its been a busy few weeks

60th wedding anniversaries, moving business premises, 30th birthday celebrations and comparing apple watches and 3rd birthdays




 happy anniversary stella and tony

 well done RMG for our successful move

 we did manage some sunshine in Margaret river for our 30th birthday celebrations but they were short lasting

good food and good company

 happy 3rd birthday Tatsuki
enjoy Cars

am waiting for my grand dogs to come home to play

having fun with apple watches

Great dane claws and eyes shouldnt come into contact- a visit to the emergency department and then the eye specialist happened.

The eye is now recovering but much time has been spent on the couch recovering

 we celebrated mothers day with a family lunch

 my birthday was celebrated with technology

 the fairies celebrated dancing around the toadstool

 noodele came to mothers day as well

sam also came for the drive ( and perhaps some food)

 ANZAC DAY 2015  - Lest we forget






It was a week of catching up, family meals and enjoying some Ballarat early winter weather
A dog walk about the lake with Sam

 Nice food
at ten minutes by tractor

 Sam is watching out for the rain clouds gathering around us

We almost made it home before the rain started

 Autumn sunshine walks - the bush and the lake

 Sam likes a walk- we avoided the swans

A nice tea made by Ian - crumbed pork cutlets apple sage spuds and veg

12 months ago  we welcomed Sam into our lives - he has become the resident couch potato

He loves a walk when he can be coaxed off the couch -and he loves the plain crinkle cut smiths potato chips - he has become loved member of the family

 If i sit in the doorway then they cant go to work

 or i might just relax on the couch

but i wont stir to smell the rose that ian has grown with the grapes

I like my group of choughs - they always arrive in a group and are like a large noisy family with lots of noise and games to play- today they were sharing a drink in the water bowl

my excitement of the week - a wandering solitary echidna - found at the front gate and then later in front of the lounge window

summer has finally arrived so Sam and i walk in the evenings to avoid the heat for Sam - we still have a little green grass around - showing the cool summer that we have had

Thanks to a Christmas gift from Freyja and Simon to Ian we had a nice night out last night. A quick meal in Akachochin in docklands. Then we had an evening of listening to the MSO play along to the star trek movie. Then watched the recorded Asian soccer cup final to catch up with the Ozzie win!!
Today we celebrate Stella's birthday with a meal at the Richmond Hill larder which has finally decided that taking bookings is a good idea.

Ok frannie - you are the only one who will notice the restart of my blog - if jess can do it so can I.
Hopefully a weekly photo capturing life as it is happening

this week a meal with myra in brisbane at the jellyfish restaurant - sashimi  it was - and delicious is was too

A long time between blogs

the kids have gone their own ways

Ant is in Perth learning to be a solicitor and Em is studying medicine in Townsville

We still arent sure what Ian and  I said that upset them both so much that they have travelled to opposite ends of Australia to pursue their dreams

We went and visited Ant and jess earlier this year and had a fun time exploring Perth including a winery tour down the swan river

Em managed to visit Perth for a couple of days as well

We have visited Em as well

Ian has been a couple of times and we met up this past weekend when Ian stopped over in Cairns on his return from Japan visiting the new grandnephew, Tatsuki phonetically Tatts key I think, according to Ian

Last weekend we were in Palm Cove trying to attract some warmth and sunshine - the temps were in the low to mid 20s and we managed sunshine on the saturday and then it was overcast. Em said that she had had blue skies for the past 4 weeks. We did however manage to enjoy the increase in temperature after a miserable damp winter in Melbourne and Ballarat.

We are heading off to Perth this coming weekend- Ian has a conference and Jess invited me as well - so i invited stella and Tony. They need a trip away. Poor Tony has had a horrible episode of ophthalmic shingles which has lasted months and months- hopefully a trip away will improve the spirits of both of them.

Jess and Ant have acquired a new dog - Scout - 1/2 dachie and 1/2 corgie - we get to meet him soon

As Ross has disappeared overseas for 6 months we have had to break in new dog and bird sitters - We have been using the son of one of my nurses and his mate. They have been doing an excellent job and lucy seems to have become quite fond of them. Em's mate Zoe is going to house sit while we are in Perth. We are lucky to have these people around - it makes travelling so much easier.

The birds are continuing to entertain us and produce the occasional egg. The chooks havent done their part over winter but we have had ongoing duck eggs and we are now starting to get goose and chookie eggs again now that the day light hours are starting to extend themselves

Cheers

Kids moving away

Both kids were instructed from birth that they had to leave home at 18. They both dutifully did this with a minimum of fuss so that they could go to uni in Melbourne.


I didn't check the fine print and recently they have temporarily moved home again while they organize their next stage of life.

Ant and Jess head off to Perth WA on February 4th so that ant can start his first job as a graduate lawyer. He is very exicited and has done well to get this opportunity.

Slightly more unexpected is Emily's move. She is off to study medicine at James Cook uni in Townsville in February. Studying medicine has been Em's dream since school and as much as she has really enjoyed her first year out as a physiotherapist when an opportunity beckons you have to follow your dream! Well done Em!!

I don't think they could have travelled further apart and stay in Australia but this means more places for us to visit - so ok you UK rellies come and play

So a 36 hour drive to visit Ant and a 29 hour drive to visit Em. Not that we intend to drive regularly to either. Think that we might be spending a bit on airfares.

Haven't they done well

ant enjoying his music

ant and em at em's 21st

em in South Africa year 10

ant

em being a physio

the proud parents