CD season...

Yes indeed. It's CD season again, and we're nearly done! And I think we're all a tad exhausted but it'll be a great CD. It's going to be called 'Kingdom' - and will be out in time for Christmas!

Why do they call it Foster?

I don't know why they call it Forster when they say 'Foster'.




Iced chocolates and coffees for all
Brent, Maureen, Sarah, Heather, Ben, and Allan



Walking along the main beach at Forster



The sunset after our boating expedition on the lake



The view from Hawk's Nest across Port Stephens - looking towards Nelson Bay

Dave and Wendy's Royal Wedding

It was a beautiful day full of sunshine, love, and bubbles...

Progress

Our renovation plans are progressing well. Council is moving on it...what an answer to prayer! Hey, just need some money for it! Do you think the bank will give us a bit more?

We've (Allan actually) cleared out the plants beside the back steps where a lovely blue tongued lizard once resided...poor thing got upset that its home was being uprooted... so it was in the process of moving house...to the house across the road...but unfortunately got run over...horrible eh?

So Amanda made an open grave on the council strip with the kids...much to my neighbour's concern (slightly superstitious about the shrine-like structure surrounded by stones and flowers), or maybe it was the notion of a decomposing lizard that was bothering her!

I am Australian...

It's just a ceremony away. Brent and I will be Australian - how weird! But I'll still cheer for the All Blacks, get patriotic tears when I hear the haka, prefer my oysters battered, long for roast yams and kumera, and look toward the mountains.

Advance Australia Fair

Well. It seems that Australia is taking much longer to decide whether I'm a good candidate for citizenship. But Brent is quite worthy...which I find rather ironic! I might just miss out on having to vote this year - what a shame.

Pringle Gallery

Phil Pringle Art

Ps Phil Pringle has some really inspired paintings. I love his use of the palette knife - great texture! Here are some of his paintings available for sale (if they're not already sold), it's my first attempt at creating a slide show. Enjoy!

Favourite Restaurants

There are some great restaurants that I love in Sydney. And I'd go there all the time if I could.



Number 1: This byo is a favourite



Number 2: A great beach restaurant



Number 3: Noisy, fun and fusion



Number 4: Full of Mediterranean flair in a reputable street



Number 5: A great local restaurant - good value yum cha

Can you guess where they are? Answers are coming soon...

Answers:
1. Ripples - Milson's Point
2. Watermark - Balmoral Beach
3. Blue Ginger - Balmain
4. Sapore by the Fountain - Leichhardt
5. Golden Jade Restaurant - Eastwood

How to cook without a cooktop

I haven't had a cooktop for about 2 weeks, and it's been a tricky exercise in cooking and organisation. Aside from frozen lasagne and using the BBQ, and of course the occasional takeaway meal, my favourite method of cooking has been the slow cooker.



Here's one I prepared earlier - after 2 hours in the pot

It's been a rediscovery for me - the art of slow cooking. It's amazing that standard everyday ingredients can be tossed together in a pot for several hours, and result in something quite scrumptious - especially in the heart of a particularly cold winter. I love my slow cooker!


And now ready to eat

CCC Ryde's new building is official

It's been signed! The contract has been signed and it's all happening. Business has closed down in the Top Ryde Shopping centre and the bulldozers are coming in. The expected date of completion is sometime in 2010! Bring it on. It's very exciting and quite a miracle!

A model of the new Top Ryde Development. Our church will be in the wedge shaped building centre left of the model

Can't wait for my new kitchen



As you can see, it's time for a new kitchen. Lost the pantry door a couple of days ago...along with the cupboard door under the cooktop a few weeks before that! And then there's the fact that it's very YELLOW!!!



A quick sketch of what it will look like


And here's some that the draughtsman drew - just arrived today!


I know I should have done technical drawing at school - 'cos I'm obviously talented!

The plans are now being submitted to the Ryde council - that will take a few months - and the builder and the bank have given us a green light. Hopefully by the end of the year, or next year when we get back from NZ we'll be full steam ahead.

And now we're having fun kitchen hunting!

Almost Aussies

Update on citizenship! We've handed in all our forms, had an interview (boy that was tricky), and now it's been sent off to Canberra. Next, they check our police records to see if we are all round good guys worthy of being Australian - or not. Could our secret lives in NZ be discovered???

Animation - Penguins

Ooooh - it's violent!

Kiwi

This is really cute. Ben showed it to me - thx 2Nis

Becoming Australian



I did it! We've started the process towards Australian citizenship! We have our interview soon!

It's all starting to happen

The dream is taking shape. The bank has been, the draughtsman has been, the builder has been...so, our plans for extension are becoming more of a reality than just a mere hope, or whiff of something we've longed for.

It started 6 years ago with a rotten front deck, rotten back landing, rotten carpets, yellow kitchen and bronze bathroom with matching bronze wallpaper!

Step 1: Rip up carpets, polish floor boards, paint all the walls (except the kitchen)
Step 2: Replace rotten decks, plant a garden
Step 3: New bathroom
Step 4: Paint bedroom
Step 5: About to get a green light...extend back room across the deck and get a new kitchen, reclad entire house in corrugated colour-steel

Plans are about to get drawn up - so I'll show you soon.

This is also a fave

La la la de dum dum dum

My favourite song - blast from the past

Africa - Toto

Love is in the Air

Yippee, Dave and Wendy get engaged! Their wedding is coming up very soon in September. So we are eagerly waiting the big day.

And Joel and Hanna get married in Eden Gardens - now that's a touch a Paradise :) A beautiful day and they were beautiful also.

Blogging Lessons with Jenny

Oh the things I've learnt today from Jenny. She's the blog queen and we had fun giving my blog site a face lift - hope you like it!


Not only is she good with computers, but she's creative all round - even with snow!

Come and visit me

Waitangi Day Celebrations

in Wood Street

Kiwis are a proud people. We had our Waitangi Day celebrations with fellow Kiwis and some token Aussies, South Africans and Brits...well, we needed an audience for the Haka. And a mighty fine Haka it was too led by Sean.

A great BBQ! Cooks ablaze - Brent, Tom and Kepu!

Bikers - Rich, Brent, Simon, Ivar and Sean.

Andrew and Brent getting close........a mixed bunch of nationalities

Jess and Kara......................Karen, Jenny and Wendy

Vanessa - performing a strange Kiwi ritual (that she invented)

Tropical North Queensland

Port Douglas

We had a fantastic holiday in Tropical North Queensland. It was such a needed break, and we had the best time.

Cape Tribulation - rainforest meets the beach

The Incredibles about to go snorkelling at Low Isles - jellyfish 'stingers' protection

Watch out for the wildlife - it may cause a temporary loss of sanity if one lands on you...and may cause you to throw off your shirt in a frenzy!

Crocodile spotting on the Daintree River (upper left) and the lush view at Mossman

The beach at Low Isles (lower left) and Fig Tree

10 Favourite Holiday

Things-to-do in Port Douglas

1. Eat tropical fruit that you've never eaten before, even if it's expensive
2. Go on at least 5 boardwalks through the rainforest
3. Go to the Sunday markets - and buy fresh bananas and pineapple, frozen mango, and experience the real flavour of fruit
4. Buy vanilla beans - a bundle of 40 for $17
5. Go to Cape Tribulation and see the rainforest touching the beach
6. Go crocodile hunting on the Daintree River - get the guy with video camera
7. Visit Kuranda village - cute, and go on some boardwalks to see the Barron Falls
8. Find accomodation with a pool - and swim in it twice a day
9. Go out to the reef - Low Isles was great for the kids to snorkel off
10. Chill out - it's casual, watch DVDs and cook your own food...everything tastes better there anyway even if you're shopping from Coles

More from NZ 2007

Brent, Kerey and Jonathan go downhill from Signal Hill

Megan and the view of Dunedin from Signal Hill

We go and visit Ghung Ghung as often as we can in Leslie Grove Hospital.

And Por Por fed us till we were hungry no more!

We celebrate the 50th wedding anniversary again, this time at Megan and Nick's place.

Compelled to blog

Well I feel it's my duty to write something after such a long absence of blogging. Actually I'm compelled to do it because my dear friend Jenny Pocknall is such a blogger that she's tagged me. I wouldn't even know how to tag someone - but she's pretty darn clever.


Let's see. Our lives since the U2 concert in November - in pictures...


January


Megan and Nick get married Jan 2007! They were admirably calm throughout a house renovation and wedding plans the weeks leading up to the big day.







We go camping after the wedding and are joined by our great friends Ross and Fiona and the Wilson clan.




It's heaps of fun, and there's marshmallow madness!


While we're at Glendhu we celebrate Ma and Pa Wishart's 50th wedding anniversary. In true Glendhu Bay style - even with meringues and whipped cream.