Time is what stops everything happening at once.

I think I've used this quote before - it really amazes me how life seems to flow steadily and everything doesn't happen at once!

People are coming and going all over the world.  Philip's father (from LA) arrived upstairs on Friday for a fortnight and my sister and niece left on Monday.  They were meant to go to New York, but with the hurricane they might have to stay in LA.  Then they'll go on to London.

A Newcastle friend spent the day with me on Friday while her husband headed for Madrid (having recently got back from Bonn).  These lovely white roses were brought by another Newcastle friend on Saturday:

On Sunday I drove a Sydney friend to Fingal Bay (188 km each way) for our annual delicious curry luncheon.  The hostess, as well as one of the guests, has just got back from UK and other parts.

What GFC? one may well ask.

The old and new

I took this the other day when I went into the city to sell a gold bracelet.  I was thrilled with the price I got, and decided to use the money for special treats.  So far I've bought two necklaces with it.  The building is the General Post Office (GPO).  In times past, the whole place was used by the postal department, but nowadays only a small part is, with the rest  given over to shops and restaurants.  It's the same the world over - the old buildings are so beautiful, compared to the boring glass and steel of the new ones.


Your Paris photos are soooo beautiful, Michael.  I've never seen such interesting shots of the Eiffel Tower - you make it look like lace.  (The second lot are still downloading.)


Frank, that morning in the Rose Cafe I had scrambled eggs, bacon and tomato on toast.  There was enough food for about four people and I had to leave some, unfortunately.  Next time we will ask for half serves.

Another favourite cafe

Can you have more than one favourite?  I'll have to check the grammar books.  I don't really think so, so I will qualify this by place.  This one is in Goulburn - Australia's first inland city - where my sister lives.  I went there by train on Thursday and came back on Friday.  We went to this heavenly cafe for breakfast.

It's almost next door to the courthouse and as we walked past I wanted to take a photo but   couldn't, as it was pouring rain, so here's one from the Web for you:

Check out these photos:  http://www.photographsofaustralia.com/index.html


Goulburn was in drought for years, with severe water restrictions, and now it seems to do nothing but rain.

Another day, another little trip

A few days ago I went to meet a friend in a place called Woy Woy (where Spike Milligan lived). It's about 30 minutes north of Hornsby by train, along a very scenic route:

The wattle is so pretty at this time of year (though this is slightly out of focus as I took it from the moving train).

The whole journey is through high bushland, then down beside the Hawkesbury River (which begins very close to our house, in the opposite direction).

This is the local pub, a rather quaint building.


To my eye, nothing is as beautiful as Britain and Europe, though the Australian bush does have its charm.  No castles or cathedrals or pretty thatched villages, though.  Michael, thanks for your email - I'm just about to download the photos, which, as usual, will be amazing!

My favourite suburb

When you see these pics, it's not hard to understand why Wahroonga is my favourite suburb.  I can't believe my lucky stars, living in the very next suburb!  The first two are of the station and the bottom one is one of the magnificent magnolia trees in the park right next door.  When friends come to visit I always start off with coffee and cake in my favourite patisserie in the local village (as the shopping centre is called), and a drive round the magnificent mansions with tennis court and swimming pool in the tree-lined streets.


Olga, you must come again soon, and try to bring Heather with you.


Winifred, my kitchen only looks so spartan because there's enough space to put everything away.  I got rid of a lot of stuff when I moved.  The painting on the wall, Frank, is the same one I had in Mayfield.  It's Molly, my cat who died when she was run over out the front.  Emma was intrigued by this explanation and announced, 'She's reborn again in the painting!'

Life is so full of surprises

Yesterday I looked at my Facebook page (which I seldom do, as it only confuses me) and exchanged comments with Tarja, a Finnish woman I knew about a hundred years ago.  She and her Australian husband-to-be were in a TAFE French class I was teaching in a country town. They later married and moved to the family farm in Finland, from where Christmas cards announced a new birth every year for about the next five - then I lost count!  Must have had something to do with the cold weather, I thought...I was absolutely delighted when Tarja wrote on Facebook that one of these babies has grown up and is coming to Australia next month and would I like to meet her!  Of course I would! - that goes without saying.


This morning I found an email from Marj, in England, in reply to a snailmail letter I sent her recently.  Years ago, when we first 'met' online, I was also emailing Elke, from Germany.  Both women lost their husbands about the same time, so I put them in touch with each other.  It was Elke who let me know Marj has been diagnosed with a serious illness, and that prompted my letter (as I no longer had her email address).  It's wonderful we're all back in touch again.


Today's pic is an invitation to any of you who'd like to pay me a visit and sit here with me in my kitchen having a cup of coffee/tea!  Since the previous photo of the kitchen, Philip has done the tiling.  As a matter of interest (?) the size of the tiles is 60cm x 30cm.  This is the latest fashion.  One thing I love looking at in 'Escape to the Country' is the colourful tiles in English kitchens - so different from here.


Frank, I must be a great disappointment to you, having no interest in sport, except tennis (when it's too hot to do anything but watch).  But I am very pleased for you that England has gone to the top of the ranking!


Must get ready now and find another suburb to explore.

Michael and Frank back after a long absence

It was a lovely surprise to find comments from you, Michael, as I was beginning to worry.  It was also lovely to see your name, Frank, though you are a frequent emailer so I know you are still going strong.  Of course, it's always lovely to read your comments, my regular Winifred!


It seems we're all suffering from weird weather.  I read that the rainfall Sydney had in July was equivalent to FOUR MONTHS of rain in Edinburgh.  Now that is really some rain!!!


However, I must count myself very fortunate, as I haven't been uncomfortably cold at all during our winter.  The first thing I do when I wake up in the morning is open one of my doors and I usually leave it open all day, quite happy for the fresh air to come inside.  I close up and turn the gas heater on in the evening, and snuggle under a quilt, with Muffy on top.


Speaking of quilts, here's a pic of a beautiful new one, made for me by a very talented friend:

It's hard to see, but there is a definite Japanese theme, which is lovely and most appropriate for this family.  Yesterday, as Emma and I were walking along a street in Chatswood to her piano lesson (with a Japanese teacher), she remarked at the many Japanese people about.  Of course, she thinks all Asians are Japanese, and is too young to know about other Asian countries, though I am beginning to tell her.  There are many shops with Asian writing in their windows, which she identifies as Japanese, as she does with graffiti!!!!


We don't have a lot of problems with racism in Australia, though there is an occasional outburst, mainly against Muslims.  I hope our peaceful country remains this way, though who knows...

Something nice!

The only way to get through life is to concentrate on one's own little bit and ignore the rest.   

Am fortunate that my little bit is quite fine.  A flock of gorgeous kookaburras sang loudly outside my window this morning, which was absolutely delightful.  (I didn't take this pic, I got it from the Web.)

And yesterday I had a visit from a lovely young friend from Newcastle, then went to an evening function followed by dinner with two other lovely young friends.  It is so nice to be with people in their 30s and 40s!  I rarely go out at night, so it was a real adventure for me, and I was very brave to walk to the carpark from the train station on my own, about 9:30 pm.


Another nice thing comes from you, Frank, so I'll put it here for everybody to enjoy:
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Oh dear, what's the world coming to?

Got this pic from the London Telegraph.  That's the trouble with the world today, we hear about every single disaster and very quickly become overwhelmed.

I really don't know what to say.  Heard you've even had riots in Bristol, Winifred.  Is this so?

You may well wonder...

...at my choice of photo this morning.  Well, to explain, I'm having another frustrating day trying to figure out how the daughter of a design engineer can be so unbelievably challenged in the 'doing' department, and struggle to get a slice of cheese out of its wrapper.  If I ever do manage 'to do' something, I am inordinately pleased with myself!  This morning's amazing achievement on my part was changing not only this vacuum cleaner bag, but a filter as well!  I have no recollection of ever having done either of these things before, but surely I must have at some time in the past and have simply forgotten.


I started the day searching for some receipts from my physio to claim from the health fund. (See bits of paper on the floor bottom left, and ignore the round thing which must be a sun spot.) During the search I disturbed inches of dust, which, of course, led to the necessity of vacuuming.  I had just changed the sheets, pillow cases and doona covers, causing the usual down drift, so this, too, always means vacuuming.  (Washing is my favourite domestic chore and I just love hopping into nice clean sheets that smell of sunshine at night.)


At the foot of the bed you will see another doona doing its best to hide two big plastic containers full of my diaires!  I plan to read them again before disposing of them but can't quite bring myself to start.  Meanwhile, Emma is delighted with what she thinks is a seat just for her.


Winifred, how I envy you, having lived in a house with a rambling garden!  How wonderful!  Do you have any photos of it?


I'm now going to watch Dr Phil while I eat my sandwich.  I only lasted about 5 minutes as those Americans are too stupid for words!  Oh, how normal I feel in comparison.

90th birthday party

Yesterday Philip, Emma and I drove three hours to a country town called Scone to celebrate the 90th birthday of a dear 'aunt'.  It was just lovely to meet up with her and lots of other relatives, who'd come from all over the place.  The last time one couple saw Philip was in Tremblay- le-Vicomte in France, when he was four, so it was quite exciting for them  to see his 4-yr-old daughter!  What a lot of water has flowed under the bridge since then.


Aunt lives in a beautiful sandstone house - here's a pic of the back veranda:

It's the kind of house, with a rambling garden, that is every child's delight.

No, not clever, Heather

It has taken years and years of trial and error for me to get to this stage of blogging.  I assure you, I have no natural ability with the computer but am very determined.


Went into the city yesterday and took this pic of the Town Hall:

I love the lacy bits on the building behind the bare winter trees.

When I left home it was cold and wet, so I wore a jumper, coat and gloves and carried my umbrella.  By the time I'd got to the station the sun was shining and it was 26 degrees!

Last night my knee locked and it remains so at 10:15am as I write.  This happens from time to time as the result of a roller skating fall when I was about 14.  It usually fixes itself in between two minutes and a week.  It's inconvenient to say the least, and only painful when I try to move.

Now this is what I call devotion

Muffy is such a darling - as if you didn't know!  We are together all the time.  If she's not on my lap while I'm at the computer, she's right there beside me and I was lucky enough to take this pic just now.

Winifred, you are wonderful to keep making comments - where is everybody else?  Michael and Frank?????  Olga?

Golly, is this Midsomer Murders?

This is a street not far from Emma's preschool where there was a murder/suicide in the early hours of this morning.  One never knows...


Must say I like John Barnaby, the new policeman in 'Midsomer Murders'.  He has such nice dimples.  I've surely mentioned before that I love British TV and watch it on our ABC or SBS whenever I can.  Favourites at the moment are 'Kingdom', 'Grand Designs', 'Silent Witness', and 'Marchlands'.  'Coast', which recently finished, was wonderful and saved me all the bother of going there.  It was a mine of information and had magnificent birds' eye views which you can't get yourself.

A perfect day

Sunday was Emma's birthday party in the park:

Here you have Nanny and the birthday cake made by Mummy.  The weather was perfect, as was the behaviour of the Birthday Girl, 10 little guests, their brothers and sisters and mummies and daddies.  And, of course, the family.


The day before, I made cupcakes with white icing, pink stars and flowers; pink fudge; pink meringues; gingerbread biscuits decorated with icing (not pink); open sandwiches shaped like hearts, stars and circles; and pink and green jellies.  I think the jellies, followed by the sandwiches, were the most popular.  Mummy and Grandma made several delicious dishes for the adults.

I've been living below the family for six months now - it's all wonderful.