It was Lee-Anns birthday yesterday, the ripe ol age of 40 +1. Anyway the day started with eggs, (from our chooks), bacon and home made bread. And tea from the new tea pot. Then dinner and cake. Lynsey had said during the week she wanted to make it. So yesterday she did. Also we had an amzing dinner of slow roast lamb shoulder (more on that later).
Lee Ann and birthday cake
Well a month has passed, a quick update – more pieces to come in later posts. In December I turned 40, just a quiet one, back in Newtown with some friends, some Indian food and a pub after.
Birthday in Sydney
Lynsey was still on the cruise and Alyssa was at her Nan’s place for the night. We had decided to have my birthday in Sydney as Lysney and Grandma were coming back the next day and we were picking them up from Sydney Airport . At the airport Lynsey and Lee Ann were both in tears, Lynsey had a good time, but probably 2 weeks was just a bit too long away.
Lynsey at the airport
Christmas flew past, my mum, (Grandma) was supposed to come over to our house for Christmas lunch, but came down with the flu, so Christmas lunch was really quiet. Lee Ann’s parents and one of her brothers came down for Christmas dinner and stayed the night. The kids of course had fun opening presents, dressing up animals as Santa, the sweets and chocolate money .
Pixie being dressed up
After a Christmas a few slow days, not much at all, just lazed around the house. New Years did nothing, had some wine and watched the fireworks on TV. In the new years we had a some friends (Tom and Amanda) down with their daughters (Zoe and Milly) from Sydney. They stayed a few days, filled the recycling bin the first night they were here and the following day a quiet picnic down a Wee Jasper on the river to recover. After two days they went back leaving Zoe here for the week.
Zoe will head back to Sydney on the 4.00pm XPT tomorrow (Monday 12th) with Lynsey and I. Lynsey will stay at Zoe’s house for a few days.
One thing I cannot believe is that the past three weeks have gone past so quickly. I didn’t ride enough and really did not get up before 8am most days. I will be logging into work tomorrow and physically back in the office Tuesday.
Well we had so much planned for this weekend, I would make big headway into the construction our deck and pergola, garden duties and christmas duties.
Due to the wind and continual drizzle over the weekend I did not construct my deck/pergola (4.5m x 4.7m). This weekend was blustery, cool and wet, 51m of rain Fri – Sun and temperatures were around the 15C mark. On the flip side it is a perfect day today Monday, little breeze and the sun is out (but it is not too hot) but I have to be logged in doing the paid work. Oh well next weekend now. Hopefully I will have it almost done before Christmas.
We have a great nursery here in Yass called Dan and Dan (also where our fruit trees come from) and they have a small pine farm which you can call up each year and reserve your tree. You specify the size and arrange a pick up date. So we went down on the Sat and picked up our tree. Apparently it was only cut that morning and it had that very sweet pine smell about it. So Sat nite was decorating nite in which Lee-Ann and Alyssa decorated the tree.
Sunday as we had not bought the concrete for our deck we purchased 5 ‘Red Devil’ Photinia as we do need a wind break for our vege patch. I planeted them in approx 15 meters further down from where the last vege patch is (I will be building some more vege patches to take up the space) Lee-Ann has nicknamed this the Devils Break.
Well the house is relatively quiet as Lynsey has gone on holiday, my mum has taken her on a cruise for two weeks, she does not get back until the 20th Dec, the day after my birthday. Anyway she left Friday and they visit Melbourne (Vic) and Davenport (Tas) before sailing up the South Island of New Zealand, and finally ending up in Aukland before they fly back to Sydney on the 20th.
Well, we survived the onslaught of 13 year old girls. All went reasonably well. In the end it was Lee-Ann that escaped while I watched a movie in the kitchen on the laptop. Later on I will get some images of Lynsey blowing the candles on her cake out.
Last nite it rained and it is approx 11 degrees here but the garden looks OK. So today I am ripping the weeds (patersons curse) out from around the water tanks. If I get time I will lay a quick garden bed, no edging and plany a few zucchini (yes a glutton for punishment) and the Minnesota Rockmelon. Hopefully they will supress the weeds that want to grow there.
The other piece of info is that I am back to Sydney tonite (via the XPT). The reason for it is that I am still President of BikeSydney the local bicycle user group in the City of Sydney. and every year we host the Sydney leg of the International Bike Film Festival (International site http://www.bicyclefilmfestival.com/ ; Sydney site http://bffsydney.org).
Bicycle Film Festival - Sydney 2008
So tomorrow I am helping with the Newtown Festival where we have a stall and next weekend is the actial festival.
Well last Monday (3rd Nov) it was my eldest daughters birthday (Lynsey) and I was here to see here open presents (as I don’t catch the train back to Sydney till late arvo), this time around no toys more style! I bought a few things up from Newtown. Also she is having a party tonite (Friday) and sleepover which unfortunately I will be here for as well. 7, 13 year old girls at a sleepover, if required I will be found in my room, books, laptops and DVDs if required.
So, one of the reason for moving to the country was to give the kids a different way of life. So this weekend our youngest daughter visited her best friend Tori who lives down near Good Hope which is located on the Burrunjuck dam. I was so happy to see these photos of Alyssa getting out in the mud and water and having a great time, So here are some photos of the kids fishing for carp, the main problem fish in our waters and one that is good for composting and fertiliser. so will be planning more fishing expeditions over the next few months.
Alyssa and Tori with carp
Alyssa and Tori - waiting for fish
Alyssa and Tori
Three weeks ago it was my daughters 7th birthday (Alyssa). And for the first time I was not there. Not because I did not want to be, basically because it was a Tuesday and I was at work in Sydney. It is times like that I really hate this commuting between Yass and Sydney, and subsequently having the three days spent in Sydney.
Alyssa cutting her cake at home - when I was in Sydney
Anyway on the next weekend Alyssa had a party at the local park with some of her friends from school, where we had a BBQ and games were played with the kids. On the agenda was such games as egg and spoon, sack races and balloon races all the “ol fashioned” games. A good time was had by all and no broken bones at the end of it. Lynsey did manage to fall into the river.
Egg and Spoon race
With that sudden cold snap. Today we had light hail which looked so much like snow. The gas heater has been working overtime, but at least we got some things done in the yard before the rain came.
Temperatures for the weekend
The hail was good while it lasted, Lee-Ann and Alyssa went out and had a bit of a ’snow’ ball fight.
Lee-Ann, yes it was Lee-Ann’s 40th bitthday last Friday. We had some friends come down with their kids. Once down we headed off to the Ewe’n Me in Yass (located in the Thunderbird Hotel). Here they have the biggest meals. Word of warning don’t order an entree and a main. Ordered the steak and I am sure half a cow was delivered and cooked like I wanted it. After that we went back home and downed a bottle of good port and a few more bottle of wine. A good night was had by all.
Anyway one of my presents was to to build a rose garden – so expect to se that in the next few weeks.
Andrew’s Tweets What’s Andrew Playing