Two days in Sydney

We went to see a play at the Sydney theatre company. Decided we'd catch the train up but missed it forgot the streets all parked out so had to park a long way away and watched the train go by. Waited for the next one and finally made it to Sydney. We went to the museum as we wanted to see the cartoons by Charles Addams. We are Addams family fans and New Yorker readers. The big exhibition was of Alexander the Great with pieces from the Hermitage museum in Moscow. I wasn't so impressed, partly I don't like the cult of Alexander and think he was a bit of an idiot plus much of the stuff had a bit of a tenuous connection with Alexander, interesting in its own right and for the feel of the world he lived it, but as they said after all the wars of last century and the devastation of colonisation empire building looks a bit of poor career choice these days.
We walked to our hotel which was the sebel pier one through the Rocks and under the harbour bridge. It is a lovely spot. We had dinner at the hotel and then went to see the play which I had never heard of and which was so funny. I'm not much into slapstick and physical comedy but this was wonderful. After the theatre we had the rest of our dinner creme brûlée yum and a glass of nice red which the hotel nicely gave us through the kitchen was closed (thank you).
We woke in the morning with the harbour lapping outside our window, is there a nicer way to wake up had their lovely breakfast watching the ferries pass and then walked up town to see the darling eldest daughter on her lunch break. After lunch I spent a happy hour or so picking wool at Morris and sons and then we went to abbeys book shop. Missed another train at town halls station, bit of a theme, but finally got home.

Golf golf

Two days of golf very nice through quite sore. Hadn't played for two weeks so pretty hopeless, getting a bit better by the end of the second day. Lovely weather now going into autumn but 25 degree days. We watch so much euro sport I get mixed up and think we are going into summer like them but probably our winter is more like their summer or even warmer. We have been watching the bike races like the tour in the Basque Country horrible weather and they are still really rugged up at the champions league games in England.
The most exciting thing at golf was I found a long necked turtle on the 16th hole, just a baby so we took it with us in the sand bucket to the creek at the 18th, they are mostly water dwellers those turtles. It flipped its way into the water at once and headed into the water weed to hide smart turtle. I missed it.
Resting today reading the paper going to make Anzac biscuits as it Anzac Day soon. Supposed to be the biscuits they sent to the overseas troops so its a symbol now. I don't like all the celebration of war that goes on, mostly used by creepy politicians. I like the biscuits through lots of oats in them. We've always made them for peace days too. I put less flour in than the recipe because I like them flat and some cinnamon.

Blog disorganised

Oh well I just published post that wouldn't publish before. Our Internet has been playing up and then off and I've been pre occupied by goodness knows what, just pottering about and catching up with friends. Child moved out and youngest moving quickly into her room so mess everywhere. Two jobs for next week get hair done and get friends tree cutter guy to trim some trees.
I hope we have a bit calmer couple of months feel like we've been in a whirlwind of change sometimes but that is normal life even for the quietest of people. Even if you sit very still there is erosion!
We have had a lovely morning aquaroebics and breakfast at the giddy goat cafe and now just hanging around in finally this week some sunshine. I am into knitting fair isle at the moment, the elk cushion and now another version for my daughter. Someone wrote about colours "popping" out which the blue does against the taupe, in the second version the taupe against the orange is the wrong way round but this is stash wool I have more orange than the taupe and the orange is very soft so I wanted to make it soft. I found a lovely new craft magazine, we are magazine lovers.

Home again

I am sitting with the sun blazing in the window, I won't last long in this spot, just drinking my tea and theme must move. I should have played golf today but didn't which I feel guilty about but really I just want to be home today. We arrived back yesterday from the cruise. Everything looks ultra bright and lovely so I will do some gardening.
I meant to write. Everyday about the cruise but ended up just cruising instead and busy when we were in ports. So I will try to remember it now. The first day we left Sydney in the evening. The cruise was on the carnival spirit for, 13 days around New Zealand. There were two sea days before we reached NZ, we played a couple of trivia games, went to the gym, played in a chipping and putting contest, (me), got some books out of the ships library, and had lovely breakfast/lunches in the buffets and beautiful dinners in the a la cart. Met the people from our table. Generally found our sea legs and our way around the ship. The decor was kind of crazy pre-raphaelites meet the Sistine chapel meet Las Vegas ancient Egypt and the sun king. Totally over the top but lots of places to wander and sit. We went to listen to the on board naturalist which was the best talk and we'd bought some binoculars so it was fun to watch for sea birds and dolphins and whales. First you think there is nothing out but I really found watching the sea relaxing. Also relieved to have no s..s.., whenever I thought about the rolling I thought of being on my body board which I like so it felt ok. Before we boarded we looked around the museum of contemporary art which I have always wanted to see, it was just across from the ship and the minded our bags. We had lunch on their roof cafe and looked at the ship. Then we boarded no waiting around, through the whole trip the process of getting on and off were so efficient and quick, airports should check out how ships do it!

Cardigan thoughts

I just finished a new baby cardigan. I want to make some knits for the prospective grandchildren. I feel like who knows maybe I won't be around and they will have something that their nana made. It is retro to me because the wool is patrons bluebell which my mother made most of her jumpers in, the colour is like a colour she would have picked for my father and the buttons are second hand and the kind that we seemed to always have on our cardigans. It's a Debbie Bliss pattern.
I was thinking about sewing class when I was five, we were making a pin wheel and we were supposed to double stitch for the start of the thread but I just couldn't get it right. In the end the teacher said to me tie a knot. I've done these anxious little knots ever since but I'm going to try and double stitch its a much neater finish. I had that pin wheel for a long time the thread was so dirty and no two stitches were the same.
I feel guilty today as I didn't play golf because it was raining, sometimes I think my whole life is guilt driven I wonder what I really want to do.

On the spirit

Our first day on board on our way to New Zealand. We being cheapies opted for an inside cabin but were upgraded, fairly common it seems. Now in a cabin with the sea outside. It is quite thrilling to wake up and watch the waves going past, the window is big, not just a porthole. We like the room it feels spacious, bigger than a hotel room. The only icky was the safety assembly done in the blazing afternoon sun. Also the niggly fear of s.. S.... But I am not thinking about it especially as I already had it yesterday on the train. I don't know why I felt off, nervous? Excited? I don't like leaving home much, I like it in theory. Once on our way I do love seeing new things.

Post Christmas

Things went alright a few small barks and bites but no major injuries. Yesterday I got to meet my friends first grandchild who I had made some knits, she is lovely. I've finished a new cardigan for her. It's from a Debbie Bliss pattern and in her wool which is nice but too expensive really. I had some lovely rose buttons to put on it.
I want to do some gardening, bought a nice David Austen rose. The problem with roses around here is the humidity which means we have a lot of black spot but this rose has none on it so I've got hopes for it.