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.

Australia Day Public Holiday

I got fuller today than I did on Christmas Day! All went as anticipated, we were 17 at lunch eating haggis, tatties in several guises, sauerkraut, haloumi, chocolate mouse, several tonnes of icecream and ricotta tart.
Just one more day till school resumes. Hip hip hooray!

Australia Day

As you'll maybe know the 26th is Australia Day here. We didn't do any Australia Day stuff this year, saving ourselves till tomorrow, and we are also busy painting our hallway.

Because Australia Day fell on the weekend this year we are having the public holiday on Monday. Like last year we are having haggis and kangaroo with friends, Kim and Graham Walker. We are being joined by the Birkners - Klaus is German and Mary is an Ukrainian Aussie. She has threatened us with stuffed cows udders!!! Karen and the gang are coming too (I may have omitted the cow udders bit when talking to Karen so shhhhhhhhhh).

The Birkners had haggis with us a couple of years ago when Klaus' brother Michael was out on holiday. Michael is back again this summer and Mary requested we do it all again. As she ate the haggis last time she sat saying, "this is so Ukrainian, this is so Ukrainian". She said when she was young they always had a pig fattening in the garden. She said her father would love that pig and make sure it had the best of everything until slaughter time. She said they used every part of the pig - even the snout!

We did go and have dinner with my friend Joanne and her four children. I made a yummy chocolate mousse which I will have another go at for tomorrow although yesterday I thought it was going to be a disaster. The recipe said to melt the chocolate which I did beautifully but then the recipe called for water to be added to the chocolate - as soon as I did so the chocolate went all stiff. I managed to beat it a bit softer but expected it to be a bit lumpen. I never noticed the lumps and it tasted great.