Knock, knock...

...Who's there? It's Me! Is it safe to come out yet? Well here we are the new year is here. It's all about 2009 now. 2008 is history as they say and that is exactly the way I want to keep it. When you think about it I really don't have a choice as to rather I can keep 2008 history or not because any way you look at it history it is and to it I say good riddance.

So now here we are 5 days into 2009 and all is well. I am not even going to venture as to what the year may or may not bring. I'm not even going to say I want it to be a good year or a great year or a year without pain, trouble and heartache. I'm just going to let come what may and go with the flow because in most if not all cases you don't usually have a choice as to what happens anyway. Sure you can try to plan for certain things to happen and set goals for things and that's all fine and well but in the end things happen for a reason and they will happen rather I've planned for them or not so I think I will just go with the flow and as the circumstances change then so shall I so as to accommodate the changes that life hands me.

This plan may or may not work and if it doesn't well then as I said I'll go with the flow and change my life accordingly. Now as for the rest of you I'm not sure I'd follow my lead so I suggest that you stick to what ever your plan is for 2009 and I hope that what ever you have planned it works for you. So onward and upward we go and lets just see what the future holds.

Until the next post take care and stay well. I'll see you in a day or so.

Out with the old and in with the new...

Well it's finally here, the last day of 2008.  I have to say that 2008 was not the best of years. This year will go down as the year of the back surgeries. I am finally on the mend after the four surgeries. I saw my neurologist just before Christmas and it looks like we have finally made progress on bringing feeling back into my legs well at least one of them. The neurologist said it would still be several months before we would know exactly how well the surgery has gone and I'm okay with that as long as we are moving in the right direction.

The rest of 2008 was a toss up. There were good and bad things and neither of which were that memorable. Hubby's mum is still taking chemo for her cancer. She's done it hard and we keep looking for that light at the end of the tunnel for her. Unfortunately I'm afraid it will be the wrong light and that the end of the tunnel will be found sometime in 2009. As an added bad thing for 2008 toward the end of the year we found out that hubby's favourite aunt has breast cancer and apparently it is an aggressive type. She has had the surgery and will be starting radiotherapy in the next few weeks. She has heart problems on top of all this and we are afraid that 2009 will not be a good news year as far as she is concerned.  Hubby's dad is hanging in there and for 86 is not doing to bad but I'm afraid if something finally happens with the wife it will take him down. We shall wait and see as we always do.

On my side of the family things are maybe a bit better but definitely not rosey. You know my problems so we won't go there. My mum is struggling with her loneliness. I've tried to get her to get out of the house more but it's not working and with me all the way on the other side of the world it's a bit difficult to physically motivate her. My brother, God Love Him, tries he's best to help her but he has enough problems of his own. He works like a dog or he's at least treated like one by his employer. He also worries everyday about his wife my sister-in-law and her health, she has MS. (Sorry bro, hope you don't mind me mentioning this if so I apologise now). When you get right down to it my family has it's own problems and they are doing their best to cope.

Add to all of this the problems of the world, the economy, the war, etc. and no wonder every one is finding it hard to cope. I would like to say that 2008 was just a bad year and I hope that 2009 will be a better year but it's not that easy. I can hope that 2009 will be better but I also know that it will hold some tough moments. I can also only hope that when those bad moments arise we will be able to weather them as we have done so in the past. In the end all we can do is to keep moving forward, throw in a lot of hope, and wish for the best. 2009 will bring what it may and when it does we will deal with what ever we are dealt. I hope that each and every one of you will have a decent 2009. I hope that what ever you are dealt with will not be to hard for you to manage and some where in side all of it you will be given some pleasant surprises. Take care, stay well and keep moving forward.

Happy New Year to one and all...

2008...

I wish the best to one and all in the coming new year. Let's hope the next 365 will be good ones. Enjoy...

Happy New Year 2007!

It is January 1 2007 and a new year has officially started here in the land down under. I posted the picture from Sydney even though we now live in Tasmania. Our fireworks weren't as spectacular as the ones in Sydney but none the less they were quite good. We went out with friends last night to a Greek restaurant and had a really good meal with lots of singing, hand clapping and plenty of laughs. We then went out to watch the fireworks. I have to admit we have not gone out to watch fireworks in the past few years especially when we lived in Sydney. I think the last time we went out there was in 2002. It was just such a huge effort to fight through the crowds of thousands and in reality James usually had to work at the hospital. But this year after we decided lets venture out in little Hobart town and we ended up having a great time.

Anyway, I just want to wish every one once more a Happy New Year! I hope that you will be able to start the New Year with a clean slate. Remember as Auntie Mame said "Life is a banquet and most poor suckers are starving. You got to Live, Live Live! James and I plan to do just that...

Out with the Old , In with the New...

Year that is... Well it's finally here and I for one could not be any happier to see the end of 2006. As you will remember it has been one heck of a year, especially the last six months. All in all we have much to be grateful for and most of all that James and I have each other, and for that alone I am eternally grateful.

So, what do we have to look forward too? Well, starting with the New Year weekend we will be going to TASTE today, which is one of the best food and wine festivals I've ever been to. We will be able to pick up a bit of wine, for the house, from local vineyards here in Tassie and have some of the locally produced foods. I know I sound like I am tooting the proverbial horn but I really believe that we have some of the best fresh foods and wines in the world. All because we have such clean air and water down here. Maybe I'm prejudiced or just plain deluded but that's how I see it.

Next, we will head over to Constitution Dock to have a look at the boats that have finished the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race. Some of the boats are huge and others are not so huge. Either way you wouldn't catch me dead trying to cross the Bass Strait in any of them. It was bad enough having to take the Spirit over when we first moved here.

To end the year we will be meeting friends at our favourite local Greek Restaurant for some good food and plate smashing.; then we will end up walking over to the harbour to watch a bit of fireworks.

As for the beginning of the New Year, we will be celebrating James' B-day with friends on the 5th and then he and I will head up to Melbourne for a couple of days. When we come back we have a few things to tend to around the house like painting the bathroom and other odds and ends. All leading up to a visit from friends in February, and that is as far as we have planned for now.

So, I'll let you know if we come up with anything more exciting but until then keep watching this space.

I wish for all of you a very Happy New Year!

The next US President

I found this straw poll about who people think will be the next President of the United States in 2008. Go here and cast your vote. It's not scientific or anything but it will be interesting to see what the results will be. And yes, the holidays are over so we will resume regular postings in the not to distant future, but first we have to get past New Year and James' B-day (includes a trip to Melbourne to see Dame Edna).

The week before Christmas...

Well, it's the week before Christmas and I'm as ready as I'll ever be. All of my shopping is done including the food shopping for a little soiree we are having next Saturday night before we leave for Sydney on Sunday, Christmas Eve. The weather is holding out so once again we will have moderate temperatures, which is one of the reasons we moved down here. I just couldn't put up with the heat and humidity in Sydney. The little soiree is just a few close friends that we had over last year with some drinks and lovely nibbly bits. I am making lots of my old favorites including, deviled eggs, vegetable dip and prawn and crab dip. I'm also going to attempt to make a few new surprises. We shall see...

It's also only two more weeks until the end of 2006 and I have never been so ready to see the back side of a year as I am this one. I'm sure that if you've been keeping up you are aware of what a crappy year it has been for us both and at this point enough is enough. We just want to move forward and get on with it!

So what is in store for the new year?

1. I am taking James to Melbourne for his birthday to see one of his favourite comedian/variety acts Dame Edna.
2. Some friends are coming out for a visit starting in February and will be staying through the end of March. We will be going up to Cradle Mountain and also making a short trip to Sydney with them.
3. James goes to Sydney for a week to do the residential part of his college distance course. He has been working on this course which is an add-on to his degree for over a year and will finish it in June this year.
4. After James finishes his course we plan to start our travelling around Australia. So many people live in a country and only travel outside of their own country, never seeing any of where they live. So, we are going to do just that and head up to Darwin, Perth, and Uluru to name a few. We are going to rent a camper van and take our time to see what there is to see. I'll be taking our laptop so I can post pictures and updates

That's about all we have planned for the moment but a week before Christmas and all through the house all is calm and it is starting to look like a good year ahead!