Ok, let's get the tough stuff over with first...after the Wallabies' humiliating loss to the All Blacks last Sunday...

I'm with Amanda, and her family, in their lovely house (above)...

well, not literally of course. Although I'm sure that would be lovely. But I will be hoping NZ wins the Rugby World Cup, seeing that Australia can't. Don't get me started.

There, I've said it.

In other news...I set myself a challenge this week...

to choose the top ten from blogs I haven't visited before...

(apart from Amanda's of course...I couldn't resist that pic)

It wasn't as easy as you might think.

I'm loyal, and a bit wedded to my favourite top ten haunts.

But it was worth branching out a bit, don't you think?

yes, me too :)

images seen on: small acorns; conspicuous style; walking around; marie claire maison; sanctuary; acquired objects; mom's turf; love you big; spicer and bank; buddha interiors

The phone rang in my parents' house just as we were getting ready to make the trip to the hospital for mum's operation...the one she's waited so long to have. The one that is hopefully going to ease the chronic pain she's been in all year.

I had a feeling as soon as I heard the phone ring that there was another cancellation on the way...and I was right. Unfortunately. With a mere three hours notice, the operation was put off. A hazard of relying on the hard working public health system I know...but still. I listened to my mother say reassuring things to the person on the other end of the phone, completely gracious in the face of disappointment. Oh dear, yes of course. I understand. There are a lot of sick people aren't there? It's just that my daughter's come all the way from Canberra to look after her father. Can you let me know when it might be rescheduled. Thank you for calling. 

She put down the phone and said quite calmly, bugger, it's off, it's been cancelled. I, not at all calmly, blew a gasket and managed to string quite a few F words into the rant that was my response to the news. Not at all gracious.

Both my parents had a very sanguine response to the bad news, Dad giving Mum a hug and sympathising with her. I was struck by the generosity of their response, although to be honest, not at the time. When it happened I was cross with Mum for being so nice to the voice on the other end of the phone....the surgeon as it turned out, who in all fairness, at least had the good manners to call with the news himself and not delegate it to some equally overworked nurse or hospital administrator. 

My response was anger, my parents' was acceptance, although as I remembered several days later, when the same thing happened to me many years ago...the last minute cancellation of major surgery...I responded in a similar way to my mother. She has taught me well it seems, except I was a big wimp and burst into tears when they told me I'd have to wait. There were no tears from mum last week. She's much stronger than I give her credit for. And more generous.

As are you. Thank you for all the lovely messages of care and concern I've had. It was a tough few days for a lot of reasons...when you live some distance away from ageing parents you don't get to see the small changes, you can't help out with simple day to day things. And the large changes...well, they just shock you. Having this blogging support group makes a difference. The phone calls, text messages, emails, FB comments from people I know and love, and from so many of you who I haven't met but who say kind words regardless, I hope you know how much it all helps.

So, I'll be back off to Newcastle to try again, hopefully in the not too distant future, and hopefully with mum getting into the operating theatre this time!  And as an added bonus, coffee with the lovely Newcastle blogger Pink Patent Mary Janes can be rescheduled as well. There's always an up side :)
all images by me, taken in the courtyard. Sorry about the fuzzy bird...who has decided to pay regular visits to stare at itself in the mirror. The vampire slayer is thankfully too old and slow to pounce!

Hello petals. 

As you read this I will be driving up the M-something or other on my way to Newcastle...

My mum's having an operation tomorrow

and I need to look after dad while she's in the hospital...

I'm hoping it will be simple and straightforward

but in their 80's, and with dementia involved, nothing is certain is it.

So I may be off the air for a little bit.

Or I might take my camera and find a few of my childhood haunts :)

either way, if you could cross fingers and toes for me...

I'd be very grateful :)

see you a bit later...

images seen on: beauty and grace tumblr; 16 house; a punch of color; abigail ahern (2); coco+kelley on desire to inspire; desire to inspire; princess anne county; lou, boos and shoes; belle maison

Lucky old Canberra had another long weekend...two in a row...we're a bit spoilt aren't we :)  But then again we have politicians to contend with on far too many weeks of the year so I guess it evens out.  I did a lot of stuff around the house and went to an exhibition, because you know I love both of those things.

The exhibition was the Fred Williams Retrospective at the National Gallery of Australia...seriously one of my favourite places in the universe. And I have to say that I think this was one of the best exhibitions I've seen for a while. Did you know that Fred Williams was the first Australian ever to have a solo exhibition at MoMA? No, I didn't either.  Beautiful, beautiful work...the colours were spectacular.

 

 

 

 

Click on the NGA link above to see lots more.
I came home with stuff...thank goodness the 100 day challenge is well and truly over! The exhibition catalogue was a must...Buffy says hi...and that's the last orchid spray there too.

An elk necklace...I have been after one of these for ages so I had to get it when I saw it. I have no idea what it was doing with Fred's stuff but I didn't question :) And a fridge magnet. I love fridge magnets. Do you?

My very good friends Chris and Terry came and helped take the faded green fibreglassy stuff off the pergola (I have no idea what it's called apart from ugly). Well to be honest, Terry did the hard bit while Chris and I fetched and carried. It didn't take long. Terry's toolkit rivals a Bunnings warehouse with a gadget for every house or garden issue imaginable. The courtyard looks so much better...

Now the wisteria just needs to do it's work and get over the pergola. It will let so much more light into the living room in winter now too without the horrible green stuff. I also picked up the drill once or twice myself over the weekend...attached a hose reel to the back wall and moved the automatic water timer thingy to a more convenient position...and look...a coat rack courtesy of Ikea, me and a power tool. 

Quite pleased. Probably shouldn't have left my boots lying higgedly piggedly on the floor though. Never mind.

Well, this is a first for me, posting a picture of flowers on a friday :)

The lavender is from the courtyard mess garden which is slowly getting a spruce up for summer...I've given up on spring...this weather is ludicrous.
Anyway, it's another long weekend in the nation's capital and rain is forecast...what a surprise!
Still, I won't complain, and thanks to the lavender by my bed I'm assured of a very good night's sleep.
Have a wonderful weekend, long or otherwise, and thank you for spending some time with me this week. I love it when you do that :)

Sorry. A teeny bit late...

I thought that for a bit of a change, I'd give you an insight into what attracts me to the images I choose each week. What the first thing I notice is, because it will be different for each of us I'm sure. A scary look inside my brain!

No.1: textiles first, then books, art and windows. I don't like the blue coffee table, the toadstool or the creepy stuffed fawn, or the white side table in front of the tan sofa. Actually, I'd change quite a lot now I think about it!

 No. 2: the layered art and the interesting mirrored console/drinks thingy/whatever it is...

 No. 3: definitely the mirror, the black and white palette and the frilly shower curtain. The bath mat does nothing for me...I'd have a persian rug :)

 No. 4: the neon sign,the light boxes and the multiple lights...the quirk if you like. I'm not sure that I'd be doing the whole x-ray thing myself...perhaps something a little less confronting and a bit softer displayed on them to take some of the highly industrial edge off the room.

 No. 5: the art, the sofa and the zebra ottomans (or ottopersons as we call them in the tranquil townhouse...which reminds me, I have to recover mine but definitely not in zebra!)

 No. 6: the fact that it's a covered verandah...I am quite obsessed with verandahs...and that fireplace at the end. I'd have a lovely squishy armchair in here instead of a table and chairs though. Imagine escaping with a good book and hiding in here.

 No. 7: the art, especially the colours, the battered copper jug and just the elegant simplicity of the whole shebang

No. 8: that end wall and its little nook. It takes a simple and lovely kitchen into another place. I love it. Not sure about the three bottles at the end of the bench, but let's not be too picky.

No. 9: the windows, the height of the ceiling and the rustic table. It appears I have a bit of a thing for white kitchens. Actually, I think I do...I need to do something about mine pronto!

Hmm, no No. 10...never mind.

So, did you notice the things I did, or do you have a different take on what you pay attention to and what draws you in? 

images found, in order: architectural digest via design manifest; design manifest; design sponge; desire to inspire; lonny via brabourne farm; the decorista; the design files; driftwood interiors; 16 house

Happy day off to you, if you're having a public holiday that is. I am :)

I've been making friends with my new DeLonghi Pixie, its friend the milk frother and a vast array of Nespresso capsules that are a complete mystery to me. Alas, it didn't come with the optional George Clooney accessory, but it makes a mighty fine coffee nonetheless.

There's been much sorting, chucking out and organising of jewellery going on this weekend. And a bit of footie watching in between. It's been great weather to stay inside. And there may have been a bit of reading as well. Only right :)