Tuesday 29 December 2015

30th December - Comanche wins line honours in Rolex Sydney-Hobart Yacht Race - busy Tasmanian days continue

Wednesday 30th December  2015


It was a very torrid Sydney-Hobart race.  A third of the fleet were wiped out very early on, including – oh dear and oh no – Wild Oats!!  (None of my family were aboard so the family honour is safe…)


Comanche got line honours, in spite of having a broken rudder, so all congratulations to them!

We are still very busy, here in Tasmania.  Many festivities, family gatherings, lunches, dinners

Conservatory
Pinocchio in the Botanical Gardens


Fish and chips at the docks


And so it goes…all delightful.

If you think I am busy…spare a thought for Angela and Chris who had 22 sleeping over on Christmas night!!  Plus a few extras for lunch…

Not quite all of them!
Yesterday was maybe not such a cheery occasion…my mother is in hospital, with a severe case of pneumonia.  Michael and I got into the little blue VW Golf and dashed up the highway.


As it turned out we had a great time…We laughed and chatted all the way there and back – bear in mind, I haven’t seen Michael for over a year, except for in a family crowd on Boxing Day.  LOTS to catch up on… He only made one serious error by not stopping near the emu sculptures on the Tunbridge hills – they were looking glorious in the late afternoon sun, and I wanted a photo. He thought I could take one out the window as we whizzed past.  Not so much…

And our visit in Launceston was also very successful, despite Mum’s emergency incarceration in hospital.  She is actually very happy in there and says the nurses are all wonderful and kind.  Food arrives regularly, clean fluffy towels and sheets appear by magic, and the family is trooping in to visit.  She is on lots of medication, and has oxygen at hand, so she is feeling quite perky, all things considered.


We were so lucky because we were able to catch up with Marcel, Monique and Jacqui for lunch in the balmy summer air, and then – bonus – Mark and Leah were in the ward, with their VERY well-behaved children, Blake and Electra.

Launceston houses are so pretty
And tomorrow is New Years Eve…









Saturday 26 December 2015

27th December - Christmas happytimes

Sunday 27th December 2015

Beautiful chilly Lauderdale beach
Tasmanian weather is always fascinating. So volatile!  On Christmas Day it was swelteringly hot.  35 in Hobart, I think, and 32 on Launceston.  Boxing Day – BRRRR!  Down to 12 degrees…Today is still chilly but the temperature will rise again and who knows what it will be tomorrow??

Glorious Ukrainian babushkas
Christmas was great.  We are considerably fatter…SO much food and wine…

I wont go into details – we had four distinct and wonderful family occasions (two in Launceston, two in the south.)

One of the best presents - shiny blue pebbles...
I had the opportunity of being photographed with my mother next to the amazing golden 90 balloons


and, best of all, I had all four of my offspring together in the one place.

We have spent the morning in a state of slight confusion, thinking it is Monday…we have had to look at the newspaper, our phones, our computers and give ourselves a good shake to get back into real time…


Wednesday 23 December 2015

24th December - Chas Blundell book launch

Thursday 24th December 2105

Chas Blundell, aka Chas from Tas, was interviewed on the radio this week.  He is a legendary sailor, known through the decades.  Pete and I both heard him and decided to go to his book launch. At the Motor Yacht Club in Lindisfarne, at 6pm…


We got there nice and early and settled at the bar with a cool drink…I had a nagging feeling that all was not as it should be so I sneaked a quick look at my friend Google…Wrong place…we were supposed to be across the bay, at the Bellerive Yacht  Club.  Fortunately we also had the time wrong and nothing was really happening until 7pm so…

Across the bay at Bellerive yacht Club
All was well!

Chas from Tas
Chas told a few salty tales, everyone bought the book, and I took some photos of old friends to send to (equally legendary sailor) brother Chris in Sydney.  He wrote back that there is a book in Chas’s face.  Indeed!