Penniedarling

Then on the Following morning...  a beautiful pink Rose.

Labels: Garden

This is the best find we've had this year... a Diamond Python enjoying a possum for his dinner. 
We haven't seen our Python again but we no longer have pesky Possums pooing around the place or eating our grape vines... and I have heard the odd horrifying screech, so I think he must be around still.

Labels: 9/13, Garden

 Happy Birthday Jackson!  11 years old and already a teenager  :-)   no not really but he is a very grown up responsible boy who tells me...  he got his first pimple a couple of weeks ago! 

First Present to open was from Pennie and David... Lots of $5 notes and... not ONE... but TWO great big jars of Nutella!  

Check out Georgie's face  :-)

 Then lots of wonderful pressies from his adoring Aunt and Uncles...

 It's Nerys' Birthday next week so we celebrated a little early with her...   Lucky we're got Charlie because he reads out the cards so well.

 Briony celebrated her Birthday last month but there were a couple of late pressies for her  :-)

 Then we decided to celebrate Georgie's 4th Birthday which isn't till the middle of next month but we won't be with him then...  George is so quick to say WOW!  There were a lot of WOW's!  on the table yesterday  :-)

That photo bottom left is George listening intently as Charlie reads out the cards.

 Then there was a late Baby Naming pressie for Remy... with Charlie reading out the card once again!

 Not easy food to photograph but I needed a photo of the Taco Rack for Kerry...  I put the Rack on my Blog on the 19th of September...  http://penniedarling.blogspot.com.au/2013/09/photo-day-challenge-1992013-what-is-this.html

Fran guessed it straight off as did Liz and Michelle... it needed a good scrub before we used it, it's been hanging on the rack since before all the children left home.

 Now... these were absolutely melt in the mouth delicious!!  Matt Preston's Coca Cola Chicken Wings!  I cooked 1 1/2 Kilos of wings and there wasn't one little wing tip left over...  AND... they weren't ready until after we'd eaten our Sushi and our Taco's.

Remy tried and tried to get his Mum to share...  but sorry Remy, maybe next year  :-)

So after the Pressies and after the Lunch, what's next!! 

 The serious business of setting up the Remote Control Car that Tom bought for Jackson, it did take a while...


There was running... Dusty aka George... is so very fast on his Planes shirt.


Next the Remote Control Car got a workout on the windblown tennis court.


Cricket is the name of the game...

More on the Post below...

Labels: Family

 Dinner while watching Toy Story.

 Sound asleep but he's not letting go of that Plane!


 Bye Georgie and Tom, see you at Christmas and be sure to bring all the girls as well.

Briony and Kate did the Airport run and are now at Zone 3 for Jackson's friends party before heading back to Canberra tonight... Bye Bri and Kate, see you again soon.

Labels: Family

 I throw my Gold into my Babushka Money Box when my purse gets too heavy...   Then I cash it in for paper money when it's full...

How much do you think is here?

$142.00!

Labels: 9/13

Labels: Turramurra

When Photo a Day Challenge comes up with a Time, I just type it into my trusty Google and see what comes up, it's always something interesting as it was today.

This is a British show I've never seen or ever heard of but I love the sound of the cast so hopefully it will come our way one day soon...  Charlie Brooker, Jimmy Carr and David Mitchell I enjoy very much!

Labels: 9/13

WTF?  stands for What's The Food?  This is a Tasting Plate I really enjoyed way back in 2005!  At a restaurant that no longer exists in Manly unfortunately.    I'm drooling over this photo as I type... it was wonderful!

Labels: 9/13, Food

Tuesday night it was a Song then Dinner at Shannon Bennetts, Vue De Monde, one of Melbourne's top Restaurants.   http://www.vuedemonde.com.au/

Last night it was Steamed Crabs fresh from the Fish Markets!

Tonight it's a Song then Dinner at Tetzuya's, one of  Sydney's top Restaurants.  http://www.tetsuyas.com/

So what will I cook for Dinner tomorrow night I wonder?     Bangers and Mash have been suggested and I reckon that's not a bad idea :-)

Labels: Tomos

One of the beautiful old Lace Collars that David's Great Aunt Mergellina made, that I will frame one day.

Labels: 9/13, Lace

Humpty Dumpty!

Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall, 
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall, 
All the Kings Horses,
And all the Kings Men,
couldn't put Humpty together again.

What sort of story is this??  Mmmm... I've always wondered.

Wiki is as usual very interesting...  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humpty_Dumpty

Labels: 9/13, Babushka

Not much left on this Babushka Dresser...

Labels: 9/13, Babushka

 I was in much demand as a Flower Girl in my childhood.  My Aunt Pam's above.

My Aunt Audrey's a few years later.

Labels: 9/13, Pennie

One of our very favourite treats was to stop for a Toffee Apple.  When I was a kid we travelled a lot, and in some weird places you would find a Van parked on the side of the road selling Toffee Apples, I guess he sold Ice Creams as well but all I remember is those wonderful Toffee Apples.
  
This photo must have been taken about 1957, and I think we must have been on our way to Queensland for a holiday, I don't think Mum was expecting Dad to poke his head around the corner of our Caravan though...   :-)

That's me at the back, Tim in the middle and Meredith in the front... are we posed??  I don't remember that we were but we look like it don't we!

Labels: 9/13, Pennie

Two thirds water, one third land.

Labels: 9/13

 Last nights sleep over was just that a 'sleep' over.  First to sleep was George at about 8:45pm so he wins!  Both Charlie and Jackson were asleep by 9pm... how good are they eh!    I didn't sleep too well though, wondering if I should just check on them... one more time...  :-)

 Jackson was the first to get up but not till 7:30am!  Charlie followed not long after and it wasn't till after 8am that George got up... so he Wins a second time.

Each Grandchild receives one biscuit before breakfast anyway... but George being a two time winner... received TWO chocolate biscuits!! 

 Lovely hot and sunny day for a bit of water!

 Jackson looks like he is the main target!
 Everyone was soaking wet, including me... so time for a snack of carrots, cucumbers and sultanas! 
But as usual there's no filling Jack so he made himself some Exploding Porridge!


 How angelic is our George  :-)   wouldn't look at the camera for me though.

See... I told you there are Perfect in EVERY WAY!

Labels: Family

 This layout of planes just happened!  It was after the arrival of George so I guess it's him again :-)

A little computer time... then...

 Some home made Pizza with fresh orange juice....

Our evening meal received much praise from the youngest two... George just said 'Wow!'  and Charlie finished up saying it was the best Pizza ever and that's counting Take Away Pizza!!   Jackson just ate solidly...    No Higher Praise indeed!  :-)

All asleep now and it's only just past 9:30pm... I'd better hit the sack as well methinks!

Labels: Family

George went off to the Movies with Jack and Charlie and when I came home this is what I found on the carpet....

Back from the Movies and straight next door for some soccer and trampoline and rugby... and some slippery dip.

Back home for some Nutri-Grain before making Pizza's!

Labels: Family

Well!

This is what happened.

David and I were going to be away on the weekend of the 28th September but when I spoke to Briony she seemed very confused and I was wondering what the matter was but we hung up and all was well... for a whole 10 minutes when Tomos rang from Macao and spilt the beans!

Tom had been in contact with Briony because he was being flown to Melbourne and Sydney for a couple of Gigs, and he thought it would be fun to surprise myself, David, Nerys and family and Gwilym and family.   But I was going to spoil it all by going away that weekend!

So I canceled our trip and stayed quiet to Nerys and Gwil.

A phone call came from Tomos a week after this first conversation... and it finished up with him asking me if I would be home this Friday... 'Yes' said I... 'All day Friday? said Tomo... 'Yes all day Friday' said I... 'Good', says Tom, 'I have a couple of parcels arriving', says he...  'What for the Gigs?' ask I.    A hesitation... then... 'Yeah! for the Gigs!'  finishes Tom.

Mmmmmm... goes my head...  ??????  goes my brain!   The more I thought about it the more sense it made.  In a previous phone call Tom had been disappointed to discover that there would be no Boys Cricket on the 28th...    Lightening struck... and by the time David got home from the Museum I had it all worked out.

Tom was coming on Friday and bringing one of the children... George maybe?  

I hardly slept on the Thursday night, I was so excited with anticipation but at the same time covering myself so I didn't get too much of a let down in case I was wrong.  I rose early and hopped into the shower hoping they wouldn't arrive so early I'd still be in there.  Came downstairs and decided I needed to do the ironing first so I could get that out of the way... and the phone rang... it was Nerys.

So... Nerys and I am chatting away when from the corner of my eye I catch a climpse of Tom in the Hallway... he'd come in the back door.  I Ooooohhhhhhheeeeddd... and Nerys said... 'What's happened??'   I said, I'd call her back and hung up.  We hugged and and kissed and by this time George had raced upstairs to hide again... Oh my oh my how he's grown in the 9 months since I've seen him :-)    David came home from his walk and got his surprise but then I had to ring Nerys back.

I rang and she said... What happened Mum?   So I lied and told her that David had come home with a great big bunch of flowers because I'd been going on at him, like I do... she understood... so we chatted on and hung up!  Phew!

The plan was to leave here at 2:15pm to drive to Nerys.  Surprise her then walk to the boys school to Surprise them.

2pm comes... Tom and George are sound asleep and ask for another hour's sleep.

So we eventually get to the Thompson's home and to our horror discover the car not in the garage and no one at home...  Tom rings Nerys from his Macao phone to discover she's at a friends having Champagne!!  David and I have no idea where the friends home is so we wait hidden in the garden and home... more than one hour later Tim arrives home to discover a little boy playing in his front garden... A little boy called George!   Wonderful surprise!  Then he spies Tom deep in the garden and it's all Wow!  Wow!  Wow!

But where is Nerys and the boys.  Tim discovers where they are so we all pile into my car and head a few blocks away... Tom walks in the door and Nerys does a couple of double takes before she discovers it's her brother standing in her friends hallway and her Husband behind him!!  

Wonderful stuff!

Tomos, Nerys, Tim, Jack, Charlie and George all stay over for Pizza while David and I head home to recover from a wonderful if exhausting day, with many more to come.

We still have Gwil and Em and Remy to surprise... as well as Briony.

Labels: Family

We headed to Charlie's Cricket game first, he got 37 runs and bowled one out!  Last weeks score was just as impressive as well.  Well done Charlie!

One of Charlie's 'Four's'!

But by the time we got to Jackson's Cricket he had finished batting and bowling, I'll get some photos next time.  Then Tomos bought himself a uniform and joined Tim's team for a couple of hours of a practice game.

One might think it's all about Cricket here but no... last night they watched the Swans play Aussie Rules... our Swannies didn't win though which is sad :-(

Labels: Charlie, Cricket

 They took to each other straight away :-)

 Four beautiful Grandsons ... but sadly missing two beautiful Granddaughters.


As Remy was arriving I quickly FaceTimed Briony and Kate in Canberra so they could be part of the fun... it was a tad confusing for them though.

#1 not expecting to see Tom till next week and #2 not expecting to see George at all.

We FaceTimed them for a while, they said they were in Bunnings at Belconnen but Nerys was beginning to doubt everyone's story so she asked Briony to prove that they were in Belconnen and not in Hornsby... Briony looked around for a sign to no avail so Nerys suggested she ask one of the staff to tell us which store they were in.

So a little nervously, Briony approached a staff member who was standing near by and, we guess, had heard a lot of our FaceTime conversation.  Briony explained that her family in Sydney didn't believe she was in Canberra so could he please tell us where they were?

He immediately said... Bunnings Hornsby!!

Briony screamed of course and we almost fell over laughing... we knew he must have overheard Hornsby mentioned in the FaceTime chat...  because...  there isn't a Bunnings in Hornsby  :-)

The Staff Member apologized to Briony saying... there goes male chivalry! 

Such silly fun.

 Some... of our Grandson's beautiful parents.

 Remy is fascinated by Tomo.


 I didn't catch much but trust me, it was absolutely beautiful... I will have to try harder next time  :-)

How lucky are we all eh!  :-)

Then it was bath time for Remy he was on his way to his Great Granny Elizabeth's 90th Birthday Cocktail Party!






 The rest of  us... parked our phones and prepared for a Chinese Takeaway from 'Happyland'

How can there be 8 phones when there were only 5 adults here???  Two are iPod's I think and George didn't have either a phone or an iPod... so someone must have two phones!   Tomo I guess.

 The pressure is on...  it seems to me that almost every family member... and that's 16 of us... wants a jumper like this one of mine  LOL!

 Well... what can one say...  Tim certainly enjoyed a Gay Time!!  :-)))

Labels: Grandchildren