The Season.

G'Day
This is sort of a diary entry about what I have been up to over the past week or so. I have had a busy time and have been loving it........ mostly.
My Mum was here for about 2 months and returned to Queensland on the 23rd. She has decided to stay at my sister Ellen's house in Biloela, she likes it up there and I think maybe my sister handles her better than I do so.... I took the week off work. On the same day my other sister Thelma came here in the afternoon to spend a few days with us for Christmas, and my two younger children, David and Annie brat, came during he evening and stayed a few days as well. So we had a nice Christmas. I think there were a few less prezzies under the tree than some other years. The budget has been a bit harsher since moving to Canberra, but that is o.k. Christmas isn't just about how many presents you can give, it is about being together.
Other stuff I did during the break were;
Thelma and I went to the national gallery and saw the "Masterpieces from Paris" exhibition. Van Gogh, Gauguin, Cezanne and beyond. Cool eh! I stood in front of "Starry Night" and the words and music from that old song ran through my head, I saw into Vinnie's bedroom and his self portrait. I saw the little ballerina paintings by Degas, I used to have my bedroom curtains and quilt in that pattern when I was a little girl. Aw pretty. I gawked at the beautiful lady with the sunshade umbrella by Cezanne. Gauguin's Polynesian ladies. I don't remember the proper names but those were pretty special paintings and very well known ones.
We also had a guided tour of the Australian artists gallery and got to chatter on with the guide about them. T'was also good because when I have gone there before with other people they are impatient with my dawdling and gawking and want to leave before I do. I still love the Aussie paintings best, the stuff from the Heidelberg school especially. Not really into a lot of the more modern stuff.
On Christmas eve we sat with our feet in the lake and skipped stones across the water at Yarralumla. It was so hot that day.
We had a half hearted look at the boxing day sales in Woden. I got a pair of shorts and a shirt, Annie go some clothes. Today if I have time I want to go into the city and see what I can find to love from the T2 shop, I love getting in there.It is a specialty shop devoted to tea and the things used to drink/serve it. Dave got me a gift voucher from there, and I got another gift voucher from Michael from another home wares type shop in Kingston. Should be fun.
Then there was that impromptu trip down the coast. A bit sad though, at one of the places we visited, Pebbly beach, there was a nasty accident just a few hours after we passed through. A petrol tanker hit a car and exploded. The truck driver was killed and the family in the car was decimated, the two little girls died and their parents are fighting for their lives in hospital.
Yesterday I took Peter to the emergency department at the Canberra Hospital. He was having some very nasty pain and cramping after his gall bladder removal last week and I thought it needed checking out. We ended up being there from a bit before 4.00 until 1.00 that night. But everything worked out and he is o.k, just needed some better pain killers.
Also yesterday I went to spotlight and got some netting material and fabric to match to make a cover for the futon/swing Pete and I got for Christmas. It is in the garage at the moment and I didn't want to put it out in the back yard unprotected so will make a cover for it. I also got some new Christmas decorations for next year. I always look for them after christmas at the sales. They were 75% off. A nice little bargain. Things are getting a bit lean in the bank balance and I don't get any work for another week or so, but that is o.k. I have done it before and will no doubt do it again.
Today, after lunch, I want to meet up with an old friend, Barb, who is in Canberra visiting her children who live here. She is down at the lake today skiing. Should be good. I haven't seen her for a few years now. She lives at Ariah park on a farm and they have been feeling the effects of the drought badly for many years. A tough life.
Better get moving.
Bye.
Love Linda.