WORLD READING DAY

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Except in the UK and Ireland.

We are a family of keen readers. We had shelves built on three walls of this upstairs room and all the shelves are full. I think we need to curate this collection!

Some recent holiday reading.

We have another break coming up and have already bought a pile of books to read, ready to pack when the time comes.

Just finished this bookclub book, Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood and really enjoyed it. Based on historical fact and rounded out with some fiction, it was a good read.

Tomorrow, the 25th of April is ANZAC Day in Australia and New Zealand, when we remember those who courageously fought to keep Australia and New Zealand free. These biscuits were made from oatmeal, flour, sugar and golden syrup to  stay fresh for long periods. They were sent by sea to the Middle East and France to the soldiers and all those men and women who supported them and we eat them on Anzac Day. ANZAC stands for Australian and New Zealand Army Corp.

Read a great book for World Book Day!

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Easter Blog

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Good Friday

The very moist centred chocolate cake is delicious!

A special Good Friday treat to share with friends and family.

The thermal wrappers were bought online and were very easy to use.
Boil the eggs, let them cool, slip the egg into the wrapper and then place it on a dessert spoon.
Dip the spoon into a bowl hot water, submerging the egg, hold for a few seconds then remove and allow to cool.

Very pretty eggs!

I hope your Easter time is restful and lovely and spent with people you love.

Did you enjoy World Scrabble day yesterday?

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Pretty Easter Eggs

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Easter planning has begun! I sprayed shaving cream in a baking dish and dripped, then streaked, food dye through the cream with a toothpick to create swirling patterns and then rolled hard boiled eggs through.

Set them to dry in an egg carton for about 15 minutes then washed them clean.

They look very pretty!

The red Pierre de Ronsard standard rose has turned into a tree. This stem is 165cm, or 65 inches long and needed a heavy based spaghetti jar as a vase.

Did you do something good on World Health Day?

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Oh Sweetpea!

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Time to plant my sweetpeas. My mother and I collect the seeds at the end of each season.

I store the collected seeds in paper bags in a tin box, then soak the ones I’m going to plant on wet paper towel overnight. They germinate very quickly.

Meanwhile, the gardenias continue to bloom and bloom in the heat.


The three larger miniature birdcages are new. All of them have doors that open. Normally they’re scattered in a silver bowl amongst decorative balls and pebbles I collected all over the world.

I hope you did something wonderful yesterday on World Theatre Day!
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Some Watching, Some Reading, Some Cooking

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Books and Mug
Reading Death of an Owl by Paul Torday about British politics and really enjoying it. Also re-reading Annie Poulx’s unsentimental but carefully researched story of immigration to America and the ownership of an accordion through many generations. Drusilla Modjeska’s Timepieces is a snapshot of the energy and beliefs of the women’s movement in the 70s told through her memories of family, love, place and friendship. A Manual For Cleaning Women by Lucia Berlin has great reviews but I’ve only read three stories so far!
Coco and Igor
Watching Coco and Igor, a partly fictionalised affair between Coco Chanel and Igor Stravinsky set when she launches Chanel 5 and he has just written the poorly received music for The Rites of Spring. Anna Mouglalis is superbly dressed in Chanel. Just as wonderful are the interiors of Chanel’s country house Bel Respiro and her apartment in Rue de Cambon.
Beef and broccoli
Eating Beef and Broccoli made by my son.
Lemon Drizzle Cake
The first sign of ripening lemons and I make Lemon Drizzle Cake.

Hope you celebrated International Women’s Day this week!

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Birdcages

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Birdcages on glasses cupboard

When we lived in China I watched the old men walking their birds in birdcages down to the park. They’d hang their cages in the trees and sit and talk and smoke. Sometimes I could hear the birds singing.

Birdcages on corner unit

We brought most of these cages back with us to Australia. Some are intended for birds, but most are decorative.

Birdcages entrance table

The bird market had cages of all sizes and colours. They were handmade in many different materials. You could buy everything you needed for your bird: seed, cage covers, ceramic food and water bowls and many different breeds of small birds.

Birdcages on side table with sculpture

Happy Childrens’ Authors and Illustrators Week wherever you are in the World

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