Two grandsons on one photo

half a world apart!

Isn't technology wonderful.    It was good to have them over last night and then the link up through Skype finished it off.

It's getting to look a lot like Christmas!

Presents for the neighbours, including my first attempt at Stollen, for Shirley, hope she enjoys hers as much as we are enjoying ours!

A very merry Christmas to all my Readers!!

And this is our New Zealand Christmas tree in the garden, putting on its annual show, isn't it just so pretty?

Flammkuchen comes to Kingston!

And made by a REAL German!

Just the BEST Christmas present!

Just in time for Christmas, it was ready for collection.   There will be no stopping her now.

An early Christmas Present

Something else to while away the days!

Then this turns to 

Still eating, still baking!

But my bread is getting more Germanic every bake!   Now I have Eva's recipe, even down to the caraway seeds, and bake it in my lovely German ceramic pot.   Guten Appetit.

Enough to make you feel homesick?

Mandie, just look what you are missing!   Poor George has to bring his washing round to Grandma!

We had a visitor

He came (complete with his dirty linen) and will be back tomorrow to pick it up and clear out our gutters!   Fair exchange?

THE PUDDINGS ARE DONE!

Christmas must be coming up!

Lupine in the wild

On our morning walk round Redwood we pass these beautiful lupine, we are so lucky to see them in all their glory, we will make the most of them, they will be gone soon.

My Leaning Tower

This was a bit of fun and is looking good, even if not quite straight!

Me again!

Haven't been here for a while, busy in the garden and The Community Garden, there is always something to do up there, but our garden is looking quite pretty if you don't focus on the weeds!

The roses by the front door are always beautiful.

Twenty five years

since the Wall came down, how time flies.    Lots of cover here, as well there should be, it was a momentous occasion.

One more from Halloween

Getting off with the Pearly King of Islington!

Those Germans have done it again!

Now they have gone and won the Melbourne Cup, maybe it was the English jockey they employed!

Halloween

Halloween is getting big over here, went to a party and met the pearly king of Islington, a real Cockney!

Rainbow over Redwood

Just looked out, on a freezing cold morning, been raining all night and there is a cold wind, almost as cold as the one that used to blow down The Elbe when I lived in Hamburg all those years ago.  But for a minute there was a beautiful rainbow and I thought of brother in law Bernard, but that's another story.

Mont Saint-Michel

Reminds me of the time we went over with Ed and Val and climbed up right to the top.   (Kind permission Tim and Mandies Facebook page)

Another good PROBUS walk

Have not done this one for a few years, it doesn't get any less steep, but it's worth it in the end.

Visitors from Wales

(land of our fathers!)

My cousin Raymond in South Wales has a grand daughter working over here for a year with her rugby playing boyfriend.

We spent a pleasant couple of hours recently over dinner.    They are enjoying their stay but have had enough of Sydney, having worked there enough to finance a bit of travel.   Pity they only spent four days here, maybe they will come back to pick apples, or cherries or something in the summer.

Our latest Wall Hanging

Almost finished, an "Eva" inspired joint work which will go to The Heart Foundation.

Aren't they pretty?

Things are starting to happen in our garden!

Fossil Cove Walk

"Yesterday I decided it was time I showed walking companion Shirley the walk down to Fossil Cove.

It was a lovely day so we parked Ken at the Beach Restaurant with the morning paper and numerous cups of coffee, and off we went, ten minutes up the road to Fossil Cove.

It was not a long walk, but lots of steps and quite steep in places.    My thighs are certainly feeling it today.

Update on our Mafunzo Dinner Parties

Well, we are bring kept busy, have had nine dinner parties and now have another source of donations, morning teas for PROBUS members, so up to date we have raised over $1700, not bad eh?

Our Signature desserts are getting lots of accolades and get better as the weeks go on.

Here are some happy diners who came recently to help with our fundraising?

September the Tenth

Very unimportant day, my birthday!   Started well, making a new batch of raspberry jam for the fundraising teas we are doing for The Mafunzo Project.   Then we had a lovely walk to Boronia Beach at Kingston and celebrated with a coffee and birthday cake (one muffin shared between the four of us). Finished with a lovely dinner at Villa Howden with two of my favourite people!   And so to bed.

YouTube link

If you click on this link you should get to my latest movie, sit back and enjoy 

https://m.youtube.com/results?q=hazel%20newham&sm=3

A weekend away

Last weekend we went with four friends to Wendy's lovely holiday home on the East Coast.   We had fantastic weather and spent the time walking on the empty beach, listening to the waves crashing in.  The Blowhole at Bicheno was the best I have ever seen it.   We also dined, mostly on our own prepared dinners, we all took turns at the three evening meals, which meant we had the evening free to enjoy the odd glass of wine and play our silly games of Jokers & Marbles or a new slant on Poker, when we won ( or lost) bread tags!   High stakes.

I made a short movie and uploaded it( or Heidi did) to YouTube.    I attach a few pics to this post  and will endeavour to find the link and give it to you in the next post.

That's all folks!

Now I am going back to bed, I have finally got the Sydney trip on, about time too.   Afraid it is a bit out of order but what more do you want?   We had a good, busy time and accomplished what we set out to do, AND proved we could do it!

Just show you what else I have been doing at this unearthly hour, experimenting with making carrot sticks for tonight's Fund Raising Dinner Party.   They go bendy in water but straighten out again once they are cooked!  ( I know 'cos I cooked 'em too!)

Driving over THE bridge

This was a movie, but unfortunately I don't seem to be able to put it on, so you will have to make do with the Stills!

Maria's house

Maria has a great townhouse in a little oasis off a busy road in a suburb called, of all names, Croydon!