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.

A most impressive property...

I never cease to amaze myself!  Some of today's pics are actually my own, as Philip has finally up/downloaded (I will never understand which is which) Picasa on this new computer so I no longer have to content myself with web photos (even though they were all terrific shots).  The thing that is amazing is that I accidentally discovered all I have to do to get the photo into the blog is make one click!  Previously I'd been saving each photo to a file, then fiddling round making about 20 clicks to get it in.


Today I went on another one of my suburb adventures, to Randwick, with a friend who showed me over the property where she was brought up as a child.  She is a member of Australia's leading bloodstock auctioneer family.  Took my breath away!

Oh darn!  My clever discovery doesn't work for any further photos - they automatically go into new blogs, so I've had to go through all the old rigmarole after all to get some more in.


The first two shots show the interior and exterior of the auction room, where zillions of dollars worth of horse flesh is traded several times a year.  They have another place in Melbourne as well.

This, of course, is the house (where my friend's aunt and cousin and family now live).

I am such a stickybeak - now look what I found online!

And this is the fig tree that the aunt and her husband planted on their wedding day.


Here's a pic from the web of an auction in progress:

I've had a break from the blog for a few days to get over the shock of the tragedy in Norway and then all the excitement of Cadel Evans winning the Tour de France.  Not that I'm particularly interested in sport, but by golly, this was some effort and I admire him tremendously.  And before that there was the James and Rupert Show, which I sat up all night to watch.  Life certainly is not dull.


Winifred, it seems you are the only one to be brave enough to make comments.  Where is everybody else????????