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Do you feel you ‘blow’ your weight loss chances
by overindulge in food when eating out?


Weight management is not a short trip,
 it's life,
your journey will have many learning events in it,
 don't regret them, 
 learn from them,
make strategies for success from them.
  Every moment is a restart towards our success :-).



 You can’t overcome obstacles until you find out what they are going to be.

  So OK, dinning out and being offered (insert what you might be tempted to but would regret eating),. that you did not want to eat was an obstacle. 

How will you deal with this next time?

What strategies can you use to avoid being in this situation again?

.  Will your dining friends become your allies and help protect you or do you need to be self-reliant and maybe take with you an alternative food to eat when they eat high fat and refined carbs?

Can you teach yourself to eat a little of those things and
say NO to excess consumption?

Say NO to food pushers.
Say NO to self-abusive behaviour.
Recognise overeating as SELF ABUSE.
REFUSE to live in an abusive relationship.


Can you learn to stay within a calorie allowance so you keep losing weight?

Heaps of things for you (and me) to think about and stay focused on.

Once you work out how you will deal with these dinning out situations, when these situations present themselves again, we have a tool to use, a pre decided upon plan.  

Follow our plan, and we will feel empowered at our own strength. The high we will feel exceeds any pleasure sensation excess food can give.

 Just remember this. J

Factor that ‘feeling’ into our plan. .

Succeeding at weight loss, It is not about pulling willpower out of thin air, it is about focusing on a goal, making an action plan and a to do list, that will get you to your goal. 

 If you can believe you can do the actions then you WILL achieve your weight loss goal. J

Believe in yourself and make a plan.

 

"We first make our habits, and
then our habits make us."
- John Dryden

 
Fridge magnets like the one featured at top of this post, featuring the art of Kathy Shell can be purchased from the artist from http://www.fridgemagnetart.com

Art cards featuring the art of Kathy Shell, like those shown at base of this post, can be purchased direct from the artist, at http://www.cards-art.com
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January 28th is my three-year anniversary of my commitment to become fit and slim.  

I could not have hoped to make a greater impact on improving my health than I have doneJ. I am so grateful that the body has the ability to recover when a healthy lifestyle is adopted. One unexpected result of the exercise and weight loss, has been joint pain relief 

 I still need to work on improvements. I need to establish a more regular sleep pattern and I am always working on motivation to exercise remembering the importance of  great nutrition and avoid overeating, I may have these things ‘mastered’, but only for as long as I stay focused and remember that I am more important, my health and well being is more important than eating just for the experience of eating. Eating IS more pleasurable if you eat when you are hungry. J

Where once I feared the feeling of hunger, I now welcome it, enjoy it and LOVE the fact that being hungry means I give myself permission to eat and enjoy whatever I choose.  I choose what will nourish both my body and my senses. Eating for me is a truly sensual, pleasureJ. Eating for health and to be slim is not about deprivation and eating celery sticks, unless of course you love themJ. Food is as it should be one of the great joys and comforts in life. Just make sure it is a comforter, NOT a dominating master.

Let us all be through with abusive relationships.
Do not allow food to dominate, abuse and mastery you.
'YOU are STRONGER than (insert whatever wish) a potato chip.' 
My version. "I am stronger than tasty cheese" :-).

I do not know about others, but my reasons for weight gain in the past were due to emotional eating and insufficient exercise, resulting in my consuming too many calories.  I was never a binge eater nor did I choose unhealthy food, it was just a consistent, eating too much, because I enjoyed the emotional experience of eating. It was not ever that I had any great stresses or triggers, though we all have some stress in our life. No for me, it was the consistent, enjoyment of eating and if I was satisfied but I had room for more, I ate more.  I even ate when I was not hungry, just 'felt like eating' and felt like having the pleasure of eating.

Indulging in this pleasure in food, beyond the needs of my body was turning a healthy relationship into an abusive one.  Quite simply I was involved in self-abuse. Every time I dieted, it was just another form of self-abuse, this time by deprivation from things I love. Swinging from one form of self-abuse to another is not weight mastery.  It wasn't until I learned to change my life, learn to love and nurture myself by staying in a balance where self abusive dieting or overeating did not exist, has my body regained its health, fitness and I am naturally slimming without conscious effort. 


About the Author Artist, Kathy Shell
A gray nomad, carer, devoted to healthy lifestyle, creative arts therapy and eco-therapy, whose address is ‘highways of Australia, Kathy Shell is a sixty-something senior with a wealth of knowledge and experience. She has written hundreds of articles on a wide variety of subjects. A popular, former Speaker, Kathy has given seminars on a number of topics that entertain, train and teach. A radio and television show Guest, reference book and ghostwriter, fine artist and sculptor, you may have seen, read or heard Kathy in one or other format.
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If you are one of those people who struggles with emotional eating, here is a new (free) "mini course" that you may find very helpful.    It is a short course that consists of 8 emails spaced out over a one-month period. Each email contains a short audio call as well as a written summary so that you can quickly process the ideas.  Peertrainer emotional eating program  

Setting yourself, goals, making action plans, daily to do lists and planning rewards for goal achievements, small rewards for small goals and a special goals like hawaii vacations (insert any goal that will excite and motivate YOU),for achievement of extra special goals.

I do not believe weight management is about will power, it is about observing and correcting behavior patterns and habits that no longer work for us through understanding the inner needs that have nurtured these habits in the past. This is where some life coaching can be of assistance if you are finding emotional eating difficult to control.  

Overcoming emotional eating is about making advance plans for how we will be prepared to meet our needs in a more constructive way. Then we need to focus on the goal we want, create an action plan you can BELIEVE you can do. Then have a reward in sight that is big enough, exciting enough, to encourage you to be consistent and go the distance.

 Best wishes for you weight mastery, in 2010.

The illustrated copyright fridge magnet, above, by Kathy Shell, is available from fridgemagnetart.com, see side bar link.
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A blog about weight management would not be complete without a mention that a great many people struggle to be able to eat enough nourishing food throughout a day and they are at risk of developing malnutrition or anorexia.   

Anorexia is not only an emotional disorder, it can have physical causes and is one side of the weight management story,  those who are working toward releasing excess kilos, often do not think about. Many people have conditions or are undergoing medical treatment like, chemotherapy , that  causes nausea, which makes eating enough food, difficult and mesothelioma treatments can in some situations make people not want to eat and as a result they can become anorexic.  It is important to make an effort to encourage people we care for, to eat healthy, especially if they eat very little.

What do you eat, if you can eat very little?

The American Cancer Society (ACS) offers the following tips for people who struggle to prepare food and eat sufficient healthy food.

Try new foods, because tastes can change during cancer treatment

§  Eat plant-based foods such as peas and dried beans

§  Limit alcohol consumption

§  Eat five “colourful servings” of fruits and vegetables per day. This includes dark green and deep yellow vegetables, which contain important nutritional substances called phytochemicals

§  Limit foods that are pickled, smoked or salt-cured

§  Be physically active and maintain proper weight (if possible)

§  Keep the freezer and pantry stocked so you don’t have to run to the store when you’re feeling ill

§  Cook large dishes and freeze them in meal-sized portions

 

I have my own nutrition packed boosters.

I have been giving my husband freshly squeezed fruit and vegetable juices today and I made up a clear broth, for the evening meal, each drink was a powerhouse of vitamins and minerals plus freshly squeezed live energy. 

There is still a great deal science does not know about nutrition. Teas, juices and broths, freshly made from wholefood ingredients have been used  for thousands of years to nurture the ill and still serve  a useful role and can be used to supply most of the nutrients needed by the body, plus those science has not yet identified; that is something supplements cannot do.  These natural broths are a far cry from the salty, sugar, preservative and food colour laden aged and processed, commercial, juices and soups and the taste of freshly squeezed and cooked is so much superior to the supermarket variety, in my opinion.

I drank freshly squeezed fruit juice for breakfast, freshly squeezed vegetable juice with ginger (an anti inflammatory) and I had potassium broth for dinner, with Reg, tonight and I enjoyed this so much I wonder why I had not left the juicer out on the bench.

I suffered a stroke when I was thirty-two and juicing was part of my recovery. I hesitate to mention juicing, because like all healthy things if you go overboard on the idea, it can be harmful; it is a case of all good things in moderation and frankly most people need all the extra fiber in their diet.

Anyhow, Reg and I could both do with a good pick me up, Reg has his joint pains and I have been a bit congested in the chest for a month and we are planning our next Australian tour, so I am going to add some high quality juices and broth to our diet every day.  Some juices are high energy so I will dilute mine with water and sip it, make it last a longer time rather than drinking a lot of it.  

I have books that tell me what juice is good for what condition and what juices mix well together and what doesn’t. I have experience in using juices from the past. I will be cutting right back to one coffee a day and I might even cut it out for a month. I also will not be drinking any wine with my meals, I need to drop some calories I consume to allow for the energy value in the juices, so live fresh juice, substituted for a glass of wine is a good idea for me, as an action plan toward my increased fitness, this month.

I will let you know if I keep my renewed enthusiasm for fresh fruit and vegetable juices and broth, up and if Reg and I feel any fitter and if it affects my weight and in what way.

Let your food be your medicine and your medicine be your food.

Hippocrates (c.460 - 400 BC)

 

 
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Art cards reproduced from the original art work of Kathy Shelll, may be ordered through her cards-art.com website, see side bar link.
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Chasing Indigo running after a ball, is a great fitness workout.
During the after Christmas sales I wondered around in department and sporting goods stores looking at home gym equipment from treadmills to Wii and trying to understand words I am not even familiar with, never having had children of my own when computerised game technology began, terms like video cards and consoles left me quite confused  

My home gym equipment is simple and portable:-

A skipping rope

Resistance exercise equipment, Two stretch bands and a  Gym stick

A blow up, balance ball

One set of high quality, adjustable weight dumbbells

One set of wrist weights and one set of ankle weights

A pedometer.

One set of steps (caravan steps do very nicely), I see no point in buying steps just to exercise.

A chair, ditto, to the steps, I  ‘find any available chair’.

10BX  card detailing a range of 10 Basic exercises, to be done, at varied intensity depending on ability. lol, I have used 10BX exercises since I was thirteen, lol, my little tattered 10BX exercise card could be 50 years old.

Sports clothing, A swimsuit, Gym pants, gym top, cushioned soled sports socks,  and a sports bra. My Brook Addiction Control, Running Shoes.

Water bottle and a back pack water bladder for use on long walks

A thin palates mat, this doubles when we travel as a pad between the window and the roof of the caravan.  When you travel for months out of every year, everything needs to be compact or do several duties.

I have a DVD and a hand held chart of dumb bell exercises for osteoporosis.

I do have an iPod with the week one of the Couch to 5 Kilometre, intervals of walking and running for thirty minutes, loaded into it. That is about as high Tec as I go with my home gym travel equipment. I rarely use it these days, I get the idea, you run briefly, then you walk and recover, I do not need anyone telling me to do it, :-). I will throw a ball for Indigo and run with her, that works just as well and is more, family fun.

I have packed exercise DVD’s but I simply do not use them, I think I like the tranquillity of not having anyone barking orders at me while I work out. In fact the closer to nature and peace, I have when I exercise the happier I am. J

A flowing stream to swim up or a mountain trail, I think would draw more effort from me without my even feeling it, that any modern fitness, electronic, computerized, wiz bang, wii tec  game J. Maybe one day my grandchildren or a more knowledgeable about ‘new stuff’, friend will convert me.

 
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Kakadu National Park, Top End, Australia. A hikers paradise.
I have never loved exercise for the sake of exercise, but I LOVE what I am able to do when I am fit and I LOVE the exercise, activity of bushwalking.

They say the best way to keep up doing exercise is to choose to do an exercise that you enjoy.  My favourite exercise is bush-walking, mountain hiking, clambering around in the Australian bush in general.  Reg, my husband and I have been doing this for over forty years together. J. When I am not ‘on tour’ in the bush, it is my desire to be fit for these bushland adventures and that motivates my current, work out routines. Having a goal of doing something I love, is what gets me lifting my weights and power walking.  My best advice when it comes to finding exercise motivation, is to find yourself an activity you love and train for that.

Before Reg and I changed to the caravanning life style, we owned a great Toyota Hiace van which for many years, I would load up to ‘the hilt’, with art works and set off every autumn to exhibit through Queensland, and the Northern Territory. Once I reached Darwin mid year, I would have all the stock sold and I would fit the van out as a bedroom and kitchen, effectively making it into a small recreational vehicle – campervan. Reg, would fly into Darwin and join me for the recreational part of the tour and we would then gradual return south, via the wonderful national parks of the top end, of Australia, Litchfield National Park and Kakadu.

The sale of the artwork in the first part of the tour, paid for the holiday and my chance to paint landscapes on the return section of the tour. It was a great arrangement; a self-funding hobby business. I set myself a goal every year to be physically fit enough for the climbing and hiking sections of the tour and I worked hard producing an exhibition of art work that would cover the tours financial costs of, fuel, car service, tyres, the additional cost of food in outback areas and insuring against the unexpected events like motorhome towing.

It was an incredibly satisfying lifestyle, which we repeated year after year until our trusty Hiace had over 300,000 kilometres on the dial and our lifestyle was progressing to the gray nomad, phase, which led to us retiring from the gallery. Retiring allowed Reg to travel with me all the time and that required larger mobile living set up, that is when we changed over to towing our caravan around the country. I am progressing with our plans for our 2010 Australian tour, and as always these plans involve, the action plan of working on maintaining and increasing, both Reg and my own, fitness and preparing and packing an art exhibition suitable to sell while on tour, to fund our hobby business travels and painting tour. It is an incredibly satisfying lifestyle.

For information about my art and art tour, check out my www.kathy-shell.com ‘ website and ‘A creative Life, blog’.

 
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One point per day....it is great motivation to move. Take rest days if you want or exercise everyday it is totally up to you.  I have the inspiration to play this game of seeing how many points I can score in January, from the forums in the Biggest Loser Club, web site.  There is a wonderful supportive group of members there if you want some real, sensible, no silly diets, emphasis on fitness, weight loss information.

Bob, the winner of the 2019 Australian Biggest Loser Couples, TV Show, was in the forums today encouraging members.  If Bob inspires you as he does me, here is his own website. Biggest Loser Bob,  winner of the fourth Australian, series. Anyone is welcome to join, and turn their exercise into a game. J The more the merrier. All you have to do is........EXERCISE!   I am starting on Jan 1st and go to Jan 31st. The main thing is to make a start, it does not matter what day.  Get some friends and make a competitive game of it and support and encourage each other.  You compete against yourself.

I am aiming to score myself 31 points for January and I am scoring points earned for weigh work outs as these are the ones I tend to slack off on, if I am not attending gym and I must keep motivated and do these, my bone density depends on it.  All I have to do is exercise, record what I have done One point per day....it is great motivation to move.



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Evening of First January, 2010

One point taken for weight bearing exercise, January First 2010.

I worked out, half with my metal weights, quite nervously as it was during a thunderstorm, I kept changing back n  forth to the stretch bands which do not give me a s good a work out as my adjustable metal weights.  I had visions of the lightning striking me as I worked out, but no way did I want to miss a day so early in the month.  Then I was not game to turn the computer on in that storm to report my point :-). Storm has settled and I can 'feel' the muscle burn so I know I put in a good muscle-building workout. 

Comment:-  Making a commitment to others and making a game of exercise WORKS.   It would have been very easy tonight as I have so many other times to have made excuses and not exercised, 'It was too hot during the day, too stormy at night or too tired'.   Because I have told friends I am aiming for 31 points in 31 days, I did not want to 'cop out', not make the effort, so early in the month, so I DID IT. :-).   I am pleased I did.

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    _Happy New year :-)
    I am going to combine several seemingly contradicting eating and exercise programs and put together my own Artslim Naturally slimming and Gray-Nomad fitness program.  I plan to bring these out as a low cost EBook and small paperback. They will suit anyone interested in managing weight with son=me difficult health conditions such as metabolic syndrome and past injuries.

     I'll be showing you some of the books I am reading that have some excellent qualities, although they will not be exactly what I am putting together to suit me and my style of doing things.
    I will be focusing on eating and exercising for wellness, weight loss if obese, weight management and balanced fulfilling lifestyle..

    Art and Art Print Gifts, available to purchase from The Art of
    Kathy Shell

       142 mm x 110mm
    large fridge magnets.
    View below.
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    "Instead of giving myself reasons why I can't, I give myself reasons why I can." Spring garden with pansies. Large Fridge magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell
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    "Everyday is a renewal of life." Mare and Foal. Large Fridge magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
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    Be weird whenever you have the chance. Large Fridge magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
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    Friends Forever. Gollies and bears family. Large Fridge magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
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    "Fall in love with someone." Old English Sheepdogs. Large Fridge magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
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    "If friends were flowers I'd pick you." Just Joey Rose. Large Fridge magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
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    Live, Love, Laugh.Learn. Hannah with Flower. Large Fridge magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
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    Indulge in the things you truly love. Blythewood Grange. Large Fridge magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
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    "The winds of heaven are that which blows between a horses ears." Large Fridge Magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
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    Love your friends, no matter who they are. Bear grouping. Large Fridge Magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
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    "I always knew you'd make a splash." Jenny and Max. Large Fridge magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
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    If friends were flowers, I'd pick you. Magnolia. Large Fridge magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
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    Those who bring sunshine to the lives of others cannot keep it from themselves. Three heavy horses at the gate. Large Fridge magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
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    "Don't approach a goat from the front, a horse from the back or a fool from any side. Three heavy horses, side on. Large Fridge magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
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    "Get to know your neighbour!" Rusty and Rosco the Clydesdales. "Don't approach a goat from the front, a horse from the back or a fool from any side. Three heavy horses, side on. Large Fridge magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
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    "Believe in yourself." Churchill Island farmyard. Large Fridge Magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
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    "Share with Friends. " Reg walking the dog. Large Fridge Magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
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    "Friends are welcome anytime, relatives by appointment only." Large Fridge Magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
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    "Best Mates" Two Possums climbing together. Large Fridge Magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
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    Grampians Farmyard. Large Fridge Magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
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    Kangaroo Ground, Victoria. Large Fridge Magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
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    Horses at the Dam. Large Fridge Magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
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    Wattle Ridge. Large Fridge Magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
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    Bushfire Haze, Enfield Forrest Blaze. Large Fridge Magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
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    Campfire, Robe River, Pilbara, Western Australia. Large Fridge Magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
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    Golden Holstein Rose on Blue. Large Fridge Magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
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    Heavy Horse, Mare and Foal. Large Fridge Magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
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    28 Parrot, in McDonnell Ranges, Central Australian. Large Fridge Magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
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    Old bush dunny.and shed. Large Fridge Magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
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    Welsh Pony Mare and Foal. Large Fridge Magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
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    Pilbara, Western Australia. Large Fridge Magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
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    Brumbies of the Snowy River, Gold. Large Fridge Magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
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    Clydesdale Foal. Vertical. Large Fridge Magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
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    Carlton and United Clydesdale team and dray at Buninyong. Large Fridge Magnet featuring the Oil painting Art of Kathy Shell.
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    Emu Twist. Large Fridge Magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
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    Robe River. Pilbara, Western Australia. Large Fridge Magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
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    Mt Sonda, the Sleeping Lubra, McDonnell ranges, Central Australia. Large Fridge Magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
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    Kookaburra, Large Fridge Magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
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    Murray River, Right. Large Fridge Magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
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    Homeward bound. Clydesdales and dray in Australian landscape, Large Fridge Magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
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    Formosa Gardens )Beautiful Gardens) Ballarat,Victoria, Large Fridge Magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
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    Cream Frangipani on Blue. Large Fridge Magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
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    Heavy Horses at gate and in stable. Large Fridge Magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
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    Sturt Desert Pea. Large Fridge Magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
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    Tennant Creek, Northern Territory. Large Fridge Magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
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    Composite of Heavy Horse art images. Large Fridge Magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
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    Buninyong Bush early evening. Large Fridge Magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.

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