Monday 29th December 2008

Saturday 27th December was a quiet day in the garden removing yet more rubbish from the front gardens. Peter was at golf so I spent a reflective day feeling a little low as it was Mum's birthday and she would have been 95 years old. This was our first Christmas without her and now this was the first birthday anniversary.

Sunday 28th was a very hot day with temperatures reaching 35 degrees. I felt every bit of it out on the golf course playing my first 18 holes in over a month. The golf was terrible but the company was good. Our playing partners were Norma & Ray Presdee and I had a good day in spite of having to buy the keno ticket. The object of the exercise was to get back out there & the highlight of my day was that I finished. I did score one three pointer hole if I have to scramble for golf highlights. We stayed for dinner at the club with Ray & Norma. We sat out on the balcony with some other golf friends and had dinner and watched the social golfers come in until about 8 o'clock. It is beautiful at that time of day and definately the best time to have a round of social golf.

Today, Monday 29th I travelled to Sydney airport with my friend Heather to see her off to visit family in Melbourne. We had a good trip on the train & no problem getting Heather on the plane in spite of the fact that she had left her E-Ticket at home. We were there in plenty of time to have a coffee before I waved her off on her journey. I had intended to join the F-Troopers when I got home about 1.30pm but a rain storm had hit during my journey home so it was too wet to work.

The F-Troopers in my absence had done some good work on the course clearing drains, rubbish removal and tree stumps before the storm stuck - so not all was lost.

Images attached: Heather at the domestic Airport in Sydney - ready to go through the gates to board her plane for Melbourne; rubbish removal by F-Troop at the course today; with our golfing partners on Sunday - Ray & Norma Presdee; Dinner on the balcony of the golf club on Sunday night - Arthur, Peter, Warren, Kay & Mary.

Boxing Day - Friday 26th December 2008

Boxing day was a recovery day - not doing too much through the day.

Boxing Day evening we spent with Anne's family at her parents place- Ron & Rae's home at Springfield. They were great hosts and looked after us well.

It was a lovely day. We met a lot of Anne's family that we had not seen since their wedding so it was good to catch up with everyone. As you can see by the photos we had some delightful children there. They played with the toys out on the lawn and were very well behaved. Aunty Rae enjoyed spoiling them. The weather was beautiful and we really enjoyed the day.

One of Rae and Ron's future in laws (just recently engaged to their neice) is a chef and he offered to cook dinner for all of us. The food was beautiful and what a treat - followed by homemade pavlova for desert Yum!

Images attached: Having lunch with the girls Kate, Rae, me, Gail, Anne & Karina; Annabelle & Sean at play; Rod & Pete having a beer; spoiling the children with icecreams; Jonah just woken up with Mum Kate; abandoned toys in the yard; at the end of the day.

Christmas Day 25th December 2008

Christmas Day 2008 was a wonderful day at Sam & Shane's home. The day went like clockwork & they were fantastic hosts. Plenty of lovely food & drinks & great company. Shane & Sam's neice Lilly made our day being the "Christmas Child" enjoying her presents and especially the jumping playground that Sam & Shane gave to her.

Graham, Anne, Matt, Heather & Lachlan came in from Copacabana to join us for lunch & Rod's Anne joined us later in the afternoon when she had finished work. On Sam's side we had Nathan & Lisa & daughters Lilly and Kate and Lisa's Mum, Marilyn & Jon - Sam's Mum & step Dad that have recently moved back to the Central Coast from Grafton. It was a good crew and we all had a lovely relaxed day.

Wednesday 24th December 2008

It is Christmas Eve so all the panic shopping is done and what has been forgotten now must stay forgotten. It has been a busy week so far so I am looking forward to a lovely day tomorrow at Sam & Shane's for Christmas lunch with all the family that are able to come. There are going to be 16 of us so it should be a great day.

Monday was F-Troop Day and much was achieved in the gardens that morning. We had 20 cubic metres of mulch to lay, gardens to weed, spray & water, loose timber to be picked up & rough cutting to be done. We had 18 helpers so it was a good mornings work. In the afternoon we did some Christmas Shopping and a few last minute things.

Tuesday I had my last session of Physio so I am on the mend. In the Afternoon I wrapped presents and did a little more shopping ( is there no end). Late afternoon I went to the Golf Club to collect the results slip for the day and sat out on the verandah in the cool. It was beautiful looking out from the verandah at that time of day and watching the golfers come in. (Pictures attached). Later that night I made some 'Rocky Road' and some 'fudge' for the Christmas Season.

Today - the last minute food shopping and more gift wrapping.

This week the Golf Girls gave me an end-of-year gift of a Sudoku Toilet Roll (photo attached). They know how much I enjoy doing the Sudoku puzzles - so that should take care of my spare time.

Rod & Anne gave me a great little gadget this week. (I just love gadgets). It is a digital photo display which is just fantastic. I can download and display from a USB flashcard (memory stick)or from the camera memory card which will be great for looking at instant photos. The unit will also show videos and has a built in calender and clock ( photo attached). I will get a lot of fun out of that.

My best wishes to all my 'Blog Readers'. May you all enjoy a peaceful and very happy Christmas Day and that 2009 be the best year ever, chockers with Health, Wealth and Happiness.

Sunday 21st December 2008

The last few days have been taken up with Christmas shopping, wrapping of presents, decorating the Christmas Tree, health clearance from my Doctor, intensive gardening of the front gardens, a media interview with Chris Smith of 2GB regarding the lost pendant (nerve wracking) newspaper reporters and all the necessary preparations to try to recover the precious lost pendant ( If nothing comes of it at least I have tried all avenues); F- Troop BBQ at the Golf Club on Saturday; took photos of a surprise wedding at the Golf Club on Saturday (guests thought that they were coming for an engagement party); 9 holes of golf to test my recovery rate this afternoon and dinner at the club with our golfing friends.

I was reasonably pleased with the golf result. Not many points but I only wiped one hole and managed to hit the ball forward which is encouraging for next week's 18 holes.

Images attached: photos of the F-Troop BBQ; photos of the "Surprise Wedding"; Decorated Christmas Tree and wrapped presents; Christmas cards; Roses I discoverd in my garden after the intesive gardening work today; photos of the front garden after 6 hours work.

Wednesday 17th December 2008

Tuesday 16th December was a busy day having physio first up followed by some shopping and a lovely lunch with my good friend Heather Bock. Heather and I have been friends for many many years and we do not have an opportunity to catch up very often. It was really great to have a few hours to chat and catch up with each other. Late afternoon I went to the golf gardens to meet up with Enone Sammons and her mother Marian Gray. Marian very kindly donated two white iceberg standard roses for the golf gardens so we arranged for Marian to be there when we planted them. They look fantastic and the garden is starting to look 'finished'. While I was there I fertilized and watered the new petunias and had a catch up with Paul Way who is one of our golfers who has been working overseas. He is back for two weeks leave and plans to play a lot of golf in that time.

Wednesday 17th December was a huge day also. I decided that I needed to do my Annual Trek to the QVB to see the Swarovoski Crystal Christmas Tree that is displayed each year in the centre. It is a magnificent tree decorated with 1700 branches covered with 15,000 Swarovoski Crystals, 40,000 lights, 8,000 baubles and 400 bows. It is worth the trip to Sydney just for that. I also did some Christmas shopping and checked out the Christmas decorations at DJ's which are spectacular. By 2 o'clock I had enough shopping and made my way home in time to finish planting out my petunias in the side garden, fertilized and mulched them before going to the golf club gardens to renew the support stakes on the new roses before a wind storm blew them over.

Images attached: Christmas tree at the QVB; decorations at DJ's; my side garden 'finished'; petunias at the golf club; planting out the new roses with Enone and Marian.

Video attached: of the Swarovski Christmas Tree at the QVB.