Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Sydney!!!!



Bill and I had a fantastic trip to Sydney! 
Probably the best part for me was the look on his face when he read out my last post on my iphone as we took the turn off to the airport. He just couldn't believe we were going to Sydney not Melbourne!  I don't think he really did until we were on the plane, what an excellent surprise it was!


Although it was raining quite a lot of the time we were there we still had fun and did so many things. We both loved the ferry ride across the  magnificent Sydney Harbour...where we saw..


(replica) ships from the First Fleet....


sail boats...


..tug boats...


....and massive ships. I loved being on the harbour, there is so much to look at and it is truly such a beautiful place to be. How could you ever get sick of such views? Lucky Sydney siders.. :)


Over on Manly beach we just enjoyed being at the beach, something we miss in Daylesford.


 We looked for shells, swam in the water, watched people, boats and clouds.


It was simply..


blissful.


Bill and I packed a lot into our 24 hours in Sydney, we stayed at the YHA in The Rocks (which was great) and climbed a million steps up and down. It's such an amazing historic area, I loved it.


We watched a film about the making of the Harbour Bridge, went to a book shop & a movie, we ate waffles, and hot chips and ice cream.



We caught trains, and cabs and ferries,


 and the monorail! Fun!


One of the highlights was the Power House Museum. We both walked around in awe at the many mind blowing exhibits. The oldest steam train in NSW, planes hanging from the ceiling, rocket parts, the penny farthing..old tram cars and carriages...all so beautifully made and decorative.



I have so many shots from the museum so I won't bore you with them all but we had the BEST time there and I can't wait to go back one day. Bill loved all the scientific sections with experiments etc. Not so much my cup of tea but it was fun to see him enjoying it.

Another highlight was catching up with Susie from Flower Press. We almost didn't make it but I'm so glad we did. Susie took us on a trek for coffee through the crowds of School Spectacular students, an amazing motor bike jumping display (!!), Darling Harbour and past Paddy's Market. A real splice of inner Sydney! It was great to finally meet Susie and sit and have a chat with her. Susie, thanks so much for coming in to see us, I hope next time we can come and visit you and meet your family too.

I could go on forever about our mini trip to Sydney but I'll finish up  now as it's hard to know when to stop sometimes. I'm SO glad I did this with Bill, it was a precious moment in time that we will both remember. Life with kids is so busy and it's easy to get caught up in the Managing and the Surviving, the Cleaning and Organising that sometimes you need to step back and just enjoy time together.

 I really enjoyed chatting with Bill and hearing his ideas and observations. It was good for him to go somewhere so different and bustling, a big city with so many different cultures and things to see.  I like having some special one on one time with my kids, whether it's a big trip like this or just doing something more simple. I guess it's the time spent together that is what you remember. I definitely want to do this with all my kids - I hope I can.

So I've been rambling on..what have YOU been up to lately?
Hope it's been fun and inspiring, and that you are not to caught up in the end of year stress.
Take care lovely ones,
I'll see you soon xo

Friday, November 25, 2011

Woo hoo!

Just a quick post today as I am off on a trip with my son Bill. He thinks we are going to Melbourne for some mother/son time to celebrate his 10th birthday but we are really going somewhere else.

Can you guess? I'm so excited!!!
See you soon lovely ones xo

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

They're here!


They've arrived!!! Yes, our ducklings are hatching, with seven born and one hatching as I write this post.


Behind this door the mother ducks have been working hard over the last few weeks, patiently sitting,


amongst the straw and feathers, keeping those precious eggs warm.


The kids have been waiting too..


and watching.


Suddenly they began to arrive! Here is Bandit, the only brown one so far. 


And his six fluffy siblings, aren't they the cutest?


The whole garden has been buzzing with the news of the ducklings arrival, here are Norman and White Chook, off for a sticky beak.


As you can imagine, I could take photo's of them all day long. The mums are graciously putting up with me,


and they even let me have a close look into the nest where I was lucky to find another little brown baby hatching!


Hello!


Here it is a little bit later, having a brief visit inside before hopping back under the warm feathers of one of it's mums. Breaking out of the egg must be tiring, this little one looks exhausted. But they so quickly perk up and seem to grow bigger even as we watch them.

Exciting times at our house this week.  It's so amazing watching new life begin, this is one of the most magical parts of having pets and animals, children too! I saw a new born baby at school today and felt that same warm rush of happiness, such a precious time.

I hope your week is a happy one, see you soon lovely ones xo

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Enid and other stories...


On Saturday I flew the coop and headed down to Melbourne for a catch up with my old mate, Hannah. Han & I go way back, we met when we were 13! It was good to hang out with her and hear all her news. Like old friends do we have a natural ease with each other, we just pick up where we left off! Our lives are very different ie: her - city life, no kids, city job and me..well you know all about me!


I LOVED being in Fitzroy, the lovely familiar place where I grew up. I still know every corner, every crack in the footpath, but there is always new things to see too. I love the smell of the inner city in the early evening, jasmine & warm asphalt, cooking smells & perfume. And the twittering of city parrots, chirping and swooping through the streets.


I had an amazing find too!! Just as I turned into St David St I saw a large skip filled with building material. And sitting on top was an old toy dog. From a distance it looked like a real doggie, (that's my ageing eyes for you!) but as I got closer I saw it was a beautiful, vintage toy with only one ear, perched on top of the pile, obviously waiting for me! Oh my excitement. You will understand this if you are also a treasure hunter, a skip scrounger, an op shopper. I blame my dad really for passing on this gene, actually it's a pretty ace one to have. But anyway, back to The Dog. I wondered whether she had been found in a ceiling or under the floorboards, I guess I'll never know. I picked her up, tucked her under my arm and set off for the restaurant. (I did get some odd looks.) At the Fitzroy Commoner I sat my new friend under the table where she quietly rested, pleased I hope, in the knowledge that she was going to a happy retirement in Daylesford. I've called her Enid, it just seems to suit her. I'm in the middle of researching her history, the old label on her tummy says she comes from England. Imagine all the things she has seen in her time pre rubbish skip?



I stayed at my mum's house, a home full of interesting things. It's always a pleasure to stay there and I love the memories that seem to drift through my mind of days gone by in Fitzroy. Walking home from school past the Perfect Cheese factory (pretty stinky on Parmesan day), past the Glo Weave factory, past the old nonna's sitting on their front veranda, shelling peas, of the Milk Bar next door, the dirty old shops of Brunswick St (now such a thriving, bustling spot), oh the many memories..a happy time.


Back home things have been busy. Hence the lack of blogging lately.


It's that crazy end- of- year time that creeps up..lots on and not enough time. I'm working on keeping myself calm, it's not easy sometimes! 


My kids are hanging out for the holidays and I am too. It's been a big year.
I've been working a little bit too, at a cafe. It's only a few hours but so far it's fun and I'm loving learning to make coffee again.


And I'm so excited as I have a new project!! Yes, I'm making doona covers/quilts from my collection of vintage linen. I want to make them super beautiful and perfect so I'm working really hard to get them right. So far I've soaked, washed and ironed a massive pile and right now I'm working on cutting them out. I hope to sell them through my shop and maybe in Melbourne too. Watch this space for
  Dandelion Dreams!

I'm hoping that next time I post there will be some photo's of our new ducklings. According to my calculations they should be starting to hatch any day now. Oh wow!!! As you know they are just the cutest things, I can't wait! What's happening in your world? I hope you are happy and well, lovely ones.
See you soon xo


ps: special thanks to Char who helped with with these photo's that I managed to lose when downloading from my phone. Honey, you are the best xo

Monday, November 7, 2011

On my mind


Spring: it's is in the air and with it of course, comes new life. On a corner near where we live is this beautiful foal and it's mum. How could I drive past and not stop to say hello? 


Back at home Norman has been feeling frisky. 
Not content with his two lady friends in the back yard,


he has been courting this fancy girl who lives next door. She has been popping over for a visit (and to check out what's on the menu at No.42).  I don't think she knew she was  going to have to deal with a lovestruck Norman. I've been giving him his marching orders..


here he is, trying to act all nonchalant but really he's high tailing it big time.


Spring has brought flowers, roses and blossoms by the bucket load, what a beautiful time of year. My vegie garden is slowly growing, the snow peas are climbing and it's all looking healthy and happy. Today I gave all the plants a little boost of worm farm stew and duck pond poo. Doesn't sound to appetising but the plants are smiling.

Endings:  Firstly the sad news that Footscray's Steiner School is being shut down. Charlotte began at this school when it opened in 2001 and we all have such happy memories of her time there. It's a shame for all the families who have invested so much in this amazing school, I really feel for them. I was also sad today to hear the news that an old neighbour of ours from West Footscray days, Sarah Watt, has passed away. An incredibly talented film maker and just a really great person, what a loss. 


WaitingQuietly and patiently for the eggs to hatch. I'm counting the days now, shouldn't be too much longer.


 Freddy is pacing, like the expectant father that he is. He has cranked up the daily assault on Daisy, who cops a real bashing from him. He continuously pecks at her and chases her around the garden. I guess he is guarding his girls but it can get a bit intense. Lucky Daisy isn't more aggressive or it might be curtains for Fred.


Watching: the girls get ready for their upcoming dance recital. I love Sunday's purple ballet costume,


and Rosie looks so sweet as a pink flower.

Planning: to make a big pile of bed covers out of the mound of vintage sheets I have stacked up in my sewing space. I'm soaking, washing, ironing them all and then the fun begins! I love Rosie and Sunday's quilts so much I've decided to make more for my shop. Yes, my little shop which has been sadly neglected lately. I hope to pop some bunnies in soon too. Oh boy, so many things to do, and never enough time.



Loving: the weather lately, sunny days and the lushness of Spring. 
What's on your mind lately? Hope you have a happy week,
see you soon lovely friends xo