Nice to see you!

Three major events occurred for me last year (2010), all in the space of about 2 weeks. I turned 50. The following day I got married. Two weeks later, my oldest daughter became pregnant with her first child and my first grandchild.

Most middle-aged people will tell you that in their minds, they still feel 20 something. It's the same for me.

Wasn't it only yesterday that I was planning a night out with guys from the surf club? That gorgeous new perm. Flaired, cuffed denims and the red t-shirt with the off-the-shoulder frill. Corked platform wedgies. **sigh**

Suddenly I'm looking in the mirror and wondering how 30 years can flash by so damned quickly!

So here I am in cyberspace, sharing my genuine shock and horror with anyone who'll listen and maybe I'll even meet some other over 50s who find themselves in the same predicament!

Welcome to my dilemna!!

Saturday, November 17, 2012

Did Ya Miss Me???

I've had no internet access for almost a day!  Who knew I would feel so lost without it?!  I really disliked missing out on updating my blog.

Cambroon Caravan and Camping Park.

http://www.cambrooncaravanpark.com.au/

The most deceptive website that I've experienced so far.

The only thing I saw that was true to this site, is the deer, which wander around aimlessly behind a two metre high, poorly constructed, very old chain wire fence that spoils the landscape with it's ugly haphazard meandering over the entire front section of the park.

I didn't see any cows or horses or owls or snakes.  I didn't see any signs directing me to these 'supposed' highlights of the park either.

There are six power poles (from memory), each with 3 power lines strung from them, which criss cross above the park like a noughts and crosses game.

The barbecues and picnic tables are so old and decrepit that I didn't even attempt to sit at them or use them.  They looked like they might collapse with one touch.

The amenities were 'supposedly' cleaned when when we arrived, I am doubtful.  Only one working shower and toilet in the old green besser block building.  The hot water was turned on after we arrived.

The shower cubicle had timber swinging bar room style doors into it, with a wide enough gap between the doors to give a nice show if anyone cared to look.  From there you stepped through a glass screen door to the actual shower.  I don't know how well the shower worked because I didn't go beyond the glass screen.

I didn't see any cabins that looked like the one on the website.

The ones I saw in the distance looked very old and not well maintained from where I stood - almost like broken shanties.

Street noise was very bad where we were parked - even though there was not a lot of traffic, when it did come, it was loud!  Especially the motor bikes - there were about 40 motor bikes parked outside the Kenilworth Pub when we went past and Kenilworth is only about 5 minutes from Cambroon, so they were coming and going during our 14 hour stay.

It appeared that the slopes near our camp area had been sprayed for weeds because there were lots of large dead areas amid the green grassy hills.

There was a dam enclosed with the sad old chain wire fence too, but it was covered in a reddish orange scum that moved with the wind across the top of the water.

No TV reception, no radio reception, no internet, no phone.  Take a CD player if you want to listen to music.

I guess if you want to have a weekend of roughing it, full of outdoor activities and no contact with the outside world, then this might be the place to visit.

The lawns are mowed nicely - it's tidy.

The potential is there to be everything that the website promises, but it needs a lot of work.

When we arrived, at first 'rustic' glance, I said to Adoring Husband "I like it!", but the longer we were there, the bad vibes really pushed their way under my skin and I really coudn't wait to leave.

We had booked for two nights, but we lasted 14 hours - began packing to leave at 5am.

That's how I saw Cambroon Caravan and Camping Park.

Looking forward to exploring Maleny, Montville, Glasshouse Mts, Beerwah and any other little hidy hole that we can find in this area over the next couple of days.

Had a delicious breakfast at Monica's Cafe in Maleny this morning and then lunch at the Mapleton Tavern today ... beautiful views, although a bit too hazy to get the best of it today.

The weather has been threatening all day, but we've had no rain and even the storms that were forecast, seem to have disappeared.

We've had a nice quiet day listening to the radio, catching up on my blog and fb.  Gathering our energy ready to start playing 'tourist' tomorrow.

Yesterday was disappointing.

A little stop along the way.
Today, all is right with my world again and we are looking forward to a great day tomorrow.




Thursday, November 15, 2012

Day 19 of a Year in my Life

It's been a huge day for me today.

A few hours with my precious little Chicklet.

Another delicious lunch at Thomas Street Eatery.

Playing at the park with Chicklet.

Meeting up with my little brother and his non girlfriend for afternoon drinks.

A couple of hours rest and then off to dinner at Fratellinis ...

http://fratellini.com.au/

... where the Bare-chested Chef and Mike, our waiter for the evening, served us a three course meal 'to die for'!!  My favourite was dessert 'semifreddo'.

We had an antipasto entree which, among other delightful bites, had THE MOST DELICIOUS prosciutto I've ever tasted!

My Quail Risotto main meal was delicious and I know that the others loved their meals, by the moans and groans of delight that were floating all around the table.

Dessert had everyone feeling simply orgasmic and my brother had double espresso coffee afterwards that he said was the best coffee that he had tasted for a long time (and he is a coffee connoisseur!).

The service was excellent.  Mike was friendly and efficient and knowledgeable, offering very good descriptions of the meals and making some excellent recommendations.

The restaurant itself had a lovely bohemian atmosphere with drapes and cushions and candles and lamps, fairylights and potted trees, mismatched and colourful dining furniture.

It was quite busy there tonight with lots of friendly happy groups eating and drinking and enjoying the evening.

Another highly recommended eating place for you to discover at the Sunshine Coast!

We dined outside - terrible photo taken in the dark with my phone - but we were having fun!
So, tonight I am grateful for good food, good wine and good company - food is almost always the basis of wonderful memories of gatherings with family and friends.

Nite all.  

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Day 18 of a Year in my Life

Had a wonderful day today catching up with the family and playing in the park with little Chicklet.  She's a crazy girl!



Did some shopping at Eumundi Markets ... always fun :)

Had a most delicious lunch at 'Thomas Corner Eatery'.  I hesitate to post their web address because I don't want it to get too busy there but how can I not share something that absolutely deserves to be shared.

http://www.thomascorner.com.au/food.html

The food is wonderful.  I highly recommend the Slow Roasted Duck on the lunch menu and then if you have room for dessert ... the dark chocolate mousse.

The staff are very friendly and efficient and the atmosphere is delightful ... so good that I even forgot that we were situated on a busy corner!

So today, I am grateful for good food, good company, beautiful holiday weather and a surprisingly comfortable bed in our campervan!!

I am grateful for a fabulous day two of our holiday, even though it has left me absolutely exhausted.  I should have worked on my fitness before we came away ... too much time on the couch at home!

Nite all  

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Day 17 of a Year in my Life

We are here at the Sunshine Coast, all set up in our campervan, after quite a stressful drive today.

Lots of traffic on the road.  Especially trucks!  A couple of stops at roadworks, which slowed us down a little.

Learner drivers, wide loads, speeding cement mixers, slow caravans  ugh.  I'll be glad to get off the highway on our next leg and stick to the inland roads where there is less traffic.

I got to spend a few hours with Chicklet this afternoon, while Adoring Husband went for a drive looking for a caravan park to stay in.  He then set the van up and was able to set up the awning for the first time.  It was all looking lovely by the time I arrived :D

Chicklet was just adorable today and I enjoyed every second that I spent with her.  Not a single photo was taken because I was too busy enjoying her company.  Can't wait to see her again tomorrow.

Here is our camper all set up in the caravan park.


We hope to get up for sunrise tomorrow morning to witness the lunar eclipse as the sun rises over the ocean.  We'll see how motivated we are tomorrow!

After such a stressful drive and then a few hours with Chicklet, the energiser bunny, I am in for an early night.

So far this bed seems comfortable enough!  I'll report back tomorrow.

Today, I am grateful to have arrived at our destination safe n sound and also grateful that I get to spend some time with the family before we head off on Friday.

Nite all.

Monday, November 12, 2012

Day 16 in a Year of my Life

I signed up to NaNoWriMo.

National Novel Writing Month.  http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/dashboard

I signed up yesterday and have written 1500 words so far.  I don't expect to complete the task (50,000 words!!!) ... aside from me being the Queen Procrastinator, we will be travelling for the rest of this month, so I'm not sure how often I will be able to write along the way.

I'll have a good attempt though!

I haven't written mine on the site - because I didn't realise that I was supposed to!  I have mine written on my iPad, but I guess I can transfer it across later.

One more sleep and we're off on the big campervan trek!


I hope that somewhere along the way, during our trek to 'nowhere in particular', I get a vastly better photo of a natural waterfall, than this one.

Tonight I am grateful to have the kind of life that allows me to share little adventures like this one with Adoring Husband.

I am grateful to be able to create new memories that we can look back on, in years to come, and have the perfect images from our photographic journey to peruse and ponder.

Need to get some sleep in preparation for a happy travelling day tomorrow - first stop is to visit my little Chicklet!!  Yay!!

Nite all.


Sunday, November 11, 2012

Day 15 of a Year in my LIfe

My river and it's beaches at high tide and low tide, at sunrise and sunset, with blue skies and clouds.







I am grateful to be living so close that I can get to my river in a matter of minutes.

I am grateful for the wonderful energy that I feel when I am near it.

I am grateful for the natural wonders that it provides with it's aquatic life and bird life.

I am grateful for the ever changing colours it can provide in just one single day.

Nite all.

Saturday, November 10, 2012

Day 14 in a Year of my Life

Oops, I forgot to put the correct title to my last two posts!  Ah well ... catch-up time.

Another short one tonight.

I am oh so grateful to witness this for the second year in a row and hope to experience it for many years to come.  This, apparently, is the 7th year in a row that these Tawnies have nested in the same tree.






I am so in love with these gorgeous little creatures.

They are so curious and inquisitive, that as I walk around the tree to find different angles to photograph them, they shuffle across the nest and around Mum and lean over the nest to watch me.

Just as I go to photograph one of them, the other pops his/her head into the picture.

They had me giggling this morning as I tried to trick them and their cute little faces would appear from nowhere.

**swoon**

So this is what I am grateful for today and I will miss them so much when I go away for two weeks!

Nite all.

Friday, November 9, 2012

Holiday? What holiday?

Well, we have the car, but it's still not ready!

It still requires weather shields, a roof rack, a reversing camera and the correct tow bar - and probably other things that escape me right now.

Hopefully, we will be on our way by Tuesday or Wednesday next week!

Right now I'm tired and simply want to share one thing with you ...


Surely EVERYBODY knows and loves Rick!

Nite all.


Thursday, November 8, 2012

To Quote 'Price is Right' ...

IT'S A NEWWWW CARRRRR!!!!!



... and here is my rant that I posted in facebook.  It doesn't even contain all of the facts or all of my complaints, but you get the idea.

WARNING - RANT BEGINS HERE

If you want to buy a new car, DON'T go through Fraser Coast Auto Centre in Hervey Bay.

The contract had 27th October as delivery date. Have been promised two different dates since then. Fourth promised date was yesterday. Caught the bus into town today and spent 7 hours waiting for them to finish adding everything. The guy guaranteed that it would be ready (because there is only one bus back home, so if we didn't take it, we would be stuck in town). Car wasn't ready and we took it anyway at 5pm.

They've put the wrong tow bar on it. Still no weather shields or roof rack or reversing camera, among other things.

I've lost count of the number of lies that the salesman has told. I've lost count of the number of phone calls that haven't been returned and the number of 'let me call you back in 5 minutes' calls that never eventuated.

The car still has to go back tomorrow to get everything else fitted (what do you reckon the chances are that we still don't get satisfaction?).

Our holiday was supposed to start today. pffft.

... BUT DON'T GET ME STARTED!!!

Thank you for listening :D



I've sent Suzuki a long detailed message via their facebook page, but I could only do it privately, not publicly.  Waiting for their response.

I don't generally like to use my blog as a soapbox.  This is usually my happy place!  But I announced that I would use all means at my fingertips to spread the word and that includes all social networking sites, blogs, emails etc etc etc.

End Rant

On a happier note, I met a lovely girl from Frankfurt today!

On an impulse, during my arduous wait for the car, I decided to have a pedicure.

In the seat beside mine, was a lovely girl who was visiting Australia, for the first time, from Frankfurt in Germany.

She has already been here for a month and has visited Sydney (disappointing for her) and Melbourne (a pleasant surprise for her) and she is heading to Cairns tonight on the bus and plans to go as far as Cape Tribulation.

I really enjoyed talking to her and she explained how 'quiet' Australia is with it's vast size and small population of 23 million people, compared to Germany, which is just a bit larger than Australia's state of Victoria, and has a population of 82 million!

That is a fact that's difficult to comprehend!

She talked about how lucky our country is.  The beautiful landscapes, the amazing food, the friendly, happy people, the wide open spaces, the healthy lifestyle, the great public transport system that takes us outside of metropolitan areas, our freedom and our work ethic.

So, today, I am grateful to be living in Australia, the lucky country.

Nite all.


Day 11 in a Year of my Life

This will be a short post tonight.

I start my day by the river every morning at the Seat of Knowledge with my boys.


They are always happy and smiling and ready for a laugh.  It's my favourite way to start the day, before I go riding off with my camera looking for photographic opportunities.

Today I am grateful for my happy smiling boys who help me start my day with a smile.

Nite all.

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Day 10 in a Year in my Life

Food.  I'm not sure if I'm classed as a foodie, just because I love food.  There may be a more derogatory term for it lol.

My favourite food is seafood, in particular, prawns and crabs.  Unfortunately, I have developed an allergy to some fish and also to my absolute favourite, Tasmanian scallops, so I have to be careful when ordering seafood in restaurants.


I am also gluten intolerant, and now I miss some other favourite foods, such as freshly baked bread, apple pies, battered fish from the local cafe, Tim Tams among many more.

You'll notice that they are all fairly unhealthy foods, so it's probably a good thing that I can no longer eat them.

I love fresh tropical fruits like mangoes, peaches, pineapples and pawpaw.  Any fruit 'in season' is pretty delicious.


I love trying different restaurants and eating quality meals made with love by talented chefs who love what they do.  My son-in-law is one of those :D and you can feel the love in his delicious creations.

I love sharing a good meal with friends and family, whether it be a barbecue in the back yard, a picnic at the park, a dinner party at a friend's house, a gathering at a cafe/restaurant or a lady's day at a bistro.


I love to eat Adoring Husband's cooking, because not only is he a good cook, but his presentation skills are pretty darned fabulous too.


I love to share nibbly platters with visitors that overflow with cheeses and deli meats and fresh fruit and pates and dips and crackers.  Always nice with beer and wine.

I love delicious desserts.  Sweet, spongy, creamy, fruity, sugary, chocolaty, cold or hot yummy desserts.

I love morning teas with hot quality coffees, lattes or cappuccinos.  Even a nice pot of tea.  No more cakes, pastries or tarts for me, but there are some delicious gluten free accompaniments available now.

When Adoring Husband goes away for a few days, I like to lock myself in my house with bags of junk food.  Crisps, blocks of chocolate, lollies, ice creams etc.  I can go a whole day without eating one healthy morsel!

I love pavlova.  I make a mean pavlova.


I love Sunday roast.  Lamb is my favourite, but pork with a crunchy crackling will win me too.

I love mashed potato with raw onion chopped finely and added to it.  Gravy poured over the top is also delicious.

I love a good salsa made with avocado, tomato, cucumber, onion, capsicum and lemon juice.


When I'm sick, I love a home-made spicy creamy chicken and roasted vegetable soup.  I make a mean spicy creamy chicken and roasted vegetable soup.  I like to make it when my friends are sick too.

I love chicken and vegetable stir fries with noodles.

I love Adoring Husband's mixed salads with roasted pine nuts.

I love popcorn at the movies.

I love to make freshly squeezed fruit juice for breakfast.


So, today, I am grateful that I have all types of food available to me, ranging from fresh healthy organic goodness to the most disgusting junk food.  I am grateful that I can afford this extravagance.  I am grateful that the food I eat keeps me healthy and strong (most of the time).

Nite all.

Day 9 in a Year of my Life

I love the ocean!  I love rivers.  I love lakes.  I love water.

Tidal waters are my favourite.

Being near water, fills me with energy and hope and motivation.

For 22 yrs, I lived 6 hours from the ocean.  I didn't like it.

Whenever I had holidays that brought me to the coast, I could feel the energy building in me, as I got closer to the water.

It was a physical feeling of happiness and light.

It wasn't just about being on holidays, because we all know that holidays bring you happiness and light!!  It was about being close to the ocean.  I need to be close to water.  Close enough to see it every day.

When I travel inland, I can physically feel the energy slowly seeping out of my body.

I love the smell of the fresh salt sea air as it blows in my hair and over my skin.

I love the contrasting blues of the sky and the deep oceanic waters on a clear sunny day.

I love the soft sound of rippling waves rushing over the sandy beach, as well as the sound of full pipeline waves crashing one after the other, hard on the shore.


I love the feel of soft sand between my toes and also the feel of my feet sinking into the sand as the waves wash around my ankles.

I love collecting shells as I stroll along the beach.

I love the sound of seagulls calling out as they fight for morsels that wash on shore.



I love the sight and sound of the long beach grasses blowing in the wind along the sand dunes.

I love the sound of dogs barking as they race along the beach in front of their owners chasing sticks or balls or birds.


I love climbing over the rocks and exploring rock pools at low tide.

I love watching the colonies of soldier crabs scamper over the flats and then tunnel silently into the sand when they sense danger.


I love to see young people sitting in groups on their beach towels, listening to music, drinking their sodas, laughing and soaking up the vitamin D.

I love to see families on the beach, flying kites, building sand castles, doing cartwheels, writing messages in the sand with sticks and being 'together'.


I love to see old couples sitting in their fold up chairs, with coffee flasks beside them, and wearing big hats as they sit with their fishing rods placed strategically in rod holders in front of them.

I love to see young couples waking up in their panel vans or combi vans on the beach front, climbing out and stretching as they lift their faces to the morning sunlight.

I love to see joggers and walkers leaving their footprints in the sand as the dawn light creeps over the horizon.

I love the sight of a storm building over the ocean as the dark clouds loom and the thunder rolls across the sea.




I love to sit on the bench seat overlooking the beach and watch the world go by.

The list goes on and on.

So today, I am grateful to be living in a beachside community, close enough to the water that I can reach the beach in a 5 minute trike ride and enjoy all that it has to offer.

Nite all.



  

Monday, November 5, 2012

Day 8 in a Year of my Life

If someone had told me, ten years ago, that I would be a keen bird watcher in my future, I would have laughed in their face!

My first pet was a budgie named Sooty (my dog and my cat were also named Sooty).

Later, when I was about 5 or 6, I had a pet galah that roamed freely around the house and was trained to do it's 'business' on the toilet seat.  I don't remember his name.

When my kids were little, we briefly had a pet Peach Face, but it didn't last very long.

It's not that I didn't like birds.  They just didn't interest me really.

Since I found photography, I've become a bit passionate about birds.  They are beautiful creatures and I love all types, from the tiny little Honey Eaters, to the colourful Bee Eaters and Fairy Wrens, to the bigger raptors such as Owls, Kites and Eagles.

Even plain old boring ducks pique my interest, and I love to photograph any bird that I can get close to.

The last twelve to eighteen months has been a real learning curve for me with birds and I love that I have a few people in my flickr group who are keen bird watchers and whom I can call upon to learn more about the birds that I sometimes find.

Last year I was told about the Tawny Frogmouths who had been nesting for 6 yrs in a row in the same tree in our town, so I went looking for them and found three chicks in the nest.

This is last years photo ...


... and this year, there appears to be just one chick ...


I didn't even realise it had hatched because it blends in with it's mother's/father's feathers until it opens it's eyes.  I've been watching and waiting for weeks and missed it altogether, because the nest is quite high in the tree, so it's difficult to see much.

This little fellow seems quite curious and he leans over the nest to watch me below.

I've named him 'Pookie'.

So today, I am grateful for all of the wonderful and beautiful birdlife that Mother Nature has to offer and for the education I've received in the past 18 months as I've discovered new birds in my photographic travels.

It just goes to show, it's never too late to learn.

Nite all.

Saturday, November 3, 2012

Day 7 of a Year in my Life

I am grateful for my creative, artistic abilities.

I am ok at basic maths, but nothing more complex.  I struggle with technology but I still own a laptop, an ipad, an iphone, a dslr camera and I get by.

I understand nothing about software, files, programs and the like .. it doesn't matter how you try to explain it to me, I just don't get it!

I do understand 'arty farty'.

When it comes to creativity in any form of art, I understand, and I can 'do', with minimal education or instruction.

It's my natural talent.

I'm not saying that I am a brilliant artist, by any stretch of the imagination, but generally speaking, I am naturally capable of creating all forms of creative art.

Oil Painting
Jewellery
I have painted in oils and acrylics, I have created pottery (not with a wheel), I have made jewellery, I can crochet and knit, I have embroidered, I can sew, I have designed, I have sketched, I have woven, I have stained glass, I have carved and etched, I've tie-dyed and leather worked.

Now I photograph.

I am so grateful for photography.

I love it because it's instant.  I can see the end result instantly.  Instant gratification ... much like chocolate!

Now, I have a new camera with which to play and improve and obsess.


I am grateful for the art of photography.   For the friends I've made through photography.  For the miles of memories that I can now sift through at any time of the day or night.  For all the little things on this earth that I can see because I am looking through photographer's eyes.

Here are one of the little things...

Tawny Frogmouth Chick 
Thank you Adoring Husband for just being you :D

Nite all.

Day 6 of A Year in my Life

Rainbows!

I love rainbows.

I have been obsessed with getting a rainbow shot over the river.

A couple of years ago I pedalled down to the river without my camera.  I was going out that day, so I was already dressed for my outing and decided to pedal to the bakery for my morning coffee.

I didn't take the camera because I knew that I wouldn't be gone long and because the weather was looking a bit ominous.

As I left the bakery,  I decided to stop by the Seat of Knowledge to say good morning to my boys.

It was right on high tide, there was not a breath of wind and the water was still and smooth, like glass.

The clouds in the distance were dark and looming and it was obvious that it was raining up river.

As I pulled up to the Seat of Knowledge, a rainbow appeared.

One end of it was on the opposite side of the river and the closest end seemed to be within about 50 feet from the steps near the Seat of Knowledge.

It was a perfect, vibrant and complete rainbow and the water was so still that it reflected that perfect rainbow like a mirror.

I literally gasped at the beauty and instinctively reached for my camera, which of course, was not there.

The first time I had ever taken my trike without the camera in the rear basket!

The chances of that perfect moment to ever occur again in the future are so remote.  I think I'd have a better chance of winning the lottery!

So, the night before last, when my neighbour came running over to my house to point out a rainbow after a heavy shower had passed, I was excited about what I might find.

We jumped in her car and drove down to the beach to discover this ...


The circumstances were not even close to mimicking that special morning when I was without my camera, but this rainbow was beautiful in it's own right.

I am grateful for beautiful, vibrant, colourful rainbows that bring joy to the heart and lift my spirits every single time.  Who doesn't love a rainbow?

Nite all.


Friday, November 2, 2012

Day 5 of a Year in my Life

Today's 'I'm grateful' thought is a bit lighter than my first four.  I don't want to be so intense every day, so ...

I love that time in the morning, when you first wake up, and it's very quiet, except for the sound of birds singing way off in the distance and there is a soft breeze blowing through the open window.

I love to find my most comfortable and snug position in bed and enjoy that morning moment.

I close my eyes and listen to the birds and feel the breeze and slide my feet around in the cool crispness of the sheets.

It's such a delicious feeling to doze in and out of light sleep for about twenty minutes before it's time to climb out of bed.

This isn't my bedroom, nor is it a photo that I took, but it's one of my favourite pins in Pinterest and it's how my bedroom feels to me.


So, I am grateful for a life that allows me to enjoy those moments in the mornings.

I'm off to the movies tomorrow to see 'Mental' which looks hilarious on the preview.  It's an Australian movie with Rebecca Gibney and Toni Collette.  I'll give you the report tomorrow.

Nite all.




Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Day 4 of a Year in my Life.

James Francis Tregea  31/10.78 - 02/03/79 (Aged 16 weeks)

Had he lived, my son would have turned 34 yrs of age today.

That being said, today I am grateful for having had Jamie in my life, even for such a short time.

Because of his time on this earth, his life and his death, strongly influenced my decision to have the three wonderful children who grace my life today.

They each bring joy to my life in different ways and I am proud of the who they have become as grown adults.

Aside from a few difficult teenage years, they have brought such a lot of happiness to my life, and often when I'm observing the wonderfulness of Chicklet, I am reminded of similar feelings toward my children as they grew and developed from babies to little people.

No doubt, she will trigger other memories as she grows.

Thanks to today's technology, I am grateful for regular insights into my children's lives through facebook, twitter, blogs, emails, phone calls, skype, text messages and visits.

When I was having my babies and living more than 1000 kms from my parents, I had to make do with a weekly (expensive) phone call and the occasional letter or card in the mail (aka snail mail).

My kids are good people.

This is a photo taken while they were on holidays with their father, many many years ago.  I've always loved this.


I am grateful to have them in my life, to give love and from whom I receive love.  I wish that we all lived closer together so that we could share more of the 'festive' times.

I know that I don't tell them often enough ... in fact, I can't remember the last time that I told them!

I love you.

I am proud of you.

I wish I could hug you right now.

Nite all.  

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Day 3 of a Year in my Life

I'm grateful for extended family, who even though we see each other rarely and for very short periods of time, it feels just like we saw each other yesterday and it feels so comfortable and there is always love.

Best Cousin in the World
Kids of the Olympiad - see parents below.
The Beautiful People - more cousins and the parents of the above children.
Cousins, Uncles, Aunties and all of their children, grandchildren and beyond ... there must be close to a hundred of them, if not more!

I never feel unwelcome and the bonds that I formed with each of them in my childhood still feel strong and connected today.  Those connections are also special because they make me feel a little closer to my parents, who have both passed on.

So thank you ... family ... :D

Speaking of family.  We had a lovely day today with Best Cousin in the World and her hubby, Marco Polo.

After breakfast on the water front, then some touristy stuff in The Bay this morning, we came back home and spent six hours at the local pub, playing pool, drinking quite large amounts of alcohol (some more than others!) and then having dinner there, before walking home in the light rain.

We, 'the girlies', beat the boys at pool!!  Yay for us!!  We are the champions!!

Nite all.