Kansas City to Branson, Missouri

Aunty Dympna & Ret watching America go by: their first trip in the RV
Amazing spiral on this church

Christmas at Silver Dollar City, Branson, Missouri

Gourmet Chicken & Beef Nachos

Fountains & Fireworks Branson Landing

We arrived safely in Kansas City at 3pm Sunday but our luggage arrived at 2am Monday. Darn, it meant we had to visit Walmart and purchase some toiletries and sleeping attire courtesy of travel insurance. I must say it was nice to see all suitcases turn up together despite the wee hours. The next prayer of thankfulnes came when the RV started first time after 8 months in storage. Not bad. I led in our hire car (Chrysler Town Country SUV) and Murray followed in the RV to our pre-selected service center. They were open until 7pm Sun night. They worked until 12 MN M-F, so our RV was all serviced and ready to be checked out first up Tues am. We left Ret & AD in their motel room, picked up the RV and we were ready to hit the trail by 10.30am. Speaking of trails, while the RV was in getting serviced, we took Ret & AD on a mini-tour of Independence, Missouri. We were searching for President Truman's family home when at 1pm, we chanced upon a magnificent temple that had a daily peace prayer at you guessed it, 1pm. We thought it was karma, so we parked the car and all entered the building. Peace personified.

We also took them to the site where the ruts (swales) left by the wagons from the Santa Fe, Oregon & California trails started out and have been preserved for history. Quite amazing to picture how things must have been back then.

It was exciting to finally load us all into the RV and head south for Branson, Missouri. We hadn't even reached Springfield MO when hunger pains took over and we set the GPS for a Diner. Sadly, the diner it took us to no longer existed, but a few miles further on we came across a cafe that met all our demands. We even learnt what a dirty worm dessert was! It is icecream, with crumbled oreo cookies on top (dirt) and gummie worms (like our aussie jube 'snakes'). Live & learn!

Next stop Branson, Missouri. I had booked my aunt & sister into the Hilton at Bransons Landing, as it was only 0.7 km from our RV park. They had a very nice room there, with the hotel entrance right onto the mall at Branson's Landing, and one shop away from the Taneycomo River. Such a picturesque setting. We all met for dinner the first night at the world famous White River Fish House with a table right over the river. The mist was swirling and rising in front of our eyes - or was that just the effect of the wine. Of course not!

The next day we caught a taxi out to Silver Dollar City. which is an 1880's theme park. Murray & I had been there before, but wanted Ret & AD to experience the American history trip. We sampled the freshly made peanut brittle, watched the glass blowers, shot a few bullseyes in the flooded mine ride, took the steam train, tasted the smoked turkey leg with Buckshot Corn potatoes, listened to a few fiddlers then hit the road for home. Later that same day we met for dinner and decided on a progressive dinner. We had the first course at a Mexican restaurant - we ordered mixed nachos (beef & chicken), but had never had such gourmet nachos before. These were individual corn chips loaded with cheese and either a piece of chicken or fillet steak topped with guacamole & cream cheese etc. See photo. Absolutely delicious.

Today our aunt & sister joined us for breakfast in the RV. Porridge, boiled eggs, toast, coffee/tea. We then met again at 1.30pm to catch a taxi out to see Branson's most highly rated show for the past 2 years: SIX. It is a show with 6 brothers (out of a family of 10 brothers, no sisters). They use no orchestra, but the guys mimic the sound of the instruments so cleverly you would swear they had an orchestra backing them. No wonder it has rave reviews all the way up to New York. Their mother died 8 years ago, but their father was in the audience today, and stood up to take a bow under the spotlight. They played a lot of the music we are familiar, and since 1995 have shared the stage with Trisha Yearwood, Diana Ross, the Beach Boys, Olivia Newton John, Rod Stewart, the Doobie Brothers and many others. Very entertaining.

After such a strenous day, we just had to unwind downtown starting with a mixed platter of ribs, wings, catfish & chicken at one restaurant, and ended off with a sizzling steak, loaded baked potato & green beans at a steak house. Aunt needed an Irish Whiskey for a nightcap, so we wandered to the Irish Pub and sat at an outside table and watched the fireworks in the fountain. Tired and replete, we headed to our respective abodes for the night, excited to be meeting up with Sandy & Joe Bill in Hot Springs, Arkansas tomorrow.

Las Vegas

Aunty Dympna, Ret, Yudian & Tony

Hoover Dam

Bride in Red Rock Canyon

Bride in Casino

Bellagio Gardens

My aunt & sister had never been to Las Vegas before, so we tried to offer them a variety of activities for their 3 day visit. On our second day we picked up a 7 seater hire car and my brother & his wife joined us for the 38 miles (48 km) drive to see one of the seven wonders of the Industrial world, the Hoover Dam. It’s a pity 112 workers had to die in its construction, but it really is an amazing structure. Lying on the border of Nevada and Arizona and fed by the Colorado River the dam creates the Lake Mead reservoir and is a vital water source for this desert location. The power generated from the Dam services the states of Nevada and Arizona as well as most of California

Driving through the desert is such thirsty work that we made a unanimous decision to return to Caesar’s Palace where Tony & Yudian were staying. We found a round table at Wolfgang Puck’s Spago restaurant in the Forum, so had a bird’s eye view of all the people wandering through the area. The food was delicious and the white wine superbly chilled. As usual, it was the company that made it all so much more enjoyable.

That night we were back at our own hotel and after dinner we wandered through the vast lobby/casino area and heard some good music coming from the Irish Pub. We popped in there for a quick drink and ended up staying there until 1am when the band stopped. Interestingly the singer Robbie Howard was a cast member of the world famous ‘Legends in Concert’. He is heading to Australia soon in his role of Frank Sinatra in the ‘Rat Pack’ playing to audiences throughout NSW.

Next morning we took a scenic drive NW of Vegas to the Red Rock Canyon. It is written up as the most scenic area of Nevada. It really is quite beautiful in a rugged sort of way. We were there around 9am on a Saturday, and the place was busy with cyclists, runners and hikers. Not to mention the odd bride or two.

Last night was our last night, so we caught a shuttle up to Caesar’s Palace and went across the road to the Venetian and watched as the gondoliers sang to their passengers in the replica Venetian canal. On our way back to the Strip, I saw a bride sitting at a slot machine. I asked if I could take a photo and she was happy to pose for me. Anything goes in Vegas. It sure is an interesting place to come and visit for a few days.

Next stop Bellagio to see the stunning gardens. What a masterpiece. We wandered outside to catch the 8pm fountain display, but due to windy conditions, they were cancelled. I had seen them before, but the others hadn’t, so it was a bit disappointing as they are very beautiful. We were all rather weary so made tracks for our shuttle bus stop. While we were standing there I felt a tap on my shoulder and turned to see my young dentist from Ballina! She was in the middle of a 2 week visit around USA with a girlfriend who lives in Coffs Harbour. Small world! When she did my last dental check up a few weeks ago she did say she would be in Las Vegas and I mentioned our visits would coincide, but not once in a million years, amidst all the weekend visitors, did I expect to see her. Next stop Kansas City.

Back in the USA

Farewell dinner in Brisbane
Ret standing at back of cafe in hotel foyer checking her email with free Wi-Fi

First Night. Aunty Dympna & Tony in our hotel, The Orleans

Many of you will know that when Murray & I returned to the USA to do our 4th RV trip on 20 May this year (2 days ago), my younger sister and aunt accompanied us, and will spend the first 2 weeks of our trip touring in the motorhome with us. After a farewell dinner with family in Brisbane the night before we flew out, we excitedly boarded our Qantas 747 flight at 11am and completed the 13 hr direct flight to Los Angeles. Always very impressed with Qantas service in the past, we were a bit disappointed to note the little things that have dropped off the service like not issuing earplugs or socks in the eye shade and toothbrush pack. I had told my aunt & sister the first thing I do is take off my shoes & put on the Qantas socks to travel more comfortably. Oops. Not this time. The mini Cadbury chocolate was also missing from the overnight food packs. Sigh…the economic crunch is taking its toll. However, we were all thankful for a smooth flight and safe landing at 7am, despite each only catching a 20 min sleep during the whole flight.

During our successive encounters with LAX we have appreciated the continual improvements to the building, however this visit was quite a shock. Remember that we had our 86 year aunt with us, so the extra long & slow lines to get through the passport check, followed thankfully by a speedy customs check was one thing. But when we saw the daunting line of people waiting to pass through security for the flight to Las Vegas, we wondered if she would last the distance. I kid you not, the line snaked outside the terminal building. Even the locals were shaking their heads. My sister took my aunt to sit out the wait while Murray and I slowly made our way to the top of the line. My brother flies regularly to USA but in recent years has refused to travel through LAX due to similar experiences. He now flies into Hawaii or Vancouver. I think we might look at those options for subsequent trips. That aside, we were glad to finally get inside our departure gate and have a coffee and meal to revive our flagging bodies – but our spirits never faltered. Bring it on!

We had booked 3 nights at a large hotel , The Orleans, just off the strip hoping it would be a good opportunity to allow our bodies to adjust to the different time zone (USA is 17 hours behind Australia). The hotel provides a free shuttle into the strip every 30 minutes which makes life easy for hotel patrons. For $80 a night we scored 2 queen beds in each room, a roomy bathroom, and a small lounge suite in a large sized room. The hotel has about 8 restaurants, one is an Irish Pub, plus additional fast food shops in a 24 hr food court. There are also 18 cinemas in the hotel. Yes, it is a big place with just under 2000 rooms. On our first night my brother Tony & his wife Yudian joined us for dinner in our hotel. We selected a $13 dinner buffet which surpassed all our expectations. An unbelievable array of food was on offer, and between us we would have tried a small portion of most dishes! We all had to pinch ourselves to think that only 2 weekends earlier we had all been together in Sydney, and here we were in another country together. As it had been well over 24 hours since we had slept, we didn't hang around long after the meal was finished. We scuttled to our rooms and slept soundly on our first night.

Friends visit from Florida

Rainie & new friend
April meets kangaroo

Koala with baby in pouch (click on image to see full size)

Tasmanian Devil

Murray, April, Ret, Trish, Rainie

See the paraglider? Rainie, Murray & April can...

Two sisters at Lennox Head overlook

Bill, Gemma, Murray, Rainie, April, Aunty Dympna

The dinner guests

Aussie Poetry Reading

Our American friends Rainie & her sister April arrived from Florida on Friday, and planned to spend 3 nights with us. We met them at Brisbane airport and spent the day at Steve Irwin’s Australia Zoo. They thoroughly enjoyed patting the cute kangaroos and koalas, as well as a fat wombat and an ugly Tasmanian Devil. They didn’t get to touch the rest of the animals such as the echidnas, crocodiles, pythons, birds, cassowary & dingoes! All four of us were thrilled to see a koala with a baby in its pouch. Too cute for words. We spent the first night in Caloundra which is a pretty coastal town.

My sister Loretta was unable to join my brother Tony & his wife Yudian with our group for lunch the next day so we made a quick detour to the Sheraton on Main Beach where she was having breakfast with family & friends. She met Rainie & April after all.

On top of Mount Tambourine at the back of the Gold Coast we sat and watched a paraglider catch the prevailing winds and sail off down the mountain. The view was quite beautiful. Our drive meandered through the back of the Hinterland before connecting with the M1 heading south to Ballina. We left the M1 to visit the popular seaside city of Byron Bay. If you follow the path around the cliffs you will be on the eastern most point of Australia.

The next day we all walked to church then had morning tea overlooking the ocean. Sadly the dolphins were being evasive that day, but they are a regular sight where they live in Florida. We collected some shells for their sister in law Dusty who was unable to join them on their trip. She will join them on their Sydney leg. They enjoyed the view of Lennox Heads from a lookout that also afforded a great view of the many surfers out there catching the waves. After a brief wander through a local market and devouring a sausage sizzle for lunch, Murray taught Rainie the finer points of Australian Football. Later we all sat to watch his team play, but sadly they lost to a better side on the day.

Last night we had dinner at my sister Gemma and her husband Bill’s home. Our aunt Dympna joined us and we were treated to my special request, Gemma’s roast chicken dinner followed by individual lemon puddings (my mother’s recipe) that on this occasion were topped with whipped cream and pomegranate. Delicious. That will be my last special roast chicken dinner for 4 months until we return later in the year.

Apparently April’s family (she has 7 adult children) back in Florida have long been fans of the movie ‘The Man from Snowy River’. It is their all time favourite movie. She didn’t realise it was based on a poem written in 1890 by Banjo Paterson about local bushmen. As post dinner entertainment, Gemma & Bill bought out their book of Australian Poetry, and Bill and I alternated to read in turn all 13 stanzas (each stanza had 8 lines). It gave April & Rainie a glimpse back in time of life in Australia for bushmen in the late 1800’s. April’s family love the scenes with the wild bush horses (brumbies) in the movie, and Bill presented her with a bottle of wine which explained (on the back label) how the term for brumbies originated. We wrapped the bottle in bubble wrap, so I hope it makes it home safely.

After an enjoyable 3 days together, Murray & I put them on their plane to Sydney this afternoon where they will join Dusty. Now they will have a great time touring Sydney and the Blue Mountains for the rest of the week until Rainie flies to Canberra for a work meeting. It was great having them visit...

Mother’s Day

Mark Trish Kim Benn at Manly Beach
Benn & I on ferry passing Opera House

Benn & Daina

Cousins Colluding

Yudian Trish Murray Tony having Chili Mud Crab at Darling Harbour

Mother’s Day this year was very special. Not only did I have my three kids together with me on the day, but it was also the wedding day of my nephew Peter to his now wife Samantha. See the blog below for the wedding coverage!

Sadly, while I couldn’t be with my own mum on Mother’s Day this year, I did visit her on the Wednesday before Mother’s Day and took her some lovely flowers and chocolate. The next day my other sister Gemma & her husband visited mum and took her a pretty corsage. On the Sunday, my sister Rose and brother Tracy visited mum, and the rest of us phoned in to say hello, including my brother Chris from Japan. She is certainly a much loved mother. At 93 years of age and 8 kids later, she has seen many Mother’s Days come and go.

Getting back to my own kids, it was the first time in 15 years I had all 3 of them together with me. Benn lives in Sydney and that is where we all congregated. First Kim arrived from Copenhagen, then Mark arrived down from Darwin, and last but not least, Murray & I flew in from Ballina. We celebrated with Moet champagne before walking to a local Coogee Tapas Bar to sample their delicious food.

The celebration of Peter Gibb’s wedding was a great occasion for many other family members, and it was wonderful for us all to be together. We see family individuals from time to time, but it was just such fun to have us all under the same roof for 8 hours. Add some food, wine and dancing, and what more could you ask for. Most of us were in Sydney for 3-4 days. Fabulous.

The day after the wedding we met up with other family and eleven of us caught the 30 minute ferry over to Manly. Some had fish & chips on the beach while others sat in an outside café and enjoyed their meal watching the passing parade of visitors & locals wandering the mall area free from vehicular traffic. From the minute we arrived in Sydney until 4 days later when we flew out, the weather was absolutely glorious. Cool overnight but warm, sunny days. We all agree that we never tire of seeing the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Opera House with the shimmering water in between. Such a beautiful harbour.

My Nephew’s Wedding

Samantha, Pete & Ret (Opera House in background)

Benn, Kim, Trish, Mark (Under Sydney Harbour Bridge)

Murray & Dympna Dancing

Sisters Ret, Gemma & Trish with sister in law Joy standing

Bride & Groom wave goodbye...

My sister Loretta has only one child, a son, Peter Gibbs. His wedding to Samantha on Mother’s Day drew a large family attendance, most of us travelling interstate for the occasion. The wedding was held in Sydney and apart from Benn who lives there, the rest of our family flew in from Queensland, Northern Territory & Northern New South Wales – oh, yes, and my daughter Kim flew in from Copenhagen. Pete is a very popular member of the family, and our attendance en masse was testimony to how loved he is, and how happy we all are with his choice of a wife. Sam is a delightful person and we wish them both a happy life ahead.

The wedding ceremony was held in a park under the Sydney Harbour Bridge, looking across to the Opera House. The reception was in a restaurant, also under the bridge and looking across Sydney Harbour to Luna Park. The night lights illuminated the bridge and the winking colourful lights from Luna Park added to make a pretty backdrop to the bridal table. It was great seeing the nieces & nephews dancing and catching up together, as this would be the first time this group have been in the same city at the same time. A fantastic wedding and family get together.

Anzac Day & Breakfast BBQ

Amazon Kindle

Grandson Blayke with Grandpa

Michael & Murray Anzac Day Hobart, Tasmania

Breakfast BBQ by the river this morning

Never a dull moment in this household these days. I hardly have time to blog. What, with skypes to family & friends (Copenhagen & Sacramento), getting outfits ready for my nephews wedding, planning our USA itinerary for this year and frequent family get togethers, there isn't much time left. But what a fun time we are having...

Murray had a week away to visit his 3 kids and the one & only grandchild in Melbourne. That will be the last time he sees them until we return to Australia at the end of September. Then he flew on to Hobart to catch up with his younger brother Michael. They both marched in our Anzac Day (25 April) parade to honour those who fought in wars - their dad was in the Polish Army, fought as a Rat of Tobruk (Middle East) & at Monte Cassino (Italy). Their mum was in the Australian Air Force, so they shared their parents medals (plus Murray wore his own on his left chest) and they marched alongside the Polish Army group. They caught up with some old friends of their dad and had a beer with him and also their younger brother.

Meanwhile on the home front the nights are starting to cool down, but with such glorious autumn days - it is a real pleasure to be outside and lapping up the last days of summer. Yesterday my niece and her family came down from Brisbane to share an early Mother's Day with her mum - even though we will all meet up in Sydney on Mother's Day for the nephew's wedding, she couldn't wait to present her mum (she went halves with her sister Ally) with her Mother's Day gift - a Kindle (a software & hardware platform for displaying ebooks). We lucked out as we got included in a full roast lamb dinner served at lunch time. It was followed by a wine trifle. If any of you have tried my sister's roast lamb, you will know how delicious it is. So is her simply amazing roast chicken - I hope she reads this and invites us over for a chicken dinner before we head back to America. This morning to cap off the niece's visit, 9 of us met for breakfast to have a pancake, bacon, egg & sausage BBQ on the riverfront. My sister's husband Bill & Murray did the honours in cooking up the food, but in the photo I have posted above, Murray seems more interested in talking to a visitor to the area. The chap came up to ask for directions to a town up the coast, and ended up joining us for breakfast! He lives south of us on the way to Sydney, and although he is from Germany, he has lived in Australia for 23 years. He seemed to enjoy the family interactions, not to mention the food. To complement our breakfast, we treated ourselves to skinny flat white coffees from the cafe next door, and our aunt generously paid for the round. Thanks Aunty Dympna!

Shutters

Beaded Christmas Balls

Baker Murray

I am sitting in our shared study that now has white plantations shutters at the windows. Sure is a difference from having the brown cedar blinds. The room seem so much lighter. During the last two nights a breeze came up and both nights we had to wake during the night to close the windows as the breeze was causing the wooden blinds to knock on the window. Now we have the shutters we won't be disturbed. I took some before and after photos for you to look at, and used a bit of creativity within the Photoshop program.

While the man was installing the shutters today I made a second beaded christmas ball. My friends and I are planning on having a craft stall at our local market in late October, so I need to have my merchandise ready. I had to remember what my teacher Judy had taught me about making the balls, so I made the first one up last night as a refresher. Now I have the basic pattern down pat, I can get more creative. I even used a few swarovski crystals in the second one (blue/silver ball). Eventually I might even make some bead dangles to hang underneath the balls like my friends Judy & Jan do with their creations.

I think Murray thought he should get creative too, so he whipped up a loaf of fresh bread. The smell of it baking must have made the shutter man salivate. It really is a wonderful aroma. They say that when you are selling your house and have people through for an inspection, you should have bread baking to enhance their appreciation of the property!

Girl Friends

Jen & Leonie in front of Ficus Trees in Lattice Formation
Cute Llamas

Jen, Me, Gemma, Aunty Dympna skyping with Kim (on screen)

iPhone Geeks

Busy crafting and Photoshopping!

Don't you just love catching up with your girlfriends? You may recall I have mentioned Jen, the friend with whom I did my general nursing and midwifery (maternity) training. She has a younger sister Leonie, and we have known each other since 1970 - long before our husbands and children were on the scene. They both live with their families on the Gold Coast and at the last minute we arranged to have a girls' weekend here at our place in Ballina. They came prepared, each carrying their laptop and camera. From the minute they arrived in time for morning tea on Friday until the moment they left after lunch on Sunday, we were kept very busy with craft work or sharing computer (Photoshop & Skype) and iPhone skills. Jen had a new iPhone that she was getting used to, and as I have had mine for several months now, I was able to show her some handy hints to get the most out of her gadget. Leonie taught us how to use the photomail option in Photoshop which I find very handy, and Jen walked us through setting up the layers of a scrapbook page on Photoshop. We all learnt a lot.

Jen & Leonie wanted to check out their favourite shoe shop in the main street, so we wandered down there on the first day, and lo and behold, I found myself a pair of shoes to wear to my nephew's wedding. Now I just have to find a dress to go with them! Ha ha. Jen & Leonie never found any shoes...but they did find some other things!

For Friday lunch we went to a delightful cafe where there is a maze created out of ornamental figs (Ficus hillii) set on 1/2 acre. The maze contains more than 9000 trees and the paths are over 2 km in length. We were delighted to see some young llamas in the grounds, as were the group of children leaning over the fence trying to pat them. On the way home we dropped into a small country shopping mall and found some pretty bulbs for me to plant in readiness for next spring. After an afternoon spent learning new Photoshop skills, we got dressed up to greet our dinner guests - my sister Gem, her husband Bill and my Aunt Dympna. I had made salmon vol au vents served with oven baked potato chips (recipe courtesy of my brother Tony) and salad. Bill made a delicious apple and rhubarb pie for dessert, which was served with freshly whipped cream. As usual there was a lot of laughing to accompany the pleasure of sharing the meal.

Saturday started out very relaxed as we all went to a 45 minute meditation class run by my aunt. It was such a lovely day that we left meditation and walked across the road to a gallery cafe where my sister & aunt joined us for a coffee. Another day of craft followed before we visited my aunt to share in a Skype session she had arranged for 5pm with my daughter Kim in Copenhagen. My sister Gemma joined us as well, and I think Kim was quite sad when we signed off after about 40 minutes. Jen, Leonie & I then drove home via the beach - we were a bit disappointed that we had missed catching the sunset to try out our photographic skills, but proceeded to take photos of the waves and the red evening sky to experiment with various settings on our cameras. We realised we really needed a tripod!

Fortunately Murray was kept busy with sporting events on TV while the girls were visiting - Masters Golf & football being the main attractions. He stayed behind while the 3 of us walked to the nearby Chinese restaurant for dinner, but we returned by 9pm to resume our computer activities. It was quite funny seeing all 3 laptops set up in the study with us buzzing around like bees at a honey pot!

Sunday morning started with tea/coffee and toast on the back patio checking out the new growth on most of the plants. They are really flourishing and it will be exciting to return from the USA and see how they have grown in our absence. Even though it will be winter while we are away, Ballina area is designated sub-tropical, so it will be cool rather than cold such as our North Dakotan friends would experience in winter. Murray & I walked to Mass and on our return, Leonie & Murray made an amazing discovery. The father of Leonie's partner of over 25 years, Stan, and Murray's father were both from Poland, both went to England during the war and fought as a Rat of Tobruk then both emmigrated to Hobart, Tasmania, Australia on the same ship in 1947. How is that for a mind boggling discovery. Sadly, neither of the men are alive today. After a satisfying lunch at a cafe in town, Jen & Leonie packed their car and headed back to their families. Life is good - very, very good.

Easter and Brother's Birthday

Sisters & Aunt on morning walk
Kim look - Peckle has laid an Easter Egg

Looking familiar? Another family meal

The Birthday Boy with wife Yudian (seated) and daughter Kate standing behind him

In our family we can use the flimsiest excuse to arrange a gathering of the clan. This time however not only was it Easter Monday, but we were celebrating my brother's birthday. My niece Claire came down from Brisbane with her family. Her youngest is only 2 and was excited to see an alabaster Easter egg laid by the cement chicken in the garden! My brother Tony (birthday boy) and sister Ret drove down from the Gold Coast with their spouses. My sister Gemma, her husband and our Aunt live here in Ballina, so not much of a drive for them. The furtherest attendee came from Darwin - Australia's most northern city. She was the birthday boy's daughter so it was wonderful that she was able to attend. I should also mention that one of my Claire's sons lives in Alice Springs, Central Australia, and we don't get to see him too often, so it was great that he was visiting his mum for Easter.

We started Easter Monday with a 5km walk at 7am. I was joined by my 86 yr old aunt, my two sisters Gemma & Ret, and brother in law Bill. It was lovely walking along the river, and we nearly made it all the way home. We spied a cafe not far from the end of our walk and without hesitation, we pulled up some chairs and enjoyed a coffee to kick start the day's festivities.

By 11.30am everyone started arriving at Holden Lane where colourful balloons were gently swaying in the breeze. Gem & Bill provided peeled tiger prawns served with two different dipping sauces and fresh bread slices as the appetiser. Murray cooked up a storm on the BBQ - scotch fillet steaks, lamb loin chops and beef sausages. Salads, hot potato bake & garlic bread were side dishes. There were three desserts: Yudian had made individual meringues, served with fresh passionfruit coulis and whipped cream. Gemma had made a rich ginger cake that contained 3 tablespoons of fresh, grated ginger. Then Ret & Pete had bought the birthday cake - a marble mud cake. It did have 'Happy Birthday Tony' written on it in icing, but we added bunches of bananas (lollies). Tony lives across the road from our 93 year old mum, and he often buys bananas and takes them over to mum. She loves them. We don't call him 'Banana Boy' for nothing!

After my nieces Clairie & Kate made quick work of the dishes, people started heading for home. As the Gold Coasters needed somewhere to have dinner, the six of us walked up to a nearby Chinese restaurant and spent another enjoyable few hours chatting, eating & drinking. Well, someone had to finish off the bottles of wine leftover from the lunchtime celebrations! The weather was still mild enough to not need a cardigan - just a short sleeved shirt. Thanks to all concerned for a most enjoyable family day.