My little Red Car

The girls are off Ice skating today, and Shaun has pulled the car apart to find.... ....
THE SMELL!!

When we bought the car , we went for our first family outing to Glenn Innes.
Demelza had been reading a book about standing stones and so we went to discover them together.
Shaun readied the car, and that included filling the washer reservoir with water.The girls complained half way to Glenn Innes that their feet were getting wet , and their bags and books on the floor were also soaked!
It was then that we discovered the back washer didn't work, and it was at the Celtic Circle of Standing stones at Glenn Innes when Shaun first pulled the car apart to find out what the problem was. We decided to wait untill the cars' first service to have the leaking pipe replaced because In Stanthorpe there is no agent for Proton and Brisbane was three hours away. It seemed better to wait untill the first service rather than take unnessecary trips to have the car serviced. After the accident at Mittagong and the sea change to Canberra, Woden is our closest agent.

So Shaun booked the car in for a service in Canberra to have the leak fixed and although the serviceman was adamant that the job had been done, we are here at home drying out the felt from the back passenger seat floor and the car is in pieces.
He has just ducked out for a new piece of pipe to replace the pipe that is pinched and leaks everywhere.

Stern words he is gonna have with Melrose Proton in Woden!.

Ishta invited us to her place for a working bee today, to remove a fence. there will be free beer and a sausage sizzel. We can't get there, cos my car is drying out and in pieces and Shauns Ute only seats three, but I hope they get all the work completed.

Winter Wonderland

My workplace is undergoing a transformation.
All of the teams are in competition for the best area decoration.
We are all members of teams that are represented by colours and we all have mascots.
The ceilings are hung with bright and colourful decorations.

My team are Team White and we are creating a Winter Wonderland, so the entire area half of one floor, is covered in snowflakes, our pictures have been taken and photo shopped. Some of our faces will appear inside penguins,polar bears,Eskimos, seals and our leader will be a Yettie or abominable Snowman! All of our decorations are made from recycled materials which is very modern.
It is shaping up to be a very festive and dramatic floor to work on.

Ayla's first Day

Ayla phoned,.....
loving this learning how to be a chef, ....'It is really great' she said, 'the restaurant is so busy and bright and the food is wonderful! '

She didn't realise how much planning is involved in menus and the preparation is almost never ending!
But Ayla also felt a little silly when she was the brunt of a joke, being sent into the cold room for a leg of Salmon!!
She spent a good measure of time looking for the elusive joint and was unsure about how to tell the head chef she couldn't find it.

Another ayla moment.

Education at Demelza's school

Every evening around the table, the family discuss their day.

Demelza talks about what she has learnt at school.

So far this year her classmates have had a talking circle, a no blame conference, and a talking stick.
The events that led up to these interventions have been, disruptive behaviours, swearing, inappropriate behaviours, fighting , disrespect for teachers and peers, vandalism of school property and the property of fellow students.
Busy aren't they?
OH if only the Teachers from Qld could come here and show these Teachers how to get the best from kids the environment would be focused on learning and not abuse.
Demelza says every day, if Mr Cole was here they wouldn't stand a chance! they'd be dead in the water! And we could get on and learn!

I hope they don't dishearten her too much, although she is a firm believer in achieving great things for herself, If it's gonna be, It's up to me, is Demelza's mantra.

I sometimes feel that the distraction is too distracting, we'll see how the term ends.

Ayla decides she would like to be a Chef

Ayla has been looking for part time work for her year off study.
So she applies for a waitress position at the Golden Ox an award winning restaurant in the suburb of Margate in Redcliffe. The owner peruses her resume and states he would like Ayla to consider another of the positions he is offering, the position of apprentice Chef.
She rang me so exited!

"But Ayla," I asked, are you sure?"And I went on to explain,..

"This is a four year training, and it is the kind of job that you do when everyone else is partying, How do you feel about everyone else having fun while you work ? the hours are long?..consider the hours."

"Ill be fine, came her reply, "The staff are great and the owner is friendly and it is close to home."......
But what about dental surgery?
"Ive done that "she said "and this is experience Ill gain in something else."

Her Aunty Stacey puchased the uniforms and books she would need and other related paraphenalia and sent her off to work in a kitchen.

This is a child who very recently asked " I'm making noodles for lunch, where do you keep the hot water?"!!!

Good luck Ayla.

Chinese New Year

Every year Shaun, myself and the children , celebrate Chinese New Year.

We Have in the past gone to China Town in Brisbane, eaten Chinese food from the stalls, purchased lucky charms for our cars, banners and decorations to hang at home.
We had fun sharing in buying different and unusual foods to share at home. Then we enjoyed the atmosphere of anticipation and excitement as we all waited for the Dragons and the lion dancing to commence.

The kids loved the Martial arts from club displays .
Following the club demonstrations the dragons run up and down the road being teased by the globe carrier and the drums and cymbals hammer out enough noise to scare any dragon away.

Then come the lions,..and every year the death defying feats seem to be more extreme and breath taking as the lions jump from platform to platform, a cultural bridge if you like suspended above the crowd and spanning the full length of the road.
The lion dance finale is extreme where the lions climb a pole to reach the lettuce high above the crowd. ...lots of oohs and ahhs ..Then the Grand Finale the Fireworks!!!!

This year we went to Dickson north of Canberra to enjoy Chinese New Year. We explored the shops and bought interesting things to try.

Sadly no stalls to buy banners or charms no noisy drums and dancing no Martial arts spectacle.
It was a very different celebration to the one held for an entire city in Brisbane. This celebration was staged in a club. and so it was more of a close knit community celebration like an extended family day in the pub.

No Chinese delicacies on the menu.

The martial arts performers were very skilled as they tripped each other up and deftly avoided the swords and knives each wielded, but none were Chinese, kinda lost something on me.. that mystery of ancient martial arts performed by a bearded Aussie with tats at the pub ..... wasn't quite the same, although they were very accomplished.

We had crackers in the form of tubes that sprayed confetti all over us, which the kids loved! the lion dancers had been competing at the Australian Championships all morning so when they arrived for their performance , they were tired, but very clever. Maintaining all that jumping and twisting in full silk costumes in the heat of the day to the beat of the drums, and the drummers were three girls from Perth who performed very skillfully indeed.

All of the performers were very friendly and showed Cedie how the eyes on their costumes worked and freely discussed how the competition was going.

It really was quite delightful sharing the spectacle with the community and was an experience we will treasure.

Wild Weather

Canberra experienced the wildest weather !!!

commuters were greeted with hail covered roads and our bus had to take a safer route to transport us to work.

The building I work in was evacuated. My colleagues and I had to spend the morning drinking coffee in one of the few trading cafes, until the water was pumped out of the basement and the basic systems were restored.

We got lots of exercises using the stairs!!

Climate change what is that??

Earth hour

I read with interest, the Earth Hour advertisement that is the 'Earth Hour 'Web site.
Earth hour is about Sydney turning it's lights off for one hour on the 31st march.
OK
I don't have a problem with it, then it has FAQs, and one of the questions is:

When will earth hour come to my city???????Heelloo!!!

Turn that unused appliance off!! and save the planet! you don't have to have that jug plugged in or the TV on standby or whateva.
How come peeps gotta be in a club before they do anything?? Or they have to be paid for it ?? Or they have to have an Audience??

Why can't they just become UN-used to wasting money and energy and do something for themselves??

The web site talks about what the % is in wasted energy but fails to give a $ value for the average Joe public.

Maybe if people realised they are just funding big corporations when they leave their appliances plugged in and paying for that convenience, they might think twice about ,waiting to join the Earth Hour Energy Save the Planet Club and just save themselves some money and the planet now!.http://earthhour.smh.com.au/

The remodelling of Sebastians leg

Sebastian is staying with my Dad on a remote property in Qld. The property is 16 minutes from Tara.
Nestled away in the bush and accessible by motor bike is a tennis court and a steam engine.

The property has dams and my Dad and Seb are establishing Aquaculture and a green house for flowers.
It will give dad something to do as he no longer makes Staircases and wants to do something that is easier on his body.

Sebastian has been exploring the surrounds on motor bike now that his shoulder has healed .
That magnificent over the shoulder kick into the net at Aylas birthday soccer match left him sore and incapacitated for some time.

The other day he was riding and came to a muddy patch in the track, walked the bike through the mud and the tyre slid from under him, he moved his leg so as not to be squashed by the weight of the bike, and the mirror fell out of it's casing and slid down his knee, removing a good fist sized piece of flesh.

A trip into Tara to the hospital and a drip and bandage was applied, then on to Toowoomba to see a specialist. The medical staff advised Seb he would probably need a skin graft.

Sebastian arrived at the reception desk and requested a band aid for his grazed elbow and his hurt knee.
The receptionist graciously offered him a band aid and he asked her if she could apply them as his hands were dirty.
When the receptionist turned the corner on her desk and saw Sebastian standing in a pool of blood , she immediately called the doctor and he was attended to.

Surgery was to take place on the same evening and didn't, so by Friday afternoon Sebastian was very hungry and complained of hunger pains, the staff sent him for an ultrasound in case of internal damage and discovered that he was hungry.

After a small meal they booked him in for surgery Saturday evening .

Sunday morning, and I have spoken to him again, he is well, still has his leg, they didn't remove it by mistake or because it had gangrene.

The knee is stapled together and he just has to take it easy.

No bike riding for a while.

Boys will be boys!!!

Cedie and The pond

Cenedra pays a visit to the pond across the road every afternoon. She attempts to fish and she rescues fish and turtles from the ravages of the consequences of the construction going on at the site . Great tankers back up to the pond and are filled with the pond water . This has resulted in an almost empty pond.

As the pond is almost dry, Cedie is bringing home many treasures. An eight ball, a Frisbee , and a number plate, were yesterdays finds.

A cricket ball, and a basketball. today.

Shaun and I couldn't find her Thursday evening for dinner and went searching for her.
There she was playing in the construction site trenches.
O f course we explained how dangerous construction sites are and that it is against the law to be inside them. So now she will have to find somewhere else to play.

Trop Fest

Shaun and the girls and I went off to studio 88 in commonwealth park to participate in an evening of outdoor movie watching.
We arrived early, too early, 3pm , as Demelza was adamant that if we didn't get a possie early we wouldn't see the movies. because we wouldn't be able to see the screen.
The screens looked big enough to me, to be seen from Sydney or even from space.

Demelza insisted on setting up camp close to he screen, put the tarp down and lay there listening to music that filled the venue and observed the activity of organisers and volunteers.

Ce'nedra headed off to the park where she stayed until dark.

Shaun and I paid a visit to the National Capital Exhibition.

By six o'clock the grounds began to fill up. Other movie festival goers set up dining areas and enjoyed their meal el fresco.
Some young moderns played football and Frisbee next to us and amused themselves and us for a good part of the afternoon.
The weather turned cool and the rain drizzled down, umbrellas went up and people built little shelters, we climbed into our tarp and stayed dry.
Ishta and Evan joined us for the festivities and to support the very talented entries from Canberra in this years festival.
By the time the movies began all rain had passed in Canberra and a very convivial occasion was had by all

It was a pleasant evening one we will certainly repeat.

How Demelza gets what she wished for

For the last three weeks Demelza has been nagging to visit a doctor, with complaints that seemed to be debilitating enough to prevent her from enjoying different activities with the family.
A sore foot that prevented her from participating in a hill climb with us. Then the following week came the sore shoulder that prevented her from a bush walk up Mt Taylor.

Three weeks we suffered with her imagined injuries and persevered with her nagging to see a Doctor.

Then Demelza came home from school with a very bruised nose.

Playing Lacrosse at school and' Matt '(a relative of her friend), dives in front of her with his stick and clobbers her smack on he nose.

She called home from the school office for Shaun (Dad) to collect her.
He took her to the Canberra Hospital .
They sat in the emergency department , staking out, what will become our family chairs at this hospital, and took photos of a very enlarged protuberance.

The Doctors that attended her injury, were the Senior registrar, a trainee doctor and a specialist in emergency.
Her nose will return to normal, a pretty button in the middle of her beautiful face.
Demelza got to see a doctor, one for every week that we endured of her imagined injuries.
Careful what you focus on and wish for, is what we have since advised.

Ayla sets out job hunting

Ayla has been job hunting and was offered a position in a dentists surgery as an Assistant and Receptionist. Ayla loved work experience at the Dentist surgery when she was at school, and worked with three dentists in Stanthorpe.

The Dental hospital had employed a very enthusiastic dental surgeon who played guitar between patients and was dynamic young and exiting.
He shared with Ayla technical terms relating to the mouth, the names for the faces of the teeth, dental hygiene and the reasons for the procedures he carried out. Ayla would visit the surgery at the hospital after school,when her work experience was finished.

Her friend the dentist and his assistants would accommodate her and share with her and include her in their afternoon at the surgery.
All of the patients were asked if they gave their permission for Ayla to also look in their mouths and look at their x rays. She loved it!

And her health professional friends thought it was wonderful to have an opportunity to share their knowledge with someone who was so enthusiastic and involved in the service that they provided.

In her deferred year working in a dentist surgery might just be the ticket to help Ayla decide where she wants to go with her studies.

What to Do with the Vineyard?

Shaun has been at home in Queensland busy with Painting the House and packing our belongings.
The idea is to bring some things to Canberrra and leave the majority of our stuff in the house, so we can holiday there.

There is a problem with this though, who will mow the grass?, Who will prune the vineyard? who will pick the fruit? Who will tend the garden and maintain the plants and dust the furniture who will water everything? who will ensure our belongings are safe?

Shaun, whilst shopping, met up with a girlfriend who had moved into town and wasn't really enjoying it , she prefers the countryside and life in amongst granite boulders , kangaroos. picturesque views, wildflowers, and birdsong.who could blame her?

Shaun offered her a possible alternative, in our place, a secluded Eden or a busy noisy town.

Jill took up the offer and will look after our house in the country with her lovely family so that Shaun and I and the girls can be together her in Canberra.

Thanks Jill,
you are one in a million.

Demelza's first day.....

Demelza and I walked along the path to the bus stop . The students waiting at the stop didn't look like the students you would see in Queensland.

There were no uniforms, and lots of black Straight hair falling over heavily made up eyes, black jeans, black t shirts and skulls and crossbones., Torn clothes seemed to be 'in' on the first day back a school.For me it was an eye opener.
Demelza, all neat as a pin in the uniform shirt we had bought her was a little uncomfortable about wearing the uniform when so few other students had any evidence of to which school they belonged.

The Principle interviewed Demelza and then armed her with a map of the school told her she could go home for he day.
She walked home .

GlenAplin state School The Best School in the World

This page we thought could be a tribute.
To a school community that provides so many skills and resources to it's students.

Mr Sean Cole, Principal of Glen Aplin State School and The 2006 school Leaders.

their beautiful talented faces are from left to right Charlie , Lawrence, Caitlin and Demelza is on the right.

Sean is supported by a Staff with a wealth of knowledge and a giving, sharing, compassionate ethic. The staff are able to convey an incredible range of values to the students , by
teaching children to be peace builders, have self confidence, cultivate acceptance and tolerance, enjoy and take advantage of adventure, be mind full and practice safety, have courage enough to be caring , behave responsibly and take responsibility, develop compassion , love with passion , to be a participant as participants have all the fun , and develop mutual respect and self control.

The guidance of the staff at Glen Aplin School, keep the kids busy, providing an interesting
and intensive program of learning. Every student who enters the gate is a success.
We miss you and applaud you and and thank you, for the solid grounding in education we now
have.
It has put us both in good stead, to cope with the differences in the school communities we both now belong to. from Demelza and Ce'nedra.

Demelza's School

By the time the girls and I got to Demelza's school, I was an emotional wreck,here was a school that was also open and interesting the front doors kept Cedie occupied as they are automatic,and she spent the entire time standing in front of the sensors to make them open and close.
The people operating the front desk seemed friendly enough,although no one had a pen.

We were interviewed by the Drama teacher as the principle was at a meeting.She was very helpful and had a Happy memory of Ayla at the school from three years before.

Demelza produced her glowing reports and certificates and prizes and rattled off her interests an achievements. It was explained that there shouldn't be a problem with enrolling her at the school, so we purchased the uniform and left.

With so much information to trawl through, meeting new people, signing papers and classes to pay for we all had a pretty exhausting day .