Travellers' Tales....

I think I have the task of packing a suitcase down to a fine art....this comes with years of practice - schlepping my wardrobe & personal possessions from one side of the world to the other at a moment's notice! I realised this week that I haven't passed the skill on to my children (or at least if I tried, they weren't paying attention!)

Firstly, my darling baby girl was packing her case to return to Sydney uni for the start of the new semester - we have tried (unsuccessfully) to convince her to travel light (I couldn't quite work out what she could possibly be bringing with her when she arrived here as her chest of drawers in her bedroom was completely stuffed full of her clothes, along with the one in the guest room). Nevertheless, after a 'massive clearout' when she was feeling up to it and the glandular had subsided a bit, when the inevitable day of packing bags for the return trip dawned, this was the scene:

A couple of years ago, we invested in some luggage scales and what a great investment they turned out to be - I'm sure they have saved hundreds in over-weight baggage charges......when they were pressed into action, I breathed a sigh of relief.....she proclaimed her bags to be well within the allowed weight and off we went to Heathrow (yet again.....)

On arrival at the check-in desk, we duly loaded the bags onto the luggage scale and noted the solemn look on the face of the girl checking her in...she pronounced that the bags were 'at least six kilos over' - I looked at my GG and she responded with a puzzled expression...pressed further, she explained that she had only weighed the large one! We never actually got to the bottom of why she thought the other one was either weightless or would be disregarded by the airline! Oh, the innocence of youthful naivete! This girl has obviously never had to stand in a very long queue and hand over a very large sum of money because she couldn't bear to be parted from a large section of her wardrobe....

After some sweet-talking from the LAB (whose sales and negotiating skills come in very handy on such occasions) and the removal of a large coat from the bag - which she carried over her arm but still went onto the aircraft (not in the bag admittedly....)??!! she was on her way....

Another journey to Heathrow early this morning (not by me this time!).....my son and his fiancee were flying to Las Vegas to be married on the 11th August....the main topic of conversation for the last few weeks has been........no, not the venue, flowers, food, guests or accommodation.......but the troublesome problem of how this diminutive girl was going to transport her HUGE dress from here to there....

(This is a model wearing a very similar dress from the collection by the same designer)

I visited them last week and also pondered the mission ahead....THE DRESS had to be moved so that I could sleep in their guest bedroom (it actually took up most of the space in the room!) I took with me suitcases of varying sizes and we all put our heads together to solve this mathematical problem - one VERY large dress + one VERY small girl + a possibly tight squeeze in the storage locker in the aircraft cabin = a BIG headache; or, alternatively:

one VERY large dress inside a VERY large suitcase checked into the hold + an inattentive baggage handler = an even BIGGER headache...

Eventually, it was decided that the best course was not to let THE DRESS out of sight, resulting in son, girlfriend and dress all boarding a flight to Vegas this morning - at last contact, all were happily ensconced at the pointy end of the plane (frequent flyers saved for a long while specially for the occasion) and the champagne was flowing......happy days........s

Down the garden path....

Who can resist a pathway meandering through beds of lavender or clipped box hedges to an unseen hideaway up ahead, out of sight? The path is inviting "Come on - follow me, you never know what you might find'....






Maybe a painted white wooden bench, perfect for a sit down and a few minutes in the shady scent of some climbing roses before exploring more.....

As for an open gate! No matter how hot and tired my aching feet might be, I just cannot resist having a peek (and taking a photo!)

These are just a few of the magical gardens we have been visiting over the glorious summer we are enjoying here in the U.K. Absolutely fabulous - lush, scented and exactly how you would expect an English country garden to look...

The lavender has been at its best in the last few weeks....we have certainly been getting our money's worth from our National Trust membership! Gorgeous, gorgeous English gardens...I take my hat off to the army of dedicated gardeners who keep these gardens looking like this...they work tirelessly to bring their gardens to the peak of perfection during the summer months & perfect they certainly are.....

What a fantastic summer - who said it rains all the time in England??

Hope you are all enjoying a little piece of paradise whether it's winter or summer where you are.....x

It's been way too long....

since I let you all know the latest goings-on at the M.H. Sorry for the long absence - things have been a bit stressful of late....more later....First up, can I just say thank you so much for all your suggestions and messages of goodwill re: the glandular fever...GG is much better after a few weeks of R & R a la mother come handmaiden & seems well on the road to recovery. The route to wellness has been paved with much vitamin swallowing and a strict juicing regime which I am totally convinced has aided said recovery more than anything else. So, the end result is that GG will be winging her way back to Sydney for the start of semester at the end of July. I shall be a sad mother/handmaiden once again...
Meanwhile, the BF has arrived and the M.H has become tourist central with mother/handmaiden now also undertaking the role of tour guide....resulting in lots of driving to destinations near and far. Boyfriend and GG are ensconced with her brother in Hampshire this weekend so mother/handmaiden/tour guide gets five minutes to update you all!

We enjoyed what was probably the hottest day of the year so far at Hampton Court yesterday:



The day before - a visit to Mottisfont Abbey, a National Trust property in the Test Valley in Hampshire. The walled garden is magnificent and the property is situated right on the river Test with it's clear cool water and abundance of trout...just beautiful; if you get the chance, do go. (Note - This is probably one for mother/handmaiden and her friends....I got the feeling that Aussie boyfriend and GG weren't quite as appreciative.....)

As lovely as all this summer bounty is, there has been an underlying sense of melancholy this past week. I mentioned in a previous post that my dear friend in Sydney had received bad news at Christmas time. She had been on a revolutionary treatment and we were all hopeful for a good outcome. I spent some happy time with her recently in Sydney and we joked that when we used to talk about our upcoming 50th birthdays (we were only 3 months apart in age), spending it in Sydney's RPA hospital wasn't part of the plan...A week ago on Friday I got the call from her husband I had hoped I would never receive....she died early on Friday morning and her funeral was held on Tuesday....I am so, so sad that I will never again enjoy a laugh over morning coffee with her or have our usual late afternoon chat about what's on the menu for dinner. Her daughters are the same age as mine and my heart breaks for them....

So - as I prepare for another outing and pack another picnic (and fleetingly wish I was staying home) I shall remember & be thankful that I have the opportunity for another day out with my GG (appreciative or not....)

Be happy, make the most of every day and count every blessing.....hope you are all having a beautiful weekend wherever you are.....s

A Hammock in the shade of a palm tree....

is where I would quite like to be right now...yes I know I just got back from Sydney and I did stop en route for a day of total 'me' time but as all you busy Mums out there know, it doesn't take long before it feels as if you have never been away!



It's been ages since I managed to update you with my news so here I am...back in the depths of the countryside and happy to be home. However, I'm not so happy that my GG has had to finish the university semester early and join me because she has been suffering (badly) from the after effects of glandular fever. It's truly debilitating and is really taking it's toll on her health. It was wonderful spending a few weeks in Sydney and having the opportunity to see her perform brilliantly well in the College play but I don't really know how she managed it - the effects of glandular are well documented and can take literally months (with lots of TLC) to dissipate.

The recommendation from all the medics is 'take it easy' - all the rest in the world doesn't seem to be making a whole lot of difference so homeopathy here we come.....(thanks Jeanne, I think it's the only option when you're exhausted from all the Doctor's visits)

Any suggestions gladly received! Meanwhile, I shall continue to languish in my imaginary hammock whilst running up and down three flights of stairs with quantities of vitamins, bowls of fruit and juice and hope for a speedy recovery! Hope all is well with all of you - I have been checking in to see what you've all been up to - apologies for the lack of news from the M.H - will try to do better!

Birds at Balmoral...

Today my GG and I took a little trip to Balmoral and had lunch at the Bathers Pavilion, an iconic Sydney spot...at this time of the year, it's not crowded, parking isn't too difficult and the views are fabulous...As we were walking in, I spotted several of these sulphur crested cockatoos making light work of a whole section of the garden outside the restaurant. I know they are destructive & noisy creatures, wreak havoc in gardens and are unwelcome visitors in lots of places but I can't help having a soft spot for them. I remember when we first moved to Sydney and I saw these for the first time in their natural habitat....it was amazing...their raucous cry is a familiar Sydney sound and one which is so at odds with the soft sounds of the birds in an English garden.






This was the view out towards Sydney heads - the water looked so inviting and I was reminded of so many picnics on this beach..fish and chips from the 'Bottom of the Harbour' accompanied by a bottle of icy cold bubbly....

My time in Sydney is coming to an end and the familiar feelings of uncertainty are beginning to stir in my mind - I am going home but leaving a place which is just as much home to me and where I could happily stay a while longer. I am reminded of a wonderful post by Vicki Archer at French Essence when she returned to France after a visit to her native Australia...I think it may have been called 'Home & Away' and totally sums up my feelings at the moment. It seemed impossible to me today, looking out on the still clear water of Balmoral Beach that this was not my home; I wouldn't be driving up the highway and in through the familiar gates but instead, the task of getting organised for another long flight back to an old Mill House in the heart of England's countryside awaited........s

An Australian Anomaly...

I just spent a couple of days with the Camerons - no, not David and Samantha, Duncan & Sandy, at their property in Scone, the horse capital of Australia...this is the view from the back of their house - out to the ranges, the wild, dry Australian landscape like nowhere else on earth....

Within the boundary of their property they grow these: Magnificent roses, white and profuse - to me, the two don't go together....rose gardens mean lush, green, damp.....don't they? Another anomaly which is Australia....

I had lunch with an old friend today and then we drove into town - coming back across the Sydney harbour bridge I felt a surge of love for this brown land, where roses grow in a dusty landscape and cars go nose to tail for miles up the Pacific Highway on a Friday afternoon, out of the city and up the coast...Australia, home to my family for many years, ancient land of anomalies and surprises, I love you still...you will always be here and I will always come back.......happy weekend everyone.........s

A Mother and Daughter Picnic..

On a glorious Sydney autumn day, we headed to our favourite picnic spot - Apple Tree Bay in the Ku-Ring-Gai chase national park. After loading up with paper plates and blankets we headed for the Australian institution - the chicken shop - to collect the obligatory b-b-q chook and salads! At the top of the hill we nearly turned tail and headed back...there was a long line of cars and a ranger imparting gloomy information about the parking situation down at the bay...we took the chance and were happy we did....it wasn't nearly as bad as we feared and we were able to find a sunny spot near the water and soak up the autumn sunshine. It was a bonus to spend Mothers' Day in Australia with my GG, by the water, under a beautiful blue sky, having a picnic.....Happy Mothers' Day Aussie Mums!.........s