Australian Rules Football

David and I sort of follow the Sydney Swans Aussie Rules team, we're not into football really but the odd glimpses we have of 'our' Swans playing on Television are exciting to watch.
I have a group of 12 Internet friends called the 'Cows' (that's another story), we have something to say most days but at this time of year it's 'Aussie Rules' and today is the Grand Final between 'our' Swannies and some of the other Cows West Coast Eagles.
AFL is more popular in the southern and western states of Australia and a few of the Cows are avid fans of the game, know how it's played and know the names of all the players in their teams.
The other night I had a dream that I was playing for the Swannies, it was great fun and on the opposite team was my friend Andy Yavasis so we were able to have a good chat and a catch up while plaing... in the crowd was my Cow friend Kerry and we had a bit of a chat as well...
Here is what another of my Internet friends thinks I must have looked like in my dream... it's Barry Hall's body BTW... thanks Dy. LOL
GO THE SWANNNIES!!!

Looking Good

Happy Birthday Jackson Harry

Jackson Harry is four today, David and I took him shopping. We went to Target but had to leave it up to him to lead us to the Toy Department which he did faultlessly of course :-) His heart was set on Darth Vader from Star Wars so we found that section and we poured and poured over several characters from the films... David and I are both ludites having never seen any of the Star Wars films so had to be shown what was what and who was who. After testing several loudly speaking Darth Vader money boxes the loudest one was chosen even though it's cardboard box was damaged, JH is also into Rocket Ships so he chose the one he liked best with no help from either of us... and off to the Check Out we went where those waiting and those serving were treated to Darth Vaders breathy voice a few times. Sushi was the choice for Lunch and then home to share it with Mum and Charlie. Jackson tells us Darth Vader is a bad person but he can't explain why he is his favourite. Gee it's wonderful being Grandparents!!

Next Generation of Bus Parties.

For more than 30 years this old Albion bus of ours has help us celebrate holidays, picnics, birthdays, netball, soccer and scout fundraisers, today we started the second generation of birthday parties.
This is our first bus outing in 1972, in the middle of the photo are David with Pennie holding a 6 month old Nerys. That's her Uncle Nick leaning out the window furthest to the back of the bus.
Here we are today with Jackson's friends and their parents.
The cake I made for Jackson with photos of Jack, Charlie and our little Abigail Rose in the windows upstairs.

Busy Saturday

The day started with Nerys and Jackson Harry coming over to help David wash the Albion bus.

Then off to Balmoral to help celebrate our friend Jo's 60th Birthday... what a beautiful part of Sydney this is eh?? And the food at the Bathers Pavilion was just wonderful.

Colour in the Workshop........

Look! It's actually happening! And that red is not the final red, it's a pale mixture of half undercoat and half colour.
Rob the painter is at last onto the broad external surfaces after doing a hundred fiddly bits.
For more mind-numbing detail see http//:www.leyland1379.blogspot.com

Colour in the Garden...

Welcome Neighbour.

We have a new neighbour, his name is Ashton and he was born today to Alda and Peter, a little brother for Amelia.
Tuesday's Child is full of Grace! Welcome Ashton!!

My Letter to Ken Livingstone, Mayor of London.

Dear Mr. Livingstone,

Last Saturday I was travelling on a suburban city train out of the City of Sydney. At one stop four young lads got on and were talking about what they wanted to buy and where they wanted to go, where was the next rave and how to gate-crash a party. They were obnoxious, shoving each other, showing off, too loud... but harmless enough. Groups of young lads like these can be found in just about every large city in the world.

One lad was flicking through a sports magazine when a flyer fell out of it and on to the floor of the train... he immediately said... ‘Ooops! Mustn’t litter’, got out of his seat, picked up the flyer, screwed it up and put it in his pocket.

I am aware that this may not happen all the time but my immediate thought was... he wouldn’t do that in London and he jogged my memory about writing to the Mayor of London when I got home.

Having lived in England three times and for extended periods since 1968, this year I was very disheartened to see the amount of litter in the Suburbs of London, on Major Roads, in Parks and all along the High Streets. There are plenty of people working at picking up the Litter but if one suggests to the person who just threw that screwed up bit of litter on the ground that they pick it up and put it in the nearby bin or to take it home one is immediately told to get lost and mind one’s own business.

What has happened to England?? It was such a unpleasant change from last time we were over there.

I know there are Clean Up campaigns going on, there was a designated day in Wood Green where we lived but it’s obviously not enough. May I suggest you get in touch with Ian Kiernan who’s done wonders with his Clean Up Australia Campaign. http://www.cleanup.com.au/au/

Pennie Griffiths

P.S. Love everything else about London though, especially the Transport System, it’s the best we’ve ever used with the most courteous and helpful staff we’ve ever come across. P.
This photo of Wood Green was taken on 22nd February 2006, I'm on the corner of Lordship Lane and High Street, Wood Green Tube entrance is in the middle of the photo.

Little by little, stroke by stroke.

Paradise

It's day's like these that you feel like singing... and makes you realize how lucky we are to live in Paradise!!
Pyrmont Bridge opening for us to leave Cockle Bay at Darling Harbour.

David and I spent the day on the old Double Decker Timber Decked Ferry called M.V.Proclaim which was built in 1939... it was a trip organized by the Sydney Tramway Museum and on reading the notes after the trip I see it was a tour called 'Where Ferries met the Electric Trams'... as I spent the whole day outside and couldn't hear the commentary I was totally unaware of this and was just enjoying the beautiful little bays of Sydney Harbour, lunch was pretty good as well.

I was a good Citizen today!

I was proud of myself today.. there I was getting my calico bags out of the boot of my car in the car park at Hornsby when I heard this car driving really fast then a screech and a bang.
Just behind me this older car had hit a new model station wagon as it was slowly backing out of it's parking spot. The young woman driver of the station wagon was apologizing profusely to the young guy in the car that had hit her who then stood tall smoothed back his already slicked backed hair, put his hands on his hips and started telling her off. There was an older couple near by who when I stepped in to tell the girl to stop apologizing because he was going too fast and it wasn’t her fault... joined me, agreed with me and offered themselves as a witness just as I had. Then the young bloke tried to tell me it wasn’t his fault he was only going 20kph! In a car park where it says 10kph??? Anyway I think it was faster than that but how could you tell. I told him the speed limit was 10kph and it was a car park not a speedway and showed him the skid marks under his car which went from his front wheels to behind his back wheels and pointed out that the Police could find out exactly how fast he was going by these skids. He stood his ground but I told the young woman who’s mother was out of the car by now to take a photo of the damage to this blokes car and a photo of the skid marks which she did with her mobile phone and he slowly started backing down. He then rang someone who must have told him to get on his bike but not before the girl got his name and number. Luckily the young woman’s car was undamaged except for one small black mark on her bumper but the guys car had a smashed headlight and a crumpled left hand front. There was a baby in the station wagon as well but no one was hurt except maybe the young guy’s pride at being told off by a mere woman when he thought he had it made with the frightened young driver!!

Leyland Bus.

The painting has commenced, first there were some holes to clean, fill and sand then there was the rig to set up but the under coat is going on and soon we'll see some colour.
This is Rob, he painted our Albion bus 25 years ago.

Wonderful Rain.

This is the view out our Office window, pouring one day... fine and sunny the next, the garden loves it and it's a good feeling knowing all our water tanks are full.

Abigail has broken my heart!

Before the family went home last night we got the Webcam going and talked to Tom, Emma and Abigail Rose... Abi blew us kisses, she giggled when we showed them how we can hide in our new big larder, she danced to ‘Hi 5’ then managed to jam her finger in a door... there were tears till I offered to kiss it better so she came up to the computer and put her finger up to the screen for my kisses. I have to admit to a few tears last night... and now.
Kisses for us all...
Who would have thought hiding in a larder in Sydney could make a little 21 month old girl in London laugh so much.

Briony's Party

We had a lovely day today celebrating Briony's 30th Birthday with 30 family, friends and cupcakes!!

Bus Paint has Arrived!!

Great Excitement... The Paint has arrived from England for David's Leyland Double Decker Bus. The Leyland has been taken to the Tramway Museum at Loftus so it's closer to the painter who lives in the next suburb. Rob painted our Albion Double Decker 20 years ago and it's still one of the best looking buses in the Bus Museum so we have high hopes for the Leyland.

Happy Birthday Briony.

Thirty Today, Thirty Today she's turning Thirty Today so Hip Hip Hurray!!

Are we Good or are we GOOD!!

Four boxes to the Salvation Army and one very full Rapid Rail with more to go in once it's emptied tonight.

Spring, Spring, Spring is here.

There's lots of colour in the garden today and with several expected rainy days on their way I thought I'd share some of the colour.






Hey Gwil!! What on earth is this plant?? Looks rather cool doesn't it?

6th September.

This is the same shot of the Wisteria on our Pergola that I took exactly 12 months ago... the day we flew to London to meet our beautiful Grand Daughter.
Today's shot with the expected rain clouds in the sky
Last year with a beautiful clear blue sky.

Kitchen throw out.

This is the photo that I wasn't going to take but then I thought if I put this back door pile of unwanted kitchen stuff on our Blog it might shame me into throwing it all OUT. The girls have had a sort though and taken all they want, the cleaners put their noses up at it but now I just can't seem to find the time or find the inclination to finish off :-))) The pile of books in the centre of this photo are all cook books!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Patchwork and Quilting.

A question from a friend reminded me that I keep meaning to put up on the Blog some of what I do when I sit down at night.
I bought this 1930 to 1940's quilt top from a friend of mine who sells such things... buying an old quilt top wasn't something I ever thought of doing, but I fell in love with this one. It took me a long time to repair it and put it back together and now I sit down at night, turn the telly on and quilt. I still have a long way to go but I'm pleased with how it's going.
It's a pretty big quilt, a good sized double bed quilt.
This is what my quilting looks like on the back.
These are new, I took the fabrics to England with me so I had some hand work to do in quiet moments. I'm making diamond shapes so I will have a similar but just that little bit different than the old quilt above, I take these mindless easy hexagons when I go out quilting with friends.

Fathers Day at '333'.

Give a boy a camera once and he thinks that's his job every time we get together... Jackson Harry is really getting the hang of it now, here we are sitting around the Dining table having our Fathers Day lunch.


Tim wearing the Golf shirt Jack and Charlie painted for him.



Tim took these photos of Jackson, above the table and below :-)


And.... Lemon Meringue Pie for Dessert, Yummo!!