the visitors from o'er there

The highlights are so many, beginning with ann, lucy, gregg, laura, and andy all coming over for beer and wine and segueing into a night in Bondi (re: Thai Ploy and BBs), with my bro and the incredible Jen announcing their engagement. There was makeup shopping at the Jungga, Target shopping at the Jungga, the big wedding day and the incredible dancing Johnston kids (my nieces and nephews). There was the Hunter Valley trek with my parents (and 2 Kiwis, and 6 Finns) and some very generous wineries. The Opera House tour was another highlight, as was the adorable, happy Norwegian baby in our tour group.

The afternoon at Manly brought the first ocean dip of the season as well as a delicious $5 ice cream cone -- makes me think of the $5 milkshake in Pulp Fiction. We trekked across the Harbour Bridge to Luna Park and its amusements. Laura, Andy, and I took in the Convict Museum and Laura and I tried out the hammocks the cons used to sleep in. (And we looked up our own last names in the convict data base).

There was a most spectular, elaborate cornucopia of Thanksgiving on Thursday at the beautiful Beach House. Three kitchens, 2 sweet potato dishes, and a table for 13 made for a glorious night in Bondi. All present: Mom, Dad, Tara, Haydn, Ann, Lucy, Gregg, Uz, Kathie, Sophie, Joeley, Andy, Laura. We didn't have football action, but we had Kath & Kim DVDs for post-turkey.

Oh, I'm so wistful now about it all, I can't believe my family and friends were here on my street, in my corner of the world, enjoying the breakfast spots of Bondi (Sun Cafe, Skinny Dip, Bondi Cafe, Baristas...). Most memorable times...




it looks like they're discussing world peace, but the topic was actually how to glue on fake eyelashes.


Ella and Ainsley


Tara and Laura striking a Young Hollywood Starlet pose


Either my dad can look pretty cool watching my mom's purse, or it was the shot of Dragon's Bite that we just sampled


Backdrop: Harbour Bridge


Backdrop: Opera House


Tara & Andy (nice shirt!)


Kathie & Gregg


Pa & the husband


The gang's all here


Ann in the warm glow of candlelight


Laura & I love to tour anything spooky and sordid: convict residence, check!


Much love!
tara

best day. ever.

It was a most lovely, perfect day and and a total ball at night at the beach.

ARIAs a bit late

Haydn and I went to the ARIAs last Sunday (Australian version of Grammys), and it was fun to get dressed up and gawk (one of the guys from Savage Garden sat at a table near us and he drinks beer and text messages just like the rest of us!). One of my faves, "Bob Evans won an award and Wolfmother won a bunch of awards of course. Gosh the pressure will be on for the "sophomore effort" so to speak.

But anyway, it was like 6 hours long and of course the dessert was the best course. And I guess the Veronicas are really short. And I need a best of Midnight Oil album bc so many of those songs are soooo good and they were inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame by Silverchair, who was introduced by the man, Bono.

And I just really like this pic of me and Haydn. His lips are probably a little purple from a few glasses of red. Hee hee.




tara