Uncategorized – Page 9 – Unraveling…

Spring is here :-)

Spring in Nelson is rather lovely.
So much colour around the streets.
Love it!

I returned home Friday, only to farewell our lovely Sibylle the next morning.
She has been an absolute joy to host and slotted into our family so easily.
We are sure gonna miss you, you bundle of Swiss sweetness xxxx

Lenore & Ross had enjoyed their time with her & Mahalia as well.
They had been out on a few adventures sussing out some of the local scenic spots.

We welcomed Anja a few hours later.
Also from Switzerland, and also had problems with connecting flights into Nelson.
But she eventually arrived and all is well.

Sunday morning I roused Azzan from his slumbers and we all went out to Melrose House for brunch.
It was a rainy day but still pleasant enough to sit out on the verandah.
The cafe is under new management but the food is still spectacularly wonderful.
The staff were delightful, made some new friends whilst connecting with them 🙂

Mahalia was bemoaning having to share her smoothie with yet another flower.
Flowers everywhere amongst her food.
But so pretty Halia 😉
The man of the house easily tucked away a decently proper man sized breakfast.
This beautiful young woman holds a very special part of my heart xxx
Azzan headed off into the showery elements to walk the Grampians…. mmmm, maybe meeting friends was a preferable option which he quickly opted for 😉

We took Anja for a tiki tour in the rain and ended up languishing on the floor in John & Sally’s lounge, in front of their fire.
It was very cosy 😉

Phoebe & Sapphie came for a visit the next day.
Sapphire enjoyed some story book time with Nonna.
It’s not often she stays still enough so I made the most of it 😉

Ross & Lenore packed up and said their farewells and headed south back to their land of normality.
It was so lovely having them here.
Thanks so much for all your help, and I am glad you were able to have a break, rest up and recover from your jet lag.

I am pretty much over mine now and reality is hitting :-/

Final farewells

We were up very early.
said goodbye to Evan at 6am, then Jesika and I were out the door by 6:30am.
Half an hour later I dropped her at work and took her car for a jaunt further north up the motorway.
I arrived at Jac’s in time to see Isaac before he headed off to school which was a lovely bonus.
Jan and I spent the rest of the day together which was a wonderfully special ending to my week.

At 2:30pm I had to do a mad scramble out the door and back down the motorway to pick Jesika up from work by 3pm.
We had a couple of hours left so went to a nearby mall and hung out.
Then to the airport, checked in my bag and with plenty of time up my sleeve Jesika took me upstairs to visit her Virgin Airline friends from her previous life.
It was so lovely to meet them and see where she has been spending so much of her time until recently.

All too soon it was time for me to disappear through the security barrier.
So some last minute selfies with my girl.
Sad to be leaving, but I will be back!!
Love you my darling one xxxx

The day was fading as I waited to board.
Farewell Perth, it’s been short but very sweet.
A very necessary and appreciated break from my normal normality.

My last night in WA

We took the afternoon off and retreated to the darkness of the movie theatre.
Apart from the two heads way down below we had the whole place to ourselves.
Which was actually good because we laughed and laughed out loud and nearly peed ourselves laughing while we rolled in the aisles some more 🙂
The movie – Bad Moms.
If you haven’t seen it you absolutely have to.
It is a life changer 🙂 🙂 🙂

Then it was back home to organise my last supper.
It was a good night.
Sam came.
Which raised the tone immensely 😉

The party stuff was still a happening!

I was doubly delighted because Rory and Alaine were able to join us.
It was ultra special to meet my distant cousins in the flesh.
It was a delightful evening.
Very relaxed, lots of chat and good food and great company.

The day after

Had a bit of a slowish start after the party,
Jesika was up and on the ball and wanting to go do stuff but Sam was wanting a bit more time to wake up.

I did a spot of painting while she took her time
Then we headed off for brunch at Gesha Coffee Co.
Food was good, beautifully presented, but the service was ‘interesting’.
Seems to be something that is lacking in a vast number of Australian cafes ;-/
I opted for the salmon while the guys chose the big breakfasts.

Blair & Evan bro-loving 🙂

Cousins keeping a safe distance from the boys

Afterwards Jesika drove Ev, Bud and myself up the coast for a sightsee.
It was very blustery and the wind surfers made a very colourful sight as they whizzed across the waves.

We got stuck in the crowds for a wee while.
I had never experienced an AFL crowd before.
They were wearing purple, team colours of the Fremantle Dockers, droves of supporters heading to the Subiaco Oval to support their team.

All too soon it was time to take Bud to the airport.

And back home to collapse!

Sightseeing with Nicki

Nicki took me out sightseeing for the day.
First port of call was Parliament of Western Australia.
Whilst the back of it is architectural really interesting….

….the front is rather sterile.
Across the motorway we could see the Barracks Arch.

It is the remainder of The Barracks which were built in 1866 to house the Enrolled Pensioner Force who came out as guards on the convict ships.
This old concrete structure below parliament houses the public ablutions.
Despite it being rather grotty there were some great angles and lighting

Lovely to find a spot of brightness amidst the greyness of the day.
By the time we had explored the extremities, watched a media interview with an MP, we were rather tired and hungry so we made out way over to meet up with Judith.
We had a lovely lunch at Dome.
Nicki and me
Judith and moi.

After Judith went back to work Nicki and I went for a wander around Subiaco.
Found this shop, never seen a San Churro shop before so was drawn in by the wonderful quotes and orangeness
Down the street were a line of shops with matching stained glass windows that are rather beautiful.

And a very ornate beauty parlour with the wee pooch on couch

The magnificent Subiaco Hotel where Sam & I spent several hours the previous Saturday 😉

Then it was time to say goodbye to Judith and head home.
Nicki & I had such a good day, so lovely to finally get to know each other in the flesh after connecting for the past 18months of mutual support via internet.

Parfois, tout ce dont vous avez besoin est votre meilleur ami……

Taking time out when life is so stressful can seem impossible.
But when there is a need and a want, things miraculously fall into place.
And for me the planets aligned so I packed my bags and boarded a plane leaving my darlings in the arms of special friends who have mine and their backs – you all know who you are – so thank you to those that helped to make this time away possible.

Even spending 2.5 hours in the local airport due to aircraft delays wasn’t arduous.
Yes, it was frustrating because it semi thwarted my plans along the way, but better to be safe on land than in the air in a malfunctioning craft!

Auckland greeted me with torrential rain.
But my friend met me and drove me to my hotel.
We spent the next two hours thoroughly enjoying each others company at Szimpla over good food & great service.
All too soon though the next plane was beckoning so we said our farewells for now and I retreated to my room.
I had been really looking forward to a quiet peaceful night all on my own but the reality of it all was rather boring.
I even checked out of my room early and had a delicious breakfast at Szimpla before catching the shuttle to International.

This time my plane was on time and after watching several Kiwi movies – Mahana which was good, and The Dark Horse which was excellent, it stirred many emotions, produced a few tears, and is so deserving of much more recognition, definitely a must see again movie – 8 hours later I walked through WA immigration.
Gian was there to meet me, but behind him I saw another familiar face!
My internet friend and cohort Nicki had come to meet and greet me too.
Such a cool surprise to finally see her in the flesh.
The thing with internet friends is that there is no initial fumbling to gain a connection because you already have that 🙂
We had a few minutes to hug and make some quick plans to meet soon and then Gian whisked me off home.

Waiting there was my bestest friend.
It was so super cool to be back together with her.
Jacqui is my oldest and bestest friend ever.
She and I go so far back it is almost scary to scan those decades!
We’ve shared loads of highs and lows, good times and crappy times.
This is us at the end of our 5th decades.
I reckon we’ve weathered those storms pretty damned good!

Jac was the only one who knew I was coming 😉

Next day, before I announced to the rest of the world that I was there we shared a plate of nachos at Coco Cubana.
Funky cafe with good food and service.
Loved the armchairs & decor.

………………
and a week later I was back for a last day with my bestie.
Rousing her outa bed we went for a walk on the beach with Gian.
It had been a very wet cold week – Perth is experiencing the coldest winter in 20 years!!
So the sunshine this morning was so appreciated and enjoyed.

I love that my friend has found her soulmate.
Sometimes it takes a while.
And all too soon it was time for that last farewell, the au revoir.

I hate goodbyes when the physical distance is so far.
But our time together was incredibly therapeutic.
Thanks Jac – love you heaps and heaps x 10 hundred xxxxx