The wedding...

I watched the wedding of course and couldn't help but wonder what sort of wedding would Kate have had if she had married another commoner.

Her dress was nice but I can't say it was my favourite dress ever.

When I got married 26 years ago the fashion was not sleek lines like today but very much influenced by Lady Diana's dress just 4 years earlier.

I still have my dress but  I don't fit into any more. My mother had hand made it using a Vogue pattern, it was satin  with a cobweb lace overlay. We had some arguements over the train, I wanted it shorter as it turned out to be, my mother had wanted to make it longer as the pattern dictated. You can't really see from this pic but it had a pink ribbon around the waist and pink bows incorporated into the dress. That all went with my pink theme.

Back then as now the choice in all things wedding was enormous with price tags to match. Not that Kate probably had to worry about that too much. All the pageantry and ceremony attached to her wedding will make it memorable but even without all that all weddings are special.

April 29...

today was a very special day.

It is Big Sister's birthday today and I was able to spend the day with her. I hope she had a good day with gifts, special treats and being spoiled.

Something else special is happening today...

Unco...

how to feel old, stiff and unco-ordinated...go to a Zumba class.

I tried a class tonight and it was not pretty.

Not sure if I can face it again, a girl can only take so much.

Back to...

work

school

but starting on a Wednesday has thrown me out. The best bit is for me it is a very short week, work again tomorrow and then I'm done.

After the rush of blood I had when I registered for the 4km fun run, today I registered for the work team in the Relay for Life. It is being held in September and involves lapping the local oval for 24 hours. The walking bit will be fine but I'm not keen on sleeping on the ground!

A fun run...

do I have a 4km race/fun run in me?

I will find out on Mother's Day when I join thousands of others in the city and run around The Tan.



Last night as I was browsing around the web, I was reading some running tips and most of them suggest signing up for a group run or race to keep you motivated. I tossed the idea around with Chris and Hayley. Chris' advice was to 'do it if you want to', thanks for the wholehearted support Love.

Hayley's advice was to sleep on it and decide today...when did she get so wise?

So I did sleep on it and after I ran the whole way around the track this morning without collapsing I thought to myself 'maybe I can do it' and it might be fun.

So I signed up and just have to work out how to get to the city by 715am on that Sunday, that bit might be trickier than the running.

Wish me luck!

Our ANZAC day...

On ANZAC day I always look back on my own personal remembrance of the last day I spent with my father before he died.

26 years ago, just 3 months after I was married, our father was fighting lung cancer and enduring more chemotherapy. As ANZAC  day is public holiday to honour our servicemen & women we were able to gather at our parents home and spend what was to be his last day. He took a turn for the worse later that night and died in the emergency dept at RMH. He was just 53 years old and I feel cheated for not having more time with him in my adult life.

This year I also have a renewed interest in the true meaning of the day as our genealogy research has unearthed a few relatives who had fought in France & Egypt in WW1 and one Grand Uncle who is buried at Puchevillers cemetary in France.

We were a couple of family short in our 'family picnic' this year but had a nice time regardless.
Grasshopper & his friend spent a lot of time messaging & checking their texts, they were probably texting each other!

 The Boy Racer enjoyed the sunshine with number 1 brother in law

 These cheeky girls spent a lot of time at the river, see that coffee cup that Erin is holding

 ...well it contained tadpoles!!

 they spent the day in captivity but then were released 'free willy' style to their home

Hayley took loads of pics for me...thanks Hayley

 We might have to find another favourite spot for future picnics as it seems to have become a favourite for many others as well.

 But we love it 'down at the river'.

And we are very lucky to have another day off tomorrow to reflect on all this remembering

Success & failure...

On this lovely Saturday I set about to cook up a storm.

I had in my mind that I would make my favourite Easter cake, the Chocolate Cherry Torte but then I got sidetracked on Nigella and Donna Hay websites.

I was looking for a recipe for gingerbread similar to some goodies that Number 1 brother-in-law received as a Christmas gift. Those dark gingery/spicy cookies were heavenly and different to gingerbread treats we have had in the past. I was looking to see if I could pick out what made them so special.

So in my sidetracked state I found a recipe for Honey gingerbread bundt cakes on Donna Hays' site. I normally like a good Donna recipe, they are usually very reliable, like my favourite Womens Weekly recipes.

But not today

 the batter was very runny and they didn't cook through, I don't think the lack of mini bundt pans was the problem and I double checked the ingredients. Seems to me that there wasn't enough flour in the recipe.

The rest of the baking was a success,

the Anzac biscuits turned out well even though I didn't have the wattle seed to add to them this year. A tablespoon of wattle seed gives the biscuit a faint coffee flavour and a nice crunchy nuttiness. 

These sweet potato roesti were a first as well, but I am pleased to say these turned out well. I made them for Hayley and myself as they have feta and coriander in them which the Boy Racer despises, so more for us and I will make them again, and probably try more of Mish Delish's recipes.

But I might be making the choc cherry torte tomorrow for the picnic on Monday in view of todays sweet failure.

You never know what will become a tried and true recipe until you give it a go do you?

A good Friday to...

sleep in

go for a late run

entertain a friend after a sleep over

and finish some layouts!



 Hayley (at 6 months) in a quiet moment with me, some photos take 22 years to get done




 My kinder photo, some photos take 43 years to finish

Erin & me from Christmas Day 2000








 And one from Christmas just gone



Have a good Easter break!

A clear out...

A  friend getting new kitchen cabinetry equals a trip to the op shop to deliver 6 bags of goods.
Does that make sense to you? if not stick with me as I try to explain...

Vanessa had a flood last year that ruined her kitchen cabinets. With delays & decisions when the claim was processed they waited until they were ready to redo the whole kitchen with appliances and the whole shebang.

Hayley inherited a tall boy and 2 bedside tables from Vanessa as she also had built in storage installed in her bedroom at the same time as the kitchen was going in.

Hayley cleared out her smaller drawers and placed the much taller tall boy in her room. No easy task as she has LOADS of crap clothing/stuff in her room which needed to be shifted and sorted to get the new furniture in.

This resulted in a major clean out with lots of stuff to be passed on to the op shop. Erin turned her nose up at most of it so now it is gone...gone for good.

Unfortunately Hayley was going out tonight so the organising part is not completely done but she has promised to finish tomorrow.

Camping...

Callum has headed out camping with a couple of friends for a few days

He loaded up his bike with the very basic camping equipment we have on hand. He was pretty sketchy about the details when I asked him who was taking food or cooking equipment and he set off. It will be a good learning experience but as Cal doesn't talk much I'll probably wont ever find out, just as long as comes home in one piece.

Boy Racer told of the times when he and a mate rode from the Toowoomba army base they were stationed at, to Melbourne or Adelaide with just a bag and a small tent each.

Luckily Callum isn't going that far.

The wedding...

not the Royal wedding ( but I am looking forward to that too) but a local one.

Hayley and Lucy played as the guests mingled then as the bride walked down the garden aisle.

The bride, Lana, looked absolutely beautiful and she looked like she could burst with happiness.

Had to get this shot of the back of her gown

The weather was perfect, the venue - Sunnyside Villa in Bacchus Marsh was perfect, the accompaniment was perfect, the whole ceremony went off without a hitch ( except when the celebrant thanked 'Hayley and Lewis' for their tunes)

The venue will be featured on Postcards tomorrow at 530pm Channel 9, I never knew that this delightful place was just under my nose. Also featured on tomorrow's show is another local spot worth checking out, the Plough Inn at Myrniong.

A break...

a lovely 12 day break from work for me.

Will I be...

relaxing on a tropical island?

 probably not seeing as how I haven't booked anything.

will I be...

skiing in an exotic location?

 Definately not...see reason 1 above.

We might get a little hiking in

but if I could get a few jobs done around the house and garden and spend time with Erin on her remaining school holiday and catch up with family it will be all good.

Chilly snap...

The weather has turned cool, I even gave in and turned on the heater last night. But even with the rain and the chilly weather I have kept up the exercise. It was drizzly and just 15 degrees this afternoon when I set out but I didn't let a few drops of rain stop me. As winter sets in and if its dark and pelting with rain my resolve will be really tested.

Then I made this yummy meal for dinner

Not really health food but a delicious vegetarian dish - cheesy broccoli crepes. Pop over to recipe blog if you want the recipe.

Whats cooking...

A very productive day in the kitchen...


Erin has wanted to make a chocolate ripple cake for ages & made this one while I made other things.

 so easy, just layering chocolate ripple biscuits with whipped cream into a log shape and leave in the fridge until the biscuits soften to a cake consistency.

I made a chocolate cherry slice

 and some almond chocolate drops. With Easter approaching I felt like making choc delights.

 I've run out of those tiny foil cups and can't remember where I got them to get some more.

I also made this savoury variation on Palmiers

 Very easy to make, spread a sheet of puff pastry with sundried tomato pesto

 I've never bought this one before but it is very tasty

 then you fold and fold again

 then make 1cm slices into the roll and bake for about 12 minutes in a hot oven

For dinner I made a Veal Scallopine which was really good, much better than last nights attempt at Moussaka which turned out very salty.

Very productive indeed

The pen...

Since my running has toned me a little I have been wearing different pants to work. These trousers fit nicer but do not have any pockets. Makes it a bit hard for a nurse but more difficult for my colleagues who hear me say many times during the day...

"have you seen my pen?"

"have you got my pen?"

"can I borrow your pen?"

"is that my pen in your pocket???"

We have had a lovely, keen and hard working student doing a clinical placement with us for the last 7 weeks and on her last day she presented me with a thank you gift.....you guessed it - a pen! She even had it engraved with my name which was very touching and thoughtful and just a bit embarrassing.

Now if it just had a chain on it I might be able to keep track of it.

The tools...

my darling husband AKA the boy racer but also as Mr Fixit has a lot of tools. Many years have gone by where he has coveted the really expensive tools but had settled for the knock offs or cheaper ones. But slowly and surely he has added to his collection with good quality tools to do a variety of jobs.

At Christmas time this lovely tool chest was my gift to him to house the 'good' tools

So for the last 2 days the money invested in buying proper tools and replacing the junk ones has somewhat been justified as Mr Fixit has done the major service on my car.

This service included a new timing belt, water pump, tensioner pulley, idler pulleys, spark plugs, replace oil filter and oil, auxillary belt and air filter. The parts alone cost about $500, most of these he sourced from the internet and got great bargains.

If he could put an engine hoist into our garage I'm sure he would justify that cost as well. My payment for the labour was a delicious steak dinner and running a radox bath for him.

Oh and having to listen to him bang on about how the cost of the tools was worth it in the end.

The track...

Every time I run down the track I think to myself that I should put up some photos of my journey

And tonight when I got to the track I also wondered how much longer our good weather will hold and how quickly it will get dark in the afternoons. There is no lighting down here so it won't be an option late in the day.

 I like this track because it is really flat and a good surface, when I can run longer distances I might add in some hills

 I start here

 walking to begin with

then run along the track

 I'm up to week 5 on the C25k program which is blocks of 5 minutes of running.


 this seat marks a mid way point and I am very tempted to sit on it...but I don't

 I'm taking my time with the program, I've been at it for 7 weeks now, this suits me

 this is nearing the end of the river section

 this path leads me past the lettuce farm and the raspberry orchard to the Avenue of Honour

 you have to keep an eye out for obstacles like this, it annoys me no end when people don't pick up after their dog

 I look out onto a river view on one side

 and on to rows and rows of lettuce on the other

 or sometimes I look at my feet, one to avoid obstacles mentioned above and two, to keep putting one foot in front of the other

Running is about putting one foot in front of the other

or is it more than that?

March roundup...

Clearing off the camera for March has revealed very little. Not many photos taken and the best of I've already shared except for these...

the Grasshopper & Teacher haven't been on a ride together for quite some time

 Cal has improved dramaticallywith all the experience he is getting. He has enrolled in the Vic Roads pilot program to give newly licensed young riders more skills with a defensive riding day. He be able to show the Boy Racer Snr a thing or too.

And here are the big teeth Hayley got from trade school

 They are really big and have the aspects labelled accordingly

I had to put my phone in to get some perspective

All in all life is pretty boring stable & uneventful compared to one friend who is about to embark on 6 weeks of radiotherapy and another who is camping inside as she has pulled out her entire kitchen in readiness for the new installation after the flood damage 12 months ago.