brief and concise are...not my middle names!

WELL, so much to write about! But despite my lack of middle names (see above) I'll do my best to summarise... so here goes, in no particular order! :

• Sydney for my Grandma's 80th was tres fun! Flew over fri nite with Mum, Dad, Jono, Dan and Phili (go Virgin all the way! and woohoo, no travel sickness due to the wonder drug Dramamine!) Stayed with Grandma and Grandpa at my Uncle Stephen, Aunty Leone and cousin Michael's place which is always cool because its so familiar and i automatically feel completely at home! We're quite a melodramatic bunch so many group hugs, star hugs (involving flinging your arms in the air so your body forms a star shape, whilst hollering 'STAR HUUUUGG!!!'), screaming, and catching up! Sat. was onto the one and only Opera House in the party bus (we hired a snazzy little, well actually quite large, van) to meet everyone and see the ballet 'White' which was compiled of 3 diff ballets- one from the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries (as far as my limited ballet-understanding mind goes, the first one was traditional ballet- pretty, graceful (i can't believe how they actually do that without falling over!!) but a tad slowmoving, second one was more contemporary (think flesh coloured skin tights, didn't really know where to look sometimes!!) and intellectual i guess- representing woman's equality with men physically and emotionally (which, the femenist that i am, appealed to me!), and the third one was prob my favourite- again more traditional, beautiful... I dunno how you'd describe it! But it was cool). Dad and Jon,during the ballet, went shopping at the Rocks markets (as did Dan and Phili-Dan aquired some very funky shoes, and Phili a bracelet) and Dad got me this really nice silver fish bracelet thing which was really sweet! After that we strolled up to the Stamford Grand for coffee and cake (soo nice, like a really moist marble/mud cake- prob shouldn't have had that second piece, didn't feel that great in the van after!) in the gorgeous foyer which was full of comfy yet chic couches. THEN onto my Uncle Mark and Aunty Eileen's for a Chinese banquet type dinner- really good to catch up with the family, have/listen to lively intellectual discussions, eat, have general fun and frivolity! Don't get that much of the family together at one time, so really value the time we have. Next day (almost) everyone came over for a Mother's Day lunch at home which was good- have a bit more of a catch up (and the best food!), said our goodbyes and flew home! Lol, that was really brief.

• As some of you may now know, Dad's been nominated for Adelaide Archibishop which is exciting/scary! It's cool i can talk to people about it now, haven't been allowed even tho we've know for a few wks. I think it's exciting because, although only time will tell if he gets it, i think he'd be great in the job (and i'm not just saying that because i'm his daughter!)- the diocose is in pretty bad shape with all the sex abuse claims/victims, and the resignation of the former archibishop, but I think Dad's got both the people skills, is a leader in the way he encourages other people to lead- like build up a team and not have it all depending on him, and a knowledge of what needs to be the way forward. It's kind of funny, and a good thing that he's just done a PhD on humility! If he did get it, I don't think the position would be about status to him, although its a privilege he deserves to be nominated! As a daughter I guess my first reaction as well was that I wouldn't want to lose him (which I wouldn't, but emotional reactions aren't always logical)- it would mean seeing him a lot less probably, and it would be a big thing to take on... But i reckon we're a strong family which is important... ANYWAY, we'll cross all those bridges when we get to them, and i hope i haven't said too much!!

• Yes, it's officially official, Dave and I are going out :oD!!!

OK, time to go do the bins... Ciao for now!!