Courtesy jdurham@morgueFilefree photos

Change…
“To make something different. You can cause something to change, or you can bring change upon yourself.”… Google Business Dictionary

Change
When change is as good as a holiday
Dust out those gorgeous china cups and use them more
Change enlightens the spirit

You are aching for a holiday, a change to the everyday dreary, where can we go, but have little funds, I need a break moment of madness.

Staycation…have you ever indulged?
Now isn’t that a good word, indulged. It makes it sound so much better than we went, or we did

Plan. Give thought. Try and make the main part of home really inviting and fresh with nothing but a little time and elbow grease….or do it later with everyone pitching in after a refreshing recharge out.

Stay based at home but…

Enjoy a myriad of little trips
Search out
Visit new places for
a snack
a coffee
a catchup
a picnic
a new communal meeting point with friends
Time and connection with loved one
Time and connection with children

So instead of a few hundred dollars just on accommodation for at best a couple of nights you have the pleasure to indulge many little occasions spread over time. You can spend nothing by bringing from home, or treating for this occasion. Again it doesn’t need to cost a heap. New surroundings, pleasant views all add to the special ambience….give it a little thought and do some homework or ask acquaintances.

Courtesy greyerbaby@morgueFile free photos

I was reminded of our staycation whilst looking for a particular photo. Well I didn’t find it as it’s on my phone and I have yet to be able to download them. But it gave me a germ of an idea for a topic:)

We did staycation last year because all the accommodation we looked at was just so unrealistic. I think of it as “the end of winter, need to lift the blues.” We had amazingly beautiful weather crowning OUR day.

Leaving home without breakfast we drove to somewhere and as I don’t know that part of Sydney hence no name. It was a beach….hubby just corrected me, it was somewhere in Collaroy. Here we enjoyed brunch right on the seashore with a slow coffee. We lingered and savoured the moment. A little walk was included.

Then onwards to Palm Beach enjoying the ocean road. I know that name as I love the area though we have hardly ever been there. We found a nice bench on the edge of the sand and got our respective books out to peruse, to watch the ocean perchance to snooze. Another walk to a park for more chatting , reading and hubby snoozing. A few steps found another lovely eatery for a very late afternoon snack which actually became our evening meal as we didn’t eat that night.

Thence home unfortunately through traffic but that’s part of going on a Friday….our day off.

One long spread out gorgeous, decadent indulgence which I would love to repeat and hope to. Kill the winter blues sounds a good idea I think and something to look forward too. But maybe with a bit of careful budgeting as hubby is the proud new owner of a Pension Concession Card….he’s worked hard and now counting down with just under two weeks to him retiring and new adventures on the horizon….Retirement being a journey and not a destination.

Do you have little indulgences?

It doesn’t take much, does it,to change a hopeless want into reality if we just think about it differently.

Joining in with Essentially Jess for IBOT

Photo by hotblack @morgueFile free photo

Anzac Day, a public holiday celebrated mainly in Australia and New Zealand to remember those who served and died in WW1 as depicted in our newspapers and Poppies used as a symbol of remembrance

For us it was a drive in the country from Bawley Point to Sydney early on Anzac morning…

Queen Anne’s Lace grasping onto the side of the rural road with its last flush of summer flowers in the icy breeze

Photo courtesy marykbaird@morgueFile free photos

Deserted shops on Anzac morning in Milton. A few cafés open, bursting at the seams and over flowing with their queue of hungry people or coffee addicts needing their morning wake up jolt

A chalk board sign “a yawn is a silent SCREAM for coffee”

Us deciding to continue driving through the rich dairy country with its brief ocean view and find brekky elsewhere to end our holiday

Cycle track winding through bush fire ravaged eucalyptus forest now sprouting an abundance of new growth…a hardy tree is our eucalyptus

Husband now wishing he’d been able to have his homemade gourmet meat pie earlier at a bakery as it’s a bit of a haul to the next proper town for breakfast….

Well, brekky was had at Maccas in Nowra ….fresh and hot…soft egg and bacon brekky mcmuffin and piping hot tea…who needs a gourmet cafe anyway ;). There’s always another time!

A small spot of trivia as we chatted….being Anzac Day here in Australia…this year is 100 years since WW 1

More scenes spotted on our drive…people enjoying the break from work and able to work on their autumn chores in the garden…so nice seeing a husband and wife team together setting out pot plants along the front picket fence for a bit of colour …

Names driven past that caught my imagination.
MJ Fox Plumber
Roger Roberts Creek
Foxground
Gerringong
Kiama Downs

After having spent a magic time weather and family wise it’s home to Sydney and rain happening on the last stretch but not at home!

Rain and Anzac or cold and Anzac go together typically at this time of year. But we were blessedly spoilt for our time at the beach.

I typed in the car as we travelled along and prettied up this article once home, having unpacked and loads of washing done with me having done two back to back trips.

…anyone for coffee?

Older memories of Anzac Day when our children were little in Adelaide, South Australia. It being that time when all short-sleeved t-shirts and tops were packed away and winter clothing prepared and thought about hastily as inevitably pants legs and sleeves were too short. So too with PJs and dressing gowns and slippers for little toes. Things were passed down, sewn or as a last resort purchased. Days before eBay, Target, Kmart or Big W. The sewing machine got going and knitting needles a clicking.

Do you have childhood memories of this transition Autumn to Winter time?

“A simple day today with the three elements which we at times take for granted in our busy days….so today we simply pause, breathe, wonder, and absorb…”

I wrote and posted this in April and had cause to re read my thoughts after seeing a visitor in the Stats to my blog from Russia today the 21st July. It sent my thoughts racing…..we’ve all read and heard so much about the sad happening of that doomed flight over Ukraine. Life gone in a second and remaining lives irrevocably changed forever.

Did this happening make you pause and hold those close to you closer?

Are we thankful for what we see each and every day without noticing around us?

Did this make you ponder?

Do you struggle to see beauty around you in this busy life?

Let’s all endeavour to look closer

Here is the rest of my previous article…

The heavens which greet us morning and night
Endless always changing, infinity and beyond

The ocean a gift for those who live close
Angry, serene, refreshing and life-giving

The earth beneath our feet, how do we care for it and how do we see…
Tiniest toadstools after Autumn rains

For me, I’ve been on a sojourn in the garden to plan and prepare for some hedging. Measure out and stake string lines and in so doing discovered these miniature mushrooms/ toadstools lurking right at the back of the garden where it’s cool and undisturbed…

…a special find almost like a fairy garden because they are gone in a blink.

Till next time from my camera and I.

Alexa

Utter joy is a small child running just for the fun of it with glee painted on his face. Even better when cousins join in and the lead child keeps running, looking back and laughing. Grandma watching and bracing for the inevitable falling over or crashing into a tree.

Little boys climbing a vast play equipment…little voice calling out “help, help” but as the day progresses that little voice is no more. Horizons have broadened and confidence soaring so much so that two little boys need to be taken down from the top of climbing ropes for grandma’s peace of mind. It’s fun climbing up but not sure about coming back down…Dad, big cousin and big sister to the rescue…but wow those little bare feet must hurt balancing on the thick ropes of the spiderweb…

FUN

Big children, little children, baby, teens, cousins, mates, girls, boys.
Mum, dad, friend, sister, brother, sibling, fathers.
Tiny and Young and older and oldest, grandma.

What’s to eat. Always hungry, always hungry. Time for food.
What shall we have. Lots of easy healthy goodies brought from home by all. From the depths of the cold Esky (Australian)…Chilly Bin (New Zealand) comes cold chicken , delicious coleslaw, salad- serve yourself, avocado, fresh bread rolls and a treat of hot chips. Hot chips at the beach are a must have if available…enjoyed by one and all.

Stand around, sit on camp chairs, sit on picnic rug, swap seats…get up out of chair look carefully before sitting back down. Is it still empty?…Little boys sneaking into big chairs.

Food gone!
Summer time!
Australia =
Cricket time!

“Mum, did you bring the stumps?”
“I told you to bring whatever you wanted to play with!”
“You’ll just have to play Caught Out”

Off go the cricket bats, tennis balls, and if all else fails an esky on wheels and a child’s camping chair…what! you say.
It works!
Fun for a few hours of cricket. Dads, brothers in law, brothers, mates, and cousins whilst the little boys have their adventures on the play ground, joining in occasionally …but getting shooed away.

Girls, cousins, teens….running down the cliff of sand to the beach, exploring the sea shore, climbing over rocks, walking along sand, talking, laughing, running, solving all the girly puzzles. Time for a game of chase. Back to base. Look after little brother and cousin on play equipment. Turn and turn about.

Grandma’s turn , now it’s one mum, then the other. Friend, then big cousin again. Random. Seamless. Not set pattern but constant. Always watching the little ones. Getting a drink, more sunscreen, a hug, a smile….and little ones still running!

Soon time to go home…

“…but we have to have a last swim and take the boogie board”

An hour….no, more later …blue tinged bodies return covered in sand. Cold, hungry and tired out.

FUN

Sand, wet towels, wet swimwear and sand in hair. But for grandma now a cup of tea.

For all it’s been a delightful savouring and joining together in all the sights and sounds of this simple family day filled with joy…and a little baby contentedly feeding, smiling, sleeping, being held and nursed amongst all the happenings and contented chatter of one and all.

Survey the colourful scene and pack everything up. Bikes, pram, cricket bats, balls, chairs, wind and sun shelter, blankets, towels and more towels, sand everywhere. Do we have all the children? Strap into children’s and car seats…homeward bound.

Memories!

Do you enjoy these unfussy and unstructured days without pressure to be who you are not? Enjoy the moment and see beauty in the little things. Stand under a tall tree and look way up at the top most branches.

Alexa

Photo thanks to morgueFile free photos