"The north wind doth blow and we will have snow" said an old poem I learnt in my kindergarten year in England but in Australia it is the southern wind that brings snow. I Iive over 60 miles north of Sydney and snow doesn't fall here so far north of the Snowy Mountains but it has still been colder than I'd like it to be. I hate the rugged up to the ears look and the sheer volume of winter clothes, and how dreary they look. I do look forward to Spring.

Just had Trevor and Alice here for a week. Alice is twelve now. Can you believe that? She is taller than me, not that that is an achievement and like my mother before me I am now "little Granma". We enjoyed our time together and of course I am finding it quiet since they've been gone. Despite the fact that it is mid winter we went to one of the local beaches and yes of course Alice got "accidentally" struck by a wave. Luckily she didn't get any after effects from that.

While Alice and Trevor were here we also saw oldest granddaughter Tori and her mother. Tori was on her three weeks break from University. Her brothers both had holiday assignments so didn't come up. It was good to see her and Alice getting together. One of my regrets from migrating to Australia was missing out on bonding with my cousins, though those trips Ray and I, then me on my own made to England did make the relationship with them much better than I could have hoped for.

I went to my daughter Shirley's in Kalgoorlie in April and it was lovely  to be with Shirley, Craig and Naomi again. I really miss them and was pleased to catch up with what is happening in their Salvation Army Corps. It is hard for me to have them so far away with a whole continent between us. While I was there she put me to work on the Red Shield appeal annual fund raising drive, sitting outside one of the local supermarkets. It's a good way to get to talk to a lot of the locals so I quite enjoyed it.

My life rolls on with my usual involvement in church, finding plenty to do within the programs we run, community lunch, Bible study, Coffee, Craft and Chat etc. I like to keep busy but am happy to be home afterwards, working in the house or in the garden, crocheting and knitting, being on the computer. Occasionally I manage to catch up with Ann Rogers whose son's wedding  I went to in Norfolk, England many years ago. We were hosts on Caregiver Chat in those days, both having husbands who'd had strokes.

Silly I suppose to wish those caregiver days back again but there were good times as well as bad. Some of the chat days were hilarious, moments when we forgot how hard life was and just enjoyed each other's company. We all had so much in common despite the distance between us. Would I have ever thought such friendships were possible before Ray had his major strokes? No I would not! But those precious people, men as well as women were my mentors and friends, the people who really knew what I was going through.

I will always value the time I've been on Strokenet, particularly the late Steve Mallory, it's originator and all the wonderful people I have met on here. In my winter it is hard to imagine my American friends in the warmth of summer, something like you all trying to imagine my summer Christmas I suppose. But wherever you are, however you are feeling right now, remember my wishes for the best possible life for you is what I am wishing you right now.