Category: Wednesday W’s (Page 1 of 12)

What’s top of my mind:

I’ve drawn a blank.

Where I’m going: To China in May.

Blogless Sandy and I are going for a 12 day trip. May was looking pretty bare, but now I’m going somewhere. It was a spur-of-the-moment decision. I saw a great deal and we were both free to take it.

Retirement has its perks. I think I have around 13 trips booked between now and the start of next October. I hope you like travel posts!

Where I’ve been: The local footy oval.

This morning, after dropping Georgia’s car off to get new tyres, I took Scout for a walk. To her annoyance, we didn’t go to the beach, but she was ecstatic when I started to throw the ball for her as we walked around the oval.

No one else was there and it was lovely. Scout was so tired that we had to take a couple of little rests on the way home. She’s getting older…

What I’m reading:

No One Saw a Thing – Andrea Mara: This was a terrific read. Two little girls get on a train and the door closes before their Mum can get on. Only one child gets off…

Hide and Seek – Andrea Mara Another cracking read. I demolished this in a day.

Intermezzo – Sally Rooney This one was very different. Told in a much slower, far more contemplative pace, this is the story of two very different brothers and their lives after their father’s death. It was very good.

What I’m watching: Thou Shalt Not Steal – on Stan.

I saw this promoted, but wasn’t drawn to it until I heard an interview by the director when I was driving. I decided to give it a go and I’m glad I did. The episodes are only around 20 minutes long, and the beautifully shot scenery is all where I was back in September, and where I’ll be in a couple of weeks. (Coober Pedy.)

It’s a slapstick kind of story, but after a few eps you really get into it. I particularly liked the lead, Robyn, played by Sherry-Lee Watson. She doesn’t say much, but her eyes are wonderfully expressive. It also has Noah Tayor and Miranda Otto. Definitely worth a watch.

What I’m listening to: ABC Radio.

Who knew that it was so interesting?

For the last couple of road trips, I’ve accidentally left my iPad at home so I couldn’t listen to my podcasts. The best interview I heard was one with Stephen Fry, which I had to cut short when I got to Mum’s place.

There’s been a huge variety of people getting interviewed. It’s been fun.

But now I’m back to the pods. ‘Bronwen’ has a new episode out.

What I’m eating: Cauliflower Cheese.

It’s Georgia’s favourite dinner.

What I’m planning: Ligas’ Crazy Road Trip.

This starts in a couple of weeks. I’ve almost decided to extend the trip when I drop them off at Uluru and fill in the 9 days between the end of this trip and the start of my Snowy Mountains trip by turning left instead of right and wending my way up and across the middle of the country.

We’ll see.

Who deserves a ‘thumbs-up’: ME.

Georgia’s car developed a problem with the power steering and she had to take it to Holden to fix it. While it was there, they quoted her 1K to replace all of the tyres. I got her to cancel that part of the job and I took her to a tyre place in Cheltenham.

Only two tyres needed replacing, so she walked away with a bill for $350 (including wheel alignment) instead of 1K.

What has made me smile: The Real Estate people who came to give the house an estimate.

Two days ago, two people from Jellis Craig popped in to have a look at the place. Now, we all know that this is The Best House in Melbourne, but who knows what other people who know the market think of it?

They LOVED it. I got an estimated price that I was happy with and they were so complimentary about what I’ve done with the place. They especially liked Scout.

I’ve done all of the renovations to make this place suit ME down to the ground, but it’s nice when people who see houses all the time are appreciative of the vision.

It makes me smile every time I think of it.

Dad joke of the day:

What’s top of my mind: Vet bills are expensive.

Last Friday I dropped little Scout off at the vet to get her teeth cleaned.

When I have dogs going under anaesthetic, I like to get as much done while they’re under as possible, so I also asked for her toenails to be cut and a warty thing on her back to be removed.

It turned out that she needed 4 teeth removed, poor baby. The bill was $1,040.

Ouch.

The idea is that this is a pre-emptive strike against her having bigger problems down the track. Also, now that she’s an only dog, I can give her a bone without causing a fight. Clean teeth and sweet breath for the win!

Where I’m going: Back to Mum and Dad’s later this week.

I had a quiet chat with my parents a few days ago and we’ve agreed that the time has come when I’ll start to oversee their financial affairs more closely. It was a conversation I was on tenterhooks to start, but to my relief it went very well.

The last thing Mum wants is to start to learn about all things financial in her mid-80’s and Dad can see the logic in having someone else helping with the day-to-day running of their finances.

My sister and I are in constant communication about everything relating to their health and well-being, so I’m hopeful that this next stage of their lives will run smoothly.

Where I’ve been: Bunnings.

It seems that every time I host a get-together, I feel the need to go somewhere the day before and drop a couple of hundred dollars on plants to make the place look nice. Last weekend was no exception.

It was fun, though, and now I have pretty plants and flowers to look at.

What I’m reading: Liz Nugent.

‘Our Little Cruelties’ and ‘Lying in Wait’ are the two books I’ve read since falling in love with ‘Strange Sally Diamond’ a few weeks ago.

I tell you what though – after reading these novels, I’m starting to get a bit concerned about the upbringing Liz Nugent had! Haha!

I really enjoyed them and want to read more of her work, but don’t read them if you need a happy, uplifting story full of puppies and kittens.

What I’m watching: A luxury travel show on Binge.

I’m hoping to get ideas for new places to travel to in my two years of crazy travel. Not the hotels, which look insanely expensive, but the countries. The funny thing is that the show is sponsored by Silversea, which is the cruise company Megan and I went to Alaska with.

What I’m listening to: Joan Armatrading on Spotify.

I clicked on a suggested playlist of Joan Armatrading, which alternates her songs with other people’s. I’m enjoying it. I saw her in concert when I was at Uni and I love her voice.

It’s amazing how many lyrics I can still remember.

What I’m eating: Leftovers from the party.

The best part about hosting a large gathering, apart from having the excuse to buy lots of plants, is the leftovers.

I didn’t have to cook for two days.

What I’m planning: A Little Adventure.

I suddenly realised that I don’t have a Little Adventure planned for October. November is DEFINITELY taken care of, what with the Ligas’ Crazy Road Trip, but I have a couple of weeks to get out there and go/see something new.

I have a couple of ideas.

Who deserves a ‘thumbs-up’: Dad.

Dad’s entering a scary stage in life, where he is realising that he has to relinquish control of things and start letting his daughters take over the reins. He’s handling it – not perfectly! – but much better than I thought he might.

I hope I haven’t jinxed us by writing this down!

What has made me smile: The number at the end of this ‘Wednesday W’s’ post.

I got the idea from Urspo’s blog. He’s been doing them for years and I thought I’d have a crack as well. Considering that I don’t do them when I travel, and there are 52 weeks in a year, I guess I can say that I’VE been doing them for years, too.

I like that these days, they’re a little slice of what it’s like to have a very unstructured retirement. I’m writing this at 10:14 AM, sitting on the couch in my pjs, having had my morning coffee but still to have breakfast. I’ve done my 3 morning puzzles and fed Scout, so I haven’t been totally lazy…

Dad Joke of the Day:

(I was reading yesterday and the room was a bit chilly, so Georgia took this photo of Scout and me, cuddling up.)

What’s top of my mind: It’s a beautiful sunny day!

What am I going to do with it?

This is the wonderful thing about being retired. After decades of having every minute of my working day scheduled, I deeply cherish this total freedom. Yesterday Scout and I walked to the library to return some books. We took the pram and she rode most of the way like a queen, after she refused to move when she realised we were heading AWAY from the beach, not towards it.

I came home and started a book. A few hours later, I finished it. Then I ducked out to beautify myself by getting a haircut. All in all – not a bad day.

Once I finish this post, I’ll have breakfast and take Scout and her ball to the beach. Then we’ll see what the rest of the day feels like.

Where I’m going: To lunch and to a comedy show in the city tonight.

Haha! Just after I typed that last sentence I remembered that today already has plans! Evan28 has been teaching a show for one of his friends for a few months now, which has taken him to LA and London. Tonight they’re performing in Melbourne so I’m off to hear my boy work his magic.

I said to him that I was coming to see ‘his show’ and he said, “You’re going to be very disappointed when you realise I’m never on stage!”

“I’ll be the only audience member facing the back!” I replied.

Where I’ve been: A funeral.

A long-term friend lost their son a couple of weeks ago.

No one should have to bury their child.

(This is what I could see from my angle!)

What I’m reading: Someone in the Attic – Andrea Mara

I went into this one with low expectations – I think it was because of the title. But most of the books I’m now reading are coming from recommendations from literary Twitter or from friends, so this must be one of them.

I read this book in one sitting. Something about it hooked me in. My library owns 3 or 4 more that she’s written, so I’ve reserved them all.

What I’m watching: Junk tv.

I’m watching a melange of The Block, Love is Blind and RuPaul’s Drag Race.

I apologise for nothing.

What I’m listening to: Birds.

My house is very quiet in the mornings now that Jeff’s gone. His snoring used to be pretty much the only thing I’d hear.

What I’m eating: WHATEVER I WANT!

Georgia’s going to Adelaide for a Super Smash Melee tourney for a few days, so I’ll be home alone. I can run wild and free, baby!

What I’m planning: A big family gathering on Saturday.

I wanted to get my kids all together after I got back from my trip, but in true Frogdancer fashion, I left it until I got back to try and find a time that suited everyone. A month later – we’re here and it happens to be Mum’s 84th birthday.

So it’s now turned into a birthday party for her. She and Dad are still pretty knocked around from covid so fingers crossed they’ll feel well enough to come. Just about everyone from my family and my sister’s family will be here, regardless.

It’ll be fun.

Who deserves a ‘thumbs-up’: My sister.

Kate suggested that I buy some chew treats for Scout and only give them to her when I’m going out, and to take them away as soon as I get home. Yesterday I left to have a haircut, so I gave Scout a braided kangaroo sinew. Georgia reported that she only gave one little howl, then there was silence. The kangaroo sinew is nearly all gone.

Next is the goat antler with marrow…

What has made me smile: Georgia.

She hosted a tourney here on Sunday and it ran like a dream. All of the tech was running smoothly, her friends were just lovely and the back of the house was filled with talking and laughing for hours.

It was a real treat to see her in her element.

Dad Joke of the Day:

What’s top of my mind: My parents.

No sooner has Jeffrey shuffled off this mortal coil than my parents start needing more help. First off, the day after I visited them on Saturday, they come down with Covid. This is the first time they’ve had it.

Dad hasn’t been well for a while. He’s been losing weight, he doesn’t feel like eating and he’s been fatigued. Turns out he has dehydrated kidneys and was hospitalised on Sunday night. This created a dilemma.

Normally, if Dad was going to be away for a while, I’d scoop Mum up and take her to my place to stay in the guest room. But she has Covid. So, with a degree of trepidation, my sister and I decided to leave her at her place. She was adamant that she could look after herself, so I went down on Monday, masked up (even though I might have already caught it from them) and sorted through what she needs, etc.

Meanwhile, Dad’s in the Alfred, which is 10 minutes walk away from where Tom32 works, so he’s been popping in at lunchtimes to check on him.

Where I’m going: Mum’s.

Scout is beginning to discover that there’s advantages to being an only dog, especially if you’re pint-sized. I took her with me on Saturday and Mum and Dad made a big fuss of her.

Ordinary household tasks are sometimes difficult for Mum, as she has rheumatoid arthritis. She mentioned last night that her kitchen bin is beginning to stink and she put the rubbish bag out on the back verandah. It’s going to be a warm day, so I’ll drive down and get rid of it for her.

Where I’ve been: Costco.

Going from 3 dogs down to 1 very small dog means that I probably won’t be buying a huge 20KG bag of dried food from Costco anymore. Scout has 30g of dried food a day! But I’ll still buy the raw meat patties for her.

What I’m reading:

I adore the ‘Thursday Murder Cliub’ novels and so when his new one came out, I placed a hold on it at the library as fast as I could type. Finally, my time has come!

Strange Sally Diamond – Nugent. I loved this novel! I spent a whole day reading it and I’ve sinve borrowed a couple more of her books from the library.

What I’m watching: The Umbrella Academy on Netflix.

I finished the finale last night. No spoilers – but I loved the way it ended up.

What I’m listening to: The wind chimes from Kangaroo Island.

These drive Georgia crazy, but I love them. They’re big, so when it’s TOO windy I put a rubber band around them for the sake of the neighbours. It’s on the cusp of being that windy today, but I’m enjoying listening to them before Georgia gets up.

What I’m eating: Chicken from Costco.

You can’t go past their $7 roast chooks. We’ve had chicken for dinner the last 2 nights and today I’m going to make a chicken soup from the carcas. Along with some home-made bread rolls, it’ll be delish!

What I’m planning: My next holiday.

The next trip is the Ligas’ Crazy Road Trip, from my place to Uluru. When I was away in Alice Springs, a woman from the School of the Air suggested that I extend my trip to cover more of the Northern Territory and Queensland, angling back down to the Snowy Mountains where I’ve booked a week at the end of November.

The complicating factor is Scout.

She has never been on her own since the moment she was born. She has always has a dog or a human with her. Now that she’s the only dog, she howls whenever I leave the house – even if Georgia is at home.

Obviously, we have to wean her off the Glory That Is Me. She’ll need to adjust be being by herself at times. Fortunately, Georgia ia home for most of the time, so from now until the Ligas get here, I’ll be popping out for longer intervals to get her acclimatised.

I’m not sure if I should go away for a full month or not. Two weeks, a few days home and then a week??? I haven’t decided yet.

Who deserves a ‘thumbs-up’: Mum.

She’s been alone in the house for two and a half days and has discovered that she can do much more for herself than we all thought. Apart from things like reaching the last toilet roll, (Dad put it on a shelf too high for her to reach, so I had to make a mercy dash with a couple of spare rolls) and the light near the bed being too high for her to reach,(she got up and found a torch to use instead when she needed the loo in the ‘wee’ hours), she’s managing remarkably well.

Dad should be home in the next day or two, and by then she’ll be getting over Covid and will be very glad to see him again. But she seems to be finding this time very empowering.

This shot is from Saturday, when I smuggled her a Turkish Delight. While Dad and I were doin something on the computer in the back roo, she was quietly enjoying.

What has made me smile: My garden.

I’ve stacked it full of flowers and they’re making the most of Spring.

Dad Joke of the Day:

What’s top of my mind: I’ve (just about) finished packing.

I know this Wednesday W’s post is late, but I was entertaining visitors all day yesterday. I’m beginning to get a bit worried about the sudden stampede of visitors to see me before I go – is there something they know that I don’t???

I’ve decided to go with carry-on again, but I’ve realised that I CAN take my laptop with me, so I’m going to do that. Blogging is much easier, so I’ll be a happy little Vegemite.

Everything fits into the carry-on, and pretty much all I have to do is get to the chemist for enough medication for my chronic cough, and remember to pack my charging cords.

It feels good to be getting ready to see something new again.

Where I’m going: HERE’S THE ITINERARY.

It’s going to be epic!

Where I’ve been: nowhere.

I’ve been puddling around here, quietly getting things ready for me to go.

Now that Spring is almost here, the garden is revealing some nice surprises. See the photo at the top of the post? These are self-seeded black geraniums from plants that I bought and planted this time last year. Geraniums are as tough as old boots, so maybe I’ll have them for years to come?

The violas in the background are also self-seeded.

What I’m reading: The Cyrus Haven series by Michael Robotham.

Remember last week I said that I accidentally borrowed the 4th in a series? I liked it so much that I went back and started the series from the beginning. I loved them.

What I’m watching: The irises on top of Poppy.

My determination to be away for every birthday means that for the next few years, I’m probably not going to catch the irises in bloom.

This doesn’t matter. When I decide to slow down, they’ll still be here for me. The white one is almost ready to flower – I leave in two days…

What I’m listening to: Jeff snoring.

Business as usual.

What I’m eating: Peasant food.

Well, compared to the food I’m going to be eating on The Ghan and the tours of Uluru and Darwin etc! My tastebuds are revving up for some Gourmet Delicacies, baby.

What I’m planning: 2026.

Blogless Sandy and I will be going on an adventure together.

Where? Dunno yet.

When? We’ve narrowed it down to 2026.

Stay tuned.

Who deserves a thumbs-up: My niece.

She and her long-term boyfriend (of 8 years) got engaged a couple of days ago. They’re on holiday together in Europe and he proposed in the south of France. Ooo la la!

He came and asked for permission before he left, bringing a bottle of Moet and a 6 pack of beer, saying, “This is the dowry.”

My brother-in-law said, “What??? I was expecting a goat!”

What has made me smile: My friend loved her quilt.

One of my visitors was my friend, who picked up her Wendy quilt. She was so happy. She stayed for a couple of hours while we had a good cat and she had the quilt draped over her knees the whole time.

Dad joke of the day:

What’s top of my mind: Life and Death.

For the past week I’ve been making this quilt for a friend I’ve known since high school. I’m calling it the ‘Wendy’ quilt, after her sister who died last Monday.

My dear friend Cathy has lived through so much loss. Both her parents, her beloved husband and a baby, who died of SIDS when she was only 12 weeks old. And now her sister, who was her best friend.

I can’t explain why she’s been singled out for all of this, as she’s the loveliest person. All I could think of to do is to create something comforting, that she could wrap herself with when the world seems like it’s all a bit too much.

Where I’m going: Off to the Ghan.

I looked at the calendar and saw that I have less than 2 weeks before I’m off travelling again.

YIKES!

I decided I’d take a leaf from Scott and Blogless Sandy’s books and stay at the hotel at the airport for my flight to Adelaide. It leaves early in the morning, so I might as well make life a bit easier for myself.

That’s the only thing I’ve done to prepare for the journey. I have to get my act together.

Where I’ve been: nowhere.

Just to the beach with the little woofs; to my sewing room; to the garden and to the library. It’s been delightful. I love being here at home.

What I’m reading: One of the best books I’ve read in ages.

‘The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot’ by Marianne Cronin. Oh, how I love this book, even though it made me cry. (Scout was very concerned by this.) It is a beautiful read, with characters I know will live on in my head for years to come.

‘Storm Child’ by Michael Robotham. I selected this from the library’s ‘2 weeks only’ stand. To my annoyance, it was only after I got home that I realised that it was the 4th in a series. I like to follow a series chronologically, but I began reading it anyway.

I liked it so much that I’ve put the first 3 in the series on hold.

What I’m watching: The Block, of course. And ‘Slow Horses.’

I watched the first episode and a half of Slow Horses (AppleTV) and didn’t really get it, but I started it again a week or so later. The cast was too good for the script to be lacking. Now I’m into it.

What I’m listening to: Music. And Jeff snoring.

I’m letting my podcasts build up for the ‘Ligas’ Crazy Road Trip’ in November. When I’m driving from Uluru back to Melbourne, I’ll need them (and a lot of Minties) to help me stay focused.

As you all know by now, Jeffrey’s snoring is a constant.

What I’m eating: Nothing special.

I’ve been too busy quilting and reading to worry about unimportant things like food!

What I’m planning: Lots of nebulous things.

As I don’t have an internal monologue, my thoughts are just blobs of ideas. I have a few quilts I want to make, and some of them have already begun. I have my trip to the Red Centre and the Top End to pack for. My garden needs work to get it ready for Spring.

When I decide which one I’m in the Zone to work on first, the planning and the laser focus will come.

Who deserves a thumbs-up: Past Frogdancer.

I made a quilt for Evan27 back in 2020. I called it the Bees Knees quilt. Now, Maths has never been my strong suit, so I made double the number of half-square triangles than I needed. I was pretty annoyed with myself at the time, but I stowed the leftover triangles, thinking that I’d make a quilt with them someday.

The quilt at the top of this page is the one I made. I was so thankful that I could put a quilt for my friend together so quickly.

It’s a good thing that fabric doesn’t go ‘off’!

What has made me smile: Scout.

Scout just turned 9 – and she’s finally discovered that it’s possible to destroy dog toys. Being a dachshund, she has very strong jaws, so it was always surprising that she was able to keep squeaky toys around for years without a dent being put into them.

But it couldn’t last forever. Last week I was working in the front garden and as I was doing that, I was throwing her blue plastic pig for her. I threw it into the bin when I saw fluffy white stuffing on the lawn and realised that she’d bitten one of his feet off. After the high drama of her nearly dying from an intestinal blockage after she swallowed a pip back when she was 2 years old, I am taking no chances.

She stayed by the bin, crying, for half an hour. So when I went to Bunnings a couple of days ago, I bought 3 toys for her, Two were a bit like the pig, and the pink one you can see her with is made from sturdy fabric. All have squeakers, of course.

One plastic toy lasted 30 minutes. It was being tortured so much that my Apple Watch said that I was being exposed to sound over 90 decibels, which could endanger my hearing! After 30 minutes I saw white stuffing on the rug. She’d upped her game.

I haven’t been game to give her the other plastic one yet, as the squeaker disappeared. We’re hoping it passes through her…

However, the pink toy has lasted 2 days so far. Bits of it have gone, but the squeaker and body remain intact.

As I’m writing this, I’m throwing it for her again and again. She’s so happy.

Just after writing this, I tossed her toy, and in a throw that describes my sporting prowess to a tee – I threw it over the dining table and smashed some wineglasses that Mum and Dad had given me. They were from my grandparents’ place and had gold on them, so they can’t be put in a dishwasher. I was going to donate them to the op shop around the corner.

Oh well. At least the house has now had a very thorough sweep and vacuum!

Dad joke of the day:

What’s top of my mind: The Antarctica trip just keeps on giving!

Look at me – I’m with my lovely friend Morgan from France on a beautiful winter’s evening, with the Yarra River behind us. Morgan was the tour leader of the Antarctica trip back in 2022. Since then, he’s taken a full-time position with Young Pioneer Tours as a guide and is being paid to travel the world.

What a gig.

This time around, he was on his way home from a tour in the South Pacific and he found himself in Melbourne with some time to spare. We met up for dinner last night and we had a great time. When two like-minded travellers meet up, the conversation FLOWS. Hopefully, we’ll be travelling together again next year to Iceland and Greenland, which will be a lot of fun.

In two weeks he’s off to Syria.

Earlier that day Liga and I were talking. I mentioned that I was going to be in Estonia next year and to cut a long story short, I’m going to be extending my trip to go to Latvia as well. She also mentioned ducking into Lithuania as well, so that I get to see all 3 of the Baltics.

omg.

I’m excited. I’ll barely be home next year, the way things are going!

Where I’m going: to my sewing room.

Unfortunately, my friend’s sister died a couple of days ago. I need to finish her quilt.

Where I’ve been: nowhere much.

Apart from dinner in the city with Morgan, I’ve been at home sewing.

What I’m reading: The Red Queen.

I needed a book to read on the train last night so I downloaded this one from Borrowbox. It’s a Spanish thriller. I’m enjoying it, though sometimes the English is slightly clunky. It’s translated from Spanish.

What I’m watching: The Block. Bad Sisters.

I read a thread on Twitter where people were talking about really good series on AppleTV, so I saved it for when I needed something to watch. Bad Sisters was mentioned a lot. I’m enjoying it. It’s about a family of 5 adult sisters, where 4 of them want to literally kill their brother-in-law. They have reason – he’s a real arsehole.

And of course The Block. I love this show.

What I’m listening to: Music.

As I’m sewing, I’m putting on Mum’s Boppin’ Bangers on mix and enjoying what comes up. I’ve decided to let my podcasts mount up for when I have the Long Drive Home from Uluru in November after I drop the Ligas off, so I’m giving Spotify a good workout.

What I’m eating: nothing special.

What I’m planning: hmmm…

I leave on the Ghan trip in a little over two weeks. I should be planning what I’m going to take with me, but I haven’t started yet.

Who deserves a thumbs-up: Jeffrey.

A while ago I bought a dog pram so that I could take Scout to crowded places without her getting scared and refusing to walk. She might only weigh 6.5 kilos, but carrying that much weight gets heavy after a while.

I mentioned last week that I was worried about Jeff’s heart because he was panting a lot. I decided to try out the pram on a walk to the library to return some books. Jeff took to it like a duck to water.

He probably walked about a kilometre, but the rest of the time he was up high and enjoying the view. Scout got tired before the end of the walk so I popped her in there too.

What has made me smile: the light on my wall.

Look at this! Sometimes it’s the little things that bring a smile to the dial.

Dad joke of the day:

What’s top of my mind: The integrity of my writing.

I’ve been blogging since 2007 on the frogblog, and I started this one in 2017. Both blogs are an online journal of my thoughts and experiences and everything written in these blogs is a truthful account of my life as I live it. You know – the very definition of a journal.

A few days ago someone close to me was talking to mutual friends and insinuated that not everything written here is truthful. I was very angry and deeply hurt when I was told about it.

I take pride in my writing and put my heart and soul into it. Especially the travel posts – they usually take between 2 and 3 hours to write. When I’m on a trip, I take notes as each day progresses (sometimes written; sometimes spoken) so that I have every detail available for me to select what goes into the post when I’m ready to write. (Martha from Vancouver probably saw me doing this when we were at the bird sanctuary.) I take photos of information boards so I can include details from them if they’re interesting. The people I’ve travelled with, such as Scott, Megan and Deana among others, have also seen me do this.

My readers can trust that everything I write in my posts actually happened.

My blogs are the one place that I can share my life without fear or favour. There’s absolutely no point in lying even if I wanted to – I’ve elected not to monetise them because I want the number of my readers to grow organically, because what I share resonates with them and they want to come back. I’m not interested in writing exciting ‘click bait’. It’s pointless to me.

The blogs are a record of my life, my gardens, my trips and my children and pets. Every post I write is a post that my children can read. Every post is something that I can come back later to refer to. I do not lie or embellish the truth. It would negate the whole point of writing the blogs in the first place.

I feel that both this FIRE blog and the frogblog have built up lovely little communities in our corners of the internet. Some of you have been reading me for years – I’m looking at you, Loretta! – and some of you have opened up your homes and spent time with me when I’ve been travelling. I treasure the trust and friendship that exists between me and the people who take the time to read what I write. I get a kick out of seeing a notification that someone has commented.

I guess I just wanted to get that off my chest.

Where I’m going: I just checked my calendar…

Nowhere.

Well, I have my walking group tomorrow and to my dismay joy, it’s going to be a sunny day so there’s no excuse not to go.

I’d better set the alarm!

Where I’ve been: out to lunch.

On Friday I went to Brighton Beach for lunch with a couple of friends from my thermomix days. It was supposed to be 4 of us but one pulled out due to ill health. We had a great time, but I was a bit taken aback to find out that two of the four of us had had cancer – one to the point of losing a breast.

They’re both younger than me. Then the very next morning there was a long post on FB from a guy I went to high school with who’s battling cancer popping up all over the place in his body.

It’s confronting to think that I seem to have reached that age where bad things start to happen.

What I’m reading: nothing that I’m particularly excited about.

I read a couple of books on the cruise and the two I have on hand now are just finishing up the stories. I thought I may as well follow them through, but they’re fairly ‘meh.’

What I’m watching: 3 Body Problem.

I started this last night on Netflix. Yes, I know I should be watching the Olympics, but once the swimming was done I turned back to Netflix. I like my stories.

This looks to be quite good.

What I’m listening to: music coming from Georgia29’s room.

Uni has started again for Georgia 29, but today is one of her free days. I know she’s studying at the moment because the music coming from her room is slow, steady and doesn’t have lyrics.

What I’m eating: Meatloaf.

I’m so happy. I love meatloaf and I’ve never made it before. Jaybee on the Simple Savings website posted THIS RECIPE and I made it last night, but instead of using BBQ sauce for the glaze I used plum sauce, as Jaybee recommended.

It was lovely. The recipe instructs you to make 2 loaves, one to eat now and one to freeze. I’m really pleased that I now have an easy meal in the freezer for when I’m rushed. Also, because there’s only Georgia29 and I at home, each meatloaf lasts us for 2 dinners.

Winning!

What I’m planning: what to plant in my gardens.

Liga is coming in November and I’d like the place to look colourful and welcoming for her and her friend – also called Liga. If I want it to look good then, I’d better start doing things now.

We’ve booked the accommodation for the “Ligas’ Crazy Rad Trip” and they’ve booked their flights from Sydney to Melbourne.

It’s all happening, Baby!

Who deserves a ‘thumbs-up’: not me.

Look at the picture above. After owning a thermomix for over ten years, I finally got too complacent and stripped the blades.

The blades are designed to fall apart if there’s too much stress being placed on the motor. It’s better that a set of blades falls apart rather than the whole motor!

I had a frozen clove of elephant garlic that I wanted to chop. It was massive. I thought, “Should I chp this in half before I put it in?” but then I thought, ‘Nah, she’ll be right.

She wasn’t. Fortunately, Thermomix still have tm31 blades for sale, so I ordered another set lickety split. But yes, all my own fault. How stupid.

What has made me smile: my Explorer pack.

Yes, remember I wrote about this last week? It’s from the people on the Ghan trip that are taking us all over the red Centre and the Top End.

It arrived on Friday and I dove straight in.

The first thing that occurred to me is that they must have enormous trouble with people bringing luggage that’s too big. Underneath all of this was a backpack. I was pleased by this, because I don’t own one. There was also a piece of paper with INTRICATE instructions on the dimensions of bags to pack.

I haven’t looked at it yet. That’s Future Frogdancer’s problem.

It also had a towel for these leisurely swims in the lagoons among the rocky cliffs; a bright orange water bottle; a brochure with more rail trips inside; and various bits and bobs.

It seems that this trip is really going to happen.

By the way, does anyone know if I’ll need a fly net on my hat in September? Or November, when the Ligas and I will be there?

Following is a photo of me in my absolutely flattering hat,

The dogs don’t seem too enthused.

Dad joke of the day: