Christmas 2009

We had a quiet Christmas this year.  It was my first Christmas since my mum died and I didn't feel much like celebrating. We had a lot of offers for Christmas lunch, however we decided to stay at home for lunch and have a cold seafood and salad lunch.

It was great. We made phone calls in the morning and caught up with various family members across the country and have a leisurely lunch that needed little preparation.  Helen was happy with her fish smoker, and Jim got a fantastic multi-purpose torch/ radio/light.

For Boxing Day we travelled to Point Lonsdale to catch up with Jim's family. We took the dogs and Rocky (the new puppy) was well behaved and slept most of the way. We had a great day and it was nice to catch up with the latest news.

Here is  a family  photo of us all on Boxing Day, and our dogs - Reggie and Rocky.  Rocky was exhausted by all of the excitement!

Introducing Rocky

We would like you to meet Rocky, our new Puppy.  Rocky is a Sheltie, also known as a Shetland Sheepdog.  They look a bit  like a miniature Collie dog.  He is energetic, and a cuddly bundle of fur and was nearly 8 weeks old when we picked him up. He was born on 6 October 2009, which is our wedding anniversary.  Isn't he cute?

Helen's 40th Birthday

This week I celebrated my 40th birthday at Picnic Point on the Murray River near Mathoura, NSW. It's been a difficult few weeks since my Mum passed away and I have not been looking forward to my birthday. Earlier in the year, I had talked with my Mum about going on a holiday together for my birthday and now that's not going to happen. It's also the sign of a change in my grief and the beginning of the firsts - this is my first birthday without her.

My husband, my Dad and my nieces: Meg and Alice, and my friend Ellen came along to celebrate with me. We stayed at the Caravan Park at Picnic Point and we had a really nice time. The River was lovely and we spent the days fishing and wandering along the River, and the nights sitting around the camp fire at the Caravan Park. We spent one day near the Edwards River and another day near the Murray River. We caught a few fish, but they were too small and we let them go. We had a picnic for lunch each day, and my friend Ellen organised a chocolate mud cake for us all to enjoy by the river - and it was a beautiful spot.

I was really grateful to have all of these special people around to share this day with me and on the last day, just as we were packing up, a kookaburra flew in and sat on the nearby picnic table and laughed his distinctive laugh. And I remembered, no matter where I go, my Mum will always be with me.

Remembering my Mum

My mum, Raelene, passed away in August after a short battle with Cancer. For those of you who have cared for someone with Cancer you will know how it can be an awful disease. My Mum was aged 61 when she died and I remember when I was a young child and I thought 61 was so very old. But today, it seems much too young to die.

I feel her around me, especially when I am in the bush and I hear the Kookaburra's laugh - I remember how she loved those Kookaburras and how she loved the Australian bush. I especially find it comforting to be near the River. I'm not sure why - maybe it is the sun reflecting off the water, or it is the noise or the smell. Or maybe it is all of those things. Being by a river reminds me how much my Mum enjoyed the Murray River and how she liked to spend all of her holidays camping by the river.

It's my birthday next week and I am planning a few days of camping by the river. My Dad is coming along and I'm sure my Mum will be with us, but I am sad that she won't write on the card or give me a hug on my birthday.

My dear Mum passed away

I've been pretty quiet with my blog in recent weeks as my dear Mum passed away in Port Augusta, South Australia on August 17, 2009 after a short battle with Cancer.

It's been a difficult time for all of us and I will blog more when I am feeling brighter.

Helen

Captain Jim

Recently, Jim was elected as the Captain of the Woodvale Fire Brigade. This is a position that he is very excited about and looking forward to all of the challenges that comes with this role.

Doesn't he look handsome in his uniform?

Geocaching - Huh?

We have been geocachers for just a few short weeks, but we are addicted. It is so much fun and a great way to get outside and smell the fresh air. Sometimes, it also involves crawling around on your hands and knees, in the rain, looking under rocks, bridges and trees to find tiny containers hidden with treasure. We are slowly working out the technology and working towards finding a way to be geocachers without printing out reams of paper each time, and if you have any tips or suggestions we would love to hear from you.

When family and friends ask what we have been doing we try to explain geocaching, but I think most of them think we are going crazy. How do you explain it to people? Today, we were searching for a geocache under a bridge near the police station (I know it sounds suspicious, but there really was one hidden there and we eventually found it), when a group of teenagers wandered past and wanted to know what we were doing (interesting because it's normally the adults who are wondering what the teenagers are up to!) anyway, we tried to look like we were taking the dog for a walk, but we spent the rest of the afternoon giggling about the excuses that we could come up with - our favourite is 'tightening the screws on the bridge - they are loose so you better get out of the way'. How do you explain what you are doing if you are surprised by a muggle when searching for the cache? Any ideas or suggestions are welcome.