Apples

Apples are my least favorite fruit, way down the list after citrus fruit of all kinds, peaches, apricots, grapes, and melons. They are even further down than bananas which I am not particularly fond of either. You might have started reading here and wondering if this is just going to be a little story about my favorite food, but no, not so.  This is how it came about that I have six apples in my fruit basket now.

I had finished shopping and sat down on a bench in my local shopping center to check my receipt which I do sometimes when it seems that the sum I paid was a bit hefty. However, it is always correct, that hefty sum is usually  because I added a few extra goodies. Anyway, next to me were two ladies my age and they looked very much alike so I gathered they must be sisters. I overheard them talking about an uncle who was being difficult and other problems, weight, cleaning products, grand children etc. It got very interesting. I didn't want to seem like I was eaves dropping so I stared straight ahead.  I was not really aware that straight ahead meant that I was looking very intently at the green grocer who was arranging apples outside his shop. I wasn't even aware of him but  he obviously felt uncomfortable, having a lady staring at him like that. He probably thought it was in a critical way.

Suddenly he felt he needed to explain whet he was doing, so he told me that every day he polishes some apples and puts them on top of the others to make the whole pile look pretty and fresh. He said it was good for business to do that. It wasn't like he was cheating anybody etc Then he asked me if I like apples. I could have told him the truth (see first paragraph) but instead I wanted to be nice and said "Yes, I love them", so he gave me some, and this is the reason I now have six apples in the house.
It is hard to be true to oneself when a little white lie is so much easier.

I have just finished a wonderful little book called l' Elegance du Herisson, written by Muriel Barbery. It was given to me in the Swedish Cafe in Manly where tourists leave books and also, like in my case, pick up books for free. I loved it and when I googled it I saw that there had also been a movie made. So now I have to try to get a hold of that.

 Since we are on the topic of shopping,
I like this idea of making it possible
for parents to choose a check- out
where no candy is displayed.

Herding cats

Sometimes, when you have a lot of people in the house and you try to find ways to make everybody happy, it can feel a little like the title indicates, like trying to herd cats. However, for us it didn't at all, because everybody was on best behavior and helped out with everything. In fact, we managed to have 11 house guests here over the weekend without lifting a finger (almost).  Our two daughters who live far, far away, one with her partner, and our son who lives here in Sydney, were here together with our longer-term visitors from Sweden.  Part of the family from Melbourne also drove up to Sydney to meet them. It all coincided with hubby's birthday. It was all great fun.

Today the younger generation has gone to Manly for a swim and then on to Newtown for shopping. Hubby is back at work and myself and the Swedes are recuperating at home.  Tomorrow our younger daughter and boyfriend are going to Bali for a few days and we'll see them again for a few days next week before they go back to South America.

Arrivals from Santiago

Arrival from Dakar

Very picky eater, this one!

Mommy with a little joey in her pouch.

M, our daughter's boyfriend, was called upon to hold the snake. When our daughter was little she was the one who had to hold the snake in Cairns. 

Stay put for more to come, because believe me there is much, much more!

Oysters, surfing, and skateboarding

Yesterday we had planned to go to Woy Woy, but No No we didn't. Instead we got caught up in the fun at Manly. We only went there because by the time we got over there to the north side it was lunch time and if it is the weekend that means oyster time. They have fantastic seafood here in Sydney, and we usually try to have a sightseeing outing on the weekend and somehow we seem always to find good oyster places.

What we didn't know was that there was the big surf championship in Manly and they had also set up a big skateboard thingy. Our presence must have raised the average age a bit. Along the promenade they had sunscreen tents where you could get suncream if you had not brought your own and when I went there to get some for my arms, a man in shorts and bare chested (and a bit chubby) asked the girl if she could put some on his back. She said:"No we are not allowed to do that"!!?? First I thought it sounded a bit unfriendly but now I can see why. First of all the man who asked her was a bit dodgy, and it is after all a very intimate thing putting cream on someone, not to mention putting it on a complete stranger. However, what do you do if you are alone on the beach? Are you doomed always to wear a t-shirt even in the water?

Just to finish off for today, let me tell you something about Woy Woy where we were supposed to have gone but where we might go next weekend. The name is from an aboriginal word meaning "big lagoon" or "much water". When I googled Woy Woy I also came across another little snippet of interest. The world's oldest blogger died at the age of 108 in Woy Woy. She started her blog at the age of 107 (what took her so long?) and her last blog was just two and a half weeks before she died at the age of 108. So I am not the oldest blogger after all.