We have a problem Houston. It is our rooster Le Rod. After weeks and weeks of thinking he was a weakling and unsure of his sexuality (and therefore his usefulness) he has become the most magnificent hormonally driven animal you could wish to encounter. He is huge. Emerald tail feathers glinting in the sun. He fluffs himself up to double his size and flaps his wings before he crows (yup that’s happening folks) and lets the whole world know he means business. He is mounting ALL the chickens, even the old black ones who had stopped laying before he arrived. Guess what? They are ALL laying now. He has created a harem extraordinaire and they are all under his spell. Crazy.

So what is the problem I hear you ask? Nothing as far as I am concerned. I was a doubter and a sceptic but am no longer, despite the fact that he is still a bit slow on the uptake of scraps he is fabulous on all other levels except one. He hates the MOTH. He that wanted a rooster so much is now the one saying “he may have to go”. Its a blokey thing. Rod knows he’s male and therefore he flares up and runs at him, attacking him at every opportunity and generally letting him know he is not welcome in Rod’s patch! A piece of rubber piping is always at hand when the MOTH opens and shuts the pen as he cannot trust Rod as far as he can throw him. I on the other hand have not a problem in the world with him. How the tables have turned!!

After being here nearly 5 years (can you believe it????) we needed to address the quality of our soil. As complete newbies we were pleasantly surprised at our early successes with our veggies. Literally everything grew well. We were told how lucky we were with our soil and although grateful we just kept on planting and harvesting year after year without really replenishing at all. I am trying to grow things as organically as possible which makes me very suspicious about all the fertilisers etc available and apart from adding some of the chook poo and the odd drenching of seasol we haven’t added anything. We have tried to increase the level of the soil most years by digging the top third out and adding organic sugar cane mulch to bulk out the soil with pockets of air for the veggie roots to expand into but that’s about it! I had intended planting a green manure crop over winter but we went away before I could plant it and we lost that window of opportunity. Therefore I had a recent trip to Bunnings and my entire car boot was filled with organic compost of many varieties to boost the happiness of our soil. We will keep you posted as to the outcome. I have tomatoes, zucchini. eggplant, beans, spinach, broccoli, beetroot, onions, broad beans, lettuce, blueberries, capsicum, asparagus and herbs planted and we are trying to plan our meals around what is available rather than by what we fancy!

I was looking forward to a garden full of Spring bulbs after meticulously planting over 200 of them back in the Autumn. I planted 40 around each pear tree in the driveway, another 20 or so in the side beds and about 10 under JC’s tree. I was pleased to see green shoots pushing skywards in several areas but became totally bemused when they ALL disappeared with the exception of my lovely Welsh brother-in-laws memorial where all the daffodils survived and flowered. A sign for sure! I am really disappointed that the other bulbs are a no show and apparently it is quite common that they can be eaten underground by rodents and of course we have an extremely healthy population of rabbits and hares all around us that could account for the demise of the few bulbs that did emerge. What a thankless task and waste of money. I’ve tried twice now to no avail so that’s that for this little black duck. Not doing it again. Maybe I’ll try some clivea next? It would be so nice to get some winter colour in the garden.

Fathers Day weekend was made extra special by the arrival of Sam who chose to spend his first Fathers Day as a Dad with his own Dad! I still find it incredible that we have three generations in our immediate family and that Cooper and Myla are lucky enough to have 3 Great Grandparents still alive! I doubt we’ll be lucky enough to see our great grandkids (unless these littlies are child brides!!) and it really makes you aware of your mortality. I am so happy that my Mum (and GG to Coops and Myla) will be in Australia next February and will get to have time with both babies. Cooper did squeeze in a quick trip to see his Great Pop the other day but it’s not the same as being able to play with them, feed them and bath them at home. GG will be able to read them stories and have lots of fun with them as they will be one by then. Yeehaa!

We thought it would be a bit of a treat to go out for a Fathers Day lunch and we ventured back to Mountain Ridge Winery as it was a beautiful day and they had live music playing too. Cooper was so well behaved and fell asleep to the saxophone allowing us to enjoy an hour being grown ups! We are lucky to have so many lovely places that are user friendly nearby to enjoy.

Poor Cooper has been roped in very early to being a Roosters supporter. His Dad was bequeathed a jersey on his 1st birthday and the tradition has continued. Here is a rather shell shocked looking Coops sporting his Roosters booties courtesy of Smutzer! He hasn’t got a chance poor little chap…

On his very last morning we took our little boy to see the chickens which he loves. He doesn’t know which one to look at first and his little head swivels from side to side following them with his eyes. He loves getting down at their level so he can see them properly but today one of the chooks thought that Cooper looked like lunch and gave him a strong peck through the fence! It all happened so fast and he was SO UPSET. It was the shock more than anything else poor little darling but there were real tears and he wasn’t so sure anymore about his little feathered friends. Life sucks sometime.

This is a picture of a happy chappy who has finally after 66 years on earth managed to bake a cake! He mentioned that if he died tomorrow he had never made a cake and I said that was easily rectified (most people have far bigger bucket list achievements on their list lets face it!!) and started him off on a very easy banana, date and walnut bread which is basically a melt and mix type recipe. Needless to say his assistant (yup you guessed who) had everything measured and chopped so there was minimal complications for our first timer (didn’t want him discouraged) and he was very pleased with the result! Let’s hope he gets back into the kitchen occasionally to whip up something delicious now that he’s broken the seal!

We had one last night with Tommy in London before flying home. Unfortunately he had injured his shoulder the previous night playing touch footy and was in a sling. Luckily it was his right shoulder and he is a lefty so it didn’t interfere with his eating and drinking skills! He took us to a well known local eatery in Chelsea called Daphne’s and we had a super meal with a level of service reminiscent of the old days. No wonder it is an institution in these parts. We stayed at The Pelham, a boutique hotel perfectly located in South Ken and a couple of streets away from all the wonderful London museums.

As we didn’t fly until 9pm we made the most of it and had a fab few hours wandering around the Natural History Museum. To me the building itself was wondrous with amazing detail everywhere you looked. Decades of workmanship and fabulous architecture for all to enjoy and appreciate and all totally free, which is so refreshing in this day and age. It was lovely to see so many families there enjoying all it had to offer.

Then we were off and excited for our return to The Meadow where not one but both of our gorgeous little grandchildren were awaiting us! The MOTH hadn’t yet met Myla so despite our tiredness and 5 changes of trains due to track work we arrived back to such a special sight with both of them lying side by side on their play mat. We didn’t know who to hug or hold first! The big kids were brilliant, completely taking over the kitchen and cooking a great welcome home meal for us, we didn’t have to lift a finger except to cuddle our littlest loves. Perfect! It was so lovely to have the whole gang back together (+2 and minus 2) for the first time since Christmas. Very special indeed.

After a chaotic but wonderful 24 hours we were down to just one bub and a week of beautiful weather followed for our Vietnam residents. The South coast shone and they made the most of it going out every day and exploring the area. I joined them one day for a long walk from Huskisson to Vincentia and Jervis Marine Park. It is so wonderful to have such long flat coastal paths that are perfect for bikes, prams and wheelchairs. It is the most pristine wonderful part of the world with clear turquoise water and pure white sand. We topped it off with lunch at the Husky pub and I think it was one of our best days together!

We didn’t have a moment to get the post holiday blues as we were thrust into baby heaven with Lauren and Myla staying with us for another three weeks. Every morning we were woken to a little tiny person coming into our bed so Mum could snatch another hours sleep and we had the best time cuddling and chatting with her until it was time for her to go back to sleep. A great way to start the day! She is also an early fan of books much to the delight of her journalist Mother and teacher Great Grandma!

The next couple of weeks passed in a flash. As babies are always happier on a regular schedule things were planned around feeds and sleep but we managed to have quite a few trips out and about exploring some areas I hadn’t been to before and even a lovely lunch at a local winery and a cosy dinner at our local woodfired pizzeria!

One good thing about having a baby is that people are happy to come to you as they understand it is hard to pack up all the paraphernalia required for a baby, even for one night away. Thus four of Lauren’s close friends plus a 3 year old came instead to The Meadow to meet Myla. It was lovely to see them all again and we had a super day catching up on all their news, with the girls cuddling Myla and of course chatting (nonstop!) The MOTH built a huge fire in the outside pit and we sat around drinking wine and enjoying the crisp evening as dusk turned to night and a million stars started to twinkle in the velvet black sky. It means a lot to Lauren that after living overseas for 7 years her friends still make a big effort to come and see her and share in her life.

Some of my favourite times were just the normal days where we all hung out enjoying the simple things as a family. When your family live overseas there are often big gesture type holidays which are wonderful but there is something about the small things that I relish, most probably because we don’t get to do it very often! Little Missy/Miss Myla/Myla Moo/Moo Moo/Mooey became our constant companion and right hand girl and was always very keen to hang out with the big kids!!

We were blessed with the weather, crisp blue sky days with sunshine perfect for walks along the coast or around the township of Berry playing our favourite game of sweet or sour (a lifelong game of categorising houses according to how sweet or sour they look!!) with Myla in the pram and Bailey walking alongside – what a perfect picture! Sadly it all changed just in time for our last weekend together when Sam, Liv and Cooper were joining us for Loz and Myla’s last weekend in Oz. The weather was perfect for staying indoors in front of the fire, eating and drinking and playing with the bubs who were SO WELL BEHAVED!! Both were out for the count by 7pm and we had the evenings to ourselves playing board games while those dastardly westerly winds raged outside. Very conducive to a pre birthday lunch for Sam and the biggest steaks we’ve ever seen! He had requested a standing rib roast and we had no idea how huge it would be! Where’s Tom when you need him??

The little cousins were mostly unaware of each other but by the end of the weekend Coops was definitely recognising Myla and we managed to get them to vaguely look in the same direction at the same time after about 120 attempts!

And so all of a sudden it was all over and time to send the girls back to Ho Chi Minh City where a certain someone was waiting impatiently for his little family to return! With talk of a potential return to Australia to live next year I was less sad than usual and with the whole family planning a Christmas together at The Meadow, Uncle Tom included, I am a happy bunny! A last mulled wine in the Berry pub and then home to pack as we had an early start the next day. We were driving 3 hours to visit Lozzy’s 93 year old Pop in his retirement home and to introduce his newest great granddaughter to him. We could hardly believe it when on arrival they told us he was in quarantine awaiting some test results as there was a chance it could have been the severe influenza that has been doing the rounds of Sydney. Talk about bad timing! We were advised to wear face masks but as you can see they were a tad big for little Myla so we risked a quick chat and they had a little moment together at least before heading off to the airport.

As I waved my two girls off at that (horrible) departure gate in the airport I was so proud of how my little international travellers had coped with all the many changes of houses and beds and schedules over the past two months and had my fingers firmly crossed that they would have a good trip home especially with no helper on this return journey. It was only 8.5 hours luckily and a bassinette helped Loz a lot, allowing her to at least eat something or go to the loo! Myla was a dream and slept for more than half of it as it turned out so she’s a perfect travelling companion! I came home to an empty house but to one very happy dog who finally had her people back to herself again! She had been brilliant with the babies, interested and eager to greet them in the morning but never rough or jealous. I bet they will be her besties before we know it!

So we are back to “normal” at The Meadow and have a list a mile long of things to do around the property. With Spring around the corner we only have a window of a few weeks to get the garden in order before it takes off again. I’ve been madly cutting back the roses and hydrangeas as they already have their new season buds and as we haven’t done much to our soil for the past couple of years we have compost and fertiliser ready to dig into our veggie patch as there is finally some rain predicted! We need at least a week of gentle soaking rain before I can even think of planting any new season veggies. Fingers crossed!

The Many Faces of Myla

Whilst the MOTH was setting new course records on the Irish golf courses I made the most of the opportunity to spend a chunk of time with my Mum and Sister exploring Devon and Cornwall and retracing some of Mum’s family history. She had been sent to stay with her extended family after her Mum was killed in a car accident when she was four. It was during the war and her Dad was a much needed firefighter in London and therefore she originally spent some time with her cousin and when that proved hard for the family she eventually lived with her grandparents near Dartmoor in Devon. As an adult she made contact with the lady who bought the house from her grandparents and went back for a visit about 20 years ago when the house had hardly changed. Amazingly when the old lady sold the house Mum knew the new owners having taught their daughter in Primary school. They kept in touch, always alluding to a visit to see the house but not until this trip did she actually manage it. The house “Amycroft” held many memories for her, many of them quite unhappy as she was a bewildered little girl who had just lost her Mum and inadvertently her Dad at the tender age of 4 and the house seemed huge and scary to her with a malicious sounding Grandfather Clock that scares her to this day! It was good for her to visit it in it’s newly renovated state and with a much happier family vibe and to be able to tell the new family how the rooms had been used back in the day. As an owner of an old house myself I know how special it is to have some knowledge of the history of the house and the owners that have come before. A visit to the local church to see where my Great grandparents had married and lunch in a pub dripping with hanging baskets topped off a lovely trip down memory lane!

After addressing Part 1 of Mum’s rediscovery tour we moved on to Cornwall and checked into our little townhouse in the middle of beautiful Mevagissey. It’s a tiny little fishing port on the Cornish coast with little whitewashed houses tumbling down the cliffs towards the harbour. To me it was the quintessential little English seaside town I was hoping for. A few little shops to bimble around with some lovely restaurants and a couple of pubs to cover all your dining needs. It was beautifully located between beaches and glorious countryside and you could sit for hours on the harbour looking at all the comings and goings of the fishing boats, tourists relishing their ice creams in the warm sunshine and the ever screeching seagulls looking for a tasty scrap.

We were excited to only be a few miles away from The Lost Gardens of Heligan with its rather romantic story of a garden overgrown for centuries and rediscovered about 25 years ago when someone happened upon a rusty pair of scissors on a stone wall and with their interest piqued went onto uncover a door, half open, beckoning them within…..

Heligan, seat of the Tremayne family for more than 400 years, is one of the most mysterious and romantic estates in England. A genuine secret garden, it was lost for decades; its history consigned to overgrowth. At the end of the nineteenth century Heligan’s thousand acres were at their zenith, but only a few years later bramble and ivy were already drawing a green veil over this “Sleeping Beauty”. The outbreak of WW1 was the start of the estate’s demise as its workforce went off to fight in the trenches. Twenty-five years ago, Heligan’s historic gardens were unknown and unseen; lost under a tangle of weeds Today, The Lost Gardens have been put back where they belong: in pride of place among the finest gardens in Cornwall.

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Pentewan Beach located just a couple of miles from The Gardens was the summer holiday spot for my Mum as a youngster. Their very basic family caravan was one of only about a dozen that were kept permanently on the beach site back then and she has some very fond memories of good times spent in the sun on this lovely stretch of sand. The village is super tiny with just one pub and a general store/café to it’s name but everyone seemed to have a great time back then despite having none of today’s expected holiday amenities. Incidentally who says English beaches are rubbish? Not a pebble in sight here….

‘Meva’ as we began to call it was a really quaint little village with a surprising amount of eateries which we made full use of. It was so nice not to have to get into the car to go anywhere and we really felt relaxed, enjoying each other’s company and laughing and chatting as only girls can!

Our next and final destination was Mousehole, another teeny tiny little fishing village with a delightful name (pronounced Mouzle) with THE most narrow streets that we had a heart attack every time we had to get in the car. Somehow the local intrepid bus drivers managed to get their (smallish) buses around those tight corners with confidence and ease and it was very common for cars to have to reverse a fair way to allow them through. We took advantage of these buses to go to the local town of Newlyn after the first night when we ended up eating toast for dinner as the three local restaurants in Mousehole were fully booked! We hastily booked ourselves in for the rest of the trip and never went without again! We fell particularly in love with The Rockpool Cafe which is a little stone cottage come tearooms perched above the rockpool with the best ocean outlook you could wish for. White bunting fluttered in the breeze and we enjoyed everything from cream teas to prawn sandwiches and ploughman’s lunches to pre dinner cocktails here, occasionally having to fend off a particularly brave and intrepid seagull. They became a symbol of my Cornish holiday after a while, seeing them wheeling in the blue sky and hearing their cries from the minute you wake up in the morning, even during the night as they never seem to sleep? I’m guessing the locals aren’t quite so fond of them judging by the amount of various shiny moving things used to keep them off the garden/walls/garages/cars that we saw literally everywhere!!

Mousehole is very close to Penzance and Lands End which is literally the end of the British Isles so we headed out in the car to have a look. We finally came face to face with The Moors of which I had heard so much, they are basically extensive grassy plains with loads of heather, gorse and other low lying vegetation kept thus by the wind whistling over it. They would be very bleak in winter but I found them pretty in the summer sunshine! There is always something a bit wistful about being at the beginning or end of a country and it holds a symbolism for a lot of people e.g walking from Lands End to John O’Groats or sailing from Lands End to the Scilly Isles. Beginnings and Ends. Both very important.

On the way back to Mousehole we swung by the Minack Theatre. We had heard a lot about this famous outdoor theatre and it did not disappoint. It is located near some of the most incredible beaches and turquoise water, it was hard to believe we were in England and not the Mediterranean!

The idea for the theatre was born when Rowena Cade, who lived in Minack House at the top of the cliff, decided to create a place for local drama enthusiasts to perform Shakespeare’s The Tempest. Over the winter of 1931 and into 1932 Rowena and her gardener, Billy Rawlings, moved endless granite boulders and earth, creating the stage and the lower terraces of the theatre, in the same place as you see them today. The first performance was in August 1932. Over the past 80 years, the theatre has evolved into today’s professionally-equipped venue which brings the very best amateur and professional theatre to the far west of Cornwall. Rowena Cade’s unique vision is thriving, and today’s audiences continue to  experience the magic of live theatre in this amazing place.

Back to Mousehole and an evening aperitif on our rooftop terrace overlooking all the different coloured roofs cascading down the hill (which cleverly gives everyone a peek of that beautiful blue sea) before toddling down that same hill to dinner! There are a few small galleries and a tiny shop for your viewing pleasure and a fabulous deli/cafe which does a roaring trade down on the harbour. Apart from that life just carries on as it has always done, fishing boats come and go, supplying locals and Londoners alike and the locals roll their eyes as the tourists come in their droves in their big city cars, getting stuck on the narrow streets and making a lot of noise! They must breathe a sigh of relief when the summer ends and we all go home! We were very pleasantly surprised that the crowds were NOT huge, school holidays had not yet begun and we feel that despite people being around it wasn’t to the degree that it would have been a few weeks later!

The other thing on our ‘To Do List’ was to visit St Michael’s Mount, a thirty minute drive from us and a rather spectacular sight accessible at low tide. Originally the site of a Benedictine Chapel, the castle on the rock dates from the 14th Century. Perched on top of a great granite crag, St Michael’s Mount rises majestically out of the sea in Mount’s Bay. It is an island at high tide and a romantic sight. The island has a small harbour on its northern shore, with picturesque houses, shops and restaurants. The island is approached via a causeway at low tide, or by boats, which land in the harbour. It is so similar to Mont Saint-Michel in Normandy which bears the same name and is also a Benedictine Monastery on an Island that can be reached at low tide! As they say – imitation is the sincerest for of flattery!

You can’t be in Poldark country and not go and visit a tin mine! You can see the remnants of mines scattered everywhere, their brick chimneys rising from the rocky cliffs near the ocean as well as across the moors. They have all shut down now but there is talk some may re open to look for lithium! The Poldark mine (so named because they filmed some of the series here, Francis “died” here for those who watched that far back!!) and has a great tour of the old mine that we took. It was cold, damp and dark and it would have been a dreadful job back in the day but they would have been so grateful for the chance of a job and some money for their families. So many young men died because of the coal dust that got into their lungs and many walked 3 miles each way to and from work as well as going underground on ladders for sometimes another hour to get to the working face with all their equipment etc so it wasn’t for the faint hearted!! We were very proud of Mum who at 83 is apparently the oldest person to ever do the tour. It involved quite a lot of steps and very low overhangs and she was amazing as always taking it all in her stride!

So after a lovely full 10 days with two of my most favourite people in the world we had to say farewell to Cornwall and head back to reality. It really was so very special to have this time with my family as being on the other side of the world means we have had literally a handful of times alone together in the last 30 years! We are all so similar (often all three of us ordering the same dish for dinner!)and get along so well it is a joy to travel together and do the simple things together. Often when we do meet up it’s for a big thing – a wedding, a special birthday or Christmas and although that is fantastic it’s not what I call real life. This trip was wonderfully simple, thoroughly relaxing and fed my soul beautifully! I had a lovely catch up with my niece and her gorgeous kids (who hopefully one day will make the trek to Australia on their gap year?) and we chatted about just about everything from the old days to new things still to come and it was just what I had hoped for. Thank you so much girls xx

We arrived into London on The Eurostar which is a fabulous way of travelling from Paris to London, bringing you directly to St Pancras Station in the heart of London as opposed to battling the traffic out at Heathrow and having your luggage with you makes for a quick escape. We had rented an apartment in Chelsea and on a particularly warm London afternoon we dragged all our luggage up to the 3rd floor (no lift) to find a beautifully laid out penthouse apartment waiting for us. We were hot and bothered and glad to stumble across the local watering hole which as it turned out also happened to be one of Chelsea’s fanciest pubs, The Hollywood Arms. We were severely under dressed but I didn’t care and thoroughly enjoyed looking at all the amazing outfits people were wearing, guys were even wearing jackets with pocket squares just to pick up a pizza and the luxury cars parked outside made your eyes boggle! We were knackered after our Parisian weekend and chose to stay in and watch some of Wimbledon instead of another evening out and about. Tom kindly ordered us some Uber eats which was another first for us and I must admit it was very convenient and definitely a whole lot cheaper than the local Chelsea restaurants!

We had organised this apartment as it was only a short drive to Tom’s place in Fulham and close to the Kings Road with all its shops, cafes and buses into the city. We decided to play tourist and catch the open top bus tour taking in all the main sites around London and eventually hopping off in Regents Street to do some shopping. We felt quite overwhelmed at the amount of shops and retail therapy on offer. Somehow though it wasn’t the sort of stuff we wanted or needed – how much Chanel, Hermes, Dolce & Gabbana, Fendi and the likes are actually bought and worn? Not much in The Meadow, that’s for sure!!

I was loving being back in my country of birth and was delighted to be able to catch up with some old work and school friends over the week we were there. We had a lovely dinner with Katy, one of Lauren’s bridesmaids and a gorgeous girl I knew quite well from Hong Kong days as well as her equally lovely identical twin sister Emma, both pregnant and only 2 weeks apart in typical twin fashion!! We dined outdoors in The Ivy Chelsea Garden which was swathed in everything floral and under twinkling fairy lights, so pretty we felt we were in a country garden. The next night we met Tom’s mates, fondly known as The Fulham Bots (someone made a spelling error when setting up their footy page and it stuck!) at their local pub, The Mitre. An equally lovely night but unsurprisingly with far more beverages consumed! A great group of Aussie guys living the London life. I can see why they all enjoy living here as most of them are either going on or planning a trip every other weekend, Tom was heading off to Croatia himself after we left and it is all so close and so affordable compared to Australia, definitely one of the big plusses for Aussies living in London.

The next day we caught a train to Basingstoke in Hampshire and enjoyed a fantastic 24 hours with my old school friend Charlie and her hubby Graham. They live in a cottage on an acre of land in the countryside with their three black labs – Kiwi, Boris and Buster. It was the perfect English summers day and we had a delicious lunch in the garden before going for a walk with the dogs across the fields and through the woods. They were lush and green and dappled with sunshine and it felt so good to be back in the countryside again! I’ve missed the gentleness of the English woods.

That night we drove to The Wellington Arms, a gastropub with a well earned reputation for food and a garden that will inspire you too. Their herbaceous border was outstanding and I resolved to spend a bit more time, money and effort on my garden on my return. I wish I didn’t love English gardens as much as I do because they really are NOT suited to the Australian climate but they are so utterly charming it’s hard not to fall under their spell.

It was great to catch up with Charlie and the 40 years since we left school just disappeared as we chatted about food, the environment, our kids and our hopes and dreams for the future. Just because we’re close to 60 doesn’t mean we’re done! Seeing the three dogs patiently waiting for their dinner made us miss our little Chocky Drop but knowing she was being well loved and looked after at home made it easier. Thanks Steve and Sue xx

Back to London and the Aussie invasion continued. Being summer in Europe means half of Australia are on the move escaping our winter and as 90% of people travel through London Tom has had a steady stream of visitors, whether it’s just for a night on the town or a few weeks on the couch, there is never a dull moment. Luckily we were there for the arrival of Bill, one of Tom’s closest friends from school and a family we stay in contact with. We had a great night out reminiscing on things from back in the day and how life has changed so much in the last 10 years since leaving school. So weird that for two Aussie based families we caught up with Bill in London and his Mum and Sister earlier this year in Vietnam, Crazy!

The following night we tried to get tickets to one of the West End shows but with our last minute planning we could only get 3 tickets sitting together to see Matilda, a book/film we had all loved when the kids were small. Being in Covent Garden with the quaint pubs laden with hanging baskets brimming with flowers and wandering through colourful Neal’s Yard with its amazing cheese shop was something I haven’t done for 30 odd years. The show was a great version of the book with a few standout parts stealing the show but I think Tom felt a bit odd at 29 years of age being at a show with so many little kids!!! It was Pride Weekend in London and there were rainbow flags everywhere, gazillions of people ready to party and a happy vibe throughout the Capital. Our Aussie friends had arrived a few days previously and we arranged to meet them at The Duke of York fine food market in Chelsea for brunch and then a wander around Little Venice, a little known area in London which is home to canal boats and a quieter side of London Life. After a pub lunch we stupidly relied on Cammo and his phone directions to take us somewhere interesting which was a grave mistake as we ended up in the middle of a 6 lane motorway from which only Uber could save us…..

All in all I think London was as vibrant and interesting as ever. It was also ridiculously expensive and everyone except the super rich seem to live in fairly small houses with no gardens or off street parking and I can only imagine how hard that would be with small children. It was super easy to get around and there are so many free things to see and do. We wandered around the natural history museum for hours for nothing and Hyde Park offered some lovely space with loads of people enjoying the sunshine with picnics and outdoor fun. The grand old buildings are still amazing, tree lined avenues, summer hanging baskets and window boxes make it all look loved and the food is so much better than it used to be. The rules are much more lax than in Sydney which was refreshing and you can still hear the cockney twang here and there despite the inundation of Eastern Europeans in the hotel and restaurant industries. London still has the “it” factor although things are hanging in the balance thanks to the indecision around Brexit and all that involves. Hopefully England will indeed become great again and under its own terms too. The week was particularly special as we had some great times with Tom and it was lovely to see him so settled and happy.

After 36 long hours and two transfers in Singapore and London we arrived to a heatwave in Paris. We’d rented a traditional old Haussman apartment in Montmartre with lofty ceilings and full length French windows overlooking an avenue of cobbled streets and Plane trees which rustled softly in the breeze. Despite being only a 10 minute walk from Sacre Coeur and the bustling Place du Tertre our street was quiet and mostly full of locals rather than tourists and we quickly fell into the rhythm of life in Paris enjoying coffee and aperitifs at the local cafes and finding the Metro a brilliant way of getting around despite our rather amateurish French. Contrary to popular opinion the locals were friendly and helpful and not at all arrogant!

We had a couple of days to do our own thing before our youngest son joined us from London, our first reunion since he moved there nearly a year ago. We were genuinely impressed with a digital immersive Van Gogh exhibition at the Atelier de Lumieres, an old foundry built in 1835 and converted to a large digital media space in 2014 where we saw his paintings projected onto the vast walls and set to fabulous music both classical and modern and featuring the significant periods of his life and works. Highly recommended even to non art lovers.

We continued onto lunch (which is always a good idea in Paris) and thanks to a colleague of the MOTH who lived in Paris for a couple of years we enjoyed a tapas style lunch in a tiny bistro near St Germain. Little tastes of delicious morsels beautifully presented and washed down with chilled rosé. Suitably refreshed we hit the streets keeping to the thin line of shade provided by the buildings as the temperature rose into the 30s. Not the best sightseeing weather but plenty of reasons to stop at quaint pavement cafés and watch the world go by which is my very favourite thing to do! I had never been to the Galleries Lafayette and with another recommendation to try the jamon from black pigs raised on walnuts available in the food hall there the MOTH actually agreed to venture to a shopping centre with me! Not that you could classify it in the same genre as Westfield as it is an amazing building, more like an opera house than a shopping centre!

The next day heralded the arrival of Tom and we were so excited to see him after all this time. It was as if he had only gone yesterday as we chatted about all things old and new and wandered up to the Place du Tertre for some lunch. He loved the bustling square and all the quaint alleyways as much as we did and as everyone was trying to avoid the heat we all fought for seats in the shade and all drinks had a compulsory side serve of ice! The temperature was only in the mid 30’s but Paris is just not set up for the heat – no aircon or ceiling fans and we were just lucky to have the beautiful full length shutters on the outside of our windows which we opened and shut according to the time of the day to try and keep things as cool as possible.

The boys found a lovely spot for our evening aperitif, outside in the shade but looking straight through and down a steep street towards the golden orb of L’Opera. A slight breeze blew through and that, together with our cold drinks, kept us contented as we people watched and generally immersed ourselves into the local life.

We decided that as it was way too hot to walk around that we would use the metro and booked ourselves onto a hop on hop off boat tour on The Seine that we thought sounded like a cool option on a warm day. Sadly there was only room for about a dozen people at the back of the boat outside and the rest of us were forced indoors under the glass roof which acted like a greenhouse and rendered us all a sweaty mass of humanity. We hopped off to see how Notre Dame had coped with her big fire and was quite pleasantly surprised to see she was still in good shape despite the devastating interior damage. Things could certainly have been much worse and many millions of dollars have already been donated to return her to her former glory.

Nearby we paid a visit to the fabulous Shakespeare and Company bookshop. I had first visited here with my daughter in 2004 when she spent 4 months in Paris as a 16 year old and as it was winter she often spent hours at a time here curled up on an old velvet sofa reading one of the many tomes and staying warm. It is the bookshop of bookshops for it’s character and charm alone. I found Tom tucked away in a little nook enjoying one of the thousands of titles that are on offer to read.

Then on to a wonderful restaurant in St Germain ‘Le Relais D’Entrecote’ where the choices are steak or steak and the supply of golden fries is unending. Reservations are not accepted and the line to be seated is often unending too unless you go early. We were very lucky to score the last table inside in the (struggling) aircon and proceeded to spend a wonderful hour or so enjoying this well loved restaurant with its successful formula. Steak cooked medium or rare with their special sauce, preceded by a simple salad with walnuts and a buttermilk dressing and served with the crispiest chips and a bottle of their own bottled house wine from Bordeaux. Heaven!!

Over the next couple of days we explored our local area, ate in some amazing little places and enjoyed Sacre Coeur on a Sunday morning with all the bells pealing and with never ending views across Paris and we felt so very happy to be here in this beautiful city enjoying each others company.

We ate frogs legs and fresh creamy burrata washed down with gallons of cold rosé, breakfasts of buttery fresh croissants and milky coffee, the boys zipped around on electric scooters and we stayed up late with hundreds of other people trying to avoid the heat and generally enjoyed our time together. Paris is always good no matter what the weather and it will forever hold a special place in my heart.

Well what an up and down few weeks we have had. The weather is either fresh to freezing or balmy to hot and you never quite know which one you’re going to get! Yesterday was 23 degrees with blue sky and sunshine and it was hard to believe we were in Winter! No doubt the season will kick in properly soon and the wood burner will be in use 24/7. The best thing was we finally got some much needed rain. Two whole inches of liquid gold and a full rain tank for my chooks and veggies. Hopefully the weather is still warm enough for the grass to get some last minute new growth before it all comes to a grinding halt for the farmers. We were SO happy to see these rain clouds on the horizon!

I was walking Bailey down our lane last week when I noticed a strange shape near the portable hay feeders for the cattle. I was rather concerned as you can never tell if cows are just having a lie down or the worst has happened. I ventured into the paddock to check it out and found a rather gruesome and sad sight. Two cows were dead, each one with their heads buried into the hay and I wasn’t quite sure if something had collapsed on top of them or if there was an issue with the hay itself and as the other cows were still trying to eat around their deceased mates I made a hasty call to the farmer to let him know. Sadly he told me that it happens from time to time, apparently they get their heads stuck in the feeder structure and end up suffocating. They were obviously just the right ( or should we say wrong) size to get trapped. So here we have yet another of the 101 ways for the farmers to lose their stock, and yet another reality of living in the country.

I’m not sure it’s making me any tougher to be honest…..

The arrival of our little grandson cheered me up big time as it’s hard to feel sad with him smiling and cooing and gurgling at you! He seemed to like his little tour of our garden and meeting the chickens and most of all he loved being thrown up in the air by his Daddy! We had a couple of days with him before heading up to Sydney for a couple of days of golf for the MOTH and a city stay with our close friends. Dinner in the big smoke with friends from New Zealand took us back to our old neighbourhood in The Rocks area of Sydney and a trip down memory lane. The Coathanger is visible from most streets around there and you are never far away from Sydney Harbour. A magic spot.

It was a great opportunity to do some city things and I had a nice catch up with my 93 year old Father in Law and paid a visit to some of the shiny sparkly city shops (where I nowadays get completely overwhelmed and end up only buying something ridiculously boring like a pair of socks) and enjoyed a lovely dinner at a local Italian with the golfers and their partners.

We were soon zooming back down the freeway to The Meadow where our son had been house sitting for us while we played in the city. He enjoys pottering about the property and looking after Bailey and the chooks and it is lovely for them to be able to escape from the big smoke without it costing them an arm and a leg. Some friends of his with a one year old joined them so a good time was had by all. I was a bit concerned as we haven’t had to baby proof the house just yet but little Angus was a perfect guest despite the temptations that were on offer at ground level!! To make our long weekend even more special Sam and Liv stayed another day and that meant one more morning with a tiny person being delivered to my bed for early morning baby snuggles which really is the very BEST way to start the day!

Things in the chook yard are still weird. Le Rod, who looks magnificent with his height and glossy plumage, is still being a wuss and seems scared of everything including his shadow. When we throw scraps out to them he runs away unless something actually lands at his feet and at night he is always the last to get up on the roost, often spending 10 minutes walking up and down underneath the perch trying to work out where to jump up with the ever bossy Trunchbull pecking him every time he passes by! I am actually feeling rather fond of him now as he seems to be a bit of an underdog and has so far not even managed the smallest of cock-a-doodle-doos which is endearing him to me. However in the scheme of things he is a bit useless to us if he can’t father any chicks so I’m hoping he will man up a bit soon….

We were talking about how hard it is to get family photos which include the Mums as they are usually the instigators of photos with Dad and bub but rarely manage to get in any pictures themselves for various reasons. We decided to make the most of having an extra pair of hands and have an impromptu photo shoot in the garden in that golden 20 minutes after Cooper wakes up and before he gets hungry! Thank goodness for digital cameras as it is really quite hard to get a 3 month old to look at the camera! We are pleased with the results and cannot wait to do it all over again when his cousin flies in from Vietnam in July to meet the extended family! It really will be a miracle if they both look at the lens at the same time!!!!

Happy Days!!

Well I am well and truly back to reality with the weather plummeting overnight to wintry windy conditions and a top of just 14 degrees. A huge contrast to my 35 degree days in Ho Chi Minh and a whole different wardrobe too! Luckily the sun is out which makes it feel slightly better but the wind is icy and they have had 20cm of snow in the mountains and it’s only May. The winds used to be known as The August Winds but nowadays seem to come any time from May to October, and the MOTH is already hating it. He has been busy moving outdoor furniture out of the path of the wind, all cushions have been relegated to the indoors, pot plants have been moved and the original sash windows in the house have been locked and gaps plugged with rubber wedges (they do make a hell of a rattle at 2am when the wind is blowing I must admit!) so we have officially battened down the hatches ready for whatever Mother Nature throws at us…

On the other hand Autumn is so pretty in Berry with so many deciduous trees showing off their golden hued leaves and creating so many piles of crunchiness for the kids to jump in with glee!

So as I am madly trying to adapt to cold wintry days that sadly involve no newborns I am thinking back fondly to how the Vietnamese LOVE babies. They are astonished that we have them outside prior to 2 months of age and are very curious when we walk by with a pram. Everyone has a look in and they usually smile or talk amongst themselves (we think they are in awe of our little clip on fan and are actually mildly jealous) and they are all so caring when we walk into their cafe/restaurant/shop. They switch on the aircon or pull down the blinds to make sure the little ones are comfortable. Doormen walk out with umbrellas to keep the little darlings sheltered and comfortable in the bright sunshine. Teens on motorbikes slow down and pull alongside us as we walk to check out the baby, usually smiling before accelerating away. In Australia we would probably be worried as to their motives but in Vietnam family is everything and they genuinely love babies. One day we caught a cab with Myla curled up in the depths of the baby carrier and the driver seemed to be a bit crazy going uncharacteristically fast and only when we pulled up at our apartment and he looked behind to get the money did he realise we had a baby and he couldn’t apologise enough!! He wasn’t worried in the slightest about us but had never meant to put a little baby at any sort of risk.

We had some lovely outings, every day trying to go for a coffee or a walk at the very least as you can go rather stir crazy being in an apartment all day no matter how nice it is! Myla loves the pram and usually rips out the zzzs for our entire outing despite the heat so our coffee dates were quite tranquil and just what a new Mum needs to feel she still has a life of sorts! As it is the rainy season in Ho Chi Minh at the moment the mornings are generally hot as the humidity builds up before the afternoon storms. Occasionally we got caught in the monsoonal downpours and it was amazing to see how very quickly the streets became flooded with water up to people’s knees and cars struggling to make their way through the surging water.The storm water, in addition to the nearby Mekong at high tide overflowing into local streets, had one local making the most of it by spearfishing outside his apartment block and snaring a catfish for dinner!!!

Afternoon snuggles with Miss Myla were the best! We are delighted that she has now been granted Australian citizenship which means they can bring her home in June to meet the whole family. Can’t wait to see our little grandbabies together in the same room!

So now I am home and trying to get my poor garden into shape while it’s a bit calmer and not the growing season. We have had no rain now for weeks and weeks and my veggie patch is looking a bit sad. At least the grass has stopped growing quite so fast and we have a chance to catch up on the pruning and weeding. The little finches and wrens are back in the garden dipping and darting in and out of our hedges, their twitterings heard above the sound of the wind and the cows are all eating whatever bits of grass they can find. The farmers are already hand feeding them which is very bad news coming into winter. You just can’t win as a farmer it seems, either too much of one thing or not enough of another – crazy!

While we are starting to rug up for winter our youngest is starting to enjoy the most beautiful of seasons in London. Spring and summer with the increased daylight and more ambient weather just makes you feel good to be alive and he was very lucky last weekend with the weather when he celebrated his birthday in Bordeaux with 20 of his closest friends! They rented a fabulous manor house and enjoyed many many of the local wines along with a dinner cooked especially for them by a local chef and served in the grand dining hall. A’int life grand!

I’m in Vietnam, the rain is absolutely chucking it down wet season style and we are nice and cosy inside the apartment looking out over Ho Chi Minh City which is shrouded in dark brooding storm clouds. Miss Myla is snuggled up with her Mummy having some milk and we are patting ourselves on the back that we did all our outdoor stuff this morning before the heavens opened and that we managed to sneak in a girls lunch to boot!!! This morning it was so humid my eyelids were sweating as we popped Myla in her pram and walked around the corner for our café sua da, the delicious iced vietnamese coffee that is our daily indulgence. As we sat there sweat dribbling down our faces a Vietnamese girl entered in plaid wool trousers and a bomber jacket, long hair to her waist fully made up and as fresh as a daisy!!! How do they manage to look so good and not sweat????

It is my 4th day here and I am just LOVING being with my tiny granddaughter who is totally delicious with such a sweet little personality. She is very relaxed and loves nothing more than sleeping with her little arms above her head and her legs splayed so that she looks like a little frog! She is getting the hang of life pretty quickly and is feeding and sleeping well, she makes the cutest little mewling noises most of the time making me wonder if she will turn into a little Miss Chatterbox. She seems happy to be in aircon, in front of a fan or trundling along in her pram in the heat as long as Mummy isn’t too far away! She loves a cuddle and I am happy to comply as she will only be this tiny for a few weeks and I want to soak in all her newness and her curiosity as she tries to focus on us with her serious little eyes. The smiles that she flashes in her sleep show me how her face will light up in the next few weeks as she starts to recognise her special people and interact with them. Little Cooper is a total joy now at 12 weeks as he breaks into the cheekiest grin when he wakes up and sees you, making you feel like the most special person in the whole world!

It was a rather wonderful weekend as we witnessed the marriage of my nephew and his English bride in a simple but heartfelt ceremony under a setting sun on Sydney harbour followed by a delicious dinner showcasing the bounty of Australian produce in a room decorated with native flowers – just gorgeous! It was a lovely evening and the perfect place to be ahead of my flight to Vietnam the next day. As my flight wasn’t until 11.50 we went for a walk and enjoyed some coffee to while away some time but I decided I was happy to get to the airport early as I could grab some food and enjoy the shops and generally relax. Imagine my surprise and stomach dropping disbelief when I arrived early at 9.30 am to check in to find my flight was LEAVING at 10.15!!!! As I was holding a confirmed itinerary leaving at 11.50 the staff were confused but it made sense as to why 16 different parties hadn’t checked in!!! I have never run so fast through an airport and thought I was in serious danger of dying of an asthma attack as a result but arrived at the gate just as everyone was boarding!!! Relief was an understatement.

On arrival in Ho Chi Minh I had my passport and return itinerary on hand to show immigration as I can get 15 days in Vietnam with no need for a visa if I use my British passport which is a great little bonus with visas costing $90 online in Australia. So feeling rather smug I took my turn at the desk thinking I would be cuddling Myla in less than an hour when my man starts frowning and shaking his head in a rather disconcerting fashion. I patiently explain the visa situation to him as not all of them are very aware of it but he says he is but there is another  problem as I last left Vietnam on April 7th and it was only May 5th. Who knew that apparently you cannot visit twice within a month on the free visa system and as I was TWO days short I was in deep doo doo with the authorities who said they could send me home on the next plane for my flagrant transgression if they fancied. However in their kindness (and rather obvious grab for cash) they said I could apply for a visa there and then for the princely sum of $200 which I had to pay in cash which I didn’t have. So despite being a law breaker I was allowed to go out alone into the arrivals area through baggage and duty free to access an ATM to get them their money! By the time I finally got my visa and out to the baggage pickup our carousel had well and truly finished running and I had to search high and low for my case which I eventually found lurking in the trolley section near the toilets!! I was so happy when I finally pulled up at Lauren’s apartment and could at last be reunited with my family! What a day!!

We have had a lovely mix of days since arriving. Obviously our focus is Myla and there is nothing better than snuggling up on Lauren’s couch looking out over the vista of Ho Chi Minh City and the Mekong river whilst the rain pelts down and she sleeps in your arms but we do try and get out every day. A walk to a local coffee shop or a delicious Vietnamese salad in a café for lunch or a trip to the grocery store to cook up a storm at home are all lovely but on Sunday as it was Mothers Day we decided to have a nice lunch out and Myla was a perfect little baby as we enjoyed a really delicious meal and a couple of complimentary cocktails to celebrate our three generation lunch.

I especially love the mornings as Myla and I are early risers and are happy to hang out with each other while Mummy and Daddy grab a lie in while they can! I love looking out and seeing the flashing neon signs gradually disappear as the sun rises over the city and the traffic begins to flow on the bridge. The local pho sellers, usually old ladies, push their mobile shops along until they find a good shady spot under a tree and set up the little plastic table and chairs for their customers. It is truly amazing what they can prepare on a single burner! You can hear the cockerels crowing on every street corner and see the local stray dogs emerge to search for scraps. The motor bikes, often crammed with entire families – Mum and Dad sandwiching up to 3 school children as they drop them off on their way to work – can be heard along with the guy who pedals around the street calling out over a loudspeaker to come and buy his fresh pastries which he sells from a trailer that he drags behind him. Life and action is all around in the vibrancy that is Vietnam. 

So with less than a week left I am going to soak up as much as I can of my little granddaughter but also enjoy all the friendliness and craziness of Vietnam and enjoy the 50c coffees, cheap as chips taxi fares and tasty fresh meals all for the princely sum of about $3 and of course enjoy the company of my daughter while I can, if only she lived in Australia and this wasn’t such an all or nothing affair!!

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We welcomed our delicious little granddaughter into the world over the Easter break, she arrived on her Grandad’s birthday which he is very chuffed about (he will finally be able to remember ONE family member’s birthday at least!!) Despite the fact that she was born in Ho Chi Minh City we actually managed to be very involved throughout thanks to the wonders of technology and we felt very privileged to get a video call very shortly after her birth to share in the moment with the very proud parents!

They are now home getting used to their new life and their (so far) very chilled and relaxed daughter. I am so excited to be flying out in a week to share some of the newborn bubble with them and my brand new large suitcase is full of various things for Mum, bub and Dad!! They seem to be coping well and it’s all slightly surreal to think the nursery we finished decorating just 2 weeks ago is now home to our very own little princess!!

We enjoyed a lovely 5 days with our other little baby extraordinaire over the Easter break and it was really gorgeous having them all finally here in The Meadow. Cooper was just amazing, not only adjusting to his first sleepover outside of home but also SLEEPING THROUGH THE NIGHT!! We naturally attributed it to the fresh country air and consider it a firm tick of approval from young Coops for our nursery setup and future stays with Grammy and Gramps. He made the cutest little Easter Bunny too…..

We managed a trip into Berry, a walk along the beach and lunch at The Shoalhaven Heads Hotel as well as entertaining some old Uni friends of Sams and enjoying some yummy food and a roaring bonfire along with a couple of nice bottles of red. In between we were happy to enjoy all the cooing and gurgling that accompany Cooper’s gorgeous dimply smiles and even a few gummy chuckles! He is the best fun to hang out with and the house feels rather sad and empty now they have gone home 😦

We had all been very interested to see how the Chocolate Drop would take to our little man and as predicted she was fantastic. She was definitely curious about all the interesting baby smells but she was so very gentle and gave him the Bailey lick of approval to his feet and hair! Cooper wasn’t fazed in the slightest and hopefully they will become the best of buddies in the future.

Despite the fact we are still wearing shorts and tee shirts during the day we know this won’t last! The whole lane has been busily getting ready for the cool weather ahead ordering and stacking firewood, burning off all the dead wood around the garden, covering swimming pools and generally hunkering down for winter. Once I’m back from Vietnam it will be time for the electric blankets and cosy throws on the lounge! The sun sets around 5pm now and the chooks are all snuggled up together on the roost by the time it’s dark at 6pm. They all seem to be getting on well with the possible exception of our latest chicken who is older than the other newbies and is super bossy. I have named her Trunchbull after ‘she of the same name’ in the film Matilda. The entire chicken coop is scared of her including the rooster who is showing severe signs of being a bit of a namby pamby and whom I seriously doubt will do anything of leadership quality. Le Rod is a bit of a dud so far I’m afraid…..

The balmy Easter weather has meant that the whole of Sydney was on the road to make the most of the school holidays and mid 20 temperatures. All the beaches are bulging with holidaymakers and the campsites are overflowing with cars and vans, bikes, surfboards and scooters and the sound of children having some old fashioned fun rings out around the coast. The famous Berry Donut Van has been doing a roaring trade after being voted the number one takeaway business on the South Coast and there are queues of epic proportions coming out of every café in Berry so we can safely say the local businesses have had a good Easter! On Anzac Day I loved hearing the roars of delight as people played 2 Up in the local pubs, a lovely contrast to the solemnity of the mornings Dawn Service and Anzac March. I love seeing the men and women in their uniform, young and old alike sharing a beer and a yarn on this most beloved day in Australia.

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As I write this I am so aware of how lucky we are to live in this time, this place and in this way. I am so grateful for those that came before us who fought for the freedoms we enjoy today. I am VERY grateful for the safe arrival of two beautiful little grandchildren and the happy relationships that surround them both. I am thankful for my little white house in the country where we can grow our own food and welcome friends and family to stay and enjoy the serenity of The Meadow and for my partner in love and life with whom I share it all. We are blessed indeed……

As soon as you land in Ho Chi Minh it feels like you have been reacquainted with an old friend. The smell, sound and sheer intensity of Vietnam’s biggest city is apparent from the minute you step out of the airport. On this, my 4th visit there was definitely a feeling of familiarity and despite Thao Dien being in the middle of a huge revamp of it’s roads (meaning that they were all dug up) it still had a lovely easy feeling of a town that is constantly evolving and changing to suit the huge expat contingent. This is done without somehow ruining the intrinsically Vietnamese feel  and I love how the locals are willing to give a new business idea a red hot go, resulting in either a booming business or a change of owner within a few months! A week goes SOOO quickly here, especially when you’re trying to make every minute count but somehow we managed to pack loads of stuff into 5 days and achieve our main aim of completing the nursery and the final preparations for the arrival of Miss Cook!!

Their flat is lovely with a tropical industrial feel and in a great area where Mum and Bub will be able to walk easily to a supermarket/café selling great coffee/wine bar/pho restaurant and with all local restaurants delivering meals costing only about $2 they have much less need than most for the precooked and frozen homemade meals that most new parents stock their freezer with. Other elements of having a baby in Vietnam are less palatable with very little English spoken by the nurses in hospital and none of the usual follow up professionals such as midwife visits or lactation experts/baby whisperers etc available but plenty of friends and colleagues have had babies over there and will no doubt provide lots of advice if asked. Plus Doctor Google is constantly to hand of course!

By a miraculous coincidence I was there at the same time as a close friend of Laurens (and her Mum who I have known for at least 16 years) who has now got a 9 month old daughter of her own to whom she also gave birth in Asia. She has been an amazingly helpful person both with advice for having babies in the tropics and with practical gifts which are very generous. Thank you sooooo much to Tilds and Gaenor for coming all that way to visit Loz, it meant a lot. We had a fun couple of days together that mostly revolved around Miss Mia and mealtimes!! Mia had everyone in Ho Chi Minh that we met completely smitten with her big blue eyes and lovely smile!! We enjoyed a few sundowners at various bars, a girly session at the local nail salon and also had some tasty meals at local restaurants and generally caught up on all the news and enjoyed their company.

Thanks to the beautiful Katy in Hong Kong, Loz and I had a last hurrah in a riverside hotel in the city for our last night together and enjoyed mooching by the pool and then heading out to explore HCMC. The night begun with a spontaneous G&T on board the Elisa, a lovely old wooden ship moored in the Mekong River and made all the more romantic by being draped in fairy lights. A couple of rooftop bars full of history with stories from the war followed by a tasty meal and fresh coconuts all for the princely sum of $10 before we walked home under a balmy sky to curl up in bed and recount stories from the old days and talk about all the adventures to come. I couldn’t have asked for anything better! I also got to meet the French obstetrician tasked with bringing my granddaughter safely into the world and heard her heartbeat which is always an amazing experience.

It was all slightly surreal though and I must admit that as my plane took off to return to Australia I shed a few tears and asked myself why the hell I was leaving her there with only 2 weeks to go. I am booked to return when the baby is 2 weeks old to lend a hand after Dad returns to work after paternity leave. I know that they will be a great team in those first few crazy weeks when you exist in a sleep deprived world that revolves around this amazing little being that you have created together!

Back in The Meadow Autumn is progressing with my fruit trees now bare and the deciduous trees changing colour. The Autumn camellias are starting to flower along with the Japanese anemones but the roses and gardenias are still blooming too! The plants are a bit confused with our balmy days of 26 degrees I think! The days are lovely with clear blue skies and sunshine but the nights are drawing in and it is getting decidedly chilly especially when I take Bailey outside before bed. The sky is full of stars as far as the eye can see with a generous sprinkling of the Milky Way against the black velvet sky – I never fail to be amazed by it’s beauty. I had envisaged a few wood fires this coming Easter weekend but I’m not so sure it’s even cold enough for one yet? Sam, Liv and little Cooper will be staying with us (it will be his first sleepover) and we can’t wait to have them all here for a few days. Bailey has definitely missed her playtimes with Sam and I don’t think she can quite understand how both her boys (Sam and Tom) have disappeared simultaneously from her life! Once Coops is a bit bigger those two will no doubt be in cahoots and up to no good, I fear for his toys and his food once they are both sharing the same space – I wonder who will win?? Our little boy is growing fast and is starting to smile and chuckle which only makes him more endearing. We took him to meet his 92 year old Great Grandfather yesterday which was just lovely. They shared a cuddle and a rather knowing smile! There is something special about the very young with the elderly somehow!

In sadder news our little adventurous furry friends Gin and Tonic, two of the sweetest Jack Russells you will ever meet and our neighbours in Sydney for the 7 years before we moved south, went missing after they decided to explore inside a long storm water drain when on their walk around The Bay and in their excitement running up it they had no idea it ended with a huge drop into a large underwater reservoir. The only blessing was that they were, as always, together. They had visited us in The Meadow and showed much discipline and restraint when faced with so many tantalising things – lizards, rabbits, and chickens to name a few! We have since taught Bailey their favourite trick of leaving snacks on their feet until given permission to eat and we will forever think of them when doing this now. It is so so heartbreaking to lose your four legged friends as they really do become such a special part of your family and I know from experience what a huge hole they leave. Our thoughts are very much with their devoted owners who I know must be doing it tough.