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.

Meh...

I had a lovely day today and it wasn't because of our visit to the Paper show.

The weather was perfect, we had a fun outing and a yummy lunch at Poyntons but the paper show was disappointing.  I've been before so shouldn't have been surprised that it wasn't a CHA but a girl can hope can't she???

The good thing was I didn't spend much money.