A bit of brightness for today

I love spring bulbs coming to life after a dark winter - not that this winter is in any way over with hideous weather forecast for our region over the next few days (high winds, rain, potential for houses to blow away). It is however a day of very blue skies and a mild breeze currently.

The colours of spring are just bright and joyous, and the smell of the jonquil is so delectable. What a happy morning. I'm downloading music, with my current favourite being Lisa Mitchell. The album "Wonder" is terrific - highly recommended. I'm also taking the Australian Briard Calendar 2010 into the printers at 12 30pm. It will be another great calendar as the photos are really top notch. We hope to sell them all to raise money for Briard Rescue - you may all buy one if you wish and they will be on Ebay - handy hint.

My friend Rachel.

It's funny how people just explode into your life in a kind of a maniacal thunderstorm whirlwind way, and just make you fall in love with them. You just can't help yourself, but you just find yourself feeling lucky to be part of their lives & grateful to be able to call them your darling friend, secure in the knowledge that you can tell that person absolutely anything & you won't be judged, just loved back in return.

This is my Rachel & me.

A new start.

I can feel spring tip toeing nearer, the days seem brighter & a bit more cheery. The grass is green, the bulbs are coming out. It all gives me hope of a brillaint new future, all sparkly & bright. So, to celebrate, I started a little herb garden yesterday, borrowed heavily from my gorgeous and inspirational friend Libby. She is always upbeat, funny, quirky and she lives her life to the full. I've learned a lot from her.

So to plagiarise her life a bit, I have replicated her herb pot. In the middle is a bay leaf tree, and surrounding that is coriander, parsley, mint & basil. It all looks so pretty and fresh, and I'm not sure that I won't kill it all off, but at this point I feel almost positive that I won't

Beautiful Camellias.

We have beautiful camellias don't we? These babies are enormous bushes (or trees), technically about 2 storeys tall, and they are part of a large planting of 8 camellia trees, all different colours, from deep red to really bright pink. They surround a small bit of decking, which I want to expand to go all around the house. However, if I do actually do that I will have to rip out the camellia trees, which totally sucks. What to do? I want both the decking and the camellias. How do I get to have it all?

Food fight!

We've all been home today, the boy's teachers had an education day, Jem & I are working the weekend.

Mum & Dad dropped off the Buddha, very pleasant day. Watched a movie.

So, I decide to cook a lovely meal, table formally set, lovely vino.

We had quickly seared pork fillets in garam marsala, cumin & butter, with lightly steamed beans, broccoli & carrots, and then garlic mashed potatoes.

So why did the three men in my life all suddenly smear their faces with mashed potato & then beat the living beejaysus out of one another?

There is no respect in the world I am sure.

There's a Buddha in the Garden.

I am SO excited - my parents got us an early Christmas present! I have been eyeing off this Buddha statue for months, but just didn't have the cash to buy it, nor the justification for doing so. Mum & Dad went to the nursery, and discovered that he was on sale (because the business is closing). They then made a ridiculously low offer for him - and bought him! How fantastic for me. I just love the way he looks in my garden and I can see him from the house.

It makes me feel all calm just to sit there and watch him. Which is not a bad thing really. Sometimes I just find myself buzzing around the clouds with how fast life is. It will be nice just to sit in the garden and chat with the Buddha.

Tom's Baby Gift

When I was pregnant with Tom a friend of ours made this beautiful cot patchwork quilt. I love the fact that so much work went into this, from a woman I really didn't know at the time - I think I had met her once or twice, but our husbands had been longtime friends.

Unfortunately for us, somehow we have managed to lose contact over the years, probably not helped by the fact that we live in different states. Plus, I think I just assumed that the guys would work to maintain the friendship, and that us girls would tag along. However, I've learned that men sometimes don't do this work, but that girls do.

So, to my dearest friends (and you know who you are), even though we may live in different neighbourhoods, cities, states & for some, different countries - I love you very much, and want you gals in my life forever, you are part of me and my family and I am so thankful to be your friend.