Cranky Women's Association

I know. I have taken a huge risk with the title of today's blog and I mean NO DISRESPECT at all.
It is just one of the terms I have heard when people describe the CWA, also known as the Country Women's Association.

I read that Germaine Greer, in all her glory, has suggested that feminists who want to align themselves with an organisation that is moving forward, chose the CWA.



I can tell you from personal experience that these chicks are bloody hard workers. Not only is Mum one, but I have also seen them work at The Royal (Easter Show) and at an event here in The Highlands.

A few years ago I had the bad luck  fortune to work at the Royal Easter Show on on of the stands promoting country living (Unfortunately that area of the country has been deluged with flood waters this week so not sure how well that will work now) and at the end of the days I was buggered.  They are long days standing on a concrete floor and dealing with idiots people asking amazing questions!

Starting at 8am every day and working through till 9pm every night was hard work. There are some seriously odd people out there who ask some seriously odd questions. But I digress.

Those CWA ladies came in earlier than the crack of dawn and cooked and baked and baked and cooked to provide scones for the masses. And I mean masses. As I was one of the plebs I was given special clearance to go into the kitchen and always get an extra dollop of cream once I told them that Mum was a CWA chook.

I bet these ladies have a few stories to share!

I managed to work the whole 14 days in a row, and I was absolutely shattered by the end. And some of these chooks were the same (although about 40 OK, 30 years older than me).  SO I have the UTMOST respect for these ladies.

And everyone loves a CWA scone!

When I ran a 14 day event here in The Highlands a couple of years ago, I also worked with some of our local CWA organisations. One of the best things I have seen was one of the Senior ladies tear strips off someone I worked with for idiotic ideas and basically being an all round idiot! You Go Girl.

So, although I found it interesting that Ms Greer has suggested that feminists join them, I can't help but wonder why she has suggested this. I would like to see her at the local meeting!

But, it is not all scones and tea from these wonderful ladies. They do an incredible amount for the local communities, and not all of this is promoted or big noted as some other organisations like to do.

So, today, I SALUTE YOU CWA CHOOKS. You are one fine team!



Cheers

Lisa x0x

Relay For Life

We have signed up. Yep!
We will be walking, walking and more walking around in circles (I do seem to do this on a fairly regular basis so how hard can it be)

The Horse Girl, the Senior Sergeant and I are going to do the Relay for Life in Bowral at the end of April. Horse Girl came home from school the other day announcing that some of her friends are keen. To say that I am proud of the two mini gypsies is an understatement. They are so keen to do this and to be involved. Cheers to them I say!

We, as a family, know of a number of people who have been afflicted by cancer in one way or another. We love to celebrate life with those who managed to survive, and we mourn those who succumbed to this absolutely hideous disease. We think about them a lot.

So, I figured, how hard can it be. If the weather stays like this, it will be cold, muddy, wet and yuck.

But that's NOTHING compared to cancer treatments and all the other hideous effects.

So, I have my new runners and am about to start getting into training. Must admit, the thought of training in this weather is not all that appealing, but my motto - Oh suck it up Lisa - what's a bit of water!

Now, here's the catch

If you would like to donate to the cause, we have set up our fundraising pages. Horse girl is aiming to raise $200 and she is already over halfway there.

The Senior Sergeant has a goal of $50 and has already exceeded that.

My goal at this stage is $200 and I am up and running thanks to a wonderful friend.



So if you have a few dollars spare, we would love if you can donate to one of us.
Just click on one of the links

Horse Girl - 

http://relay.cancercouncil.com.au/2012/southern_highlands_2012/The-Funniest-People-We-Know/287066

Senior Sergeant
http://relay.cancercouncil.com.au/2012/southern_highlands_2012/The-Funniest-People-We-Know/287079

and me
http://relay.cancercouncil.com.au/2012/southern_highlands_2012/The-Funniest-People-We-Know/287067


And it's OK if you don't, just send us positive thoughts at the end of April - oh and something for pain relief may be useful too!!!!

Shopping - An Olympic Sport

Shopping!
Now, I used to be quite competitive in my shopping escapades, yes I once viewed it as an Olympic sport.
Oh, those were the days. Of money. And time. And care factor of more than 0.

Living in a little country paradise there are not a great deal of shops that I can afford do justice to.
So after dropping Horse Girl and the Senior Sergeant off in Sydney on Saturday I decided to venture into that big wide world of the shopping mall.

Of course, the first obstacle was trying to find a park as it appears that people can not think of ANYTHING ELSE to do on a rainy day than go wandering aimlessly around the shops- oh wait, I will get to that in a minute.

So after automatically driving to an outdoor carpark as geographically far away from the shops as possible to find there were no parks even there, I drove slowly around stalking following people going back to their cars.

Lesson no 1 - if you have finished your shopping and are going back to your car and the available car parking spaces are as few as days over 30 degrees we have had during summer, it is nice to advise the person in the waiting car where you have parked so that they can have your park, or indeed if you have finished shopping. I do not find it amusing to follow you at a slower than snail's pace from the moment you leave the exit doors to you get to your car and open every single door to dump your shopping in, then decide to light up a fag and discuss whether you have indeed spent all your pension money (oh please do not bag me for these comments ) or you still have some cash left that you may go and spend at KrispyKreme donuts for a tempting snack on the drive home, for you then to lock all the doors and walk back to the shops without any type of acknowledgement or goofy look on your face which says - "Oh, aren't we just a bunch of jerks sorry, forgot something!"

Anyway, once I had made the decision that I was not going to go shopping but instead drive immediately out of the car park, I of course then had a car park right there in front of me just begging to be used.

So I walked into the shops, ensuring I knew which entrance I was using so I could find my way out when I had finished.

Lesson No 2 - when shopping where the rest of the country has decided to shop on the same day, you do not need to walk five abreast along the walkway with 3 metres space in between you, whilst pushing a double stroller at less than 1km per hour whilst talking on your mobile phone at the same time you are discussing the menu for the baby's christening with your Mother In Law whilst also screaming at your toddler who has run away and about to embark on a bungee type jump off the escalator.

Next time, I am going to wear elbow pads and roller skates so I can just elbow them out of the way whilst rolling along at a safe speed and getting in front of them before they decide to stop and window shop at EVERY frigging shop in the mall.

Lesson No 3 - Just because your mobile phone rings DOES NOT MEAN you stop walking IMMEDIATELY so that the following 85 people behind you all bang into each other like a high speed crash on the autobahn.  Seriously people, just veer to the left and then RING THEM BACK when you are out of everyone else's goddamn way.

Lesson no 4 - When I go into a shop, please, shop assistants, look at me before you address me and ask me if there is "anything I would like today sweetie". Firstly, there is nothing sweet about me and I am old enough to be your mother, indeed, in this part of town possibly your great grandmother and I do not take kindly to such endearments.

Finally, Lesson no 5 -Can  SOMEONE please teach some of these people about CONTRACEPTION as the average age of parents at this place was 13 1/2

And no, I am NOT kidding!

Anyone want to come shopping with me next time?????

Cheers

Lisa xox