You know you’re in Australia when the stuff that’s blown in through the garage door is parrot feathers, and not mouse droppings.


The Non has just gone to bed again on the floor on Gosingen moose, with ‘what a huge moose’ tucked in beside her. Insisted that he should be ‘in my bed’ despite the fact that she isn’t in her bed at all, but rolled on the floor. What can one say. Enjoy while your limbs are young and supple and floors don’t present much of a challenge to bones, I guess. I remember the time when there was absolutely nothing wrong with a carpet to sleep on all night, but now it’s a bit of a task oiling the joints if something like that’s attempted. Fair dos.

Lovely afternoon and evening here. Beautiful clear day, not too hot (though surprisingly it still shows as 32 degrees and it’s nearly 9pm – I don’t think it can really be that bad), blue skies, and in the afternoon we went off to the Merewether Baths as usual. The Non and Daddy did their synchronised drowning with goggles (a.k.a. diving to look for sharks and rays), and I did my laps. I’d finally got some ear plugs so I could use goggles again at long last and my goodness was it relaxing... SO much less hassle than keeping your head above the water the whole time, and beside there’s the added bonus of the auditory isolation – or at least distancing – caused by the earplugs, it’s really very pleasant, I’m quite tempted to try it out at other times of the day as well. The Non also saw her friend from school ‘Oscar M’ (there’s an Oscar H as well), who is a very nice boy indeed, and on her phonics ‘blue group’. They played tag very happily for a long while and I believe buried themselves in the sand a dug holes in the traditional manner appropriate to children and a sandy beach. It was gone 5:30 before we managed to drag her away. Then in the evening the Mr made us a FANTASTIC dinner of bonito and chard with some salsa.... YUM was it ever GOOD! We’ve got some recipes that were really nice and I haven’t even got round to putting them onto the blog.... must make an effort. I looked for cheek meat when we went shopping this afternoon but apparently they don’t sell it – as the attendant said – not much call for it. Alas. I’ll keep an eye out next time we go to a ‘proper’ butcher’s. Might have more luck. I did however get chicken for the lemon chicken.

The earlier part of the day was spent rather less excitingly, doing various bits of shopping and so on. Fridge was empty, now it’s crammed – that’s always a comforting thought. Thanks for the call and the update from Pie – fingers crossed and re-crossed that everything goes to plan! (Pie is going on a dentism-tourist course of 6 days to Croatia, with both the kids – which is onerous enough but with what we know is lying in wait over there has potential to be lethal – and I’m not just talking dentists here. However, the pressures of toothache and financial economy are great and it’s a sensible option. She’ll be staying (hopefully) at a friend’s house). Dear me, so very, very, very tired. I’m off. Love, V xxx