Bunyas and Activities

First up – one of our commitments this year was to start something new – so Morgan went to his first class of Gymnastics, Lilly is getting her grove in ballet dancing and I started out in Jazz, hip hop dance and lastly Adrian has settled into yoga. PHEW!

I am so proud of Morgan. He was a little hesitant at first – but soon realized that there were just boys in the class and the imposing figure of the gymnastics instructor hid a huge heart full of quiet compliments and gruff encouragement. Over the hour they tried out 5 different skills in gymnastics – the high bar, handstands, mini tram, landing techniques. He did lots of running, stretching and co-ordination things – I couldn’t have been prouder of him when he was really trying on the bars – thank if he were in the Olympics.


Miss Lilly just raced off into class and was twirling and following along like a little pro. Almost immediately we finished the class she wants to go back and do another and just doesn’t get that its only once a week.

I have about 25 years on most of the people in my dance class – but you know what? Its not about them – its about me and new challenges – its full of energy, pushes my buttons and challenges me.. I am a bit concerned I just don’t have the ‘attitude’ to be doing hip hop – but then again – I very much doubt I will be taking to the stage in any time soon.

Age is really enjoying his yoga – a welcome peaceful reprieve at work.

We headed off to the Bunyas on the weekend to camp – however the wind howled, tress crashed down and we were nearly cut off on one part of the road when a huge tree fell over the road. There was debris all over the camping ground when we arrived and it was thick fog and raining steadily. NIIIIIICE. Normally we would not have even started out on a trip if it were raining – however it was Leslies Milestone birthday and we had a big weekend ahead of us with celebrations. We were going to walk up to their chalet =- but the driving rain convinced us to ask at the booking office if we could rent a key so we could get into the locked estate and drive up. On a whim I asked if there were any chalets available for the night – our other alternative was to drive home after the party near midnight….. I won’t say it was luck – it was meant to be – but we got a chalet opposite the Alexanders! Very basic place and we did have to walk the long grassy driveway to the home – as a tree had crashed over it. Can I say that was good money spent as later that night when we made our way home through the thick fog, it started to pelt down and the wind picked up again. I could forsee that we might have been a bit damper if we’d gone with the tent idea.

The Bunyas are so gorgeous – it was cold enough for a log fire and jumpers – the thick fog covered everything – making it impossible to even see the next home. We brought home some huge bunya nut pine cones – 3 kg each… and got to taste a raw one – kind of like a raw chickpea. Apparently the are very good roasted – the traditional way to eat them – or boil them in salty water – like peanuts.

We got a very short walk in before we headed home the next day – and sods law said that it was bright sunshine the whole way.

Not sure where we are off to next Camping trip = we hope to be doing it with Jodi et all and Michelle et all.. so much more fun with other people… but we will have to see if we can get a date that suits all..

Off tomorrow to watch Morgan being awarded Student of the Month at the whole schools presentation – a big deal and one I am again so proud of him for.

A mish mash week

Well this week has been a bit of a whirlwind, Dance classes, going to check out new classes for Morgan and for myself – we are really committed to getting fitter and more active. We walked three times to school this week –if I had been more organized with wet weather gear it would have been 4.

This week we also made the commitment to eat a better diet – I have made new blog Family Journey – where I will put our recipes and thoughts about how we go. Although we are not looking at 100% raw – we aim to be as close to it as possible as much as we can. There has been far too much party food at our place and too many afternoon teas. I’ve made the commitment to totally reshape my body as its dawning on me that Iwill be the big 40 so and in the worst shape I have ever been. Apparently things just get worse from there – and I can’t imagine it being worse than it is now.

This week also marked another wonderful windfall for me as a writer – I was invited to be a weekly columnist for Write Anything – a fiction and poets community online magazine. So excited – I now have a Monday and Wednesday gig on REAL websites. I’d love if you popped by – posted some comments sometime and passed the site onto others ( the other one is TypeA Mom)

I’ve been undertaking the Artists Way challenge too – a twelve week insight into unblocking creativity and ensuring that I go to bed before midnight every night – that’s a big ask.

I helped Jamie move into his new home on Tuesday night – didn’t get home till nearly three that morning – stuff you do for family huh?

So delighted Captain Juan has started up again – its my writers candy – pop over and see my new chapter. I do need to keep editing my short stories and post up the Mistress Moon chapters – but I just seem ot run out of steam when it gets to that… ahh well – next week is a new week.

Apart from that – just same old same old… till next week……

Stanthorpe Show

I grew up through the Stanthorpe show – my parents have been exhibiting there since before I went to primary school. The sheep and wool pavilion our place of refuge over the four days of the show. I have vivid memories of bunking down in a sheep pen beside rams and watching the mulitidues of people traipsing past.

Going to the show again after not being for five years was a bit of a shock. It is a good indication of the economic downturn in the district and the decline in the rural sector. I was part of the hey day of the show – where the pavilions were busting with exhibits, thousands of people would file in and out of the sheds and the place heaved with activity. Our society had a lamburger stand out the front and with this we made thousands of dollars for improvement to the stands and pavilion. Our show days were filled with long hours serving behind the counter, punctuated only by assisting leading sheep for judging, or being in the grand parade, and later on competing in the horse related events. granddad competed in the horse events and set up his camp at the horse stalls, staying in there for a day either side of the show – so we always had somewhere to pop in no matter where we were in the grounds.

It was long hours, full of laughter and hard work – and we loved it as kids. The introduction of the fashion parades revitalized a tiered show and for several years as teenagers we were even models Bonus years included the times we collected aluminum cans – our only pocket money – we used to stake out the bar areas and comb the grounds in a tag team effort. Someone got cranky and the show society banned all collection of cans by individuals – instead choosing for the public to throw them on the ground and for them to be swept up and put into the bin and taken to the general rubbish dump.

We never had a walk around show side alley with our parents – they were always too busy. I don’t recall having much if any money in any case to go on any rides – but we always watched. Grandad did take us once and decided the dodgem cars were too rough – so we got to go on the boats which floated serenely around a little pond.

Anyway – enough recollections – yesterday I took the kids to the show. We helped out a bit in the morning on the prime lambs as a steward and then went exploring the sideshow and the exhibits. It was pleasing to see handicrafts and the cookery section were still u to the entries I remembered. However the livestock numbers were very poor. I recall the sheep sections bulging from the seams, more cattle and horses than you could poke a stick at. Empty stalls and a few sad examples of yesteryear was all that were represented. A true reflection of how the rural industry is – depressed and aged. No new exhibitors have turned up in years and many of the old hands simply do not have the time to spare away for the mountainous jobs they must complete in order to scrape a living on the land.

I know I spoilt the kids with the things we did during the day – but was a bit horrified at how much things cost. I went in with $80 and came home with $2.10 in my pocket. We took food and drink with us – so only bought junk – the necessary fairy floss and dagwood dog and a show bag each. The kids went on a jumping castle and the dogems as well as had on turn at a duck hunt game ( where we came out the proud winners of junky stuffed toys) Apart from a long specialty liquorice rope – that was all we did .. $80 thanks very much … wow.

Morgan got to drive with the dodgems , he only just made it as min height – he was so delighted – the grin on his face is still there. We spent a great deal of time at the childrens min I farm watching the puppies and the ducklings and got their faces painted by some passing fairies.

We had such an exhausting day it was not surprising that by 7.30, the kids were beyond themselves and curled up beside m on the grandstand with a doona and pillow and fell asleep. The fireworks didn’t come on till around 9 and as loud and amazing and spectacular as they were, and despite all the shaking and pulling blankets off them, the kids refused to be woken to watch them. The firework display truly was a spectacular even – and one of the best I had seen.

I have made a promise to the kids that we will come to the Stanthorpe show every year now. Perhaps even enter in some art work ( all of us) and I might even put some photos in.