I think I'm getting old......

Well in the words of Ed Sullivan:

It's been a really big shewwwwwwwwwwww or in my case weekendddddddddddddddd!!

Of course it all started on Friday night as I mentioned funny enough in Friday night's blog.... when I went to dinner with Amanda and Jeff/Geoff. You knowwwwww I think I might call him Jeff Jeff/Geoff Geoff from now on. Of course I just need to find out the right spelling! LOL

It's funny isn't it how we love the good old nicknames. I've had a few in my time and yesss I know it's hard to believe right!!! hehe

My Grandad used to call me Fuzz Face when I was little.

At school I was known as Livvy (after Olivia Newton-John who I loved) or Meady-Chick as Mead was my maiden name, Mum, Shorty, Short Arse and to this day a few of them still call me this!!!

In jobs I have been known as Morley-Mead, The Cheryl, Morley and prob some I wouldn't want to know!! LOL

Jake calls me Mumma D - as in Mother Dearest which considering it was a memoir and expose on the American actress Joan Crawford by her daughter who claimed she was a victim of child abuse and that her mother was more concerned with her career than being a good mother! Might not be a good thing!!!!

Mmmmm that reminds me: I need to talk to Jake about this.....

And of course the good old fave "Kazzachezza" which is the combination in Aussie slang of Karen Cheryl, because between you and I am not a huge lover of my middle name!!!

But I digress..... sorry Groover's back on me being old!

So there was Friday night dinner and then yesterday was spent at the Rachael Bermingham event called "How to write a book and make it a BESTSELLER" which was just amazing and def mind blowing.

After my big day with Rachael I came home to my normal welcome of Funny Nana opening the front door and little Embee Louise running outside with excitement that her Mumma is home and then doing a nice wee-wee (as we like to call it here in Morley Manor) on the grass in the front yard.

I guess at this point to our new readers I need to point out that Baby Jake doesn't have a sister called Embee Louise... but that Embee is our dog! Although I always say that Jake is Embee's boyfriend! So not quite sure how that all fits in now that Jake is at Ayers Rock working and somehow his "girlfriend" is left behind in my house and shares my bed..... Maybe there is more to that Mommie D title than meets the eye hehehe.

Anywaysssss after the front yard wee-wee I took Funny Nana and Embee Louise on an outing to Redcliffe beach for Fish & Chips! It was such a lovely night down there with a wonderful "Summer Breeze" as Funny Nana called it. And she had fun reminiscing on all the times they went to Redcliffe when she was a child for holidays.

She talked about the carnival they used to have in the very park that we had our dinner in last night, to the big Ferris Wheel they used to have at the end of the jetty in the main street of Redcliffe. She talked about going to the picture theatre and for those of you who weren't aware did you know that the Bee Gees lived and went to school there!

And later in the night I had my nightly spa whilst looking out at the stars and kids I even saw me another shooting star last night! :)

And then today I had a lovely Sunday Morning sleep in followed by a catch up phone call with Baby Jake!

Was great to catch up on the goss in his world and hear all the nice drunken stories of him trying to come home one night and putting his key in someone else's front door and then deciding to return to the bar rather than try and find his unit and then when he did arrive back home a few hours later leaving his front door open and stumbling into his unmade bed that he tried to make and then whilst we were talking on the phone remembering only then that he even collected his washing and brought that in with him whilst stumbling through the door.

Did I mention that this drunken night happened just over a week ago and he only just remembered today on the phone that last bit!!!

This is an actual picture of Jake's bed! I have no words.....

Then it was time for me to go along to a work BBQ at one of the guys place. I had a really lovely day catching up with everyone away from the workplace. I am sooo lucky to work with such a great bunch of people and then to meet their partners and kids was just great!! :)

Next time I am going to take Embee along as she would have loved it and let's face it, she can be my "Proxy Kid" andddddddd she is much better behaved that Jake! LOL

Of course after all this excitement when I arrived back home it was time for the AMAZING Nana Nap that we all crave and love! And so here I am.... writing in the dark, no dinner, Funny Nana has gone to bed and Embee Louise is passed out on my bed.

One of the joys of technically being an Empty Nester is that I am going to go make some Vegemite toast for dinner and watch some TV and hit the sack again.

Yep I'm telling you life doesn't get much better than this weekend!

Hope you guys had a great one too!

Me xxx

And then there were none....

Late yesterday afternoon when I did my usual "check on the Baby Doves" there was only one left in the little nest :( The other baby must have decided to venture out into the big world!

So it got me thinking about the one that gets left behind.... I guess it must of been the weaker one or might it have been the smarter one, to stay behind and be the only one now that got food from mum when she returned to the nest?

And when does the Mother Dove not return anymore to the nest to feed her young'uns? I know I ask all the hard hitting questions don't I!

I guess she must know when the time is up, when to let them stand on their own two feet and become their own bird/person.

So then this morning when I woke up the very first thing I did was check on the one and only Baby Dove that was now on it's own, I noticed it trembling a bit, I guess it might have been cold as normally it snuggles up to it's brother/sister.

And you know what, at some stage of our own life we will be on our own. Even if we find the partner of our dreams, get married and live happily after... one day one of us will pass away and then one will be left behind.

Is it better to be the one that leaves or the one that gets left behind? That is the question I ask myself tonight and you too.

Mum, Jake and I count ourselves very lucky that we got to have my Grandad around for another 13 years after my Nana passed away. You see they had been together for a very long time, since they were 16. And they loved each other very much. When I look back now and think how heartbroken Grandad must of been to have lost his "girlfriend Lou" as he used to affectionately call her.

He was the one left behind, to remember all the days gone by, to remember how it used to be....

So this morning after checking on my Baby Dove, Embee Louise and I went for a drive to Redcliffe, which is about 15mins from my house. Now Redcliffe and I go back a long way..... I even have a scar on my left knee where I had to have 17 stitches when I was around 9yo, after ripping my leg open on some rocks when I was fishing with my Grandad. (I'd show you my scar but I haven't shaved my legs hehehe).

So back to the fishing story.... I got a bite and somehow slipped into the water and as I was trying to climb out I ripped my knee open on the volcanic rock that was there. Fun hey! and Grandad got into soooo much trouble when he took me back home to Mum and Nana hehehe. Poor kid :(

We had a nice little walk and enjoyed the amazing scenery.

Of course Embee had fun too! :)

Then when we came home as I was walking up to the front door I looked up to where the Dove's nest is, outside my bedroom window and I saw a Dove perched on the side of the awning. I thought either the mother bird had come back or the other Dove had returned. So when I got inside I went into my bedroom to check and guess what?

No Doves at all........... :(

So it was either the Dove that was left behind about to fly off orrrrrrrrr maybe even the Mother Dove coming back to find both kids had flown the coop!.

So Groover's I was a little sad this morning but this my friends is The Circle of life. You do that you can to look after them, to bring them up correctly and then one day it's time to let them go out into the world and fend for themselves.

And then there is me and my story. Did you know that there are only three more sleeps until I too have to say Goodbye to Baby Jake. Mind you I know he isn't going away forever, but he is leaving MY nest.

Gee that Bloody Circle of Life can suck sometimes..... LOL

The rest of the day involved some napping, sitting in the sun in the spa anddddd another nap! ahhhh it's tough isn't it these public holidays they make us have!!

Tonight I made some of my fave - chicken, corn and mushroom crepes. Yum!

And in a moment I am going to go have another spa and look out at the sky!

And kids is where I shall leave you tonight!

Me xxx

Circle of Friends

Well I have had the loveliest weekend.

Some of the time was spent with myself :) and some of the time catching up with some very lovely friends.

Friday night was dinner down the road at the local tavern with my neighbour as previously mentioned in Friday nights blog.

Saturday afternoon was spent in Redcliffe.

Redcliffe is one of those places that you remember when you were a kid going to. Maybe it was with your Mum and Dad or you could have gone there with your Grandparents. I can remember getting excited going over the Hornibrook Highway and seeing the millions of Jellyfish and counting all the Pelicans sitting on top of the lights :)

My Grandparents used to holiday there in the 1950's and even I had a holiday there with them when I was 10. I even have a scar from that holiday! Talk about a good souvenir!

Grandad and I went fishing, off the rocks, as you do..... I got a bite and got excited and fell into the water and then I panicked and as I was climbing out of the water I ripped my left knee open on the volcanic rocks. My Grandad was soooo in trouble when we got back home. I also had to go up to the Redcliffe hospital and ended up with 17 stitches in my right knee.

And you know what I remember the most about that time, well that the nurse was from Scotland and I was a HUGE Bay City Rollers fan! TRUE STORY.

But Groover's Redcliffe has come a long way from those days....

We had the most delightful afternoon. How great is it to just walk out in the fresh air, seeing the blue waters of the ocean, breathing in that salt air and enjoying the freedom of a Saturday afternoon.

A late lunch was in order and we decided, anddddd can I just say it was hard decision where to eat, as there are soooo many new places to eat now in Redcliffe along the waterfront.

But the decision was made and we had our meal at Outback Jacks.

Deb enjoyed her Moscow Mule,

whilst I as the designated driver had a Lemon Lime and Bitters. The theme of the restaurant is of course Outback Australia and high up on the ceiling is this:

The food was great value and the staff were very friendly and very attentive.

After our "late lunch" we wondered down along the Redcliffe waterfront and out onto the jetty. There are alot of council works going on at the moment but after they have completed all of this work Redcliffe will be reborn and come alive once more.

So if you find yourself at a loose end one weekend, take a drive out to Redcliffe, you won't be disappointed!

Then today I went to my friend Marie's house for lunch. First of all Groover's the word "house" well just doesn't describe it, not really. The feeling when you step inside well it feels something like Bali or a Day Spa! I just loved it. Listening to the running water from outside, the cool breezes the lovely company :)

Sometimes there is nothing better than to spend time chewing the fat with friends.

Well kids that's it from the Morley Mansion tonight!

Me xxx