CHRISTMAS WITH FAMILY 2024

We were lucky to celebrate Christmas with the whole family as well as a cousin from Switzerland. We celebrated on Christmas Eve like they do in Switzerland. The girls like this because they can go to their husbands' parents on Christmas day if possible. The young ones bought all the food and prepared it in our kitchen. We had a simple Aussie meal of prawns and Moreton Bay Bugs (a type of crayfish) with some ham, potato bake and different salads. For dessert we had Pavlova and/or Plum pudding with custard and fresh fruit.

All hands in the kitchen, Simon at left is a cousin from Switzerland, he came to Australia some years ago to be Fox and Banjo's live in carer (manny). He stayed for a year and Sonya was sad to see him go because he was good with the boys and did cleaning and some cooking. He has returned this year for a holiday. He is staying with Sonya and family. Once again keeping the house clean, cooking and helping Bernie with the house renovations.

Our Christmas Tree went past its 'use by date' and I wasn't keen to buy a new one so Carol decorated our fake bamboo. David and Carol flew from Melbourne to be with us for 11 days. She came early to drive me to the eye specialist because I wasn't to drive after they dilated my pupils. The result is I need cataract surgery in February and March. David's parents live in Brisbane too. Carol also organised a silly Secret Santa game. It was loads of fun.

Bill liked his present and nobody stole it from him (as the game goes).

Then it was time for the buffet.

Our wonderful daughters. Poor Carol has a damaged thumb from too much mousework. 

After dessert it was time to exchange presents. There was a pile of them under the tree (bamboo).

The boys gave out the gifts.

Fox lends Granddad a helping hand.

Fox likes his gift.

Simon loves the beach and was happy to get a beach towel.

Bernie likes entertaining and he was happy with a big grazing board.

Carol likes her new pyjamas.

Bill enjoyed my joke. He had six teeth removed recently and he is still waiting for false teeth so I gave him some teeth for Christmas. They were jelly lollies (candies).

It was a fun Christmas Eve. We hope you all had fun too.

Ooops! Forgot to add the little family photo.

STARTED WALKING AGAIN AND LUNCH REUNIONS

 I was so happy a week ago when the pain in my back/leg had diminished to a level where I could once again meet my morning walk buddies and join them in a walk. I did it twice and now the pain is back but hopefully after Christmas and New Year I'll be able to join them again. We walked the Priest Gully walk not in the forest because it was too wet and slippery after days of tropical rain.

My blog friends who have read my posts for years will remember my Birthday Bear Group, where some of the staff from Kuraby State School got together after they retired to celebrate birthdays so as to keep in touch. Instead of giving presents for birthdays we dressed a teddy bear to symbolise something to do with the recipient's life/activities. COVID 19 interrupted our celebrations and then a series of illnesses put a stop to our tradition. However, last week I received an invitation to a Christmas lunch and reunion of the birthday bear group. It was so good to see everyone. Birthday Bear came too in a Christmas hat.

George and Bill chatting to Birthday Bear.

Helen, Ann, Me, Chris and Mary KSS staff in the nineties.

I had another Christmas Lunch Reunion with the Springwood Playgroup mums. We have kept in touch since we met when taking our toddlers to Playgroup 50 years ago. We often have a monthly coffee too.

Springwood Playgroup mums from the seventies.

LIGHT UP NIGHT

 At the beginning of December the village holds a "Light up Night", where villagers turn on their Christmas lights and invite their families to walk around the village to enjoy the lights. We also have carollers singing their way through the village. Afterwards everyone meets in the Community Centre for drinks and more Carols and chat.

Our unit and my neighbour, Sue's unit are joined together. She is a wonderful neighbour who helps me whenever I need it.

Bill keeping safe on his walk. He can walk without it but outside in the dark I prefer he takes it.

EAGLE HOUSE

 I was born in England back in 1942. At the time my parents and brother were renting a flat in Eagle House in South Woodford. We lived there until 1949 when we migrated to Australia. 

This is a photo of Eagle House when we lived there. We lived on the top floor, there were two bedrooms, a lounge, kitchen and bathroom. I think it is my mother and brother standing in front of the fence.

This was our little family in 1942. 

It wasn't until 1970  when Bill and I made a trip around the world that I went to see my old home in South Woodford on the eastern outskirts of London.

Bill took this shot of me at the gate in a mini skirt of the 70's. The house hadn't changed. The fence and trees were the same as in 1949.

The house stood on the corner of George Lane and Chigwell Rd. The train station wasn't far down George Lane and we did the shopping there too.

We have been back to England quite a few times because my brother returned to live there in 1975 and my daughter lived in London for seven years, However, I didn't ever visit Eagle house again but other people have.

My brother sent me this photo in the 1990's. The fence had been renewed but everything else looks much the same.

I have a blogging friend who lives in London and has a very interesting blog where she has challenged herself to visit every underground station and walk in a mile radius of the stations and record what she sees. When I saw that she was going to visit South Woodford station, I asked her to check out Eagle House for me, which she did and recorded it here:  These are the photos she took in 2015.

 The fence has been upgraded and the trees have been cut down (that's a bit sad).Traffic lights have been installed.

She asked me if I remembered the stained glass window. And I do, it was the bathroom window. She also explained that when the train line was built out there, wealthy merchants built big houses like this. It was later that they were converted into flats. 

I thought this would be the end of my connection with Eagle House but a few months ago I received an email from a young man saying that he lived on the top floor of Eagle House and he was looking up information about the house and he found my friends blog and through her he found my blog. He was very interested to hear how the place looked in earlier years and who had lived there. I sent him a short story about when we lived there and how close we were to the bombing during the war. He then sent me a video of what the house is like inside now. He was sharing the top floor with a few others. He loved living there..

So the magic of blogging strikes again.