Its less than an hour away and the new year begins, so we wish you a happy and healthy 2012 .

Merry Christmas and a Happy and Healthy 2012 from us both

This past week have spent experimenting in the kitchen .  From the Diabetic Living magazine which I get bi-monthly, I made the Mango and lime cheesecake pictured above.  Mine didn't actually look like that with the trimming of mango and lime on top so I thought the picture from the magazine would be better.  I must say that it is delicious and have had a square of it the past two evenings.  Next time I will make a smaller portion as am tempted to eat more.  The other thing I made is marinated mushrooms.  What a treat and really nice.

Its been quiet with all the events winding down for Christmas and all shopping completed, so now its the wait for Christmas morning for our present to arrive - Katrina at 9.30am.  

  

  

Lunch with the walking group at Thaifoon to celebrate the end of year.  Quite a number of people have just come back from being ill so it was lovely to see them all.  A few of us went over to the Lindt coffee/chocolate shop for a delicious rich coffee to top off the afternoon. 

We received a December count down calendar and here I am opening the 3rd.  I do hope theres a photo
of all the family, even if there isnt, we love all the photos sent and I cannot wait to open tomorrows.

Three of us did the pre walk on the Two Creeks Track from the Roseville Bridge to Lindfield on a beautiful day but the weather changed for the actual walk a few days later.  It didn't rain but was a bit overcast.  That did not spoil the walk for the 10 of us and we all enjoyed it.   At one part we had to climb thru a fence due to a land slip and Kay caught me getting thru, not very lady like. This is our last official walk for the year as next Friday is our Christmas lunch at Thai Poon in Darling Harbour.

On Saturday evening we went to St. George Leagues for tea and then had a flutter on the pokies.  It was amazing to see the amount of money peoples were putting into the machines.  We were lucky and came
away $10 richer.
Cleaned out Katrina's old room and put in a divan bed and as you can see, John was reading the paper but was so comfortable he fell asleep.  He doesn't look comfy.  Couple of little tables and more photos for the wall will complete it as it looks a bit bare at the moment.

Don't birthdays come around quickly, but then that day too has gone and so for the next year.  I had a good day at computers and then Pat came over with cake.  It was a nice surprise.  I have spent some time in the garden and the raspberries are just ripening, the tomatoes growing tall but the lettuce has bolted.  Spring onions and garlic need to be picked soon and now waiting for the potato plants to die off so can harvest the veggie.  There is lots of spinach (mainly for the chooks) growing with the serpent cucumber climbing up the lattice, the flowers just coming out. 
Problem with the chooks is that one is laying eggs with only membrane and so all are eating this egg.  I have given lots of grit and even put a caltrate tablet in the water but still it happens.  They have to this weekend to stop or they go. 

We have been searching high and low for a lecturn even travelling to Newcastle, but now we are lucky to have one for our dictionary.  It fits well in the kitchen corner and the book is accessible and safe. 

2 Books, 2 watches and cake for John, Happy Birthday.

 With the walking group we did the Sculpture Walk  which was better than last year, I thought.  There was a building near the beginning of the walk where miniture sculptures of the large ones were displayed and enjoyed seeing both sizes.  This first
photo of a family of zebras was very effective.








we had just passed Waverly cemetary.

These lions were made by weaving cane, just like baskets.  It was an excellent day and after morning tea at Tamarama, we continued the walk to Coogee and then a bus and train home.

I know that summer is coming when the mangoes come on sale.  These are lovely eating.
Two batches of kefir are fermenting, one milk the other water.  The milk one tastes like liquid Greek yogurt -yum (John doesn't like it) and the water kefir is delicious after the first process, and even better when fruit ie. strawberries or mango is added in the second fermenting.  Now I have enough kefir to give away or I wonder, is there another use for it?
Its been a quiet week with John doing alot of painting but he was happy to go to work today and maybe for the week.  So I'm off to Mondays at Mosman in a few minutes.

Our walking group went from Circular Quay, across the bridge and around many bays ending at Greenwich Point approx. 13 ks.  It was a great walk and the weather couldn't be better but was weary when I got home.  Some of the views along the bay shores were wonderful and I really appreciate living here and being able to do the walks.
Other than a few movies, the last couple of weeks have been quiet.  The most 'exciting' was a visit to Centerlink inquiring re the pension.  Will know in a few weeks time.

It took 2 hours, 2 buses, 1 train and a ferry ride to get to Lovett Bay which is in Pittwater.  After morning tea, we started the climb to the top of the point and you can see Ann and I with the spectular view in the background.  The climb up was hard but the WORST was the leeches.  I was lucky as I had on my thick bamboo socks and walking boots but they attached to anything, jumpers,trousers etc.  At the top we have everyone removing shoes and rolling up trousers and even the packbacks had to be checked as one got into the actual clip .  The trip back down, we made it in half the time with only a few attached to us.  The ferry took us back to Church Point and then the bus to Narrabeen.  At the Narrabeen lake we had coffee to recover from our adventure and then home.  This is Not a walk I will do again. 

I decided to have a go at cooking too as everyone else is at it.  My first effort was a disaster even though the biscuits looked good, they did not taste good.  The above is a shot of a gluten-free slice and almonds,date and seed friands.  In the slice i used whole sunflower, almond and other mixed seeds but it should have been LSA mix (ground) but it still tasted excellent.  The friands were delicious but they has icing-sugur mixture and it made them sweet.  John loved them but too sweet for me.  I'll try omitting the icing sugar next time.

This photo of John is Friday a week ago but the game with Collingwood did not go well this week.  3 points down and a very sad John.  Oh well, now its next year.
In actual fact, all the week did not go well.  The laundry flooded and then the hot tap would not turn off and its plugged until a plumber can get here.
Our plan on Tuesday was a movie at the Dendy and then the talk at SMSA but some how the times did not work, so we missed both a went for a ferry ride to Manly for a short walk with coffee and cake just before returning.
My walk from Dundas to Carlingford along the creeks beds was monotonous and it was hot - 30. I was so glad to catch the trains (3) home.  Then I did not have the energy to go to the reunion at Rockdale RSL for Regina.
At shopping I bought gluten free - breakfast cereals and nutty peanut butter.

The last photo of John tells the story of how we felt about this walk from Maroubra to La Perouse.  It began well and the walk over the sands at Maroubra was lovely as the day was perfect for walking.  We did not read all the sign at the end of the path and continued walking.  The track was not well defined but we plodded on.  The views from cliffs were great and then we saw a horse riding school go past on a higher path.  We travelled about 3/4 of the way and then there was a high metal fence which at first glance we could not get across.  We tried other ways but back to the fence.  After edging till the end of the cliff, got around and saw another sign.  Walk 33/34 is no longer available as its Commonweath land and its a firing range. 
We walked around two golf courses, having to stop when players were about to play, but it was a nice day so we continued but only for a short while as our bodies were tired and found a bus to take us home.  John said he's not being leader any more. 

We decided to travel by train to Newcastle, spend the day then return by train.  John read that there were some antique shops south of Newcastle so we hopped off at Hamilton.  The shops were small and only two had furniture but no lecturn.  We walked 4 ks into town and found another very large warehouse filled with many antique dealers, but again ,no lecturn.  After lunch, we walked a bit more and then it was time to return. Three hours each way seems long but I had the iPod from the library and was happy listening to a book.  The search for the lecturn continues.  I think we will end up with a good solid music stand for our dictionary.

What a lovely fathers day gift of a beautiful photo album of family throughout 2010.  Thank for all the effort that went into making sucha great gift.

Last week Darren, Lisa and her friend came to visit for a few hours and we caught up on their news of what
is happening in their lives.
As John is off work we went into the SMSA lecture and that day, Ann Howard who is a 30 year resident of Dangar Island, gave a bit of the island's history.  Its in the Hawkesbury  just off Brooklyn.  In November she is giving day tours and we think we might go.  After the talk we went to see the Irish movie 'The Guard' and it was good but every second word was swearing which, I think. wasn't necessary.
Computers as usual on Wednesday but went to the library afterwards and was the first to borrow an iPod for audio books.  The library have an array of audio books which can be downloaded on your own computer, iPad or iPod but the one I have borrowed, cannot have extra books or music added as its already got a dozen books on it.  I'm practicing with this iPod before I buy my own.  Next I will borrow the Kindle just to have a go but I think a book in my hands is still better.
Friday I led 8 'mad' walkers from Woolwich to Huntleys Point in the rain/drizzle.  No camera as the weather was not kind and I already took shots the previous prewalk.   

You can see John wearing his new Stetson and cowboy shirt plus boots.  He really likes the roses embroidered on the back.  Hawthorn won and here John is, off to the wine shop in his jumper to see Rodney who is a Swans supporter.
Being Father's Day, John loved getting two Skype calls from his daughters and also seeing the grandchildren.  Thanks for making is day.

It was Katrina's birthday on Friday and was lucky enough to talk to her on the day.  Happy Birthday.

Also on Friday I went on the prewalk with 4 others from Woolwich to Huntleys Point.  As you can see it was a great day and we walked just over 8 ks. 

Had a very hard time at scrabble last week as I only won one game out of six.  The head librarian came over to the computer club meeting with ipods and kindles.  The library is now lending these items plus the music, books etc which go on them.  If you have your own ipods and kindle, you can download items from the library and after a certain time they disappear.  I'm going next week to week if I can borrow an ipod before I purchase one.

In Hyde Park

Each of the past three weeks have been similar in activities ie Scrabble,computers etc. 
The baby birds are out flying with their parents but whenever I get near they seem to be disturbed so I have'nt taken any photos of them yet.
John and I went to Parliment House to view a photographic exhibition and to get there we walked thru Hyde Park and then onto the Mitchell Library which had a display of Shop and Shopping.  We topped the day by having Chinese meal in Haymarket.
Theres an Aussie movie out called Red Dog and we thought it very good.  I had heard these stories about Red Dog on audio tapes and the film did deviate a bit but it still is good viewing.
Fridays walk with U3A from Macquarie Park to Thornleigh was hard with lots of ups and down steps and one of the new members just made it to the end of the trail.  Luckily a police van (with dog) was there and the guy kindly dropped two at the station as I dont think she would have made it any further.