My town part II...the house

I have been looking at real estate in the city again

so I can be closer to my children.

For around $400,000
I can get a rundown fibro in an area that would be,
in time taken to drive through traffic,
almost as far away as I am now.
It would require a massive renovation
and would then be over priced for the neighbourhood.

Or, I can get a studio apartment in an old hotel
that has been turned into private studio accommodation,
but it would be reasonably close to the kids.

Third choice is moving to the outer area where I could possibly find
an aged two bedroom unit or townhouse…again needing massive renovations.

So what would I be leaving to move to one of these delights?

A house that we fell in love with the minute we walked through the front door,

a large house for two people
but we do have five children and lots of grandchildren
and there was room for all,
well almost!

It has a history that is romantic and fascinating

and for all those 16 years it has watched over us
and embraced us as a family.
It is one of those magic houses
that is a naturally warm and welcoming home

It stands on ½ an acre of,

admittedly, dreadfully overgrown garden
and is 45 squares of double brick Victoriana with 8’ verandahs all round.

Inside, the 14’ ceilings of beautifully patterned Wunderlich metal

give the large rooms a feeling of cosiness as the proportions are beautiful

Most of the rooms run off the 68’ x 6’ hallway
complete with exquisite stained glass doors at either end.

The many marble and timber Victorian fireplaces
are in almost perfect original condition..

Now I am being honest when I say that the kitchens and bathrooms
could do with a rebuild,
but somehow these just fit with the house and we never felt the need to improve.

There are 14 rooms
if you count the outside loo with its black and white tiles and marble step
and the studio that in one of its lives
saw the birth of hundreds of babies that now live all round Australia.
(I have met them in Brisbane and Hobart!!!)

This is all far too big for me
and it is beginning to crumble around the edges
as I can no longer give it the care it deserves
but the asking price is under $400,000!!

How can that compare with City prices?!!!!! 

my town part I

We moved here 16 years ago.

 It wasn't meant to be for long.

Over a period of 26  years we lived in Sydney, Melbourne,
Adelaide, Hobart (twice!), Brisbane 

and then it was going to be a couple here before moving on again!

It didn’t happen.

 So here I am 16 years later;
this is the longest time I have lived in the one house.
It is the longest I have lived in the one town or suburb.

Why so long here?

Is it the town?  The house?  The people?  The circumstances?
Or heaven forbid just inertia?

I can’t answer that because I think it is probably a combination of the first three
with a fair bit of the last thrown in for good measure!

But I would not even be asking myself this question if fate hadn’t stepped in and changed my life.
I can only thank God that he so wisely allowed me to be living in this town
at this time because without it
I would be in serious trouble!

Many years of living in big cities 

have shown me that knowing and liking your neighbours
is not always a given
but you can enjoy a privacy to your life that you may or may not want.

You go shopping on a Saturday morning
and it takes at least fifteen minutes to drive there,
one hour to do the shopping,
fifteen minutes waiting in the queue to be served,
ten minutes to get yourself out of the car park
and fifteen minutes to drive home.
Total 1hour and 55 minutes.

Here, I go shopping on a Saturday morning 

and it takes five minutes to walk (five minutes if I drive because I have to open gates!)
fifteen minutes to scoot around and choose my bits and pieces,
forty minutes catching up on the family tales of at least 4 local families,
ten minutes discussing the fund raiser last Tuesday and how successful it was.
two minutes to have my goods pass through the checkout.

It would take me five minutes to walk (or drive) back home 

except that I run into a friend who is dying for coffee.

One hour 55 minutes later when I arrive home 

I have shopped,
caught up on all the gossip in town,
enjoyed the company of friends and acquaintances,
scoffed a rather rich and decadent piece of cake and sipped a rich creamy coffee.

Is there any comparison between the two?

I don’t think so!

As for the house

Well that's for the next post!!!!!!

Can you tell me why......??

why this looks so
prettily elegant
so shabby chic
so romantic
here

Source: Uploaded by user via Crystal on Pinterest

and when I do it in my bedroom
or my library
or my dressing room
or my living room
it just looks
plain

untidy?


!!!!!!!!!!

Then....and...now...!

Looking for a list I had written last year I found this


August 2011


I slip
through the shadows
of this,
my life now

my lips smile,
my mouth laughs
my feet move me
in directions I know not

I wait impatiently
for the too infrequent night
when dreams
become my reality

where once more
we face the sun
and stride through it
together

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

This was my weekend

March 2012

Alone, I started the car
alone, I drove
on narrow shaded roads
stopped in unfamiliar villages

Alone, I booked into an hotel
alone, I ate my meal

Together I share my lunch
with friends
together, we laugh and
together we remember

together we share the joy
of our friends.
They renew their vows
of 40 years ago
and
together, we celebrate
their life

rainbow hues
tint the shadows
of the trees,
as I drive home,
alone

life moves on
it's not the same
but....
It is,

a new beginning...

Marquees and saddle up Sunday part II

Now where were we......?

Oh now I remember.....

.

the other tents were filling up and eventually we could say

we are ready!!

The flowers were beautifully arranged by two lovely friends

last minute checks were made to make sure that everything was in place

and it was starting to look a bit like a garden party

The arch was completed with a bit of real and a bit of pretend ivy

 and I found a place for the

magnolia seeds!!!!

 the pink chairs looked outrageously over the top but were used all day by passers by keen to take the weight off their feet for a few moments!!!

(not quite sure why we put the apples on them but they looked fun!!!!)

eventually the guests arrived, the thank yous were said and the day got under way

the crowds started to build and the fashion was amazing but alas I didn't always

have the camera with me so missed quite a bit

but not this, this elegant lady looked gorgeous and was sweet enough to allow me to catch her on film but I do think I might need some lessons on shadows and lighting!!!!!

The most photographed pair all day were these two very pretty young ladies

individually they looked beautiful but together those hats just really made a wonderful statement

(The lass in the yellow hat made both hats...clever girl!)

but this is who the day really belonged to

these magnificent creatures

and their very clever and brave riders

as they raced for that finishing line

knowing they would have the luxury of a cooling shower afterwards

and at the end of a long day

 as the punters trudged home 

with full...or empty pockets...

this fine young gentleman had the

last laugh!!!!!

See you all here next year!!!!!!

Marquees & Saddle up Sundays

Racing NSW has an
initiative to promote country racing

each month they heavily promote a country race meeting
and last weekend the meeting promoted
was the Wellington Boot!

Two weeks ago I was asked to decorate the
Racing NSW marquee for this event!

My newly acquired ability to say NO
has obviously not cut in yet

 even though I would be in Sydney and way out of the area for most of
the available time of course I said YES!!!!

I met with the gorgeous young Brittany from Racing NSW and over
a quick coffee we decided on a colour scheme and the basics.

Racing NSW's colour is green
so with no time to think it through we went for the obvious
green apples for the horses and pink roses for racing!!!!

(You know, horses love apples and every race course around the world has lots of roses!!!!)

corny I know but what can you do in 20 minutes?

We had the colours
but nobody had the roses
not a florist or flower market anywhere

except the rose garden in the towns park!!!!

a quick call to Council and we had permission to cut some

so in came the horticulturist who knew which ones to pick
I would have taken the ones that looked good then when I needed them to look god in two days!

but we couldn't resist a few of these as well!

The morning of the meeting arrived and at least the tables were up when we arrived

by 8.30 the tablecloths were on and the flowers had arrived!

pink and green ribbon was run down the tables to tie everything together and the apples

were first to be put in place

by 9.30 the tables were coming together

but the other marquees were still sitting empty!!!

and now I am going to bed so we will continue tomorrow (I think!!!!)

What a week!!!!!

after discovering my dates were sooooo wrong
I repacked my bag and left for Sydney as planned.

loaded down with tomatoes...... of course!!
UK daughter had some from the supermarket and we just had to compare!
Can YOU guess which one came with me???


First morning, discovered I had made a real mess of the packing and
consequently had absolutely nothing to wear.
Tops but no bottoms!!!
Oh dear..... what a pity

Just had to go shopping, didn't I
Absolutely did not buy any shoes though!!!!

 It was a wonderful few days.
had lunch with Sydney daughter
and went to gold class movie with UK daughter
(absolute luxury)



 the film was just a wee bit frightening
as the women all reminded me of me!!!!!!!




Had a lovely family birthday dinner
complete with this gorgeous Birthday cake!!!!
Felt cruel to cut into him but it was worth it for every delicious morsel!
(I am not saying how many pieces I had)





many beautiful gifts were exchanged and whilst all were loved and appreciated
I thought you might like to see the reaction to this one

Just a wee bit thrilled!

Do you recognise it?

in case you don't
 ... it is...
Janelle McCulloch's new book
We all took turns with it and oohed and ahhed
but there was no way the new owner was letting it out of her hands for long!!!!

If you are the least in love with Paris
I highly recommend you go find yourself a copy.

Got home on Thursday and was immediately involved in the preparations for
our big race meeting of the year,

details will follow
I promise!!!!