Category Archives: family

Australian adventures: One

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Isn’t this fun NaniViv & Kerry?

It was a busy couple weeks in Australia; a miscellany of many things, starting in Melbourne. We looked after our granddaughters for a few days; busy times indeed working around their activities. We visited the National Art Gallery to see the Triennial exhibition; a host of fabulous contemporary art. NaniViv (as I’m called), was travel-worn and hot, but the girls not. I suggested afternoon tea, and they suggested the city centre. We did both. It was fun trying on clothes at Cotton On, and buying a top each. Though they were extra excited when I suggested shoe shopping, having just lost a heel off mine at the gallery. Next came groceries, and the need for fruit ‘straps’ for a secret treat they wished to make for dessert. They had no idea these would harden on contact with the ice cream and cause a spectacular dripping.

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Pink roses can spell love too

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Roses by JFL Fowlds

If I hadn’t admired a friend’s post last week, where he posted a fine painting of flowers, I may not have thought of writing about the painting I have sitting on my study wall. There is a history to this painting of pink roses in an old-fashioned vase (circa late 1940s), which was possibly done as a study from an image in a book, or calendar. The book may have well been a ‘how to paint’ variety, showing step by step processes. My father clearly studiously emulated the image – whatever its provenance. The sketch, painted in watercolour on a primed piece of cardboard, was admired by those who saw it, including myself and siblings. I was a teen when my father died, and any art of his carries special meaning.

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What lay behind the biscuit barrel?

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Considering the handle

Last post I was dealing with a crook back. Improving now, thank goodness. I was also recovering from a cataract operation, and that I found even less conducive to looking at a screen for writing, or a sketch pad for sketching. However, I can exercise again, and can see without peripheral bright light flashing, finally enabling me to do the post I’d planned. For two or more weeks I’d thought about drawing this old wooden barrel, which is a perfect container for loose tea. It did start its life as quite a different object which I’ll get to by and by.

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Port Douglas: Part 2

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The second week in Port Douglas passed in a similar pleasant style to the previous one, seeing us mingling with our friends at the beach, or over drinks in the evening. The weather was warm and skies calm until the end of the week, when strong wind ruffled the sea and waves rolled onto Four Mile Beach. Kerry was undeterred by the strong wind as he loves nothing better than body surfing the waves. I was happier either walking or sketching. But this week had a different focus, because we decided to visit a wildlife habitat a short distance from the town. Never before, I must add, had I ever posed for a touristy photo like the one you see here. I only agreed as I love owls. What a hoot!

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Port Douglas: Part one

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Kerry and I were lucky to be invited to spend time with old friends in Port Douglas, North Queensland, Australia for two weeks. We landed in Cairns (a 5 and a half hour flight from Auckland), and if you look closely on the map you’ll see Port Douglas marked above it. It is an hour’s drive further north.

We left in winter temperatures and arrived to a summery 27 degrees. The sky was blue, the water likewise. Too cold for ‘stingers’ we were told. Thank goodness for that I thought, knowing there were many that had wrapped their tentacles around unsuspecting strangers’ limbs in the past.

Four Mile Beach Port Douglas early morning

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The best gift

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A few weeks back I posted about my husband Kerry’s special birthday (80th). He received wine, chocolate and song at his party, but when he opened a box-shaped present later that evening he was amazed. For on the wrapping paper sat the most unique, but perfectly delightful gift. Some of you may have heard of, or even owned a tin SPACE PATROL vehicle with Da Da Sound. This model is circa 1970’s and from China, although there were earlier Japanese models through the 1950s and sixties. But neither Kerry and I had come across this toy in our childhood, or vroomed one around a room. I know I was was overjoyed to see the Space Patrol toy, brightly coloured with stars and flashes and a ‘robot’ driver. I immediately planned to sketch this fabulous machine, and finally found the time to spend on it yesterday.

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What a couple of weeks it’s been!

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There is nothing so annoying as the computer when suddenly things go wrong. This was the case when I was compiling my post two weeks back. It wasn’t saving my writing, or images, and despite the best intentions, and help, the problem continued. I did manage to get a limited post out, that you may have seen, by closing and opening WordPress, writing one sentence and pressing save. Sound OK? You might want to think about doing that again and again, and still find the whole post, plus images still wasn’t saved. To top this IT mess off, I accidentally dropped my phone in the bath! I said @#$#@%** and a lot of other four-letter words. 

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Visiting the past

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Lyall Bay looking surprisingly calm

The trip to Wellington last week catered for two needs; to see my friend Jayne, and to gather research for the book I am writing. Jayne and I met when I lived in the area many years ago. We had a lovely couple of days together, one of which involved Jayne offering to drive me around the areas I wished to research. So, we headed across town, through the ‘tooting’ tunnel and towards Lyall Bay – one of the places the protagonist of my novel lived in the 1970s. I’ve called her Marjorie and she is based on a very complex woman I used to know well. Back then she liked to be called Mother.

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Living with drama.

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I mentioned in my last post that my daughter Lara was staying with me, as she is directing a show for the Auckland Theatre Company – opening night this coming Thursday. That is … if the shocking weather we are currently experiencing here doesn’t put pay to that. I could say, well it won’t be the first time a show has been cancelled, and some of you may even think, so what? I’ll give you some facts here: personal ones. My daughter is an actress and director of stage; whether it be a drama, comedy, or a play with music, as is the current show.

All people associated with theatre in New Zealand have had it exceptionally hard since Covid slipped through our borders. Every show starts way before the curtain goes up, with the programme planned, often years in advance, before the call goes out for auditions. With other careers, during Covid restrictions, many people were able to work from home, thus keeping some consistency of work flowing. For the performing arts sector; face to face auditions could not be held, which meant actors had to video their own audition pieces and send to the director or directors involved. And even if they were accepted for a role, there were no guarantees that the show would go ahead.

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Little did we realise

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My daughter was staying for a while as she is directing a stage show in Auckland, and suggested that she could mind Ninja, our tabby, should we wish to have a few days away. “Hawkes Bay,” Kerry and I said in unison and set about looking for accommodation. We booked a cottage in Clive, which is equi-distant between three centres; Napier, Hastings and Havelock North. Fabulous beaches, bike trails, wineries and food abound in this region – a five and a half hour drive from Auckland. The cottage was new though named Colonial, as it was built to look like the small wooden homes from the late 1800s. It was delightful, inside and out and the bed super comfy, especially since Ninja wasn’t hugging our space (don’t tell him).

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