Looking through my photos to catch up

Some major catching up to do in my journal.

In 2013 took on a lot with the Community Garden, their 8 A5 page Newsletter every month, retyping it onto the webpage I set up for it, and their Facebook too.  The November Issue includes a blow-by-blow instruction on how to ferment vegetables at home, which are an important part of our diet for probiotics.

I don't garden there as we have a demanding garden at home, but I usually end up over there for the informal lunch on Wednesdays.

At the end of November we were invited up to the Gold Coast QLD for may wonderful daughter-in-law Emi's birthday. We were there for a few days, and Emi wanted to spend the actual day in a beautiful national park Springbook to the west.  We walked down to the waterfall, and very pleased we had done it afterwards.  It was a long haul back to the top.

Finished the celebration with the four of us sharing one of those enormous seafood platters.

Our  first concert  for December was the Christmas party for the volunteers for all the Caroona homes in Lismore, with attendance of 100+ . Those present were honoured for their volunteering, in 5 year increments, and one lady had been visiting the homes for 55 years.

After that we had a tragedy in the family on Russell Island QLD.  We cancelled the rest of the concerts for December.  We travelled up there and went out to sea for the scattering of the ashes, and the Memorial Service a few days later.  

from Facebook

 One of my favourite views west of Byron Bay NSW on the trip.

We returned home the day before Christmas, and we kept to our plan to have Christmas with friends at our place. Some thought we wouldn't do it, but all the planning and something else to think about I find helpful.

We've been out riding on our bikes without coming to grief.

I admired these street trees near the shopping centre that I would not have noticed when driving.

After being inspired seeing a ukulele group in a rotunda at Grafton on the way home from a trip south, we are starting a music group at the community garden this coming Saturday.  All instruments that people can bring with them are welcome, guitar, ukulele, mandolin, etc, as well as people who like to sing and others who just want to come along.  It will be interesting to see who turns up as 22 people have said they are coming.  We have a couple of beginners and we know most of them as they previously attended the Monday Night group which was walk-up with mikes and amplification.  This is harmony hopefully - "Playing along, singing a song - side by side", no solos, mikes or amplification - sitting around in a circle, with instrument tuned, keeping time, in the same key.

The issue was how to provide the music, one group we were in sent an email with six new songs per month.  However I googled and decided to follow the example of a group in UK that puts out a book to start with.  I have used a few songs from the Lismore group and chorded and added the ukulele chord illustrations to make up 40 songs, which took me a couple of weeks.  Was able to add number of gospels as everyone but two of the people are regular worshippers.

My most recent photo with the moon after sunset. I caught this at last light, it was dark shortly afterwards.

If anyone reads this, many blessings, and a happy and healthy year.
God Bless,
Jan