~January~

Phew here I am back on the blog and January is nearly over

New Year's Day I like to start a new project so why not make it a big one lol

I thought I would do Anni Downs' My Favourite Things Quilt

The Fat 1/8th bundle is the actual My Favourite Things Fabric and the others are the beiges I will be using

I made a simple Quiche and we thought we would open some Christmas Wine.....French of course

I admired my Bookmark brought home from Riga, Latvia 

The little brooch is the colours of the Latvian Flag......maroon and white
Such a history with this Flag

I made a start on the quilt

I opened up a gift to myself of an apron that I bought in Roussillon on Provence, France

I received this beautiful Tagine at Christmas time
Thank You Danelle

I made a Pear and Almond Tart.......recipe from Manu Feildel's book, Manu's French Kitchen
Mmmmm delicious

My Sister came to visit

and we drove around River Cottage country at Tilba

We checked out a new Cafe/Restaurant at the Mariner, all with a boat view

Took a beach walk

Started some colouring in

Did some quick pickling of cucumbers

And took them to my mate Asta's, a fellow Baltic and enjoyed them with some good ol' Black Rye Bread

Had the little Grandies here for a week

and took another beach walk.

Normally one can get around this corner but not with the tide last weekend....

Hope your January was a good one

Till next time.....Dzintra

A Wedding...Roger Waters AND Harry Potter!!!

Part of our 'Whirlwind February'...

Tickets to Harry Potter the Exhibition at Power House Museum, Sydney

and at the same time invitations to an Australian/Vietnamese wedding...

JoJo and I all set for the wedding...

Damien and Thanh...

This wedding was made more special in that the couple had to wait another an extra 3 years to become married as Thanh's Father had passed...

the menu...

the tickets...these were a surprise Christmas gift for us from our Son James who is an avid fan of Roger!!!

The Concert was called 'The Wall'...

JoJo with her 'Hammer' Tshirt that she purchased...

Walking over to the stadium...

Entrance to the Roger Waters concert at Olympic Park home of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games...

Venue filling up...

Part of the magic!!!

Hotted up car outside...

Sunrise...and Sydney Harbour Bridge in the background...

Parramatta River in the foreground...city in the background...

James and JoJo...

Thank you so very very much James for this special gift...we had a ball!

Coming up to Harry Potter at Darling Harbour...

A terrace on the way...

A train at the entrance...Locomotive No 1 which hauled the first train  to run in New South Wales in 1855....

The Flying Ford Anglia, the car used in the film....

Sitting in the chair outside the exhibition...

A fabulous exhibition...and I got to sit in Hagrid's Chair!!!

Of course I had to purchase some souveneres...couldn't resist this satchel...

Paper bag...mug and bookmark...

My set of HP books...

My Harry doll that I found at a garage sale...unfortunately the Philosopher's Stone is missing from his hand...

This little sparkly box brought home by JoJo from her Art Group...

Lots more to tell in my next post...

Happy Weekend...Dzintra

Morning Tea With Di Morrissey!!!

Wow, Wow, Wow...what a morning I have had...I'm so excited...I have just been to a book signing and morning tea with Australia's top Authoress...the wonderful Di Morrissey!!! 

Di spoke about her early childhood at Pittwater in Sydney...

meeting one of the neighbours...the Australian Poetess Dorothea McKellar who wrote the magical I Love A Sunburnt Country!!!

She told us how she met Dorothea...

Di also told us about her career...

her yearning to tell stories and how she came to write them...

Above pic of Di with my favourite book of hers...Tears of the Moon...

Set in Broome (Western Australia) in 1893...

it tells the story of the Pearling Industry in Broome...

what inspired Di to call the female character 'Olivia'...

and how every afternoon they had a Sundowner...

usually an alcoholic drink at sundown after the day's work...

My good friend Fiona who came with me today confirmed this about the Sundowner as she comes from Westen Australia LOL!!!

According to Indian mythology it is believed that pearls are formed by the tears of the moon dropping into the sea... (from the book)

This is where Di spoke from...

I took along my copies of Di's book and hoped that there was a chance she may sign them...and blow me down she did!!!

Thanks so much Di!!!

We all received a little goody bag on our seats generously provided to us by Angus & Robertson (Batemans Bay)

And here is Di with Lyn from Angus and Robertson...

Di with yours truly...

A very welcoming Fruit Salad...

The backdrop for the morning...

The Restaurant at the venue Bay Waters Inn...

which we may go to to celebrate our Wedding Anniversary next week!!!

After arriving home I put all Di's book back on my shelf satisfied that I had them all signed...except 1...Can you believe that!!!

A wonderful morning that I thoroughly enjoyed...