Express Lane

The city view from the backyard

It seems as though one minute it was Christmas and the next minute it’s the end of January.

How did that happen?

Christmas was a wonderful family time with ten of us sitting around our dining room table.   There was lots of food…….very traditional with turkey, glazed ham, plum pudding as well as pavlova, trifle and cheesecake. There was lots of champagne as well!   I was so busy though that I didn’t take any photo’s!

We drove to Canberra on Boxing Day to spend a few days with my sister and her family so it was another great family catchup.   Watching all of our children together and the grandchildren playing together so well was wonderful.  They have always been close and it’s lovely seeing all of the grandchildren getting along so well.  It brought back a lot of memories.

New Years Eve was very quiet and spent with some very close friends at our home. We have a great view from our back deck and can see the city skyline during the day and at night……….it’s a long way away but the view of the lights at night is quite spectacular.   We were absolutely delighted to be able to see the city fireworks at midnight, even saw the top of the Sydney Harbour Bridge lit up,  as well as many other firework displays across the city.    It was amazing!

Hyde Park

January has been spent fairly quietly.   We caught the train into Sydney  two weeks ago, which  was an experience in itself!   We went into the NSW Art Gallery with my sister and brother in law to see the Picasso Exhibition.  It was years since I had been to the Art Gallery so really enjoyed it.   We were lucky to have a really lovely sunny day, not too hot and just perfect for sitting outside eating lunch before seeing the exhibition.  The trip home on the train was an experience as well……an hour of standing, squashed tightly together with hundeds of people!  I don’t think we’ll be doing that again in a hurry!

The weather has been quite cool at times and it seems as though summer really isn’t happening yet.   I have spent many nights rugged up in a blanket watching TV!  It has also rained…..a lot!   Our grass is growing so quickly we can’t keep up with the mowing and it’s greener that I’ve ever seen anything outside of the UK.   My vegie garden is very lush as a result and I haven’t had to water it since before Christmas.   I have lots of tomatoes growing but some sunshine is needed for them to ripen now.   The lettuce, spinach and cucumbers have been been growing very well and we’ve been eating some lovely spinach quiches and fresh salads.

We have been living in our “new” house now for almost 11 months……the time has flown by!   We’ve almost finished unpacking the boxes and most things have a home.   There are still a few boxes to unpack but as they’re sitting in the garage it’s very easy to forget about them.

Over the last 11 months, I have had a wonderful time painting rooms and sewing new curtains. I haven’t finished yet as there are still 2 bedrooms and the laundry to finish painting and to sew curtains for.   It seems that I’ve run out of time though.

The holiday is over!!    All good things usually come to an end and it did.

I went back to work last Friday!!!

Shock, horror!!

Huge shock to the system!

Walking into a new workplace is very stressful.

Meeting new people, new workmates………and watching them watching me!

I just wanted to turn and run screaming out the door!!  : -)

I stayed ……….and the plan is to go back on Monday…..

It’s very different to my last job…….and I miss it…….a lot!

Friday night saw me in bed early and I slept like a log.    Nervous exhaustion I think!

I was very lucky to have had the time off .

When I was offered a transfer last October, I thought it was a good idea at the time……..

Anyway….back to doing the normal weekend things when you’re working full time……..cleaning, washing, ironing, cooking………all done in two days what it’s been taking me seven days to do.

Now I have five days work ahead of me………wish me luck!

Today is the  Summer Solstice,  the longest day of the southern hemisphere year.   Don’t know where summer is hiding  though….we haven’t seen much of the sun yet even though the days are long.   It feels more like winter to be honest.   The up side of all the rain though is that my vegie garden is growing really well and we’re eating the lettuce and spinach.    The tomatoes are growing like crazy and have flowers all over them.   I have many cucumber plants and they all seem to be growing well.    Home grown certainly tastes better and it’s really good to know that all I’m washing off is the dirt from the garden.    It’s a spinach quiche and salad tonight.   The weeds and the lawns are also growing really well too and hopefully the rain will stop long enough to let us mow before the weekend.

Shortbread and golden ginger stars from womens weekly liftout March 1990. They taste better than they look

The tree is up...

I found a few very old magazines earlier this year when I was supposed to be culling my rubbish before our move.  I couldn’t bring myself to throw them out as I found some great old recipes that I thought I’d try for Christmas.   Some of the really old mags had great recipes, and always a knitting or craft pattern in them.  Okay……..I’m a hoarder!   Anyway….I’ve spent the day cooking and the warmth in the house and the spicy smell of fruit cake, gingerbread and shortbread is very welcoming!    I used  an old magazine recipe for a fruit cake which tastes great and also a recipe for ginger stars that is really nice.     I thought I’d try decorating some biscuits, they looked good in the photo and I thought I could have a go at it.     It wasn’t  exactly easy to use a piping tube  (it ended up in the bin)  and so I gave up before I totally ruined everything I’d cooked!!!  -)   I’d never make a cake decorator!!

Christmas t-shirts for the grandchildren

The patchwork skirt in progress

Patchwork Christmas skirt

I’ve managed to make a few things for the little ones……….a t-shirt each for the Christmas carols and preschool parties.   I’ve made a cute little tiered Christmas skirt with elastic waist  as well but still have to find time to make another one.   I did have a long list of things that I really wanted to make but as usual I have left everything to the last moment.   I may start again after Christmas and be very organised for next year!

I went shopping last week for a whole day…..traipsed up and down a very large shopping mall until my feet ached so much I could hardly move!   I was determined to stay there though until the job was done as there was no way I was going back.   When I finally arrived home, I  found some strange little burnt objects on my kitchen bench.  Couldn’t work out what they were…..but they did look suspiciously like Rudolphs droppings!     My other half   told me very proudly that he had cooked some biscuits and thought they were wonderful.   He  of course,  being such a great cook,   couldn’t work out how to turn the oven on so put them in a mini muffin pan, (was a good one),  and cooked them in the barbeque!!!  )    I have laughed all week….it took my mind off my sore feet anyway!

Rudolph's droppings!

I must go and clean up the kitchen……….I’m trying very hard to ignore the mess.

It seems as though it was only a few minutes ago that my first grandchild,  a gorgeous little  boy was born.

I’m sure it was.    Where does the time go?

Last week, we attended his Graduation ……. from Pre-School!   Such an exciting event!

The Hall was full!  Everyone had a camera or two each at the ready!

We sat very proudly with his mum, dad and his two sisters, watching Hayden and his little class mates sing and dance their little hearts out.   They did an excellent job of entertaining everyone.

There was a big case of stage fright though!     There were many tears at first.   Hayden  was very, very nervous so he told me.

After the singing and dancing,  the teachers started calling all of the childen up on to the stage ….one by one.

They each appeared dressed in robe and cap!   All of the children made their way from the back of the hall, one by one, to shake hands with their teachers and accept a certificate and a gift.

They all looked so cute…….and hardly a dry eye in the hall!

This will no doubt be the first of many but I wonder will they ever feel as special as this very first one did.

We’ve had crazy weather here over the last two weeks. We’ve had over 6 inches of rain, which when combined with some very hot and humid days, has sent the grass and gardens into overdrive.    After having lived in the far west and central west of NSW for the last 22 years and being used to the dry, hot heat,  it’s the humid weather here near Sydney that is now taking a bit of getting used to.   It is really nice watching the garden unfold before our eyes and seeing plants that we didn’t realise were there suddenly burst into flower.   The gardens are full of hydrangea’s and gardenia’s, so they’re looking lovely.

I had a birthday recently and was given a fantastic garden which I had been wanting for a while.   I haven’t planted vegies for years but was keen to try again.   I have planted some lettuce, carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes and spinach.   They’re all growing beautifully !   I also have some strawberry plants which are bearing the most delicious strawberries…….not many but a few every now and again.   Just enough for me to wash and then enjoy.  I think I’ll buy a few more plants.

I can’t keep up with the mowing and weeding though.    The roses are like triffids at the moment…….desperately needing  a light prune.   There is a huge rose garden in the front yard…….lots of roses and lots of weeds at the moment.

I’m a bit wary of diving into the gardens to grab weeds as I heard a rustling in the garden off the back deck this afternoon  as I was watering the pot plants!!!    I’m hoping it was a lizard but I made lots of noise and stomped around anyway.   With a paddock over the back fence and a few dams down the hill, it probably means that some slitheries will be around!!

The Gardenias are all out.

My tiny vegie garden!

Gardenia's and hydrangea's....... they're looking great!

I’ve lost count of the amount of times I’ve sat down to update this blog.

It’s been over 5 weeks since they left to fly back to Glasgow……..

Yes, we have skype……..but it’s just not the same

I shall just add a few photos.

First cuddles for nana and Holly

A very jet lagged Holly with papa

Cousins playing a few games

Chloe setting up the toy room for a party

The birthday has arrived

Barbie dolls are very popular

Birthday cake made by Aunty Claire

Birthday Party

Party games

Cuddles for cousins

Cuddles with a special aunty

Spending my birthday with my three kids for the first time in years

A trip into the city

A walk around Circular Quay....think I'll start that diet right now!!

The Opera House

On the Opera House steps

The last day.....

A last look at my view and they're gone!