Four Seasons Fill The Measure Of The Year

I don't believe it's been over a month since my last post.

October has been a mixed month, one of gluten free, dairy free birthday cakes (as I struggle with sinusitis and a bad bout of IBS);

hot summer-ish days spent on our beautiful harbour;

windy dry days followed by the mindful sweeping-up of leaves;

days of gratitude and appreciation as plants respond to the sudden burst of warm days after such a long and cold winter.

Having had such a cold winter accentuates the divide of the seasons, something we haven't experienced for some years now.
Welcome, Spring.

School Holidays

Here in New South Wales, it's school holiday time and my Grand Daughter, Daughter and I had the opportunity, last week, to spend a few days in the heart of Sydney.  We left the car at home and used public transport whenever we could and when not using public transport we walked.

Day One saw Little Miss Six and I spending most of the time together while Mum was at uni. The ferry took us from Milson's Point to Circular Quay and from there we took a short walk to Cadman's Cottage and the Overseas Passenger Terminal before heading off to meet my daughter for lunch.

We caught the train to Central Station and then walked to Broadway to the new One Central Park Building which has vertical gardens growing on its external walls.

I think it's pretty amazing don't you?

After lunch my daughter returned to uni and Little Miss Six and I walked to the Chinese Gardens of Friendship.  My grand daughter just loves the gardens and has been there three times in less than two years. For $5 children can hire Chinese traditional costume to wear while visiting the gardens. (Costumes are also available for adults)
  We had afternoon tea at the tea garden and then set off to the Powerhouse Museum.

Our second son designs and makes jewelry and a piece of his work has been selected for a jewelry exhibition called A Fine Possesion which is a rather extensive exhibition of jewelry through the times.

Here is his bracelet which is made from sterling silver juxtapositioned along side recycled plastic milk bottles.   I feel very proud to know that his work has been selected for such a prestigious exhibition.

Above is the necklace worn by Nicole Kidman in Moulin Rouge, (the movie) and is also in the exhibition.

There is lots more to see at the Powerhouse Museum, from cars, to trains as well as kids' activities and museum.  When Little Miss had had her fill we headed towards Central train station once more but made one more visit on the way.

At Ultimo, we found the ABC Building where we found a Doctor Who Portal.

We also watched ABC 24 News live (my favourite) and got a wave from the news team!
Little Miss' favourite was the ABC Shop (of course) and I purchased a Peter Rabbit DVD for her. (She is obsessed with Peter Rabbit and can recite huge chunks of dialogue from Peter Rabbit episodes!)

By now, our legs and feet were so sore it was a bit of challenge making our way to the train station (with a stop at the supermarket to pick up supplies for dinner).

We caught the train back to Milson's Point and flaked in front of the TV until dinner time.

Lunch

It's new year's day.
Day one of another year.
The first day of January 2014.

When I was sixteen I remember earnestly discussing George Orwell's novel, Nineteen Eighty Four, with my then high school peers. 1984 seemed an eon away.

And now, it's 2014. I re-read Nineteen Eighty Four last year...that is 2013.  Forty five years later I find the story depressing.


New year's day I find depressing too...the older I get. How I feel depends on how I spend the day. Or rather, how I spend new year's eve.

New year's eve December 2012 was dramatic, exciting, and fantastic. It was dangerous, unpredictable and invigorating.

Mr Honey Pie and I spent the eve with our youngest son, jostling for a prime position at his apartment car park from which we viewed the fire works display on Sydney Harbour. Arriving at my son's apartment was a life threatening event and I could write a short story on that day alone.  But it taught us a lesson which I felt would ensure we could still spend new year's eve in Sydney this time around, but better prepared.

That night, after the fireworks were over, we went to bed, but the rest of the city partied on until two in the morning, when miraculously someone must have flicked a switch to give way to complete silence.

We woke to a hot morning, the sun glaring into the apartment off the glistening waters of Lavender Bay.

Our favourite coffee shop was closed, perhaps they too had partied all night and needed some time to recuperate.  Eventually we managed to find another cafe for coffee and breakfast.

Perhaps I'm biased but I believe Sydney to be the best location in the world to bring in the new year.

My association with new year's eve and Sydney go back a long time. Our Mum often took us in to the city by train to witness the event.

When I married and had children Mr Honey Pie and I took our kids into the city on a few occasions to carry on the tradition.

Eventually though, what used to be a family event for many Sydneysiders, new year's eve became one to avoid as drunken revellers took to the streets.  The word had got out not only to the growing population of the largest city in Australia, but to the rest of the world too.

For many years, as young people flock to the inner city to live and tourist numbers to Sydney increase we avoided the harbour over this holiday. 

Then Mr Honey Pie landed a job which meant we, as a family, were entitled to spend new year's eve not only in Sydney, but on the harbour. Yes on the harbour.  Over the ten years that he held this employment we managed to visit our capital city four, five, maybe six times to see in the new year.  

When we could, we took extended family with us.

When the Olympic games came to Sydney we sailed out onto the inky water, one September night, to view the fireworks display celebrating the games coming to our city. That was in the year 2000.

What a year that was. Both Mr Honey Pie and I were employed in the marine industry and were closely involved in various ways with the organisers and sponsors of the games.  Every day that year, I travelled into the city to my office by train.  I breathed the Olympic games for  months before and after the event. 

It was an exciting time for me. And I had made sure I brought in the new decade, century and millennium the previous new year's eve by being on the harbour to enjoy the celebrations and fireworks put on my the Lord Mayor.

Just like, as a sixteen year old, I found it hard to look ahead to 1984, today it's hard to believe that the year 2000 was fourteen years ago.  

So much has happened in those fourteen years.  

My father never got to see the Olympic Games in Sydney, although he was there in September 1993 to hear Sydney declared the winner to host the 2000 Olympic Games.
  
The words in the heavy accent of Juan Antonio Samaranch "The winner is Sydney" are quoted to this day.  In 1998 my dad used the first three words of this now famous sentence to open his speech at my sister's wedding...that brought a laugh from his captive audience.

My brother though, made it to the Olympics only to leave us tragically in 2008.  

Since 2000 my family has seen grand parents become great grand parents; aunts and uncles become great uncles and great aunts; mums and dads become grand parents; sons and daughters become husbands and wives, mums and dads. And so the cycle continues.

Even though we experienced two devastating bush fires in the Blue Mountains in 2013, on a personal level the past year has especially been a memorable year for us.

My mum turned eighty, I turned sixty and our second son turned forty. We celebrated two baptisms and Mr Honey Pie, with some good ground work on his part landed himself a new position within walking distance from home. Our Grand Daughter started school, our eldest son married and our youngest became engaged.

Which brings me back to new year's eve 2013.

I had held out hope to be in Sydney on that night. With our youngest son and his fiancée and Mr Honey Pie, the Sydney Harbour Bridge on our right. Sydney Opera House on our left. Circular Quay directly in front of us. No car parks or jostling crowds this time. The perfect view, sitting in our own space, literally metres from the action. 

I'm still trying to figure out why I was the only person out of four that wanted that. That wished for it.  Just one more time.  To feel the explosions reverberating through my chest. To hear the unified oohs and aahs of the city as one more massive shower of colour opened out onto our city.

Instead we watched it on television. About seventy kilometres away from the abrasive city crowd. Not quite the same even if we now own our first ever big screen TV. 
Because that's what three out of four wanted.

On new year's day 2014 I had lunch with Mr Honey Pie, our youngest son and his fiancée at home, in the Blue Mountains.  A long, long way away from the probably still sleeping city of Sydney.

It was a delicious lunch of Thai style coconut chicken with salad and wraps.  Made for us by our future Daughter-in-law. Sometimes, I just have to go with the flow. And although a little disappointed (I'm going to allow myself that), I didn't feel one bit depressed.

Day 366/366

Happy New Year to you All!

Day 267/366

Sydney Harbour Bridge from Lavender Bay

At Sunset.

Being here today made me realise how much of Sydney I have not seen, even though I have lived in and around Sydney all my life.

I have never seen Sydney Harbour Bridge in daylight hours from this side before.

It certainly looks more crowded and busy from the north side!

24 September 2012:  Well I'm not great with directions.
Mr Honey Pie tells me that yes, I was standing on the north-side of Sydney (i.e. North Sydney), but this photograph is of the west face of Sydney Harbour Bridge. (The sun was setting behind me).
So - please accept my apologies for any confusion I may have caused by the above description.
Normally, I view the bridge from Circular Quay and then I'm looking at the east face of the bridge.
It is all a little confusing for me...yes I have seen the bridge from this side, before, and it was at night.
Anyway, enjoy the view!

Day 244/366

Last day of winter.

End of the month.

End of the week.

The pressure is on at work.

So what better way to relax than to go to tapas in North Sydney with Mr Honey Pie, Second Son, and Youngest Son.

We went to Delicado Foods where we sat outdoors, yes outdoors, in freezing cold and wet weather at 6.30 p.m.  

But not to worry, we were seated in a cosy closed-in area with two gas heaters blaring until it was a relief to have one switched off.

Mr Honey Pie has to work on Sunday, that is Father's Day here in Australia, so this was a great chance for our two boys to spend some time with their Dad.

We had a beetroot and goat's cheese croquette as starters and they were delicious.  And that's coming from someone who hates goat's cheese.

Another outstanding dish was the melt in your mouth pork.

Spanish dining wouldn't be complete without a serving of Churros con Chocolate, dulce de leche.  (For my ever craving sweet tooth!)

Afterwards we braved the cold and walked to Youngest Son's apartment building.

He only moved in a month ago so this is my first visit to his new home.

I took the above photograph from the car park of his apartment.

I only had my very poor photo taking mobile phone.

As you can see there is a lot of 'noise' in this photo but this has happened because I zoomed in to take the photo.  I have uploaded it without editing.

Despite this, I like the effect achieved; I think it gives the photo a canvas look.

Tomorrow; first day of Spring.