The last few posts have been the work of the curmudgeon supreme. Jerimiah seems to have reached a new level in delight and joy, highlighting the never ending stream of all that is going wrong. Sorry for the bleakness, but somebody had to do it. I don’t know why I watch the news. Relentless Trump and Turnbull. Neck on neck trying to outdo each other in a race to the bottoms-up, dehumanising their patch. Surely, there is something more cheerful to write about. Those grim purple faced bishops fronting the Royal Commission. Footage of one eminent church leader dipping a large feathered brush in Holy water sprinkling the congregation. Oh, such folly of voodoo and chicken feathers dressed with mitres and in flowing robes. Are there Technical tafe courses in becoming agnostic? I am sure many are now queuing up.We need many more doubting Thomas’s.
The good news came from our National Library of Australia in Canberra. ” Dear Gerard Oosterman.” “We would be DELIGHTED to receive a print copy of your book ‘Almost there.’ Our records showed that this title is now published.”
Can you believe it? All this apart from both my books also having been entered in two of the State Library literary competitions. I am so happy that, after I posted the book at the Post office, I promptly shouted myself a nice micro-wave heated up sausage roll. The word ‘delighted’ really did it. It was about time somebody got delighted.
I walked with my fat sausage roll to a park bench in Corbett Gardens, Bowral. The same park where the three elderly sisters were hit by lightning last week. I sat down with Milo. He looked keenly at my poly-styrene package holding the sausage roll. It was a mini celebration. I would like you all to share in my joy.
I gave Milo about half my treat.
It was so lovely and good.
Tags: Almost, Book, Bowral, Canberra, Gerard, Library, Milo, National, Oosterman, Roll, Sausage, State, There
Oosterman Treats Blog 
February 24, 2017 at 4:45 am |
That is cheering news! Imagine being in the National Library. Not bad for a young bloke from Holland, I say. Milo looks very happy to share in your good news and the sausage roll.
Have you heard how those 3 ladies are? I read that one was badly burned. (Ooops, that’s back in the gloom again.) Oh well, may as well keep on with the theme. That darn Royal Commission, all the “sorry, sorry” that’s going on. Big deal.
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February 24, 2017 at 10:17 pm |
Yes, Yvonne. I could not get to the Post Office quick enough to post my book to The National Library.
I hope the three sisters are OK. Amazing how three elderly sisters were in that park being hit by a flash of lightning.
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February 24, 2017 at 7:29 am |
It makes me smile to imagine you tucking into that sausage roll.
Well done, Gerard
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February 24, 2017 at 10:20 pm |
Yes, the delight of a sausage roll eaten by oneself in a park is something unique. I don’t often do that.
The request by the Library was the catalyst of that event.
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February 24, 2017 at 7:39 am |
Hurrah! Lovely to hear your positive news – well done Gerard😊That sausage roll must’ve tasted extra good.
On our TV news this morning, apparently Donald Trump is looking to strengthen the US nuclear arsenal. Of course he is.
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February 24, 2017 at 4:22 pm |
He’s quick, he only learned about Uranium last week.
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February 24, 2017 at 10:28 pm
I hope Australia will not get a request to supply yellow cake to the US. I am sure Turnbull would gladly export the stuff.
The world needs a sausage-roll led revolution. ( with tom sauce)
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February 24, 2017 at 10:26 pm |
Yes Jenny,
The sausage roll was being advertised as ‘home-made’. I was asked if I wanted Tomato-sauce with it. I declined. It would have been too much and over the top.
Trump is so dangerous. Yet, he gets cheered on by his disciples at every meeting. The fascists are on the move again. There is something so familiar about it all. No place to hide.
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February 24, 2017 at 12:56 pm |
That’s a wonderful portrait of Milo. I’m glad you shared your celebration with him — and your sausage roll. I’ve no doubt he appreciated it.
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February 24, 2017 at 10:31 pm |
He loved it, Linda.
He has that forthright determination and looks so strong-willed in that photo. He knows his own importance yet never exploits it. A truly remarkable friend.
Of course, I gave him half the sausage roll. Fair is fair.
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February 24, 2017 at 4:25 pm |
Congratulations!!! An honor and a well deserved celebration and Milos photo is adorable. ☺☺
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February 24, 2017 at 10:35 pm |
Yes, Milo looks so great. Each time we take him for a walk around town we get stopped and asked if we mind they pat him. He gets so many pats I get jealous.
I mentioned this to a nice friendly woman. She said; ‘If you were as good looking as him, I would pat you too.’
I felt a bit down after that. I don’t know why.
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February 25, 2017 at 12:50 am |
Aw, I am sending you a pat and a hug. ☺☺☺
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February 25, 2017 at 1:19 am |
That is just so nice. Floating on clouds. Thank you, Patricia. 😉
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February 25, 2017 at 1:03 am |
You know what joy of life is all about. Having Milo by your side, sharing this joy, is a great moment. Lightning never strikes twice the same spot so you were pretty safe sitting there and enjoying the moment of bliss. The three ladies were not so lucky.
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February 25, 2017 at 1:31 am |
Yes, Berlioz. It’s those little things in life. The sausage- roll tasted fine and I believe it was home-made as advertised. The micro-wave heating up made this morsel a bit limp but Milo did not mind that at all.
It reminded me, that some sixty years earlier, I often stopped at the local Fish & Chips shop after the train journey home from work, to buy some potato scallops. I think for one shilling one got 6 scallops all dripping in oil and very salty. They were wrapped in newspaper and if lucky, the Daily Telegraph.
In those days that paper was already full of sensational news. My favourite was reading up on the juicy details of divorce cases of famous people. One had to have proof of infidelity and special divorce detectives used to hide under hotel beds to try and catch the culprits in action.
I used to eat the scallops seated on a bench and was sometimes lucky enough to read the lurid details. Such ripe pickings for a future ‘author?’
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February 25, 2017 at 4:18 am |
What an honor, Gerard. I think that is marvelous news. I’m very happy for you. How about those two men? Trump and Turnbull? Was is those two that were speaking via phone when Trump hung up on Turnbull? I might have your man’s name wrong but I must say that Trump has more gall than a goat chewing on a tin can.
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February 25, 2017 at 4:51 am |
Yes ivonne, I became very happy when I received the e-mail from this National Library.
You are right, Turnbull’s phone was hung up by Trump. He thought the refugee trade between Australia and the US ‘dumb’.
Both chew on tin cans. You can tell by the shape of their jaws. Trump’s lips are especially shaped, pursed to chew on cans.
Goats eat putty and sandpaper. Years ago I was painting a house. It had a goat in the yard. My putty kept disappearing from my pair of steps. I could not understand it till I noticed the goat chewing on this lump of putty.
It is normal food. Putty is whiting powder mixed with linseed oil. Even I could eat it during a severe hunger-winter war like 1945-46.
This refugee trade is so awful. Can you imagine how the people feel on Manus and Nauru? This endless tug of war, using peoples lives for political point scoring. Trump and Turnbull are the real terrorists
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February 25, 2017 at 5:19 am
Yes, Gerard. T &T make a great pair. Each is despicable. I can’t believe how low the voters went when they voted Trump into power. (Yes he is the almighty Trump). He thinks he is reigning, the same as a king. He lies like a barrel of snakes.
I bet that goat enjoyed the putty. I can see it now. Yum-yum. Baaaaa, baaaaa. 🙂
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February 25, 2017 at 8:41 am
The goat ate sandpaper too. I suppose the glue that binds the abrasive material to the paper is what attracts the goats. Glue is often derived from bones.
I wonder about any quality my bones would contain after I have gone. Surely, any nutrient would have been leached out by then?
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February 25, 2017 at 7:55 am |
I am delighted too.
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February 25, 2017 at 8:36 am |
That’s double delighted. Thank you, Hilary.
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February 26, 2017 at 9:37 pm |
Surely a wonderful day for you, and I’m glad that Milo got to share in your joy. Congratulations once more.
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March 1, 2017 at 9:37 pm |
It felt great, Kayti. Such good news.
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March 1, 2017 at 5:16 pm |
Now that is exciting, well done!!!
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March 1, 2017 at 9:38 pm |
Thank you, Patti. Right now the book would have arrived at the National Library. Someone has unwrapped it and looked at it. Can you believe it?
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