More busy Times

On Monday and today the whole family was sick with a 24 hour wog that Caitlyn had on Saturday. I came off the best so took Caitlyn to the village with the strawberries, did some shopping, met Trev at the caravan & did some packing of the van.Then to pick up Zoe and Riley. They went for a swim and we admired Caitlyn's independent swimming when Oma suddenly remembered Caitlyn had no ear plugs (she has glue ears) and they were all whisked out.

Saturday's dinner at Arcadia Waters for the cafe helpers

All boxed up on Oma & Pop's bed

On Friday night,the happy couple,Kasha and Michael, celebrated their engagement with parents,grandparents,aunts and uncles,cousins and friends.It took place at a lovely old pub in Fremantle and we all enjoyed a very pleasant evening.

KASHA & MICHAEL

Anna

PARENTS cousins

family

Tuesday we picked up the Ford Falcon,Friday the caravan. Looks good eh?It will be our home for a while as from probably next Thursday.We advertised the Magna on the internet and sold it already on the weekend. Shows you can do it if you price them well and are honest.We could have sold it several times over, one even offered the asking price!

21st of November and they all came to celebrate Zoe's Birthday. The adults nibbled and had a few and the kids (does that include Kelly?), made Funny Face Biscuits. Then she blew out her 11 candles. She's getting to be quite a lady.

New things

Subiaco Oval was too small for Schonbrun,or at least, it had no doors to bring it through but we did have the horses and coach and pipers and dancers and scaters.

She sang Botany Bay

Mirusia(?,the Aussie Angel)

The dancers

The man himself

The stage,the people,the screen

This is the first blog on my new laptop. Swore I'd never have one but after all, it seems the best way for me to go as Rick and Vicki both have wireless internet. Ofcourse I can't print out or anything like that but that will come when my stuff is unpacked.

House is still going far too slow and the builders seem to have little communications between offices. Threre will be no trouble once it gets on it's slab, Rick's friend Andy Mollan will see to that. It is all these preliminaries that are giving us the heeby jeebies

Got a Ford Falcon to pull the caravan, we are picking up the van tomorrow. We also have Michael and Kasha's engagement party in the evening. MUch Love and great Happiness to those two.

Saturday is busy too. After grocery shopping, we go to Scott & Jo's to mind their kids and I will be having dinner with the Cafe girls from Arcadia Waters. It is our Thank You dinner.Trev & I will sleep at Canning Vale. Vicki & Travis were informed that CaITLYN HAS GOT AN ENTRY INTO THE pRIVATE SCHOOL HERE , SUBJECT TO AN INTERVIEW. They are tickled pink, ofcourse. I have taught them to play Mah Jong and they are already able to pick out and change games during play and are beginning to beat me!!!!!!!

Let's see how the pics from Andre Rieu's Concert come up, it was too far away but with the large screens it was not too bad. Some people felt it was too expensive for the seats we got for our money. Maybe it was but it was a wonderful show and the music was superb.

The Day has come

Well the day has come that Andre Rieu will play to us West Australians and......believe it or not, it is RAINING. Here he is at Subi Oval checking the sound.

We also won't have the Schonbrunn Replica because they could not get it in, it seems,as Andre said, they forgot to build a door. Although disappointing, I'm sure it will be wonderful to watch , if only that BLOODY rain will go away.

Well,wish us good luck!!!!

We bought a caravan and may even go and live in that and go away every now and then, get it next Friday.

Just the Littlest progress

At this stage the only house we are going to see is that of other people. Sad but true. We actually went to our pre-start meeting yesterday with TR Homes's, Sam Fisher. A lovely young lady but we have not even gone to council yet. When it finally does go in, it could be up to 6 weeks to get the building permit. Then 1-2 months to order the materials and then they start. I don't think I would have agreed to any of this had I known. I hate imposing on people and hate living without my own THINGs (and there are plenty of them). But each time I want something, it is either packed somewhere or I can't remember where it is. The imposition is the worst of it, I guess ,but also the uncertainty. I haven't even got my own computer, but am thinking of rectifying that. Trouble is running that idea past the old boy , who is not at all computer friendly. HAPPY BIRTHDAY to our Zoe, she is 11 tomorrow. Matthew also but he is only 32.

And here our own gesture to acknowledge Xmas, Father Xmas hanging on our bedroom door

W ithChristmas tree set up now, a little early but Caitlyn had been making decorations with her mum and she was such a good girl that Vicki decided last night was just right. It is pretty, all red and gold and Caitlyn is very thrilled.

Mac can't be friends with Travis for some reason and the feeling is mutual. It's a pitty really.

The other day missy Caitlyn came home from daycare , full of vim and wearing the Indian maiden hat she had made.Here she is .

Busy Times

Strawberry bath anyone?

I have just put on the Morrocan Lamb chops and we'll have prawn cocktails,my turn to cook. The week has been a very busy one with mostly things concerning the unit. Monday I was ready to throw it all in, Tuesday we were ready to buy a caravan and disappear down into the never never.Paperwork and Council problems plus having to find a plumber able to connect to Rick's own sewerage system ,is not making things easy.Today went to fill orders for strawberries for the village. The strawberry farms are along a road near here. Ever seen a bath full with 22 kg of fruit???

Yesterday the "Wackie" Girls met at Hazla and John's appartment on the Rockingham foreshore, the boys came too. This is their view, Garden Island in the background.

Looks almost like a cemetry but is the path to nowhere .

Lo0k hard on the dead branches in front of another branch

So ... I walk , still but only 1/2 or 3/4 of an hour because there just is very little area to walk where Mac can get off the lead. Plenty of bush but not the place to walk especially as it is mostly marshland and will be full of snakes. There is a path there and I also walk the path along the freeway but that has a lot of bike riders.My degenerating back is also deteriorating more so not quite so easy to do the long distances.Here's the walk path and another with black cockatoos which decided to drop a gumnut just near us this morning.There is also a long row of new plantings that runs along the path to nowhere into the bush sanctuary.

Another week

A week later and we are back at Vicki & Travis's. Mac loved it at Net's because he could come in and out as he wished and he does like to do that and sit in the sun occasionally.A break was good for us and them. We have had a busy week seeing the builders,selecting tiles and signing papers for shire approval so hope something will take off soon.Have also bought the new fridge/freezer and dishwasher already with storage at Rick & Scott's . A new store just opened near Scott's and we took advantage of the opening sales. My phone photos follow, the best I can do until I have my own computer and can install my camera to that. ( In the meantime thanks to my family for letting me use their computers.)It is quite a mixture and goes back as far as Jacquie's birtday party on August 30th Have labelled them and hope the labels stay with the right photo. If not, have fun figuring them out!!! Checking in to go to Phuket They've all had photos like this Our new car

Trev,Poor Pop always waiting

Very wet dads

Very wet kids at Dreamworld

All the kids in Cinderellas coach at Dreamworld

Halloween Queen

Cutting down the trees where our house is going to be

Two Young ladies at morning tea,Anna & Caitlyn

She just flew in from Kalamunda,that,s why she's sideways

Jacquie's 40th Birthday at Fremantle Jail,the Branches,lost souls

Tulips at Melville Garden Centre Restaurant

Pictures fom Holland

Just HAD to put at least one of cousin Gerry's pictures on this website. She and Goos went for a walk near our hometown, Hilversum, with the dogs and took some wonderful pictures. This one I just hhad to nab fo this blog. Goos and dogs with Paddestoelen in the foreground.

HOUSE & BONNY SITTING

We're at Net & Gary's. house and cat sitting. The boy cat,Clyde, is in kennels but the girl, Bonny, has a huge set of pins in her rear leg where she broke it in several places, chasing birds with the consequence of a concrete bird bath falling on her. She is confined to a cage but is being absolutely wonderful. Net says she has mellowed so much, it is incredible. She is even starting to be a bit interested in our little Mac. Not bad for a little cat that was rescued from between walls( and made it on TV for that.)

It's very obvious why I like their house, it has lots of big rooms and cupboards galore. Trouble is the cleaning is also big.I have got all enthusiastic about cardmaking again after attending a class for charity so am doing a lot of that since Net has cutters and stamps and room to do it.Enjoying that too. We picked up our new car yesterday, I'll take a photo on my phone ,see if Vicki can download it for me. It is a lovely gold Hyundi Accent., not new but nice and hopefully better on the petrol. WE have kept the Mazda and traded in Trev's buggy.I'll go back to Vicki's tonight to mind Caitlyn and next week both Trev and I are doing schoolruns because our "boys" are in Kalgoorlie working at the Expo again. Nanny & GEoff ,see you again next year and have fun with Net & Gary.Congratulations to the two ,newly engaged couples, Christopher and Rachel who came to visit for the weekend from CI and Michael and Kasha, who got engaged the week before last. Much Happiness is wished to all of you. Funny how you boys got engaged almost at the same time when you were born only a little apart also.

SETTLED IN

Went to the funeral of Edie Leembruggen today,former Principal of Vicki's school and friend, colleague and some time boss of myself. A great lady with many lifetimes of living,early childhood in Malaysia,near batu caves,imprisoned in a Japanese concentration camp as a teenager,forged her own education and became a formidable Pricipal here. A brave Lady , much admired, who always stood up for her principles.Was glad we kept in touch.

We seem to be settling here at Vicki & Travis's place and hope to give them some alone time such as we'll house sit for Net & Gary next week while they go to KL and CI. Nanny & Geoff return to Christmas Island on the 22nd so we'll have a coffee morning tomorrow.Apart from that things are moving along, our house has been settled and we now wait for the next place to get moving. The photo was purloined from Karen again. It is Trev and myself at Fantasea in Phuket.