Tag Archives: family

Birthday Business

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Today is my birthday.  No particular milestone but time to reflect on the year that has passed and look forward to the year ahead.  I have been blessed with lots of lovely messages from family and friends.

Our wedding anniversary was a couple of weeks ago and we did not have a particular celebration for either event.  However, in the past fortnight we have had a picnic with family, been to the movies twice and eaten out at our local Italian restaurant.

Today we spent the time together working in the garden – re-arranging, planting and naturally planning the next project.  My brain works faster than my hands!

Lunch
I did stop and make lunch which was as good as any cafe offering and the view from the deck is pretty special, too.

View
I hope you are having a relaxing Easter break.

 

6 Days Later

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It is hard to believe that it is 6 days since I last wrote a blog post.  I am still here but have been busy.

The day after my last post we went on a picnic with a group of my extended family.  I had intended to take some photos but that did not happen.  We had planned this outing a few weeks earlier but unfortunately a late-season cyclone put a bit of a dampener on the event.  We went ahead as planned at Suttons Beach on the Redcliffe Peninsula, north of Brisbane.

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It didn’t quite look like this last weekend but I would highly recommend it as a venue, especially if you have young children as there is plenty of grassed areas, fabulous playgrounds and a sheltered beach within easy reach.

Regardless of the weather, I am blessed to be able to share events like this with my extended family and see everyone enjoying each other’s company.  I have been reading a series of posts today on a popular forum about family relationships and particularly between children and their grandparents.  I am saddened to read of the bitterness and resentment that various family members hold against their parents and children.  The reasons are many and I am sure some are entirely valid, however, it reminds me to be thankful for my exceptional family who are very dear to me.

This weekend we finally have some glorious autumn weather and The Duke and I are making the most of it by getting some jobs done in the garden.  I hope to take some photos and wil share them with you tomorrow.

Do It On Your Day Off

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The title was once part of an advertising slogan when 9 day fortnights were being introduced in some workplaces.

Well, yesterday was a day off for me and I did all sorts of things.  Belle had asked if we could look after the children for an hour or so from 5pm as there was an information session for the Year 1 parents which she wanted to attend.  I originally planned to leave work early to go to her place but then decided that a day off seemed like a better option.

I left home early in the morning and dropped of some mangoes and frozen mango puree to Belle.  The next stop was Albion Glass & Mirror to pick up the new mirror for the restored dressing table.  We had originally planned to have it re-silvered but that is an obsolete process as they can replicate any glass or mirror.  We chose to spend the extra money and have the bevel just inside the frame rather than a perfectly flat piece.  This is authentic and maintains the integrity of the piece.  I will post a photo once we have re-assembled the mirror on the dressing table.

Then I headed off to see my mother for the day.  We did not do anything startling.  The time was spent chatting, looking at some old photos and seeing her latest craft work.  We shared a simple meal for lunch and went to the local shops to pick up a few groceries.  It was lovely to have the time to spend together.

Picking up and caring for my granddaughters was a complete change of pace but also very enjoyable.  I heard all about their respective days, cooked dinner for them and have started teaching Miss O, aged 6, how to tie a bow.  She does not have shoes with laces but what prompted the lesson was her shorts.  She changed out of her school uniform and came downstairs in shorts and a t-shirt but these new shorts have a drawstring as well as elastic so we spent some time learning how to tie a single knot which she mastered almost immediately and then a bow which she has grasped the general concept.

I had an enjoyable day and it was great to connect with family.

On another note, I wanted to share this post from Frugal Queen who hails from Cornwall.  Cornwall has been battered by the wild winter storms of the past few week but in her post she shares many of the wonders of Cornwall and why the tourists should visit.  Not only Cornwall but many areas both at home and overseas really struggle for visitors after a disaster.

A Quiet Christmas

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You may or may not have noticed the lack of posts about getting organised for Christmas.  That was because I really have done very little.  We are going to be travelling interstate so it will be somewhat different to most years.

Things I have done:

Made a cake
Organised gifts for our children and granchildren
Attended the annual Christmas drinks with neighbours from our road
Sent a small number of cards and emails
Had a BBQ with my mother and siblings before we all head in different directions for Christmas

Things I have not done:

Put up a tree
Rushed around buying gifts for lots of people
Attended work Christmas functions
Planned a huge feast

2013-12-17 01This evening we called in to visit our daughter and family and give them their Christmas presents.  The highlight was explaining to Miss O and Izz that we will be going to Sydney on New Year’s Day to see “The Lion KIng” for their Christmas gift from us.

The Duke and I will not be exchanging particular gifts but instead we are saving towards our planned trip to the UK later next year.

We will be spending Christmas Day with my mother and our younger daughter in Melbourne.  We are staying in rented accommodation so I will decide on a menu based on the weather and also availability of kitchen equipment/utensils.  We will have access to an excellent of fresh food from the market and we will enjoy creating a special meal without over-indulging.  A laptop and the internet means that I will be able to use virtually any recipe I could possibly want.

I will spend some time reflecting on the year that was.  2013 has had some challenges which we have survived and I am looking forward to a fresh slate – 2014!

What are your plans?

Now We Are Six

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Miss O turned 6 yesterday.  I don’t know about you but I regard 6 as a milestone birthday.  It is up there with 18th, 21st and 40th.  I am not really sure why.  Perhaps it is because I still remember my own 6th birthday.

Olivia Collage

Whatever the reason, I think A. A. Milne summed it up beautifully.

Now We Are Six – A.A. Milne

When I was one I had just begun
When I was two I was nearly new

When I was three I was hardly me
When I was four I was not much more

When I was five I was just alive
But now I am six, I’m as clever as clever;

So I think I’ll be six now for ever and ever.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

 

Birthday Wishes

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Today was a milestone birthday for special lady.  It was my mother-in-law’s 90th birthday.

It was a milestone that we were not sure that would eventuate since her diagnosis with Alzheimer’s Disease several years ago.

A small group of some of her children and grandchildren gathered to celebrate the occasion with cake and flowers.

Flowers
A short, impromptu duet which included her grandson brought much joy and elicited an emotional response.

Birthday
We are very grateful for today and will all cherish the memories.

Blessed

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Once you post a new entry on your blog it is out there for the world to read.  I sometimes wonder who reads what I write and what they actually think of it.  I am not alone in finding that those who comment represent a minute proportion of those who read.  However, the identity and thoughts of most of my readers will continue to be a mystery.

Since I have been blogging, I tend to find a lot more blogs that I read.  Some are like old friends that I diligently seek out every time there is a new post, others less regularly and many that just capture my interest with one post.  Many have an underlying theme of struggling.  This may be financial, health or relationships.  For some, the struggle appears to define them but others it seems to be an ever-present shadow lurking in the background.

The more I read, the more grateful I am for what I have.  We are both employed, have a roof over our heads and plenty of food.  Severe chronic or terminal illness is not part of our world.  I maintain good relationships with family and friends.

In other words, we have the freedom to make choices about how we live rather than it being driven by the need to deal with issues that constantly threaten our physical or mental well-being.  For that I am forever grateful.

Itis easy to take much of what you have for granted.  Blogging and connecting with others’ blogs adds to my awareness.

What are you grateful for in your life?

The Important Stuff

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A decluttered house?  Meals planned?  Clothes washed?

Sometimes it is easy to lose sight of what is really important in our lives.  While it is great to be able to meet physical achievements the things that matter most to me are relationships – my friends and family.  This has been brought to the forefront of my consciousness recently.

We were able to spend the weekend with Missy in Melbourne which was wonderful.  Yesterday I listened while Micky shared some of the challenges she is facing at work.  ‘A problem shared is a problem halved’ or so the saying goes.

Finally, tonight the telephone rang as I was about to begin preparing dinner.  The sound of the voice of an old friend ensured that dinner was the last thing on my mind for the next 30 minutes while we chatted and the time spent apart just fell away.  When I hung up and walked back to the kitchen I realised how refreshed I felt.

I am thankful for the close and meaningful relationships I have with friends and family and cherish them everyday.