Girlfriends, Markets & Curves

Back in the groove at Table Tennis

Aunty Dympna's first circuit at Curves

Jen & Leonie on new Laptops

Trish, Ret & Jen setting up the Marquee

Our stall all ready to go...

Ret's Fairy Angel Dolls

Jen's Christmas Cards

Leonie's Pastels

Caren's Fascinators and Wedding Horseshoes

Yippee - a sale at last

Now I am getting scared. I thought I only did up the blog last week, but when I checked tonight, it is almost 2 weeks since my last entry. I can officially validate the saying that 'time flies when you are having fun'. Everyday seems to be full of pleasant activities: laughing at an email my brother wrote from a houseboat as he was cruising down the Murray River here in Australia, speaking to my sons, sisters & brothers on the phone, skyping with my daughter in Copenhagen, attending Mass, knitting for my nephew's expected baby, reading about the visitations of Our Lady at Medjugorje, learning new computer techniques and doing craft things with my sister and girlfriends (that I have had since I was 17 years old), having friends come to stay, watering the garden and checking out the growth of all the plants, having morning tea (or lunch or dinner) with my aunt, editing my brother's novel, holding a market stall or attending a gym. Phew. And they are just the things I can actually remember. I have also had 2 new people who are interested in motorhoming around USA contact me - We have already given some tips to 4 other couples, so it will be a pleasant task to help another two out. We enjoy sharing what we have learnt about RVing around America, and trust it makes the adventure appealing to others.

After several days of heavy rain, we were worried that the day my sister & girlfriends had planned to hold a craft market stall would be washed out. But no, the day dawned bright and sunny, and we had our marquee set up in no time (thanks Col & Ally). The four of us excitedly displayed our wares, and sat back waiting for the hordes to snap up our bargains...we waited, and we waited and we waited. Come on folks, we had beautiful homemade Christmas Cards all done up in cellophane wrapping - only $2.50 each. We had impressive hand-drawn pastel drawings, unique fairy angels, beaded bracelets and earrings going for a song, and absolutely stunning hand-made fascinators (all ready for our Melbourne Cup racing season) waiting to adorn some fetching outfit. If it wasn't for a box of used novels that we were selling for 50 cents each, I doubt if anyone would have stopped at our stall at all. Well, we sold 2 cards, a few jewellery items and about 20 books - and that was that. Although our sales figures were disappointing, we all thoroughly enjoyed our day chatting & laughing in the spring sunshine together.

For those of you who know me well, you would know that I am not particularly partial to exercise. I enjoy doing a brisk walk with a sister or a friend, as it is a good time for a chat, but even that simple activity has been absent off my calendar for more than 5 months. My aunt gave up golf some years ago, and has had to give up yoga due to an unknitted broken bone in her upper arm, and although she stills plays croquet, she wanted to add a bit more aerobic exercise and weight-bearing exercises to her life. So, after much research and deliberation, we decided that we would both join a Curves gym for women. My Ballina sister is out of town at the moment, but we are hoping she will join us on her return. So far my aunt & I have attended 2 sessions, and we are very pleased with our decision. We have agreed we will plan to do 3 sessions a week. Our weekly table tennis game fits in just before one of our Curves session, so we flit from one activity to the next. Ah, the life of a retiree....That reminds me, I still have to go and register for my volunteer work...have to have a balance there somewhere.

Another busy but fun-filled week coming up next week. But more on that in the next instalment....