Memory Lane Take 2 - January 28 update

In response to popular demand from my sentimental rellies here's 4 additional pics from our golden past





Memory Lane

Right Foot has been busily converting slides taken in the 70s to digital format for fear that this will eventually become impossible.
Here is a selection of daughters, their cousins and beaches (Narooma/Dalmeny or possibly Victor Harbor - place your bets) and a classic of RF himself in a spiffing 70s jumper

Spot the Badger genes

Our new great-nephew was born in Dubai early yesterday, 17th January. Here he is: Joshua Ethan Collins. A very fine baby indeed and another Badger baby impersonation of Edward G Robinson. Congratulations Jo and Greg.

Midsumma of the 41st crayfish and the 40th ODI

We had a brilliant weekend celebrating 41 years of wedded bliss. “Songs for nobodies”, the musical play written by Joanna Murray-Smith to showcase the talents of Bernadette Robinson was sensational: Right Foot declared it the best night he had ever spent in the theatre.

We always have a crayfish and a few oysters for our anniversary dinner with a nice bottle of wine (as opposed to the usual De Bortoli In A Box). Excellent.

This weekend was also the 40th anniversary of international 50-over cricket. People turned up to the G in reproduced retro gear. If I’d tried hard enough I could have scared up some originals. To get to the cricket from Fed Square I had to negotiate my way through the Midsumma Festival – dozens of partying good looking men (but all “What a waste!”), giant inflatable penises and lots of unusual goodies on sale.
And we won the cricket! And we caught up with Caspie and Mads. Then finished off the weekend with a very posh box of chocs.

The Famous Actress Madeleine stars in in Star Wars Junior



Princess Leia saves the day

2011 New Year's Eve fireworks, seen from King's Domain Melbourne - a rockstar vantage point, sitting on the top steps of the Shrine!

Caspie's Christmas celebrations - December 25-26

Much cooing and gooing. Sadly some spewing (not by Casp)

The rare lacy cheesopod sighted in Queens Road

One of our Christmas traditions has been two packets of cheese straws from Patterson’s Cakes. Patterson’s closed their doors forever a few months ago so I decided to step into the breach and make some. This could be my thing – some people are good at gingerbread, some at plum pudding, others at panforte. There was a window of opportunity for a cheese straw maker.
I chose a simple-looking recipe but was a little surprised that it said to cube the cheese rather than grate it. The dough had large cheese lumps in it and I could see it wasn’t going to turn out like Patterson’s but became quite eager to see what I would get.
The answer is a family of cheese and paprika creatures, like stick insects only tastier.


There’s even a set of twins locked in a lattice of oozy cheese.
I started to trim them but Right Foot loyally declared the lace was the best bit so it's staying on. I'm expecting accolades on Christmas Day

Caspie checks out our Christmas tree

A sick chick and a dud do
Frontierlibrarian had a few scary hours yesterday after hearing that Mads has Scarlet Fever. So awfully reminiscent of death bed scenes in 'Little Women' and its contemporaries. But she tells me she is just a little bit scarlet and that her medicine is tasty and yummy. Thank goodness for the resilience that comes with being five years old.

My idea of a good time at the works Christmas do is dancing with my GFs, around our handbags, to the Village People, ABBA and other eighties music, wihout spilling our chardies. I'm not so much into STANDING for ages listening to sycophantic speeches.

Let's round off the week with some pictures of our Christmas tree. This is the first time we have gone for a colour scheme instead of just plonking years of post-Christmas bargains all over the tree.
It's blue and silver and features on its top the star we bought in one of the Weihnachtsmarkts last year. There are also the six decorations made of Alsation lace that I bought in Strasbourg's old town and have been dying to trot out ever since.

Two of the little dolls I bought in Russia a few years ago also made the cut. The other two failed the dress code. Ms Red and Ms Yellow, you have to stay in the
box this year.

The only exception to the colour scheme Mads's special decoration which is gold and red. Couldn't leave Mads out. Also worthy of note is Caspie's silver C.

More wedding photos from Phillip Island

Here's a few more pictures. Sorry - I don't have time to crop or tizzy. See yesterday's entry for some others.

Perfick weekend
Friday to Sunday was a 3-day surf fest at Phillip Island with a wedding thrown in. The bride emerged from the waves in her red bikini, transformed herself into a stunning vision of bridal loveliness and married my famous tree hugging nephew.

There were eight speeches – bliss! I love a speech even when it’s not one of my own. I was brought to tears firstly by the bridesmaid, then by the groom speaking lovingly of his young daughter and finally by the redoubtable Auntie Buggers who took 20 minutes just to tell us about Gav's first 4 years.





Foot and I shared a house with Hil, Rob and Casp - very comfy and convivial. Only the presence of the triple Ms could have improved our perfick weekend.

Life begins at 40

My first born baby girl is turning 40 today. Here is a picture of her taken when she was 2 weeks old, looking at me in alarm. She was right to be afraid. I had no clue about what I was doing; no idea which end was up. But she survived, even thrived and was rarely sick. I don’t think she had a single day off in her primary school.
The daisy wheel printer and the floppy disc were also born in 1970 and where are they today?

I clearly remember my mother turning 40 when I was 9. She was depressed about it: 40 was old in those days but now I’m the mother of a 40 year-old I know it’s the new 21.

It’s also the first day of Summer in Melbourne but it will be very cold where Mere is today. I hope she’s feeling summery inside though.

Happy birthday dear Mere Claire

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

Six and a half month old baby admits...

He still lives with his parents

Write it out a hundred times

There are many famous political slogans:
Ban the bomb!
All the way with LBJ.
It’s time.
The poetic, “Ho, Ho, Ho Chi Minh, the NLF is going to win! (They did).
Free Zarb! (I’m still waiting for mine to arrive).

But a golden oldie from my early childhood is all you to need to remember on Election Day. You’ve got a week to make sure it’s etched on your brain before wending your way through those wonky cardboard partitions:
Put Libs Last!
Put Libs Last!
Put Libs Last!
Put Libs Last!
Put Libs Last!
Put Libs Last!
Put Libs Last!
Put Libs Last!
Put Libs Last!
Put Libs Last! x 10

The look of love
Kate Middleton has mastered the adoring wife facial expression already.


This is a look you’ll never see on my face but if you don’t know what I mean check out Mrs Ted Baillieu’s textbook example from last week.

What annoys me most about these pictures is that the man is never looking at the woman. He’s always thrusting his best angle at the camera while she gazes ecstatically up at him. My hero!


The unsurpassed supremo of the adoring wife look is Nancy Reagan. She didn’t just bestow it on Ronnie, but also on John McCain and even Barack Obama.



I’m on the lookout for anyone who can top Nancy. Janette Howard need not apply. We all know she is really the man in that relationship.