tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-370844652012-01-25T03:52:45.509-08:00Family of 6 from Madison, Wisconsin, USA moves to the Central Coast, New South Wales, AustraliaCatherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04962883297787709826noreply@blogger.comBlogger1691100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37084465.post-72945381702193502862012-01-25T03:07:00.000-08:002012-01-25T03:52:45.680-08:00

As we entered the HP ExpoWe were fortunate to be able to view the Harry Potter Exposition at the Power House Museum in Sydney. It was a wonderful display. Very interactive.Flying car!Neo was "sorted" by the Sorting Hat while we waited for our turn to enter the exhibit. When Neo was asked which house he thought he'd fit into, he shrugged. Big Brother Tristan tried to help out by calling "

Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04962883297787709826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37084465.post-42982553799848235352012-01-10T14:01:00.000-08:002012-01-15T21:06:56.737-08:00

On Zoe's 9th birthday, our belonging from the US were delivered to our residence in Australia. It was like opening a time capsule. Among the packed boxes were photo albums from my childhood. Photos and keepsakes from my children's baby years. There were paintings and pictures the children had made. Dave's ceramics from his college days. All survived the trip. The time capsule was not

Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04962883297787709826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37084465.post-14352070345237807672011-12-26T19:13:00.000-08:002011-12-26T19:47:01.397-08:00

What a wonderful Christmas we are enjoying this year! To begin with, Dave has a paid leave for 17 days! It's the first time in years that Dave has received a paid holiday. It's a nice benefit.We went to Christmas Carols on the lawn at EV Church. It was a lot of fun! Neo had learned a song and happily sang along on stage. I love singing Christmas Carols. We all enjoyed BBQ and a time with

Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04962883297787709826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37084465.post-12718069968976689972011-12-15T21:52:00.000-08:002011-12-17T14:24:46.975-08:00

Neo graduated from Preschool.Today, December 16, is the last day of school! In the last few days, there have been parties, a talent show, a "thank you" tea, Christmas carols, and report cards. All these events were wonderful and treasured.Tristan on Presentation DayWe received two invitations to attend "Presentation Day" at Copacabana Public School to see Zoe and Tristan receive awards.

Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04962883297787709826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37084465.post-77590891734604804952011-11-12T21:19:00.001-08:002011-11-13T17:59:45.160-08:00

Zoe's year 2 class performing a dance.Class 2S performing.Happy at the end of the final performance.BackstageThe Copacabana K-2 put on a musical based on the book: "Milli, Jack and the Dancing Cat"authored by Stephen Michael King. Zoe's teacher put the book to music and the children danced in between reading/reciting the picture book to the audience.On the way out of the theatre.After many weeks

Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04962883297787709826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37084465.post-23449333691846046312011-11-06T09:48:00.000-08:002011-11-06T11:42:17.807-08:00

Neo wearing his Copa Surf club Nippers uniform.The cap is what under 6s wear.Nippers is a surf/beach learning classroom for children from 5 to 14. Nippers is run through the volunteer surf clubs. We decided to join the Copacabana surf life saving club. Neo and Clara are eager participants. Zoe has attended 3 of 5 sessions so far this year. Here's the link to Nippers.Zoe's under 9s group (red

Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04962883297787709826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37084465.post-55106721477000715232011-10-01T03:29:00.000-07:002011-10-27T04:59:53.621-07:00

Neo and Zoe with bubble wands and bubblesFirst day of October and it was a busy Saturday. Dave and I walked down to the beach for our morning date. We have coffee at the Beach Club every Saturday. We walked over to MacMasters' Progress Hall for the semi-annual book sale. We bought several books for a donation. The sale was so much fun, I took the kids over again after lunch and bought

Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04962883297787709826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37084465.post-75788897560659859582011-10-01T02:07:00.000-07:002011-10-01T03:19:22.383-07:00

Flat Stanley at Bondi Beach - (I like the small people above the sign)Panorama of BondiTristan's 4th grade class created Flat Stanley at the end of Term 3. Their assignment these school holidays is to take pictures with Flat Stanley in various (iconic) places. We have never been to Bondi Beach. On Tristan's birthday we went to Bondi.Kids on playground at park by Bondi BeachNeo watching/feeding

Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04962883297787709826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37084465.post-91695755541124416282011-09-28T14:29:00.000-07:002011-09-28T19:55:58.010-07:00

Somersby Falls Photos and Video (on YouTube)We recently went to the Somersby Waterfall. While the kids were busy exploring, I took many photos and a couple of videos. Here are some pictures of the afternoon.I uploaded one video to YouTube - click for link. Wonderful, peaceful place. Also great place to play.

Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04962883297787709826noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37084465.post-74362437824824460632011-09-07T14:22:00.000-07:002011-09-28T14:28:35.212-07:00

Over the Blue MountainsSunset over my new carWe traveled over the Blue Mountains for the first time in August. On the way, we stopped at the dealer to pickup my new car - see previous post. It really handles well and has good power even fully loaded. We traveled on The Bells Line of Road - a more scenic route, and we were told less road construction. In the mountains there were many apple

Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04962883297787709826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37084465.post-69316424197835027122011-08-21T02:06:00.000-07:002011-08-21T19:58:28.409-07:00

Trajet in 2008 Trajet in August 2011, just before we sold it. Back of the Trajet - I was rear-end the day before trading it in When we were planning our first adventure in Australia in 2008, I looked for an inexpensive used car that we could buy to use for 8 months. The car we purchased was a 2001 Hyundai Trajet. A nice little "people mover" (Aussie term for mini van). The Trajet wasn't

Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04962883297787709826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37084465.post-70641232719639165612011-07-21T18:34:00.000-07:002011-07-21T20:00:16.777-07:00

Rocks below the Gerrin Point lookoutWe have walked most of the paths in the Bouddi National Park and areas surrounding us. One of the major exceptions was the Putty Beach Boardwalk. Many have recommended it to us, but we were slow to take them up on it. We finally went on a recent Sunday in July and this is what we saw.Tristan in front of a small cave on Bullimah BeachUpclose look at the beach

Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04962883297787709826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37084465.post-46978874368605979332011-07-07T14:33:00.000-07:002011-07-07T15:37:26.385-07:00

Norah Head lighthouse from the beachPlaying with a vine found on the beachTerm 2 of the school year ended on Friday 1 July. There was a NAIDOC celebration at Copa school. Tristan received an award at the School Assembly. Clara also received an award for her work over this term at Kincumber High School. All the the children are learning very well in school. I was able to meet with several of

Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04962883297787709826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37084465.post-54515781850955586942011-07-03T13:23:00.000-07:002011-07-03T14:04:50.133-07:00

The red in the sky is due to the ash particles from the Chilean volcano, we believe. Flights have been grounded in Australia due to the ash cloud.The Reptile Man helps Neo "wrestle" this baby crocodileClara was thrilled to go to her school's disco on Wed 29 June. What a way to celebrate her birthday with friends.As a treat, I took all the kids out for ice cream. When we got home, Neo said his

Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04962883297787709826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37084465.post-64840987210782412182011-06-20T05:29:00.000-07:002011-06-20T06:17:35.765-07:00

From MacMasters Beach to CopacabanaLast week was very difficult. We had flooding in the lower level on Saturday night, 3 x on Sunday, then again Tuesday and Thursday afternoon. I went to the Tenancy Tribunal on Friday to see about getting out of the lease. The landlord's agent and I met with the Councillor. He pointed out to her that her client was in breach of the contract, but he didn't let

Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04962883297787709826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37084465.post-25188674320350511942011-05-31T14:29:00.000-07:002011-05-31T17:24:57.975-07:00

"Leaf Litter" - A stack of palm fronds we collected in the backyardSince Sunday, 29 May, we've been in a tempest. There have been high winds, hail, and rain falling in heavy sheets. Today is the first day of winter, June 1, the wet season has begun.Standing water in the lower levelAll that heavy rain has resulted in flooding in the house, again. The drain outside our front door gets

Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04962883297787709826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37084465.post-26235654223015791622011-05-27T02:23:00.000-07:002011-05-27T03:39:55.571-07:00

Term 2 began on April 28th. We've just completed Week 5 of Term 2. On May 6th, Copa school held their Cross Country Carnival. The track was around the playground and tennis courts 3 times. There was even a parent run, which I participated in.Zoe had been dreading running CC, but by race day, she was enthusiastic. She came in 5th in the 8 & 9 year old girls race. The top 5 racers in each

Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04962883297787709826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37084465.post-61181048433731043502011-05-25T15:18:00.000-07:002011-05-25T20:32:26.533-07:00

Today is Crazy Hair day at Copa School. It's a fund Raiser for the Red Cross. Each child who participates brings in a Gold Coin ($1 or $2) or more. Our kids really got into it!

Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04962883297787709826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37084465.post-4369900057182647282011-04-22T23:49:00.000-07:002011-04-23T03:57:07.219-07:00

Neo being very careful with the little chick.The kids and I traveled to Sydney's Moore Park for the Sydney Family Show during the April school holidays. Moore Park is quite an interesting place and has a long history. There are shops, restaurants, and a movie theater. There are also playgrounds and ball fields in the park.Tristan demonstrating how his Squiggle works. The Sydney Family Show is

Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04962883297787709826noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37084465.post-17899129737172778882011-04-13T14:55:00.000-07:002011-04-13T19:43:46.184-07:00

There was a lot of excitement in the area near our home on Wednesday, 13 April with the planned sinking of the Adelaide Battleship. The day was gorgeous, 70s and sunny. Sail boats, fishing boats, and boats of all sizes began moving past our viewpoint from early on. The ship had been cleaned up in preparation - removing everything that could be potentially harmful to the environment. The

Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04962883297787709826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37084465.post-45767977948285350722011-04-10T13:20:00.000-07:002011-04-10T13:57:59.806-07:00

Double rainbow over Copacabana JacarandaIt's been feeling very "rain forest" here as we move from summer to autumn. It's been raining more and things are greening up. The temperature has been cooler at night with warm, sometimes sunny days. The flowers have been bursting out in bloom! Their fragrance is amazing, almost overpowering at times.I had to throw in this picture of an illuminated

Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04962883297787709826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37084465.post-12364072241937707442011-04-10T12:42:00.000-07:002011-04-10T13:20:20.675-07:00

The election for the New South Wales Legislative Assembly occurred on 26 March. For an old political junkie like me, there was a lot to learn. From the parties and players, to the way a vote is cast. Besides the many differences in government between Australia and the United States (the Governor is appointed by the Queen of England), there were two items that stood out the most to this

Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04962883297787709826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37084465.post-51212427673247250522011-03-26T00:44:00.000-07:002011-03-26T01:11:29.182-07:00

The school year began on 31 January, 2011. Today is 26 March (election day for New South Wales) and Term 1 is nearly complete. With just 2 weeks remaining, I thought I should provide an overview of the school year.Clara finally made it into 8th grade. It was hard on her starting school in September 2010 and joining her class in Year 7 when her friends in Madison were moving on to Year 8. Her

Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04962883297787709826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37084465.post-75290695734188934492011-03-15T00:29:00.000-07:002011-03-15T01:11:22.027-07:00

The Box Head. The land across the water is part of Sydney's Northern Beaches.Dave enjoying the view from the Box Head. Lion Island directly across The Brisbane Water.Looking from Box Head trail towards Maitland Bay.Lion Island and to the right is Umina Beach/Woy Woy area. The Brisbane Water.Dave had Monday 7 March off from work. With Neo in preschool and the other children in their schools,

Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04962883297787709826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37084465.post-88661531955347422532011-02-23T13:11:00.000-08:002011-02-23T16:21:28.747-08:00

As the summer holiday drew to a close, I took the children to the Australian National Maritime Museum to see the exhibit "Planet Shark". We took the train from Woy Woy (where Dave collects the train daily). The children playing on another fountainA sign of our destinationSydney 2000 Olympics memorial daily). We all enjoyed the Shark Exhibit - and learned that the shark is definitely the prey,

Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04962883297787709826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37084465.post-24732020098745204302011-01-30T12:49:00.000-08:002011-01-30T19:13:51.908-08:00

Australia Day is on 26 January. This year it fell on a Wednesday. Dave had the day off of work so we had some family time. We swam in the pool, enjoyed watermelon, and cookout foods. Then we went down to Killcare Beach where 3 of us swam (Zoe, Tristan and I) and Dave and Neo explored the rocks. Zoe and Tristan jumped the waves at the shore. Clara was worried about Blue Bottle jellyfish, so she

Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04962883297787709826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37084465.post-52533869882626368612011-01-16T13:18:00.000-08:002011-01-16T14:02:51.904-08:00

January 10 was a Monday this year, and Dave went back to work after 2 weeks off for Christmas and New Year holidays. The children continued on summer holidays. After a leisurely morning, we made our way to the Box Head trail in Bouddi National Park. The views were fabulous! We also saw a wolf spider, many small lizards, and Saint Andrews Cross Spider. We did not walk all the way down the trail

Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04962883297787709826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37084465.post-69787700602129175932011-01-11T13:32:00.000-08:002011-01-11T14:03:56.219-08:00

Queensland FloodingDuring my mom's video call to wish Zoe a happy birthday, she mentioned that people are concerned about us because of the news reports of flooding in Australia.First, we are fine. The floods are many miles away to the north of us in Queensland. Having said that, I thought I'd share about the areas that are experiencing the flooding. On 10 January, a "wall of water" 8 meters

Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04962883297787709826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37084465.post-79968202811783276102011-01-01T09:17:00.000-08:002011-01-01T15:13:29.691-08:00

Christmas and New Year's CelebrationsOur Postie, Ian, on Christmas Eve deliveryWith such an auspicious date, I felt I should write about our Christmas and New Year's celebrations. These have been very nice family celebrations.Salvation Army brass band on Christmas Eve @ Erina MallDave's last day of work was Friday, 24 December. He worked a 1/2 day. Friday night, Clara and I went to the mall for

Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04962883297787709826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37084465.post-32485748225323154082010-12-23T13:07:00.001-08:002010-12-23T13:07:54.234-08:00

Free digital ecard personalized with Smilebox

Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04962883297787709826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37084465.post-47949985130355673852010-12-20T07:12:00.001-08:002010-12-27T07:59:28.365-08:00

Phil Houghton Bridge over Piles CreekOne of the many smaller bridges on the Piles Creek Loop TrekOther-worldly in appearance - steps to the Phil Houghton BridgeSome of the rock-face where shallow caves were along the trailZoe and Clara at different points of the "mostly flat" trek - per the trail description chartIt was an amazing bushland trek! Through sun drenched bush scrub. Up and down well

Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04962883297787709826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37084465.post-35863610169803616742010-12-12T12:07:00.000-08:002010-12-12T13:04:37.976-08:00

Oprah, her 100 plus organizers and 302 ultimate audience members came to Australia on 6 December. Everyone associated with Oprah has received lots of media attention. It's been heaps of fun watching the media follow them around Australia. So far, she's been to: Uluru (Ayres Rock), Great Barrier Reef, Melbourne, and many sites in Sydney. A noteworthy point was when Oprah plus 300 others

Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04962883297787709826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37084465.post-16249915810652775212010-11-28T01:46:00.000-08:002010-11-28T02:29:27.231-08:00

Pelican getting directions from the local police27 November is the correct date - but the year ?? I thought it was very economical of the City to reuse the banner.Thanksgiving in Australia is just another work day. We did not make a special meal on Thursday, but we did express good wishes to many in honor of the day. On Saturday, Clara, Neo and I went to Gosford to take part in the parade

Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04962883297787709826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37084465.post-74122469147508757452010-11-26T00:54:00.000-08:002010-11-26T02:03:28.923-08:00

Z, T & N enjoying the slip n slide a few days before the partySince most of my children's birthday's are in the late fall or winter in the northern hemisphere, I've always opted for a birthday party away from home. This year, the birthdays land in late spring and summer, and we have a nice yard and pool. Invite a few friends over, have food and drink....easy!More slip n slide funTristan had a

Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04962883297787709826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37084465.post-14329217435316026882010-11-07T02:43:00.000-08:002010-11-07T03:39:33.950-08:00

Neo in his "Fancy Dress"Neo going down the inflatable slide at the Gosford festWe were not sure what to expect for Halloween in Australia. But there wasn't much missing, from what we have experienced. The candy is more gory: eyeball rings, gummy body parts, etc. Personally, I prefer the miniature candy bars. Pumpkins were available in some of the stores: $25 each! At that price, we didn't get

Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04962883297787709826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37084465.post-86818249953990146732010-10-23T03:21:00.000-07:002010-10-23T04:09:25.846-07:00

3 different views of our pallet while in MadisonOur pallet of boxes arrived at the port in Sydney. What to take and what to leave behind was my job. First I got estimates from moving companies about shipping all our furniture, and other goods. We did not have enough to fill a container. The cost to move everything was over $5k US dollars - an amount that didn't make sense to me. Much better

Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04962883297787709826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37084465.post-12672899399314686702010-10-04T18:30:00.000-07:002010-10-04T19:18:06.362-07:00

Neo on a well day making his sand castleWe've been in Australia for 6 weeks now and we've been fighting illness for a lot of days. First Clara was sick - lost her voice and sore throat, that was our first week. Then Zoe and Tristan had 2 days of school followed by 4 days of stomach flu. That was our 2nd week here. Shortly after we moved inout our rental house. Tristan was annoyed that he

Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04962883297787709826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37084465.post-17771724321709785752010-10-01T00:58:00.000-07:002010-10-01T04:31:13.912-07:00

Clara wearing her Kincumber High School UniformClara is in year 7, which is the first year of high school in Australia. She attends school at Kincumber High School in Kincumber. Every morning, she walks the steep hill, (for those in Madison area, Topping Road has a similar slope), to The Scenic Road where she waits for the bus. Two other girls from our block meet her at the stop - one in year 7

Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04962883297787709826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37084465.post-4911004827512340592010-09-25T00:24:00.000-07:002010-09-25T02:13:17.888-07:00

Dave and Neo at the foot of the Upper FallsZoe at the foot of the upper falls....There are upper falls and lower falls.Last weekend we went to Somersby Falls. We love Aussie signs.....The top of the upper falls are even with the parking lot. You can climb down a steep, narrow path to the bottom of the upper falls. The path to the lower falls is steep and narrow with scary wooden stairs, but

Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04962883297787709826noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37084465.post-20403432156046945102010-09-22T11:48:00.000-07:002010-09-22T12:09:48.753-07:00

Rego - pronounced rej-O - is the Aussie way of saying registration. One of the first things we needed to get done on our arrival to Australia was to rego the cars. Both cars rego had expired. This is not an easy process - and our experience with rego in the past is that we needed a lease for a permanent rental, our passports and US drivers license, and proof of ownership for the car.To rego a

Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04962883297787709826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37084465.post-58127640088194082762010-09-04T03:40:00.000-07:002010-09-04T04:05:58.843-07:00

Our view from 2nd floor windows. Here it is, our house for the next 12 months. These pictures are from the Realtor's website. The house in in MacMasters Beach - the same community we lived in previously. It has 3 bedrooms and 2 baths. There is a lot of living space over 2 floors. The lower level has the entrance and the rumpus room. It also has north facing windows overlooking the backyard

Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04962883297787709826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37084465.post-91115903140484818992010-08-26T08:19:00.000-07:002010-08-26T13:43:10.735-07:00

Clara sitting on the rail of the Mac Masters Beach Rock Pool.The kids and I arrived at Sydney airport on Saturday 21 August at 6am. We had no waiting in the immigration lines. We gathered our luggage but could not find 1 bag. As we were looking, the crowds grew. The bag was recovered and we made our way to the long line to exit. Fortunately, a customs agent took pity on me and reviewed our

Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04962883297787709826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37084465.post-41622348284244342212010-08-23T10:37:00.000-07:002010-08-26T14:39:53.751-07:00

Neo loves Mickey Mouse! We spent our last night in Madison at the Country Inns and Suites. Our friends the Rosebooms brought dinner to our room and we played in the pool. We were given a shuttle ride to the airport on Wednesday morning, the 5 of us and our 12 pieces of luggage!Our flights to LAX were good. Everyone traveled well - what a relief. We collected our luggage and took our reserved

Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04962883297787709826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37084465.post-42895951726982851152010-08-17T20:17:00.000-07:002010-08-17T20:33:53.503-07:00

If anything can go wrong, it will. That's what it's been like the last few days. First, Tristan received his retainer on Friday the 13th. On Sunday, I closed the kitchen and packed up the dishes. We went to lunch at a restaurant where he left his retainer wrapped in a napkin and it was promptly swept out with the trash. On Monday, we were fortunate enough to get an emergency retainer made,

Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04962883297787709826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37084465.post-39139767369336542372010-07-31T04:40:00.000-07:002010-07-31T05:01:20.312-07:00

2004 VW Jetta, purchased Sept 2009 Dave only put on 6,000 miles in 10 monthsWow, Dave will be leaving for Australia in just 8 days! Dave's car, the 2004 VW Jetta, just left yesterday. My van, 2001 Sienna XLE, will be leaving on Monday night. I have loved owning/driving that van. We rented a car - with keyless start - that we'll use until the kids and I depart on the 18th of August. 2001

Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04962883297787709826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37084465.post-48888256091830784472010-07-17T04:21:00.001-07:002010-07-17T05:01:27.967-07:00

Our wonderful cat, FionaOur cat, Fiona, just left with Dave on their way to Kent, Ohio where she will be loved and cared for by Dave's sister, Jennifer and her husband Bob. There's something nice about having her go to family. We'll be able to get updates on her well being from time to time.Fiona was supposed to be a dog. After our dog Harley died in December 2004, we wanted a new dog after

Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04962883297787709826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37084465.post-78563453771242465012010-07-07T00:18:00.000-07:002010-07-07T07:23:39.342-07:00

Tuesday, July 5, Dave took his car into the body shop. Over the winter, he slid off the road on his way to work and hit a guard rail. The front end of his car was damaged - mostly the bumper. He had received an estimate from the body shop of $1700 - so we decided to turn it into the insurance as we have a $500 deductible. We were told a check would be issued to us, and we could schedule the

Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04962883297787709826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37084465.post-5762818079843135752010-07-06T23:54:00.000-07:002010-07-08T19:27:23.664-07:00

Clara turned 13 on June 30, 2010. Grandma Sorenson came to celebrate with her by taking us all ten pin bowling (Clara's choice). Before Grandma arrived on Wednesday, we took Clara to see "Percy Jackson and the Lighting Thief". At the bowling alley, they were playing a "Red Pin" game. One way to win was to leave only the red pin standing for the spare - I picked it up - and we won $5 food

Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04962883297787709826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37084465.post-9869620777634414752010-07-05T10:42:00.000-07:002010-07-05T11:32:15.609-07:00

We have purchased our plane tickets for Australia! Dave leaves on 8 August, 2010. He arrives in Sydney on 10 August. He'll be staying at a holiday house in Mac Master's Beach. The house is right on the lagoon. We used to walk past this house regularly. He's really excited about this location. This link is the holiday rental. http://holidays.georgebrand.com.au/holiday_display.php?id=803&

Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04962883297787709826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37084465.post-37786939169475878772010-06-24T11:09:00.000-07:002010-06-24T11:36:33.089-07:00

Our house on Roberts Court - Spring 2010We first started marketing our house on Roberts Court for sale by owner on the FSBO Madison site in March 2010. On April 18, I signed a listing contract to put the house for sale on the MLS. The listing agent, Bill Lorge of Badger MLS, set the price. We thought the price was high and dropped it within the first week. The US First Home Buyer's credit

Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04962883297787709826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37084465.post-77201288093081953642010-06-06T05:14:00.000-07:002010-06-25T11:11:32.727-07:00

Kitchen "before" - this is our rollaway dishwasher (where the cabinet was installed later)With Spring quickly approaching, we had to get the house ready to be shown and hopefully sold.I scraped all the paint off the woodwork in the kids room. Then stained and varnished it. When the floors and stairs were refinished on the 2nd floor, they also stained the new oak railing to match.Kitchen with

Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04962883297787709826noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37084465.post-2686247701661178332010-06-06T04:17:00.001-07:002010-06-06T05:29:57.919-07:00

The Wilderness Moose mascot with Neo. March was the beginning of Spring Break season (our kids Spring Break was in April).Tristan on the edge of the ice and snow covered Lake Delton in March 201oI had promised to tell the story of our trip to the Wisconsin Dells in March 2010. We rented a condo at The Wilderness. We have stayed at The Wilderness hotel before. It's a large water park hotel,

Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04962883297787709826noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37084465.post-126015215195228652010-03-20T05:46:00.000-07:002010-03-20T13:55:53.558-07:00

Refinished floors and trim in the kids roomToday is the first day of Spring in the United States, March 20. What a wild and BUSY month it's been here. The weather has been unseasonably warm and sunny for March in Wisconsin which has allowed me to open windows - so the painting began in earnest. We had contracted to have the 2nd floor Red Oak floors sanded and refinished in two steps. The kids

Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04962883297787709826noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37084465.post-26077250001816439932010-03-08T20:04:00.000-08:002010-03-08T20:44:26.084-08:00

I have been marketing my 4 unit building in Mineral Point, WI to sell it myself. I feel confident that it's a good building with good income and I can sell it as well as any Realtor. At the end of January 2010, I thought it's time to really get going on the sale - Spring is coming, we need to sell soon. I put another ad on Craigslist and paid to have the property listed on the MLS. I received

Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04962883297787709826noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37084465.post-71557786399865282022010-02-13T04:11:00.001-08:002010-02-13T05:01:25.994-08:00

Snow folk built earlier in the season, feeling the effects of winter sun meltLate January, all of February, and March are the parts of Wisconsin winter that push me over the edge. Allow me to paint the picture. The outside temps are in the single digits over night and reach into the 20s during the day. Too cold to be out much! There are winter hats, mittens, snow boots, snow pants and winter

Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04962883297787709826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37084465.post-26040862373991959612010-01-24T01:42:00.000-08:002010-01-30T18:53:19.813-08:00

When I was a little girl, growing up in Wisconsin, I discovered "Little House on the Prairie" book series by Laura Ingles Wilder. I loved those books and read every one. I still remember how sad I was when "Jack", Laura's dog died. When the TV series aired with Melissa Gilbert starring as Laura, I was thrilled. I watched every week. I don't think I missed an episode.When I heard that Little

Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04962883297787709826noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37084465.post-60737411672149602692010-01-24T00:55:00.000-08:002010-01-24T01:42:22.953-08:00

While Clara was going to school at Shorewood Hills elementary, she made many friends. One of her best friends was Sahalie Donaldson, who moved away at the end of 4th grade. Sahalie lives in Utah. She came to visit her friends in Madison over the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday.Sahalie boarded a plane alone and came to visit Clara, Maxine, and Elena. She chose to come at this time because

Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04962883297787709826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37084465.post-54588641905702606202010-01-11T18:49:00.000-08:002010-01-11T20:07:18.727-08:00

Zoe with the fruit kabobs we made, Neo with his own creationZoe (with Erin) blowing out her candles....Zoe turned 7 on Sunday 10 January 2010. To celebrate, she had her first friends invited party at Madtown Twisters, a gymnastics facility in Madison. She invited her entire class - 13 children (7 boys and 6 girls). Plus her best friend, Erin. In addition, her 3 siblings (Clara 12, Tristan 9,

Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04962883297787709826noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37084465.post-91908237814127448382010-01-03T09:54:00.000-08:002010-01-03T12:20:02.761-08:00

Neo and Tristan with their snow creaturesTomorrow, Monday January 4, 2010, we get back to it. The kids to their schools and Dave to his work. Neo will begin a new preschool program on Tuesday. It will be good for him to have other kids to play with. He will miss his siblings very much on Monday.On the first day of break, December 21, we drove down to Mineral Point to reclaim Apt 3. I had

Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04962883297787709826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37084465.post-11870199972340057892009-12-24T08:47:00.000-08:002009-12-25T04:16:04.230-08:00

It snowed yesterday and overnight. The rain began this morning. It was freezing rain at first, then changing over to rain as the temperatures rose. The forecast is for more rain into the night then changing back to snow as the temperatures fall below freezing again. What a mess things will be on Christmas day!Our neighbor was on his roof removing snow!Neo and Tristan used the new snow to

Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04962883297787709826noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37084465.post-38832714394320423062009-12-22T01:30:00.000-08:002009-12-22T02:11:26.722-08:00

The snow cover we had prior to the "big event"On Tuesday 7 December, Dave left for work about 7am. There had been a 1-2 inch snowfall overnight - just enough to make the roads slippery. Dave called at 7:30 to say that he had lost control of his vehicle while merging onto the beltline. He said his car had done a 180. Fortunately, he was not injured and the car came to rest on the side of the

Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04962883297787709826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37084465.post-62264772589476809722009-12-21T18:33:00.000-08:002009-12-21T18:58:25.568-08:00

It's December 2009 and we've managed to get integrated into our old life, more or less. We are living in our house. I am working part time from home and managing our 4 unit apartment building. Dave is working at the same company he worked at prior to our departure. Tristan is back at Shorewood Elementary school. Clara is back at Hamilton Middle School. Zoe didn't want to go back to

Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04962883297787709826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37084465.post-50834408793541240962009-11-28T08:39:00.000-08:002009-12-22T08:53:03.661-08:00

Dave's mom, Grandma Stallman, came for a visit on Tuesday 24 November. She had some difficulties with unreliable aircraft on the way out, so her flights were changed and delayed....and her bag was lost. Her bag was delivered Tuesday night.We enjoyed grocery shopping in preparation for Thanksgiving meal on Thursday 26 November. On turkey day, we worked together to create the Thanksgiving feast

Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04962883297787709826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37084465.post-71911167864999534142009-07-14T01:27:00.000-07:002009-07-14T02:17:12.913-07:00

Neo 2-1/2 and Eve 1-1/2"The Cousins" range in age from age 12 years to 18 monthsThe goal of our road trip through California and Oregon was to spend time with "the cousins". They live on the side of a mountain on the outskirts of beautiful Belfair, Washington with their mom and dad - Aunt Ranae and Uncle Paul. It was the first time they got to meet Neo. It was our first meeting of their

Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04962883297787709826noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37084465.post-56040479093252798522009-07-05T03:17:00.000-07:002009-07-06T08:28:30.071-07:00

On July 4, we left Eureka, CA for the 5 hour drive to Eugene, OR - 294 miles (474 km). We had the pleasure of driving in Redwoods National and State Parks. The first sights were the ocean with Black Sand beaches.We liked the Smith State ParkThe surprise of the day came when we took Hwy 199 from CA 101 toward Interstate Hwy 5. This road is a two lane hwy right through the heart of redwood

Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04962883297787709826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37084465.post-87120258275190556582009-07-04T21:05:00.001-07:002009-07-05T02:58:53.639-07:00

The kids on Pier 39 with San Francisco in the backgroundOn July 2, we began our long drive from Grover Beach to Belfair, WA via California Hwy 101. We decided to break it up into 4 days of driving with 3 overnights at hotels. Our first destination was San Francisco. The drive is 258 miles (416 km) or 4 hours and 20 minutes according to Google maps.We drove through downtown San Francisco.

Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04962883297787709826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37084465.post-69649526787269062412009-07-04T06:51:00.000-07:002009-07-04T08:09:08.502-07:00

Clara on a lion statue at the Santa Barbara zooWe arrived in Los Angeles from Brisbane, Australia on Saturday, June 27....4 hours before we left! The flight was just under 14 hours. After making our way through customs, and discovering that Neo's car seat and stroller were on a later flight, we took a taxi to Union Station. We took the train to Santa Barbara....Clara was the only one awake.

Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04962883297787709826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37084465.post-7179322780703469652009-07-01T04:21:00.000-07:002009-07-01T05:20:41.046-07:00

Zoe and Tristan in front of a fountain in the Southbank Parklands (Brisbane river in background)On Friday, June 26, we drove from our home in Macmasters Beach to New Castle airport. We left at 5am to catch a 7:50am flight. I had driven the route provided by "Where Is" a week ago and almost gave up finding the airport on several occasions. I drove back from the airport following the signs set

Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04962883297787709826noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37084465.post-52114771146459267482009-06-29T00:34:00.000-07:002009-06-29T01:33:15.366-07:00

Zoe with her 60 Home Readers Certificate and BookmarkOur children really love their school: Copacabana Public School. But the last week before our departure was rough. On the last Friday, Tristan suffered a mild concussion. On the last Tuesday, Zoe was sent to sick bay because she had a wave of nausea at the end of the day. She did vomit when she returned home and spent Wednesday at home with

Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04962883297787709826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37084465.post-8355579915584031972009-06-28T17:26:00.000-07:002009-06-28T17:43:37.131-07:00

Last Friday, Tristan was playing basketball on the playground with friends at the lunchtime recess. Someone hit him on the head with the basketball. The force of it pushed him into the support pole for the basketball hoop - where he slammed his head again. He managed to sit down on the ground, not fall down. They took him into sick bay and called me. Dave was working from home that day (we

Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04962883297787709826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37084465.post-27300938747805913132009-06-19T22:54:00.000-07:002009-06-19T23:08:43.734-07:00

I really like the cloud/mist hanging in the hills over Cockrone lake.It's only been 2 1/2 weeks since the lagoon and Lake Cockrone were drained but it is nearly ready to be drained again. The measure indicates 2.1 meters. Last time it was drained at 2.5 meters. There has been an unusual amount of rain in recent days. And the tides have been higher then usual - not king tides, but very high

Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04962883297787709826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37084465.post-41435521592323241602009-06-19T21:26:00.000-07:002009-06-19T22:47:52.434-07:00

Tea cup - Clock cookie base (clock face out) with icing, marshmallow (they are different then US version), fizzy candy for handle, and chocolate topping.On Friday 19, June, the Copacabana School was having a party! As part of this, the children were allowed to wear "party clothes" - which means a Mufti Day or no uniform! The canteen staff and volunteers made special treats for sale - 50 cents

Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04962883297787709826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37084465.post-13052775013447847642009-06-16T14:33:00.000-07:002009-06-16T18:55:02.335-07:00

Lake Cockrone as it refills after being drained 8 days prior. 8 days after the drain, the lake bottom is still present - but more of it is covered each day. This is the section where Zoe was standing on the previous pictures.If you compare this picture with the same one taken 4 days after the drain, you'll see how much water has been filled in.This is a new family of black swans. We saw them

Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04962883297787709826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37084465.post-81095736288087906142009-06-11T15:21:00.000-07:002009-06-11T15:26:32.882-07:00

It's been cold here the last few days. Winter started June 1. We had temps in the high 30s at night. Our space heaters are on full blast! Fortunately we have a wall of north facing patio doors that let the full sun in during the day - and really warms the house! The temps in the day are nice - 60s - if it's sunny, things are really great. Dave and I saw a couple of whales on Saturday

Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04962883297787709826noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37084465.post-32172442544701960412009-06-11T14:57:00.000-07:002009-06-11T15:21:37.082-07:00

OK, I admit I'm having a difficult time with buying clothing here in Australia. It's expensive and the sizing is not easily converted. This is especially true for Dave. I was given a tape measure that has inches and centimeters on the same side. It's very helpful. Yet we couldn't find jeans that fit properly for Dave. And he's very choosy. We found out that Lands End delivered to Australia

Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04962883297787709826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37084465.post-39375014929692047152009-06-07T11:57:00.000-07:002009-06-07T15:34:36.973-07:00

Zoe and Neo walking in the lagoon bedFour days after they moved the sand between the ocean and the lagoon/lake, we walked down to see how things are recovering. It was a lovely winter day. Sunny and bright. Bed of the lagoonThe bed of the lake and lagoon are exposed. There are dead fish everywhere, which has brought in the pelicans. Pelicans don't mind eating dead fish. It's amazing to

Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04962883297787709826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37084465.post-37701374922538646322009-06-06T11:47:00.000-07:002009-06-07T11:23:30.876-07:00

Rain clouds gathering over swollen lagoon and Lake Cochrane It rained and rained. The waters rose and rose. The lagoon was almost touching the ocean. The measure read a hair over 2.5 meters. The high water mark was 2.6 meters. Water was standing in the trees across from our home. Water prevented us from walking around the lagoon to the beach. There was more rain then usual.Small strip of

Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04962883297787709826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37084465.post-53228036320256418632009-05-31T05:19:00.000-07:002009-05-31T05:21:54.604-07:00

Yesterday Tristan asked, "Since it's winter, will Christmas arrive soon?"

Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04962883297787709826noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37084465.post-47199563751796141482009-05-22T11:53:00.000-07:002009-05-22T12:03:08.966-07:00

Wow! It's been really stormy and rainy for this last week. Since we've lived here, there have been two other weeks where it rained off and on for 7 days. Those storms were different - this one is much more intense. The wind from this storm is so strong that there are waves on the lagoon! This storm extends up to Brisbane. The news reported that Brisbane had received a year's worth of rain

Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04962883297787709826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37084465.post-82766443117948597122009-05-13T21:04:00.000-07:002009-05-14T04:40:29.076-07:00

My friend Jennefer took these awesome pictures of the surf from Macmasters Beach and Copacabana Beach yesterday (May 13, 2009). She has given me permission to share them with you. These pictures are stunning...in part because of the skill of the photographer and because of the beauty that surrounds us here. Jennefer took 39 pictures of the beach. To see the rest, just follow this link http:/

Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04962883297787709826noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37084465.post-57010683046404180632009-05-13T19:57:00.000-07:002009-05-13T21:03:50.527-07:00

The Brisbane Waters/Woy Woy Girls Regional Soccer Team shakes hands with their opponents after a match at Putney OvalSorry I've been so long away from the Blog! Once the kids got back into school, we've been quite busy with their activities. Clara played goalie in the last game...nothing much going on - see the birdsOn 30 April, Clara played 5 soccer games in a row as a representative of the

Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04962883297787709826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37084465.post-13470387007713661932009-04-26T15:38:00.000-07:002009-04-26T17:01:50.844-07:00

Overlooking Lion Island and Pearl Beach - at a typical lookout - no railing!Dave took 2 days off of work to spend some time with the family during their Easter break. Unfortunately, Dave was sick with a cold over his 4 day weekend - as was most of the family. It also rained and/or was overcast the entire time. So we laid low and recuperated. On Monday, 20 April, Dave was back to work. A 5

Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04962883297787709826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37084465.post-20575464835791389442009-04-26T15:32:00.001-07:002009-04-26T15:32:35.215-07:00

Koala Video Originally uploaded by tiger222_97Whenever we've seen Koala's in the day, they've been asleep and very sedentary. I was surprised to see these were awake. I was even more surprised to see them jump! I was fortunate enough to get this recording. Sorry it's sideways, I cannot seem to flip it.

Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04962883297787709826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37084465.post-74914611714930090282009-04-26T04:44:00.000-07:002009-04-26T05:27:49.199-07:00

Neo in front of the aquarium wall, with the fish over and on either side - a viewing tunnelOn Wednesday, 15 April, we went to the Sydney Aquarium. We again bought the DayTripper Family pass from the Woy Woy Train depot. We rode the train in to Sydney....but this time it was standing room only! We were able to board the train in the doorway of the last car. Every other car was packed - no room

Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04962883297787709826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37084465.post-88099074339803348892009-04-18T21:23:00.000-07:002009-04-18T22:31:20.020-07:00

Harbour Bridge from Circle Train PlatformIt's Easter Holidays. In fact, most of Australia closes down to observe Good Friday, so Dave had off from work. Dave also had Easter Monday as a holiday from work. During this time, we saw the aboriginal drawings and went on other excursions near our home.The kids have 12 days off school. So we are taking this time to do some exploring. We looked into

Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04962883297787709826noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37084465.post-74816567594547346972009-04-15T17:04:00.000-07:002009-04-15T17:31:06.740-07:00

A quick note about Easter. Since there were no white eggs to be had, I wasn't too keen on dyeing eggs. We stopped off at a boot sale that the Kincumber Uniting Church was hosting. (A boot sale is where people bring car loads of stuff to sell in a parking lot - and they pay the organization for a space to display their wares from the boot a.k.a. trunk of their car)The church was offering a

Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04962883297787709826noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37084465.post-66190049200420861772009-04-15T14:11:00.000-07:002009-04-15T14:44:44.391-07:00

A couple of weeks ago, the girls and I stopped at a site that has a public viewing of aboriginal drawings. It was very interesting. The artwork was difficult to make out on the day we were there since there was standing water. On Easter Monday, we took Dave to see the Aboriginal site. He really enjoyed it. It was dry, so the drawings were easier to see - but still don't photograph well. I

Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04962883297787709826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37084465.post-79550656940469286102009-04-09T08:43:00.000-07:002009-04-16T00:28:35.842-07:00

Today was the last day of school for term 1. The children will now have Easter Holidays from April 10 - 28. Some achievements of the year so far:Zoe is now a reader. They have been working on sight words and bringing home readers - 2 per week. Zoe is now at reading level 1. She also was the first student in the entire school to receive 20 Copa Blues - a reward system. She received a pencil

Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04962883297787709826noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37084465.post-53457683495873909542009-04-07T04:48:00.000-07:002009-04-07T05:38:18.915-07:00

Barren Joey side of Palm Beach - sheltered bayPalm Beach NSW is home to many famous, infamous, and wealthy people - according to the Sydney Morning Herald. On Sunday 22 March, Clara, Zoe, Neo and I set out via ferry to explore Palm Beach. Tristan and Dave had a day with just the guys. Tristan enjoyed that very much.We drove up the scenic road to Wagstaffe to catch the 10:50 ferry. We were

Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04962883297787709826noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37084465.post-60426881367588125742009-03-30T19:01:00.000-07:002009-03-30T19:33:07.739-07:00

On Saturday, 21 March, we decided to continue exploring the area near our home...today's outing - Pearl Beach. Pearl Beach is more like a cove. While it's the ocean, not Brisbane Water, it is much calmer. There isn't any undertow activity. Much safer swimming beach.Lion Island (in picture below) is visible from Pearl Beach. You can see the Barrenjoey just behind Lion IslandWe walked a long

Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04962883297787709826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37084465.post-40039044184781220852009-03-22T21:47:00.000-07:002009-03-30T19:01:11.422-07:00

On Sunday, 15 March, we were looking for a family outing. I had read about Somersby Falls and wanted to take the family there. Dave had convinced them that since there had been rain recently, there would be leeches, so no one wanted to venture out.Dave and Tristan at the Upper Falls - just steps from Parking LotAt the lower fallsI did the research and could see from pictures online that the

Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04962883297787709826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37084465.post-54691801764493207232009-03-16T03:30:00.001-07:002009-03-16T03:30:28.081-07:00

This sign shows where Killcare beach is.This photo shows Killcare beach from the lookout.On Sunday 8 March, we decided to explore a new beach, Killcare Beach. It is just up the Scenic Highway a few kilometers from where we live. The effects of Cyclone Hamish can be seen here in the waves and the currents.We went looking for fossils near the rocks on the beach - Dave's favorite activity these

Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04962883297787709826noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37084465.post-76905714332915766652009-03-09T09:23:00.000-07:002009-03-10T02:20:49.026-07:00

My last post was so verbose that I thought you would enjoy a few pictures for a change of pace. These are pictures from our flower gardens around the house. Enjoy.I posted a while back that at night there was a lovely and heavy floral fragrance. We believe this is the flower responsible for that. Aboriginal legend states that when this plant shoots up and flowers like this, the whales will be

Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04962883297787709826noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37084465.post-55000650681680438042009-03-06T08:31:00.000-08:002009-03-07T21:50:20.803-08:00

This week, I gave Australia's Health Care System a workout. We went to the Dentist on Monday, the GP on Wednesday, and the Optometrist today (Friday). Also a couple of weeks ago, Neo had a high fever that lasted a couple of days. We went to a walk in clinic to have him checked out. I'll relate our experiences here.My first experience was with the walk in clinic. Neo had been having high

Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04962883297787709826noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37084465.post-69642907727402024902009-02-26T16:43:00.000-08:002009-02-27T01:14:25.355-08:00

I attended "Meet the Teacher" on Monday, 13 February. It was very interesting for me. It was great to meet each of the children's teachers. There were assigned times for the parents to hear directly from the teachers an overview of what is covered in the next few weeks/year.Zoe's teacher told us that the children will be assessed for the "Best Start" program. The teacher observes and records

Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04962883297787709826noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37084465.post-6720476428273894552009-02-23T15:12:00.000-08:002009-02-23T16:24:38.772-08:00

Maitland Bay from LookoutThe first time the kids and I went to Maitland Bay without Dave. I thought he would really enjoy going down to Maitland Bay sometime because it's truly beautiful. Plus the bushwalk down and back up is interesting - with a couple of look outs, a small stream, a bridge and many steps. On Sunday, Dave suggested we go down to Maitland Bay - he drives past the entrance

Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04962883297787709826noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37084465.post-37248144665521712452009-02-18T22:02:00.000-08:002009-02-20T17:46:01.903-08:00

As you probably know, Aussie/British English and US English are different in a few contexts. Most people are familiar with the English term "boot" meaning "trunk". Here are some from our travels in Australia.AUSSIE TERM US TERM/MEANINGMince or Mince Beef = Ground Beef or HamburgerRockmelon or Rocky for short = Muskmelon or

Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04962883297787709826noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37084465.post-73668854689976293122009-02-12T23:45:00.000-08:002009-02-13T11:50:00.782-08:00

It's been overcast and either raining, misting, sprinkling, or down pour all week long. The forecast is for more of the same over Valentine's day weekend. Pumice with Dave's and Neo's hands Dave took Friday the 13th off to be home with me - isn't that sweet? He went down to the beach to see what treasures might have washed up with all these storms. He was not disappointed. He found pumice

Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04962883297787709826noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37084465.post-66513839271922341502009-02-09T21:26:00.000-08:002009-02-20T17:53:13.382-08:00

I had never never seen a black swan before these two. Amazing. If you look closely on the right side, you can see young swans. We saw a family of 7 on Friday 20 February.We really enjoy the birds of Australia. When we first arrived in Queensland, we saw these grey and rose Correllas, but we haven't seen them here on the Central Coast, until recently.Recently we've been having King Parrots

Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04962883297787709826noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37084465.post-52928208628431264532009-02-08T11:24:00.000-08:002009-02-08T12:04:18.062-08:00

The fires and floods in Australia have made the news world wide.It is now officially Australia's Worst Bush Fire Disaster. There have been terrible fires roaring out of control in southeastern Australia - mainly in the State of Victoria. Melbourne is the capitol city of Victoria. There have been over 750 homes burned down. 108 people have been confirmed dead with more expected. There are

Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04962883297787709826noreply@blogger.com1