charles' birthday

Another Anzac Day, another birthday which we celebrated in our usual way - Cup of tea in bed; cooked breakfast; presents; coffee; reading the weekend paper; lunch with good wine. The menu this year?
Lamb tagine with fennel and artichokes, baked eggplant and capsi with pinenuts; a lovely Bec salad, and a choice of rice or couscous. All followed by a flourless chocolate, apple and cranberry cake.
It was a long, lazy meal in the warmth of a perfect day.

brisbane on a sunny day

These are a few of the pics I took when out on walks with friends who have been staying over easter, all, except the last which is at the Power House in Newfarm, within walking distance of our house. Perfect weather, too much food and alcohol, lots of walking, lots of chatting, and LOTS of laughing have made thgis a great easter.


Great gardener next door


Neighbourhood house


Hot tin roof without the cat


Smooth as satin tree trunk on my daily walk


Flowering gum, often full of parrots in the late afternoon


Grass trees outside Southbak TAFE


Look carefully at the image - what does it say?

activities for a sick boy

Remi has fallen in a heap at the end of a very long first term at school ... ridiculously long in my book for little preppies who are starting school at the hottest time of the year. Consequently he came down with a very nasty virus and is staying home from school for the whole of the last week, after sleeping, sweating and vomiting through the worst of it. He has been here for quite a bit of the time, and after a slow start with lots of stories and DVD's has moved on to pasta making and cubby houses.

four days with jack and sarah

Last week we were treated to Jack and Sarah's visit, and it will come as no surprise that a lot of the time was spent looking at art and eating. We saturated ourselves at GoMA, ate our way through treats from West End, drank good coffee and the occasional glass of wine, and drove up to Mt Coot-tha to see the Brisbane vista and visit the Botanic Gardens. It was so lovely to catch up and spend time with our lovely old friends.

There they were this morning, all the little preppies the first to be lined up after doing their warm ups, and they were off. Once I wiped my eyes I could see Remi running his heart out, full of determination to do his best. And to his great delight he got third! I got a ribbon! He could scarcely believe it. It was so lovely to see the whole school cheering on the last kids as well as the first, and all those in between.