It's All Too Much

Once the family all headed back to Sydney, things have really slowed down. The weather became hot and humid, which this year has really drained my energy levels, upset my sleeping patterns, and I have had to "lie down" in the afternoons to catch up. Of course this has also thrown out my entire routine and I end up reading, to while away the time in air conditioning.

Self sown tomatoes amongst other things like celery .

The garden of course is still a jungle, more like a food forest with seedlings like lettuce popping up, cherry tomatoes all over the place, carrot beds that need pulling up as they didn't grow fast enough, so a bit stringy or too small to eat. Beans and cucumbers doing well but now I need to start new seeds off for the last of summer.

I must be tired as I can't even get the ooomph to weed it or embroider, sew, or declutter, soooooo not like me. This year is not turning out as I thought it would. Change must definitely be in the air.

Front Beans

Rockmelon/Canteloupe

Herb Garden with self sown tomatoes

It rained last night which was lovely and if I had got up earlier I could have done some weeding in the cool, but didn't have the energy.

 Let's hope that things get better, because now I am thinking time to stop blogging every week. Nothing changes, much at the moment.

Back with more beans and undergrowth that needs pulling.

Queen Elizabeth Rose

At least the roses are pretty, and our youngest son, is getting over covid this week, so it's not all bad.

Till Next Time.

Visiting Sydney for Pentatonix

If you missed a blog of last week it is because our lovely daughter sent us tickets to see Pentatonix and also to stay in Sofitel at Darling Harbour for 3 nights. What a surprise as they turned up in January unexpectedly.

We were on 27th floor, on a corner.

What was included was access to Club Millésime, which was on the 35th floor. It provided breakfast then all day snacks,coffee, tea, drinks etc. Unbelievable afternoon tea buffet, plus happy hour with a nibble buffet as well, so we took advantage of it most of the time as everything was included.

One of our breakfast buffets.

Day 2 we ordered off the Menu, Eggs Florentine for me.

  The views from our room and the Club were of course amazing. The following are some of the views we could see.

Cockles Wharf

Looking straight down at the light rail, across the road.

Maritime Museum in the middle

The new building being built on left and 2 more towers on right to go in between.

We walked around Darling Harbour pier itself, but my knees were giving me a lot of trouble still and I had to sit every now and then, so we didn't go across the main bridge to to where the Queen Victoria building and all the shops are.

There is a group of shops on the harbour and eateries of all sorts. This is the entrance.

Restaurants out side  of shopping part as well.

Bridge to Main part of Sydney, closed to traffic.

Bridge getting ready for Mardi Gra, which was this weekend.

 One end is all paving and water the other end is more lush with gardens.

Saturday night was our Pentatonix Show, 8500 people attended it. Loved it when they were on but waited forever to see them.

John being clever in the lift on the way, just as the doors opened.

My knees gave in half way, we dodged huge evening crowds just strolling around. 7 min. walk took 20.

Samantha Jade was on first for an hour, followed by interval which felt like another hour. The crowd started to stomp their feet when Pentatonix was 10 mins late, and been waiting a long time.

Stage was very smokey

I found a video of them singing Hallelujah on the night for you to listen to, so good live. Just copy and paste on You Tube site. Everyone got their phone lights out so looking at the audience all these fairy lights moving from side to side.

https://youtu.be/0KyK6Rohr8s

Kevin's  beat box music he made must have been connected to the speakers because his base just hummed through you, amazing talent though he plays the cello and trained to be a doctor. Making more money though beat boxing around the world lol.  Found him playing in Florida same song, move arrow forward to get past Scott talking about how they met.

https://youtu.be/6qofmR4a5Fg

Hope you enjoy them.

Our last night we had dinner at the Kazbah restaurant and ordered a meal for two that came out on a very large board. Amazing Arabian Dinner.

Loved the water jug

 

Next week I will tell you about our Ferry trip to Manly and Chinese Garden, this has been long enough.

Till Next Time.

A Slow Week

It has been a bit of a struggle this week to find the energy to do anything. I cannot decide if it is my health or just the weather or a bit of both. It is still taking a couple of hours first thing to move around and my kness are still painful. Will be interesting to see what my blood results will produce in 2 weeks. What a worry all these fires have been as well. My Brother in Law  and wife are still hovering in Bega and thinks his house is ok in Quaama  NSW as the fire came up to the walls,  but definitely knows he has lost a 2nd car, caravan, trailer and all the land on his large block. Hopefully this coming week they will be allowed back in. Luckily there has been a cool change, that has calmed things down a bit, but NSW and Vic are still in a lot of strife.

This lack of energy and going to our TV room where there is air conditioning has given me a good chance to work on the dolls for the shop. I finished one and really pleased with it.

It has taken a while with embroidering the face and getting to know this pattern with not much time over Christmas/New Year, but finally getting to spend every day doing a little bit.

Over the past 4 months I have been trying out a lot of different body patterns, the heads are the hardest to make a doll cute and saleable, but slowly getting to what I like. I am adding ears and a bit of sculpturing to this particular pattern.

I like using the embroidered eye system so will try doing this on different shaped heads on different bodies I have experimented with, and see how that goes.

One of several experimental bodies.

 The smoke is again over the garden today and we are now only watering on odd number days. We are picking approximately 12 tomatoes every 2nd. day to the point I think I  had better do something with them but can't think what. We have enough puree,relish and bottled ones now from last year. Also the chilli plant which is only small has been producing well. They are really hot too, and I think John will make some sweet chilli sauce with them, hopefully a tomato one lol. Anything hot or super vinegar pickles is his domain as I don't eat it. 

I really don't enjoy this time of year the heat and humidity gets to me, especially now while I get control of RA. When I get enough energy, the tomato plants can come out. Once the temperature gets to over 30 they don't produce any as too hot. I could still put in some young ones just to grow but will wait till February for that, which is also the time to think about cabbages, more carrots, lettuce, bok choy. The potatoes aren't all dug up yet as they stay fresher in the ground till we need them.

I also have a long list of projects to do from decluttering, clothes,books,objects to big renovation projects, but it is all too hard at the moment. 

Mum had another fall this week, and I think both my sister and I are just waiting for her to go. We visit every week, but she is getting weaker and weaker and needs help just to stand up to hold her walker, then she is off constantly going round and round the halls. Her eyes though show nothing.

Prayers go out to all those who need it in these fires.

Till Next time.

Year Ends 2019

Two more days as I write this and 2019 will end. From what I read about the rare lineup of planets, for 2020 the astrology world is very excited about what good things next year will bring. The end of many situations and new beginnings seems to be the theme. When I look back on my 2019 I will certainly glad to see the end of it.

Another Christmas has come and gone and I hope everyone had an enjoyable time. We spent breakfast and present opening with the  local grandchildren. So much squealing and chatter to be enjoyed.

This then was followed by our lunch at home, with my sister and partner, and our eldest daughter and youngest son. Six salads, cold roast lamb, ham,  plum pudding and cherry pie.

Boxing Day is a family tradition to go see a movie and this year it was the last Star Wars one, at our very packed local theatre.

The next day we celebrated our youngest son's birthday, who turned 40 this year. As usual we go down to the river, and always there is a game of darts. We were joined by this time with the Sydney grandchildren, and so nice to have all the family around me, that is except for our youngest daughter in America who celebrated with her husband, Christmas in their new house. So new they haven't had time to get furniture properly yet, but managed to buy a table so 4 of their friends could help celebrate.

Family at large in the river.

We hired a shed for the occasion

Our make shift dart board area, worked really well.

It was a lovely day not too hot, and a slight breeze. The two other Sydney children left the next day for home, while I got the house back into order. I also have put my new Mini Happy Planner together for next year, and trying to get my hardanger cloth finished before the year is up, so then I can concentrate on making cloth dolls for my shop.

I hope you all had had a wonderful time and looking forward to 2020. Happy New Year everyone.

Till Next Time.