Well, I'm still extremely busy (how are you going?)...

but I did manage to get ten pics this week

Pity that I've run out of time to write a lot though!

Too much time spent at work...

or away from the house on the weekend...

or with my nose stuck in a book...

or best of all, when I can manage it...

having a nice, long sleep!

Or, if it was last night...

a special trip to the movies.

Bill Cunningham New York...

an absolute must see.

Off to Sydney again tomorrow for work so I'm not sure if there'll be a post on Friday...we'll just have to go with the flow, no? Or should that be yes. You'll work it out I'm sure. Lots of love though, to blog friends old and new :-)

seen on: life of riley; a perfect gray; apartment therapy; ivy & piper; my design chic; style files; parlour home; livet hemma; the diversion project; the painted hive; 

I spent yesterday with a group of lovely friends on an Open Garden Scheme tour of Jackie French's garden...

For those who don't know, are too young to know, forget they ever knew, never knew...

Jackie French is a well known and award winning author, columnist, speaker, presenter. She's been on the tv and on radio...she writes and talks about a lot of things, especially the bush and fruit trees...and historical fiction and non-fiction, children's stories, gardening...she's pretty extraordinary.

Jackie's home in the beautiful Araluen Valley near Braidwood NSW was open over the weekend and she was the hostess. So generous with her time and clearly an expert with a vast knowledge honed by an inquiring mind...

 

I lost count of the hundreds of trees, shrubs, plants that she and her husband Bryan care for. You can read a lot more about it on her website as well as about the 140 books she's written...yes 140!  It was a fascinating talk, most of which went right over my non-horticultural head, but wow, what a lovely place to spend a few sunny Sunday hours.

Of course I had to buy a book :-) 

This is part of the foreword ...
"Once upon a time I bought some land. I wanted to build a house, an orchard, a world of peace and plenty..."
Can't wait to read it.

Bless.

It was another mighty reading month here in the townhouse...ten books, making my year to date total 63! Pretty impressive even if I do say so myself :-)
Here are the October covers...

And in order of reading:

The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd (fiction)

A Cup of Light by Nicole Mones (fiction)

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen (fiction)

Good to a Fault by Marina Endicott (fiction)

The Thoughtful Dresser by Linda Grant (non-fiction/memoir)

Odd One Out by Monica McInerney (fiction)

Waiting Room by Gabrielle Carey (memoir)

The Blackwater Lightship by Colm Toibin (fiction)

The Seven Sisters by Margaret Drabble (fiction)

Still Alice by Lisa Genova (fiction)

As you can see, it was heavy on the fiction this month, but my goodness there were some powerful reads...I think that books find you, in fact I'm convinced of it, and this month two of the books dealt with dementia (Still Alice and Waiting Room), and one with ageing (Water for Elephants). I'm sure these books found their way to me to help me understand and deal with my dad's dementia diagnosis. Still Alice was especially moving, and also very instructive. The author is a neuroscientist, or was...she's now a writer...which I think is why the book is so believable, and such a sympathetic portrayal of early onset Alzheimers. She has a blog here. This book was my favourite this month, closely followed by A Cup of Light (the author's previous book The Last Chinese Chef was also wonderful) and The Blackwater Lightship. Odd One Out was a bit of fluff and I really couldn't say to you rush out and read it (to be honest I can't even remember what it was about although it was pleasant enough at the time), but all the others...yes. They weren't all easy reads but they were worthwhile. Most definitely.

I hope your reading is going well. 10 books in the 10th month...I'll be trying for 11 in November :-)

Do you hang out for the top ten every Wednesday? What! You don't! Oh well, that's good because there isn't one this week. I've been too busy working and gallivanting off to Sydney and back and haven't had time to collect random bits of gorgeous decor and other pretty/striking/ thought provoking/ colourful/ quirky/insert own adjective here pictures. Sorry about that. But here are some snaps I took when I was in Sydney on the weekend. Consider it a consolation prize. Lovely house fronts in Woollahra...

 

Is it odd to take photos of tree stumps? No, I didn't think so either...

And to finish...some urban art in Newtown. Just ignore the rude word.

Hopefully we'll be back to normality next week. Whatever that is :-)

Last week I followed a link on Shannon Fricke's blog to a fabulous shop called LivedIn Coogee. Since the 100 day don't buy anything I don't really need challenge I set myself finished, and my habits changed a little, I don't do an enormous amount of shopping. I do some of course. I'm not silly! But I was intrigued by Vanessa's story...she'd done a Shannon Fricke workshop (as had I) and she went on to open her own shop (as I most definitely did not!). You can read about it here on Shannon's blog.
Anyway, long story short...not living in Sydney, I couldn't go to the actual shop so I hopped over to the online shop and immediately fell in love with this...

I am a kaftan girl from way back...oh yes I am :)
I whipped out the credit card, ordered, three days later it was delivered to the office, wore it out that night...many compliments...one happy shopper! As I emailed to Vanessa, "I am totally in love with it. I can wear it as a dress or over trousers. It's so versatile and comfortable."
This is the only item of clothing in the online store at the moment, but check out the lovely homewares you'll find there. I was a bit in love with this, but alas it's sold...pout. 

Vanessa has a lovely blog too. You should check it out. 

I have to say that the little townhouse garden is excelling itself so far this spring...

I wouldn't call myself a brilliant gardener...I'm certainly not very knowledgeable about trees and plants and flowers...not like Sarah

But I am completely convinced of one thing...

  ...there are few things more restorative to a sad heart, a tired body or a worried brain than spending some time in a garden...

 admiring the perfect loveliness of a simple little flower and being grateful for the chance to sit for a while and just look

 even if it's only in the confines of a small courtyard garden. Actually, especially in a small space...it reminds me that we don't need all that very much to be happy.

Gardens allow us to just 'be'.

...even if that small garden is inhabited by a mad cat :)

The slayer and I send you our best wishes for a wonderful, serene weekend. Go and smell some flowers  if you can. And as Elvis says...

 This week for the first time I'm joining in with maxabella loves...

all images: a tranquil townhouse

Thank goodness...

the Melbourne Cup and Halloween madness is over for another year...

Sometimes I think I'm turning into one of those people who could appear on the Grumpy Old whatever show...

except I'm not famous so that's not going to happen.

Otherwise I might just qualify.

Or it could be that I lost my money on the the race sweeps I entered.

I'll never get that $8 back! On the plus side, the Reserve Bank cut interest rates yesterday.

I did think that the winning French jockey was very humble and charming though...good on him for acknowledging the suspended Australian jockey whose place he took. 

All class Christophe.

I'm going to Sydney this weekend and hoping to spend a bit of time with the first born. She provided this photo...nice huh?

images seen on: brydie brown; brabourne farm; brydie brown; the neo lifestyle; delight by design; gild and grace; little emma english home; style by emily henderson; stye files; chasing satellites