross buns just after Christmas. Surely the eggs will come after the hearts. From one choc fest to the next.
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January 27, 2015 at 8:44 am |
I am not sure Irene; perhaps just Hi Phil! I think some hot cross buns are still on show from last year but were covered up by the frozen Christmas puddings and legs of ham.
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January 27, 2015 at 9:27 am
Funny….
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January 27, 2015 at 6:31 am |
On this occasion, I can only attribute it to the mad monk’s futile hope that his gesture will generate a return one of similar kind. There can be no other explanation, not even for this moronic imbecile.
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January 27, 2015 at 8:53 am |
Yes M-R,
The nation is stunned and many are staring deep into their schooners or tea-cups for an answer.
Did he have a domestic marital crash and got severe whiplash, went on the drink and threw all caution to the wind, then went all sentimental and longed for his home country and gave a Knighthood?
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January 27, 2015 at 9:15 am
Now THERE’s a slant that hadn’t occurred to me … I like it ! [grin]
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January 27, 2015 at 9:00 am |
If anyone should have been given a knighthood it should have been David Hicks, proven now to be NOT guilty of any charge. And what that poor man went through…. meanwhile Philip pounces in, cuts a few ribbons here and there and wham bam…. you’re a night. Ridiculous irrelevance. i will get off my soapbox now….
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January 27, 2015 at 9:05 am |
I second that together with all the refugees locked up in hell holes for having dared to try and come to Australia.
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January 27, 2015 at 9:08 am
Absolutely. We are all immigrants to this country, unless you identify with being an indigenous person. Many in the government should well remember that. Thanks for your comment, Gerard.
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January 31, 2015 at 1:03 am |
You mean Australia still does those silly knighthoods???
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January 31, 2015 at 3:14 am |
Yes, Abbott re-introduced knighthoods! What next,- yeoman and crofters? Beefeaters in front of Parliament?
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