Wonders

It is the last day of Autumn, even though I am missing the colours in Sydney, I think I've had my fair share of them this year.  With our trip to Melbourne and around my neighbourhood, I've seen many awesome colours.  Now I'm in Queensland, there doesn't seem to be many Autumn colours, one or two trees here and there, but they haven't really changed their colours very much.

Even though there is not much Autumn up here in Ormiston, the weather is lovely, the days are warm and the nights are cool.  I still manage to find wondrous beauty around me on my walks, and with my mum's little camera that fits so nicely in my pocket, I can whip it out when I see something photo worthy.

I've been accosting a man with his two handsome beagle boys every time I go for a walk.  We stop and chat, I tell him how handsome his boys are and ask about their training and he wishes me well with my mothers surgery.  They are such gorgeous dogs, Buddha on the left and Hunter on the right.

People and their dogs always seem to be so friendly....and yes I am missing my Amelia, which is why I stop nearly every dog I meet.  I do wish she was here to accompany me on my daily wanders.  I hope she hasn't chewed up too many more things while I'm away.  

I am very fortunate to view the sea every day.  The bright sparkle of the sun reflected off the grey blue water is very calming, and the cloud masses that form at this time of year are amazing.  Huge, snow capped, mountainous clouds surround us. 

As I sit here crocheting this afternoon and waiting for my photo's to upload, storm clouds are rumbling around the pale blue sky.  Not much comes out of the clouds it more of a threatening menace, however  I hear Sydney is getting a little wet at the moment.

I feel like I'm on a little holiday, the peace and calm is quite a novelty.  It's kind of bizarre not being in a mad rush to get the boys to school and all that entails a mothers day.  At night time, preparing a meal for two is a rather sedate experience to the one I'm used to, preparing a meal for five, making sure homework is done, baths are taken, lunch boxes are cleaned and forms are filled out for the next day as well as having a game with Amelia in between times.

Without all of the mad rush and craziness that is involved in my home life, I am missing the company of my four boys and wish they could be here with my mum and I.

I am very grateful to Donald and the boys for giving me the opportunity to be here with my mum.  They are real troupers!!

...

The Birds

....human and the feathered variety.

I am here in Ormiston with my mum.  It's just us and the many birds that visit everyday.  The Butcher birds, Magpies, Kookaburras and Rainbow Lorikeets.  The morning chorus is a lovely wake up call.
 

The Scrub Turkey's have even decided they get a pretty good feed around here too.  Not that my mum encourages them, they just invited themselves and are proving a nuisance scratching the mulch and digging up plants in their search for nourishment.  I have been spotted running out in the back yard in my pyjama's and dressing gown making funny noises to scare them off.  I think my mum's neighbours think she's got a loony living with her!!

Sadly I didn't bring my camera up with me, but I am managing to get a few snaps with my mums little digital Olympus.  At least I brought the laptop with me and our shonky mobile broadband (it's very much like dial up internet) and I can stay in touch with email and a small amount of blogging, if it lets me, it's a little niggley with uploading photo's.  So bear with me if my blogging doesn't seem as polished in photo's and format.  I'm just working with what I've got at the moment.

On Sunday we went out to visit some more birds. We visited my mother in law Joan out at Laidley for the afternoon and her three lovely ladies.

 

We love going to visit Joan, she's always good for a few laughs and we certainly need a few of those at the moment. 

So the birds got together for a little lunch, a natter, a cackle and an inspection of the house building out at Laidley.   The walls are up and soon the roof is to be started.  I might even get to see the roof raising, at least the start of it next weekend.

I'm up in Queensland for a little bit longer, mainly to be with my mum.

Later this week my mum has to go in for an operation.  On her last pap smear and pelvic examination a couple of weeks ago the Doctor found a few lumps after palpating her stomach.  After CT scans and ultrasounds and specialist visits, they discovered she has two large masses that have developed behind her uterus and bladder.  These are to be removed.  So I am here with my mum and the birds, meanwhile Donald and the boys are in Sydney with my little Amelia. 

I wish to remind you girls out there how important it is to have your regular pap smears, mammograms and check ups.  Prevention is so much better than the cure!!

ANZAC Day

I'm in Ormiston at my mum's and so have a little spare time to go through some blog posts I've been meaning to put up, but just haven't had enough time.  It just gets so busy around home when soccer season starts, the weekends just disappear so quickly as do the week days.  I've been meaning to post more about our Melbourne long weekend and ANZAC Day for a month now and time has just slipped away.  So here it is at last.

We caught the train into the city in the afternoon.  It was a beautiful clear day and there was lots going on, especially after the Melbourne ANZAC day parade.  People in uniform everywhere, soldiers, sailors, bagpipesmen.  I felt very proud and heart warmed to see so many service men and women throughout the city.

We spent the afternoon visiting ACMI, the Australian Centre for the Moving Image.  They were holding an exhibition on the Art of Disney Classic fairy tales, something close to Donald's heart.  There were displays of artwork from many of Disney's old and new animated fairy tales and snippets of the movies they were displaying the artwork of, lots of eye candy for Donald.  I think he would have spent the whole day and night there absorbing as much as he could.

We then spent the rest of the afternoon walking.  I had in my mind for a few weeks that I would love to visit the park where the Melbourne Shrine of Remembrance is along St Kilda Rd, and what better day to do it than ANZAC Day.  The walk through the park was lovely, beautiful sunshine and colourful Autumn leaves.  The boys made Autumn leaf angels by lying on the fallen leaves and swishing their arms and legs back and forth.  When you don't have snow to do it you use what you can. Now you may understand the picture on my blog header.

There are various memorials along the park as you walk towards the Shrine, somber reminders of the many wars and battles that our country fought and the many lives lost.  We made it to the Shrine just as they had finished cleaning up after the ANZAC day parade and service.  Somehow I think we were fortunate to be there at that time, it was peaceful and we observed the lowering of the flags and the last post being played as the sun was setting, a very special moment that the boys felt too.

Thank you to those service men and women who are still protecting our country today.

Lest We Forget

Homely Joys

I find little joys around the house each day.   Some days I can't see them for my preoccupied mind and the dimness that occurs within these walls, but when the light shines in and I can see out again, my goodness, how bright it shines!   I can see love, sweetness and light.   Toby reading with Grandma each day and being amazed at how quickly and how easily he is recognizing words.    

The leaves in the garden constantly changing with the movement of the sun.

Understanding Amelia's need to chew as her baby teeth fall out, making room for the new adult teeth.  I wonder if the tooth fairy will visit her, so far she has lost three teeth that I know of.

Finding a little time to pick up my crochet hook again for the first time this year.  It's kind of a good feeling as my fingers haven't forgotten what to do, although trying to keep the wool away from Amelia's chewy teeth takes another skill altogether.