I Baked

Now if any of my children read this they may well faint ... as they well know I am not a domestic goddess in fact I dislike anything to do with cooking. Well that was then and now I have a new kitchen with a great new stove. So yesterday, upon finding some very over-ripe bananas in my fruit bowl I decided to bake. Yep bake ... banana bread.

I used the recipe from the Original Margaret Fulton Cookbook for Banana Bread (minus the walnuts as I didn't have any). Now it said to cook for 1 hour at 180 C, but after around 45 mins I started to smell a little bit of a burnt smell, so I quickly took the cake tin out and rescued it just in time. Obviously fan forced ovens cook faster ... who would have guessed.

Hubby and I actually like the fact that there is a crispy outside to the banana bread. It tastes yummy even though I didn't have quite enough sugar and I used raw sugar instead of white.

So here to prove that I indeed baked - is a photo of the finished product, sliced and buttered ready to serve.

Kitchen Renovations - Almost Done

Well it is almost done - a few minor things need doing, like getting new floor coverings and new blinds for the windows. Also the range hood man needs to come back and finish the fitting, but to all intents and purposes it is done. So may I present our new kitchen.

My Favourite Place In Sydney

Do you have a favourite place to visit in a city that is not your own? On my first trip to Sydney way back in 2001 I happened upon the Chinese Gardens of Friendship - tucked away between Darling Harbour and China Town. This beautiful, tranquil setting always refreshes and inspires me. The beautiful plants, the tranquil water, the hidden corners, the architecture and the dragons - not only the carved dragon wall, but real life dragons that if you are really, really lucky appear before you.


I would love to get to the Gardens each time I visit Sydney, but the reality is that I very rarely find the time. This visit I was determined to get there and yet again I was enchanted as soon as I walked between the carved stone welcoming dragons and entered the wooden doors ... and the Universe smiled upon me ... I was honoured to have a close encounter with a dragon who chose to walk towards and sit beside me for a while.


If you ever get to Sydney, I hope you find the time to visit and that you are as inspired and enchanted as I am with this beautiful place in such a busy city. To whet your appetite here are just some of the shots I took on this visit ... enjoy.

A Painful Truth

Anyone who has read this blog for a while would know I suffer from pain caused by osteoarthritis and DISH, this past couple of months has seen me in more pain than usual, especially my left knee and both my hands.

While in Sydney, I was really handicapped when it came to walking around, but I did what I could and really enjoyed being over there. However, each night I was close to tears and the day I walked from the Chinese Gardens to the Aquarium, I was actually in tears while walking. It is hard to face up to the fact that walking makes you cry ... especially in public, so I was thankful that when I got to the Aquarium I was able to take a moment in the darkness of the platypus exhibit to shed a tear while sitting on bench.

This moment lead to an Epiphany ... and it was not a good one. I have always wanted to travel to Canada and New Zealand ... hubby and I were thinking in a couple of years. Now I am not so sure that I will ever be able to get there. This caused me to have a little meltdown when I talked to my hubby one afternoon ... I mean, these 2 trips have been my dream destinations for many, many years. But it seems now that I can not justify spending all that money to travel and then not being able to get around to visit the places I want to see.

At 55, I am way to young for knee or hip replacements, but constantly walking around in pain, waiting for my knee to collapse is not fun. It is hard to lose a dream, and hopefully, somehow, this dream will still become a reality ... but at the moment, it is hard to see that happening.

The other thing that saddens me, is that my problems will likely be inherited by my children. Two of them have travelled, two of them have not, I hope that if there dreams are to travel they do so before it is too late.

A Room With A View

While we were in Sydney, we stayed in a room with a view - Level 19 at the Meriton Apartments in Bondi Junction. For someone with mild vertigo, it was a little difficult for me to go out onto the balcony to take these photos - but I just had to share. Lets just say I didn't go too close to the railing.

Oh and this post is not sponsored in any way, shape or form ... however if someone from the Meriton just happens to read this post and feels like giving me a discount next time, I certainly wouldn't say no ... I love staying there.