Spring

one of Peter's aloe vera plants. I knocked it off the kitchen bench and so we repotted it into a bright pot for the spring.

an easter gift from Peter

an easter gift from Michelle, catching the afternoon sun

some tulips coming up in the front garden.

apparently the done thing in northern hemisphere climes is to sow these gorgeous blue ground cover flowers before the snow falls, so that in the spring, when the snow melts and the ground is still brown, there is something bright and full of life.

I now understand the magic of Spring. In the two weeks since I have been back I've watched the muddy brown of the ground change to lush green. We've had a few days of rain and many of sunshine, and while the mercury is hovering around the mid teens, the plants are coming back to life.

Good Friday night drinks

something funny obviously!

eating a feast

Chooke looking gorgeous

happy newlyweds

Em and her new man Clint

group shot, Em of course making sure she gets seen!

The Friday night before I left Sydney to come back to the house I live in Orangeville (Dad refuses to call here home!) I had drinks with friends at Mum and Dad's. Here are a few happy snaps from the night. Well they are coming but I'm having photo loading issues right now!

belated 30th birthday celebrations

the kids and the Aunt's

the kids plus Mum and Dad - Dad's getting a little shut eye

the kdis squishing in - obviously we were keeping mark awake!

Since I was living it up in O'ville when I turned 30, Mum and Dad and the family had a feast to celebrate on my most recent trip back to Oz. Saturday night Aunch Anne and Aunt Mary flew down from Brissie and spent Saturday cooking up a lebanese feast (well really, where did you think all those noses came from!?!) There was homemade baba, homous, tabouli and Kibbeh - both the raw and cooked version. We had Fatosh (bread salad) and loads of lebanese bread. Of course there were also staries, cabbage rolls, lamb kofta and baklava to finish!

Mum and Aunt M

Puddha, the fattest two year old cat in the world

have you ever seen such a fat cat? Mark and Chloe got Puddha as a wee little thing that could fit into a tea cup. Now he easily weighs over 7 kilos. Lots of fun to play with though and good natured considering the amount of poking and prodding he gets now that he lives at Mum and Dad's, along with Mark and Chloe.

more joel's birthday

ah a dirty knife - how many other families have a the dirty knife rule? You know, the one where if, when you cut the cake, the knife comes out dirty, that you have to kiss the nearest person? Maybe it's a surtees thing!

birthday boy with his two birthday cakes! Mine is the one that looks to be centre stage - it's a sticky pineapple cake and the easiest one to make (it's a one bowl wonder!). I got the recipe from either a woman's day or woman's weekly mag.

Mark and Em plus a male guest in the middle

Grahame and Mark in the kitchen cooking up a storm

dog paddle

Cooper taking a dip - this dog seriously loves to swim!!

more joel's birthday

birthday boy

family chit chats

birthday balloons - you can't go wrong with those!

stylish outdoor lamps (sorry Joel I didn't take a snap of your hard work on the renos)

Joel's birthday

Head Chef

Dad et al

Mark looking pensive

the table set for a cast of thousands

Megs and Chloe putting on their best faces

Em first in line for a drink

Being an innovator (for the astro fiends out there, Joel has a Moon/ Uranus opposition in his chart and is always doing things differently!) Joel's birthday was celebrated at the Wilkinson's this year. Even though it was a break with tradition it was a fabulous night - we were definitely well fed with Graham on the bbq.

yum cha

Sunday morning after newcastle Dan, Trav Kate and I met for Yum Cha at Kam Fook in Chatswood. I've been a devotee of Sea Treasure in Crows Nest for quite some time (and since it's around the corner from where I work when in Sydney it's my preferred spot for a quick lunch) but Kate suggested Kam Fook and it was excellent. We were stuffed and it was only $20. Afterwards Kate and I hit the shops for some retail therapy - I do believe I have single handedly taken responsibility for stimulating the oz economy on this trip (and all before even receiving K Rudds bonus cheque!). But i do have a few more faves from Witchery and Country Road et al, plus gifts for the kids to bring back.

night in the hunter 2

a snap of the inside plus a couple more outside - it really was pretty!

night in the hunter

polishing off a bottle of red and a large tub of Maggie Beer Phesant Farm Pate

the rose bushes - one of my favourite things about being in the vineyards - and having been in vineyards in Switzerland as well as Australia (thats a funny story from my first trip to Europe in 2004 with Tanya!) it seems to be universal

the front deck

the view of the morning sun

I gave an all day workshop at the Newcastle Astrology Network on the middle weekend of this trip; Kate and I spent the night at her parent's place in the lower hunter beforehand. It's a spectacular spot- I was only sorry we didn't have more time there!

flat stanley

megs testing the waters

For those of you in the know, Flat Stanley travelled with me on this trip, on behalf of students at Peter's school. (If you've never heard of Flat Stanley you can google and find out his story!)

Here he is at the beach with Megs and I on day 1