Tuesday, December 30, 2014

HAPPY NEW YEAR


Did you have an enjoyable Christmas?
It's been Hot, and Humid, here in the land down-under...


We have feasted, and travelled around visiting family...


from the oldest: my Dad, 94, and loving his gift of a magazine about Holden cars - [he used to buy a new one every year, way back in the day...]


to the young - Little Aussie with his very own camera from we proud Grandparents.. he has wanted this for a long time.
He's been practising, on any camera we will let him near,
and within the hour was in command, issuing directions to 11 adults and several other children for group photos, individual shots, his new toys, selfies.
Quickly he learnt to delete the unwanted, and soon he had Uncle W connecting the cable to the television and was checking his enlarged images.
Best $38 I ever spent...


He was also thrilled with his bird-in-a-cage, virtual pet.
It sings a few tunes, chirps merrily, and will repeat your commands.
That went down a treat, and
this Grannie is still smiling ...


Mr C gave me the highly desirable Absolutely Beautiful Things, by Anna Spiro.
I read it every night; the text is lovely, but the photos of Anna's divine decor are the best inspiration: I study them over and over.
Ready for my January re-arrange, after the Christmas stuff goes back under the stairs for another eleven months...


Mr C also gave me this bright happy, light cotton, casual beach dress..
which shouts "It is too hot for anything that is not thin, loose, cool, natural fibre and tropical in a Queensland Summer"


I gave him a shirt which says much the same thing..


Meanwhile, over in Canada, our other five-year-old grandson has become the world's leading exponent of exactitude in colouring:


He sent us individual cards - for Grannie and Gramps!


These trees have had quite a workout, several meals a day,
and will be looking forward to being packed away under the stairs for a rest..


We played Settlers of Catan (any fans out there?)
I like to win ... and thanks to the Largest Army, I did, he he


Suddenly, after months of torrid dry heat, the day after Christmas it rained.
For several days.
With more to come.
Our lorikeets were found in the morning, head under wing, wondering what it all meant..


Even the cockatoo looked a bit concerned..


The roses are loving it.  
In five days this bush has become covered in buds and blooms.



Yellow cosmos are having a party..



Well, that's it for 2014.  Thank you for reading my blog;
my stats tell me lots of people come by, and I love that you do.
If you comment, I like it even more, and try to reply to everyone who drops in.

Wishing you all a Happy New Year, and health and peace for 2015.


XXXX



41 comments:

  1. Trish, so happy that you scored with your gift of the camera. It is so hard to find something for the grandkids at Christmas. I loved seeing all your gifts, although it's hard to image hot and humid at the moment here in Texas. Your family is quite spread out with some in Canada! Take care and enjoy the New Year celebration.

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    1. Hi Linda Kay, Yes, our family is spread around - hope to make it to Canada in a few months. Happy New Year to you and yours.

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  2. Hard to imagine hot and humid when it's cold and frozen here! My other 'alf mentions Holdens every now and then but he is into cars but mainly bikes! Happy New Year to you. Suzy x

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    1. Suzy, does your other half know the Holdens have reached the end of their era? The magazine was a retrospective as the company closes down. I didn't have the heart to tell Dad this. Happy New Year, even if it is cold and frozen! xx

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  3. I was going to say the same as Suzy inasmuch as I can't imagine celebrating Christmas in the heat. We had a very hard frost here this morning and there's talk of snow. HAPPY NEW YEAR to you and yours.
    Hugs
    Patricia x

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    1. This year, the heat was too much for me, Patricia - much too humid to be comfortable. Sometimes it is wet and cool and I prefer that. I hope you get a little sprinkle of snow at your house - it does look pretty in the morning. Happy New Year, and hugs for 2015.

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  4. Delighted that you have had a lovely Christmas Patricia and I wish you a Happy New Year 2015.
    I should imagine that little Aussie will be an expert at taking photos at a very young age. Those old cameras we had with their expensive to develop films were so limiting for us.

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    1. Thank you Rosemary, and I wish you a very Happy New Year too.
      It is really interesting to see what a child will do with a camera, without the limitations we always had. He is highly creative with it already, which is heart warming to see. It may also not last very long because he is a little five year old boy!

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  5. Patricia, I was just telling my husband today while sipping on our coffee what incredible birds that my friend in Australia gets. I forgot the names of the birds, and so glad you reminded me of the lorikeets and cockatoo. What a snowy white bird he is. I love the fact that your grandson is already into photography. That is a young age, and by the time he's older, he'll be a pro. Your pink rose is so pretty. I want to plant roses this year at spring. I think my favorite thing on here was the homemade cards your five year old grandson colored. They will be treasures for you in the years to come.

    Happy New Year, dear friend. I wish you peace today and always.

    love,
    ~Sheri

    ps I love seeing pictures of your precious father at 94.

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    1. Hello Sheri, and Happy New Year to you and your family. I am glad you enjoy the birds, who are part of the family in a way. A bit of rain does wonders for the roses; today I found another group of rosebuds on a white bush, so pretty. You are so right about the hand coloured cards - very precious, I will put them in his album.
      Dad is going well, although slipping mentally. He thinks we all work at the home now, and is losing the idea of 'family'. Oh well, he keeps smiling, so that is the main thing.

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  6. Hi Patricia....
    How lovely to have blooms in the garden at Christmas....
    Aussie will love that camera....
    Happy New Year!
    Cheers!
    Linda :o)

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    1. Hi Linda, over there in the cold and snow...
      Aussie was so excited with the camera. Beautiful to see. He starts school in a few weeks, what a big boy now.
      Happy New Year! Cheers from Oz.

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  7. Best wishes for 2015 Patricia, I have very much enjoyed reading your blog this year and looking forward to much more.

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    1. Hello Barb, nice to see your face again :)
      Thank you for reading my blog, it is encouraging to know there are friends out there reading my ponderings! Happy New Year!

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  8. Happy New Year, Patricia!

    I envy your summer Christmas. The flowers and colorful birds are so lovely! And, you know how I love cotton and natural fabrics regarding clothing. My favortites!

    Little Aussie is no longer a toddler. Children grow up very fast.

    I enjoyed the "Absolutely Beautiful Things" blog for a while, but now Anna is too busy to write on it. I miss it. Exciting that her book is out!

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    1. Happy New Year, Debra. Summer Christmas can be really nice, or if too hot and humid, not so nice. This year, a bit too hot for me and we are trying hard to keep cool. No longer a toddler, Aussie is developing some sophisticated interests these days, just in time to start school.
      I found the Absolutely Beautiful blog via Martha Stewart's blog years ago, and it was the first blog I found in Australia. I too miss the blog, but did you know you can follow her on Instagram? There are lots of nice images to see. The book is lovely - I wonder if it will be sold in the US?

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  9. Happy New Year, Patricia. I hope you also have a healthy one.

    What a busy Christmas you have had - and so wonderful that you had some lovely rain so the garden gets a good start to 2015. Your garden pictures are wonderful.

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    1. A few days rain in the hot weather works wonders, although we have lost a few old favourite bushes this summer, Sarah Liz.
      Busy times over Christmas, but now time to catch up - with each other, the house, the garden, some movies....
      Happy New Year!

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  10. What a lovely Christmas you had a very happy new year.

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    1. Hi Greenthumb - wishing you a Happy New Year, and a great 2015.

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  11. Happy New Year, only a few short hours left of this one and then 2015! Enjoy ... J

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    1. Hello Judith, nice to see you are still around too. Hopefully you are still sewing :))
      Nearly time for the fireworks to begin... Happy New Year!

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  12. Thank you Valerie. You are the camera genius of the blog - I should take some notes from your photos, and try to teach him to photograph reflections. What with him being a gifted child and all....
    Happy New Year xx

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  13. Dear Patricia,
    Such lovely presents you all recieved.
    I wish we had some of that heat here.. We have beautiful weather, but nippy.
    wishing you all the best for 2015.
    Thanks for your friendship.
    hugs val xxx

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    1. Nippy weather sounds very appealing to me, Val :)
      All the best to you for 2015 - hope it is a great year for you.
      New Year hugs, xxx

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  14. I hope that your New Year will be wonderful! Best wishes for all good things in 2015 to you and yours! xx

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    1. Thank you Amy, and best wishes to you too, for a wonderful year in 2015! xx

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  15. I'm glad you had such a wonderful Christmas, Patricia. It's always so nice to find presents for people that they really love. It must have been great fun watching your grandson with his new camera. We had a game of Settlers here as well, and I won the same way as you did, with the largest army. The really fun part about that is nobody expected me to win, so were quite shocked when I played that third Knight card. Happy New Year!

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    1. Good play with the Settlers - the element of surprise is key!
      Can't wait to see Little Aussie in action with the camera again. He should be turning professional by the time school starts..
      Happy New Year!!

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  16. Happy New Year Patricia! Love the big bowl of festive salad, and the colouring in is excellent, and that dress is fab! That game sounds right up our street, Mr B loves a good board game and always wins (annoying). xxxx

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    1. Thank you Blighty, lots of action going on around here. Board games do require someone with an intense competitive streak (yes, annoying). xxx

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  17. Ha! Have just checked with Mr B, he has heard of Catan and thoroughly approves, he loves that style of game, he has Carcassonne and Ticket to Ride and Seven Wonders, but now no one will play with him. Shall I send him over to your house? They played Catan in an episode of Big Bang he tells me. So there we are, full disclosure on our Catan status xxx

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    1. Hmmm, so funny no one will play with Mr B - might happen to me some time soon... Maybe send him over here, yes.
      Off to get my spies to locate the Big Bang episode for me. xxx

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  18. I always enjoy your photos and your blog, Patricia. It is so…what's the word? Classy! Yes, that's it. It sounds as if you've had a lovely year end. I do hope you enjoy the next one!

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    1. Dear Val, high praise indeed - I'll take Classy any time :)
      Thank you for following my blog, and your friendship. May 2015 be kind to you in health and happiness, and may you continue to enjoy life aboard!

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  19. Happy New Year to the Cardinals! I so enjoyed the story of Little Aussie and his camera. Kid just seem naturally adept with the tech stuff don't they? You have a photographer in the family now.

    Darla

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    1. Thank you Darla, and Happy New Year to you too. Amazing how kids take to the technology, and at such a young age. Makes me wonder what we could have done given the same opportunities. I think he will certainly be a keen photographer - he took his first nice picture of me with my camera when he was just three!

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  20. My very, very sincere apologies for not reaching your blog earlier ( :.
    Your blog is an image of You. So full of energy, color, exciting news, happenings. Life is shining in your posts. Is it a different mentality there - down under?
    Anyways, thank you for the past year and hoping to share this 2015 in Your good company once more. Mette, xx

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    1. Dear Mette, you are so welcome to visit my blog, any time. Thank you for your kind comments, and I love the idea of the blog being in my image. I have enjoyed blog friendship with you too, and we will certainly share our life experiences again in 2015. Cheers!!

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  21. Happy New Year, Patricia, and I'm so glad you've had rain to greet it. Your presents look lovely and very appropriate. :)

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    1. Happy New Year to you too, Perpetua. The rain continues to come and go, and the grass is green, and roses blooming. As ever, I received some very nice presents, and am enjoying them to the maximum!

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