Day 264 in a Year of my Life

I would like to introduce to you, the newest member of my Apple family ...

With a 27" screen, bad photos look REALLY REALLY bad, however, the good photos look A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!!!

It's a bit of a learning curve, because this one is slightly different to navigate around, compared to the laptop, but I'll get there.

I certainly don't need to wear my glasses while working on this one!

Tomorrow, I'm having a Fifth Avenue Jewellery party.  I expect there will be somewhere between ten and twenty ladies here, so right now, I should be doing a little tidying up, so that I don't have too much to do tomorrow!

I'm having too much fun on my new toy though.

Adoring Husband is on SES duty tonight.  The annual 'Christmas in July' bash is on at the local hall and he is doing his share of setting up, cooking, cleaning, clearing and other such chores.

So I've had a very pleasant evening with some nice background music, no TV and an easy meal of home made soup for dinner.

I made two soups tonight.

Creamy pumpkin and cauliflower with a little chilli and sprinkling of roasted walnuts on top.

Creamy cauliflower, potato and leek with cayenne pepper, also with a sprinkling of roasted walnuts on top.

Both of them are delicious and I've got four single serve containers of each in the freezer for my enjoyment at a later date.  Adoring Husband is not a fan of my creamy cauliflower based soups.  That's ok because it means more for ME!  Yum!

Today, I am grateful for new toys that will ultimately improve my ability to edit photos.  I hope that others will notice the difference in my work!

Nite all.

Day 263 in a Year of my Life

I love being with my family in the Sunny Coast.

I love spending time with my little Chicklet.

I love being able to go on photo shoots with my photography friends.

I love the energy.

I love the beaches.

I love the shopping.

I love how accessible everything is, including Brisbane city.

I love how close it is to the mountains and rain forests.

I love the markets.

I love the availability of organic produce.

I love the cafes and restaurants and the gluten free options available.

I love so much about the Sunny Coast, that when I am there, I imagine living there and changing our lives.

Then I come home.

As soon as I step inside the door, I know where I'm meant to be.

I love my home.  I love my town.  I love my life.

I think I'll just have to love visiting the Sunny Coast on a regular basis.

Today I'm grateful for a safe trip home to a waiting Adoring Husband with a smile on his face and three psychotic dogs, all psychotically happy to see me.

Nite all.

Day 262 in a Year of my Life

This is my last night in the Sunny Coast with my Chicklet family.

I had a great day with my little Chicklet today, while her Mama and Dadu went to the movies.  We had lots of walks and played at the park and watched Playschool and played with all the new toys.

She asked if she could come home with me tomorrow, which was nice, but I suspect it was more about riding the 'train' than actually being with me lol.

I will miss her, but I'll be back in the not too distant future of course.

I have no photos from today .. too busy being a grandmother.

No other news.

Today, I am grateful for time.  Time spent with my family and feeling the love.

Nite all.

Day 261 in a Year of my Life

GO QUEENSLAND!!

Winning 8pts to 4 right now.

I had a pleasant wander around Noosaville this morning.  Found a lovely gift for Vegan Chickie's work area ... three beautiful silk sunflowers ...

... and also found some great little gift shops to browse.  Time passes faster than you think when you're browsing.

It was a nice way to spend the morning while little Chicklet was at the library with Dadu.

The Bare-chested Chef cooked up a storm this afternoon and we had the most delicious meal for dinner.  It was a Malaysian lamb curry that I can't remember the name of, with coconut rice, roasted peanuts, cucumber, pickled cauliflower, boiled egg and dried anchovies.

Everything was placed in separate plates spread over the table so that we could help ourselves and it was AMAZING.  I should have taken a photo!

Today, I am grateful to have a very good chef for a son-in-law and I'd like to add that his cheffing ability is just one of his many assets.

Nite all.

Day 260 in a Year of my Life

Four hours with my little sweetie possum, Chicklet, today.

We went to the shopping centre and bought some toys to play in the sand, then we went to the park where we made crab castles and then we came home and did some reading and I impressed with my juggling skills.

The day started out very rainy, but turned into a beautiful sunshiny day.

Today, I am grateful to have the most amazing and wonderful grand daughter EVER!

Nite all.

Day 259 in a Year of my Life

Chicklet time is wonderful and fun and joyful and educational and silly and exhausting!

We read stories and jumped over string and watched movies and played catch with Mike the Monster.

I was a horse while Chicklet climbed on my back for a ride around the lounge room.  I was a tiger with a tiger tail and mask, while Chicklet wore a dinosaur tail ever so briefly.

The dinosaurs didn't get much of a look in today.  Bunny rabbits and monsters were the choice of toys.

Games on the ipad filled in time while Bozzy Wozzy rested.

We've got another big day planned for tomorrow and I hope that I can get some nice happy photos of her.

Meanwhile, tonight, I played with some photos from the weekend.

Today I am grateful to have found a coffee shop nearby that sells delicious coffee and I am grateful that my body is holding out while Chicklet pushes me to my physical limits - which admittedly aren't that strong to begin with!  Perhaps I will leave here stronger and fitter!

Nite all.

Day 258 in a Year of my Life

After only 4 hours of sleep, we got an early start this morning to attempt to capture a nice sunrise at Mooloolaba.

Before sunrise

Three minutes of colour 

Stormy coastline.

After a little light rain, a brief wave of colour, the sky cleared and we three girls sat in glorious sunshine to eat a hearty breakfast to help us continue through the day.

And let me tell you, I needed a hearty breakfast to get through the afternoon with my little Chicklet!

I've been a dog, on all fours, chasing her around the couch.

I've been a dinosaur (Triceratops to be exact) stomping around the lounge room floor with her in the role of Tyrannosaurus Rex.

I've been a dancing dinosaur!

I was even a hurdling dinosaur!

I was also a snapping crocodile and a back flipping frog.

A grandmother of many talents I feel.

Today I am grateful to know the names of, and recognise the bodies of, many more dinosaurs than I ever imagined possible.  Who'da thunk that a two and a half year old could provide me with such knowledge?

Best get some sleep in preparation for more dinosaur action tomorrow!

Nite all.