Six Months

.......since the devastating Victorian bushfires raged through peoples homes and lives including our own.
It seems like much longer as so much has happened in that time.We no longer live at our beautiful TreeChange Callignee, although we do visit there almost every weekend. We have moved back to our townhouse in Melbourne where Ian has secured employment and we are quite settled. The main thing for us, is that we are now together again all the time, no time apart (did I mention that?) which is just great according to both of us.

We didn’t realise how much we were missing not being together during the week when Ian was living and working in the country and I was travelling to be with him on the weekend. From my point of view it was as though I was only really living on the weekends and just existing in this dreamlike half life during the week which I willed away to pass as fast as possible so I could be down in Callignee again. I could not get any energy to do more than come in from work.....read on the sofa then go to sleep.This doesn’t happen any more…I realised this the other night when I was happily cooking, playing with my camera, watching telly and talking with Ian all at the same time…..I realised that I was fully alive during the week nights again.

We still hope to either sell or rent out Callignee….we no longer feel the love for the vibrant place that once was. It is slowly turning green again but very slowly. The fire burnt so hot that under the trees is still bare of returning grass, and of course there are still all the blackened tree trunks.

We have our wonderful memories of our place and we hope someone else will someday see the beautiful place it once was.

Rest assured that I will still be blogging of our future adventures at Tree Change and also telling of our new adventures at a cute little beachside cottage that is coming our way.

Hope you enjoyed the above photos of the old TreeChange.

What's Been on the Menu 17

Olive Bread Baking

Paella

Paella serve

Cheese Kransky on rolls with onion & mustard

Lunch: BarBQ chicken, potatoes and salad with mung bean sprouts.

Geelong Botanical Gardens

I recently visited these excellent Botanical gardens again and was happy to see they have finished the new entrance area in an Australian Native style featuring a Billabong.

They have a wide variety of well labelled native plants and it was great to see some old favourites and identify some new ones.

As well as the new Natives part there are a wide variety of well established plants from all corners of the world.

Above....cute garden cottage

Geelong Botanical Gardens Part 2

Below.....They have made an interesting border of succulents...great idea as they are drought tolerant and will hold back the sloping soil around the path. Must try this somewhere???

Below.....Old time favourite Box Hedging never fails to please.

Below.....The formal fountain of yesteryear....no longer contains water as Geelong is on Stage 4 water restrictions....mind you the gardens didn't look at all stressed but then it is mid winter.

Below......Arrangement of raised beds in corrigated iron...I thought they looked out of place in the gardens and the design and placement of them was not good at all.

Ikea Visit

I had the opportunity to visit Ikea (Melbourne) again last week.

Above. I love the green and Gold pouring bowls....couldn't help but buy one of each. I think I have a bowl addiction.

I like to let at least a year go by between visits and then I enjoy wandering around seeing what's new, colours, kitchens, gadgets etc.

Above.Cute little lamps

It is such an enormous store and I believe it can get very crowded on the weekend. I have however always managed to time my visits when it's quiet and can fully enjoy the experience.

Ikea have a good range of well priced, good quality materials.

I like to make new cushion covers every 2nd year and also change them seasonally summer/winter.

A word........remember to validate your parking ticket at the checkout and then again at the pay/parking machine before getting in your car and finally putting ticket in boom gate machine as you drive out.

What's Been on the Menu 16

Lamb Saag alias Lamb and Spinach Curry with Chicken Korma, both with rice and fresh green beans below

Fillet Steak with Broccoflower (a cross between Broccoli and Cauliflower) Beans and Cheese sauce below

What's Been on the Menu 15

I've recently been over to the Dentist and car Service place in Footscray, so of course I went to the Footscray Market again.

I was in a bit of a rush so only bought prawns and duck, which I made into the following dishes. Oh yes, bought the cutest pot of basil only $2.00, great to have it growing on the window sill in mid winter.

Prawns with fresh basil and wasabi mayonnaise. (below)

Close up showing a prawn wrapped in basil leaves with a dollop of the mayo

Served with stir fry vegetables

Roast Duck and vegetables (below)

The duck was marinated in a mixture of Hoi Sin, fish and soy sauces for a couple of hours