A Welsh girl in Australia

Be your own kind of beautiful...

2013-05-31T17:19:00.000+10:00

Let me give you a free therapy session...

but before I begin, I want to set the scene for this post.

Every now and again we bring out some dinner conversation cards at home.

I posted about these a while ago (HERE)

They are a box of gems -just small cards that prompt a discussion.

The other night one of the cards read

"The best advice I've received..."

My ten year old pondered for a few minutes and then came out with

You told me that I need to be my own kind of beautiful..."

We had a wonderful conversation about diversity and acceptance and inner beauty and being yourself.
As every mother will tell their child, I tell her that she's beautiful. More than that though, I want her to know what her beauty is...what makes her unique and special. Up until this particular evening I don't think I realised that she really got this...

Fast forward to this week and I was at a work professional development day and one of the speakers showed us a few video clips. She didn't introduce the topic, just let us watch. I particularly loved this one.

Just give yourself 3 minutes to watch.

Most of us as adults are way too self critical.

How would you describe yourself....What kind of a person are you?

Now think about how your friends would describe you....

My ten year old believes that she is beautiful in and out.

Whilst I definitely don't want her to be precious and vain about it,

I think this is a lovely quality that children should have.

Happy Friday beautiful people,

be your own kind of beautiful...
photo source
wall canvas purchased from
http://mccarthydesigns.com.au/

Peanut butter and oat slice from 'The Recipe Book'

2013-05-16T14:25:00.000+10:00

When I first moved across the seas to Australia it was only for a year...

Everything was left back in our home for our return 12 month later. We arrived with a suitcase each and a couple of small boxes. After unsuccessfully looking for a furnished home the budget had to stretch to making an empty house livable. Down to one reduced income it gave me an opportunity to concentrate on necessity and to look at purchases in a different way. We were living the dream experiencing life on the other side of the world... albeit on a shoestring budget, but we managed... (thank you Ikea!).

So that year was the year that I got to go back to basics. I was so fortunate to be able to spend time with my then three year old. We had a ball. Walks and picnics along the river, trips to the museum and library, playing in the parks - all free. I relished that precious time and often reflect with a lot of gratitude on how circumstances enabled me to take time away from my career and concentrate wholly on being there for Sibs.

I think that was the year that I really learnt how to cook and bake. It's not that I didn't know my way around the kitchen before, it's just that I think I had seen cooking as a means of just getting a meal on the table. With the luxury of time on my hands I began to enjoy just making things.

Instead of the numerous cook books that graced my kitchen shelves back in rural Yorkshire my suitcase contained just one - The Recipe Book. In it I had scribbled some favourite recipes and included a few torn out ones from magazines.

I soon realised that many of the recipes were very British. Not much call for stews and casseroles in the Brisbane heat! So I picked up those free magazines that supermarkets put together now and again and worked my way through them. It wasn't that long ago, but there was no iPhone or iPad and the only laptop we had was used by Neil most of the time so it back to old fashioned print.

Talking of necessity buying we of course bought a barbecue and spent many a balmy evening on the back deck enjoying a meal whilst watching the possums jump around the trees. No real need for any recipes for that.

Over the last year or so I've sourced most new recipes from blogs and websites viewed via the ipad. I have a nifty little stand for it in the kitchen and it's so compact and easy. However, every now and then I'll have a browse through the old recipe book and revisit some old favourites. It takes me back to the kitchen in our first Australian house. If Sibs is with me she will always talk about the time that she was once helping to bake a cake and managed to tip a full mixing bowl of wet ingredients over the floor. Yes, I remember that day...it was the day we were expecting the agent to do a house inspection and she was due to arrive just at that instant!

The other day I fancied something with my morning cup of coffee so I went back to the book and found this recipe for peanut butter and oat slice.

I don't always have all the ingredients to hand and I was low on rolled oats I made it up with some muesli flakes. I also added some cranberries and omitted the sesame seeds. If I keep to the main ingredients then I usually swap and change some things around and it always works ok.

These freeze well too. I cut them into muesli bar size and wrap in foil, then they're ready to take straight from the freezer to put into lunch boxes or taken as a snack out and about. I know they are not the healthiest things but as a treat now and then they taste good - and you know exactly what's in them.

As I was taking some photos of my recipe book look what was hidden amongst the scraps of papers in the back?

Little Sibs in her cot having a nap about 10 years ago.

Now I wouldn't find that searching for a recipe on the ipad...

Twmff is depressed...

2013-05-13T13:18:00.000+10:00

chilling on a sunny afternoon

Meet Twmff. Yes, you read right it's not a typo - this is Twmff, pronounced Too-mf.

Twmff has a welsh name and in Welsh 'w' is a vowel and 'ff' is pronounced 'f'. Anyhow, this is not a blog post about Welsh lessons, this is a blog post about Twmff.

chilling on another sunny afternoon

Twmff has been part of this family for a little while and will be about 5 1/2 years old by now. He was a rescue cat in pretty bad shape when we got him, and for the first few months of coming to live with us I would be lucky to catch a glimpse of his tail when he ventured from under the sofa to grab some food. He needed lots of medication and a few vet visits and eventually he became stronger and more adventurous He came to us with a sister....although I have always doubted the family tie and I think the RSPCA lady saw a bit of an opportunity to home 2 cats at once!

I interrupted their play time here hence the stares!

So Twmff and his 'sister' Modlen soon began to settle with us and over time have brought much amusement, love and a few challenges thrown in. Twmff has always fancied himself as a bit of a dog which has been quite funny over the years. He will come when called, sit and listen to a story, let Sibs dress him up - that kind of thing. He learnt how to open the locked cat flap story here which has necessitated a complex bedtime ritual but overall though they are great little cats and are loved dearly. I think we give them a very comfortable home - they more or less have the run of the house.They can go outside in the daytime and come home for tea. Now Twmff has probably been a little more challenging than Modlen... Nothing extraordinary really, just a few more trips to the vet due to a scratch here and there or a sore paw or leg. He can be pretty vocal and will tell us if things aren't quite right. If you can't find Modlen you just ask Twmff and he will direct you to the shut room where she will be sitting quietly waiting for her brother to rescue her.. Just last night he himself got shut in the under-stairs cupboard by accident and I'm sure his miaow would have been heard down the street!

Just recently though Twmff hasn't been himself. He's been a bit more demanding. His cries for us to open the cat flap in the morning have been a bit louder and longer. He has been spending time in boxes and we have 'lost' him a few times and after a long hunt and calling his name he's been found hiding under a bed or in a cupboard.

hiding

At first I put this down to not liking the rain (there was quite a bit for a few week). Then it would be because we had some visitors staying (there's always quite a bit of that too!) After a while I noticed that he wasn't really eating very much and then he wasn't using his litter tray. He became a bit withdrawn and I rang the vet. She was pretty concerned with this change in behaviour so off we went for a check up.

Some separation anxiety!

After a thorough check and the ruling out of any more serious medical conditions the vet came to the conclusion that Twmff was depressed...

Should I have seen it....?

In hindsight, maybe....

'please don't go without me"

When we went away over Christmas and the New Year Twmff missed us. The housitters mentioned that he took a few weeks to respond to them. Then we were home for a few days before taking off again up the coast. It seems that most weekends since January we have been busy. People staying, us away. Just general life really, but for Twmff...well, little Twmff has felt more than a bit left out. In cat world, one way of showing this is to withdraw (nothing unusual there), but apparently another common sign is refusing to use a litter tray or just to go to the toilet. Due to the male cat anatomy this can be fatal within 3 days! Pretty serious stuff.

So dosed up with an antibiotic and anti inflammatory shot, a special prescription diet to ensure his system keeps working (for all that read having spent $$$ at the vets!) Twmff is at home getting lots of special attention.

allowed on the bed for a two minute cuddle

We can't stay in forever with him, but we can ensure that he has somewhere safe and secure to hide should he need to. If it happens again the vet told me about a spray that I can buy that mimics feline pheromones that will provide comfort to a distressed cat. Who knew?

Here's hoping that Twmff feels the love this week!

Happy Monday.

Pear Vanilla and Cinnamon Jam

2013-04-23T16:55:00.000+10:00

Once a year I become jam making mama, and each year I tell myself that I should do it more often.

I've mentioned before how huge the school fete is out here. So huge that I dust off the big pot and make jar upon jar of jam. So huge that it takes over life for the school community for a couple of months. A few years ago Neil helped to convene the fete - now that was extra huge! Anyway, that's all another story, what I wanted to record here was my latest adventure in jam making as I actually think that this is the nicest tasting jam that I have made to date..

Let me walk you through Pear, Vanilla and Cinnamon jam.

I don't hold any claim to being an expert jam maker...not by any stretch of the imagination, but I have to admit that if you have enough time on your hands then it's pretty straight forward and easy.

I chose a Saturday when Neil and Sibs were away camping so I could take over the kitchen, plug in the ipod and make jam to my hearts content.

My choice of jam flavour was entirely spontaneous.....it was whatever fruit was on offer! At $1.50 a kilo, pears became the flavour of choice. So armed with a box of pears, a few kilos of sugar and a coffee I set myself up for a few hours of domesticity.

First step in jam making is to have plenty of empty jars. I gave them a wash in the sink to try and remove as many labels as I could and then put them through the dishwasher before popping them in the oven to sterilise. (more on that later)

It's very satisfying seeing gleaming glass jars all ready for the 'fruits of your labour' (pun intended!)

Whilst the dishwasher was doing its thing I got on with the slightly laborious task of preparing the pears.
First off I peeled them, then used a corer and slicer to cut them. This was pretty easy as the pears were quite soft.

They look a little like hand cut chips here. I didn't get the weight of them unpeeled and uncut, but 40 average sized pears gave me 3.5 kilos once prepared as above.

I put a couple of centimetres of water in the bottom of a large pan together with the juice of half a lemon and added the pears and cooked them until soft. I made the jam in two batches so put in 2 kilos of pears in the first batch. I added some vanilla at this point. I only had vanilla extract in my pantry so I added a couple of teaspoons. I'm sure you could use vanilla pods or any vanilla flavouring.

Once the pears were soft enough to be mashed you then add warmed sugar. I warmed my sugar in the oven.

I believe that that general rule about jam making is equal quantities of sugar to fruit. So for 2kg of pears, I possibly should have added 2kg of sugar. However, I only added 1.5kg of sugar and it turned out fine.

Then you boil away - vigorously. The first batch that I made was just pear and vanilla and when I tasted it just before decanting into the jars I felt it was a little bland. The sweetness of the vanilla was nice, but it was a touch sickly. I rummaged in the pantry and found some ground cinnamon and added a teaspoon to the pot. This gave the jam a slightly darker colour and a lovely warm flavour.

Once the jam has been boiling for about about 10 mins you need to check if it's setting. I'm sure experienced jam makers will talk about the correct temperature for this, but I just use the cold saucer method.
When you put your jam onto boil put a few saucers in the freezer. To test if your jam is set, just remove a cold saucer, place a teaspoon of jam onto it, leave it a few second and run a knife through the jam. If it separates then your jam is ready. I had to do this 3 times before my jam separated and didn't run together so the boiling process took closer to 30 minutes.

Once this point has been reached, remove the pot from the heat source and fill your jars. I would recommend the use of a funnel and rubber gloves as the jars can can very hot. Screw the lids on tight and you're done.

A couple of hints and tips.

If the labels on your jars are really sticky, tea tree oil can be effective in removing them.

After dishwashing your jars and lids put them on a tray and place in a cold oven. Switch the oven on to 120c and leave them there until you're ready to use. This will sterilise your jars.You can place your bowl of sugar in the oven to warm through at the same time.

If the jam isn't setting (different fruits can vary with timing and sugar quantities needed) then you can use pectin/jamsetta. Just follow the instructions on the packet. I have used jamsetta in the past and it's rectified very runny jam.

If you spill any jam whilst filling the jars wipe away as soon as you can - it's much easier than trying to clean it off later.

Fill the jars as close to the top as you can.

Make sure the rims of the jars are clean before sealing with the lids.

My 40 pears (3.5kg peeled and chopped) made 18 medium sized jars.

When I make jam it always reminds me of a mum from the school. She was one of the Jam Stall Conveners for the school fete one year. Sadly and cruelly she passed away a few years ago. She was the one that introduced me to jam making when I told her that it all sounded too tricky. I have her notes and some recipes that she gave to me and even though they are a little crumpled and splattered I always refer to them when the big pot comes out of the back of the cupboard.
So I'll raise my jam sandwich in your memory F xxx

Pear Vanilla and Cinnamon Jam (Makes 15 -18 jars)

3.5kg of peeled and chopped pears
2.5 kg sugar
Juice of one lemon
Vanilla extract or pods
Ground Cinnamon

Peel and chop pears
Cook in lemon juice, vanilla and a couple of centimtres of water until soft
Add warmed sugar
Add cinnamon (approx 2 teaspoons).
Dissolve sugar and then boil vigorously.
Check after approx 10 minutes to see if the jam has set. If not continue to boil for 5 - 10 minutes before checking again.
Once done, pour into hot sterilised jars and seal

Go burn that candle...

2013-03-08T18:00:00.000+10:00

Sometimes you read something, see something, hear something and it just stays with you.

Early this afternoon in Brisbane city centre there was a dramatic incident. Reports of a gunman, panic and evacuation. Thankfully the situation was under control pretty quickly but all of a sudden that thought of 'wrong place, wrong time' entered my head. I wasn't in any danger but it did make me pause and just for a second think about the unthinkable.

I try and live the moments as much as is practically possible, but it's easy to get sucked into everyday routines and expectations. I need to be reminded of a few things every now and again.

A few years ago I was sent this poem by my sister in law. I was at work so I quickly glanced over it. It wasn't a glancing over poem. If I'm honest, it stopped me in my tracks! It's a poem written by Erma Bombeck called 'If I had my life to live over'. (More information about Erma Bombeck HERE)

There's a line that just stuck in my head...and came to me again today.

"I would have burned the pink candle sculpted like a rose before it melted in storage"

I don't really know why this particular line, there are many others that resonated with me too, but this line has kept a voice in my head over time.

Christmas just gone there was a candle under my tree. A really nice candle...

For weeks I kept lifting the lid to catch that gorgeous smell.

The candle sat on the coffee table, it spent a little time on the mantlepiece, it moved on to the little table.

Then that line....

"I would have burned the pink candle sculpted like a rose before it melted in storage"

...I LOVE the smell of my candle

IF I HAD MY LIFE TO LIVE OVER

I would have talked less and listened more.

I would have invited friends over to dinner even if the carpet was stained and the sofa faded.

I would have eaten the popcorn in the "good" living room and worried much less about the dirt when someone wanted to light a fire in the fireplace.

I would have taken the time to listen to my grandfather rambling about his youth.

I would never have insisted the car windows be rolled up on a summer day because my hair had just been teased and sprayed.

I would have burned the pink candle sculpted like a rose before it melted

in storage.

I would have sat on the lawn with my children and not worried about grass stains.

I would have cried and laughed less while watching television, and more

while watching life.

I would have gone to bed when I was sick, instead of pretending the earth would go into a holding pattern if I weren't there for the day.

I would never have bought anything just because it was practical, wouldn't show soil or was guaranteed to last a lifetime.

Instead of wishing away nine months of pregnancy, I'd have cherished every moment, realizing that the wonderment growing inside me was the only chance in life to assist God in a miracle.

When my kids kissed me impetuously, I would never have said, "Later. Now go get washed up for dinner."

There would have been more "I love you's" and more "I'm sorry's"

. . . but mostly, given another shot at life, I would seize every minute . . .

look at it and really see it . . . and never give it back.

Happy Friday,

quick hello

2013-02-25T22:28:00.001+10:00

Dipping my toe back into blogworld tonight....

Hello there.

It's been a while, a lot longer than I planned (if I actually planned any time away from here at all?)

I guess I've just been distracted by other things going on in life. There was the big trip overseas in December and January; then there was the cramming of all the things you want to do over the school Summer holidays into two weeks when we returned to Australia; then there was the start of the school year and what do you know it's almost the end of February.

I was fortunate enough to spend some time visiting family and friends over Christmas. It involved travelling up and down the UK and across the channel to France and it was fabulous! Well, when you travel 24+ hours to get from Australia to the UK you just have to make the most of it....

Our trip took us from Brisbane to Singapore and then on to Amsterdam before a last short flight to Cardiff. We left Brisbane in 30+ degree sunshine and landed in Amsterdam in snow! The freezing cold air hit our lungs with force.

24 hours in the air and then freezing weather hits us

Catching up with close family and friends over the Christmas period was very special to me. Northern hemisphere Christmas and New Year is so different to what we now know here in Australia. I enjoy both, but my childhood traditions were calling me home and I so wanted my little Sibs to experience a cold Christmas.

I 'instagrammed' my way around the UK and I've put the feed of my photos on my sidebar (just over there on the right). There's Amsterdam to South Wales to Paris to Yorkshire, Lancashire and the Lake District. Now that I've found my way back on here I'm sure I'll get back into some routine and have many a tale to share. For now it's just nice to be back.

Off to bed and hoping that this crazy rainy weather eases off soon,

nos da,

Travelling

2012-12-16T11:11:00.001+10:00

It's after 1 in the morning and I can't sleep so I've downloaded an app to see if I can blog on my ipad....so we'll see how it goes.

I'm on my travels. Cardiff has been reassuringly familiar. The city centre is a little grander,but still essentially the same. The walk from my mum's through the park down to the sea front and on to the pier is the same. The beach full of pebbles waiting for Sibs to throw into the brown murky Bristol Channel is the same...

I like that.

Everything about being home feels right. I am loving sitting in my mum's kitchen, drinking coffee and eating Jaffa Cakes. So simple, so familiar.

Sibs is having a ball too. From decorating the (real) Christmas tree to drinking copious amounts of hot chocolate to wearing her new ear warmers everywhere she goes!

Already in a week and a half there's been shopping in the city, a local matinee pantomime show, an evening at the theatre, a couple of days in Bath, a weekend in London and tomorrow we are off to Paris. I haven't got time to be tired!

Looking out of the window at Sydney Place, Bath. It was -3 degrees!

During the planning of this holiday I was the one that more or less came up with the ideas of the 'must do' places and booked the various trains, planes and automobiles. Neil on the other hand was tasked with finding accommodation. He knows that I'm a bit of a Jane Austen fan and whilst in Bath last week we stayed in the house where she actually lived!

His brief for Paris is - "somewhere that feels French...." He has excelled himself and I can't wait.

On our way across the channel to France we have been in London for a few days. Whilst Bath is beautiful, London is truly splendid and magnificent. I had forgotten quite how amazing it is.

Big Ben from the top of the London Eye

We have met up with three lots of lovely friends in London and the years apart have been forgotten in a minute. True friendships are like that. Even ournchildren sense it and became thick as thieves almost immediately.

At the gates of Buckingham Palace

Trafalgar Square where the pigeons were replaced by thousands of Santas!

I have been seeing familiar landmarks through the eyes of a child this week. It has brought back the wonder of the world....

I feel fortunate and happy that we have taken this opportunity to show Sibs some of her history and heritage.

Best get some sleep.... Paris awaits tomorrow

Beth

x

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One more sleep...

2012-12-04T10:10:00.000+10:00

It doesn't matter how organised I think I am there is always a whole heap of things to do right at the very last minute...

It's one more sleep until we leave the heat of Summer in Brisbane to fly to the other side of the world to a cold Winter Christmas. It's predicted to get to 39 degrees here today....yep, 39 degrees! At this precise moment it's 3 degrees in Cardiff - a drop of 36 degrees!

I am so excited to be able to show Sibs all that I remember about Christmas. The abundance of lights and decorations in the city; the carols and music; warm mince pies; hot chocolate; mulled wine...
We are going to see a pantomime at the local Pageant Room; we have tickets booked for Phantom of the Opera; there's a weekend in London; some time in Paris; a trip to the Lake District, not to mention the catch ups with precious friends and family. I....Can't...Wait...

The ipad has been updated with the latest ios thingamajig so I am hoping that I will be able to blog a little whilst I'm away. I also plan to post photos on instagram as and when I can get Internet access. The link to that is HERE if you don't have a smart phone.

So back to my huge list....

Buy extra cat food = check
Stock up on contact lenses = check
Haircut = check
Write up a huge list of instructions for the house sitters = check
Tidy all kitchen drawers and cupboards = check (they have never looked so good!)
pack suitcases = half check
clean bathrooms = no check

On that note I have a dozen or so jobs to do before I escape to my yoga class for an hour.

Enjoy the Summer heat fellow Aussies and I can't wait to see you fellow Brits!

Bon voyage to me!

PS no photos in this post as Google tells me I'm out of space and I have no time to investigate this morning. Could be just instagram during my trip then....
x

Bit of this and that

2012-11-16T16:35:00.000+10:00

Hello there,

I have been rather neglectful of this blog for a little while now. Things happen like that don't they? You miss a few days, it turns into a week, then another and all of a sudden a month has gone by.

Before you think I have been lazing around with my feet up... It's actually been the opposite.

There is some serious holiday planning happening We are now on the countdown to our trip home for Christmas - 18 days to go before we jet off. (silent scream!)
It will be time to bring the suitcases out soon and air out the woolies! I have some gloves somewhere that I'll need to find and I wonder if I'll be able to remember where the thermals are?! Can you sense the excitement?

The list of places that we want to visit keeps growing and I doubt we could fit it all in even if we were away for 5 months let alone 5 weeks.

However, before I can get carried away with holiday plans there is the very important business of getting the house ready for the house sitters. Neil and I take a slightly different view on this preparation and he can't seem to understand the importance of tidying kitchen drawers and cupboards and lining up all the Tupperware and tins in the pantry! Tell me...am I alone in this? Is it really important that the cutlery drawer is in order and all the towels in the linen cupboard are colour co-ordinated?

Then in the midst of this planning and preparing Sibs is taking part in a ballet performance for a few nights. Her ballet school is putting on a show at QPAC (Queensland Performing Arts Centre). This is a pretty big deal as The Playhouse QPAC is a major theatre venue in Brisbane. It's such an exciting opportunity for the little kids to experience. I love this time of year.

getting all grown up on me and doing her own lipstick.

pink roses from Dad after her first performance

If you want to know what else has been happening then I've been snapping away with my iphone camera and sharing on instagram. You can have a nosy through the free instagram app on a smart phone - (my user name is awelshgirl) or just click HERE and voila - my life in photos!

Have a great weekend,

Chess antiques

2012-10-15T12:44:00.000+10:00

Yesterday we spent a day at home. Just relaxing, pottering, chilling...that sort of a day. I moved a few bits of furniture around...as you do. (Actually, I find that quite satisfying, so it was my way of switching off.) As I was in the middle of heaving beds around the place Sibs and Neil decided to dust off an old chess set and sit outside in the afternoon sunshine.

Sunday afternoon chess lesson

Years ago Neil loved to play chess. Apparently when he was at school he played against some chess master or other...
Anyhow, for his 30th birthday he said that he would like "a really nice chess set". For a man when usually asked what he would like for his birthday would mutter "I don't need anything" this was a revelation!

We searched and searched for a table and a chess set. In fact I think it took almost a year until we eventually found just the right thing in a small antique shop in Edinburgh.

The top of the table can be removed and turned to play chess or left as a plain top and inside there is also a backgammon board.
When we got the table home the modern chess pieces just didn't look right. Not that they were too different like "The Simpsons" chess pieces or anything like that - they were just too shiny and plastic looking.

A little while later Neil's mum found him the perfect present. By this time I think that he had possibly celebrated his 31st...but that's the way it goes with us.

Look how proud the horse looks?

It's funny how you can sometimes forget the lovely things that are hidden away in a box.

As with any antique, I wonder who used these pieces before. Were they on display or were they also hidden away in the box? Did they belong to a 10 year old child learning how to play or a gentleman that would sit with his brandy and cigar....?

I've left the pieces out on the table today. They are enjoying their new home on the other side of the world.

I wonder if the original owner would ever have imagined...

Happy Monday,

Another escape to the country

2012-10-09T14:03:00.000+10:00

We are into the final term of the year here and the countdown to Christmas.

I'm still getting mixed up with confusion of the warmer weather approaching and the Christmas bits and bobs appearing in the shops. I guess I'll always have those split seconds of confusion this time of year. Brain thinks that Autumn is approaching as it's October yet body and surroundings tell me a different story! Then to add to the confusion this year I am starting to plan our Summer holiday which will be spent in the middle of Winter in the UK!

Anyhow, that's enough of my fuzzled state of mind....

We had a lovely couple of weeks of school holidays and managed to work through quite a few wish list items. During the second week we spent a few days in the beautiful countryside in Northern New South Wales.

trying to find the border between Queensland and NSW

It was absolutely stunning.

I was driving at a snail's pace just drinking in the rolling hills...it reminded me of home...

See that first cabin in the row of three? That was our home for a few days.

This was the view that we woke up to in the mornings...

Not a bad place to relax and switch off is it?

There were plenty of activities to keep the little people happy and Sibs had a fabulous time in the water from morning to nightfall. She was on the go all day and would be asleep within a second of her head hitting the pillow.

Whilst we were there some lovely friends made the journey down to spend the day with us. All in all there were nine children and four mothers. The kids canoed splashed, swam and generally just had fun all day, and the mother's just enjoyed the freedom to catch up.

Sibs was first in the queue for the twice daily animal feeding and tried to persuade me that we really needed to give one of the guinea pigs a new home...

Lots of fresh country air did us all the world of good.

For those that followed a few photos of our break through instagram - Sibs overcame her fears and eventually managed to jump from the board!

go girl!

Another spot to put on the list of places to stay.

We stayed at Hosanna Farmstay, Stockers Siding.
Website - HERE

Newstead House visit

2012-10-02T23:56:00.001+10:00

We are in the second week of school holidays here.
I'm grateful for school holidays.

I love the change of pace that happens.

We are a small family, yet life seems to roller coaster along and it feels like Mondays become Fridays become Sundays. Anyone else relate?

So school holidays is a chance to apply the brakes and live life a little slower. I'm very fortunate in the fact that I can work around the school holidays. My employer offers a reduced working year scheme where I am able to buy additional days of leave and it means that I then get to spend the precious school holidays with my girl. I am so appreciative of this opportunity as it takes away a lot of the working mother stress and guilt. It also means that I get a break every few months - which is obviously rather nice!

I have mentioned before that we have a 'We should..' box. (blog post HERE). In this box we write down ideas for days out or activities that we want to do. One of the ideas that's been in there for a little while was 'take a trip to Newstead House. So these school holidays we earmarked a day and set off.

Newstead House back veranda and a picnic lunch in the gardens

Newstead House (website - HERE) is located on the Brisbane river and dates back to 1846. It is the oldest residential property in the area, which makes me realise how new Brisbane is.

It is filled with furniture and memorabilia from a by gone age and is a truly fascinating and beautiful house.

Newstead House - Morning Room, Dining Room and Drawing Room

As we wandered through the place the lovely gentleman that greeted us at the door came for a bit of a chat. At that point Sibs and I were admiring the drawing room with the gorgeous china tea set and demi grand. The conversation moved to the piano and he asked if either of us played....

Next thing he had lifted the rope that protected visitors from walking within the rooms and invited Sibs to have a play. She wasn't hesitant at all and made herself quite at home.

Newstead House - Sibs playing the Demi Grand Piano

Her repertoire was restricted to the current pieces that she is learning so in these majestic and formal surroundings she played.....'One Direction - You don't know you're beautiful' , followed by 'The Entertainer' and topped off with 'Coldplay - Clocks'!

By this time a few people had gathered and some tourists began to take photos! One man asked if she could play him some Beethoven. She had already exhausted her playing from memory and the only other music she could remember was chopsticks (!) so I got to take the seat and managed to play most of 'Moonlight Sonata'. I wasn't as comfortable as Sibs was with an audience....

It made a morning admiring a lovely house into a memorable occasion.

We always have to sign a visitors book

Newstead House, Brisbane

We've been ticking off quite a few things from our 'We should..' box this last week. I really should try and find the time to record our adventures.

Just on another note, I seem to have been having a few issues with funny messages appearing on opening of my blog. I have removed the instagram button on the sidebar as this seemed to be the culprit and that should now be all good and safe - fingers crossed.

Some holiday planning

2012-09-14T11:41:00.000+10:00

Do you like where you live?

I had a chat with someone this week about choosing a place to live and bring up a family.

It was a choice between Australia and Europe.

We spoke about the wonderful outdoor opportunities and health benefits of Australia. We touched on the culture and proximity and such diversity of Europe. We thought about the cold, damp, dreary 'get me out of here' feelings of Northern Hemisphere Winters and then the fuzzy hair, 10 cold showers a day Summers in Queensland.

There was no conclusion....

Well, maybe there was?

The conclusion was that there is no perfect place.

We make the best decision based on our circumstances and the opportunities that we can take at that time. I am grateful that I was given the choice of where to live and for now I chose Australia.

I enjoy the benefits that it gives, but I feel that my real fortune is the link that I still have 'home'.

Every now and again I feel the need to strengthen that link and head back. I have written before about not wanting to let go of my history - HERE and HERE.

Travelling and experiencing different cultures is an education far beyond the classroom. Yes there is the disruption of moving home and I'm sure for those that are constantly on the move there are numerous challenges. However, the chance to view life through a different lens is a real opportunity.

So where am I going with this?

Oh yes, - flights have been booked and we are heading back home for Christmas!

Yes, it will be cold..... yes it will be grey....it might even snow - but I CAN'T WAIT!

There are so many things on the list of things that I want to do, places and people that I want to see it's almost daunting....but very exciting. There are theatre trips planned and booked, there are visits to old haunts up and down the length of the UK from the Lake District to London. There's Paris, Amsterdam and anywhere else we can fit in....

In anticipation of a Christmas in Wales my girl has been fishing out her Welsh books and brushing up on her vocabulary.

We are flying through the re-cap of colours and days of the week and basics of naming things around the house but the daily struggle at the moment is the pronunciation of "CH" and "LL".

We can be in fits of giggles when I try and correct her pronunciation for "cyllell" (knife). It's so difficult to try and even attempt to put into words how to get your tongue to the top of your mouth, behind your front teeth and then as your say "L" you need to blow! See how hard it is?

The other morning just as I was getting ready for work I could hear some strange noises from her room then she marched into the bathroom, looked me in the eye and without muttering another word just came out with a very slow "cyll - ell". She has perseverance - I'll give her that!

She has set herself a goal of learning the words to the Welsh National Anthem. Her original goal was to learn how to say 'Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwyllllandisiliogogogoch' ....we're working on it!

So I am in deep planning mode now.

How to fit about 5 months of 'stuff' to do into 5 weeks?

I can think of worse things to do with my time...

Father's Day and a Strawberry Cake

2012-09-04T20:20:00.001+10:00

We celebrated Father's Day in Australia on Sunday.

It was a lovely day just relaxing at home and being together.

Neil got up silly early (it felt like the middle of the night!) to run the Bridge to Brisbane 10k. Whilst he was away Sibs and I got the breakfast table ready and about 7.30am he walked in to the smell of bacon and eggs and fresh coffee. We lazed around the kitchen, pottered about outside, flicked though some old NZ Home and Garden magazines pretending that we were choosing a holiday home.....then it was time for lunch. The first lunch outside for a while.

Father's Day lunch

Neil is a very hands on and involved Dad and Sibs reaps the benefits.

They have a gorgeous relationship....and she's a very lucky little girl.

Sunday was our chance to appreciate him.

Father's Day afternoon

So in other news... strawberries were almost being given away at the markets on Saturday so we had a fridge full! I'll probably freeze some, but had a bit of an inspiration this afternoon and as the banana bread was in the oven I decided to try and make a strawberry cake.

125g butter creamed with half a cup caster sugar,
Add a teaspoon of vanilla essence and 2 eggs.
Fold in 2 cups of s-r flour and half a cup of milk,
Add about a cup of mashed up strawberries (I probably added a cup and a half and it was a little too wet)

It's not the best cake that I've ever made, and I think another idea could be to layer the mashed/pureed strawberries in between the cake mixture? I'm sure it will disappear though!

Just before I finish - a quick update on Twmff the cat and his sprained shoulder.

He's been kept indoors for the last few weeks and eventually his limping has been improving. He's almost back to his old crazy self and he should be out and about again in a few days.

Sibs trying to interest Twmff in her new shoes.

Birthday wrap up

2012-08-30T18:22:00.000+10:00

The birthday celebrations that started on Friday continued through until Sunday.

Thank you to all who sent their best wishes.

Here's my 'capture the moment/treasure the moment' account of the weekend

no birthday is complete without cake - thank you to Papa for this one.

Sibs's birthday was a school day and she took the obligatory chocolate muffins to share with her class at morning tea break. The number requested kept going up and up...at one point she wanted to take in 45! We compromised and after ensuring that her classmates were covered there were a few left over for a couple of special teachers and friends and I think the Principal enjoyed one with his morning coffee.

Osaka Japanese

On Friday evening Sibs invited a couple of friends to join us for dinner in a local Japanese Dining Bar. She took great joy in ordering all our food and drink and sitting at the head of the table. Relishing the fact that she was 10 - double digits! It was finished off with gelato on the way home.

Max Brenner

On Saturday morning Nana, Sibs and I took a stroll around Portside and just happened to find ourselves at Max Brenner...as you do! This is chocolate heaven. There was a cruise ship in port and we people watched with the best of them.

Then it was back home to begin preparations for the next installment - the party.

table set for a Jane Austen style dinner

Over the years Sibs has had a butterfly party, a rainbow party, a disco party, a pizza one, a tea party - nothing too challenging really. This year she pondered for quite a while about what kind of party it was going to be and just couldn't make a decision between two things. So why not go for both? It started with a Jane Austen theme...

we used the old Bridgwood China

Fruit punch was served when they arrived and Papa was the butler. He did a sterling job! The table was set for four girls to enjoy a proper sit down roast dinner with chicken and beef and Yorkshire Puddings (that they found very interesting). It was all going to plan and they were having fun pretending to be little ladies until one of them went to cut a brussel sprout, accidentally missed, and her peas went flying across the table and onto the floor! Cue, lots and lots of giggles...

After a dessert of trifle, they changed head space (and thankfully rooms) and it became a One Direction party! Yes, this is the wonderful multi dimensional, glorious complexity of my girl! My ballet loving, rugby loving daughter is a fabulous mix of interests...

One Direction is a relatively new interest in this house and she received a tour DVD from her aunt and uncle for her birthday and the girls bounced and jumped (yes, straight after trifle!) and screamed to it.

the fruit punch was good....but not that good!

That was a good time to open the bubbly!

A little while later the cake was presented with candles and sparkles and we all toasted the Birthday Girl.

The merriment continued with a sleepover, breakfast and morning tea on Sunday.

just in case we needed more cake on Sunday morning!

Another year, another birthday, another set of photos for the memory box.

I hope that Sibs continues to have this amazing zest for life.

That she keeps embracing different interests;

that's she's comfortable to be who she is.

We love her dearly for it...

Birthday

2012-08-24T10:57:00.000+10:00

Breakfast in bed is a once a year treat on your birthday if you live in this house, and Sibs waited patiently for hers this morning. I was aware of her tip toeing past our room a few times to check on progress...but when I got up to prepare her tray she was pretending to be asleep under the covers.

I will never tire of seeing her beaming face when we enter her room singing "Happy Birthday". She gets a bilingual version - I sing it to her in Welsh and her Dad sings it in English. Lucky it's the same tune!

Then it's a few presents in bed before we all go downstairs to the kitchen for breakfast.

We have a weekend of celebrating this wonderful girl who is so precious in our lives.

Penblwydd Hapus Sibs

Caru ti i'r lleuad a nol....a mwy!

Family Treasures

2012-08-18T16:32:00.002+10:00

A box of goodies arrived here this week.

A box filled with precious things that once graced the tables of my family some generations ago.

Bridgwood china dinner service

My lovely mum had wrapped and sent over some treasures that were gathering dust in her attic so that I could have the pleasure of owning a little piece of the past.

I remember some of it....

Duchess tea set 'Rosebud'

This delicate little tea cup and saucer above belonged to my grandmother. It's such a pleasure to drink out of it. I used it for my evening cup of tea a couple of nights ago and I was transported right back to my grandparents kitchen....
I remember the tea pot that they used and the tea caddy (never tea bags), the milk that came in a bottle from the milkman, the exact cupboard where the biscuit barrel was kept , even where the not so secret chocolate supply was hidden in the pantry! It's amazing the power of one little object on the memory.

I don't recall this exact plate, but I do remember being on holiday in Dorset as a child and visiting the Poole Pottery shop. I bought a small china dolphin brooch....I wonder where that went? I have a memory of a few bright orange and mustard yellow pieces in our house - very 70's!

Royal Albert 'Blossom Time'

This beautiful set dates back earlier than the 1970's, and I should do a bit of research and find out when it was produced. I love the fact that the handles of the little tea cups are so small that you can't fit your finger through and have to pinch it - very lady like.

This is just marked 'Staffordshire' and is extremely delicate.

Sibs is convinced that some of this china is from the Jane Austen era!

Denby 'Natural Blue'

Then to finish off - I also got some new Denby cups, saucers and plates for everyday use.

Now I have to find some space to store and display all this gorgeous stuff!

And in other news....Twmff is still recuperating. He alternates between resting in the sunshine on top of the desk in the study and escaping to the linen cupboard. He has a little pillow on the desk and his own mat in the cupboard....not spoilt at all then?? He's being a little trouper and takes his medicine daily and there is some improvement. His rather pathetic hopping on three legs is now more of a limp.

Escape to the country

2012-08-13T11:19:00.002+10:00

Well, well, I haven't been here for a while....

I thought it was a couple of weeks since I last wrote a blog post, but it's actually three weeks...

There's no real reason - nothing dramatic, nothing even vaguely interesting as to why I suddenly stopped. Just one of those things...life getting in the way; a bit of Winter sickness; I think there might have been a few days of Internet connection trouble and hey what do you know three weeks has passed.

So, it's a start to another week, some Monday morning chores have been completed and I just had the urge to sit a moment and fire up the old laptop and check in.

Let me share what we did weekend before last.

We escaped to the country, and spent a couple of nights in a log cabin in the middle of nowhere.

It's about an hour and a half from Brisbane, up and down a windy mountain road and then 8km down a dirt track.....but so worth the drive. Talk about peaceful. There were no sounds apart from the wildlife. A fabulous place to relax and switch off - quite literally as there was no phone or Internet connection and no TV...bliss.

The accommodation is a four bedroom, two bathroom cabin style house with predominantly hand made furniture.The dining table is an enormous slab of polished wood. It's rustic but at the same time comfortable. The bed linen, pillows and the towels provided are good quality (which is important in my book, so no mocking!)

There is a well stocked kitchen and pantry with most of the pots and pans that you need and of course an outside bbq and fire pit and acres of space.

The kids had a ball! Whilst it's not quite a farmstay - the owners (who live in a property next door) were so obliging and gave Sibs and her cousin a bit of a free reign to roam and collect eggs from the chooks, pick up the lambs named Tim and Tam, and walk Rusty the pony.

Skippy the little kangaroo came to visit and bounced around and kept a check on us and the alpacas kept a very close eye on the dog.

I have a feeling we'll be returning to Hollow Log Country Retreat. Web site link - HERE, Facebook page - HERE (Their Facebook page actually gives a better idea of the place and you'll see some photos of our weekend taken by Leonie the owner)

So since coming back, Sibs has been away to school camp and Twmff the cat missed her like crazy. He moped around the house whimpering and in the mornings cried at her bedroom door. He's since done something to his leg and is now limping and hopping around the place so this afternoon he's off to the v-e-t. (I have to whisper - he's lying right here!)

This is the sight next to me right this moment - Twmff being the little invalid on a pillow in the sun in the study and Modlen stealing his food!

Happy Monday

germs, ballet, baking and catching up!

2012-07-23T20:05:00.000+10:00

Here we go...another week...

just chilling on Sunday under the watchful eye of nurse Modlen the cat

There's been a few germs lurking around here recently which has resulted in a bit of lethargy and a few dramatics! For the first few years after we emigrated I was a little smug that we seemed to be consistently avoiding the winter lurgy! Well, I think the immune system that we'd built up after numerous freezing cold Winters has finally been broken... This is now the sniffly, spluttering and coughing house!

Sibs was off school today and thankfully that seems to have done her some good - oh, and the fact that she has graciously passed on all germs to her mother! I'm waiting for the cats to start sneezing next as they have been proper little nurse maids these last few days. Funny how their sixth sense kicks in when an owner is a little off colour.

Thankfully all was well at the end of last week as it was ballet exam day on Friday.

first ever ribbons on ballet shoes

This was the first time that Sibs had worn ribbons on her ballet shoes - the anticipation and excitement was almost unbearable. You could sense the pride...

We continued on the tradition (started last year) of going out for a girly lunch after the exam. This year Sibs chose a sushi lunch followed by a rather large ice cream/gelato dessert.

post ballet exam lunch

It was a great start to the weekend.

I did a bit of baking on Saturday...

jam and coconut slice, lemon drizzle and chocolate muffins

Then we headed out to watch the Queensland Reds rugby game at Suncorp on Saturday night...and that's when the germs found us!

So it's been chicken soup for tea and early to bed for Sibs. That's where I should probably be heading. I stayed up to watch the last double episode of Downton Abbey last night...what will I do on a Sunday night from now on??

Here's to a healthy week,

Chocolate Brownies

2012-07-16T20:42:00.002+10:00

It's no secret that I enjoy baking and there will usually be a cake or two in this house.

There are a few tried and tested favourites that I whip up without thinking.... Lemon Syrup Cake, Chocolate Cake, Banana Bread to mention just a few.

(My belief is the more I make, the better my case for a super duper mixer! Neil, if you're reading this, those Kitchen Aid ones are the best!! - in white please?!)

Anyway, I digress...

Recently I have been getting some serious compliments for the Chocolate Brownies that I occasionally make and as they always turn out just right I thought I would share the recipe. It's based on one that Nigella makes...so it's not something that you would care to eat daily! This is - it has chocolate, butter and sugar!

I have tried various chocolate brownie recipes. Some are quite cake like and others are crunchier and almost biscuit like. This one definitely falls into the cake variety.

200g chocolate (I usually use Lindt 70%)
225g butter
2 tsp vanilla extract
200g caster sugar
3 eggs beaten
150g ground almonds ( I sometimes mix in some ground hazelnuts to make up 150g)
100g macadamia nuts (or anything else that you fancy)
I sometimes throw in some extra chocolate drops if I have any.

Melt butter and chocolate over low heat.
Mix in sugar and vanilla and allow to cool a little
Add beaten eggs, almonds and nuts.
Stir and transfer to a 24cm (or thereabouts) baking tin.

Bake in a 170degree oven for about 30 mins until the top is set.
The centre will still be slightly gooey.

Once cooled, sprinkle with icing sugar, cut into squares and put most of it in the freezer...otherwise it will all be eaten really quickly!

These brownies can suit a gluten free diet, just make sure to check on the chocolate and the icing sugar.

Guess the purchase

2012-07-10T20:57:00.001+10:00

I made the most of today and savoured my time.

I'm back to routine tomorrow...back to work after spending the last two weeks

on a slow pace enjoying the time with my girl for the school holidays.

Sibs was back at school yesterday so I did the usual catch up at home. I even cleaned the oven!

I was already feeling pretty shattered after a couple of silly late nights watching the Wimbledon finals so coupled with a day of housework it was bed at an unheard of 8.30pm for me. (That's about four hours earlier than I usually retire!) I must admit I definitely felt better for it this morning.

So I started my Tuesday with a yoga session then it was a quick coffee

before a day of browsing and mooching.

I bought a couple of things that I want to share....just for a bit of fun.

Have a guess what these two things are?

If you look closely at the cassette tape you'll spot a familiar cut out....

...for the iPhone camera?

It's my new iPhone case!

I'm constantly dismantling my current case in order to use the phone in a docking station

and this one is flexible and just pops off - perfect.

Any guesses on the other?

What about now...?

It's cute little tea infuser!

It's amazing what you find when you're not looking for anything...

and they came in at a whopping $11 - for both!

(iPhone case $5, Tea infuser $6 - both from Office Works)

Have a good week,

Friendship reunion

2012-07-08T21:37:00.001+10:00

There was a reunion here this last week. My girl Sibs welcomed back one of best friends who had been overseas for six months. They had written to each other (yes, proper letters!) sharing everyday tales of school and activities, and we had managed the occasional skype conversation, but nothing beats seeing your friends in the flesh.

The countdown started a couple of weeks ago when Sibs worked that it was a bit too late to write another letter - that's when she realised that the return was imminent. I noticed that her calendar in her bedroom had the number of days written in as a countdown - excitement was mounting... Eventually we organised an afternoon to get together but the morning went by at a snail's pace with Sibs constantly updating me as to how many hours until C's arrival!

It was a touching moment...

They compared accents for a while, there were questions about the differences in schools and teachers and food - the stuff that's important when you're nine and ten. Then we headed out to show that the place hadn't really changed much in six months. There is an Antiques Centre near by that I knew they would have some fun browsing around...and I knew that I would have some fun listening to them!

Sibs wanted to buy this bonnet as she fancies herself as a bit of a Jane Austen heroine!

She also found some long pretty gloves that she assures me she will buy next time we visit when she remembers to bring her own money!

This was one of the best moment for me - listening to the two of them discussing how this 'thing' worked!
It was an old dial up telephone...just like I remember. They were amazed that there weren't buttons to press and that you needed to stay close to the unit.

This led to a conversation about communication 'in the olden days'. The 'olden days' being when I was their age!

They are on the cusp of the wonders of technology. The world of instant and constant communication, where everything is a button press away...
The world that most of us are battling to keep up with - blogging, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, emails, texts...and on it goes!
I sometimes feel as if I'm drowning in the different ways to communicate and I don't sign up for half of them!

Girls, stay with your wonderful letter writing and phone calls for as long as you can....

Back to normal routine tomorrow when school starts again. It's been a lovely couple of weeks to stop and enjoy. I'll do a post of what we've been up to soon.

PS Jane who writes the blog 'Life on Planet Baby' has written a though provoking post on Social Media which got me thinking a bit about this whole communication thing - link HERE

A day of culture starting with chocolate!

2012-07-02T22:19:00.000+10:00

Doesn't this look like the best start you can imagine to a week?

...well it was!

Sibs and I met up with some friends who introduced us to the wonder that is 'Max Brenner'.

Where have I been all this time??

We sat outside in the sunshine and tucked into the most amazing Italian Hot Chocolate; one of the largest and yummiest croissants; followed by strawberries with even more warm melted chocolate. Truly a treat.

It's the second week of the Winter school holidays and after a reasonably quiet first week we have upped the pace! Following this rather extravagant morning tea stop, Sibs and I headed off to the Queensland Museum to visit "The Secrets of the Tomb" exhibition. If you are thinking of visiting - book your tickets online. We walked straight in passing the rather long queue snaking its way in the entrance.

After a viewing of a 3D film you are then able to walk around the artefacts including some mummies that are 3000 years old. I spent my honeymoon in Egypt and remember the fascination of visiting the tombs on the banks of the Nile and the spectacular temples and obelisks. I was telling Sibs about some of the things that I learnt during that trip and she now believes that I am an expert in all things Egyptian...

A quick refreshment at the State Library next door to the museum and we then headed to GOMA (Gallery of Modern Art).

We can spend hours in this place just wandering and marvelling at the talent. There is usually a kids activity centre during school holidays and we found ourselves making paper birds and nests this afternoon.

Just to finish off, we wandered through the Art Gallery, but the sugar hit of the morning chocolate had started to wear off and we were a little tired by this time...

So a rather busy Monday here.

Have a good week,

Rainy day thoughts on ballet.

2012-06-27T15:04:00.001+10:00

I'm sitting in my car alternating between flicking through a magazine and browsing on my phone. The rain is lashing down on the roof. Before the windows steamed up I noticed that I was surrounded by other cars with mothers doing just the same.

I'm a dance mum today. My girl is on her third and last day of ballet school. She is loving it, truly enjoying every minute.
Me?
I'm not quite so sure...

I'm not a 'real' dance mum you see. I don't fit that mould. I'm extremely proud of my little dancing Sibs, but I don't live and breath ballet.

It's raining today - absolutely pouring. We came to ballet school in our rain coats and wellies. We were met by other ladies in heels and dresses - I kid you not! There is glamour and glitz in abundance. I wish I could have sneaked some photos!

The lacquer and shiny clips securing the pristine hairbuns is breathtaking - literally!

So I'm surrounded by these other mums. Some are just like me, wondering what this is all about. Others are....well, let's just say, different.

I have to get out of my car shortly. Walk through the mud and wait outside the door to pick up my smiley girl.

I'll be dressed for the walk!

Beth
x
(blogging from my car on a rainy day so when I press publish I have no idea what this post will look like!)

On my doorstep

2012-06-25T22:20:00.001+10:00

Do you know your neighbourhood and your suburb really well?
Do you know the houses and the streets around your home?

I thought I did until a few days ago...

...until I took a right turn instead of a left turn and ended up changing our usual Sunday walking route.

All of this was literally on my doorstep - and I had no idea.

So for the benefit of all my non Australian friends, come and have a look at my little corner of the world.

This is a shot of some Golden Wattle that was flowering in abundance in the front gardens of many of the homes that we passed.. It's the floral emblem of Australia and is pretty striking.

Our walk took us through some woodland and bushland up a mountain and down the other side.
There were Kookaburras in the trees and lizards in the bushes!

It seems that every corner you turn here there's a play park, and they are all beautifully maintained.

Where there's a park there is usually some shelter and the good old Aussie BBQ. These are communal gas BBQ and you just bring your food, cook away, give it a wipe clean and you're done.

During the warmer months you'll often see families and groups of people around these BBQ enjoying breakfasts through to dinner. The shelters are decorated for birthday parties and celebrations and the best spots get snapped up at dawn! It was all quiet on Sunday - I must remember that it's Winter.

So after a couple of hours it was time to wander home. There were a few blisters so off came the shoes for the last stretch. The promise of a cup of tea and freshly baked chocolate and macadamia brownies on the front deck was just enough the keep the troops going.

We are enjoying a couple of weeks of Winter school holidays here.

Maybe we should explore what's on our doorstep a bit more?