Welsh Greetings

Hi All
Life in Wales is good - if somewhat damp!
Last week I heard the "banned" song of our childhood performed live when Rod Stewart was in Swansea. Actually was a better concert than I had anticipated. I won two tickets to the event so took my friend Louise with me. We were 4 rows from the stage. The tickets had a face value of £95! Would never have paid a fraction of that but I did enjoy.
Louise and I have been continuing our gym workouts. We go most mornings for about an hour. Nothing much to show for it as yet but we are carrying on.
Last weekend Jules and I spent in the van as we anti-woodwormed the house and had to leave for 48hours. We just parked up in the field behind a pub a bit further up the valley. Was a nice change to be out of Ponty for a weekend.
Jules is now getting on with laying our bathroom floor. Will let you know when it complete.
Have enjoyed some good music in the pubs over this weekend. Had a "ladies lunch" on Friday. Met at 1.30 and got home about 12.30. Was a great day.
Saw a good film last week - "Oranges and Sunshine" - a joint British/Australian production. It's about the British children who were sent to Australia, particularly in the 50s and 60s, under forced immigration. Quite harrowing but a good film.
Wimbledon starts next week so I'll be glued to the TV for 2 weeks.
Darts are going alright, although we did lose quite badly in our last game (9-2). Hopefully we will put up a better performance this week.
Hope you are all well and happy. Sorry I won't be there when you are in Sydney Marty. Thinking of you all.
Love and hugs
Moo xxxxx

greetings from the south coast

Hi all,
Everyone so busy, the blog has been forgotten!
Last week I was flicking through mum's old recipe book (we all know the one) and found the recipe for kugelhoff. I really dont know what inspired me, but I thought I would give it a try, and yes a fine result, very delicious! Wonder if I'll be inspired today?
Mart, I hear you are heading down south for a few days. Bring your thermals with you it is bloody freezing down here at the moment. And I am taking you on a road trip to the Illawarra while you are here, so you can breath in cool sea air, (as opposed to warm sea air you have) maybe see some whales, and maybe even a fur seal, which are rare and endangered on the south cooast but one was on Austinmer beach playing last week! Get excited baby!!
Its now five times since dad has tried to get out the back door to go and buy bread rolls for lunch, otherwise known as going to the TAB, and at least six times that mum has told me she is going to have a shower, but the great thing is they have both finally got their act together and are in motion.
Anyone thought about christmas this year? Want presents? forget it? give to a charity? op shop only gift? kitsch souvenirs? home made only?
Think about it, and let us know. Mountain mob can respond by mail or phone if they read this.
Mum has just agreed to go on a road trip to Melbourne later in the year. Im wondering if dad put something in her orange juice this morning?? Nevertheless we can start planning our route, you got to love a road trip!!
Dad has put more than 600 slides from their first overseas trip on to the computer. This is quite an achievement and thank goodness Liam Jack came and saved the day by getting them on to the stick, which was way to confusing for dad and I to accomplish. Thanks Liam!!
Okay time to get lunch organised.
Love to you all
Zak

greetings from the south coast

Hi everyone,
so what's been happening down south? Very sadly Aerial, ct1 and Ct2 and BRaumy have all been taken by the dreaded ugly greedy fox. We are once again devastated, and will not be getting any more chooks till Spring. Too heartbreaking and we do not want the backyard to become a chook cemetry, although blood and bone is great for the garden as we all know.Dad and I have been doing our heads in again this morning trying to put photos from the computer on to a CD. Too bad for dad one of his kids who actually could do this with their eyes closed doesnt live closer!
Life rolls on, days are short, no good for early morning run on the beach. Only the weekends in the garden if it not blowing a gale. Wattamolla beach in the National Park had winds upto 110km an hour! I hate the wind, makes me completely crazy, which is obviously more crazy than usual. I am a straw widow as it is 2nd semester, and although my husband is in the house, he is absent, doing exams, marking and writing reports. OK mum,s up so time for a cuppa and chin wag.
Love to you all, Zak

Welsh Greetings

Greetings All,
Happy Happy Birthday to Connor. Hope you had a fabulous day. Can't believe that you are 15!
Great to read everyone's updates.
Not a great deal happening in Wales. I am having a bit of car trouble. The electrics are giving us hassles. We have left the car with the garage and they have given us a courtesy car so now we are driving a Skoda Fabia. Great fun to have a new car for a bit but will be happy to have ours back.
Doing well in our darts. Only lost 3 out of 9 games in the first half of the season, and only lost 5-6 each time.
I went to see Cerys Matthews at our local Arts Centre. She was fantastic! Also saw Animal Kingdom finally last week. Film four on TV had an Australian Film festival last week so I have recorded a number of films which I will have to watch at some point.
Our fabulous summer weather has been absent for a while. Hope it returns soon.
We have blue tits nesting in our nestbox at the top of the garden. Waiting to see the babies fledge.
Have gone back to the gym. My friend Louise has joined and is extremely motivated so she picks me up each morning and drags me along as well. I need the motivation.
Hope all's well with all. Take care and have fun.
Love and hugs
Moo xxxxxx

thanks Tjilpi and Joan

Have just spoken to Mum, they had a lovely day so thank-you both very much. Can't wait to ring Marty to tell him my Mum is on the 'blog'.

Claire (the icicle in Alice)

news from the capital

Hi all, it's been a while since I posted anything. Haven't been doing much over the past few months. Stayed home during the holidays, and didn't do much at all. Brought all this work home which stayed exactly where I put it! Steve and I have paid for our trip to Vietnam, now all we have to do is wait. Lucy is also travelling- she is heading to Europe with her friend Maddie to do a Top Deck tour. She will be away for around six weeks. It will get us used to her not being here next year. Clare is doing really well at school loving the harder classes. The musical (yes I am doing another one!) is underway with rehearsals starting last week. However, this year I picked one with only twelve songs not so much to teach the kids and the music itself is a lot easier for the band. I am fairly stoked I have almost 40 kids doing music in years 11 and 12, though it is a lot of work. Anyway that is about all. Almost the weekend...

News from Penshurst

Hi All

Marty and Claire

Thank you for giving Shirley our number.

Irene and Shirley joined us for lunch on Tuesday, topping off their stay in Sydney.

A trip along the Brighton shore was a fitting addendum to the visit.

The obligatory photo is attached. They viewed Will's fish on the blog and, like us all, were greatly impressed.

Have things dried out after your record wet?

Love Dad/Tjilpi/Old Man/Kev.