Invitation

I received a special package in the mail the other day...

My younger sister is getting married in just a few short months.

Sometimes it's still a shock to me that she's old enough to be a bride.  In my mind she's still my little sister, excited about her first day at school, loving her teachers, looking forward to holidays - I do a double take when I remember she's now a young woman about to embark on her own life journey.

She and her fiancé make a wonderful couple, I can't wait for the big day.  

That Moment.....

That moment when the last of the peppermint lolly is gone and you take in one big, long lungful of fresh air and it's like breathing in something straight from the south pole.

I love that moment.

Litterbugs make me mad

Everyday I drive up and down the range to work.  Somedays it's at a snails pace when there are roadworks, a broken down truck, a caravan on fire, police out with their radars....whatever the cause, the pace is slow.  It's on days like that when I really get to notice what's going on on the edges, what visitors to the area see when they first come up the hill to see the 'Garden City'...and it's not pretty.  

I am blown away over the amount of rubbish in the gutters and the bushes at the edge of the road.  What prompts people to think it's okay to throw garbage out the window of their car?  I grew up in the age of emu parades at school - that five minute dash once a month (or more) at the end of the lunch hour where every student had to come back to the teacher with minimum five pieces of rubbish.  The age when you put whatever garbage you had with you in the car at your feet until you got home, then you put it in the bin.  What has gone wrong since?

I notice new TV ads with little kids pushing the point for adults to stop littering...I can't believe it needs to be made public like this.  All I can think is there is a whole generation out there, the one between me and these little kids, who have missed out on this message of 'throw it in the bin'.  That's all I can think of.  

I'd hate to think it's part of a wider-spread lack of respect coming through.....though I'm not holding my breath on that one.

Makes me sad, it does.

Apple tree, worms, scratchits and cake....

I'm a spoilt girl that's for sure.  It was my birthday this week - another year older to be certain - but I sure don't feel it.  It's a shock when people ask how old I am and I have to count the years to work it out.  In my head I feel mid-twenties, in my body not so much, but I sure don't act like my twenties are well behind me!  'Age is a state of mind' is my theory and I'm sticking to it!

I have to say that this birthday outdid itself - the second best birthday ever (*the best being the day I got married - yep, I got married on my birthday - fantastic party!!).  For starters the weather was perfect - nothing like waking to a warm spring day with the sun shining and birds tweeting outside the bedroom window.

I worked, as was usual for a weekday, but there was cake for morning tea.  Sure, I baked it myself but it was yummy.  Chocolate chocolate, double chocolate cake, big enough to feed the masses, of which I had only a small piece (lots of icing) because I didn't want the sugar-low to kick in too early - I had a dinner date that night!

Later the LOML took me out to dinner (Chinese) along with 12 of our closest friends and family.  It was an awesome night.  Lots of laughing, delicious food, cake, wine and more laughing.  I had the best night.  We finished it off with a nightcap at the local down the road before heading home to bed (I was the only one who had to get up the next morning for work - bad planning there on my part!).  

The LOML, bless his cotton socks, knows the way to my heart - he gave me an apple tree...

....and a box of worms!!  So very excited!!!

I also received some other beautiful gifts - very spoilt.  I didn't manage to scratch the set for life or the $500,000 though I did win $36 which I must remember to go and collect.  The LOML says I should reinvest but I'm thinking a couple of cake decorating magazines might be in order!

The best birthday in a long while, and nine years married.  Love it xxx  and love you, LOML xxx

:)

In My Kitchen: October 2012

Joining Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial for her monthly In My Kitchen posts - pop on over to Celia's and see what's happening in the kitchens of other bloggers....why not even join the fun yourself! 

Well it's been a whole three months since I last took everyone for a sticky-beak in my kitchen and a lot has been happening, I must say.  I can't believe how quickly two months have gone - so I'd better get a wriggle on and get this one posted before October is over and I'm skipping another IMK post!!!

This month (and the previous two), In My Kitchen....

...is this beautiful coffee set and the Brazillian coffee we were given by the LOML cousins in Sydney during our visit last month.  They have been getting a regular workout since we've been back.  I was taught how to make Lebanese coffee when we were in Lebanon 2 years ago but, not having access to the correct coffee itself, I haven't been able to recreate the right taste.  Now, with these 100% pure Arabica beans, it's like I open a time-space rift with every pot and we're back in Lebanon looking out over the hills!

We were also gifted with a box of Lebanese sweets to bring home - they looked too pretty to eat but they didn't last long!...

....and we were loaded up with the best Lebanese bread I have tasted in two years!  The LOML had to carry these 10 packs (!!) on the plane with him because I didn't have the strength to make the combined weight of our carry-on luggage and these goodies look less than 7kg!!  They are now happily ensconced in my freezer and taste just as good defrosted as they do fresh.

In My Kitchen.....

...I've been mastering my sweet and savoury scroll making.  Custard and almond for me, fruit and custard for the LOML, and cheese and Vegemite for the both of us!

In My Kitchen....

....the LOML bought me some cinnamon sticks and some 'hot' powder.  He's not sure what it is (!?!) but it tastes like hot paprika - it doesn't have the chilli kick to mark it as that.  I ran out of hot paprika the other day so this was great timing on his part.

And finally, In My Kitchen....

...the mulberry tree out the front has me up to my eyeballs in mulberries (those that make it inside of course - it's the picker's prerogative to sample the wares!).  I'm planning to make mulberry jelly for Christmas presents - I'm starting to think ahead about gift ideas....but that's a job for next month's IMK!

Thanks for visiting - what's happening in your kitchen?

Carnival 2012

This weekend just gone has seen the end of the annual Carnival of Flowers.  The gardens around town are just blooming with flowers this year - more so than previous years if that's at all possible and the fireworks have been amazing (as viewed from my back steps).

The carnival kicked off last weekend with the parade.

The biggest one I've seen, it went for a good two hours.  Apparently, back in the day, two hours was a short parade.

The best part again this year, I think, were the storm troopers.  I had to wait so long I was starting to think there was a space battle somewhere that was keeping them from participating.  But it was all good 45 minutes in.  Even Vader put in an appearance this year.

 I'm thinking about joining this club so I can put my beetle-bug in the parade next year.... LOL

I also ran into my friend Kel and her walking artwork too.  Kel is an artist (among other things) and has a talent for body art.  I keep meaning to do a post on her work - amazing! - until then, here is a taste....

What a great parade!  Next year's has very big shoes to fill, very big shoes!