MERRY CHRISTMAS

 

 

Wishing all my blogging buddies

 

all over the world

 

a wonderful, safe, Happy Christmas

 

filled with laughter and good cheer.

 

 

NO WORDS NEEDED

# All photos today from the internet. 

UNDER SIEGE

The world has heard about events that are unfolding in Sydney tonight.
Below is an entry I read on Facebook tonight

"Sent from a friend on the train home from Sydney:

I just caught a train home through the central Sydney line. The mood was very different to my usual Monday afternoon trip home.

 Less people were looking down at their phones. As you walked past complete strangers they gave you a little nod and a smile.

 As I got off at central station I saw two grown men in suits run into each other, they obviously knew one and other. They gave each other a manly hug and asked "How ya goin?"... they both responded with "Yeah... shit day but good, I'm going good mate."

I realised on my trip home that terrorism WILL NEVER work in Australia.
We are not scared.
We are not terrorised.
We are gravely concerned about our brothers and sisters in that coffee shop. But you will not win. You will never be able to tear apart this nation.

Why?

 Because we have a weapon stronger than yours.
Stronger than your religious beliefs, stronger than your hatred, stronger than your pathetic fear mongering, stronger than your misguided violence, stronger than you.

We are Australians and we have a secret weapon you will never have or understand..

mateship.

We are a nation of mates who will never be broken by the actions of a cowardly few.
What I realised on the way home was that in your attempt to scare our nation you have galvanised our mateship.

You failed. "

Let's hope this is right !

GETTING READY

I'm not a huge fan of Christmas because it's so HOT ! 

No matter what I do I can never get cool on Christmas Day.

This year it's our turn to have the family gathering here ....

Which means Tony's family as mine are all up in Hervey Bay...

So I have to start making plans.

No heavy fruit cake for us this year ( or any other year !)

In honour of our recent holiday in Italy this year we are having Panforte.

Yesterday I gathered the ingredients together and in no time it was done.

TICK  !

Next standby was Almond Bread

TICK !

So there's a turkey breast in the freezer, 

a whole ham on order.

The tree is up, 

presents purchased and wrapped.

I seem to be on top of it all.

Cheers

THIS WEEK

This week I've been:

 

 

* Babysitting Scout while Sally went to Bali.

 

 

Making a start on Christmas shopping.

I have the wrapping covered, now I just have to buy the gifts !

 

 

* Buying cherries - love the dark red ones.

There's supposed to be a huge crop this year.

 I wonder if that means they won't be expensive !!

 

 

* Stopping for lunch while Christmas shopping.

Sushi is my weakness ! ( well, one of them !! )

 

 

 

* Marvelling at how clever Nature is !

Although we badly need rain, this Ixora loves the Summer and the little bit of water that I have given it and here's my reward !

 

Here's a more recent photo of poor Scout.

 

 

She has a badly strained Achilles tendon

and will be in a splint for a couple of weeks.

Oh dear !!

 

Cheers.

 

 

BRISBANE and THE G 20 - LIVING IN A GHOST TOWN !

( Beware photo laden post ahead !) 

 

Below is a photo of peak hour traffic on any normal week night in Brisbane.

Our lovely modern city is in the background with the road coming over the Victoria Bridge from the absolute centre of the city to the large busway taking workers home for dinner.

 

 

... and this is what it looks like today (Friday ).



 

Deserted !

This is what happens when you send mixed signals to the people of your city.

 

You cancel all buses entering and leaving the city area.

 

 

All vehicles entering the Central Business District (CBD ) must go through security checks

 

 

like these.

 

 

  This is the main train station in the centre of town at what should be peak hour in the morning !

 

Everywhere you go there are barriers to keep you out

 

 

 



High security is everywhere !

 



 

  

and this is the result - A Ghost Town !

 

 

The inner city streets normally busy seven days a week

 

 

are completely deserted but the businesses are all open for trading.

 

The parklands where citizens in their thousands flock to enjoy the blue skies and sunny days

are eerily quiet.

 

What's going on, you ask?

 In a word, the G20 has come to town.

There are no buses into the city.

The CityCat river  ferries have an exclusion zone right in the centre of the city.

Most car parks are closed and those that are open have huge security, searching cars for explosive devices.

All offices in the city are closed - it's a Public Holiday in Brisbane as workers can't get into the city for their jobs

but the shops and restaurants are open as the weekends are their peak trading times.

 ( paying their workers double time because they are working on a Public Holiday )

 

Important people are arriving

 

 

and obviously bringing lots of luggage with them !

So far the protestors have been colourful and good humoured.

 



 

But the citizens of Brisbane have stayed away in droves.

The hype about all this security has turned them all off going into the city to enjoy the special touches that have been added to make our city look good to the rest of the world.  

 

The bridges are all lit up at night and so are many of the buildings around the city. 

 

The city itself  is looking lovely with the flowering trees putting on a great show.

 

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and some of the street art is truly exceptional

 

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but with a long weekend ahead of us and the thermometer heading for 40 C for the next three days

 

this

 

 

  

is where you'll find most Brisbanites !

 

 

 

Cheers.

 

* photos taken by Tony.  All others from the internet.