this week

I'M IN TRAINING for the 600m Salties inaugural fun swim as part of the Wreck to Reef event in a couple of weeks.  not sure how i'll go - i have to get rid of that memory of the humiliating school swimming sports trials when i was always last even though i loved being in the water and really tried. of course there was no training involved and our family wasn't a sporty one at all.  nevertheless that little twinge is there when i remember it  😞

OUR LOCAL MP Alison Marchant came and swam with us this week, along with the Commodore and vice commodore of the yacht club, 

crystal clear water this week, i swam halfway to the second pole

PELICANS ON PARADE

VERY HAPPY with these shots of the pelicans flying in formation - taken on a morning walk before swimming

VISIT

Sunny Luke and Etta came for two nights, we spent a lot of time at the beach in great weather. Etta is just a delight - a busy, lovable little person who's now talking really clearly, noticing everything, running running running, constantly involved in what she's doing

Fiona the Pig is on high rotation at the moment, both books.  I sent a little video of sunny reading to etta to leigh and he's done a little colour pic of Fiona personally signed for etta.  so sweet, it's en route by post as i write

We went to the Portarlington playground - Etta's favorite, and i lay 

under this wonderful pine tree,  it was a lovely few days :0)

Pics from the last week - i've been swimming a lot - two swims a day when sunny was here, swimming to the pole the last couple of mornings.  My meds worked almost immediately so i'm pretty chuffed

      cocky on the wire on a windy day :0)

I went to see Soul Sister Swing at the Uniting Church in Queenscliff last Wednesday.  great acoustics and a real community night, refreshments of slices and finger food at intermission :0) A really lovely venue

DIAGNOSIS

GOOD NEWS FROM THE HOSPITAL, they've tracked down the cause of my gastric upset, finally.  It's been nearly four months and now i know i have microscopic colitis and it's treatable with about six weeks of medication.  what a relief to finally have an answer   I was starting to go into all kinds of finding out about diet to see if i could identify the cause, now i can relax   PHEW!!

A SWIM WITH THE WADERS

AN OVERNIGHTER IN TORQUAY with gail, nice time together and an early morning swim with the WOW group, it's interesting to see the different nature of swim groups, the torquay swimmers all assemble and go in as one, a big group - very chatty and welcoming.   The salties, also very welcoming, tend to arrive at sunrise or 7.30 but swimmers arrive at all times in between and are in the water in various groups, whatever happens on the morning.  sometimes i swim alone, sometimes i go in a group. whatever, it's always good

with the Waders

the salties at sunrise

A VISIT FROM ISOBELLE

just had a lovely overnight visit from isobelle.   she arrived about 7 and we went for a swim around the Ozone in gorgeous weather,  the water is a beautiful temperature now, not cold.  it's morning now and isobelle has left for apollo bay, but we had a great night of talk till midnight.  we were going to have a sunrise swim, but when i got up it was pretty breezy so i didn't wake her.   we've had a leisurely cuppa and now the house is still.  cool after a very warm day yesterday.  a good day for some writing and some work on sonja's portrait, which i'm hoping to finish in time to enter it in the Darling Portrait Prize.

still rocking a bikini at 65!!!

isobelle reading my book text

first week of the new year

WHERE'S THE HOT DRY SUMMER?  I've been dreading really hot weather and worrying about the garden in the dry predicted climate but this summer so far has been mostly cool to warm, the last few days we've had incredible rain, the nature strip has been like a lake and the lawn is growing like a mini Daintree. 

I've had a few days in Melbourne staying at sunny's while they're away in pt fairy.  I caught up with my friend sandra and visited her in her Lygon St studio - the same studio i had for about eight years when i lived in Melbourne.  so many memories flooded in as i walked up the stairs.

no pics, i just didn't take the camera anywhere.  just had a chilled time, not using the car at all, just feet and trams. We had walks along the merri creek and time in big op shops - very relaxed apres christmas time.

happy holiday pic of sunny, luke and etta

back in the water, rough but fun

my funny little neighbour - there's 

a whole family of noisy baby galahs 

in the tall gum tree next door

bad boys on the wires

swans on the portarlington/indented head road,  i don't know where one ends and the other begins. as they preen, black swans create some amazing shapes

i swam to the pole this morning, silky gorgeous water and a lovely sunrise

NEW YEAR'S EVE

Writing the heading was as far as i got last night, early to bed.  Now it's NEW YEAR'S DAY - i'm having a morning off swimming, staying in bed and catching up on a few things.  Like this neglected blog :0)

the past couple of weeks have been good, my trip up to Wentworth really set me up for Christmas, my mood has changed completely.  

It was great to get back in the water

    Joy - our resident mermaid - i'm sure she'd live fulltime in the water

    if she could :0)

Christmas was at Susan's again this year, it's always lovely there.  weather was predicted to be cold and very wet, but it cleared up and we were able to do our usual walk down around Eastern Beach although this year there were no big family groups down there for the day.  it's been too wet.

i'm getting back into swimming at sunrise, it's the best way to start the day and i'm working on my breathing.  I want to be able to swim to the second pole this year

we had a visit from a very big stingray, but it just glided away gracefully and left us alone :0)

SUNNY AND ETTA came for an overnight stay on the 28/29th -  a lovely time with fresh marinara papardelle cooked by sunny, an afternoon at the beach with bucket and spade. then next day i swam early before returning to the beach with sunny and etta - a perfect day with crystal clear water and so many lovely little craft out on the water.   back for a bbq lunch before they headed off.  beautiful time with them both.

YESTERDAY - a beautiful sun. the moon, gannets, pelicans, a walk and a swim.  A very nice new year's eve, i've been sewing clothes for myself, having a bit of a break from my book - but i'll get back into it soon.  and tidying up the studio is on the agenda.  Gardening today, new year's day.

i swam to the pole once but i'm preferring swimming 

parallel to the shore until i strengthen my swimming 

after a while away from the water.