A few days in Brisbane

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With the Adelaide winter clinging on and the desire for warmer weather too much to resist we headed to Queensland for a 10 day break.
Although we left Adelaide on a day when the temperature was in the low 20s the forecast for the remainder of the weak was at best bleak!

With all that behind us, we arrived in Brisbane to a sunny afternoon with the temperature in the mid 20s and a similar forecast for the 3 days we had in Brisbane before we head further north to Port Douglas.

We’d had a few days in Brisbane last year and were very much looking forward to coming back. Brisbane is certainly no longer a big country town, as had been its reputation in the past. It’s a thriving modern wonderful city. It’s a city with a spring in its step and why not – great weather, a vibrant lifestyle and a city set on the Brisbane River.

Our accommodation in the older part of the city overlooked the Botanic Gardens and was just a short walk to the Brisbane Mall, Southbank, and the Riverbank.

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I didn’t start my blog to change the world

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Daily Prompt: What change, big or small, would you like your blog to make in the world?

Actually nothing!

I never started my blog to be anymore than a repository for my writing. Across 11 or so years there have been 258 posts on various topics that were loosely based around “What’s Next” in my life, as I transitioned from a professional consulting career to the next phase of my life. Feel free to peruse or don’t.

I rarely check my viewing stats and almost never promote my posts via other sources. My blog is just a personal commentary about what we or I am upto,

My blog is non- political. It always has been and always will be. I’m certainly interested in politics but I don’t want to post about it here.

I have a belief system but I doubt I’ll post about it.

However, this prompt was timely as I have been giving thought to what next for my blog. this prompt has helped crystallise my thoughts which I intend to expand upon in my next post.

 

Walks with my dog

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Sadly, we have recently had to say goodbye to Rosie, our much loved dog. At around 16 she’d had a good innings, but over the last year her mobility was greatly resticted, and her quality of life deteriorated.

Rosie a rescue dog was very much my daughter’s until she moved out of home. My daughter moved but the dog didn’t!

Why Rosie was abandoned we have no idea. She was impeccably trained for a “Heinz 57” varieties. Perhaps she just strayed one day and then couldn’t find her way back. Very much our good fortune but a pity for the person who trained her.

In early 2010 my 2 daughters and my favourite person went to the Animal Welfare League (AWL) to see if there was a suitable dog to join our family. My daughter says Rosie picked herself. She was her dog and very much not mine! Infact, she was quite aggressive to me which was of great concern, as we had been told that she’d already been returned to the AWL, so the next return meant she would be put down. Aggression towards me or not that wasn’t going to happen. Continue reading →

Veronica – Alzheimer’s disease and my natural mother

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In recent months I have faced the challenging role of being sandwiched between an ageing parent, my children, and the role of a grandparent. Each has fabulous rewards, but they also come with challenges. Thank the Lord that I have the time to devote to each.

As I sat listening to Elvis Costello’s Veronica, I could not help but reflect on the last few months with my ageing and, sadly, now Alzheimer-affected natural mother. My natural mother came into my life around 30 years ago when adoption laws changed in my state, and my desire to meet my natural mother became more important to me. My keenness to meet my natural mother was certainly not through any lack of love and affection from my parents, who, from the time they adopted me until their death, were the most loving, caring and wonderful parents you could ever wish to meet. I was blessed not just by them, but by my fabulous sister and, subsequently, my wife (my favourite person), along with three wonderful children and now grandchildren.

After the birth of our third child 30 years ago, it was clear that there was a heritage that I wanted to know about. Continue reading →

A few days in the Coonawarra – Day two wine tastings and lunch

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This post follows on from A few days in the Coonawarra – Day one tastings and lunch

Eric’s Shed, the old tasting room – Brands Laira

We decided that a reward for looking after our grandchildren would be a second day’s wine tasting and lunch.

So after farewelling our daughter and family it was into the car for the 30 minute or so drive back to Penola. We made a quick stop to pick up a takeaway coffee from Bricks and Mortar which over our short stay in Mt Gambier had become a favourite.

Our second day in the Coonawarra was again with Coonawarra Experiences. When we arrived, Simon was there to greet us.  He had put our first day’s purchases in our apartment and with that, we were ready to start the day.

Our Sunday tastings were arranged to be a little less hectic than our first day to allow us to recharge from the couple of days looking after our wonderful grandchildren.

Our first stop was at Patrick’s , a second generation family winery whose grapes are sourced from within the Coonawarra and the nearby Wrattonbully region.  Continue reading →