Tourist in your home town

Back in April, we went to Melbourne as a family for a week,to celebrate the birthday of Mr BB. I had a morning to myself in "town" quite early one day, before most shops were open, and I wandered past some of my favourite places just to say 'hi'.

Back in the olden days, "the nineteens" (i.e. 1980s, 1990s; as Master 7 says), I went to school in the inner city. A bus, train and a tram, then a walk, and we were there. This opened up the city to us as we all travelled some distance to get there, and we spent a good deal of time in the city after and before school.

We knew lots of short-cuts and lane-ways, places to go, hideaway spots, parks, fountains, cafes, and shops. The Sportsgirl Centre was being built, as too was Southbank, McDonald's was underground, and we'd meet the guys from the boys' school Under The Clocks.


courtesy Flickr
I love reminiscing as I walk around the streets. The Hill of Content Bookshop where I bought "Joseph and His Technicolour Coat" illustrated by Quentin Blake in the mid-eighties. Pellegrini's where a glass of Fruit Cup is available at any time to go with magnificent minestrone. Where an old boyfriend got Mark Seymour's autograph for me before an underage "Hunna's" concert at the (gulp, how embarassing...) Metro...


Ancient Times' House where I discovered my love of all things Ancient and Egyptian. A mummified cat sticks in my mind. Little Lonsdale Street where Dad took me to my first Archeological dig in 1983, a dig I went on to study at uni ten years later!


Job Warehouse which has NEVER been open when I have gone past! Now For Lease - tragic end of an era. Those moths have been in the windows for DECADES.


The Manchester Unity Building - a gem of Art Deco (sorry Steve, Moderne) architecture.


The Nicholas Building where I love riding in the old-style, hand-operated lifts. Of course one must visit Button Mania...



At the end of the day though, hopping on a tram is the best reminiscence of them all. Catch a tram to This Park , which has old ones that we used to ride to school as play structures for kids. They've been a drawcard for years. Despite numerous vandal attacks however, they are restored and ready for you any time you fancy a picnic. My two thought they were brilliant!

Lego Brickvention 09

Yes, this is a craft blog! Yes, I still go op-shopping! However the holiday shots are still being shown! You no like? Don't read on!

One of the events of the trip to Melbourne was the Brickvention 09 - a Lego convention hosted by the Melbourne Lego Users Group.


When they say there is something for everyone, they're not kidding! Even I got a kick out of a few of the exhibits. The best for me was a rock festival set up, with hundreds of Lego people watching. Back stage was a warm-up area, where you could see various legends rehearsing. Here's The Village People.



Here's DEVO!!


Of course there was a mosh-pit....


However my favourite?

Sensational! 'Fabulously exciting', as quoted by Master 6.

Of course my other highlight was a crafty one. One of the exhibitors wore a cap he had decorated with Lego pieces.



He had sewn them on, and can change the pieces he wears as of course they clip on and off. Master 6 loved it; I was intrigued. Of course I am now making one for my son as a memento of the trip. I hope he likes it!

j

Garden of my childhood.

I find my parents' garden a beautiful and relaxing place. They have lived in the same house in Melbourne for nearly 40 years, and I remember many changes in that time. Essentially it remains the garden in which I grew up. Dad's artistic handiwork is visible in the brick paving, and the walkways and arches.

Wisteria (growing on the arch) is a beautiful plant and one which appears in several places on the garden. It is an essential part of any garden for me!

Another arch Dad built supports their 'upside down' tomatoes. The buckets have holes in the bottom, through which the tomatoes are planted. The compost and other goodies go in the top of the bucket. The tomatoes grow with gravity and thus do not need any supports and stakes. They are strong and happy and easy to pick!


Mum and Dad's garage smells divine at the moment - the perfect place to dry the armfulls of lavender Mum has cut. I had to take photos - what a great place to dry the bunches! Lavender bags a-plenty!

It's always good to come home and see that little has changed. It's so very comforting.

x

Prescribed rest

So the Doctor prescribed me rest and rejuvenation. Where better a place to start than the hallowed halls of the Palace o' Coffee - Brunetti in Carlton. This is an establishment where "barista" is a career, and the familiar faces from years ago still blend the perfect brew.

Where the cakes are so fresh they are warm when they arrive on your plate.


Where the gelato is so fresh it's ok for the kids to eat is for breakfast.


Where the pannini are mouth-watering and plentiful.

Already we could feel the knots going from our backs, the tension rising from the mind, and the smiles tickling the corners of our mouths.

Brilliant.

j

Back and busy

Back home (mmm, my own bed!), mountains of washing, bags and boxes to unpack, photos to take and upload, emails to respond to, memes to update (and I've been tagged for another!), and I will NEVER go away without the computer AGAIN!

Above are some daisies to make me smile. Mum had a school teacher in the 1950s who told her there were NO blue flowers. I have inherited her joy in finding more and more of them! What about a Forget-me-not?!

We had a super-busy time in Melbourne. I went to my first Brown Owls meeting, which was fun but terrifying at the same time. It's not very 'me' to just go somewhere without knowing anyone. I was fine until I realised they all knew each other, and I tried so hard but may have been inadvertently rude to some lovely people... Sorry!

It was especially nice to meet Ms Curlypops, Drewzel, Pip, and others, and we did a spot of crocheting!

I had the pleasure and joy of meeting an elderly relative, Edna, who is 95 and loves a Vanilla Slice and a cappuccino (must be genetic)! She has loaned Mum a family diary that covers 1901 to 1912 of Edna's grandmother (Mum's great-grandmother). It was amazing to read. I loved reading the entry about her voting on the first occasion women could in Australia.

I also saw a darling lady, a companion of my late great-uncle Lloyd. Margaret is another amazing woman, also 95, and has recently had HER grandmother's cookbook restored by a conservator and archivist. It is hand-written on water-marked vellum, and inscribed 1783. I was so moved. Marg is legally blind, so her enjoyment of it comes from others reading it to her. I loved doing this, and would have read the whole book to her.

Mum is in the process of 'down-sizing', so I also came home with a box of stunning vintage fabrics from the 60s, 70s and 80s, some old books from my childhood, op-shop finds, dresses of mine from the 1970s for Miss 2, and lovely memories.

HEAPS of photos to come. Sorry for the rant!

x