Back from Melbourne

Greetings dear readers!

We have just been down to hubby's hometown Melbourne for a very quick visit in connection with his uncle's 90 birthday.

It was held in a hotel with an all-you-can-eat buffet. It is a convenient way of getting a lot of people together with not a lot of expense to the birthday boy or girl. Everyone pays for their own meal and drinks at the bar. You can bring decorations, i.e. balloons and cake and flowers etc, and make it personal.

Hubby's grand-paternal clan on his father's side (phew!),
and yes, hubby has (re)grown a beard, maybe inspired by
all the hipsters we saw in Sweden or just laziness.

Now with hubby's grand-maternal clan on his
father's side, and that of his uncle's dear departed
wife.

My brother-in-law, sister-in-law, hubby,
and me.

Here is the birthday boy in all his
splendour. Pink satin shirt with
matching cravat and grey shiny suit
with black shiny shoes. Very stylish!

It was just an overnight trip, since hubby is still working and doesn't have many holidays to take. He will go back to Sweden in February to help our elder daughter hang paintings for an exhibition at a gallery near our cottage.

I wrote on Facebook that my mother had passed away. It was very sad. She had had a fall and broken her hip. We really thought that she would recover, especially when they sent her back to her nursing home from the hospital after the operation. She passed away after a week in hospital and a week back in her room at the nursing home. I was very happy to have been there for those two weeks.  They were very kind to her and me, letting me stay in her room in the hospital.

We didn't have a big funeral, only family - one grandson, hubby and me. My mother was 94, and most of her relatives and friends are gone too. Then we had to empty her room and sort out her belongings which was also very sad and brought back many memories.

It feels a little strange now that I am the older generation in our family. I wish I had written down more information while there was still time.

Sydney's fireworks are pretty good, live on TV!

We are also well into 2019 and I would like to wish you all the best. I haven't made any resolutions this year either, since it always seem to jinx it. 

Hubby made a small one though ... wait for it ... buying stickers and remembering to write on different packages that he puts in the freezer. This came about after he, on several occasions, has grabbed something to take to work for lunch, and it has turned out to be unsuitable for a work lunch room, e.g. raw prawns, uncooked osso bucco. He would love to have labels on everything not only the things in the freezer. It is not a real life-changing resolution like jogging every morning or stopping drinking, but it is a good one, and I am wholeheartedly behind him on this one.

I have also had time since being back from Sweden to catch up with my friend A before Christmas. We had a lovely lunch at one of her fave restaurants, the Boathouse.

Christmas Day was fun. It was "the kids" and friends of theirs, and the weather was gorgeous. We did miss the pool that we had in the other house though, so that is definitely on the checklist when we go looking for a house to buy now.

Have to go now and simulate housework, although hubby has caught onto this by the sink still being warm when he steps in the door.

Take care and be kind!