Return Journey - Post One: Getting ready

Suitcase is (almost) packed!  Hard to believe isn't it?
It's taken me the best of thirty years to arrive at this point.  I should have gone years ago.  Procrastination,  indecision,  circumstances,  call it what you will,  but the time never seemed quite right to make the return journey to the country of my birth.
So yep, the suitcase is just about filled with still a week to go before I fly out of Brisbane International Airport and I'm just hoping and praying we don't go missing somewhere in the southern ocean  !
The past few weeks I've been organizing my passport,  travel insurance,  buying warm clothes (spring temps are currently -0C overnight  to around 8-10+C in the daytime)! and souvenirs for family and friends i'll be staying with.  My head's been abuzz. Planning, thinking about all the bits and pieces I still have to do before I go,  like copying documents,  printing some photos to show rellies,  visiting the bank, downloading books to my eReader... On and on.  Oh yes and the cat needs somewhere to stay.
Anyway I reckon I'll be ready in good time.
Now to get those butterflies in my stomach to settle down.

PS: Many thanks to my patient daughter Tonia, who helped me choose suitable outfits and cull those not needed. Mwah!

Almost packed! I think everything will fit nicely.

Better late than never...

It's been nearly a month since we came back from our trip to Tasmania. It seems so much has happened and yet in fact life has been pretty quiet really.

Tasmania: We LOVED it. Such a stunningly beautiful place. We had the best weather - some rainy days  which was good because the countryside everywhere was yellow from the lack of water. For those that asked: NO, we did not see any fires as we came 2 days after Dunalley burned down. We hadn't planned to go down to the Tasman Peninsula anyway, but what a sad day though for Tasmanians who suffered the fires, lost their homes and some their lives. Too tragic for words!

We arrived at Hobart Airport to a rainy, cold day, experienced immediately when stepping out of the aircraft doors, as there, you walk across the tarmac to the airport buildings. An altercation with our taxi driver left a sour taste in our mouths, but at least we arrived safely at the Camper van depot. Picked up our van and drove through to Snug where we found a lovely little spot to stay. Next morning off to gorgeous Bruny Island via car ferry, where we spent the day driving around to see all the beautiful scenery. Back to Snug Caravan park overnight...and so it went. Day after day of stunning scenery, lots of driving, sleeping in the van, exploring lakes, forests, gorges and small towns and villages.

Instead of boring you with detail, let me say that it was hard going trying to fit all of Tassie into 14 days. Impossible. I felt we needed at least a month to be able to actually enjoy the trip more. For me it was too rushed - I need to meander, to sit and contemplate the beauty around me. Watch people, have time to read signs of interest, take in a view. I truly dislike having to rush from one place to the next.

Cape Bruny Lighthouse, TAS

Looking South from the Rookery, BI, TAS

Highlights:

• Cradle Mountain and Dove Lake walk. It took us 3 1/2 hours instead of the recommended 2. It was a challenge, but we had an absolutely stunning day to do it in.
• Bruny Island
• Climbing up to Wineglass Bay lookout and Coles Bay.
• Bay of Fires - stunning
• Meeting up with and staying with my lovely face book friend Janet Drummond
• Attending a church service with her and meeting some of her friends
• The Bridestowe Lavender farm - outstanding http://bridestowelavender.com.au/pub/
• Strahan - Gordon River cruise and excellent guided tour of Sarah Island
• Salamanca Markets, Hobart

Binalong Point, Bay of Fires, East Coast, TAS

Ross and I at Cradle Mountain, TAS , before our walk around Dove Lake

I was exhausted by the time we got home partly because it took 12 hours from arriving at Hobart airport to get home at 11pm. 2 cancelled JetStar flights in one day was not something we were expecting. I think it will be the first and last time we will fly with them. No apologies, and no response to the email I sent them.

Australia Day:Our lovely family and grandies came for lunch unexpectedly - was great to see them all and to catch up over a quickly organised lunch. They headed for home in the late afternoon with Oswald bearing down the coast!

That night Ross and I watched the AO Women's Tennis final in the lounge and were just about to go to bed, when I heard a soft 'pop'. Without time to even think of what that pop could be, we were covered by our lounge room ceiling which had dropped on us without any warning. Ross got hit on the head and shoulders, but I had instinctively put my hands and legs up and was actually holding the (7mx7m) ceiling up above my head. Well, one side of it :-) . How amazing is that? We were in shock as we crawled out from underneath the heavy rubble. I immediately rang Anita as I didn't want to spend the night in our bed, worrying about more ceiling coming down on us.  Anita and Craig very generously opened their house for us on short notice and we stayed there two nights during the wild and wet Australia Day weekend while Oswald wreaked havoc up and down the Queensland and NSW coast. 

As I write 3 weeks later, the assessor and cleaners are here packing up everything in the room and taking it away to be deep cleaned, as the insulation has penetrated into the electronics, furniture, piano etc. We will be happy when everything is back in it's place in a renovated, freshly painted and clean room. Thankfully we have insurance for house and contents, so that's all covered.

We are back at work driving special needs children to school, enjoying our church and friendships. Our family is always a source of friendship, fun and kindness to us - where would we be without them, their beautiful families and their love and care.

Some more...

Just a little update on my health.
Unfortunately this chest condition is lingering. Three weeks on and I'm still 'under the weather', and really not feeling too good. My chest is feeling very tight at times especially at night.
Funny thing is, that it's not so much cold air that's affecting me, but when I get into an overly warm room, or my car that's been sitting in the sun, my breathing tightens up and I start coughing uncontrollably. Not a nice feeling. You know, I'm not complaining but just writing a little update for those who happen to venture here. Not that it's really blog worthy, but  then it's my blog, and I can write what I want to, can't I? This needs a smiley face alongside it for sure - here it is :))
I've visited my health practitioner 3 times now and getting some improvement, but it's a slow road and I'm getting fed up. I know there are plenty of people with the same condition this winter, so I'm not the only one.
Chin up. Keep smiling Tricia...things could be worse.
But I prefer...better.

It's no fun being 'under the weather'...

It's just no fun ...

I 'pride' myself on being healthy 'all' the time. How can I say that? I really can't, because it's something no-one can control and if you have it, it's something to be continually thankful for.

This week I got 'under the weather' (whatever that actually means) and I woke up with a searing sore throat and upper chest feeling like it was burning up. So up I got at 4am and off into the dark kitchen located the salt shaker, a glass and some warm water. Gargle, spit, gargle, spit. Not much fun but it's the best thing I know for settling down an inflamed throat. Then back into the bathroom...now where! did I last see that small jar of Vicks Vaporub? After 5 minutes of shuffling around between both bathrooms and the pantry I finally located it. I'm a great believer in Vicks chest rub. My kids will tell you this and I don't believe they would remember this fondly. Memories of their mother rubbing this potent potion on their chest, back and under their nose would not  be remembered with much kindness towards her, I'm sure.

Anyway I woke up several hours later feeling entirely much better, but as the day progressed things got worse and by nightfall I was on the bed ready for sleep. I felt so tired and not well at all. Next day was much the same and by the next night I recorded a temperature of 39.5C and feeling very sorry for myself. No dinner again that night and I called my bus supervisor to see if someone else could drive for me. Luckily by morning I felt well enough to drive and by resting during the day, my afternoon run was taken care of by me.

So why am I telling you all this? Because it's just feels so good to be even a little better. Even after just a couple of days or so, I realise again how good it is to feel at least 50% improved...

One of my fb friends mentioned how she has chronic pain from a car accident and the only way to relieve it is through medication, meditation, exercise and rest. This afternoon on ABC 24 a segment on Chronic pain was aired. It's something I've never really thought about. This must be just so amazingly hard to cope with and I've a new understanding (to just a teeny weeny degree) that this is like a life sentence!

Hopefully there will soon be a solution to this for all those that have to live with it every day and still carry on with their jobs, their families and keep smiling as best they can.
Because life becomes unbearable, it causes many that suffer chronic pain to become addicted to the very medication that is supposed to bring them relief.

If you have great health, be continually grateful for every day you live pain free.
I am.

A tourist in your own dot on the map...

It's always fun to be a little unpredictable.
It's the last day of the Easter hols and on Monday we are back to driving kids to school.

Old Petrie Town is a little historic village just over 5 kms from our house situated on Dayboro Road, Petrie. We'd heard that the Friday night markets were being extended, so on the spur of the moment we thought we'd have a wander around the stalls, so off we drove. When we got there we found that the  markets were no longer on but some of the quaint shops were open, as well as the Rock n Roll cafe and Cafe Down Under. Every Friday night the Classic Car Club members roll up in their 60's Chevys, Holdens, Buicks and even some old 20's cars, but mainly 50's, 60's vehicles, to meet at the Rock and Roll Cafe. A good sized screen is erected outside the cafe and tonight they were showing some B&W movie, I think it was a Dracula one. It was such a balmy night and plenty of people were enjoying hamburgers, fish and chips, soups, hot dogs etc while watching the movie and chatting with their friends. It's a good place for families to hang out and lots of kids were out with their parents. We decided to order early (about 5.30) because it does get quite busy there and we didn't want to be out too late, seeing Ross needed to watch the footy at 7.30! :-)
We ordered Barra, salad and chips and a jug of water and then sat down in one of the red vinyl covered booths to check out all the paraphernalia on the cafe walls. Vinyl records, sleeves, plastic flowers, a juke box and a life sized Elvis decorated the place - it's a lot of fun. Steel and laminate tables and chairs, cafe booths and a couple of red vinyl couches complete the scene. We enjoyed our meal, then checked out the cars and the few shops that were open. We walked around to the Cafe Down Under, which is down some stairs partially under a building, where you can buy a smorgasbord meal and coffee. There was live 60's music which was rather fun to listen to while we drank our coffees. It reminded us a bit of when we were on our trip around Oz and we'd  stop in some bush town to stay overnight, and there would be some band entertaining the travellers staying in the caravan park. All very relaxed and relaxing!
Anyway we had a lovely couple of hours together just mellowing out.  And best of all, we got home before the start of the match with just a couple of minutes to spare, so the man was happy!

So, yeah, I reckon it's a good to do something without too much forethought sometimes. We enjoyed ourselves and it didn't cost the earth, nor did we have to drive far. Sometimes it's good to become a tourist in your own area - you never know what you might find.

Me and Rossy

Yummy Fish, chips and salad

Rock n Roll Cafe interior

Me 'n Elvis

Ross with a loooong Buick

Some news in 2012...

I certainly am a slack blogger! Another year has passed with little to show for it blog wise.
It's been a busy term seeing me go back to work albeit part time, after at least a decade! A new baby boy has joined our extended family - Lachlan Craig was born on 10th March, 2012 to Anita and Craig. He is growing fast and beginning to sleep for long stretches during the night, which pleases especially his mum. Our grandchildren are giving us much joy especially seeing Jesse and Shontelle came to stay with us for a few days during this Easter  break. We had fun going to the pool, seeing the movie The Lorax, and climbing Wild Horse mountain on the way back to the Sunshine Coast.
We spent a few days at Marcoola for a good earned rest. I realise that I'm not as young as I used to be and going back to work has affected me more than I thought! I've also taken up swimming laps again, averaging 1.5 kms (30 x 50mtr laps) each day, as well as 300mtrs water resistance walking. By the time I've showered, dressed and driven home I'm ready for a cuppa and a nanna nap, ready to go back to work at 2.30pm! :-)
Ross celebrated his 67th birthday, so for 6 months I'm younger than him. Quite a nice feeling...:-))
Life is good even as we approach the next big age milestone, but not to focus on that but to be aware that time doesn't wait and we need to take every opportunity to seize the day, enjoy every moment we can.

Friends...

Friends. Just sitting here browsing the net and looking at a Texas lady''s blog; someone who is so creative, using op-shop finds and things that are old and new together. Someone whom I don't know, lives across the other side of the world but I can enjoy what she's about, because she took the time to post a blog with beautiful pictures.
Friends I realise can be anywhere in the world. A friend can be someone I've known for years, or just met yesterday. A friend can be a person who writes down their thoughts and ideas and you feel a connection with them.
This  morning a whole bunch of new and old friends met up to celebrate a lovely friend's birthday. Everyone was invited to say something about what she means to them. An hour later the words were still coming - words like: enthusiastic, loving, kind, joyful, encouraging, amazing, wisdom, strength. Many words were said to describe what she meant to her friends.
This is who she is. Full of love and joy and encouragement, yet she carries a great sorrow in that her husband died only last year of cancer. She has such faith in God...but not a soppy, religious faith. She has faith in a down to earth way. As she said after everyone of her lovely friends has spoken " I don't understand God, I don't know why He does what He does, but I trust Him and I know he has more things for me to do. Even when I'm lonely I tell Him about it."
Faith like this puts me to shame. Faith like this makes me realise I have so much to be thankful for. A great healthy (most of the time) hubby, four great daughters, 3 wonderful grandchildren and 3 sons-in-law. A house to live, cars to drive, food to eat and clothes to wear.
How much to be grateful for.
Friends are the honey of life; they sweeten my day. Whether I go out to have a coffee or cuppa tea with them, whether they make a comment on Facebook, ring me up, send a text or even when I read a blog of some lovely soul across the globe, a friend I haven't met, I love them all.
They are special, generous and make life worth living.  God bless you my friends where ever you may be. Mwah!

Family, friends and one year on...

I was reading a friend's blog which reminded me of my own and realised that many months have gone by without an entry. It's nearly a year ago since Ross and I set off into the sunset (literally) to begin our adventure around  Australia. It seems so long ago now, but the memories linger on, especially when I plug the external drive into the TV and let the 6000+ pics roll by! That's a lot of photos and I really haven't gotten around to editing them as yet. It's such a daunting task - 6000! pics to get my head around. Never mind I'll do it 'one' day soon. :-)

Toyota HiAce HiTop Camper Van for SALE!

 As you can see from the photo, we have regretfully decided to SELL the camper. We would love to do more short trips of a month here and there, but there are just two of us, yet we own three! vehicles. With insurance and registration fees going through the roof, it's not a viable option to keep it.  Seeing neither of us want to part with our own little car, it looks like the 'FBI' will have to be sacrificed on the altar of financial responsibility.
So....if you want a vehicle in very good condition to start your trip to wherever, just give us a call on 07 32857227 or email me at pattieone at hotmail.com.

So what's been happening at home with the Holmes' this year? Not a great deal. Life goes on. Ross is back driving the Coaster school bus, ferrying just 2 disabled students in wheelchairs to and from their separate schools.  He says it's the cushiest job in Brisbane and keeps him out of trouble, plus it's a little extra income now that we are officially retired and age pensioners. Hard to get those words out! It's not a good thing to own up to - life is good, but growing older is not exactly my cup of tea. However the alternative is not too good either. It's either live or die. Strange thing when I find myself wondering how long I still have to live...is it 10, 20 or 30 years? It's something that happens to all of us, but the last thing we want to face or think about too much.
Ross just recently set up an account to cover our funeral expenses! I was NOT impressed! However I can see his point...it's inevitable that we will have a funeral and someone's got to pay for it. Just quietly...don't tell anyone...but I reckon the kids can. Don't tell them will you. :-)))
Anyway it's food for thought ...

Since January I have been taking a Cert III IT course at Captain Cook College at Nundah. It covers basics in networking, setting up PCs, HTML, CSS and creating and uploading a website to the internet. It finishes early next month. They may be offering a Cert IV and I hope to go on to do  that course too. It's pretty mind boggling, and I am by far the oldest person doing the course, not only that but there are only two females in the entire class! The young guys are really kind and nice to me, even though I ask heaps of questions about stuff they already learned at high school. I'm enjoying it  though and it fills in two of my days, which is good.

With a large family now, there is always something happening in the way of birthdays, anniversaries or school events. Jesse turned 10 in April and Shonny's birthday is tomorrow. She turns 8. Georgia turned 1 in April too, so there's been birthday parties and get togethers which is great.

Coolum Beach April 2011

Ross and I spent a week at Coolum at our dear friends Pam and Neil's unit. We had several days of stunning weather, warm enough to enjoy the waves and the pool. The rain didn't stay away either (when is it going to stop?) so we had some indoor time as well. I also caught up with a couple of my good friends. Easter was fairly quiet with most of our girls and their families doing their own thing.  Labour Day weekend saw Ross going up to Coolum again, but this time to complete some work he started during our hols.

Hillie and me at Picnic Point

Scene of the valley from Picnic Point

Took the opportunity to head to Toowoomba on Sunday afternoon to visit my fave sis Hillie. Such stunning weather, which we took advantage of by heading to Picnic Point the next day, to sit in the sun and enjoy the views of the valley below. It was great to be able to talk and talk while enjoying some yummy coffee and cake. We don't catch up often enough...must do that again soon. Mother's day was another lovely day with 3 of my girls coming for lunch as well as Jason our SIL. So nice for them to be able to pop in. Lovely bunches of flowers from Steph and Jason, and Ross. Cards with sweet words of appreciation.  A beautiful dish from Tonia. Thanks girls.  Life is good, even if I don't know how long my retirement will be. Cheers :-))

Being on the road...

Red Bluff Look Out, Shark Bay, World Heritage Area WA

A funny thing happens every morning in many parts of this great country of ours.  For those of us who live in a house and do the usual things in the morning, this particular activity is quite foreign.


Until hubby and I started off on our journey, we had no idea of this happening every single day, over and over again; and it is this: 


Just before the sun rises, as I lie (yes it is lie, not lay :-) ) in my bed in our little camper van, I can hear the now familiar sounds. A caravan door opens, feet shuffle along the ground - a sleepy kind of walk mostly - and they shuffle towards the toilet block. A campervan door slides open noisily and the shuffling begins again. A tent flap is unzipped and more shuffling feet, head to the wash rooms.


Next whispers of " good morning"; "hi" , "nice day" and then as the day progresses to where the sun shines on the scene, the voices become a bit louder to the more usual tone. Now people are chatting and the sounds of brekkie being cooked, cereal and milk being consumed, washing up being done wake up the camp. 


A bubble of activity explodes around camp sites all over Australia, and especially in winter in the north of the country. The move is on! The cranking up of stabilizers on caravans; the rolling up of awnings; the backing up of cars towards caravans; ground covers being swept and folded up; outdoor table and chairs being folded; last minute conferring between partners making sure everything is checked and secured. Then motors start up, final goodbyes are said to friends made in the camp, and vans glide quietly out of the park or 'freebie' on their way.


So where are they heading?
Well, to the next place on the itinerary. It could be 50 or 500 kms away, but the dwellers in wheeled homes are on their way. They may have stayed just one night, maybe three. Three weeks or even 3 months but they are on their way to their next stop. 


For many retirees this has become a way of life. Constantly on the move and often just to the next 'freebie' by a river (often a dry one in Northern Australia), a cliff overlooking a lonely beach or in a van park  There they will set up their vans, unpack their folding tables and chairs, unwind their awnings, put down their ground covers and rig up their lights and whatever else they have to make life livable. They'l stay overnight, three days, a week, six months or however long they want. These travelers are not in a hurry, they have plenty of time and seemingly are enjoying life on the road.

I've tried to work it out but can't. To me it seems so aimless. What really is the point? Travel several 100 kms a day, find a place to stay (hopefully with a loo) if it's a 'freebie' or in a caravan park (and pay the fees), unpack, set up camp, eat, sleep, get up, eat, pack up and do it all over again.

Now if you are travelling for a shorter time like 14 weeks (like us) you most likely will only stay in a place a night or maybe three nights most of the time. The days will be filled with climbing up steps set in rocks and then down to a  rock pool to see the waterfall. You may have to drive anything from 10-40kms on a dirt road to get to said waterfall. Then there are the national parks to see, flights to be taken to see islands in the sea or amazing rock formations. Cruises to take on huge man made lakes and rivers that run through ancient gorges. Walks through landscapes as ancient as the indigenous peoples of this land. Many places are hundreds of kilometres apart. For example to see a half a dozen dolphins being fed at Monkey Mia you travel 130ks from the main highway with very little to see along the way, let alone a station homestead, trees, a servo or human being. Don't get me wrong - it's all amazing, but there are lots of k's without much excitement.

Anyway... life on the road can get quite busy - as well as doing the sightseeing, driving long distances to see what you want to see,  you also have to eat, sleep, wash your clothes, shower (when there is opportunity), drive, pack up and set up most days. On top of  that, when you have power (read: electricity) you need to upload the countless gigabytes of photos your have taken with your digital camera, onto your laptop. This can take some time. They need to be sorted and labelled because if you don't, you won't know which rock, beach or National Park  you saw: where, on which day and in which area!

Planning. Now this is vital. If your don't endlessly plan your next day's activities, you will not survive. Brochures are brought out after dinner and poured over. Routes are discussed, (tourist) attractions are weighed up one against the other, venues and info centres pinpointed on maps. If this is not done your next day could disappear without achieving your objective - see as much as you can see in any one given day in the particular area you find yourself in. No rest - the journey must continue!
Reading. I brought 3 books with me. One I have read through 1/2 way; one I have read 3 chapters of and one I haven't opened. There really is no time. One good thing on the road is that there is such a thing as 'book exchanges'. You will see a sign in a caravan window - Book exchange - 50cents each or in a Caravan park reception office there will be a shelf of light reading. Mostly trashy Mills and Boons, cowboy books for guys but you can pick up an occasional light read that is just right for a few snatched chapters late at night.
The other important thing when you are travelling we have found is gleaning information. 
Mostly from others on the road.  This can take some time and has to be factored in to your daily activities. Those more experienced have a wealth of knowledge about 'life on the road' and are usually very keen to be of help, and often love a good yarn so that it can be hard to get away 'on time'. 

You need to always know:

• what the condition of the dirt road is to a particular waterfall, outcrop, gorge, beach, 'freebie' or river - this can take endless discussion with strangers, fellow travelers, who you may or may not ever see again, but who are only too happy to 'help'. Their info is based strongly on their opinion and often is useless when you attempt the road your self. It can either be vastly worse or the opposite, infinitely better than what the informant told you.
• what kind of caravan your neighbour has - is it the kind that you would like? Not like? How much did it cost? Is it hard or easy to maneuvre? Is the layout to your liking? etc, etc, ad infinitum. 
• if  you want to upgrade to a bigger, better van.  This can be quite a discussion
• about previous vehicles, van, tents, campervans, motor homes, camper trailers that others have owned
• where the 'freebies' are 
• how far they are from where you are currently located
• what facilities there are, (loos - forget about showers)
• what the weather will be
• if you need to book ahead to get in a van park in a popular place
• how far before the next bowser (this is of utmost importance) cause if you don't fill up before you leave you might not make the distance to the next one.
• where to get good tasting drinkable water to fill up your water tank and containers. (Exmouth has the best water in Oz at the fish cleaning station near the Yankie army base on Exmouth Gulf)
• whether you can make fires or not

I could go on and on, but it's getting late, and I had better stop.

You get the idea.

Life on the road can be tough.

Life on the road can be endured or enjoyed.

So when I wake up in the morning and wonder why on earth I am sleeping in a car, I ask myself these questions:  

1. Am I homeless? -  Nooooo
2. Am I poor? (well, we are now lol)  -   Nooooo
3. Am I loving this?  - Not particularly
4. Do I want to fly home every second day?  -Yeeesss!
5. SO WHY AM I DOING THIS????  - Because it seemed a good idea?  :-)

The answer is,  that it apparently is something everyone who is an Aussie citizen and is nearing 'retirement age" should do.

'Everyone' says they LOVE it.

Many say they would do it for the rest of their life.

So what then is wrong with me?

Rocks, crocs and waterfalls

Rocks, crocs and waterfalls - this has been our catch cry for the 
 past 10 weeks.

After:

• 10,000 kilometres
• 2 flat tyres
• 1000's of litres of petrol
• countless rocks
• many waterfalls
• 100's of rock pools
• some crocodiles
• wild pigs
• 2 aeroplane flights
  
• several cruises
• gorges galore
• 1 less kangaroo to view (I hit it! oops!)
• 1 echidna
• 1 bustard
• many brolgas
• millions of corellas
• rivers with and without water
• jabirus (black necked storks is now the official name I believe)
• magpie geese
• lakes
• 100's of dead kangaroos
• many more live ones
• cormorants
• brilliant blue oceans
• estuaries
• beaches
• endless plains
• bright blue skies
• rain
• wild flowers
• boab trees
• clouds
• wind
• etc, etc

............. it's about time I put pen to paper, well, started typing :-) and recorded a little of what's been happening these past 10 weeks in Ross and my life.

27th June saw us finally setting off on our trip around Oz.

"The big lap", many call it. 

And a lap it surely is, but not one that goes for a few hundred metres but 1000's of kilometres.

Six layers add to my already cuddly figure! :-)

We didn't leave home til about 5.30pm that Sunday afternoon, but bravely set out in our little Toyota Hi-Ace anyway and headed off into the night towards Dalby. We got as far as Yarraman and experienced our coldest night for many years. We found out the next day temps had dropped to -3C overnight. I had 6 layers on and survived ok.

We woke to a brilliant new day, experienced cooking brekkie on our little gas stove, securing everything so nothing rattled and off we set. That day we got to within 60 kms of Roma and stayed in our first 'freebie'. To the uninitiated a 'freebie' is a spot somewhere along a road that you don't pay for. Hopefully there will be a toilet of some kind there, a fireplace or a picnic table, but in many places in Australia, there is just a semicircular curve alongside the highway where you can park for the night. Or you travel a kilometre or so down a track to find a level spot.

This freebie was devoid of any of the above but was situated under some big trees along a running creek. Two vans were already parked there and that gave us confidence to also pull in. It's never a good idea to park on your own, so traveling with others in that way can be good.

We set up our camp, cooked dinner and then wandered over to a good fire at which a lone bike riding camper was cooking his dinner. He invited us to bring our chairs and he picked up his guitar and began to strum, then sing. Piano Man, Bridge over troubled waters, Country road soon filled the cool night air. What a great start to our camping adventure.

Now here, I have to mention a very important part of the journey.

Unless you have zillions of dollars you don't quite know what to do with and you have a fabulous caravan or 'fifth wheeler' which has all the mod cons of on road travel, the word 'toilet' is a VERY important one. Especially for the female of our species. It can become something that consumes your thinking. When, where and how will I find a toilet? What will it be like? Clean, dirty? A water flushing one, or a  deep hole in the ground? Will it have loo paper? etc etc.

What if I have to go when there are no loos and no trees?

Well this can become all consuming and really never changes whilst you are on the road.

Subconsciously you get geared up for the nights that you park in places without such luxury.

That first night in the freebie we set up our little shower tent complete with bucket. Of course the next morning it had to be emptied. Ross said he would do the deed. After he worked out (with my help) how to get the folding shovel to become straight and stay that way, he dug a hole well out of the way and covered things up nicely. 

He then decided to go down to the creek to wash out the bucket. Unbeknown to me, he got stuck down the bank, in the mud and couldn't get back up again. He said it was no use calling out to me, because of the running water and the distance from our van.

Luckily he got out finally, or our journey would have been terminated right then and there! :-) Luckily we could laugh about it and put it down to experience! :-)

So, drama over, we headed off across western Queensland. Kilometre after kilometre rolled by. Through tiny little towns of just a servo and a pub to bigger ones. like Dalby, Blackall, Barcaldine, Longreach, Cloncurry, Mt Isa.  

We were playing catch ups with friends who had left 2 weeks before us and were meeting us the other side of the Qld/NT border, so we didn't spend much time looking around in all these places. We did manage to see the tree of Knowledge in Barcaldine. The Black Stump in Blackall, the Hall of fame in Longreach and stopped at the bare patch of land that the small mining town of Mary Kathleen had become. Mt Isa was freezing - 14C at midday! We rugged up against the bleak winds and on our way out of town stopped at the last road house for many kms to have a well deserved shower. Then to Cloncurry across the endless plains and then the windswept roads to Camooweal at the NT border. Kangaroos littered the outback roads and we had to be careful as dusk is a dangerous time to drive, as kangaroos jump out without warning. 

Hall of Fame, Longreach

Our first flat tyre just before Mt Isa

We finally arrived at Wonarah Bore, a gazetted 'freebie' along the Barkley Highway after dark at about 8pm. We hugged our friends who had come down from the Gulf of Carpentaria to meet us. It was so good to see them. I cooked dinner and then, dog tired,  we curled up in our
little home on wheels for a good night's sleep, ready for the rest of our adventure.

Mary Kathleen no more  

On the empty plains NT

Our camp at Wonarah Bore 'freebie'

Sunrise at Wonarah Bore, Barkley Hwy NT

Click on the pics to enlarge them.

Christmas 2009

Christmas has passed, gone, it's over.

But...

What a great time it was.
Christmas is a busy time...
I always tend to stress. Well at least a little. Depends on whom you ask really.
But I guess as the hostess, you always worry there isn't going to be enough of everything. So I tend to go shopping several times during the lead up to Christmas.

Oh, I think I need more ...ummm:

• nibblies
• drinks
• dessert
• shortbread
• christmas cake
• christmas pudding
• brandy sauce
• lollies
• chocolate
• decorations
• maybe I should get another packet of baubles for the tree?
• another set of lights for the family room?
• garlands?

and yeah, that's how my mind goes...round and round.

Well now it's over and I have packets of this that and the other thing left over.
The upside is, that because everyone contributed to the main meal, anything that was 'left over' was sent home  with them, including drinks, nibbles etc. So my fridge is not filled to overflowing which is good.
The packaged bikkies, nibbles, chocolates and drinks etc will come in handy for New Year celebrations.

All our girls plus any relevant hubbies and children and those yet to be born gathered at our home at about 5ish, laden with goodies - food, drinks and presents. Also the lovely Nath, Sarah and Jack are with us tonight. So good they could come...they are a lovely little family...

Everyone was in good spirits and soon they settled into setting out the various dishes. The 'boys' sat around the table shelling prawns, the 'girls' in the kitchen  plating up their food.
Tonia had kindly worked out the menu and designated each dish to someone to prepare.
We decided to put both lounge suites in the lounge, and spread white cloths over the coffee tables.
Candles in true Holmes/Dijk tradition were lit and the Christmas tree shone with its clear bright lights. The tree looked quite beautiful with this year's colours of red and gold and gifts piled high under and around it. The children were wide eyed and wanted their gifts sooner rather than later.

They had to wait, because after the delicious finger foods we all piled into cars and drove off to church for the Christmas eve service at 7pm. Tonia was in the choir, Ross had to be there because he is on staff, so it was lovely to all go and celebrate the true meaning of Christmas, as well as letting our meal settle, before coming back for dessert and presents!

By the time we got back we were ready for coffee, dessert, Christmas cake, cool drinks and PRESENTS. Santa (Ross) was already wearing his Santa hat ready for the job ahead. He had some keen little helpers, with Jesse, Shontelle and Jack helping him give the presents out.

We were all pretty chuffed with our gifts. Craig especially LOVED his new 'you beaut' mixer/beater machine for his kitchen. He was not parting with it and kept it on his lap for quite some time.
After munchies and drinks we had our 'secret' santa time. If you liked someone elses gift better you could swap. Most of us were happy with what we picked.

What a lovely night. Char and Dan and kids headed back to the coast as they had their family Christmas gift giving and church the next morning.
Anita and Craig headed off, as well as Sarah, Nath and Jack and Steph and Jason. All getting together with the the in-laws on Christmas Day. Ross, Ton and I tidied up the kitchen and the masses of gift wrap.
What a great night.

Christmas Day.
Ross cooked us bacon and eggs, tea and toast.
Then it was time to put the furniture back in the right places, vacuum the floors, straighten out decorations and get ready for morning coffee with my sisters Mieke and Tineke who were coming at 11am. They didn't arrive and just as I was getting concerned about their safety they turned up just before midday. They'd been to visit Tineke's son Peter and it took longer than anticipated.

We settled down to coffee, cake and nibbles and had a lovely time chatting away...so nice to have Mieke home from Holland.
Always a special time.
Then preparation for lunch began: ham, chicken, roast vegies and plum pud with brandy sauce.
Just ready to tuck in and Steph and Jason were at the door.
"We're starving"...
"Ok, I think there's just enough for you too".

Sitting down to eat, the bell ran again and there were our friends Dott and Keith laden with gifts, drinks, pudding.
They'd had lunch already so they joined us at the table and shared dessert with us.

Lots of talking, laughter and getting to know one another.
Later in the afternoon I decided there was quite a nice breeze outside and we could turn the aircon off and enjoy the outdoors. More cuppas, cake, talking, laughing out on thepatio, which I'd decorated with fairy lights, a huge silver star and baubles hanging from the beams.
Again the bell sounded and my sister Lenie and hubby Henk arrived. They'd shared lunch with some friends.
It was fun because as more people came there was great interaction between new friends...

It was just a really good day of fun and friendship.
At about 7.30 we spread the table again with ham on the bone, chicken, potato salad, green leafy salad, some nice breads, gherkins etc etc...and anyone who wanted to eat did; filling their plates and then sitting back out on the patio in the balmy evening.
We talked till late into the evening...some drifted off early  into the night and others lingered on.

Suddenly I felt very weary as I loaded yet another lot of dishes into my trusty dishwasher! Must have been the third that day!

Tonia slept over again and Boxing day was a lazy day of naps, reading a good book, pottering about tidying up and reminiscing about the past few days.

I was just so pleased everything went so well.
Thinking how blessed we are to have such wonderful, caring and loving daughters, sons-in-law and grandchildren.
All are well provided for; all are healthy and all love God.

What more can we want?
Thanks girls for all your help and care.
Dad and I are so thankful for you all

.

This is going to be d e e p....

Yes, this is going to be deep.

At about 8.30 this morning two young tall lads knocked on my door.
Here at last were the long awaited installers....ready to go!
Two days before Christmas! It sure was cutting it fine.

The aircon units were delivered before we headed down to Broken Head and have been sitting in one of our bedrooms for a week or more.

The 2 young Adonises got to work and 4 hours later and despite a short thunder storm that held things up for about 20 minutes, the AIR CON has been installed in all it's glory!
YAY!! Cool air at last.

Thinking of it...my mum and dad were rather futuristic for their time and had aircon installed in the late 1970's.
I always thought it a bit silly because I didn't think it was all that hot in Brisbane...but when your'e young things like heat are easier to bear. As age creeps up I figure we need to do everything in our power to help make the journey a little easier.

The house is lovely and cool. The  8 KW monster hangs on the back wall in our living area and is strong enough to send cool air through our entire house. Obviously we don't have a large house, but it has already cooled down every room so well that I've already turned it off.! :-)

The rain storm cooled things down a bit.
Anyway guys, I'm totally chuffed, happy, delighted and looking forward to being able to wear my hair down.
Well, at least inside the house.

Our journey to Broken Head

Blue ocean. Yellow sand. Grey rock. Green trees. White and grey seagulls.
Broken Head!
A short road leads past houses hidden behind trees and bushes to  a small caravan park nestled into a bluff. The  park rises up from the beach in a gentle slope.  Caravans, tents, camper trailers and camper vans surround the central  ablutions building. Sounds crass, but it's actually quite a pleasant looking structure of white rendered walls and a high pitched roof. Circular windows are set high up in each end wall giving it a kind of Mediterranean feel.
Being in the centre of the park gives everyone the same distance to walk...which helps in the middle of the night when you just 'gotta go!'.. :-)

Our adventure begins about a month ago when we buy a used Hi ace Toyota camper van. It's a big deal for us, because we are contemplating making a trip around Australia next year. This is the beginning of that idea.
We organise pots, crockery, cutlery, food, etc.
Sheets for the bed, a light cotton blanket, pillows etc.
I buy medium sized seethrough plastic containers for our clothes, which turns out to work well.
Camera, books, torch, thermos, matches plus a myriad other bits and pieces we need.

We head off on Monday 14th December, but we take ages to get ready. Then when we finally are, our first port of call is the local BCF store just up the road.
We need chairs. Ross has seen some 'you beaut' chairs that cost the earth, have adjustable backs and are extra comfy.  We debate for less cost, easier to set up etc, but we go with the luxe model. After loading our buys into the van we drive to a friend's place a few suburbs away, who knows lots about things like: how to switch the gas on, how the lights work, what the battery does, how to work the tap  and how to fix up the annexe and shade fly. None of which we know how to do at this stage! Unbelievable, but true!

By the time we leave his place it's after 5 pm and peak hour!
 Not to worry, we head off any way, after having rung the Caravan Park at Broken Head, making sure they leave information in their "Late arrivals' box, outside the office.

We arrive after 10pm ESDT. All is dark, but the map they've provided  is well marked and we find site #4 easily. All to do now is to drive onto the cement slap (making our vehicle instantly level! hooray!) and plug in the power lead. Hey presto we have light! Our bed is already made and after a quick visit to the building with the round windows, we crash out for the night.

Next day, we  walk the 30 metres to the beach and enjoy the beautiful clear water as we dive in and out of the waves. Just gorgeous!
We drive to Brunswick Heads a place that holds fond memories for Ross, via a 'shortcut' because we don't want to drive through busy Byron Bay. Not a good idea as we spend quite some time waiting at STOP signs because of road works on the hilly, windy road!  however...we arrive at Brunswick heads where we used to visit a Christian community in the late 70's. We hadn't been back there for ever...so it was good to walk the stunning white sand beach and rummage around the shops.
I see an item in a shop window that would make a great present for Christmas but the shop is closed - Every Tuesday. We must come back later in the week.

Then we drive to Byron Bay up to Cape Byron to look at the lighthouse  and enjoy the amazing views. There's a man asking us if we want to park and 'that will be $7 thank you'! It's going to the upkeep of the grounds and beautiful old buildings...so yeah, we pay the seven bucks.  We walk up the hill to the lighthouse, then down, down, down the steps that lead to several more easterly lookouts. There's another point way further down which I would love to go down to, but I don't think I'd get back up the steep hill again. As it is, I take several opportunities to 'enjoy the view', so I can get my breath back and continue my climb back up the steep steps to the lighthouse. It's incredibly hot and very little breeze is blowing at all. Unusual for a spot so high up above the Pacific ocean I think.

We do a bit more sightseeing and before we know it, it's after 5 pm and time to head home - well, to the caravan park. We cook dinner on the small gas stove and enjoy the meal outside the van under the stars . It's milder now being right next to the ocean. So nice to get reprieve from the high temperatures that Brisbane has been enduring lately.

Our bed has turned out to be quite wide enough for us, but not quite long enough. Ross' legs stretch out about 30cm past the end of the bed. He curls up and is actually quite comfortable. He doens'nt complain at all about it. I find the whole idea a bit claustrophobic at first, but settle down when we leave the back door of the van slightly ajar during the night. It allows a lovely breeze to come in and I don't feel so hemmed in.

Wednesday we drive off to Lennox Head. Choof up to the head  where believe it or not there is no official look out. We walk up the slope of a vacant block and are rewarded with a gorgeous view past Broken Head to the north, right up to Cape Byron, the most easterly point of the mainland. Back in the car, we head back down to the Esplanade, following it to the northerly end where we discover lovely little Lake Ainsworth right by the sea. We park our van next to the lovely grove of trees that grows right along the eastern length of the small lake. It's nice and shady. We pull our chairs out of the van and enjoy a coffee and some bikkies in the dappled light of the grove. The water gently laps at the roots of the trees. Kids swing on a rope tied high up in nearby giant trees. It's so nice to see them having fun...reminds me of youth camps near the Pine River in my teen years.
Nearby some painters (tradies), have finished work early and enjoy a beer with their lunch. They have several dogs who run in and out of the water and race through the trees. Max is a boxer and has been away a bit too long for his master's liking. A few sharp whistles and Max come bounding back. I'm so enjoying this.

People are swimming in the lake...so I end up having 3 or 4 swims. The water is dark brown. Stained by the surrounding tea trees, but completely transparent when you scoop it up in your hands. The top 1 metre layer is very warm but very cool deeper down. As I swim out further into the lake, the water is beautifully cool. I really enjoy my swims throughout the day. In between swims the rest of the time is taken up by lazing in our 'you beaut' chairs, having lunch, chatting, reading, having coffee, reading, chatting, snoozing and even a quick swim in the ocean on the other side of the little road that separates it from the lake.

We head back to the park feeling happy and ready for the night.
We have dinner outside again and decide that tomorrow we will stay put, and we do.
Thursday we read, swim in the ocean, talk to other campers about all things camping and travelling. We meet a nice couple from Brisbane on one side who are trying out their new off road camper trailer - top model, and a Swiss couples, who've been travelling around Australia for the past 6 months. It wil be their first ever Christmas away from home, so we invite them over for Christmas day. They may or may not come, but the opportunity is there if they want to come.
We'll give them a call.

Friday we decide to stay another night.Ross is told that there's just one night left for us on site #4...after that the park will be full with Christmas/January campers.
We put on our joggers and walk the cliff path that rises and falls over the bluff which is Broken head. It's unfortunately not a very long track, only about a kilometre and a half, and ends with a very steep descent of steps to a beautiful, secluded beach. We decide not to attempt the descent...the climb back up will be too difficult. We head back and end up spending some time sitting on an outcrop overlooking a series of coves with white sand beaches. The waves hit the rocks below us and explode in a massive cloud of spray in front of us, time after time. It's hot by the time we get back. A swim in the gorgeous turqoise waves is a must. The water has really chilled down since yesterday and we suck in our breath as we dive in. Once in it's still very cool, but extremely refreshing.  I just adore the water, the sky, the sand, the surroundings. Wow! How amazing is creation.
We head back to our little 'home' on wheels - our van for some brunch. We put our chairs under a shady tree in the little park right next to our van.  We read some more, sleep some more and I cook dinner, wash up and Ross suggest we go out to hear some music, have a coffee. Byron is too busy and grubby for my liking so we find a local hotel where they serve coffee and dessert. No music, but it's nice to spend some time out.

Because each time we go out we have to make sure everything is in the van and  packed in such a way that nothing rattles or shakes, it's very easy the next morning to get underway. After an easy cereal breakfast, we fill the thermos, make sure everything is secure and we head back home.
We take all day, stoppint at Brunswick Heads to buy the gift that I saw in the window. I end up buying a dress, a top and a cool strapless dress and a purple hat. The owner of the shop is hilarious, a reall eccentric who vow that purple looks amazing on me, I laugh my head off the whole hour or so I'm in the shop! What a fun time. I walk out of the shop, see a whole bunch of people having coffee on the pavement and see a woman who looks remarkably like one of my sisters. It turns out that it is she!! I end up having a chat to her and her friends.
Ross has been walking his favourite beach and spent time sitting by the Brunswick River while I've been shopping.

We head off again driving up through Pottsville, and stopping at Kingscliffe overlooking the estuary for lunch. It's turned dull and windy. We have a snooze in the van before heading home.

What a lovely few day it's been. We arrive home around 5 ish in the afternoon, having gained an hour since leaving New South Wales. We unpack the fridge and  I put on a load of washing.
It's good to be home again too.

Christmas is coming soon

Yesterday I shopped for baubles for our tree. It was time to change the colour scheme, after having silver and mauve to purple for about 6 years!

After church I drove around to the nearest Crazy Clarks ($3.00 shop) and with basket in hand set about to choose from a vast array of colours. I decided to go with deep reds and gold. An angel to top of the tree, some gilded candles: tall, round and short, and some pillar shaped ones, completed the shopping.

So today, I dragged the boxed, folded up tree out of the shed, and proceeded to set it up. Artificial pine needles soon spread over the floor (must vacuum tomorrow), boxes and baubles everywhere - but now it's done. A bit early I think, with still a month to go, but it's done and so now there's one less thing to worry about.

This year our family is coming over to celebrate Christmas on the Christmas Eve. In-laws need to be visited on the day, so this works out reasonably for us. We will start early with a reasonably simple meal, then head off to church for a 7 o'clock service. Afterwards the fun will begin with Santa giving out the gifts. Hopefully the grandies will have had a sleep on the way from the Coast.

I'm looking forward to it...especially now that we are planning on having aircon installed by then.

Yay! It's been so hot and humid, it will make it so much more pleasant.

Well, must be off to bed now.

I need to catch up on some sleep. Tomorrow I hope to try to catch up with what our year was about in 2009. I've been slack.

Catching up on our news...

It's again been well over six months (make that 9?) since I last posted here.

So many things have happened.

• Stephanie and Jason's wedding
• Anita and Craig's engagement
• Our amazing trip to Perth WA
  
• Christmas
• New Year

So I had better get writing...

24th August 2008 - Steph and Jason's wedding was absolutely stunning (click on my Face Book link and check out some photos) It was held at beautiful historic homestead Glengariff on Mt Mee Road, Dayboro.
The owners could not have done any more. It was fabulous. The whole venue is set on the side of a hill overlooking the gorgeous Mt Glorious mountain and ranges to the west. The sky at sunset was just a mass of oranges, pinks and blues. The dining tables were set to perfection with white tablecloths, white napkins and gleaming silverware.
The bride and groom both looked gorgeous and smiled continually throughout the day. It was such a very happy occasion; the food was stunning; the company congenial and the dancing and speeches lots of fun.
A gorgeous day to remember forever!


Then...
Anita connected with someone on Face Book!
She had 'gone out' with Craig when he was 17 and she was 14 - they both were at the same school. After 17 years they met up again and it was love at first sight. Within 3 weeks they were engaged and set a wedding date! It was a huge surprise and one we were not quite ready for so soon after Stephanie's wedding!
We are very excited for her and Craig and their wedding is set for April 4th this year! So after 11 years of no weddings there are 2 very quickly one after the other!
Congratulations to them both!

Then...
Our entire immediate family of 10 flew over to WA for a Holmes family re-union at Christmas!
Even the 2 sons-in-law came and of course our 2 gorgeous grandies, Jesse and Shontelle.
Ross's sister Raelene and hubby Julian amazingly offered us all their home while they moved out into their caravan! "For peace and quiet" they said :-).
They fed us, entertained us, lent us their cars, their house and were amazing hosts.
Christmas day dawned and we had our own little gift giving time, which was lots of fun. We'd been to church the night before, so Christmas day was all ours to enjoy. Bit by bit the WA rellies arrived who were welcomed with hugs and lots of happy banter. Lots of food was busily being prepared in the kitchen with everyone helping. The tables looked festive and had been set up the night before. Lunch was yummy and there was lots of catching up to do with family we hadn't seen in over 10 years. After lunch with 26 people there, we had opportunity to pick out a Santa's gift each. This was hilarious because, if you didn't like the gift you received you could then swap for something else you liked better. So the last person had the most gifts to choose from! It was so much fun, with even Nanna joining in the fun of swapping.
A really nice day and it was especially wonderful to see Nanna who is 93 and still so alert and sprightly. She is inspirational to say the least.

Boxing day was relaxing around the pool and watching cricket on telly for the men. Saturday we were all up early and the 10 of us headed for Fremantle where we caught the boat to Rottnest island. A fabulous day was spent either busing (Ross and I) or bike riding around the island. Stunningly beautiful bays filled with the most luxurious yachts were all around the island. Gorgeous white sand and gentle cliffs framed the brilliant blue waters of the bays. We stopped off on one of them where we met Anita and Tonia, who were hot from riding for miles and shared a packed lunch with them. They even got into the very cold water ...just for a moment.
Back on the boat home at aroun 4.30pm. We slept well that night...that's a fact.

Off to Mandurah for tea, then Bunbury to stay with Ross's brother Winston and wife Kay. Spent 2 -3 days there. Again wonderful hospitality. Spent a day going down to The 'Holy mile" and some beaches where we swam in the cool water even though the days were HOT! Ate Icecream at a popular ice creamery along the way in the middle of nowhere and I even met up with a fellow consultant at her campsite.
Another very enjoyable day.

On NYE we were off back to Perth again, to see Nanna for the last time. Then out to Sawyer's Valley to Ross's sister Christine and her partner Peter's new property. Just a stunningly beautiful old restored home with pressed tin ceilings and walls, wonderfully furnished with antiques, chandeliers and early Australiana. A huge place with the obligatory farm shed, 2 dogs and a dam. Here we all met up again (the 10 of us) to celebrate the coming of 2009. Again, hospitality to die for, food, food and more food. A pool to cool off in and a verandah to sit and enjoy a meal in the cool of the evening with the whole family and rellies.
NYE was fun and again time to catch up with relatives.

After a few days there it was time to fly away home. Steph, Jason, Ross and I went back to Brissy and Anita flew to Sydney to catch up with friends and have a hen's night there.
Charein, Daniel and kids, and Tonia headed off to their cousin's farm near Albany. They spent another 2 weeks in WA.
What an unforgetttable time we had in WA.
Thanks to Chris and Peter, Raelene and Julian, Winston and Kay! You are all completely wonderful!

We are all back into work and our usual activities.
Well must to bed.
Love to all.
Tricia

Having fun blogging!

I've been having fun checking out some other blogs! I have added a little chat box, so if you want to chat with me, you can!
I won't be on here the whole time, believe me, but will get back to you asap, and if you are gone, then I can email you...

Why not start your own blog? It's fun and free!

Holmes Family Update

It's been quite some months/years!!! since I last 'blogged'!

24th August is the date Jason and Steph have set for their wedding day! Yes, it's really happening...Jason popped the question on New Year's Day 2008, and since then wedding bells have been ringing in our heads. So much to organise - most of it has been done, but then there are all the smaller details that need attention.

• The engagement party was held at the Clontarf Baptist church venue and turned out to be a lovely afternoon. Everyone pitched in to help with setting up the room, decorated with balloons, flowers and colorful serviettes to match. Lots of rellies and friends turned out to celebrate the event, and wish Jase and Steph well. They received many great gifts, and thank everyone for their generosity.
  
  Anita moved to London in March this year and is enjoying herself. She became Nanny to Jack, son of her friends Sarah and Nat (?), but now that Jack has gone to Nursery school this week, she's trying to get a few week's work before heading to Europe with Tonia, who will be arriving later this month.
  
  The girls have finally made the move! It's taken them a while to get off their bottoms and onto a plane to fly across to the other side of the world! Good for them...!
  They will come home about 10 days before the wedding....oh my! I hope I can do it without their help.
  
  So far:
• Steph's dress has arrived


• I bought my outfit last Saturday on the Sunshine Coast


• Bridesmaids dresses are bought


• Ross has his suit


• Venue is booked


• Celebrant ready to go


• Flowers booked


• Cake booked


• Photographer booked


• Cars organised

So now we 'just' need shoes, hair, makeup, DJ, accessories, something warm to throw on so we don't all die of cold on the day. Anyway, we'll get there I'm sure.

We've had a huge amount of much needed rain in the past few days, so that is fantastic. Too much in places, but Brisbane seems too often to miss out...but we certainly got some mm's to bless our dams with this time. Char and Dan and kidlets got stranded with no way in our out of their property. It usually doesn't take long for the water to recede, so they should be right by tomorrow.

Ross is busy with his little school run, ferrying physically and mentally handicapped children to the local primary and high school. It's a great part time job for him, which he compliments with his small business as a Marriage Celebrant. Check out his website here: http://www.authenticceremonies.com/ for more information. It's still a work in progress (the website) ,so keep an eye on it, as more pages will be added soon.

At the moment I am taking steps to ressurrect my INTIMO (http://www.intimo.com.au/) business...I have 2 bookings lined up this coming week and one later on in the mponth. So I'm looking forward to some good business in the next few months. The product is great, and sells well. Also lasts and lasts...so here's to the future! Do me a favour, and tell your friends... I'd be happy to come and do a presentation for them soon. They get lots of freebies too! If you know anyone who's looking to start their own business very cheaply...get them to call me on 0422 309 362...and I'll help them get started.

While on the coast I sold several Pursekets too -(check them out at http://www.womensbusiness.net.au/oscommerce ) My friend Fabe, pulled my Purseket out of my bag, when we were out to lunch over the weekend with some ladies who were attending the same Conference as I was. She announced: "Tricia sells these" much to my embarrassment...but she got a great response with one lady buying 2 and 5 girls buying one each...so now I have to order some more as I am low on stock.

I'd better bring this to a close as I need to get online to order some Business Cards at vista print for Ross. I've been procrastinating for weeks, and now the site is busy!! If you want FREE or low priced, but quality business cards, postcards etc etc follow this link: http://www.vistaprint.com/frf?frf=640726430812

Christmas, holidays etc

Well the holidays are over. Christmas went by fast and January the same.

Christmas came a week early, because we were heading off to Sydney, we decided (on the spur of the moment) to have an early Christmas meal and gift giving so that Charein, Daniel, Jesse and Shontelle would not miss out on the festivities with their Oma and Granddad, and aunties from the Holmes side.
I worked out beautifully, food bought and cooked, table courtesy Tonia, Santa courtesy Granddad...just great.

For Christmas we (Tonia, Steph, Ross and I) headed off to Sydney to spend some time with Anita. We arrived Saturday morning before Christmas, met up with Anita at the unit she had arranged for us, had lunch, than off to her bedsit to see where she lives. A lovely little spot on Elanora Heights overlooking Narrabeen lakes.

That night we went off to CCC Oxford Falls for the Carols night, with Guy Sebastian leading the carols. He was taller (and stronger!) than I expected and a really free spirit. No garbage...just an ordinary guy (! :-) being himself. He sang 3 of his songs...Elevator love, Taller, stronger, better, and his original release Angels, as well as leading the carols. WoW a really great night! The auditorium holds 3000 and was turning folks away to 2 overflow rooms!

Back to Anita's for some food...always need that!..

Sunday we missed church...had a nice family day. Christmas...off to church for a great service. Then to Anita's for a yummy lunch and PRESSIES!! YAY!

Went for a walk around Narrabeen lake later that day...let the food settle. Haha.

That week went by quickly with lots of family time, a ferry ride from Manly to Circular Quay, the Rocks, exploring Sydney.

Thursday, Steph, Ross and I were off to Wollongong south of Sydney, to catch up with old friends at Lake Illawarra, which was very nice, while Steph caught up with Nat and Juanita Barnes, for a much needed shopping spree (yeah right :-)) . After a couple of hours, off for a walk along our favourite lake walk, a visit to our neighbours, a lovely visit with my very special friend Carolyn (and Tom), then to Chris & Veg's, and last but not least a stop at our good friends the Demols, who fed us icecream an coffee.

So leaving Tonia behind to stay longer with Anita, we headed off to Brisbane late Friday afternoon, because Ross had a wedding to perform on the Saturday. Steph back to work on the Tuesday, while I had time to settle back into everyday life.

So now it's February, and I am back into INTIMO presentations, a Life Coaching 6 week course to get me on track, and trying to drop the dreaded weight!
Birthdays: Charein turned 35!! Anita turns 30 on 3rd march, and has arranged to have a few friends to celebrate with her at Coolum Beach.
She and they are flying up for the weekend...hope the weather is great for them.

Ross and I are considering a change of location...but not sure...
The '60's ' can be a confusing state of life...direction here would be good. Any ideas?

We spent last Thursday up at Coolum and Peregian way. Caught up with our amazing friends Pam and Neil who fed us a healthy and filling lunch...always wonderful to see you guys.
Then drove up to see Jen and Glen at their $2.6m abode for a coffee and chat. I had a swim in the pool in the 'duplex' situated further up on the block. A $3.6m house with white wave water views with the pool water falling over the edge like a waterfall, fully furnished, and with wonderful paintings by Froyll Neideck on the walls...and up for sale...any takers?????????/
I wandered around the house just enjoying being a millionaire for an hour or so!
Fed the little fishes in the outdoor pond, sat on the deck, checked out the spa...(no didn't get in for a bubble bath :) Very, very nice....sigh....
That's how the other folks live people!

I will post some pics later...I have to format them first.

Check out some of the links on this page... and leave me a comment as well if you like.