The Storm

 A few weeks ago we had a terrible storm. Overnight trees toppled down right, left and centre. The wind howled, and the rain lashed down, and in the pitch black there was no way of knowing where they fell.

Needless to say, in the morning it was complete mayhem, with roads cut off, and trees laying by the roadside and all over the place like felled skittles.

Well today, several weeks on, people are still clearing up. We had a tree subside into next door's garden. As it was down the side of the house we didn't see it immediately, but discovered a bit later that it had uprooted and fallen mostly over the fence. We were left with just the root ball up in the air, and still growing completely unscathed were the Agapanthus, attached to the base of the tree, only now they are considerably taller than the rest!

It has been so wet that it has been impossible to do much, but the tree has been sliced up into huge logs, and as we can't move them, I now have to put my mind to the problem of how to incorporate them into the landscape, making them as attractive and unnoticeable as possible!!  Sounds impossible?  Probably it is, but hopefully when Spring comes and things start to grow, I shall be able to disguise them with extra planting. One can but hope!

So finally I have taken a few snaps of the situation. We also had large branches of Wattle from their garden come over the fence in our direction, and over the last week I have managed to dodge the persistent showers and gradually clear it all away. At last that has been put to rights.

Here are the belated pictures...once more dodging the showers to take them!

The stump of the trunk with Agapanthas still attached to the roots

They seem welded to the tree roots and are impossible to dig out!

Some of the logs about which I shall have to be creative

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52 years and counting

 So here's the thing, and I can hardly bring myself to say it, but we have reached another milestone. They seem to come thick and fast these days, and one could get quite faint even thinking about it. But as we can't go anywhere or do anything, with this, our 4th lockdown, we contented ourselves by delving through long forgotten albums to find any little gem that may remind us of yesteryear.

  I had originally planned to put some recent pictures here, but, when all's said and done, I really couldn't find much that would stand up to scrutiny in the harsh light of day, so we went back to the beginning.

   Yes, o best beloved, it was a freezing showery day in Sydney, and I had quite a few discreet layers on under my dress, plus tissues secreted about my person to stem the raging head cold that had developed a few days before. Apart from that, the day went with quite a swing. A few guests came to the actual wedding, but many more came to the celebrations after, which were held at the North Sydney Leagues Club.

  I have to say that a good time was had by all, and even Uncle Jimmy and Aunt Jenny got into the swing of things. I believe she ended up with an array of schooners of gin and orange in front of her....which, to her credit, she did her best to get outside of!!

 Now, these are dim distant memories, but notice dear friends that with black and white photography being the order of the day, the photographs are still as vibrant and fresh as the day they were taken. You can't say fairer than that. And yes, we both had considerably more hair then!! (And less medicines in the cupboard too!!)

  So now here we are, and lucky to be so, with family settled, and an imp of a 2 year old grandson to lighten our days. And yes.....the pictures below are us, and if you look carefully, maybe you can see glimpses of the senior codgers we have now gradually metamorphosed into. But, that's life, which, of course, is the title of this blog. How apt.

 So everyone raise a glass to the next 50 years.

It looks as if my hair is weighing me down!

Aunty Jenny lent me her stole as it was so cold,

Healsville Sanctuary

 Amelia, James and I went to Healsville Sanctuary a few weeks ago. It turned out a lovely day, and was enjoyed by all, especially James, who decided to run everywhere. We looked at all the animals, and then at midday, we saw the raptor display. After this, we got some well-earned lunch, and then went to see all the prehistoric monsters, with their life-like roars. James didn't know where to look first, and as soon as we got to one animal, he was off to see the next one.

 He never seemed to stop running, and when the day was over, and we got back to the car, he was fast asleep before we had driven out of the carpark!!!

 A good time was had by all, and the weather really behaved itself, and gave us a lovely sunny day. What more could you want?

Amelia and James with their backs to a small monster.

What child doesn't love to walk on anything other than the ground?

Pointing out the salient features of the dinosaurs!

Well, the music was playing, so we might as well have a dance while we're at it!!

A small upgrade

 Here is a picture of my new desktop computer, and my new desk!!

 Jim said I needed a new computer as I could go on a picnic while waiting for things to happen on the old one, plus I was in the spare room which is on the dark side of the house, and in the Winter months can be quite gloomy.

So we bought this one, and then I decided to utilise the back bedroom which is so much brighter. What's more, I have a superb view of the shed, so I can easily keep a weather eye on his lordship as he goes about his pursuits!!  A win win I say!!

So then, of course, I needed a desk. So off to Officeworks to get one. It is small, but all I need, as I have a small side table for my printer. Jim made a small shelf for the back, and I sprayed it black, and, as they say...Bob's your uncle!! The worst part was that it came in a flat pack and we had to assemble it. With hindsight it's probably not the best idea to build a flat pack via the instruction book with your spouse!!!

However, I am happy to report, no  blows were exchanged!!

After a few decorative touches with greenery from the garden, we are all set up. Plus a new chair, as my old one had a rather unfortunate tendency to collapse to the lowest setting without a moments notice.

Just another Glitch

 A couple of weeks ago, the dishwasher suddenly stopped filling with water. Jim suspected the inlet hose, and went online to see what he could find. The Samsung replacement was going to be quite expensive, and if we got a repairman out, even more so. With another couple of hundred or so we could almost have bought a new machine!!  So we decided that as there are only the 2 of us, we could do without it for a while, and just wash up as we go. After about a week of this, we realised that we were probably using more water and gas with the continual turning on of the hot water than was used in the dishwasher.

So Jim went back to the shed, armed with the serial /model numbers and his trusty laptop. Later, he emerged triumphant , having located a firm that makes hoses of all types, at about 1/4 the price. We weren't sure whether a different brand would fit, so he emailed the company. They told him what to check for,and then we ordered the part.

Australia Post must have sensed our urgency, because they delivered it a couple of days early. So yesterday he bit the bullet, and crouched with his head in the kitchen cupboard while wrestling with spanners, screwdrivers and the like. Finally it was done, and we did a quick wash to test.  Bingo!! So it was on with the covers and now good to go. All for about $40. Well worth it. 

Not his favourite position. Beanie askew, and wrestling with pipes and tubes.

Another one bites the dust

 So another 12 months have gone, and I have to say that these days they seem to go by with ever increasing speed.

I received a beautiful bunch of flowers from Amelia and Angus, and a very welcome visit from them all. James seems to sprout by the minute, and is into everything as most young children are. It's hard to believe that he is nearly 2!!

What a beautiful display

Well, finally I got the back bedroom relatively sorted out. I really don't have much spare furniture, so I just had to make do with the few bits I had, and a couple of things that Angus and Amelia left behind when they moved. We had painted the walls, and moved the spare single bed in, so as you can see it looks relatively like a bedroom, and will do for anyone staying for a few days. Now I just have to clean the carpet, and all will be done.

Real life truisms

 I was sent these by Dilys, who seems to be an endless fount of little sayings and funny little youtube items.

These are well recognised by people of our generation, and so I thought I would prepare you young folk for what lies ahead.

Don't be worried, as these things creep up on you so gradually, that you don't even notice, and the older you get the less you notice anyway, so the less you have to worry about. Makes perfect sense to me, but maybe I haven't noticed!!!

So herewith, a few little gems to impart.

And about time too!!

 Yes I know....I have been so slack of late, but, with a gentle nudge from Amelia, herewith the first post for 2021, even though it is almost the end of February already. My excuse is that as you get older, time seems to go faster and faster, and things seem to take longer and longer. But, you may say, well I now have all day to do it in. Obviously I can't win here.

 James is progressing well, and loving daycare. He will be 2 in May....it hardly seems a minute ago that he was a cooing baby, but now, here he is, a sturdy little car maniac, loving anything on wheels. I wonder where this comes from.

  Yes, Angus bears responsibility in part for this. However, I shall share some of the pictures of himself in his element, including a car in each hand....Bliss!!

Dashing off a quick masterpiece at daycare

Don't shout at us, we're busy with man things!!

I'm completely over these gas guzzlers!

Could you please wait on the sidelines when I'm racing Addy!

Obviously 2 cars are better than one, and yes, I bumped my nose, what of it?

I suppose I can put up with the odd cuddle or two, when I feel like it!!

I'm going to hide these before anyone else gets their hands on them.

So Amelia, you have jolted me out of my inertia, and I hope this is a fair representation of the life and times of James Anthony thus far.

 There will no doubt be future little gems to impart.

Time flies

 Well, here we are...galloping towards another Christmas, and STILL in lockdown. Every time we hope for a bit more freedom, our hopes are dashed. While other states go about their business, we are confined to the house, and have been since March.

But, we make the best of it, and the garden has seen more work recently than in the last 10 years. Jim has had quite a production line going in military model kits, and is in the process of doing a 50th version of his train layout!

Everything we have bought has been through the internet...I have almost forgotten what shopping is like...except for food. Masks are de rigeur, and everybody you speak to has an odd muffled sound, making it hard to understand clearly.

But, here is a recent picture of James. He goes from strength to strength, and now is toddling around, getting into everything, as they do at that age. Since this picture, he has had his first haircut...much needed, but needless to say he hated it. But now he looks just as sweet.

So hopefully in the next post we shall be back to some kind of normality...fingers crossed.

First Milestone

It hardly seems possible, but James turned one on the 2nd May. How the year has flown, even with the lockdown which we all put up with. So here he is, coming on in leaps and bounds, and now at daycare for 3 days a week while Amelia goes back to work part time.
At the moment he is not too keen on it, but this, I am sure, will improve after a while, when he realises that she isn't about to abandon him.
Hopefully he will mix in and develop his social skills!!  We can but hope!!
So here's a picture of the birthday boy with his wonderful present from Summie. This should keep him occupied for a little while at least!

You can see by his face that he is enjoying it.

Some cats will put up with anything

Just had to share this with you.
James absolutely loves their cat, and surprisingly, the cat will put up with any amount of rough attention from James.
He frequently suffers ear pulling, ear biting, and hair pulling, all the while seeming to enjoy it. Sometimes he is almost squashed flat as James launches his whole little body on top of him. He will lay right over the top, or just steady himself with a hand pressing on his body. The cat just lays still, with eyes half closed.
  Basically, he is a people cat, so attention is obviously his favourite thing. He could easily get up and walk away if he didn't like it.
Maybe he realises that James is just a baby, therefor he puts up with it like any mother or father.
So here's a picture of the cat and James enjoying themselves. Or rather the cat getting a good old pummelling!!!
James is looking extremely satisfied with the whole thing, and glances at mum for applause!

Coronavirus

Here we are. In the midst of the worst world crisis we are ever likely to see.
So we are all staying in our houses except for emergencies. We are now finding all sorts of things to do that would probably have been left undone had we had the freedom that we were used to. But it is different times now, and a different world, so I am sure the internet will get a hammering as some people grapple with something useful to occupy their days.

Here, we have the garden, which, if we were both 100% fit, would have been wrestled into a model of tidiness and attractiveness, but as it is, things are done as and when we are able.

As we all try to make the best of things, some situations are almost akin to the old tenet of the war years  i.e. "Make do and mend". It is amazing how many products you can save by frugal use when the chips are down. Today I have altered a very nice doona cover to fit a different size bed. Something I probably wouldn't have tackled if we were living our usual existence. So hopefully there will be more improvements in the weeks to come, as we all try to make the best of things and lead a productive and useful life in such an enclosed space.
 So here are a few more hints and tips, as gleaned from various sources.
Just have a chuckle.

Just one more!!

I just had to post this latest photo sent to me by Angus.

James gets more and more like a little boy, but still just as gorgeous!! Maybe a little slow in the tooth department....only 2 that I know of so far, but the rest of him is fairly perfect.
Give him another 20 years and he will be a real lady killer!!

Watch this space.

James at 9 months. Beautiful boy, and I am not the slightest biased, as Jim agrees with me!

Christmas 2019

I have been remiss in not writing a post for ages, but this was James's first Christmas, so I couldn't let that pass unrecorded.
On a sadder note, we lost Carmen...my brother Chris's wife....to cancer in a German clinic, just before Christmas, and now I hear Dilys and I have just lost our school friend Carolyn who had been battling Hodgkin's Lymphoma since 2012. The same age as us. Unfortunately, I have no photo of her to share.

So here are a few photos to mark the occasions...good and bad.

A few months ago

What am I doing here?

This was Elizabeth's 40th birthday, with Carmen, Chris and family

Thought I had better show you the Christmas tree. This is its second year. Hopefully it will last a bit longer.

I'm not too sure about this!!

For James's fan club

Here he is....some of the pictures you have already seen, but I was fiddling with Picasa, and just had to do a quick collage of a few of the photos so far.
Doubtless there will be loads more to come, when he reaches other interesting stages along the way, but at this early age, here are a few of his expressions.

James in all his moods, except crying!

50th

I can hardly believe I am writing this, but we have at last reached the milestone. Yes,  our 50th wedding anniversary was yesterday....6th June, which also, incidentally, is the 75th anniversary of the D-day landings in WW2. So I was just a year old then.

We had thought of having a couple of days away, but with the weather being so horrible, we decided that we could easily wait until things improved.
So here is a picture of my bracelet, which, with the help of Summie, I am gradually filling up. Jim bought me two rose gold baubles for it, and when we mentioned to the girl that it was our 50th, she produced one with a 50 on it, so of course we just had to have that one too.

Next week is Jim's 75th birthday, so now I shall have to have a think about that. However, yesterday I made a trifle, as I know it is one of his favourites, and better than a cake, so that was our celebratory food for the day. Unfortunately, I forgot all about the bottle of champagne that had been in the fridge since Christmas, so that will be saved for another occasion.

It's gradually filling up.

4 weeks old

I think he will be a bit of a talker, judging by this picture

At a month, little James is starting to be more aware and making sounds. We say he is talking, but certainly he is looking around and things in the house interest him. So now here he is, having a 'playtime',and telling it like it is!!  He is as hungry as ever, and at this rate will be a giant!!

Telling it like it is!!

And Again!!

So here is James at 2 weeks old. We all can see a big difference in his alertness and taking note of everything.
No doubt this photo doesn't look all that different to the first ones......but we in the know can see it!!

No, I shan't bombard you with pictures of him, unless something is noteworthy.

James at 2 weeks.

James Anthony

Here he is....our first grandchild, James Anthony (after his 2 grandfathers) only a couple of days old. We went to the hospital early this morning in blinding rain, as Amelia is still very tired and sore, and she had other family members that she wanted to see as well.
So I had a little cuddle, and here are some pictures.

And it's done!

Do we or do we not have a spanking brand new back deck......at last!?

Jim has worked his butt of to get it done, and now, here we are, ready for the next 25 years!!

So one more job accomplished in the long list of things 'to do' !!  As there are with any old house.

But how wonderful to come out of the back door and not be afraid to put your foot through a rotten plank!

So here is the proof!

Finally....a job well done!