Bloggers' Gathering in Norway 2010

This is soooo exciting.   RennyBA is organising a Bloggers' Gathering in Oslo in August 2010 from 18th to 22nd.  I'm hoping I can get the necessary together to attend.


If you are interested, go to Renny's blog and find out all about it.  He's going to a lot of trouble organising good deals on rooms, trips and activities during that time.  Of course, he and his wife, Diane, will get to meet other bloggers as well.


I have plans to attend and to also see other parts of Europe as well...Holland to see my grandson, Belgium to meet Gattina and her five cats, Ireland to look for my ancestors and also Italy for no reason other than I've always wanted to go there.


However, to do all that, I'm going to have to put head down and bum up and save like mad...or go on the streets.  I think the second option would be an incredible failure so I'll just save.  Besides, I haven't the energy...


Of course, I could try and get my book published, but it really needs to be completed first...makes sense, doesn't it?


Anyway, have a look at Renny's website...he really is going to a lot of trouble and he assures me that in August the weather is lovely and warm...that's for all those people who, like me, hate the cold.  And the sun is still shining at 9 pm...now I really like the sound of that, as Queensland does not have daylight saving.


Enjoy what's left of the weekend...I must do some blogger visiting.

Goodbye Shelby

It was a sad day yesterday when we had to say farewell to Shelby, Jane and Fred's dear old retriever.  It was very sudden, which meant that she didn't suffer.


So a tearful goodbye was held in the back paddock and a few words said amid tears from us all.


Farewell, Shelby, faithful friend and loved family member

A 40th Birthday Party

Saturday night (that's right Halloween) we went to our neighbour, Jacqui's, 40th birthday party held in the function room at one of the local pubs.  It's a new hotel so things were very posh. 


As usual, our favourite band, of which Jacqui is female vocalist, supplied the music and they didn't  let us down.  I think they're rather keen on Elvis...we heard a lot of "Elvis has returned to the building" during the evening.  Jane, Fred, me, Ally and Steve, another couple of neighbours grabbed ourselves a table along side the dance floor.  Consquently,. we were christened the groupies...I've never been called a groupie before.  At my age, I rather like it.  But the term groupie probably originated from the fact that the band have played at quite a lot of parties we have attended over the last year or so, and there are at least two more coming up...mine and Fred's and his twin sister's 50th next year.


However, we had a great evening as usual.  Danced the night away as usual.  Woke the next day feeling totally wrecked as usual.  Where are the days when I could party all night and survive the next day on very little sleep?  I mean I was in bed by midnight, only had two glasses of wine (drank copious quantities of water the rest of the time) and danced a lot, but that shouldn't matter, should it?  I just don't know what's going on.  Fred very unkindly suggested I was getting old...the cheek of it!


Below are a couple of photos from the evening.

Jacqui and David, her husband (who is rides a pretty good show jumper...as in horse).

Jacqui's mother, Robyn (and my partner in crime) making her speech to Jacqui.

 Jacqui and me.