Dirt Bike Champs in the Making!

School holidays are being put to good use.  Much to the horror of their Granny (and some trepidation on the part of other family members) the dirt bike has been delivered for a trial run in the back yard.

We are pleased to report that after a day, limbs and craniums are still intact.

Masterchef(s)

We experienced another culinary triumph last night.  Justin cooked a pork roast and Lisa produced a spectacular Bread and Butter Pudding.

There was a bit of a fight over seconds.

And the after dinner recital was a spectacular success!

Hide and Seek

The great thing about hide and seek (when you are around 4 yo) is that repetition is not an issue and the rules can be easily adjusted to suit the situation. 

Sleepover

And it came to pass that Adam and Kate were required to ensure Elina celebrated her birthday in appropriate style.  So James, Pat and Sophie came to Granny and Pa's house for a sleepover.

The evening included some music tuition before settling down for an uneventful night.

What a Game!

James, Pat and Sophie came for a sleepover on Saturday afternoon.  It was the day of the Grand final and Collingwood was playing St Kilda.  No one seemed to be giving St Kilda much chance of winning but the game ended in a draw after an unbelievable tussle.

James and I decided that instead of having the playoff next week, we could decide it in the park if he was St Kilda and I was Collingwood.  Sadly for the Collingwood fans, St Kilda won.  We will be letting the AFL know on Monday.

Grandma's New Location

Phew! It all seems to be working! She has settled into the new facility with remarkable calm.  If she were a few years younger she would be ecstatic with all the new facilities and resources but she really is not fussed.  She has been happy with the meals and we have set her up with a weekly hairdressing appointment (that she thinks is terribly extravagant).  The place offers the potential of a very busy social life but her poor hearing and arthritis mean that she will not take full advantage of her opportunities (not that she is interested in socialising anyhow!)

Grandma On the Move

It is all happening today.  All the furniture has left Livingstone Gardens and the residents are on the move as well.  We have set up Grandma's room and this afternoon she is going across into her new accommodation.  So far, it appears to be without major incident but we expect there will be a number of "teething troubles".  Given the fact that a year ago she thought she would never have to worry about the move and that she does not want to be bothered with it all now, she has taken it all very calmly.  Let's hope it all goes smoothly.

Birthday Bash

We had another Birthday dinner on Sunday night.  Kate produced some magnificent Greek style lamb and salad and Lisa produced a wonderful Pecan Pie.  Great dinner and a good catchup.  The school holidays have started this week so there was a little less urgency about bedtime deadlines.

 

 

 A presentation was made on behalf of absent family so here is the proof that the handover did take place.

Thanks to Brett, Cathy and family.
I believe that will conclude the celebrations of my attainment of pensionable age.

Reno Proceeds Apace

Helmut has finished his work so it now falls to L & J to complete the internal decoration.  the following pix were taken after most of the prep work had been completed and we were moving toward the final product.

The removal of the wall and shutting off a new room for the baby has made a dramatic difference and improvement to the house.

The old lounge will now become the kids playroom as it connects with all their bedrooms. 

Much of the painting has been completed now but there is still work to be done to touch up some of the areas missed.  It's looking great!

Birthday Activity

As you would be aware, reaching a point where one can apply for the Old Age Pension is an event to be marked with due ceremony!  After many years of dry winters, we have finally had some rain so it was decided that we should  check out the Maroondah Dam as it was likely to be full.  When we arrived we found that it was overflowing.  Joy and Rapture! Although it had occasionally overflowed in the past 10 years, I had not seen the event since I was a boy.

We then had to check out the spillway

Then the Lookout over the Dam.

Following our exertions we retired to Healesville which has a number of good eateries.  We found a place that offered an excellent Kangaroo main meal that sustained us until we got home.

Friends from Afar

We have just had a great week with Larry and Joanne visiting from the US.  They taught school here over 30 years ago and came back to Australia to catch up with old friends and to kick start their retirement.

Poor Larry.  Unfortunately for him we all remembered that he made wonderful Beef Jerky.  I, like others, had been trying to find the equivalent in Australia with no success.  So having him live in the house enabled us to extract the secrets.  We made a couple of batches and I now am able to do my own. 

He did the same for Tim and Rhondda and is doing it again for the other family they are visiting. They are going to be a bit over Beef Jerky by the time they leave Australia.

Grandma is moving on

We looked over her accommodation the other day and it looks great. The only trouble is the distance to the new facility. She will be moving in on 20/9 so there is a bit of work to be done to set up the room and move furniture etc.

This is the room that is not much different from the previous except that it is all new and the (provided) TV is on the wall.

Close the room there is a local dining room and lounge area which will be used once the facility has a full complement of residents (65).  Currently only 35 will be in residence as they sort out the arrangements for the new building.  This is the local dining area.

While arrangements are being sorted, all residents will use the main dining area.

The place promises a lot.  It has a library area, large private dining room for families if required, full hairdressing salon, a number of recreation areas close to residents rooms and nurses stations at appropriate points.  Of course all this will be for naught if she does not improve enough to enjoy her new surroundings.