Friends

Some of our oldest and dearest friends came to lunch yesterday.  One couple had recently returned from a walking tour through England and France, so they had many happy tales to share.

During the course of the meal one of our friends asked what was the main reason for us leaving Brisbane after almost 21 years to return to the city of our birth.  That was a difficult question to answer as it was not one single reason, but a culmination of many.  The hardest and most emotional decision was leaving our son, daughter-in-law and four grandchildren behind, not to mention the wonderful friends we had made over the years.  However, it finally came down to the fact that Sydney always deep down in my heart was the place I wanted to be in my later years.  Here are friends we have known since early childhood or since our children were babies and here is where most of our family resides.

 
It is difficult acclimatising to the colder temperatures, but the Pollyanna in me is still delighted by the bareness of some of the trees in winter, the glorious colours in autumn and the sudden burst of blossoms in the spring.

To complete my day, while we were drinking our coffee the phone rang.  It was a gentleman from India trying to convince me he was calling from Australia.  He knew he was in Sydney somewhere, but couldn't quite recall exactly where.  Then I had a text message informing me that I had won $1,500,000 (US Dollars no less) and all I needed to do was advise my banking details to have the booty dumped into my account.

Oh happy day.

Summer ... when it sizzles

Was it only a few weeks back that I was complaining of the cold and wondering if summer would ever come?  In the past week the southern parts of the country have been devastated by bush fires and here in Sydney the forecast for tomorrow is 43 Celsius, or 109.4 Fahrenheit.  I guess it has arrived.

Christmas was such a happy day, with the family gathered at our daughter and son-in-law's home for a day of celebration.  The house traffic became a little frantic, with brand new vehicles breaking all the road rules.

Thankfully there were some quieter moments.

On Boxing Day we headed north to Brisbane to catch up with the Queensland branch of the family.  Some very kind friends advised that they would be away after Christmas and offered their house to us over that period.  Queenslanders are wonderfully friendly and giving - or is it simply that we Fudges are so adorable?

Friends had organised a lunch so that we could catch up on a year's events (emails don't quite have the same effect, without the laughter and tears to accompany the stories).  A stunning day, in the company of old friends, with superb food and a view from the balcony of the Brisbane River.  Perfect.

Our final day in Brisbane was such a happy time.  We met up with the family for a picnic at South Bank, followed by a visit to the Gallery of Modern Art to take in the 7th Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art.

The Asia Pacific Triennial never disappoints.  The wonders abound for young and old alike.

What a clever way to introduce children to the joys of art.

Tiny creations were there to be discovered.

And sometimes in large numbers!

Being children of the 21st Century, the Junior Fudges gravitated towards the graphic art programme.

There's nothing like discovering a hole in the wall, particularly when it's not of your doing.

On our way back to the ferry we passed by the South Bank beach, which was so tempting on such a warm day.

We are back in Sydney with such happy memories of our Christmas and New Year in two cities, both so close to our hearts.  And now to the sewing room.

On the road again

It was time to say goodbye to the cat, as her owners returned from their three week cycling/camping trip around New Zealand.  Their re-appearance brought a frosty feline reception and they were given the odd scratch and bite as a warning to NEVER LEAVER HER ALONE WITH THOSE PEOPLE AGAIN!

There was one last store to visit on our way out of Brisbane and luckily it was only a few blocks away.  How had I missed it all the time we were there?

It looked fairly innocuous from the street, but Mr Fudge was already crying.  He had come so close to leaving the city without having to sit patiently while I browsed.  So he decided to come in with me.

Oh my ... heaven in a shed.

Beautiful linens in every shade called out to be purchased.  I needed a brown paper bag to breathe into but settled for the Fabric Whisperer who had to admit later that he was almost as impressed as I was by the glorious and very tempting bolts of fabric.

Miraculously, I found a brown paper bag.

How the blue floral linen inside the bag found its way into the car is a mystery.  The good news is that there is also a branch of this store in Sydney.  Poor Mr Fudge.

Our journey back to Sydney was broken with two nights spent at the country home of some dear friends, who were the most gracious host and hostess.  We arrived in time for lunch, which was followed by afternoon tea, cocktail hour and dinner.

How fresh do you want your eggs today?

Who needs a market when the produce is at your back door?

Not a sight I am used to seeing when I hang my clothes on the line.

What a fashion statement the earrings make.

I could really be tempted to stay here forever, but it was time to thank our hosts profusely and be on our way again.

We crawled past this barrier at Cunninghams Gap which is laughingly supposed to deter the mountain from collapsing on top of you.  

Here is a video on YouTube which shows what it was like when we drove past the same point twelve months ago.  If you right click your mouse on the lower right-hand corner of the video, you can elect to watch it on YouTube, where you can see it in full screen mode.  I don't think anyone believed it when we described the experience, so I am glad someone was brave enough to stop screaming long enough to film the video.

Now that we are home, I have started on my first project and I must say it is wonderful to feel so enthused about sewing once again.  Three weeks away from the machine worked wonders. 

How to live with a cat when you are the house guest

It's not that I have anything against cats, in fact, they can be quite endearing. But when you have lived in a cat free environment for the best part of 50 years, it can be a steep learning curve to have one thrust into your living space.  Not the cat's fault; in this case we are the guests and the cat is our hostess, albeit a very naughty one at times.

Bella, like a lot of Burmese cats, certainly has a will of her own, which sometimes clashes with ours.  We very quickly learned a couple of lessons.

How Not to Leave the House

Bella is a house cat, not allowed to roam wantonly through the neighbourhood, picking off the bird life at will. The responsible owners have organised the house so that she has ready access to outside areas which do not allow her to escape  Of course, Bella's object in life is to escape at every opportunity.

The first time we prepared to go on an outing, Mr Fudge stood by the open front door while I turned on the burglar alarm with the remote attached to a key ring  As the alarm commenced its countdown, I scuttled towards the front door at the same time as Bella, who had been lying in wait under the lounge  She was out in the street like a flash of lightning - straight under a parked car obviously placed there for her convenience.  As I attempted to retrieve her, we suddenly remembered the burglar alarm rapidly ticking down the seconds, as the front door was still open.  Silent screams.  A quick and undignified rush back into the house ensued and the alarm was turned off in the nick of time.  Back out to the parked car where Mr Fudge was standing guard (I think I mentioned that he is not a cat lover and in fact can't bear touching them).  The offending cat was swooped up, much to her annoyance, and the three of us returned to the house to try again.

How to Exit a House with Dignity

This time around, I had Bella firmly held under one arm,  handbag clutched under the other, the alarm remote one hand, and we were ready.  Mr Fudge again stood at the open front door, I turned on the alarm, then before kitty knew what on earth was happening, I moved with considerable grace and speed towards the front door, depositing her onto a lounge chair, making sure she was facing away from the escape route, and moved on without a break in rhythm.  Kitty could be briefly seen looking around in confusion.  The door closed and we were out and about.  If it had been a ballet, it could not have been choreographed more perfectly.

To placate her that evening, we allowed Bella to watch Gone With the Wind, although she feigned boredom. Where's the gratitude?   Methinks she will weep with joy when her owners return from their holiday next week.

It can't be 2012 - I'm not ready yet

 I pulled back the curtains on New Years Day and this glorious view was there waiting to be discovered.  We are back in Brisbane for three weeks, house sitting for friends while they are on an overseas holiday.  Can you feel the early morning subtropical warmth coming through?  We are in the most charming suburb, within easy walking distance of more restaurants than you could dine at in a year, wonderful parks and gardens, and a five minute bus trip to the city.  Bliss.

The only fly in the ointment was Bella, the resident cat who had gone AWOL on Christmas Day, thankfully not on our watch; we were not due to arrive until a couple of days later.  However, we were advised not to worry, as she quite often went walkabout and would probably return in a day or so.  On New Years Eve I texted my friend advising that there had not been any sightings of Puss and we were a wee bit concerned that she may have checked out.

The next morning, after swooning with delight at the view from our guest bedroom window, I came downstairs to see a flash of a cat tail whiz by the dining room window.  I rushed to the back door and there she was.

Well, I sure hope it's her and not some random moggy literally landing on her feet.

Because she's taken over the house.

She even chooses the TV programmes.

And sleeps at the foot of our bed, much to Mr Fudge's distress - not a cat lover, I'm afraid.

My friend is a quilter and the guest bedroom is also her studio.

I've died and gone to Heaven.

I can't show you the other cupboard with all the fabric, because I cry every time I open the doors.  I am hatching a plot to leave our dirty laundry behind, so that there's just enough room in the boot to cram in her Kaffe Fassett fabrics.

The combination of the new year and a relaxed holiday back in Brisbane have fostered a new enthusiasm for quilting.  I had been quite jaded after our move back to Sydney; a major interstate move is not something you would want to do in a hurry.  With the added stress of keeping up with sales on my Etsy and MadeIt shops in the lead-up to Christmas, I was afraid that I had lost the will to create new quilts.  Thank goodness it has returned in abundance and my resolution is to start on two major projects in the coming weeks, one long-term hand applique and the other an art quilt.  The ideas are starting to gel and I am once more excited at the prospect of creating new quilts.

I do hope your Christmas and New Year have been as happy as ours.  We are truly blessed to have wonderful friends and family and we are looking forward to the year ahead.