December 2015

Hi folks - and a Happy New Year to you all!

December has been quite a hectic month for us here in Australia. We started off with Tricia's birthday early on which was celebrated with afternoon tea at the Lo Quay cafe at Riverton Bridge. Unfortunately I couldn't go as I had a previous bowls game arranged and it was too late to cancel.

From left - Aveni, Lizzie, Simon, John, Mike, Jo, Guisi, Tricia, Alex, Dylan.

The next event was Alex's 21st birthday party. She had it early as Dylan and his family would be away on her actual birthday. It went well with lots of young people there and plenty of food and drinks. The younger element played computer games, all of them connected to a big screen, while us 'oldies' chatted out on the patio.

Seafood paella

Alex and Lizzie

Ready for the big blow out!

Done!

Simon, Alex, Jo and Lizzie

Dylan's Dad and Mum, Andy and Mitzi

Dylan and Alex

Dieter, Marga and Maisie

We delivered John and Silvia's Christmas present to Dieter, Silvia's Dad, just before Christmas and Marga gave us coffee and some beautiful cake for afternoon tea.

Before we knew it Christmas was upon us! This year we spent Christmas Day with Jo and family and Max and Guisi, their Italian friends. It was a very enjoyable day with, as usual, plenty of Christmas food and drinks flowing very well, chuckle! Let's just say 'a good time was had by all!' 

Daniel opening presents

Tricia, John and Thomas

Christmas dinner!

Guisi and Max making a toast

'Do you like my decorations?'

Guisi is learning to speak English, and the above caption she had learned off by heart before arriving for Christmas dinner!

Simon - the host!

Jo - the hostess!

Lizzie and Alex

Brandy for the pudding!

Maisie

Mike and the Christmas tree!

We missed John, Silvia and the kids though. They celebrated Christmas with Silvia's family in Germany. 

Ultimately came New Year's Eve which we spent with Tricia and John's farm, Jo, Simon and the girls and Max and Guisi. Once again food and drink was plentiful as was the hilarity!

Maisie and Mike

John, Mike and Max

Max, in Mike's typically Aussie hat,  and Guisi

Jo

Lizzie, Guisi, Alex and Trcia

John and Max

New Year's Eve paella

We managed to talk to our John when our Aussie New Year arrived (and then again, next morning, when they were celebrating it in the UK with my sister and families)

I might add here that we have been hearing about the unusual and fairly mild weather you are having in the UK and Europe. Here, especially in the run up to Christmas and the New Year, we have been getting temperatures of 40+ degrees on some days!

Other stuff!

Jo has given us a beautiful painting she did after seeing one of Mike's Spanish walking photos. The painting, below with the judges comments, won a prize recently. We are so proud of her! It is now in a frame on our wall!

 

Judges comments:

''Inspiration by Jo Haynes is a peaceful and atmospheric work. Small and simple it captures an unknown vista with an understated trace of humanity that is reminiscent of the great Chinese landscape paintings. Not strictly a photo realistic painting it is never the less in that realist tradition that teases us with a meaning, half understood, about our place in the world.''

 

In between all the festivities Mike has been working on his Mark 2 Spitfire and tells me - again! - that's it's almost finished. Here's the latest photo of it.

Apart from that he has been renovating a couple of old bikes which had been put outside homes ready for the local council junk collection. He thought they might be useful for the kids when John and family come to stay.

He hasn't quite finished them yet, but as you can see they are well on the way!

John, Silvia and the kids are continuing to be racing about all over the place in Europe trying to see and do everything they can while they are there! They will be home in January.

Well, that's it for now. Hopefully the next update will at the beginning of February with all the January news!

Enjoy!