I DID IT!

I did it today.

I've never done it before.

It wasn't as daunting as I thought it might be.

I tried things I've never tried before.

There were several other people there,

and they all seemed to be enjoying themselves.

I didn't get as tired as I thought I might.

I'd like to do it several times a week.

In fact, I'll probably go to the gym again on Wednesday.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MICHELLE

Dear Michelle ,

you didn't really think I would

pass up this opportunity to embarrass you, did you?

Not after doing the same to Sara anyway.

I hope you do have a lovely birthday,

either today or whenever you have time to celebrate it.

Have a great day at Uni. and remember that

even if it's a tiring day,

it won't be nearly as tiring as it was for me ** years ago.

No, I'm not going to write a 'Birth Story'

- I belong to the old school -

but I did enjoy your story about Shay's birth.

I love you and thank you for being the wonderful daughter that you are.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SHAY ELISE

Darling Shay -

Grandpa and Grandma hope you have a

very HAPPY BIRTHDAY.

Have lots of fun being a BIG 5

Amendment to Meme

After completing the Three Meme a few days ago I began thinking about special days from my childhood, and one came to mind that definitely was a unique day for me.

When I was in Year 7 at high school in 1955, I was a member of the school choir. One Saturday the choir mistress took the entire choir on the train to Melbourne, a trip of 60 miles (96klm). On arrival in Melbourne we went out to Station Pier and had a look all over one of the ships in port. I can't remember its name or what type of ship it was.

Next we visited the Botanic Gardens and ate our lunch on the banks of the Yarra River. It was like having a special picnic with so many schoolfriends and our teacher. I think we discovered that Mrs Wells was actually human that day.

After lunch came the real purpose of the trip - a visit to the Melbourne Town Hall for a concert by the Trapp Family Singers, who many years later were the subject of the movie 'The Sound of Music'.

I can still picture Maria von Trapp and the adult children dressed in Austrian National Costume on stage in that wonderful building. Baron von Trapp had died some years earlier, in 1947. We loved the colourful costumes and the joyous singing.

We had tea in the Alexandria Gardens before catching the train for the trip back to Drouin. For me it was such a special day, not just the ship and the concert but also the train trip, spending the day with friends doing things and seeing places that were new to me. We lived on a farm and had practically no social life so this was one day that has stayed in my memory all of these years.

Tuesday view of Lake Ginninderra

These are some of the photos we took on our 3klm walk around part of Lake Ginninderra on Tuesday morning......























.... and home for breakfast.

So Many Ideas!

A very interesting couple of hours spent with the Landscape Designer this morning. Lots of ideas and advice but even more importantly for us, confirmation that our ideas, for the most part, are feasible.

Now we have to knuckle down and put a detailed plan on paper to submit to CB, who will then make any necessary adjustments and together we'll work out how to bring it all to fruition.

Lots of work, but hopefully the end result will be worth the effort and expense.

I'll definitely keep you posted - in writing and pictures. Before it's finished you'll no doubt all be wishing that I would just go away!

********************************************

Since I have nothing else to post here, following is a photo for each season.

Summer


Autumn


Winter


Spring

Garden Makeover

Yippeee. We're getting a garden makeover.

No, not quite. I rang a landscape designer on Tuesday and asked if he would come and give us some advice concerning some large areas that we want to change. I thought he would probably say that he could come in about two weeks, but no, it's two days. So guess what we've done since Tuesday lunchtime? Worked like crazy to tidy up the deck, pot plants and the garden. Just like a housewife who cleans and tidies the house before the cleaning lady comes.

So now it looks neat and tidy, and best of all, there's a thunderstorm happening right now AND IT'S RAINING!!

View from the bottom of the garden looking up to the road. That house is actually across the other side of the road.

This once was the back lawn. It meets the bottom of the previous photo. All of the area in these two photos was originally meant to be lawn, but we don't need that much lawn anymore, nor can we afford the water to keep them looking good. We hope to reshape this area and plant trees, shrubs, groundcovers, maybe even have a bog garden at the lowest point. It will be interesting to see what ideas the designer comes up with.

Tagged by Three

ShellyC has tagged me. The things daughters will make their mothers do, like dusting off old memories, etc.

What were three things you wanted to be when you grew up? (When will that be, I wonder?)

1. The perfect wife, mother and housekeeper. (Richard says, "You achieved that." I told you he had a weird sense of humour.)

2. A Dressmaker. (I did achieve that to some extent but found that trying to make money from a beloved hobby changes its character into something much less loved.)

3. A World Champion - at anything.

You can relive one day from your childhood. Which one will it be?

I think it would be the second last day of each Primary School year. That was the day (night) of the school Christmas concert. The excitement and anticipation was the highlight of my year.


You have two minutes (and a mover with you if you need heavy lifting help!) to grab 5 things from your home before it morphs into a polka dotted hobgoblin and hops away. What will you take? (Food/drink/family/friends excluded).

1. Photos

2. My 38 year-old sewing machine. I can always buy a new one but I can't replace my old one which I use all the time.

3. A change of clothes.

4. A pillow and a blanket.

5. The polka dotted hobgoblin in the hope that I could convert him back into all my stuff.


You have to paint one quote on your kitchen wall. What is it going to be?

"Don't write on the walls."


What is the one thing you want to have accomplished by the end of the year?

To have all my garden looking like it's finished (says she, laughing hysterically).


You are moving to the moon for one year and can only bring one flower with you. What kind will you bring?

A sprig of gum leaves. The perfume is much more noticeable when you are not surrounded by thousands of other eucalypt trees.


You just received word that aside from one flower you can also bring five books with you. Which ones will you bring?

1. The Bible

2. The biggest Og Mandino book that I can find.

3. Like ShellyC, a large journal and a pen.

4. A History of the World.

5. Gardening Australia's 'Flora'. (I might as well learn all those botanical names whilst I have the time.)


Tagging 3 lucky people:


Kerri

Marion

Stuart

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SARA

We all wish you a very happy birthday, Sara.

This little collage is just a reminder of

how gorgeous you have been through the years,

and still are.

Although we can't be with you today,

we hope that sharing the day

with your friends in Barcelona

will make your 23rd Birthday very special,

and one to remember for years to come.

We love you and miss you.

God bless you always.

Spring Bulb Festival

In a comment on Marion's blog I said that I would try and post some photos of Floriade in Canberra, which is held from mid-September to mid-October. (I apologise for the quality but these are photos of photos.)











One of the many beds of annuals.


Valerie F. - you are an absolute genius. The posting of the photos worked like a charm. Thank you.