The Art of Conversation....

Easter Celebrations in the Mall...

Sandra — Sun, 15 Apr 2007 08:23:09 GMT

On Saturday some of Tribals Jewels danced in the Wollongong Mall. Jacqui decided that, for a change, we could wear our favourite skirt, choli, bra, belt etc and in this way we gave the audience more of an idea of the range of costuming available to us. We all matched beautifully, but also, all looked distinctly different with our own style....We did a bit of Improv to warm up and then performed a skirt dance and a very fast group dance. Donna did some work with our new fans and Tamara danced with the wings. Mandylynne hung up her tribal costume for the day and hit the audience with some outstanding cabaret. Dancing with my Tribal sisters on a beautiful autumn day is one of my favourite things to do.... : ) Thanks goes to Donna for this great pic! Photo L to R : Tamara, Me, Donna, Jacqueline and Elle. I think that Dani was on the other side of Tam, just out of this shot.

Today...

Sandra — Sat, 31 Mar 2007 06:31:39 GMT

Today I really needed to vent to someone without being judged and I also really needed to feel loved...... and this is the man who gave me what I needed and has done so for over 30 years now. John is my rock. He is my friend and I love and respect him dearly. I admire him for the long hours he works and how he copes with having such a dangerous job. I know he is very well-liked and respected by his mates and work colleagues. He loves kids and dogs. He's quiet, with an inner strength I envy, he's patient, generous and devoted to those he loves. When I need space he's happy to let me go and play, but when I need him, he's always there for me. He says things sometimes, all very seriously, that just totally crack me and the kids up and he cooks an awesome wood-fire baked dinner......he does drive me absolutely CRAZY at times..... : P Marriage can be hard going sometimes, but I've learnt that if you both really work at it, always keep the lines of communication open, listen carefully to each other and give it your all, then maybe one day you'll eventually be able to sit back, relax and bask a little in the safety and comfort of what real love feels like....

Well..Well..Well..

Sandra — Fri, 02 Mar 2007 13:08:17 GMT

Aren't some people disgusting! ; P I must say that the steak was great BUT the cleavage was excellent! Hahahahahahaaaaaaaaaa.....

Valentine's Day....

Sandra — Sat, 17 Feb 2007 23:52:15 GMT

I don't expect to receive anything for Valentine's Day as I think that treats and gifts and special messages of love should be given randomly throughout the years....not just because people say that today is the day for it. However, having said that, I did buy John some yummy chocolates and then was really pleasantly surprised to receive the most beautiful bunch of red roses from my darling....ain't life grand....and I'll be buying him chocies again next week just because....maybe we can celebrate 'Hump Day' ! hehehehe ; P

Reflections....

Sandra — Sat, 17 Feb 2007 01:26:57 GMT

Why do we blog? Some people want to share their experiences and ideas with their friends....some look for feedback and others simply want those closest to them to perhaps love and understand them just a little bit better. It enables us to use our friends as sounding boards...are we on the right track or are we maybe blowing lotsa smoke out our asses? In any event, it is our right to blow smoke out of our ass as long as we're not hurting others. We hope that our friends might have some of the answers to the issues that, at this moment, are confusing us most. A caring friend's perspective might be just what we need. Perhaps by sharing experiences with others it may help us in some way...they say 'a problem shared is a problem halved'. And it's good to be able to sit back, look at the big picture and reflect. This is how we learn and move forward...hopefully making less and less mistakes as we go. And then there are those of us that take advantage of this public domain to vent, to share and to question without fear of reproach from our peers. It's nice to be able to have the right of free speech, knowing you won't be crucified for your own opinions even though they may not be the opinions of others. Particularly those who live alone and don't have a partner at home to unburden themselves to, must really appreciate being able to speak so freely and feel safe in the knowledge that people are listening and do care. We don't always want an answer, a judgement or well-meaning advice....sometimes we just want to be heard. This should be a safe haven in a stressful, crazy world. I think we blog because we can. It's sociable and friendly...sometimes it's deep and thought provoking...and most of the time it's funny and a good way to relax after a long day at work. Putting pen to paper...or fingers to keypad in this case, can clear our heads...help us unwind and pathe the way to a peaceful nights sleep. Getting all that worries you off your chest is good medicine. I think that when replying to someones blog, if a comment can't be made in a positive manner...then it shouldn't be made at all. Some of you, I know, have experienced the meaness and negativity of people who have trouble accepting the opinions of others...it's a shame and... You really have to wonder about some people.... It's not about anger, it's about peace, It's not about power, it's about grace, It's not about knowing your enemy - It's about knowing yourself... And that's what I think! : )

The Sydney Harbour from Manly...

Sandra — Fri, 16 Feb 2007 14:35:42 GMT

Here's one shot of the harbour looking out toward the heads....it was an awesome day....all misty and warm....we just sat there for ages and soaked up the view. The water was quite calm....it was a great weekend! : )

Weekends Away....

Sandra — Fri, 16 Feb 2007 13:10:17 GMT

On January 7th John and I celebrated our Wedding Anniversary by running away to the Manly Pacific on Manly beach. We had a fabulous weekend of very fine dining, relaxed drinking, wandering around art and craft markets and....... ; ) ....... sight seeing! What???? <grin> Anyway....this pic was taken as we sat on the point taking in the view of the most beautiful harbour in the world. I must say that if any of you out there are considering a fun weekend in Sydney, then try Manly for a change rather than Darling Harbour or the Rocks. You can catch a ferry over to the Casino, Taronga Zoo or anywhere else for that matter BUT staying at Manly is great and there's lots to do on that side of the harbour. Great places to eat are Skiffies at Mosman (gorgeous dining on the water and hell Bundies!!!), Insitu at Manly (yum,yum) and a brilliant little Italian restaurant we found aptly named MIR ( Manly Italian Restaurant) to name but a few. It's upstairs almost on the corner at the wharfend of the mall....the food and service were both excellent. So many restaurants...so little time....oh well we'll just have to zoom back up there again soon! It's a hard life but someone's gotta live it. ; D

Muttley West.....

Sandra — Fri, 16 Feb 2007 12:43:12 GMT

This is my beautiful little Mutticans. He will be 15 years old this September. Muttley loves to snuggle under his blankets...what a baby! He is such a cool little man...wherever I go...he follows! On the weekend he spends most of the day following me around and around the house as I clean. Sometimes I sit in one spot for a while so that he'll lay down and go to sleep and then I sneak off and keep cleaning. As soon as he realises I'm in a different room you hear this little clicky noise on the polished floors and voila....there he is...back on my trail. I can't imagine life without such a beaut little friend as Mutty....Dogs are sooooo special!

Illawarra Folk Festival 2007

Sandra — Sun, 28 Jan 2007 03:05:14 GMT

This weekend Tribal Jewels performed at the Folk Festival at Bulli. We performed three times over two days and debuted new material with very favourable reviews. I really enjoyed myself as usual. : ) This is a pic of myself, Donna and Danielle doing a skirt dance. How fun are these girls to dance with.....yippeee! The weather was quite hot but we did get some much appreciated cool breezes across the stage every so often. The pic was taken by Miss Jasmine...our little mascot on the day!

Sisters...

Sandra — Sun, 28 Jan 2007 02:50:35 GMT

For those of you out there that don't have sisters....go and find some.... : ) This pic was taken at our end of year concert in 2006. It is of Yola, Me and Donna in our newest costume...What a wonderful night we had. But then, as if any evening spent dancing to the most talented musicians on the South Coast with the most dynamic and classy dancers the Illawarra has to offer wouldn't be fun!!!! Am I right or....am I right? : P

Back to Bali...

Sandra — Sun, 28 Jan 2007 01:17:16 GMT

The countdown is on for my next little trip over to Bali. 5 months and counting....yippeeeeee.... Last year, John and I travelled to Thailand and, although we enjoyed our holiday, I'm totally hanging out to get back to Indonesia to see my friends. I adore the Balinese culture...the people are gentle and friendly and as far as a holiday destination goes it rates as one of the best. You can relax, you can travel the island, you can party or shop till you drop. It's all there and I love it. When there, John and I regularly drink at the Bali Aussie Bar on Melasti Rd. The Aussie baked dinner nights are awesome. Their Jam Jars are the best I've tasted...much better than at the Bounty, and they have this mad drink called the Fishbowl...THAT took some work to drink. It was huge and blue with slices of lime, that resembled small fish, floating in it, yum! I won this huge, multi-coloured cocktail one night and was the only person there that was successful in sculling the entire thing without spilling any...yippee for me, I say! Then I was helped up onto the bar where I danced for the rest of the party-goers. Everyone signs the columns and here is one example of the Aussie sense of humour we seem to all be blessed with. It says, 'Shappelle wishes she was here!' I bet she does....I found it funny....do you? ; ) Maybe I was influenced though by the number and strength of Jam Jars consumed that day <grin>

What do you find simply irrisistable?

Sandra — Wed, 03 Jan 2007 06:16:14 GMT

With me...it's shoes....I adore a sexy pair of shoes! These black stilettos have actual rose quartz and pieces of amethyst and such where the straps meet...how cool is that? Walking past any shoe shop...especially Sacopelle, and not venturing inside for a wee browse is simply NOT something I am able to do....I can walk out without buying...but browsing and trying on are both things that are good for my soul. I bought these pretty little things instead of a wedding gift for a rel...I did eventually get a gift...some weeks later AND I also wore these delicious shoes to the wedding...yayyyy! I'd much prefer these shoes than the towels I gave the bride. : )

The proof is in the ........

Sandra — Tue, 02 Jan 2007 21:54:20 GMT

Tasting...... Bliss I tell ya....sheer bliss! It's all good though because I'm back in the gym tomorrow. : P You know, I felt absolutely NO guilt at this point in time...hmmmm...guilt-free cheesecake...cool! While I was sitting there grazing and thoroughly enjoying myself I was also thinking...hahaha...how funny would it be if Yola and Donna walked in now...hahaha...The guys in the cafe just shook their heads and grinned at me because they were aware of how strong I had been only hours earlier. Actually, I suspect our walk through the mall gave me a wee appetite that really required satisfying. All I can say now is...'That dessert had my name on it.....Mission Accomplished'.

New Beginnings.....in 2007!

Sandra — Tue, 02 Jan 2007 21:21:09 GMT

Happy New Year everyone! They say.... 'Begin as you mean to finish'....and I know that some of my beautiful sisters and I did just that on the the 1st day of January 2007. We met, we ate, we shared, we councilled, we talked and talked and talked and laughed so much that my head started to hurt and my mascara ran....if the rest of 2007 is half as good as the first day, then we're in for another fabulous year....yippeeeee for us! : ) And my first confession for the year is this.... At lunch I was offered a delicious dessert to share but I graciously declined stating that, of late, 'I have been very bad and I am going to practise self control and be content with my reasonably healthy lunch and double shot coffee'...So, I was strong and I practised that wonderful self control for approximately 2 hours....until my husband took me back to the place where my lunch originally began and we enjoyed a really tasty dinner together which wasn't complete until...YES, Yola and Donna...I did it...I marched myself up to the counter and I ordered the 'Lemon and Lime Cheesecake and a double shot coffee' with great gusto....and I have to tell you that I savoured every damn creamy mouthful....Mmmmmm....so much for self control in 2007....and so you can see....It's gonna be one helluva year ! ; ) I can resist EVERYTHING.......but TEMPTATION! ; *

Dooooooooooooonna ????

Sandra — Sat, 18 Nov 2006 06:58:43 GMT

Ok...here's the thing.... Looks like the snake has done the trick...I've actually had a Myna bird free week...they fly down...take one look at my big, black snake on the doorstep and zoom away again....yippeee...thanks so much to Donna's clever dad! BUT...now I seem to be attracting Kookaburras instead! hehehe...I must say that I really love Kookaburras....but....they love lizards and snakes...and now I appear to have a meeting place in my backyard for these happy, meat-eating birds. I threw a raw chicken neck to one today and he flew down, picked it up, sat on our outdoor furniture and beat the bejesus out of it on the back of the chair. Then he flipped it over and swallowed it whole. It was cool to watch but I'm hoping that Kookaburras aren't gonna start wandering inside now and checking out what I have in the fridge. I'll keep y'all posted! : ) Smutz xxx

Bloody Birds!!!! Bahhhh!

Sandra — Sun, 12 Nov 2006 07:42:43 GMT

What is it with these bloody Myna birds? Yesterday another one just wandered into my house and took himself into my bellydance room and proceeded to poop on my red sari, the cream carpet, the slate flloor and right down one of the mirror wardrobe doors. Eeeeeewwwww ! Now a friend of mine, Julie, said that you can get rid of these pesky birds by catching one and making an example of him by crucifying him on a pole and hammering it into the ground in the backyard. Apparently this tends to scare all other Myna birds away...I can tell you that it would certainly scare 3 shades of shit outta me! : ) But, this type of answer to my problem is pretty darn nasty...no...really...it is! My mum said that I should lace bits of meat with rat poison and feed them as they enter West airspace. This is a fairly good idea, as she said they go away to die and I'd really rather prefer that...but, I'd have to be careful that Mutty or any other creatures didn't accidently nibble on said tainted morsals. So...here's the thing...if any of you out there have any other good ideas on how I could get rid of these birds I'd love to hear them. Also, I have been keeping the back door shut now...but that's gonna be a nuisance as the weather heats up and I'd like them to keep totally outta my yard anyway. I don't see why they can't just stay in our neighbours yard and peek over our fence every so often. What's the problem with that ? Looking forward to your ideas....especially those from you Mic! : P

Hhhhhmmmmm....My Weekend...

Sandra — Sun, 05 Nov 2006 13:17:59 GMT

Hey there guys...hope you're all well and cruisin' along at a happy pace. I have to say that I've had a very unusual weekend. It started out ok as I finished work at around 4.00 pm Friday...I don't know about you, but my weekend always begins on Friday arvo with the huge sigh of, "Thank God it's Friday!...It IS Friday, isn't it???? Pleeeease tell me it's Friday! " hahaha... I went to gym even though I felt too tired...but I'm glad I did 'cause Tam and I did our circuit together and it made my workout heaps more fun : ) We mostly discuss food all the way round..what we've eaten during the course of the day...what we want for dinner tonight and what we wish we could have right now (chocolate usually falls into this category). We make everyone around us salivate...hahaha Then I went home, had dinner and proceeded to sew till way after midnight. I had a gig on Saturday and I really needed to adjust the skirt we had to wear. It was a shit of a job but I'm happy it's done now. I crawled into bed at around 1.00am happy with my nights work. The whole next day ended up being, for want of a better word, a bit of a shamozzle! Coffee with Tam, Yola and Donna made it a worthwhile trip into town and the spinach and fetta pastry was much welcomed! Finally arrived home after picking up stuff for dinner, showered and started my washing and housework at around 1.00pm. Yucky way to spend a Saturday afternoon...but somebody's gotta do it! Dad and my brothers dropped off my new 'old' pool table that I've now inherited...its top has 5 layers of slate...I love it...yippeeee...my car's out of the garage now until John and I think of a place for it. The boys forgot to give me my balls and cues..hhhmmm, they'll probably make me beg for them. Brothers!!!! : P AND...quite a huge chunk of what was left of my Saturday was taken up trying to get a feral Indian Myna bird outta the house. It walked in the back door when Mutt went out (he never closes the door behind him...the little bugger) anyhow it flew into my bellydance room and pooped, amongst other places, on my green harem pants and also on one of my cholis...ggggrrrrr...Jen helped me to extricate the louse-infested,yellow-beaked little bastard...but, it's not what we needed to be doing for an hour or so, I can tell you! : / I also seemed to spend much of my Saturday afternoon moving cars around out the front, losing car keys and washing clothes in between tidying the kitchen and cleaning the bathroom. Anyhow I felt outta wack all day for some reason...I've been feeling like I just need a weekend where I actually have time to catch up on my housework, programming and end up having time to relax with John too...I don't think that this can happen unless I MAKE it happen...Saturday, for me, felt like a total write-off. Then surprise, surprise...on Sunday, John and I went to a mate's birthday party down at Gerringong. Finally...got to do what I'd been craving. Without the invite, I'm sure we would have worked our entire Sunday away too. So it was a very pleasant surprise for me when John mentioned Rob's party. He'd sorta forgotten to tell me about it sooner...but that's my John! I guess he also wasn't sure if he'd be well enough to go. It was really rainy and miserable out, but so nice drinking rum in the pub for the afternoon and just relaxing for a bit and enjoying the company of cool people. Gotta loooove truckies! ; ) We did a spot of grocery shopping on the way home and then...lucky me...I spent the rest of the afternoon trying to get some more washing done...and dried in this wet weather. I cooked dinner for the family and now they're all in bed and Muttie and I are enjoying the blissful peace of a quiet house. Aaaaaahhhhh...lov-er-ly! The only problem is that it's getting late and I have to be up and getting ready for work in about 5 1/2 hours...hhhmmmm...so, no more yapping on from me, it's time to hit the sack me thinks! It has been a funny weekend...bitsa this and bitsa that...and definitely over too soon. Man, doesn't Monday come round quickly...I think though, that the rain made it all ok, somehow...sorta peaceful and calm....I really love a rainy weekend! I hope it rains all week and next weekend too. : ) Off to b-e-d NOW ! xxxSmutzxxx

Food Glorious Food...and Special Friends....

Sandra — Fri, 27 Oct 2006 13:07:55 GMT

It's been a bloody big week and I felt so buggered tonight as I dragged myself outta work and hopped in the car to make a crappy doctor's appointment...more bloody blood tests...blahhhhh...got all my 'have-to-do' jobs done ( gym, petrol, groceries, bills, more drugs from the chemist...) zoomed home, crawled up the front stairs lugging my bags fulla shit behind me...chucked all my stuff down...made my way to the bathroom and had the BEST hot shower...aaahhhhh a fabulous, hot shower at the end of a loooong tiring week...heaven! Then I received a phone call from my little sister : ) I was already late for a very important date and she was wondering where I was...hearing her voice gave me the energy I needed to get myself all prettied up and out the door to our maiden 'Food Lover's Tribe' field trip at Nonabel's. I finally arrived only 1 1/2 hours late [ SO not me to be late... : ( But was given no grief over it...gotta love girls! ] and scored a parking spot right out the front! The minute I sat down I felt myself relaxing and feeling the best I've felt all week. The food was yummy...I had a Fellafel Kebab and a coke...no Bundy...but that's ok! Just listening to the funny topics which we chose to blah-blah on about was cool...we discussed weird families who don't believe in nappies or cots or weaning school-aged children off the breast : P, awesome food, driving violations and 'p' plater road rage (he was just totally jealous of your shit-hot car, you know Donna!! ), yummy dips, how annoying mobile phones can be, gigs, mad parties, garlic caramelised chicken and basmati rice, pole-dancing, costumes, garlic pizza....Shitty loooooves garlic <hehehe>...and so on and so forth.... so now it is clear to all why I'm feeling healed and loved. Women are amazing creatures...they are loyal and loving, intelligent and entertaining, patient and intuitive....they possess a natural ability to know when you need their understanding, friendship and unconditional love. Thanks girls for a great evening...the only thing that might have improved it, is if one of us had been quick enough to catch that perfectly good can of UDL that flew past Yola and Dani's heads and split open on the cement... cause we could have shared a night-cap on the curb if we had!!! hahaha...xxxSmutzxxx PS. Missed you heaps Gav...hopefully you'll break bread with us at the next one, hey? ; P

On the road AGAIN !

Sandra — Sat, 14 Oct 2006 00:13:51 GMT

Recently I spent a number of days driving to and from Sydney...one day, inparticular, I drove up and back twice in that one day...and I have to say that even though I love my car and even though I've always placed driving high up on my list of fun things to do....I'm TOTALLY buggered and over the long haul driving experience for a while! I guess being really anxious also added to my overall feeling of exhaustion. My Johnny was in St George Private Hospital, which I might add is like an up market Hotel !!! The decor was very tastefully done and they even fold the towels and face cloths nicely on your bed and place shampoo, conditioner and a cute soap on them just like they do in motels. The ensuite was really snazzy, the art work on the walls was very easy on the eye and the arm chairs comfortable! Oh...and they even have a movie channel with all the latest movies.... So I guess that if you MUST have surgery then at least try and go somewhere noice! It certainly makes for a more pleasing experience for your visitors.... : ) Anyway, after all that I'm very relieved to say that John's surgery went well and he just has to get over it all now. We are so darn lucky to have some of the best medical minds in the world right here in Oz and many of those are only an hours drive away... doctors are VERY clever people and the nurses worth their weight in gold. : ) PS. Thankyou so much to all my friends who rang and sms'd with good wishes and love...John's been my partner and best friend for 32 years and and it's been a tricky time to say the least....so glad we're on the homeward run!

Frasier Crane...

Sandra — Tue, 10 Oct 2006 06:23:29 GMT

I love the American sitcom 'Frasier'! It cracks me up TOTALLY and when I'm needing to be cheered up, then all I have to do is watch an episode or two or three or four (you get the picture) and I'm all better! I think Niles' character is an absolute ripper : ) Recently I scored all 4 series for $2o.oo each when they usually sell for $7o.oo each. Can YOU believe it ???? What a bargain. Now I can watch Frasier till my eyes bleed...hahaha...I really do believe that laughter is the best medicine. It's a scientific fact that it is impossible to worry and be sad while you're busy laughing. Maybe that's why some people always appear happy and are constantly cracking jokes...maybe it's because if they don't..they'll show just how broken they really feel.... It's easy to fall victim to the 'swamp of despair'...it's really up to each individual to be strong and not let that happen. That's where having good friends and your family helps...but we all need to develop our own strategies for coping with 'sad' times...I'm always working on new you-beaut strats and watching comedies is a big one! Munching on chocolate is another..... I also love... Just Shoot Me, Sex and the City, Black Adder, Ripping Yarns and everybodies favourite Monty Python's Holy Grail, Life of Brian, Meaning of Life..etc etc I'll NEVER say no to the opportunity of having a really good belly laugh! A couple of weeks ago Yola and I went to see Meryl Streep in The Devil Wears Prada...here's another movie I can thoroughly recommend..it's probably more of a chick flick...but, some men would enjoy it and I think it was great! Well...that's all from Sandra the movie critic slash therapist....have a beaut day y'all....

Trance and Tribal Festival-2006

Sandra — Tue, 03 Oct 2006 02:53:28 GMT

Keep your eye on this blog...when I find the energy to actually string a few words together that can even go close to doing the weekend justice...I will ! : ) love and kisses... Sleepy Jewel xxx So...finally, here it is and this blog is dedicated to 'Yummy Yola'...because I know how much she loves a good 'blog' ! hehehe ; P The first weekend in October, Tribal Jewels attended the Tribal and Trance Festival in Katoomba. We shared a lovely house called Green Gables, which was situated close to all the workshops AND town. How convenient. Funnily enough there was not an 'Anne' to be seen among us! Thankyou so much to Tamara for organising, once again, the BEST accommodation in town! On Friday night we zoomed down to the Carrington Hotel for yet another of their amazing meals...the food, the service (hi to Lisa! :-D )and spending an evening with my beautiful tribal sisters made the start to our weekend of fun, sweat and pleasure a total winner. Most of us went for the Guinness Pie, as last year Donna raved about it and so we needed to see for ourselves if it was indeed better than.... chocolate...hahahaa. It was so yummy that it inspired me to bake my own Guinness pies for my family when I got home! We all went to various workshops on both the Saturday AND the Sunday and then spent time in the house sharing some of the things we had learnt. It is going to take us 12 months to relay everything back to each other during our troupe dance classes... We were very excited to be performing at 'Dushar' on Saturday night...the red carpet night. The concert was excellent. All performances were of an extremely high standard and I know Tribal Jewels felt very privileged at being invited to participate. I totally enjoyed the experience. On Sunday night we ate at a little restaurant called 'Niagra'. The food was fabulous...I've now decided that I'm going to take my husband up to the Blue Mountains for a weekend of eating soon, because I have yet to find food I don't like in Katoomba! : ) On Monday, Tribal Jewels had a private troupe workshop with Carolena and Megha. It was excellent. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and, I'm sure, all came away feeling really inspired. I find these beautiful ladies to be amazing and I left the workshop with lots of ideas buzzing around in my head...you know...new floor plans...how to better execute dance moves...etc..etc..how I can save enough money to visit them in the States!!! ;-D To sum up...we danced, we ate, we drank, we laughed, we talked and talked and talked....I learnt to Polka (thanks Jacqui ; ) )...Yola is still the queen of the Polka though...Mandylynne learnt how to climb down from a top bunk whilst still wrapped in a doona...Tam learnt to attach a heavy string of cowies to the underside of her head-dress AFTER finishing her headgear and without having to totally undo it all and start again...Jacqui learnt to do a fast crawl in Donna's wake and not injure Donna's fringe skirt..hehehe...Yola learnt that her 'legginess' is VERY appealing...we all learnt to dodge cranky magpies....and that Tribal Jewels is a most unique, easy-going, talented, happy tribe of crazy sisters....and I wouldn't swap any of them for anything! Oh my gosh, what a simply FANTASTIC weekend we had! We owe such a huge thanks to Devi and Ghawazi Caravan....what legends they are...AND, I have to say that dancing for Carolena and Megha was such a mad experience, I loved it! <grin> They watched us intently but with such warmth in their faces...and finally, I adore my tribal sister's , Tribal Jewels, a closer group you wouldn't find anywhere! P.S. Can you tell I had fun? You know what..I tried hard, but this blog still doesn't do our weekend justice! Now I'm saving for the next one....yippeeeeeee

My Weekend...the little one before the BIG one...

Sandra — Sun, 24 Sep 2006 13:16:57 GMT

Just gotta say that I've had yet another great weekend and it all started on Friday arvo when I walked outta work...yay! I zoomed to the gym and did a hard, fast workout to round the week off on...then I went to visit Tam for a little while and checked if she needed me to mind the store so's she could have a pit stop, got a few items from Coles (all chocolate), I popped into Figgy pub and let John buy me a bundy, sped home and had a 2 minute shower and then took off to meet Yola for a date at the movies. I got totally lost in the carpark but eventually made it to the cinema with about 5 minutes to spare...phew! I wore a red flower so Leggy would recognise me...can never be too careful. We loved the film 'The Devil Wears Prada' (Meryl Streep rips it up totally), Leggy and I had a snack and a BIG chat about EVERYTHING : ) and then I drove home and went to bed around midnight. On Saturday I got up and went to our technique dance class...we did some great stuff as usual and then we wandered downstairs for strong coffee and THAT infamous bacon and egg sandwich, we did a serious lippy shop, bought a few tops, lathered ourselves with every cream and moisturiser they produce in the Body Shop and Leggy and I got our eye make-up done just for fun. We walked back to our cars...me closely resembling a drag queen and I headed for Westfield to pick up a few items for the Full Moon Celebration. Saturday night we met at Belmore Basin and had a great time....eating, eating, eating, laughing and drinking. I got to bed about 2.00am Sunday morning...very naughty of me! I've had a very busy, productive Sunday...and now I'm gonna hit the sack....yayyyyy....I LOVE my bed! Thanx to everyone who had a hand in my weekend being such fun! : )

Full Moon Celebration...not!

Sandra — Sat, 23 Sep 2006 15:19:20 GMT

Tonight we celebrated the full moon that occurred a couple of weeks ago...but, due to the rain was not celebrated then...if you know what I mean ? Anyhow we met, we ate, we drank, some twirled, some drummed and my goodness didn't we laugh!!! Yola, Tamara, Dani, Glen and I giggled and giggled and it was a tonic for the soul. Luke's cool and a great squeeze...kero stink and all, Gav is getting the hang of handling the trigger on a high pressured squirter and I feel that with continued practise he will excel...the little darlin' ; P, the beautiful Yola was wearing the perfect shade of lipstick and is well suited to 'Wine and everything' and oh-my-goodness that creammmmy coffee, yummy yum yum...Cheeky Tam's bumnuts will eventually make it to our mouths as soon as she can get her pretty little hands on some fresh mayonnaise, Dani's so darn lucky that Jen Jen had left by the time she got the chocolate out and me....I just love my friends and I wouldn't trade them for all the exhaust brakes on the F6 in peak hour ( and Gav, you know that's HUGE !!!!) Hopefully next full moon we can make an even bigger and better effort on the nibblies and we'll have more noisy drummers to support Mic, and who are willing to beat it hard, so's us l'il bellydancers can work off some of what we've consumed during the day...anywho, I'm off to warm up my apple and caramel scone...sounds we-ird but tastes great, mmmm food....gotta luv it!

Today's my little sister's birthday...happy birthday Carol ! xxx

Sandra — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 13:13:24 GMT

Tonight Mic tried to write 'poop' on my blog! But I stopped him before he was successful. What a bad boy he is... My Jen Jen helped me get rid of him. When he walked out the front door...she locked it ! Anyone who knows Mic surely has a great deal of sympathy for me!!!! He took a pic of me before he left, so I suppose we'll be viewing that very soon with an accompanying cheeky comment. Ahhh the joys of motherhood. Anyhow, besides spending time with my crazy son, I have other stuff that I totally enjoyed about today. At 7.00am this morning I let Mutty out for his early morning piddle and I saw one of my favourite sights. There, flying overhead was a jet..probably bound for Melbourne, and trailing behind was a beautiful white plume of icey crystals in a clear, blue spring sky....aahhhh pure joy! SO makes me want to jump a plane for anywhere.....sigh..... BUT, I dragged myself inside, got ready for work, had a great day with my lovely kids at school and achieved heaps. The BEST thing about work today was that the stunning Leggy Jewel came to visit me..we shared a yummy strong coffee, some delicious choccy balls and each others company! Perfect ! Then I went to visit Nana Jewel at Leigh Ellen's... we chatted and laughed and then went and did 'Gym' together....lucky 'Gym' I say!!! Our gym time flew by so quickly. Tomorrow I want to get my heart rate up about another 5 to 6 beats more in the 10 seconds though...gotta stay focussed ...yep yep yep ! Then I came home and found John and Jenna (aka Camel) head down, bum up in Jen's Mazda getting the seat covers off and cleaned up for the big day tomorrow, cause tomorrow Jen takes delivery of her new sexy, black beast....yippeee! She's so darn excited that she hasn't even been hassling me for chocolate tonight...amazing ! I'm so happy for her : ) She'll be singing zoooooom zooooom zoooooom all night in her sleep I'm sure! Mic and I watched a few 'Frasiers' tonight...we laughed and laughed.. especially at Niles...We love that show and I really love watching comedies with Mic. I love it when stuff cracks him up..he's got a great sense of humour... : P Anyhow, I hope you all enjoy the dumb pic he's gonna post of me on tribe.... catch yas all 2moro...sleepy now... Smutz xxx

I'm Online!!

Sandra — Sun, 17 Sep 2006 03:10:55 GMT

I've finally joined Tribe!