Thanks so much everyone. I have really just been incredibly busy since last Wednesday, either getting my house ready for our visitors and/or driving them around being a tour guide etc. All went well & they got to see my Mum every day & also lots of tourist things, including the Mole Creek Caves, which was a really good first experience for all 4 of them. It rained almost non-stop for the first 2 days but we really did pack lots in anyway. While we were lunching at the deli on Sat. the family at table next to us had a long-nosed Potoroo in a box, that had a broken leg in a splint. The father had accidentally hit it with his car. Photo-
Then a woman I know came in & I remembered that the last time I saw her she had a Wombat wrapped up in a coat so I went & checked with her & the Californian reli's also got to pat a Common Wombat. We had seen Wombat scats (square) on our block the day before.
Of course they will go back to California & tell their school friends that in Australia you can go to the deli for lunch & pat wildlife!! FUNNY!!
On Sunday I went & picked my Mum up & brought her out to our home for a few hours so she could just watch the kids play. Then we went to lunch & my LH drove her back, while I took the reli's for another drive & out to the Chudleigh Honey Farm, which they ALL loved & bought lots of jars of honey, which they planned on taking back to the US. The Honey Farm at Chudleigh is wonderful. Google it & check it out. They sampled about 30 honeys I reckon!!
We also visited Ashgrove Cheese farm & they loved that too. There are so many places in Tasmania that they would have loved but the places I took them gave them a taste(pun intended) of what we have to offer & I feel that they will return again one day. Hopefully they will spend more time.
The dinner party on Sunday night was so that our US reli's together with their Tasmanian family. It was 15 (whoops!!!! I had not factored in our OS's GF!!)
They were-
the 2 of us, both of our sons, our 3 GK's(12, 5 & 4), my US nephew, his wife & their 2 kids( 10 & 7), our OS's GF, our OS's BF(who had stayed with our US nephew in 1999 when the 2 of them travelled the world for a year) & another friend of our OS & his BF(who they had travelled with in Slovakia), who was visiting from Melb, & also one of his house-mates(female.)
While I was tour guide for 3 days my LH cooked & cooked. We couldn't all fit in one car & he was quite happy with the arrangement. Sunday night was a HUGE success & everyone got on like a house on fire. It was fascinating really. The visit went much better than I ever imagined it could.
My LH worked yesterday & I drove them to the airport early & then came home straight away. I was KNACKERED!!
As soon as I got home our OS was already here, with our YGS. He left after a while & then I had C for the day. I then had to get our GD off the bus at 3.30pm & then our OGS off the bus at 4.30 & had all 3 kids for the night & had to do the same in reverse this morning, getting them ready for school & on buses etc. I still have the little fella & he is watching TV right now. Both our sons have gone bush-walking & then our OS will pick him up about 2pm, when he drops our YS back home.
PHEW!!! I'm tired but feeling really good. My last week has been a bit of a whirlwind but has been very positive.
July challenge-
I am going to ride a minimum of 80km(50 miles) on my stationery bike & I am going to exercise for 60 mins per day at least 5 days a week & 30 the other 2 days. I am gooing to start back doing my light weights, try an exercise DVD that I have, which is a cross between old-fashioned aerobics & Zumba & I am back to feeling pretty good really. I feel focussed again.
Our YS flies to Canada Thursday of next week. He wants to have a serious talk with his older brother so I hope he gets a chance today. It is very important but it is hard to find the right time as either his GF or his kids are with him most of the time. I think our YS is also worried that his older brother seems troubled by a lack of money & I have a feeling that he wants to tell him how much he admires how well he is doing with the kids & what a great person he is. I ma so proud of both our sons & love that they love one another so much. Telling his brother about a personal trauma that he has experienced, connected with his Canadian GF will bring them even closer I think. Both sons are inclined to keep really deep problems to themselves & most of us know that a problem shared is a problem reduced. It is too hard to try to imagine what is wrong. I am very grateful that our YS can talk to us, even if it may cause me stress. It is better to be able to understand him. Our recent conversations regarding his risk taking behaviour have been very positive & he has taken it onboard. I feel much more positive about his future now.
Phew!
I seem to have made up for a few days here & had better finish right now.
Please accept my apology for not addressing you individually. I hadn't realised that I had not checked my diary, although I had peeped at others quickly over the w/e.
Lots and lots of love, xoxoxo Cate
Your posts are always so supportive so how about letting some people support you for a change!
I totally agree about being labelled. (and also about medical help when it's needed.)
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