Always love a good bollocking post from Houllie. One starts reading from the first sentence and you know it is Houllie from the get go - in his indomitable style.

Great Lexi we are going to miss you while away.
Yes Holley has grown on me too.
Bet that gets me a kick .
A thing about life, excepting the things you just can not change is a must.
And I have, as we all do.
We , well most of us have deep mud we have climbed out of behind us and pain too.
My Christmas will be a good but quite one ,about ten in total.
We once sat 37 at our tables and had the we do not eat much family arrive at the last minute too 5 more.
Life is not always good but if you can get pleasure out of the little things, hearing the birds sing as they rip the flowers on your trees to shreds you have it made.
Shopping day! I will observe the aged warriors trying to find happiness by returning to days they do not yet know are behind them.
And know why I am happy in my skin.

Nice sentiments Lexi and Belly.

Pelican,
Houellie will "right browned off" to know we are all so fond of him : )

bolloc-king
what a strange word

i know what a king is
but what aare bol-locks?

it it time to get all xmassy
[christ messy][when xmass isnt even the commercialistic day on which he was born...]

what was that xmass topic last year
that ended when i got suspended

ohh it dont matter
goodwill and a piece of earth
to the lot of ya..

its all about the expensive/exclusive presents
not the free god given gifts right?

what about presence of mind
[its ok i dont mind]

but if you do have a mind...
why do you have mind for

why spiritual mind
not materialist brain

brawn is king
darn its begging to loot a lock light xmass
its beginning to loot a lot like xmass

beginning to look
a lot*
like
christ mess

[nope im not feeling it yet
must go spend some credit..on the dis-credit cards
25%..now there is an intrest rate you can take..from your banker ursuror

OUG yes ok Christmas is now about money.
And in truth it is only Christmas for some.
Yes your God was not born on that day, but my one, if I had one was.
A pagan at heart I will be eating prawns , yes the English one too, never know why my mob will not let us eat Australian.
A tip, long ago from the bad spot credit can take some.
I cut up my credit cards.
Stayed home for two weeks eating out of the food stored in cupboard and freezer.
Reentered the world cash in hand.
Never again bought other than cash.
Hurt some times but put 20% away, so if it was needed I had it.
Hard, only till you train your self but rewarding.

Hi Belly,
Have returned to the olo after a few busy weeks, mmmm....this ageing discussion is very interesting.
Like you I am 66, and four months to go before I turn 67....I wear every year with pride, I have been a hard worker for most of my working life, and have enjoyed it. Together with my Husband, we have raised three kids, (a roller-coaster ride with the transition from kid to teenagers), and five (soon to be six) grandchildren. We devoted our time to our kids, and now that they are scattered across Australia, we are enjoying a peaceful life, doing what we want to do instead of what we have to do. We please ourselves, we wear every grey hair with memories, and the fact that we become invisible when we start sprouting grey hair is a bonus. We please ourselves what we do and when we do it, whether that be camping, gardening, art lessons and Uni studies, we can become self indulgent for the first time in our lives....Old age? 'tis only numbers after all, I reckon it is one of the best times in our lives.
Cheers my good friend,
NSB