Happy Birthday Son #1

He turned 26 today.  My little boy!  We are taking him and his beautiful, gorgeous girlfriend to dinner tonight, but this was his gift from his mum. 

He is growing a beard as he is on campaign for the next few months (election) and they work long, hard hours - no time for shaving and grooming. 

So very proud of my boy/s (both of them) - he is such a fine, upstanding, young man with a generous spirit and amazing sense of community.  He even shared his apple pie!

Happy Birthday Darling.

A Shaguar! Oh Behave ;-)

On Mr K's birthday, last year, well really only a week ago, but it was still last year, I asked him what he wanted to do that day.  It was the 28th December (his birthday is a unique day, not because its slap bang in the middle of the Christmas/New Year, but because he shares this day with his father, his uncle, his son#1 girlfriend AND had son#1 been born on his due date instead of running late, there would have been 3 generations of first born males born on the same day.  Some blame me for stuffing up this Guinness Book record, but I blame the child - he was WAY too comfortable in my womb to move)
 
Anyway, enough genealogy and onto the story of Mr K's birthday wish.  It was 38 degrees in the shade this day.  It had been this hot for days - my patience had run thin, I was over playing caterer and all I wanted to do was lay in the pool, or as close by to it, as I could.  Normally, on this day, Mr K would want a little mini party - just 20 or so family/friends over for an 'easy' BBQ.  I dreaded this thought, I really did just want to do nothing, especially nothing to do with food. 
 
But it was his Birthday, and in typical man-reverts-to-little-boy fashion, I had to indulge him in whatever he wanted to do.  So I was suspicious pleasantly surprised when he said he just wanted to go out shopping for the day, and did I want to go to IKEA?  Anyone who knows Mr K, will understand my hesitation - it was obviously a trap - as Mr K would rather spend a month in a Thai prison than go to IKEA. 

All was revealed with the next sentence ...

'I was thinking we could just drop into the Jaguar dealer over near IKEA and just have a little look at the new Jags'

You see, he has given himself a goal.  If our business can make a profit for 6 consecutive months, and reach the target we have set, then his reward is to buy (lease) a Jaguar.  I know, well I think anyway, that the chances of this happening are so slim that even looking at a Jag brochure is being optimistic.  But it was his birthday, and who knows, if he gets really excited about the carrot, then he may just crank up our business and reach his goal.

We did go and see this Jaguar, and got to have a test drive.  I must say, it was very, very nice. I could sure get used to driving about in one of these.  It was fun to choose leather seat colours and dashboard timbers.  To um and ah over the wheel profile, to decide that white was the best colour.  I tuned out with the rest of the sales pitch, and just day dreamed about this beautiful car.

This day must have had an impact.  For Mr K has been so motivated at work, is planning and implementing all sorts of projects to get us in the black, that I would not be surprised to see a Jag in our carport very soon. I hope so, as this is what he drives now ...


(Well I would show you but Blogger is having technical issues with uploading photo's - I will try again later)

What I learnt this weekend

As the silly season gets a good grip on our lives, we are pulled from social event to social event, in ever increasing frequency.  This weekend we were out Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights.  All good fun and worth the effort, but also tiring.  So what did I learn this week?

• Grumpy really does start at 50.  Uncle J turned 50 on Friday.  In true form, he didn't want to do anything but smoke his cigar, drink and moan about the world.  Being his special day, we indulged him, but when he started to say that Shakespeare was a pretentious twat, I drew the line.

• I never knew I was so passionate about Shakespeare (I am not really, but it is fun to bicker and argue with cranky, middle aged men)

• Sheep poo doesn't feel so nice squished between your toes.  I was helping Son#1 with a little garden project, and we had emptied a bag of sheep poo on this garden bed a few weeks before.  It was now wet and breaking down nicely.  I had stupidly not worn suitable shoes for digging in (I thought we were just going to do the fun bit, like shopping for plants at this stage) so had to wade in barefoot.  It was all very Bohemian.

• Watching a lone bagpiper play a traditional song moves me to tears.  We went to watch Son#2 girlfriend play in her brass band (she is a very talented trombone player).  It was held at the Salvation Army hall in the city and it was a huge crowd.  The theme was very British, and very moving.

• We have now renamed our little part of the world Bas Vegas.  Mr K spent the entire afternoon putting up blue lights around the pool.  Its all very Flamingo 1950.

• Don't mess with a proven pastry recipe.  If I do say so myself, I make a pretty good apple pie.  My mum makes one to rival it.  I have her recipe, but like all offspring, we try and make it better, make it our own.  Over the years I have tweaked, and changed and perfected my own recipe.  Except yesterday, when I was asked to bring an apple pie to a Thanksgiving dinner, I decided to experiment with my pastry.  Fail.  Back to the original.

• When you put out your rubbish for bring-out-your-dead collection, and a lot of it is good stuff that you hope other people will take - it will rain like it hasn't done in months and ruin the stuff you have kept dry and safe.

Well that's about all the lessons I can stand for one week.  The week coming up looks like a doozy too. 

What did you learn this week?

You look too young

"To have children that age!"

I was told this three times over this past weekend and at first it made me feel really (and I mean really!) flattered.  At 48, every woman this age is looking to eek out the last of their youth.  And to be told you look young is the ultimate compliment.  Isn't it?

Well it appears my brain says no.  So attuned to being negative about myself, after the initial thrill of the compliment, this is the path my brain took us down. 

Brain: You know why you look too young for a 25 year old son don't you?

Me: Because I inherited good genes from both my parents - they both look (and act) very young for their age?

Brain: Don't be so naive.

Me: ?

Brain: What they are really saying is that you look young because you are, which means you must have had your kids when you were young, which means you are a bad girl!

Me: But I was married when I had my first baby.

Brain: Yeah, they think its because you had to get married.

Me: But I didn't, I actually fell pregnant on my honeymoon.  I was 23.

Brain: They think you were some teenage bride who got married to escape the little country town you lived it.

Me: I lived with my husband for four years before we got married and I went BACK to the little country town, not away from it.  You are just mean Brain.

Brain: Hey, don't shoot the messenger.  I am just telling you what all those nice people really think.

Me: Its not true.  They were being genuinely nice when they said I look young.

Brain: They are nice to you because you are fat and its the only compliment they can pay you.

Me: Shut up Brain, i am going to ignore you now.

My Brain and I don't get along that well, and from the above excerpt you can see why.  I was young when I married and had my first son. Well, young by today's standards.  Back then, in the 80's it was quiet normal, especially in a country town.  Breeding is important in the country!

I will admit it was hard at first, being a mum and watching my footloose friends backpack through Europe, or have careers that they could travel, or go out partying late at night.  But now, at 48, I am an empty-nester, both sins sons have their own place, girlfriends, careers and lives.  Its our turn now, and soon we will have the money to be able to backpack in style in 5, well maybe 4, star hotels and fly business class.  I have a craft room (Son #2 ex room), a reading room (Sons ex activity room) a guest bedroom (Son #1 ex room) and my very own office.  Just a few of the benefits of having your children young!

So Brain, here is a message for you.  The next time some kind person says we look too young to have adult children - you can go take a hike and I will bask in their compliment.

Thank you to those people, it made me smile.

My 40th Birthday with my wonderful boys.  xx

Happy Birthday to my Darling Dad! xxx

Just one year off three quarters of a century and still a legend in his own lunchbox!  No I tell a lie - he is a legend to all that know and love him.  An amazing man in so many ways - generous (with his love, time and worldly possessions), kind (to both animals and Mum!), well respected and respectful by and to others, a man of the community and a man who lives his life to the absolute full.  A true rolemodel to his family and peers.  Better stop now before this sounds like an obituary! 

I truly admire and love my Dad very much, so this is a Birthday Hooray for him as I can't be with him in person to spoil him.  It is also, a public declaration that he has a special meal waiting for him when he is up in Perth in September.  I can't be with him this weekend as I am heading down to Dunsborough to stay in a resort (terrible) and have lots of lovely meals (even more terrible) at wineries (debaucherous) ... but I hope you know Dad - I WILL be thinking of you (well at least when I remember :-0) 

I give you my amazing and wonderful Dad - Bobby!  Happy Birthday to my Dad.

1963 - Pre Marriage

1964 - Aww a new Daddy

Missing in between are the pictures of the middle years - you know between building a house, kids, building another house, grandkids, building yet another house and finally retirement, after building the final (?) house.  I cant show these pictures as he was always with a hammer in his hand, bending over showing a carpenters crack!  (Not really, I have not yet scanned all the middle years photo's onto my PC)  That's a retirement job!  So we skip 40 years ...

2004 - Christmas - A Grange induced grin!

2008 - Stratford-on-Avon

2012 - Wattle Grove Demo Team