the grassy garden

it has been a long time

2011-12-03T12:28:00.008+11:00

Life can kick you in the ass and that is certainly what has happened to me lately. But it's all the day to day things that help resolve and soften pain, loss or disappointment, little things that just make life normal, balanced and reinforce the value of my good friends and family that I cannot live without. Tough times make these people even more critical in my life and I'm so thankful for them. Simple things like riding a bike and crashing, and losing a tooth.

enjoying the freedom of the open spaces on a clean and beautiful beach,

birthday celebrations,

finding new places to explore,

graduating from kinder,

making pasta.

normal

2011-08-13T14:40:00.005+10:00

Its important to do normal things to keep myself balanced, when other parts of life are chaotic, busy and uncontrollable...to eat a lovely homemade lunch of snapper sashimi, and a hand made soup stock made from mackerel, with soba noodles and spring onions....thanks to my love for that...
slow brekky at a lovely cafe....
...and pretty poppies in season. This is enough. Happy weekend to you all.

slowpoke

2011-07-29T20:20:00.005+10:00

A few weeks back we had a lovely brekky at the small and sweet Slowpoke cafe, 157 Brunswick St, Fitzroy. Its been a good 10 years since I have eaten over that side of town and it was really nice to be out there early on a Sunday morning while everyone started to wake up.
We scored the great front table which was bathed in morning sun and provided an opportunity for a few random street dwellers to ask for donations through the large window....this cafe was warm with share table and a few little tables at the front, a big open fire down the back and more seating as well as an outdoor part. Greeting us was smell of fresh coffee brewing and warm kitchen smells.....good morning!
Simple food of team friends avocado and feta with a squeeze of lemon and chilli twist....
Ricotta with softly marinated cherry tomatoes, a touch a rosemary and s and p heaped on top of fresh tasty bread. Plenty of super smooth coffee, hot chocs and babychinos. A really nice cafe, friendly staff and a good place to take kids if you go early. They even have a copy of Mr Slow in the loo. This place gets 3 sugar lumps out of 5.

Beatrix cafe

2011-07-17T14:26:00.009+10:00

We had brekky at the very cute and lovely Beatrix in North Melbourne. The cafe was quiet and had the most tasty food.
This cake was given the thumbs up, a flaky pastry roll with pecans and raisins....
...sweet decorations and cute utensils with big windows overlooking lovely Nth Melbourne streets..
The kind of hot chocolate I like, not too sweet, milk not too hot and made from chocolate sauce not gritty powder....mmmmmmmm
This whopee cake with a hint of ginger and real cream was so soft and delicious. Eaten along with my hot chocolate, still wasn't too much of a sugar rush. I didn't take a photo of the beautiful mushroom ciabatta or the lemon slice with a buttery cookie base. A good reason to go back!

This was a really nice place to go for a cafe catch up, I'm sure the coffee is good but I didn't have one today, friendly and prompt service, well priced, lots of parking and a great variety of sweets and savouries. I did notice a huge, fluffy lemon chiffon cake on the counter but resisted, another reason to go back!! Did I mention we got some handmade lamingtons to take away.....

fun stuff in no order

2011-06-15T19:40:00.006+10:00

Every weekend we try to do something interesting. Go somewhere or do something....there's a lot to do! Snow already at Mt Donna Buang, according to locals, its going to be a bumper year. It might be time to invest in a toboggan.

Yo Gabba Gabba was so funny and clever, except the bit that had Hughesy..he is not very funny. High lights were appearances by the Biz the beat box guy and Little Red
Another weekend we went to Daylesford and Hepburn. This is near the lake where we quietly watched the lovely blue wrens in the trees.
Peaceful! Winter isn't so bad :)

back home

2011-06-03T15:18:00.007+10:00

We started the adventure just two and met the third in Singapore. We ran to catch the flight to KL. We made it. KL was great, busy, hot and interesting. Some nice food and shopping too...
Then, we made to our favourite little secret beach on Redang island. Beautiful, no people, plenty of sunshine and swimming, turtle sightings, fish, bombings off the jetty into warm, warm waters, kayaking, paddle boarding, swimming, eating, drinking, eating, diving, snorkelling, boating, massaging, talking, relaxing.....
Back to KL after a week at the beach, finding some great and cheap places to eat....about $3 to feed 3 hungry tummies....
We took a day trip to see the great grandma, who grows peanuts amongst other things. Here is mooey learning the finer points of peanut shelling, which soon turned into how many shells can be thrown around the place, which entertained everyone.
This was followed by a goodbye lunch at the very famous and very local beef balls shop....
We had dinner one night in the old town where my husband grew up as a kid, otherwise known as dodgytown.....a very special dinner of longevity noodles and crispy baby piglet for his Dads birthday party.....
Here is a normal brekky place we had some noodles and stuff...no lattes here :(

We had a great trip and did a lot of things but I always love to come back to Australia. I really do love Melbourne. I have had a few extra days off before returning to full time work. I have enjoyed these few days to do boring things like shopping and fun things like cooking, running, thinking and catching up with friends and family. With time or no time I still hate washing clothes. I still have 3 or 4 emails to write to lovely people far away. I have not done one creative thing, which I regret. I even bought a big, inspiring canvas and its still big and empty. I have also not done a creative projects with mooey, I hope to do at least one this weekend. Making/creating stuff is so enjoyable, I do not know why I have not dedicated any time at all to engaging in free and playful thoughts, time to rectify this I think!!.....

I have found a lovely work mentor and decided on 3 goals I would like to achieve/work towards this half year to help make my work life more meaningful and purposeful. I did just get a new job and worked in it a week before going on holidays so it kind of feels like a new year even though its June.

Hope to keep this blog updated a bit more often, it has been much neglected. I have found quite a few new blogs this week and wasted quite a bit of time reading them, but that in itself has been pleasurable as its nice to know there are some really cool people out there with their own struggles and successes.

not much

2011-04-29T15:45:00.002+10:00

A couple of days off seems enough, without actually going on holidays...its been good to do the daily drop off and picks ups and have dinner ready early and keep on top of the washing and wait stupidly long times for coffee and hang out with peoples, read many blogs, look at lots of nice recipes, think about work and life, go running when I feel like it, go every where without rushing, walk in the sunshine, avoid public transport. Time just to reflect. A nice few days!

happy holidays

2011-04-26T07:21:00.001+10:00

We are having a ball and with the rest of the week as holidays and sunny days predicted, it couldn't be a better Easter!

brighter days

2011-04-16T16:47:00.011+10:00

My 38th Birthday is looming so I received an early pressie, a point and shoot of the new variety. I am so impressed at the clarity of these shots taken from various locations at Vic market. I played with all the settings but basically it is automatic, point and shoot. The first shot is in China town.

beautiful japan

2011-03-18T21:07:00.003+11:00

I have never felt such sadness and so connected to an event, external to my little world, before this past horrible week of events in my beloved adopted country, Japan. I am glued to the news reports and images, of the beautiful, devastated people, standing in lines for hours, feeling dazed and completely shattered by the loss of their lives, jobs, houses, friends and families yet remain incredibly dignified. The piles of lives once lived simply, in those small streets with sliding doors and no locks and pretty flowers, all smashed up and covered in broken pieces of everyone's private lives, now all mixed together, is hard to comprehend. I cant imagine the smell. I read an elderly lady had been interviewed and she had accepted that this is part of the cycle of life. How amazing, amongst all of this, to have such acceptance. The images of snow falling on the already broken communities is heartbreaking, photos of families discovering loved ones dead under piles of rubble make me cry with sadness. I can only feel empathy as I cant ever understand fully such a loss at such a scale. I feel so helpless and useless to return the generosity of help and support that I have, time and time again been shown by so many Japanese people. So I can only be so thankful that those that I care for are safe and unharmed, and keep my heart and mind on those who need all the kind thoughts and support they can get. Thoughts are nice but they cant provide any tangible help so I hope warmth, food and safety will come soon. Helpless.

weekend delight

2011-02-17T15:35:00.008+11:00

warm weather and sunny days....
even a holiday for Long Long.
Good food and wine at T'Gallant,
mmm.....only some of the good food eaten over the weekend..
lovely views....
relaxing walks,
my favourite drink.....
with my favourite people. I hope you also find some time in your busy days to take a breath.

2011

2011-01-15T13:38:00.002+11:00

I hope all of your 2011 days so far have been happy and productive. It has been a while since I dropped in so I would like to wish you all a safe and happy new year. I didn't do all that much, there was only one or 2 beach days and now work is back in full swing it feels like xmas and new year is a distant memory. I did enjoy the break in routine and we hosted a lovely xmas day lunch so that was fun. I have high expectations of what I can do in 2011, new things in my job, more creativity at home, a possible home reno project, a few more dates with my husband, a couple (!!) of holidays, more girlfriend catch ups, quality family time, less toys, more healthy living and eating and I can hope for less washing and folding of clothes, which I particularly hate, but that will remain a dream until I can afford a person to do just that job!
I walked past this cool shaped elastic band and although Tassie is missing, I think, Australia as a whole is feeling the pains of those who have been lost and those who have lost their homes in the floods. Lets hope for the best and help where we can.

2010 xmas cards

2010-12-19T15:47:00.004+11:00

I couldn't bring myself to buy store bought cards since making them is so easy and so much fun!
A few simple ingredients meant a quick craft project and Christmas card problem solved. First part is a potato stamp with a random shape chosen, glitter and coloured, chopped foil....
using the stamp for shapes and as a kind of glue.....
and sprinkling the foil to decorate....
finished with a healthy dose of glitter...I must ensure the loose stuff is stuck down so when the envelope is opened, it doesn't look like out backyard did....heeellllooo sparkles!! I also made a simple illustrated version for 2010 which you can see here, so now I have two choices.....I had better hurry up and put them in the mail or they will be for 2011.......

summer project

2010-11-27T14:21:00.004+11:00

I have a summer project in mind and its nearly summer and I haven't really made much progress on it. The goal is to have a nice garden environment to sit in, relax in and have dinner or brekky or just hang out. We have a great yard but after all, it is a square of pavers, surrounded by pretty garden. I want to create a nice space using recycled, renovated or second hand furniture and to have a mixture of things to sit or lay on. Since my creativity is limited to cooking dinner at the moment, its nice to have a small creative project to focus on. The painted pieces above are a small daybed bought from the op shop. Its needs some tlc and a few layers of undercoat finished with a bright red top coat should make it an outstanding addition to the summer project. The base of this daybed is the old spring type, so after some measuring and visits to bunnings, I will replace the saggy springs with pine slats. The last thing to be added is the mattress. That bit is easy. I have visions of very nice matching handmade fitted sheets in blue polka dots or gingham...but at this stage, with constant rain, I will be lucky to finish the paint job by xmas....I do love a project though so I'm happy about it and hopeful we can use it on xmas day, since this year we will host the lunch.
This is Long Long enjoying his part of the garage sale haul from around the corner....a new $1 rug. I also found an old BBQ table and teaming it with the chairs we already had, I'm well on the way to having a great place to hang out. Now, if it will just stop raining!!

mango season

2010-11-14T17:16:00.002+11:00

Mango season makes me very happy, not only because I love mangoes, but I love the onset of summer. This year, especially the Xmas shop assault, doesn't seem to have happened too quickly, in fact, I'm quite excited to see all the decorations in the shops. Its also getting warm, much rain, but also warm.....it seems like the blink of an eye since we went to Tokyo and now a few months has passed, life has returned to normal, a wedding and a birthday and other dates have passed....all the while keeping busy, still keeping up with my running hobby, which is now even more enjoyable for instead of running in the cold and pitch black of the morning, I can see pink and purple sunrises, lunchtime runs are now along pathways with fluffy, leafy trees.....life moves on, my little moo turns 4 in a few weeks, amazing, so he has instructed me about the type of party he wants, a small affair, with a karate kid theme.......since my time in now limited I'm not sure the party will be as well planned as some of the ones Ive seen others do, but the most important thing is that the DAD of the house keeps to his promise of being Mr Han, the karate (or kung fu) teacher, then all should be OK!!........

tokyo report - food

2010-10-24T17:14:00.019+11:00

I have blogged about visiting this restaurant before, it IS a truly Japanese only experience and it was high on my list to go back to. As with all restaurants, for a first time visit, it can be hit and miss, so we didn't want to waste a dinner on an average meal, so we scheduled each night a favourite place. This is on the very top. We sat again, in front of the chef, and we were the only customers. The menu is laid out above, handwritten on washi paper....as each dish was placed in front, we went through it in the menu....

..appetiser was as follows starting with the spoon and going clockwise, yuba - the skin of tofu, with a sauce, sea urchin - which I cant eat, spinach with tofu, soft and skinned eggplant, renkon or lotus root.....beautiful mix of crunchy and soft, sweet and salty, slippery and dry....tonight has an Autumn theme, using the most ripe and fresh ingredients...
followed by very big and meaty soya beans or edamade...
...very slightly flavoured soup with the famous matsutake mushroom (the one that can cost upwards of $100 for one mushroom....), included, fillet of barracuda, which was skillfully prepared in front of us. See top photo and notice the spear in the eye to give stability while he fillets the fish....
...preparing the next dish of the most amazing sashimi...
...this is how you prepare fresh wasabi....when I lived in Shimane, it grew wild on the side of the road.....
...there it is in the front, green and rich. I have never eaten the crispy garlic with sashimi but the flavour and texture contrast was just amazing.....
this is the small area he makes his magic...
this basket contained, 2 kinds of grilled fish, more matsutake mushroom, chestnut, ginko nuts and small kind of lime, all served on seasonal foliage...this was my favourite dish.....it was hard to choose!!!
next dish...grilled chicken with a miso paste sauce and small grilled veges which taste a bit like capsicums..
another incredible soup dish containing a slow cooked sweet mackerel, mushrooms, a kind of tofu make with flour, beautiful and delicate...
This was a beautiful noodle dish again with matsutake mushrooms, fish and green herbs....
the second last dish was fresh fruit of nashi pear and persimmon....
crunchy and sweet.....
followed by the last dish....I couldn't fit it all in...but I did try...it is made from sweet potato and inside has sweet red bean paste and a chestnut in the middle. It is very sweet and beautiful served with bitter green tea. The dusting of cinnamon not only smelled beautiful but tasted amazing
.....incredible!! This is truly a Tokyo secret! If you are going to Tokyo and you want the details let me know. This kind of food and the service around it is totally Japanese and totally unforgettable!!

delayed - tokyo report 1

2010-10-16T16:34:00.009+11:00

Tokyo is a shoppers paradise, not only for its never ending supply of stuff to buy but the beautiful and clever way things are advertised, marketed and displayed...the icebergs created above are simply styrene foam......clever and breathtaking....a beautiful window display
the always familiar subway symbols, don't let the simplicity trick you, even after a couple of years using the Tokyo system, we still managed to get lost at Shinjuku station.....Its easy to forget the confusion you often feel when faced with non stop torrents of people that swell in and outside of the station....peak hour at Flinders Street feels like a little country town by comparison...
I love the illustration style of many, many signs, it is always so refreshing to see loose texts, little drawings and cute characters...Tokyoites are very accepting of colourful and pretty signs that send the message and that are well outside of the standard text list that we come to expect from signage and advertising here in Australia...I also notice how very seasonal signage is, even the biggest of chain stores have different illustrations and signs to advertise their latest gear.....
my favourite colours, this is for a very, very upmarket department store.....of course the standard LOFT, Tokyu hands and MUJI are always beautifully displayed but hopelessley overblogged....I did shop there of course, I LOVE those shops!! I love how in every store even the tape that is used on your purchase bag has a small illustration or thankyou message. It was a treat to return to Tokyo. It did rain, a lot, and the one pair of shoes I took with me took a hiding. Again I love the style of Tokyo peoples, rain hail or shine, they look so cleverly styled, beautiful objects, bags, umbrellas, rain boots......sorry for my delay, the next and final impression is of the food. Because I have spent a number of years in Japan, the funny things that I first noticed don't seems so funny or unusual any more, I found I didn't take photos of any of those things this time around....also, for the first time, we left Mooey with my parents. It was wonderful to have some time to be late, have a few extra beers if we wanted to and wander aimlessly... but this joy only lasted a couple of days, when a huge hole started to open up in my heart....it got bigger each day until I was left alone in Tokyo, my husband had moved onto the next country, my son was at home with my parents, my family and friends in Oz and I was by myself in a hotel room. I have not felt such depths of loneliness in a long time.......This was followed by a very long flight home...such joy to come home and see Mooey. What a wonderful trip!!

tokyo report

2010-10-09T16:08:00.004+11:00

I have been back from Tokyo for a week and it was just so much fun! This is my last snapshot of the rice fields leaving Narita. It was wonderful to go back to a very familiar place, visit old haunts, see lovely people who don't change (who just get better) and eat and shop myself silly and experience real rain again!! Of course, returning home to Oz was ever so sweet to see my darling little moo who coped beautifully while we were away (mostly because of my awesome family effort, thankyou xxx).....more photos and sweet memories to share after I process my photos!!

Dear Tokyo!

2010-09-12T08:44:00.002+10:00

Guess what? In the next few weeks I will be back to visit you! I'm so looking forward to catching up! I'm sure there are plenty of new things you can show me. Yippee!!
Love
Paula

smashed pinata!

2010-09-12T08:36:00.006+10:00

Last weekend we celebrated Fathers Day with the smashing if a pinata. The blindfold wasnt allowing us to progress so we just took the bat to the ball. It was fun! But a little difficult to smash open...
Between the Dad and the boy, they managed to crack it open and all the coloured foil rained down onto us, and a few smarties....good times...
....laying sadly on the ground....a good party game indeed!

design by kids

2010-09-05T07:46:00.003+10:00

We are pretty happy to see the end of winter although the rain seems never ending. I ran around Albert Park lake this week for the first time. Its so nice with palm trees and many baby swans playing with their parents. Running in different places around Melbourne is such a fun way to explore new places and learn new routes.

I copied a little drawing by moo onto a tote bag then stitched the lines. It is a good solution for a man bag needing some prettiness without being too girly.....

Happy Fathers Day to all the Dads out there. To celebrate with the Dad in our family, moo and I made a pinata, which we are about to smash open.

time for the flowers

2010-08-29T18:56:00.004+10:00

It is time for the magnolias and blossoms to open and show their pretty faces. Unlike Japan, people dont go crazy for them here in Melbourne. The shops are not crammed with seasonally branded foods and drinks and there isn't anyone sitting beneath the trees having picnics and drink ups. In fact, there is no nightly weather map stating what will be blooming when and where! The trees say to me "here I am am", and they are on every corner and in every ones garden, but its only when I stop and look and smell and see that I can truly appreciate the moment. In Japan its more the people shouting "look at the blossoms"....... Either way, you can only enjoy them for about a week, a most magnificent and beautiful week, where they don't wait for you to make up your mind. I'm not sure which style of appreciation I prefer, maybe I like both in its correct context.....

....as for Spring rain and the raising of a boyish boy, what can I say? What does he say "LOOK AT ME!!!"....just like the blossoms......luckily for me, I can look at him my whole lifetime!

sky and ground

2010-08-14T12:08:00.002+10:00

Feeling happy in the middle....this week slowing down. I finished reading The Pact by Jody Picoult...a bit depressing I thought, now onto The Book Thief, much brighter. This past month I have bumped into a lot of old faces I have known, an old uni friend at the station from maybe 15 years ago, my step brother walking along a city street, an old boyfriend of my sisters at a restaurant, a person I helped recently, in his own workplace this time, him helping me. I really love that feeling of an unexpected surprise in seeing an old face, something very happy, unless its someone you would rather not see again as long as they lived....which is just as possible.

what a week!

2010-08-07T12:42:00.004+10:00

This week saw my parents in law stay with us for 7 days. It feels like our duty has been done for another year. During that time, Mooey got sick, we took him to the doctors to find out he had ear infections in both ears and croup, sick and grumpy. On this day, while my husband went swimming, some lowlife took his shoes, leaving him without anything to wear. Why would someone do that? Pressure was rising.....Thankfully, we have survived the week intact, and today, a sunny day, after a miserable week of weather, adds to getting back to a normal week, and the thawing out we are all feeling, while Mooch is gets better everyday :)
This guy was the winner with the parents in laws affections, extra snacks, cuddles and walks!!...I'm sure he is feeling quite sad now there is no extra bacon 'accidentally' dropped on the floor!!.....
....and to warm our slightly dampened hats, this lovely, careful and kind table set up in a nearby street. There are bags provided in case you want more than 1 or 2. Not that this counters the bad-ness of the shoe stealing episode but is enlightening to know there are also good deeds done, wanting nothing in return, just or the sake of it.

busy days and weeks

2010-08-01T12:06:00.002+10:00

Already August?!...Isn't it amazing, this year has really, really flown. I am not sure of the formula of how to slow down time, to make every moment count. I guess it is impossible to count every single moment, just appreciate the special ones...like the sharing of the one marshmallow between three, the scooter bike riding in the smooth carpark, the very nice simple dinner, the trip to the Japanese grocery store and fresh sushi for lunch, the very sweet customer who bought me chocolate for helping him, the super colleagues who support each other through very busy days, the sister who cooks scones and jam and cream just for a Sunday visit, the brother in law who shares his job highs, the Mum who drives 100km to see all the family, the hug from the husband through thick and thin times, the impromptu 'I love you Mummy', the nuzzle and excited tail wag from the whippet, the call from an old friend, the new found therapy in running alone, the Nana who rings to tell me about the train delays...in fact, there really are a lot of moments I have savoured, now I look at it, each day is in fact well lived.

spring?

2010-07-27T08:15:00.001+10:00

I saw a few blossoms this weekend, how exciting! Then, I came home from work and it wasn't pitch black, so, it means, winter is almost over, hip, hip hooray!! I don't mind the cold but the short days mean much less excitement...

i ran it - and new apps

2010-07-24T12:37:00.002+10:00

yep, I got the hipstamatic app and its sooo fun!!......and I also ran the fun run with my sister last weekend, also a lot of fun......I managed 10km in under 55 mins!!

the run

2010-07-17T08:44:00.002+10:00

As a fun activity to do with my sister, I signed up for a fun run. Its 10km. This is far for me but, I have been training during my lunch breaks. Finding myself in the botanical gardens in the middle of the day with the birds and other laughing families has been a beautiful interruption to my madly busy days. My sister is very fit so if she gets bored she can go on, we talked about it, but now I'm not sure if she will sacrifice a good time to leave me....I know I can do it and now its happening it feels very exciting, not that I have ever felt excited about a running race before. I got a number and everything, and a small timing device you put on your shoes. If I can do it in an hour that will be good for me....I got some golden pom poms so Mooey can cheer us on, along with our devoted husbands!!......it shall be fun and even after the race, I will continue the lunchtime meanderings in and around this lovely city.

sunday

2010-07-11T07:26:00.005+10:00

This weekend with family at a lovely beach spot...a treasure...fish and chips followed by beach exploration.....

......pose with candy stripes...aren't the kids enjoying themselves?!....

a usual dinner - fish

2010-07-04T14:00:00.009+10:00

Here's the steps to a pretty normal dinner in our fish crazy house. For some reason, recently, we have been eating a lot. Life in Japan certainly educates about including a lot of fish and fish products in your diet, and has an amazing availability of options, and cooking and presentation.......endless....maybe we are starting to miss those incredible rows of fish and seafood.....here in Melb, the Vic market has some pretty good choices and good prices too. Above is a mackerel and snapper, 2 mackerel and one snapper was about $12, fresh and beautiful and shiny, no smelly smell and not frozen! Lovely!
Some help to wash and be familiar with fish and what they look like and what they do and where they come from....lots of funny talking.....the fish monger can clean the scales and/or guts if you ask them to.

The snapper is prepared with salt and olive oil rubbed all over and to be steam cooked in a bamboo steamer. These simple toppings of spring onions, ginger, salted soy beans and plum sauce can be put inside and on top of the fish which then goes in the bamboo basket.
While the fish is being steamed, this little bowl of spring onion, soy sauce and sugar rests until just before being served. Added is very hot olive oil to mix and dissolve the sugar and whole lot is poured over the cooked fish.
This is how we steam, with a little bit of water in a wok with the bamboo steamer on top. It takes about 10 to 15 mins to steam that size snapper - about 1kg a - little more.
Finish! Served with snow peas stir fried with lots of garlic and salt. It takes about half an hour to prepare and cook this dish and for 3 people costs about $4 or $5 per person and that includes a bowl of rice. We try to eat fish two or three times a week. Tonight I will cook the mackerel, just coat in oil and roll in salt and grill until crispy. It is eaten directly off the bones, Japanese style! Takes 10 to 15 mins and cost is less then the snapper dinner!

table settings

2010-07-01T20:21:00.002+10:00

In an attempt to do some small, fun and creative things at nights, I asked the mooch if he could make some name tags for the dinner table....and also ask that he set it. He did a great job! This was his own name tag, he did a similar one for for both of us with M for Mum and D for Dad. Simple and fun and rewarding.

making time

2010-06-28T16:17:00.002+10:00

...to make presents for small babies almost here in this world, much more fulfilling than buying them from the shops....even though I have been tempted so many times lately....many cute things to see and purchase....so many clever minds and hands making things. I unwrapped my sewing machine for the first time today, I realise how much I love it, so fast and smooth and therapeutic. Solving little creative problems whilst listening to nice vibes, Gillian Welsh today, such good brain food and soul nourishment!

mixed up days and fun times

2010-06-21T21:32:00.013+10:00

Sorry for my long delay, here's some updates a few weekends worth of fun times! Healsville, just as lovely in the rain....
sweet smelling leaves and soils....
soup for lunch with an open fire.....
The weekend before, Dromana, clear, beautiful sea water...eating ice cream and walking on the pier....
Lazing on the sculptures, soaking up the scenery....
fooling with the art and enjoying its playfulness.....
eating lots of lovely handmade pizzas....
poking around the vege patch.....impressed by the variety and knowledge of the time and passion and dedication needed to grow such beautiful foods.....
tasting some wine......relaxing in a moment of sunshine.....
Now to the river, the Yarra, which slices Melbourne down the middle, here, a few km from the city, it is lovely and strong...
Just like my little mooch.....
Feeling freedom and space and clean air.....and the beautiful blue/grey of the Australian landscape.....
a loud protest to the presence of Long Long, drowned out by laughing kookaburras in the gum trees.......gay my life is :)

sunny days

2010-06-09T06:21:00.007+10:00

After all the sick, sick days, we finally made it to our holiday destination...just. It was an excellent week of swimming, relaxing, talking, eating and renewing all of our energies. We saw some beautiful turtles and fish and underwater landscapes as well as some funny and cheeky monkeys and monitor lizards. It is hard to switch of from a busy mind and just be in peace but a beautiful place encourages you to do so, with little to do besides take your time and enjoy the quiet. Back in Melbourne, the rain seems to keep falling, but it is a very pretty with all the leaves falling from the trees in what I call wintumn, as we don't really have an autumn and winter is actually very mild, especially after surviving a couple of Tokyo winters! So wintumn it is :) Going back to the daily grind is much easier with a break in the mind.

brighter days

2010-05-14T16:01:00.001+10:00

Well I cant say I'm thrilled to be without my voice for 2 days in a row, but it has given me a chance to rest whether I want to or not. I can still do a bit of work from home and also some cool fun stuff like drawing! I'd love to have some of my pics in a kids cookbook so that's exactly what I'm going to make.....

cough, cough, cough...

2010-05-13T10:12:00.002+10:00

Being sick is a miserable experience, especially when myself and my husband are both sick. Luckily the mooch is Ok and very happy and excited! My husband has spent the past few days in hospital with severe pneumonia, now in recovery, and I have had a nagging cough that has now manifested into full laryngitis. For those who know me, not being able to talk, is a major difficulty...disability, frustration...horrible. I cannot go to work, as my work involves, more than anything, talking.....grrrrr......the other frustration lies in the inability to get an appointment with a doctor, I mean a real one, not a bulk billing one......can anyone tell me how they manage to see a doctor on the day they are actually sick...as opposed to a week later....due to being fully booked out?....and by then, no doubt, I will be all better.....grrrr....I only fully value my health when I am sick...I need to value it more when I am well and do all I can to keep well. I might also invest in a crystal ball so I can predict when I'm going to be sick and then make a doctors appointment 3 weeks in advance....!!

37

2010-05-08T08:01:00.002+10:00

Its been a week since my birthday and some time has passed to make some executive decisions! In future there will be no housework done by me on my birthday- of any kind! Yes, I like that one.....If possible, no work either, I was lucky this year that it fell on a weekend.....I might have to save some RDO's in the future.....so this year I was lucky to have neither of the two commitments which take up such a large chunk of my life. I did spend the day with my lovely family, and while the sun shone, we talked and ate great food and caught up. It was a sweeter day than last year, being in Tokyo and all, and just being together as a family was awesome. I like getting older, its actually much better than I expected.

happy anzac day holiday

2010-04-26T19:19:00.002+10:00

I hope you had a great Anzac Day holiday taking it slowly!!

summer again

2010-04-18T20:29:00.004+10:00

...we feasted our eyes on the lovely Werribee Mansion, taking in the hunted and stuffed animals as trophies on the walls....old time dress ups, rooms upon rooms, and halls, all feeling a bit Harry Potter, Hogwarts-ish....minus a bit of grandness and spookiness.....

..looking at the fate of the beloved pet dog....gave me an idea for the future of Long Long (!).....I will never have to say goodbye!!
.....and followed by a long winding walk through the beautiful grounds, sculpture gardens, many, many trees and birds and green, green, manicured grasses......we got married here, about 5 years ago and the reason we chose this place was so we could return year after year and enjoy the beautiful surrounds. It happens to be next to the Werribee Zoo, so today, while the sun was setting we watched 6 beautiful giraffe getting excited about their dinner in the distance...perhaps there is a weird irony that there are so many dead and stuffed, trophy animals right next door to an incredible collection of roaming African zoo animals....
..again, we have been lucky with unseasonally lovely sunny days........a beautiful start to a week that will no doubt, fly. Wishing you a good one.

5 days

2010-04-06T16:57:00.002+10:00

...of holidays, thanks to Easter!....5 days of time with lots of family members, eats of all varieties, including chocolates, time to ride my lovely bike around to secret beaches and look into rock pools and the crystal clear water on the shore, time to soak up the sunshine and enjoy an extra hour of daytime thanks to daylight savings. I think this has been my most enjoyable Easter holiday in many years....oh, except that my darling wasn't here to enjoy it too, but that's our life.

my eye

2010-04-02T11:57:00.004+11:00

I had something in my eye for a couple of weeks and tried to put it out of my mind, until it got so annoying that I went to the doctor. As it turns out, I had something, wood or plastic or glass or metal, embedded in the cornea, near the pupil, which needed a little operation to remove. Although I was a bit nervous seeing a large needle being stuck into my eye, I was relieved to get it out and surprised at how quickly the process from doctor to hospital to recovery occurred. As I get older I am more mindful of my health and maintaining it, eating well, exercising and sleeping well, so this was a little wake up call to remind me that even the smallest of health things need to be nurtured before they turn into big health things.
I didnt have to wear an eye patch, my inner pirate felt a little disappointed!

new shoes

2010-03-28T20:18:00.003+11:00

It has become apparent that I needed/wanted a pair of shoes to do the train/car/work sprint as I had just snapped the heel off my one pair of reasonable heeled shoes. First I needed a new pair of reasonable heeled shoes, I don't have to wear them to work, but I feel like I'm going to work if I have the clack, clack, clack down the street....finding shoes without a 10 or 20cm heel was the first hurdle, then, luckily, I found just the right pair and a fair bit below my expected cost. Noice. To ensure these heels down follow the same fate, I have been looking for a quick slip on pair of shoes, to stuff in my bag during the day and help me get to the station or work depending on the direction, with a few seconds to spare. I wanted a bit of style, although the Jerry look could easily be achieved with my running shoes. Yes, I have become a fashion snob, blame it on Tokyo. But, I only wanted to spend about $20...so I have become a snob as long as it fits my tiny budget.....anyway, in the kids section (of BIGW), they have so many cool shoes, which is where I found these multicoloured, metallic skull and crossbone volleys.....even the inside is cute! Now I'm schmokin' past all the dilly dalliers.....

summer revisited

2010-03-17T05:59:00.007+11:00

We have been so lucky with a few sunny and warm days so being outside and enjoying this beautiful city has been easy. The company of my dear friend for the past couple of days has added to the delight. We have made our way through quite a few coffees in lovely cafes....
soaked in a bit of art......
...enjoyed amazing home made fish head curry made by my loved one....
breathed in the sweet smell of nature...
......and shared more wine, food, beers and a lot of chats! It was a treat, a great start to the week, and the sun is still shining :)

still beach days..

2010-03-11T05:55:00.006+11:00

There seems to be a few days left where you can play at the beach. This was the day, where by now, you know someone, who knows someone who has a very wild weather story. The stormy day which is pretty normal in many parts of the world, shocked and thrilled many Melbournians (and all the houses and cars too). It was a beautiful morning prior to the storm. Friends running to collect seaweed make piles and construct roads.
Experiment with the texture and shape and smell of kelp....
Soak up the incredible space. The tide was low this day so the beach size was huge. Some days the water touches the bottom of the cliff in the background so we were really lucky this day, combination of low tide, sunny day and soft breeze! Did I mention I grew up nearby? Only as an adult do I realise how lucky I was to have such a beautiful, free and open place to be a kid.
Endless opportunities to learn and create and be free.

busy dont cut the mustard..

2010-03-03T20:45:00.003+11:00

Hello there! I have been here but now just getting into the meat and bones of a new life. 8 weeks has passed since we came back to Oz. Its so amazing how quickly this time has passed. We have been blessed with an amazing summer which makes every day a joy. I have now been gainfully employed for more than a month and had my fair share of learning, mistakes and achievements and feel very lucky and happy to be in this place. I have stepped into this role in the busiest period which although it makes the day go fast, leaves no time to speak with my colleagues and get to know them. I hope this can change as some of my dearest friends I have met at a workplace, maybe yours too?....and I do love a chit chat. My neighbour colleage has a stash of tim tams in her cupboard....she is my target as first friend!!..haha...
I just told my loved one, who happens to be back in Tokyo (I'm sensing he might have massaged this work jaunt as a lot of shopping and eating seems to be occurring...) anyway, I told him I was TOO BUSY to pick up my phone. I realised how much saying 'I'm busy', just is a totally lame cop out. Everyone is always busy! My husband never tells me he is too busy and hearing myself say it to him was a shock. I think its just a matter of time management to achieve what I want to do, without making lame excuses....and cut out the things I think I cant do. I thought I was too busy to blog, but really if I say, maybe once a week is enough, then I'm sure I can spare 15 mins in a whole week to do it....so, I have made a little project to take my camera on my lunchbreak, once a week, and take some things I see and put it here and ruminate on them.

nostalgia

2010-02-11T06:18:00.003+11:00

All our stuff arrived in the shipping container this week. Finally we have abed to sleep in and clothes and shoes. Opening all the boxes has somehow made me feel very nostalgic and really miss Japan. It is an experience that can only be lived while it happens and I can only keep the memories and so, it seems bitter sweet that I have been able to touch a breathe those days but now I cannot. I am truly happy to be home and found adjusting to a new life has been very enjoyable. Now 3 weeks into a full time job, I realise just how much time we spend doing work, away from our homes, and families and friends. Things just don't get done at home and I try, but I am not a superwoman :) its just time and managing it.

I often think when Long Long meets another dog, that the butt sniffing is so disgusting and I yank his head and say 'c'mon, let's go' but as a new worker in a new office, it is exactly the same for humans...well, not the actual sniffing bit of course, but the assessing, the finding out, the slight uncomfortable feeling, until it all settles down....I can see though, as much as I go through a big change, the others in my workplace also have to adjust to me, a new person, who keeps asking the same questions, in a nice way, and try not to bother them but they know their work piles up as they spend time with me...... for me, I have no allies and no friends, yet, so its best to just do my best while making friends with everyone and watch how the others interract, and listen to how the bosses speak.

In other news, maybe you know, I am a two fingered typist, yes the two index fingers stab the keyboard, I think efficiently, but do not ask what my husband thinks :) last night while washing the dishes I managed to run on of my very useful index fingers along a very sharp knife who was hiding in the water under a plate....ouch....almost in need stitches but not quite. So, now I type with my index finger and the middle finger, with a huge white bandage on my cut finger.....I am soooo looking forward to roll up to my work desk and try to conceal THAT! I am not sure how I plan to write anything :)

weeks end

2010-02-06T14:20:00.003+11:00

This was the lucky last shot before my battery died but captures a small moment of quiet where its just me and the hound dog. He seems to wonder where his friends have gone since now, almost all day he has only himself for company. On the other hand, I have made a lot of new friends and so has Mooey. I am enjoying work, a new routine, a new schedule and what I have discovered, a new way to measure myself...the way I do and see things and the way my perspective has changed and how much I have grown up. So quickly into an international move and starting of full time work have I been able to see forwards and backwards. I feel lucky to have had the chance to slip in and out of two lives and now more than ever, I feel how much having a child has changed my life and what I believe is important. Before returning to this work, I felt a lot of what if's but now they are I know's and it isn't that bad at all! No, I am not old and rusty, in fact, I am a much more diligent, less competitive (in a good way), well balanced, mature and well rounded worker than ever. I have much more to manage and worry about than before and probably I am much more productive (but its only been two weeks so its hard to measure my productivity when I still do not know who's who and where the paper is kept).....hahahaa~I no longer sweat the small stuff and accept mistakes are part of learning and getting to know people takes time and dedication but has many, many rewards. My job content is very easy, its really just regurgitating information in a nice way, but it is enjoyable, and I like the people I work with and that is the most I can ask for.

Outside my new schedule, I have tried to keep organised with spending time with Mooch/food/bringing my lunch to work/cooking/cleaning/exercise/drawing...oh yes, my husband.....yes, him too...... and try to keep to a 9pm curfew..yes, its very early, I know....its only temporary until I get my full mojo....and seems to keep me awake at 3pm...which is the whole point of doing it. And, overall, I have kept up with all the tasks, except exrecise, which makes me feel like a slug...so I have made a new commitment and think I can keep it......along with the 2 chocolate frogs a day policy...of course ;)

my new year

2010-01-31T09:38:00.001+11:00

Please follow today's post over here.....I got my dashboard mixed up!

condensing time

2010-01-22T11:43:00.005+11:00

This lovely animal has drifted into his old routine, even letting Mooey chase and bash and bother him, without any retaliation.....he is such a good boy.....I have been trying to appreciate the passing hours as these will be my last with this big, little boy, while he is little. I'm trying not to over think the many hours in daycare v's work experience and feel excited for both of us to do a new thing involving a lot of growth, it is a good thing!.....growing up!.......but often, to get there is a bit of hard work on the heart and mind......
so taking time to absorb beautiful images and word by SO-EN a delight to read. Thanks again to the magical Miho, who is now my living portal to Tokyo!....
After discovering the local library I borrowed quite a few books, notably these excellent, illustrated stories.....Special Kev (above) has the most creative and funny illustrations and the story and terminolgy used is so Australian!...I was having a chuckle at the use of words for a red head, "blood nuts, carrot tops, ginger nut"....so funny, I had forgotten these stinging schoolyard words which probably scar red heads for life.....
and this very cute story of old timers, Goldilocks and the 3 bears, The 3 little pigs etc....beautiful colours and illustration style, I really love this book! It is illustrated by Anne Wilson. I will look for a link!

2010-01-21T13:21:00.002+11:00

This is a very cute animation and clever word play which you can understand, even if not the exact words. I watched this many times, natsukaashiiii~ Thanks Miho for reminding me of the amazing design work I now miss. I received my myki (public transport pass) in the mail....and the design....gosh, I have been spoilt in Japan! The website is OK and user friendly but the actual card and plastic pocket design..............uuuughhh...its av, av, average. However, despite all the whinging you hear about the system, and the better ways in which it has been rolled out, I believe the system will be much better in the long run.

easy tuesday...

2010-01-19T13:22:00.005+11:00

..the last Tuesday before I am a regular worker....time to take in a cup of green tea and cookie and read a book sent to me by the amazing Miho. She designed it and of course it is beautiful!
**Honto ni arigato Miho!!**
I was also fortunate to get all these lovely pencils from the op shop for $1 which was a bonus for me, the bonus being undone when the Mooch ran directly into an old couch and split his lip open.....in this case not only does an icypole work as a distraction but has a useful function to reduce swelling!.....
and to my thoughts on organisation....I fear it will be the thing that stresses me the most about going back to work, so, a clothes, shopping and food plan should help me through the first few weeks, I hope....

i dont mind at all...

2010-01-18T15:53:00.003+11:00

I'm not at all offended by hot cross buns in January...I love them and I'm happy to eat them for months!...especially when coupled with a good coffee......mmmmm

in the morning

2010-01-17T14:08:00.002+11:00

I'm ok

2010-01-16T14:44:00.002+11:00

I miss drawing and so have just bought some manky pencils and textas from the supermarket until my nice ones arrive....actually, I'm much happier with the result! It is more due to a very nice new scanner, not really expensive at all but I guess just being new means newer technology allowing it to do a better job at scanning than an old printer, a noisy printer, an awful one, really!....I raked a lot of woodchips in the garden today. Although I exercise a lot I dont do that kind of physical work. I didn't realise how hard it is and how much energy you need to do it, and its just a small garden! But amongst all the sweating and swearing, it is very satisfying to get dirty hands and make progress and clean up the garden...and there is some time to think thoughts about life generally and the state of the earth and how things die and grow and die and grow and what was in the earth a long time before we got here. I have not finished but its too hot for an inexperienced gardener (me) and my apprentice Mooch and coffee is calling my name. It is my one true indulgence!
......while we worked, he took a rest...can you believe this lovely hound dog just traveled to and from Japan and spent the past month in quarantine? He is an amazing dog, so calm and gentle and sweet. I expected him to be affected and a bit out of sorts but this is how he always is, seeks the sunny spot and every so often come out to see what's happening. Even his morning routine is the same, he comes to check in every one's room to say good morning!...and of course he is so happy to see everyone, bit tail wagging and sneezing and yawning and licking his lips, all signs of a very happy whippet!

one more sleep

2010-01-14T13:21:00.004+11:00

What more can I say?

chalk

2010-01-14T12:03:00.004+11:00

Since we moved I have done no crafty projects with Mooey, but it really doesn't take too much effort, so, after purchasing a cheap bucket of chalk we made up lots of games, including drawings and pegs and balls...... it was so nice and so much fun!
Things I'm missing about Japan: service (yep you know it), 100 yen shop, beautiful bakery treats, details, details (magazines, little bits and bobs - LOFT, ITOYA, OKADAYA, - green tea, green grocers, convenience stores, public transport)....
Things I love about Oz: space, blue skies, summer, clean drinking water from the tap, family nearby, quiet, quiet,

The balance about equals I think xxx

my last days revisited...

2010-01-13T10:44:00.008+11:00

Going through my memory card and looking at my last days in Tokyo.....and first in Oz...isn't this a typical scene in Australia?....wide open road and no cars>...dry grass and no developments....just a lack of visual (and auditory) noise.....keeps you calm and relaxed?.....compared to busy, busy, busy Shinjuku...I do miss you Shinjuku.....but I know you are very cold and little bit snowy, just a dusting.....so I'm happier being warm....
some fruits in Shinjuku gyoen...a lovely part of town....now frozen in the ground and the small ponds....we skimmed stones on the ice on this last day....
and tried to warm up a little in the bright sunshine...

enjoyed these very, very clever interactive Xmas windows at Isetan..such a clever and fun idea.....these windows have been a constant source of inspiration, not to mention what's for sale inside....
the skeleton of our old place, now just an empty house...our stuff will arrive here next month so just a few more weeks of sleeping on the floor....
and a last Xmas party, such an amazing, dedicated group of teachers. Mooey will go from this to 30 kids....I feel a very hard time coming up for me to let go and let him grow up. I know it is better for him to go in with the big kids so he can grow too, but it is very hard, harder than I imagined to realise, the early days are over and that's it, no more days. I have had a most wonderful and rich few years with this guy and I am so lucky to have had that. I feel quite sad only for myself that it is over but I'm happy for him because now he can really start to discover his own potential, and that is truly exciting!

hot, hot...

2010-01-12T14:44:00.002+11:00

Its beaches like this, which are only minutes from where we live that make it worth coming back to Oz....especially in a heatwave. Even if its just for an hour, to have so much freedom, clean water and quiet is such a delicious treat and something I would also not really appreciate if I had not lived in Tokyo. There are some things however, that are revealing themselves...the things I am starting to miss.....service is probably to most visible.....everyone can vouch for the often poor quality service they receive in Australia but it is really annoying! In fact today, the check out lady threw my loaf of bread on the counter which tumbled to the floor, spilling the goods out of the bag and she just looked at me, impatiently, while I picked it up...grrrr....she had also slammed the watermelon on top of all the stone fruits.......GGRRRR...considering food is expensive compared to the same in Japan I was freaking out a little.....this, followed by standing in a line for 15 mins to buy a light bulb..............It is usually a surprise when you get good service and fortunately I found this in an excellent barista, by far the best coffee maker in a long time....so, you take the good with the bad as with all things in life :)

everyday sunshine

2010-01-08T17:09:00.003+11:00

I'm so glad to be here, in the summertime, with warm and dry heat and familiar smells, like lemon scented gum trees and that funny smell of the road after it has rained. Summmertime is linked to many happy days as a kid growing up at the beach with my sister and friends. Now, living close to the beach and soaking up the sun and sea is one of lifes great pleasures for me. Today, at the beach, Mooch and I poked around the sides of a jellyfish, tried out a new foam 'surfboard', got a cut knee on an old corally rock, made sandcastles, talked about seaweeds and sponges and just soaked up the lovely atmosphere of other families chattering and laughing and enjoying the days before school and work returns in earnest. I too feel these are the sweetest days since soon, I too will be a worker. I mean a paid one. I have managed to overcome my biggest stress about returning to work, arranging childcare. I found, by luck only, a suitable place, so now I can go back to work with a slightly less guilty load to carry, knowing he will be well cared for, well, it is my hope, no one can do a better job than the Mummy or Daddy of course!...So when we share a babychino, such a treat, with a 'marshlallow', and chat about small and funny things, I am really soaking it up. These days and moments which will not last but make my life worth living, just for these little things, tiny things, but so valuable. This new year is exciting for us all and I will try to write about it, not get boring, keep connected with you. I lived the past few years reading several blogs daily and now I think, they will not be part of my routine, at least not daily. But, I like to peek into others lives, especially those creative or funny or organised or healthy or just excellent motivated women's blogs. Have a great weekend, I'm going to laugh and swim and see family and I hope to draw a new banner for my blog - SUMMER!

new year, new things

2010-01-06T22:26:00.003+11:00

Happy New Year and happy new internet connection!....What a year already! I got a job, quickly, and I am very happy despite the shambles arrangement called 'childcare' which parents are subjected to.....ugh....but look above...our beautiful Long Long arrived safe and sound from Tokyo and almost finished his prison term...ahem..I mean quarantine....I am so looking forward to having him home and showing him his new digs. I have prepared some very comfy mats for him in the various sunny locations inside (in an attempt to get him not to sleep in our makeshift beds on the floor)...pure heaven for a whippet. We can visit him and he is well cared for but it will be nice to have him home for good....
and this little guy...what a great job he has done being uprooted twice now and done such a good job to hang in there, always with a smile and a cuddle and sometime a smashing but its pretty normal for a 3 year old I guess. I think the biggest change for me this year will be letting him grow up a bit by going to daycare more often, well, a lot....and us not spending anywhere near as much time together.. its natural for a parent to do this and almost everyone I know has been through it but now its my turn. Lucky I am excited about going to work because it helps keep me motivated and positive. Finding the 'right' care is the hard bit......someone described the whole thing like removing a band aid, do it quickly and get it over with, then it becomes easier....good advice I think....living it will be the challenge.

Life back in Australia is incredible, really, this is a beautiful place to live, Melbourne, so open, so sparsely populated, so pretty and clean and reasonably safe, so many, many places to play or sit and think and have a coffee, such a beautiful place to raise children, so external. My appreciation for this place would be nowhere near as thorough and wholehearted had I not lived a Tokyo life for a few years. Tokyo is wonderful, but in different, more internal ways, so I am lucky to have the chance to live both. For the meantime, here and now, with lovely friends, family and my sweet partner, mooch and pointy nosed pooch, I could not be happier.

Happy New Year!

2010-01-01T10:04:00.002+11:00

Oh I am sorry for no posts for weeks....life has been abosrbed in moving across countries, spending time with family and friends, visitng the seas, parks and open spaces and just getting back to life in Oz. It has been a pretty smooth transition to date with house, car and now a FT job waiting for the new year. There will be more changes this year adjusting to a new schedule and I worry a lot about being a FT worker again and how my Mooch will cope but I know it is just my turn now and after the first few weeks all will normalise......I hope.....I miss aspects of our Japan life and the lovelies we have met but when I walk behind the mooch on the track to the beach and he holds his Uncle's hand so gently and comfortably and then jumps into the water with my sister and then when we get home crawls all over Grandad and chats happily to Nana, I know, this is the place we are meant to be right now.....it is so lovely to be quiet at this time of year and just be. Japan has truly grown up my mind a lot the past two years, I am so happy to have that knowledge and experience and it is so true that time away makes you appreciate home and those there all the more....for all that learning I am very thankful. Here's wishing all of you my friends, a most wonderful 2010, full of challenges and fun, positive experiences and things to learn from, time with loved ones and moments to savour, good foods and nice drinks and appreciation for our lives and the energy we devote to making these the best days we can. I have a lot of photos from my first week back, trying to capture those things I have seen with the most fresh eyes and I will show them when I get internet connection at my home...(after 2 weeks of waiting)....Happy 2010~~!!

last lovely dinner

2009-12-15T22:56:00.013+11:00

We enjoyed a dinner for two at a beautiful restaurant, whose specialty is fugu, sashimi and otherwise....a beautiful, small, quiet place where the chef prepared all the foods in front of our eyes. He hardly spoke, the food did all the talking. He did tell us that he had been cutting fugu for 17 years. It is amazing to watch and soak up this kind of culture, it is nowhere other than this place.
His knives are on the left, one for each task, a beautiful clean and organised workspace with minimal tools....here is our dinner by course, there is no menu, you just get the days special range....carefully planned and prepared for balance of flavour, beauty of colours and foods in season....
Just to tempt us, small tasting of various pickles, fish guts, tofu, sweet beans and spinach....
Followed by a dashi flavoured jelly with the skin of fugu in the bottom...OK I did try it at least....fish skin is not my favourite texture....
Followed by beautiful, beautiful fugu sashimi, sliced in front of us by expert hands....amazing....
Followed by daikon radish boiled in broth with some small veges (carrot and greens and skin of yuzu) and no, not a brain but balls! The testicle of a cod fish!!...so f.u.n.n.y translating that with gestures, the usual Aussie hand gesture - is as if you are holding two melons, the chef simply held his thumbs and fore fingers in a ring, about as small as two marbles and put them in the place so there was no mistaking what they were....I couldn't stop giggling....yep, I tried it, yep it wasn't that good, people eat it for texture which is like thick cream......not so much flavour, my loved one ate mine, so he ate two testicles, which has been very good fun to tease him about.....he said it was rude to leave it....
Followed by kara age, fried fugu...it is such a tasty fish....
Followed by horse mackrel simmered in soy and sweet stuff with a little bit of mushrooms and sesame seeds...
Followed by nabe, or a hot pot, which first had the tofu boiled in it, the most silky and beautiful tofu I have eaten, served in a ponzu, or yuzu and soy (and other things) sauce...amazing!
I had 2 glasses of wine and since I almost never drink I was forgetting to take pictures.....I missed the photos of the nabe which was fugu and a lot of beautiful veges and mushrooms and a piece of mochi...all dipped into the ponzu before you eat it. Usually the nabe/hot pot sits in the centre of the table and you just take what you want but we were served bits and bobs last night...lovely!
The dish above is a rice and egg dish which is poured into the remainder of the hot pot liquid to soak up all the yumness from all the previously cooked foods.....it was just so nice...but gosh, FULL...I couldn't breathe very well by this stage.....oh, the pickles on the right were also very special....in fact one of my favourite dishes, so delicious
LASTLY, chef pulled out a huge and beautiful kaki or persimmon. Since they have just about finished the season here, I have had my share of skinning and eating them, and they are a hard fruit, so takes some time to get the skin off without cutting your fingers....watching him skin it was like he was cutting butter. I'm sure his knife was very sharp but gee, it was so amazing to watch his skill. I could only eat one piece......The night sums up the best of Japan for me, quiet beauty, holding onto old and beautiful traditions, transient moments and respect. The rush and gush of the city is the flip side to what I love but taking time for the quiet things was so wonderful! And to have a last moment with my darling, just us two, and soak up the last few moments in this place. Leaving on a high is just so a good thing to do!

lasy days...

2009-12-14T16:06:00.003+11:00

Golden Autumn leaves still so pretty.....enjoying our lasts this week...foods, shops, places.....Long Long goes tomorrow....my fingers are crossed for him xxx

10 days

2009-12-10T16:43:00.003+11:00

or thereabouts...left in this place.......love it and hate it.....like anywhere. I sold my coffee maker and scanner, two of my most used possessions.......I will inherit and iphone soon and get a new scanner made in this century (well, I may exaggerate but 2 years is a long time for gadgets).........so there is nothing bad about it ;) Life is almost in boxes....I am enjoying just a few things to choose from to wear, not so many toys to clean up and just having less around.....I am excited to go home and hear those very flat and wide Aussie accents and the very relaxed manners of summer and the coffee shops open early when its still and quiet.....

getting better

2009-12-08T23:00:00.002+11:00

We are all recovering from the swine flu epidemic in our house and just having the left over coughs and sniffles. Being house bound at a time when you are supposed to be packing isnt so bad, unless you are 3. Bored, bored, bored.......It's the first time I have ever made mini chocolate self saucing puddings for morning tea...look at my apprentice!...He was so happy to help me, poor kiddo....he is taking longer to recover, I guess because he is a kid, but he is his usual self. We have been talking to him about going to Australia and everyone we will see what we will do and that we have to say goodbye to friends here and the usual routine of our life. He nods. We will see. Just take it daily, enjoy the space, the smell of dry air in summer, quiet, morning coffees at favourite cafe spots, beach, know that Long Long will be nearby and home after a few short weeks and that we are home.

last of autumn and last days in Tokyo...

2009-12-06T14:06:00.004+11:00

Yoyogi park was truly stunning today, sunny, leafy and lovely...it is the last time we will see it like this, it feels a bit sad.
golden carpet of ginko leaves...
still a lot of red leaves, so pretty. We sold our car, it goes today, the movers take half our stuff today and all the little bits have been sold to various people leaving us with just the bare essentials until we go. Long Long will leave before us and the long and detailed process of his import will be over. Soon time to say good bye to the people we have met and made friends with. Of course the timing of the swine flu in our family (I managed to get only the garden variety of flu) has not meant good things for getting things done and meeting people. But luckily, our health is strong so we all have not been too badly affected and now really just taking the medicine to ensure it goes and stays away! Feels so sad to leave a place like this! But also exciting to go back to summer, old friends and family xxx

3 years today

2009-12-01T11:58:00.003+11:00

Happy Birthday my little darling Mooch! You are such a bright, beautiful, cheerful, strong willed, happy, confident, funny and loving little boy. I am amazed how much you have changed and developed since you were the little blob of tofu below! I am sure your life will be wonderful and I hope we can provide the kind of start to your life that will help you survive and thrive in school, through adolescence and be a happy and successful adult. You are my world little one and I am so happy we can share so many wonderful days together. I love you xxx

our dinner

2009-11-27T14:30:00.003+11:00

I don't know if it will thrill you as much as it did me but I thought I'd note our dinner, or perhaps the significance of what we ate, because I bought it...and its the first time I have bought crab and squid (my husband usually buys the sea creatures). I then proceeded to clean and prepare the squid (after a few tutorials in the past years), there it is in the background marinating in sake, soy sauce and curry powder. It was cooked with lots of garlic, ginger, onion and spring onion. The crab was already cooked and cost less than $10. Being prepared by my loved one is a beautiful dipping sauce, heavy on the fish sauce, garlic, chilli and few secrets...that's the garlic above, yes, we are schtinky today! I know I cannot have access to such fresh, cheap and high quality seafood at home, mostly, the best stuff is exported here! So, I am taking the time to buy more adventurously in the seafood section, and it is so much fun. It is also wonderful for the mooch to poke, prod, play and learn about parts of sea creatures ("look, gills Mummy") and how to make good food that is very tasty and doesn't cost much and easy to prepare.
and a simple, at home lunch, for the mooch...artwork in kewpie mayonnaise...by the mooch. I love good food!...but I am also looking forward to some hot chips at the beach in an Aussie summer....xxx

xmas lights

2009-11-25T14:27:00.005+11:00

Xmas is here in Tokyo, without the santa's, kind of cool! When I see beautiful shops like this one Franc Franc I start to hyperventilate over the beautiful-ness of the things inside......so pretty..
Just outside is this annual showing of lights.....very blue this year...but pretty and sparkly....it wasn't too cold last night so the mooch was able to run around and get excited. Xmas is a bit more meaningful now he is right into the presents, I mean, the REAL meaning of Xmas...family, friends...yeh, right!
blue....
more blue.....
on the way home......peoples say Melbourne peoples like to wear black hmmm.....I will miss the safe, clean, reliable, affordable, convenient, efficient, public transport available in Tokyo.....

the mooch's room

2009-11-23T17:18:00.005+11:00

I have been asked to submit some photos of the mooch's room to a magazine and thought I would post some of there here...it will be nice to look at them in the future as this lovely room will soon be packed away and put in a container on a ship bound for Melbourne.....
Most of the furniture is from IKEA, recovered from the gomi (table) or just absorbed from other people....
I made several of these pillows as I have posted about before and bought the duvet cover in a very cute shop in Stockholm...
I also made all of these mini mooch's except the little guy with the heart......

today

2009-11-20T13:40:00.007+11:00

I will certainly miss the bento lunches, especially very cheap ones, these two less than $10 together....fish, veges, rice, eggs.....simple, convenient and very tasty.....downside is a lot of plastic so I don't get them very often and try to use my own chopsticks.....
Sun shines today!...Yoyogi park is so nice when it is quiet.....
..and Long Long can have a little off leash time and pretend to be a hunting dog....
he spotted a cat.....amongst the autumn leaves....I'm quite sure it is now winter, 7 degrees this morning, but very nice....
..even though there are still lovely leaves to be found here and there....

other things..

2009-11-18T13:48:00.006+11:00

Our plans to celebrate my loved ones birthday, with party decorations and cake, mostly for the mooch to enjoy, even though it is 4 days after the event...loved one finally coming home after a very long business trip...
(We) I made a book for a present, one that is called "A Day" which outlines a day in the Mooch's life, so they can read it together and then to keep it so in the future when we forget all the little details, we can look back on this and enjoy the nostalgia!.....
...I'm sure favourite toys will be lost, broken and forgotten over the years....and a nice surprise is how much the mooch LOVES to look at this little book, its all about HIM, and that's what 3 year old's are ALL about!...
..a special order from my loved one was to make his jacket a bit more groovy without being too out there, he has to wear it to work after all, so I hope this does the trick!...
and last but not least a LOVELY omiyage package from the wonderful Miss Miho, from her recent trip to the Netherlands, look at the process of her book. Keep your fingers crossed for good news about a collaboration we have been planning.....

recent makes

2009-11-16T17:47:00.009+11:00

Preparing papers to make party garlands...
stamping to make wrapping paper....just cut out a shape from a styrofoam meat tray and attach with glue or strong double sided tape to a cork....

and a recent sew...using the beautiful echino fabric...I wanted to preserve the design as it is just sooo cute...so I just made a simple elastic waited skirt that has an uneven hemline...very comfy and good for layering with leggins/spats underneath...
for anyone in Tokyo looking for YUZAWAYA, its now in Shinjuku at 11fl Takashimaya...but you may have known it...I just realised it opened on 1st Nov...so easy to get to now and BIG and open aisles, and a very big echino section....there is supposed to be a closing down sale in the old store in Ikebukuro....better check it out too....

2009-11-12T16:34:00.003+11:00

I know the carving rubber stamp thing has pretty much had its day in blogland... thats fine for me to be a bit delayed then it feels like I'm at the start of something new! Anyway, carving, printing, stamping, it isn't new but it sure is fun! We (the mooch and I) are making a collaborative project, magnets.....the mooch's job is to prime the wooden disks, put the rosy cheeks on and with a bit of help, stamp the stamp.......so far so good. Fun, cute and happy! In other news.....teeth news....gosh, I think I have spent 50% at my life at the dentist....had 2 general anesthetics for different reasons, many, many teeth removed, crowned, posted, recreated, snapped, capped goes on and on.....for a weird reason, one of my molars has been giving me grief.....I was just putting off going to another dentist and find out the problem but, after 3 weeks I was imagining ANOTHER root canal.....so...off I went......we have no dental insurance to cover any visits here, (far various reasons) so I was also worried which part of my body they would need to amputate to pay for whatever was the problem.....anyway.....as it turns out, I'm simply grinding my teeth at night (when I can sleep) which in turn is breaking off small pieces of tooth making it sensitive...so there, I should arrive home, back in Oz totally toothless and that diagnosis cost only $50! PHEW!!......will deal with the lack of teeth at a later date....

long long

2009-11-10T16:08:00.004+11:00

The whippet lunge.......I have been waking up at night...and cannot get back to sleep when I think about the process of moving...not the physical...I've moved about 1 million times in my life so that part is the easy bit...its the people and animals side that worries me............this dog has to travel apart from us and then spend 30 days in quarantine so my thoughts go all crazy about, travel duration and the stresses associated with being in a cage in the cargo of the plane....all the tooing and froing in different vehicles to here and there and various the peoples handling him, then the 30 days in another cage where it might be getting very hot in Oz by the end of the year....I guess I should be thanking someone that these days make it easy to actually take your dog with you when you go overseas!...and then bring it home again.....you don't think about these things when you first buy a dog!...well, we didn't anyways.....
...poor darlin' dog!...such a wonderful companion as a family member and so gentle with the mooch....lovely animal, I will keep worrying about you until we are together again xxx

cuteness

2009-11-09T16:30:00.003+11:00

I don't often blog about other peoples things because I feel there are just so many other peoples blogs that talk about and promote other peoples works, ideas and products...so I just rabbit on about what I'm doing, of course.......but, I do it every now and again because some things are just so cute and such a great idea, its worth sharing! This is small sheet of stickers or seals, each one is a month of the year for 2010. You can use them as a quick reference or simply for decoration, which is the option I chose because the illustrations are gorgeous. I'd love to do some illo's for this place. Look at this lovely site for the artist who did the illo's for the seal calendar. Ok, back to me now :)

flowers blooming....

2009-11-08T17:05:00.009+11:00

It's not just the season for lots of red, yellow and orange leaves, in fact, in this park, its still a little early.....which is great because it gives us a reason to go back, if we have some time of course...only approx 6 weekends to go.....of course, the first stop was the parked budgie (buggy)...
and many pretty dahlia....huge ones and beautiful colours....
and the most beautiful displays of chrysanthemums, the ones that Japanese designers have used for centuries. In fact, when I look at the care and devotion needed to raise such flowers, it almost feels like a step back in time. It seems like almost nowhere and no one in our modern life would have the time or patience to grow such things of beauty, just for looking at and for display......I guess this makes them even more special, and the fact that soon they will wither and die....
..to indicate the size of some of these flowers...
...incredible, like soldiers (or students) in rows, uniform and steady....
...with amazing variations of bonsai, topiary and these beauties, like a waterfall of flowers.....all on a bamboo frame....

such prettiness, so many people with cameras soaking up the day and even a school of grey haired photography students focused on catching shots of a beautiful kingfisher who was busy catching little silver fish from a big pond....we took the last time out from the day to sit by the koi carp pond and watch them silently swimming and the crows interacting in the matsu pine trees, singing and dancing, being silly and jumping down to splash in the pond..... unlike the really angry squarking ones we see around our house fighting over the garbage.....

the wind down...

2009-11-07T11:30:00.003+11:00

I'm starting to wind down my time here in Tokyo. It's been an amazing two years but time to go now. Thank you for following my adventures and leaving me very sweet and lovely comments and emails, I really appreciate it! I'm going to do a Japan wrap up in the coming weeks then leave this space over xmas and new year until I settle down again. Thanks again for being super dooper!

hmmmm..

2009-11-04T10:36:00.003+11:00

Yes, this is the one who was screaming in pain in the middle of the night.....and the same one that miraculously became better the moment we saw the emergency doctor.......I'm dancing in rings right now...but love him to bits xxx As a parent, I wish I had the filter to know when things are bad enough to see a doctor and not bad enough to just give a cuddle and support and feel OK with doing that....I guess it comes with experience.

the food....

2009-11-03T13:23:00.010+11:00

All photo credits to my darling husband who has captured each dish beautifully.....and this is just a section of the food we ate!.....crab, a lot...
meals served by the guest house Mama's, usually wearing kimono or another kind of similar dress...
slices of fatty beef ready to be lightly boiled in the miso broth (in the ceramic dish behind)....veges are also added, you just quickly boil then eat, its called shabu shabu...
salmon, scallop and ginger.....
small kind of trout in soy, mochi and a snail type animal...
lovely grilled fresh fish in a miso paste, dyed renkon, a type of ginger root and the yellow is the pickled skin of the citrus fruit yuzu....incredible combination of flavours....as was the salt served with tempura which was mixed with ume plum and yuzu....we also ate a lot of sashimi and very fresh grilled fish.....
a small block of fresh tofu with soy, salmon roe and cucumber, texture and taste amazing...and of course the visual....
this is one of the mealtime starters, tofu, shrimp, sweet potato and the white radish with a type of pickle and in the back ground a steamed savoury egg custard called chauwan mushi....these meals are inluded in the cost of the room so you don't need to worry about brekky or dinner. And every meal at every place we stayed was like this!! Looking at it now, I feel more spolit than when we were actually eating it. As it is off season, we often had a whole room to ourselves to eat dinner, or it was served in our room. Unforgettable.

Hello..

2009-11-02T10:58:00.013+11:00

Its been 2,500km travelled in our super little car, through a lot of valleys, mountains, rainy days and sunshine. I feel totally reinvigorated about Japan. Tokyo, or any city for that matter, can be tiring, day after day, noise, noise and noise, visually and auditorially (is it a word?)...so we took off...to see the greener pastures we know lie on the west of Japan.....the real heart of Japan for me, is here, in the country and the mountains and the sea.
You can see beautifully designed shops, houses and restaurants and ryokan (traditional Japanese guest house) everywhere, surrounded by space and any passing locals who are happy to acknowledge you, good morning or good evening, very, very lovely....
....lots of tea in Shizuoka and passing typhoon number 20, without the rain we would not have seen the beautiful mists hanging over the ranges....
...interiors and exteriors to keep me breathless.....and my memory card full to the brim....
....conversations overlooking spacious rice fields with people so unassuming and warm makes me feel so humble....
....visits to TWO of the most powerful shrines in Japan, this one in Tsuwano.....
...entrances to special places.....
....waterfalls and red leaves to be enjoyed by passing tourists...

...jizo keeping warm for the coming winter, this one has red lipstick!....
..the other powerful shrine...in Izumo, all 10 gods are in Izumo in October, they return to this shrine, it is an auspicious month to be in town....lucky us....
...and my most favourite place, the open ocean (with a bit of cement, it's Japan after all...).....an amazing journey not only to see new and beautiful things, but spend time with my lovely and wonderful family and share these days in a place that will always be the most special place for us outside of Oz. We will leave this place but never really leave. Japan has that kind of power.

happy halloween

2009-10-23T21:44:00.003+11:00

I'm taking a road trip, with my peoples, across the middle parts of Japan to the countryside to see some old and lovely peoples, some red coloured leaves and green and unpopulated places. We have decided when we will leave this beautiful, contradictory country....It is much harder to leave a place you know you will not return to, at least to live, at least not for some time, than it is to leave a place you know will always be your home......Japan makes up half my heart, so these days now will be savoured to be remembered later on.

2009-10-21T16:51:00.003+11:00

Beautiful days, no more complaining by me, its just normal kids stuff! Gotta accept that! Japan has been wonderful these days, cooler weather, sunny days and happy Mama :)

sunny days, cloudy mind...

2009-10-16T15:46:00.002+11:00

These days when I take the mooch to the park, I throw a couple of extra things in the pram, usually familiar and ordinary things. My hope is that, just by leaving them lying around, he can make new things from old things, try out creative thoughts and problem solving. It has been pretty successful so far and extends and adds another layer to our playpark time (which is any where up to 2 hours)....I'm getting sick of it by then.........but as have complained this week, the easy going previous weeks have been interrupted by a mooch that likes to argue, yell and bash, hit, kick and just be disagreeable.....man, its hard work being firm ALL THE TIME.....but, I know in the long run he will better understand what is expected of him and the boundaries he is allowed....I just take solace that even in the tough times, it is still mostly me who is shaping his early years (what an amazing job) and my main goal for him is that he is a happy and successful (in his measure) person during his life and I hope the things I have to keep him from doing, and rules he needs to know, helps him on his way.....

so far this week...

2009-10-14T16:58:00.004+11:00

I am the tantrum master.....there has been a lot the past few days, every point to argue, every choice for food, directions, what and where to play ends up in a screaming session...I hope this ends soon...but, surprisingly, we began on toilet training #3, no pressure or rewards system this time, just keep his pants off and when he needs to go, he just goes.....and he seems so much happier and more successful than me asking him every 5 mins if he wants to go......
maybe an pan man helps?...........little steps.

blueberries and cream

2009-10-11T17:16:00.005+11:00

simple, healthy and fun, despite a very swollen top lip after a crash into a brick wall on the scooter bike...ouch...teeth still intact...thank goodness!.....

sports day

2009-10-09T17:32:00.011+11:00

...was an excellent day....I worry sometimes we may be isolated...but not so much worry now I can see this little mooch having a ball....and me too!!....

and the other parents too!!.............

this is a donut eating game..no hands...
can you keep a straight face?...(sorry Kaori chan..but it is funny and so cute)!
so many games and so much preparation by the teachers.....
and lunches to be inspected by little friends....
and HUGE thanks to such beautiful and dedicated teachers, what a great fun, incredibly organised and enjoyable sports day!

our new window mural

2009-10-08T15:28:00.006+11:00

It's time to change our window mural inside. Inside, we have a large plate glass window which serves as a place to hang our seasonal murals, not just to let light in!.......I try to incorporate both of our skills without being too heavy on directions from me, at least for the painting part......and of course Autumn features my favourite colours.......
and of course, lallow.....
my little Jackson Pollock hard at work......
and a crafty session cannot be complete without some scissor time.......

2009-10-06T12:54:00.003+11:00

The leaves are falling, rain is falling and this week is the first to be wearing slippers!....but I'm (we) are trying to extract as much out of the days as possible before hibernation...lots of scooter bike riding, bike riding, playing with chestnuts and crushing piles of fallen leaves, kicking mounds of dirt dug by moles, chasing large, scary and noisy black crows, drawing, painting, experimenting, making banana and choc chip muffins........catching rain in buckets.....
My loved one returned from a long trip, I'm so happy to have him home :) in his bag he was carrying a present from my sister. Two HUGE bags of violet crumbles (honeycomb chocolate) and some Europe 'health bars', you know the ones, nuts, sesame seeds, coconut, nougat, caramel.........I don't know if they are promoted as health bars these days, I'm sure a dentist wouldn't agree.....but gee I love them. These should keep me going for at least a month! Since I'm so prone to horrible mouth ulcers, triggered often by too much sugar...I better limit myself to just a few treats a day! Thanks Roy! Happy, happy, happy! A little slice of sunshine for me :)

before winter....

2009-10-04T12:23:00.005+11:00

are the most lovely Autumn days....cooler but with enough warmth for a t-shirt. We have been out a lot, despite very rainy days, but the rain has proven to be as lovely as sunshine, you just have to be with it in the moment (and not in a rush). Watching the mooch explore wet things and dripping eaves and running water in the gutters and slippery surfaces has been a joy to watch.......
..of course rainy days are not suitable for whippets...lucky the sun was shining today.....so we could spend a few hours walking the streets, having a coffee outside, and....
revel at the sight of a fast looking racing car parked in a back street.....lovely days....

superstition

2009-10-01T12:11:00.005+10:00

I am not superstitious. I live with a 'moderately' superstitious man so feel no need to be myself...but, just a day ago, both the clock in the kitchen and my wrist watch stopped, almost at the same time!...freaking me out a little. I only realised as I was walking along with the dog, thinking I had much more than than I did in reality. Those Seiko sponsored clocks you see everywhere on the streets of Tokyo sure was a help that day and really made me have a double take....I knew the kitchen clock had stopped but then realised my watch had stopped almost as I walked out the front door......maybe it is a message about my life in general, I have less time than I think to do what I want to do (not in a morbid way) so.... hurry up and do it!? or stop rushing and just stop or slow down and enjoy life.......so, I should either go faster or slower than I am...or simply, seek, manage and enjoy the balance.

quiet time

2009-09-28T14:08:00.005+10:00

There are few quiet times and places in Tokyo. Early morning at the main shrine, Meiji, is the most quiet and lovely time, I think so anyway......yes, this green patch is smack in the middle of busy things, roads, peoples.....
but, as the city wakes up, the shrine gets busy, people are working and have things to do. I was surprised, on a working day, Monday, how many working people, or people who appeared to be going to work, visited the shrine on their way......as I have posted many photos of the Ema (or the small wooden tablets where you write your hope/wish/prayer) I thought I wouldn't put in another one, just reflect that, each one seems to hope for the same things, happiness, success in love/career and good health for both themselves and their loved ones.....humbling and lovely to read simple requests. Perhaps the people going to work are asking for the same things?
A beautiful and quiet start to day where already, twice, Mooey has escaped unscathed - once - the bike fell over, dangerously close to a sharp concrete brick wall - with him strapped in the bike seat, twice - the kitchen cupboard door fell off its hinges and narrowly missed his head while slipping from my hands onto the floor.....thank you to the good spirits!

this week...

2009-09-27T15:43:00.009+10:00

we have eaten very well!....this dish, niku jaga is the most easy and tasty meat and potatoes dish ever....when it was first introduced to me in Japan, I was amazed there was a 'traditional' dish called Mick Jagger!!...Eventually we worked out I was getting niku (meat) jaga (potato) and Mick Jagger mixed up.....hehehe, I'm sure he wouldn't think that was too cool, sorry Sir J....in addition we have eaten homemade bakuteh, beef rendang, oden, whole chicken, grilled scallops with ginger and spring onions and went out for dinner one night!...dinner out was thoroughly disappointing compared to the dishes we have eaten during the week...it is always a bummer to try a new restaurant that is low quality.....but, on the upside, by chance I met an old buddy of mine from the West of Japan and he took us to a beautiful Italian place for lunch. The restaurant buys wild pigs from the West and makes hams and sausages for the restaurant. When I lived in the West, I often saw those wild pigs caged and ready for the slaughter...creepy.....I even got to see one slaughter in action...very creepy...but it is in the boonies and most people are farmers so its the way of life there.....and the just pigs run wild in the mountains.....and rice fields....along with the monkeys, wild bears and other creepy crawlies.....
we spent some time running around Tokyo university......pretty shabby grounds for one of Japans top universities....but nice spaces and lots of pretty ginko trees!.....
making stuff as always......
and painting stuff....

and feeling the change of early Autumn. Its still warm enough for a t-shirt but the suffocating heat has gone, its really a wonderful time of year!
..and look at the grass...I wish I could say it was mine...after my green grass growing success of 2008, the 2009 version is somewhat patchy and weedy....the grass above is in the delightful Shinjuku gyoen...the only place with such grounds in Tokyo.....
and what can I say! I love the combination of artwork and functionality. When kids are crawling over it the whole 'precious and be careful and quiet' about the artwork goes out the window. This kind of artwork serves several wonderful functions, a public sculpture to admire and think about and a chance for our kids to really engage with artworks, ask questions about its shape and colour etc and feel confident connecting with it, something as adults we don't do, coz we are busy being careful and quiet......

my new drawing blog

2009-09-23T21:37:00.003+10:00

Just in case you cannot get enough of me...I have a new blog just for illustrations.....:)

obi table runner

2009-09-23T21:29:00.004+10:00

My new table runner, just in time for strawberries and cherries...well, still a few weeks to wait until they come into season!...very excited!!
I bought it from this amazing store!....the store is in Kawagoe and I'm sorry I don't have a link. It was one of those places that when you walk inside you really feel a 'wow'.....not only was it incredibly organised, the colours and shapes and patterns and shop fittings all looked beautiful...one of those treasures of shopping. Now, when I look at my table runner I will be able to remember such a lovely shop!...and forget about the traffic...

ohh I'm stll here :)

2009-09-22T15:05:00.010+10:00

..and I was just thinking about a small, yellow canary we had as a kid. He was actually my sisters but we all got to benefit from his lovely song. His name was Rupert, after my grandfather who had raised him. We often called him Rupie and my grandfather often got Rupe. I remember this little bird was an amazing singer but sometimes got a bit too much, too loud and too long so a big tea towel was thrown over the top of his cage to signal GOODNIGHT....after he died we kept him in the freezer for a long time (the canary not my grandfather..)....I just remembered that.
We took one day from this crazy Silver Week of public holidays to go to Kawagoe, a supposed 'old town' nearby Tokyo. The above shot is the centre of 'old town'...I don't need to elaborate on our disappointment....we visited this old town about 5 or 6 years ago, so we were expecting something like it.....
I really just wanted to say this...but of course I always get a kick out of this stuff.....every Japanese (and Japanese speaker) knows FU-KU-RO means owl, and this sign was also quite cute..even though I had to giggle......
this tower is the high point of the town......ummm ok then,
.....for me I preferred the small, very cute shops in the side streets.....
this coffee shop was just so nice......
and what a bakery!..some things are just so lovely to balance out an otherwise very disappointing place....but better luck next time :)

dinner for one

2009-09-17T11:23:00.004+10:00

This dinner, kimchi jigae, is the most easy and delicious and healthy dinner. I love Korean food and mushrooms (shiitake and enoki-the long white ones) so I can pack a lot into this winner dish, its so easy to make at home and the recipe is flexible you can make it just for one....probably not suitable for a little one, so he ate this, while I ate mine....
....but while I was busy making dinner, some one was making something else.......

the dentist visit did not go well.........

2009-09-16T10:33:00.002+10:00

wish me luck...

2009-09-15T14:12:00.003+10:00

I'm taking the mooch to the dentist today, for a check up....last time was horrible, probably the worst and most anxious experience for me and him and it wasnt even a medical issue or any other traumatic situation that I can imagine!! He screamed and screamed and bit and kicked and yelled and it was just so bad, the dentist could not get the cleaning drill in his mouth so the clean wasn't that good...and they still charged me for it............it took a good hour for him to calm down afterwards...I am feeling a little sick in the tummy as the time approaches. I have tried to get him prepared by talking about it...I dont know if it does any good. I would like to avoid the whole dentist thing but he refuses to do a good brush, preferring to suck on the toothpaste tube.... so I am resigned to doing it once a day, which better than no times a day and then follow up with a clean every now and again by the dentist.....let's see how it goes.....

lovely days

2009-09-14T12:04:00.008+10:00

We revisited the nice lake nearby Mt Fuji....warm days, not too hot. Still hard to believe this beautiful and quiet place is so close to Tokyo, about 1.5 hrs drive. And all the while Mt Fuji is quietly and grandly sitting in the background. This day, no clouds came and hide his face...just a beautiful black shape against a white cloudy sky....
...nearby there was a couple of old tractors which was just so perfect for a boyish boy.....
..lots of buttons and knobs to push and turn.....heaven for a little one....
..and a decent slice of heaven for us too!! Long Long got to come along this time...he was so happy. At one stage my darling went in for a swim, Long Long must have been sure he was drowning and promptly ran into the water to save him....but this skinny and boney dog was never designed for water sports and soon realised it was a bit deep, he very quickly exited the water and waited on the shore looking panicked both for himself and his master.....although I feed and care for him, love him intensely and pick up copious amounts of poo it seems he really doesn't see me as the master....hierarchy is over rated anyways....hehehehehe :0

I also really wanted to use this sunshade for something other than play games with the Mooch..it actually works quite well and is the colours of Sweden so its double happiness for me....
...and other things on sunny days....experience with a paint roller, to make into a Ned Kelly costume...or something like it.....
..and I joined a flickr group where you draw what you wore everyday...started by all round groovy chick Gemma Correll...its fun...
and my new business card...because its very lame to attend a meeting and scribble your details from a torn out page of a notebook...I'm going for the MOO ones again coz they are so cool!....and not just because its the nickname of my boy ;)