What a pleasure it was to have guests from Oklahoma City. Trev and I picked up Babs and Eddie on Friday around noon from the Visitors Centre in the heart of Sydney. She and I recognised each other immediately and Eddie stood by with a real grin on his face as we hugged each other enthusiastically on the pavement. We had a drive around some of the shoreline trying to get glimpses of the Harbour as we went. Trev got pulled over by a policeman ( long story) so he is not happy about that but it happens to us all in a strange place where the traffic directions etc are not always clear.

I won't go into a minute-by-minute description of what happened for the 24 hours or so they were here but if I say we did a lot of talking, you will all relate to that I am sure. And Eddie, at first shy with this family of strange Aussies, soon found he and Trevor had a lot in common and talked and talked and talked and talked....

On Friday when we got home we had afternoon tea ( yes, Babs drinks tea!) and then Ray took a nap and Babs, Eddie and I jumped into my car and did some local touring. They dipped their feet into the Pacific Ocean a few miles from here at Toowoon Bay, one of my favorite local beaches. It was a treat but the water temperature is still too cold for swimming as yet so we only went into the water up to our knees. Well Babs got wetter than the rest of us...lol.

We drove around the suburbs and beaches helping them get an idea of what our area is like. I always want to show our visitors as much of the local scenery as I can, it is so pretty around here. Babs was wanting to know: "What bird is that? What is that tree? Do you know the name of that flower?" etc I know she was just enjoying so much being here. We've been talking on chat here for two years so she knows a lot about where we live etc but it was good for her to see us "in the flesh" and for her and I to be able to talk for a while. I wish it had been three or four days instead of just the one as I so enjoyed the visit.

In the meantime Trev had a barbecue for our evening meal well on the way when we got home and there were lamb chops and steaks and sausages and kangaroo steaks ( you have to try the local delicacy) and salads and side dishes. I did manage to burn the apple pie for dessert as I was talking and talking and talking and talking...

On Saturday we went to a local shopping centre (mall) for Babs to go online send a message home with her arrival date etc. We had three computers between us and none of them working. Mine broke down last Tuesday so apologies once more for those who came to chat and found me missing AGAIN! I am working on a friend's computer as I send this so once more do not know if I will be back in chat on Tuesday night. My repaired computer broke down again and not a thing we did to it would let me back in. OH SO FRUSTRATING!

Babs and Eddie returned to Sydney by train, I would have loved to go back with them but I didn't have a minder for Ray. That is just another hard thing about being a caregiver I guess, the limited time you are able to spend with your friends. They fly back to the States on Monday afternoon. I hope they enjoyed their cruise from New Zealand, their stay in Sydney and the 24 hours they spent with us.

So, all of my friends here on Strokenet, start saving, there is a bed waiting here at Sue and Ray's place. We will throw a kangaroo steak on the barbecue, plump up the pillows on your bed to make you comfy and welcome you with open arms.