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"She seemed to come suddenly upon happiness as if she had surprised a butterfly in the Winter woods"
(edith wharton)


Tuesday 26 January 2010

celebrating Australia day..

when I was a child Australia Day would come and go with really no fan-fare.. just another 'public holiday'... and it has only been in the last few years that I have noticed a certain patriotic feel come into the celebration that we call Australia Day...there are big celebrations on our Harbour in Sydney, people drive past with flags waving from their car aerials. we can even now buy paraphernalia with our flag on them to decorate our home with tacky plastic bits..

the past few years, I have always had a family 'real' Aussie BBQ ~ lamb, sausages.. pavlova and lamingtons washed down with beer, if you are a beer drinker.

our family dynamics have changed the past year ~ Caine moving away has left a void in our family group so Louisa my eldest daughter decided to have the family get together this year. to keep the family memory making continuing..

putting my rubber thongs on to celebrate.. not ordinary thongs, these are sparkly ones.. just wish my toenails were painted red.. and of course you are very privileged because I think my feet are ugly and never often show them in public

I took a pasta salad made by me with all home grown vegies from my garden ~grape tomatoes, zucchini, fresh beans, garlic & capsicum all slow roasted in Australian Olive oil..then tossed with balsamic, brown sugar and another drizzle of oil.

our Australia Day gathering was small.. but son in law Garth did us proud.. cooking in the high temps outside on the BBQ.. . it is going to take a little while for our family unit to settle into it's new niche.. but we are determined not to allow the sadness of the past year affect our gorgeous family! keeping joy in our lives in these little ways and creating memories for our delightful grandsons.
and later this evening we all went to Echo Point to sit and watch the sun set ~ kids ran around, parents sat chatting.. families picnicking.. tourists taking photos...all of this happened as the magnificent summer sun dropped behind the mountain..... yes, we are indeed the Lucky country.

11 comments:

Ruth said...

It's these gatherings that keep a family togetheer I always think. A happy occasion to remember.

Debra She Who Seeks said...

I love the brooch (scarf ring?) in the first photo with its Tasmania dangle! Very cute! And your toes are just fine. Happy Australia Day!

A bird in the hand said...

Heartwarming post, Robyn.

Happy Australia Day!

xoxo

Fire Byrd said...

What a lovely 'new' celebration to have had.
But what are lamingtons?
xx

Janet said...

I don't think your feet are ugly! In fact when I saw the picture my first thought was "what nice feet"! It sounds like you had a fun day with your family celebrating the love of your country....much like our 4th of July.

Your pasta salad sounds delicious! My mouth was watering as I read the ingredients.

Happy Australia Day!!

Serena Lewis said...

We did the good ol' Aussie Barbie as well and, like Garth, my future son-in-law manned the barbecue in the hot sun. It was a very hot and muggy day, wasn't it? I love your pics and I don't think you have ugly feet at all. I hope this year will bring your family many blessings. xo

Sheila said...

I'm glad to hear you didn't let the changes of last year stop the celebrations. We have a similar thing here on July 1st...Canada Day.
BTW..I am impressed with these daily posts. Well done..xox

tattytiara said...

Sounds like a lovely time - happy Australia day!

Imogen said...

Your salad sounds delicious - but, please, what are lamingtons? They sound like footgear but the rest of the list is food...

Anonymous said...

I'm a bit late Robyn, but lovely that you could all enjoy the good things this country has to offer. It was hot though wasn't it! We all sat under the air-conditioner eating roast lamb, and like you, enjoyed the bounty of seasonal salad to go with it,South Australian wines,cheeses from Margaret River in W.A, and of course, had to have lamingtons, all the while feeling lucky and grateful to be able to do so.Your celebration sounds peaceful and relaxing.xxx

Paula - Buenos Aires said...

Great to be able to know more about your corner of the world. Thanks. :)
I wonder about your grape tomatoes. Is it grape as in grape size or the way they grow?