Tuesday 24 January 2012

Galavanting

The Machinist and I did a lot of gadding about during our Christmas break.  We went on a few day trips around our region.  I'm still grazing on the memories of drives we took in the new Land Rover Discovery.  This is what it looks like:

What a pleasure to travel on hot days in a beautifully airconditioned car!

We went to the National Gallery of Australia:

h

The War Memorial:


 The National Zoo and Aquarium:


We took a trip to the beach.  Some of us swam, some paddled, some frolicked in rock pools and some, well - they just got sun burned.

Later in the Christmas break, the Machinist and I took a trip to Cooma, which is a town in the Snowy Mountains.


It wasn't snowing when we were there (ha!), and after passing through we descended the Brown Mountain, and spent the night at a quaint Bed and Breakfast, which was and still is the General store and Post office called The Two Storey B & B at Central Tilba


But... the one place that I truly adore and even dream about was the culmination of our travels, namely, the one and only Foxglove Spires Garden at Tilba Tilba.



What can I say?  You can read more here.

I am truly besotted, especially as I read the creator and owner of the garden, Sue Southam's book: Velvet Pears. 


And so, to bed!  Where I can read more of these beautiful pages, and perhaps even dream of them!

Wednesday 18 January 2012

Bittersweet

Life is oftentimes bittersweet.  The realisation that we had to close our beloved Pie Shop, The Daily Pie was one of those bitter times.  While we packed and cleaned we had a constant knot in our throats.   One day, Sarah and I went up to the shop, intending to take pictures and write descriptions for the sale of equipment.  (I had been up there previously, alone on a few occasions, just wanting to 'think'.  I was adjusting myself to the prospect of no longer having the shop). As she approached the pie display fridge, (which we endeavoured to keep choc-full of ample pies, beautifully arranged) she took a step back and declared "...it feels like I'm selling my soul.." 

This little heart-declaration caused us to postpone the photo session until... well.....we still haven't returned for that, but we will.

There is so much that goes on behind the scenes in the hospitality industry.   I knew straight from the start, that we would never have been as successful if it wasn't for the help of a VERY DEAR FRIEND of ours, fondly known as "Cheffy".  He helped us regularly, without return or promise of return. He is generous of heart, methodical, punctual, reliable - a perfectionist and a true gentleman. The unsung hero (to us, anyway).

And so, it is farewell to the old, as the promise of something new breeds unpredicted, yet sweet excitement!



Wednesday 4 January 2012

Our Pet Family

I can't believe four months have past since my last post!

Wilson is a big boy now.  He has a friend; also a poddy lamb which we raised to be his companion.  Wilson's friend is Leo.  Wilson, we've learned, is a Merino lamb and Leo is a Border lester cross.  They eat and eat and eat in the paddock at the side of our house. They are truly 'Fat Lambs'.  Somewhere in the paddock lies two lambs tails and two gonad sacks. The Machinist jokes about finding these body parts and using them to spur his lads into action, should they ever become slack while at work in the factory.  The lads just laugh about the Machinist's threats, as they know his task of finding said parts would be like finding needles in a haystack.

In other pet news, my lovely Lilly - a Schnauzer cross Pug has been fatally mauled by Polly, our Staffy cross Silky.  We were all out at the time of the alpha-female power struggle and poor Sarah had to come home to the end of the battle. We rushed Lilly to the vet, and all was looking good "No news is good news", the local vet advised our Sarah.  And then, around 9.30pm that night, there was a phone call...

I still can't get over it.  I've never grieved a dog like I do Lilly.

There is MUCH more news, but the Machinist is calling me to bed.  We hope to visit Jenolan Caves tomorrow with the rest of my lovely family and we're hoping to make an early start (well, as early as one would like to call early while on holiday.  Our first in three years).

More later....



RIP, my lovely Lilly xx

CATERPILLARS & KEEPING IT REAL

 Table talk amongst our children is and always has been, -  a rabbit warren . We start off in one hole and end up in another -  quick smart....