Photos of weekend in Wayamba

So proud of Lily and her aunty Rosie too

News from home whilst we were in Wayamba, out of mobile range, that Lily's drama group's production of Fiddler on the Roof was brilliant and that we would have been so proud of Lily. Well done Lily! Rosie meanwhile was doing fantastically well with her acupuncture practical exams. We are so pleased that she has passed so well and is now set for Yr 3 and for a future as a 'great practitioner'.

Just been for a walk to Tamarama Beach with Zach riding high on Grandy's back and with cousin Marilyn. Glorious blue sky day again, for Grandy's birthday, lovely.....

A poem for Donald and Rosie

Weekend at Wayamba

On the lawn’s margins a blue wren
And his dowdy mate, farthing birds,
Patter, bob, cock their heads and fly
Friday at four, we’re home to Wayamba

Angophora said Rosie, not gum
Stringy Bark Iron Bark Grey Gum
Peeling to glorious orange
Countless giants under deepest sky blue

A place of story book wonder
At the end of the trail, tin roof
Half hidden, verandah spread wide
For shelter and shade, for peace and retreat

You toil in your garden with love
For this land, teach me of wattle,
Eustraphus called wombat berry
Fruiting bright yellow like the robin’s breast

We walk and we talk, stopping here
To pull up Flea Bane, a war
Without end on the forest floor
As distantly the clever lyre bird calls

Mice in the cupboard, goanna
Lumbering by, Zach’s on the roam
So we’re all keeping watch, old friends
Together under Australian skies

See what you started, dear friends
Worlds away that April Sunday
Children and grandchildren, our lives
Together, we give you thanks and our love


For Rosie and Donald, 30th March 30, 2009

Another special message for Lily with a word for Luca too

Hi Lily. I just read your lovely comment about a scientist in the family and have posted a comment back to you. I expect this week you will be just too busy to answer my blog but I wanted to send you all our very best wishes from Grandy and I for the Fiddler on the Roof performance. We both so wish we could be there to see you and I so hope that Rosie or Jay or Mummy or Seb will be taking video of it. Grandy just came in singing 'If I were a rich man....' and if we were rich we would fly home to see you then bring you back out with us.... Still you do have SATs to do, don't you?! Oh dear. Grandy is very excited about you and science. 

I heard from Rosie that Luca is saying lots of words now and I heard him clearly say 'Butterfly' which is one of his favorites, bless him. Can you pass on a message to him and tell him Granny sends him a butterfly kiss. You know how to do those don't you! I bet you will be exhausted by the weekend won't you. We are going to visit another beach today to meet up with Hayley's friend Lucy and her baby Tilly who is the same age as Zachy. I am writing this whilst Zachy is asleep because once he is awake you can't take your eyes off him! He zips about non-stop finding things to investigate which he shouldn't .....lots of love and a big hug xxx

Poem for Jodi, my friend found on Facebook

ForJodi

See you here now, twelve years on

In your stripey sun hat waving

With stroller and Daisy and Mae Rose

Smiling as you walk out of our past

Another country where you

A girl, I a working mum

Passing, as I left our school you came

But instant friends across age's divide

Traces of you left behind

Words in my notebook, photo smile

So both of us not quite forgotten

As babies were born and oceans were crossed

A magical moment in

Melbourne's blue skies city square

Touching our lives together again

Lost and found, my special Facebook friend

More glorious days in Sydney

We have still been enjoying fabulous weather here as you will see from the deep blue skies. Yesterday Weds 18th we went to the Icebergs swimming pool which is sea water fed at high tide from the bay. It is as you will see in the most wonderful setting and it is situated just at the top of Dan and H's road. Zach had his first swim in his speedo orange ring and really loved it. 

Today Thursday we have been - Zach and Andy and I- to gymbaroo with some other little tykes. Zach most enjoyed scrabbling away from the group and into the store cupboard, so Granny got lots of exercise running after him. Also had to lie on my back and wave Zach in the air on my legs- can you picture the lovely scene?! So glad some weight has been lost since my last visit here....Andy and I are off to Melbourne tomorrow at the crack of dawn, to do the Great Ocean Rd and also to catch up with Jodi,with whom I taught at St Barnabas twelve years ago. She now lives in Melbourne ( her home town) and has 2 little girls and she 'found' me a few months ago on Facebook.

Hi to Lily from Granny in Oz

Special little post today for Lily- I'm hoping her mum or aunty might alert her. Just to say Lily that Grandy and I really miss you and often think about how much you'd like to be in the sea here in Australia. You'd also love Zach very much just like you love that Luca-bug in Brighton. He is a very busy bee indeed, all day long, just exploring and climbing into cupboards and fiddling with things like the t v and plugs- everything he shouldn't be into really. He has such a cheery little smile too and goldy coloured curls. I keep trying to draw him but it is a bit hopeless because he won't sit still for me like you do! 

I wonder how school is going? Mum said the teacher was very pleased with you- that's good isn't it! How about rehearsals for Fiddler on the Roof- I bet you are all working really hard for that. I will be sorry to miss it but do hope Rosie will record you for me. If you read this, I do hope you will post a comment to me. No one else has left any comments so you would be the first. You could sign in as one of the followers too. Lots of love Lily and a big hug n kiss from me and from Grandy xxx

Saturday starts at 5 a.m for the Bondi Whittinghams..

An early start for us all this morning with the lovely lad, whom Granny thinks must be suffering with his toothy pegs. He is happy to start his exploring day even before sun-up though the rest of the team are rather less lively. Andy, Dan and I go for breakfast at the far end of the beach whilst Zach catches some more zeds back home - see photos of all the ultra fit folk running on sand ( for heavens sake!) and being vigorously drilled by barking instructors. Later - ooh, all of 10 a.m by now- we all go to Nielson's Park which is not for the impoverished of Sydney, Dan says. Have wonderful time frolicking inside the shark net with Zach who is truly a Whittingham water baby and giggles hysterically whilst slowly turning blue. Grandy does great job later of walking Zach to sleep in his Bugaboo so the rest of us have a few moments of down time. On the way home we see a wedding party and you can see from my photo why photographers love this place for the back drop. Suggest to Andy that we plan immediately for Vow Renewal just for the photo ops, and I will leave you all to imagine his response, ha ha. 

Back on form

Just in haste to say that after a couple of days of what our Indian friends call ' womiting' migraine, I am now relieved to feel much better. Thanks to Rosie for over-the-phone tips on pressure points. Roll on her being qualified is what we all say. A few photos - yet more of the small but beautiful boy investigating his environment - maybe a scientist in the family we wonder? 

Dan is dictating this post and suggests I start by saying I have at last recovered from my nasty vomiting migraine, after a visit to a nice Australian doc called Sally. Thanks to Rosie for her over -the- phone tips about points to apply pressure to. Could use some regular acupuncture for sure I think. Roll on Rosie being qualified we all say! All great here apart from that- though did realise I could write a small paper or novella about the countries of the world in which I have had migraine attacks! Other small (but lovely, of course,) problem is that little boy in the house thinks his morning getting up time is now 5.30, bless him.. So we've all enjoyed In the Night Garden this morning already, and as Dan says, rather more of each other than we would ideally like! Hoping today to go to Nielson Park for Saturday outing, if the mummy and daddy can wake up... More photos meanwhile of the most beautiful 11 month old in the Southern Hemisphere, up to mischief- or really just non-stop investigating his world. Do we have another scientist in the family at last? 

Photos of first days in Oz

First days in Bondi

In our bid to outrun winter this year, Andy and I are now in Oz with Dan and Hayley and Zach, staying with them in their flat in Bondi Beach Sydney. We arrived on Monday morning having spent extra hours on extra flights via Auckland and L A, but having in my case caught up with all the most recent films I've missed in Hounoux. Since then we've had a lovely day on Tuesday as chief in charge people for Zach,whilst Hayley did her floristry course. Zach is very chilled indeed and just seems to enjoy roaming the flat and balcony, investigating things like cupboards, plugs and remote controls. He was happy to re-make our acquaintance immediately and no worry at all for us all day. We took him for a walk in the afternoon along the beach where, as ever, throngs of people are to be found running and power walking- especially very toned looking women! Don't think un-beautiful people are allowed to live in Bondi...Andy has this morning, Wednesday- but Tuesday night in England- been for a run along the beach himself. Zach has just woken up so I'll be quick to put up a couple of photos of him.