Ten Years Ago.

It's Anzac Day on my side of the world, a day in which Australians and New Zealanders remember the first Anzac Day, fought ninety-nine years ago, a long and bloody battle with ultimately sad consequences for many families.

My photo today was taken ten years ago, back when all of my children were much younger, and the two "babies" of the family attended the Anzac Day march in Tweed Heads with their grandfather.

Adam, now 16, looks as cute as a button in his primary school uniform, holding his little Australian flag and at the tender age of six told us that he enjoyed going to the Anzac Day march as the local RSL club supplied meat pies to all of the children afterwards!

Emma, now 21, was a brave little trouper this particular year. I don't think the pies were the big attraction to her, and only two weeks earlier she had misjudged the performing of a pirouette in her ballet class, fell, and broke the growth plate in her wrist. That's right, Emma managed to break a bone whilst in the midst of the gentle art of ballet. And I thought football was rough!

I've "sepiad" this photo. I tried mono, which only further darkened the three faces hidden under the wide brimmed hats. Sepia worked, lightening the faces just a tad.

Emma is on her way here now and we are going to bake a batch or two of Anzac biscuits, a family tradition from long ago.

Another Aussie tradition for Anzac Day that many will enjoy today is playing a game or two of "Two Up". According to Wikipedia ~

"Two-up is a traditional Australian gambling game, involving a designated 'Spinner' throwing two coins or pennies into the air. Players gamble on whether the coins will fall with both (obverse) heads up, both (reverse) tails up, or with one coin a head, and one a tail (known as 'Odds'). It is traditionally played on Anzac Day in pubs and clubs throughout Australia, in part to mark a shared experience with Diggers through the ages."

I will also add to the above that over the years, public gambling has been frowned upon, but on Anzac Day, the constabulary always turn a blind eye to Two Up games. :)