Wow, I'm in (on)

HAPPY NEW YEAR to (laugh) all my followers, and we have started with a new computer so until I get to load some of my 342 photos taken over the past week at our holiday Beach House on the East Coast you will have to make do with just prose.

We had a good time, the weather was good, the beach was beautiful, the food was plentiful, the company was entertaining, the house was great, the birdlife was good, especially the little Sandpipers after whom our venue was named. They are especially plentiful on the East Coast, very shy little birds who go around in twos and scoot along in front of you, don't seem to fly at all but you can never catch up with them. I have lots of photos of them, and even a couple of movies, so watch this space!!!

Now we have to start packing! Three weeks here and then off into the wide blue yonder. Getting a bit nervous and excited at the same time so I think sleep is going to get a bit difficult, there is so much to think about!

SOLD!

It looks like we may have sold! 38 days on the market in this economic climate is not bad. Just a couple of loose ends to tie up on their part and then we will be off to Tim's shed at the back of the house, as the Granny Annexe is already booked out!!

Chinese Brush Stroke Painting.

 

This is Heidi's first finished and framed picture, and as it doesn't look like she is giving it to me for Christmas I might as well share it with you. Good, isn't it? Wonder where she gets her artey streak from, certainly not from me!

Christmas Posts

 

This is almost the extent of my Christmas card sending, the remainder will get them by email and my $50 donation this year for the postage I saved will go to my usual charity, Fred Hollows Foundation, who do cataract ops in remote places. $25 saves one persons sight so hopefully I will be making two people happy!

Croquet Christmas Party

 

 

 

 

 

Thought we would try something different this year (I am Social Sec, for my sins) so we had our Christmas lunch on the beach at Blackmans Bay. The weather could have been a bit kinder but the rain stayed away and as you can see from the photos, we still managed to sort of play croquet on the sand, and some of them played Boule, Petonque or Bocce,depending on where you come from!!

Father Christmas (alias Peter) kayaked in from the South Pole (no, not the North this time) and bought us all presents. I got to sit on his knee (under Ken's watchful supervision!)

After the anti pasto platters came the stuffed duck (done by Sue, not me!) the beautiful first seasons Pink Eyes (potatoes to those uninitiated) and salads. All this was followed by a pavlova covered in fresh raspberries, strawberries and blueberries, and a Choc. Jaffa Mousse cake, which was delicious. And all this for just $10 per head, I ask you, what more can you wish for?

Lillies

 

Out with the Funeral Lillies (they are all finished) and in with the Day Lillies although we will have a bit of a lull before the next Open Home as nothing much happens around Christmas time but keep your fingers crossed for the one couple who ARE interested but have to sell first!!

December, and the last photo!

 

This old bloke was a bit 'hung over' if you remember, we tried very hard to pick him up but he was very heavy and would not let go of the railing!!

The art of Commenting!

It is sometimes not that easy, June may be experiencing problems as it is now five days since I posted that sexy photo of how we used to look, and no news from June yet.
Oh well, we will keep trying to communicate.

Especially for June!

 

After our latenight call last night (thanks for ringing back) I dug this one out, which should evoke some pleasant memories of a weekend in Athens WHEN IT SNOWED! Here was I, trying to instill a bit of Greek culture into you lot, and all you could do was giggle!!

Now lets see if you can comment on this one!

Christmas lunch for the (old) girls

 

 

This year we went to the Mermaid Cafe at Kettering and I think for once we ALL enjoyed it!

Credit where credit is due!!!

Wow, I nearly forgot to say that the Christmas Puddings were from Grandma Mary's original recipe, God Bless Her Soul. Hope she will be looking down onus on Christmas Day and thinking, at least she left one good thing behind (I am sure there were more but I didn't know her that well) Oh yes, she left a step daughter who is a fantastic house cleaner.

Christmas is coming!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

No prizes for guessing what I did today! I made the Puddings for Christmas. First I gathered all the ingredients (very organised for me!) then I beat the butter with the brown sugar and zest from a lemon and an orange. Then I thought it was a waste not to use the juice as well, so I added this to the fruit which had already marinated in brandy overnight! The eggs came next, one at a time with a good beating inbetween. Then I sieved the flour with the spices and together with the almonds I threw everything in, a bit at a time, gave it a big stir and then divided it between two bowls. Now they have to steam all evening and again on the day for another hour or so, to make sure they are good and warm.

I love Christmas Pudding, and think it is a shame we only have it once a year!

The Fruits of our labours!

 

 

You had better come soon, or the birds and us will have eaten them all! I have netted the raspberries but still they sit on the fence and hunt for a way in. As for the Redcurrants, I will never forget the huge bowl of redcurrants you had at St Gerard, and the taste of them too. Makes my little container full pale into insignificance but this is the first year I have had any. I will pop them in the freezer for January.

Silver Medal Competition

 

 

I WON - Wow, after a busy week and five three hour matches I finally pulled it off against Don, a Lancashire lad. Sometimes I feel I am getting a bit old for this lark, but that is it now for Competition until after Christmas.

Vodafone Passion Day

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks to 11 young people from Vodafone our 'Community Garden' will soon be up and going. It went from nothing to being all laid out with brick paths, built up garden beds and filled up with earth, all in one day. My contribution was keeping them fed and watered!! What a great days work, thankyou Vodafone for having these Passion Days, apparently every employee is allowed one paid day a year to help a charity or a good cause, like us!!

Round 1

 

Well, Saturday dawned sunny and bright, the perfect day for our first Opem Home. The Queen of Clean came and gave it the once-over (which took two hours) and then we were ready to go!! What do you do while your home is being inspected, you drive round and round, sometimes coming by the house to see what activity (if any) is being generated?

Well, we have nine prospective buyers through, which apparently for this day and age is very good, so now we sit and wait to see what develops, i.e. we play The Waiting Game. Fingers crossed for us please.

Harvest Festival

 

The harvest is just beginning, the garden looks very productive.

Must be that time of the year - again!

 

Will we miss this, no not really.

and here we are!

 

Now the whole neighbourhood will know we are for Sale, just lets hope they all come for a 'sticky beak' on Saturday morning, from ll to ll.45, our first (and hopefully last) Open Home.

November!

 

Don't know what happened to October, it never made it, partly because my calendar was rudely taken down from the wall and hastily shoved into a drawer while the beautifying of No. 104 took place. I have retrieved it now, but alas I can't hang us up again so we will just have to sit around!!