In keeping with my decision to slow down a few months ago, I’m not spending nearly as much time on the internet these days as I used to. That doesn’t mean I’ve really slowed down much, but it has freed up a lot of hours for other things. I thought I’d share some happy moments from the past few weeks with you.
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Our lovely neighbours Liz and Brett treated us to lunch at Spice Temple.
I’d never been before – the food was wonderful but the cocktails were an absolute standout! Each one is named after the Chinese horoscope – naturally I had to try a Snake (cumquat marmalade, vermouth and sake, photo below), while Liz had the Pig. The cocktail list is a fun read and can be found here…
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If you’re in Sydney and you’re not following Lorraine’s blog, then you’re missing out. After reading a recent post of hers, we found ourselves at the Knafeh pop-up store in Strathfield a couple of weeks ago. Our old friends Kevin and Carol went with us, and we were all excited to be driving down a dark street looking for secret food. Pete commented that we always know where the interesting places are thanks to Lorraine!
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The fish tank renovation has been completed, and we now have seventeen male African cichlids and a large, grumpy catfish. They’ve all been named and we stand at the tank practicing to make sure we remember who’s who – Bruce, Shirley, Bulldog, Rainbow Fish, Sushi, Tuna, Marlin, Columbus, Escher, Moby, Barry, Mad Fish, Stewie, Toby, Mack, Hal, Bluebell. And Elvis the catfish, of course.
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Again, thanks to darling Lorraine, we discovered the Strawberry Fields Patisserie in Dulwich Hill, where we enjoyed a delicious pot of rosebud tea and discussed the Alcatraz escape with Simon, the chef and owner (he has the Anglin and Morris wanted posters on his cafe door!)…
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Last weekend we drove to Newcastle (about two and a half hours drive from Sydney) and visited our friend Craig and the lovely Alice at the Baked Uprising cafe (Francesca, Craig said to say hi!)…
I think it’s a wonderful testament to Alice’s creative eye that the decor included a table built from a book press and rescued branches hung from the ceiling…
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We were actually in Newcastle for a combined 40th/50th birthday party, which turned into a surprise wedding! It was an opportunity to catch up with old uni friends – we’ve all known each other since we were 18 years old. We decided an Ellen style selfie was in order…
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While we were away, Big Boy and Small Man were left to fend for themselves. Big Boy sent me a photo of the pasta dish he’d created for dinner – clearly they can manage without me in the kitchen!
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What’s been happening in your world?
Fig Jam and Lime Cordial 
What a gorgeous shot of you .. I always find that if I do less internet i am actually busier on other things so i give myself an hour in the morning and an hour in the afternoon.I ENVY you such lovely little places to visit and that rosebud tea.. is that all it is rosebuds? I must try that.. maybe in the summer.. no rosebuds around here for a while!.. take care darling girl.. c
Thanks darling! And yes, just dried rosebuds in the tea, nothing else. It was delicious!
It looks as though you had a wonderful time Celia. Take care. Emma xx
Thanks Emma! Yes, it’s been busy but good!
Wonderful things happen when we slow down. I noticed the internet slows me down too. So now I only use it at certain times…leaves more time for other things.
Now that there’s snow on the ground I am slowing down too. Have to slowly start getting ready for next month’s main holiday!
Manuela, snow! How wonderful – we’re just starting to heat up here! :)
Great shots! That cocktail idea sounds so great- although Snake and Pig somehow sound more appetizing than Monkey.
Ooh, I’m not sure about that! The Monkey had: spicy ginger beer, lime and ketel one vodka. I was tempted! :)
Sounds like you have been really enjoying yourself. Great selfie.
Cheers Glenda, thanks!
Love that photo! We’re rabbits here. :D
The Rabbit Cocktail was granny smith apple,jasmine soda,citrus and hendricks gin! I have no idea what jasmine soda is! :)
Sounds interesting, Celia!
What a great world it would be Celia, if we would each be a friend like you!
Such a kind thing to say! Thank you Sally! :)
Lovely post! I’m just happily baking away….
I’m in a bit of a bread frenzy myself this week! Inspired by my visit to Alice’s bakery, I think.. :)
You look lovely & beautiful, dear friend! xxx A cool post! x
Thanks lovely xx
:) xxx
I would have to have the Snake too! Online – real world balance is achievable and there’s so many great people and ideas in both… so long as everything is fluid I find it works itself out!
Glad you’ve found a balance that works for you, ED!
These sound lovely. Kudos to you for unplugging more to soak up moments like these!
Thank you! It’s made a huge difference, actually!
I think you were born the same year as my sister and Stevie-boy Ms Celia ;). I wonder what the rabbit cocktail contained? Now THAT is a bakery cafe. I would travel a long way to get baked goods that look like that and I would hold their memory sacred till the next time I could hightail it back there! I, too, am cutting down on the internet so that I can make the most of spring in the garden before it turns into summer and I need to hibernate. Lovely blog post Ms Celia and well worth the AWOL from the net :)
Fran, the rabbit had granny smith apple,jasmine soda,citrus and hendricks gin! As I mentioned to Misky above – I have no idea what jasmine soda is! :)
Jasmine soda? Sounds interesting! I fancy most of that cocktail but HATE gin. Maybe I am not a rabbit after all? ;)
I love the selfie, Celia… and I’m so glad that you’re slowing down but not… enjoy yourself lovely one. xox
Hahaha… it’s a bit like how you’ve been slowing down in retirement, love. But not! You’ve been so fabulously busy!
Why is Elvis grumpy? I wouldn’t want to be the one named ‘Sushi’ – sounds like his life might come to an abrupt end. Isn’t it great to get to that stage of life where you can go away for the weekend and know the kids can look after themselves. And they didn’t even order takeaway! That’s a really great looking pasta xx
He’s grumpy because he’s old and there are all these new fish in the tank to annoy him. :)
Beautiful you! What wonderful adventures.
And Auric, Oden, Spot, Pinto, Pig, Little Pink, Wednesday and FiftyFifty say hello to Bruce, Shirley, Bulldog, Rainbow Fish, Sushi, Tuna, Marlin, Columbus, Escher, Moby, Barry, Mad Fish, Stewie, Toby, Mack, Hal, Bluebell and Elvis. :-) Waving from our pond to across the pond. Maz
Hahaha….of course they do! I had such a great time naming the fish, looks like you did too!
Lovely pic of you there, Celia! Thanks for sharing.
Thanks Amanda! Loving your travels on IG!
Looks like slowing down hasn’t slowed you down at all sweetie! How nice to catch up with your friends and nice to know the boys can survive without you for a few days too xox
Becca, it’s been surprisingly hectic – coupled with the start of year 12 for Small Man. I’m glad the boys seem to be able to function without us quite well! :)
Wonderful things you’ve been doing – it shows in your beautiful smile and happy gorgeous face :)
Thanks darling! Hope the kitchen reno is going well!
the boys great cooking looks as if they’ve been paying close attention to their mother..:)
I was most impressed that they’d dragged a block of parmesan out of the fridge and grated it rather than using the pre-grated stuff! :)
That is a gorgeous selfie.
I don’t think you are “able to” or know “how to” slow down, you may decrease time spend at one activity but pick up on other activities. Cool that you have all those neat places to explore.
Norma, that’s very true, but I am learning to prioritise rather than spreading myself too thin! :)
Life looks really happy and delicious in your world Celia. A little bit of time away from the internet is a good thing. I have been trying to do the same myself. I don’t think I am even going to manage an IMK post this month. Next month hopefully. I am very impressed with the pasta made by Big Boy…but I wouldn’t have expected anything less :) x
Jane, we’ll miss you, but life always comes first! Sounds like life is going well over there!
What a great group selfie, we tried it with just 4 of us and had a hard time getting us all in the picture. Looks like you visited some great restaurants.
Apparently you can now buy a “selfie stick” which holds the phone at a distance so you can get a decent selfie! :D
Looks like you’ve been having a great time Celia.
Jo, we really have. Thank you! x
Happy to see the fish, they are so colourful! That was one fun selfie/groupie, Celia! Love the shot xx
Gourmet Getaways
Julie, the fish are making us so happy – they’re all swimming around the tank harmoniously and just starting to get their full colours!
I love that Ellen group selfie with your lovely smile in the centre! Thank you so much for the super kind words, I’m so glad that you found some fun places to eat! Can’t wait to catch up in person xxx
Yes, see you very soon! Looking forward to it! xxx
Good to see your boys have learnt from your genius in the kitchen!
They did us proud, although on the second day, they went out and bought Japanese takeaway! :)
I must say I feel a bit sorry for Sushi the fish. Poor little guy getting an edible name in a house where the chef cooks pigs trotters. I’d be watching out if I were him (joking of course!). How wonderful to catch up with people you have known for so long. Clearly the boys have learned a thing or two from you.
Hahaha…Sushi is called Sushi because he’s a Phytochromis sp. Salmon Hippo Point. We started off calling him Hippo and ended up with Sushi! :)
Wonderful Happenings! Thank you for sharing! Liz x
Thanks Liz! Hope all is well up north! xx
Ah, sharing life with friends, these are the things to savor and cherish. What a great selfie! Looks like your sons fend for themselves just fine. :)
Judy, you are so right. Our lives are defined by our relationships with others, aren’t they?
Not sure what I liked the most, I think the group photo is my favorite, but the pasta Big Boy made for their dinner made me go weak in the knees…. Great pasta does that for me, I must admit…
glad to see you are enjoying your life, and your extra time off-net. Nothing wrong with that…. quite the opposite, as you proved!
Thanks darling! Big Boy really did a wonderful job – down to grating the fresh parmesan! :)
It indeed looks like the boys can take care of themselves. Perhaps they will spend a night cooking for the two of you…their pasta dish looks great.
Big Boy’s a great cook, providing mince is involved. :)
Cichlids are such beautiful fish, Celia, and you’ve got quite a nice tankful. Good to see that you’re not just spending less time in front of the monitor but that you’re putting the time to such good use. With Summer well on its way, the less time spent at the keyboard, the better. And 2 thumbs up for that plate of pasta! Yum!
John, I so wish I could show you the tank! We have 17 male cichlids all of different species as apparently that’s the best way to have a harmonious tank. They don’t fight much at all – so different from our last tank where the males kept trying to kill each other over the females!
Good for you Celia for slowing down a bit! I have had to do the same as my husband has been gone quite a bit for business which means that all of the daily household/care for children falls on me…I’m not complaining but it seems like the hours of the day just fly!
Laila, you have six children! That’s a lot of household to run! I’m always so impressed by how well you manage! :)
The last photo left me with goosebumps. They’re all grown up. That’s always a good thing but I’m not one that lets go easily.
Such good things going on in your life now, I couldn’t be happier for you all.
I know, it all happens so fast, doesn’t it? :)
You have taught the boys well Celia! So glad you are filling your time with things that make you happy :)
I’m doing my best Tandy. Thank you xx
Hi Celia. Just to let you know I have posted my IMK for November. Have a great weekend. Emma xx
Thanks Emma, you too! :)
Hi celia, looks like life is good! Haven’t been around for a while so I’m slowly catching up! Love the selfie :)
And I’d have to choose the Horse – pomegranate, molasses, lime,flor de cana
4yr gold rum – YUM!!!
Hello Claire love, how’ve you been? Hope life has been fun since we last caught up! xx
Hi Celia, yes life is good…… hope to get back blogging soon…….. it’s lovely to see all my old mates again, I’ve missed you!
It doesn’t sound like you’ve slowed down at all Celia – just re-directed your energies (or enthusiasms). It sure sounds like you’re getting out and finding some interesting places. Since my husband retired, we’ve been busy trying to get odds & ends done around the house (see my ‘let’s paint the house’ post) but also taking a lot of day trips to do things that tourists come to Boston for but that we tend to ignore. I’m really enjoying being able to get out during the week to places that are just too crowded on weekends.
Di, it must be a huge treat to be able to do things while everyone’s at work! :)