Tress and I used to look forward to our Friday night dinners at a local joint. It’s our “TGIF” time to wind down and start the weekend. Lately however, we haven’t really found a place we like so we’ve been just cooking at home a bit more. I’m not sure how much this has to do with my self imposed no-alcohol lifestyle; maybe the increasingly pricey offerings of the nicer places also has something to do with the more “stay at home” celebrations.
So last Friday night, we cooked a couple of little lobster tails that I picked up from a local Aldi store a few days earlier. Lynn, our friend from the dog park, had told us about it – she had bought 6 packets (of 2 tails each) for her family Christmas lunch. We threw in a couple of veges and cooked it all on the Weber Q. It was a nice stay-at-home TGIF.
Saturday morning, we did our usual thing of a lazy brekky at home and an extended walk for the little fellow, and then Tress had a hairdresser appointment. I ducked out to Bunnings to get ready to oil the deck. The weather forecast however, had predicted rain so while I was all geared up, I didn’t get to start on the task, which has to wait for a little bit. I did also however, pick up a new yard broom and pan set, along with a chilli plant which I introduced to the other inhabitants of our little vege patch. Fingers crossed they would all flourish.
Around midday, we took the older boy to Heather, another friend from the dog park, who is also a dog sitter and groomer, for a good scrub. Little LBJ has been very disoriented lately. He’s 15 now and his feet are starting to weaken too. This, along with his other ailments and woes. Yesterday, as we walked at the dog park, we chatted with both Heather and Lynn and Heather thought we should start to think about sending LBJ away – she thinks his (LBJ’s) quality of life has deteriorated very badly. I agree, his quality of life hasn’t been so flash, but every time I carry him, I can sense his affection and his wanting to be near us. He is very much pushing on and I don’t think I can, at this point in time, contemplate sending him off just yet.
Yesterday at St Alf’s after the usual service, there was the annual AGM. Numerous nominations for roles in the council and a committee came in so there as a voting process, and the candidates/nominees introduced themselves that included brief descriptions of their backgrounds. They all sounded so impressive. A prominent retired doctor. a very prominent lawyer, accountants, scientists, seasoned missionaries and CEOs of missions organisations – they all stack up to suggest St Alf’s is loaded with talent. My vote however, went to those I thought would be channels of God’s own work. God doesn’t need worldly talents or qualifications. He is far better than all that and it is who He is and His work that matters. I hope that works. There was also an “invest for the future” thing where we were asked to contribute to some capital/building works and beefing up of ministries over the next few years. I thought we’d do our share and the report of Bill the treasurer appears to be very positive.
After St Alf’s, Tress and I drove down towards Syndal for lunch. It had been raining the whole morning and that busy stretch of shops on Blackburn Road just before Syndal station, saw a car turn into a parking lot quite suddenly. The car behind it applied the emergency brake and we were right behind it so I too, did likewise and stopped in time. The car behind me however, did not and collided into our rear. The damage is minimal so I wasn’t too fussed, although the pain of engaging with the insurer company and their panel of repair folks beckons, which pained me.
We continue to enjoy the streams of pictures and video clips that came our way from up north. Abby continues to grow so well and each clip just warms my heart and makes me look forward to the next time we can be with them/her again. At the moment, that’s just under 4 weeks. Yesterday, I mentioned to Mike, another dog park friend of ours, that it’s only 4 weeks to Christmas. That startled me but yes, I have been counting down. Sure, I love Christmas but the countdown was more about framing time around when we’d be with our Canberran family again. It’s less than 4 weeks now… not quite an Advent like event I know, but I am very much looking forward to it all the same.
Ante 