It just goes too darn fast!

I mean time just slips through my fingers; one day it is the first of January and then it is suddenly the seventeenth. What is happening? I really have to take more care of each day and treasure it!

We had visitors from Melbourne with us last week and J, the husband, reminded me of this time aspect, when he said that I am now on my last 3000 days. That doesn't seem much really does it? I have so much still to do. Here are some ideas. I am not going to do number two, and as far as number five, I seem to do that  effortlessly on a regular basis. Here is another website with more ideas. I like the travelling and learning ones, but the sport ones, forget it, they are not for me.

J and J (our visitors) were quite independent and went into Sydney by themselves quite a few times but we also had a few trips together by car.  One of the last day we had a nice dinner at Grissini, a local Italian restaurant in Menai which very good.

I also had a visit from an old Grenoble friend, A, who lives here in Sydney now. She brought the whole season three of Førbydelsen and we watched it all in one day. Occasionally we would get up and grab something to eat. We were like zombies (or teenagers); it was really a disgrace but great fun. Maybe we will do it next year again, since this was the second time we did it, and we seem to  be creating a tradition here. Last year was in our old house.

This is not a sign you see very often here in Australia but in Sweden it is very common, warning you of moose crossing the road.. So of course we had to stop and have coffee where we saw this in Wollongong. I had actually been there several times before, but now that they have this sign up it is easier to find. It is a cafe/restaurant run by a Swedish woman and her South African husband, called Wild Moose Cafe. They are also on Facebook in case you want to have a look.

Cheerio for now everybody and more news after the Australia Day week end, which is the 26 of January. That is when our dear friends from the UK are coming for a visit. Who knows what we will get up to with them! We have a few ideas up our sleeve, but it all depends on what they feel like doing.

Leaving you with a picture of a painting that I saw in the Wild Moose Cafe and that I really like for its vibrant colors and naïve style.

No New Year's resolutions

Yeah, that's right! I am not making any New Year's resolutions this year. It's just too much hassle and to much disappointment involved when you can't keep them. So just generally hoping for a pleasant year for everyone. However, if you are making resolutions, here are some general tips and not just for New Years resolutions:

1. Set achievable goals instead of ideal goals.
2. Expect setbacks.
3. Don't use excuses or setbacks to put it off for another year.

In fact I hardly noticed that we changed year. Here we are in the city that has one of the first and most amazing fireworks displays in the world and we slept through it all. I guess I was counting on hubby to wake me up  for the fireworks,  in case I nodded off in front of the TV and he counted on me doing the same.  We slept like like babies until early morning but looking on the bright side, we now have a bottle of champagne to drink at a suitable moment!

This is what we missed.

We have had some very hot days here in Australia, in some places near +50C but not here. We had maybe around +35C but even that that is way above my comfort temperature, so I am very grateful that the house we are renting has a pool. We virtually live in it. In fact I hear splashing right now which means that hubby is trying to get onto the giant inflatable ring. It usually takes a few tries and is quite amusing to watch. We usually have to fill up with more water too when he's had a few tries.

New Year's Day we went for a drive to the northern beaches and ended up having lunch in Mona Vale and then we drove on to West Head where you have a beautiful view over to Palm Beach.

It is called the Pacific Highway but of course it is  not the street that you drive on in Sydney but this is for the life in the ocean, for the whales and the penguins and the dolphins etc. I hope you can read it.

Other than that we have had a big yacht race  from Sydney to Hobart and again I missed out on seeing the boats start out because we forgot, but one of these days.

On a sad note, Michael Schumacher is in coma in  hospital in my second home town, Grenoble.

My thoughts are with his family.

   

Ouf, it"s over...finally

I am not a fan of the silly season and I am quite glad it is over. I don't want to be a spoilsport for all the ones who love Christmas and everything that goes with it i e shopping, fretting, partying, going broke, drinking too much, eating too much and spending a fortune on decorating and gifts that sometimes don't even get used. The getting together with family is nice though but so sad if you don't have family near by or not at all. Oh, well it is over now and we can move on.

Here in our neighborhood Christmas decorations are quite tame but just a few streets away it is crazy. I actually read about it in our local paper. How two families, or rather the men in these families, have a competition going, and each year brings on more that the year before. Last week-end we were invited for dinner near this particular street and after dinner we all went for a little walk to have a look.  Cars were parked several streets away so we expected it would be amazing and it was. In one garden there was a snow machine so the lawn was completely white. Another had a bubble-blowing machine and then of course there were the reindeers and sleighs up on the roof  and......wait for it...... the Christmas kangaroos and Christmas emus! Only in Australia!

Hubby is off work for a few days and we are hoping to have a few outings. Fortunately we don't particularly need anything so we don't have to deal with the Boxing Day sales' crowd.

We have had seriously hot weather for about a week (almost +40°C) but Christmas Eve and Christmas Day were wet and cold. Today, Boxing Day, we are back to nice and sunny, so all good.

Time for left-over lunch and a dip!!  See ya!

Rainy Monday, just love it!

When you live in the land of almost perpetual sunshine, it is quite nice to wake up, on a Monday morning, and hear the gentle rain outside. So today will be a day to do chores inside.

Last week when I was going to take hubby to work our windscreen was covered in this. It was like an alien had tried to draw us a map of how to get to his planet. But in fact it must have been the cockatoos again, they are just wild here in the morning.

Yesterday my SIL and her two boys went back to Melbourne after a great week here. Last minute we managed to go to the Menai craft market and then they set off for the long drive back.

 Hubby and myself went to the annual party for his work. It was in a great spot called the Castle in Oatley park. We didn't know this place but it was quite close to where we live.There were lots of little children, the youngest only three weeks old. Hubby had a great time instructing the children about strategy with the water guns, and together with another 45+ "boy" they taunted the kids and then subsequently had to  defend themselves against the kids.  The kids were too many and took them down, I think. It looked like great fun and everybody got soaked.

I had a great time with the some of the moms, as you can see.

One good thing about Australian parks and pick nick spots is that they always have barbecue facilities and they are usually kept in good condition. So you can always throw a few "snags" on the barbie.

Jamie Oliver, aka hubby, trying to cook with his eyes closed it seems.

The day before we met up with only son at the Swedish end of the year party. It was great to catch up with some of the Swedish girls I have met in the past and to buy Swedish candy, yum. Unfortunately the food had run out so instead of having lunch there we went to a beach called Collaroy and had lunch smack on the beach, it was divine.

I don't know if you can see the details of hubby's shirt. It was made by his sister, and it has little trains on it. It will definitely be up there with the favorites together with the one he got from eldest daughter this summer. It was from Senegal and has little atoms on it. Stay put for a photo of him wearing that one next time it is casual Friday at work.

It was a busy week, we also fitted in going to Paddington Market. It is a great market and I think I will try to go more often.

When SIL is visiting we always try to do some painting as well and this time was no exception.

She is working on a commission and it is from Cyprus, so very vivid colors.

 We also managed to find time to go  to a Renaissance concert. We have friends from Grenoble who sing in a choir in Bundeena led by a Dutch opera singer, Desiree Regina, and they had invited us. It was really very nice and my SIL and myself, who were the only ones going, thoroughly enjoyed it. I was quite glad though, that we didn't "force" the boys into coming. It wouldn't have been their cup of tea. 

I really can't put it off any longer. I have to strip beds and get laundry going and the other Monday chores so, take care and more next Monday!

Those were the days

I put this as the title because of hubby. There is a house down the street from us that seem to be leased by several young men. In the front of the house are two or three or more cars, maybe one up on blocks with the tyres off. There are also two motor bikes, and on Friday afternoon when we come home the boys are standing outside with beer cans in their hands. They are doing boy things like kicking tyres and smoking and being generally loud with loud music blaring out into the street. To hubby, who lived in a similar place during his university years it seems like heaven. He has very fond memories of having shared houses with people., and when he talks about it it always ends "those were the days".

I have never had this experience and when he goes on about it I don't quite get it. Maybe it's an Aussie  thing!

Saturday we went to the Opera House to see a play called Vere. It was wonderfully sad but also very funny, brilliant and thought provoking. It is about a physicist who gets Alzheimer and ....... well, I won't tell you any more in case you get a chance to see it. It is based on a true story, I learnt that later when I read the program.

Hubby is trying to make a little video here of me sending
greetings to a friend in France, but it took a few tries.

In the theatre next to us there was a kiddie play about Angelina Ballerina. There were lots of little girls all dressed up in tutus, very cute!

You have to be very careful when
taking pictures of little kids. I waited
and waited until finally she turned her
back.

This is actually hubby but he melts in to the
bridge foundation very well, doesn't he.

After the theatre we met up with J, our son, in Kirribilli and had Thai dinner and then we went down to get some shots over the harbor but from the other side of the bridge.

Yesterday, my sister-in-law and two of her boys came up from Melbourne. So far we have only eaten, talked, dipped in the pool, and played Upwords, but soon, manjana, we'll  go somewhere, do something.

It is pretty hot today +34°C so you don't feel like making too much of an effort. I think I will offer some ice cream soon to my house guests, it is really very hot, but not this one, I don't think!

A Swedish expression that my grandmother always used when  for example she was putting jam on an already sugared cake or something said loosely translated 'One good thing does not ruin another good thing'. I think these ice-cream makers are working on this principle too.

Quiet Monday

The week that was, was relatively busy. We had to go up to Canberra last Thursday, to the Swedish Embassy to renew my passport. We thought we would be there for ages but it was very quick. I didn't  even have time to catch up on Swedish gossip properly. Maybe just as well, since the magazines were a few months old .
Then we took the coast road back. This way we could stop by and see our friends who live in Manyana. It is a very idyllic little beach resort. My friend had prepared dinner which was very nice and we had a lovely visit. After that it is a two and a half hour back so we don't see them very often.

Friday night we went out for drinks to the Como pub. It seems to be the thing to do here, go out for drinks on Friday after work and I think it is a nice way to get the weekend started. Nobody can drink very much since most people drive so it is very civilized. Many pubs or hotels as they are called here have courtesy busses on the weekend, taking people home if they are over the legal limit to drive.
This particular hotel is very impressive with beautiful water views.

Hubby had to work this Saturday and I was invited in to the neighbours across the road for coffee.
They had invited five or six families and also the family that just moved in next to us. It turned out the wife is Norweigan and we had a nice little chat in Swedish-Norweigian. They are missionaries and normally stationed in Albania and speak the language fluently. They are in Australia for some rest and recuperation since the husband had health issues.

I have just been out to water my veggies and they are doing so well. For lunch I had beetroot from the garden and yesterday we had a stir fry with only vegetables from the garden.

Life is good

Dear readers,

Just sitting here thinking about how good life is.

Woke up to a beautiful sunny day. Picked some zuccini from our veggie patch. I swear they grow while you are looking at them.  Also noticed that two big palm fronds had fallen down in the night and I wasn't sitting near the pool so I didn't get injured. Had a great day yesterday with friends in Bundeena over a leisurely, delicious lunch that took us well into the evening.

Visiting professor from Indonesia

The super-cute napkins

Yes, there was also a little grappa tasting

At the Bundeena ferry

Then in the evening we watched two episodes of Borgen. I had not known about this little gem before. Only discovered Season One in our local library recently and just love it. Now I just have to lay my hands on Seasons Two and Three.

Friday was good too even though it poured with rain almost all day and was very windy. I was supposed to meet a Swedish friend in the QVB and then maybe go for a drink. The Christmas decorations were already up everywhere and the Christmas tree in the QVB is decorated with 144 000 Swarovski crystals and 60 000 Christmas lights.  It took 72 people 40 hours to install it.

We made our way to the restaurant where the SIS dinner was going to be held. It was in a Greek restaurant called Aesop's and the owner seemed very pleased to have two tables full of Swedish "girls". We were given plates to throw on the floor while dancing the traditional Greek dances. The food was typical Greek and very plentiful and yummy. It's just that I am not good with eating very late. I had terrible heart burn all night and had to more or less sit up to sleep, so I paid the price.

Until next time,  take care!