The Planting Begins

The soil has been prepared so today was the day when some of the plants we had brought across from Efron St were planted into the new garden, along with some more recent additions.

In Celebration of Fifty Years

The family organised a wonderful celebration to commemorate our 50 years of marriage.  Lisa and Mark obviously worked all day to transform their house into a fantastic party venue with outdoor cover, lights, barbeque, heating and eating arrangements.

 It was the perfect opportunity to get a photo with the most important people in our lives.

 We had a great meal with contributions from all.

 and Cathy produced a cake with proportions suitable for the occasion!

 Mark and Lisa had not only worked on the venue and the meal, they produced a video review of the last 50 years for us to enjoy.  On top of all this we were presented with a voucher for an escape to a resort in Hepburn Springs that we will thoroughly enjoy.

Fifty Years!

Today marks 50 Years since we married in the Congregational church at Leitchville in a late afternoon ceremony to accommodate the dairy farmers who would be attending.  We then had a Reception in the Community Hall catered by the church Womens' Guild then everyone headed back to the farm for "afters".  It was a fantastic fun day but would be seen as a little underdone by today's standards.
In celebration we went out for wonderful lunch at Docklands and look forward to the family celebration tomorrow.

  Claire was so inspired she volunteered to join the local "think tank".

Echuca Visit

Greg has recently been through a very rough patch with a severe infection that saw him in intensive care.  He is improving but has certainly not fully recovered.  He was sufficiently improved to receive visitors so we went to see him and also catch up with Noel and Pam while in Echuca.

Action In The Garden

As the house is nearly in order, the focus is now on the garden.  Today we received the draft plan from the designer for the front garden.  She had accommodated our ideas well and we look forward to implementing the concept plan.

 At the back we have been improving and taming the soil ready for planting to our own design

Dinner (With Benefits)

We had a beautiful dinner with Brett and Cathy and family last night.  Pork with an asian sauce and then a mulberry mousse that started us thinking seriously about a Thermomix.

The post dinner game of Klop was a fiercely contested event. By managing to win (first time eva!) I now claim the title of Current Champion.

We also managed to raid the garden and get some bamboo that originated from the Efron Street garden.  It is now on the patio so the tradition continues.

Let's Do Lunch

Getting birthday lunches arranged with grandchildren who have commitments and busy social lives is always problematic. However today, we had lunch with Patrick and Sophie at one of our favourite eateries, "Ang Ang" in Ringwood.  Since our last visit the amenities have been vastly improved with effective outdoor shading and better seating.  A great meal and chat as usual.

In De-fence of Spray Painting

We have decided that the fences needed painting.  My first attempt with a brush and a roller took me about 6 hours over two days.  A spray painting tool was acquired and the same area was covered in about an hour with much less effort!

Fast and Furious

Lisa and Mark headed for Wangaratta over the weekend so Mark could have his birthday present, a ride in a jet fighter.  Perhaps it was compensation for selling his bike. It went well, he enjoyed the flight and surprisingly retained his lunch.

Bike Departs

The bike has been "on blocks" for quite some time as it's restoration slowly progressed. But it's time ran out.  Mark sold it to a bloke who drove all the way down from Lightning Ridge to pick it up.  The boys would have preferred it stayed in the family.