Tag: Wattle

Coffee Catch-Up # 35

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If we were having coffee I would tell you I can’t believe how fast the last 3 months have gone. Life goes by so quickly these days. Today our takeaway coffee is from the café at Merewether beach. This is because Newcastle is currently in lock down so can’t have visitors to our homes.

It was a beautiful winter’s day out. We enjoyed watching the surfers and smelling the fresh sea air. It was also great to see the ocean looking so clear and clean. Here’s some photos we took to remember our walk.

If we were having coffee I would tell you about my latest favourite pastime. Buying second hand books. I love the thrill of the chase. They are everywhere and sometimes I am amazed at how new the books I find are. I have several authors I look for and based on them I have found many new authors. Most I am able to pick up for a couple of dollars however on our latest holiday, I was lucky and found many exciting titles for only $1.00. Needless to say, I had fun.

If we were having coffee I would ask if you have been doing a jigsaw puzzle during lockdown. I have. My latest puzzle is of the people skating on the frozen Rideau Canal in Ottawa. Its a beautiful puzzle that reminds me I need to go back to Ottawa in winter to complete this bucket list activity. Back in January 2015, when my husband and I were in Canada winter was late and the canal opened to skaters the day we arrived back in Australia.

If we were having coffee I tell you that today is both my 59th birthday and National Rum day. Ironically, my husband baked me a fancy birthday cake from scratch yesterday, while I was at work. His choice a chocolate rum cake. Imagine his surprise to discover this morning the rum day connection. Rum is also my favourite spirit.

If we were having coffee I would tell you how much I love wattle. It is the floral emblem of Australia. I am also blessed that it begins to flower in August. It is a bright yellow and pops up everywhere. Wattle never fails to bring a smile to my face.

If we were having coffee I would ask you what has been happening in your world?

Weekly Photo Challenge: Earth

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I love getting back to nature and the earth with a walk in the Australian bush. This walk in the Blue Mountains, New South Wales was in winter — the air was crisp but the sun was shining and it was a glorious day.The walk itself took us about 6 hours as we stopped along the way as we marveled at the different aspects of nature including a rare bird sighting. I hope you enjoy some of our photos of the diverse bush we found on our walk.

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Share Your World – 2016 Week #14

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If you could hire someone to help you, would it be with cleaning, cooking, or yard work?

I have 3 cleaners in my real world and I would never go back to life without them. They came today and my house looks and smells beautifully clean. Given the opportunity I would also love to employ a cook as I usually spend part of the weekend preparing meals for the week ahead as I get home to late to be bothered. In reality, I don’t think I want anyone to help with the yard work as it’s my husband’s job and it keeps him busy for hours. If someone did it for him, he would be inside the house, making noise and distracting me from my writing.

What makes you laugh the most?

Laughter in our house is a common occurrence. Some examples of where it comes from include:

  • Evening meals in our family are very funny especially if we have guests. I don’t know why but our conversations make everyone laugh and are memorable.
  • Playing board games, Wii games or anything interactive.
  • I also find Table Topics  — impromptu speaking for 1 minute — brings out the laughter in me.

What was your favorite food when you were a child?

I don’t know that I had a favourite food although when I could choose what I wanted to eat for my birthday I always chose prawn cutlets. I still love them however the size of the cutlets have shrunk over the years.

List at least five favorite flowers or plants.

Roses are my absolute favourite.

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I also enjoy daffodils and the smell of jonquils. My favourite Australian plants are kangaroo paw and wattle.

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Bonus question:  What are you grateful for from last week, and what are you looking forward to in the week coming up? 

Last week I was grateful to spend Saturday night enjoying the company of our special friends of many years and Sunday visiting with all sets of mine and my husbands parents. This week I am looking forward to some quiet time and to getting more organised and catching up on the Blogging from A -Z 2016 challenge.

Share Your World – 2016 Week 14

Share Your World 2016 – Week 1

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As a child, who was your favorite relative?

I would have to choose Nanny, my father’s mother. She lived with us in a separate granny flat until my early teenage years and was always good for a treat. She even let Santa know one year that we wanted a swing set, which he delivered on Christmas morning.

If you could be a tree or plant, what would you be?

As an Australia I love Wattle. It booms in early Spring and it looks glorious when in full bloom. Wattle is our national floral emblem as well as the colours of Australia—green and gold. For more information on see my previous post attached.

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Wattle

What would be your preference, awake before dawn or awake before noon?

Many years ago it would have been sleep to noon, however these days I get up early and a sleep in for me is 8 o’clock.

Would you like to sleep in a human size nest in a tree or be snuggled in a burrowed spot underground?

Being a bit claustrophobic I would choose the human size nest as long as there no wind to destabilize it.

Bonus question:  What are you grateful for from last week, and what are you looking forward to in the week coming up?

Last week I got to catch up with a girlfriend of over 20 years in our annual date although this year we are working on making it more frequent. This week I am looking forward having a day off on Friday—my first for 2016.

Share Your World – 2016 Week 1

Wattle

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Australia’s love affair with Wattle began many years ago. It is so special to Australians, it has its own national day — Wattle Day 1st September—the first day of Spring.

One species, Golden Wattle (Acacia pycnantha) is the national floral emblem of Australia. It and many other species of Wattle, share the colours of Australia—green and gold. For most of the year, Wattle bushes and trees remain green. Then, suddenly, towards the end of winter, they bust into flower adding a mass of colour to the landscape. Having a Wattle bush in my front garden, feels very Australian and special.

Our wattle arch

Our Wattle arch

Like Australians, Wattle is diverse (there are 1000 species grown throughout Australia), supports the environment and is resilient. Wattle is one of several species of plants that regenerates first after fire. By doing so, it reminds us that life goes on and out of tragedy or difficult times, comes new life. This ability supports the bush, bringing plants and animals back after devastation, renewing hope.

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Wattle tree down the road

John Williamson – Australian country and western singer/songwriter, dedicated one of his classic songs to one species of Wattle—Cootamundra Wattle (Acacia baileyana.) This song typically Australian. Although an older video, it shows footage of the Australian countryside where Wattle flourishes and changes the landscape.

All my life I have loved walking in the bush in Spring. Seeing the various species of Wattle as they blossom. Wattle is my favourite Australian flower and like John Williamson, I have many childhood memories associated with it.

What is your national floral emblem and can you associate with it? Like Australia’s Wattle is there a reason it has become your national floral emblem.