ANN AND GEORGE CELEBRATE 60 YEARS OF MARRIAGE.

 When I was teaching at Kuraby State School, I made friends with the staff. It was only a small school when I started there in 1990 but numbers grew each year. The administration clerk was Ann. She had been at the school for years and just about ran the school because the principal was a teaching principal when the numbers were small. In the early 2000 many of us were retiring but we kept in touch. You may remember the Birthday Bear lunches we used to have to keep in touch. We also went on holidays together. However, Covid put an end to all of that but we have kept in touch on line. Last week we were invited to Ann and George's 60th wedding anniversary. It was so much fun because beside friends and relatives there were past teachers from the 90's at Kuraby School. There  were even some past students there as well.

Bill, me, Ann and George. We are all 83.

We celebrated at Kuraby Hotel, There was lots of food and delicious anniversary cake.

Past staff members of Kuraby State School plus one ex student in the middle at the back.

I taught Adam in Year 4. (He has just become a grandfather of twins.)

I taught Taylor in Year 3

Ann and George received cards from a lot of dignitaries.

King Charles and Queen Camilla

The Governor General of Australia (Samantha Mostyn )

The governor of Queensland (Jeanette Young)

The Mayor of Brisbane (Adrian Schrinner)

The Prime Minister of Australia (Anthony Albanese)

It was a great celebration.

TRIP TO WOOLAMAI

Our daughter Carol lives in Melbourne. She and husband David have an apartment in CBD (Central Business District) very close to where Carol works. David works from home. In 2020 they took a year off to travel around Australia. Unfortunately, it was Covid year but they continued their travels and fell in love with country Victoria and Tasmania. After they returned to Melbourne and work they had itchy feet to live in the country. They scoured Tasmania and country Victoria for a property. Eventually, they found their ideal place at Woolamai, Victoria in the South Gippsland area. They spend Friday to Monday there and mid week in the city. We decided to go and see the place before winter as it gets jolly cold down there in winter. They were excited to hear that we wanted to visit because we haven't flown since before Covid due to Bill's deteriorating mobility. When Sonya, our other daughter, who lives in Brisbane, heard we were going she offered to come with us to help Bill with his walker and bags. She is a darling and looks after us beautifully. Because she works here we had to go on the weekend. So we left on Friday evening and flew to Melbourne where Carol picked us up and drove to Woolamai. It is an hour and half drive from the city. It was dark when we arrived and so couldn't see the beautiful countryside until the next morning. However, we had a tour of the house. It is lovely. In the morning we woke to a beautiful view of the rolling hills all the way to the coast and the sea.

QANTAS cabin crew spoilt Bill because it was his birthday. They kept bringing us wine and a mini birthday cake for him. When we were leaving they gave us a bottle of wine too.

This was the view in the morning when we woke up.

The view from he lounge room. 

Carol cooked us Swiss bread for breakfast.

After breakfast we had a tour of the property. David took his remote controlled lawn mower with us.

Bill, Carol and Sonya

At the bottom of the yard there is an orchard.

The orchard is enclosed under a net to keep the birds off.

Carol has made plum jam.

Later they took us for a drive to their closest town, which is Wonthaggi about 12 mins away. It is where they shop and there are doctors and a hospital too. Then they drove to the beachside town of Kilcunda. It is only 12 mins away.

They are so happy with their house in the country.

When we got home the young ones jumped in the pool, which is self cleaning and temperature controlled.

The next morning I woke to this view out of our bedroom window.

After breakfast we had another stroll around the grounds before leaving for Melbourne, where we would pop into their renovated apartment for lunch and then off to the airport for home. They haven't furnished the house yet. Carol hopes to renovate in the future.

Their city apartment is on the twelfth floor and overlooks Carlton Park.

Carol did a Bachelor of Built Environment at university and loves interior designing. It was her job for many years she still works for a design company as head of strategy. After they moved into this apartment she decided to renovate the interior design. She did a great job with the new design and employing the right builders to do the job.

David is a composer. This is his studio.

We are so proud of our girls. Sonya's house in Brisbane is also being renovated and extended. It is not quite finished. Her husband, Bernie is doing most of the work himself. Wow what a great weekend and birthday bash for Bill.

EXILLIS PARK

Readers may remember that I used to walk in Daisy Hill Forest every morning, well as we have got older we have found the tracks have got a bit unstable for us with washed out grooves from the rain and loose stones and rocks underfoot was getting a bit dangerous for us oldies. So now we walk in Exillis Park and Dorset Park where we still walk through bushland but on a concrete path which is more stable for us. We still enjoy the bushland, the creek and the wildlife. We walk about four km round trip it takes us an hour. 

Wallabies are a small kangaroo. We see lots of them in the mornings. They are well camouflaged. Can you see her and her joey in her pouch?

Zoom in and there you are! So cute.

After rain the creek is muddy and full.

The vines love the rain.

The rain washes the seeds into a pile.

My neighbour has the most beautiful flowers. She is over 80 and spends every day in her garden.

We are having very hot and humid weather while in the northern hemisphere a lot of bloggers are having loads of snow.

AUSTRALIA DAY 26 JANUARY

 So 256 years ago Captain Cook planted the English flag in Sydney Cove and claimed the land for England. It wasn't until 18 years later that the first settlers arrived in eleven ships with Captain Arthur Phillip in charge. Most of the settlers were convicts and Marines. After a very hard start when the settlement nearly starved waiting for supply ships  from England, things slowly improved and our wonderful nation was born. Every Jan 26 we celebrate Australia Day. Many people have parties and BBQ's. Many go to the beach and others go to special luncheon functions. Unfortunately, the weather is extremely hot especially in the south, Adelaide and Northern Victoria are expecting temps in the 40's C. We are also having hot humid weather here in Brisbane. Our village is putting on an afternoon of activities and a sausage sizzle. Hopefully things will cool down by then. Luckily, our hall is air conditioned. 

So we started off singing Aussie songs like this one:

Then we played games:

Thong throwing. (In Australia a thong is a flip flop not underwear) We had to get it into a bucket. Prizes were given to the winner.

We played ball games that I can remember playing at school.

We had an Australian Trivia Quiz. Our table did very well but we didn't win. We were entertained by the line dancers.

We finished up with a sausage sizzle dinner. Sausage, bacon, onions and cheese in a hot dog roll.

The party was organised by the social committee and the food prepared by the Workshop Boys. The bar is manned by volunteers. It was a good night of fun.