The Rowe Family

DAY 11 - 12th October THE PARTY-THE PEOPLE Oh what a night....

joaskham — Sat, 28 Dec 2013 12:03:27 +1100

DAY 11 - 12th October THE PARTY-THE PEOPLE

Oh what a night. Charlotte was totally blown away by Davin McCoy arriving to play at her party and the guests started to arrive.
It was so wonderful having so many special people all together at one time at such an amazing venue.
Family, friends and lots of new interesting people. A great foundation for a great night.

DAY 11 - 12th October PARTY PREPARATIONS After a very rough...

joaskham — Tue, 15 Oct 2013 07:33:02 +1100

DAY 11 - 12th October PARTY PREPARATIONS

After a very rough night of pain and dizziness and nausea not alcohol induced, but very scary passing out and being so disorientated, I got up late and feeling very emotionally sapped.

It was however party day and the community of preparations was just abuzz. The weather was just amazing and the front garden really came together with lights and flags and tents and tables and chairs and a stage.
My small job was to get some parking signs done, that I did manage to do in my compromised but getting better state. Tbc

No post tonight. Patience till tomorrow.

joaskham — Sun, 13 Oct 2013 17:14:04 +1100

No post tonight. Patience till tomorrow.

DAY 9 - 11th October Today I had a visit from my friend Sara and...

joaskham — Sat, 12 Oct 2013 15:01:00 +1100

DAY 9 - 11th October

Today I had a visit from my friend Sara and a great chat catching up on old times and all the things that have happened since. So nice just to sit back and catch up in the great weather

Did a bit of tetris packing and discovered I can bring home a Quintessence and still be within my weight and size allowance :-)

Had a small bite to eat when Mum and Julian and Susan came over then we headed off to see Charlotte’s studio. Got to meet some of the other cowgirls and take home a few sentimentals. Such a beautiful and inspiring place to work.

Came back to Charlotte’s for a bit then headed back to where mum was staying to spend some time with her and go through the dress up combinations-still unsure :-/. Then had a cuppa catchup with another old friend Emma, in another new house with another new baby. Love how we all are growing up. Only seems like yesterday that we were young and reckless.

Then a shower and back off to Charlotte’s to meet up with ALL the people in town for some delicious Thai and got to see Kobi and meet his new boyfriend. I am so proud of how our society is changing and the people are being themselves. Sometimes it takes bravery and sometimes it is just the most comfortable thing - tonight was one of those. Love my eclectic, open family.

After midnight again, but that is only by an Atlanta clock :-)

DAY 8 - 10th October Happy birthday to my sister, nephew and...

joaskham — Fri, 11 Oct 2013 15:01:00 +1100

DAY 8 - 10th October

Happy birthday to my sister, nephew and uncle today. Such a special day to be here in the US, even though Kobi was a few hundred miles away.

Woke up sometime shortly before 10am after another great night’s sleep and mostly just sat around all day on the back patio in the dappled sunlight organising the party, talking to family across the table and on FaceTime, a little bit of work, lots of tea and the great company of Tates and dad and Moira and Nat.

Charlotte received her birthday gifts scattered across the day and it was a great day just to hang out and enjoy all the giving.

I had some opportunity to try out a few outfit combinations for Saturday and to help others with theirs, so it was like being a 3yo and playing dress up. :-)

Also tried to see how much I was going to fit in my suitcases and boy do all my kids and Michael’s stuff take up a lot of room. Still hoping to bring back a Quintessence.

Got ready and went to a great restaurant at a big square table with a family (& significants) gathering of 14 people. Quite an achievement!!! and a wonderful celebration for Uncle Julian and Charli.

Home again for some work and hopefully an earlier night than I have been having.

DAY 7 - 9th October A lovely solid sleep and being woken up to...

joaskham — Thu, 10 Oct 2013 17:36:00 +1100

DAY 7 - 9th October

A lovely solid sleep and being woken up to an amazing home cooked breakfast by Jem. Awesome.

Took a nice long artistic warm walk around Atlanta on what used to be the rail trail. The artwork along the way was spectacular. Stopped half way for some yoghurt and fruit and then headed back to Jem’s

Got to hear a little of Maria jamming with a double base then Charl and Nat left. Jem, Maria and I dropped in at the Love Is Art warehouse before heading off for some last minute birthday preparations.

Hung out at Jem’s later and talked to family and listened to Maria writing a new piece of music. 🎼

Took the dogs for a run in the park before Nat and Michael came over to catch up for dinner before their Hinder concert.

Started out at a Cuban resturant, but ended up going to a really great Thai, mostly because I confused Cuban with Cajun. :-/ Thai was really good though.

Dropped Nat and Michael at Masquerade for concert then we went to this crazy Adult house of Halloween terror. OMG what an experience perhaps not fit for all ears in this forum. Then home again for a cuppa before heading out again to pick them up then home to Charlotte’s

By then it was HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHARLOTTE. 🎉 Decided to give her her present and she seemed as excited about it as I was. :-)

Another late night for me, so at 2:45am I will say goodnight and I miss my family back home.

DAY 6 - 8th October Woke up early to the pleasant sound of my...

joaskham — Thu, 10 Oct 2013 09:25:00 +1100

Jacksonville AIrport

Brian and Jem

Charlotte

Zara Sky

Tim Arrogant

Zara Sky

SHEL

DAY 6 - 8th October

Woke up early to the pleasant sound of my mum enjoying the company of her brother and sister-in-law. SUch a treat for us all, but unfortunately the weather did not behave how we would of liked, so we had to make some plans other than sitting on the beach all day.

First stop was breakfast at the ‘hole in the wall’ maybe called 'Surf Shack’ or something, but enjoyed some bacon and eggs amongst some interesting southern company. Actually, the funniest thing was listening to Julian and Susan having to go through all the culinary decision of breakfast.

Then off to the shops we went to get some more things for the extravaganza on Saturday night. First 'World Market’ that did not have the jewellery that I was looking for, then off to Marshall’s which let me down big time. I only ended up buying 3 small tops before we had to rush home to pack and get ready for my flight to Atlanta.

A very quick shower, pack and cup of tea and we were off to the airport. A short flight and I was met in ATlanta by Charli and Nat and then off to Decatur to meet Jeremy for dinner.

It was great to see Jem and catch up on how things were going and the lamb kabob was just amazing - next time I will get some flavoured rice.

Then around the corner to Eddies Attic and to meet Jem’s girlfriend, Maria, before she headed onstage for her performance.

She sounded truly amazing. Such a smooth holding voice that any YouTube clip does not do justice to. The next band (surprisingly the only one I got a photo of - probably because I was not really paying attention) was pretty ordinary, but the feature act SNEL was a young girl group that were actually quite good. - (addendum go some pics of Zara Sky and SNEL :-))

Then off to another bar for some dessert, and back to Jeremy’s for a chat and a late night to bed…. Here I sit at 2am and i’m going to crash in bed after a VERY long day

DAY 5 - 7th October Today started off a beautiful sunny day and...

joaskham — Tue, 08 Oct 2013 13:48:00 +1100

DAY 5 - 7th October

Today started off a beautiful sunny day and I had breakfast sitting on the balcony looking at the sunny beach and basking in the warmth.

Then off to the bank to close off our US bank account and then to post office to post parcel. Then to the thrift shop as it was 10% off for senior citizens day and we cleaned up a little 👍 Nanna paid for some new clothes for me and we got some more stuff for the party dress up.

Picked up Greek lentil wraps for lunch the off back home to organise and go to beach. I stacked up all that Nanna had gotten for me and it was more than I had packed for myself. That is not to mention the bags I have to take home to my family.

Put on the bathers and sunscreen and got ready for beach…… About that time it started bucketing down with rain and has still not stopped.

Got my iPod, knitting and apple ginger cider and made myself comfortable on the porch until my uncle Julian and Aunty Susan arrived from the UK.

Settled in with another cider and a long catchup after 12yrs.

Then off to beachfront Mexican to watch the storm cruising around us and more Yorkshire laughs and catch ups.

Mum and I then spent some time putting together some Saturday night outfits before we headed off to bed.

DAY 4 - 6th October Today was mostly another travel day. After...

joaskham — Mon, 07 Oct 2013 15:18:00 +1100

DAY 4 - 6th October

Today was mostly another travel day. After not such a good sleep as we were hit by storms from TS Karen, Nana got me up before 10am and by 10:30 we had packed, changed the sheets and were on the road to Jacksonville Beach.

We were hit by a few more storms, but mostly the 5hr trip was uneventful. Nana got to drive her first long distance drive in the drivers seat, so she was pretty chuffed.

Exhausted when we got home, we just hang around and I did some work. We went out for a very yummy Thai dinner and then I went through mums wardrobe saving some clothes from going to Goodwill.

Had a shower and went through some nostalgic memorabilia.

DAY 3 - 5th October After a pancake breakfast made by my mum, we spent most if the day chatting and...

joaskham — Mon, 07 Oct 2013 15:01:00 +1100

DAY 3 - 5th October

After a pancake breakfast made by my mum, we spent most if the day chatting and lying in the beach.

I did a lot of swimming as the rip was not nearly as strong as yesterday. The water was so warm and the waves were great to swim in. At one point I thought I would go for a surf, but they were all shore breakers, so not really worth it.

We also discovered that one if the nests we were watching hatched last night and we missed it. About x80 turtles, so maybe some more stragglers tonight.

Then we all got ready for the opening night of the art show. Amazing how all these straggly beach woman can clean up.

The show was great. Lots of cheese and wine and some amazing artwork. I also found a cute boutique store and bought some awesome shorts with 70% off.

Ofter the show we all went out for dinner and I had way too much to drink, but some yummy pork an prawns and scallops

When we got back, Charlotte and I stayed up late watching for turtles, but they never came before we needed to crash in bed.

DAY 2 - 4th October Well I woke up this morning to the sound of...

joaskham — Mon, 07 Oct 2013 14:25:00 +1100

DAY 2 - 4th October

Well I woke up this morning to the sound of sea and the feel of sunshine. I had the best nights sleep I have had in a long time. I love this place so much. It’s so isolated with just one small store and not much else. The beach was pretty much empty except for the 5 turtle nests close by.

My sister and Cheryl (who’s house we were staying at) went to setup their art show in Apalachecola and I just hung out in the sun reading waiting for my mum and Nat to arrive.

Then we all hung out on the beach and swam in the ocean. I got a little sun burnt as I do, but not too much.

I also go to enjoy the amazing outdoor shower that Cheryl has on her deck. Can’t understand why everyone shouldn’t have one, except for the weather, but really no cleaning if the bathroom and such an amazing experience.

That night we had a scrumptious shrimp taco dinner and then went to check out the nests. There was no movement, so went back home for a drink and a chat then off to bed. I had to sleep with Nana who took up most of the king bed. :-/

DAY 1 - 3rd October Early out of bed to get ready. Say goodbye...

joaskham — Mon, 07 Oct 2013 14:10:00 +1100

DAY 1 - 3rd October

Early out of bed to get ready. Say goodbye to kids. Had to wake Dal up. Kylie drove me to airport and got there in plenty of time.

The flight was long and I did not get as much sleep as I would have liked, but did manage to watch 4 movies: World War Z, Iron Man 3, Man of Steel and the Lone Ranger. The Lone Ranger was by far the best.

I also sat next to a pretty cool bikey tattooed hippy but the people in front if us were a bit annoying with no seat reclining manners and then throwing up for much if the flight.

The food was good, but far too scarce. We had dinner soon after I got on and I hadn’t even had breakfast, and then a yummy breakfast just before we landed in Los Angeles.

After spending the rest of what was your day on the plane, I got to cross the dateline and start the day again. This time with an early arrival in the USA.

I was given an express pass so I got to scoot through immigration and customs super quick and easily made it to my next flight to Dallas. That flight was like traveling in a nice chest and I didn’t get much sleep at all.

The next flight to Atlanta was a nice warm quick one and I slept all the way.

When I got to Atlanta I struggled to find my bag, but after some time I was paged over the load speaker to meet ‘..my party at lost baggage’ a bit worried I arrived there to find my sister with my suitcase she had already grabbed off the carousel.

We then had a 6 hour drive to Cape San Blas and we pretty much talked all the way and go in just before midnight. Phewwww what a day.

Week 2

mrowe — Thu, 19 May 2011 20:11:34 +1000

This week was mostly about eating.

Monday

Kian cooked nachos for dinner, including making guacamole from scratch! Yummy.

Tuesday

Dad made shepherd’s pie again. Also yummy. I snuck some mushrooms in, which the children didn’t seem to notice. Until I told them about it the following day, when they claimed they knew all along.

Wednesday

Or Whacked Out Wednesday, as we like to know it. I got home from work in time to drop Kian at basketball training, came home and put some pasta on, which I gulped down while Temma and Grandma took their time to enjoy. I raced back to basketball to pick up Kian, and he ate dinner when he got home.

Thursday

Chicken strips and steamed vegetables. I remembered slightly too late that the flour goes before the egg. Doh. A bit of back and forth and it was all good.

Actually, eating wasn’t all that happened. Wednesday was Open Day at school, so Temma made some “citrus delight” cookies Tuesday night. Our oven managed to burn them a bit, so we had to “cull” a few… but a dozen or so actually made it to school. Kian was playing violin in The Trillers, so he gave us a sneak preview.

Grandma went up to school to take part in the open day on Wednesday morning. She was very impressed with the friendliness off the school community, including being offered a lift home by the school council president. And also with Kian’s violin playing.

There was more special activities on Thursday: Japanese Day and the inter-school cross country race. Natalie brought around a kimono for Temma to wear for Japanese Day, which was very cute.

Kian was one of the team representing the school in the cross-country. He came 29th out of about 80 kids, which was a pretty good effort. I think he could probably have done better, because he wasn’t nearly tired enough Thursday night.

I guess that about wraps it up. One more day of school and work, and an evening of cleaning the house… then a very early morning to pick up mummy and Dal from the airport!

DSC_0181 - Version 2

mrowe — Wed, 18 May 2011 00:09:12 +1000

DSC_0181 - Version 2

Weekend #2

mrowe — Sun, 15 May 2011 21:31:26 +1000

Kian had another great game of basketball. They were playing the other Apollo team, but were obviously better drilled and kept an easy 10 point margin for most of the game.

In the afternoon I dropped Kian at his friend’s sleep-over party, so it was just Temma and me for the night. I offered to take her to the movies, but there was nothing on she wanted to see so she rented some Disney cartoon on iTunes. We had left over lamb shank soup for dinner (don’t worry, Jo, there’s still some in the freezer for you!) and “mug cake” (see recipe below) and ice cream for dessert.

I once again failed to go for the 7 am bike ride. Next week for sure. But Kian was getting dropped off around 9, so I probably wouldn’t have made it back in time anyway. We picked up Ben for a play, and the boys entertained themselves with various combinations of Wii, Minecraft, Nerf and running around the park while Temma expanded her repertoire of lego creations. It’s quite amazing the things she’s making out of Dal’s duplo.

We made another Mug Cake for the boys, since they missed out on the previous one, but this time I used butter instead of oil. Much much better. Highly recommended.

Also highly recommended is the chilli I made for dinner, in between picking up Grandma and dropping Ben home. I cooked the beans from scratch, rather than using a canned, for a change, which definitely made the whole thing taste fresher. I also made a few other tweaks to the secret recipe. The end result got a huge vote of confidence from everyone, with Kian having seconds, Grandma cleaning her plate and Temma actually finishing hers before everyone else! Too bad I didn’t write down what I did…

5 Minute Chocolate Mug Cake

mrowe — Sun, 15 May 2011 16:52:04 +1000

This shouldn’t work, but it does. The original “cup” cake!

4 tablespoons self raising flour
4 tablespoons sugar (I use less)
2 tablespoons cocoa
1 egg
3 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons oil
chocolate buds (optional)

Add dry ingredients to a large mug and mix well.

Crack the egg and add it to the mug. Be sure to mix well to avoid any pockets of flour in the corners.

Pour in milk and oil and mix well.

Add chocolate buds if desired, and maybe a dash of vanilla essence.

Put the mug in the microwave and zap for three minutes on maximum power (for a 1000W microwave).

Take the mug out of the microwave and leave it to set for a few minutes. Tip the still warm cake out of the mug onto a saucer and enjoy! (You may need to run a knife around the sides of the mug.)

Update: I tried this again this afternoon with butter instead of oil. It’s slightly more like actual baking (you have to melt the butter), but it tastes infinitely better.

The school week

mrowe — Sat, 14 May 2011 08:15:29 +1000

A mostly uneventful week at work and school.

Natalie came over on Tuesday to use the oven and ended up making dinner for us. Yum! Temma had spent most of the day home from school “feeling sick” (which feeling mostly evaporated as soon as she was home) so it was nice for her to have someone else to talk atto.

I had chickened out of riding on Monday (still fighting off this damn cold), and worked at home on Tuesday, but I rode on Wednesday. Picked a good day for it, single-digit temperatures, rain, wind and hail. Nice. I lucked out and missed most of the worst of it, but got a good soaking ten minutes from home.

I worked at home again on Thursday, and made pork sausages with mashed potatoes and veggies for dinner. Good wholesome single dad food. Unlike the previous three evenings I didn’t have to mess around with house plans, so once the kids were in bed I got to chill out on the couch and catch up on some reading.

Friday was a half day at work so I could be home when the kids got home from school. I made pretty good times on both the ride in to work and back home, but I think that was more having a lucky run with the lights and traffic than anything else. We hung out for a while after school then I dropped the kids at Kezzie’s for the night and went out for a beer with Andrew. Go Cats!!

It’s Saturday morning now and still it rains. It’s what we do in Melbourne.

Our latest family photo.

mrowe — Thu, 12 May 2011 15:11:04 +1000

Our latest family photo.

Monday 9/5

mrowe — Tue, 10 May 2011 13:21:38 +1000

We found Kian’s toothbrush… at the back of the sofa, of course. Thanks Dal!

The weekend

mrowe — Tue, 10 May 2011 13:12:16 +1000

The storm of Saturday morning actually wasn’t so bad in the end. Everyone got up in time to be ready (notwithstanding Temma remembering breakfast at 8:50) and we got to basketball in good time. Kian had a great game. In fact the whole team did, with lots of tight, fast set plays that they pulled off. They won easily, 10-31, and it would have been even more except they let the other team get back into it in the last few minutes.

Temma seemed to like her new swimming teacher ok, so I guess she’ll keep doing the lessons. Yay.

We made a quick trip to the shops after swimming to get Kian a new toothbrush and find some peanut butter and other supplies. Coles is a HUGE pain in the ass on a Saturday morning, I do not recommend it for anyone. In the afternoon we went for a pleasant family bike ride with Andrew B, from Eltham Lower Park up to Beasley’s Nursery and back (with a devonshire tea and a muffin in the middle). Temma did really well, she’s certainly getting her cycling legs. Then we just hung out at home.

The kids didn’t want a big dinner, so we had baked beans and eggs on toast. Suited me ok. Then Doctor Who and the remaining Sarah-Jane episode and bed.

I didn’t get up for the BSC ride Sunday morning, too tired and still feeling crap with this semi-cold. But next week for sure. I did however get around to setting up a minecraft server for Kian, which made him happy. But neither of us are sure what happens now. I think he wanted to get some of his friends to use it with him.

After brunch (bacon, eggs and avocado on toast—yum!), went into the city to drop the CF card off at the camera store and tried to see mum/grandma on the way back, but she wasn’t home. Probably should have called first…

I made some totally rad cottage pie for dinner. Those of you who are not here missed out big time. If there was any room in the freezer I’d save some for you…