Australia Day

This year I spent Australia Day in at St Stephens on Macquarie Street. The day was filled with music and cars.

First the parade of old cars along Macquarie Street which was closed for the event.

Soon after this came the St George and Sutherland Pipe Band.

They played outside the church for a while but then the rain forced them into the foyer on an off during their performance.

They finished with a march into the church and played there for a while as well.

This was then followed with a range of performances by various musicians and as I was on door duty I was lucky enough to hear all performances.

I don't usually go to the city on Australia Day but I'll certainly be repeating this activity. What an amazing day.

January at Underhill

I actually had a free Sunday so was able to spend overnight at Underhill with Geoff and our friends.

It's a dog's life at Underhill!

 We spent lots of time moving dirt to level behind the stove area and the paths either side of the caravan for easier access to the caravan and around to the toilet.

We've even cleared a lot of mess from the old dog yard and also now have the small dog yard with a kennel and lockable.

We spent lots of time harvesting ripe fruit - plums of various sorts and desert limes (for the first time ever). Neighbour Tony also gave us a bag of Angelina Plums from his very productive trees. I am still enjoying them at home.

Cal came down with his big yellow machine and felled the last remaining trees outside the toilet shed. They were too close for comfort both for falling and for bushfires. It was all so much easier with the big yellow machine. Now Geoff wants one. I said NO!

This process left Nathan with lots of logs for his woodwork. Now he has made a few blue mountains of logs drying slowly.

The rest of the clearing of logs will have to wait until winter when we can burn off the tops and need a fire to keep warm by.

Thanks to Nathan, Elaine, Terry, Ellie, Greg, Evelyn and of course Cal for all the hard work from both Geoff and I. Oh and thanks to Ponyo for being so good and helping to move lots of sticks.

The Year Begins at Gerroa

I had a week of holiday at Gerroa with family and friends to start the year.

There was lots of swimming, shopping, visiting, visits from friends and rellies. In all a great beach holiday.

Ponyo was very well behaved at our fish and chips picnic on the way down.

The boys had a chance to catch some of the toad fish from the river just at our front door.

Ponyo loved her early morning beach runs and the bone that followed.

Leah came to visit with Al.

Geoff set up a network to play computer games. It did work sometimes but the wifi, phone and internet was very frustratingly bad.

The view of the beach from just along the road.

Our last lunch incorporated the annual beach holiday for Rauri and Janice so we celebrated with two seafood platters at the fisherman's club at the top of the hill.

Christmas comes and goes

I must say this must have been the most musical Christmas I have ever experienced. On the Sunday before Christmas (following the two weeks of Westpac choir performances) I sang a solo in the St Stephens 9 lessons and carols service, then again on Christmas Eve. And then there was the Christmas morning service as well (but no solo).

As I was singing at the Christmas Eve midnight service then the 10am Christmas morning service I decided to treat myself and stay at the Westin in Martin Place (the old GPO). Karen and Alastair joined me for a beautiful dinner there and the room was in the heritage wing and was magnificent.

 There were views over Martin Place...

and the atrium highlighted the old sections of the building.

But wait... Christmas morning I came down with food poisoning (not from the Westin) and only just made it to Desley's for Christmas lunch. There I lay on the lounge most of the day but was able to listen in to family catch-up conversation and take some photos.

The boys had practice handling Alexandra who was passed without decorum across the table.

The proud parents, Cath and Foti.

Desley and Jack had prepared a magnificent Christmas lunch.

Unfortunately that evening Geoff and Jen also succumbed to the food poisoning that we had all caught from a takeaway Indian meal we'd shared the day before Christmas Eve. No-one else got sick.

By the day after Boxing Day I was beginning to recover so was able to go out to lunch at Karen and Alastair's. What a great meal (my first in 2 days)! It was also great to catch up with Helen and Bob. After lunch, as there were 5 singers and a pianist on hand we had a lovely sing-a-long.

The rest of the year was spent justing, scanning family photos, watching TV, slowly gardening and playing solitaire just to fully recover from the Bombay Belly side effects. Geoff also took it slowly but thankfully Jen seemed to get over it fairly quickly.

I'll certainly remember this end of year for a long time for both the wonderful singing opportunities and the horrible gastric issues. Thanks to all those who coped with my highs and lows.

Downpipes ready for rain

What a fabulous and productive day we had at Underhill this month! Greg and Ev came to help Geoff and I attach downpipes to the eastern slope of the new roof (the highest and most difficult side).

There was lots of ladder climbing, pulley systems with rope, wire ties and blue glue.

At each stage there was testing to be done so more ladder climbing with buckets of water.

We even remembered to let the first run bypass the tank inlet.

It works and looks quite elegant!

We did so well we decided to remove the makeshift diagonal pipe and complete the third pop hole downpipe. Removing the makeshift pipe was awkward to say the least.

Ponyo supervised the whole process of course. As we did not have enough new pipe for the final hole we used an old bit so it does not look quite as elegant as the other downpipes. But it works and is feeding the tank used to drip irrigate the new fruit trees.

Now all we need is a bit of rain to start the system working. It is amazing the relief both Geoff and I felt on our way home that now there would be water to drink from the top tank and to irrigate from the bottom tank and middle tank.

Thank you Greg and Ev.

Busy Times

The last few weeks have been very buzy. There have been many music rehearsals and performances that included being in some incredible places with high-rise views and Martin Place just full of people and flowers in the aftermarth of Monday's seige. We finished the last of 8 Westpac choir performances today.

Then there has been the round of pre-Christmas get togethers with friends.

Of course my patchwork groups had get togethers as well. A high tea at a local patchwork shop and a party at the Kogarah Library at which we officially donated our quilts to the chosen charities.

There was an overnight trip to Newcastle with Janice for brother-in-law Jim's ordination.

Of course the garden continues to produce prolifically too. So there is lots of produce to preserve or eat.

I've also had some fun with Alex and Luke - sewing games bags with them (they love sewing with me) and decorating their Christmas tree.

So now there are only five more sleeps till Christmas, one more trip to Underhill and four more opportunities to sing before a month long break. So I wish you all a Happy Christmas and a thank you for all your help and friendship throughout the year.