Mostly a Horsy story

Caitlyn loves Maccie.

Karen was home from China so they asked us for tea and we met Pixie, she is gorgeous. Pop brought a carrot for her.

The light was starting to fade but it made her look even more beautifulWe,that's Bella and Pixie and Rick and I then went for a walk along their river, Cardup Brook , along the new walkpath.Bella looks great on her horse and rides well.

It is the rainy season

Here we are with an update.
Firstly the Birthdays. Yes there is my own this month and then Karen on the 19th and Caitlyn on the 30th. Cousins Jan & Adrie and Goos & Ger each have an anniversary, 45 yrs and 35 years. Hearty congratulations. It seems they are having parties,don't usually hold so much with those in between anniversaries here.On June 6th we have about 45 of the swimming girls coming here for lunch so that will be a busy day.
Should be enjoyable, though Ina & I will have to provide some additional food as well as help.Karen is in China and loving it , as we knew she would, despite the tremors. I sent her a photo of the girs with a kiss and have included another one here.
Our Football is a sad state of affairs, we keep running up the good scores and staying in front until the last quarter , then losing it. Too many losses in a row now. The photo here was at an exciting goal kicked by our captain Pavlich. The Wattle, the first in bloom along our walk. Then several of the dogs we meet ,though there are many more, we have not seen so many in the last few weeks
Mac on the boardwalk.

Penny

Sasha

The beagles


The Finnish dog

A goal at Subi Oval

Girls with a kiss for Mum in China

The girls modelling when Oma was minding them all

Dinner at Carmel's

Some of us from the village got together at Carmel and Mal's place for a lovely casserole dinner a few weeks ago.

Poor Trevor is having a terrible time. His shingles are basically gone but the bursitis is so bad he looks like a real poor old man. We got him in for a cortisone injection on Thursday week but then Vicki suggested we try Armadale hospital and we got him in there tomorrow. He just can't wait because he needs relief so badly. He can't sleep and now is hardly able to move his right arm at all. Hope it goes well tomorrow!!!

Finally, I saw the cardiologist and I have to have some tests over 2 days nextMonday and Tuesdayweek,the 8th & 9th. That is to eliminate blockages and if I come out of that OK ,the flutters are not because of heart desease and I should not have to worry. So the news is good so far. Well, that is the update again.oh, my sister Nanny & B.I.L .Geoff are back here from CI for 6 months. Clare , je kan weer naar Nanny schrijven hoor. Any lack in quality of photos is because they were taken on phone but nevertheless, not bad for just a phone camera.

There are sunsets and sunrises!!!!!

I am totally surprised that no-one has picked me up on the fact that the sun RISES in the morning!!!! Does that mean that absolutely no-one reads my blog??? Take this as a correction, it is the lovely morning sun RISES.

I'Ve DONE it

I have finally conquered the telephone photo download and now you are going to have all these beautiful early morning sunsets thrown at you. There is also one summer sunset and a monarch butterfly plus Leschenaultia in bloom. The hazy one was the other day, when the ducks and mushrooms just showed up under the mist.Also three of the grandies walking home from the oval.

HOPE YOU ALL HAD A GREAT DAY? I DID.

Mothers Day photos of the family at our place.

Travis,Zoe and Rick. Bella must have been in my bedroom) Even Michael called in which was appreciated.

Riley,Karen,the Nanks and Trev

Sarah ,Vicki & Jo

The rose garden at Fremantle cemetry

A Rose bush for My Mum & dad

Mum& Dad Branch's grave (also grandparents Barnes & Uncle)

Mother's day today and yes, I had a wonderful day. We all went to watch Reiley play football and then repaired to our house for coffee. They all contributed and Scott made the coffees with the expresso machine he gave me some time ago. After they left Trev and I went to the cemetry to check the Barnes grave and the de Jong rose memorial and to place a rose there for our mothers.Home for a quiet afternoon. Altogether a lovely Mothers' day.

Our dinner at Roxby's last Friday was worth a mention. I had Thai green curry duck and Trev had a T Bone, along with salad and garlic bread. It was simply superb and I could not eat it all, more was the pity. It really is top food and good service to boot.

Celebrating

The building is apparently called Corpus

Tuesday was our 47th Anniversary so tonight my husband is taking me out to dinner to the Roxby Thai restaurant.That should be great because we do like that restaurant.

Some busy times ahead. Some babysitting, out to lunch with the girls from East Waikiki (old colleagues). We're going to Mill's Bakehouse in Fremantle for that next Saturday. On June 6th the swimming girls are coming here. They really love coming here and the list was up to 43 people!!!!!

I think I got the following photos from Nick in Canada. It's a building near the Hague in the Netherlands and one walks inside it to observe the inside of a body, fascinating.

Also one of niece, Denise in front of her house with dog Angel, I think I meant to put that on when she sent it and I forgot. Thought I'd put it on now since she and husband Bruce (and Angel) are returning to W.A. for good in JUne.

Home again

First lessons without parents in water, (thank goodness that I did not have to go in). I took Caitlyn Saturday.Thanks to Dion, (one of other parents) for photos.

Caitlyn at swimming Lessons,last Saturday

Vicki & Trav are now home after 6 days in Melbourne. Caitlyn and I had a good but busy time and one does realise one's age when doing a 24 hr babysit. She slept well though and was a good girl.

Lovely daughter Vicki on her 33rd Birthday.

Sarah , drawing on the board at Vicki's B'Day
Mummy & daddy's plane taxies in

.

First things first, a new pink elephant back pack

Back home again..

Now the saga of Trevor. His bursitus is going ever so slightly better, he is having treatment from our physio. The shingles is also slightly improved but still there. He had a bad diabeties turn last Sunday and now he tells me that was the worst he had ever had. We think it was from having the numerous cough lollies he had . Rick has brought him some sugar free ones and he is over that now and will need to monitor his eating more carefully. Hope he is now over the worst of all of this,he has had a bad time.

Mac and I walked for the first time again today, it was lovely.

Saturday is Anna's birthday (Net's grand daughter) and Vicki had her birthday on the 1st. The 5th was Bella and Gary's birthdays. Our 47th Anniversary was on the 6th . Still to come are Jan Elfrink, our Jo and Net as well as Ellie Marsh, this month. Happy Birthday all, with our Love.

Angels

Vicki took these at Xmas

The other Oma with both our youngest and my oldest and youngest granddaughters.

Yes, angels do exist on this earth, one of Vicki's photos.

Here are some pictures

Lillies on our pond

I went to visit friend Mattie on Friday and organised for her and the Dutch singers to come on July 18th. Hope they can make it to our Dutch Day. Was good to chat to Matty. Son Bruce was there also and said to say Hello to my boys, so Hello.

Trev still not too well, his eye is closed and that and the rash is quite sore and he is still not having regular sleep.Hope he picks up next week.

Mattie, friend and choir conductor

Just updating

Caitlyn is hiding behind a pile of books. She is "reading" her mum & dad's books and I guess Oma will have to help put them back though I must admit she is very good at putting things back.We might go to see Net as she wanted a CD for the surgery and maybe we'll visit the shops at Success. We have had a lot of rain over 125 mms and more expected. Good eh? We are now playing where is Caitlyn?, while typing this. Tomorrow is Anzac day, not going to the celebration, Trev did not want to go as it is always the same and we had footy for a night game anyway. Now we can't even go to the footy (Rick & karen will go instead) because Trev has suddenly developed shingles on his face,right eye is affected by same virus and the swelling and rash is above his right eye. He,ll be sore for a while. Trouble is he can't have his cortisone needle in his shoulder to treat his bursitus now which does not help because he is not sleeping because of that. It's not fun getting old. Well with me having to see a cardiologist because they think the electrics are not working too well, we certainly are a mess. I really am upset about that lot because I was told twice, by different doctors. that I had a strong heart so this is unexpected and certainly unwanted. I am too busy for that sort of thing anyway! Hope the results are better than expected, though I won't know until after May 23rd ,( one would not want to be in a real hurry to see these specialists!!!) Karen has had a bad dose of the flu and has had time off work. Actually, I asked Trev's doctor if the boy has had the flue and pneumonia injections, because Trev always tells such lies. It appears he has had them.Unbelievable! Last Friday we had some of the old schoolfriends over for coffee at the cafe. Unfortunately one got sick and another must be away as I could not get her but it was nice to have Jean, Eddy and Frances visit. Am going to see dutch friend Matty tomorrow. She conducts the Dutch choir and if I can get them at no cost I will ask them to the village and we'll have a dutch day in the cafe, serving dutch food.Anyway,that's the plan. Then we have the girls from swimming coming for lunch at the cafe again on June the 6th, I will have to make rissoles or something to help with the lunch menu so as to make it easier for the cafe girls. Am minding Caitlyn & the dogs for 5 days starting at the end of the week next week as Vicki is being taken to Melbourne for her birthday. They leave on May 2nd. Have no photos to add and tried downloading one from clips, without success, so ithis blog will have to go bare.

What a difference the rain makes.

Birthday Wishes this month go to Nikita on the 8th,Goos on the 14th, Rene the 19th, Edwin the 24th. Happy Birthday all. At home we are celebrating Rick's 38th Birthday on the 17th of April. Happy Birthday son.

Our morning walk was most delightful. We had at least 50 mms of rain yesterday and the river is actually flowing, the lakes are once again filled and the bush smells just gorgeous. We even had a few drops while we walked and Mac does not like that but I persisted and thoroughly enjoyed that walk.

Another delight was that our team came up trumps yeterday. They played the other local team, the Eagles (we call that a Derby) and they won by 13 or 14 points. Well done the Dockers, hope that urges them on to better things. Sympathy to Gary and Geoff!!!Last night we had a "Country Music " show at the village and we went. The duo that played were very good singers, did not entertain so much but the music was excellent so we entertained ourselves. Trevor even danced a couple of times so he must have enjoyed it. We had to go home at 9 p.m ofcourse but then beggars can't be choosers so I went too. I had my first full night's sleep for years, last night , maybe it was the wine, maybe the dancing????
Thought a few photos of some of the other Arcadia Waters residents might be a nice change from seeing the Branch gobs all the time.Ina and Frank
Mike and Marina
Don,Shirley and Val.

I wish but can't change the image of the two old fogies so here we are at the Country music night.