PQRST

P is for... Helena Frith Powell...  I'm reading her book Two Lipsticks and a Lover.  It's interesting, informative...and very funny!!

I'm in French mode at the moment (will do a separate post about it soon), reading lots of books about France/the French from the library, and will attempt to learn the language (or some of) this year.

And listening to my French CD by Carla Bruni...  No idea what she's singing, but lovely voice and music :))



Q is for...   quinoa breakfast. 

Which I have been eating...every morning... for the past 12 months!!

I wrote a post about it HERE.  It's still the same :))  although sometimes I also add stewed rhubarb or fresh blueberries!!



R is for...  road trip.

To my friend Brenda's...for her birthday luncheon!  Catching up with 'the girls' again, and meeting some new ones...

(the girls)

(the birthday girl Brenda)

We played 'pass the parcel' (as you do)...and guess who won!?!?

And look what I won!!  One of Brenda's miniature paintings!!!  The actual painting is only 2 1/2" x 2 1/2" and so pretty!  I have it hanging on the wall above my coffee machine, so I get to enjoy it 'up close' every day when I make my coffee...

(Spring in the Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens)

 

 

 

S is for...   Soup...Lentil soup... which I've just made a big pot of...

 

(if you click on the photo it will bring it up larger and you should be able to read it)

 

 

T is for...  Trug...  given to me 20? years ago by my French friend Florence, when she and her family lived here in Tasmania...

seen here with some of my garden tools and the dirt I enjoy digging in :))

 

 

Au revoir mes amis!

 

xx

 

KLMNO

K is for Knitting...Charity Knitting.

Not that I've been doing any!  The group is in recess till March, but some of the ladies have been knitting at home...squares and rectangles for blankets.  I think we have enough squares for quite a few blankets, so will be enlisting the ladies to help sew them together...

L is for Lamott...Anne  Lamott.

My author 'of the moment'.  Read Travelling Mercies last year, and have almost finished Rosie (from the library)...it's sooo good!! 

Have the recently arrived Bird by Bird and Grace (Eventually) to read next (from Book Depository). 

Love her writings!!  Funny...serious...witty...deep...profound...and all things in between...



M is for Market...Farmer's Market.

After a bit of a glitch a few months ago, the fortnightly Farmers Market is getting back into full swing.

( Love getting my fresh vegies...and sourdough bread...)

N is for Love Nordic BlogSpot. 

My 'blog of the moment'...



O is for Ok...I can't really think of an O subject...

OR

Oh...I love this painting...that I bought recently...  Painted by Bec from Brush Rabbit...

(It's big...90cm x 120cm)

(Fits right in with my Nordic theme, and will look Oh so Nice in my new house...eventually...)

 

 

Off to bed...to read Rosie...

 

Night! Night!!

 

xx

 

FGHIJ

F is for Friday night jazz.

Joined the Deloraine Jazz Club and went to my first concert/dance Friday night.  It was fabulous!  I'd forgotten how good live music is.  Especially with such talented musicians and singer. Sorry...no photos, but will try and get some at the next event.


G is for Garden.

I have been digging up existing lawn/old garden beds...

 

 To look like this...



So I can plant these...

 

 And these...

(mostly herbs)

 

 

 

H is for Hayden.

 

Paul Hayden Desser  and his Elk Lake Serenade.  Great music!!!

 

 

 

 

I is for India.

 

Where my friend Debbie is living at the moment.  Check out her Postcards from... blog.

 

 

 

J is for Ida Jessen.

 

Reading her book The Children at the moment and really enjoying it...

 

 

That's it! 

 

 Off to bed to read!

 

Goodnight :))

 

xx

 

 

 

 

ABCDE

A

Marnie, Phil and Denver gave me a gift voucher for The Black Hen for Christmas.  Bought a wooden ampersand with it...

(Bet you didn't know that was what this symbol was called!)

B

Books from the library on the go...

(Beautiful houses in the wood book!)

C

Bought this coffee/cappuccino maker.  Now I have to work out how to use it...

(Made my first cup this morning...delish!)

D

Marnie and Denver have moved to Melbourne for a couple of years, so I have been busy de-cluttering and re-arranging furniture...

(Still a way to go...but getting there...)

E

Is for everything else...

Christmas Day I helped out (as I did the previous year) at the charity lunch held here in Deloraine.  Cooking, serving, washing dishes... It was fun, working with a nice bunch of people.  Hope to do it again next Christmas.

New Year was quiet...the way I like it :)

Keeping busy walking, weeding, mowing lawns, reading, getting back on track with blog entries...  Enjoying the solitude :))

Hope 2015 is a good one for you!!

 

xx

The B post

Picked up a bounty of books from the library today...

 

 

 This one I bought...from Book Depository

 

 

 Beautiful photos and really interesting (you thought I was going to say boring didn't you!!) text...

 

 

And these are my boys (grandboys) in Texas...

(Dylan, Oliver, Zak)

 

(Oliver, Dylan, not one of mine, Zak)

 

Had the bible study ladies here last week for our Christmas break up lunch...

 (Shirley, Jenny, Maree, Betty, Cherry, and half of Dora)

(Cherry, Dora, Valerie and Pat)

 

We are having (road kill) duck for dinner tonight thanks to Phil's driving skills (or lack thereof), cooked in the slow cooker with onion, red wine, rosemary, and orange.

 

bonne chère !!

 

xx

 

 

 

 

I'm ba...aaack!!

Had a lovely time away...except for the windscreen chip I managed to acquire on the drive home :((.

Got in lots of walking...some shopping...and catch up time with friends!

Here we are enjoying our Christmas Lunch at the Casino...

(from left: Brenda, Pastel Pam, Yvonne, Pommie Pam, Fay, Jo, me)

 

 

 

 We did a gift exchange, but Brenda outdid us all by giving each of us a miniature oil painting she had done.  It's 4 inches by 3 inches...on a little wooden easel...just beautiful! 
Unfortunately I didn't think to take a photo of all the different scenes, but I just love mine...in those grey, muted colours.  She has called it Misty Morning!  She knows me well :)))...

 

 

And I was too busy eating to think to take a photo of my main course...roast pork, vegies and salad, but did stop long enough to get this photo of my dessert selection...

 

 

Just as well I did lots of walking while away :)))

 

So...there you have it...a good time was had by all!!!

 

xx

 

(PS - just click on any of the photos to enlarge them)

 

 

 

Tripping

Off to Hobart for a couple of days...

 

Have the essentials...

 

 

book...music...knitting...

 

And some non essentials...  clothes...food...water...

 

Having Christmas Lunch with the girls at the Casino on Wednesday and hoping to get in some shopping time. 

 

(the girls)

 

Looking forward to another long drive on the open road in my nice car :))

 

Catch up when I get back!

 

xx