...& a Happy New Year...

An optimist stays up until midnight to see the New Year in. A pessimist stays up to make sure the old year leaves.....Bill Vaughan

The new year arrived while we weren't looking. Ditz, Liddy & I managed to abandon the island in good time on New Year's Eve & had good travelling up the coast. Liddy's driving has certainly improved! When I think how she used to aim for anything else that moved on the road I am plain astonished at how well she does now ~ & that despite her concerted efforts she never managed to hit anything! We need to work on her not getting agitated every time she makes a mistake with her directions & be a bit more laid back about taking *the scenic route*!

Poor ma, who lives quietly with her cat, suddenly found her house invaded by the hordes, who are used to lots of people & lots of noise cluttering up the kitchen, busily trying to catch up with the cousin they see once every year or so. We did all eventually calm down for ma's dinner which was festive in honour of our arrival with crackers & lots of pickings. Liddy & the Duke share the family failing of being chronic fiddlers & we had to constantly remove cutlery & other dangerous objects from their twiddling fingers but the family chat went quite late & only ended when I finally remembered to ring Dearest to say we had arrived safely & found him in need of computer help. Trying to visualize my computer in my mind's eye & issue intelligible instructions down the phone was time consuming but though we were all in bed well before midnight the revellers across the canal ensured no~one slept well. It wasn't the noise, which was to be expected, but the bad language & escalating argument that had us cringing under our bed covers. When there was still no activity from over the water by breakfast the next morning I mentioned it was a pity Ditz had left her flute at home or she could have serenaded them from our jetty. Yes, I know. It was a very wicked thought but I did enjoy it!

It is as hot up here as it is at home so yesterday the kids & I played cards all morning & ma put the air con on low to take the edge of the heat. It's bad if ma puts on the air con. A whole day of inactivity was going to make Liddy & the Duke impossible to live with so mid afternoon we walked to the beach so the kids could swim. It's only a kilometer but in the heat I'd have rather driven. I can swim but I don't. I have issues with what lives in the water round here & both Liddy & the Duke got stung by bluebottles. Despite the shark nets I'm not convinced they'd keep any determined shark out & the surf tended to be short dumpers anyway. There was a bit of drag to the south but no rip so we left the kids in the water as the lifeguards packed up. Ditz tried the water briefly, decided she didn't like it & promptly clambered out again & spent her time happily trying her hand at a sand sculpture. Sorry people. No piccies until I can access my own computer again.

Wishing you all a very HAPPY NEW YEAR from the Sunshine Coast.