One week later...

...I am recovering well.

I've had a 5km run,  a good stretch at Pilates, 2 sets of mixed doubles on Thursday night, a good cardio session on Friday and another 4 sets of tennis today.

Perhaps not the relaxing post half marathon recovery week but not having to work has really helped. We have had the debrief hash out about how we could do better/different next time. Yep...next time. And we have planned out the next few weeks events, the next long run being City to Sea in November (15k)

This week I also learned that Suze broke her arm when she fell at tennis last week (that's 2 for 2 now) and Emma suffered a meniscus tear. l learned my  pilates instructor is expecting her first baby. And I found out my eyesight has deteriorated some more so need glasses for long and short distance focus. I didn't need a test to know that, but snazzy new glasses to wear most of the time should take the edge off. I met up with Hayley's 'UK Abi' when she had a shift at Baby Black but work kept us from having a proper catch up.

Half way through my holidays and it has been mighty fine.

The year is over...

Just back from our week away at the beach and looking forward to the year ahead. Some pics from our holiday, the first one for a few years that it wasn't warm enough for us to go swimming...

Packed up to the hilt & ready to go on what was going to be the only hot day of the trip, already 38 degrees when we set off on our 3 hour trip. This one took a bit longer because of multiple wee stops and taking the Colac road instead of the Hamilton one.

The cool change had come by the time we arrived and the strong winds made tent assembly difficult and comical. Trips to the beach after that were confined to the sand and needed a jacket or two.

Chris came down for New Year's Eve, this was the first time he had joined us for camping and it was the highlight of our week. Erin had particularly missed him and I found out later had sent him texts telling him as much. She loved his visit and we popped the Moet and waited up for the fireworks.

Happy New Year.

A rare pic of us together on the beach

Little Sister and her husband and third Nephew came down for a few days as well. It was fun to be camping out with all the families. Third Nephew braved the water and refused to admit it was cold. Teenage boys are hardy. We rocked hopped together and saw marine life including dolphins which was quite exciting. We usually do this same walk around Griffith Island and each time it is different.

After the walk we checked out the new ice cream shop and weren't disappointed.

Granny's grave, a historical site was quite threatening. The sign promised all sorts of dangers which we didn't risk.

I ran a couple of times, once along this portion of the rail trail. Previously we had ridden our bikes all the way to Koroit. A 5km stretch was enough.

We managed a jigsaw and did lots of reading. Some of us were reading books that were sadder than others and needed a tissue.

Our campsite was a bit fuller this year and it works out well because Big Sister is very generous and providing which we appreciate very much.

Some of my photos were taken with my phone and others with the D-SLR. I didn't want to take my camera to the beach or on the rocks but had fun photographing local sites and playing with the settings.

It was a good week even though it wasn't a warm one and hopefully we can do it all again next year.

Neglected...

I've been neglecting my blog lately because I forgot it is my own journal, my electronic journal. I haven't had any thing exciting to write about. But it is my journal and meant to be a record of my life day to day. Life isn't exciting every day, or it isn't around here. So here is the news, mundane as it is.

I worked up until the Easter break with a student in a busy period for the unit. It made me realise I enjoy teaching. Remind me I said that at the end of the year when the rotation of students lets up. We pretty much have students continuously until then. Patience is enforced as I watch the students practice something it would take me no time to do.

I had my flu shot and ended up with a painful arm for a few days. I put it off until after the race just in case a rare side effect interfered with my run. My nose is pretty much healed up with a couple of the dissolving sutures still making their presence felt when I wrinkle up my nose. My breathing is much better especially at night time.

Easter and Christmas bring up mixed feelings for me as I am not religious but still enjoy the festivities. I see both times as a celebration of family so partake in some of the rituals without mentioning Christ. Maybe there is some Druid in me, I respect life & the earth and treat others well. This Easter break has been very low key as we are heading off camping tomorrow so haven't caught up with my sisters as we usually do. Because there are no parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles or cousins within cooee our family get togethers are very insular.

I am quite excited about our camping trip. I have been gathering together equipment & supplies with a cautious eye on the weather. Today has been showery & pretty cold, the forecasters have promised me a few nice days so I am pretty hopeful. It is just going to be me & Erin as my younger sister & her boys weren't able to come with us this time. We are going to be trying out the new tent and it will be a big test as to how self sufficient we can be. Time will tell if we have everything we need. I am taking the laptop with internet connection so we wont be shut off from the world. We will be bike riding, rock climbing & bush walking as well and I hope to take loads of photos.

I'm off to find a few chargers and go through my many lists again.

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.

Tradition...

how many times do you have to do something before it becomes a tradition?

I was wondering this after I scrapped a photo of Erin at the beach. For 3 years we have gone to Port Fairy & stayed with Big Sister in her caravan. I always come home with loads of beachy photos, that look surprisingly like last years batch, except that Erin has grown a bit taller. We have a lovely relaxing week & when we come home we look forward to next year. This year Little Sister & her boys joined our tradition. By booking the site for next year before you leave the caravan park you ensure the tradition continues. Maybe we won't be able to have a holiday at the beach every year but I hope to add to my collection of beach photos.

But can I call it a tradition?

Australia Day...

Happy Australia Day everyone, I hope you had a relaxing celebratory day.

I had a productive day in a laid back kind of way. Erin came home from her camping trip a bit sunburned, tired and hungry. She looks taller and a bit more grown up, she told me she pitched in and helped Michelle at the camp site.

So I did a little scrapping... some recent photos

 and some from the distant past.

 I made some florentines for Erica's birthday tomorrow

 and I did a little wandering around the nursery and picked up a couple of new plants for the garden. We had about 8 mls of rain last night, enough to freshen up the garden, it is so nice to see things doing so well it really encourages you to keep adding.

A mid week day off is really nice, 2 days of work left and just one week of school holidays to go.

Foreshore...

My sweet girl has headed down to the Rosedbud foreshore to camp with her BFF's family.

Camping in a tent this time, just for a few days. The foreshore is a peculiar place where families have camped in pretty basic conditions among the tea trees for generations. Chris remembers it well from his childhood, the invasion of tourists in Summer, the swell of holiday makers in his little town.
Erin loves the beach and having it so close to your tent is fabulous. I hope they don't get rained on, I hope she doesn't get eaten by mossies and she remembers to put sunscreen on.

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!

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

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!

One to go...

I've been counting down to my holiday. I'm taking a glorious four week break from work and now have just one shift left to work.

I have made a lot of plans in my head and I know I wont get it all done but I am looking forward to this time off, a real, fair dinkum break.

My plans include...

get some exercise

walk every day

a trip to Sydney

and explore Terrigal and the Central Coast

open up the house and spring clean

and read and sleep and sleep and read

One day to go!!!!

Changes...

After reading Nicoles blog today I got to thinking about how different our 2 girls are in their fashion sense.

They are 9 years apart and what was in fashion for Hayley is now different for Erin, but its not just the fashion that changes, the girls have quite different styles.
I've kept all of Hayley's clothes unless they were really worn out and periodically I will go to the storage shed and pull things I know will fit Erin to show her. Invariably she will turn up her nose and shake her head. She just doesn't like them. I now wonder why I am keeping all of Hayley's clothes as hand me downs but I guess I am a slow learner or I just desperately want these clothes to go around again.

Hayley (14) - Grampians

I should have a clean out and just send those clothes to the Op shop now and give up the hope that they will be used again. I should take a critical look at other things I am hanging on to in case they might be useful again. A decluttering is good for us I think but the 'what ifs', the 'I might use that' and the 'I might need it' nagging thought in the back of the mind is powerful.

I bet we all are guilty of this eh?

Jellies...

There are lots of good jellies...

jelly babies...
jelly for dessert...

jelly cakes (especially pink ones)...

jelly in a cup (freddos are a bonus)

good ol jelly beans...

and the super comfy jelly sandal...

but jelly fish can really spoil your day at the beach.

When we were at Port Fairy we had a couple of days when the water was thick with them. There were tiny bluish ones & larger pinkish ones, fortunately we were not stung by any of them but they spoil your splashing about.

Even our wandering along Rosebud beach on the weekend was spoiled by yet another type of jelly fish, a slug looking thing that was coiled like a clear doughnut.

Uughhh!