Here’s the news for February! It’s been a shorter and very hectic month for us – hence the lateness of the update, and only a few photos with very little text, as we are still very busy!
Jo and Simon celebrated their 21st Wedding Anniversary this month, and are still looking good together, chuckle!
Mike has been busy on the patio preparing a display of some of his paintings for an event in March
Here is one of his most recent paintings
We have also been renovating the kitchen – mainly because we needed a new oven and hotplate. We originally had gas, but decided to change over to electricity, which we think will be cleaner and possibly safer for us, now that we are getting older – no naked flames to be left on if we get forgetful, chuckle!
Mike had some difficulty making the surrounding cupboard for the oven to get it exactly right according to the instructions, which weren’t very clear. Also the hot plate measurements given in the booklet didn’t allow for some screws which protruded beyond the measurements, so we had to take both the oven and the hotplate out quite a few times before it was all exactly right. I’m so lucky to have a hubby who has been previously been in the building industry for years and can do everything from brickwork and plastering to carpentry and tiling! (Mind you, he won’t be taking it up again any time soon, he says lol!)
Here you can see where the old gas cooker stood.......
....and here's the new oven and hotplate in place. (We brought in an old piece of carpet to make a softer working area for Mike's back and knees, chuckle!)
We still have lots to do, and will be leaving the white top cupboards as they are, but changing the bottom ones to black, and possibly having another cupboard under the left hand bench top. We will also have a row of black tiles round the work tops.
(I have to say that, as the oven and hotplate were only connected up on 1st March, I have managed to cook a successful fruit cake and roast chicken without any dramas, considering the change from gas oven to fan forced electric – with all the bells and whistles, chuckle! The change from gas rings to a touch control ceramic hot plate was also a bit daunting but we are getting used to it now).
Because of all the kitchen work, Mike has been unable to walk for a couple of weeks, but I think it has kept him in good shape anyway – apart from a couple of days recently when he had some kind of tummy bug!.
Here are some of his wild life photos.
A huge spider who's web he nearly walked into!
A Darter, drying it's wings. 
Some white cockatoos frolicking on the grass....
.....and resting in the trees.
Here's one I took of an Ibis in our front garden.
I’ve had to keep playing bowls of course, as Pennants is nearly over now, so these last weeks have been important ones. However, I’m pleased to say our 2nd Division Red team is now unbeatable, even with 2 games still remaining, so we shall be promoted to 1st Division in the 2012-2013 season at the end of this year! (Another item I can cross off my bucket list, chuckle!)
Apart from the 2 games left to play, we also have to play off the other colours in the 2nd Division to win the actual Pennant Flag, which we are hoping to do, so there should be more news of that next month.
All the family are OK and also very busy, Jo with her art, Alex with her job, Lizzie with school and Simon writing. John and Silvia are hoping to move into their new house around Easter and the kids are all happy and healthy.
Well, that’s about it for now. Mike maybe updating his Mike Downunder and Painting blogs too during the next 2 or 3 days – if he gets time! - so you might like to visit them too.
Enjoy! See you all again next month.
