I want

Last week Ella combined a very powerful noun and verb in her rapidly expanding vocabulary: I want....... Such a powerful way to start negotiations! Angie was impressed to have such a worthy sparring partner - about toy ownership time, whether to dance to Pink or Michael Jackson, who gets the red rolling pin for the playdough.

Rob and I went to the movies today (on a Monday if you please!). In the last two weeks we've been to see Clint Eastwood's Gran Torino, Oliver Stone's W, Noel Coward's Easy Virtue and The Reader (today) - all wonderful films.

I've read Don Watson's American Journeys, The Havana Mob and Barack Obama's Dreams from My Father already this year, so after watching Gran Torino, W, and revisiting the early 60s film version of To Kill a Mockingbird on DVD, I'm feeling quite steeped in American socio-political culture.........my, how far they have travelled!

Girls Night Out

I made it back from Sydney just in time to help Erin celebrate her pre-wedding Girls Night Out on Saturday night at the very classy Diamont Hotel at New Acton. Her girlfriends had organised an event that was as stylish and classy as the guest of honour. The tiara was the only bling allowed!

We started at the Parlour Room Wine Bar and really enjoyed the crowded, eclectic Victorian style ambiance and buzzy mix of patrons. Erin's girlfriends are all gorgeous and made the "family" feel very welcome.

All the family members had to have "Cosmopolitans". We loved its refreshing mix of vodka, Cointreau, cranberry juice and orange peel. Such a girlie thing to do too!

All the girls in the family who were between 20 and 90 (who lived in Canberra or Coffs Harbour) were there (except if they were temporarily absent in Mildura). This is Erin's cousin-in-law, cousin and Mum.

We enjoyed dinner afterwards at Flint - only a short stagger from the Wine Bar. Us "family" piked out of the after dinner drinks. Thank you Erin and girlfriends for including us in the celebrations.......we are looking forward to a happy day on 4 April.

March is better than January

We spent a week in Sydney last week and decided there are at least 10 good reasons why March is better than January.

1. There is no Australia Day in March, so no reason to celebrate idiocy.
2. The British backpackers don't seem to be as drunk.
3. The Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras is in March.
4. The Archibald, Wynne & Sulman Exhibitions are in March.
5. You don't come back as hot and sweaty from your morning walk to Clovelly.
6. The fans can have a rest.
7. The kids are back at school and its fun walking past at break times and remembering "what it was like".
8. You can sit on Coogee Beach at the end of the day watching the lengthening shadows and there are only 20 people on the beach.
9. The buses aren't crowded outside peak hour.
10. It's easy to get the best table at Barzura's for lunch with Tania McM. and her Mum and Dad from Ireland.
11. The queues are much shorter at the Randwick Ritz and the patrons are much more tidy eating their popcorn. (We even watched a pair of seniors grazing on their own home cooked popcorn out of a Tupperware container as we settled into watch Gran Torino last week).
    
    

Erin and John

Erin and John are getting married in early April so we had a perfect excuse for a family pre-wedding celebration on Sunday. They have everything organised, including a holiday in Vanuatu after the big day. We are all looking forward to dressing up, helping them celebrate and being able to see Ros and Pete and Joel in Canberra again for the main event.

Maxie presented Erin and John with one of her beautiful ceramic heads - originally one of the group of heads she has been preparing for a joint Exhibition at Queanbeyan's Q Gallery in May.

All the little kids were here. Ella found the older boys a little overwhelming at times because of their enthusiasm playing in her "territory" - especially when they used her paints and stickers!

She had a lovely time last Friday here playing with water in our parched back garden. When her Daddy was her age we could fill the pool and give him a hose to play with. It's so different now with the water restrictions, but Ella proved you can still have lot of fun even if it is only filling a watering can with a slow hose trickle.