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.

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.

Travelling South

I don't know if I imagined it or not, but I think Christmas just rushed past before I had time to take it all in.  No, I didn't imagine it, because I have photos to prove it.  The cousins had the most wonderful time getting re-acquainted, as they live over 1,000 kilometres apart and get-togethers are rare.  Our joy was complete with our children, sons-in-law, daughter-in-law, grandchildren and my brother all together for the first time in many a year, and in some cases for the first time.  The interstate members of the family flew and drove into town over several days prior to Christmas, with the local grandchildren meeting their latest cousin for the first time.

A couple of weeks before Christmas I received a surprise package in the mail.  I was delighted on opening it to discover it was from the talented Bel of EmBelISH.  She is branching into yummy edible cupcake decorations and asked me to test some out for Christmas.

Our ever-willing granddaughter from interstate was first on the scene and helped me ice the cakes, after which she popped the lovely decorations on top.  The Etsy shop, Enticing Icing, is now open for business.  Take a look - you'll love it.

The three older children snuck into the dining room to check out the Christmas gifts - they were so good not to open any, as it's really very difficult at that age to restrain from ripping into all that lovely paper.

Sanity finally prevailed at Chez Fudge and a unanimous decision was made to forego the usual hot Christmas turkey, opting instead for glazed ham, lashings of prawns, cold turkey and a variety of salads.  With nine adults and seven children, an oven blasting away for hours was the last thing needed on a typically hot, humid Queensland day.

Our "little" premature baby has come a long way in the last seven months, as his aunt discovered.  He's quite the little charmer with a happy smile for everyone.

Meanwhile, Party Girl was the most sensible, stripping down to the bare essentials.  A little local knowledge is always an advantage.

A perfect Christmas.

It was time to pack for our trip to Sydney, driving down in the company of our daughter and son-in-law.  The ensuing ten days flew past in a blur.  The first couple of days were spent with my brother and we had the most wonderful time reminiscing childhood memories.

Living near the beach as he does, it was a natural to take in an early morning breakfast at Coogee Beach.  Coffee has never tasted better - it must be the sea air.

Next on the itinerary was a trip to the other side of the harbour to stay with some dear friends in their charming cottage, where we were spoilt with warm hospitality and beautiful food.  The next day the four of us set out for the Central Coast, where we were invited to spend New Year's Eve with mutual friends.

Now, I can't give away the location of this magical spot, otherwise our friends would have people beating a path to their door, particularly as our hostess is the most superb cook. 

Since our last visit, the owners have installed an inclinator - so much more civilised than arriving at the top of the hill too breathless to utter a word for several minutes.

But who could complain when the view is to die for?

After a leisurely walk along the shoreline, it was time to help our hosts prepare for the evening.

Sand crabs caught that morning were presented as canapes, and then the men got down to the serious business of peeling the prawns.

Which drove the cat crazy.

As the evening progressed, the bay was brought to life with a fireworks display over the other side of the water.  It sent the local dogs and birds into panic and alarm ...

... and frightened the life out of Min the Cat ... apparently.

I can't imagine a more perfect spot for breakfast.  And what a breakfast to ring in the New Year.

First, there were fresh figs and plums,

followed by scrambled eggs, smoked salmon and tomatoes.  Sorry ...

If it's any consolation, we are now home and reality has kicked in, as we spent the day dismantling the Christmas tree, taking down the Christmas cards, and doing some mundaine supermarket shopping.

Ah, but we do have our memories.