Valentine's Day...and a question...

Last year on Valentine's Day I gave John this gorgeous frangipani...in the past 12 months it has more than doubled in size and now stands about a metre (3ft for those still using the imperial system) tall, it's flourishing.

How delighted I was to find that on Valentine's Day this year the buds had burst into flower...very timely. I love the way that the petals overlap in the centre...the perfume is divine, especially in the cooler evening...


Now for the question...

I've noticed a daily visitor to my blog from Buxton, Victoria and can't help but wonder who you are. Do I know you..?? I'd love it if you commented occasionally & introduced yourself but understand if you would prefer to remain incognito.

Regardless, please keep visiting. I hope you and those close to you were spared in the horrific fires. I can't imagine the horror of it. Stay safe.

Happy 13th Birthday Myles...

Happy 13th Birthday Myles...

It's hard to believe you are now thirteen...when I first met you at nine years old you were such a little boy. You had your arm in a sling because you had broken your collarbone...that's happened another twice since I've known you.


I remember the first conversation you and I had without John & Matilda around. It was the day you and Matilda met for the first time...we were at Hanging Rock and had gone to retrieve a kite that had crashed. You asked me if it was just Matilda & I living at my house then offered that it was just Dad and you at your home. You then told me that when you first saw me that you thought I was your Mum. It made my heart melt. We had a conversation about your Mum, you told me that you aren't really sure if you remember her or whether you "remember" her through photos and what others tell you. I felt incredibly sad for you.


This past 12 months has seen a huge leap in your growth, both physically and in maturity. I'm quite sure you grow overnight...you are going to be tall like your Dad, your feet are enormous already. Your Dad & I have noticed great leaps in your emotional maturity, you have taken on leadership roles at school and at football and enjoyed the responsibility that comes with them. We were so proud to watch you receive your awards at Graduation last December.


You are funny, oh so cool, smart and mostly very easy to get along with. I feel that this year is going to be a great one for you...new school, new football team, new challenges.


Happy Birthday Sweetheart...I hope your day is very special. I'm very proud of you and forever grateful to your Dad for giving me the opportunity to be your Mum.

An Aussie Summer Poem...

*Language Warning...

I was sent this poem this morning about an Australian Summer. It's a touching and thought provoking piece of literature, it captures the Australian Summer perfectly.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I did...

An Australian Summer
A poem by Abigail Elizabeth McIntyre




FUCK, it's HOT !!!

Devastation, utter devastation...

It has been a horrific weekend in Australia...fire has ravaged parts of our country. Whole townships have been obliterated.

There are upwards of 130 dead, the toll is expected to pass 200...

Many burned and perilously ill in hospital...

Large numbers of people still unaccounted for...

Please hold the families affected and (all volunteer) firefighting personnel close to your hearts.

Condolences can be left here...

It's a terribly sad day...

Absent Blogger...

Have been somewhat absent these last couple of weeks, no real reason...didn't have a lot going on to write about really. Sometimes I find I need a break and to step away.

Matilda and Myles enjoy playing Marco Polo when they are in the pool...Myles simply cannot help but peep, he finds it utterly impossible to keep his eyes shut.

They solved the problem this way...

That's Myles rash vest Matilda is wrapping around his head...



Goggles on top to hold it in place...look at the difference in their skin tones. Myles always wears his rashie, Matilda always wears 30+ sunscreen...he is quite fair, she is very olive skinned and tans very easily.



A great look...



Apparently it resulted in "the best ever" (Matilda's words) game of Marco Polo...!!!

Will try and be a bit less absent...have been catching up with everyone else's news though.

Two bloggers on my blog roll are having giveaways at the moment...head on over to visit Karin & Snickollet. Karin is giving away some gorgeous hand made drawstring bags in vintage fabrics, Snick's giveaway is a beautiful book from Barefoot Books, their books are just gorgeous.

You never know, you might get lucky...!!! I'm working on a giveaway of my own, stay tuned.

Jam...apricot jam...

I have had the urge to make jam ever since apricots came into season and it's been agony waiting until the height of the season, when the fruit is at it's peak (or just past as works best for apricots I have found).

Yesterday while out shopping I found some jam apricots at the fruit market...very ripe, very soft and perfect for jam making...at $2.99/kilo, even better given that eating apricots were around $9.00/kilo. I used Maggie Beer's recipe from her book Maggie's Harvest...a gorgeous book I refer to regularly to use an ingredient in season.

Here are the fruits (pun fully intended) of my labour...


Am going to head out to the bakery tomorrow morning (or even better, send someone else) for a loaf of sourdough rye and enjoy it on toast for breakfast.

Oh yum...

Bush-isms...

On the eve of his departure from the White House I could not resist posting these. The future of the English language would be on shaky ground if left up to George W.

Whether you loathe or love him, these are very funny...

"The vast majority of our imports come from outside the country."


"If we don't succeed, we run the risk of failure."


"One word sums up probably the responsibility of any Governor, and that one word is to be prepared."


"I have made good judgements in the past. I have made good judgements in the future. "


" We're going to have the best educated American people in the world."


" I stand by all the misstatements that I've made."


"We have a firm commitment to NATO, we are a part of NATO. We have a firm commitment to Europe. We are a part of Europe."


"A low voter turnout is an indication of fewer people going to the polls."


"We are ready for any unforeseen event that may or may not occur. "


"For NASA, space is still a high priority."


"Quite frankly, teachers are the only profession that teach our children. "


"It isn't pollution that's harming the environment. It's the impurities in our air and water that are doing it."


" It's time for the human race to enter the solar system."


Dear, oh dear...

A Day In Photos...

Last Friday Matilda, Myles & I spent the afternoon at the Brisbane Botanical Gardens, right at the base of Mount Coot-tha. We have been wanting to visit the gardens for some time and the overcast day was ideal, not too hot to be out in the sun.

Will let the photos speak for themselves...a bit of a lazy post really...

Inside the Geodesic Dome...the Tropical Garden


Dome reflection on the pond...


Making a new friend...




In the Japanese Garden...(my favourite)


Wild Bearded Dragons everywhere, from tiny, wee ones to some quite huge. We spent the best part of an hour watching these magnificent creatures...they are amazing swimmers.




The Hide & Seek Children's Trail winds right through the gardens...it is dotted with gorgeous sculpture and treasures to find. This dragonfly sculpture caught my attention...they have a special place in my heart.


It was a lovely gentle afternoon, lots of time for conversation...will revisit as the seasons change.

Perfect Summer Day...

Had a delightful day with Matilda & Myles today...it began gently, no hurry to get going anywhere, we lingered over breakfast and I had a second and even a third cup of coffee...(we tried a new blend from Merlo Coffee this time and it's just divine...rich, velvety with no bitter "grab" in your mouth, so hard to pass up a second & third cup. Just divine.

We picnicked today at Victoria Point, right on Moreton Bay. Last weekend we went out for a drive...mainly as it was incredibly hot and the aircon in the car beckoned. We happened upon this tiny little picnic area, right on the water, lovely & shady and very private. We claimed our space and enjoyed our alfresco lunch...somehow food always tastes better outdoors and by the water.

The tide was coming in so while we waited for the water to be deep enough to swim in Matilda & Myles climbed trees, played on the swings, did cartwheels, dug for crabs and pretty much just hung out doing kids stuff. They enjoy each other's company very much and get along so amazingly well, John & I consider ourselves so very blessed...they make family life so very easy.

I set myself up in a shady, grassy spot with my very comfy outdoor chair. I went equipped with books, a magazine & cryptic crossword but didn't open them once...the kids were such good company, great conversationalists and entertainers...being with them today was a great pleasure...one of those days where you feel that, as a parent, you must be doing something right.



It was still really hot here after dinner tonight...I opted for a swim over something on television...Matilda joined me. We had an absolute blast...it has been a long time since I "played" in the pool...we did handstands and somersaults in the water, went diving for toys, floated on our backs and watched the fruit bats flying past the almost full moon, discussed the meaning of life & the beauty of the Aurora Australis while trying to spot the satellites zooming by.

Feeling full to the brim and very content with my lot in life tonight, very content indeed.

Post Christmas Lull...

I haven't been particularly inspired to blog this past week or so, not sure why but think I have just relaxed and enjoyed the gentle days with nothing especially planned. John is off work until Monday and it's been lovely having home home every day...lovely to linger in bed in the mornings, lovely to enjoy a long breakfast together, lovely that there are no work shirts and pants to iron...just all round good.

Our Christmas Day was gentle, just the five of us here and Josh's new girlfriend joined us for lunch. We were woken at 6.30am and as much as we would have liked to sleep a little longer we could not let the Myles and Matilda open their Santa sacks without us there.

We drank coffee and ate shortbread and divine Belgian chocolate while exchanging gifts...

...watching Matilda & Myles open their gifts from us was a true delight...neither of them had any idea what we had chosen for them. We chose a combo television/DVD for Matilda, she is old enough to have her own now and has become quite discerning with what she watches, will turn it off when there is rubbish on rather than have it on for the sake of it. We gave Myles a mobile phone and he really didn't think he was going to get one...I had mentioned that I had made Christmas electronic free this year, mainly referring to their Santa gifts though.

He was so thrilled with it...we were too, got a great deal with it that required us to spend $40 on a recharge card but we received $100 free talk & text. We did manage to make their Santa gifts electronic free though, lots of clothes, books, beautiful smelling unguents, chocolate, swimming pool toys and a beach towel each.

Santa (John), as per usual was very generous to me...my gift always comes in a small package from my favourite jeweller. This year it was a gorgeous pair of gold, oval shaped hoop earrings...I just love earrings and have worn them every day since. He also gave me a very generous gift card and Belgian chocolates...!!! Poor John had a very hard time with shopping this year...the noise and chaos of shopping centres combined with the severe hearing loss he suffered earlier this year really disoriented him. He was very apologetic for the run of the mill gift card but I couldn't be happier with it really, it is for a large department store so I can choose books, CD's, clothing, whatever I like.

Our Christmas lunch was divine, quite easy to prepare (and clear away). I forgot to take a photo before we got into it...wish I had, I thought it looked impressive, if I am allowed to say that myself. John investigated the wine cellar and after the last Grange disaster decided that we should take our chances and open another...it was just divine and felt so decadent drinking it. I have meant to update the Grange post...it wasn't a 1995 vintage, it was 1969...!!! (Kel, I can hear you gasp from here...!!!). I hadn't read it with my glasses in and confused Bin 95 with the year...makes it even more tragic. We now have two 1969 Grange bottles on the kitchen windowsill with herb cuttings in we are trying to strike. I haven't been game to check the price as yet but suspect it will be around $1000-$1200/ bottle.

A siesta & swim were had afterward Christmas lunch but no walk at the beach. Dinner was simple, so much left over food, not that anyone was hungry really, I think I had trifle for dinner around 9pm that night.

The rest of our time since Christmas has been taken up with being lazy, staying in PJ's until lunchtime, reading new books, swimming a lot given it has been very hot, a trip to the cinema, catching up with email & snail mail, taking M&M to the post-Christmas sales to spend their gift cards (they bought, books, books, books and one DVD). Meals have been relaxed affairs and a siesta is de rigueur...kind of like having a holiday at home.

New Years Eve was spent quietly, neither John or I really "do" New Year. We decided to have a lovely meal at home, a few drinks and be in bed by midnight. I prepared a huge antipasto platter with hot & cold treats, we ate cheesecake for dessert and watched some favourite television...perfect really. John & I had a swim quite late, we did see midnight in quietly (not like our neighbours across the road) and went to bed. I couldn't think of a better way to spend it really other than with my family, in good company, with good food and wine and to wake in the New Year with the person I cherish.

It feels good to be at the beginning of a new year...a fresh page with so many possibilities. I don't make resolutions, except in that I resolve no to resolve. So disappointing when they are broken. I'm looking forward to 2009 being a healthy and happy year...thus far it is off to an excellent start.

Wishing you and your families much peace and joy...

P.S. New photo of Myles in the sidebar...was taken at his graduation in December. It's so hard to get a decent photo of him. This one was taken with his amazing teacher but I had to edit it unfortunately.

On Christmas Eve...

When else can you enjoy milk, mince pies & shortbread for breakfast..??

Yesterday Matilda and Myles wanted to bake so they made shortbread...and did a fantastic job of it too. This morning was pretty relaxed here...we lounged around and watched an absolute favourite DVD...The Princess Bride. I think I have seen it at least 20 times but just love it every time I watch.

Time to get showered and dressed and get on with food preparations for tomorrow.

Sob...

Last night when perusing the wine cellar John noticed that a bottle of Penfold's Grange Hermitage was somewhat rusty around the top. On further investigation he noticed that it had leaked slightly.

From Nick's Wine Merchants website...

"Penfolds Grange is without doubt one of Australia's and the world's most famous wines. From humble beginnings in the 1950's, Grange has maintained its place as Australia's most prestigious red wine over four decades and lead the charge of Australian wines onto the world market. Today, it is a wine of international fame challenging the First Growths of Bordeaux as the Worlds best. And like the First Growth wines of Bordeaux such is the reputation of Grange that each vintage is eagerly awaited by collectors both in Australia and overseas...

...Penfolds Grange is the benchmark against which all other Australian red wines are judged. To share a mature Grange, 15 to 20 years old in fine condition is one of the great wine experiences."

Of course it couldn't have been any old run of the mill everyday drinking red wine could it..?? It had to be the ultimate Australian red wine.

Hoping against hope we opened it this evening to enjoy with a pasta dinner. Sadly it had turned, the nose was very much like methylated spirits and it had turned a nasty brown colour.

I have just checked the Penfolds website...1995 Grange is now worth $499.00/bottle

Ouch...

Think I'll keep that information to myself.

Five Questions...

I have taken part in a Meme with a difference...

Ian from Single Parent Dad "interviewed" me and here are his questions and my answers

1. Your partner was widowed, did this make you more or less reluctant to get into a relationship with him?

Hmmm, something I have never really thought about really. I was looking for a man who understood what it was like to be a sole parent, preferably 24/7 and not the every second weekend variety. John speaks of his wife with warmth and compassion and doesn't put her on a pedestal or eulogise her. I really like that. He speaks of her from time to time, never inappropriately and if I have any questions I am able to ask and have them answered. I was also glad that I wasn't the first woman John had been involved with after Dianne died. He and the boys all grieve in different ways, he for the partner and mother of his children, Josh had her in his life for 10 years and remembers her very well, Myles was very young when she died and doesn't really remember her at all. He says he sometimes does but isn't sure whether they are real memories or whether he has constructed them from what people have told him and photographs.

I guess the answer to this question is neither, not more or less reluctant, he was just the right man to come my way.


2. Will you be spending any part of Christmas day on the beach?

Quite possibly, yes...the forecast for Christmas Day here is 31C (that's 88F). We live very close to the beach and spend a bit of time there. It depends on how sleepy we all are after Christmas lunch...I always love a siesta afterwards. We have a swimming pool so that may suffice but a beach walk would be great too.

3. Who is your money on for the 2009 Ashes?

I barrack for anyone but Australia in any cricket match they play. They are far too smug and superior and I love to see them beaten. So I guess my money is on England, especially at home.

4. How frightened were you of your recent back surgery and have you been righted?

Truthfully...I was terrified. In fact my blood pressure was rather high on the morning of surgery. There were hours of waiting around before going into theatre which made it even more anxiety ridden. I was never so glad to get onto the operating table and be put under anaesthetic as I was that day, such a relief. It was good to wake up, even better to feel that there was no pain, burning or numbness in my legs and feet...there had been for the last 18 months.

The surgery has been successful, although today I have been having a bit of back pain but probably because I have been overdoing it...I need anti-inflammatory medication and rest. The surgeon tells me that it will take 6-9 months for the fusion to set completely and that I can expect some intermittent pain so until then I can't make a definitive statement about it's success but it's looking good thus far.

5. What was the last thing to genuinely make you laugh out loud?

Our cats...we have two lunatic Burmese cats, Leo & Flynn...one chocolate brown and the other red. They get along incredibly well for two unrelated male cats that were thrust together. Every morning there's a huge bout of rough & tumble...always guaranteed to raise a belly laugh.


Want to be part of it?

Follow these instructions:

1. Leave me a comment saying, "Interview me."

2. I will respond by emailing you five questions. I get to pick the questions.

3. You will update your blog with the answers to the questions.

4. You will include this explanation, a link to this post and an offer to interview someone else in the same post.

5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.

Running Away From Home...

Bit of a lazy post today...I found this clip yesterday while checking out another and just loved it. It's too good to keep to myself. I enjoyed it even more when I discovered the boy's name was Magnus...I have a special little friend also named Magnus who is quite like this boy...thoughtful, very smart & has an original answer for everything.

Enjoy...



Matilda gets home from Noumea this evening...am really looking forward to seeing her and hearing her travel stories...if running true to form she will not stop talking for many hours then fall in a tired heap. No doubt she will be quite exhausted, she will have had a week of very late nights (she usually needs 9-10 hours sleep each night) and very full days. We have no plans for tomorrow and are planning a gentle day...it is the last day of school here in Queensland and students are "encouraged" not to attend...the schools cannot officially condone taking the last day off however do not mind if the students do not attend. I love the Summer break, 6-7 weeks off school and no real plans. Matilda and Myles will probably both travel to Victoria to spend time with their grandparents in the New Year, if only Josh would go away too then John & I could have a "holiday" here at home.

Hmmmm...that means it's my last child free day at home alone today for some time...better make the most of it. Might get some Christmas shopping in.

Ho, Ho, Ho...not long to go...

I have been a little absent this week, have had to lay low as I have had some unusual back pain. Am off to see my surgeon on Friday but in the meantime I have to rest as much as I can.

Yesterday I planned our Christmas lunch menu...sat on the sofa with a number of magazines & books. We usually do a lovely breakfast (croissants, smoked salmon and cream cheese, preserves, raspberries & cream and a fruit platter with juices, sparkling wine and lots of coffee) and then one main meal for the day, served around 3pm or so...there are lots of leftovers if anyone happens to get hungry.

This year our menu is...

Starter

Oysters with Wasabi, Soy & Sesame Dressing
Tiger Prawns
Moreton Bay Bugs
Lemon Aioli

Mains

Roast Loin of Pork with Apple & Sage Stuffing
Barbecues Salmon with Mango & Coriander Salsa
Roast Duckling with Sour Cherries
Ham off the Bone

Sides

Crispy Rosemary Potatoes
Roasted Tomato & Red Onion Salad
Asparagus with Lime Butter
Wild Rice & Cranberry Salad
Mixed Green Salad (greens from our garden)

Dessert

Poached Champagne Peaches
Christmas Trifle

To be served with the appropriate wines of course. I'll also probably make a festive punch for those not drinking alcohol.

It seems ridiculous to me to do the whole hot roast dinner when living in the sub-tropics. It will quite probably be around 28-32C (82-90F) here on Christmas Day so the meal needs to be adapted to suit the climate. I'll cook the pork, duck, salmon and potatoes in the barbecue out on the back verandah to keep the house cooler and to give me some space. It can still remain very festive & special. Many families eat outdoors or have a Christmas barbecue or picnic, a very sensible idea indeed.

After lunch we will quite probably either sleep or swim in the pool, possibly both.

Just once in my lifetime though I'd love to do the white Christmas thing in a cold climate.

Just as a side note...last weekend John was shopping and saw legs of ham that had been reduced in price. He thought they were very reasonable so decided to purchase one. When he got to the checkout the ham scanned at the original price so he was lucky enough to get it free of charge. Have to love the Scanning Code of Conduct, don't you...??? It was around $45.00 worth of ham, free of charge.

Leaving On A Jet Plane...

No more sleeps Mum...!!!

Matilda is off to Noumea this afternoon with her school French class...!!! How exciting are school excursions these days.. ?? I remember flying to Tasmania from Melbourne in Year 10 and that was a really big deal. They will be staying at the Hotel Le Pacifique and will need to use their French language skills at every opportunity. Matilda will spend one night with Ondine, (the New Caledonian exchange student we had stay with us for a week in August), and her family. The highlight of the trip is a visit to Amedee Island where they will get a chance to snorkel gorgeous coral reefs and view the fish, rays and sharks, eat an amazing feast and get a chance to watch/participate in local dancing. The kids have a reasonable amount of free time for beaching, lounging by the pool and shopping (doing a mild panic here hoping she has enough cash). One of Matilda's life dreams has been to swim in crystal clear blue, travel brochure style water...I think she is going to be able to realise this dream while away, how special.


It's been a long countdown for her and her friends Maddy & Anwen...they began the countdown at 303 days to go...reaching 100 was a big deal then quite suddenly we were in single figures.

I have to admit to feeling a little wistful and envious. You see, I was to go too as one of the parent escorts. By about September though it became apparent that my back would not allow me to travel, either if I had had the surgery or not...it would have been a very difficult trip for me to make given their itinerary. Very reluctantly I had to cancel.


The bags are almost packed...
Passport in hand...
South Pacific Francs purchased...
Host family gifts purchased...

Now all we have to do is wait...and wait...until 4.30pm. It could be a long afternoon.

Just Being...

Yesterday morning Matilda and I had to be out of the house early to get her to a Cheerleading display she was participating in. After dropping her off I went in search of coffee and the newspaper and a quiet, shady spot to spend an hour or so reading. I found a beautiful park, sat in the shade and wound the car windows down so the breeze would waft through...put a favourite CD on and just drifted for a while.

After she was finished I wasn't ready to go home, wanted more of that relaxed time I had spent alone so we headed to Kangaroo Point Cliffs...right on the Brisbane River. The City of Brisbane has set up this public space to be used by the community for rock climbing and abseiling. I guess they figured that people would use it anyway, they just made it more attractive and much safer by adapting the top of the cliffs. I really love the positive development of this public space.


The view from this part of the river in both directions is spectacular, to the east there is the city and Storey Bridge, to the west there is South Bank, the new Brisbane Star Observation Wheel and GoMA (the Gallery of Modern Art). We found a seat just for two in the shade and just sat and watched the world pass by on the river. CityCats passed every 10 minutes or so, I love that Brisbane uses it's waterway as a means of public transport that costs very little to use (Melbourne could certainly learn a lesson or two here), the trip from the University of Queensland to Brett's Wharf is a fantastic way to spend an hour or two, you can get on and off as you wish...there are a number of beautiful parks along the route as well as the Powerhouse Arts Complex...it has a great cafe overlooking the river and lots of fun, free activities for children.

We didn't venture down the steps right to the river, sculpture gardens and maze...I'm not quite up to that many steps yet, 3-4 is my limit at present but that's improving all the time. We just sat, chatted and let the river breeze pass us by...we also took some "Thelma & Louise" style photos with my phone, a moment or two of silliness...we'd wave to the CityCat passengers just to see how many would wave back. I'd post the pics but cannot for the life of me find the software that I need to install before I can upload them to the PC.


I really enjoy the time Matilda and I spent together away from the rest of the family...there was just the two of us for almost 13 years and we did so much together. I think it's important to find time to spend like that. We don't have to "do" anything, we spent far too much time "doing" and not enough time just "being". We couldn't have done it if Myles were with us yesterday, he wouldn't have had the patience to just sit...he'd have had to have been up and down the steps, climbing the huge Moreton Bay Fig behind us or just wanting to get going. It made it an even more special time for Matilda and I...she gets just being.

Smile...

I have just been to the best dental practice ever. I have been quite dentist phobic (and not just about the costs involved) since I had some teeth removed when I was about eight...I can still feel the dental nurse sitting across me in the chair, pinning down my arms and legs while the dentist was administering the anaesthetic, I recall screaming blue murder and thrashing around. Waking up after the procedure was just awful, I was bleeding profusely all over my brand new (for my birthday) yellow polo neck jumper. I still need 5mg of valium to even make the appointment. I researched and found this practice online yesterday and their website looked great so bit the bullet. I had a dreadful toothache as a piece of a wisdom tooth fractured when I was intubated for my spinal surgery. There was some decay under the fracture which is why it broke so easily.

The dentists and staff at this clinic are all middle aged women, around my age and older, every one of them. The dentist was so gentle, took a great deal of time, also took many photos which I could see immediately and explained everything to me as she examined me. There was also television on the ceiling, I could choose what I wanted to watch and opted for the fish tank DVD...!!! I chose to have the wisdom tooth removed and she did it there and then. Had it been an ordinary molar I would have had the root canal. The dentist felt it was the best thing to do as the decay had crept under the filling and gone below the gum line.

It was such a positive experience for me that I am now going ahead with a series have a series of treatments in the new year to replace my amalgam fillings with white ones and have my teeth whitened a bit, it's nowhere near as expensive as I thought it would be but I will wait until I am working before I have it done given it's elective.

It feels great to have been so courageous...I really think I may be able to conquer this phobia...how good would that be...???

In Our Garden This Morning...

Had a crappy night's sleep so at around 6.30am got up and went for a meander outside. Look what I spied on our avocado tree...!!! Our very first tiny, wee, baby avocado...!!!

It's about 5cm long at this point, not sure what will happen with it and how big it will eventually grow, probably not huge as this is the first year the tree has fruited. Hopefully next season we will be inundated, we eat them almost daily at his time of year.

Also had a look at what has happened in the garden since our huge rain dump last week...over the course of the week we received around 400mm, quite substantial. John was outside in the pool shed a number of nights having to pump water out of the pool. Had it over flowed we would have had it in the house or worse, it would flow over the retaining wall into the neighbours courtyards, they are about 1.5m lower than us over the back fence.

We have tomatoes of a number of varieties going berserk, although some of them are quite watery after the rain, eggplant, beans, zucch's, huge amounts of self seeded salad greens (love the bitter, peppery ones), sweet potatoes and a feral garden bed of mint, rosemary, flat leaf parsley, thyme, lemon thyme, lemongrass, Vietnamese mint and basil. The front garden has a couple of passionfruit vines on the fence, olives, avocadoes, a grafted eggplant tree, mango and paw paw. We also have a kaffir lime, mandarin and grafted lemon tree in substantial pots on the verandah.

When we moved in to our home the orange and lemon trees had been somewhat neglected over the years and we (that would be John actually) gave them a serious prune and nurture. They are looking fabulous now and have the makings of healthy fruit on them. We did get a reasonable number of edible oranges this year but most of what we picked needed to be dumped.

I'm keen on the garden but more a fair weather gardener, John is the more passionate one, I like to harvest and cook the produce, he enjoys getting his hands dirty. In the scheme of things it's not a bad balance I guess.

Hot...

It's quite a stinker here today...around 34C (that's about 95F)...really dry too which is very unusual for this time of year for us. Usually the air is lovely and humid and ceiling fans are great. All I want today is aircon, am tempted to go and sit in the car and read.

Actually, what I really want is to be able to jump in the pool, and I can't, everyone else has been swimming several times today. I can't while I have my staples still in...it would be so soothing and cool...all over. The steps are also a bit steep for me at the moment too although I'm sure I'd find a way to manage them if I could get in.

Just being a miserable, cranky so and so really. I want something particular to eat and we don't have it. It would help if I knew what it was so John could go and get it, an ice cream perhaps..?? He is going shopping "soon" so will give him a list, starting with Peppermint Magnums.

Time to suck it up and get on with things...perhaps a G&T will help..??

Phil...thanks for the award, will post tomorrow...