A bit of a catch up.

Well all the celebration and kerfuffle that comes with having a 50th Birthday is finally over. I had a wonderful week. Thanks to everyone who left Birthday wishes for me. What made this Birthday so amazing was not so much that I received so many gifts but that everyone put so much thought into them. Since my Birthday I have received more parcels in the mail, gorgeous patchwork fabric, more violet China and an apron with a Doily pocket with Violets embroidered on it and a yellow Rose bush and flower seeds for my garden all the way from South Australia. Another parcel contained a treasured piece that a friend decided to share with me, it holds many special memories of a friend we lost a couple of years ago. These four friends know me so well. The thing is none of us have ever met!!!!  Technology has enabled us to meet and sustain a friendship for a few years now but one day we will find a way to be in a room together.
The kitten is still here and I am letting him become part of the Family since no one has laid claim to him. The biggest hurdle is  of course the Man of the house but he is such a softie where animals are concerned I don't think it will be too much of a problem. I take it as a positive sign when I catch them napping together on the couch! The poor little thing still doesn't have a name, that will be next week. I have to go pick up Beau on the weekend, so if the kitten is still here after a few days with Ross I know I can name it.

Sunday we toddled off to the Post Office at 7am, it's the start of the kid's walk!! I can tell you that Beau and Flynn weren't too enthusiastic getting up so early and Beau was wondering what the hell he'd got himself into.
A few friends and family turned up to wave goodbye and some walked the first 10km with them.

Ross and I headed up to where they were camping the first night......just to reassure ourselves he would be OK I think. They'd walked over 40km the first day, just as far the second. Yesterday they had done over 120 km all up, almost half way. Thankfully the weather has cleared up and there is no rain forecast.  Ross headed off this morning to spend some time with them today on the road. I will meet them at Lakes Entrance on the weekend when they get there.
Meanwhile I am enjoying the peace and quiet and a tidy house while Beau is away.

Found

He was outside on Monday night. I could hear him crying under the house and when I finally coaxed him out one of the dogs barked inside and off he went. I thought that would be the last time I saw this little man but today I found him sitting in the Rose garden. A dish of Cat food soon had him quite happy to come to me.
He is a smoocher, a purrer and just a real sweet heart. He rubs on the dogs, gets on any lap available and is very much at home already.  It is obvious he has belonged to someone at some stage and I'm sure they miss him terribly. I've rung the Vet and will post a few Found notices around town. If you lost him let me know and I may very reluctantly give him back that is if you can satisfy me that you really are the owner..

Party Time!

And the story continues................

My family and friends helped me celebrate my 50th Birthday on Saturday night. It was such a nice night with lots of talking, drinking and eating, (So much food!!!!) There were quite a few surprises too.
This cake for one. My beautiful daughter, Nicky and her wonderful boyfriend Ben turned a quite nice Chocolate mud cake into something a little more personal. They had round buttons and chook buttons, a tape measure, bobbins, thread, scissors and a thimble. An idea and suggestion from Ross, my husband had Nicky emailing my sister and together they  put together a heap of photos and made a lovely collage of ME!!  Not only that he also got her to put my picture and a Birthday greeting in the local paper too.

As if that wasn't enough to get this old chook teary my family gave me my Birthday present. (none of them wanted me to wait until tomorrow which is my actual birthday, to open it because they wouldn't be here to see my reaction then)

Yep this is what I got!!!  Ross and the kids pooled their pennies and got me this Camera. Hopefully I'll learn how to drive it.

There were lots of other presents too...Jewellery, flowers,beautiful soaps, bottles of wine, and more violet china for my collection. My workmates gave me a very generous gift voucher for my favourite shop in town.

I made my Mum and myself cry by giving her a gift and thanking her for her 50 years of being my Mum. 

The very best thing was spending such wonderful night with my husband and children, my Mum, my Sister and her family and my friends. The fire pot was lit, candles were scattered everywhere, IT DIDN'T RAIN and food and drink was plentiful. What more could you ask for really?

Congratulations!!!

We all celebrate milestone birthdays, the ones with an 0 on the end. Everyone makes a fuss of us and we groan as we realise we are getting older. As I near another of my milestone birthdays (not groaning because the alternative isn't that great really) I realise that as the eldest child I should be sharing the celebration with my Mum and Dad (if he was still with us)

Soon it will be 50 years since Joy and Dave  became parents.

50 years of caring and supporting that tiny little life changer even even when she became an adult with children of her own. If we celebrate all those momentous occasions in our life like marriage and birthdays then I think becoming a parent is probably one more we should add to the list.Having your first child is probably one of the most life changing experiences we ever go through!!!!

Not only have they been parents for 50 years, they have been Grandparents as well for 25 of those years.

Now we wait for the story to continue.......but in the meantime.
Congratulations and thank you for becoming parents 50 years ago. Thank You for all that you have done and all that you will probably do for me, my sister and brother and your grandchildren.

Bit Damp around here!!

The Road at the front of our house. It had receded a little at this stage.

The front lawn and drive became a little submerged and I think Gumboots might be needed to collect the mail!

I took the dogs for a walk down the paddock at the back to see how much the creek had come up. We lost the creek and gained a mighty river!!!

But what's that in the distance????

My son David and friends(sidekicks) decided to take advantage of all that water and do a little boating, Don't you love the outfits??

Errol (the one on the board) came back to report that they had extensively checked out the flooding and had only two reported deaths. A Turtle and a cow.  Boys!!! They are all about 20, so not really boys any more but they do know how to have fun!!

All this was at 4.30 this afternoon, we'd had 50ml of rain. Sadly it is still raining so tomorrow things will definitely be wetter.

Rats in the house!!

Rats have always conjured up images of  nasty rodents that get in your ceilings or eat the wiring in your car! Dirty disease carrying creatures that the world could do with out. Any mention by my sons of getting a pet Rat brought feelings of revulsion and a definite NO!!  Well my boys were never ones to take No for an answer and last year David (in the middle) arrived home with Godzilla, a very definite male Rat. Well revulsion was soon replaced with a definite soft spot for these friendly and very sweet little animals. David and Godzilla have left home, Ben (eldest son) has a Rat now and Nicky (only and favourite daughter) has recently acquired two. How on earth her Rats survive in a house with three cats is beyond me, but they do. My only child still living at home, Beau (my youngest) has been talking about getting a Pet Rat lately and although I asked him not to as the Dogs and Cats make it all such a hassle, he also doesn't take no for an answer.

A recent trip to Albury to get school shoes and support for his walk and what did he arrive home with?? She is a real cutie too, though a little livelier than Dave's male. Apparently males are better pets as they are more placid. She has already grown out of the little platform she was sleeping on but I found this basket in the sewing room today and she is very happy making a nest in it. I'm not over fussed with one of her other favourite places to curl up and sleep, Beau's armpit!  She's been with us a couple of weeks now and still hasn't got a name. I wouldn't dare suggest anything cause I'm sure Beau would just answer with 'That's really gay, Jackie'

You have to admit she really does have a very sweet face.