Life lately...

My orchids are flowering again, two of them for the second time in a 3 month period.  Friends keep sending me photos of miserable and dead wilted  orchids asking what it is that they are doing wrong.  I seriously have no idea what it is that I do right though.  I did write a post on how I look after mine not that long ago if anyone is actually interested.  I wonder if it is the spectacular antique ginger jars they are housed in.  Speaking of which does anyone know where to source genuine ginger jars from in Australia?  Not, the mass produced ones that you see everywhere but authentic antique jars?  My Mum was telling me that when they were buying these in the 1970s,  way back when they were on posting in Cambodia it was hard to source genuine jars even back then.  I imagine it is next to impossible these days but still, I would love to know if anyone ever comes across them.  I particularly would love to know more about mine as well.

Another view of them bathed in a sunset pink glow a few nights ago.  The sunsets in Sydney have been truly spectacular recently.  

My Mother's Day sleep in came courtesy of Scrabble.  It is a new obsession in this house.  I am secretly delighted as the Monopoly Board has been hurled a few too many times lately and Scrabble is something I would actually choose to play.  My friends used to roll their eyes at me regularly whenever we were on holidays together and I would pull out the board games or a pack of cards. So  I must say I am thrilled that I now have willing and able board game buddies at my beck and call, especially ones that are actually able to play the games I want to play.  I am thinking it might be time to teach them 500 or cribbage.  

My darling boys both chose Cyclamens for me from the Mother's Day gift stall at school, they know me well!  I could not have asked for a more perfect gift from them.  I even love how H selected white and N picked out pink!  I have them together on a shelf in the kitchen and they look so pretty together.  

My Mother's Day gift from Ross was this stunning and ever so pretty dress from Magali Pascal.  Ross chose it for me in Bali a couple of weeks ago when he was over there working (again, lucky thing!!) and I love it!  It pains me to admit this, but I think he might be better at picking out clothes for me than I am.  I feel so lucky and privileged, thank you Ross, N and H, I had a lovely day.  

Halloween 2015

I am not sure if it is my upbringing attending American run International Schools or a childhood reading American children's literature, (any other Harriet the Spy fans!?), but I have completely embraced Halloween and love everything about it!  I know and can understand the many myriad of reasons people dislike Halloween.  However, on Saturday night in our neighborhood I only witnessed children having a glorious time and a true sense of community.  R took the boys out "Trick or Treating," only knocking on the doors of the houses that were obviously participating, and he reported back that they had a wonderful time.   The boys even apple bobbed for the first time at a neighbour's house, both of them returning with wet heads of hair and grins from ear to ear! I remained home to answer the door to our "Trick or Treat" visitors and delighted in all the costumes and the opportunity to chat with and also meet for the first time some neighbours.  

And so in the interests of actually documenting what happens in our lives and as Halloween is something that these two look forward to with as much joy and anticipation as they do Christmas, Easter and their Birthdays, this was Halloween 2015.  

A Vampire (he somehow always manages to look suave and elegant) and a Naughty Little Devil, a rather apt costume choice for this young man!  It is also so interesting to see their dress up choices each year and how they have evolved over time, reflecting their very different personalities.  I for one am already looking forward to Halloween 2016 for this very reason!

September school holiday wrap up (a wee bit late...)

 Now that the boys are in Week 5 at school I felt it was warranted that I update the blog, especially considering there are only 4 weeks of school remaining until they are back on holidays again. A frightening thought!


 The holidays were fabulous.  Both boys spent a week separately in Canberra visiting my parents and then a week was spent with us all together at the holiday house.  Lazy days spent surfing, bike riding,  eating,  crab catching and playing cricket on the beach.  The water was so crisp and refreshing we swam everyday despite the fact it was still on the chilly side.  Spine tingling rejuvenation therapy for all of us.

On our last evening we were sitting out on the front deck when someone walked past and called out that there was a whale and her calf frolicking in the water.  Glasses of wine and dinner preparations were quickly abandoned and we all raced down to the look out point to watch.  It was a joy for all of us to watch the whale and her baby playing together as they found somewhere safe to rest before they commenced their migration south for the summer.  I didn't take any photos as I didn't think to grab my camera or phone and I am actually glad that it turned out that way.  We were all so uplifted by the experience of watching the whale that I am delighted I was in the moment and enjoying it, not focused instead on trying to capture the perfect photo.

Lastly, I can't tell you how happy it made me that the 7 year old is still little enough to squeeze himself into a plastic storage tub for his evening bath.  My baby for a little longer.  There truly is joy to be found in the little things everywhere.

Friends

Nearly 30 years ago, when we moved back to Australia after our posting to KL,   I made two very dear and special friends.  One I met on my first day at my new school, which was actually my old school but Canberra has such a transient population that there were hardly any recognisable faces.  I was allocated a seat at a double wooden desk next to D and promptly handed a Hymn book, a Bible and a sheaf of photocopied Prayers and Hymns that needed to be glued into both.  I must have looked quite bewildered as D kindly offered to do it all for me.  V I met shortly afterwards at Girl Guides.  Come around the back she enticed and I'll let you feel my bra strap.  I have been best friends with both ever since.

Last year for my 40th birthday they gave me a very generous voucher for one of my most favourite shops. 

Black and Spiro.

 As V lives in Brisbane nowadays she was able to accompany me for the grand shopping trip but D now lives in the Hunter Valley and thus has not yet seen the divine things that I purchased with their very thoughtful gift.

Thank you both so very much for my lovely 40th birthday presents.  Every time I look at the Pineapple painting it makes me smile and everybody that visits the house loves it and asks after it.  I use the butter dish everyday and it's vintage gorgeousness makes me so happy, as does the lovely hammered silver trinket box which looks perfect on my bookshelves. 

Thank you for being such marvellous friends, you have both enriched my life in so many ways.

Two little powderhounds

The last few weeks of the school holidays were spent skiing at Whistler and it was beyond fabulous.  I know, I am very lucky.  I hope the boys realise how lucky they are as well one day. We were blessed with gorgeous weather and fantastic snow and skied almost every day.

From Whistler village you can ski two different mountains, Whistler and Blackcomb.  The two mountains are joined by the Peak to Peak Gondola a record breaking feat of remarkable engineering.  It is the longest unsupported span for a lift in the world and the highest lift system of it's kind in the world.      It was an amazing experience riding in it, although the Captain admitted to me afterwards he felt a little wary, the 4 year old however is a daredevil and as you can see had his eyes trained out the windows of the gondola the whole way.

We stayed in Whistler Village and it was just gorgeous, all the Christmas lights were still up and the atmosphere was amazing.  I felt like I was walking through an illustration in a vintage children's picture book about Christmas.

Whistler for kids is a magical experience.  The ski school was fantastic, great instructors and everything else you would expect from a ski school program.  They even attach Flaik's (a GPS) to the kids so that at the end of the day you can go online and track the runs that they did each day. Probably so the instructor doesn't lose a kid either I suppose.  We couldn't believe it when we saw that the 4 year old had done a couple of black diamond runs.   I mean, he said that he had done them but we, and I know it sounds bad but we didn't believe him!  But with "big brother" watching his every move we discovered he was actually telling us the truth!

There are even a few playgrounds dotted amongst the many runs.  This one is called The Tree Fort!  Hard to believe that they managed to scamper about all over this in ski boots.

The highlight of the holiday? Well for this one it was that he got poles!  Quite the milestone for a little powderhound!

On either side of Canada we squeezed in a few days in the States.  Including a quick side trip to Legoland.

Luckily for the grown ups someone at Legoland has a sense of humour.  Even R and I had a wonderful time.  (I am allowed to laugh at the Volvo thing, my parents have always had one!)

Several weeks away though and we are now thrilled to be home and I am looking forward to catching up with you all.  I have been thinking of all my QLD friends and hope you have all survived the wild weather.  It even made the news in Canada!

Byron Bay....

Not that we really spent any time in Byron, apart from a quick walk through a couple of the shops and one visit to Watego's Beach.  We actually spent most of our time in the pool or lounging about near it....

.....it was hard to motivate yourself to do much else, it is possibly the most impressive pool I have ever seen at a private house.

Then around the other side of the house we had this view.  It was a struggle to leave.

The house is on a working cattle farm, complete with a miniature pony called Gypsy, who was an angel with all the children...

One evening Gypsy had to be "exercised" as she had made a glutton of herself that day.  Crimes included raiding the chicken seed and also the veggie patch. The show she put on was a performance that none of us will forget.  Thank you Gypsy for being such a character!  

The girls came to visit us everyday and were equally as charming. 

We did manage to drag ourselves out of the house a few times.  Bangalow was fabulous and well worth a visit.  Loved exploring all the little shops,  favourites were Bangalow Lounge and brauerbirds.  

Food highlights included Cafe Marius (Lennox Head), probably the best coffee we found in the area and outstanding food.  I can't stop thinking about the breakfast chimigchanga!  Delicious!

... and an absolute must is a meal at Harvest.  A divine restaurant in Newrybar, about 20k out of Byron.   Amazing food, atmosphere and service. Afterwards pop into the deli next door to pick up some fresh bread and cheese.  You won't regret it.  I adored our meal there and the people watching is A1 as well.

It was a fantastic holiday!  Thank you so much to D and V and their families who made fairly epic journeys to come and celebrate my birthday with me.  Truly special friends that I feel very lucky to have, thank you girls!