Milk ice-cream

Remember when I had that milk ice-cream on our last day in Kyoto. How I wished I had discovered it sooner. Well, I forgot to tell you, I found it again and it was just as good. Well not quite, but let's just pretend.

I'll look for you if I'm ever back this way

So today was a sad day for one of my gypsy friends and her family...but in that sadness I learned about a man I didn't know. A man of contradictions with a complicated soul and a damn fine taste in music. A man who was a gun at the guitar and mastered the speedway like a champion. Liked, admired and loved but not without his flaws. I knew that bit already and it is amazing how so much can be forgiven in life and death. Equally astounding is the amount of wisdom and poetic words that can come from an ordinary man. 

Even in the ordinary there is the extraordinary, and I guess that's what is so good about life. We all live our day to day lives the same, but somehow we are different and interesting enough that we want to engage, discover and enjoy (or maybe it is we are so similar and that's our connection).

It is a joy to learn about snippets of history of those who are close to you, but bloody sad that it takes a day of loss to get there. We should share more stories about life and the living. 

Much love to my gypsy friend xx

From the outside looking in

Pretzel dogs and real dogs too

I don't think too much of this holiday, you know - it often brings out the worst. What I do like though is that it's a great excuse to hang out in the sun with friends, eating good food, and enjoying conversations  arguments, and watching the beagle dog get up to naughty tricks. Pretzel dogs care of Joy the Baker ,the company of my favourite lap dog care of Rex. 

Glassworks at night

Best opening line to a postcard

I wasn't picking my nose I was scratching it! Anyway, I'm having a great time....

Designer Op Shop - Braddon

There is a new op shop on 28 Lonsdale street and it is full of amazingness. The glassware is beautiful, lots of etched glass and colours displayed on mass. Makes for a lovely browse of all the cabinets. I'm still in regret for not buying the green glass tea cup and plates set - a deep dark green and chunky cut glass, maybe circa early '60's? What I don't regret is buying this vase - handmade in Austria no less. So culturally I had to have it.

Me and Mrs Jones

The food here is great. The service here is horrible. Know this, and go in with no expectations and you'll be okay. It is all a balance really. 

House cured trout which was fairly average versus the difficulty in providing an explanation as to whether the cocktail was short or long (no actual explanation provided about how it is served at this restaurant...) Lamb sliders, which were excellent given they are teeny weeny and cute versus waiter sidling up to interrupt conversation with "well I may as well get telling you the fish special out of the way". Waiter addressing us as "youse" versus great ceviche, perfect on a day which cracked 40 degrees.  Fantastic calamari on a rice noodle salad, well seasoned and light versus waiter interrupting us for around the third time in mid conversation for actually no reason. Croquembouche which, just because it is croquembouche, is amazing versus waiter coming over and yawning and then announcing he had just yawned. 

Just go for the food. Me and Mrs Jones in Kingston Canberra 

Anchored heart

At the most surprising times, I just still miss you.

Dogs I Have Known (and feared)

Lovely little book about dogs. Rannoch, made me shed a little tear.

'Rannoch is an old man now. His arthritis and heart are catching up with him, but oh! how he still loves a walk on the dunes!'

Salted Caramel Awesomeness

So when my friends gave me this gorgeous tin at christmas, I won't lie.... I was half disappointed and half elated to hear there were salted caramel biscuits inside. Disappointed because I make a damn fine salted caramel biscuit ( see the amazing recipe that I'm too lazy to link to on this blog. Seriously - what is wrong with you? All you need to do is use the search function just up there! Oh forget it: here it is )

Anyway, I opened these up tonight to have as a treat and bAnG! Best biscuit in a tin ever. They start off nice enough then move to amazing with bits of caramel, then progress to fricking amazing with their salty goodness. Perfect. 

Some nights are just perfect

A walk outside in the cool evening air after all these days of heat and smoke. Children singing out 'hellloooo Big Dog!' and giggling. Big Dog - well that he is. Sound of their tricycles on the gravel cul-de-sac as the laughing fades away.

Around the corner and little houses with big fences, and trees and ducks I think hidden away. Then towards the disused oval, all pretty in the faded greens and pastel sunset hues. And why are pink galahs better than cockatoos? They swoop and sing into the night.

Then the Big Dog makes his way home, via the u-shaped part of the street. Home to be happy and sit under the stars, though every time I step inside there is a feeling of restlessness. Maybe I'll camp out all night and let the darkness and stars wash it all away.

The Summer of cocktails

Austrian-ising Canberra

Manuka pool

Canberra's little secret.

Deconstructed fireworks

Happy 2013 - BMX bandits style

BMX bandits ride to the lake. Wet sprinklers cook the night and a near full moon approaches. Fireworks and vintage sparkling rose. Ride back past old parliament house, three in a row. Cocktails and sparklers on the balcony. Board games, karaoke and more drinks to make our way to midnight. Ride home down Canberra Avenue,no cars, in darkness...just the road and the cool wind in my hair. Happy new year.