The year in review...

A great bonus of keeping the blog is the ability to look back quite easily at the happenings over the year. With the addition of pictures my journal is a colourful history of our life. Not that it is riveting reading for anyone else but me, but today I had fun reviewing the year.

Here are some highlights...

January saw us holidaying in Port Fairy and then later celebrating our 25th wedding anniversay

February was when Erin commenced secondary school and Chris quietly celebrated  turning 50

In March Bacchus Marsh was flooded with what was the beginning of much rain, so much so I stopped counting the mls

In April our family got together for a picnic

In May I got glasses

June saw Erin become a teenager

In July we met up with Chris' cousins whilst on their trip to Australia from Manchester, UK

In August we saw both Hayley and Erin perform in Oliver!
We also got to vote in a new Prime Minister

September saw Collingwood play in the Grandfinal and win it in a replay match (20 years between flags)
I held my first big study day, then went on Long Service Leave to get over it.

October saw us celebrate both my birthday and Yvonne's 40th. in NSW. Erin got to go on her first plane trip and we had a lovely holiday in Terrigal.

November saw Callum get his motorcycle licence and a new motorbike.
Hayley started her new career in  the Dentistry field.

In December we saw the Hoodoo Gurus live, celebrated Christmas with family and took a breather at the end of the year.

In reflection I have also read quite a few books, seen a few movies and it looks like I've done loads of scrapping, cooking, shopping and TV watching. I've also dabbled with yoga with surprising results.

These are the highlights, we've had a few lowlights too but it all balances out in the end. I believe you need to have a positive attitude even if things aren't going well.

So here's to the new year and the beginning of a new decade...

Have a good one!

Project tie dye...

Hayley wanted to do a little tie dying and picked a project to do.

She wrapped a double bed sheet in loads of rubber bands

Dipped in yellow dye first then into the pink

She is very happy with the end result. I think she did a great job, well done Hippie Chick.

The tree's down...

A bit warmer today thank goodness, and time to take down the Christmas tree. It's all packed away for another year. All the decorations did not quite fit into the original boxes, might have something to do with the extras I purchased.

Colette's story was finally on tonights 'A Current Affair'. Have a look if you missed it. We have been watching a Harry Potter marathon, one each night for the last 5 days so I missed it also. Tomorrow I will get the 'Half Blood Prince' and then I will be up to date to see the latest HP at the pictures

Travels to the movies...

Erin and I went to see Gullivers travels today at the local cinema

It was pretty entertaining and a good way to fill in a chilly first day of holidays.

We are heading to the coast at the end of the week and I hope the weather improves so we can get in some good beach time.

Merry Christmas...

from our family

to yours

Twas the night...

the night that finally everything is done.

Cooking - done
Baking - done
Pork ready, prawns marinading, salads ready to go
Shopping - done
Presents wrapped with even distribution in number and size for everyone
House - clean
Cards - posted
Lights - twinkling
Work - complete, holidays now for 2 weeks

Let the cheer begin!

Merry Christmas to everyone, hope you all have a lovely time with family and friends.

Friday roundup...

It is time for reflection on the past week. A week in which I worked 4 days, treated a friend, attended yoga, cruised the neighbourhood admiring the Christmas lights, did some Christmas baking and felt guilty that Erin's first week of school holidays was very low key.

The girls made these strawberry cones today, the recipe came from the Christmas Better Homes & Gardens mag and really appealed to me. They turned out fantastically well and I will be making more this weekend, along with rumballs, pistachio/almond bread and the panetone.

Heres a random fact I learnt from watching 'Landline' last night:
Almond trees can't self pollinate, they are dependant on bees to pollinate to set the nut. The growers bring in the hives & bees to produce the crop. The honey that comes from almond tree pollen is very dark & not very good. Without the bees - no nuts. And because the trees aren't native the native bees don't pollinate those trees and there isn't enough of them anyway.

I'm glad there are enough bees to keep us almonds, especially at this time of year.

Do you know how hard it is to photograph Christmas lights with a point & shoot camera? very unsatisfying for me. Some of the houses were spectacular, Clark Griswald would be proud. I'm glad our lights are up & going and our Christmas tree is very pretty (even if the pic doesn't do it justice and Hayley thinks blue is not a Christmas colour)

Next week look out for Chris' sisters' dispute with her local council and the manikins outside her shop. The whole scandal will be on 'A Current Affair'.

I'm posting this without pics as the camera has been telling me to wait 'one moment' for about 2 hours, I think its battery like me is tired, I'll try again tomorrow, night all, Jo

Edited: photos added, a full battery is a marvelous thing

I'm packing my sombrero & I'm off

Aah the school holidays have begun...

13 days til Christmas...

I had a pretty productive day after yesterdays funk. Maybe I was just tired from a day of shopping with a dirty house mocking me.

So today I cleaned and redecorated the Christmas tree with its new decos.

We now have a white/silver/blue tree! The angel on the top doesn't really fit in but she'll do this time.

Chris put the outdoor lights up but before it got dark the strong winds snapped the wire to the transformer so no twinkling is happening tonight, maybe after he works some magic it will be pretty tomorrow night.

And I have just pulled the Christmas cake out of the oven...the house smells good.

What have I been up to?...

Well you may ask

I've been really busy and the busier I am the more unorganised I seem to be. I keep telling myself if I could just get my act together things will fall in to place.

This is an offering of blooms that have flourished with the recent rain. The first year I planted these bulbs they did nothing much and then the wind wrecked it. It is amazing what water falling out of the sky can do.

Speaking of rain we have had plenty of it. I looked at a fancy rain gauge in Australian Geographic today. For $99 I can monitor the rain from inside the house but as it is no longer a novelty to see rain falling I will stick to the old fashioned estimation of  'a lot' or 'a bit'.

I also saw these Galileo thermometers. .

I always wanted one because I thought they were pretty and would be a nice feature, but they only read temperatures up to 28 degrees. Like when its raining I need to know how much, when I'm hot I need to know how hot I am. Perhaps the old fashioned estimation of  'pretty hot' or 'bloody hot' will also have to do.

Erin has finished school for the year. We've had Presentation night, which wasn't too bad. At one point I thought I was at a Pearl Jam concert as the Senior bad played 'Sweet child o' mine' really well. Nice & loud, woke us all up but made my hands sore from clapping. I don't mind going to Presentation night, it's nice to see the hard working students acknowledged and the year 12s farewelled but it's in the centre of the city and I hate driving in peak hour traffic.

Hayley is enjoying her new job but is looking forward to the real work once her course begins in the New Year. We have been able to travel together some days and I get to hear about all the personalities settling in together.

Chris has been hobbling around with a very sore foot. The doc thinks it is gout but Chris is adamant that is a sprain or even a break that can occur spontaneously without any hint of an injury(!). My sympathy is running thin as I want our Christmas lights put up before Christmas (I know - how unreasonable). I'll be dragging out the ladder myself tomorrow as long it is not raining!

Callum is...I'm not sure what Callum is up to as I have hardly seen him. He did get his pay from the Electoral office, maybe I'll see him when his money runs out.

Erin & I shopped with my sister and niece today so tomorrow will be baking, cleaning, decorating and collapsing at the end of the day (hopefully some pics to prove my activity)

Christmas cards may not happen this year

Gurus...

I've had a buzzing in my ears and songs in my head today.

Songs like..   My girl

                    Wipeout

                    1000 miles away

All thanks to these guys

The Hoodoo Gurus.

We went to see them live last night at a local hotel. 20 years may have passed but it could have been 1983, what with the beer sodden carpet, the loud music and all our favourites being belted out. I had a great time and rocked on til a very late 1030pm!

We weren't the only ones reliving their youth, there were many older than us, a couple of younger ones and most of our gen (not sure which category we fit in to) but we were able to rock it out like the old days. Vanessa and I did have a giggle when we saw one woman with a walking stick though.

Thanks guys for that fantastic trip down memory lane.

Congratulations...

to Callum for passing his 'hazard perception test' which is the first step to getting your licence.

Then more congratulations for passing the motorcycle licence test.

He is on his 'P's now and gaining in confidence every day.

I'm taking it as a sign...

On the way to taking Erin to the movies to see the latest Harry Potter, I had a flat tyre.

I probably put the mos on myself as we were having a conversation recently about whether I/women in general, could change a tyre. My thought was that I know the steps and could do it if necessary. Well I put the theory to the test and when push came to shove the first thing I did was to ring for help! While Chris was on his way I got the spare and the jack out of the boot. It wasn't easy and as I struggles with the tyre about 6 cars drove past me. I must have looked very capable as none of them slowed or stopped to see if I needed assistance. These days of mobile phones and RACV maybe they assumed I was OK. None of them knew Chris was on his way, I was a bit disappointed in our town ,I thought we had a tighter community than that.

My efforts came to a holt when I could't loosen the nuts on the wheel, so we waited for my knight in shining armour to come and rescue me. Luckily he wasn't far away, and I was very thankful for his muscles and capable hands.

So my original thought was right, I know what to do and if I didn't have a phone/reception, or if no-one would stop, maybe I could do it myself.

I'm really glad I didn't have to in the end, and we'll see HP another day, this day just wasn't meant to be.

Newsflash: Jo's Christmas present will be 4 new tyres and a wheel balance.

30 60 90...

Somewhere between 60 & 90mls of rain has fallen in the last 2 days.

I'm not exactly sure because I have to empty the rain gauge mid storm and it has a chip at the top so it probably isn't accurate any more, just like this one but a bit broken.



 When I got this one I was looking for any drop of rain, excited with just 2 or 3mls of rain. It would fill up with dust before water.

Maybe I could invest in something like this that adds the rainfall and never needs emptying. If I did the rain would probably stop and I'd be out there tapping it to move it off zero!

We went for a drive yesterday afternoon, out to see the rivers and reservoir, There was running water and mud over the roads, which made Erin very nervous, a four wheel drive with big tyres would have made her feel a bit more secure.

Our little bit of flooding in the garage is nothing to complain about.

Preparations...

My countdown to Christmas has begun.

I took myself off to the shops today looking for inspiration and ideas. I came up with a few for the children and picked up this little beauty for myself.

Picture this in orange, and at 30% off today it was a bargain as well.

I will be very surprised on Christmas morning!










I also got a kick start from Coles yesterday. They have released their Christmas ideas book and it was quite inspiring for me to look through the yummy recipes and imagine what I will cook. Here's a link if you cant get to Coles for your copy.
The Australian Good Food magazine Christmas edition also had some yummy looking things to try. I thought I would try out an appetiser before I took it along to a party. It involves wrapping a strip of prosciutto around a grissini bread stick and an asparagus spear. Sounds simple & delish but it didn't wrap nicely and didn't taste good, the verdict was a thumbs down. But it wont put me off trying some of the others.

I was able to pick up the glace fruit so will be able to start the baking once the temperature drops below 30 degrees.

Share...

Some layouts to share...

A page for Erin from our recent holiday

A page about Lucy's 21st

And one for Hayley's album

 Finally done.

Frustrated...

I need to vent my frustration.

As nurses we need to complete a certain amount of education each year to be registered. I know that it is difficult to complete on-line learning modules at work, with interruptions or even finding the time to commence a module is sometimes impossible.
As part of my education role I wanted to have the evidence of the obstacles faced by the staff. I sent out an electronic survey with just 5 questions which takes a few minutes to complete. When I checked today whether the staff on the mid ward were able to come to an education session I was howled down with cries of how busy they were.
Fair enough, but then when I enquired if they had done the survey they became even more heated with how they don't have time at work to do education and when they go home they want to switch off work matters. Also fair enough, but if they don't complete the survey I can't present the evidence and can't assist them with making study/education time available.

Uuuuggggghhhhh!

Finally Friday...

This week hasn't been extraordinary just the ordinary kind of busy that leaves you feeling tired  and lethergic at the end of the day.

So just some random thoughts from the week...

A large crack has appeared in my windscreen, after a small rock was thrown up by an oncoming truck. With a sand mine and a coal mine in the district we get a lot of trucks through. Seems the third strike is what does all the damage.

Can someone tell me how we go through so much toilet paper? We seem to use about 18 rolls a week! Have they made the roll shorter or are we in a great need? I might start buying the scratchy hard kind to deter the family a bit (I'll keep a secret stash for me).

I have done some scrapping that I can't be bothered uploading - thats really lazy, I know, I'll see if I can remedy that.

I saw a locust in the driveway this morning, the first of many so I'm told.

I am unhappy with the quality of my photo printing lately. This has coincided with a replacement of inks and a new pack of paper. DH assures me is used genuine Canon ink but I'm not convinced the paper makes such a difference.

The MIL rang to say she has found a 1 bedroom unit in Kingston, Tasmania and is happy with the arrangement. She is on a list for a low level care unit and unsure how long it will take.

Callum is gaining confidence on his bike and planning to sit for his licence as soon as is possible. What difference does a permit or licence mean when you are a solo rider. Other drivers on the road are pretty intolerant of Learners and the yellow plate does little to protect them. Callums friend came over to ride with him this afternoon wearing only a singlet top. While it was hot and tempting not to wear all the gear, I was pleased that Cal put on his jacket and boots to ride.

Today not only marks just 6 weeks til Christmas but is Hayley's last shift at Taco Bill. She is beyond excited about that and is looking forward to her new direction beginning on Monday. Her hassles with discriminating employers should be over and she can regain her social life but getting up for work 5 days a week is going to test her in a different way.

Fireworks at the festival...

Just got back from the Djerriwarrh festival and I wanted to check the photos I had taken with my little Olympus camera.

On the menu you can choose a 'fireworks' function from the 'scene' menu. I'm still not sure how to use this function properly and if I took time to read the instructions it would probably work out a bit better.

I still managed to get this shot

The trouble with fiddling with your camera during the fireworks display is that you miss the real action. It was a really good fireworks show and I'm glad we made the effort to get there tonight.

Erin enjoyed a rainbow gelati while we waited for the fireworks to begin, I listened to Kate Ceberano entertain the crowd,

and she even ventured on to this ride, it was one of the tamer ones.

It was called the Cliff Hanger and only cost 3 of the 4 tokens that Hayley had left over from her visit to the festival this afternoon. I tried some action shots with the camera.

I was very impressed with the number and quality of the rides on offer. There were some pretty spectacular ones for the very brave to try, Erin wasn't game to go on any others. There must have been thousands of people there, it was really crowded with very long queues on the more popular rides.
When I see the attendants scrambling around, helping people on and off and checking the safety equipment it always reminds me that Chris worked as a ride attendant at the Rye Carnival when he was a teenager, one of his first summer jobs.

Poor cat...

or should that be Splat cat...

or Poor Hayley...

Our tale of woe begins when Hayley agrees to house sit for a friend of a friend for a week while she holidayed in Queensland.

The lady had 2 daughters and 2 cats. Now she has 2 daughters and 1 cat.

Hayley had fed, watered and cleaned up kitty litter for the whole week and on the last day in the house one of the cats didn't quite make it across the road during an allowed 'outside time'.

That was a trauma in itself but then she had to deal with it like the independant girl she was being that week. First thing to do in a crisis? ring your BFF and then your Mum. Now Hayley has never been good with 'yucky' stuff. When she worked as a checkout chick at Foodworks she wouldn't even touch the meat trays and wont watch me cut up chicken for dinner. So I was really proud of her when she told me picked up the cat (ignoring jeers from some nearby tradies) put it into a bag then into a box and left it by the back door.

The cat owner came back from holidays and told Hayley that was the second cat squished in 2 months and she is not devastated but concerned for Hayley. She even asked if Hayley would house sit again for her. Hayley will think about that one.

This unfortunate tale reminded me of a story that Vanessa told me. It might be an urban legend but goes like this.
Aussie girl is house sitting for a family in London. Their large and much loved dog dies. The owner asks the girl to take the dog to their vet.Girl takes large dog in suitcase on the Tube to Vet. Suitcase gets snatched from girl on escalator.I bet he was one bewildered thief.

Young apprentice Trent is really annoyed that the tradies acted so poorly & hadn't helped Hayley. The other funny part of the story is Hayley had found notes in the young girls bedrooms with lists of rules about their bedrooms. They were hilarious with entries like...'Don't jump on my bed', 'Clean up your mess'. I told Hayley they should have also added 'Don't kill my cat'

October is over...

October has been a great month, so I am a bit sad to see it end. A holiday, a birthday, parties and some time for me have rounded it off nicely.

While I was enjoying the past month I missed the anniversary of this blog. Odd to think I have been at it for 2 years now. I was reading back through some old posts and enjoyed reliving them. The idea of my blog was to be a journal for myself and this is exactly what it is. Those first few posts include how we hadn't had any rain and the gauge was always empty, now we have to empty it mid storm! (Another 51 mls fell on Saturday during Derby Day).
It is also good to see the 'illustrations' of my little story, the family pics, the scrapping I have done. Might be boring to some but I'm going to keep at it.

And keep adding my layouts

An old pic...our mother aged 7

and me at 47

Roll on November, what will you bring?

Like Wow Wipeout...

Remember this???

Crank up the volume and sit back and enjoy



We are off to see the Hoodoo Gurus and I am beyond excited!!!

Driving Miss Me...

I've been thinking about our trip to NSW as I scrap some photos. Our plane trip was exciting and new for Erin and I (Chris - a bit more seasoned with the flying thing) but things really started happening when we arrived at the airport.

I had googled some map directions, telling me that the trip to Terrigal should take 90 minutes. We had packed our e-tag so we could smoothly use the tollways. And Chris had loaded up the trip on his phone which would be our navigator. We were well prepared.


What could go wrong?

We landed in Sydney on a Friday afternoon at 4pm. We hadn't factored in that this particular Friday was the beginning of a long weekend when every single person in the city of Sydney was leaving for a break.

It took about half an hour to collect our bags and hire car. The little manual Corolla was easy to drive and I jumped in the drivers seat for that first journey so Chris could be Mr Maps and guide us out of the city. The first snag was the delay in picking up a signal on the GPS. While we were waiting for that first direction I headed out the way the guy at the Hertz booth directed me, he also added 'follow the signs to Newcastle'.

Well after the first left turn there were no signs! There was no directions from the phone and Chris had his phone out the window attempting to get a signal. What there was was a lot of traffic, rushing in and out of lanes and intent on getting in front. I had no idea where I was going, I kept heading towards Centrepoint tower (lucky that thing is so tall) as we knew that was in the city and I kept hoping for a sign for the Harbour Bridge. I kept saying to Chris 'left or right?' We were pretty clueless but I lucked onto the Bridge and onto the Pacific Highway. By the time the signal kicked in we were heading in the right direction.

After inching along the Pacific Highway and adjusting to the Sydney way of driving, 3 hours later we pulled into Terrigal. We didn't go the toll way, the most direct way and definately not the quickest way but we made it with very little clue of the best way. During the trip the GPS function of the phone worked really well as long as you gave it some time to think.

Our return trip to the airport was much smoother, our GPS took us on a different and quicker route, on freeways and tollways. We even went under the harbour in the tunnel and were ready to check in 2 hours after we left Terrigal.

Live and learn.

Update...

I had to pop in to the lolly shop to get some Halloween treats and got an update on the pedestrian who was knocked down when I was having my haircut recently.

Apparently she walked into the lolly shop the next day to say thank you to Esther for helping. She was bruised and sore but not injured.Quite remarkable really.

Esther went on to tell me that the woman asked her if she had seen her phone after the accident. Esther had scooped up the contents of the handbag that had been scattered across the road from the force of the impact and popped the bag into the ambulance with her. Esther had collected everything she could see but the phone was now missing.

Several days later the phone turned up...the mechanic found it under the bonnet of the car that hit her! It must have been flung up out of her hand, landed on the base of the windscreen and slipped under. I'm sure the mechanic must have been a bit puzzled, but the phone was returned and our story has a happy ending.

Another mystery was solved when Chris found my memory stick!
It had landed under the stools in the kitchen, probably swept off the bench, and I probably would have found it next time I vacuumed (that might have been a while!) I am very relieved that all that work did not have to be re-done and I can stop searching for it.

Good news all round.

Situation normal...

Back at work.

Its like I never went away.

But after just 4 days of working I have 5 days off! (Thank you Melbourne Cup Day)

If someone could tell me where my memory stick has disappeared to I'll be very relieved, it has all of my presentations stored on it which represents hours and hours of work.

And I might be imagining things but I feel taller when I walk out of the yoga session.

My leave is over...

Four lovely weeks have zoomed by in one way but in another it has been a good length of time to achieve some of the things I wanted to do. Some of those things were more exciting than others but I am satisfied none the less.

When the children were in Primary School they had to write a diary entry each Monday morning. At the end of the year they would bring their work home and I would read over their many pieces. I have kept some of the books as a reminder of their progress and the way their hand writing had developed. I laugh at these diaries and journals because they alway began 'On the weekend..', mostly they were very mundane activities and some family secrets were revealed in their writing! I am thinking of this as I begin this post.

On my holidays I....

went to 3 parties ☺Yvonnes 40th

                          ☺ Lucy's 21st

                          ☺ Callum's 19th

flew in an aeroplane for the first time in 13 years

visited family, beaches, cafes

had my birthday in another State

watched Spring unfold in my garden and pulled out loads of weeds...look out backyard you're next!

walked beside the river most days, usually when it wasn't raining, the river looks really full

gave blood (and embarrassingly nearly passed out at the end, I've lost all my condition!)

saw the movie 'Eat Pray Love' and enjoyed it. Some reviews made me doubt I would but it was very like the book, so that made it for me. Maybe those reviewers hadn't read the book.

read just one book, but that was enough

scrapped some recent events

made some jewellery and some cakes

tried yoga at the local centre, will probably go back again

was busy at some times and did nothing at others, just the way I like it

went for a ride with the Ulysses club on a beautiful sunny day

spent lots of time with Hayley - lunches at Woodend, Ballarat, before she starts her apprenticeship soon

walked a hundred k's (felt like it) at Chadstone with Vanessa and had a good laugh

had a haircut and helped at an accident - at the same time

did some of the spring cleaning I had planned but not all and thats OK too.

I'm not ready for alarms and uniforms but will go back to work tomorrow with lots of memories of my time off. My first task is to put in a leave form for the next round of holidays!

19...

The girls got up at 6am to pin this little surprise on Callum's door.

Callum's 19th birthday today. Happy birthday Son, hope you have a good one and a fabulous year to finish your teenage years...Enjoy.

The apple 21st...

we had lots of fun at Lucy's 21st last night. The rain held off, there was a fire or two and Karen had done a fantastic job making the apple shed look comfy.


Erin went as a 'pink lady'...

I found that pink jacket in an op shop on Thursday. It cost me a whole $5 and fit her perfectly, some things are just meant to be.

I went as 'granny smith'

 complete with Hayley's apron, Hayley's glow mesh handbag, an op shop dress and a shawl knitted by my sister about 30 years ago (is that right Louise?). Add a wig and glasses and I look pretty much like my mother!

Hayley whipped up a tree costume...variety questionable

There were quite a few Apple iPods...the touch kind

 and the colourful kind

JohnPaul and Mai Pyin came as the 'Big Apple couriers'







There was a couple of Snow Whites and Wicked Witches

 And a William Tell...very clever

 a live band played

lots of people had made an effort which was really great to see, there were lots of apples -red and rotten, farmers, doctors and teacher's pets, even a Statue of Liberty. I was a bit disappointed there was no Tassie references but it was a good night overall.

And the birthday girl had a great time!

Beauty & the Beast...

The announcement for next years show was made at the cast party on Friday night...

Beauty and the Beast it will be.

Quirky timing as B & B is having a revival at the moment. You can buy all sorts of paraphenalia including the DVD. I'm surprised they could get the rights to perform this as anything mainstream costs a fortune, even for a small amateur group.
It was Hayley's favourite movie as a little girl and our copy on video is just about worn thin. She even had a Belle Barbie and a 'Beastly' Ken. The girls are both keen to be in it, Erin has her eye on the 'Chip' part.

Good weather for...

Yesterday was perfect weather for spring cleaning. I was able to open up the house and blow the dust off things that were very dusty. The rain came in around 5pm and we got 40+ mls in the first hour. It has been light and  steady since so it has been perfect to do a bit of crafting today.

While it has been raining I made this headband for Erin from some beads and foam.

We have been invited to Lucy's 21st and the party has an apple theme. Her family have been orchardists in the Marsh for generations and the event will be held in the apple shed with lots of apple associated goodies. It will be a fun, country style affair. We have been asked to dress up in the apple theme and lots of ideas are floating around in my head...granny smith, golden delicious, pink lady (think Grease!), apple picker or even a tree.

I'm off to make some jewellery and maybe do some scrapping...I love holidays!

Quite a feat...

During our interstate trip I read and finished Jessica Watson's book about her fantastic voyage.

It was quite a remarkable journey that she was able to complete, an interesting read. One small point of correction though, she states she sailed by Christmas Island but according to her mapped out route she didn't sail that far north on the western side of Australia. Still a remarkable accomplishment for a 16 year old.

Now I need another book to read...any suggestions?

Not your average hair cut...

Back to school for Erin but I am still on holidays for another 2 weeks...luxury.

Last week I had a quick trim at the hairdresser interrupted by a commotion outside the window. A woman crossing at the pedestrian crossing had been knocked over by a car. Amber, the hairdresser, whipped off my cape and I ran out to render assistance. Her injuries were not immediately life threatening - she was not obviously haemorrhaging and was quite lucid despite the pain she was in. Lots of people had gathered to see if they could help and I knelt beside her until the ambulance came (just a few minutes). She was carted off to hospital and I went back to get the rest of my hair cut.

I had wondered what the extent of her injuries were and if she was OK, more details might be published in the local paper this week. End of story for me or so I thought. My sister rang to tell me she was at a dancing comp in Geelong and talking to someone who was related to someone who had been knocked down by a car in Bacchus Marsh! Her injuries fit the picture but the name was wrong. Could it be the same woman? How many people get knocked down by cars at crossings in Bacchus Marsh?

The mystery goes on.

My birthday...

This year my birthday was celebrated while we were away, which was quite a nice way to do it.

Erin was quite taken with these flowers while we were in NSW, our climate is not quite right for them here

We had a very nice dinner with Duncan, Donna & CJ. They left for their home in Toowoomba early the next morning, leaving us with some extra days on our own.

Terrigal part 4 - Beaches...

Our trip included visits to a few beaches.


The skillion at Terrigal

Terrigal beach on a blowy showery day

Avoca Beach

The surf was up at Avoca

Patonga, a quiet inlet with lots of fishing boats and pelicans

Pearl beach seemed like a lovely family spot, they were constructing/improving the sea baths here.

And finally the view of cosmopolitan Terrigal on a sunny day from our balcony

Picture perfect