A very busy time but lots of fun

I enjoyed what turned out to be a very long night at the School Spectacular a few Saturdays ago. Luke was performing and I took Alex out to meet Ellen there and see the evening performance. It will be televised this coming Saturday 7th December, Channel 7 in the evening.

The next Monday I headed to Blackheath to join friends from church for the weekend. I caught the train up and had a surprise as we loaded at Central to find Joan (a travel buddy) get into the same carriage I was in. We had a great catch-up until her stop at Blaxland.

Sue, Vivien, Kathryn and I joined Christine in her family holiday home in Blackheath for a few days. I met the ladies at Blackheath Station then we browsed Blackheath shops and had lunch before a quick visit to the Rhododendron Garden, Govetts Leap and Echo Point before the looming storm hit.

Home to the house to settle in. A decision was made to have substantial nibbles and wine rather than dinner either out or in while we played a variety of games and chatting together. It is the first time I've had a chance to have any real conversation with any of the ladies except Kathryn who comes to the Rainbow Connection Quilters.

The evening was filled with side splitting laughter and went long into the night watching the storm light the sky and wet the dry bushland.

We played Hanabi, Take Two, Concept and The Mind - all challenging in different ways.

I was the party pooper and called it quits at 11:30pm. The others played on becoming pumpkins I'm sure.

On Tuesday of course I was up at 6:30am on the 10th anniversary of Surrey's death. As I sat quietly watching the freshly washed bush awakening I had time to contemplate some of the changes of the last 10 years while writing and sharing emails with Geoff and Ellen. Somehow I think I still think surrey is just away on one of his many collecting trips or conferences but I've stopped wondering if and when he'll return.

When eventually all the others were up we had breakfast and headed out for our day by 11ish. Our first stop was the Community Op Shop. Most of us found something but Sue fell in love with the shop and its owners. We were delayed there for a while with a heavy storm but eventually left Sue to browse some more while we drove down into the Megalong Valley to a winery for lunch. It was a beautiful drive but unfortunately the winery was closed. After a quick turn-around and toilet stop where we all admired the view we headed back to the Tea Room we'd passed on the way.

The lunch at the Tea Room (at about 2pm) was delicious.

On the way back we stopped for a walk to Mermaid Falls ("an easy walk" but not for those with dodgy knees and hips and poor balance as the stone steps had no railings or hand holds).

Back to Blackheath through an impressive dust storm. We found Sue and browsed the shops for a short time. I bought a hemp shoulder bag which will go well with my "jeans outfits'.

Back home for a quiet evening chatting and solving the problems of the world.

More games and laughter around a table loaded with nibbles and finger foods until I collapsed into bed at about 11ish. The others stayed up until well into the wee small hours.

I've never been a night owl so felt a bit of a party pooper again but was pleased that the others just ignored my retiring.

Wednesday morning I was up again at about 6:30 enjoying a coffee on my own looking out through the trees on a calm and sunny morning. The storms and winds of yesterday had all cleared and the sky was blue again.

After greeting the others as they woke I caught the train back home just after 10am and was home by about 3:30 ready to collapse.