stuffing

I made Grandma Goodman's stuffing today, the full whack, 2 loaves of bread, celery, hazelnuts, onions, sage and salt all bound together with a pound of butter, yum!!!! And all done with the thermomix which sure takes the grunt out of all that grinding and chopping. There's enough stuffing for next year's turkey as well.

Just read that Peter Roebuck died. Such a shame, although I'm afraid the circumstances of his death may prove murky. Nevertheless, he was one of the finest writers about the game, obviously well educated and with a wide vocabulary used well. I'll miss his newspaper columns and his commentary.

Dirk just called, I've left my camera at their house. It's becoming a ritual, that after babysitting I leave something behind, often something electronic. Last week it was the phone charger. And he grilled me before leaving on Friday, 'have you got your computer, the charger?' etc... 'Yes' said I confidently. NOT!

Ah well, maybe the rot of dementia is setting in. Don't we all dread it? It's like being one of the living dead, you're there but not there. I shall have to do more exercise and keep on with those puzzles to stave off the beast. When I've finished this I'll download some more NY Times crossword puzzles to keep me going.

mangoes and jacarandas

Ed remarked on all the Jacaranda trees he and Cris saw from the air when they landed in Sydney last Thursday. 'Funny,' say I, 'I've been complaining that I haven't seen any yet.' I've put it down to the cold October.

Of course all the way home in the car Ed pointed out the numerous Jacaranda trees en route, but had the grace to acknowledge they're not very bright and easy to miss. Since then they've appeared all over the place, bright and purple. I love them. When I was working at Uni the appearance of the Jacaranda marked exam time and the end of face to face teaching for three months. A great relief! They only last a couple of weeks but cheer me up every time I see them.

Something else that cheers me is the arrival of mangoes. They've been around for about a month but too expensive to buy unless I win Lotto which I haven't, maybe because I haven't bought tickets??? Now theyr'e reasonably priced and beautifully ripe so I'm tucking in.

Tomorrow is Melbourne Cup Day, a huge day not only on  the racing calendar but all over Australia.  With a bit of luck those punters who're planning to fly to Melbourne via QANTAS might be able to make it. The dispute is over...for 3 weeks at least. I've been off QANTAS lately mainly because of cramped airline seating internationally. For my next trip I'm definitely going to look elsewhere after all this.

After aqua exercise I'm going over the road to the Bowling Club with my aqua pals for a Melbourne Cup lunch. There's a hat competitition. Judging by the monstrosities at Prince William and Kate's wedding, I figure I can't go wrong with a paper plate stuck to the side of my head!

day of days

Am doing a stint of child minding while Ed & Cristina sail the crystal blue waters of the Whitsunday Islands for 4 days.

Day 1: see them off, take the kids to the pool, lunch at Roselands. Mathew falls asleep in the car on the way home. Big mistake, talk about a power nap - too powerful for him to wind down before 10pm! Meanwhile Grandma has been ready for bed since nine.

Day 2: we all sleep in till 7.30am. Then the rush is on, nutella sandwich, fruit twist bar, chips, popper drink and water in Annika's bag. Did I tell you the temperature is going to be 35 degrees today? Change of clothes for Mathew, water and toy aeroplanes for show and tell. He's going to talk about seeing mum and dad off at the airport. I rush to aqau aerobics only to find it's outdoors. Good job I carry a rashie (swimming shirt) and hat in my bag. Had to pinch some of the instructor's sun screen. Being in the water was the best place to be. Sweltered in the heat for the rest of the day.

Day 3: Tuesday, Big Day for Mathew, his first orientation at BIG SCHOOL - he starts early next year.  (By now the temperature has plummeted to the early teens, and it's raining.) The kid didn't miss a beat when I left him there, surrounded by girls from his day care he was off with them without a backward glance.

I thought I'd give him a day off at home for a change afterwards (the poor kid's been in long day care since he was one year old.) All going well then surprise! Cousin Skye showed up. Hadn't dared to tell Mathew beforehand that she was coming since the excitement levels would have ramped up to uncontrollable.

Skye is a blonde, blue eyed angel who is determined and adventurous. Anything Mathew had she wanted and went to get it. Eventually the novelty wore off for Mathew and he started protesting. The room filled with the sound of 'NOs' as they tussled for possession. Bear in mind Skye usually uses the German 'Nein' but she knew right away which one to use with Mathew.

Then the nightmare begins, We go to pick Annika up from school. It's pouring. Skye hates the plastic cover for the pram and starts pulling it away every time I try to put it on. I give up that idea and tuck in one of the raincoats hanging up in the vestibule over her legs. She rips it off three times, face red with screaming. I manage to secure it enough for us to start out although her feet stick out in the rain. I'm balancing a large umbrella, trying to keep an eye on Mathew with his sister's pink umbrella (which he loves) and pushing the pram on a pavement that slopes steeply to the road, to the accompaniement of Skye's objections. Not a good look.

Of course Annika is thrilled to see her baby cousin. Skye is not so thrilled, still complaining about the whole set up. At least Annika can help out with Mathew, and we cross the street to walk on the flatter pavement. Skye gives up crying and I give up the umbrella, better to be wet than put my back out with the balancing act.

By the time Dirk picks up Skye in the early evening the place looks like a bomb site. It still does the next morning as I write this with one of Ed's warm jackets on and a blanket over my knees. Whatever happened to spring?????

I've forgotten how energy sapping it is to look after three little kids. Things I did without turning a hair at age 30 are so much bigger when I'm 70. Much as I love my grandchildren, it sure is nice having some respite of peace and quiet... but those damn toys are still littering the place. I've got to get off my butt and pick them up before the cleaner comes tomorrow.

Tethered Roof Man

Have had a shock today. Looking out of my office window I see a man on the roof next door, complete with bum crack, cleaning the eaves. I'm glad to see he's tethered, not sure of my emergency nursing skills these days although I know the latest CPR drill. More compressions than breaths (30:2 I think) That's hard to keep up isn't it? They've had more changes than Paris Hilton on a night out.

Should I wave? I feel a bit like ferry riders compelled to wave to yachties in Sydney harbour. But I don't want to distract him. Even with the tether he could break a limb. He has a green plastic bag full of detritus. How's he going to get it down? I assume there's a ladder but I can't see it and I don't want to stand up to look. Distraction again.

Another tether. In his ears. He's plugged into an IPod or phone, can't see which. But if he's listening to music he's not moving to the rhythm thank goodness.

As you can see. This has made my day!!!!

It's all about food today

Probably because I did aqua aerobics and I was starving afterwards. I bought bananas, something I have not purchased since I was in NZ in April. Why? Because floods in Queensland ruined the crop and they've been as much as $15.99 a kilo. No banana is worth that much. I would like to see Australia import them like NZ does, those cheap little suckers ($1.99 a kilo) were from Ecuador and the Phillipines and were delicious. But no...we do not import bananas, we have to have home grown ones no matter how much they cost. They're down to $6.99 a kilo. They looked alright so I bought 2...bananas that is not 2kgs.

NZ has been trying to get Australia to purchase their apples. The Aussies claim they have some sort of blight that they don't want here. After 99 years of trying the Kiwis have succeeded. They have to do all sorts of spraying and washing beforehand and label the apples as 'product of New Zealand.' Do you see a pattern here? Isn't it called protectionism? Aren't we supposed to not be doing that?

I left the pool dreaming about the Morrocan lamb dish I made last night from an English Woman's Weekly recipe, very simple, started off on top of the stove and cooked in the oven. Now that I have one of those kinds of pots (thank you Maxine) I love these kinds of recipes. You can use a relatively cheap cut of lamb. I say relatively because lamb has suddenly become the most expensive cut of meat when it used to be the cheapest. What happened? Maybe the sheep got washed away in those Queensland floods, and heaven forbid that we should import any! I have no idea. With a can of tomatoes, tomatoe paste, red lentils, potatoes, onion, garlic and all the spices it makes a tasty one-dish meal.

We often talk about food when we're in the pool, on account of the fact that we exercise at or just before lunch time. My tummy was rumbling most of the exercise hour today although our new instructor distracted us by working us hard. She showed up our regular instructors as somewhat complacent slobs. There was no cruising with this chick. It was great.

At home I turned on the TV to see where Hurricane Irene is and whether it's blasted my niece Krista out of her Brooklyn apartment yet. Her last facebook entry tells me she's okay.

Now after lunch I'm beginning to feel sleepy. I think I deserve a nap today. Bye for now.

And on the 9th day there was light...

Yes, Eddie the electrician arrived at 5pm yesterday. Given that the light was fading fast in the short winter day, he donned headlight to inspect the wiring. Tossed out some shonky looking paper covered wire, declared I was lucky to be alive, (it was so bad up there) cleaned up what was left and went downstairs to put the fuse back in. Woops, still no light! He turned his attention to the dimmer switch which has actually never dimmed down at all. Bingo, we had light. He stil insists it was the shonky wiring though.

I quizzed him closely about why the light didn't come on until he fixed the switch. He blinded me with science so I listened quielty as he told me I should upgrade my switch board from re-wireable fuse to something more modern and safer. He can do it for $1800.00. When can I book you in? Bet he wouldn't be a day late for that appointment. I need time to consult those who know more than I do before committing to something costing  a little more than the two hundred dollars I was expecting.

Mr Popper's Penguins was delightful in spite of Annika slurping her drink in all the wrong places. When did she turn so noisy at the movies? She used to sit in rapt silence staring at the screen, so serious I thought she wasn't enjoying herself. Apparently she was. Now there's no guessing, she's guffawing and commenting, to the extent that I had to tell her to stop talking, I was missing the good bits.That's when the slurping started. I felt like tossing that sickly pink slurpy but would probably have hit some rug rat in front and incurred the wrath of mother. Not a good look.

Back home Annika has been busy compiling her Aussie animal pictures on my netbook. She knows her way around a computer quite well. She made palm cards and practised her narration. We've put her document with the pictures on a CD so the family is in for a performance when she goes back home  on Wednesday.

still waiting

The little lights under the hood over the oven have been working over time as one week later I await the arrival of an electrician, another one. The first one never came, never called. My neighbour thought it might be one of the bulbs. These are four Halogen lights, and I have no clue what they look like when they're dead, neither does he. But obliging soul that he is, he brought down his ladder (home made by his Cabinet-making father 50 years ago) and we tested them one by one using one of the new bulbs I bought just in case. No dice. I need an electrician...hurry up Tony!!!!!

More aqua with the kid today. She's complaining of leg pain which seems to switch from knee to ankle, depending on the mood. So I'm not too worried. She's busy on the netbook compiling her file of  "Australian Animals" at present.

Tomorrow we see Mr. Popper's Penguins. Hopefully, waiting for the second week of school holidays will cut down on the crowds. Nevertheless, we'll go early so Grandma can fortify herself with a large cappuccino before entering the world of silliness and mayhem.

wrong cookie pan

Well I might have bought a bargain cookie pan on Monday but it was not deep enough to allow all the lemon mixture to sit on top. Consequently a batch of half filled lemon bar cookies made their way to Roselands for the qua gals. Fortunately there was just enough lemon flavour and the base is to die for, should be with all that butter!

Annika's day was complete when Caitlin, the granddaughter of one of the aqua gals showed up. They swam together while we star jumped to '60s rock. Annika got the full beauty treatment in the changing room afterwards.

We came home early in anticipation of an electrician showing up. When I turned on the kitchen lights on Monday there was a loud bang. Thus no light in the kitchen except by the stove light. Everything else works and the fuses were okay so called in an electrician. He didn't show, so I'll have to call him again.

Not much on the agenda today except a visit to Big W to find the right cookie pan.

first day of the school hols

Annika and I made an early start today, off to the big smoke in search of chocolate. Our first stop was in Newtown, I've had my eye on some earrings for a long time. Lucky me the sales were on, 10% off.

Next we inspected the New Westfield complex. I'm not too impressed, it's spacious, more classy than what it replaced but is dark. Is this the new fashion? Annika's eyes lit up when she saw the macaroons so had to have a coffee and hot chocolate stop there.

I needed a new cookie pan for the lemon bar cookies I'm going to make tomorrow. Selected a $13.95 model at Myers only to find it cost $8.65 thanks to a promotional offer. Nice!

After a KFC lunch in the food hall we started our trek to the chocolate bar near the Opera House. I remembered that I needed some tea. Now that I've gone herbal, I'm keen to try loose leaves rather than the bags. At the Tea shop, I bought Camomile (already sipped, it's lovely) and green tea mixed with orange peel which I'll try in the morning. I haven't drunk black tea since I returned from NZ in a bid to reduce migraines. There's a slight reduction but I'm not sure if it's due to the change in tea consumption or the little blue pill I take at night which helps me sleep longer.

On the road to the Opera House, we spied what looked like gravestones on a grassy knoll. On inspection, they're just stones of varying shapes and sizes, not bad for a photo op.


At last we reached the Guylian shop, ordered the fruit plate with dipping chocolate There was fresh pineapple, strawberries, kiwi fruit and melon. Very nice.

Finished off by watching  a street performer do his tricks, juggling a chainsaw and knives and finally standing on a bike up a pole juggling knives, and an apple.

Discoveries of the Day

Aldi does not stock all my needs;

When a newly purchased jar of jam falls on the floor of the store it breaks;

Buses replace trains between Lidcombe and Sydenham thereby messing up my plans to meet Barbara in the second carriage tomorrow;

Jean Paul Gaultier is one talented designer (this morning watched a documentary in the series 'The Day Before' about various artists preparing for a show.)

Haute Couture is not such a bad thing. While it is beyond our reach and sort of ridiculous it employs talented embroiderers, crocheters, and beaders, etc thereby ensuring the worth and viability of such crafts.

STVDIO is fast becoming one of my favourite channels on Cable TV.

And it isn't even 10am. Who know's what's around the corner.

Now for the wedding.

Easter is over spent quietly getting over the holiday (except for Good Friday spent with the mini Hewers).Today  I rush to Charcoal Chicken for my fix, it's been 4 weeks! Like everyone else they've put their prices up. I've already gone from once a week to once a fortnight after the last price rise, so now I'll have to reduce my treat to once every 3 weeks (or maybe 2 and a half.) My arteries will be grateful if nothing else. Will compensate tonight by eating noodles with veg for dinner. I don't know who I'm kidding, I've been tucking into those Lindt chocolate bunnies like there's no tomorrow! They sure know how to make chocolate!

I've been devouring all the docos on the Royal family, Will and Kate, Charles and Diana etc. Getting ready for compulsory viewing on Friday evening (our time) of that wedding. I remember me and the kids sleeping on the lounge room floor in Mount Vernon in order to wake up in the early hours to watch Charles and Diana's nuptials. We woke up just as they were exchanging their vows. Then we went shopping to one of the big malls for a new bike for Maxine's belated birthday. At least the wedding news lightens up the rest, massacres in Syria, civil war in Libya, 500 Taliban thugs tunneling out from their jail, casualties in Afghanistan.

10 days after black salve

Will be movie making more than writing over the next few weeks. I have many projects needing my attention. Next week I go to the cancer clinic to see if my skin cancer has been taken away by the black salve. It doesn't look bad, but I can still feel a lump.

4 weeks after black salve

now I know the new year has really begun

The regular radio announcers and TV presenters are back on air. The kids are back at school (in 100 degree weather poor things!) traffic is back, no more carefree cruising around Sydney, which it appears has been voted one of the least popular cities in OZ. Traffic and transport is one of the reasons for its lowly status. I still love it, I dont' care what they say, although I get as frustrated as the next one at not being able to find parking.

It is too hot to write so this will be short. Have to tell you a little anecdote though.

I was taking Annika back home after her holiday stay with me. She asks me what 'grounded' means. Being a sociology graduate I explain as simply as I can about having one's feet firmly planted in the earth, not being up yourself if you get famous etc. 'Do you understand Annika?' I say in my most gentle voice, marvelling at the depth of question from a seven year old.

'Yes but there's another meaning Grandma. When you're naughty....'

I burst out laughing. There I am getting all esoteric, and all she wansd was confirmation of a concept she knows already. She'll probably experience a few 'groundings' in her growing up years.

Melissa & Mark, her boyfriend

We celebrated Melissa's 20th, only one more year to the big one.

an experiment up loading video or ...Skye's latest diet

 

okay I see it is unfocused and taken while on the road in Northern NSW. Hope you can access it alright. The photo is clearer.

Skye (8 months) playing with cousins annika and mathew

poodle with pink ears

Saw a white poodle with pink ears yesterday outside Woolworth's in Campsie (of all places) at 8 'o' clock in the morning. He/she? was looking out of a truck window as was his owner (a man) as if waiting for someone. My first thought? It's nearly Mardi Gras time.

One of the events leading up to the famous parade in early March is (or used to be) a doggie get together of local gays. The poodle with pink ears remnded me of that. I attended one once, saw all kinds of costumes and outfits, not only on the dogs.

Sydney's Mardi Gras is now a big money spinner for the city. People come from all over the place for the month long festivities, following hot on the heels of the Sydney Festival.

Talk about hot, it's going to be a hot one today. Am planning to go to the pool with Annika to cool off, then work on getting her interested in going to the museum of modern art to see Annie Liebowitz's exhibition. I've always liked her stuff and I believe the woman needs the money! Not that my concession price ticket (children under 12 free) will make that much difference. It's good to expose the kid to something other than Shrek & Toy Story, good though they are. But it's been hard getting her interested in going to the city this time. Not sure why.

Just had a thought, there might be a picture of Annika's great love, Michael Jackson in the exhibition. That'll get her.

For now we have to work out which movie to see tomorrow. We've done Narnia, I kind of fancy Tangled, having seen in the preview some of the amazing things they do with the woman's long blond hair. Gulliver's going to be too scary according to Annika. She fancies Diary of a Wimpy Kid. Oh dear.

Misperceptions

Packing: pack what you think you need then halve it.
Tying a parcel with ribbon:  mark off what you think you need then double it

oops double mailing

Sorry to my email recipients who recieved 2 versions of the previous blog. I was in a shopping centre using Mcdonald's free WiFi and every time I pressed the edit button it signed me out. The second version is the 'correct' one.

I hasten to add that was the only thing of Mcdonald's I was using as I whiled away the time waiting for my car to be serviced. Fortunately they didn't charge me as much as I was expecting thereby justifying the new bra and sandals I  bought while waiting.

I've put out the new photo calendar (thank you Kathie, great memories of our recent adventures) washed my new 5-pack of Sloggis (undies to the uninitiated) whch are now ready to wear (thank you Maxine) and tried out my new induction cooktop and pots (Thank you Maxine, Cristina & spouses)

Great excitement as I cooked the evening meal. For once in 11 years I could have three pots going all at the same time (only had 2 burners before) and I didn't have to wait 10 minutes for them to heat up. In no time I had fried chicken, cauliflower and cheese sauce on my plate. Looks as though the microwave might become redundant. T'will be interesting to see what the next electricity bill reveals.

Having brung on the new, I'm now casting out the old. I spotted a book swap store in Burwood yesterday, have earmarked it to off load some books. Speaking of books I've just finished reading A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry. It was published in 1995 and is a great read. I love the characters and feel for them through their many trials and traumas.

But I digress.

I've been busy tearing up old bills, receipts and invoices this morning. Not a bad occupation when you feel like tearing your hair out watching the cricket. England looks very strong, Australia bumbling along. At least I've got room in my filing cabinet now.

Going to use up some old frozen bananas and make a loaf out of them then a short rest before heading out for the Opera House to see 'Love, Loss and  What I Wore.' Not sure what it is but it's probably funny. I hope so.





  

NYE in Bangalow

For once I wasn't in Sydney for NYE. Instead I spent a lovely 6 days in Northern NSW with Maxine, Dirk and the delicious Skye in a house lent to them by friends.

I almost didn't get there. The Jetstar craft flying up around the same time as me couldn't land because of poor visibility and returned to Sydney. The trusty prop plane of Rexair made it, albeit a bit bumpily, and to the accompaniement of teenage girls screaming every time we hit a tiny airpocket. Such sooks!

 Fortunately the rain held off for the next 3-4 days so we could get out, exploring downtown Bangalow's 2 streets on day 1 and lunching at the pub;



lunch at the pub 





we call this pose 'Hello Boys!'

 the next day re-visiting Byron Bay. It was like arriving in the middle of 'Schoolies' week. The place has lost its charm I'm afraid. Skye had her first encounter with the ocean, not that great but let's face it, it takes a while.



on the road

 Day 3 we shopped in Ballina, nice wide streets full of people nearer my own age, many of them in electric buggies!!! Not yet please!

We had some success with Skye in the pool, splashing arms and legs very seriously. One day I'm sure it will be with joy, all she needs is more exposure. Dirk is not so sure.

The grownups behaved like children when the scrabble board came out in the evenings, Maxine fiercely determined to put down the best possible word every go, and taking her time about it (Dirk and I worked on the cryptic crossword while she ruminated!) Dirk claiming he didn't give a s.... but still keen to play, and me, well of course I was perfect!

The beer and wine flowed, Maxine cooked some super meals and Skye was an angel... except for the early rising. The latest was 5.45 am, the earliest 4.45am . When she's awake that gal is ready to party, to the extent that she doesn't realise she's hungry. It's like she's afraid of missing something if she stops to eat. Another determined girl in our midst, what could we expect?

And what would a holiday be like without Maxine and a bean bag?

On New Year's Day it was too wet for Skye to go on the grass, the cat was too lazy to entertain her, the cows didn't visit and the chooks had lost their novelty. She missed the lone wallaby hopping along the bottom of the garden. The kid was getting cabin fever. We headed for Bangalow in the misty rain. Our favourite cafe was full, we ended up at the bakery; they had to give us free food to get rid of us!

I left Bangalow glowing in sunshine and arrived in Sydney in a storm. Picked up late delivered Christams cards and reflected on my lovely break. Thank you for making it possible Maxine and Dirk.