BIRTHDAY BEAR NEARLY GOES NORTH

It was Mary's birthday recently and our Birthday Bear group celebrated at Runcorn Tavern. Bear came dressed ready for a trip up north to Darwin where it is always hot, very hot. She had her shorts and T shirt on and a pair of thongs (flip flops). To keep cool she had a big sunhat, sunglasses and a Peppa Pig backpack with a drink bottle at the ready.
The sad thing was that Bear missed going to Darwin because Mary had already been and returned. So Bear just has to read the brochure and dream.

 Happy Birthday Mary. Can you see the Peppa Pig backpack?

 It was my turn to dress bear. 

The men had disappeared for a group photo except one of them, who took the photo. It was a nice lunch and we always enjoy catching up with each other.

ANOTHER FUN FUNCTION

Our CEO and staff of our village, organised a Christmas in July lunch. They cooked for 150 of us and it was delicious. Many of the residents helped in the kitchen, organised Santa Clause and gifts as well as some raffles for the social club. I don't really agree with celebrating Christmas in July because it is a way of hanging on to British tradition of having Christmas in winter. We are Australian and celebrate in summer, get used to it. After all we have had 231 years to get used to it. However, I enjoy  socialising and having lunch together.

 150 hungry residents are ready for lunch.

The residents Chairperson, Ian, helping Chiou See (Chelsea) our CEO in the kitchen.

Lunch is served.

 Ham, Turkey and vegetables.

Apple pie and custard

 Santa (one of the residents)  arrives with a trolly full of presents.

 Giving out presents to the residents. Sue is our neighbour.

 The CEO and staff, who cooked the dinner. Chiou See (Chelsea) was telling us that she will take us to Taiwan for a holiday next year. We are lucky to have such a vibrant progressive person owning and running our village.

Bill enjoyed the lunch but steered clear of the Brussel Sprouts, he's not a fan.

Chiou See asks Bill to take videos and me to take photos of all the events for our iPad Albums, the newsletter, the village Facebook Page and the photo pin board. So this is how I spend my time at functions in between eating, drinking wine and enjoying myself. Everyone who moves into the village is given an iPad to keep in touch with everything going on in the village as well as for personal use.

A FUN DINNER

Every month our village administration put on a dinner for the residents. Each dinner has a different theme. This month it was a Japanese dinner. The reason being a group of villagers went to Japan for a  short holiday. We didn't go because we had been before. Anyway the chef cooked two lovely dishes for an alternate drop. There are 80 people for dinner.
For dinner we had MISO SALMON on SHIRATAKI NOODLES with FINE VEGETABLES. TERIYAKI CHICKEN BREAST & RAMEN.GREEN TEA CAKE with YOGURT WASABI ICE CREAM, SWEET MANGO AND FRUIT COMPOTE for dessert.

Some residents spent time making origami table decorations.

We had a Japanese guest speaker and a demonstration on how to wear a yukata and obi. CEO and two staff members were the models and two residents volunteered to help by following the expert's instruction.

The finished dress called a yukata or summer kimono. Karen on the left is the village manager. Dana on the right is the office manager next to her is our CEO and owner of the village Chiou See. The Japanese lady in black did the demonstration.

Some residents dressed up too.

The high school students who came to help the chef and to do the serving. They are catering students.

Some of the group that travelled to Japan as well as some high school students who help the chef and their teacher and the guest speaker.

THE FAMILY IN 1977

My Story continued

Do you remember those photo albums that had sticky pages with a plastic overlay? They were popular in the 70's and 80's. Well mine have lost the stick and photos are falling out besides the fact that the glue was harmful to photos. So I am in the process of putting the old photos into new albums. While I do that I scan them to make a book of them as well so each daughter can have a copy if they want.

Three and Five

  Sonya's third birthday

 OMG the fashions then??? Safari suit and long day dresses.

 My brother David came over from England to visit us. First he went to Sydney and then he drove my Mum, Dad and Aunt Ada to Brisbane to visit us.

 First photo of my brother and I for years.

It was a long time since we had our whole family together.