I have my own "Positive Troll"

Happy New Year everybody.  2013 is here and let's grab it with both hands.

Our family week at Rusty Gate was wonderful (although Mike and I only had 2 nights there) - it was really, really hot (I have had to be in hiding since returning because the skin on my nose has blistered and peeled and now weeping and crusty (very attractive) and I think I had a bit of sunstroke as well (silly girl).  It was hot (said that before), busy and tiring but in between bobbing on the jetty in the dam with champagne, watermelon and snacks for hours on end (with not enough sunscreen), it was very chilled and very special.  Extra special to have my friend Cheryl here from New Zealand and able to spend some time away with us.

 3 Stooges

 4th Stooge (on her side) giving Amy a lesson is skinning a tongue

not surprisingly she vows that she "will never eat it again"  "I did not know it was a "real" animal tongue"

(one of her blondest moments)

 The Mexican theme at the pit

Surprised Mexican dancer

2 out of focus Mexicans

Hiawatha and her other mother 

 Keith and his 73 year old (today), Dad who managed to foefie slide the length of the dam

(Good on you Rob)

Happy Birthday Robert Traill

(we are off to his birthday celebration later this afternoon)

Positive Trolling can be serious business

(Why are you making her cry Nic?)

Everybody had their job to do to contribute to the Christmas Eve dinner.  Matt and Nic, the Mojito cocktails  (which kicked the party off very well), Kathy, Kris and Justin - nacho starters, Nanna - cauliflower and cheese sauce (ALWAYS cauliflower and cheese sauce), Keith and Anna - hundreds of roast potatoes, Caroline - roasted veggies, Dalene - glazed gammon cooked first in ginger beer (very good), Gareth - turkey, Jenny - duck and tongue (with black cherry and sweet mustard sauce) and quite a bit of other stuff which I cannot quite remember now.  We finished off the evening with our crazy Christmas game, ice cream and a new divine grape and greek yogurt dessert and Nic playing his guitar around the fire, while some sang and others dozed off, exhausted.

Nic (the middle one) was in one of his inspiring moods.  He follows "The Positive Troll" on Twitter and these positive things have obviously rubbed off on him.  Instead of Christmas Crackers this year Nicholas hand wrote a message for all 23 people at the table with a whacky, positive message for each guest in Positive Troll style, for example:-

"Nanna, you are the best Nanna in the world.  Keep doing what you are doing, it makes you what all wannabe best Nanna's around the world should try to aspire to"

"Hey Matthew Rosslee, Do you remember the time you weren't the world's most generous person? No, me neither! Keep our lives filled with greatness!"

"Kelly van Vlaanderen, say it again louder, "Kelly van Vlaanderen" - she was dipped in awesome sauce at birth - Kelly van Vlaanderen - no need to say more just keep doing what you are doing Kelly van Vlaanderen"

Each person had to read the positive message for another and it was great fun.


The Urban Dictionary has this definition for Positive Troll -  "A person who gives compliments to the point where it could become annoying or creepy". Very rude and negative. Ours was not annoying or creepy.

I wish I had them all with me or that I had some kind of memory to remember more of them.  My mom, in true grandmother style has collected them from the table, scraped the gravy off the messy ones and has kept those left behind (in a special box). A couple of people folded their sheet of paper at the table and put their note into their pockets immediately.  

It is always good to hear positive stuff about yourself - Nice touch, Nic.

I thought this was a good post to share today, being the first day of 2013.   Being positive about all around us is a good place to start, don't you think?

I'm off to the fridge to look for some "Awesome Sauce" and hope that those chocolate squares are not still there looking at me and shouting "Eat me, Eat me!!" or that could be my resolutions only lasting until noon on 1 January 2013!!!

Happy New Year everyone