Walk...check...walk....check

While the dog of the yellow house is always a few steps ahead of the pack, he always...and without fail, turns his head to check I'm okay. He does it every 3 meters or so. I love that about him. 


I'm conscious a pet octopus would never do that. So that makes dogs better than octopi.

3 Seeds at Fyshwick Markets

Had an amazing lunch at 3 seeds a few weeks ago. The chef put this selection together, which I have to say is my favourite way to eat - little bits of everything. The platter was full of surprises - particularly the beetroot, I'm not sure how to describe it...cold souffle? Anyway, I'm not doing a great job selling the experience so just go try for yourself. Upstairs at Fyshwick Markets. 

Tunnel art

For nearly 11 years I driven over this tunnel without knowing it ever existed.

Setting the table

Lost

The crumble was ordinary but the ice-cream was good‏

Lanterns at the Nara festival

Favourite wishes - Nara festival

Top 100 - Supersonic, Oasis #4

Story by Brendan

When I was 17, I put this song on every Saturday night, just before I went out. It put me in the right mood with its pumping beat. Going to parties was daunting but necessary at that age. So many people, so many girls to try and impress.

This song was more than about getting pumped up though. It was about adopting a particular persona. I was desperate to be aloof and intriguing. “My friend says he’ll take you home; sits in a corner all alone”. Unfortunately, my efforts at constructing a different persona could not withstand the effects of a few beers, and the real me, which is less the intense loner of the song and more an opinionated bad dancer, would shortly emerge. It took a couple of years to realize, but fortunately for me, girls aren’t as into aloof and intriguing as adolescent indie boys might think (that said, they’re not all that into opinionated bad dancers either…).

Artwork by Karin

Little dog - big park

View from the blog 6432 miles away

Sunday afternoon staring at the sky

Don't you love lying on warm concrete? Like a great big electric blanket. The sun on your face, and the breeze...just slight and in the background. Daydreaming and squinting at the coloured flags. No thoughts excepts of stripes and the Canberra blue sky. Sometimes it is just the simple things.

Top 100 - Here Comes the Sun, the Beatles # 3

Story by Ivy
Ivy sings this song for her baby brother Finn. Whenever Finn cries she sings "little darlin', it's alright" perfectly in tune.


Artwork by Karin

Captain Cook Trays

This is what happens when you stop by the antique shop...two willow trays that I plan to use as bedside tables but probably never will. That I don't need. I don't know quite why, but I think they are pretty awesome, even if I don't need them.

Top 100 - Tracy Jacks by Blur # 2

Story by Lucy

My song is Tracy Jacks by Blur.  I was given the Parklife CD for Christmas in 1994... (or maybe it was actually 1995) from my Dad.  Being a 7 or 8 year old girl, Blur wasn't my usual choice of music.  Dad seemed to be very keen on the band and on me taking an interest in their music too.  So, being a gift from my Dad, I listened to it over and over and over and over again.  I loved the whole album but in particularly, I loved Tracy Jacks.  I don't know why I loved that song more, maybe it was the beat and that I found some of the lyrics funny.

So, Tracy Jacks reminds me of Christmas 1995, running around my house in Weetangera with my all of my family (one of the last years that happened) and being happy with life.  It reminds me of spending time with my Dad and laughing at silly things.  It reminds me of summer nights and barbeques with friends and family.  It reminds be of electric blue nail polish and it reminds me of golf.  Tracy Jacks was a golfing fanatic.

Artwork by Karin

Nuts!

Fresh walnuts are incredibly addictive. Luckily this lot was the last of the season, so I won't be tempted next time I'm at the farmers market.

T is for teak table

After 5 or so years...or however long I have lived in this house...I now finally have a table. It seats 6 and is a teak antique. I'm not sure 6 people will ever fit without a major rejigging of other furniture (like the entire living area) but it is nice to know these things are possible. I have used it twice, because I forget it is there. Come for dinner and remind me please.

She don't use jelly jelly

That is my least favourite Flaming Lips song. This is though my favourite jelly recipe. 
I often change it, but really it mostly stays like this:
150 mls water in pot on stove
Add 125grams castor sugar (or regular sugar, doesn't really matter)
bit of lemon rind
Juice of one or two blood oranges
When boiling, remove from heat and stir in one sachet of gelatine.
Split liquid amongst 4 glasses and top with...I don't know, about a quarter of a glass of sparkling wine?
Put in the fridge overnight.

Fundraiser, for me for you

The internet is an amazing place. I found out about this fundraiser this morning from a blog I subscribe to, and it looks like this message has already gone far and wide. I love how this imaginary world of the internet can do so much good for just normal folk, living normal lives.

The fundraiser is to help Will who was diagnosed with testicular cancer recently. He is in thousands of dollars of debt after the surgery to remove the tumor, tests - yep he lives in America, home of the not free medical system even if you have a life threatening illness. Will is currently unemployed and unable to work because of his condition and is without health insurance. On top of all that - he is about to start chemo, and I think worrying about paying bills is the last thing you'd want to do when you should be focussed on kicking cancer's butt.


Will's girlfriend Kate has opened up her Etsy shop and is selling some of her photos and Will's collage pieces. The beautiful circle photo is one of hers. Pop into the shop and take a look - it is affordable, original art that you can enjoying twofold knowing that your purchase is helping out Will and Kate's back picket as well as their hearts.

Silo breakfast

Still one of my favourite food place in Canberra. It is always consistent. Consistently bad service, and good food. But the owner is lovely, and he knows his stuff. His wife is a genius in the kitchen, and to be honest, the regular wait staff are lovely...its just the place is so busy. But really, at the end of the day it's about the food so everything else should be forgiven. 


Above - perfect poached egg atop of white beans with speck, black pudding on sourdough. 

5 German films

We were talking about films today, which led to a talk about German films. Well not really a talk, but really just me saying how great contemporary German cinema is. And it is - there have been some excellent German films in recent times. Here are five you should see immediately. Schnell!

The Baader Meinhof Complex

The Edukators

Sophie Scholl - the final days

Lives of Others

Run Lola Run

I don't suppose you have a top 5 German film list? To be honest either did I until 3 minutes ago...I couldn't come up with a top 5 of all time favourite films, so broke it down into my favourite German ones.

If you think your day is going badly

And then there were none

Do birds have feelings? As in emotional feelings? The baby bird isn't doing so well, in that I think it might have kind of died. One of the adult birds stood next the nest for most of the day, staring glumly at the listless body - shooing away flies. It made me sad, and I said sorry through the double glazed window. Three babies down to none. I hope the magpies come back to the nest and have warmer weather next time they try to have bird babies.

Street art Darwin

This is one of the best compliments ever -  sent by a friend via text:
'for you. can't even pretend to know what you see when you take your pics but it did make me think of you'

Almond cake

Twitter - it just keeps on giving. This cake recipe came via a tweet by Samantha Maiden. I was hungry - it looked amazing, but I resisted. I'll cook a lot of things just for me, but cooking a cake for one? Treading on dangerous ground I'd say, plus it seems a bit weird (coming from a person who will cook a roast for one I agree this is a bit contradictory). 


So I cooked it for an afternoon tea and it is wonderful. Here is the recipe from the blog I Eat Therefore I Am. 

Bird nest # 8

Bicicletta

Did you know that Bicicletta has re-opened after the great Acton fire of 2011? Well it has, and you should go there. I really like Bicicletta. It's the sort of casual, relaxed Italian place Canberra needs. Not outrageously amazing, but consistently good, and sometimes that's all you want in a place where your ordering doesn't extend beyond the antipasti, beer and pizza. Plus the Italian man is going great guns in rivaling the Belgium (long standing crush from Fyshwick markets...but really that is another story) in the charm stakes. Plus, they deep fry bread and serve it with prosciutto. Really.