Summer's here, but I've been to Australia

You can tell it's summer, the blog posts are fewer, I'm outside, I get behind with everything, just enjoying the sun and the outdoors, I wish I could share more about the great stuff we get up too. So here I am, I've been to Australia, OK, back in October, and the middle of October at that, it was a epic moment, those days of waiting to get our passports back. All sorted, done and dusted, free to travel again.

So I though lots about the blog while in Oz, the wine, the vineyards, the wildlife. I had great ideas, interesting information and facts about places I saw, historic mining communities, wildlife parks, Kangaroo island, facts about animals, beaches and early exploration of Australia. I kept notes. The whole time I was thinking....so this is Australia, what was I expecting. It felt like a mystery, how I love going to new places.
In the lead up to leaving and on the journey itself, I did find myself having to explain why I was going to Adelaide for my first visit to Australia. Not the usual, nor the place people would expect (how I love to be just a little different). Well there was actually no choice for me, nor did I want to go anywhere else until I had been to Adelaide. It was imperative you could say.
You know those people who aren't, but really are family, they hold such a special place in you, they've been there since you were born. They've been there through the heart surgery and boat sinking. They've taken you on countless visits to Dover Castle and Howletts. They cheer and cry and then they cut jam sandwich's into your name.
My mother's dear friend, Julie is this woman. She and her family moved to oz 16 years ago, and it turns out I haven't seen them for 10 years (though it really doesn't feel like it). They live in Adelaide and we arrive a couple of days after my birthday to a rapturous welcome of tears and hugs at the airport. It really was quite dramatic. She had sorted out birthday cake as a surprise for that night and this touched me it a really special way.

To feel so welcomed and at home in seconds is a wonderful gift - the photos placed in my honour helped but their home is a big reminder of friends, family and good times. To have that feeling of love and specialness bestowed upon me was comforting and reassuring and made me realise how much I miss that unconditional love you get from those you are very close too. It made me miss my family and friends but appreciate what I have and the great time Julie and Ben showed us. Great hosts, all perfect.
So it was a nurturing and comforting time, a time for lots of wine, lots of photos in rather dubious places, times for lots of laughing.
South Australia does has some rather lovely vineyards, we first visited the McClaren Vale area, got onto a large empty stage and gave our rendition of the Simply Red play list, still stuck to the stage floor from the weekend before concert. This was of course near the end of the day wine tasting. Did I mention we could take back 6 bottles of wine each (well we couldn't cos our bags were too heavy, but we tried).
Our weekend away to Burra, had the crucial elements of historic Cornish mining stuff, Ozzie bars in their prime and more vineyards. Clare Vally - home of the Riesling and the Barrosa valley, home to those big names and I was rather a bit excited at being at Jacobs Creek.

Did I mention we went to Kangaroo Island, a two day trip, to the 133rd largest island in the world (thank you Lonely Planet), and saw rather a lot of wildlife and great beaches. So yep, cuddled a Koala (rather special I thought) and fed Kangaroos (rather cute). Lots more photos on flickr, take a lookie if you fancy. I will take this chance though, to say a huge thank you to Julie and Ben for the unbelievable welcome, time and just great time we had with them.

40 Things

My birthday has been and gone, not one photo of me taken, but I did get one of all the great cards I had. It was a quite day with a musical ending, but I had been working on my list. Yes some are repeats of those not quite managed last year. So I roll towards 40 full of hope and good intentions and plans for a birthday trip. So here we go, 40 things for my 40th year on the planet.

1. Crack this running lark (I really do want to be able to run)
2. Go to Austrailia (more than once, given I had a trip planned for 2 days after my birthday)
3. Poster of the Petra trip (or maybe Morocco one) - after the success and pleasure of the Rome poster
4. Phohi river trip
5. Scuba day
6. Write a gratitude journal over the year
7. Writer more letters (more than what for goodness sake, I seem to know the post office staff very well)
8. Go horse riding along a beach (yet to decide which beach)
9. Do some groovy artwork with some kids (I have a few to choose from and some visiting this year)
10. Help Adam build his summer temple
11. Have my Oscar Party this year (for sure this time!!)
12. Finish the 365 mug shot project
13. Get onto that weekend massage course
14. Act as a wonderous host (2 planned visits this year - I'm up for more - anyone wanting to visit NZ)
15. Ski again in the South Island (maybe take a lesson this time and hope to get into my trousers this time)
16. Dentist thing really has to be done
17. Take the train (vague and interesting)
18. Walk the Tongariro Crossing
19. Find good boots
20. Make my own bath bomb
21. Cuddle a Koala bear
22. Get myself to a festival
23. Make rainbow drawers
24. Revamp the unit thingy in the garage
25. Do the full on Rotorua experience
26. Walk on an active volcano
27. Have a voucher frenzy
28. Embrace the World Cup
29. Plant more wild flowers
30. Spend lazy days at the beach this summer
31. But while doing number 30 try this body boarding marlarcky
32. Plan smashin 40th birthday trip
33. Lay in a hammock
34. Make a will
35. Make eating at the table a habit
36. Make Adams birthday a special event
37. Meet up with those folk I went to school with that live really not that far from me
38. Breathe well
39. Bake the epic super rainbow cake
40. Feed the birds

Have I?

Well while feeling contemplative and wonder some on the eve on my birthday I feel a list would be better. I made a list last year, 39 things to do before my birthday, so should I reflect and assess my progress. Should I worry about what I haven't achieved, who should judge? The only thing I can say really is I thought I'd get a lot more done. So do I save them and roll them over for tomorrows list? This year has done my head in to be honest. I've been away from home long enough so it doesn't feel like and adventure anymore. I've questioned a lot and not got a lot of answers. Forgive my terrible English, I'm a disgrace to my education, I know.

I have kept true to number 30 and while it has taken 363 days before I was creative and thoughtful in my writing, it has been an interesting exercise. The journal in itself is delightful, from the wonderful Kikki.K,  and it has travelled with me everywhere and I do get behind missing a day or two and while trying to catchup with events scare myself over my poor memory I've enjoyed the experience. The daily countdown of days till my year was up may have a negative effect on me facing this years birthday, so I'll be trying something different come the 15th. I realise how lucky I am to be alive, too look forward to my birthday, to have another birthday, there are those out there, my age who don't have that privilege and it's kind of done me in a bit thinking about that.

While I long to be a free spirit and a crazy hippy soul, there will always be the list maker in me. It may be a notebook thing, but this is a confession to be sure. I keep a list of all the post I send and all the post I receive. I love post, I mean really love getting post. I'm an Internet addict for sure, but real letters, so very lovely. I am  blessed by great friends who write to me, so I hope I have returned enough joy in the post.

This was number 33 in my list last year, so just to make sure, I counted. I've sent at least 64 postcards, Jan tops the list in case you're wondering, she got 6 of them, with Lesley and Dr Wray coming in a close second at 5 each. I've sent 17 parcels, that's ridiculous, but the Grains are the winners there, with Mum coming in close behind. I'm not so strong on letters, only 22, with Sally getting most of those. I splash cards about fairly freely, no clear winners in this section, but Jane, Dad and Jayne C all on three each. Now who get the most, so totaling cards, letters, parcels etc altogether whose address do I write the most. The Grains win again, with my mum/sis  and Jane all getting into double figures. A common number of items was 7 - that's not even once a month. I thought I was good. Em, I feel bad, you'll be the one person I know who will read and comment on this and only 7 bits of post in a year, you've sent me such great parcels, your turn will come. Clearly I must try harder next year.

Though having just gone through the exercise of counting all this, I am more concerned about my mental health than ever before.

Doubtful Baking

, originally uploaded by KTandCoffee.

I was worried, they didn't look as great as they should. That wonderful smell of freshly baked bread and banana loaf was there, so there was some hope, but I had my doubts and concerns.
The last couple of loaves I've made in the bread maker have not been good. Kind of stodgy in the middle!! My keen sense of logic led me to believe it was the yeast as this was the only thing new/different from previous gorgeous bread. So a new pot of yeast it was, so this was the first loaf, my trusty kibbled wheat and pumpkin seed.
As for the banana loaf, I tried a recipe from Sophie Dahl's book, and I was doubtful throughout, and more so at the end, darker than normal and not very risen. I must confess the couple of things of tried from this book haven't been great, but I am continuing with faith.

So of course the best thing to do is to take them all into work. These are the folks who think my muffins are 'too moist', so if there was a problem they wouldn't hold back. Kiwi folk are quite direct and speak their mind, with no holes barred most of the time.
Given the night shift we had was not exactly straight forward, I was very grateful for the moist, dense rich banana cake I had created. I'm sure it would be great with a dollop of cream, but not last night. The bread looked and I'm told was fine, I had a little prod and I didn't get a stodgy vibe. Hurrah. What to make next week.