Bye for now

I realize that this blog caper has been only for me really, a way to keep track of what I have been doing since coming to Australia, but other people cannot possibly be that interested.

Therefore I am saying farewell, but not doing anything stupid or anything, just bye for now.  I have enjoyed sharing with you, and who knows I might get back, but right now I feel a bit despondent and I will try to get on to doing other things.

Cheerio from a discouraged blogger.

Found a house!

As you know my whole life has evolved around trying to find a house, i.e. reading the ads, surfing the web, and visiting houses, and at the same time being here for people coming to visit this house. I make a point of coming to the door with my big ear muffs on so they understand what it is like to live here.
The noise level these days is beyond anything.  I am very glad to get away from here.

The house we have found is not so far away. It is a little less expensive and has a pool and polished floorboards. These were my main criteria when I was searching.

I have been going to the beach for a couple of hours each day to get away from the noise and every time I am kicking myself for not having brought the camera. There is this person who is so-o-o tattooed you would not believe it. The whole chest is covered from neck to stomach with a very colourful tattoo. The one arm and one leg as well, maybe the back too, but I haven't seen.  It's just that yesterday the person sat up and it was a woman. First of all, it is not that common here in Australia to sun bathe topless, so that in itself was something, but the tattoos ... it must have hurt!  If I have the camera tomorrow I am going to ask her if she would mind if I take a photo. First I was just going to sneak off one of the beach and accidentally she would be in it but this way maybe she will show it all!

The week end was peaceful. I went to my old art school Hazelhurst for a sort of happening in their gardens. It was called Artexpress, and they had young artists painting together and later on there was live music.

This was on of the big murals.

Even the trees were decorated with  crocheted scarves

Don't you wish you had hair like that?

Next time you hear from me might be from the new place. By the way the address is Cuthbert Place. Here is why it is so suitable:

Saint Cuthbert (c. 634 – 20 March 687) was an Anglo-Saxon monk, bishop and hermit, associated with the monasteries of Melrose and Lindisfarne in the Kingdom of Northumbria. After his death he became one of the most important medieval saints of England, with a cult centred at Durham Cathedral.

If you know us, and especially if you know hubby, you know that he often goes to Durham University so I thought very appropriate to move to this address.

Stalker

Yes, like many famous people I now have a stalker. Someone who observes me relentlessly.  To paraphrase Sting, "Someone who watches every breath I take, every step I take, .... he is watching me."

I am talking about  F..... the cat of course. Cats are very scary and mysterious.They are also incomprehensible and unfathomable and sphinxlike. Yes, I did have a look at a Thesaurus to get a few suitable words. But if they feel like it they can also be attention seeking and needy and I don't quite know which is worse. And they can get in or up anywhere. Last night when I went to bed up on the third floor, the cat was sitting outside on the balcony watching me through the screen door. How did he get up there? I had let him out the front door on the ground floor before going to bed. I thought he wanted to do normal cat things, like hunting, prowling at night, etc, but no he has taken it upon himself to guard me, to stalk me. It is very spooky!!

On another note, when I went out this morning to go to painting class I was met by this sight, so I guess now it is final, we are moving.....but where?

I think that we will miss waking up to this view, but it will be nice to be away from the noise.

What else, oh yes, I went to a meeting at the local community center for 50+. What they had not told me was that it helped if you were a 50+ female and divorced, preferably with a bad divorce behind you that you could kvetch about.  Most of the ladies had a story to tell, and somehow I didn't feel like that was what I was after. 

Nothing more to tell right now; it is a bit slow. I'll just finish off with a bit of cat trivia.There is no personal research behind this, it is just taken from the web, so take it with a grain of salt.

Did you know that in ancient Egypt killing a cat was punishable by death!  Or did you know that in the Middle Ages during the festival of St John, cats were burned alive in town squares. And then we have this little gem and by the way, I totally believe it. In the Netherlands cats were not allowed in rooms where private family discussions were taking place. The Dutch believed that cats would spread the gossip abound town.

A silk purse would've been better

I finally heard from hubby who took a moment out of his busy eating schedule in Spain to write to me via Skype.  Much of this missive concentrated on his culinary experiences. There is always something new in that department, or more like some part of an animal that you never thought could be eaten.  He is a great fan of a good pig's trotter, so I shouldn't have been too surprised by his eating pig's snout pieces as an aperitif (not so bad, according to him).  He met his match the next day though, when the starter was sow's ears.  (He was assured by his hosts that they were cleaned beforehand, but can you be sure?) In his words "I will not rush to do that again!".  He got his reward later though, the main course was braised rabbit - always a winner in his opinion.

Lend me your ears!

This all took place in a hill-top town called Albalate del Arzobispo on Sunday for 'lunch' (15:30 - 17:30!!)  On the way back they passed through Belchite, a town that was razed during the Spanish civil war and which has been left untouched as a memorial.  Just to annoy me, hubby sent me these photographs from his playing with panoramic shots:

Albalate del Arzobispo

Belchite at dusk

Other that that not much to tell from Illawong. Still house hunting, still have not found anything suitable, still spending hours on the computer searching for something.

I have also started looking in all the cupboards and storage spaces, where we just stuffed things in when we arrived and now we have to deal with it especially if there is not much storage space in our future abode. Oh, the joy of moving house!  We are going to have some seriously hectic weeks ahead of us. 

G'day

I have had a little blog break, mainly because I have had nothing to write about that could possibly be of any interest to anybody, but now I am back on track again ( I still have nothing especially interesting to write about, though).

We did a work shop last week in my art class -
painting with a palette knife - and although it
was a little hard at the beginning, it was a
 very enjoyable technique to use.

Today was double painting lesson to make up for the one I missed last week when hubby was leaving for Europe and we had a few things to do before that. He has now been almost a week in Spain and every time I hear from him he ends his mail with "When do the Spaniards sleep?".

They (the Spaniards) might have a work meeting at 9 in the morning after having been out for dinner and  having tapas and stuff to about 2 in the morning the night before. Then they work until maybe 2 in the afternoon and then go for lunch until maybe 3:30 and then back to work until eight or nine when they might go home, but in hubby's case, it is out to a Tapas Bar again. He is loving it of course, but .....

Our UK visitors are going home tomorrow and I expect them back any moment now from the Hunter Valley where they went for two nights.

They took me out for a cinema night before they went there and I picked Anna Karenina. I felt very bad for C, the husband, but he struggled bravely on and sat through the whole film.  I was a little disappointed, even though my favorite actor, Matthew McFadyen, was in it.  I am not a good film critic but all I can say is that when I go to the movies I don't want to see a play. If I want to see a play I go to the theatre.

I have started seriously looking for houses to rent and all day Saturday was spent doing house visits in torrential rain. I have seen a few good ones but since they were empty and ready to be moved into immediately we probably couldn't take them. Unless we pay double rent for a month which we would like to avoid. Also they all seem to be carpeted and I hate that. So the search goes on.

Went to a wedding....I think...

Our visit to Melbourne was really a whirlwind visit. We arrived there and picked up the car at the airport and were out of there at three o'clock maybe. We then had to pick up son since we had his suit, and then off to our motel, where we all changed clothes in record time.  On top of everything our son was going to be filming the wedding and had to be there reasonably early. The wedding was at five!!


The venue where the wedding was held was lovely and the bride and groom looked gorgeous just like it should be.

Unfortunately I forgot my camera and they didn't do photos of the extended family so, this is all I can show that proves that I was there (I really should've gotten my hair cut, but didn't have time before we went). I don't quite have a paper bag over my head - like I said in the previous installment - but I might just as well have had one; it would have been an improvement.

The day after the wedding we met up with our son for lunch in St Kilda, and also had a walk along the Esplanade where they have a great arts and craft market. I love going to those. It was very hot though, around +34 °C, so beer was very much needed.

Everyone is having an early night, tonight and have gone to bed. Hubby is off to Europe tomorrow and our visitors are off to Noumea.  I think I will watch another episode of Monarch of the Glen. It is a  series I just stumbled across at the library and it takes place in Scotland where I spent two years. I love the accent and the scenery. Why don't you check it out? Yeah, and good luck with the Scottish accent!

I'll leave you with a word of Scottish wisdom..."Whit's fur ye'll no go past ye"

Going to a wedding

...but I have nothing to wear. Why didn't I think about this beforehand! Why do I leave things to the last minute?  What am I going to wear?? I know this  event is not about me but still...it is going to be a long night, finding something suitable! Maybe I'll have a look on this website and see if I get any good ideas. I will put photos on here when we get back. If you see Cinderella in the back with a bag over her head it will be me.... but again it is not about me.

But what will I do if I ever have to be the mother of the bride or groom!! They have whole websites with clothing etc for mothers of the bride, it is just too stressful to contemplate. So let's think about something else.

We have had UK visitors for a few days but tomorrow they are off to New Caledonia to visit friends. I would really like to go there too, and maybe we can fit that in during our five-year Australia adventure.

What else?.....I have been to a pub reunion with the Swedish ladies' group which was fun. I must try to go more often. The problem is, it is just so far away. It was a bus and a train and a ferry and a bus ride to get there but it was worth it! I was picked up afterwards by hubby who had been to  our son's place with the  UK visitors to try to find the cat that we are supposed to take care of but again they couldn't find it. It is in the nature of cats to be indifferent and independent and certainly not appear just because three adults stand around for two hours calling for him.

Until I get back from Melbourne, dear friends..........take care and enjoy the weekend.