Well here is it - January 2017! How exciting - a new year to explore and enjoy! But first, I need to finish off 2016 - my last previous entry was the September Ghan train trip that we did up to the Northern Territory. So here goes with a brief catch-up of events since then ...
My sister Rose decided to retire to Ballina at the end of September, which means that I now have my Aunt Dympna, eldest sister Gemma and her husband Bill, and now Rose living here in Ballina. As each of the family or friends visited, we took them to check out Rose's new home. It is only a stone's throw from Gemma, and in the same lovely retirement complex. On the left is a photo from when I took Benn and Daina to check out Rose's new place. Benn & Daina stayed with us for a few nights in October, and then again just before Christmas. We always enjoy catching up on their adventures.  |
| Mt Warning from Tyalgum |
Thanks to my friend Jenny's timeshare, we had a girl's weekend in Cabarita, which is located on the coast about 45 minutes north of us. Jenny, Julie, Carol and I walked to the beach, played mini-golf, checked out the waxing harvest moon, and had a lovely day trip to Tyalgum. There were beautiful views of Mt Warning during our drive - see photo above.
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| Mini golf - L-R Jenny, me, Carol (Julie was taking this photo) |
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| Jenny, Carol and Julie on carpet of Jacaranda flowers |
At the end of November, my dear little nephew Jackson turned 3. He is a delightful little fellow, well behaved, and really enjoys any party. He couldn't wait for his mum Yudian to light his birthday candles! 
December was here before we knew it, and Murray and I flew to Melbourne for a week. He was able to catch up and enjoy quality time with his son and daughter, and his 4 grandsons. In the top photo on the left Murray is with his son Adrian and Adrian's 3 sons, Blayke, Heath and Max. In the bottom photo Murray is with Jeremy's son Dane. They are growing up so fast. Very handsome boys!
While we were on the East side of Melbourne, we took the opportunity to check out the bathing boxes at middle Brighton Beach. Each year that we visit Melbourne we stay not far from this beach, but I had never seen these bathing boxes before. I saw them advertised in a Qantas travel magazine and took note of their location. The first bathing box at this beach was built in 1862, and they are still in use today. So colourful! Wedding couples often arrange to have their wedding photos taken here.
While Murray was having fun with his kids and grandkids, I joined with 16 others and attended a 7 day SILENT retreat at Santa Casa in Queenscliff, Victoria. Most of my family and friends couldn't believe I would last, but not only did I last, but I enjoyed it so much that I have already paid my deposit to do it again at the end of this year. Located right on the beach, at the edge of a quiet seaside town, the facility was surrounded by a large garden area and it was ultra peaceful. Below are some of the views from the property and from my walks to the beach (just through the back gate). The room with the chairs - in the centre, top photo - is where our group met twice a day for a 20-30 minute reflection. We each had our own room, complete with ensuite, and all meals (including a glass of wine with the main meal at lunch) were provided. Several libraries were available for our use. I created the photo postcard below for me to keep on my fridge to remind me of that peaceful retreat.
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| Gwenda, Trish, Murray and Bill |
At the end of my retreat, Murray picked me up and we drove to have lunch at friend's of ours who had moved to Geelong - Jo & Ross. They have a delightful Heritage home which Jo had decorated beautifully for Christmas. It was great to see them and catch up with their news. The next day we spent the day with Gwenda and Bill, a couple that we met on a Cosmos bus trip in 2014 and we have kept in touch. (On that bus trip, Murray and Bill each bought a tartan cap in Scotland with orange hair hanging off it - delighted the other bus passengers with their antics!) They drove us up to Mt Macedon where we looked down to the city of Melbourne, and then had a delicious platter for lunch (see photo above) at a nearby winery where Bill has 'adopted' a vine.
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| Gwenda and I beside a stunning rhododendron bush at Mt Macedon |
My youngest son Mark flew down from Darwin and joined us for several days over Christmas. We had a family dinner at our place to welcome him to Ballina. Bill took the photo at left of Gemma, Murray, Trish, Mark and Rose. A few days later, Benn and Daina flew in and I took the photo below as we were walking down the lane to dinner. 
Christmas Day celebration was at our home again this year - we enjoyed it so much last year that we lined up for seconds and repeated it this year! Plus it was Rose's first Christmas in Ballina, and Mark was in town too. So lots of reasons to add to the special meaning and celebration of Christmas. Kris Kringle kicked off at 5.30pm, followed quickly by Bill's hot turkey, a hot baked ham, and lots of other tasty treats. Although it was a warm day, it was pleasant out on our back patio, and some even needed a scarf to ward off the cool of the evening. If you look at the table settings, you will see lots of red cardinals. Our friends Sandy and Joe Bill from Fordyce, Arkansas sent us the table runner in December, just in time to use on the day, and the red cardinal place mats were a gift from our North Dakota friend Avalyn a few years ago.
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| Lighting Mary's Christmas pudding - thanks for another winner Mary |
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| Ret and I doing a snapchat photo for Kim -we loved the way snapchat erased all squiggly lines from our faces! |
The last activity for the year was a New Year's Eve party at Ret and Peter's home on the Gold Coast. My eldest brother Tracy and his eldest son Greg came down from Brisbane, and my other brother Tony, his wife Yudian and young Jackson joined us as well. We started the ball rolling at 5pm with champagne and nibbles, and continued on for several hours. Tony and Yudian took Jackson home and then some of us talked of watching the 9.30pm fireworks and then going to bed - but we all got a second wind and after dancing to You Tube videos on the big screen, we ended up watching the midnight fireworks over Sydney Harbour Bridge - on TV of course. After that, a few of us ended up cooling off in the pool, and Ret, Greg and I even had a few rounds of rummicub. We had half hoped to drive over to Main Beach and watch the sun rise - but we didn't quite make it. I finally got to turn my light out at 5am NSW time on 1st day of January - which was 4am QLD time - that is definitely the latest I have got to bed on New Year's Day that I can remember. What a fun night though. Thanks for being our DJ and dance partner again Greg - Murray enjoyed having another man up dancing with us, although Tracy did his bit too!
HAVE A GREAT 2017 EVERYONE! 🎉🌻☘️
