365 Pink Feather Boas All in a Row - Day 365 : Au Revoir 2010 and Thanks for all the Llamas

Actually there were no llamas but why spoil a good headline? There could have been llamas by the truckload but there may not have been so let's leave a little twisted mystery for the year....

I am typing this at my Mum & Dad's, only an hour before I leave for the airport and a flight home to Sydney, where two hours after we land, my friends will start arriving for our small NYE party. It's also the second anniversary for my gorgeous guy and I, and we shall celebrate with 15 friends on the balcony of my apartment, with the fireworks exploding over the city in the distance.....

Its been a good year with lots of celebrate. The best thing of all is that I am with my beautiful man and 2011 is shaping up as another lovely year with him, and frankly that's all that matters...

Happy New Year everyone!

FOOTNOTE:  The party went wonderfully well. Not so me, who was suffering from a head cold that went from bad to worse on the smooth flight home, but after a frantic dash to the supermarket straight from the airport with Fahmi who picked us up, and a less than graceful staggering into the complex dragging suitcases, carry on luggage and bags and bags full of groceries, and a desperately rushed hour to get it all ready between 6 pm and 7 pm), everyone arrived, the food was heated up (pastizzis and sausages) without incident, and everyone drank lots of margueritas, wine and beer, marveled at the fireworks (turns out the new balcony provides a better view than the old one!) and kicked back and laughed and joked their way into the New Year, sparklers and party poppers used to bring in 2011. A great night!!

365 Pink Feather Boas All in a Row - Day 364 : Brunch in Byron Bay...and a Drink at the Feddy

Today was the day for the traditional brunch at Byron Bay that my brother and I do every year when I am home for Christmas. After saying goodbye to my lovely sister Helen, and niece Zara, who would be returning home to the Gold Coast while we were at Australia's most easterly point, I drove us all to BB in Mum's car, sometimes with great trepidation on the narrow, almost single lane country back roads that we took to avoid the crowded, traffic-choked main routes into Byron Bay. It's amazing just how unnerved you can get with narrow roads, no real lane marking and very tight twists and turns on roads that have been built into the contours of the hills in the hinterland. But we made intact, and first stop was the light house which I have been to once or twice, and a walk to the most easterly point in Australia which bizarrely in 34 years of calling the Far North Coast HOME, I have never visited. So we rectified that today, on a mercifully non-humid day, and had a delightful time exploring an amazing local icon, with my brother and his girlfriend Aimee.

Suitably hungry from tramping up and down steps with fellow tourists, we headed for my favourite cafe in Byron Bay, Twista Sista, and delicious food sitting on the footpath watching the myriad mass of surf boys and surfer chicks and backpackers go by. We finished off with a quick look through the shops - I bought nothing which is a remarkable noteworthy first! - and headed for home, this time on nice wide marked sealed roads.

Fake surfing is all the rage naturally...LOL

Finished off the day with a drink at The Feddy (The Federal Hotel in the main street of Alstonville) with my dear friend Sue from Melbourne, who I catch up with, in person, at least, once a year since her parents live not that far from mine. Thanks to Facebook I get to be in contact much more than that, but it's at Christmas that we get to have a long, menadering chat, drink a wine or two (in this case a wine then a Coke) and she got to meet my darling guy for the first time after hearing so much about him. It was a lovely relaxed 1 1/2 hours, and after dropping her off at her parents' place, my guy and I headed home for a yummy dinner of Italian pie, a dish I have eaten since I was a child.

I couldn't resist one last shot of Bodhi this time with his Dad, Michael, who arrived the day before we left, due to work commitments on the Gold Coast. He loves his son to bits, and it's gorgeous to watch.

365 Pink Feather Boas All in a Row - Day 363 : Lazy Day in the Country

The day started with News 24 and a lie in at Alstonville Settlers Motel (I developed a real love of starting the day with Joe O'Brien and News 24 news.... I am after all, a news junkie so it makes sense since I had the time to indulge my need for lots of news and often) and then grocery shopping at Coles @ Alstonville Plaza, the local shopping centre that I swear hasn't been touched for YEARS with the same mouldy green awning across what was an open plaza. Still it has been there for so long that I bought Voulez Vouz, ABBA's 1979 album at the gift shop (long gone and now replaced by a bakery) so it occupies an affectionate place in my heart.

The mundanities of food shopping out of the way, we headed off for a fun afternoon at the House With No Steps, a charity that operates to allow mentally and disabled people the chance for active meaningful employment, so that Zara could play in the small water park there. She had an absolute ball! She ran from the slippery dip and swings into the water, and after stopping for a towelling off by her mum (my sister Helen), back onto the swings or onto the giant chess set (she dragged one piece from the board across to the swings and back again) and then back for more fun in the water park where she would chase her dad through the various water spouts, 'catch' him and he would throw her in the air 4-5 times while she giggled like crazy. It was so much fun, and while we got some sun, seeing Zara enjoy herself so much made it all worthwhile. She is a delight.....oh, and my guy and I showed we still have our swinging chops! No, not that kind of swinging; innocent playground swinging, thank you, and I can still gain altitude baby!

Back home, with Zara's dad leaving for home on the Gold Coast direct from the park, Zara and Bodhi opened their presents from me and Steve and thankfully loved them. We gave Zara a funky tshirt from Revolution Baby that we got at the Rose Street Markets in Melbourne (Bodhi got one too) and 4 books including classics like "he Wheels on the Bus" which we then sang over and over....well until Zara got sick of it which, as is the case for kids, NEVER.... Bodhi, to my surprise, attacked the wrapping on his present with gusto (not bad for a 5 month old!), and had all the red tissue paper off his Fisher Price 'cement' truck in no time... he was actually more interested in gumming his tshirt to be honest, and it was Zara who had fun playing with the truck, but the gifts went down a treat and we got some great video footage of them opening and enjoying their presents which I will post as soon as I get it from my sister.

Then before dinner, to work up a healthy appetite, Rachel, Bodhi (who chose not to walk mainly because, as of yet, he can't), Mum, my gorgeous guy and I all set off around the estate for a walk, taking in the sights and sounds of suburbia and trying in some small way to atone for the culinary excesses of Christmas.

365 Pink Feather Boas All in a Row - Day 362 (Tuesday 28 December) : It's Christmas.... Again!

We slept in today after a busy travel day yesterday but still managed to get to my Mum and Dad's by 9.15 this morning (not hard when their home is 2 minutes drive from the motel - gotta love small towns!; we were picked up by my sister Rachel, mother of the adorable Bodhi) and the first thing we saw was my cute as a button niece Zara dragging her pink puppy on wheels around the house and telling us that her cousin, Bodhi, was asleep (hand on the side of the head, above).

The first thing that my gorgeous guy did was give my Mum & Dad the "Thank you for letting me be part of your Christmas" gift that we got for them in Box Hill & Camberwell. Mum loved it!

The main show in town was, as always, my adorable nephew Bodhi & niece Zara, who I see far too seldom but love when I do see them! My gorgeous guy & I both got to hold them, and in the case of Zara at a park in Ballina (after Rachel, my guy & I had gone shopping for a gift for my Nanna - yes I forgot another gift! - and grabbed alcohol and grocery supplies), play fun games with them. In the photo below, a little boy hid beneath the slats of the playhouse and pushed leaves up to Zara who thought they were appearing by magic. She loved it and all you could hear were cried of "More! More!" from her till the little boy tired of the game!

My guy& I at the park in Ballina, with the river in the background.

Bodhi and I got totally into the Christmas spirit. He is such a joy, smiling at the drop of a hat, and is a wonderful mood 99% of the time.

The three ornaments below were bought for Mum & Dad's tree this year - first up is Zara's 2nd Christmas ornament, then the general 2010 one then Bodhi's first ornament.

Mum & Dad's tree with the last of the presents to be exchanged. Most of the gifts were exchanged on Chrictams Day but gifts from and to me & my guy and my brother in law Shayne were held till today.