Little Wandering Wren …. chats!

"If you go down to the woods today You're sure of a big surprise..." Henry Hall - Teddy Bears Picnic You can't beat a walk through a carpet of bluebells with the sunshine dappling through the trees. It's one of life's uplifting free pleasures. I've been coming to the Bluebell Woods  at Badbury Clump  in Oxfordshire  since I was a child riding through on my pony. 2015 is shaping up to be an epic year! It's something to do with a mild February  and the  driest March in forty years which means Spring has come early in these 'ere parts. Having just arrived in the UK from an Aussie autumn it's a true  "Honey, I'm home" moment. It's lovely to be back! Linking with thanks to the following: Blue Monday Mosaic Monday Song-ography

Today we joined Australian and New Zealand communities  all over the world  for an ANZAC Day dawn service. Our service was held at the Kranji War Memorial Cemetery, Singapore,  hosted by the Australian and New Zealand High Commissioners. We weren't alone, we left our hotel at 5.30am,  and arrive in a steady convoy of taxis,  it's way too early for the trains! We walk in silence. The 4,500 gravestones at Kranji,  emerge from the shadows in silent observation of events. Once there, it is a well organised, dignified affair. Public to the left and right, official guests and dignitaries, straight up the middle. The Anzac Day dawn service is the same the world over; a military order, school children and scouts, national anthems, wreath layers from all walks of life and usually a slightly dodgy bugler or bagpipe players, and despite the former, a haunting last post. Followed by an uplifting Gunfire Breakfast. We love the familiarity. Even

I’M READY TO FLY THE NEST… Three months in Europe with a stop over in Singapore. Here I come! I think I have remembered to pack everything. Certainly anything remaining has been  washed, polished and tidied away. Well, maybe not in the study...  I am not Wonder Women!  I’ve been busy. The house is clean,  and all the sheets changed. Car was washed,  and I even vacuumed the soccer muddy car mats. My yoga mat is rolled and stored Surely I will be Zen enough, without yoga for the duration… I have had appointments galore from the hairdresser, to my mammogram. I’m fit to leave! The dog’s also had the right royal treatment. He's been clipped, scrubbed  and had his nails done. Snap! Me too!  Well if the Crazy Poodle gets a pedicure,  then so do I… He’s got a shiny new bling bone dog tag  with new contact phone numbers and along those lines,  I’ve told Security

Autumn has arrived in Melbourne with her "where are my slippers?" chilly nights, but with glorious golden "pass me my sunnies* " days. Our local streets are resplendent at the moment, our tree lined streets adorned with a myriad of colours. Soon the branches will be bare... Autumn Streets in Camberwell, Vic Our Council sweeps our streets monthly, but from April 20th some streets qualify for the extra Heavy Leaf-Fall sweeping program. The Council requests that we keep vehicles off the street on designated sweeping days. The sweeper truck whooshes along clearing and washing away all the leaves. Crazy Poodle champion leaf catcher. Our home street, despite its many trees is not one such street. No special extra street sweeping for us... But not to worry! We've got the Crazy Poodle. His coat is like velcro to the leaves... A quick scamper down the street, he stops for a wee at every tree anyway... and by the end o

Five on Friday:  M y week in a nutshell! 1. I'm counting down to my 11 weeks in Europe, and it's frantic.  I haven't exactly lost the plot yet  and taken all my clothes off  to meditate towards the ocean  but .... Easter walk at Somers beach, Mornington Peninsula 2. We did have a much talked about Family night at a burlesque show at Easter which our (adult) kids warned us was going to be  ' all naked women and nipple tassels...' "Don't be silly" I said,  "It's Spiegelious!  They've hired a Belgium Spiegeltent,  it's a classy show  it's like Cirque du Soleil just in our seaside town. I was right it was classy.  The girls had nude coloured undies  and lots of gold and sparkling diamonds... Ha! We all had a great night but...  Spegelicious tent, Sorrento, Mornington Peninsula 3. Eighteen year old Son perhaps still traumatised from 2 above,  well, the bit about going with his parents.