found some special spots in Brisbane

I was shopping in Brisbane city this morning and came upon these.

Lanterns at Southbank

A new decorative facade on the wintergarten arcade.

And some cosmopolitan window decoration.

In family birthday news, Rowan turns 24 on Tuesday.

and Paul's garden grows.

wanted to be in 2 places at once.

This time last year, Paul and I visited the annual SWELL sculpture exhibition held at Currumbin Beach on the Gold Coast.
It's a fantastic festival. As you wander along the waterfront, you find pieces like this.

and this

 

and even this piece from 2011, called the 'Little Mermaid'.

 

 

This year however we had other fish to fry. (and sausages too)

 

 



This 'little mermaid' has just turned 21.
Her parents hosted a fantastical nautically themed do.

There were jelly shots

..... and an entire octopus's garden created by Lizzie, the mermaid's big sister.

On Sunday though it was Paul's turn to mastermind a sausage sizzle at the local Bunnings.
It was a fundraiser for his Community Band. He's fairly chuffed with the results. The dollars will go towards purchasing new music, funding a professional conductor and generally keeping the River City Band organisation afloat.

What a lot of seafaring references in this blog. I'd better cast off from my computer and go and think about dinner. Guess what we're having????

Remembered I had one last photo to show

Tee hee. Saving the best till last.
Here's our guru showing us how to prepare physically and mentally for a challenging task.

....guru says it doesn't have to be kahlua.... Any old grog will do!

am relaxing from relaxing

It's been such a frantic weekend of retreating and relaxing in the wilds of Toowoomba.

Here's my work station. I used the couch too.

Here are friends hard at work.

On the way home we had a fabulous lunch in Forest Hills, a very small village 30 kms East of Toowoomba.
We wondered how a town with 10 houses supported 2 pubs.

Back in Brisbane, Paul was encouraging his latest orchid to smile for the camera.

I'm told it's a Phais Tankervilliae. It's a swamp orchid. Arguments rage re it's country of origin.

Orchid enthusiasts seem to match quilters for fanaticism.

While we're speaking of international incidents, Paul used his telephoto lens to snap Kate and William who were canoodling 2 gardens away; out in the open!

have lots to write about

When I decided to continue my blog, I wasn't sure if I'd have enough to report on or comment about.

This week hasn't been a problem.

We had a wedding anniversary. It's been 27 years since we swore allegiance to each other.

 

Here's Mum, Dad and the sibs.  We're gorgeous. it was the eighties!

 

I can't tell you what he said. Top secret newly married stuff.

It's official!

We're still happily swearing at each other today by the way.

Socialising with dear friends over the weekend.

You know who you are.

... and of course, today was Paul's birthday.

We took a drive to the Gold Coast. It was picture perfect.

I'm whipping up a Moroccan dish for dinner

and Myles made the birthday cake.

 

It was delicious.... a liqueur coffee sideways cake.... (not a pineapple upside down cake) with a couple of Paul's presents in the background. 

had a lovely Father's Day; not sure about Paul.

A highlight of  this past week was spending time with Alexia and Mia, so that their parents could go out disco dancing.

Here's the perfect child, asleep at 7pm.

Mmm and here's the other one.

Anyway, it's traditional around our parts that on any Parent's day (Mother or Father's Day), we actually have time on our own.
Today was no exception.

I had a Bookclub meeting to attend.

As you can see, books really do feature at our meetings. (old style and new tech)
This restaurant at Roma Street Parklands has proven itself to be as glamorous a setting as we require for our highly intellectual and philosophical discussions.

I hope you're not concerned for Paul though.
We gave him just what he always wanted for his Father's Day present.

Out with the old style and in with the new tech!

(I know what would happen if I gave the leader of the opposition a frying pan for Mother's Day,  Ed,)

...... and we did have a lovely walk around the gardens at Roma Street parklands as well. It's not often that we see Kangaroo Paw flowers in these colours in Brisbane.

Here's the feature flower from our garden this week.

We've a wedding anniversary and Paul's birthday this time next week. I wonder if he'd like a new toaster?