Thursday 30 November 2006

Lovely Day today...

Jackson Harry bought two friends over to play and see the Red Bus today, here they are having a snack from Pennie's Treat Basket... Jenna, Kyle and Jack.

Then I got to play with Charlie Ripley for the rest of the day... I think your special seat is a bit low for you Charlie.

Joy of joy, Charlie fell alseep in my arms, I didn't know what to do with him and before I knew it it was 5:30pm and Nerys had arrived to take her beautiful baby home.

Wednesday 29 November 2006

Christmas Stockings...


I have a friend who lives in Perth, I've only met her once very briefly at the Sydney Fish Markets a couple of years ago but she is one of my special 'Cow'* friends... she made me this magnificent cross stitched Christmas Stocking a couple of years ago and every time I open my Christmas decorations box and come across this beauty I sit there for ages marvelling at the fine work in it, I think I appreciate it all the more because I've never done cross stitch... Here it is hanging with some old English Horse Brasses which is appropriate because my friend was born of English parents. Thanks again Dy!!
* The Cows are a secret sect of 12 very special SCQuilters living all over Australia, we have a secret handshake, secret items of clothing and a secret smile so we can recognize each other from a distance... nah I just made that up :-)

Tuesday 28 November 2006

Happy Birthday to Gwilym!

My Baby Boy turned 26 today... My oh my! where has the time gone! Gwil and Em are living it up in Vietnam, it's the last 10 days of their almost 8 month trip so they're spending some time on a nice quiet beach before they fly home and we demand their attention :-) It's been a fabulous trip, they've seen so much been to 19 different countries and sent home 6 boxes of stuff they've managed to pick up on their travels. Only 10 more days... Yippeeee for us!! .
Tree Roots at Ta Prohm Angkor Wat.
Enjoying a beer in Laos

Monday 27 November 2006

Tom & Emma.


Early this morning I managed to catch Tom and Emma on Skype, Abigail was asleep because it was Sunday evening in Wood Green but it was good to have a bit of a chat with our two Pommy Darlings.... oooops I shouldn't have said that there is a Group of Poms over here right now trying to stop us calling them Poms... what a shame that would be it's such an endearing term.

Sunday 26 November 2006

Some Friends!

There are some friends that you've known for so long you just don't mind what they wear LOL
Ian and Corrie
Pete and Kathy
Our friend Ian, who we've known for 40 years and 4 months... had a really good Rock 'n' Roll 60th Birthday Party last night with live music from the 60's which we all knew the words to so singing and dancing were the go... what a fun night it was!

Watering the Garden.


This is a sight banned in most parts of Australia... watering the garden with a sprinkler... but many years ago we installed three water tanks that are all full at the moment and we can do what we like with the water we've collected from the roof of the house and garage, we just have to get the timing right... full tanks = no rain, empty tanks = rain please!!

Saturday 25 November 2006

David Jones Christmas Windows.


On the twelfth day of Christmas,
my true love sent to me
Twelve drummers drumming,
Eleven pipers piping,
Ten lords a-leaping,
Nine ladies dancing,
Eight maids a-milking,
Seven swans a-swimming,
Six geese a-laying,
Five golden rings,
Four calling birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves,
And a partridge in a pear tree!

Twelve Drummers Drumming.
Eleven Pipers Piping
Nine Ladies Dancing.
Three French Hens

Do yourself a favour and go into the City one night and spend some time looking and singing in front of the David Jones Christmas Windows... all ages will just love it, we're all going to go in when Gwilym and Emily get home... in only 13 more days... Yippee!! I took heaps of photos but these are only of one of the windows.

Some of My City at Night.

Is this a Quilt?? Nah! just the tiled entrance to the Imperial Archade.
Martin Place with the Cenotaph, GPO and Christmas Tree.
Just a sliver of a moon tonight.
Christmas is a coming......
Martin Place Fountain with Flash on.
Martin Place Fountain without Flash.
The Old Commonwealth Bank, we had money boxes that looked like little versions of this Bank when we were children.

More Grace Hotel.

We've had a wonderfully relaxing fun time here at the Grace Hotel we can't recommed it highly enough if you're feeling like a little City holiday yourselves. Here are a few photos of things that took my fancy.

Stained Glass windows in the Grace Cafe where we enjoyed breakfast every morning while watching the workers scurry to work... except for today, Saturday, it was very quiet.
One of the Lift Lobbies... I love these carpets if one fitted in my hand bag I would have taken it home with me :-)
And these carpets as well...
These workers started early on Saturday morning, there are at least 9 of them in this photo. Two are up on the top dismantling the scaffolding, they pass the bit to the chap below them and so on and on till it reaches the ground. We didn't know what the building was till we left the car park, it's an Electricity Sub Station all newly painted but looking pretty bare inside... I wonder if they have plans for yet more offices or apartments.

Friday 24 November 2006

Hyde Park

After hours of very successful shopping I bought a sandwich and walked across the road from David Jones to Hyde Park to sit on a park bench and enjoy my lunch. They've started taking down enormous old and diseased trees before replanting new ones I'd heard but there was no sign of it, just a wider lighter Park.
Now I love these roots but as a child I was frightened of them and always thought they looked like Grandma Rodd's neck :-)
I know summer is here when I see lovely rows of Agapanthus.
Beautiful Avenue looking towards the War Memorial.
All my life (61 years) I've seen old men playing chess here... nothing changes.
Archibald Fountain with St Mary's in the background.
An old man feeding the birds, Pigeons, Ibis and some Black Crows

Today I bought 'The Big Issue' from one of the homeless lads selling on the street, months ago I'd heard a very informative interview with Richard Fiddler on Radio 702 with the people who started this paper so I now have a different view of these sellers and enjoyed a good chat with the lad I bought from, he was very friendly and when I mentioned how much politer he was to the sellers in London, who really get in your face, he said British Backpackers had told him the exact same thing... how come I feel I want to adopt one of these lads??

P.S. David caught the train to Wollongong today!

Thursday 23 November 2006

The City of Sydney.

The Grace Hotel which was built in 1929 by the Grace Brothers.
We're having another lovely holiday in the City, this time at the Grace Hotel on the corner of York and King Streets... we sat in the Grace Cafe this morning having breakfast and watching everyone rushing to work... a couple of things we noticed different to London.
1. We only saw one person smoking while they walked, the Forbes Hotel where we had, dinner last night was totally smoke free... Wonderful!
2. Most of the male office workers wear open necked shirts.
3. Most of the males wear a shoulder bag which I imagine carries a lap top, maybe it was the same in London actually.
4. Little or no litter.
5. Friendly... absolutely everybody is friendly and very helpful. It was bad in London but this City is just Happy!
I sat in St Andrews Cathedral for a while listening to a Schools Choir Concert remembering the three years Tomos sang in the Cathedral Choir. There was a similar ridiculous sermon from some special preacher which went on far too long and reminded me why I never go to a Church Service.
One of the Stained Glass windows at St Andrews Cathedral, they've restored the Cathedral and turned it around inside since I was there last.
The beautiful Queen Victoria Building.
This Christmas Tree is four stories high right in the middle of the Queen Victoria Building.
David Jones Christmas Window
David Jones Window.

Wednesday 22 November 2006

When he's Sixty Four....

It's David's Birthday today... Happy Birthday to David! And here is a little something that says it all.

When I get older, losing my hair, many years from now,
Will you still be sending me a Valentine, birthday greetings, bottle of wine?
If I'd been out 'till quarter to three, would you lock the door?
Will you still need me, will you still feed me,
When I'm sixty-four?

Hmm------mmm---mmmh.
You'll be older, too. Aaah, and if you say the word, I could stay with you.

I could be handy, mending a fuse, when your lights have gone.
You can knit a sweater by the fireside, Sunday mornings, go for a ride.
Doing the garden, digging the weeds, who could ask for more?
Will you still need me, will you still feed me, when I'm sixty four?

Every summer we can rent a cottage in the Isle of Wight if it's not to dear. We shall scrimp and save.
Ah, grandchildren on your knee, Vera, Chuck, and Dave.

Send me a postcard, drop me a line stating point of view.
Indicate precisely what you mean to say, yours sincerely wasting away.
Give me your answer, fill in a form, mine forever more.
Will you still need me, will you still feed me, when I'm sixty four?

by John Lennon/Paul McCartney

And the answer is...... Yes David I still still need you and will still feed you :-) Love Pennie

Duplo and Lego

When Jack and Charlie come to visit they love to play with their Mothers, Uncles and Aunts Duplo and Lego, we have piles and piles of the stuff and the appeal for little people is the same as it was more than 30 years ago.
While Jack concentrates on the Lego....

Charlie is working hard on the Duplo.

Tuesday 21 November 2006

Swimming with JH

Jackson Harry has turned a corner with his swimming, he now dives (read bellyflop) in and swims across the pool without the bubble on his back and with only the slightest encouragement from his teacher.
In we go and swim to the other side....
Take a break and a quick look at Pennie to see if she was watching.
Then back again. What a wonderful start to the Summer.

Friday 17 November 2006

Happy Birthday Meredith.

Today is my sisters Birthday... Happy Birthday little Sister! Meredith lives in Perth but she flew over last weekend for Dad's 90th so this photo isn't even a week old.
Just me and my sister

Tuesday 14 November 2006

Living in Paradise.

Each morning, just after the sun's come up over the garage, I walk outside and I'm hit by the beautiful smell of these Lilliums they remind me of my Internet friend Kerry who sent them to me many years ago.

After a wander around the garden doing a few chores we sit down to breakfast and are joined firstly by this very gentle and polite Kookaburra who just sits on the Grape Vine watching us, he doesn't make a sound just sits patiently waiting for me to go and get some meaty treat. I was fascinated to notice, only a few years ago that Kookaburras can't walk, they hop when on the ground.

These pretty little Lorrikeets aren't nearly as polite, they chatter and chatter, jump onto our table demanding a piece of apple, they always come in pairs and there's always one that's on guard and a very bold cheeky one. If David leaves his tea tray out it doesn't take them long to help themselves to his sugar bowl.

And then, if we're lucky along comes this King Parrot, usually they're in pairs as well but this male was on his own the other morning, he gets Wild Bird seed which I clean up as soon as he finishes because those horrible Indian Mynar Birds think I want to feed them...

We have nocturnal wild life as well, we hear them but rarely see them but they leave their calling cards like Possum Poo and little holes dug in the lawn by Bandicoots.