A Gorge full of blondies...

What to do during these weeks of wild windy and wet weather but tag along with the rest of the curious folk, itching for a look at our iconic Gorge all flooded and flowing.

Deloraine House cook-up

Today Kit, Julie, Peggy, Stephannie and I went to Deloraine House to cook up some meals. About every 3mths I get a call from Deloraine House to organise the RS to come over and cook some meals to go in their freezer for emergency sustanance to needy families.

Today we set an all time record. We made 90 meals in 3 hrs. Including the container, each meal came to $1.66. Usually we only do 66 meals.

Can you tell they don't want their photo taken...

that's better!

We usually cook 5 different recipes, curried sausages, pasta bolognaise, tuna mornay, chow mein and shepherd's pie. We try and get 4-5 electric frypans going at once but we always, short out their power and keep having to run out the front to their power box and switch it back on.

Chloe, Lachie, Oliver and Jonty were looked after by some lovely ladies in the child care area. They came in at the end to see what we had been up to. Who needs toys when swinging under the table is so much more fun.


It was a lovely morning, chatting away and steaming up the kitchen there. A great way to keep warm too.

this is me trying to take a photo of the food but the lens kept steaming up

PS Happy birthday today Kit. Thanks for not letting me take a photo of you with your birthday cake. ;)

On home soil

The travellers are home, tired but happy.

Mum and Cathy arrived home after jetting in from L.A. to Sydney this morning at 7.30am. They then left Sydney at 9.30am and flew into Melbourne and then into Launceston at 1.30pm.

Mum was carrying the mandatory load of Krispy Kremes she always gets at the airport (sorry Collette - they were yummy!!)

Jess, Jonty and I made up the welcoming committee, while Kyle did babysitting duties with Sarra, Hallie and Oliver. (putting him to work nicely) :)

Trying to see them come off the plane... we were very excited!! Six weeks is a long time.

Lots of kisses for Jonty. Mum reckoned he had grown heaps in the last 6 weeks.


They both looked very tanned and Mum looked so much younger, without all the school stress that usually abounds this time of the year. She still has a month off so it will be lovely to see her relax and bum around home rather than be exhausted from another term of school.

Chocoholics Birthday Auction

Last night we held an Enrichment meeting at the Delcity chapel. We decided to celebrate everyone's birthday at the one time. Everyone was asked to bring a small gift or act of service, to be performed at a later date. Barbara had organised a silent auction for us.

A number of questions were asked and if you got the right answer, you were given some play money, that Sarah had designed and printed out for us. We had a number of games too that got you more money if you won.

The first one was putting a stocking over your head with a tennis ball and trying to entangle it with the other person and pulling the stocking off their head. It was so funny. That game symbolised being 'tied to your calling'.

Kristy and Sarah Young

Louise Triffitt and Maureen Handley

Doesn't Maureen look scary!

The next game was peeling an apple and whoever had the longest piece won. That game was about how we always have to 'bring a plate' to every activity.

Phyllis looks like serious business here

Beverley and Liz concentrating hard

Stephannie Triffitt

The gumboot race was about getting the cow out of the mud on the Sabbath. Look at Suzanne raring to go!

I had Simon's pair, mine, Oliver's and Sarra's so there was a run to the end to get there first to put on the gumboots that would fit.

Poor Beverley ended up with Sarra's boots and was trying to fit them on her feet.

Louise and Suzanne made a mad dash for the finish, running into the lounge divider.

The last game was a tug-of-war which represented life and the many responsibilities we have as women, pulling us in all directions.

The two teams gave it a good go and the winners were given extra money.

The silent auction part was that you would then go with your money and bid on items by putting your money in a bowl next to that item. We all put our initials on the back of our money.

If you really wanted a particular item, you could put all your money in that bowl to increase the chance of your dollar being pulled out. This represented the gift giving and sharing of our talents with each other. I won 2hrs of ironing from Ali Christie... yay!!

We finished by singing Happy Birthday and tucked into the chocoholics birthday supper. Oh it was a chocoholics heaven. Everything was chocolate and yummy.

As everyone left I heard grumbles of, "I feel sick" or "I am going to pay for this later". I got to bring a plate of leftovers home - one of the perks of the job :)

It was a fantastic night and a big thankyou to Barbara for organising everything, especially as she leaves for the USA on Sunday and won't be back until Nov. I hope you left time to pack Barb!!

Send more money!

This is the email Mum sent home from the States. She is on long-service leave and is touring the USA with her good friend Cathy Reeve. They went for six weeks and return next Fri, the 21st of Aug. Obviously she is having a good time!

I have been looking after Mum's bank accounts while she is away, paying her bills etc. Typical Mum, straight to the point - no, "so we are having a lovely time, miss you heaps" kind of email, just, "Simone, send more money".

But we do love her and miss her heaps. Don't spend too many George Washington's Mum (unless it is on pressies for your family) ;)

The bag lady

Today Jackie came over to help me make an Amy Butler bag. I am making two, one for Jess for her birthday and one for myself. Ages ago Jack came to church with this gorgeous bag (the one in the pic above) and told me about how she had done a class and made it.

I decided I would do it too and then Jack said, hey I will teach you myself. Now I am not very good at sewing but with Jackie's patience and long-suffering, we got it finished.

I am so pleased. I never thought I would feel so good about something I made with my own hands (and Jackie's) because I usually give up before I try and tell myself that I am not a good sewer or am not very crafty etc... but hey I did it! One small step at a time.

Thankyou so much for taking the time to help me Jackie. I really appreciate it and loved spending this wild windy day making this bag and hanging out with you. I may sew a straight line yet!

Oh and this is the dessert I made for lunch. Does it pass Mel?