And then there were 5.....

Another cloudy day but not as cold which is good. Danielle and I went to Toormina to get a few things and then came back to await the arrival of Tanya, Lorraine and Gran. They did a bit of stopping on the way and they also had to take the puppies to the kennel so they didn't arrive till about 2.30pm. They all got settled in and we just hung out chatting for the arvo. We did get a bit of excitement when Tanya and I were coming back into the room and spotted a rather large Python in the garden. So I called reception and the maintenance guy came and then he got a snake man to come and get it and take it away. Dave, Lisa and Mitchell came round for a visit and when they left I made marinated fish with corn and wedges for dinner. We watched the voice and then headed to bed where I spent half the night coughing ...arghhhh.
Night xo

Dougs Birthday Lunch

So yet another bleak day when I woke up so I watched tv under a blanket while waiting for Danielle to grace me with her presence......which in the end I had to call out to her till she finally got up around 10.30am. I then organised with Doug and Emma to meet them at their house and we would go to lunch from there. And it just happens to be Dougs birthday today so it was even more reason to go out. We went to the Deep Sea Fishing Club which is on a hill overlooking the ocean so it was really nice. We had a lovely lunch and did alot of talking and before we knew it, it was 5pm so we headed off. We left straight away when we got back to their house as Lisa was waiting for us to come to the resort for drinks and last nights left overs from their BBQ. We picked her up and then Dave joined us a bit later with the kids. We just hung out watching telly, having drinks and eating. When the rain stopped they made a dash for the car to go home. Danielle and I watched a really good movie called Unknown and then went to bed. Tanya called me and there is a slight change of plans and they will be coming over tomorrow now :)
Night xo

Party at Fahey Castle

We woke up to another bleak rainy day and as we were wanting to go to the curry festival in Woolgoolga it wasn't looking good. We deliberated for a while and decided to go there to have a look and hope it wasn't raining there. But luck was not on our side and after the half hour drive it was raining pretty hard so we decided that we didn't want to get wet even though there were hundreds of people there we didn't think it would be much fun. So we headed back to Coffs and called into Carobana on the way where we bought a few carob treats :) Then we stopped in to Park Beach Plaza cause Danielle was hanging out to have a pie as she has not had one for 13 months. We bought a scarf each, did a bit of browsing and I got a free umbrella for spending over $100 there yesterday....bonus...lol. We headed home with a pit stop at Dan Murphys and Danielle was tired again so she had a nana nap for 2 hours. It was then time to get ready to go to Dave and Lisa's for a BBQ. Lisa came to pick us up at 5.30 so we could have a few drinks and didn't have to worry about driving. They had invited about 12 other friends around so it was nice to meet some new people. We even had a bash on Mitchell's electronic drums which was super cool. We had a great BBQ for dinner and lots of laughs. By 11pm everyone had gone home so we called it a night too and called a cab. It came in super quick time and we were home and in bed before midnight.
Night xo

Farewell Chloe

This morning was not very exciting except getting ready to go out. We went to Toormina and Chloe had her appointment at OPSM to get her eyes checked and nothing has changed since last time so her glasses are still good which is great. We left there and went to the Hoey Moey for their lunch special, Chicken Schnitzel, which is Chloe's favourite but was under protest by Danielle as we had it last night for dinner....but after she ate it she said it was really good. We then headed to Park Beach Plaza for some serious shopping. The girls bought all sorts of stuff and Chloe got some great bargains. I bought a couple of tops and a top/dress sort of thing and finally some boots...well 2 pairs actually, one black & one brown. I was all shopped out and it was time to take Chloe to the bus stop. Lisa and the kids met us there to see her off as well. After lots of hugs, kisses and a few tears Chloe got on the bus and off she went. I don't know when I will see her again as she is going to QLD this week to start her new job :( We headed back to the resort and we had planned to go out tonight but Danielle (aka Nana) was a bit tired and wasn't sure if she wanted to.....so after about an hour of deliberating we finally decided on staying home and Nana was in bed by 8.30pm so I watched the footy and then called it a night.
Night xo

Lazy Resort Day

Not much planned today so we went for a walk along the headlands, which is just beautiful, so I felt like I have at least had some exercise. The girls had a spa and I just layed by the pool. Lisa came round for a visit for a couple of hours and when she left we all had a bit of a nana nap....well Danielle's lasted nearly 3 hours....she tells me that she is an extreme nana napper...lol. Chloe made dinner tonight, potato slices on the BBQ and chicken schnitzel which was very nice. Hopefully tomorrow will be a bit more exciting :)
Night xo

Anzac Day

Let me start today by thanking every man and woman who has ever fought for our beautiful country and has allowed us to have the freedom that we have today....Lest We Forget.
So we made our way down to Sawtell this morning to meet the Fahey's and Val and Steve so we could watch the Anzac Day Parade. We had a coffee first and then watched the very short parade and took pictures of Mitchell and Sarah marching very proudly. We then went for a walk down to the beach and waited for the RSL to re-open. We had some drinks there for a while and then we all went back to the resort and spent a great afternoon having a BBQ and chatting while the kids swam. Everyone left as it got cool and dark and as we ate late we didn't really need dinner. So we just hung out and watched tv. But the exciting news of the night is that Chloe got a job as a Jillaroo on a station up in QLD starting asap....she is very excited about it and we are very proud of her.
Night xo

Rainy Day

We awoke to a pretty yucky rainy day that was not much good to do anything. But Danielle had a Dr's appointment so we got ready and headed to Toormina shopping centre. We went to see Dave at OPSM and I booked us all in to get our eyes checked and then we went to have a chai latte. Danielle went to the Dr's and Chloe & I went to Woolies to get a few things and then went to meet Danielle but of course she still hadn't been in & after an hour of waiting she finally got called. We went back to the resort & Danielle got picked up by one of her Tamworth school friends to go to lunch and Chloe & I just hung out in the room all arvo. The girls came back for apple pie and then I cooked dinner. By 9pm Chloe was coughing so much I rang Dave & asked could we come get some cough medicine, which we did and dosed her up. At midnight she had a huge coughing fit which turned into vomiting which was not very nice for her but she was ok then and didn't cough again.
Night xo

Owners Party

I actually slept in till 20 to 8 this morning so I was pretty happy about that. We had breaky and then went for a walk down to the estuary and around to the beach which was beautiful and the weather was perfect. When we got back we went to the pool and I ran into friends of ours, Nellie and Gary from Tamworth who are also the same couple we ran into when we were in Thailand last year....such a small world....lol. We went back to the room for lunch and a bit of a rest and then the lovely Lisa Fahey and kidlets turned up for a visit and a swim so we hung out by the pool for a while then back to the room for a snack. The Fahey's headed off and we all got ready to go to the owners party up at the Terrace. It's just an hour long get together with a few drinks to meet other time share owners. We chatted with a nice couple from.....you guessed it....Tamworth and another couple that we met last night at the BBQ's. When it was time to go we had to make a mad dash in the pouring rain to the room and as we had a few nibblies there the girls were not really hungry so my Chicken Al A King will be had tomorrow night. I was a bit hungry still so I cooked up some lamb ribs and Danielle helped me eat them. Ready now to watch Australia's Got Talent and then The Voice :)
Night xo

Sunday Sesh.....

I awoke before 7 this morning which is not much of a sleep in for a Sunday. Chloe and I got up and had a cuppa and then we all had bacon and eggs for breaky which was nice. We went to Coles and bought a few more groceries then went home to have some lunch. Dave came around at 3pm and picked Danielle and I up to go for a small pub crawl for a few hours. We went to The Coffs Surf Life Saving Club first, then the Hoey Moey (which have cider on tap....nice) and we finished at The Barrel Bar in Sawtell. A great afternoon was had by us all and we may even do it again next weekend :) We cooked a bbq and wedges for dinner and then poor Danielle passed out on the lounge before 8pm as I think her jet lag has caught up with her. Chloe has gone to bed too so I think I am going to have a shower and do the same thing.
Night xo

The wait is over.....Danielle is finally home :)

I was awoken by a phone call at 6.15 am from Danielle telling me that her plane could not land in Sydney due to the fog so she was sitting on the tarmac in Brisbane waiting to fly to Sydney. So I did not rush to leave Tamworth but I still got going by 9am. I said my goodbye's and off I headed. I stopped in Uralla at the driver reviver and the ladies there were so friendly that I didn't want to leave....but I had to so i did. When I drove into Armidale I was thinking to myself..."I wonder if the apple pie stand out the front of that house is still there"....and low and behold there was the sign....and 1 apple pie left...so I pulled in and bought it from the lovely lady....Danielle will remember us buying them years ago and will be very excited (Chloe won't care cause she hates apple pie...lol). Danielle text me and said she would not be at Coffs till about 5.30pm which I was a bit bummed about so when I got to Coffs I went straight to some of my most favourite people in the world's house, Dave and Lisa, for a visit and filled in a bit of time. I then went to the resort to check in and my room was ready so I went and unpacked everything and then headed to Woolies to do some shopping. Back to the resort to unpack that and then sat down with a drink to wait. Then I get another call from Danielle to say they would not be here till about 7.30pm....OMG....I was going a bit stir crazy by now but not much I could do about it so I just waited a bit longer. I started preparing dinner and then I finally got what I was waiting for.......In came my beautiful daughter followed by my other beautiful daughter....what more could a mother want. I was soooooo happy to have them both here safe and sound. As you can imagine alot of talking took place and we had a great night. Chloe will be staying here with us till Friday and Danielle and I will be here for two weeks.....YAY.....Tanya and her mum and Gran will be joining us on Tuesday week also which will be great. Till tomorrow :)
Night

99 Days of Traveling

So today is our 99th day of traveling.....how time flies when you are having fun. And I was going to wait till tomorrow to say 100 days but Danielle coming home is going to be way more important than that so she will get the title....lol. We went into town this morning and Tanya dropped me off at Joblink Plus while she went around to Club Synergy to give Kay a massage and I do believe a lecture on slowing down and listening to her body which is screaming it out also....lol. I caught up with lots of old workmates which is always great and we arranged to have lunch at 12pm. Chloe arrived in Tamworth today also and she came to see me to give me a couple of things that we had left in Coona. She is going to Sydney in the morning with Craig to pick Danielle up from the airport as a surprise....and I will not post this until I know Danielle has arrived so I don't ruin the surprise in case she reads this. It has been very hard to keep this a secret for so long but I have done it (well sort of). Anyway back to today....so Tanya came back to get me and we went to The Vault (which is not the vault anymore but I can't remember the new name) and met Bec, Dale, Mausy and Libby and we had a lovely lunch and a couple of ciders while catching up on all the goings on. When the girls went back to work we did a bit of browsing in Kmart and then headed home. Tanya ran her 5kms on the treadmill and then we had some yummy nibblies and a drink. Tanya made Nachos for dinner and we watched the footy....Go Aussies :)

Night xo

Boot Shopping.

Our aim today is to find a pair of boots for Alvo so off to town we went. After looking in a few shops we were unsuccessful in our mission but not beaten, Alvo is off to Coffs on Saturday so will have a look over there. We stopped for a coffee at our friends cafe, Yum-To-Go, and chatted with her for a while. It was great to catch up with her. We arrived home just after lunch so indulged in rice crackers, smoked mussels, homus, tomato and onion. Pop was sleeping in the lounge room so I held off with my run until he woke up at about 3.45pm. It was hotter than yesterday in the garage but I still made the 5km and feel great. Legs are a little sore but I will push through. Mum and the crew head into the club tonight so we decided to catch up with a friend at the Services Club. We also made a small donation to the club through the pokies but we had a fun night. Alvo and Mum had already prepared and cooked dinner earlier in the day so when we got home Mum was cooking the rice and everyone loved the chicken stir-fry. A Touch of Frost on telly and then off to bed.
Tanya

Shopping Day - Wednesday.

Today is Mum's shopping day and I love going with her so Alvo and I are going to tag along. First stop is the health food shop so that I can get some tissue salts for my congestion then to shoppingworld. We started off in Big W to look for a mouse and an SD card reader for Mum, then back to the supermarket. We got everything on the list and a little bit more including a carton of the new sour apple cider from 5 seeds and a couple of sneaky bottles of port. Mum took Gran back into town for an appointment in the afternoon and Alvo and I stayed home, we were having a nanna nap. I did however boil potatoes in readiness for our finger food dinner tonight and jumped on the treadmill for day number one of getting back into exercise. I just did 5km and the treadmill only goes up to 10km/hr so I had to just not push myself and ease back into it.....it has been a while.We all contributed to the cooking of dinner which included potato rosti with smoked salmon and horseradish cream, salt and pepper squid, marinated prawns and cider battered fish bits. The whole meal was a hit and we were all too full to have rum bananas for desert so that will have to wait till tomorrow night. A few sneaky ports and then off to bed.
Tanya

Farewell Coonabarabran

We said our goodbyes to Dad this morning at 8am as he had to go to town early. As we were not in a hurry, we leisurely packed everything up, watched The Voice, (which is bloody awesome), washed the car and then stopped in to pa's to say goodbye on our way to Serena's. We had a cuppa there and left just after 12pm. We got to Tamworth greeted by the rain. I got the tour of Lorraine's new house which is very nice and the puppies were excited to be back with their buddy Pepsi. We didn't do much for the arvo, had dinner, watched tv and headed to bed.
Night xo

Pilliga & Beyond

I had to put the alarm on for this morning as we needed to be at Serena's by 8.30am for our day in the Pilliga. We headed off to Pilliga Pottery and got there at about 9.30am. We had a look through the amazing collection of pottery and Johannes who is the master potter gave us a demonstration which was very neat. We sat out in the beautiful courtyard in the sun and had a coffee and then bought a few little cool items. It is such a beautiful place and well worth a visit to. We left there at about 11am and headed out to the Sculptures In The Scrub about 60-70 kms away in the middle of nowhere. We did the 2.5 km walk which takes you past the 4 sculptures and through some spectacular bushland and also well worth the trip. As we were leaving a car pulled up and it was a couple of local guys that Serena and I knew but had not seen for 20 plus years. Funny the places you run into people. We left there and Luke and Tanya decided that it looked quicker on the map to go another way to get to Baradine so we went that way only to get about 15 kms down the dirt road to be faced with a creek we could not cross....sooooo back the way we came and after what seemed like forever on the dirt we hit Baradine. It was past 2pm by this stage and we were looking forward to going to Freckles for lunch which is owned by 2 very old friends of mine only to be faced with locked gates as they are not open on Monday's. So we went to the Discovery Centre and Jillian called Narelle and she told us to come around to her place for coffee. So we got some hot chips from the cafe and went to her house. I have not seen Narelle for about 12 years so it was really nice to catch up. She took us down to the shop for a look which was really great of her and it is so cool so we will definitely be going back there for a better look and lunch when we are back next. We said goodbye at the shop and then went back to have a look at the Discovery Centre and also to catch up with Jillian who I had not seen for years (except briefly on Friday night at the pub). 5pm came very quickly and it was time to let Jill go home and we headed back to Coona. When we got back to Dad's he was busy cooking his famous Chilli Con Carne. Kris arrived home late as she is doing overtime and then we enjoyed Dad's dinner with a bottle of Argentinian wine. What a great day to end our time in Coonabarabran. Off to Tamworth tomorrow.
Night xo

Sunday again......

Well we have had yet another day of not doing much at all. We were all a bit tired so not doing anything was a good thing. I went over and saw Pa for a while and we washed the puppies but that was about it. Tanya slept for about 3 hours but I only managed to nod off for about half an hour. Kris made German sausages, mashed potatoes and salad for dinner which was beautiful. An early night I think as tomorrow we are actually going out to do some cool stuff.
Night xo

Dinner party at Dad's :)

We spent the morning not doing too much at all. I did manage to vacuum our car and also Kristen's car so I can say I did something constructive. We started preparing dinner as Kris has invited Richard, Claudia & Mati out for dinner. They arrived at 4pm and lots of talking, nibbling and sipping went on. I finished making the  Panang Chicken with the help of Tanya and it was enjoyed by us all. Lots of port was tasted and Dad cracked the Jagermiester which went down rather well. We all had an awesome night and finished up at about 12.30.
Night xo

A Night Out

I spent the day doing a couple of massages for people who are truly grateful and then bid farewell to Mum and Gran just before 5pm as I was off to pick David up and head back to Coonabarabran. I got back to David and Serena's at about 8pm and tasted the delicious lamb curry she had cooked before heading off to Norm's to drop the puppies off as I was meeting Alvo in town at the pub where she has organised for a few friends to get together. The Imperial Hotel was pretty busy and there were some great friends there to catch up with. Some that I haven't seen for quite some time. We all chatted, danced and shared each others company until almost midnight and then decided it was time to call it a night. Norm and Kris were in bed when we got home so off to bed it is.
Tanya

So my day was spend doing pretty much nothing again but I am happy to do that so all is good :) My lovely niece Chelsea drove me into town and I bid Serena farewell. I met Nicole at her place and we walked to the Golden Sea Dragon where we had a couple of drinks with some beautiful Peking Duck and Fried Rice and caught up on the goings on in our lives. Then Lisa turned up and we were waiting for Jillian but by the time she got there we had to go to The Imperial to meet some others. Sue and Jamie turned up along with Sarah and Clinton and Louie. We had a great night catching up and having a bit of a dance. Sue and I thought we might try our luck on the pokies but unfortunately didn't come out winners. All in all it was a great night and I was so glad to catch up with everyone. We must do it again soon.
Night xoxo

Into town

Serena had an appointment in town today so I thought I should venture in so as not to do nothing again all day. We went to the Boronia Cafe and had coffee first and when Serena went, I walked around to check out the op shops but didn't find anything to buy. I ran into a couple of friends I went to school with who I have not seen for years and also saw Sue with her nieces and little Sarah. I then went to Woolies to start Serena's shopping where I also ran into a few people I knew so I was there for quite a long time which was a good thing because Serena was longer than expected. When we got home dad was there and I helped him work out his frequent flier stuff. I made Lasagne for dinner and we watched tv. Not a very exciting day again sorry :(
Night xo

Extremely lazy day

I am sorry to say but today's blog will consist of absolutely nothing as that is what I did all day. Serena suffered from extreme hay fever all day and was in bed by 8pm. Luke & Ben made Bruchetta for lunch and Luke made a trifle as well. Chelsea & I made fish, wedges & salad for dinner. And that is it....there is no more :)
Night xo

Lunch with the girls

I don't know what is going on with this weather but man has it turned cold....had to sleep in my flannies last night. Kris was back at work today so I did the housework for her before packing a few things to go to Serena's till Friday. I went to town and met up with Sue and Jo at the Imperial and as usual we had a very funny time over a drink and a nice meal. We finished off with putting a few dollars in the pokies but with no luck. We said our goodbyes with our plan for Friday night made and I headed to Serena's and just hung out for the arvo. Serena made yummy Sate Chicken for dinner, the fire was put on which was just lovely and we watched tv. That is all :)
Night xo

A Lazy Monday

I was up at 7.30 this morning & headed to Serena's to say goodbye to Sam, Brydon, Chloe, Jess, Julian & the kiddies. I had a cuppa with them and when they left I went back to Dad's where we helped with some pruning and then did absolutely nothing except have a nanna nap on the lounge till 2.30. I took Tanya down to Serena's as she is getting a lift over to Tamworth with David to see her mum for a few days while he is there working. I had another cuppa and then went back to Dad's for a shower & we sat on the verandah for a drink. The weather has turned very cold today so we didn't stay outside too long. We enjoyed some lovely leftovers for dinner and while Dad is snoring on the couch Kris & I chatted over a wine. I spoke to Danielle today and she had just been on a helicopter ride over the Grand Canyon on her Contiki tour. She said it was awesome & is having the best time. 12 more days till she gets home...YAY. It's only just after 9 but I think it is bed time very soon.
Night xo

Easter Sunday Get Together

This morning was spent getting ready for everyone to come to Dad & Kristens for another gathering at 12 o'clock. I made a sticky date pudding and we helped Kris prepare stuff for a mega BBQ. The afternoon was spent with the usual eating, drinking and lots of talking. The BBQ was awesome and no one went hungry. Jess & Sam made up nibblies for dinner and everyone left quite early around 8pm. Sorry for the very short blog but there really is nothing else to say.
Night xo

The Bunny Bazaar

We were up at 20 to 8 this morning and had some eggs for breaky before I headed to town for the annual Bunny Bazaar. Tanya stayed home to do some relaxing and also she is is not real fussed on coming along as she knows how much I stop and talk to people she doesn't know and gets a bit bored. I met Chloe in town and we did a lap of the main street which took a few hours as yes I did stop and talk to alot of people and it was great to catch up with some that I hadn't seen since last Easter. By the time I dragged Chloe around Woolies she was well and truly ready to head home. I dropped Chloe to Serena's and stopped for a bit of a chat and then went back to Dad's just in time to make some nibblies and have a glass of bubbly. I had a lay down on the banana lounge for a rest and Dad, Kris and Tanya went for a walk around the garden. I made Massaman Curry for dinner which got the thumbs up from Dad who is a bit fussy with curries so I was happy about that. Tanya forgot to mention in yesterdays blog that my beautiful niece Jessica and her boyfriend Julian announced their engagement last night. He was so cute when he got down on one knee and asked her. Of course she said yes and we are all so happy for them and can't wait for the wedding in October. Another big get together tomorrow so it will be bed time soon I think.
Night xoxo

Bluff Mountain

There was no need for the alarm this morning as I was awake before it went off, I must be excited about heading off to the Warrambungles. I was up and ready when Phil arrived and we headed off, Alvo was up and at em too taking the puppies for a walk around the farm and then head to her sisters house to prepare the feast for tonight. Phil and I chatted about this and that all the way to the National Park. He took me to Whitegum lookout first to get an idea of the orientation of the place which will make it easier to know where we are once we are in the park. There were a few cars in the carpark when we got there which is good to see and with our water bottles and an apple or two we set off into the wilderness. Initially we had plans of conquering Mt Exmouth which is the tallest peak in the park but Phil suggested heading up a different route as the views are much nicer, he is the boss so I wasn't about to argue. Phil has walked every track here many times so I would be wise to listen to him. There was water running in the creek which made the start to the walk just beautiful and I knew I was in for something special. We walked and chatted for quite a way until we started a bit of a climb where things were a little more challenging and the 250ish steps we climbed didn't warrant any chatting either. We spotted the main spires and landmarks in the park along the way and got an idea of how large they are as when we get to the top of Bluff Mountain we will be looking down on them. The butterflies led us alot of the way and are just beautiful. The sound of the trees and the birds is something that I just get totally absorbed in. It took us about 3 hours to get to the top and was worth every minute, on the way there were groves of black boy plants which were amazing and on arriving at the top we felt like we were on top of the world. The view is spectacular and as Phil predicted there was an eagle soaring above us. I am grateful that Phil took me today as this was really my first walk of this kind and I could quite easily get hooked. The walk was about 16km in total and took us around 5 hours to complete and then it was back to the farm to get ready to meet the whole clan down at Alvo's sisters house which is only about 7km away. Seeing everyone there was great and we all got chatting and drinking and eating of course and the food consisted of Chicken Madras, Chilli Prawn and Avocado Salad, Warm Pumpkin and Feta Salad and a Leg of butterflied lamb done on the bbq and was absolutely delicious, all this eaten while sitting around the usual fire that we always have at Serena and Daves place but strangely enough didn't turn out to be such a late nite with us finishing up at about 10.30pm so home we went and headed straight to bed, I think I will sleep well tonight.
Tanya

Easter Trip

This morning we woke early as we are heading straight to Coonabarabran for Easter. We headed off waving madly to Kim and Nic as we always miss that place when we leave. Our silly GPS had no idea where we were going so took us through the tolls which we can go online and pay. It was a usual trip of fruit for breakfast and Thai for lunch in Moree which was just beautiful. The puppies were as well behaved as ever and I took over the driving just after lunchtime. No detours for us today and once I put on my music I could drive for hours. We arrived in Coona just after 4pm and Norm was lazing on the verandah after his shower. We unpacked the car and waited for Kristin to arrive home who when she did was buggered from a hard week at work so had a little snooze before Ros and Phil came over for dinner. It was so great to catch up with those guys again, we have missed them. Norm made Chilli Con Carne for dinner which was great and Phil and I arranged to meet for a walk in the Warrambungles tomorrow morning. Off to bed now after a few cheeky ports as I need to set an alarm for the morning.
Tanya.

The Op Shop Marathon

Up early again this morning to have a cuppa with Kim before she heads off to work. We are going to have a look at the shops at Redcliffe and then hang out with the crew after lunch. We found a couple of great Op shops and made a contribution in return for a few awesome items. We also looked in one of the most beautiful shops I have seen after it was recommended by the lady at the Coeliac Shack. It had beautiful jewellery and lovely tea cup and saucer sets and everything they make in there is 100% gluten free. Before heading home we called into the RSL for a flutter on the pokies and made a donation yet again.....oh well, we had fun doing it and enjoyed a cold cider while doing it. After a bite to eat at Kim's house I was off on the great Op shop marathon while Alvo stayed at home for a rest. Kim took me to the most awesome shops bigger than any other Op shop I have ever seen. I did manage to find some great bargains and we even called into the camping store for a gander. I also found a bargain in there....ahhh success. We had a baked chook for dinner tonight and Kim and Nic got busy cooking it when we arrived home. A friend of Nic's called around and we just lazed around until dinner was ready. A bottle of bubbly was consumed while all this was happening which was nice. Kimbo has the day off tomorrow but we can't spend it with her as we are leaving in the morning and heading for Coona. Big drive so off to bed.
Tanya

Camping Store Marathon

Our aim today was to look at as many tent designs as possible so that we could get an idea of the type of tent we will upgrade to....Alvo was sooooo excited about it (not). She did however do very well in the tolerance department as I dragged her to every store in sight. We also visited the home brew shop, pet barn and had lunch at an Indian restaurant. By the afternoon we were buggered so headed for home and were almost there when out of the corner of my eye I spotted Amart All Sports and was cheeky enough to ask Alvo to pull in. She went to WOW while I looked around in the sports store for about an hour. I tried on bathers left right and centre and decided on a few pairs that ended up to be an absolute bargain. I got $225 worth of stuff for $55.....love it. Alvo phoned me while I was in there and asked me to go and meet her at WOW because she had found things to buy. She had her hands on a mini tripod with a cleaning brush, camera case and SD card reader for $10 and a new camera case for our bigger camera for $15....all of which would normally cost $70 so bargains were being had all round. Now it is really time for home, a rest and a cold glass of bubbly. Kim wasn't going to be home from work until after 8pm so we are all waiting for her. I cooked fish Laksa and everyone was starving by the time eating it came around. We had an early night which ended with a bit of reading.
Tanya

Making our way back.

Judy took us for a burn around the retirement village in her little electric buggy this morning, the place is quite big and the gardens are lovely then we said goodbye to the Sunshine Coast after catching up with Marian and Gary on the way out who are caravaning at Cotton Tree. We arrived at Kimbo's shack not long after lunch and her and Nicole are over picking Nic's son up from the train station so we, as usual, let ourselves in and make ourselves at home. The puppies remember the place and are as relaxed as ever. Kimbo and the crew arrived home with supplies for the BBQ she has planned for dinner. I however am going to scour the pantry and whip up a curry as I really need a curry fix. Kimbo has all the ingredients for an awesome curry and I was successful in making what I call a "Johnny Cash". I chopped and prepared potatoes, onions and salad for the BBQ and Kim did most of the cooking. We didn't have a late one tonight but may just find a couple of bottles sparkling wine tomorrow.....
Tanya

Being in Nature

Our day started with a visit to the Noosa Farmers Market which is overflowing with great food, lots of gluten free goodies and fresh produce. We met up with Gina there but she left early due to it being way too busy to navigate the mountain pram around. We bought some delicious young goats cheese which is kind of in between a ricotta and a fetta.....yum, some spicy salami and some jalapeno and lime hommus. Alvo found some gluten free friands which we bought to share with our coffee. Judy has lived in Noosa for some time but has never been to the Farmers Market, she loved it and am sure she will be visiting there again. We sauntered off at about 11am and after dropping Judy home headed off to meet up with the girls from the wedding for lunch and a bevvie at the holiday house in Noosa Waters. There were some very sore heads there so I cooked a BBQ for them and we chatted about the goings on from the night before....great bunch of people. The family arrived so we decided to leave them to it for another round of BBQ and Alvo dropped me off at Gina's place who is going to take me to the Botanical Gardens. Gina and I packed Ruben's (her almost 3yr old) bike into the car and off we went. We always seem to go and spend time in nature which grounds me and makes me feel great. We wandered around the beautiful garden taking photos of various flowers and plants, it is beautiful there. Ruben was content to be pushed around on his bike until we got to the lakes where the turtles needed to be fed and frogs needed to be searched for. He is such a little character, I love spending time with him. We ended our visit with a play on the slide and the swings and then it was back to Judy's place for me. Silverside is on the menu tonight along with some prawns that Judy bought from the markets which were huge and delicious. I then headed to Dan Murphy's as a visit to Gina's place is not complete unless we share a Bundy but unfortunately it was closed when I got there so a Gin had to do. We sat and chatted about our travels and looked at photos which is always easier when Ruben is asleep. It got late and Gina was yawning so I decided to head off hoping to catch up with her again in May. Everyone was in bed when I got home so I followed suit.
Tanya