Birthday and Celebrations

 

We are well into May now!  Such a busy month its been with lots going on! May is my birthday month and it seems like I've been able to have extended celebrations! I'm catching up here on quite a bit so feel free to skip down to other bits that might interest you, including FNSI ......

 I was invited to a girls weekend down at Phillip Island, and my friend Karen surprised me with tickets to see the penguins parade up the beach!  I've never actually been to Phillip Island and have always wanted to see the penguins - unfortunately photos of the penguins coming up the beach at dusk are prohibited in order to stop them getting blinded by multiple flashes from cameras and such! We did a few walks and I had a great time!

The scenery around where the penguins come in is quite spectacular

This area is known as the Knobby and in the photo below you can see out to seal rock

Yep - Cold and Windy with a slight bit of rain so Karen and I were well rugged up

Heaps of Cape Barren Geese were walking across the roads and everywhere

Definitely worth the visit and a trip I won't soon forget

The following week I posted out for the Tea Towel Swap that Jennifer from Elefantz  was running.  I can show you what I made and bought (you had to hand stitch one and purchase another) as I know my parcel has been received (according to Aust Post) and the lady I had to swap with doesn't have a blog.  I chose to use some variegated thread and did a little embroidery that also included her name on the tea towel - I do hope she liked it. I'll show you what I receive when it arrives.

Yummy sodas

Stacey came up for Mothers Day last weekend which is only 2 days before my birthday this year.  Petewasn't feeling up to going out so we got to have a mother and daughter outing to Beechworth for the day!  So much fun visiting the Lolly shop, Beechworth Honey, Billsons Brewery (soooo many different cordial flavours to try) and lots of those little shops that are fun to spend time in!  

Inside Billson's in the cordial section with all those flavours! I came home with several: Portello; Creamy Soda; Lemon& Ginger; Spiced Apple and Cola which are now lined up on the cupboard

The Goodies I purchased: A new lunch bag; a baking kit from Beechworth Honey; Lollies; new scruber brush and a little penguin to make up to remember my trip to Phillip Island. 

Stacey and I totally enjoyed the ice cream sodas with the cordials from Billsons at their Soda Shop.

I was blessed with lots of different gifts from family and friends ..... Stacey included a jigsaw puzzle and we made a start on it before she had to head home. 

 It's been many years since I've sat to do a jigsaw (not since the kids were at home) - Quite interesting my different reactions to it over the week its taken to finish - including the frustration of wanting to get it finished so I can clear the table LOL - something that quite surprised me but no doubt due to the endless list I seem to have of things needing to be done and the time I was spending working on the puzzle as I kept getting distracted by it LOL  I finished it just before I started this blog post (something that's been put off all week as I worked on the puzzle ) But it is such a beautiful puzzle and I love the gumnut babies.  I need to find a specific table for future puzzles.

I joined in again with Wendy for FNSI  .......  I was pleasantly surprised to find  I had won a gift voucher from joining in the April fun, so I'm looking forward to that arriving and sharing what I end up purchasing.  This month I needed to work on a crocheted blanket for Buttercup (Stacey's pet rabbit) ..... I had some help from Miss Lucy which helped pass the time Friday night as I tried to untangle the mess to continue work on the blanket lol

Over the weekend I opened up the baking kit from the Honey shop to make the Honey, Banana & Walnut loaf.  The kit had a nice new loaf pan, a nice thick oven mit, a vegetable bag which was filled with whole walnuts to use, the recipe card and a large 950gr jar of honey! I just had to add bananas which I had on hand, butter and flour!  I also made an apple pie using some of the apples I purchased at the market on our way back from Phillip Island.  So far it's been quite a lovely month!  But now I best head off and get the roast into the oven for dinner tonight!