Chicklet Share-athon

I had a lovely morning with Chicklet.  She didn't want to be cuddled today, but I did get a kiss before I walked out the door to come home!  I guess she figured that if her Mum could kiss me, then she could too lol.

I love to just sit and watch her and listen to her.  She chatters away like she knows exactly what she is saying - if only we did too!

So I am sharing a whole stack of Chicklet photos with you today, because I took a whole stack and because Vegan Chickie emailed me a whole stack during the week.

You've got to admit that she is really something special hey?

Ok so I am biased :D  I love my baby and I love my baby's baby :D

Nite all.

Golfing Champions!

Ok, so maybe we are golfing champions in our own heads .. but that's the most important place for it to be!

April last year, was the last time I played golf and that was with Adoring Husband down on the Sunshine Coast.

Today, on the first tee, we hit the ball so damned sweetly!!  It was a joy to behold!!  It felt so good and even the walking, which I was concerned about because I've gained weight and done no other physical activity besides riding my trike every morning, was not a problem in the slightest.

We were blessed with perfect golfing weather.  There was a deliciously cool breeze blowing and the air temperature was conducive to aiding the control of my menopausal, usually 'out of control', body temperature.

Our games were so good that the two men in front of us on golf buggies, who were putting on the first green as we tee'd off, were still only two holes ahead of us by the time we reached the seventh tee!

How very satisfying it was :D

I haven't been out on my trike today and all of my photos have been taken inside, which is fine because there are a few on my 104 challenge list that are definitely 'inside' shots.

Denim and Lace - Photo 51 of 104

A Combination of 3 Textures - Photo 52 of 104

... and two from my February photo a day challenge as well.

23. My Shoes

24.  My Bathroom Cabinet

We are up to 296 photos posted on the facebook group wall for the 104 challenge now.  Really, out of the 36 people in the group, there are only half a dozen who are regularly posting photos, so 296 is a great effort!

Adoring Husband is spending the day in the vegetable garden today.

I should have taken a 'before' and 'after' shot!  Actually, my 'hopelessness' shot is a great 'before' shot ... here is the 'before' and 'after' shots of one of the vegetable gardens ...

Before ...

After!

He has performed miracles in the garden and all that fresh air and exercise has done wonders for his demeanour.

A load of fresh soil and compost, a few vegetable seeds/seedlings, some mulch and all will be well in our garden world again :D

Looking forward to some time with Vegan Chickie and Chicklet tomorrow.  Saturdays have become my favourite day of the week :D

Normally, I would sign off with 'Nite all', but it's only mid afternoon as I write this today!

Let's go with ...

Have a lovely evening all.

Damn That Champagne!!

I'm playing golf tomorrow with Woman of Many Talents, for the first time in almost a year!!

According to the weather forecast, we may be rained in and our date may, once again, have to be postponed another week.

This afternoon I visited the Blonde Bombshell at Adopted Sister's place.  (One day I will tell you the story about why she is called 'Adopted Sister')

I took two Vodka Cruisers with me, which I drank, and then a full champagne glass was placed in front of me.  Yes .. I drank that too .. and then another .. and then another!  Ugh!

These are the two trouble makers who influenced me so badly!

Adopted Sister has yellow globes in her outdoor downlights, so it was very difficult to get the fluorescent yellow colour out of the photograph!  If you think this is yellow, you should see the original!

They have been best friends for about 30 years.

I have to be up at the break of dawn tomorrow, so I have one photo from my 104 challenge to post ..

A 'very special' local woman and I'm pretty sure she reads this blog.  Isn't she lovely?

That is all.  It's all over for me.  Damn that champagne!!

Nite all.



    

Dinner is Served

Adoring Husband cooked Pad Thai for dinner tonight, with prawns.  De-bloody-licious!!

I'm not sure what inspired him to create this gastronomic masterpiece, but I'm so glad that he did!  I think we'll put it on the 'regular meals' list :D

I had a morning of bird encounters down by the river, so I didn't get any shots for my 104 challenge, nor did I take any for the February photo a day challenge .. instead I used one that a visitor to my town took of me in 2009.

The brief for today's February shot was 'Where you Work'.

Since I don't really work, I used a shot of me doing what I do every day..

This is me, about 50 metres from the Seat of Knowledge, at the beginning of my morning ride.

I, yet again, missed a shot of a Kite diving for a feed in the river this morning, but got plenty of other birds in my travels.

Breakfast is served ... for the diving Tern.

The Blue Faced Honey Eater - this one has a green face, which means it's a juvenile.

A boring old Noisy Miner - but I really like the shot, so it stays.

Adoring Husband and I went to the movies today and saw 'This Means War'.  It was silly, but we enjoyed it anyway.  Reece Witherspoon starred in it and I think she grows more beautiful as she grows older.  She has the most amazing eyes.

Nothing else much of interest today.  I spoke to Best Cousin in the World on the phone when she rang to talk about Uncle Ron.  It was nice to catch up with her, even though the initial news was sad.

More rain about town.  No storms.  No sunset.  De-bloody-licious dinner :D

Nite all.

A Busy Morning

It all started when I slept in this morning!  I hate that.

I was really hoping to be up early enough to wash, dry and straighten my hair before going out this morning because I was having morning tea with the girls.  I thought it would be nice to look presentable for a change, instead of looking like I'd just completed a ten kilometre ride.

Alas, it was not to be and I only had time for a quick shower before walking out the door forty five minutes later than usual.

I got my coffee and then spent a short time with my boys at the Seat of Knowledge.

Rumour has it that there was a croc sighting along the beach at the other end of town a couple of days ago.

Highly unlikely, but I wasn't able to walk along the beach due to the unusually high tide this morning, so I didn't have the opportunity go searching for it myself.  There are a lot of large tree branches, logs and driftwood along the beach at the moment, so it would be easy to mistake one of them for a croc.

To catch up on my challenge photos.  February photo a day ...

20. Handwriting (Mum's entry in my autograph book - again)

21.  A favourite photo of me (A wedding pic)

... and the 104 challenge ...

Hummingbird - Photo 48 of 104

A Newborn Baby - Photo 49 of 104

After morning tea, where I caught up with some of the lovely girls, I pedalled around to see the Blonde Bombshell and my Adopted Sister.

No champagne today and I actually arrived home just in time to share Adoring Husband's lunch with him.

I will, however, be making a return visit later in the week.  The Blonde Bombshell will be going back home on Sunday, so I will visit with her one more time before then.

We had a spectacular light show when a massive storm hit this evening.

I took my camera and tripod out the front of the house to watch the storm approaching ... hoping to capture some lightning shots, but after about thirty minutes and at least 100 unsuccessful shots, I began to fear for my life and scuttled inside.

There was sheet lightning, spider lightning, forked lightning and cloud to ground lightning.  Like I said ... spectacular.

No shots from me tonight :(

Tomorrow, Adoring Husband and I are going to the movies.  We still have four movie passes left (Christmas gifts) and they expire early March, so we must use them in the next couple of weeks.

We'll be seeing 'This Means War'.

So now I'm off to bed.  At least the storm has cooled the temperature down, so sleep should be easier than the last couple of nights.

Nite all.

Gone but not forgotten

I lost my Uncle Ron today.

He was a funny old bugger.  Full of love and full of fun.  Always having a joke and a laugh.  So cheeky.

Apart from my parents, he and Aunty Pat were the only family who I invited to my first wedding.

He was my Mum's older brother.  She was one of eight kids and now there are only three left.

Aunty Pat, his wife, passed about three years ago.  Maybe they are together now.  I hope so.

Instead of writing a sad dedication to him, which I know he would scoff at, I am posting something that I think he would get a real kick out of ...

Wherever you are Unc, I hope you have some good belly laughs and get to tell some real corkers!

Nite all.

Surprise! Surprise!

Today, I received an email from myself!

Last year, while I was in New Zealand, Vegan Chickie introduced me to this website http://www.futureme.org/

You can send yourself an email into the future - you can have it sent to you in a week, a year, 5 years or 10 years, or even longer I imagine.

It was quite a surprise because I had forgotten all about it!

So after I read it, I wrote another one to myself to be delivered in another year.

We/I have so much happening this year.  Just off the top of my head ...

• Adoring Husband has a week in Sydney next month to help celebrate two milestone birthdays - his mother's 95th and a friend's 50th.
• I have a road trip with BGWLBH in April for approx 3 weeks.
• We have another grandchild due to be born in April.
• Bubbles and Knight in Shining Armour should be coming up for a week in May or June.
• MUST finish the photography degree by June.
• Vegan Chickie + fam may be moving away, around this time.
• Aussie H turns 70 in July.
• Final month preparations for the exhibit.
• The photography exhibit is in September.
• Planning a holiday in Tasmania in November-ish.

In a year, I'll know the outcome of everything on my list.  So my letter to myself mentions these events and what I hope to have achieved.  I know I will forget all about it again and there will be another surprise next February for me!!

One more photo for my February photo a day challenge ...

19. Something I hate to do.

Two photos for the 104 challenge, because I can't decide which one I prefer.

Hovering Dragonflies - Photo 47 of 104

I don't 'love' either of them, but I've given up trying to clearly capture a dragonfly hovering!  Too frustrating!!

The days are so warm lately, that it's too hot to be riding around town after about 9am.  I'm thinking that if I go to bed a couple of hours earlier, then I can get out for my photography ride BEFORE I get my coffee and go to the Seat of Knowledge.

Then I can come straight home before the day starts to heat up.

It's quite difficult to kick yourself out of an entrenched habit though and my brain has difficulty shutting down so early in the night.

However, tonight is the night!  It's now 10pm, which is more than one hour earlier than I usually head for bed.

I am wishing you a good night and surprise surprise, making an attempt to change my entrenched habit.

Nite all.

Warm and Fuzzy

I am sitting in my lounge room watching 'The Wedding Singer'.

Adoring Husband and I had a song from this movie playing while we signed the registry at our wedding.

It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy.

Silly but lovely.

I had a lovely Chicklet day today and she gave me my first fridge painting!!  It's very exciting!!

A Painting by Chicklet

It's just as special as I expected it to be :D and it looks perfect on the front of our fridge!

We played horsey rides today and we read a book and we chatted.  She's just the most adorable little thing, but I tell you that every week.  Should have taken the camera out and got some photos, but the usual story - me mesmerised again **rolls eyes**

I have one photo for each of my challenges.  No 18 for February Photo a Day ...

No. 18 - Drink

... and A Sunset - Photo 45 of 104

I really like the silhouettes of the birds flying in this one.

Nothing else for today.  Short and sweet, warm and fuzzy.

Nite all.

Catch Up Time

I decided today that I needed to visit a friend.  I have only seen this friend twice in the last six months and the last time was New Years Eve.

After speaking to her husband a couple of times recently, I discovered that her very good girlfriend was here for some recuperation after having cancer removed from her bowel.  She was very lucky to catch it early and only required the surgery, without chemotherapy, and is recovering slowly.

So after my ride this morning, I stopped in for what I planned to be a one hour visit.

Three glasses of champagne and four and a half hours later, I found my way home!

I enjoyed my afternoon and I hope to visit again before the Blonde Bombshell leaves for home.

Number 17 of the February Photo a Day challenge ...

17. Time

I didn't want to photograph a clock for the title 'time' and thought this showed time in a meaningful way.

Only one more photo for the 104 challenge.  A nude human.

A Nude Human - Photo 44 of 104

I took a lot of photos on my ride this morning, but none of them were outstanding.  I have a couple that I want to play with and hopefully will post them tomorrow.

Chicklet visit tomorrow!!  So, sleep time for me now.

Nite all.

A Day of R&R

Well, after the big birthday bash and the big valentine adventure, I needed today to rest and relax.

Who'd have thought that two days of fun and frivolity could wear a person out like that?!

I didn't even have the energy or the motivation for my morning ride with the camera - unheard of!

I do have some photos from my 104 challenge, that have had to wait on the back burner for a couple of days, while birthdays and valentines took priority.

A Seascape - Photo 41 of 104

An Island - Photo 42 of 104

A Platypus - Photo 43 of 104

We are up to 263 photos on the group 104 challenge page.

Catching you up with my February Photo a Day challenge ...

11. Makes me happy

12. Inside my closet

You've already seen 13. Blue and 14. Heart

15. A Phone

16. Something new (my beautiful roses from Adoring Husband)

All of these photos are beginning to addle my brain!!  I'm trying very hard to keep up and to encourage the people in the facebook group and I'm absolutely enjoying every second of it :D

I've already started a new list.  Considering that I began this 404 day challenge three weeks ago, and I've already completed almost half of it, I think I should be prepared for the next challenge.

A couple of people in the facebook group have asked if there will be a new list.  They have implied that they are so motivated and excited by the challenge that the thought of it ending is too sad.

It's great that so many of them are now carrying their cameras everywhere with them along with a copy of the list, 'just in case' they find something in their day-to-day travels that they can photograph.

That gives me a real buzz.

I hope that tomorrow morning, I will have regained enough energy to go scootin' round town on my trike and take some good shots.

Nite all.

Continuing the Valentine Experience

First of all, one more photo for the 104 challenge ...

Something Blue - Photo 38 of 104

We walked for about 30 minutes after breakfast, which was plenty of time to take a few photos, as well as hold hands and steal a few kisses.

We drove to the Cinema with a few minutes to spare and we were actually the first people to enter cinema 5, so we got to take our favourite seats, which are the high ones at the back!

We saw 'The Vow', which I enjoyed very much.  It wasn't as sad as I expected, but it's based on a true story and was still very moving.

There was a young couple sitting two seats along from us.  The young lady, who I'd guess to be in her mid twenties, felt it necessary to give a running commentary during the movie.  She repeated lines, audibly gasped and groaned when unexpected things happened, made loud predictions and then gasped again when her predictions were wrong!

Her partner shushed her twice during the movie and I came very close to asking her to refrain too.

I think I'll have to go see it again.

After the movie, we came home to have some 'time out' before the remaining valentine activities began, but before we drove down our street, Adoring Husband took me to the park by the river.

This is where we spent the day, the first time we visited this town and also where we were married in 2010.  He walked me to our spot to remind me again, how much he loved me and we stood for a while to soak up the moment.

THEN it was time to return home.

Adoring Husband requested that I be ready for my surprise afternoon by 4pm and that I should 'dress up'!

When I was almost ready, I walked into the lounge room to find Adoring Husband standing there in his suit and tie!!  What a handsome devil!

I was ready with a few minutes to spare, when he appeared in the bedroom and wrapped his arms around me and handed me a gift wrapped box.

He usually buys me a different kind of heart-shaped pendant for valentines day, but this year, he said "I thought I'd try something different".

I've been eyeing this off since our last whale watching trip in 2011, so as far I was concerned, it was a good choice made by him!!  A lovely surprise!

I wasn't able to wear it out because it was on a leather strap, which didn't go with my 'dress-up' outfit!

We drove into The Bay and finally parked in the vicinity of the Urangan Marina.  I had guessed that we might be going on a dinner cruise :D and just as we arrived, a big black cloud loomed above us and, much to Adoring Husband's horror,  dumped some rain on us!

Luckily, it didn't last very long and he soon led me to a catamaran that was taking us, along with four other couples, on a sunset sail.

Not a dinner cruise, but the captain did serve us a fruit and cheese platter and other assorted goodies, along with the choice of champagne, red or white wine, beer or soft drinks.

We were the first on board and Adoring Husband asked the captain if there had been a delivery for him during the day.  Next thing that landed in my hands was a giant, long black box wrapped in a bright red ribbon.

Inside the box were a dozen beautiful long stemmed red roses!  More hugs and kisses ensued.

A Self Portrait - Photo 40 of 104.

A sunset with potential, and although it was beautiful, it failed to reach 'spectacular'.

Soon we were off enjoying a two hour sunset sail.  The other couples were friendly and happy and the captain was very approachable.

One of the males, on board with his partner who was expecting their second child in 6 weeks, had quite a bad sunburn on his face and when he removed his sunglasses, there was a very noticeable white area where the glasses had protected his face.  I told him that he looked like an 'off-duty superhero'.  They were highly amused.

It was a lovely couple of hours, but for the last thirty minutes I was beginning to feel very queazy!!

After we disembarked, I needed to take a moment to sit, catch my breath and find my land legs!

Finally, we were off to the second half of our evening and we parked the car outside a new restaurant that I have been wanting to try for a couple of months.

Naturally, being Valentines night, it was extremely busy, but the service was very good and the food was delicious.  I was expecting a long wait, but the food arrived quite promptly.

For our main, we had Pork Belly with Watermelon Salad and then splurged on dessert.  Adoring Husband had a Cheese Platter of Tasmanian cheeses and I had a Banana Split which had banana, banana mousse, chocolate sorbet, peanut fudge and caramelised popcorn.  Absolutely 'to die for'!!

When we were leaving they charged us for our neighbouring table's meals, which were double the cost of ours!  They sorted it out quickly though and that was the only real hiccough for the evening.

So we were home by 10pm and were both exhausted, but happy.

The end of the night - Adoring Husband with my roses.
Also A Heart - Photo 39 of 104

It was a memorable valentines day and I felt very spoilt and very loved.

Nite all.

Valentines Day 2012

Gosh!  What a day!  Adoring Husband was very adoring and planned a full day of fun and frivolity for us.

It all started when I awoke to find a Valentines Card on my bedside table which was beautiful and romantic and full of lovely words written by Adoring Husband.

We got ready bright and early and drove into The Bay, where we had a delicious breakfast at Aquavue on the water.

Our view over breakfast ...

Adoring Husband had eggs benedict with smoked salmon and I had a delicious fruit salad with sweet ricotta and a berry coulis.

After we had breakfast, we went for a stroll along the beach.  It was such a glorious morning!  Of course I took my camera for a walk as well.

It was such a fabulous day and I want to tell you all about it but I am so exhausted!  I will share all the wonderful details tomorrow, with photos as well, but for now I need to sleep.

Just had to come in tonight to let you know that it was a fabulous day :D

Nite all.