Sad news

Mum and dad called late last night to let me know a family friend had passed away.
http://notices.smh.com.au/death/14470/notice.aspx

So this is for you Judy.....

You are already missed.

A Song of Living - Amelia Burr

Because I have loved life, I shall have no sorrow to die
I have sent up my gladness on wings, to be lost in the blue of the sky
I have run and leaped with the rain, I have taken the wind to my breast
My cheek like a drowsy child to the face of the earth I have pressed.
Because I have loved life, I shall have no sorrow to die.

I have kissed young love on the lips, I have heard his song to the end
I have struck my hand like a seal in the loyal hand of a friend
I have known the peace of heaven, the comfort of work done well
I have longed for death in the darkness and risen alive out of hell
Because I have loved life, I shall have no sorrow to die.

I give a share of my soul to the world, when and where my course is run
I know that another shall finish the task I surely must leave undone
I know that no flower, nor flint was in vain on the path I once did travel
But, I sipped nectar and wine when all of life’s mysteries did slowly unravel
Because I have loved life, I shall have no sorrow to die.

Slowly catching up.

It's been busy since the wedding.
Firstly, a weekend of Australians! We managed a sit-down roast for 13 people with dessert. Overall it was great to see everyone. No one had changed a bit. Got to see Goshia and Lukasz's wedding photos. Very nice indeed.

We had a good time wandering around town, checking out the college's and generally catching up on gossip. Here is a pic of us having lunch in 'The Eagle'.



Mid week was a bowling event with E's work.... basically a night of beer and porn star glasses. Matt had a wild night. : )
E tried to break the land-speed record, and, well, I simply tried to improve.

Most recently, this weekend was a weekend of Duggin's!


Little James found the whole thing a bit much.

And, best of all our friends had a baby boy called Nathan. And is he cute!
..... stay tuned for some photos.

Finally. Here is the Bonwick Wedding Cake recipe. I'm looking forward to knocking one of these up for next Christmas!

Enjoy

Bonwick's Dark Fruit Cake (makes 40 to 60 thin slices)
-an adaptation of Dark Fruit Cake from The Joy of Cooking
Some say this is best stored for at least 1 month before serving (Jane recommends at least 2 weeks sitting). Have all ingredients at room temperature. Preheat oven to 150°C/300°F. Grease and line the bottom and sides of one 25 cm tube tin with greaseproof paper.
Sift together:
420 g plain flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon freshly grated or ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground mace (hard to get but worth the effort!!)
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
In a large bowl, beat until creamy, about 30 seconds:
225 g unsalted butter
Gradually add and beast on high speed until lightened in colour and texture, 3 to 5 minutes:
400 g light or dark brown sugar
Beat in:
125 ml golden syrup
grated zest and juice of 1 orange
grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
Add the flour mixture in 3 parts, alternating with, in 2 parts:
175 ml brandy (use the best (French?) you can)
beating on low speed or stirring with a rubber spatula just until blending and scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary. Stir in:
625 ml diced mixed candied fruits (citron, pineapple, cherries, kumquats and/or orange
and lemon peel. Jane uses one third ginger, also add paw paw with lemon and orange candied peel.)
200 g coarsely chopped macadamia nuts
300 g chopped dates
240 g currants
240 g golden raisins
Scrape the batter into the tin and spread evenly. Bake for 3 and 1/2 hours. The cake may appear done at 2 and 1/2 hours; simply ignore this. If the cake is getting too dark on top, tent it loosely with aluminium foil for the last 30 to 60 minutes. Cooking is variable so keep an eye on it….. careful If using a fan forced oven!!!!! Let cool in the tin on a rack for about an hour. Invert the cake and remove the paper liner. Let cool right side up on the rack.
Fruitcake storage: Don’t leave wrapt in aluminium foil because of the nuts. Wrap in plastic/paper or put in container if needed.