QUICK TRIP TO SYDNEY.

Last week saw us head to Sydney for a few days to help my younger brother with an interview to access the new scheme they are rolling out here in Oz for disabled people.  All went reasonably well.
Whilst there we also caught up with family and friends.
We stayed south of Sydney due to the caravan park where we used to stay,  has now gone, so it was panic stations to find something suitable, inexpensive & with en-suite sites.  Found, though it did mean a bit of travelling back & forwards, but that was OK.
A lot of photos  taken of the week away, with a small selection here.  We stayed south of Sydney in an area we know well, having lived there for about 9 years before we came to Victoria.  I also spent a lot my childhood holidays & outings on the South Coast of NSW.

Typical countryside of the South Coast & a road we've travelled may times.

East Beach at Kiama, accessed from the caravan park where we stayed.

An action shot of hubby jumping across the running water.

Waves breaking on the rocks.  Most were small until this one came along.
What happens when these hit whilst standing staring out to sea.

                                                                           THIS!!!!!

You get very wet as hubby found out.

Then whilst waiting for me to make a cup of tea & with legs outstretched drying in the sun, this critter (duck) came along & bit him on the ankle.  I couldn't stop laughing!!  There must have been something tasty on his trouser leg.

On Saturday we visited my bestie from school, whom I've known since I was 5 1/2.  She minded me on my first day at a new school & we've kept in touch ever since, though there have been times when it was few and far between.  She said I could put this photo on & I do have a better one where I don't look so silly, but I don't know how to get it off my tablet.  This tech stuff does my head in at times.

                                                        Sue on the right & me on the left.

Now for a funny story before we head home with some more scenery.
On Sunday we met up with our older son & his family for a day at a Car Show.  We don't see a lot of A due to him being so far away, but it was a lovely day out. His partner J, our drandaughter Miss A, grandsons, B1, J & R all did a lot oohing & aahing over the vehicles on display.
One of them caught my eye.

Now remember, I'm an Aussie girl who had her teen years in the swinging sixties.
"Oh", I said, "What a bright orange panel van".  As the boys moved further along & Miss A was out of earshot, I laughingly told J, I was actually going to say, look at that 'shagging wagon', but thought better of it with the kids around.  She started laughing and said she was actually going to say that too, but thought I might not approve.  Whilst we were laughing about all this, a voice next to me said, "Really Nana", & Miss A had overheard us, but then she is nearly 21, so it was the laughter all round.
I forget she is all grown up now.
At the show we saw this and all agreed it could be on Pop's garage door.

Just a few more pics of the trip back home.

The bridge at Bateman's Bay which has a centre section that elevates to let boats through.

Wagonga Inlet at Narooma where we ate lunch.

We were asked to pull over by the police as this appeared coming the other way.
What was behind it?

This very large piece of equipment.
Our older son A, actually works on the mechanical side of things like this.

We stopped at the lookout to take some photos of Bega with the mountains in the distance.
It is quite stunning scenery all the way down the coast of NSW.

Threatening clouds that didn't amount to anything at all.

Just 2 more.

Closeup of flowers from an Illawarra Flame tree, that are dotted around the Wollongong area south of Sydney.
Not sure they are called this anymore, but what we said as kids.

On our lunch break on the last leg of our journey at Cann River, I took a photo of this old church.
I've said many times over the years, I should take one & now I have.

OK, enough from me and I will be back on the weekend, "hopefully", with some crafty bits 'n' bobs, that I've got on the go, to post about along with whatever else is happening in our part of the world.
Take care all and lots of huggles.
Susan.
PS.  Thanks to all who browsed my Scavenger Photo Hunt, as their were some newbies in there.  Ta!

ADVENT CALENDAR 15TH

Linking up with Hawthorn and Julie for the Advent Calendar.

First:-  A big thank you for all my comments.
Second:- Happy birthday to my stepdaughter M (44 today), and another Happy birthday to grandson (M's son) who was16 yesterday and is already taller than Pop, my hubby.
Third;-  Another day without any definite crafting but a lot of fiddling.😞

DAY 15.

If you click on this so you can read the information notice, I think that says it all.  Taken on our holiday to Mallacoota at the , museum of the WW11 bunker that I posted about in  February 2015.

JUST BITS.

On Tuesday I bought a bag of carrots, but hadn't noticed the packaging till today.  Oh dear, I don't have any reindeer!!  May we eat them instead? (giggle)

I was playing around with this today and have now decided to take the ribbon of, roll it in glitter first, then put the ribbons back on.  I laughed when I thought about it and realise I'm doing a Kirstie Allsopp.  (She just loves glitter).

Judith, my doll that I use for my profile picture, turns 60 this Christmas. She has had a change of clothes for summer today, but this dress is very old and VERY special.  My longtime friend S's mother made this for me. We both had Pedigree dolls & played with them together often.   I must make her some new clothes next year.  That will keep my mind and hands active along with a few more things I'd like to try.

OK, that wraps up today and do hope you enjoyed my number.  It was a bit of a find in the archives.
See you all tomorrow.  Take care.
Susan. 

ADVENT CALENDAR 11th & 12th.

Wow, you could say I'm running a little late with this post.  We had a lovely day, on Sunday,  with members of our car club to celebrate Christmas and we had a little go at lawn bowls.  Not sure I'd get the hang of it and being strange old me, I had to see which hand I would use best.  Left it was.  Wonder why?  As a small child I was taught to use my right hand and not my "left", (I grew up in THAT era). so I do some things more easily with my left, if I wasn't told that I must use my right.  Enough, and onto my numbers.

DAY 12.

This was taken a couple of years ago in the Flinders Ranges, South Australia, whilst away with our caravan.  Notice there are actually 2 number 12's.

No crafting for the last 2 days, but I do have a short story to share.
I'm not sure whether we moved from where I first went to school in 1955 or 56, but this is my first school photo at Miranda Infants, where I was the new girl and was looked after by two girls, one of whom is still someone I keep in touch with today.  Over the years we had periods when we didn't hear from each other, but, somehow we find each other again.  I hope that we can actually meet up some time in the near future.  S follows my blog & sent me this quick email yesterday as a comment on the blog post of the 5th December, as follows....
"In your recent blog you show a photo of the little cookbook that came with your Mum’s fridge.
You used to take that chocolate fudge to school and I used to be sooooooo jealous.....ha ha has......"
I never realised she loved it so much.  Maybe I should take some up when we meet again.  We've known each other now for 60+ years.  Thank you so much S, for that friendship.

My class photo to go with the story above.  I am sitting on the bottom row, far left and my friend is in the same row, 5th from left.

DAY 11.

After Hubby got his scroll saw, I looked in a couple of woodworking books we had purchased some years back & spotted a number 11 on this page (I was getting desperate for this number) and then noticed the title beside it and had a good giggle, as I often think I'm getting lazy when I don't keep up to things as I should.



This is a short post today, as blogger is playing silly and won't let me do this the way I want, so I'm quitting now.
Have a lovely Tuesday all and I'll try and show something crafty tomorrow.
Huggles,  Susan.