Hysteria

Another excellent weekend was had in our home-away-from home at Smiths Lake. The food was outstanding, the company excellent and even though the surf was a little lacklustre, we made the best of it in on our little break at Seal Rocks. The best part of the surf was sitting out there in the rain with Champagnekate after the wind dropped and the little fun waves kept rolling in.

Once again the fauna was spilling into the house at Vainui. First of all a monster spider jumped out of the power box when I reached in to get the key and nearly landed with a thunk on my foot, then after dark, Mumma Possum (whom we have met a few times before and is a close friend of Grommie) showed us her bub. Cathy had another interlude with some spiders in her bed on Saturday night but was swiftly rescued by Laura (not shy of a big, hairy legged spider, that one!)

Mum and bub

This is the mega spider that was hiding in the power box. He was the size of a dinner plate!

Fran flat out

 

a cuddle

Photos don't do the food justice, but suffice to say it was devine! Smoked salmon, barbecued eggplant and lamb salad with feta and mint, asparagus salad, various cheeses, blueberries, wine, chocolate, eggs, polenta pizza, salmon mornay, carrot and coriander dip, chocolate brownies and cream... you get the drift?

finished puzzle satisfaction

No surf on Sunday morn but CK played Where's Wally? in her striped shirt on the beach with the cairns. We laughed.

SM

Kate's friend

Couldn't help thinking of Champagnekate and her love for slimey, scaley snakes when I met this lovely creature on the top balcony today. It was the local Diamond Python that sometimes takes residence in a little birdbox on my neighbours deck. When he does this he's like a portable snake - you can see him all wound up in there through the birdy hole. You could just pick the box up and walk away with him, if you wanted to.

You could take him to CK's house. She'd love that! ;

SM

Rippin' and snortin'

Husband, Surferboy and I had the place to ourselves for about an hour this morning. There were some rippers peeling around the corner - most way too big for this chicken-surfermum. I got one good screamer and managed to skim past a rock in the shallows, which put the wind up me! But mostly I was paddling on the spot while the wave sucked back toward the take off rock before I became too tired to put in real effort when it was needed. 

Then the big boys came out to play. All ten of em at once. Great surfers who start way out around the corner and skirt around those rocks near the pool and spray you as they fly past. Nice if you can do it!

I think I'm a bit outa practice. Hope I can hold my own come the Girls Weekend!

This is the calm before the storm.

I expect it's madness out there now.

SM

Tourists in our local area

So, what does a surfermum do when there aint no swell..?

I lugged the family up the Elands mountain the other day in search of a waterhole that I remembered from my childhood. First of all we did the 641 steps to the bottom of the falls and back up again..!! and then I showed the gang the beautiful swimming hole complete with rope hanging out of a tree. I can't tell you how happy I was that I had found it - it's absolutely gorgeous. I love a good freshwater swimming hole. Its down an unmarked track at the top of the falls. You'd hardly know it was there. Local knowledge huh?! I recommend it if you like mountain climbing (the vehicle, not you...the road's windy and steep).

Ellenborough Falls

Secret childhood swimming spot

I also had the fam pretend they were tourists and come on a whale watching cruise. The whales were quiet that day my friend... of course, the day before was breeching heaven! But it was brilliant to see those magnificent creatures up close and personal before they tipped their tales to us and bid us farewell.

So, what have you been up to in the school holidays?

 

SM

 

Happy Birthday Jules!

Stalking and stuff

Took a flying visit to Sydney last saturday to see The Cat Empire at the Enmore Theatre with Molly. They were as fabulous as last time we saw them! And the Enmore is such a great venue, I love how the floorboards are like a trampoline when everyone gets a-jumping!

After a quick shopping spree at Bondi Junction Molly had me driving to North Bondi to drop off a CD that was supposed to be signed by a band - Lime Cordiale. As soon as she got out of the car the one of the dudes from the band walked down the street so Molly waved him down and chatted him up while the other two kids and I took stalker type pictures of them from the car.

I think Molly has a future as a groupie and we are future paparazzi!

SM

Today's Manning River Times

The Indian Night at Manning Regional Art Gallery:
We might have missed out on the showbags, but we did get our photos in the paper...
SM

Dear Diary

I have neglected you I know, but there has been so much happening!

Last week I had the most wonderful birthday. First I took my lovely children to see the African Childrens choir at Laurieton. I didn’t tell them where we were going until Molly discovered our destination via my iphone when we were half way there. I guess I just didn’t know when the best time to tell them would be, because - as I predicted - they were overwhelmed with emotion about it. …They had the shits big time!

We arrived in a cloud of misery and could barely exit the car for all the old people going pushing their way into the club. Or at least that’s how my kids saw it. Only old folks were allowed to inhabit Laurieton, I told them. You had to be at least 75 years old before a residency permit was granted here. Gosh, we were outside our comfort zone.

Then having to endure the support act - a Primary School kids choir - really knocked their socks off. Sitting amongst the elderly and having to watch little kids sing was enough to send them over the edge.

But slowly they started to bend. They started to warm and soften when they could see the odd kid outta time, outta step, some daydreaming, some kicking their thongs off mid song… the usual primary school choir stuff. Enough to lighten the mood.

And then the African kids came on and the party started. They were brilliant! Those kids can sing. But not only that, they dance like they’ve just discovered it and it’s the best fun ever! You can’t imagine there could be so many different dance moves! And, of course, the smiles are huge, permanent and real.

Those kids were a blur of smiles, colour and song, you couldn't help but be moved. In fact, the mood was considerably lighter on the return trip. By the time we were half way home Molly had us convinced we should adopt a refugee. Nice.

And you know how the rest of the day panned out (as per Annie’s Bollywood post). The funny thing was that we missed out on the food, the films, and the showbags... But it was the best fun ever! Just goes to show you don’t need all that stuff – you just need a great bunch of friends in order to have a good time. (the free champers may have helped too!)

And, lastly Dear Diary, the last 3 days have been the most empowering and uplifting days ever. I have been to the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People course. While I was there I had to think about what’s important in my life and during my stream of consciousness session (where you write whatever comes into your mind down on paper) things like friends, fun, laughing, family, love, colour and connecting all those things together formed a bit of a theme. This blog kept coming to my mind. I kept picturing the photo from last Sunday of us on the carpet (see Annie’s post below). Thank you to all the Surfermums who connect/contribute/communicate their wonderful ideas/experiences here. I love it. More please :)

And if you have the chance to do that course, you should do it! It was brilliant.
SM

Bollywood Birthday Bash or MOB Goes to Bollywood.... by Annie

Learning the steps

Bollywood Surfermums going for it.

The planets lined up for August....  this months Birthday Surfer Mum was to celebrate Bollywood Style!  What a night.  Now we know that in India there are the starving...but watch the Taree Hoi Polloi chase down a waiter with a tray full of Samosa!  Get your running shoes on gals.  Not to mention Party Bags..... "none for you" - feel like we're at the Seifield Soup Nazi....soup kitchen....
Buuuuttt what a fun night!  Surfermum and Bel showed how to Bollywood Dance like it's 1999! Wow.... we saw the lawn mower, the sprinkler and other Bollywood moves.... yes it was a happening place.... great music, drumming, sitars and champers.....We had a blast.... then it was time to leave..... tried to catch car #2 by doing laps around the roundabout....  so we could let them know about our detour on the way home, but to no avail.... we got a bit dizzy........AND the FINALE.... to top off a night of nights... we had to have the annual Sufermum Birthday KFC 11 herbs and spices.....(I'm sure the Colonel visited Bombay sometime).

So today I'm still laughing at the fun that was had... and yes... we nearly have a birthday to celebrate every month..... with breaks before the Christmas rush of fun....  What a lovely bunch we are... Thanks so much Girls, and thanks too for all your 50th wishes..... and my lovely card and gift xoxo.

KFC Samosa!

One surfermums milestone

Well what do surfermums do to celebrate a 50th birthday ? Ski down the snow , visit the relos in Sydney.....miss their own birthday cebration in Wylie Breckenbridge park ..... Catch up with the girls at Gobblegutz .... Mmmm yummmm .
Yes it has been a busy week for Annie!!
She is off shopping for a gold bracelet this week courtesy of friends and family donations ...
One very talented friend has immortalized our Annie , and completed an amazing portrait in acrylic paint . Annie has taken up posing nude for a photographer on the beach , hopefully after she had finished surfing the reef .. I have been hounding her , texting 10 times a day for  a snapshot of the now hidden away painting to no avail.. Please request she post the picture . How many hot 50 year old women can boast a six pack , great bod  and of course that hairdo !! Lyn has captured those multicolored highlights beautifully.... Someone tell me .... Who is her hairdresser???
Happy birthday Annie !!
Ps a very talented journalist has a birthday coming up next week - more reason to celebrate !!

A word from Belinda:

Wow what a culture shock! Coming back to Australia I mean... It takes a very short stay to be seduced by India and all she has to offer. Within a few days one really feels like a part of this chaotic yet organised ecosystem. Arrived home Monday morning and drove back through Sydney in traffic  once thought of as heavy but now seemed very orderly. Three lanes were really three lanes with traffic even travelling in the same direction!! Quite a contrast to; if you can manoeuvre then go, not necessarily with the flow and cars are interspersed with people, carts, took tooks, pushbikes, motorbikes, dogs, not to mention the occasional elephant or camel. The horn is a constant sound used as a polite tool rather than an aggressive reaction.  The people are warm and welcoming with great dignity in spite of their level of what we term 'wealth'. In sooo many ways they are very rich especially with the amount of smiles they spontaneously have to give away!!.
Would recommend India to everyone at least once in a lifetime xx I for one will surely go again for much longer next time as we had such a small taste. As  the saying goes " You do not decide to go to India; India calls you"

Last Day in India

The last few days have been jam packed as usual! We are on our last day now and its the third day of the Model United Nations conference at Sanskriti School. The kids have been awesome, they have learnt so much about themselves, about extending themselves and realising that these Indian kids are just normal kids, like themselves.

The first day at the school the kids made some new friends and also had a lesson teaching Year 4 about Australia. Our kids were in their element! Ayisha and Claudia had the kids eating out of their hand, and Kaitlyn was looking like a natural teacher. The three day MUN has been intense at times and we have been so proud of how our kids have performed.

Had a speed shopping session at Dilli Haart Market the other night. I was ably assisted by Dayal and Saul who were excellent shopping partners! I think Saul was stunned by my effiency :)

Last night we attended the disco put on by Sanskriti. It was fantastic! The kids had a ball. The Aussies were the first to hit the dance floor and thats when the party started! You shoulda seen them dance. Belinda and I voted Liam and Jack best dancers. Steve came a close third when he let loose with The Steve Shuffle (as it has become known). It was a really fun night.

Only the closing ceremony to go this afternoon, then we will have to say good bye to our new friends. It will be sad to leave India, but it will be wonderful to get home and see our beautiful families.

love to all.

No photos still. Its a techno glitch. Its India;) SM

Message from home!!

Well the traveling surfermums sound like they are having a fantastic time in India. The near daily updates are awesome and am lovin' the photos. (We do need to see photos of you on those elephants though!!).
The last few days of holidays here at home have been beautiful. Nice wave rolling in at "The Reef", water temp really nice (even for a frog like me) and a friendly chat out the back with a few other locals between waves. Then........ had to go back to work!!! I guess that's what makes us appreciate it when it is good.

Am really looking forward to our next MOB surf - must plan a weekender again soon.

TRAVEL SAFE GIRLS - Can't wait for the stories!!

K8 X

Back in Delhi

We have set a new record! The bus trip from Jaipur to Delhi was over 6 hours long and we did it all without a toilet break! We are seasoned travelers these days. Traveling anywhere over here seems to take a lot longer than you might think. But the time seems to fly anyway because we are busy taking in all the sights. There is plenty to look at in India! (mind you, we might be getting used to it because the elephant plodding down the street last night hardly raised an eyebrow...!)

Yesterday we had a tour of the stunning Amber Fort in Jaipur. I could never do it justice trying to describe it but this place was impressive! It's got it all - size, history, a mirror room (!!!) and an elephant ride to the top to kick it off. The kids had a blast. They are like sponges at the moment , soaking it all up. Unfortunately I can't get any photos up here today, best rest assured the kids are still smiling!

Today we visit an underprivileged school where we will spend the day with the kids. Hopefully get you some pics later. Bye!
SM

Jaipur tonight

We just had the funnest expedition around the streets of Jaipur! After the monsoon rains came down this afternoon there was a lot of doubt as to whether us westerners would be able to walk around the streets without drowning/slipping/getting run over, but Steve Our Fearless Leader led us out amongst the people and it was great! We traipsed around like the novelty white Aussies that we are, getting lots of stares and waves (which our kids love!). We met some beautiful Indian kids and made some friends. The kids who chose to step out of the hotel into the big bad world got a lot out of it.



This is yesterday at the Taj Mahal. Everyone agreed it was a wonderful experience and the atmosphere is peaceful and beautiful. I find it amazing that such a populated and busy city does open spaces so well! My last post was titles "Here we are in Heaven" because the whole place has an exterior wall that acts as a barrier to the outside world and when you get into the inner part where the Taj is, it is supposed to replicate what it would be like in Heaven. :)

Back to today: after our adventure on the streets of Jaipur, Bel and I took the group into a textile factory thinking that we would have a quick look...about 2 hours later we emerged with loads of goodies and more to pick up tomorrow! The girls are having saris made up and they will be ready by 7.30am (it was 8pm at the time). That's India! The photo below shows Claudia and Kaitlyn at the back whilst the boys bring out more saris to show them. This was also a kind of heaven. :)

We also visited Fatepur Sikri today but I can only get the photos off the ipad right now and some silly person has taken some good ones but they are upside down... not something I can fix right now. Soz.

But I can put this one up, isn't it beautiful?

And this: East meets West. These are the kind of novelty photos our kids get taken. I think Saul might put this one in his CV.

love ya lots.

SM

Here we are in heaven

The Taj was fantastic! Architecture normally ain't my thing but the atmosphere is serene and the building itself is merging toward art. Gotta run. No Internet.

SM

Pics from Delhi

This is not the Taj Mahal. It's another beautiful mausoleum in Delhi.
Caroline - if you are out there, I hope you can copy these for the AGT blog. We are having a great time. Today will be a different scene I think as we will travel 3 hrs away to Agra and see some more interesting sights of India.
As you can see, getting photos to you ain't so simple. :)

First day in delhi

Wow! Delhi is crazy,amazing,inspiring! The cIty of Delhi is testament to mankind's ability to co-operate.

We saw some incredible sights today. Some make us shake our heads in amazement, some that make us marvel at the resilience of the Indian people, and many that illustrate the differences between our two worlds.

What amazing food! (Husband will be soooo jealous) -curries for breakfast, lunch and tea! 

It's interesting to note that we are the unusual ones over here. We've been photographed by curious 
onlookers and Amelia won over a sweet Indian family with a tiny baby.

I have only now managed to get some Internet, so will hopefully post more tomorrow - off to the Taj in the morning. Hope all is well back home, I love and miss my gorgeous family! (Bel says hi too, but she's snoozing right now.)
SM
Arrgh!!! Technology and I are at loggerheads at the mo! I'll fix that photo tomorrow. Goodnight.

From Pt Plomer to Delhi

As seems to be the way with us jet setting surfermums these days, Bel and I are off to India on Thursday.

The Indian government doesn't officially know the population of India because there are so many people living in slums etc, unaccounted for. It is an entire universe away from the safe little hub that I live in where the population is all accounted for and tucked up in their nice warm homes at night. 

Last Friday afternoon Husband and I enjoyed some fun little waves in the winter sunshine at Pt Plomer - all to ourselves! There was no-one else in the water. Just how we like it. This Friday I will be in one of the most populated cities in the world where millions have never seen the sea, let alone surfed the warm east coast waters of Australia... with a couple of locals for company. We have got it good, no matter what the politicians tell us about how bad things are.

I know we are in for an exciting adventure and an eye opening experience. See you in Delhi!

SM

Now, more than ever ladies, your country needs you!



 Do you recognise this man? Ok, he may have less clothes on than usual, but the goatee is a giveaway isn't it? Shame on you if you don't! Call yourself a patriotic woman?!

It's none other than the beautiful Lucas Neill - captain of the Socceroos. On Tuesday night he will be on display once again leading our team onto the park to do battle with Iraq in order to win a spot in the Soccer World Cup in Brazil next year.

I am a fan of watching good looking men display skill and athleticism on a soccer field and I'm not ashamed to say it. There's something about their youthfulness, their boyish charm that makes me look forward to getting up at 2am to watch them pass the ball with precision, drive for a goal, then roll on the ground in mock pain. The opposition that is, not our boys. Our boys are as tough as they are good looking.

Even the panel disecting the game have a certain worldly good looks. (Does any man do silver hair better than Craig Foster?). And the calling of the game ain't bad either. Last world cup I developed a late night relationship with Simon Hill - commentator extraordinaire. Here's what I thought then:

No one else can do it like Simon. To listen to Simon call the soccer is the high, without the drugs; the buzz, without the side effects. When he says electric, I feel it. When he calls it a blistering start, I blister. He tells it like it is, and he knows I want to hear it.

He’s witty and he’s clever and that accent is all class (when he says class it rhymes with ass). Listen for the way he wraps his tongue around those foreign names. He never falters, and I like a man who knows his Saviola from his Guardado (those kind of sweet nothings can drive a woman wild!). When he talks of the fulcrum of the Argentine team, I know exactly where it is. And don’t dare think he’d say Argenteen like the rest of those Philistines- its Argentine (rhymes with nine).

I might have been suffering from a few late nights when I wrote that, but the point is still the same: Your country needs you. Now is the time to rise up and declare that you are interested in watching good looking men run around in shorts (look out for a glistening bare chest now and then too!). Or you can just say you have a sudden passion for soccer. Either way is fine. Tuesday SBS 7.30pm.

lucasneill.com

Lucas says thank you. :)
SM

Oahu

Early morning Waikiki Surfers

Hi Surfermums,

Was too busy on Oahu to post, so here's a picture of two surfermums paying homage to the Duke after an early morning surf... at Waikiki.  The next day the surf was bigger and we had other tours booked so I had to leave the surfing to the Grommie (thanks for the loan of the board Glen). I had fun surfing in the warm water in a bikini, we had to leave it as we hadn't had breakfast and were getting cold in the early morning breeze (I did see people paddling out to the break at 5.00 am and in the evening twilight!...

Also had a tour of Pearl Harbour (Arizona memorial, USS Missouri etc), Hiked up Diamond Head, ate Malasadas (just like a jam doughnut but instead of jam had a chocolate filling - great breakfast after a surf), and also hit the shops......great trip - see you in the surf!

Mighty Mo's Big Guns

More on Maui

Hi surfermums. Turtles, snorkeling, volcanos, black sand beaches,
Good food, waterfalls, sunsets & beer, warm seas. .. But surf. .. Well it will have to be SUP...
So relaxing accept driving on the other side of the road. . Freaking me out! !!!
Only photos on phone are ones that aren't in the water so apologies for that but will endeavor to get some up on bog. . Here I am 3000m+ above sea level and a sunset. And another beer. .
Love to all,

have to prey Ohau has surf. ..

Day 1 Maui

Ok surfer mums have arrived after a long overnight flight with crying babies. ... Then a connecting flight to Maui.   So we have a hire car at the unit now we refuse to use the US term that starts with a C  and ends with an O.. have now finished Thai takeaway with a local beer. .see pic...More local beers tomorrow. . Oh saw first turtle at Napali Beach this arvo whilst washing of travel dust. . Now this surfer mum needs all her beauty sleep. .. nite nite...xo

Cheers!

Husband and I had a wedding anniversary today. So, to celebrate I went surfing with some husbands of surfermums!

Adam, Michael and I were having a blast out at the reef this morning - it was a hoot! Husband eventually came back to pick me up after surfing Bills Bank up at Seashells. And no, he didn't name the bank himself - he's been plugging away on that particular bank for weeks, and now its been discovered by Tony, Poddy and the crew up there.

Anyway, it was some sort of symmetry designed to make me appreciate what nice husbands the MOB has. Cheers fellas.

SM

P.S. Which two surfermums are going to India in July? Watch this space...

Cheap thrills

I was going to write something profound to you on Mother's Day, but since I had technological problems and have now missed the boat, I will tell you this: I became a  trainspotter yesterday.

Husband inspired the whole thing while we were in Taree waiting to pick up Molly. He heard a toot and declared "That's a steam train!" How the hell a Coogee boy knows a steam train from a snowmobile I do not know. Needles to say, he did a quick diversion to the railway crossing and whole family sat and waited for the train to pass. It gave us an almighty "whooo-woot!" as it went by - the sound of it reverberated through the air like when you stand up close to the speakers at an AC/DC concert (as if I ever went to see AC/DC!!) I ran out into the traffic and took this photo as it whizzed passed:

Us beach gals don't see much of this kinda thing so of course we hightailed it to Wingham train station to see it again! (Actually we were going there anyway, my parents live near the train station, and it was Mothers Day).

You can hear the damn thing coming a mile away so all the kids ran out to see it whiz by. Surferboy was meant to take an awesome front-on photo for me but only got this measly one as it approached:

Just when we were all settling down with a tummy full of Walnut Torte with Maple cream (!), Husband heard another toot! and we were off and running, desperate now to get the elusive head-on shot. In our panic, the dog ran out the front gate with us, and I had visions of him going under the steam train (which wouldn't look good for the head-on shot), so guess who had to catch him, then do a 100m sprint that woulda seen me make the Australian sprint team for the next Olympics? You guessed it, Yours Truly.

Steam and smoke was hissing out everywhere by the time I got there and, dang it! all I got was this:

But you shoulda seen all the people hanging out the windows with big dopey smiles on their faces like they having the time of their lives! Amazing, I know! Next year, thats me.

SM
Now for the important stuff. This is the Walnut Torte with Maple cream. Hope you had a great (surfer)mums day!

Drifters

 I saw the surf movie Drift today – a classic Aussie surf movie if ever there was one. And set in the 70’s too – even better! All those flares, all that long hair, and best of all those rough and ready blokey types who love a good punch up nearly as much as they love their mum. I liked it a lot. Nice to see home grown nostalgia in surfing, alongside a wholesome lead character who can double as Superman’s blonde brother (doncha love a super hero chin!)

I worried about the strong themes in this movie but Molly reassured me that it was just like the kids movie Surf’s Up. You know, with the penguins? There are some weird correlations there… the hippie guy, his female friend… Obviously only a small section of the population who have seen both movies will know what I mean. (Think about it you people!). But no-one dies in Surf’s Up.





That's Grommie catching a big one on the Point

 Still on the home grown theme, I noticed a couple of surfermums out at the Point today alongside (my) Surferboy and a boogie boarder. Thank you ladies. We all know it takes a village to raise a child. And to teach em to surf! Cheers.

Couldn't help but put this photo on the blog. It's every surfermums housework nightmare - whoops, wrong board! 

I think she's in the Iron Woman event.



SM