Busy, busy

Richy and Jenny came for a visit over the weekend. Apart from them having to sit in the airport for 2 hours because of plane trouble we had a wonderful time!

Friday

Richy posting Issy a card at the FAMOUS Dunalley postbox

Saturday
Rob and Richy enjoying lunch at SalamancaFelicity and Ken with Moo brewWill I give Pete a hand?
So many babies on the pond!
The lovely conservatory at the Royal Hobart Botanical Gardens with wedding in process

Jenny and me in the Japanese Garden

Sunday

Alas no photos of beautiful Oatlands or Ross, the weather just wasn't good enough.

The Gardener

Rob is really working hard in the garden, I think we will all be receiving the most delicious vegies from Rob's Patch - move over Peter Cundall!

What have I done!

House is being painted at the moment and I gave permission for these to be painted over AND NOW I DON'T WANT THEM TO BE! Why did I do it??????

Blue is for boys

Great news today, safe arrival of Buddy! Congratulations Cate and Phil.

Sewing

A big sewing day yesterday. My quilt, inspired by my trip to China last year is now tacked together ready for quilting. I attended a class last year at American Patchwork, 91 Patrick Street, Hobart after seeing it advertised and thought it would be a great reminder of my China trip. I don't get much time to do sewing, too many things to do but it is slowly getting done. I wouldn't have got it to this stage without the help of my very good friend who spent at least 4 hours tacking, yesterday. Lucky she is right handed and I am left handed so we could start in the middle and go out to the opposite ends. It would have been a huge job by myself! Now I have to get the machine out and start quilting......

Hurricane Force winds

It was a bit windy last Wednesday night! When I opened the curtains I got a bit of a shock to see the solar dome over the old pool absolutely ruined. Thought the frame was OK if a bit bent but one piece has a big rip in it so I guess will have to be replaced. The local paper has some great photos. http://www.news.com.au/mercury/gallery/0,22927,5030740-5015646,00.html

Home again, home again

This morning was very busy. First Dylan, Nicole and I took down the Christmas tree (and I forgot to take a photo of it) then Nicole and I staked out some trees while Clint put the fittings on the pond ready for the fountain. We all heaved and puffed and huffed and fountain was finally in place. Very muggy day, everytime you move you break out in perpiration.

Quick shower then off to Rebel Sport to look at gym equipment then to the airport. Good flight home but the luggage took 20 minutes to be delivered at the Hobart end, thought they must have lost it all.

Cat's drinking bowl

Nicole and I finished off the grouting for the vegie garden pond. Stalin thinks it is his personal drinking bowl.

Babies

These galahs are providing us with some amusement at the moment. They descend into the trees about an hour before dusk and demand loudly to be fed by their long suffering parents. We are usually having dinner in the courtyard when they come and can't hear outselves because of their wailing.

It's a tough life

Nicole and I enjoyed a dip in the pool after a day of painting and grouting. We were very virtuous and took the dogs for a walk early this morning. Earlyish to bed, we didn't stay to welcome in 2008!

Thank you, Sarah

Thanks to Sarah (Nicole's work colleague) we were able to celebrate the end of 2007 in style. She came round on Christmas Day with this bottle of Moet et Chandon that we stashed away for later celebration!

Dylan marinated some pork fillets and cooked them for us for dinner and we enjoyed the fruits (vegetables) of Nicole's labour from the garden.

Where is Clint?

Well you might ask what Clint was doing while we were so industriously employed? He was just playing farmer, pulling a few olive trees out, moving a bit of dirt, you know just boy stuff :)

Painting boards and more boards

Nicole and I spent a few hours today painting! An absolutely beautiful day with not many clouds in the sky. The boards are to clad the Andrew Gaze Pump house. The name was bestowed on the pump shed because when I was up in October Clint and Frank were building the shed and used left over framing from the house and the house has high ceilings. I snapped Nicole on the last of the first coat, oh no another one to go, better be off!

How to double your trip

We headed off for Sue's place today. Left at 7:30am and arrived about 12:45pm. I think we got lost somewhere along the way. At least it only took 3 hours to get home.....

Sue has a lovely spot out of Taree. It is in an old volcano and you can see the rim all around. We had lunch and met Sue's new man, Ian. Although not new but I hadn't met him before! Seemed quite a nice guy.

Jim was there and he looks really good, although now a bit tottery and it is hard for him to get around outside at Sue's as it is all up and down.

The house is pretty with a lovely vine along the veranda. We went for a walk around the property and checked out the wine cellar. They have a few vines and get about 1500 bottles out of the harvest. Only for bartering and drinking themselves! The cellar is dug into the side of the hill. Each tube has 7 bottles of wine stashed away in it

Sunsets

Mike took this shot of the sunset over the hills, viewed from the pool deck. He leaves tomorrow to go back to Tassie, getting in a few party nights before going back to work on the 2nd January. Arrived up here on 23rd, he flew into Sydney then hired a car, didn't have much trouble getting here or getting around as he bought up my Navman.

Christmas Day

Where is my present? Why can't I join in the fun?

Ruby looking very sad because she can't join the Christmas party.......it is a dog's life!

Shopping and Leavers' dinner

Nicole and I started the day very virtuously by going to the gym. I managed 30minutes on the walker and then lifted some weights.

Camille wanted to go to Newcastle today to have a look for a dress for her end of year formal. We first went to Paul's warehouse to see if we could get replacement parts for Dylan's weight bench (I know it's really Nicole's) and a stroll through Spotlight to see if we could find some material.

Then off to the Junction to look at $500 dresses, hmmmm a bit expensive I think. Dylan was very good considering he was dragged around all the boring dress shops :) We didn't find anything so that will have to be another day. We went off to Charlestown but the most hilarious was us trying to find our way, guided by Nicole on mobile who had the nerve to tell me there was more than one exit from Charlestown shopping centre. How dare she.

We did make it back.

Flight to Newcastle!

Bit of an early morning today as the plane left at 8am. Jenny and Richard ran me out and only an hour and half flight to Newcastle. Nabs was waiting for me when I got off the plane and did she look fabulous. It was so good to see her looking so good after being sick for so long.

We toddled off to Broke after an interesting trip from the terminal to the car. We had to walk so far, trying to roll my suitcase over a recently surfaced carpark that had pebbles everywhere that kept getting stuck in the wheels and making it impossible to keep wheeling it. Good trip through to Broke, everyone looked great. The big news is that the house is finally to be started on the Monday we go to the Blue Mountains. Oh well we will be able to see progress when we get back.

MLC

Megan came over and we all got dressed to the nines to go and inspect Methodist Ladies College to see if it was suitable for out gorgeous baby. We were very impressed by the facilities. Jenny and Megan did the grand tour while I looked after I.

Who is the proud grandfather!

Richard had stayed home to get all his photos from the night before online. Very busy day for him. Paul arrived and we all had takeaway Thai for tea. A lovely family day, and off to Newcastle tomorrow.

Holidays!

Off on 3 weeks holidays today. I flew to Melbourne this afternoon (after racing into town to have my nails done, what indulgence!). Mike took me down to the airport as he had the day off, good boy to his old Mum.

Jenny and Richard picked me up from the airport. It was great to see them again, only a month since I was in Melbourne but I always enjoy catching up. Jen and I went into town to have a look at a floral display at Crown Casino, I was so disappointed that I didn't take my camera. The display was spectacular. We had a chat to the guy who created the display about some strange but beautiful flowers we couldn't identify. They were beehive ginger and he told us they were great infused in the bath for arthritus.

Richard went off to photograph the Monash Uni Medical students' ball. Jen prepared a fantastic salad for tea. Recipe as follows:
beans (cooked)
red onion, sliced
olives, pitted
grape tomatos
tuna
French dressing as required.
It was very yummy as well as the obligatory brandy...

Who's blog is this anyway??

Heres a photo of Dylan, finally happy!

He made this billy cart by himself. Clever boy. Good to see him having some good old fashioned fun! We took it to the top of the big hill & let it rip.....

Its ME!

Hey Mother!

You've updated your blog - nice piccies by the way, love the sea eagle.

Now if I can work it out I'll post a picture of The Beast that stayed with us this weekend (he was sweet really). His name is Bryce and he is a Dogue de Bordeaux - huge & slobbery! His owners were staying in the cottages & went to a wedding, so we baby sat. I gave them this pic when they left (printed A3). Ain't he luverly!

Kettering

Kettering was the focus this weekend. Marie and I decided to look for somewhere different to walk. I have been there so often but never walked around the headland into Trial Bay. It was a beautiful walk, soft needles under foot that made the walking very easy. As we set out the Bruny Island ferry started its journey over to the Island with a full complement of cars and vans. So many tourists are here at the moment and what a fantastic day for them to explore the Island. The bay was full of yachts, on the way down we had heard on the ABC that the Kettering moorings were full.

The bark on the trees was so beautifully textured.


The roots created a lovely tracery on the ground and along with the strappy plants created a bit of a trip trap for the unwary.

The view from Trial Bay, looking down the river.

Arthur River

Tasmania is such a beautiful place; this weekend we travelled up to Arthur River via the North West coast. We consisted of Marie, Jill and me. Marie and Jill had planned this for four years, I am glad they didn't get there before and that they included me in the trip.

Do what ever you can but get yourself to the Arthur River and take a cruise with Rob. This was very special, he knows the river and the local inhabitants so well. Just look at the magnificent birds we saw while cruising up the river. The opportunities to take photos were endless; kingfisher, sea eagle, wedge tail eagles, and a variety of ducks. I did miss the platypus we saw playng in the river; he was just too quick for me.

Welcome back

Well it is now 2006! I am going to start writing here again. The most exciting thing that has happened is that the new computer area is in. It isn't quite finished yet, I think I will have to give Mat a ring about that...moral is never pay until it is finished.

I haven't taken a photo yet but Mike took some of the 'empty' space. Must get on to designing the TV area now.

I have spread 10m of woodchips around and I am very happy with the garden at the moment, I have hardly done any watering all summer and the garden has survived.

Oh beautiful rose

 

oh and one last thing.....

...the people who stayed in the cottage last night.....were TOTALLY WARM! heh.

How's this for cute??

and we have 3 more just like it :-)

My Mum the Cook

Who would have thought?? C & D are totally surprised (having had the experience of nourishment from Mum for a few weeks), but she has come up with an absolute blinder of a recipe. We even taste tested it today - but I didn't have any leeks or sun dried tomatoes, so it turned into a Smoked Salmon, Fetta & Spanish Onion tart instead. Was still scrumptious and enjoyed by everyone for lunch. We had it with a salad of baby Mesculin & spinach, with a Verjus dressing (and the balsamic on top of course!).

Good one Mother :-)

Nabs

Snow in Hobart

It snowed overnight and I am unable to get up to Mt. Nelson for work today, so have been working from home. The mountain looks superb.

More Birthdays

It was Janine's birthday last week and Anna, Maggie, Sue and I went to Say Cheese for breakfast Saturday morning. The weather was beautiful when we arrived so we optimistically decided to sit outside, not so great when the sun disappeared behind the clouds. Breakfast was good but I didn't wander around Salamanca after, just didn't feel like it. Just thought hey, this is no good by myself so I went home.

Sunday was beautiful weather so I spent a bit of time in the garden. Marie and I were going to go for a walk but she wasn't feeling well. After trying to get into the doctor and not succeeding she found out today that she has shingles.

Sunny Sunday

Just thought I'd pop in to see if there was any activity. I thought with the terrible weather in Tas there would be squillions of new posts. Their fingers must be frozen. Weekend weather here was perfect - and everyone else must have thought so too, lots of people out and about. Had to keep closing the door to the shop storeroom so no-one would see the dead mouse.........

Oh yes, and I CAN edit my own posts. Heh.

I'm taking over!

Hee! My (most beautiful darling and incredibly [im]modest) Mother (whom I love very much because she is so gorgeous and showers me with lots of expensive presents) invited me to join this blog - she wasn't quite sure what it meant. Little did she knw I can now fill her blog with all kinds of useless twitter.

But not right now - I'm going out for dinner!

Bye

Busy, Busy

Phil and Cate came down from Launceston and stayed on Friday night. They arrived at about 8PM so late tea. It was good to see them, Phil was so great to work with and he used to stay here often when he worked with us at eMagine, seems a million years ago - how life changes. They were down to see the doctor and are off to Sydney soon for one last try. We went to Jam Packed on Saturday for breakfast, Phil's son C joined us. He is now living in town and is a draughtsman with an architect firm.

Saturday night Dave and Marie came up and we had tea together, Marie brought it all even though she shouldn't have as she had been at L's birthday party all day and looked quite exhausted.

Sunday afternoon Wendy, Rodney, Dianne and Paul came round for drinks. Dianne and Paul are off to UK at the end of the month and they are taking my xdrive so showed them how to use it and they are going to practice before they go.

Flex Day or Winter in Tasmania

We had a really white frost on Saturday morning, I took a photo of the back lawn and of a beautiful patch of daffodils flowering through it all.

Yesterday I had a flex day, just needed a bit of a break. I had a guy coming to look at renovations in the sunroom. Boy was that a stressful procedure, by the time he left I was in tears, luckily after he left. Mike offered me a hug and Nabs phoned and calmed me. Hopefully everything will be OK, I am so looking forward to having the work done. Once that is finished I can get the floor done, curtains made although maybe I need to have the wall plastered first. So much needs to be done!

Marie and Dave called in on their way home to pick up their mail. It was good to see them, they looked so relaxed. The holiday has done them so much good. Great to have them back again, I have missed seeing Marie even though we chatted most weekends. Must try and persuade her to come walking with me, I am getting so unfit.

Richard's birthday

Another busy weekend. I went to breakfast at Jam Packed in the old IXL building in Hunter Street with Cecily and John (over from Melbourne) Anna and Maggie and Maggie brought H along as she rushed in straight after H's hockey match. It was good to catch up with Cec again, she looked so different partly because she has dyed her hair blonde (used to be very black) but so much more relaxed now that she is running her own business.

Today is Richard's birthday, he is 61! Can't quite believe it, are we really getting that old. I rang him and had a chat this morning, he was having lunch with the family.

I pruned the roses today, Nabs doesn't really like roses but look at this beautiful one from my garden! Don't really know how to but just kept hacking away, hopefully I have done the right thing. They needed a good prune as I didn't really do them last year - too busy gadding around the world! Scary to think it has been one whole year since my long service leave!

What a strange world....

Two nights ago I was on my way home from work and happened to glance up at the sky. It was dark and the sky had taken on that dark blue hue it gets around dusk and there were stars twinkling. I thought what a beautiful world, my breath was taken away. Then last night while watching TV the dreadful news of the London bombings came on, totally unbelievable. I can't understand how anyone could do this to their fellow man.

Breakfast and other things

The weekend flew but I managed to accomplish quite a bit. Usual housework and washing on Saturday, yuk, then on Sunday I spent the morning having breakfast with the bros and Sandie and Felicity. We went down to Sorell to the Sweet Chilli Pepper Café and spent two pleasant hours having breakfast, talking and drinking coffee.

We went around to Rob and Sandie's place afterwards to have a look at the new deck, very impressive. Rob has done a good job even though he considers he is not 'handy'. E and S were there, S was off to footy but missed his ride so Rob had to run him down. We all sat and had a coffee together.

When I arrived home I went out into the garden. First I mixed up some concrete and then I put a row of books along the edge of the pavers to stop the earth from the garden washing down, hopefully it will be successful.

Finished off with some weeding and spread some pea straw over the garden in the hope of stopping weeds ocming up.

Weeds, weeds, weeds!

Well I didn't work very hard this weekend but feel I accomplished a lot. Pottered all Saturday doing the housework and feel heaps better about the house, it was starting to get out of control.

Today I broke up the last two bales of pea straw and spread them on the garden in an attempt to stop the weeds. I will have to make a decision on mulch as I can't keep up the weeding. Pity really because I do like the look of tilled soil.

I have had a sore leg but seems to have fixed itself, took the opportunity to get antibiotics from the doctor for my tooth, might actually have to do something about it soon.

Hectic Week

This week has been very hectic. Monday was a holiday and I did a bit of gardening, then back to a very full week at work

Where has this beautiful garden gone? 


Hopefully I will be able to get it back to this again. I am working hard on it but the weeds sometimes defeat me.