Twins

I am going to be the 

Grandmother of Identical Twins!

When asked about multiple birth possibility, my dear daughter emphatically said

"No! That's not how they do IVF now, one egg, one embryo, one baby.

If you want a multiple birth it would require 2 implanted"

Hah!
With IVF there are nearly 21 pairs of twins for every 1,000
(7 times the average)

Needless to say she is still sitting on the floor at home 

contemplating and coming to grips with this 

little twist or 2

Anzac Day 2011

A  tribute and 

Thank You

To my friends who served in Vietnam

My children friends who are (as far as we know) 

still in the SAS

Saving our country

and others

and laying down their lives for us

The War to End All Wars never eventuated, 

May we find the one that will very soon

To all who are serving still and maintaining the equipment for those that are,

my gratitude to you all and although thank you is inadequate,

Thank You

To all the families out there who are mourning, grieving and missing loved ones

I think of you and know some of what you are feeling.

May you all find

May we all find

Peace

ANZAC DAY Lest we forget

 

ANZAC Day goes beyond the anniversary of the landing on Gallipoli in 1915. It is the day we remember all Australians who served and died in all wars, conflicts, and peacekeeping operations. The spirit of ANZAC, with its human qualities of courage, mateship, and sacrifice, continues to have meaning and relevance for our sense of national identity. On ANZAC day, ceremonies are held in towns and cities across the nation to acknowledge the service of our veterans

In military tradition, the Last Post is the bugle call that signifies the end of the day's activities. It is also sounded at military funerals to indicate that the soldier has gone to his final rest and at commemorative services such as ANZAC Day and Remembrance Day.

Happy Easter to all

I have done several posts leading up to Easter

Traditions, meanings and of course Chocolate

and here it is Good Friday

and the Easter weekend begins.

Hooray!

 I wish everyone a safe, happy Easter

with blessings and thankfulness

Tanilba Bay

So what it about this stunning piece of Port Stephens that I love so much?

All of it!

From the magnificent gates

'The Water Gate' with the bollards from H.M.A.S Sydney

and

'The Entrance Gates'

which were built by unemployed workers during the Depression  

 to commemorate the centenary in 1931 of the land grant to the Caswells,

To the unique, and sometimes confusing,

layout of the township itself

being based on Walter Burley Griffin's plan for Canberra with a central 

'Avenue of the Allies' 

which all roads radiate from, 

which simply means all roads go round!

Koala in a local street

The streets remind us of WW1 veterans with names like Diggers Drive. Navy Nook

Convict built Tanilba house, 1837, was the home of William Caswell who was granted 50 acres in 1831 for his service in the Napoleonic wars.

and so we also have such as President Wilson Walk, Poilus Parade and Clemenceau Crescent

The name means "place of white flowers" and we are blessed with the sight of Flannel Flowers growing wild and heralding in another season.

and our numerous wild flowers that make every season special

Ducks that quack me up

I had given myself the task of naming a day. I chose

Duck Day

so I had better justify myself or be called quackers, not that I mind.

Life is just too short to be serious too often

(WARNING:The following video contains nudity)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mh85R-S-dh8

Knew you couldn't help yourself!

The Boy

Okay so I have explained Dressage with the links to the technical stuff.

Now the real reason for all this is a beautiful boy with an amazing family 
affectionately known as

"The Boy"

His majesty has an extended family and fan club with numerous Facebook Aunties (and Uncles) and we love to hear of his life often.

I am yet to meet him in person

and yet I feel a bond already

This is due to his Mum. her devotion to him and the to the rest of his family

"No hour of life is wasted that is spent in the saddle."  ~Winston Churchill

 

He loves carrots and even had a toffee apple the other day after competing in a 
dressage competition

20 years young with a personality to rival any child
He shares his home with this 22 year old stunner!

Just 2 yrs old

Looking stunning

Showing off

They are spoiled (a little)
with a wardrobe I am envious of

Including
A Lycra hood to wear to bed before competition to keep his mane flat
(and no doubt a tail  bag to match)
A hood complete with ear covers
A Fly Mask that cuts out UV rays
as well has the multitude of rugs
including new ones ready for when it is cooler and he has been clipped
Ones for Summer
Winter Coats
Spring Coats
Autumn coats

and then there are the bridles, bits, snaffles, harnesses, grooming equipment,
Hoof care products, saddles, saddle cloths and
all the other paraphernalia that comes with  horses that
would take a page on it's own to list
but
he would not need horse makeup as he is already beautiful!


He keeps his stunning good looks with his massages to keep his muscles in tip top condition



No wonder known as the "poor little rich kid in the neigh- bourhood"

Oops he has no Acubra!

The accessories for these four legged family members is immense. 

Snuggy Jams 

and Snuggy Hoods are my favourites though!

 

"Our Boy"

And where to from here?

Apart from needing an Acubra, playing with Mum,

frolicking in the paddock

and enjoying life in general?

Wherever his heart desires!

 

 

 

Where in this wide world can man find nobility without pride,
Friendship without envy,
Or beauty without vanity?
Here, where grace is served with muscle
And strength by gentleness confined
He serves without servility; he has fought without enmity.
There is nothing so powerful, nothing less violent.
There is nothing so quick, nothing more patient.
~Ronald Duncan, "The Horse," 1954

He knows when you're happy
He knows when you're comfortable
He knows when you're confident
And he always knows when you have carrots.
~Author Unknown

So may Our Boy always have carrots and the love of his extended family

and Thank you for letting us share your life

  and I will try not to get too excited when someone tells me 

that there is a huge sale at the bridle shop, 

because last time it was the 

bridal shop!

Easter for me

What is Easter for me?

(For those of you who dye actual eggs then I am sorry but this is just not for you today)

CHOCOLATE

I never used to be this way but menopause has changed all that

Gone are the days when I would find Easter Eggs at the back of the fridge almost until Christmas.

Now I devour them with abandon upon arrival (or within a couple of days, dependent on quantity)

BUT

I have standards!

No rubbish cheap chockie for me, No Cadbury anymore since they added the Palm oil

I am a Dark Chocolate fan, that never changed, 

cocoa content is important in a good chockie!

I am a Dove,Lindt, occasional Red Tulip person now

with a special place for 

Ferrero Rocher!

 

 

Rocher are giving this away!and I want it!

The eating of an egg is an art form and not to be taken lightly!

My Mum, starts at the ears (always a Bunny, the egg, not mum)

I refrigerate first as I enjoy the crackle of cold chocolate

One friend breaks all of them into a bowl and then eats them

My daughter only eats Truffles (dieting and pregnant)

"Chocolate Monster" eats Creme Eggs on toast for breakfast 

"Dr Frog" smashes his with his fist and then gets the person next to him to eat them

(a true friend that one!)

So how do you eat your Easter Eggs?

Some favourite extravagances

Booja Ginger Wine Truffle Easter Egg 

(major Yum Factor and have a champagne flavour as well)

These are handmade and hand-painted by artists in Kashmir using traditional methods and local materials!

Truffles 

of course 

(prefer home made especially when the boy is involved.

 although get less Chocolate when he makes them)

What Easter Eggs should be! Face paint!

So however you eat them, enjoy

Take time between bites to remember why we do have eggs at Easter

and

Have a very Happy Easter from me

Dressage and all it entails

Mary Hanna with Limbo

I have followed such esteemed riders as the Roycrofts,
Andrew Hoy,Matt Ryan, Gillian Rolton and Brook Staples
through their Eventing

Dressage: Mary Hanna with Mosaic and then Limbo, 
Rachael Downs and Aphrodite 

and look forward to watching

Hayley Beresford with 13 year old Relampago do Retiro 

 

just to name a few. 

The Olympics, especially, leave me in awe of these 
and I am glued to the television for the duration.

just watching horse and rider as one is amazing.

I did go down to the Sydney 2000 Olympics and
I couldn't decide which events I was going down to see 

but my daughter (who must be obeyed)

decided on Beach Volleyball 

(and 3 others we never did get to) 

as we sat in front of the Sports Illustrated people and spent the rest of our time catching up with what they had seen 

and getting results and comments from their news bus.

Then a shop-a-thon at Bondi

So I missed watching Kirby Park Jester in action

and I have always loved greys!

Jester

Easter cookies

 Apart from adapting those Christmas Gingerbread men into rabbits and Bilbies there are many cookie recipes but these are some of my favourites 

(mainly English as they have been handed down in the family)

 Apricot Squares

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup (c) shortening
• 1/2 c sugar
• 1 ea Egg, well beaten
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 1/2 c flour
• 1 1/2 ts baking powder
• 1/2 ts salt
• 1/2 ts cinnamon
• 1 pn cloves
• 2 tablespoon milk
• 3/4 c apricot preserves

Method:

• Take about 1/2 cup shortening and cream it.
• Add on sugar to it and continue creaming till it becomes fluffy.
• Add eggs and lemon juice and beat them well.
• Take a bowl and put all the dry ingredients in it for sifting with milk.
• Take a well-greased pan and spread the batter prepared but only half the quantity.
• Add on apricot preserves to it for covering purpose.
• Put the remaining half batter into it.
• Bake the batter for nearly half an hour at a temperature of 180 degrees.
• When the color of the mixture has turned golden, take it out from the oven for cooling it. Once the batter has cooled down, cut them in the shape of squares.

Meringue Kisses

This cookie recipe is low fat and Yummy!

Ingredients:

• 2 Egg whites; at room temperature
• 1/4 teaspoon Cream of tartar
• Pinch Salt
• 1/2 cup Granulated sugar
• 1/2 ts Vanilla extract
• 115g Semisweet chocolate chips

Method:

• The first step begins with the preheating of oven to a temperature of 190 ° C.
•  Line the baking tray in the oven.
• Take a medium sized bowl and at a medium speed, beat the egg whites in it till they become frothy.
• Add on cream of tartar and salt to it.
• Pour 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar each time, till the mixture gets stiff.
• Add on 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla extract and fold it in the semisweet chocolate chips.
• Heap the batter in a spoon and drop it on the baking sheet.
• Place it in the oven and turn the oven off but cookies are not to be taken out before 5 hours.
• Optional: Sandwich 2 meringues together with 1/2 teaspoon lemon butter or the filling of choose.  Serve dusted with icing sugar.

So grab an Easter book to read to a child, a coffee for yourself or a walk in the Autumn air while the work is done for you

 Happy Easter everyone 'tis the season to eat chocolate!

tra la la la la la   la  la

Easter symbols and traditions

On Easter weekend those of the Christian faith (Catholics, Orthodox, Protestants, Anglicans, Baptists...) celebrate the crucifixion and the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

In the past, the Easter Sunday was generally reserved for the baptism of a large number of catechumens. Also, the council of Lateran (1215) ordered that those who reached the age of reason had to take the Holy communion at least once a year (in French "faire ses Pâques").

So Easter is the most important Christian celebration of the year.

In Romance languages, Pâques or Pascua... is derived from the Greek word "Pascha".

In the Germanic languages, "Easter" - also called "Pascha" - was taken from "Eastre", the Saxon goddess associated to the Spring. Indeed, many years ago, the Saxons celebrated the god of the Spring, called "Eostre" and held festivals every year to celebrate the Spring Equinox, when the day and the night were equal length.

These festivals were celebrated to ensure fertility across both the land and people.

The Saxons converted to Christianity and the name of their celebration became "Easter" in order to celebrate both the Spring and the religious Pascha times. The idea behind the two occasions is different, but they share common symbols and traditions that people still use today. 

 

 

 

 

The Paschal Lamb

In the New Testament, Jesus is often identified with the lamb, and especially the paschal lamb, as there is a parallel between his death and that of the paschal lamb - the lamb, is sacrificed in both western and eastern religions. By the blood of Jesus Christ, the people of God is released from death and can enter into a new life.

And so, in many countries, people eat a leg of lamb on Easter Sunday.

 

The Cross

The symbol of the cross has been associated with Christianity and Easter since the first centuries after Jesus’ death. The cross was a symbol of Jesus, who died to save all those who receive baptism, it was also a symbol of cruelty throughout the Roman Empire.

Today Christians view the cross as a symbol of courage and salvation.

In Anglo-Saxon countries, people bake "hot cross buns" (buns marked with a cross) that they eat on Good Friday.

 

 

The Easter Chicken

Where do the eggs come from? From the chicken... so, as the chicken gives her eggs (decorated or not) it's an essential Easter symbol.

The Easter chicken custom is popular in many countries but originated from Austria. Today, it is often symbolized by a chicken made out of chocolate.

Depending of the country, the Easter chicken is replaced by chicks, cock, stork, cuckoo, and in Australia we have the Bilby.

 

 

http://www.kidcyber.com.au/topics/bilby.htm

 

 

 and there are plenty of books to read to your children, grandchildren, neighbours and schools

So go ahead and keep the traditions alive for the next generations

 

 

Thank you for stopping by and I hope you pop back in to see more of Easter