BACK IN BLOGLAND

I can't believe it is over a month since I have posted. Retirement is so busy. Jo from South Africa has asked me to show more of the area to where I have moved. So here are some photos of the Retirement Village we have moved into. It is only a small village in comparison to the many others in Brisbane. We like it because it is in the same area where we have lived for many years. The rooms are big, the gardens are beautiful and the people are very friendly and not that old. There are great facilities and lots of activities. It is quiet and situated next to my favourite forest.

 This is our unit. There are 4 units in one building. Two upper apartments and two lower 'Garden Apartments' There are no stairs but road access to both the upper and lower apartments. The village is built on a sloping hillside. We have 3 bedrooms and two bathrooms, gararge, laundry, kitchen, dining and living area with two balconies, one at the front and one at the back with views of the forest clad hills.

 This is our street called 'Tranquil Ave'.

 This is the other end of the street where I enter the forest for my morning walks. At the moment more units are being built on the other side of the road.

 This is the back of our apartment, the upper level. The lower level has a bigger garden in the front and a courtyard garden at the back but no view except of their pretty gardens. No one is living under us yet. This is the lower road called, 'Joy Place'.

 At the end of each street there is an orchard and we can help ourselves to the fruit.

Running through the middle of the village from the top of the hill to the bottom is a water course garden. It goes down four levels of streets.

At the end of our street there is a Japanese designed Zen Garden, where one can read or meditate or just stroll around.

 On special occasions traditional Japanese visit.

 A fence surrounds the garden to protect the plants from wallabies.

 A nice place for grandparents and grand children

So Jo, I hope this gives you a better idea of where I live. Bill says its like being on holiday in a resort but with your own furniture. See more of the village here;   http://elementsliving.com.au

NEW HOME, NEW CAR, NEW LIFE.

Nine days of baby sitting in Melbourne came to an end. Mummy was coming home. We went to Melbourne airport to meet her from LA and to say goodbye to me. It had been great getting to know the boys better but I was looking forward to getting home and ready to move house in three days.

I hugged the boys goodbye and I had a few minutes to hug Sonya before I caught my plane to Brisbane.

When I arrived home, our other daughter, Carol and SIL David, had helped Bill pack his office, the garage and laundry. They had flown from Sydney. I had a few last minute items to pack and I said another goodbye to my garden.

The truck arrived.

Friends helped.

 The house was sad and empty.

 We went across the road to say goodbye to the neighbours and to look down on our house and garden and say goodbye.

 Last time I stand here.

Last time he stands here. Off we go to our new home, an apartment in Elements Third Age Living @ Springwood.

Our new home

The apartment was choc-a-block full of boxes but our great kids flew from Sydney again to help unpack.

He's happy with his cave.

 I'm happy with the gardens.

 Then it was off to buy a new car. A Mazda CX3 Maxx little SUV

Here's to a new life.

GRANDMA DUTIES IN MELBOURNE

Some time last year my daughter asked if I could spend a week helping look after the children while she goes to USA to spend a week with her husband, who is working there again for a short time. She also needed to reactivate her green card. I agreed, not realising by then we had decided to sell up and move. The dates clashed but we worked it out. We added a few weeks to settlement date so that I could jump on a plane and be in Melbourne for 9 days before moving, which will be 3 days after I get back. So I packed up the house as much as possible before I left home and left Bill to do the rest. Our other daughter and SIL will fly from Sydney to help him on the weekends. 

Simon, the home help and distant Swiss cousin, lives with Sonya and Bernie. He is great at looking after the boys but I am the one who spoils them and tries to be a surrogate mummy. I have the early morning shift. The little bundles of energy are awake and romping between 5 and 6am. Lucky I'm used to waking early and going for a walk (which is more peaceful).

However, it is lovely bonding with the boys since I don't see them very often.

Fox showing off his new hat BB for Bad Boys but I told him it was Grandaddy's hat because his initials are BB. We were at Alma Park in St Kilda. There was a beaut playground and lots of food trucks.

 Another day Simon took us to Water Marc a great water park in Greensborough. There were many activities and pools. Simon and the boys loved the huge water slide that you came down on a floating tube.

 Fun under the waterfall

 Simon plays with the boys in the pool and looks after them well.

At home we play in the rumpus room with their millions of toys........talk about being spoilt.

A reward for clearing the table after dinner. Then bath, story and bed. Then Grandma also crawls into bed much earlier than usual. I take my hat off to grandparents who look after their grandchildren full time. After the long weekend it was back to school for Fox and Kindy for Banjo. That gave Simon and I a break for a few hours. Time to do the laundry and clean up.