So Many Things I Didn't Know Before The Trip!!...Did You Know This?!!

      *Yawn*...Please forgive me today. I am exhausted! It was a long, involved, and awesome 'virtual' 'Date Night' trip this time! :-] ...And I know you already know where we went. My clue was kinda...Ummm...obvious! LOL Yes, we went to Australia!! :-)
       If info about other places bores you...click away now!! LOL I learned some things I didn't know and...tired or not...I just have to share!! :-] ...I'll do it in a "Did You Know" list. For instance...
 Did You Know...that Australia is a country in the Southern Hemisphere,...that it comprises the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans,...and that it's the world's sixth-largest country by total area?!

             ...and that the name Australia is derived from the Latin australis, meaning "southern"?!!...and that because of it's size and isolation—it's often dubbed the 'island continent' and variably considered the world's largest island?!!...I didn't know that!
          You probably knew that "Aussie" is a common colloquial term for "Australian". But...

Did You Know...that the country has been referred to colloquially as "Oz" since the early 20th century?! Hmmm...does that have something to do with the people being referred to as 'Aussies'?!! Or is that just an American error?! :-) (You can go over to Wikipedia to read more about it HERE) I think it's fascinating!...and either way, I didn't know that!

Did You Know...that Australia is the flattest continent?!...And that The Great Barrier Reef, the world's largest coral reef, lies a short distance off of it's north-east coast?...Or that 'Desert' or 'semi-arid' land, commonly known as the "outback", makes up by far the largest portion of land in Australia?!

Did You Know...that nearly three quarters of Australians live in metropolitan cities and coastal areas, and that the beach is an integral part of the Australian identity.
?!!

        Are you beach-lovers drooling right now?!...^_^

Did You Know...that Australian forests are mostly made up of evergreen species, particularly eucalyptus trees in the less arid regions?!...The little fella in my header photo probably knew that! ^_^

Did You Know...that Australia has strong international teams in cricket, field hockey, netball, rugby league and rugby union, having been Olympic or world champions at least twice in each sport in the last 25 years (or more now) for both men and women?!...Okay, so I 'did' know this! That's because me and hubby are such sports nuts ourselves! We've watched some Australian games...lots of them over the years! :-]

Did You Know...that although Australia has no official language, English is so entrenched that it has become the de facto national language?!....Okay, yeah...I kinda knew that too! But sometimes I have 'a time' trying to understand how they use some of those 'English' words just the same!! LOL {I'm sure they feel the same about American English words! ^_^}

Did You Know...that Australia has the greatest number of reptiles of any country, with 755 species?!...and that Australia is also home to many dangerous animals, including some of the most venomous snakes in the world?!!...YES!!!! I knew this!!...*cold shiver*...A lot of their animals scare me!!...But not all of them...

Did You Know...that among the well-known Australian animals are the monotremes?!...If you're asking yourself: "What are they?"...you're asking yourself the same question I asked myself while we were visiting there!! ^_^...And I found out too! :-) Monotremes are mammals that lay eggs instead of giving birth to live young!...Two monotremes are the platypus...

        ...and the Echidna! The  long-beaked Echidna, which eats worms...

        ...and the short-beaked Echidna, also known as the Spiny Anteater...because of its diet of ants and termites...

       The only surviving examples of monotremes are all indigenous to Australia and New Guinea!...So fascinating!...They have some famous animals I know you've heard of...like the Dingo...

          A host of marsupials, including the Kangaroo...

     ...the Koala...(That's him in the header photo.) :-) ...
      ...and the Wombat...

         Then there are some famous birds, like the Emu...

        ...and the Kookaburra.

       What I know you 'didn't' know is that I've been in love with Australia for many, many years...long before this trip. I know when it started too! It was somewhere around the year I graduated High School. I came across the book The Thorn Birds. {It might have been a recommendation, after much conversation, from my beloved English teacher. I can't really remember, but that's likely.}
      I didn't read the book until around 1982 or '83. In fact, my then 'new' hubby and I used to read it to each other in the evenings for entertainment. :-] Then one night when we were just about to turn off the T.V. and  get ready to do our reading, a commercial preview came on for the mini-series!! It was gonna come on T.V.!! We were so excited...even though we were only about 3/4 of the way through the book at that point! We scheduled a 'speed-up' so we'd be finished with it before the mini-series started! LOL Ohhhh! Young people!!! ^_^
     I remember that from the very first episode, when I heard the music and saw the beautiful scenery, I was hooked!! :-] ... That was...what?...28 years ago!!!...and even though I wouldn't re-read the book now, or engross myself in it like I did then....I was OBSESSED!!!...I still love the music from the movie. LOVE it!!...I'm not even sure if there's anything 'Australian' about it really. It was a compilation by James Galway and Henry Mancini I think!...It almost has an Irish lilt to it to me...

    If you want to here music that 'is' native to Australia though, you can listen to the Didgeridoo being played HERE. :-)
      Something else I love about Australia is the attractions...the Melbourne Docklands...

      ...and the Sydney Opera House!! 

      I LOVE water!!! :-) So does hubby...as long as he doesn't have to swim in any that he can't stand up in!! LOL
      And lastly....Yeah! It's coming to an end!... ^_^ ....And STOP CLAPPING!!! LOL...I love the food of Australia!...

          And seafood is a prominent staple food, due to Australia's long coastline. And I love myself some seafood!! {Hubby?!...Not so much. I told you about that allergic episode in Maine! O_O}

      I'd be lying if I didn't admit though, that some Australian foods puzzle me!...Well, it's not the food that puzzles me. It's the fact that people are eating it that puzzles me! ^_^ Like....Kangaroo meat...

       ...and Vegemite! O_0

       I mean...Vegemite is described this way: 'It's made from used brewers' yeast extract, a by-product of beer manufacturing, and various vegetable and spice additives, and it's salty, slightly bitter, and umami or malty – similar to beef bouillon.'...Uhhh....Breakfast food?! O_0 Kinda puzzling!
      I was gonna try to be an adventurous 'Date Night' participant and try some, but I didn't want to end the night in a queasy state. That's too long of a flight home to be queasy on before you get started!! LOL {That's my story, and I'm sticking to it!! ^_^}
      That's also the reason I'm gonna pass...this time...on Bushfood, or Bush Tucker as they call it...

      I don't know if my wimpy digestive system can take native Australian food. I think they may be a people of stronger countenance than me!! :-] I mean...I saw this lobster-ISH Balmain Bug and I got a little light-headed. LOL

       But hey! I'm 'good' with the Australian meat pie and fish and chips!! ^_^ And...
Did You Know...that the Granny Smith variety of apples first originated in Sydney!!!! :-)

        This is my favorite apple ever!!!! In fact, I'd give up apple pie making all together if I couldn't use Granny Smith apples to make them with!! :-) We've been old friends since I was a kid!!
      Yes! Australia....I love you!! And hubby does too!...We'll be back...definitely!!!! :-)


Going Out With My Baby

Going out with my baby.
Or going nowhere, but it's alright.
Playing games and constant laughing.
I think it's gonna be a great 'Date Night'!

Going out with my baby.
Or staying in, and hugging tight.
Eating all the things we shouldn't.
But smiling through every single bite!

Going out with my baby.
And visiting 'virtually' every sight.
All dressed up or in our jammies,
We're having fun. You know that's right!!

It's About Dallas, But It's Not About Dallas!

     I think I love Dallas!...The city of Dallas is the 3rd largest city in Texas and the 9th largest city in the United States.  Dallas is home to the 3rd largest concentration of 'Fortune 500' companies in the nation!
    But that's 'not' the Dallas I think I love!! This is the Dallas I think I love...

        She is the owner of the Etsy shop called designedbydallas. In her Etsy profile she says: "My name is Dallas,  and I am from Texas, but not from Dallas ;)..." Too funny! ^_^ I think with a name like Dallas, and living in Texas, maybe you 'should' be required to be from Dallas!! But that's just me! 
       And besides, she has so many other things going for her...not the least of which being that she is a 'fabulous' designer...that I think it can be forgiven that she doesn't live in the city of her name!! ^_^ I'll tell you some more about her in a minute.
      I met Dallas recently when I was putting together a post about one of my Friday 'Date Nights'. She very generously let me share a photo of her drink coasters. I was so thankful to see such beautiful coasters with little maps of places I definite want to visit on them!
     Cut to a few days ago when I got my mail!!! :-]

        I thought to myself: "WOW! Did I order something?!" And then I remembered that 2 people recently said they were sending me something!!....So exciting!!!! :-)

         "What's this?! It's got such pretty colors?!"...I flipped it over......

       "Ohhhhhhh! It's from Dallas!!!!".....Not the city of Dallas, but the other Dallas! :-)) ... She had convoed me on Etsy and asked what countries I loved best, or would like to visit. And you know 'Yakky Mama Me'!! "Well, I could talk about this all day!...I'd really like to visit---. But I also love---! Of course, one day I'm definitely gonna go-----. That's if I can.......!" ^_^
        It might have been just to shut me up,....Nahhhhhhh!....but she said she was going to make a coaster and send it to me as a thank you for sharing her coasters on the blog. I was really flattered, but I told her it wasn't necessary. In fact, I loved sharing them so much....and they were so perfect for my blog post!...that I should have been the one sending her a thank you gift!! 
      But she wasn't letting me deter her generosity!....When I opened the box I could see how wonderfully it was packed...

           With all of the Styrofoam 'packing peanuts' removed, I had bubble wrap to take off too!...And when I opened the first package with one of the stone coasters in it...which was substantially heavy..."Ahhhhhhh!" ... I was looking at a map of Ghana Africa, and thinking: "I think I love Dallas!" :-]

      In her description of her coasters she explains how she first started making them: "I designed my first set of these beautiful coasters as a travel memory gift for my boyfriend right after we returned from a long journey across the world. Wanting to keep our travels freshly imprinted on our minds, I created colorful map shots of our favorite countries, and melted the image onto stone tiles. They help stir up tons of conversation when we have guests over for drinks – it’s always fun sharing our travel experiences with our friends, and they do the same with us."

         I couldn't believe how beautiful they were in person!

         And they're not some thin thing either!

        I could hardly wait to see what country was on the other one!!! :-))

         Australia!!! :-)

        WOW! How fabulous!! :-)

          And even though they're not designed to put your drinks on the back of them.....

        ....I love the backs almost as much as the fronts!! :-) They show something about  the maker and designer of them...They show that she cares about detail and good workmanship! And, just for you blog readers, she is offering you a 2 week, (from now until August 15, 2011), 10 percent' discount on any purchases from her shop! Just enter the coupon code TENOFF4DEB in the comment box at checkout!

        Something else about her, from her Etsy profile, is that 'she loves to create. Her hobbies are photography and fashion design. She studied theatre and photography in Austin. And after spending 5 years in New York City, she traveled around much of the world taking some of the photos that you'll see listed in her shop HERE!' 

          I like her Etsy shop name too! designedbydallas....It says it all!

         What a wonderful and generous gift! I love my new coasters!!! I can hardly wait to go to these countries for 'Date Night'! In fact Ghana is our destination next Friday night. This Friday night it will be Brazil. {The coasters didn't get here in time for us to make travel plans for one of these countries! LOL ^_^} All things considered, I think Dallas might go on our Friday night 'Date Night' list too!...The city....not the other Dallas. ^_^

       Thank you Dallas!!!....And this time I mean the Etsy shop owner Dallas. Not the city of Dallas! :-)) .... Well, thank you city of Dallas too! I mean, I did find out that the city's economy is primarily based on banking, commerce, telecommunications, computer technology, energy, and transportation. Those are all things I can applaud and appreciate,......and would be nowhere without!! :-) And also there seems to be more fun you can have there than you 'shake a stick at'!!! LOL

      By the way, I did say I got 2 packages. I'll share the other one with you tomorrow!!!!....Have a good day everybody! :-)

Virtual trip

I really like to travel,
See the world, expand my mind.
But not getting on an airplane,
or hunting luggage I can't find!

I like a 'good ole' virtual trip.
Computer details. Music too.
Where you don't need a stinking passport,
or have to wear a stinking shoe!

And this is a little extra...just because!.....I saw him on 'Good Morning America' this morning'. Enjoy!! :-)