Thursday, December 29, 2011
A visit to Big Pop
At the end of my working day yesterday, I called up to see Dad and do a couple of small chores. After that I sat at the piano and we entertained ourselves for a couple of hours. I think that Dad's singing voice is as lovely as ever and I truly appreciate the fact that I can sit there with him while he sings. A medley of old songs such as ~ Two Little Girls In Blue; With Someone Like You; Waterwheel; Loving Her was Easier; Springtime in the Rockies; Linda Darling; Send Me the Pillow that you Dream On; Dan Murphy; After the Ball; Nancy Lee; and many more just rolled on and on. Suddenly he disappeared. I played on for a while then followed and there he is in the kitchen with a glass of whiskey, Uncle Mikel and Dad's great grandson Jai. At 90+ years of age you've got to get your priorities right!
Monday, December 26, 2011
Christmas in 2011
Christmas Day dawned bright and early but not sunny. We had been gifted quite a storm and the wind was gusting at intervals which shook the house. Nevertheless, we managed and Christmas started off at Flagstaff.
This is the Divine David with Jessie the dog. Both are being very well behaved.
Another shot of these two. We were trying desperately to have both of them looking at the camera. Well they did. It's just that you have to look at both photos to see it as a happening thing.
Duane is playing the part of lounge lizard and is lounging on the lounge. He seemed quite happy with his gifts.
Chel was delighted with her gift from Duane which was a particularly cuddly dog which unfolds into a pillow. Unfortunately Jessie coveted it terribly until Chel promised that she (Chel) would buy one for her (Jessie).
After much cajoling, whining and griping, the Divine David held up some gifts for Chel to take a photo. Now that wasn't too hard, was it!
Sarah and Carmen Jenkins called in with the most magnificent bouquet of roses for me and plateloads of home made goodies for all of us to share. Later I put the choc chip and macadamia nut biccies into a jar, and I don't know where the sharing came into it, but this morning there were two left!
Sarah and Carmen standing in front of the magnificent blooms. Aren't they divine. And the roses are pretty marvellous also!
Just a wee smackeral of something before we head off and in comes Sarl with an amazing double chocolate trifle. OMG! Delicioso! I didn't even get a photo. Too busy drooling I suppose. Bat maen yu wanta ties et. Oe de swiit!
Next stop on our list was Music Valley to see Pa. Aunty Nellie would also be there as well as Aunty Jean who had flown in from New Zealand.
As usual Pa had cooked a "wee smackeral" of food and we were urged to eat, but Chel, Duane and I had only called in to Dids family to say Hi, and would then move on to Joy's at Ball Bay for our crew.
David and Aunty Nellie. A fantastic photo that I'm sure Dids will treasure for a long, long time. Unfortunately we had missed seeing Uncle Greg. Paul had taken him home. I can't wait for Chel and Duane to meet Paul. I've told them both how weedy he is!
A beautiful photo of Aunty Jean. She is really lovely both inside and out. Dids adores these two aunts of his and for very good reason.
David and Pa in Bubby's Corner, having a quiet chat and putting the world to rights.
A quick snapshot of Keith as he's eating lunch. Is nothing sacred! Nup!
A snapshot of Innika, Paul's lady and her Mum. They are a delightful couple and I think Paul's found a treasure. Mind you, Innika has also.
My lovely nephew Beau with his lady Carly. They are expecting their first child. The glow of happiness is all around them and we wish them all the very best.
From Music Valley Chels, Duane and I drove up to Aunty Joy's to join the Quintal Clan. It's a terribly hard day to keep track of, Christmas. You just drive around and around the Island visiting friends and eating!
Bergs and Sarah are happily replete. Neither of them ate more than a mere morsal and you can clearly see it in their smiles. As Dottie would say, "A handsome couple!"
Uncle Mikel doesn't quite know which direction to move into first. The gifts or the food. So it is to be, stuck on the horns of a dilemma.
We three Kings of Orient areeeeeee, nooooooott! Three wise monkeys maybe. Where on earth did the "wise" come from?
Master Chef is in the kitch room hootiyen, I mean carving, the roast.
Here's the table with everyone's hands going every which way and loose. My word if Chel's grandmother or Gaye's grandfather could see this, there'd be trouble!
A lovely snapshot of Sarah and her grandfather ~ who I must say is looking a little like the Ghost of the Christmas Past. Never mind, he can have a shave tomorrow. He says it's a day of rest at Christmas.
Rozzie's trying desperately to get her son-in-law to look at the camera. Where's your mother Mitchel!
Saz and Charms have joined the fray. What a delightful photo. Charms, you owe me!
Sarah and Bergs. Again. Do these two pose?
Uncle Mikel, Dad and John. Normally one would take this to be a sombre picture, but it isn't, really it isn't.
After lunch there was alot of visiting and it shows the strength of my lunch to advise that I didn't take out the camera once! A snap out at Kaye and Drills would have been positively fabulous!
Mere Kresmes tu orl aklan!
Miki. JaiJai and Zed both fly in tonight God Willing and then we can update!
This is the Divine David with Jessie the dog. Both are being very well behaved.
Another shot of these two. We were trying desperately to have both of them looking at the camera. Well they did. It's just that you have to look at both photos to see it as a happening thing.
Duane is playing the part of lounge lizard and is lounging on the lounge. He seemed quite happy with his gifts.
Chel was delighted with her gift from Duane which was a particularly cuddly dog which unfolds into a pillow. Unfortunately Jessie coveted it terribly until Chel promised that she (Chel) would buy one for her (Jessie).
After much cajoling, whining and griping, the Divine David held up some gifts for Chel to take a photo. Now that wasn't too hard, was it!
Sarah and Carmen Jenkins called in with the most magnificent bouquet of roses for me and plateloads of home made goodies for all of us to share. Later I put the choc chip and macadamia nut biccies into a jar, and I don't know where the sharing came into it, but this morning there were two left!
Sarah and Carmen standing in front of the magnificent blooms. Aren't they divine. And the roses are pretty marvellous also!
Just a wee smackeral of something before we head off and in comes Sarl with an amazing double chocolate trifle. OMG! Delicioso! I didn't even get a photo. Too busy drooling I suppose. Bat maen yu wanta ties et. Oe de swiit!
Next stop on our list was Music Valley to see Pa. Aunty Nellie would also be there as well as Aunty Jean who had flown in from New Zealand.
As usual Pa had cooked a "wee smackeral" of food and we were urged to eat, but Chel, Duane and I had only called in to Dids family to say Hi, and would then move on to Joy's at Ball Bay for our crew.
David and Aunty Nellie. A fantastic photo that I'm sure Dids will treasure for a long, long time. Unfortunately we had missed seeing Uncle Greg. Paul had taken him home. I can't wait for Chel and Duane to meet Paul. I've told them both how weedy he is!
A beautiful photo of Aunty Jean. She is really lovely both inside and out. Dids adores these two aunts of his and for very good reason.
David and Pa in Bubby's Corner, having a quiet chat and putting the world to rights.
A quick snapshot of Keith as he's eating lunch. Is nothing sacred! Nup!
A snapshot of Innika, Paul's lady and her Mum. They are a delightful couple and I think Paul's found a treasure. Mind you, Innika has also.
My lovely nephew Beau with his lady Carly. They are expecting their first child. The glow of happiness is all around them and we wish them all the very best.
From Music Valley Chels, Duane and I drove up to Aunty Joy's to join the Quintal Clan. It's a terribly hard day to keep track of, Christmas. You just drive around and around the Island visiting friends and eating!
Bergs and Sarah are happily replete. Neither of them ate more than a mere morsal and you can clearly see it in their smiles. As Dottie would say, "A handsome couple!"
Uncle Mikel doesn't quite know which direction to move into first. The gifts or the food. So it is to be, stuck on the horns of a dilemma.
We three Kings of Orient areeeeeee, nooooooott! Three wise monkeys maybe. Where on earth did the "wise" come from?
Master Chef is in the kitch room hootiyen, I mean carving, the roast.
Here's the table with everyone's hands going every which way and loose. My word if Chel's grandmother or Gaye's grandfather could see this, there'd be trouble!
A lovely snapshot of Sarah and her grandfather ~ who I must say is looking a little like the Ghost of the Christmas Past. Never mind, he can have a shave tomorrow. He says it's a day of rest at Christmas.
Rozzie's trying desperately to get her son-in-law to look at the camera. Where's your mother Mitchel!
Saz and Charms have joined the fray. What a delightful photo. Charms, you owe me!
Sarah and Bergs. Again. Do these two pose?
Uncle Mikel, Dad and John. Normally one would take this to be a sombre picture, but it isn't, really it isn't.
After lunch there was alot of visiting and it shows the strength of my lunch to advise that I didn't take out the camera once! A snap out at Kaye and Drills would have been positively fabulous!
Mere Kresmes tu orl aklan!
Miki. JaiJai and Zed both fly in tonight God Willing and then we can update!
Thomas's 21st
Thomas is flying into the Rock to celebrate his 21st. A very select group is taking him to dinner at Norfolk Blue. A restaurant with a very good reputation.
Perhaps had we known that the Guest of Honour would honour us with such a delightful outfit, we may not have rushed quite so quickly to get there! Evidently he wore the hat all the way from Brisbane, and still wouldn't take it off for dinner. There are very few words to describe this hat. I can't think of one!
Norfolk Blue got in on the act and gave Thomas a candle for his little cake. He's looking very pensive. The hat still wins hands down!
Chelsea wore a wonderful necklace (borrowed from her wonderful Mother) which fascinated Thomas. He thought it would do very well for other purposes also.
I'm not too sure that I like the idea but Thomas thought it hilarious.
He had commissioned a drawing from Chelsea from the movie Lord of the Rings for his birthday. This is Gandalf talking to the dwarves in the forest. I think it's fantastic! Unbiased of course and naturally.
A rather blurred shot of the table. Please note that we didn't take the photo, the waitress did, so you can't blame the shaky hand on the booze!
Happy 21st Thomas. We look forward to a dinner party next year also!
Perhaps had we known that the Guest of Honour would honour us with such a delightful outfit, we may not have rushed quite so quickly to get there! Evidently he wore the hat all the way from Brisbane, and still wouldn't take it off for dinner. There are very few words to describe this hat. I can't think of one!
Norfolk Blue got in on the act and gave Thomas a candle for his little cake. He's looking very pensive. The hat still wins hands down!
Chelsea wore a wonderful necklace (borrowed from her wonderful Mother) which fascinated Thomas. He thought it would do very well for other purposes also.
I'm not too sure that I like the idea but Thomas thought it hilarious.
He had commissioned a drawing from Chelsea from the movie Lord of the Rings for his birthday. This is Gandalf talking to the dwarves in the forest. I think it's fantastic! Unbiased of course and naturally.
A rather blurred shot of the table. Please note that we didn't take the photo, the waitress did, so you can't blame the shaky hand on the booze!
Happy 21st Thomas. We look forward to a dinner party next year also!
Socialising at the Olive
Everyone on Norfolk knows that The Olive is THE place to go. To meet and greet and to enjoy delectable food. Here we are a couple of days before Christmas, getting into the swing of things.
Robin found two visitors strolling through her gardens at Camelot. Of course she invited them to her picnic. (Doesn't everyone?). Turns out that Ralph and Maureen are Rudolph Steiner teachers. They had a tremendous amount of knowledge to share so Sharyn and I were invited to enjoy their company at.......The Olive, of course. Great time was had by all.
Here is Naomi - Madame Hostess - and two of the worker bees, Joy and Chris. What a wonderful time they will give you. Naomi's Dad's on Island again, and his doughnuts have yet again taken the Island by storm. Must get a photo of him with the doughnuts. They are truly to DIE for!
Of course, whereever there's class there will also be riffraff. Matt, Aaron and Tim fall into the latter category. Matt as usual, is looking angelic and is saying stuff that ears shouldn't even have to listen to. Aaron and Tim are more subtle. They decided to utilise sign language. Of course, Santa's watching. He's made his list; he's checked it twice; and you're not on it boys!
Robin found two visitors strolling through her gardens at Camelot. Of course she invited them to her picnic. (Doesn't everyone?). Turns out that Ralph and Maureen are Rudolph Steiner teachers. They had a tremendous amount of knowledge to share so Sharyn and I were invited to enjoy their company at.......The Olive, of course. Great time was had by all.
Here is Naomi - Madame Hostess - and two of the worker bees, Joy and Chris. What a wonderful time they will give you. Naomi's Dad's on Island again, and his doughnuts have yet again taken the Island by storm. Must get a photo of him with the doughnuts. They are truly to DIE for!
Of course, whereever there's class there will also be riffraff. Matt, Aaron and Tim fall into the latter category. Matt as usual, is looking angelic and is saying stuff that ears shouldn't even have to listen to. Aaron and Tim are more subtle. They decided to utilise sign language. Of course, Santa's watching. He's made his list; he's checked it twice; and you're not on it boys!
Monday, December 19, 2011
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Norfolk Island's Christmas Pageant 2011
The Christmas Pageant once again hit the streets of Burnt Pine, and much fun and laughter was had as the Parade passed through, with kids (and adults) diving for the lollies that were being liberally thrown through the crowds.
This is Jessica Hammond strutting her stuff as a Christmas Fairy, totally aloof from the wolf whistles that were hammering in from all sides
Hah! And there's Madam Speaker, right in the thick of it, eating, drinking and generally making merry. It's good to keep up with your constituents!
Our lovely new Police Wagons, protecting the streets of Norfolk Island and keeping the citizens safe from pending mischief.
Megan Evans as Miss Zoo Allstars Norfolk Island looked absolutely beautiful in electric blue evening dress and actually raised $1,963. The Zoo Allstars are the cheerleaders that Hayley Winters Evans has started on NI. Evidently a very popular pastime for NI's young ladies
Next is the stunningly beautiful Claudia Yelavitch, but I missed out on who she was raising money for!
The fam damily gathered at Tempo to partake of hot chocolate and toasted sami's whilst we watched the Parade. Beggers came off the street and hassled us for coin but we pushed them away.
I am absolutely delighted to say that Jonno at Greenways has sent me his photo of Miss Brett Leigh alias Miss Christmas Bus Uss from Christian-Bailey Agencies. What a gorgeous doll with exceptional legs and glorious hair. Not only on his head but also under his armpits! Miss Brett Leigh raised a sensational $1758. I didn't realise we had so many visually challenged people on the rock! Great photos for Memphis to look at later!
Beside him is Megan Evans and Katie Walden. Now they are gorgeous!
This is Jessica Hammond strutting her stuff as a Christmas Fairy, totally aloof from the wolf whistles that were hammering in from all sides
Hah! And there's Madam Speaker, right in the thick of it, eating, drinking and generally making merry. It's good to keep up with your constituents!
Our lovely new Police Wagons, protecting the streets of Norfolk Island and keeping the citizens safe from pending mischief.
Megan Evans as Miss Zoo Allstars Norfolk Island looked absolutely beautiful in electric blue evening dress and actually raised $1,963. The Zoo Allstars are the cheerleaders that Hayley Winters Evans has started on NI. Evidently a very popular pastime for NI's young ladies
Next is the stunningly beautiful Claudia Yelavitch, but I missed out on who she was raising money for!
The fam damily gathered at Tempo to partake of hot chocolate and toasted sami's whilst we watched the Parade. Beggers came off the street and hassled us for coin but we pushed them away.
I am absolutely delighted to say that Jonno at Greenways has sent me his photo of Miss Brett Leigh alias Miss Christmas Bus Uss from Christian-Bailey Agencies. What a gorgeous doll with exceptional legs and glorious hair. Not only on his head but also under his armpits! Miss Brett Leigh raised a sensational $1758. I didn't realise we had so many visually challenged people on the rock! Great photos for Memphis to look at later!
Beside him is Megan Evans and Katie Walden. Now they are gorgeous!
Dulcet tones over the Radio
Many years ago ~ in fact, too long ago to count ~ Dids, was a broadcaster on Radio VL2NI. He was very popular in that he played Country and Western music, which is loved by many islanders. In 1989 he went to the station and the Station Manager of the day, Mrs Kathy LeCren, recorded Dids speaking a poem in our beautiful Norfolk language, about what we want for Christmas.
Dids would periodically show up at the station, usually with our daughter Chelsea and do a one-off show, and sometimes the old recording would be played again.
This year, Dids and Pendo played with the old reel-to-reel from 1989 and digitally recorded the poem, as well as another that Dids had written at the age of 14 years, called "Under dar oel Pinetree". Darlene played the Christmas poem last Sunday and a number of people have since asked him to have CD's for sale. I too have tried. If you see him, give him a push to do so. It is very beautiful. If you haven't heard it I'll try and upload it to the blog. Don't wait for it though. It might take some time.
Dids would periodically show up at the station, usually with our daughter Chelsea and do a one-off show, and sometimes the old recording would be played again.
This year, Dids and Pendo played with the old reel-to-reel from 1989 and digitally recorded the poem, as well as another that Dids had written at the age of 14 years, called "Under dar oel Pinetree". Darlene played the Christmas poem last Sunday and a number of people have since asked him to have CD's for sale. I too have tried. If you see him, give him a push to do so. It is very beautiful. If you haven't heard it I'll try and upload it to the blog. Don't wait for it though. It might take some time.
Beautiful Roses for his lady
Early this morning just as the sun was rising, the Divine David came into our room with a bouquet of magnificent roses from the farm. He then carried them into the lounge room and placed them in the blue vase which I had received as a gift when I left full employment at the Legislative Assembly. What do you think? I think I'm truly blessed.
The top photo is the right colour, but the bottom photo shows a different angle. Just bragging really!
The top photo is the right colour, but the bottom photo shows a different angle. Just bragging really!
Friends who are new, are always true...
...but there's never a friend like the old. The former are held by a silken thread and the latter by anchors of GOLD!
We'de driven from one end of the island to the other to look at Coral and Colleen's house, so there really was only one thing left to do. Have a look at their sister's house. We drove to Cascade and there was Alma's home, glowing in the dark. The photos don't do it any justice at all, but if you have a moment, drive down and check them out. It's well worth it.
Not feeling quite impudent enough, it was decided that we should go inside and demand a hot chocolate. What alot of laughter! Colleen, Coral and Brian and Alma and Geoff were all in the dining room playing some sort of dominoes game. I simply couldn't get the gist of the rules, mainly because I think they were all cheating!
Here's Alma's lounge room with the magnificent Christmas garland strung above the door and flashing lights shining out through the glass.
Last but not least the side of the house showing all the windows lit from inside when Chelsea and I, fully replete on chocolate coated apricots, delicious rum balls and mugfuls of hot chocolate, finally decided to go home. Thaenks fe aklan Hamma. Wi haed wan lawli taim!
We'de driven from one end of the island to the other to look at Coral and Colleen's house, so there really was only one thing left to do. Have a look at their sister's house. We drove to Cascade and there was Alma's home, glowing in the dark. The photos don't do it any justice at all, but if you have a moment, drive down and check them out. It's well worth it.
Not feeling quite impudent enough, it was decided that we should go inside and demand a hot chocolate. What alot of laughter! Colleen, Coral and Brian and Alma and Geoff were all in the dining room playing some sort of dominoes game. I simply couldn't get the gist of the rules, mainly because I think they were all cheating!
Here's Alma's lounge room with the magnificent Christmas garland strung above the door and flashing lights shining out through the glass.
Last but not least the side of the house showing all the windows lit from inside when Chelsea and I, fully replete on chocolate coated apricots, delicious rum balls and mugfuls of hot chocolate, finally decided to go home. Thaenks fe aklan Hamma. Wi haed wan lawli taim!
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