We celebrated Caroline’s birthday on Monday, the 9th of December. The ice-cream cake was a real treat. I think in Germany a cake like this is called ‘Eis-Bombe’ (ice-bomb).
Mathew’s son Daniel took this picture of us.
Caroline is thirty-five!
Category: Life in Australia
trees in backyard
Saturday Night at Bulli Beach
We had arrived at Bulli Beach on Friday, the 6th of December 2013, at one in the afternoon. Amazingly, up to Saturday night all the food that we had brought from home, was sufficient for every meal in our cabin up until Sunday morning the 8th, when we had to check out. Saturday night, however, we decided to go out for a meal.
Ruby’s Cafe was close to our Tourist Park. They had special music on that night and tables had to be booked. In passing early in the evening we noticed a lot of people already occupying all the outside tables. We went on past the playground towards the Bulli Beach Cafe.
Looking at the playground in passing I thought of little Lucas straight away. When we had seen Ebony and Lucas on Thursday, the 5th of December, for Monika’s birthday, we mentioned to Ebony that we had booked a cabin at Bulli Beach for the weekend. We discussed then that Ryan, Ebony and little Lucas might be able to visit us at Bulli Beach on Saturday afternoon. Ebony very much liked the idea. She was hoping that they would be able to come even though Ryan had to finish a lot of upholstering work before Christmas. He worked many, many hours so he could have a few days off over the Christmas period.
Unfortunately Ryan did not feel well during the week. A bug seemed to have caught up with him. Still he kept on working all day every day, while having early restful nights. It turned out on that Saturday Ryan still did not feel well enough and badly needed a rest at home. On top of it Lucas started feeling a bit wimpish and Ebony was concerned about him becoming sick and giving us the bug too. So she regrettably cancelled the planned visit to the beach.
I ended up making a lot of pictures of that beautiful playground near the beach. I am sure some of the things even 17 months old Lucas could already have enjoyed.
On we went to the Bulli Beach Cafe. We had a glass of wine there each as well as burgers. My burger was vegetarian with a huge mushroom and Peter’s was with some beef. After the meal we went outside and I took some more photos.
We went back passed Ruby’s Cafe where a lot of people were still sitting outside.
Arrival at Bulli Beach, Friday, 6th December 2013
We arrived at Bulli Beach on Friday, the 6th of December, at one in the afternoon and were given the key to our cabin straight away.
Here are some more photos of our “two” guests who came to our veranda for breakfast.
DIARY, Wednesday, 11th December 2013
I am off the Hook!
I do not need blood pressure tablets anymore!
Well, this is a long story. It actually started the day I had my Carpal Tunnel Release operation. On that day at six o’clock in the morning I was allowed a cup of tea and a very light breakfast. Then I had to wait for more than twelve hours before I could have as much as a glass of water or a cup of tea. I was told ‘nil by mouth’ before the operation, which was to last for only a short time, maybe twenty minutes. Unfortunately I was the last one on the list. Which would have been all right, if everything had gone to plan. However there were some unforeseen delays during the day, which meant my operation was postponed for many hours. I sat in the hospital waiting room, waiting, waiting, waiting.
Finally, well into the evening, it was my turn. What a relief! A lot of precautions, needles stuck into me here, there and everywhere while I was lying on the trolley waiting to be let into the operating theatre. The anesthetist thought I was very relaxed. Then my surgeon came out to greet me. After a little while the doors opened and I was rolled into the room where the procedure was going to take place. There was some background music which I thought wasn’t soothing at all. However I didn’t complain. The surgeon must have felt that this was not my kind of music. He asked me what kind of music I liked. All I could think of saying was: Something ‘classical’. Whereupon the lovely surgeon saw to it that ‘Sound of Music’ with Julie Andrews was put on.
I had been given local anesthetics only. So I could listen to the music during the whole operation. Everything went smoothly, except as they later told me, my blood pressure went up a bit much. They advised me to see my GP (General Practitioner) about it.
To cut a long story short. I did indeed see my GP. My blood pressure went sky high that night when I saw the doctor after many hours of waiting. He did consider to put me into hospital. Luckily the blood pressure came down a bit after a little while. So the doctor let me go home. He prescribed blood pressure tablets and even valium. Peter and I did get my prescription drugs at a close by late night chemist, which delayed us getting home by another half hour. I took the blood pressure tablets as prescribed, but not the valium. I really felt relaxed enough by the time I got home and had no trouble going to sleep.
The GP had asked me to see him again the next morning so he could check on me whether I was all right. By the time I got there at 8 am, there were already eight patients in front of me. So I had to wait again. The tablets turned out not to agree with me. They made me feel sick. Eventually the doctor organised a 24 hour blood pressure test for me. This test showed that my blood pressure was up only slightly during the day, and during my sleep it was absolutely perfect.
Yesterday I did get the marvellous news that I did not have to take the tablets anymore. The doctor said to me, on a day when I felt under a real lot of pressure, I may perhaps take a valium tablet. But not to do this too often for these tablets can be addictive.
After he said all this we wished each other a Happy Christmas and I left his office in a really great mood! 🙂
Bulli Beach from Friday, 6th December to Sunday 8th December 2013
We stayed at Bulli Beach for two nights only, namely Friday night and Saturday night. Sunday morning we went back home again. On Sunday morning it was a bit cloudy at first. We were able to take lots of pictures of the sun rising. Here are some of them.
Monika’s Birthday
Today, on the 5th December, is Monika’s birthday. She invited us for afternoon coffee and cake. Monika’s daughter Krystal baked a beautiful chocolate cake which Monika filled with lovely jam and fresh cream and decorated the top with grated chocolate and cherries. It turned out to be the most delicious Black Forest Cake! 
December 1st. 2013, first of Advent and Start of Summer in Australia
Here comes the food:
Ebony showed Lucas the display about an Austrian village at Christmas time. There was a moving train and a moving ski-lift. I took the pictures. I’m sorry that the quality of my pictures isn’t very good. But the display looked beautiful and Lucas looked at it for quite a while. This display was just part of the Christmas decorations in that German/Austrian Club where we had lunch.
We took some pictures with the whole family outside the club as we were leaving to go to the car-park.
Walk around Lakelands Park, November 30th, 2013
Luckily the grass wasn’t too wet anymore.
This walk was great for me. I feel so much better now after my Carpal Tunnel Release operation. Tomorrow we celebrate the first of Advent. We set up already our ‘Adventskranz’ with one candle. I can’t believe how quickly the year has passed. Wasn’t it only yesterday when I took another picture for advent?
This afternoon, when Peter came home from doing a bit of shopping, he lighted the candle and I made some plunger coffee. Then we enjoyed a quiet coffee break. We haven’t played any Christmas carols yet. But we should really be looking for some beautiful Christmas music soon. Ah, I think Peter got the message. He’s just downloading ‘Little Drummer Boy’. It takes a long time.The speed must be very low at this time of the day. We already had ‘Abendbrot’. At 7.30 I am going to watch ‘PARADISE’ on ABC TV.
All the Characters in Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries
httpwww-abc-net-autvphrynefishercharactersphryne_fisher
Here is the link to all the characters in Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries.
Essie Davis in Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries
httpwww-abc-net-autvphrynefishercharactersphryne_fisherCharactersPHRYNE FISHER
MISS PHRYNE FISHER
by Essie Davis
Essie says:
“Phryne is this magnificent, witty, vibrant, crazy, reckless kind of super hero who is a great champion for women’s rights and people in less fortunate situations. She really looks after women, but she loves men…she’s a lover and a fighter.” Our glamorous lady detective, The Honourable Miss Phryne Fisher, sashays through the back laneways of 1928 Melbourne, fighting injustice with her pearl-handled pistol and her dagger sharp wit. Leaving a trail of lovers in her wake, our very modern heroine makes sure she is always the centre of attention and relishes every one of life’s moments.
In her former life, however, Phryne lived on the streets in Collingwood, scrounging for food with her sister Janey and avoiding the heavy hand of her drunken father. When Janey was abducted on a trip to the circus, Phryne was left devastated.
After World War 1 erased much of her family’s lineage, the dirt-poor Fishers of Collingwood suddenly found themselves in a lofty estate in the English countryside, with Phryne’s parents elevated to the titles of lord and lady. After a few years at a stuffy boarding school, Phryne decided there was more to life than finishing school manners and high teas, and fled to join an all-women ambulance brigade attached to the French Army.
Though she is living a life of luxury come 1928, Phryne will never forget where she came from – or rest until she solves the mystery of her sister’s disappearance. It is her past that informs her sense of social justice and creates equality within her household.
ESSIE DAVIS
Essie Davis has become one of Australia’s most respected and acclaimed film, theatre and television actors since graduating from Australia’s National Institute of Dramatic Art.
Essie’s film credits include Girl with a Pearl Earring, The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions, Code 46, Charlotte’s Web, Isolation, Australia, The Wedding Party and South Solitary, which earned her a Film Critics Circle of Australia award for Best Supporting Actress.
Essie has starred in numerous television series and miniseries including Sweeney Todd for the BBC, The Silence, After the Deluge, which earned her an AFI Award for Best Supporting Actress, and Halifax f.p: The Spider and the Fly for which she was nominated for an AFI Award for Best Performance by an Actress.
2011 was a busy year for Essie. She appeared in two of the most acclaimed programs on Australian television – the highly regarded miniseries Cloudstreet, and ABC1’s The Slap. She was also seen in the feature film Burning Man opposite Matthew Goode and Rachel Griffiths.
Over the years, Essie has also gained critical acclaim for her theatre roles. Her performance as Stella in the National Theatre (London) production of A Streetcar Named Desire earned Essie a prestigious Olivier Award and, in 2004, she was nominated for a Tony Award for her performance as Dottie in the Broadway run of the National Theatre (London) production of Jumpers. For the Sydney Theatre Company she has starred in Tot Mom and The School for Scandal, which earned her a Helpmann Award nomination, and her performance in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof for the Melbourne Theatre Company saw her nominated for a Green Room Award for Best Female Performer
AuntyUta 