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

Wednesday 30^th 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…