A few snippets from the past couple of weeks…
Our graptopetalums and graptoverias have started flowering…
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We’re days away from Spring, and the cotton wool clouds over Camperdown today looked like this…
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We found a copy of The Complete Calvin and Hobbes at Costco for under $50…
One of my all-time favourite strips…Go for the Gusto!
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Pete and I attended the funeral of a friend’s father at Rookwood Necropolis recently. There was a beautiful fishpond on the grounds…
As we left the chapel, we were each given a small envelope. In keeping with Chinese tradition, the envelope had a tissue for the tears, a lolly to take away the bitterness, and a gold coin for the journey home. I found it incredibly touching…
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A couple of weeks ago, we paid a visit to our old friend Michael Richards, owner of Kite Magic, and known to our sons as “Uncle Mike”. He’s one of our favourite people in the whole world…
In years gone by, making large kites was a serious hobby of ours. Mike sent us an sms yesterday to tell us that he’d hung one of our old rokkaku kites at the Festival of the Winds exhibition in Bondi this year…
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And finally, I asked the boys to make me an iPad stand, and this is what they came up with…
It’s an original design, made with Lego Technics components from the Lego Crazy Contraptions book (by Klutz), and it fits both my iPad and my Kindle. Needless to say, I think it’s brilliant…
It’s even adjustable…
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What’s been happening in your universe?
Fig Jam and Lime Cordial 
Hi Celia, lovely times and I love your iPad stand. Your boys sure are smart – lucky you.
Aren’t they just so clever? I have this little bubble of happiness whenever I use it.. :)
Love the iPad stand! I was in the city and missed the clouds, bummer.
They were amazing! I’ve never seen anything like them before! :)
I agree completely with Glenda, what a lovely collection of snippets and your boys (all three) are so clever and inventive. Beautiful shots of the graptos and fishpond. Thanks for sharing x
Danielle, thank you! The iPad stand makes me smile every time I use it! :)
The cartoon clip sounds like my son! School, school, school…when can I play? Love your Technic iPad holder! What a brilliant way to use Lego! The kites look so nice and colorful.
Have a great week!
Manuela, it was nice to be able to do something with all the lego – they don’t often play with it now that they’re older! :)
Brilliant Ipad stand!!Lucky you having such clever boys
What a lovely tradition at the chinese funeral.
Thank you for sharing.
Penny, thank you! I DO have clever boys, and the envelope at the funeral was very touching..
This is all pretty cool, Celia! X
I still love to kite & so does my husband!
Sophie, we haven’t done it for years – must get the old kites out and have a go again! x
I see you are approaching Spring as we approach Autumn (Fall) with a few early mists and some leaves falling from the silver birch and horse chestnuts.
I love your iPad holder! Lego is such a clever construction tool. My kids liked it and their kids like it as well. Not many things can say that!
As for your kite, you must have felt a little lump in your throat when you heard that your old one had been exhibited!
Pat, thank you – yes, it was very nostalgic to see the old kite there on display! xx
Love your eclectic, life-affirming mix of snippets! Gorgeous flowering pic too. The nights are just starting to draw in here as your Spring starts.
Andrea, life is all about the little moments! :) Hope it doesn’t get too cold for you in winter, but if my Wind in the Willows memories are correct, I think it does! xx
What a great collection of snippets. I love the envelope at the funeral…a lovely tradition. The iPad stand is amazing.
Deb, it was incredibly touching to get the envelope.. xx
I think the IPad stand is brilliant too!
Thanks Louise! (Proud mama here, so I love hearing things like that!) :)
What beautiful moments in life Celia, even the sad ones round it out and complete the circle.
Thanks for the heads up with Calvin and Hobbes, I’ll be picking up 2 sets this week! I remember reading these time and again during my enforced bed rest during pregnancy, and hoping my baby would have the same enthusiasm, courage, fun,zest for life as those two. Littlej sure hasn’t disappointed! Go for the gusto indeed Celia dear :) xox
Hi Becca darling, there were lots of sets of C&Hs there, so make sure you race in and grab some! I think the RRP is $150! Glad to hear LittleJ has her Calvin moments! :)
Got them! One for me and one put away for MiddleC’s Christmas. I had to get someone else to carry them though! X
The iPad stand should enter some type of a design contest… very very COOL!
loved this round up, Celia, you do this type of post like you were born to do it! ;-)
Sally, that’s because these posts are such a clear reflection of our lives, they’re all the wonderful bits that I want to share.. xx
Wow that iPad stand is fantastic! Love that it’s even adjustable. What a lovely tradition to hold on to. Beautiful little peek into your weeks Celia.
Claire, thank you…it was a busy couple of weeks, but it’s nice to be able to remember the good bits.. xx
In the words of Mother Teresa… “Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies.” A bit like lego building blocks! Great snippets :)
Thanks ED. Life is all about the little moments connected like dots in a matrix, isn’t it? :)
My goodness, so much to comment on in your post. That first photo is absolutely gorgeous! I’ve never seen anything like it and I’m going to have to check out if they would grow in our climate. And, those are the strangest clouds I’ve ever seen.
The kites are works of art as is your amazing IPad holder. Your husband and boys are so very creative and I love how it’s adjustable (as I sit here typing on my IPad in this cover/holder that keeps flopping over on me).
I’m sorry for your friend’s loss but that is such a beautiful tradition.
Diane, thank you! The top photo plants are all succulents – they’re not good if it gets too cold – but otherwise they’re pretty hardy! xx
Being a very typical Gemini I do love going from one subject to the other: so loved your post. Two items especially: was incredibly touched by the Chinese Funeral envelope – how deep the philosophical thoughts engendered. And thank you for telling me the names of my succulents also madly blooming in the garden . . . as are the japonica camellias, irises and my huge star jasmine :) !
Eha, the graptoverias are a hybrid of graptopetalums and echeverias, according to my succulents book! :)
Have to look into mine, don’t I ;) !
As always, thanks for sharing Celia. Loved this post.
Madge, thank you for letting me share it with you! :) xx
The lego iPad stand IS genius! I also loved the shots of the fishpond and the open sky. What a cool post
Azita, thank you! The iPad holder makes me smile every time I look at it! :)
I love your i-pad/kindle holder – how handy and it’s very original and I’ve never seen one like it before. I’m sorry to hear you’ve been to a funeral. I’ve never been to a funeral where little gifts are given out – that is a very lovely idea xx
Charlie, it was so touching – I’ve never been to one where they’ve done that either.
I much prefer the Chinese traditional of giving something rather than asking for something using the envelope!
Tandy, it’s much nicer isn’t it? Seeing a red envelope is always a good sign.. :)
You’re living in a house of engineers, Celia. How cool is that iPad stand! Pretty cool, too, to learn that one of your kites was put on display. To this day, Calvin & Hobbes remains my favorite comic. :)
John, actually, I really AM living in a house of engineers. Pete’s an electrical engineer by training, and Big Boy is doing a degree in the engineering faculty! And I adore Calvin and Hobbes too! :)
I love that LEGO iPad holder! It’s genius :D
Thanks love, I think so too! :)
Such a lovely touch at the funeral. What is written on the envelope please Celia?
Rose, I don’t read Chinese, but I believe the top character is “Luck”… x
Out of everything and like everybody else I just LOVE your iPad stand Celia.
:-) Mandy xo
It’s just perfect, Mandy! And so functional! It was nice to have an excuse to use some of the old Lego too! :)
I love that Chinese funeral tradition. I thought was going to be a request for a donation – so much better. Your iPad stand is very clever!
I’ve been to a few funerals, but I’ve never received an envelope before – apparently it’s supposed to be for good luck as well…
I love watching kites flying in the air. So free and exhilarating. Those are real beauties!
Misky, we were really into the big kites for many years – our largest is a giant serpent kite which was (from memory) about 15 metres in length!
How clever are your boys! Their fabulous invention definitely beats anything that you could buy!
Jas, they’re so clever. It just makes me so happy when they do things like this! :)
I think the Chinese funeral envelopes are so touching. What a beautiful tradition!
Love the picture of the sky above Camperdown. My all time favourite pastime is to lie on grass and watch the clouds. Used to do it as a child and still do today :)
Lisa, I’ve never seen clouds quite like the ones the other day. It must have been very windy up high!
The moment I saw the photo of the iPad stand my thought was: “Those boys are engineers.” Love that it is adjustable also.
Enjoyed your snippets, thanks for sharing.
Thanks Norma! Hope you’ve had a lovely week, and have an even better weekend! xxx
The last thing my youngest did before he left for his sophomore year of university was to hole up in his room with the giant bin-o-legos and create an awesome desk size collage. Now I know what I’m going to ask him to do when he comes home for Christmas! Thanks Celia!
Lynn, I hope he builds you one you love! :)