Jackson Harry Celebrates...
Sunday 30 September 2007
Here's a Cooking Tip...
A certain almost 5 year old asked me if I'd make a racing track cake for his birthday party... what an honour!
I needed to make two ring cakes but didn't have a ring tin, one friend did but I decided I needed to own one of these tins myself but the local shops were all out so I decided to make my own ring tin!
Using a large spring loaded cake tin I lined the bottom with baking paper, sprayed the sides then wrapped a ramekin in baking paper and weighing it down with peas I placed it in the middle of the tin.
Carefully poured the cake mixture around the ramekin and into the oven!!
This is how it turns out...
A bit rough in the middle but the icing will cover that, now make another one...
Saturday 29 September 2007
W6. Scatterday 'W' - Black Thing, Tool & Games.
I struggled with Scatterday this week but with a little help from my friends and a little bit of magic I'm very happy with the result.
Black Thing = Black Witch. LtoR... My friend Mavis is a Wicked Witch, Mavis when she’s not a Witch and Mavis got her spells mixed up then in a trice my friend ‘Mavis the Wicked Witch’ just melted away!
Tool = Wheelbarrow... LtoR... DS2, Gwilym and DGS1, Jackson Harry loading up the Wheelbarrow, Jackson Harry getting soil out of the Wheelbarrow and time for a break for the Wheelbarrow workers.
Games = LtoR... My friend Bec represented Australia in Water Polo from the age of 15 to about 20... Here is her ball and hat, here are a collection of photos of Bec and her team mates taken from competitions all over the World and this is my friend Bec.
Friday 28 September 2007
Thursday 27 September 2007
Family Beach House on Newport Beach.
The house in the middle of this photo was built by David's Grandfather in the 1920's. David along with 2 siblings and 2 cousins inherited it in 1971, most of the others were under 21 so the property was sold for $55,000, we did think of buying it ourselves but we'd only just arrived back in Australia with one American Dollar and no Australian Bank accounts. Last month the house on the left of this photo #7 sold for seventeen million dollars. It is right on Newport Beach and new and enormous with a walk in fridge.
Here are some reasons I keep telling myself for why we didn't buy #5 all those years ago.
1. The noise of the surf can be deafening.
2. You can feel salt everywhere, on the carpets, on the windows and on everything you touched.
3. It's timber and needs painting every two years and it's a massive job.
4. The children would never go to school if they lived on the beach.
And finally...
5. In summer you have friends you never knew you had and they all just 'POP' in around meal time.
I bought these beautiful Waratah's for Tomo!
Tom loves Waratah's, they are his very favourite flowers but it's been many years since he's been in Australia when they flower... so these are for you Tomo!!
Wednesday 26 September 2007
Bogged down with paper...
This is the first time I've offered to do a Survey at home. Today a parcel arrived with reams of paper and a tape inside, I had to fill out forms saying which boring household products I would like if I won a prize then watch the tape and judge the show because they might put it onto telly.
I've done this before, but not at home, and you concentrate on the show (which was impossible this time because it was a boring simple American sitcom) and you zone out during the adds just like watching real telly really LOL
They will ring me tomorrow and ask me questions but I know they won't be on the show they will be on the advertisements! I received a $10 Myer card so it wasn't all bad!
P.S. One thing they said which I'm not game to test just yet, I'm just not that brave... I was warned not to rewind the tape because it is a special tape that rubs it's self out as it plays!! Huh!! I bet that's a lie. I don't know if they want me to send all this guff back to them but if they don't I'm going to rewind!
Tuesday 25 September 2007
Colour in my Garden - September
Not hard to find anything to photograph this month in the garden, spring has burst with a wonderful display of colour and smell and noise with lots of baby birds demanding to be fed by their mothers.
Monday 24 September 2007
Look what Jenny found...
... Do you remember that pathetic little one and only mandarin that I found on our tree on the 8th of August this year... now I'm beginning to think it must have been one left over from last year because look at this potential crop, a little late maybe but it does look like we're in for a real treat!
Saturday 22 September 2007
Scatterday 'B' (W5) #1
Scatterday using the Letter ‘B’ and the categories... Favourite Things, Big Things and Shop.
I had more problems choosing my ‘B’s than I did my ‘Q’s because it was just too easy so I’ve decided to do two this week... Yes Maggie I hear what you say!!
Number One.
Favourite Things = Boys of course especially Grand Baby Boys
Jackson Harry aged 1, JH & CR today Charlie Ripley aged 1.
Big Things = How could I go past David’s two old Double Decker Buses.
The Albion, The Leyland and Albion and The Leyland, in Sydney on Australia Day this year.
Shop = Has to be the place I go to for meals... my favourite Butcher.
Stewart and Jason, 2006 NSW First Prize Sausage King 100% Poultry and some of the prize winning Sausages.
Scatterday 'B' (W5) #2
Number Two Scatterday using the Letter ‘B’ and the categories... Favourite Things, Big Things and Shop.
I couldn’t leave my collecting obsession out could I?
Favourite Things = Babushkas
Some Favourite Ladies... LtoR Turkish, Card Player, American Indian, Arab, Hawaiian, Bride, Indian and a little Nun.
Some Favourite Kids Stories... Too many to mention
And Some Leaders... Blair, Yeltsin, Gorby, Howard, Putin and Clinton. (Clinton is the only one that doesn’t have past Leaders inside LOL
Big Things = Some very Big Ladies, my Big Babushka Collection and some Big Christmas Babushkas.
Shop = St Petersburg, Birmingham and Moscow... Photos taken by my youngest son Gwilym during last year.
Friday 21 September 2007
The Cows on show at the Portrait Gallery in London
My friend Michelle set up the 12 of us but I put us in the Portrait Gallery LOL
This is a photo of a small group of online friends who go by the name of 'The Cows' we are from L to R Bonnie in Victoria, Cori in WA, Di in WA. Dy in WA, Fran in Tas, Kerry in Vic, Liz in SA, Loz in NSW, Michelle in NSW, Pennie in NSW, Ruth in WA and Steph in NSW. I've met everyone face to face but I'm not sure that everybody else has met everybody.
Thursday 20 September 2007
Wednesday 19 September 2007
Tuesday 18 September 2007
Nerys says she's very sorry Tom and Emma...
Nerys posted this parcel to Tom and Emma just after Matilda May was born in early January and last week it arrived back in Australia, Nerys had to pay another $35 to receive it back so the goodies inside must be very valuable LOL
This is what was inside...
Most of the goodies are nearing their expiry date so we'll just have to eat them ourselves...but Nerys will keep the presents for you.
Monday 17 September 2007
What does a family do...
GroupNP.JPG, originally uploaded by Pennie David.
After celebrating Briony's birthday with... Smoked Salmon, Prosciutto wrapped Asparagus, Broccoli Soup with Ash Goats Cheese, Roast Pork with extra Crackling, Apple Sauce, Gravy, Roast Potatoes, Roast Kumera, Peas, Carrots then Meringue Cases filled with fresh berries and Sorbets of Strawberry, Lime, Raspberry as well as Chocolate Ice Cream then Violet Crumble Bars..................... What does a family do then??????
Sunday 16 September 2007
Saturday 15 September 2007
Just for the record... This is Tomo singing 'Music of the Night'
Just for those of you who may have been doubting that Tomos was singing Quondo Quondo Quondo in my 'Q' Scatterday (and I may have been one of them)... some even suggesting he may have been singing 'Music of the Night' instead! He really is singing 'Music of the Night' in this photo, or something from Phantom anyway LOL
Scatterday 'Q' (W4)
Scatterday'Q'(W4).jpg, originally uploaded by Pennie David.
Week Four Scatterday using the letter ‘Q’ and the categories... Music, Clothing and Square Thing.
Music = Eldest son Tomos, singing Quondo Quondo Quondo... You’ll have to trust me on this :-)
Clothing = Eldest daughter Nerys, wearing Tim's Quicksilver Shirt.
Square Thing = Quoins are square corner stones that anchor the edge of a building wall. Quoins may be structural, or may be decorative.
Wollogorang, Breadalbane. NSW (A very sad photo taken before restoration but the home of my Great Aunt Cranky (aka Nancy) and where David and I met.)
Trebartha, nr North Hill in Cornwall. UK. (One of the Gate Keepers Homes on the Estate the Rodds came from 200 years ago)
The Parsonage, Howarth, Yorkshire. UK. (Home of The Bronte Family)
Next weeks Scatterday is the letter 'B' and the categories 'My Favourite Things, 'Big Things' and 'Shop' which I won't loose any sleep over... couldn't be easier for me LOL
Friday 14 September 2007
Thursday 13 September 2007
Home for Rent...
It's happening... the T.E.A.M. (Tom, Emma, Abigail & Matilda) are moving to Macau and their London home has been rented out... these photos are from the agents website and shows their home looking so terrific it was such a thrill to have a little look see. Tom and Emma... where have you put everything! It's also lovely to see little touches from us all through the house... here is the Peugeot we bought while we were there...
Back Garden
Garden.jpeg, originally uploaded by Pennie David.
Here is the garden shed David helped Tomo to build.
Bedroom
Here is the quilt I made for Tom and Emma when they got married, and that's our little £99 TV :-)
Wednesday 12 September 2007
Gwilym and Emily's Secret is out...
They must have been practicing for months to look this good... LOL
Sunday 9 September 2007
APEC Leaders...
Well it's all over, months and months of planning security, the building of large walls, converting 33 buses into prisons, the spending of millions of dollars and the threats of dire consequences if one dares to step out of line and Sydney has just experienced it's quietest weekend one can remember... most people taking advantage of the Friday Public Holiday and the Aussie much loved 'Long' weekend to get away.
The Fancy Dress, always a laughing point wasn't too bad, I reckon those leaders will actually be able to wear their Driza-bone coats again unlike past APEC garb.
Now I would have liked to have seen the Russian President, the Chinese President or even the Chili President but it didn't happen and then that got me thinking... who is the President of Canada?? What is the name of the Mexican President?? I just don't know... which is very slack of me but hey... how many of the APEC leaders can you name?? How many are there to start with? How many actual countries can you name?? and most importantly how many women leaders are there?? I've searched the Net and done my research but I probably won't remember most of them or even be able to pronounce them which is sad I reckon!
Tomos who lives in London saw APEC and Sydney on the Television while he was in Portugal, his ears pricked up as he laughed himself silly watching 'The Chasers War on Everything' pretending to be a Canadian / Osama Bin Laden then listened to the Police saying they didn't think it was one little bit funny and they don't think anyone else will either... well we all did!
Below is my research if you would like to know who has just been partying in Sydney...
Australia = John Howard
Brunei Darussalam = His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu'izzaddin Waddaulah
Canada = Stephen Harper
Chile = Michelle Bachelet
China = Hu Jinto
Hong Kong = Sir Donald Tsang Yam-Kuen
Indonesia = Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono
Japan = Shinzo Abe
South Korea = Han Duck-soo
Malaysia = Abdullah Ahmad Badawi
Mexico = Felipe Calderón
New Zealand = Helen Clark
Papua New Guinea = Sir Michael Somare
Peru = Jorge Del Castillo
Philippines = Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
Russia = Vladimir Putin
Singapore = Sellapan Ramanathan
Chinese Taipei = Chen Shui-bian
Thailand = Surayud Chulanont
USA = George Bush
Vietnam = Nguyễn Minh Triết
Saturday 8 September 2007
Why it's... Abigail Rose!!
Who would have thought it eh? LOL
We had such a wonderful long iChat this evening with our two little English Lassies... Abi was full of fun and games while Tilly was full of big beaming smiles and even did a little crawl especially for us, we played a lot of 'Where's Abigail?' which Abigail herself is very good at and chatted away to Abigail about her coloured Winnie the Poo books and all sorts of other things... but best of all!!
Stop Press!!
Hold the Presses!!
They're all coming out to Australia for Christmas!!
How exciting for everyone, I've already rung all the other children to tell them... now how many days is it till Christmas I wonder LOL
Contact us
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Click here to read the story behind this blogRecent Posts
- Farewell and Good Bye.
- They're home in Hong Kong... soon to move to Macau.
- Abigail squeezes one last teddy into her backpack...
- Tilly is ready...
- David took them all to the Airport in the Big Gree...
- W19. Scatterday 'Y' - Green, School Days & Animal
- Why, they're just family of mine, Family of mine, ...
- Do you know what we love? Do you know what we real...
- Christmas is so much fun when the Whole Family get...
- Jackson Harry on Christmas Day...
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