En vacances

December 2, 2023December 2, 2023 / Robert / 2 Comments

Hazy pale blue emerges through layers of cloud. The sounds of the traffic builds as people go about their Saturday busy-ness. The area surrounding the pool looks invitingly clean after a heavy downpour. The orange-red blooms of the poinciana tree to the right of our suite reminds us Christmas is a tad over three weeks away.

My husband levels the pictures in the living, dining, kitchen; it is not yet seven a.m. We are on holiday in Noosaville for the third time this year. Preferring familiarity in these uncertain times, we are staying in the same apartment as when we were here for my birthday in October.

I’m looking forward to stretching and exercising away the tightness in my weary bones and muscles in the cleansing water and maybe some time for bubbles in the jacuzzi.

Our only commitments today are pre-dinner drinks at Apero followed by dinner at my favourite pizza place, 250 Grammi food and wine bar. We have an umbrella if more rain threatens, all set for the first full day en vacances.

At this moment, life feels good.

Pretty Boy

November 25, 2023November 25, 2023 / Robert / 5 Comments

In October, we enjoyed a couple of bottles of this cheeky nero d’avala rosato at the final lunch of my birthday celebrations, Whiskey Boy, Noosaville.

Pretty Boy proved to pair well with flame grilled chicken with a whiskey based jus.

A Google search revealed this delicious drop is from the Delinquente Wine Company, South Australia. The following is their story in their own words from their website. Delinquente Wine Company

‘Delinquente makes small batch, minimal intervention wines from Southern Italian grape varieties grown in the Riverland, South Australia.

We were born and raised in the Riverland, surrounded by vineyards and the mighty Murray River. Delinquente is our attempt at making the best wine we can from the place we grew up. Organically grown, minimal intervention, honest, hand-made wines that not only are great fun to drink, but represent the sun, the red dirt and uniquely Australian terroir of the Riverland.

The Riverland can be very hot and very dry, particularly through the vines growing season. For that reason, we’ve chosen to work with Southern Italian grape varieties – varieties that are suited to the climate, need less water and are naturally drought resistant, are late ripening and retain natural acidity. In this way, they are more environmentally sustainable, and allow us to make wines with lower alcohol levels but heaps of freshness and flavour.

Delinquente is “delinquent” in Italian, which speaks to our desire to always buck the trend, break rules and do things our way. To that end, all of the incredible artwork for Delinquente, from the labels, to cartons, tees and even gifs, are created by our good friend Jason Koen, AKA “Ankles”. Delinquente is his passion project, evident in the intensity of his hand drawn labels which pop from across the room, and the deeply important and personal themes that they speak of.

Sometimes you’ve got to heed the call of the wild child within.

Sometimes you’ve got to go home with a bunch of grapes who’re ugly as sin.’

I love laksa

November 18, 2023November 19, 2023 / Robert / 6 Comments

My work colleague and friend introduced me to Malaysian laksa in a humble back street near the University of Technology, Sydney (UTS), Australia. Since that slurping lunch as the sun set on the twentieth century, I was was wearing more of my lunch than eating it.

After Thai food, Laksa has been my go to Asian meal of choice. I adore this soupy, noodle concoction of coconut milk, protein, fresh vegetables, and spices.

I had a line manager from New Zealand who had lived in Japan. They were surprised I was not so adept at using chopsticks. Well honey, all I need to be able to do is use them to extract the hunks of gorgeousness from the sauce and use a spoon, pleeeease!

In loving memory of Michael

November 11, 2023 / Robert / 10 Comments

This week these charming pink blooms popped up in the front garden.

Every day we are surrounded by life burgeoning around us. It is from this point of view I remember my youngest brother, Michael’s birthday. Yesterday, he would have been 51.

He was born six weeks’ premature at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham, UK. I remember Michael as a happy, bonny lad with dark curly hair and olive skin.

The last time my mother left my stepfather, Michael chose to stay with his Dad. This was the point we began to grow separately.

Michael became a New Age Traveller. Mom was always thrilled to welcome him and his friends with a shower, clean clothes and a hot meal. Although, she found Michael’s anarchistic beliefs challenging.

At 23 years’, Michael died of a heroin overdose at a music festival in Prague.

I regret not spending more time with him as an adult. The last time I saw Michael, he was an inpatient at a mental health hospital, struggling with extreme paranoia. Micheal was convinced people were trying to kill him. I can’t help thinking, maybe he was correct.

Garden closeups

November 4, 2023November 4, 2023 / Robert / 2 Comments

Encouraged by our trip to Noosaville last month, we are now actively watering the poor man’s cruciform orchids (epidendrum) in the front and back gardens.

The blooming bottle brush tree next to our covered patio plays host to rainbow lorikeets.

Wispy old man’s beard hanging from the same bottlebrush tree.

Halloween witches

October 29, 2023October 29, 2023 / Robert / 8 Comments

I have found doodling is a successful catalyst when seeking inspiration. I can generally come up with concepts, it’s at the execution phase when where my inner voice/critic stymies my creativity. ‘Not good enough!’ is the most frequent thought.

Last Friday, I set out to to draw a witch for Halloween. Using the Freeform app on my phone, I scribbled a predictable silhouette of a witch in profile riding a broom in front of a full moon.

Grabbing a Winsor & Newton A4 visual diary, next I sketched out an imagined witch’s face with an oversized mouth.

Drawing on memories from reading Anne Rice novels, the second witch iteration became a glamorous vampire in front of a crescent moon. I paid attention to the lips and eye, inspired by the BBC One reality tv series, Glow Up: Britain’s next make up star.

After taking a photograph of the pencil coloured pictures, I applied filters in Google Snapseed, removed the backgrounds, and added black backdrops and text.

I imagined a heavily accented, Greta Garbo speaking the title of the vampire witch portrait as Fampyre Vitch.

My husband said, the initial sketch was scarier than the final one so I have included both. What do you think?

Backyard bounty

October 28, 2023October 28, 2023 / Robert / 4 Comments

The El Niño weather pattern is making itself felt in Queensland, Australia’s self proclaimed sunshine state. Long periods of dry weather have resulted in a crisp brown lawn juxtaposed with our backyard jacaranda tree in full Spring bloom.

We are experiencing the seasons of this first year in our new home through a garden lens. We are thrilled to see clumps of amaryllis.

One of the frangipanis is flowering before the leaves have emerged.

The Winter planted tomatoes are fruiting.

Complete serenity

October 21, 2023October 21, 2023 / Robert / 2 Comments

Buoyantly supine quiescent
Indolently inhaling
Exhaling
Heartbeats slowly strum eardrums
Muffled glugs and gurgles murmur
Sun’s sparkles glimmer
Traced out onto umbrella’s canopy
Stasis
Water and air embraces
Nine years awaiting this moment
Complete serenity at almost sixty

Coddled and cosseted

October 18, 2023 / Robert / 8 Comments

Epidendrums, cruciform orchids, poolside

On Saturday, we drove about one and a half hours north from home to arrive at our holiday destination, Noosa River Retreat. This was our self catering, home away from home for the next five days. We previously checked out the accommodation in June.

Noosa River Retreat is conveniently located less than 15 minutes walking distance from shops, cafés, restaurants, bars, and the Noosa river.

We were joined by family and friends for a festival of my 60th birthday. The line up of dining experiences include, Bandita Mexican restaurant and bar, Frenchies brasserie, Seasons restaurant and bar, Mr Jones and Me restaurant, and Whiskey Boy bar and grill.

Being the centre of attention of a group of fifteen has been an exhilarating experience. I count myself fortunate to be surrounded by so much love and feel thoroughly coddled and cosseted.

Brisbane gardens

October 13, 2023 / Robert / 4 Comments

After two nights of ‘Goldie’ coastal views we headed to ‘Brissie’ for a couple of nights at a recently renovated, hip Holiday Inn Express.

On Wednesday, we walked from the hotel in Spring Hill through the City Botanic Gardens to traverse the Good Will Bridge, and enjoy the South Bank Parklands.