Retro Sunday

 

About a week ago I went back in time. No, really. Well, kinda.

I went to Gumbuya Park to celebrate an early Christmas with my side of the clan. It truly was like going back in time; like going back to the mid 80's without all of the fluro lycra, leg warmers, big teased and bleached hair and acid wash. (actually I think I did see some fluro lycra and my hair is always pretty big, bit I digress).

 For anyone not up on Victorian retro landmarks let me fill you in on the wonders of Gumbuya Park. It has a giant pheasant ( not a rooster people, a pheasant!)





 to greet you at the gate and acres of bushland to roam and picnic in. There are cool animals; rock star emu's, albino peacocks, pythons, wallabies, koalas - you name the  Australian native fauna and I bet they have some hanging about in a shed somewhere.

Is it just me or does this Emu look just like Prince?

 

Not only are there awesome animals, but there are some pretty exciting rides like a concrete toboggan, go carts and water slide. All fun stuff - especially if you are a kid. (We all are arent' we?)

And going back to Gumbuya Park makes me feel like a child again. I can vividly remember going with my parents and brothers when I was about 10 and being yelled at by the toboggan attendant ( or toboggan nazi as I prefer) because I "forgot" to slow down on the toboggan and ran into my brother at the end. What a rebel. Actually it's more because I'm mechanically challenged and the whole concept

of "pull on this lever to slow down"was way too much for me at that tender age. So revisiting Gumbuya Park was great, especially as I got to enjoy it from my children's fresh perspective and was infected by their wonder and energy.

But what really struck me about the day wasn't the retro rides or cool animals, but how lucky I am to have wonderful people to share the good times with. Whenever my family all gets together, it's all so easy, so chilled, so warm and loving. I know! How weird!. Almost unheard of  in this age of lecherous Uncles, drunk Aunties and delinquent children all fighting and bickering at Christmas time. We all can't get together much these days, but when we do we always manage to have a bloody good time.

Sharing food, sharing big news, sharing out presents for the kids, sharing baby cuddles - just all sharing in great moments. And right now, with the tragedy in Connecticut so fresh in my mind, and whilst my heart is in tatters thinking about so many young lives taken forever from their loved ones, I can't help but feel so blessed that I have all my wonderful people to share the good and the bad times with.

 And that is what it is all about isn't it.

 

 

 

Loving your people whilst you have them is what it is all about.