Hello, lovely readers...
Duchess Kate has gone to the hospital - the world's attention moves to London..
and my new Geraldton Wax shrub had its first two tiny pink blooms today.
Could it be a sign?
These are my neighbour's roses..
and these are mine. She wins!
I see the punters are predicting a girl, and the favoured name is Alice.
Princess Alice sounds pretty.
We chose Alice for one of our children, who turned out to be a boy.
That was back in the day when you never knew what you'd get until your baby arrived...
By the time you read this, we may already know!
Made these lemon crunch muffins today.
They are mouth-watering.
The recipe was featured on Shane's beautiful blog,
Pop over and have a look - I'm sure you'll love it as much as I do - the recipe appeared 3 days ago.
Brisbane has been inundated by an abnormal rain deluge with violent storms over the past two days.
Flash floods everywhere, and high winds.
We are fine, but shockingly, there have been five people lose their lives in separate incidents in floodwaters.
There were dozens of rescues in just a few short hours - so sad.
Our creek has flooded overnight and remains high and swift-flowing.
I saw debris up to 4 metres above the current water level.
Nature can be harsh in Australia..
Last week we took my Dad (94, and still loves an outing)
to view a dam in the hinterland...
It is Autumn, so some trees are skeletal, and striking to see in the bright sunlight..
We found this interesting, rounded, sculpture...
which on close inspection turned out to be:
An Eagle!
I'm not doing a capsule travel wardrobe post..
done it before, always take the same things, and the only real decision made is which scarf to take. Or beret, purchased in Paris for fun in Quebec.
However, I have been working on my system of packing the other essentials for a month of living out of a suitcase.
Inspired by a post on Tamera Beardsley, last year, I have followed her system,
necessarily adding another couple of bags for medicals and the clear plastic on-board baggie for liquids required on international flights.
I like to be organised, and maybe, just once, I won't come home to find that something has disappeared somewhere along the way...
Wolf Hall is on TV tonight - we are still enjoying it.
Happy weekend
XXXX
Yes, you are right with the pink, it is a bonny bouncing girl.
ReplyDeleteHope your packing goes to plan - I have a purple suitcase too.
I have got some lemons so will check out the recipe for the lemon crunch muffins, they look delicious.
A princess! Wonderful - and I heard it first from you Rosemary :)
DeleteEnjoy the muffins..
So nice that the family is a boy/girl, and such a to do over it, even in the States. Those little pink flowers are so pretty. I'll be packing for a month out soon, but we are taking our car to drive to our destination, so a bit easier.
ReplyDeleteYes, quite a fuss over the little princess. The last princess born in Britain must be Princess Eugenie, in the late 1980s. She will be the centre of attention! Packing is so much easier if you are driving - totally agree Linda Kay. International travel is the trickiest, all that attention to the weight of every bad, and no liquids except in the little baggy.
DeleteBag, I mean. Gosh, I am confused.
DeleteIt's a girl, but I haven't seen a name announced yet. Prince George was born the same year (actually within a few days) as my first grandchild, and now their second child has been born the same year my second grandchild is going to make an entrance. My two oldest boys were born the same years as William and Harry, so it is fun to have a similar thing happening in this generation.
ReplyDeleteYou must be getting very excited for your trip to Canada!
Perhaps a few days before a name is announced Kristie. I think they might have to run it by the Queen first. You do have a close association with the grandchildren. You will always know how old the royal ones are! Yes, excitement is mounting hereabouts :)
DeleteWolf Hall, what a treat. We loved it. My husband came off his bike one Saturday & had to sit still with his bruised leg raised for a few hours. He re watched the whole of Wolf Hall. It was almost worth coming off his bike for. Katharine x
ReplyDeleteWe might miss the end of Wolf Hall because we are going away, Katharine. But you have given me an idea - boxed set for somebody's birthday! Iwould love to watch it all over again, just to get the little details which I sometimes miss.
DeleteI have been thinking about you during the storm, and hoping you were okay. Also hoping it didn't come down hear after our recent floods and winds.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad The D of C had a little girl; she comes from a family of girls, so I am sure she is pleased.
What pretty roses you have, and I agree, blogging about travel wardrobes is tedious - I always take the same things as well, and often old, tatty things that I would not want to show - they tend to get thrown away before coming back! That way there is not so much washing at home, you don't get upset if your lose your luggage of more precious clothes, and you can fill up with some shopping before coming home. You are going to have a lovely time reconnecting with your family.
Thank you for thinking of us, Sarah Liz. We are high on a hill, so quite OK in these events. Although there is that big gum tree beside the house.... I am glad it's a little princess too; can't let Princess Estelle of Sweden get all the tiny princess attention!
DeleteSo true re the travel packing. While I still like to try to be chic, I always assemble groups of non-valuable, easy wash, mostly neutral stuff. Some of my things have been round the world a few times. And as you say, best not take something which you'll be really upset about losing. Same applies to jewellery. Off to do some serious packing now :)
We live high on a hill, so we are safe from floods. However, there is that big gum tree beside the house....
DeleteSo true re the travel clothes. While I try to be chic, I do take mostly hard-wearing, basic things in neutrals, and accent with a couple of scarves. It looks boring when I pack but works well, and as you rightly say, best not take something you'd be upset about losing. Same applies to jewellery. I love to buy a few items overseas, just to have something different from Australia.
Yes, I think it will all be quite lovely :)
Patricia,
ReplyDeleteOh my, the flood in your area, that is scary. There is an abundance of water there in Australia, and rain is greatly needed here in California. I'm so sorry to hear about the lives lost there by the floods. These lemon muffins look scrumptious. I wish I could taste one of them because I love anything lemon. The white rose picture is simply lovely.
Wishing you a peaceful Sunday.
love, ~Sheri
When it rains here, it is often very heavy and very sudden, hence the flash floods, Sheri. Then it can and does go for months without raining at all, and all the grass and flowers die. It is a bit of a feast or famine situation. The white rose is my Peace rose, one of my best roses. It has another two buds also. Happy Sunday. x
DeleteThe flowers knew it was a Princess! I was a teensy bit disappointed Kate did not come out in a pink dress, but that might have given the game away. Good thoughts re the name: Diana is highly likely, and Elizabeth. Royal names seem to be mostly of family significance. Mentally packing is good - I do it for months, and then start writing it in a notebook. The clothes are assembled in a group in the wardrobe now, so the actual packing is quite quick because everything is already decided. Exciting you are off to Europe - what fantastic photos you will take :)
ReplyDeleteSuch pretty flowers but such devastating rain. Mother Nature at work. I too saw that the new royal baby is a girl. People in my knitting group are already trying to find the pattern for the baby blanket/shawl and hat shown in one of the pictures.
ReplyDeleteYou must be about ready to step on the plane by now. Have a wonderful time with the family.
Darla
I see that the princess shawl has sold out already! Everybody loves a princess, and now we have a name - which I forecast yesterday to Mr C (ahem...) Princess Charlotte Elizabeth Diana, very pretty.
DeleteThank you, yes, off to cross the ditch now :)
Extreme weather is always scary. We realise how ineffectual we humans really are. Those muffins look delicious but I don't dare make them until I know that people will be coming over to help me eat them!
ReplyDeleteOh dear Patricia
ReplyDeleteI'm getting very excited about meeting you today!!!
It is lovely for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge to now have a beautiful daughter and I'm so pleased to see Diana is one of her names.
Ooo la la, I love your scarf and beret, you will cut a dash in Canada my dear!
See you soon
Shane x
Happy travels, Tricia! Someday, maybe New York City?
ReplyDeleteNature is absolutely gorgeous ... and powerful! The photos from your father's outing should be framed!
Yes, indeed, Kate had a little girl ... a royal princess!
What a beautiful scarf and pink hat.
Soon, I can publish the best recipe for a lemon cake I've come across so far. Perhaps your readers will want it too. You have reminded me here how refreshing a lemon pastry is, especially if moist. I also love lemon pies, don't make those.