Just like at our house . . .

when we show them our walk-in wardrobe . . .

Two points of view video

Weather forecast

Here is a screendump of the weather just now (2:30pm) in Springwood. Note that the max on the temperature bulb is 40C - we're in trouble 'coz the forecast is for 44C on Sunday!

I'm going to download this to a CD and play it long and loud every weekday morning

. . . perhaps then I'll get out of the door without a sore throat and a hoarse voice!

Looking back on another week

From the middle of the week this time.

Last Wednesday was Joanne's funeral. It was held at the crematorium at Leura. There's a lovely little chapel building at the edge of a hill looking over bushland. It's quite beautiful. Ian and I went up with Robbie and Ishbel. Joanne's eldest sister, Margaret, gave a lovely speech followed by Joanne's friend from college, Linda. It was very hot in the chapel and a few people had to leave to get some air and three people passed out - including our own Ishbel. She was complaining of feeling a bit sick, I was trying to find a seat and then her eyes just rolled back in her head and she just flopped. A short rest on the lawn at the front of the chapel with all the other floppers and a glass of water and she was right again. After all the ceremonial stuff was finished we let go 47 purple balloons. The reception/wake was held at the golf club in Springwood.

On Friday the washing machine was finally fixed with a new pump being installed. However, after putting on the first load I found water all over the floor in the laundry - the man hadn't connected things up properly. Luckily Ian had been paying close attention to what he'd done otherwise and was able to correct the problem.

On Saturday Ishbel and I went down to Bowral with Cathy for the afternoon. Her boys had left their Nintendo DSs at friends during the holidays and we were meeting Chris to get them. After meeting Chris over lunch we pootled about the bookshops and antique shops then finished with 3 enormous ice creams before heading home.

Meanwhile Robbie and Ian went cricketing leaving Jamie to hold the fort at home. Robbie's team lost - the umpire came from the opposing team and the decisions were not without controversy apparently.

Robbie has signed up for both soccer and rugby this winter. I'm not at all sure how we're going to manage to get him to games and Jamie to his AFL games. Jamie doesn't start his comp until April but we have the draw already. He has games ALL over Sydney. Some with early starts. I've said to Ian they should just stay overnight near the venue for those ones.

Ian went for a long bike ride to Oberon on Sunday morning. On the first Sunday of the month he usually does that with a crowd of fellas while I go to RFS training leaving Ishbel at Ruby's house. We'd not got into our stride after the holidays though and hadn't arranged for Ishbel to go to Ruby's. It wasn't until mid-morning that Carolyn rang wondering where Ishbel was! Ruby came round to play in the afternoon and we'll get back into it next month.

The boys have started back at Venturers tonight. Tomorrow Robbie starts work at McDonalds in Blaxland. He's to be there at 4:30pm for orientation. Jamie starts his AFL training at 6pm and at 7:30 I plan to take Josie to dog school. Phew!

Oh and the forecast is for hot, hot, hot weather this weekend. Yeuch.

From a document at work

I just like it.

“If there is anything the nonconformist hates worse than a conformist it's another nonconformist who doesn't conform to the prevailing standard of nonconformity” Bill Vaughan

Creepy crawley

Take a look at this creepy crawley then check out the video.

Farewell George, we're going to miss you

Here are some pearls that will go down in history!

'I have opinions of my own --strong opinions -- but I don't always agree with them.' - - George W. Bush

'We are ready for any unforeseen event that may or may not occur.' - George W. Bush

'The vast majority of our imports come from outside the country.' - George W. Bush

'If we don't succeed, we run the risk of failure.' - George W. Bush

'One word sums up probably the responsibility of any Governor, and that one word is 'to be prepared'.' - George W. Bush

'I have made good judgments in the past. I have made good judgments in the future.' - George W. Bush

'The future will be better tomorrow.' - George W. Bush

'We're going to have the best educated American people in the world.' - George W. Bush

'I stand by all the misstatements that I've made.' - George W. Bush

'We have a firm commitment to NATO, we are a part of NATO. We have a firm commitment to Europe. We are a part of Europe ' - George W. Bush

'Public speaking is very easy.' - George W. Bush

'A low voter turnout is an indication of fewer people going to the polls.' - George W. Bush

'For NASA, space is still a high priority.' - George W. Bush

'Quite frankly, teachers are the only profession that teach our children.' - George W. Bush

'It isn't pollution that's harming the environment. It's the impurities in our air and water that are doing it.' - George W. Bush

More GWB quotes and here too

Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww

Took this photo to show how the puppy has grown and to show you how well the dogs get along. As I type they are at my feet, under the computer desk sharing a bone. (It's a very old bone which Bella dug up somewhere in the garden. She seems to have a stash somewhere; perhaps someone was murdered!!!)

Australia Burns Chinese New Year Day

It's become our tradition to host a combined Robert Burns and Australia Day celebration. This year we had the added interest of Chinese New Year falling on the 26th of January too so we sent out invitations to our friends to come and do the lot.

Ishbel slaved for quite a while to make a lovely Australia Day banner (above), exhausting her yellow and green pencils.

I'd been out and bought haggis, neeps and tatties and kangaroo to make a kangaroo and macadamia nut salad and we also made a roast eggplant tabbouleh and we had dim sims and spring rolls for nibbles. The others were to bring something Scots/Australian/Chinese.

We had a lovely time. Lunch wasn't served until after three because Ian discovered the gas bottle was emptied but no one seemed to mind.



Here we all are:
Along the back L-R: Iain Hosking, Hugh Patterson, Cameron Hosking (or Brendon), Jamie holding Josie, Robert, Graeme Walker, Nick Walker, Brendon Hosking (or Cameron), David Kelly
In the middle L-R: Ian, Nigel Broadbridge, Amanda Broadbridge, Francoise Matter, Janet Addison, Kim Walker, Catherine Humphries, Kate Addison, Heather and Mark Lucas
Front L-R: Heidi, Ishbel and Bella, Georgia Addison, Chase (one of Jamie's school friends)
Inset: Steven Addison who took the above photo.

Sad day

My friend Joanne died yesterday morning.

Joanne had been diagnosed with terminal bowel cancer about 18 months ago and I was one of a group of friends pitching in to help her since. She hasn't been well for the last 4 or 5 months and has spent the last month in the Palliative Care Unit at Springwood Hospital. On Wednesday, after being in considerable pain and after speaking with the Palliative Care specialist, she had her pain medication increased a fair bit knowing it would make her very sleepy and that she would be unlikely to wake again. When I arrived at the hospital on Wednesday early evening she was still awake, lucid and forthright as she has been all through. She told me she was not afraid and asked if I was going to stay until the end. Joanne's daughter Claire, her niece Catherine, another friend Jo and I stayed all night, one or other of us staying with her and holding her hand until she finally passed away just after 10 yesterday morning. Jo and I then laid her out for her family to come and say their last goodbyes.

Joanne was one of the women I met when we first came up to the mountains and I joined a New Mums group. Claire is only a few days older than James and Robert. She was both the first of the group to have a second baby and the first to go back to work. She was frighteningly clever and was an Actuary, a job she had to give up last year. We didn't see a lot of each other after she went back to work. Ian used to travel on the same train for a while so he saw her then more than I but she sought me out again when she became sick and knew she would need chemotherapy because she knew I'd been through the same experience. Unfortunately she was not as lucky as I and soon found she wouldn't have much longer to live.

Joanne leaves 4 children in the care of her former husband.

In April last year we went on a holiday to Queensland with Joanne and her kids and had a great time.