ANZAC Day and BrisVegas

Chel's is in Brisvegas for ANZAC Day so can't go to NI's dawn service. She does the next best thing and invites some of their friends over to enjoy a Norfolk style picnic. They ate at the house then visited the park next door for some rest and relaxation.

Some of their friends who have commandeered a park table

Pie. As you all know, Norfolk Islanders are very interested in food and traditionally we give pie a rather high priority. Chel's tried her hand at Lemon Pie ~ I wonder if it tastes like Dottie's

Another photo and this time it's showing off not only pie, but pilhai and koknat bred.

Thomas went down for the day and is shown here, terrifying the baby doggy

Ben and Brent hard at work at the barbeque, ensuring that no-one goes without. Evidently Brent donated roast pork and Tahitian fish.

Ben and Carl came down to the coast from BrisVegas, bearing goodies and then proceeded to cook them. Now they're the sort of people that one needs at a BBQ

Carl doing a great job on the barbie.

A snapshot of friends gathered to eat, drink and be merry - nathen baeta

...and...pie! Nom, nom, nom. Hope you had a really great day Chels.

I owe, I owe, it's off to work I go ...

The day after yesterday and all the little worker bees are heading back to the land of tick tock. Here's a table load of them preparing themselves for the long day ahead. Sustenance people, sustenance is the name of the game...

...and where to get sustenance. Why The Olive of course. Beck and JoyJoy are a little tired of the blogging camera and so have decided not to raise their pretty heads.

Happy Birthday Sarah

It's Anzac Day and in the great land of Oz it's Did's Mum's birthday and also Jenna Lou's. But here on lil ole NI it's Sarah's so she and Duane set out to make the day right. Charms is working and there's no-one visiting so she invited Saz and Duane for a hot chocolate. They ~ the dear little things ~ invited me to join them.

Charms at the counter looking absolutely lovely as she serves her very special customers

I decided that I didn't actually want a hot chocolate after all so decided to try a Cosmopolitan. Lordy! What a punch it packs.

Duane, Saz and Charms all posing beautifully for a blog pic. Fortunately the camera hasn't got audio so you can't hear Duane telling Mummy where to put it.

Painting Facia Boards

Sharyn and Mitch are moving into Lorilea, Mum and Dad's old home at Ball Bay. It was built in 1932 by Sharyn's great grandfather, Henry Buffett. Dad still lives there by himself at 90 years of age, so it will be really good for all the family to have Sharyn and Mitch there also. There's some work to be done on the old home, and they've started already with a new roof. Next are the facia boards and that's where I come in.

Mitch had all the timber laid out at Aaron's place on the lawn, and Shaz was going to do the paint thing. Three full coats and an early start.

Mitch called down to see how the workers are doing. He seems pleased with the progress (though he'd be some sort of fool to not be pleased with us ~ to our faces, anyway) so he's now free to head back to work.

Tzarn and Sarah call down after lunch to give us much needed assistance if we are to finish in time. Hmmm. Tzarn is a professional painter. Maybe we should have called him first!

Tzarn and Sarah working at a rate of knots ~ through the mandarines!

...and Ollie dog on the back of Papa Smurf, staying right out of our way. If anyone would like to call down and help this coming weekend, you simply must do so.

Friends and Photographs

Just drove up the street to buy a new pair of reading glasses as ~ yet again ~ I've left mine in some unknown corner. Met Edie who handed me this photo of Jean and I at Thelma's birthday party. It was such a great afternoon and it's such a great photo, I thought I'd upload it. Happy viewing.

William ~ an addition to our family

On Saturday Saz arrived with a new addition to the Flagstaff family. William was her gift to Duane. Ghengis, his cat of a number of years had disappeared from home whilst he was house-sitting. Since that time we've sorely needed a new cat. William fits the Bill!

Saz showing off the little bundle of furr that she had coaxed from the Vet

Saz, delighted with herself and with William

Please let me introduce ~~ ta daa ~~ William

Duane ~ delighted with William and looking forward to forging a closer friendship

Charms and Ben meeting William on the floor of Duane's room

Charms contriving an even closer acquaintance

Commonwealth Womens Parliamentarians

The Commonwealth Womens Parliamentarians was started in Barbados in 1989 at the General Assembly of CPA. I attended that Conference as Norfolk Island's Minister for Community Services and was fortunate to be a founding Member of CWP. This week CWP met for their Planning Meeting in Norfolk Island.

Members at the farewell lunch following two full days of conference papers

The other half of the conference table at Dino's at Bumboras

Raymond Knight, Andres Lomp (CPA Regional Secretary) and Rhonda Griffiths MLA, Norfolk Island's CWP member

A CPA meeting at Bailey's of Governor's Lodge on the morning of their departure with Rhonda, Speaker Adams, Sharyn ~ who had organised the Norfolk Island end of the Planning Meeting ~ Andres and Raymond.

The Planning Meeting was very successful and Andres understands the important part that Norfolk Island can play in being a central and easily accessible venue for meetings where the Australian region and the Pacific region must meet.

Nellie's Flowers

When Nellie moved away from Norfolk to Sydney she gave Dids two very special flowers in the one pot. For a little while he was concerned about their survival, but as you can see from these snaps, they are alive and well in Norfolk Island.

"Sheba" the rose is flowering beautifully ...and the orange whateveritis is coming along fine also. He is very proud of them and was delighted that photos would be uploaded for viewing from Sydney.

This is a close-up of the roses with 55 buds!

Anne's Farewell and Nomes Old Tricks

Anne McCoy Goudie called into Norfolk Island as she was passing through to England!!! (seriously don't know how that works but...) and Naomi found out. So. What would Naomi do? Yep. She threw a wine on wine get together for the ladies and the outcome was known before it started. So please let me share with you a few enchanting photographs of an enchanting evening at The Olive...

Anne and Lucy ~ they look as if they are completely comfortable ~ I'd say a mischief or two lies in the past, wouldn't you?

Anne's sister Kaye, having a delightful time

Naomie, Sonya and Leonie ~ giving instructions

Naomi and Leonie ~ Raymond's little treasures

Mirra ~ dumain said ai goe, hetieh

Marita and Susan strolling in the door

Leonie, Wendy and Naomie ~ still standing!!

Keydon and Naomie with the Rachel Nebaeur-Borg cake that keydon won at the School Carnival

Jodie, Gaelene and Polly ~ there are no words...

Kay, Lucy and Sonja ~ looking nonchalant

Kaye and a friend from Travel

JoyJoy looking just as she always does ~ gorgeous

Jodie, Gaelene and Polly ~ again and still...there are no words

The little ones were having their own gathering on the verandah. This snapshot shows Wilkes ...

...and Mirabelle ...

...with Hannah ...

..and Jeannie ... (with Hannah in the background)

Fishy and Keydon trying desperately to look innocent (unlike Nomes, they haven't got it down pat!) but failing miserably

Eve, Lucy and Anne. Looks like these three are rogues from way back

Donna ~ always found where the light is ~ lighting up our world

Bec, Di and Marita ~ there's nothing to say about these three except even the camera couldn't focus