New Year's Eve

For New Year's Eve we invited our friends, Jill and Andrew and their kids Imogen, Laurin and Jack, over for dinner. Just as we were about to sit down for our very late dinner, the city's 'early' fireworks started (for the benefit of younger children.

Once again we had virtual front row seats from our patio.

Jill supplied sparklers for all the kids . . .


And we all managed to stay awake for the midnight fireworks as we welcomed in 2009.

Day by Day, Play by Play

Okay, I can't update you on every day of the last month in one sitting. I'll give you some photos and a brief recap of the highlights. As usual, expect that some of the timelines may not be exact as a result of my sieve-like memory:

The winning boat, Wild Oats XI, in the Sydney to Hobart yacht race coming in to Hobart port as seen from our deck - basically front-row seats!



Reban Beach about 90 minutes drive north east of us. Friends rent a 'shack' (cabin) there and invited us up for an overnight. We took our tent as there weren't enough bedrooms, and had great fun as you can see.


More to come!

Christmas Day 2008

"Mom, Dad wake up it's CHRISTMAS!" With difficulty I open one eye to see Ethan's beaming face inches from mine. "And there's stuff in our stockings and LOTS of presents, come on!" The clock says 5:25 a.m. I've been in my bed for exactly 2 hours and 12 minutes. Anyone who is a parent can understand why.

Somehow we managed to stave off the eventual rising (of the near-dead) for another 48 minutes. Sure enough, Santa found us and even left presents under our 'untraditional' Christmas tree.

Sidebar: A couple of weeks before Christmas, the tree was sourced in a nearby locale frequented by would-be 'seasonal' loggers. As we traipsed around looking for the 'perfect' tree, each of us citing a different tree as the one, Emily beckoned me with a "Hey Mom, how about this one "chuckle, chuckle".

It was perfect and I told Emily so.

"You're kidding, right Mom?"

"No," I said "I'm not. Think about it. We're having a non-traditional Christmas in the summer in Australia so why should we have a traditional tree?"

And so we'd found our tree.

Back to Christmas Day:

The stockings are un-hung (no chimney) with flare,

The Pressies un-wrapped, St. Nick - he was there.

Despite our surroundings, it was a pretty typical Christmas Day. Not like the Christmas those of you in Vancouver would have had (now that was a-typical!)

We spent Christmas afternoon and evening at the home of one of Martin's co-workers (an executive, actually). He and his wife live in a lovely home about 5 minutes away from us. Many years ago they were living in a new place away from family and friends. It was Christmas so they decided to invite some other 'alone' aquaintances to share Christmas dinner with them. Since then they have continued their 'Waifs and Strays' Christmas tradition and along with another work family, we were invited to join them. It was one of the most wonderful Christmases I've ever had. Their family was warm, welcoming, friendly and large. The food was great (cold ham, salads, hash browns (!?), etc. - actually can't remember the rest), the company was great, the kids made some new friends.

It was lovely. Our first Christmas in Hobart. Of course we missed being with our families and the kids really missed seeing all their cousins. But it was special. Martin and the kids and I were experiencing Christmas in a new place but we were still enveloped with laughter and commaraderie, sharing and caring. The basic foundations of the celebration of Christmas, christian or not, are these things; the giving of oneself, in whatever way, for the love of another human being. We were surrounded by humanity and felt cared for.

We are blessed.

My Mother Always Said . . .

Finish what you started. And of course we all know that's good advice. Unfortunately I'm easily distracted and sometimes lose interest in the projects I start (as my mother also knew).


Having said that, I've not lost interest in my blog. In fact my head is brimming with all the wonderful stories and adventures I have to relate to you all. I've just had a few 'roadblocks' thrown in front of me over the past month so in my posting I'm a 'tad behind', as they say.


The roadblocks, you ask?


The most significant was the 'baptism by water' (glass) one of my children (they all blame each other) gave our laptop just before Christmas. With the 'Q', 'W', 'T' and '2' not functioning, compositions were kept to a bare minimum by way of the 'on-screen keyboard'.


The e a e only so many o ds you can type ithout using those lette s and ithout them it just doesn't make sense. Do you kno ho many o ds e use on a egula basis that have those lette s in them?


Okay so it doesn't look that difficult to decipher those last two cryptic sentences but anyway, you get the idea.


Add to the keyboard dilemna the other roadblocks of Christmas, New Years, kids on summer vacation (yep, not back at school until February 11!) and well, I've had lots of excuses for my lack of posts (read: procrastination).

So in an effort to lure back those of you who have all but given up on me (except for my one 'follower' - thanks 'Postcard Princess'!) I'll attempt to wear my fingers to the bone here. Hopefully you'll all read 'up' not 'down'.