Lucy and my sister-inlaw Lorraine

This is a rather glamorous picture of my niece Lucy and my brother Peter's wife Lorraine....taken at the Melbourne Cup (horse race) two years ago. We stayed at Pete and Lorraine's home over Christmas....very good location. A very short walk to a tram stop....trams run every 15 minutes or so to Melbourne and beyond. Melbourne is a very sophisticated city and is the fashion capital of Australia. I was looking at a real estate site earlier and discovered the neighborhood where I spent the first 25 years of my life is for multi millionaires nowadays....median house price...over $1.000.000.
Hampton was a rather laid back seaside suburb...now very chic and trendy. Lots of restaurants....beautiful shops...etc. Perry and I took a tram ride into Melbourne...then a train ride to Hampton when we were at Pete and Lorries. Took a nice walk around the main street and had a coffee with chocolate cake and people watched. The two addresses I lived at now have villa units on the lots. They were way too big for a single family home...we spent a lot of time cutting grass!
Spoke to Phil earlier today...the wedding will be towards the end of the year and will be a low key affair. He took Josh to work with him for the day as it is school vacation time in Victoria....child care arrangements fell apart and it was O.K. for him to take him there. Josh was having a great time. He is very happy that his mum and Phil are getting married...has started calling him dad.
Still can't find a nice picture of Josh and Sherrene.....

The late Frais Jean Alexandra Ellen

Today is the first anniversary of the death of our beautiful cousin Frais, who died at the age of 56 from cancer. Our beautiful Songbird....your voice thrilled us and your warm heart touched everyone.

PHIL AGED 45

Great news ! Phil and Sherrene are going to get married. I am very happy for them and for Sherrene's son Josh aged 12.
More good news.....the job interview turned into a permanent job offer that he has accepted ! I received all this news by text message, while we were at the Kilcoy horse races. I spoke to both of them a little later in the day and they sounded very happy.
I can't find a recent picture of the three of them....but that isn't unusual....we have accumulated way too many pictures and to cull them will be a mamoth task.
I love this picture....look at those lovely eyes. My first very much loved child. My hope for him is that he will know the joy of having a child of his own.

Weather has been quite warm.

Summer has lasted way in to autumn. That's me on the left....Perry on the right.

Perry has entered the B grade championship and plays in the first round tomorrow. He should be contesting on Saturday....however he got approval to play tomorrow because we had already paid for a Saturday outing to a country horse race meeting at Kilcoy. Should be a fun day. About 40 of us going and we get entry, a race book, steakburger, a drink and the bus ride....all for $25 each.
We bought a home theatre system today to go with our super Plasma T.V. Like most things of this nature....lots of what goes where.....does this go here????? Should be installed over the weekend.
I spoke to Phil today....the workworld today seems so much shakier than a few years ago. The company he works for ..... as a 40 hour a week casual employee....is relocating. He had an interview today for a permanent position within the same company at a different location. I feel very positive about the outcome.....mums still worry tho.

My sister Libby

I have a wonderful family. As I get older I appreciate them more and more. Libby was my parents surprise baby after having me, my sister Barbara now 67 and brother Peter 63. Lib is 57 years old. Way back when.....having a baby at the "advanced" age of 37 was considered a bit of a worry. Now of course it's not at all uncommon for a woman to have her first babe at that age. When Lib was born, Barbara and I would argue about who was going to look after her. We thought we had a real live doll. I remember my mother saying that having a baby in later years was absolutely wonderful....Lib kept her young. Mum passed away five years ago this coming Saturday 28th March. Love you mum x x (I know she hears me)

Easter break around here was pretty hectic if you needed to go to the grocery store. Why do some people shop as tho the stores were going to be closed for a week instead of a day?????

Perry needed to have a prescription filled and couldn't find a parking spot. Drove to another area to have it filled. The island (Bribie) attracts a large crowd over Christmas and Easter....the population is capped at 30000....currently there are approximately 20000 people and the majority are older people. It is a great retirement area and we are on the mainland, but count ourselves among them. The climate is great all year, but particularly winter....mild....with daytime temperatures in the 70's...nighttime it is cold enough to use minimal heat. Love it.

BBQ yesterday with Val and Reg was enjoyable....watched a 2004 Willie Nelson benefit on T.V. and as they have a nice sound system....Perry and Reg discussed the make...cost etc. We will be heading to one of our favourite stores next week to purchase same. We don't have extra speakers etc and didn't feel any pressing need to buy any....however watching a good concert really benefits from surround sound. Our T.V. supposedly has surround sound, but it really is only noticeable when you crank it up. Way too loud for this environment.

Watched a fireworks at eight last night from our deck...it was at the Marina about a half a mile away...then a Reggae band played for about two and a half hours. The evening was lovely and warm. A nice finish for Easter.

Happy Easter to all.
Today was another beautiful day. The day started off with a phone call from Pam. She stayed home today while the other members of her family went ahead to a camp with her church group. Pam wanted to have quiet time for a day. Calling us was first on her list and it was lovely hearing from her. I called Phil yesterday and discovered that he and Sherrene seem to be more or less back in their old rut....I do wish he would seek counselling.
Glen is quite busy with both his businesses....one of which is at http://www.dragonfireracing.com/ he is the San Diego store. He also has an X Ray service and repair business that has been going quite well for the past 16 or seventeen years...however with a lot of X Ray going digital he needed to get something else going and as his hobbies of motor cycle riding and racing....having fun at the desert driving different kinds of all terrain vehicles... made it was relatively easy for him to get into selling, repairing, trading etc. This newest venture has been going very well for almost two years. He is a single dad and juggles his time very well. Christopher will be eleven years old July 4 and it will be lovely to spend time with both my boys during July...all going well. Airfares are really high now that the price has skyrocketed. If possible I hope to fly Qantas from Brisbane direct to L.A. then a short flight to San Diego. Brisbane to L.A. is a direct flight and of 12 hours duration, whereas most other carriers go via New Zealand and Sydney or Melbourne. Up to 4 hours longer flying time plus time spent taking on other passengers etc. Fares are as high as $3,500. Last time we flew to the U.S. the fare was only $1800 each....quite a difference.
Guess what we did today......yes went Lawn Bowling !!!!! Played with some dynamite players. Loved it....I'm hooked.
Tomorrow we are going to Val and Reg's for a BBQ . It will be chaotic around this area tomorrow....we live next to a small marina and there will be all kinds of entertainment there including a Reggae band playing for several hours. If we weren't going out I would love to go listen to the music....if nothing else!

My lovely niece and her handsome husband

Red letter day .....I set myself a goal to play 10 games as fast as I could. With every sport it's....practise....practise.....practise. If I only played a game or two a week it would take me ages and ages to get the feel of it. After my tenth game tomorrow I shall back off with a sense of having a fairly good feel for how to handle the bowl. I'm fairly certain Perry would play every day. The man has STAMINA.....I am pooped ! Won $5 today in a lucky draw....lost the game to a very very good threesome. Again, not unhappy with my personal performance. Good day. Perry played very well....he will probably be asked to play pennant next season. Too time consuming tho. I like to veg out at home....trawl the various malls....visit more of the local beauty spots etc.

I don't have a favourite book....but I am an avid reader. The book I have just finished , Charm School written by Nelson De Mille was a book I found hard to put down, often reading until around 1 a.m. It was probably more of a blokie book, but I find I prefer those stories for the most part. The book before that was very blokie and I sort of skipped through it....but it was interesting. The formation and up to now Hells Angels by the guy who started the Oakland Ca chapter. Pretty violent also. I don't recomend it, but I am fascinated by all kinds of lifestyles. And their lifestyle is something else!

Pam and Glen called yesterday....lovely long conversations with both of them. Pam was in a super mood and we shared lots of laughs. We bounce off each other a lot and act like a pair of dingalings. Love that girl. Glen is very busy....busineness is going well. He rides his Harley every chance he gets despite having had several accidents over the past few years. I used to worry a lot about him...not anymore. He is an excellent rider both on and off a track. The worst fear I had was if he had an accident that left him paralyzed. He tells me he isn't a risk taker anymore. Thank God. Accidents still happen tho! Christopher loves the sport also, and is a chip off the old block....at this age...fearless.

Mr and Mrs Chester and Lucy Baker.

Today I miss not having a dog.

Isn't this dog so sweet ?

Someone sent this pic to me ages ago....when I came across it an hour or so ago I suddenly missed the two poodles we had. Chloe and Rob.

Played social lawn bowls again today...more tomorrow and Thursday. I bought a set of bowls today after discovering that the cheapos I bought were just too unwieldy for me. My hands are considered to be small and weight wise the cheapos were O.K.....but the shape not right. These are a used set of size O...the others size 1 heavy. I felt pretty comfortable with this set...didn't win....but had lots of fun. Each bowl weighs around 3 lbs...so I know I will start and improve my fitness level soon.

It's way past lunch time and I am hungry. Just got back from the grocery store after dropping another $120 . The only unusual item was 3 water filters which cost over $25....never seem to get away without spending what seems like almost twice as much as only a couple of years ago. Our country has been drought stricken for several years and our dams are only just making it with people going to great lengths to save water. So it seems that accounts for higher than normal prices along with the cost of fuel. Around $1.27 for 1 litre of petrol. Shipping costs for produce must be enormous.
Dinner tonight will be whatever you feel like making yourself as Perry is making breakfast burritos for lunch! ......They were DELICIOUS....almost inhaled them !
My girlfriend Val and husband came for dinner last night and we had barbecued baby lamb chops with assorted veggies and heat and eat bread rolls....(love them). Food glorious food !!!!
We had a senior moment or several a few days ago. We only have one mobile phone....and it was lost. The discussions about what took place and when were like something from a comedy show. We looked in every logical place....then came the slightly offbeat places....then the absolutely ridiculous places including inside the microwave oven....under the bathroom sink....I'm sure you get it. Phone calls to various stores followed.....no luck. Then Telstra to have a bar put on the number and suspend the service. Almost resigned to the improbable....fallen out of pocket....stolen.....hmmm....did one of us have it when we went to check out another nearby bowling club in the delightful seaside town of Beachmere????? We did go inside and yes we did buy a drink and sit watching some people playing a game. Better call there....just in case. Voila !!!! Beachmere Bowling Club....can I help you? You wouldn't happen to have a Motorola mobile phone handed in.....what brand was that again?????.....as a matter of fact...we DO. Perry left it on the bar as he paid for the drinks, pocketed his wallet and then carried the drinks to where we were seated. I hope this is a one off.....it's bad enough constantly looking for reading glasses.
Haven't heard from Phil for a few days....not terribly positive about he and Sherrine resolving their issues. I am concerned for Josh. I called Glen to see how things were going for him.....just so so. He has taken Christopher to the desert this weekend after painting his kitchen....right over the wallpaper which he assures me worked out fine. I have always gone the tough route of steaming and scraping the paper off while wondering if you could get away with painting right over the paper. He has scrapped his two sofas and big screen old T.V. Bought a leather sofa, two chairs and ottomans to match and a 63" plasma screen T.V. He has a very large family room and the 54" T.V. looked fine so the even bigger one will look great. We have a 42" plasma screen and are very used to the size of it. Beautiful clarity. I said to him....the make up on the soapie stars sometime doesn't quite cover up the zits....it's that clear. He agreed and we laughed about that and elaborated.
That's it for today....bowling last Friday was terrific. Perry and I played against two gals who came first and second earlier this year in B grade competition. Didn't beat them, but acquitted ourselves quite well. We won our second game.

Messed up !

I can't seem to be able to edit !!!
I only meant to post the school formal picture. Oh well.
I was thinking of James and wishing I could visit him soon....he is now 13 years old. Where has the time gone. Pam called me yesterday with updates on their family. James is the representative for the High School Cadets. Big presentation for recruitment coming up soon and he is delivering it. He will be in the Cadets for 2 years so it seems. He has been on several bivouacs....but his interest is in tactics. He has a fine mind just like his parents...leaning more closely to his father who is an I.T. Architect. Stuart has gone into detail several times about just what it is that he does for I.B.M. We all get lost after about ten minutes. James wants to be a lawyer....not sure what kind and we suspect he will change his mind many times before he finally settles on just what he would like to become. Being a minister of religion is high up there also.
Rachel is back into playing netball. She is very good at it....quite tall for her age and well suited to the sport. The children will tower over Pam in a few more years. James is already as tall as her. I remember when Glen grew past me and would pick me up and move me across the kitchen so he could get into the fridge. He was about 15 or 16....I was shocked the first time he did it. Then he used to do it frequently to show off !
Pam sounded great. She has been requested to work more hours than she likes the past couple of weeks, but the money she earns is put aside for home improvement projects that are ongoing.
Now for my big news.......I have played 7 games of bowls as of today and I am improving rapidly. Playing a reasonable game of golf sets you up for playing other sports well...or so I am frequently told. It seems to be working for me. My partner told me I will be playing pennant next year at this rate ! It feels so good to feel improvement as quickly as this. The only problem I seem to have is having a new coach each time I play. My real coach has told me to ignore all advice from well meaning people as it seems everyone wants to give it to a person that they haven't met before when they discover the person has just started playing. Hard to listen politely and I find I cannot say to anyone....thank you for your advice, however etc....so I just listen, nod etc then do my best my way. Everyone means well and I appreciate it.

James

Mr TDH 51 years later...still a hottie (socks, thongs and all)

Early dinner tonight. I will make it up as I go along with the ingredients I have. Pork fillet, rice, simmer sauce, carrots, green beans....whatever else I think will work.

Lawn bowls game number 4 yesterday.... WE WON OUR GAME !!!! YAHOO!!!!! 20/17, Feels really really good. Missed out on the first money prize by one point. Closest point game is the overall winner....we needed to shave one point off....19/17 won. It is such a fun game. When you play your first game you get to sit at the Presidents table and any time that you play on his team. This makes twice in four games !!!!! During break you go inside the club house and get waited on with coffee, tea and a sweet treat....then at the end of the game before winners are announced it is customary for the losers to buy the winners a drink...usually a beer, wine or soft drink. The camaraderie is great.

I have been looking up sites on the Internet about the history of the game and locations of other clubs we might like to visit. If you go on vacation and take your bowls you are made most welcome at any club. Perry played three games in San Diego (Balboa Park) five years ago. Australians have a reputation as being very good players.....when asked where he played and his answer was Australia....players almost bowed ! Perry plays a nice game, but not awesome YET !

I am definitely visiting my son and grandson in San Diego ....July. Really happy about that...maybe I will get to have a game while I am there !

Let me see if I can find a nice picture of my sweetie....we met soooo long ago. 1956 during the Olympic Games in Melbourne. Couldn't resist TDH....

Busy and intense few days

Me, my first grade girlfriend Val and my sister Barb.

Phew....busy and interesting last few days.

My thoughts are quite scattered. So much to think about and do at present.

I have taken to the sport of Lawn Bowling and am determined to be VERY good at it. It is said...."Lawn Bowling is a sport for young people, that old people play !" Yesterday I watched four teenagers being coached....wow....are they good !!!!! It is a great game of skill and tactics. I have a set of bowls, a pull along bag that has compartments for the bowls (not balls for some reason), a beautiful pair of new shoes that are quite the latest....bought them on ebay. Three hats....( a woman has to look her best) a wet weather jacket for later in the year, white shorts and two tee shirts , a water bottle and polishing rag. The bowls need polishing each time one plays....perhaps that's where bowls, not balls comes into it......?????? ....where was I.....yes....I have now played three competitive games and practised at least ten times for an hour each time.

There are three bowls clubs on the island and the one we have joined was chosen for the friendliness of the members....also it doesn't disguise itself as a bowling club unlike one particular one that is a mini casino....which ....by the way...is a BOWLING CLUB !

An interesting fact. George Washington had a bowling green on the lawn at Mt Vernon

Another interesting fact...an English captain was having a game of bowls aboard ship when he was told the Spanish Armada was in sight....to which he replied...."we have time to finish the game" which he did... that ship and others then defeated the Spanish!

What is going on with my boys ! Phil called yesterday to tell me that it looked like he and Sherrene were parting company after having lived together for 7 years. He needs to step up to the plate and propose to her, get married and start a family. Sherrene has a georgeous 12 year old son Josh whom I have always teased about his absolutely stunning blue eyes. When he was little I used to say to him....Josh...where are your real eyes...I would look in his pockets etc...he would say...Nan...these ARE my real eyes...I would reply...no way...where are they really, they are too gorgeous...they must be fake. I usually greet him on the phone with ...is that my beautiful blue eyed boy? Now that he is 12 years old think I have to quit it .

Glen called today....his current girlfriend Jen who has moved the romance along way too quickly has now backed off and Glen is hoping that is all that is happening. Mom's have to listen, listen, listen.....and HEAR what is said...then hope all will go well. Life is so interesting when you get older. You learn when to talk and when to shut up, when to nod, when to soothe etc etc etc. I sometimes look back and can see that I wasn't nearly as good at it as I am now. That's life tho.

I have learned how to pretty much 'go with the flow' and don't try so hard to 'make everything O.K. for everyone'.....slow learner there.

The last time I saw Glen....Hawaii 2004

Glen. It has been over four years since I have seen my lovely youngest child.

Glen. He is the most ambitious of my three children.

Glen. Is a wonderful father to Christopher Ian.

Glen. I miss him terribly, and have missed him for 20 years.

I realized many years ago how my now deceased mother missed me for the ten years that I lived in the U.S. My mother died 5 years ago March 28. I miss her every day.

I am so glad that I never missed a chance to let her know how much I loved her.

My grandson Christopher

What a great day I had today. First....a lovely chat with my niece Linda, her dad John and step mother Pat. I just missed another niece that I am very fond of. Elaine. She missed her dad's 80th birthday and just had to fly to Santa Barbara to see him. She missed him so very much. I know those feelings only too well. My youngest darling son and grandson live 7000 miles from me and I haven't seen them for almost 5 years. The feeling is physical....an ache in my heart.

All going well I shall see them again July....Christophers' 11th birthday (Grandson)July 4 and my 69th birthday July 11. This will be a two week trip by myself. I have done it before and wish Perry could come with me....however he want's me to enjoy my boys all to myself. Maybe a future daughter in law also !

This afternoon I played my very first competitive game of outdoor lawn bowls. I didn't have any nervousness at all....and LOVED it.

Our team didn't win, but I was heartened by the compliments and encouragement I received. Tomorrow we play a social game in the morning followed by a 28th birthday celebration lunch for the club. It is only a little after nine and I feel muscles that haven't had a workout for quite awhile....time for a shower and off to bed.

Above is my most recent picture of Christopher. My son Glen was one of the coaches for Chris's team last year.