Healthy Children

As Brett, Cathy and family have been visiting the West we have been caring for the children.  The frost nearly got to them but they appear to have survived.  We hope to return them in good condition.

What Grand Final?

Melbourne has been struck by a lethargy related to the AFL Grand Final today.  Many cannot force themselves to barrack for West Coast and on the other hand they seriously want Collingwood to lose. A nil all draw is seen as the ideal conclusion to the day.  Even Peter, the great football tragic cannot get enthusiastic.  So we spent some time this morning sorting out his iPhone accounts.

That Time of the Month!

Claire's favourite time of the month is sorting through the pile of Visa receipts. Not!

Off to Echuca

We had not caught up with Greg or Noel for a while so today we visited Echuca to see them.  Greg is coping with his situation well.  He appears happy enough and the carers really seem to know him and look out for him.

We followed up with a visit to Noel and Pam and lunch at the Bowling Club.  Noel, to his great relief,  has recovered well from his second knee replacement and is relatively pain free.

The trip to Echuca showed the country as very dry although the canola crops seem to be doing well.

Rochester has jumped onto the Silo Art bandwagon with their effort in the centre of town.

Invading Wall St.

The expatriates have decided to take on Wall Street. Let's hope they don't convert the bull to a bear.

New York

Lisa and Adam's families have made it across the world to meet up in New York.  Their luggage has now joined them so all that remains is to get over the jet lag and the fun times can begin.

Luggage - What Luggage?

Lisa, Mark and the boys made it to New York with everything but their luggage. Tomorrow maybe?

Flic Pays a Visit

As Patrick and his family were headed for the US, Flic decided she would be happier staying at home so she has been keeping us company. She has stayed before and has made herself at home again.

New Kitchen On Show

Kate and Adam's new kitchen is finally in place and is looking great. All the deliberations and waiting for delivery have been worth it and others evidently think the same.  Photos are to be published in the "Kitchens and Bathrooms Quarterly".

Ready to Go

The builder of the new house has engaged a demolisher to take out the old house.  We purchased this place in 1991 and it has served us well but now is the time to say goodbye!

Antonio Park PS Production

Jack, Cooper and Lachlan were on stage for the annual production of Antonio Park. Unfortunately, we missed Sophie as she was preparing to fly to the US.  All the students of the school had the opportunity to be on stage during the evening and with over 500 kids that was quite an exercise in logistics.  It ran smoothly and finished at a reasonable hour so the kids were not wrecked the next day.
Cooper was first up in the performance based around the development of games and electronic gaming.

 Then we saw Jack -

 and then Lachlan

 Jack took on a more extended role as a piece from a chess board

  Seeing all the kids on stage for the finale gave a good idea of the complexity of the exercise.

Into the Big City!

Just because we could, we took the train in to the Art Gallery today.

We thought we could pick up some inspiration for interior decoration in the new build.  Claire is now considering options presented by this room.

My favourite piece was a Monet

Peter Turns 70

It is a salutary experience to have one of your younger colleagues turn 70 as Peter did today.  We gathered at the Yarrawood Winery for the occasion and Kellie had arranged for the whole family to travel to the winery in a massive stretched limo.

 The threatening weather did not eventuate and the meal was wonderful with all the guests on the balcony so the kids could play in the grounds.  Pete is having his health problems at present but he was in good shape and really enjoyed the day.

Another Birthday Dinner!

A quick catch up after a day of Basketball Grand Final action somehow transformed into a family dinner.  Lisa and Mark tried a new arrangement of the family room that worked well.  It also served as a farewell to Brett and Cathy as they leave for the west in the morning and the others leave for the USA later in the week.

Grand Final Win - Jack

Jack's team were up against strong opposition for the Grand Final.  Apparently they usually bring in strong players after the grading period so they were expected to win.  However Jack's team were undaunted and they fought through to a very narrow win.  It really seemed to be a victory of teamwork over individual prowess.  A great game to watch even though spectator tension levels were high throughout the game.

Grand Final Win - Sophie

Sophie's team had been very dominant this season and as a consequence moved straight into the Grand Final after having a week off.  We don't think that helped as they looked lethargic early allowing the opposition to get on with business.  Luckily they rallied late in the game for a win but it takes a toll on the spectators!

Grand Final Win - Cooper

Cooper's team took out the Grand Final today. Cooper started well but a ball in the face in the first half had him off the court under a blood rule.  The win capped a good season that saw huge improvements in his game.

Canadian Visitation

David B (Tricia's brother) left Australia nearly 50 years ago to work in the US and Canada. He married Gwen in Canada and has lived there ever since.  He occasionally gets back to Australia so it was good to catch up on this visit.

Settlement Day

All done and dusted! We have been advised that the settlement on Efron St has gone through without a hitch so we have now moved to Luckie St and no longer have to maintain an empty house! Happy days!

Birthday Dinner

The family gathered at Brett and Cathy's place to mark another milestone on my path toward senility.  In usual style the meal was exquisite with family wide contributions and as a twist to proceedings, the magnificent cake was produced by one of Patrick's school friends.  I am still considering the significance of the massive balls on the cake.