The end of the holidays has snuck up on us.  Things speeding up towards the end, with significant birthdays and grandparents visiting.  We made one last summer holiday day trip today just over the border to the Hill of Crosses in Lithuania.  Never get tired of this tourist destination  - first time we visited was around 20 years ago.  To make a long story short, the hill is covered in hundreds of thousands of crucifixes, which local Catholic Lithuanians and other visitors have placed there over hundreds of years.  The Soviets bulldozed the crosses a number of time but the site was always regenerated.


I don't find the place eerie - it's touching, and fascinating - a place where so many people have left a small token to honour their country, their family, their loved ones.  This visit I tried to focus the lens on  the home-made crucifixes placed among the mass-produced effigies of Jesus on the cross.





My first born babe turned ten last week.  Can't believe it was a whole decade ago I was labouring in the back seat of the car while Jem sped me past the Queensland Museum in the pink sunrise on the way to hospital.


TEN!!  I've gotta say that Tiss is turning into quite a gentle and considerate young man, particularly when opening presents and occasionally having to feign excitement at misguided gift from his parents.


Like this "man scarf" from his mum.  See that smile?  I expect I will be seeing a good deal more of that "I'll-indulge-you-mum-you-freak" grin before he descends into general teenage grunting.

So can you see the continuing theme in birthday presents around here?  Gotta say I'm  thankful for Star Wars, pretty soon the requested presents will turn in to "I want anything starting with an i..."


And in other news, my second born is starting grade one on Monday.  Don't know who's more excited, and nervous.  Me or him. Or should that be "I or he"?