What have we been doing lately, apart from me playing with photos - actually loads of things really.
Last weekend we went to Brisbane to celebrate my eldest God daughter's 40th birthday, - where have all those years gone since Ails gave birth to Joanna Elizabeth in London in 1971??. Lovely casual barbeque evening - Jo's younger sister, Kiri, is a creative little baker, and she made all these cakes, with their baby sister, Gilly's help. I think this was the only time during the afternoon I saw Jo stand still so her Mum and I could take a photo!
Have done a few walks, mainly locally, but also at Burleigh Heads, trying to play with my lens on the little camera.
Love this bike we saw parked at the Heads
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Some photos from Petrina's blog - she is in India for 5 months
Gail and Steve's eldest daughter, is settling into very basic facilities in McLeod Ganji, doing some teaching, and sounds like she is thoroughly enjoying it, must say the description of some of the basics, or lack thereof, are very amusing. The photo above is Trina turning the Prayer Wheels at Norbilinka, the Dalai Lama's Summer residence. It looks like she may get to hear him speak next week.
Monks in the Great Tibetan Buddhist Library - I believe this is when she was in Dharamasala
And her early morning guests outside her room - a very noisy family!!
Last Monday we went out with Petrina's grandmother, Auntie Beryl to a Conference, then followed that up with a great pasta lunch at the Sage restaurant. Think Auntie is just wondering - why Trina is doing whatever she is doing, guess so am I?
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The Kiwi kids are back in Auckland - they had a great time in Ireland though, and how charming is an Irish forest?.
Imogen playing in the Portglenore Forest near her Grandmother's place*****
We have just booked our airfares to Auckland, so we will be there in January for Immy's 4th birthday.
Ethan showing of his archery skills, with his home made bow and arrow - courtesy of his step grand dad - Noel
Sarah's family - Four generations - Sarah, Ian and kids with the kids Great Grandma (Supa Nanna - Ian tells me there are 22 grand children, and as many great grandchildren) and she still runs a B and B in Northern Ireland, the kids grandmother, Ann, and their step grand dad, Noel . They are in the park of the Glenariff Forest - and you can see the Mull of Kintyre in Scotland across the water.
They had a very interesting trip home via Singapore - and I was wondering what tall irish tale Ethan might tell when he got back to school, well he is telling the one about their flight from Singapore - but it is not a tall irish tale - 'tis the truth.
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Yesterday we had a very long lunch with Kumi and Bob, as usual a wonderful array of food and such fun company, today we were to go for a curry across to Suman's place, but she had a fall, so that is next Sunday now, and our Kiwi friends have arrived to Broadbeach, so they are coming over on Tuesday for lunch, after the boys use my "raffle prize" of a round of golf at our Colonial Golf Club. And at some stage we have to collect the van, give her a good clean and set off to the Sunshine Coast for a couple of weeks - the Gympie Muster and all that.
Love this - another one of Kevin's photos - sun over Hathersage on a cloudy day - in the Peak District
however, only picked a handful for the Blog 
Ponte di Rialto all lit up above
and eventually we made it back to the Hotel Continental !!!
Then headed towards the meeting place
for our Gondola experience
The boys were waiting
we relied on Anne and the Brig for our Gondola rythm!
But, this photo says it all - 25 years ago. 
