Camp
Last week I was away with students on a camp.
We were out west.
Gold country.

the Golden Gully

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water trough
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old machinery/face
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cemetery

* green

*poppies in Bathurst

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me, gold panning

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water tank

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Hill End

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looking across from Hawken's Hill

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About Christmas Gifts
Now that both sides of my family are growing larger and larger (in number) by the year, both sides of the family have decided to do the Kris Kringle 'game'.
You know the one - each person is matched with a person to buy for. A monetary limit is given.
I am happy (almost) to go along with this.
But I do like to be able to give suggestions.
With horror I received the news yesterday that a certain member of the family (who does not own a computer, so I think I am fairly safe in saying this) had already purchased for me. I hope my face remained neutral, or even looked slightly pleased.
I know, I know, it's all about the thought!!
However, on the other side of the family I have scored my sister, and yesterday I gave a fairly strong hint about this...

I think sending an Amazon link labelled, "I want this.", is a fairly strong hint.
But do not think me completely selfish, and gift greedy.
I love to give gifts!
I see so many things I want to give others. So many perfect, well suited books that I pop into my shopping trolley, only to remember that I am not giving a gift to that person this year.
It sucks!

Sock Skeleton
My friend Angie made this awesome sock skeleton this week.
She found the pattern on the Martha Stewart site.


He joined us at the pub, on Friday, for end of the week drinks.

Bar Fight? Brawl?
No, nothing like that.

A couple of months ago my dad underwent surgery to remove cataracts in both eyes.
The first eye was a text book case, but things went terribly wrong with the second.
He was taken to the Sydney Eye Hospital to have emergency surgery.

Last week the pressure in his eyes began to build up, causing a detached retina in the 'bad' eye.

Retinal detachments are treated with surgery that may require the patient to stay in the hospital. In some cases a scleral buckle, a tiny synthetic band, is attached to the outside of the eyeball to gently push the wall of the eye against the detached retina. If necessary, a vitrectomy may also be performed. During a vitrectomy, the doctor makes a tiny incision in the sclera (white of the eye). Next, a small instrument is placed into the eye to remove the vitreous, a gel-like substance that fills the center of the eye and helps the eye maintain a round shape. Gas is often injected to into the eye to replace the vitreous and reattach the retina; the gas pushes the retina back against the wall of the eye. During the healing process, the eye makes fluid that gradually replaces the gas and fills the eye. With all of these procedures, either laser or cryopexy is used to "weld" the retina back in place.

At this stage he has lost his peripheral vision. And he has had to lie with his face down for 22 hrs a day (this needs to be done for a week) so that the gas pushes the retina back to the wall of the eye.

It is hard having the responsibility of an adult. I need to stay here, with my family, and look after them.

I would like to have the opportunity to spend the time with my parents too.

Emy's Having a Baby
Well soon anyway.
I had a great night out this week with work friends - one of many events organised to farewell Emy, and celebrate the nearing birth of her little boy.

Ange, Tracey & Angie

Tristan & Emy

Ann & me

All of us!

Holidays are not complete without one seaside jaunt...

but it is back to school today!!