(*) Good weekend

Seeing the boys on Saturday was great... well, SJ was in one of his 'moods' so he didn't decide to come, so it was just JD Ix and I. Cool! JD's still being a bit tender walking on crutches (even tho his cast came off last week) but seems happy enough. The School Open Day ended-up being practically a non-event, so we ended up hanging out at an Ice Cream parlor and, as strange as it seems, a local cemetery! The boys were really interested in some of the really old graves from the middle of the 1800's - there's a grave of a Second Fleeter in Kelso cemetery! Sheesh! Actually, it gave JD a really good chance to ask me some questions like, "What's 'cremation'?" and the whole death and burial and funeral stuff... it was really positive putting it all into perspective for him after my mum passed away back in April and stuff. Funny how you've just gotta run with moments like that... no, it was really easy, actually. Mind you, I caught my 12-yo fully checking-out some 18/19-yo girls who strutted past the ice cream shop - very cute! We actually had a brief refresher revisit to the 'facts of life' talk in the car on the drive home... it just kinda happened, and JD's pretty open to that kinda stuff. I always thought I'd be so damn embarrased, but once you start talking about that kinda stuff as tho it's totally natural and normal (which it is, obviously!), then it's easy to relax and tell things as they are. I mean, he's 12 - things are changing for him all too soon, you know! lol. He's a good kid, but was wondering why some of the girls in his school year are acting a bit crazy sometimes... hahahaa. No, it was a good day altogether, just hanging out together. I miss that soo much - it was like a shot in the arm after the other day's major downer.

The working bee at Carcoar Dam on Sunday was a big positive as well. There were about 10 people just getting the area around the main shed/building ready for the upcoming season, laying a bit of top soil and putting grass seeds down, that kinda thing. My back and arms got a bit of a workout thanks to a shovel and matic - but I really enjoyed it. At the club they host quite a few disabled people once a month and take them out sailing, so they've done heaps of work with special ramps and toilet facilities and even pontoons lifts in-and-out of the specially-adapted boats they use for people in wheelchairs. It was very relaxing hanging out and actually meeting a few of the locals too - a good friendly bunch. We'd basically finished by 1.30 - I was expecting a long day, but they only do a bit at a time. Kewl! It was such a glorious day I went and sat down by the water's edge just enjoying the quietness (and it was *so* quiet! Beautifully so) and water view across the lake. I thought about getting the kite out, but there just wasn't quite enough breeze for that. It's a tough way to spend the weekend, eh? lol Plus it's only 48km away - that's about a 35/40 minute drive at most. Not bad, not bad.

Speaking of - kite flying in the late-afternoon today - beautiful colours reflected off the nearby trees with a view to die for atop The Mount! Whoo hoo!

Listening to and enjoying this album at the moment - Aftermath by the Rolling Stones (1966) - how retro is that, eh? lol Under My Thumb, Stupid Girl, Paint It, Balck etc etc etc!