Life in 2023 was back to normal. No more masks and restrictions. Of COVID the only reminder is the individual distance from ques marked on the floor of most of the shops and offices.
However we seem to have lost the desire to travel and spent lots of our time at home with frequent walks and Bike Rides around the area.
We started the year in Tasmania as we alternately celebrate Xmas between Brisbane and Hobart.
We have now a fever in Tasmania called JackJumpers. A basketball organisation that galvanise the entire population of the State. When the team plays in Tasmania the stadium in Hobart fills up and the rest of the population is glued to the television watching the game. Most of the people have uniforms of the JackJumpers including us. Miguel is also devoted to the movement and came to Tasmania for holidays and watch a game
After our return to Brisbane our lives went back to normal with birthday celebrations and a brief visit from Rita and family.
We had a visit from the Capinhas family, from Portugal and we spent two great weeks showing them around and catching up with the good old day’s memories.
Erica and family had holidays in the USA and Erica visited Hobart.
In Quarter II we had another visit from Rita and her family and had the usual Easter celebrations with us making the Folares da Páscoa, a Portuguese tradition, and distributing them to our friends and family.
During one of Rita’s visits we spend a great time at their beach house in Mooloolaba.
With my bicycle team, the Grumpy Old Men, we participated in a race from Brisbane to Bay, to raise funds to fight MS (multiple sclerosis). We have done this for the last few years.
Quarter III we had another visit from Rita and family.
We had our first return to our overseas trips since COVID. We spend six weeks in Portugal and a brief visit to Brasil.
In Portugal we had our regular reunions with the Leal Family, Filomena’s family and another one with Escorpiões (scorpions) my mates from our war years in Angola.
We had a sad event that was the death of our beloved Compadre Adelino in Brasil and the funeral took place a day after our arrival in Lisboa.
The intention of our brief visit to Brasil was for me to visit he place where my Mother and Father are buried and say my last goodbye to my Mother because of the COVID restrictions did not allow me to accompany her in her last days and funeral.
Filomena stayed with her family in Itatiba while I made a quick trip to Pontal do Paraná and stayed with my brother and briefly visited the Leal family in Matinhos.
Quarter IV was the very important event in Miguel’s life: his 21st birthday. He celebrated with all the family and the friends in one Brisbane pub.
Xmas celebrations were this time in Brisbane and with the usual lighting show at our house. We had also an important event in Miguel’s university to introduce the F1 cars that they build to compete with the other universities. Miguel is one of the member of the management organisation.
I also bought a drone but my first experiences were not very successful and therefore it is still stored in a special box until I feel again inclined to fly it.
