June 20 2018

Well the weather has turned icy here in Toowoomba ---- Yes I know --- just like everywhere else 😊.
We went out today to watch Mr 10 participate in his School athletics events.  He did very well in the discus and the Long jump.  Unfortunately he didn't place in them BUT he participated.
Thursday they will have their track and field events.  The wind today was making it very difficult for the discus throwing as it was moving it backwards, rather than forwards.

I have had a great time this semester teaching the students at the Primary school with coiling weave.  Some have 'run' with it and others have struggled a little but each and everyone of the young girls have persevered with learning this skill.

 all enjoying their weaving sessions

I was also asked by the High School to teach their year 8 and 9 Indigenous girls with the coiling weave.  We also did string bags.

 string bag making

 concentrating

coiling weave

I had a really great day teaching four ladies how to do the coiling weave on the 2nd June.  The time just flew past.  The ladies managed to make a small bowl each in the five hours and requested another day, so we are having another session on the 7th July and there are currently 11 women booked in to do weaving.  Should be a great day.

 Weaving with Raffia

 Concentrating hard on coiling weave

 My students and their work

We met up with Ben and Brad for Bradley's birthday on 11th June.  It was a lovely evening and the meals we had at Ashmore Steak and Seafood were huge.  I think we were full before we even started

 contemplating his Fettuccini

Can I fit in that Seafood basket????

Nice Steak

   my grilled fish was HUGE

Darryl is good.  He has a review with his cardiologist in July.  We went out to Hogs Breath for his birthday on the 14th June

I am off to the immunologist this Thursday to see if he can shed any light on whether he thinks I do have Polymyalgia Rheumatica (PMR).  My muscles and joints have improved greatly with the prednisolone - so will await his impression.

In September we will be heading to Western Australia for our Australian Caravan Club National Muster at Denmark (on the south coast).  From there we will head to Perth to visit family and then make our way up through the center of WA [hopefully see some wildflowers] and hopefully catch up with more family before moving on to Darwin to visit friends and Darryl's relatives before heading to Wagga Wagga for Christmas.

I also have been booked in to teach four 4-hour classes of weaving to the children, at the Child Safety group here in Toowoomba, in July school holidays.  That should be great as well.

 kits in preparation for weaving and string bags

Ben has moved stores with Woolworths and is now based at Helensvale on the Gold Coast as the Grocery [?long life?] Manager.
Bradley is moving into his second year as a baking apprentice and still loving what he is doing.
Beckie and the children are settled in Toowoomba and all doing well.

 coiling weave basket with twined handle

 twined basket base using flax and raffia and lomandra

Our plans

Hello everyone,

Hoping that you are all safe from the flooding and that none of you have had any damage to your homes.

We are ok here – only had a little rain on the south side of Brissy but friends on the north side have had lots of rain today.

Darryl and I are preparing for our BIG trip.  We have to get the van serviced this week and then we need to get new tyres for it as one is terribly worn.

We have slowly been adding food and belongings to the van and then we will leave on the 14^th March with our dog Buster.

We will visit a lovely friend at Grafton for 2 nights, We will then head to Port Macquarie to spend three nights with Uncle Max and Aunty Kath. 

From Port we will go to Taree for three nights with Darryl’s family. 

We will then head to Lithgow.  Not sure if we will stop along the way or travel all day to get there J  Depends on the weather and also the fatigue levels.

From Taree we hope to visit Darryl’s cousin Warren at Bathurst and then head out to Condobolin to visit with Ian and Family.

We will also be doing a side trip to Wagga to see Mum, Lyn and Jenny.  Call into Wagga Wagga High to check on the preparations for the 100 year celebrations.

Hope to see Aunty Nancy and family and Uncle Jack and family whilst there.

We are planning on doing a trip to the ‘Corner country’ for Easter with Ian, Wendy, Holly and Rosey – so are hoping that the weather settles and the roads have a chance to dry out in the next month .

We will then make our way to Broken Hill by the 21^st April.  From there we will be joining up with quite a few other Grey Nomads and we will make our way across through the Flinders and then up through to Alice Springs and Katherine and on to Darwin.

We also hope to head down the west coast and then across the Nullarbor so that we can meet up with our campertrailer group friends at Wellington in Late September and then down to Mallacoota in VIC in mid-October.  We have to be home in November for specialist appointments.

We will then restock the van and head to Wagga to celebrate Mum’s 80^th with the family.

Keep safe everyone.

Love Barb and Darryl