It's husband's long service leave, so we've put a sign on the door, figuritively speaking... and here on the blog..just for a while...

...time to wean myself away from the keyboard...

...to have a few adventures and a bit of fun!

Dancing for joy and happiness at travel that lies ahead for us, the feeling captured here in the last of the Brighton sculpture series).

Speaking of "Gone fishin" - the cat will have to rouse itself, with much encouragement,

...to go on it's own adventure to board, if one considers boarding a form of holiday, but still there will be other felines in the same boat....

Husband has made sure sure that dreams do come true for us- even if it involves the sometimes tiring practicalities of achieving them.

Feeding the soul. So necessary.

"Dreams are illustrations from the book your soul is writing about you" - playwright Marsha Norman.

Our daughter writes her happiness on our hearts.

We will see her soon. Here she is where she lives now in chilly Berlin!

Searching the places overseas that I dream about.

Searching out the ancestry I love

Feeling my soul leap with happiness for all sorts of reasons

The main one seeing Caitie again, even if it just for part of the journey.

Again to quote Marsha Norman "That search business- that's what humans do best."

So I will return in a month or two after following some long-held dreams with people very dear to my heart, even if some are many, many generations back - their very existence on this planet once has enabled our little family to rejoice together at this point in time.

Back in April!

*airline photos courtesy of Airliners.net Trip reports.

Our region's Sunday Market is near Bunnings, which is the equivilant of other countries Home Depot stores. There is always the "Sausage Sizzle" stall manned by the local Rotary Club to catch both the Sunday Market and the hardware trade.
I hurried home to report here the typical Aussie banter at the sausage sizzle stall. I smiled, because we'd never give this type of exchange another thought, but I guess to a foreign ear it would be so typically Australian.

Male customer: "You beauty mate! Got one done to death? Just whack it on ya bread there."
Stall holder: "Righto..."
Male customer: " Ta mate. Always someone who wants the charcoal snag, yeah?"
Stall holder: "Bloody oath!"

Translation : "Oh wonderful my friend. Do you have a sausage well-cooked? Would you place it on the bread you've provided?".
Stall holder:" Yes. O.K."
Male customer: "Thank-you my friend. Always someone who'd prefer the burnt sausage, yes?"
Stall holder: "I"m in total agreeance with that!"

Note from the cat: There were cards for her...so I knew that would mean cake...

...she was delighted to share her birthday with another February birthday friend...

These little cakes are mudcake. There was some beautiful food including vegetarian ...balloons, poppers....but its cleared away now, they've all gone home...

it's very quiet at this late hour and...no cake for me.

Now that's just tragic!

Sorry Moskie, I know that "not impressed" face of yours. Cats don't have cake anyway... and paws off the table....note...like the rest of the family....

...later,more excuse to celebrate... left to right,my Dad, David's Mum, my mum, me, husband David, David's sister and brother-in-law.

More coffee and cake. Will it never end?

Dad hopes not. Bring it on he says, sporting his new haircut! His cake choice? Lemon ginger cake with lots of syrup...and a dash of sunshine. 59 years ago we were introduced to each other in the maternity ward. Hope I've done him proud.