William 25/5/2012

Hooray!!
 We have a new addition to our family. Baby Will arrived safely at 9.25 am on the 25th May, 12 days late, weighing 8lb 7 ozs in the old weights, and guess what.....he was delivered by his Aunty, who by the way is a Midwife.
 It wasn't planned that Aunty L would deliver him, but  she was in the room as a support for her sister, and the attending Midwife suggested that she might like to "catch the baby" as they say, so she gloved up and brought him into the world, and helped his Daddy cut the cord.......so exciting ! His beautiful Mummy was very brave and clever, and opted for no pain relief.
Several family members, myself included, were anxiously waiting outside the birthing unit, and after what seemed like an eternity we were allowed in to meet our new precious little bundle. We have a lovely video recording of the moment baby's 2 sisters raced into the room to say hello to their brother. So special.

Needless to say the weekend was spent making trips up to the hospital, chatting , admiring the baby, fighting for the next cuddle, and comparing and sharing photos.

This morning we all met up again at the baby's house. We decided to give him a bath. It was hilarious, like some sort of  tribal women's ritual. There we all were arguing about the temperature of the bath water, and which was the best way to hold him. His Daddy just retreated into the background. A wise move I feel.

Welcome to the world darling Will!  xx

Thoughts.

The older I get, the less I need/want , and I actually crave a fairly simple life. I no longer desire expensive clothes/jewellery/cars/ holidays. These days I drive a small car with no added extras, I rarely go out for dinner, or to the movies, and the majority of my shoes/ clothes are bought from cheaper shops. I'm fine with all that. My next project is to cull my wardrobe of many of the clothes that I simply don't wear, but have hoarded for far too long.
Don't get the wrong idea, I still like to look presentable, and I like to keep up with fashion trends to a degree, and I like my home to look pretty and neat, but I am finding that I want less, which I think is good.

 I've also been thinking about some things that I really dislike doing. This is not good.

1. Attending to my mail. I pay my bills, but I am really bad at filing the notices away.
2. Putting out the rubbish bin/bins , and bringing them in again. Mainly because I have to unlock a gate! I know.... sounds lazy.
3. Arranging to have my car serviced.
4. My annual visit to my Accountant.
5. Cleaning the shower screens.

The build up of mail  annoys me the most, and when I do eventually get around to attending to it,  I always vow that I will file it as it arrives, but after a month or so it's there again, that hideous pile of envelopes stashed on the kitchen bench.

Yesterday I made a Shepherd's pie. I popped some cheese over the top of the potato which is why the potato looks golden brown.

My little grandson came for a sleep over, so we both "tucked into" the Shepherd's Pie for our dinner.
He has just turned 2, and is getting a little fussy about food. He is also becoming independent, and wants to feed himself which is fine, but you have to be prepared for some mess.



One of my Mother's day gifts was a years subscription to Delicious Magazine. I was so excited to receive my first copy in the mail last Monday.

Oriental Lilies. My favourite flower. I buy them on a Wednesday from the Farmer's market in the city. I think I prefer the white flower to the pink, but they are both just divine, and the perfume fills the house. A welcome fragrance when I come home from work.

We are still waiting for the baby to arrive !!

Mother's Day

It's Mother's Day and the girls and their families came to my place for breakfast. Everyone brought a dish which meant that I didn't have to prepare anything..... I like that idea .....on Mother's Day anyway !

We ate fresh fruit, blueberry muffins, asparagus and cheese croissants, and little bread rolls that had been hollowed out and then filled with an egg, some ham and cheese, and then baked in the oven. All delicious.

I received some lovely gifts from the girls, and also some money to put towards a small TV for my bedroom.

My youngest daughter's beautiful mother in law invited me to her fabulous unit for morning tea. A view to die for, and more delicious food.

Later today I'm off to eldest daughter's place for a BBQ.  Aren't I blessed.

We are still waiting for our little boy to arrive. He is due today, so he had better do the right thing and make an appearance.

My own Mum who passed away in 1990, is always in my thoughts, and especially today. Happy Mother's Day to all the Mums out there. xx

Labor Day Holiday

Today is a public holiday , and what else would you do but make a big pot of Minestrone Soup!

I actually can think of other nice things to do, but the weather is starting to cool down, and it seemed like a good idea to me to chop lots of veges, and create a hearty soup, that will last a few days, and what's more, I can take some to work for my lunch. The best Minestrone Soup I've ever eaten was from a little Italian restaurant in Launceston  Tasmania. It had teeny tiny pasta through it, giving it a nice texture. I have since found a similar pasta  at my local deli, and so of course it has been added to my version.

Just look at that clear blue sky!



Meanwhile, I am crocheting like there is no tomorrow. I'm trying to finish a baby shawl for my grandson who is due in a weeks time. I've got 4 more rows of plain crochet to do, and then 7 rows of a lacy kind of border  to finish it off.  I had better get back to it. What if he decides to arrive early? Yikes!

Baby Shower

My 5th Grandchild is due in 2 weeks, and today we held a baby shower for my daughter M, the Mum to be. This will be her third baby, and we already know that she is having a little boy.

M has 2  beautiful girls aged 9 and 7 so having a little brother on the scene is going to be an interesting change for them. I think that he will be surrounded by much love and attention.

Anyway, everyone had a nice morning.  Lots of yummy things to eat, and it's always lovely  to catch up with friends and relatives. So now it's just a matter of waiting for the phone call .
I can't wait !

Lemon cake and other things.

One of my very favourite cakes is a Lemon Syrup Pound Cake. I have made many using different recipes , but I have finally found one that I think may become my signature cake. It's quite a large cake, and needs to be cooked in a slow oven for a good 90 mins. I made one to take to work last week, and it was a big hit.
The violet pattern cup saucer and plate belonged to my Grandmother. When my Mother  first gave me quite a few pretty cups and saucers that had belonged to both her and her Mother, I really wasn't very interested in them, and they stayed packed away for a long time. Now I treasure them , not only for their pretty patterns, but also for the sentimental attachment I now feel.

For as long as I can remember, I have always loved mixed pattern fabrics. In the early 80s whilst on a trip to Hong Kong, I came across a dress that I absolutely fell in love with. It was quite expensive , and  I really wasn't a label shopper back then, I simply bought what took my fancy, and that was that. A dear friend introduced me to being more label savvy after she saw me wearing my new dress, and asked if it was a Diane Freis dress. I had no idea what  it was, and told her to look at the label. Sure enough it was a Diane Freis, and that was the beginning of a love affair with the beautiful georgette mixed colours and patterns frocks of Diane Freis fame. I think I owned about 6 in all.
 Anyway I am still drawn to mixed fabrics, and found my new cover last weekend. I bought it with my secret santa gift voucher. It's more a winter cover I think, as I like to use white covers in summer.

Sunday afternoon by the river

This afternoon I met two of the girls for an early evening meal and glass of wine . We found a great little spot on a grassy bank of our  river. The area that we visited is on the South Bank side of the river, and was where Expo 88 was held. It has recently been re developed, and is now a bustling hive of activity with several excellent restaurants, bike and walking paths, and this lovely expanse of grass where people can sit and watch the world go by.

It was such a lovely Autumn afternoon, and I was amazed at just how many people were enjoying our beautiful river city. We bought fish and chips from a local take away, spread out our picnic blanket, and watched the light fade, and the city lights come on. Little H amused himself and us by running around, doing little tumble turns, and watching other little children enjoying themselves. I noticed that some people were lying around on huge bean bags that were for hire. Nice idea.