Holiday Round Up

Early October saw us driving up to Maroochydore (Qld) for a bit of a holiday and to keep an eye on, and do things for, my mum, who lives in a retirement village in Buderim. While my sister went to Tassie for two weeks, a well-earned holiday for her. We were able to stay in my sister's flat in Maroochydore. Overcast and showery weather, but not cold. I sported close to an afro hairstyle on account of the humidity. Monumental frizz, I tell you.

We went ten pin bowling and to a Smiggle shop in "the Plaza" (Clare & Al's request), op-shopping in the very well picked-over oppies of the Sunshine Coast (damn that it's now hip to op-shop), I came away with books and a nice fringed, woollen travel rug (rug from Lifeline in Maleny). We tried to do some national park walks.

It rained. This pic. is from Mapleton Falls lookout.

Then running for the car. Ally got the umbrella!

We also visited Kondalilla Falls NP...it continued raining. Beautiful countryside, the Sunshine Coast hinterland. Visited Rosetta's, an independent book shop in Maleny, and also the two secondhand book shops there. There's a terrific independent book shop in Buderim too. I should say now that, with op-shop books, second hand book shops and independent book shops, I bought at least twice my bodyweight in books (and I'm no tiny girl). Additions to my "reference library" - art, textiles and fashion, and sewing. Also novels from the oppies and second-hand shops. I spent a couple of hours this afternoon rearranging the book shelves to accommodate this influx. No new book shelves, all books have to find a place on the existing shelves. This is hard now! Thirteen novels don't have a place, probably I'll read them and not want to keep them anyway.

Went to pick up my sister from Brisbane airport, her mid-afternoon flight from Hobart. Beforehand we intended going to Qld Museum, but it was closed for renovations. Sadly *cough* we went to the art gallery instead, taking in the Henri Cartier-Bresson exhibition that was on (he was a very good photographer in the days of film B&W). I'd forgotten what a lovely space the Qld Art Gallery is. The foyer huge and airy with water from outside, then inside and then outside again. Fountains, bronze pelicans and huge shallow pools with river stones on the bottom. The pool outside the cafe has two resident water dragons that wander around the tables and climb the huge fig (?) that shades the area. If I lived in Brisbane I'd visit the gallery often. We didn't have time to visit the newer modern art gallery...next time. 

While away I made stock for up-coming Maker's Market and a newer Meet The Maker's Market. Former quarterly, latter annually. Hand sewn stuff.

Birds

Mice. Lots of mice. A mischief of mice?

Made a very small dent in the "to read" pile of books: Christos Tsoilkas The Slap (and I just want to slap all the characters), Peggy Frew The House Of Sticks (I want to slap all of them too), Lloyd Jones Hand Me Down World (absorbing but not, for me, a keeper), Peter Temple Truth (my first foray into crime writing, I really enjoyed this book) and I'm still reading Marion Halligan The Taste Of Memory (I'm enjoying this cooking and gardening memoir).

Seedlings planted too small before going away mostly died. Not from lack of water but from the scratching up habits of blackbirds. Started again with some more seeds sown and some seedlings bought. We have six new chooks. More in another post.

Hello, and glad to be back.

 

Comments

[victoria]

I love Marion Halligan. Or, I love her writing. Mouse plague! I had one like them in pink felt that I treasured when I was about ten.
The pic of your family members running in the rain is great!

[lizzy D]

just love all those mice, gorgeous, how can you ever part with them ?

[Janet]

Love those birds! Need to make some as Christmas decorations/presents. Apparently there are some good, not so picked over opshops in the Noosa hinterland or nearby. I'll ask my sister....

[suse]

A nest of mice? I like a plague of mice too.

That Marion Halligan book sounds good. I still dream about her book 'The Midwife's Daughters'.

[Stompergirl]

I think your mice are very cute individually but I was a little bit freaked out (or maybe eek!-ed out) by the pic of the mouse pack.