Meanwhile, today.... well after our slightly public-spirited Good Friday we opted for the entirely homey Saturday - and lovely it was too. Huge amounts of lazing.. but first we had a lazy breakfast and then went on to what's called 'Olive Tree Markets' - at the Junction public school (one of the ones we seriously considered for the Non) - it's held there every first Saturday of the month. Sort of arts and crafts, you know, high quality useless tat sort of things. However, hats off to them, definitely high quality, much better than a lot of the stuff at say Covent Garden (that stuff is just mainly pure shit). Not that we bought anything - we were actually looking for a flower stall for some flowers to take to the breakfast tomorrow and indeed there was one but it didn't have quite what we were looking for. Luckily there was a flower shop down the road and we bought something to pick up later. Nice little place. Well after that we went on to the library to return some books but it's closed until Tuesday - no matter, right next door was the next destination and it was the Newcastle Arts Gallery or some such - anyway they were doing some kiddie craft thing that was free so we went along. Well, on this occasion I think the craft thing was a little difficult frankly (building models from plasticine and bits and pieces 'inspired' by a local artist who does sort of clay towers about 5 foot high).. however, all very laudable as they genuinely use it to get people into the gallery and think about art and so on, and most certainly including the children. They went through a whole very time-consuming process of taking groups of kids up to the sculptures, talking about them, looking at them in detail, taking about how to recreate this and what the whole point of it might be, and then taking the kids down again (again in groups of only about 4 or 5) and giving them plasticine, buttons, pipe cleaners, bits of wool and so on to try and make similar stuff. It's pretty tricky to do this particular sort of thing though so I think the adults were lending a heavy hand, but it's an ongoing free thing, so no doubt they have a lot of different tactics if one sticks through with it. Thumbs up in general, I'd say.
Ugh.... I think the net 'sticks' occasionally and it's just maddening. There I am hammering away at a key and it just won't type, nothing. Bastard net.
Anyway, by this time we were quite entirely art-and-crafted out and hungry so we came home. We had some leftover baby octopus from yesterday so Ian turned this into an absolutely irresistible and divine pasta with aubergine, tomato and octopus dish... would DEFINITLEY do that one again. I have to say I was utterly unrestrained and devoured far too much of it... in fact, hoovered anything at all that was lying about, terrible. After this, the Non did her reading and by this time the carbs were really kicking in, we were all feeling remarkably dozy, so we all to a man headed off to bed - the Non and I to the Non's bed, and Daddy went off to our bed... there were moose stories, and six mooses in the bed, but alas I missed most of the narrative. Being fast asleep. Even the Non had a bit of a snooze or at least a lie-down, I think. At about 3 o'clock we eventually re-emerged and decided that some sort of re-animation was necessary, so put our canvass shoes on and went out to Glenrock (just across the road - literally) National Park and walked a very pleasant hike down through the woods all the way to the beach (Ash, as you may recall the Non calls that particular stretch of coast). Then back up via another route home - buy the time we got back home it was gone six, I think. AND hugely excitingly, on the path, in the wild, utterly genuine, we saw our FIRST ECHIDNA - large as life and twice as spiny. Well actually almost exactly the size that the Non's fluffy toy one is. Fantastic. The Mr stumbled across it (nearly literally by the sounds of it) at the side of the path eating ants from an anthill. It then lumbered slowly off into the bushes but didn't go very far as he waited for the Non and I to catch up, and look at it, with much noise and stomping, no doubt. Can't quite believe we're so close to such genuine Australian wildlife as we sit here in our roadside townhouse - but yes, that's just ten minutes' walk (well a good half hour with the Non but you know what I mean) down the hill.
Well that's about it. Oh and we have a lovely dinner too, to cap it all off – steak with lemon served with salad and beans with garlic and tomatoes – all pretty self-explanatory and I think you can imagine the contentment that would tend to settle in afterwards. Only thing was that after dinner the Non was sitting on Ian's lap and was told to finish off her drink (today she had chosen pink milk), so she was sitting there and ignoring it quite successfully when the Flea did a bit of 'little bite little bit BIG BITE' up her knee I think and the sudden arm-flail this resulted in led to said Pink Milk being spilt ALL over both of them. Entirely. So off went all the clothes and into the wash and in they both went into the bath again (second time in as many hours) to make sure they didn't smell like off yoghurt in the morning. Would all re entirely reprehensible if it weren't so amusing.
Lots of nice pics today so I'll try and load some before I go entirely bananas. Lots of love to you all and hope you all have a lovely Easter Sunday,
Us xxxx
Excellent photos of the Non as always very appreciated , and even one of the back of the head of the mummy, a very unusual occurrence. Must have been very exciting meeting an actual Kidney, live and prickly. I suppose all those lovely trees were eucalyptus, or perhaps birch? Am I wrong in thinking that all Aussies have emigrated? In the long shots of beaches and woods and wild walking meadows there is not a living soul to be seen except you three, just the right place for anti-social me. My mistake, there was just one human being dropping in from the sky, plenty of space for him to land. I see that the Pflea is still building Venice even down there.
ReplyDeleteThe Mino was thinking of knitting a bikini for the Non but Whaley put her off because he thought that she usually wears some kind of top that covers her chest and shoulders to protect her from the sun, what do you think? I am looking forward to reading the Pie’s blog too, when she returns with all her bits and pieces repaired and polished up. Hope everything went well.
How was breakfast at friends? That is not a meal that most people would think very convivial, although I remember enjoying some pancakes with maple syrup on the way back from Monterey.
Have a happy holiday and lots of love
Woofie