Paola, Down Under: 2017

Waffles

Our Christmas gift to each other was a waffle maker. In regular use of weekends, we have sampled almost every waffle variation. They are hard to find in Australia as waffles aren't really a thing here. This machine is so deluxe it has a timer setting called "a bit more".

Shipment from Canada

Just before dawn on a weekday during the first week back to work in January, Scott and I drove up to the dockyards of Melbourne to collect my shipment of my things previously being stored in mom and dad's crawl space.

It was an adventure, and the dockies there made sure we were safe and the collection was easy.

We were rewarded by a spectacular sunrise over the city.

Nana's Royal Doulton tea service is now down under. Care for a cuppa?

Xmas 2015 Highlights

The tree is real, and doesn't last inside for long. The decorations are from the Calkins last year.

We made the traditional trip to USA Foods to supplement our New Year's Eve with the kids.

New Year's Eve marshmallow roast/smores festival.

That time Ella had blue hair

Just in time for the Christmas holidays, I took Ella to my hairdresser's for some blue ends. Doesn't she look gorgeous?!

Mini Pre-Xmas Break in Daylesford

Scott and I have a tradition of "getting out of dodge" on the first weekend of our summer holidays. and this year (2016), we went to Daylesford, a really lovely little country town a couple of hours drive outside of Melbourne.

We had a cute little Air BnB cottage, just under a kilometre from the town centre, and we could walk to dinner and the shops while we were there.

The weather was fine, with some cool nights, and that was alright because we had a little wood burning stove at our place.

Shambolic cottage on the road into town

At brekkie.

Shambolic relic.

At the Sunday Market...

...and we stopped in to have a peek at a truly beautiful garden shop.

Moments with Cocoa

She loves a sing-along and if you give her enough encouragement, after a few grizzles and Chewbacca-like sounds, she howls soulfully.

Cocoa in bed.

On a hot day with fan.....

and in the jungle (backyard).

Visit with Trevor and Maureen

In November last year, we were happy to meet up with Trevor and Maureen for dinner one evening during their Aussie tour visiting friends in Melbourne and Adelaide.

We met for Dinner at Easey's, a restaurant and bar consisting of two railcars on top of a building.

The food, the company, and the graffiti were great.

Supporting Darryl Braithwaite

Scott's band, Waking Eden won a Battle of the bands contest earlier in the year, and their prize was to open for Darryl Braithwaite, a classic Aussie rocker.

Here are the boys in action in front of the largest crowd they've ever played to. It was glorious!!