celebrations and more celebrations

Great excitement here as christmas celebrations got underway!  We start the festivities with a celebration of our baby's birthday 28 years ago!  Who doesn't want a giraffe shaped kettle for their birthday???
Peter got off to an early start with his holiday shirt and santa hat

and then the following day we entertained 12 for breakfast (a monumental feat for me who doesn't like talking before 11am).

THEN came the presents:

and then, in case we hadn't eaten enough breakfast, we had 7 for lunch:

What a lovely couple of days - let's get back to WW immediately!!!

Floral tributes

I got home from a week in Melbourne to find that there were lots of things in flower in my garden (in spite of the weeds).  I therefore picked a bowl of agapanthus and red spider flowers

And then, when I came home from work on Monday - after a very hectic day, there was a LARGE bunch of flowers on the verandah from the RMC class of '51 wishing me a belated happy birthday.   There were so many flowers I had to put them in separate vases - and now my kitchen looks very bright!

Family

Where I live, I only have 'adopted' family members so I have just been south to Melbourne to see some of the blood and 'related by marriage' family.  We had a delicious lunch at Tosca's new home in Brunswick and here is the evidence:

I had a lovely lunch with Fi and baby Archer who was playing on the quilt I made him
:

and F and P also gave me lunch

Coming home for Christmas

My sojourn at Southport is over - the defendant is in the Southport watchhouse waiting until there is room in one of her majesty's prisons for him.  I think that is very unfair - no one deservesd to sit in a cell for three weeks - one shower a week and no outside exercise.
So I am now home and have swapped this view

early morning at main beach

FOR THIS - early morning in clayfield.....

BUT, astute readers will see that thete are some lights in the hedges and on the mulberry........
Christmas preparations are underway:

this is Toombul's effort

 

 

 

and this is mine!

this is what it looks like at night

and this is what is underneath!!!

There is also a new member of the Carrigan household - baby Archie

a wider view of a few weeks at southport

Week two of my sojourn at southport has now ended and it looks as though I will be spending at least the next two weeks at this place.

However, there have been some respites:-

Pete came for a couple of nights - we had some nice beach walks and she cooked  dinner! 

I went to the Oroton outlet and bought a chocolate coloured bag for 60% off

bought some summer shoes

saw some car races in the street below the apartment

my brother came up from Melbourne and we had lots of long chats (that's me in the mirror)

here he is walking along Main Beach

and then we came back to Briz and he pruned my hedges!!!!

and we let the new elephant out of his cage - he seems to be very happy!!!!!

nice music, noises, gardens and an elephant

 I have had two visits to the cultural centre this week - one before I went to southport on Monday and one when I came back on Saturday.  It was actually very nice to have a bit of a change of pace from the noise of the Gold Coast and the Indi racing drivers.  I feel refreshed enough to return for another week!

Life this week went from this

to this

and, on friday morning, to this!!!!!!

It was bliss to come back to Bris and have a lovely dinner at Ara and watch Tosca - even though she did throw herself over the battlements for love - Our Tosca lived up to her namesake although her fall wasn't on purpose.

I discovered several science experiments in my sink - can't leave your porridge bowl soaking and expect the cleaning lady to turn up and wash it....... lots of penicillin!!!

Back at Lukin St the garden is looking good but a little dry:

there are some flowers on my persimmon tree!!

and lots of growth thanks to Jen's help

and here is a little creature that followed me home from the coast

he'll have to stay in his cage until I come home and train him!

Men can be handy

Rod the handyman came today and spent some time helping me around the house.
I now have new doors (lightweight) in the hallway cupboard - just waiting for their handles and painting:

THEN he went outside and cleaned all my concrete with a Karcher!!!  Amazing how exciting it is to have it all sparkling!

Of course, Toscas rusty footprints are still there to remind me of her  (xxx) and the herbs are doing well.