Day 19: Sun 8 Mar - Canberra

14-27 deg C, overcast to start the day, then fine

Walk G: 4km; total: 81km

Walk W: 5km; total: 77km

Greg went to Church with Mum and Dad while Wendy went grocery shopping! After lunch, Wendy walked over to Dale and Suzanne's to help prepare the food for Mum's 80th birthday party. Today's menu was:

Starter:

- prawns with seafood sauce

- corn ships and three different dips

Mains:

- whole beef fillet cooked medium-rare

- creamy mushroom sauce

- roasted sweet potato

- simple potato salad (boiled, with butter and salt)

- roast beetroot and fetta salad, with balsamic vinegar

- stir-fried green bean salad with red onion, soy sauce and toasted slivered almonds

Dessert:

- creme caramel

- rolled pavlova with strawberries and cream

- Crème Brûlée

All that delicious food was washed down with some nice wines.  Speeches were made between courses by Henry, James and Mum.  As we started eating about 4pm, it was a relatively early night. We both slept well after a long and busy day.

Table setting

Kev, Wendy, Mum and Dale

Starters

Dinner

Mum giving her speech, not sure what is going on with Wendy's hair though??!!

The hosts - Dale and Suzanne

Henry, Samantha, Dad, Suz, Greg (the theme for the day was "All things bright and beautiful"), Jemmy, Carla, James, Paddy and Sarah (Suz's parents), Dale, Mum, Kev, Wendy, Ben, Jojo (Photos taken by Archer (Jo's bf) (We were told to wear something bright, the only thing Greg that fitted the bill was one of his riding shirts)

We did video the speeches however, they all exceed the 100Mb limit

Henry's speech

James' speech

Mum's speech:

How lucky and blessed am I??

How many people, at 80 years of age, can have all the people they love so dearly, together in 1 place.

Before I start, and in case I forget later, thanks you all, for planning and executing today to be so special for me. Thank you all for the beautiful decorations, flowers stolen from someone’s garden and ably arranged by the Mellon Florists Company incorporated.

Val Doonagan (1964-BTW -that’s 52 years ago, wrote a song and hopefully modern technology is going to play it now – when I click my fingers!!! Its about a mothers advice to her son – to live always with pride and integrity, even if things get tough. When I look around this room I know that unconditional love it what we’re all about. I suppose, if I were to look closely at a herd of Impala, I would notice that they don’t all look alike… But around this table ……….WOW you’re all so handsome and beautiful, kind hearted and caring.

So thanks to our children for their children. To our children, our son-in-law and 2 daughters-in-law, I say Thank you for all the time we have spent together, for the fun, for the laughter, the support and the proudness we feel, AND FOR YOUR love and togetherness in our lives.

To our amazing grandchildren – you all know how much we love you. In the end always remember that nothing in this world is more important than love Frank Sinatra sang

“I’ve lived a life its true,I’ve travelled each and every highway, But more, much more than this, I did it my way.”

If I could sing I would change the last line to read, “I did it the Lords way”

Not to forget …….with Pops always propping me up when I felt I was falling or pulling me back when I got too boisterous!!!

SO:

I’m finished blabbing now, but for our dearest Grand children, please remember BEEBEE saying:

NO ONE CAN LIVE YOUR LIFE FOR YOU, REMEMBER TO BE IN CHARGE OF IT,  ALWAYS THANK YOU FOR THIS SPECIAL DAY AND THANK YOU FOR LOVING ME.