@sallyabl3.bsky.social Hi Sal! My pair of mapies - Henri and Henrietta have been bringing their fledglings to me to be introduced for more than 10 yrs now. HUGE, wonderful part of my life! ❤️

Good Morning! How can it be otherwise? ❤️

If your day is not seeing you as it should... maybe turn around a little and face it! Your smile can conquer anything. ❤️

Good Sunday Morning All! Who watched AO Opening Celebration last night - or maybe attended? Such joy and exuberance - and yes, humility. The greater the being, the greater is the humble soul evident - in this case in music and sport. Loved every minute of it! Well done AO!

Here's my hope for you all today: that you realise how very special you are in the general scheme of things called my heart. How do I know? Because of what you say to me and that reinforces what I know to be true anyway. Have the most wonderful day! 😊❤️

Thank you so much for your beautifully welcoming msgs. So grateful! It's been quite overwhelming but I shall try to be a bit more vocal in the next few days. Sending love to you all. ❤️

Dear friends - I hope you'll forgive my rather sudden disappearance from your screens. It wasn't pre-meditated, I just realised I needed to take some time out - not to 'find myself' I assure you 🤣 but to appreciate my blessings! Hope this finds you all happy and well as am I.❤️

GoodThursdayMorningAll Unlike my mood...the sky's blue where I am... yet making all look bright and happy! Such is the contradiction in our language! Off for beach walk where contradiction comes only from gulls who peacefully mill around then suddenly fight over a potato chip. Bit like humans! 🤣 ❤️

Two little strawberries in my garden went to an Underground FancyDressBall last night; had a whale of a time they told me...being a rabbit and a hedgehog!

GoodMondayNightAll Think my tame but wild Magpie Henri understands my routine's changed. No longer waits on the corner for me to return home. And today, he walked with me (well hopped and flew then waited till I caught up) and we made a sandcastle on the beach. #beakdigger 🤣 ♥️

When one's motivated to do something thrice weekly for 6 months...then suddenly can't, because of principle...alternatives pop up; joyful things like feeding plants, animals and the lowly wormfarm occupants; birdwatching, writing letters to loved ones & creating silly poems! 🤣♥️

How different can it be? How different can it get? No swimming So I went for walk And still got thoroughly wet! 🤣 #VicWeather

Now that's true... I'll give you that, dear Dorothy! 🤣❤️

GoodSaturdayMorningAll Can't thank you all enough for your kind words over my swimming/drama class setback. Disappointment is a pointless weight to carry around; so I've rallied, forgiven and am ready to try to do something of value somewhere, somehow. Have a beautiful day! ♥️

Gutted today but integrity comes first. My offer out of gratitude of weekly drama class (accepted by enthusiastic residents in Aged Care above complex pool I attend) has been reduced - no discussion, to one half hr class per month. No managerial support so have resigned from my swimming dream. 😢

Wrote a piece for dear friend David @tvtonight on my memories of the old Channel O Studios in the 60s that are about to be demolished. Here's the link: tvtonight.com.au/2025/10/fare...

Have just returned from 1st practice session after 1st swimming lesson Friday! Oh my! Beyond cruel that I have to think of TWO things AT THE SAME TIME! Yikes! If I'm going to kick with head in the water I also have to breathe - who knew? Maybe aim for the Masters when 100! 🤣🤣🤣

Jumed into water at a ridiculous hr and did all I thought was preparation for 1st lesson with new Instructor. Then had to undo most of it.🤣 Lesson was wonderful. Grateful for spending last 5 months strengthening limbs. She really believes this previous floppy rag doll will be able to swim. Yay! 😊

GoodnightAll Back in the swim of things tomorrow. Serious bizness ahead with new coach bravely preparing to give me Lesson1 on Friday! Hear she's taken out an Insurance Policy - for herself, not me! 🤣 Sleep heartily. ❤️

ME: How many steps at Royal Melbourne Show, Mr Pedometer? P: 11 ME: Ridiculous, I walked all day! P: Ya didn't give me time to say "Thousand" ME: Well lift your game! P. Lift ya feet, you sat down 3 times, could've done 12,000 ME: No I couldn't P. Pfft! ME: Not wearing you today!

Given that I was picked up at 8:30am and have just now been dropped home from my day with family at the Royal Melbourne Show... I'm appropriately bezausted!🤣Had a fabulous time, did AllTheThings...and yes OK I succumbed to a ShowBag but only ONE! So grateful - love my family! ❤️

GoodThursdayNightAll No swimming tomorrow - being taken to Royal Melbourne Show by family - am as excited as an overwound clock. Love the animals and produce and woodchopping and cake decorating and yes... of course I'll buy a Showbag full of things hopelessly unsuitable. Yay! 🤣

WednesdayGoodnightAll Grew up in loving family of 6, of which I'm grateful to be the survivor. Memories of 3 of them today - 1 October being my parents Wedding Anniversary and my older brother's birthday. All still with me in spirit as I attempt to make the most of every day. ♥️

May we all sleep the sleep of an innocent child… makes it so much easier tomorrow to deal with the adult we’ve become! 🤣❤️

Just home from trial drama workshop with residents in Aged Care facility above pool I attend! Was a very thought-provoking walk home. They were wonderful - some on walkers, some in wheelchairs - all sorts of health challenges but Oh the courage! Happy tears, think it's a goer! ♥️

Hope you're all having a lovely Sunday - (all GeelongFC supporters exempt from having to reply.) Didn't think I'd ever do this but am actually sacrificing (hear the virtue?) my swimming session tomorrow. 2nd visit to wonderful residents above pool to discuss drama classes. Yay!😊

GoodSaturdayMorningAll Feeling perky after 9hrs sleep! Bus sailed way past my bus stop yesterday - adding many steps to reach 10,000 for the day.😱 Catching up with much of family today - 11 of us at lunch - what a hoot. Have a beautiful day with at least one serving of fun.😂❤️

I'm off to bed... 5am and the pool await! Head feels so light now with crewcut that I'll have to put a weight on my forehead to stop it floating upwards! 🤣 Sleep well, you lot! Kindness is the password for tomorrow! ❤️

Just had a crewcut! WHAAAT? Yes I have...and I love it. Hairdresser was astonished, yet delighted. "We'll be edgy" she said with enthusiasm, waving her clippers in the air. And edgy it is! And I'm so happy! Never let anyone tell you you're too old for.... [fill in the blank!]! 😂

AVeryLateGoodNightAll Came home from a very determined attempt to kick all the water out of the pool today and ended up sleeping for an hour. Now I'm wide awake! Ah! The perversity of following one's dreams - but am loving it! Sleep well! 😊 ❤️

An early Goodnight All One does this when one is silly enough to rise at 5am but even sillier when sleep rarely visits before 10pm. 🤣Alright... I do read in bed - childhood habit. 😊 Was so lovely to have so many conversations today. Sending love to say 'thank you'! ❤️

Have just spent three hours filling two Green Bins from my little garden... would never have lasted without the strength gained from my Learning to Swim project. So happy! 'Never too late!' 😊💓

I hope you all have a great weekend. I'm completely overwhelmed by your wonderful responses to my attempts to swim - it all gives me added determination to achieve my goal of being able to freestyle up and down the pool. Already never felt fitter in my life! Thank you! ❤️

Progress Report: Haven't posted much of late - didn't want to be tiresome with my efforts to learn to swim thrice weekly. Delighted though with progress. Can float on back then stand; can dog-paddle like Pluto and breaststroke 12metres. As excited as a 2yr old with an icecream! 🤣

Since May, been trying to teach myself to swim; not a priority in my early years (1940s) as it is today. I've now been 'adopted' by a lovely local Gym below an Aged Care residency. Out of gratitude I've given a talk to the residents above and they're now excited to do some drama classes! Yikes! 😂 ❤️

GoodnightAll Thank you so much for your welcome back from my watery wanderings. Thrice weekly at the crack o' dawn is some commitment... but I've wanted to do this for decades... and now I'm doing it! I can only hope you have as much happiness and joy in your heart as I have in mine! ❤️

Well... I'm back! And Goodness me... call me a hero: the pool heating wasn't working! 😆 Anyhoo I survived the hour and walked the 3kms home and now am going to sit on my heater for the rest of the day! 😂 Thank you for your lovely msgs... will reply as soon as my hands unfreeze! 🤣 ❤️

GoodMorningBlueSky... off for my early swim. Have a beautiful day. Will report on my progress (learning to swim properly) on my return! ❤️

What happens to An Honours List That has become Besmirched? For surely we're all Gasping As past PM's name Is perched Along with those of honour Who really did some good? P'raps we call it 'Honours Dissed' A name so aptly real For such abuse of Privilege To vilify and steal

Vandals, barbarians, endangering all life on earth. www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

I do however feel that they enjoyed inflicting the cruelty.

A truly evil scheme pursued by its gleeful, gloating, sociopathic architects. They never once paused to reflect on the damage they were inflicting on real people. They were blinded by $$.

You don’t have to wonder. Just watch a video of any of these architects of this scheme giving evidence during the enquiry - not an ounce of compassion amongst the lot of them , and so far no accountability for any of them . The system is broken 😡

Five Failures in the Oval Office (video) America hurt itself badly today. open.substack.com/pub/snyder/p...

Australia’s second-hottest summer in 2024-25 ‘not possible without climate change’, scientist says

Dutton's stuff-ups: Tough guy who's not so tough - For a self-promoted tough guy — particularly if it involves refugee women and children — Peter Dutton’s career has been marked by many instances of being missing in action. johnmenadue.com/duttons-stuf...

I went to one of these clinics last weekend when my GP wasn't open, and was very impressed by the standard. Federal Labor commits nearly $650m for new 50 new urgent care clinics www.abc.net.au/news/2025-03...

The 50 public schools in Australia where parents pay the highest voluntary fees At all of these schools, parents paid on average $1,800 a student, according to data from the national education and curriculum authority www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...

Get Active Victoria advocates 30mins of exercise per day. Well... early this morning I did 2hrs of gardening... and you know what I think now? Get Active Victoria may well be right! 🤣