Sunshine on a rainy day makes my soul trip away....

G'day.

Lots of nothing have been going on in my life. But it's been the nothing of the busy kind. I'm sure you know what I mean.

I'm still really enjoying Community Nursing; I think that this is about the closest to my "Thing" that I'm going to get. Whatever my "Thing" is.........

After all the rain last week, I thought that Vboy's Rugby League would be cancelled on Saturday, but no, 3 changes of starting time & 1 venue change later, Vboy's team eventually kicked off another really good, fair game of footie between 2 well-matched teams in some delightfully muddy conditions. Our boys were the victors, just scraping home against Cessnock 32-28. I even won the mother-who-takes-home-the-muddy-jerseys-to-wash award for the week. Poppy Ken, Gidget the blunder dog, Uncle Glen (my brother...hello Bro, leave me a comment xoxoxo) & Sam the Man all travelled up from their respective homes in Lake Macquarie to watch. And chat. Yep, lots of chat.

But getting to that point wasn't without it's dramas. GG & Sboy were supposed to meet us at the football grounds at Beresfield, as after the game the whole family were driving up to Forster to spend the weekend with Beloved's family, as a very special family event was planned for Sunday morning.

Sboy didn't arrive back in Newcastle to pick up his sister as planned, but instead, caught the train to Sydney to see a band on Friday night, then stayed then night at Morriset with friends, where he'd left his car. He was supposed ( note I say 'supposed')to pick up some motorbike parts on Saturday morning before picking up his sister.

Shortly before arriving at the grounds (which took us a while & a few extra turns to find), Vboy informed us that he couldn't find his boots... they were resting comfortably in the plastic bag on the lounge on the back verandah.... no mud for THOSE nice white boots.....
As we were sorting through this hiccup, Sboy rang to say that he had broken down on the exit road from the freeway on the way back from Tuggerah.......... Tuggerah? What the...... ? He should have been in Newie...... and enroute to the grounds.... & hadn't picked up the parts....... "CALL THE NRMA" was our instruction..... he couldn't understand why we were a bit annoyed..... he'd only thrown ALL our plans out because 2 girls wanted to go shopping..... gotta look after the ladies...... this was at about 1.45pm. A quick call to GG: the good girl picked up the bike parts..... and then she waited for something to happen....

A very helpful member of the Beresfield club went home & picked up his own size 12 boots for Vboy to wear........ evidently, there aren't all that many junior league players with boots in that size...... and he graciously accepted the very sweaty & muddy boots back with a smile ;0)

The NRMA still hadn't arrived by 4.30, so we decided to head down the Central Coast to see what was happening. Vboy went home with Poppy to Belmont to have a shower & get warm. After a wonderfully scenic drive around the wilds of the South-western Lake Macquarie, we arrived shortly after the NRMA at 6.15pm...... and Sboy's car needed to be towed away anyway..... so it's now holidaying at Lake Munmorah until we decide what we will do with it. Apparently, 1984 Toyota hi-lux utes really aren't worth repairing the cracked head on...... Watch out with the cost of a tow, folks.... the 1st 8ks are free, then it was $5 per kilometre after that. Sboys 14km tow set us back $30! And the car is still over 2hours away from home.......

But back to the story... I know you're rivetted.........

We arranged to meet GG at Raymond Terrace Maccas & leave her car there overnight. Seriously folks, do not go to this Maccas for a feed... it was probably the worst I've ever had.... And on Sunday, it looked like somebody had showered a river of mud off in the toilets......
In the pouring rain, we headed off up the grimy, dark, roadwork-disabled highway to meet the family, finally arriving at Forster at about 10.30pm. Dreadful driving conditions, to be sure. And we really had no idea where we were staying. But it all worked out ok in the end. Some of the family were still awake & up for a chat, & we had a comfy cabin to sleep in. My trouble is, I couldn't sleep. Not at all. At 2am, I got out of bed & went & sat in the car & actually found an ABC radio station with a real person on it. At 4.30am, the need to pee heard me creeping quietly back into the cabin, & into bed. A moment's shut eye later, & it was time to get up.......

You see, the whole family had gathered together on this particular weekend to scatter Poppy Don's ashes into the sea off the beach at Tuncurry. It was such an emotional experience. Nanny Val, who said that she wasn't able to say anything, but invited us to say whatever we felt, went on to say it all for us & more. Incredible indeed, as she is not a woman given to emotional displays & is usually economical with her turn of phrase. Poppy Don wasn't going out easily though. There was an out-going tide, rough, biggish surf with a stiff onshore breeze, so out we waded........ fully dressed as we were. We must have looked quite the sight at Gloria Jeans a short while later.....

The sky had been a bit dull & overcast, threatening rain, but once the job was done, we turned around as a sudden parting of the clouds turned the early morning ocean into a shimmering, silvery quilt......Breathtaking, to be sure. Maybe that was a parting gift to us all. I think we were all reluctant to wash off the residual traces of Poppy later on..... Beloved's family are a good mob, even more so since Poppy's passing. Another gift from Poppy Don, maybe.

About 10.30am, we all parted company & headed off for home, hopefully all of us a little lighter in spirit. After picking up GG's car at Raymond Terrace, we had heard on the radio that 2KO had a tent outside Retravision at Heatherbrae, & were giving out free sausage sanwiches & drinks at the "BIG" Retravision sale, so off we went to try them out. I have to say, they were good. And great value for the price. The boys went into retravision for a quick squiz while Beloved & I stood outside talking to radiostation people whilst enjoying the fine fare. The bloke from the station was quite taken with GG, & asked for a photo with her .... she just blended into the crowd... actually, there weren't too many others outside... with her bright pink hair, beautiful, khohl-laden eyes, purple tie-dye petticoat dress & pale mauve leopard skin-print leggings, with her tattoo emblazoned across her chest, which had 3 sections of picture hanging chain from Mitre 10 dangling down to her waist.... she jangled as she walked in her barefeet....*snort*...
Then it was back on the road for a late lunch/early dinner at Singleton, then GG parted ways as she had to be at work in Muswellbrook by 4pm.

Both the big kids stayed overnight, with Sboy home until Tuesday, then he went back to Newie for some fun. I think they'll both be home on Good Friday. GG is working in Mussie over the weekend anyway. As are Beloved & I.

I think that's enough. This post should have come with a "epic-warning"......... I"ll try to post again tomorrow. It's another monumental day...... tomorrow will be the 1st anniversary of my Mum's passing..........

*sigh*

Goodnight all xoxoxoxoxoxo