Phil, Josh and Sherrene

Took a mini break and visited my cousin Kaye and her guy Bob at their home in the hills of Burleigh Heads on the Gold Coast.
Their home is a never ending project...it is a large house and the latest addition is the glass panels at one end of the pool which is set in the front of the house, which is a cliff hanger. I think Kaye will be over it in a couple of years as she seems to be developing rather debilitating physical ailments. Bob is 62 and has his own successful metal work business.....makes all kinds of things from stainless steel restaurant kitchen fit outs to hospital trolleys and has done all the beautiful fencing and outdoor seating for their home. Kaye is 68 and has retired recently after spending many years travelling fairly locally getting accounts and servicing them as well as established accounts at varied stores that carry trendy gift lines. She did very well for the company she worked for and made quite a lot of money in the form of commissions. When the time comes for them to downsize.....a bit of a worry..... the house is almost overflowing with the things Kaye sold. Lovely stuff....but none of us around my age need more STUFF !!!!!
School children in this state have just commenced the autumn break...the roads were pretty busy, but luckily we seemed to pick a good drive window. Only two hours south of where we are. The Gold Coast is a mecca for tourists from all over the world. Beautiful beaches, resorts, theme attractions and wonderful scenery. Kaye and Bob's place is just a couple of miles inland and the hills are very lush and serene. I love the semi tropics.
I am an avid reader as is Bob who told me to help myself to any books I would like to read....I am set for a couple of months.
Another cousin, Judith and her husband Merv who live nearby were also guests...we had a great night. Judy and Merv have just moved into a "unit"after 16 years in a house and separate apartment that they shared with one of their sons, wife and granddaughter. what started out as a five year plan finally ended. The drama of securing a buyer and the protracted escrow was enough for both of them to lose 15lbs each and involved a hilarious recounting of the past three months which included the involvement of one of their neighbors.
They are both terrific story tellers....especially Jude. The family who bought the place was from Tasmania....had a large family and had some sort of business that sounded like it was on shaky ground....some financial institution gave them the loan they need to buy the place which requires repayments of $5800 a month. These figures blow my mind. Home buying in this country is going the same way as in the U.S. foreclosures are quite prevalent. It is a poor climate for raising a family. The kids are quite happy in any little home that has happy parents....however ...".happy" parents are forever chasing more and more STUFF.