Christmas done and dusted and what a day it was!!! Sydney weather - yesterday was 39, hot and sticky with a thunderstorm, today it really rained all day, thunderstorms this afteroon and COLD 16 degrees!!! THAT IS WINTER WEATHER!!! I am sitting here now all rugged up and even considering dragging a heater out. Luckily DD has a lot of throws as they were well used. Even sillier was the Germans were Facebooking their Munich friends - they wait in anticipation each year for a white Christmas - but they had 21 degrees - warmer than us - and the hottest Christmas Day in history. That is a midsummer temp for them. Those damned Mayans have definitely done something!!!!

We had a lovely lunch that went from 1pm - 5pm with everyone coming and going and a lot of grazing in between. I didn't think I was going to survive the day, but a mid afternoon sugar hit was the fix I needed. Driving home was a nightmare, it poured non-stop all the way.

Children got way too many presents as usual and for a while we were buried in gift wrap. Eldest granddaughter was the funniest opening her presents, at 12 she is at the screaming OMG stage and today she excelled. Santa left her first makeup - DD got her some really good brands in the US last June, much cheaper than here, then she got some all in one pjs, the old fashioned kind with the trapdoor in the back, that she had been wanting, (and wore them most of the day) but the piece de resistance was a gift certificate for a Sydney Harbour Bridge climb, something she had been wanting for ages. Never seen anyone so excited. We got a beautiful collection of new towels for the new bathrooms in a pretty pale powder blue and a latte colour. They are an organic, eco-friendly cotton and are really thick and luxurious. Can't wait to try them out.

Found out something interesting today too - we Facetimed No. 2 DD at lunch with US rellies. She was showing us their beautifully decorated table that absolutely put our efforts to shame and everyone was admiring the bon bons she had bought. Seems you people don't have bon bons?????? The Germans said they don't have them there either. No Christmas dinner is complete without them here.

Now all I have to do is sit up till 3am to watch the LA grands open their presents. What do I do for 6 hours???? Hope you guys come on board and help keep me awake.

I'll answer you here Bobbi, seen I moved my comment over.

Yeah, good old Yardley, wasn't much choice in our day was there. I can't remember the brand of makeup she got, it was in a cute little box with drawers of blush and eyeshadows and I think lipsticks(too much happened today for my old brain). Apparently the shops are really really swanky and upmarket, dd said they are absolutely amazing to see. She also got some mascara and some makeup brushes.

The towels are absolutely perfect for the bathrooms the latte goes exactly with the deepest shade in the tiles and I have put blue accessories in the ensuite. BH refuses to have anything in the main bathroom, he is sooooooooooooo boring!!!! DDs will work on him.

The bridge climb is an organised group tour where you climb to the absolute top of the Harbour Bridge. BH did it last year, would love to do it myself but there are no loos. We also gave German dd a climb for Christmas too so she will go with grandd. Hubby is terrified of heights so won't consider it.

http://www.bridgeclimb.com/The-Climbs/The-Bridge-Climb/

Checked on line as I have no idea how to describe a bon bon. Seems they are also called Christmas Crackers http://www.christmaswarehouse.com.au/shopping/bon-bons-christmas-crackers/81/1

You share with someone to each pull on an end to break them apart. There is also a special cardboard strip in them that is impregnanted with (I presume) gunpowder in the middle so when they break it cracks. Inside is generally a paper hat, a really corny joke and a gift. The gift depends on how much you spend naturally. The ones dd got this year were very fancy but the 'gifts' were a bit sexist and mostly female. I got a lipstick case, but there were lipstick brushes, travel tags for suitcases, necklaces and a mini screwdriver set.

No, we don't use Skype anymore as Miss 6 and I have an iPod and dd has a Mac computer and iPhone, we prefer FaceTime. It is much clearer and easier to hear and the reception is far superior, plus with the pods and phones they are portable and we are not stuck to the computer.

I've heard of the Sydney Bridge climb; didn't Oprah Winfrey or Gayle King do it, when they visited Australia .. and they're afraid of heights? The movie "Australia" was on last night, but I missed the beginning, and really wanted to see the whole thing. Is Hugh Jackman as big a deal at home, as he is here? Seems like a genuinely nice guy, and incredibly talented. Then again, I thought the same thing about Russell Crowe, but it looks like his carousing is breaking up his marriage. Americans are very "cloistered" in a way; we only notice celebrities who work in American productions. When a foreign mega star is in an American movie for the first time, everyone wonders who the heck they are! We have a lot of actors from down under in the last 10 years or so.

Merry Christmas Everyone.
Why am I the only one up at 6am and the coffee percolator seems to take it's sweet time on days like this. Just a whole lotta snoring going on.
We have Crackers here and everyone uses them, sometimes stuffed into the tree or on the table. Lots of fun, I like the silly paper crown and make everyone wear them at least for a minute or two. Last year I had a mini tape measure in mine. Very handy on trips to hdep or ikea.
I think your right Astraea, I remember something about that on the Australia trip. That's where I first saw Uluru, the shots from the helicopter were fascinating. I miss the oprah show, can't seem to get into the own network that much.
I saw Russell Crowe in a special honouring Eddie Murphy the other night. My god, I wan't to throw a bar of soap at the guy. He always looks so grungy, go shower man!!!!! Is he married again, since Katie. I don't know, I think he falls into the manwhore catagory.

Sounds the sort of thing Oprah would do, can't quite remember now, she did get around a lot.

Yes Hugh is big here although not living here isn't really 'on the scene' so to speak. Russell Crowe seemed to be better known for his part in buying into one of our major footy teams, which he has now sold. Didn't hear much about things until he and Danielle broke up. Danielle was on Dancing with the Stars just prior to it, don't think much was known about her before that but she won a lot of fans on Dancing, she was very good and really nice. Russell is actually a Kiwi. I think he was always a bit too rough to really be totally accepted here, too over the top. Definitely a lot of actors have found success in the States of late, Australia sort of became flavour of the month and we have had a good run. I must admit there are so many American Actors we barely know, there seem to be so many 'one hit wonders' these days it is hard to keep up. Our women's mags are so full of garbage and sensationalism, no one takes any notice of them anymore, which is how we just don't hear of a lot of people.

I haven't seen Australia, doesn't seem to have had a huge impact here like I thought it would. Nicole Kidman is in it and I have never seen a movie of her's that I liked which is what has turned me off Australia. She has been in some really bizarre movies but one day I might catch it as I would like to see what it is all about.

Crocodile Dundee movies are great, I love them. Paul Hogan was always very popular here as he really made his name on TV before Croc Dundee. His leaving his wife to go off with Linda didn't hurt him at all, but his first wife was a bit rough.

Morning olldcan, glad you are back. You wear me out the things you do. Agree RC is a grunge, he never used to be, I think he picked it up after one of his movies. Don't know how Danielle put up with it, she is just drop dead gorgeous with a figure to die for. Don't remember any Katie. Haven't really seen his movies, I don't like those sort of movies.

Oprah and Gail definitely climbed the bridge - http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1337973/Dont-look-Oprah-Winfrey-climbs-Sydney-Harbour-Bridge-249-record.html

DD and I were wondering if the crackers would be in Canada as we had a feeling they might have come here via our English ancestors and in that respect we have a lot in common. DD bought the crackers on sale after last Christmas so we had really fancy ones this year, they were black and silver, very glam, and our crowns were shiny silver. Everyone leaves them on for ages. I totally forgot mine and started to drive home wearing it.

I really liked RC's movies: "Gladiator", "Beautiful Mind", "Cinderella Man", "Master & Commander". Sometimes we begin to think that the person is like the roles they play; sometimes that's true, but not always. I thought he took parts where he was the "honorable underdog", happy being a loner willing to give his life for a cause. There's only 5 years difference in age, between RC and HJ, but it looks like Jackman takes better care of himself.

I think that Cliff Curtis, (NZ, Maori) is exotic & hot; he did one Hollywood series, but I haven't seen him as much lately. David Wenham is also adorable (Lord of the Rings, 300, Van Helsing), "Diver Dan" in SeaChange).

I think it was after Gladiator that RC took on the grunge look, maybe that was what turned me off the movies too. HJ definitely has a much more 'gentleman' image and pretty clean, RC has been in a few brawls. Certainly agree with roles influencing perceptions of actors. Don't know Cliff Curtis but David Wenham was gorgeous in SeaChange, I just loved his laid back attitude and the way he spoke. He hasn't aged well though, I saw him in something the other night and barely recognised him. I have the whole series of that show on DVD, I watch it over and over and it is so typically country town Australia. My favourite episode was when the dog Alphonso Dominico Jones was found dead in the town swimming pool. Laura's confusion when they kept calling the dog by it's full name cracked me up all the way through it.

I've just watched bits of SeaChange on YouTube. Wenham is between Jackman & Crowe in age; sorry to hear he isn't aging well. That's like Mel Gibson; he was gorgeous in the "Mad Max" movies, but lately he also looks rough. I think that when some men age, and lose muscle, they begin to look gaunt. I'm a fan of Sean Bean, but in his mid-50s, he also has that grungy, aging look.

Australia is so large; are there different accents in different regions? Is it easy for you to tell the difference between an Aussie & Kiwi, by accent?

olldroo, were all mac users in this house for the last five years. We have" i" everything, so do the kids and love them all. We had tried everything in Microsoft/Dell, way too many problems all the time. Now we are hassle free and throughly enjoy the upgrade.

oh meant to tell you I received an Airmail letter yesterday. It came all the way from Gormandale, Victoria, Australia. How exciting to hear from our Aussie's, they came here for 18 months to work and play. We quickly became friends and really enjoyed all the laughs and good times. They moved back home just before the snow flew. I'm sure our mailman thinks were nutz, it was addressed to Aussie,Aussie, Aussie, oi, oi, oi,eh? Sure going to miss them. Found out the other day my sons GF was born in Australia, moved here when she was 5. Her dad is an Aussie, moved back a forth a few times but has settled here for the last 17 years. She was getting rid of her Aussie passport and getting a Canadian one a few months back so she wouldn't have hassle on the Cuba trip. I don't know what the hassle would have been for her.

olldcan, I don't know about over there, but here the biggest problem with Apple is that it is not compatible with anything else and anything Apple, especially parts, and servicing or getting extra accessories is very expensive. So much just isn't available here. My brother has been a Mac user from way back and swears by it, but when most businesses use Microsoft it is hard to learn or get training on a Mac. My gym has an internet cafe with all Mac machines but I could never get the hang of anything on them. Since I have had my iPod I am learning bits and was working on improving my skills to teach at our computer club as we have no one teaching it at all and more and more people are wanting to learn. However the house renovations got in the way there and I really don't have regular time to commit to teaching at the moment.

I don't know prices over there but an iPhone here is around $700 - $800 where an Android is under $200 so many are going for the Androids but I was at the Club a few months ago when some members had new Androids and were trying to learn them. I started trying to help out but found them even more confusing than Apple. I will take Apple any day now. The biggest issue for the future will be compatability.

My biggest problem with my computer is that it is filling up with Microsoft junk and I'm getting nowhere trying to clear it off. I'm told it is impossible and it basically comes down to getting a new computer every 5 years. I don't think there is that problem with Apple and I am not looking forward to having to make a decision, again cost comes into it too, they are more than twice the price.

Morning all! Wow, Russell Crowe, Hugh Jackman, Mel Gibson....I'll take Hugh Jackman, the other two are skanks. IMO. Hugh is a hubba!!! We watched the Bourne Legacy last night, it's a very good movie for insomniacs. Put me right to sleep. it was better with Matt Damon but Edward Norton was very good in it.

roo, have you FaceTimed with LA yet? It' almost 8 AM here, doubtful Miss 6 could wait much longer!

Did you all get everything on your Christmas list? Or were you naughty? hehehe R bought me the strangest gift. I'll post a pic later, tell me what you think, ok?

Yesterday I made dinner for my neighbor who's wife is in a hospice, and soon as I got it done, don't you know his sons and their families blew in from out of state. I'm very happy they remembered him, and now I have dinner for two for tomorrow night!!!

Yikes, olldcan, you sent me scurrying to a map for that one, never heard of Gormandale but got the gist of where it is. Addressing an envelope that way would be nothing unusual, my LA grands send all their mail to me addressed as 'Nanna' and our address.

Once the passport you travelled on could be a problem in some countries, but I think things have changed a lot over recent years. The Germans were telling funny stories on Sunday about passports, DD still has an Aussie passport where hubby has a German one. When they travel within Europe and arrive at customs, hubby uses the Euro queue while DD has to queue with the "Others" but when they come here hubby is an "Others" while DD uses the Aussie queue. So many times though they have forgotten they need to produce their boarding passes and one of them will have both passes. The stories that ensued were hilarious.

Maybe S and GF travelling with the same nationality passport would alleviate any of those sort of problems, especially in a country like Cuba. How open is it now?

Leaving you now guys, it is 3.30 AM and have just watched the LA grands open their Christmas presents. Totally spoilt children!!! I am so tired which is probably why I am extra cold too. Doona here I come. Talk later. Enjoy your day!!!

We cannot get to Cuba from the U.S., we have to go thru Mexico! And maybe Canada, I'm not sure about that.

Bobbi, they spent Christmas Eve in San Diego and didn't get home till 10.30 pm, when they FaceTimed cousins here to watch them open the presents they had sent. I had left DDs by then and the kids had got sick of waiting to open their presents so they were just able to thank them and show them other presents. We expected the kids to sleep in a bit, which they did, got up just before 8am.

Off to a very slow start today, but I'm not going to fight it. Feeling almost jetlagged with all these international time differences. Washed out all my new towels ready to use as it is very windy so they should dry quickly and the wind will make them nice and fluffy. Just going to puddle along reorganising my two spare rooms and see how far I get but not stressing over it. Dying to set my computer back up at my desk though, sitting on the lounge and typing on the coffee table isn't doing my knees any favour. Have my desk back in place already so won't take much.

LA DD and grands all have dual passports so they come to Oz on their Oz ones and go back on their US ones to make things easier. Maybe, olldcan, son's GF should have applied for dual residency and done likewise.

9 P M here and Christmas is over. We had two wonderful days. Last night with friends and today, just the three of us. Gifts were lovely and well thought out. DD made a delicious baked French toast for us this morning with O J as one of the ingredients.
I am tired, though. I find socializing exhausting. I am good for about 3 hours and then I am so anxious to get home and in my 'jammies that I just can't fake it. Not like the old days when we would stay up until 1 or 2.

Looking forward to a quiet week and then we will have the gang here for New Year's Eve when we just get lots of Chinese food. Then I AM DONE !

I think it must be an age thing judy, I got to DDs at 9am and didn't leave till 6pm, but by noon I was starting to climb the wall, just wanting to stretch out in some space of my own. The fact it turned so cold didn't help either, it was definitely jammies and uggs weather. I think what made it worse was the fact that their lounges are too low for me to sit on and comfortably get out of and I got sick of sitting upright at the table. I ended up in her partner's office that adjoins the sitting area where they had their tree and presents, and sitting in his lovely big office chair. At least I had a good view of the children opening and playing with their presents.

I have noticed amongst my lot Lego is really big again - did it ever go out??? Even my 12 year old GD wanted it - Lego and makeup, what a combination, the big girl doesn't quite want to leave the little girl behind!!!. They have finally brought out a lot of lego for girls now, don't know why it took them so long, the girls are so into it. I think between the two families the grands must have enough Lego by now to build a bridge between Sydney and LA.

Good morning ladies! Wore out from yesterday, but it was wonderful. If one grandbaby does me in like this, I don't know what I'll do when this new one gets here. Invest in a lot of aspirin and Ben Gay I guess..*L*

But it is a very satisfying worn out. When is the new one due creeser?

Found out tonight we had our wettest Christmas Day in 71 years.

creeser, doesn't it make you wonder why women start their families while in their 40's??? Who would have the patience for that?

roo, we had steady rain yesterday for seven hours, I feel your pain. More expected today thru Sunday!

What about those that start in their 50s, even saw one woman start at 60. I guess though to us it is a bit of a been there/done that thing. If you had never had the chance to have children earlier and were desperate for a family then that would be different thing.

Rain didn't bother me too much yesterday, it was just driving home in it that I hated, I just felt for the kids with all their new bikes, skateboards and scooters who just had to sit and look at them.

We have been warned to be prepared for rain New Year's Eve. That will really put a dampener on the fireworks. Do you ever get to see ours? We are led to believe the eyes of the world are on ours, because we are first to celebrate. I must admit they usually do a good job of "blowing up our bridge", don't know what they would do without it

Midnight again, time Roo went to bed. Night all.

Roo, Boo2 is due August 2nd. We will find out in February if it's a boy or girl. Been scouring nurseries on houzz for my daughter. Found one with pale turquoise walls with touches of orange that is really fun.
Bobbi, absolutely. I have a dear friend that remarried at 35 and her hubby had no children from his first marriage, so they had 2 kids. One when she was 38 and the second just before she turned 40. I don't know how she did it.
We've got a rainy, stormy morning with strong winds this afternoon. Great day to take down Christmas decorations!

Roo, this is true. If you've never done it and want children, I guess being older wouldn't matter. Then some people just have more energy than I do, too. *L*
G'night!

Roo according to my 16 year old's 18 year old friend you're never too old for lego! Regarding Aussie humour. Back in the 80s channel 4 here in the UK began showing Aussie films and they were on the whole really good. I like the earthy humour, nothing is sacred and you can't take yourself too seriously or you'll be as you say bagged! I was watching Wogboy and my husband was initially appalled until he got into it. We recently watched Swift and shift which was a hoot. We don't think all Aussies are like this though. One thing I saw and thought was very Australian and not European or American was a politician standing up in parliament and calling his opponent a liar to his face, they uproar here would be unending.

Talk about Lego's - my son had a friend that collected them. Big boxed sets, small McDonald's giveaways, he didn't care. But here's what makes me think of him everytime - he had a paper route when he was about 10 years old. He did so well with it, they gave him another route. His (single) mom lost her job, and he took on a thrid route. Before he was 14, he was managing the other paper routes and supporting his family. Imagine???

Back from my mini-holiday trip too this morning! This has to be the first time ever, that I got to my cousins in NW NJ, without tons of holiday traffic .. must have timed it just right! Treated myself this time to a night at a local hotel, since I worry every Christmas about getting stuck driving home at night in bad weather. Got there early, changed clothes leisurely, had a relaxed evening & overnight, then headed home around sunrise this morning. Definitely wanted to be home early, because there’s a terrible storm going across the U.S. yesterday & today! Hopefully we’ll just get rain on the coast, but the winds may be bad .. again.

Yes, Legos are back, one of my cousins’ kids got a huge box of them yesterday!

I expected to travel a lot when I retired, but these periodic overnights make me worry about it. I’ve gotten so used to my Tempurpedic bed, and hotel beds aren’t good on the joints!

Having biological children at an older age can be dangerous & selfish; more chance of the baby having serious medical issues, and depending how old the parents are, they may be limiting the possibility that their grandchildren will grow up with grandparents. In 2009, a woman psychologist in NJ had twins at 60, to “give their 6 year old playmates”. The 6 year old was by in-vitro fertilization, after a miscarriage in her 40s. When she wanted to do it again at 59, American doctors wouldn’t because of her age .. so she went to South Africa for IVF. She’s the oldest American mom of twins. She & her husband already had 2 adult children of 29 & 33! In families I know, children rarely pal around with siblings 6 years younger; they did say they didn't like having an empty nest.

astraea, I think that 60 year old woman is crazy and a bit selfish. When her twins turn 20, she'll be 80 (if she's lucky!). How effective of a parent can you be at 60, or 70? Imagine being that age and going to the elementary school for a conference and sitting yourself down on one of those little chairs. I don't think so!!! Those chairs were awful when I was in my 20's!

In a recent interview, the woman said she has more energy for her twins at 65, than she did for her older children, when she was in her 30s. But when she starts going to school for events, her children may be embarrassed that their Mom looks like everyone else's grandmother! She said her parents lived into their 90s, but that's no guarantee for her or her husband. I kind of think that these 3 younger children will be just the right age to take care of them, and may not have a chance to start their own families.