Guess who's 1 ....

MILO ....

Yes our DOG is 1 today !!

and how many other people do you know that celebrate that special occassion with invitations, balloons, presents, party hats and yes cake and candles...??

Madeline, Sebastian and MILO the birthday DOG.

the cake was more a tin of My Dog tender chicken breast with a candle..

He was spoilt with presents, we got him a box of dog chocs and denta bite bones.

Nanna gave him a box of dog choc chip cookies, Granny - a yellow teddy bear, and Julie ( neighbour) some chew bones.

The kids made home made pizzas, and Madeline made a pavlova....

A PINK ONE ....

Sebs banana custard pie

Sebastian wanted to make a tart / pie on the weekend for dessert.

So we got the Masterchef sweet shortcrust pastry recipe and off he went.

We filled it with banana custard.

he did a fantstic job...except guess who didnt do the dishes, but went to play on the trampoline ? A hint - it wasnt me ..haha

rubbing the butter into the flour

getting ready to roll ... with a bit to much flour ..

He remembered he had to prick the base of the pie before it cooked.

The banana custard pie.

Marysville Victoria

as of July 5th 2009

5 months after the bushfires.

Today I drove, Seb, Mad, and my mum to Marysville for the day. I met up with my favourite friend Helen, her husband and beautiful daughter Megan for lunch at the bakery - one of the very few businesses still standing. The lunch was very nice - pies/pasties and of course yummy cakes.

After getting lost in Greensborough - it was only because I went left instead of right, - yes I had a map and the GPS - but didnt think the lady on the GPS was telling me the truth !! -She was ... and 3 hours later we arrived.

The place is if you can call it thriving in the only way they can. The bakery is doing a roaring business, the visitor centre is set up and the town was full of either locals or visitors.

The burnt houses / businesses have mostly been cleared away, and only the blackened scenery remains - which is slowly turning green.

It was amazing to actually walk down the main street and see what the aftermath is ..

The Cumberland Spa resort was were I was going on a girls weekend in March has only the Spa left - which is out the back. The accomodation and conference centre was burnt to the ground has been cleared away and the visitor centre is now placed there in temporary gazebos.

A few business have set up shop in temporary portables.

Walking around the town was eery and it still has the burnt smell, it would have been hell on earth to be there on that day ...and it was.

And to top it off last Monday the snow ski hiring business at lake Mountain not far away burnt down, so a portable business was set up for snow gear in the main street.