No news from Canberra

Well there is no news really but thought I should say hello. The girls and I are all well and I think very one knows that Hannah and Sam are expecting a baby in April.

I have been trying to catch up with Mark Myers while he is home but he is a busy boy so maybe I will just have to head to London to say hello!

Photos are for Meg, I was making mango chutney the other night while we were talking and Meg it tastes great I would like more chilli it had 10 in it but I do like lots of chilli.

Merry Christmas everyone travel safe and I hope we all catch up some where in 2012.
Belinda

At the recent school concert



At the recent school concert



This was a few months ago but the grass was very pretty too


Mark and Jett out front of my place this week
Jett looks to have grown an entire foot in the past year.

Mark and I



Mark and Jett out front of my place this week

Santa's coming soon, brace yourselve's...

Well it's only 7 days 'til Big Red arrives. Due to the global economy being in such a poor state he was running short on elves to build toys. Not even Santa is immune to the worlds declining financial abilities, Elves don't come cheap!

All is much the same at our house although we did have Mark here for a few nights over the past couple of weeks and it has been truly lovely to see him again. Some pictures I've loaded but they didn't come out too well but are viewable. They are up in Anna Bay at the moment, will be back here tomorrow.

Tony took the young'ns out shopping this morning so it was lovely and peaceful for me at home alone. A rare occasion to be sure but they're back now so it didn't last long :o/

I haven't done Christmas cards this year so apologies to all who have sent them to me, thank you though.

Aunty Kell, how are you? Uncle Peter? Aunt Mona I'm guessing you've been flat out with hampers etc? Beets the heck out of me how you do it, I cringe at having to make a banana cake (which I have to do today because I have two over ripe 'nana's there that must be used :o/

No news, same old washing, cleaning etc so I'll sign off and bid you all a wonderful christmas.

Love Sara XXXXX

A big load

I heard about this on the radio coming home from work but both Len and I were too lazy to drive to Grafton to have a look.
The massive load was 23 metres long, 5 meters wide and 150 tonne. It took two trucks to pull it and another two to push it.
It is a piece of mining equipment and was made in Coffs Harbour.
From Coffs it went to South Grafton, then to Tenterfield, then to Brisbane and from there it will make its way to Long Harbour CANADA.
Sorry about the poor quality of the photo but I scanned it from the local newspaper.

Belmore back online, FINALLY!

Hello family, I have not been logged on due to my internet being 'moved' from the 'spare' (junk) room into our bedroom. Tony emptied out the spare/junk room so he can gt it ready to move Hokey in there. He finally moved the computer desk into our room this week but because he gets physically sick whenever he exerts himself, it's taken a while to hook the internet up again.
Not enough cable to extend into the bedroom has also held things up but while the kids and I were at church this morning Tony went to the hardware store up the street and bought some cable which he connected to the existing cable and ran it along the exterior of the house to the front window and as of the past two hours I've been back online.
I DID try to login via my phone but the page wouldn't load.

I have been using my eliptical machine and 'running' in the mornings. Initially I was doing 3km's a day, then I bumped it up to 6km's but that soon started to wear thin so I was just running the 6km every second day. Sometimes jumping on to do the 3km's on the 'off' days. Last week I ran 9km's on Monday then 6km's on Wednesday.
It really does feel good to be able to get on and 'go to town', so to speak.

I have been doing hydrotherapy the past three weeks but this coming week will be my last as they only ran for 8 sessions. I've been doing this due to chronic pain down my left leg, front and back due to some wearing down of a 'disc' in my lower back which has caused some crushing of the nerves there. Something to that effect anyway. The hydro has been good and is a great form of exercise which is also why I have knocked back on the running.

I'm really looking forward to seeing Mark when he arrives later this week, another reason why Tony's been more focused on painting and readying Hokey's new room. He wants to make it ready so that Mark will have a room of his own when he gets here. We were going to buy a new bed for the room but Tony's decided to cut the bunk bed into two beds and put the bottom in Hokey's room while leaving the top in Bickies room. Much better idea.

We've been having a lot of trouble getting the kids to sleep alone in their own room at night. They never used to be afraid of the dark but the bloody TV shows they watch talk all about NOT being afraid of the dark and that has caused a reverse reaction with my two. It's going to be a hell of a time trying to separate them into their own rooms :o/ I don't mind them staying together for now, they're still only young'ns so should be able to get away with it.

Hokey and Ange' had their end-of-year performance on Thursday night and it all went really well, Ange got a bit 'stage struck' when her class was performing but they weren't too bad.

I try to vac' and mop a few times a week because this little shack gets so dirty so quickly. I won't work on the weekends though and with the kids bed lamp turned on underneath their bed at night, it highlights every hair and particle of dust and grit on the floor and it's horrid. I will get straight into it tomorrow.

When Tony was cleaning out the pool yard a few weeks back he found a red back spider under the pool ladder so put it in a jar for the kids to see and learn about. I decided to keep her so put some elasticised mesh over the top of the jar and secured it with a rubber band. I have been catching flies and other 'nibblies' for her to eat. She has rigged-up about 8 egg sacks since she's been in her jar and the kids and I watched as one of them hatched open the other day. Watched at least 50 little spiderlings 'pop' out of the sack so I removed the mesh and left them up high on a ladder rung overnight so the young'ns could spin out their silk and hitch a ride on the wind to find their new homes. Next day 'Liv (Olivia; kids named her. Mother-in-laws name was "Liviana {'Livia for short} Go figure :o/ ) was still in the jar with her remaining eggs so I put the mesh back and put her in a safe place.

Only two weeks of school left for the year and I am SOOooooo looking forward to it. I struggle to get organised in the mornings and more often than not end up arriving at school late. Tough, I do what I can :o/

Well I have no news and have only 'scanned' previous posts so will load this one now then go back and read everyone elses.
Take care family and love to all,

Sara XXXXX

Christmas message from Mona

Just a little food for thought at this busy time of year.

BLESSINGS TO YOU


PEACE BE WITH YOU

As you well know, we are getting closer to my birthday. Every year there is a celebration in this honour and I think that this year the celebration will be repeated.. During this time there are many people shopping for gifts, there are many radio announcements, TV commercials, and in every part of the world everyone is talking that my birthday is getting closer and closer. It is really very nice to know, that at least once a year, some people think of me.. As you know, the celebration of my birthday began many years ago.. At first people seemed to understand and be thankful of all that I did for them, but in these times, no one seems to know the reason for the celebration. Family and friends get together and have a lot of fun, but they don't know the meaning of the celebration. I remember that last year there was a great feast in my honor. The dinner table was full of delicious foods, pastries, fruits, assorted nuts and chocolates. The decorations wereexquisite and there were many, many beautifully wrapped gifts. But, do you want to know something? I wasn't invited. I was the guest of honor and they didn't remember to send me an invitation. The party was for me, but when that great day came, I was left outside, they closed the door in my face .. and I wanted to be with them and share their table.. In truth, that didn't surprise me because in the last few years all close their doors to me. Since I wasn't invited, I decided to enter the party withoutmaking any noise. I went in and stood in a corner.. They were all drinking; there were some who were drunk and telling jokes and laughing at everything. They were having a grand time. To top it all, this big fat man all dressed in red wearing a long white beard entered the room yelling Ho-Ho-Ho! He seemed drunk. He sat on the sofa and all the children ran to him, saying: "Santa Claus, Santa Claus" as if the party were in his honor! At midnight all the people began to hug each other; I extended my arms waiting for someone to hug me and do you know no-one hugged me. Suddenly they all began to share gifts. They opened them one by one with great expectation. When all had been opened, I looked to see if, maybe, there was one for me. What would you feel if on your birthday everybody shared gifts and you did not get one? I then understood that I was unwanted at that party and quietly left. Every year it gets worse. People only remember the gifts, the parties, to eat and drink, and nobody remembers me. I would like this Christmas that you allow me to enter into your life. I would like that you recognize the fact that almost two thousand years ago I came to this world to give my life for you, on the cross, to save you. Today, I only want that you believe this with all your heart.. I want to share something with you. As many didn't invite me to their party, I will have my own celebration, a grandiose party that no one has everimagined, a spectacular party. I'm still making the final arrangements.. Today I am sending out many invitations and there is an invitation for you. I want to know if you wish to attend and I will make a reservation for you and write your name with golden letters in my great guest book. Only those on the guest list will be invited to the party. Those who don't answer the invite, will be left outside. Be prepared because when all is ready you will be part of my great party. See you soon. I Love you!

Jesus

London calling...

The Boleyn Ground - From West End Upper Stand

In need of a haircut I think...

I sit here at my desk, listening to the frantic noises of a Financial Markets in meltdown, watching my clock tick down till CX252 lifts off from Heathrow (currently 264992 seconds to go). My eyes are about to fall out of my head from exhaustion; I've probably averaged 4 hours sleep for the last two weeks, just from burning the candle at both ends & the middle. Still have loads of little tasks to tick off before I can relax & I know that probably won't happen till I'm ensconced in my seat with a double shot of Chivas Regal in my hand. Not anything of interest to speak of going on, apart from work & the occasional jaunt down to Upton Park to watch some 2nd division football (West Ham United - WHU), life has been pretty mundane for the most part. The football is something that I resisted for the longest time but it is so entrenched in the culture of this country, its hard to stay impervious to its pull. The team that I go to see were demoted from the Premier League & now play at a level equivalent to Wentworthville or Sutherland in Sydney, but with 35000 passionate supporters screaming the rafters down. You have to go down 6 or 7 different divisions before the crowd attendances reflect those of the 2nd division leagues clubs back home. I attend these matches with my manager & his mates, who are all rabid WHU fans, as are a good many of the people that work on the broking floor here. The day after a match can be quite amusing, either loaded with joy & happiness after a win, or as dark as some of the moods that overtake me if they lose. People can get so wrapped up in their team that it impacts so many aspects of their lives. When I'm not actually going to the ground to watch it live, I head down to a local pub where there is a good many punters who follow Liverpool in the Premier League (my team). That also is quite a vocal crowd & makes for a good afternoon's entertainment, if I have no housework left to do.

The cooler weather is starting to settle in, though probably a good 10 degrees warmer than the Canadians at the moment, so it will be nice to enjoy some warmer climes for a change. This will be my first hot Christmas in 13 years & I'm just disappointed I couldn't stay a little longer. I understand that Stewart is going the other way, off to Whistler to sample the white stuff for a couple of weeks. I mentioned to him that if he ever finds his way over here, I'll take him to my stomping ground in Sud Tyrol, to experience the Dolomites of Alta Badia. One lift pass covers 1200 kms of ski runs & the chair lift / cable car capacity is something like 200,000 people an hour. The longest I've ever had to queue was about 5 mins at the start of the day, then you are off & flat out trying to find more than a few people together at any one time. The only place you see a crowd is in the pub at lunchtime (262761 seconds to go).

I was hoping to spend some time with Jett when I'm back in Australia but for the 2 & 1/2 weeks he is in Sydney, he'll be with his brother for most of it. I get him for 3 days the 2nd week I'm there, then from Christmas eve onwards. I assume we'll spend that in Anna Bay but I think his mother is going to be in Sydney as well & she may want to see him on Christmas day, just not sure. Anyway my plan was to borrow (or steal) a car & take him out to Bourke & beyond. I wanted to spend a night & a day out at Jacko's place on Wampra, just to give Jett a chance to drive around in Jacko's old landrover, maybe do a little shooting, & just experience the country I grew up in. From what I've heard, the land doesn't look anything like I remember it. Something to do with a mysterious substance falling from the sky. Can't imagine what that would be. Then from there I wanted to drive back through Walgett & Narrabri & down through Tamworth. I have a Japanese/Kiwi friend who packed up life in the City & moved his family out on a farm near there. I will probably only be able to spare a couple of hours with him, before making my way back to Sydney to deliver Jett into his brother's care again. That is the plan but we all know what happens to the best laid of them.

Anyway, I guess I had better make an effort and look like I'm actually working for a change. By my reckoning I've only got 20 more years & then I can put my feet up like Kenny. That would be nice.

All the best family & anybody I don't get to see while I'm In Country;

Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year!