Little Wandering Wren …. chats!

I'm a little bit country. My childhood was spent living in a village in the Vale of the White Horse with my pony riding on the downs. Childhood memories of an English Summer come thick, fast and always with a big sneeze. I have largely outgrown the grass-fuelled hayfever of my youth, by not trotting around country lanes, becoming a city slicker helped. Somehow on life's rich journey I ended up living in some of the most amazing cities in the world Bruxelles, Hong Kong, and Melbourne. I love going back to my roots! I wanted to give a little shout out to Lechlade, a pretty local town on the edge of the Cotswolds. It was recently yarn bombed by the Women's Institute and  looks fantastic.  I love the town's spirit, you see they have been subjected to two arson attacks which destroyed their Community Memorial Hall. I heard they lost all the towns flags. Well the woolly street art has really brightened the place up. Thre...

Dear Sally I'm sending you some Aussie flowers and I know you are looking down and smiling. I've chosen these beautiful and tough plants that adorn many a Melbourne driveways and paths for you today and I know you'd approve of their blue colour. These are the perfect Aussie flowers and I have just realised that I do not have enough of them in my garden. In your honour, I shall plant some for you. They tell me they are low maintenance whilst making a flamboyant statement with their bird attracting flowers - perfect! Agapanthus: Australian Blue perennial flower Blue Monday was one of the first memes I joined as Little Wandering Wren and I enjoyed my regular visits. Australia with its rich blue skies offered many opportunities to participate and Sally was always quick to respond with her lovely encouraging comments. Many of my favourite blogs have been found through Blue Monday and I was very sad to read Sally's final post. You can find it here ...

"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

Outside my front door is a rather ugly bench  covering the electricity meter. It had a cushion on it made in Shenzhen, China. However, even on a Melbourne porch, away from direct sunlight, things don't last long in Australia,  especially when the fabric was  Made in China ! So it was time to pimp my cushion This is the Tale of Two Cities;  of my Jim Thompson Thai cushions  made in China!  Oops sorry, should have turned the cushions round so the zipper is hidden! I am writing this from Bangkok where on my last visit  I found the fabric at  the Jim Thompson factory outlet. Jim Thompson was an American businessman  who made  Thai silk famous to the west.  His mysterious disappearance in 1967 remains unsolved... Jim Thompson Factory Outlet is a Soi 93, Bangkok The JT outlet store is floor upon floor,  and  roll upon roll, of stunningly gorgeous Thai silks. Choosing which colour was the hard...

2014 was supposed to be a quiet year! A year in which we were mostly Australia based whilst our youngest finished off school life... In the end Little Wandering Wren didn't do too badly keeping her frequent flyer points up with trips to  England, America, Hong Kong, Bali, Thailand, New Zealand. Bangkok waterways July 2014 With two of the three kids now at university their Third Culture Kid upbringing was never going to keep them in the nest for too long. We lived vicariously through their adventures in 2014  in Africa, Europe  and the United States of America... Bristol, UK March 2014 I will remember 2014 for the people I met.  Whether it was reconnecting with family in the UK or US,  or catching up with friends in Hong Kong, Thailand and New Zealand, or the courageous men and women  from all over the world,  asylum seekers now in Australia,  who have enriched my life in so many ways...

There is a house in Footscray which stands out. It is a rather brash and possibly underneath it all,  quite an ordinary house. You cannot ignore it. It always reminds me of my  daughter's soccer team  Boroondara Eagles FC. BEFC is way over on the other side of town in the leafy suburbs. The Women's team have been promoted each year  since starting in the State League. They are a young team the majority are U21. In 2014 they made it to the dizzy heights of  Women's Premier League. That is one massive step up. Now normally what happens is that players take a while to adjust to the faster, more physical game. They can feel quite over awed at playing against more experienced players some who have played for their national teams, or those who are returning from playing  college soccer in America. It can be a brutal introduction. The sport is a brilliant one for girls but if you are not up to it, you wil...

I love my fabulous Fridays working in Footscray Footscray is one of those Melbourne suburbs which let's just say has proudly enjoyed a colourful past. There is always something interesting to look at in Footscray. What about this bright blue house? Is this a garden full of art  - trash or treasure?  Every time I walk by I see something else that captures my attention, like the blue Australia hat on the top of the wooden post. I reckon a fair amount of work has gone into this garden  at one stage or another... But I do wonder what the neighbours say?! It does make you wonder how the Postie  ever finds the post box?! One thing I always stop to read are the quotes on the side fence: 'The greatest wealth in life is health and wisdom!' Footscray promotes fabulous street art offering an annual Street Art prize How about this one, it is a combinations of lots of other walls that I find out and about on ...

There is never a dull moment here! Last week was spent ducking and diving from:  * Flu  * Glandular Fever (mono) *  Ebola...   Here  is the post for those who missed all the excitement... We are now over the flu, recovering from Glandular Fever and a flight out of West Africa has been booked! Phew! I'm looking forward to this week ahead, I hear it is going to be just perfect! Shop board in Mansfield But before we head off to find the perfection I have to de-ice the windscreen. Now that's not something I get to do very often, even in the middle of a Melbourne winter. Here is the original of the black and white photo  I posted yesterday for Silent Sunday Ice on the windscreen in Melbourne, that's unusual! Yesterday I drove my friend and her now flu-free  daughter   back to her boarding school,  three hours drive out of Melbourne. After a terrible full-on winter week which include...