29th September 2005 - 3rd February 2006
Last
Updated: 26/01/06
The time's flown by so fast!
Rather a cliche, I know, but there you have it...
The main reason that Tom and I arranged to spend so much time with our respective families in between Phase 2 and Phase 3 of the travels (other than to earn pots of cash), was to be around for various family gatherings (birthdays, Christmas, etc). Having not been with Mum, Dad or Grandma for any of their birthdays in 6 or 7 years...well, that says it all really...!
I've
kept very busy since being home - catching up with people, earning money and
planning Phase 3. The job's been absolutely fantastic, despite my
slave-driver of a boss (hi Jacky!!! 
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who is going to have to put up with receiving a barrage of postcards once we're
off!
Anyway, enough of the boring bits...on to the photos. As usual, the pics are just a summary...
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The Welcome Committee await my arrival
(ok, ok, so it's the Wednesday Group of Caesarean Handbell Ringers at a concert) (To the Thursday Group: thanks for letting me join in and help out! I've had a lot of fun!)
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Wildlife
<- a squirrel at Sandra's place! we finally saw one, after waiting (im)patiently for ages!
Sabu and Namti enjoying some autumnal sunshine->
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Dad's Birthday
<- Grandma and I pose for the camera!
Dad and Grandma (his mother) posing ->
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Making Black Butter
Black butter is more of a conserve than a butter...
It's made from an old traditional Jersey recepie, using apples, sugar, cider, liquorice, lemons and spice. It requires hours and hours and hours of cooking (overnight, and then some)
I joined in with one of the community efforts to make a huge batchful... |
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Mum's Birthday
Another meal out...to celebrate Mum's birthday, this time
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Sunset!
This was taken from my parents' bedroom window one evening...
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Grandma's 80th Birthday
<- Dad and Grandma with some of Grandma's presents
Grandma, Mum and I enjoying a drink...or two ->
(all these years, I thought Grandma was teetotal...) |
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Tom and I...looking pretty exhausted (preparing an 8-course meal can take it out of you!) |
Japanese Party
Mum, Dad and Tom (we even got Dad to dress up!!!)
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The Unsuspecting Guests (yes...they had to dress up too...) |
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Dad and I get
ready to go
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Harley Time...(again)
Me, along the Five Mile Road...looking cool! (ok...maybe not so cool...maybe more: petrified of dropping the bike)
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Warming Up
Namti (left) and Sabu (right) enjoying the first fire of the year
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London!
Tom and I headed down to London for the weekend.
<- um...too much xmas shopping?
Outside St Paul's before we went in for the Carol Service (my second out of three for Chrsitmas 2005...not bad, all things considered...!) ->
Katie V. - I'm sorry the plans fell through...hope to see you in Oz sometime in the not too distant future! |
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Winter Arrives
It's hard to explain what I miss about Jersey (other than cats & family) when I'm away...but I guess these two photos help to explain it.
Fresh sea air, walks on the beach, a feeling of isolation (in a good way, of course!)... |
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Christmas
My secret is out... I might be good at baking the Christmas Cake, but I should not be let loose with the icing...
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More Christmas
...equally, Mum shouldn't be let loose with the shopping list (returning with a turkey big enough to feed 12 people...I was only cooking for 4 of us!!!)
<- caught in the act of raiding the fridge!
Grandma, looking satisfied after her Christmas lunch->
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Getting Arty (can you guess what I got for Christmas???)*
*a new digital SLR camera
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Emma-Lynn and Tom |
New Year's Eve (at Chambers)
Featured in my photos from summer 2004, here she is again! Vicky (left) and I have known each other since we were about two (cue: reminiscing about Miss Polly Had a Dolly...and being married off at the age of 3 or 4 to each other, as the innkeeper and his wife at a nursery school nativity play...)
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Emma-Lynn, Me and Vicky |
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Tom, Vicky and Emma-Lynn
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The guest of honour...
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Tom "Stud Muffin" Westely clearly impresses Vicky...
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The Morning After (aka New Year's Day)
In all honesty...I don't really remember much about New Year's Eve after we started on the Champagne around midnight.
We walked home...and I remember walking into a wall...on purpose...
I vaguely remember having a telephone conversation with boss-Jacky (something about Bob Geldof and chocolate) at around 3am...
Apparently I woke mum and dad up with my hiccups when we got back home...
But how I damaged my (old) camera, and how I got a cut lip remains a mystery.
Needless to say, we were both still very drunk the next morning!
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New Year's Day (later on)
Against all the odds, Tom, Mum and I actually made it out for the New Year's Day walk with Mike Stentiford...! Good for clearing the brain, and even better for the free dose of sloe gin afterwards...
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Pleased as Punch (what have they been up to?)
Ted and Dad My godmother (Tricia) and her partner (Ted, left) popped round to catch up on all the news before they flit
off to Australia for six weeks (see - it's not just us doing the
gallivanting!). |
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Mum and Dad's Wedding Anniversary
Another excuse for a meal out! This time at Barros (bring on the Espetada!!!)
<- Mum and I
Mum and Dad ->
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