Here come the Judge

Alan and I were up at 4.00 am this morning as we were heading out to be Judge and Penciller at one of the obstacle/challenges at a Competitive Trail Ride for horses and riders. There were over 40 riders competing. The challenge Alan was judging was all about mounting and dismounting from the `off side'. The riders had to dismount from their horse onto this log, lead their horse around the log and then remount. It was very interesting and a lot of fun. For non riders reading this - a horse is always mounted from the same side and it is quite difficult for both horse and rider to do it in reverse. We were home at lunchtime and now we have lit our log fire for the first time this year as it is a very overcast and cool day. So nice and cosy to have a fire going :)

An Art Exhibition and Big Morning Tea!!

So here I am at our Trading Card Exhibition with my cards in the background - `Art in Your Pocket'. Here in Gympie the Art Gallery combined it with the Annual Biggest Morning Tea to raise money for Cancer Research. We all contributed $5.00, watched a wonderful parade of hats and then had an awesome morning tea which was so good we didn't need lunch. Our local State M.P. was there and the Lady Mayoress....... and us :) All our cards were displayed on a black background and they looked great. It was a really special morning and raised heaps of money for a worthy cause.

A Relaxing Holiday

We have just spent the last 2 weeks holidaying in our Camper at Noosa right on the river. In this photo you can see Alan barbecuing a `just caught ' fish, it fed 4 of us for a great lunch.

Here is our luxurious 5 Star set up. It was really comfortable with the annexe. Inside is a kitchen, dining table and bench seats and a lounge. The beds pop out at the ends :) We also took our bikes and our boat.

This is the beach at the campground. We spent a lot of time here reading and fishing or just watching the action on the river.

This is how we spent most days.

I bravely took my camera out in the boat and got this shot. You can see my pink fishing rod in the rod holder. We had a really great holiday, I also got in some retail therapy, we went to the movies to see Star Trek (loved it), and on the last night we went to a great Restaurant on the River and had Dinner while we watched the sunset. Now it is back to reality and we are once again weeding, mulching and cleaning.......... and looking forward to our next trip :)

In This Moment

Art in Your Pocket

I love making Artist Trading Cards and I am excited about an exhibition that our Art Society is holding at our local Gallery. Eight of us are each showing 12 of our Trading Cards and mine include some that I have swapped at Digital Art Quirks and also some with the Art Society members. One of my cards is included on the brochure and you can pick it out easily as it is upside down :( Well it was one of my Quirky swaps so I'm not too worried LOL. The opening will be fun as it is being held in conjunction with the annual `Biggest Morning Tea', raising money for cancer research. Everyone will be wearing decorated hats with a prize for the best and quirkiest and lots of yummy treats to eat. So it will be fun and a buzz to have some of my Art actually `hung' in a Gallery :) Probably for the first and last time.

Family

Last week Alan and I travelled interstate to attend my mother Doreen's funeral, She was 81 and it was her time to go; she had been living in a nursing care facility for some years, battling Dementia and none of us wanted to keep her here in this life which she could no longer enjoy. We hope now that she is with our Dad as they were so much in love all their married life. It was a beautiful service attended by friends and family and we all felt she would have fully approved of it - in fact maybe she did have a hand in it. Afterwards we had morning tea and later we all went out for lunch at a beautiful restaurant overlooking the sea at Terrigal. One of the best things was getting together with my family - my brother and sisters, nieces and nephews and uncles and aunts, I hope its not too long until I see them all again as they are just `the best'.


This is one of my favourite photos of Doreen, taken when she was 19, in Germany with the Navy and just loving life. In the Eulogy my family described her as being `passionate, creative and intelligent' and she certainly was all of those things.

As always at a gathering of our family we took the `group photo'. I love this one which really seems to show all our different personalities. If we all look pretty mellow, well we had just had a glass of wine or 2 with lunch and I think we all had that feeling that we had passed Mum's `final test' with flying colours.

Where did March Go??

March has flown but it was a lot of fun. We spent the first 2 weeks in Caloundra with Louise, Jeff, Tate and Abbey and we walked to the beach, went swimming, went to the markets, went out for breakfast one Sunday and just had fun being with family.

One morning Alan and I took Tate down to Moffat Beach for morning tea and a play in the park. Here you can see Alan and Tate watching the surf and having a deep and meaningful conversation.

On another morning we went out for Breakfast to a great restaurant called `Bucket and Spade'.

This is me cuddling Abbey, I think both of us had just woken up.

We were back home mid March but then our computer died - or the Graphics card did so we were off line for another week. Now we are kind of back to routine and we are enjoying the cooler weather. Wednesday this week we have to go back to Caloundra for Alan to see an eye specialist and I feel sure we will just have to call in and see Louise, Tate and Abbey on our way home :)