Beachy Peachy Christmas!

The very best part of the Christmas Season is the effort everyone makes to catch up and acknowledge the year that has passed - especially as the years seem to pass so quickly  these days! The besties and our menfolk had a wonderful get together by the ocean in what must be the quirkiest and cutest cafe in all of South Australia. The lovely Judy who owns the place cooks the most divine food - home-cooked tucker with flair - would probably best describe her style. Her Mum, Nancy is "front-of-house", acting as maitre de, waitress and yarn spinner - at a sprightly 80 years old mind you! The view of the ocean is unadulterated and you get to experience the beach first-hand when Nancy ushers you off for a walk between courses ("of you go - keeps you young you know!" - who can argue with that coming from an 80 year old who looks like she could run the London Marathon and then go out dancing for the evening?!). Of course we also opted for a little champagne on the beach...

Honestly, we ate all day - literally! There was seafood that Judy's husband had caught, local meats and home-grown vegies and fruit. My dessert even featured mulberries from my friends' garden!

This place is luxurious in the truest sense of the word - there is no rush, you can linger and chat and meander on the beach pretty much to your hearts content. One fellow diner stretched out on a thoughtfully provided couch on the verandah and caught a few Zeds in the afternoon sun! If the breeze gets a bit chilly, there are crocheted rugs to keep your toes warm. Add to that your waitress not only delivers yummy and very generous serves of food, she also dispenses pearls of wisdom and funny stories collected over 80 years of a well-lived life. Truly this is Heaven!

The garden is a riot of herbs and vegies and an eclectic assortment of plants. Despite the soil and proximity to the sea, everything seems to grow - perhaps it is because everything this family does seems to be done with love and care. (would this be the appropriate time to mention that Nancy is also the "unofficial" carer for her 91 year old neighbour who lives down the road?!). Judy is a a bit of an op-shop hound so all the crockery and tableware is a mis-matched assortment of vintage and retro stuff. We were all so relaxed after our day together that we could barely keep our eyes open but then Melissa presented us with a pressie each, and our eyes nearly popped out of our heads ....!

This has to be the most beautifully made bunting I have ever seen - isn't it gorgeous?! Bunting is always festive, but to have dedicated Christmas bunting is a bit extra-special I think! All this was a timely reminder that as we hurtle towards the close of the year and our focus is drawn inextricably to all our must-do-before-Xmas lists, the most valuable and important thing in life is the people you share it with.
And Moet.

Home again, home again, jiggety jig ...

Just home after a wonderful beachy holiday with the family. We have had an extra special helping of family time over the Christmas period this year - something that gets harder to arrange as the kids get older, get jobs,study,leave home, travel etc -so I am feeling pretty grateful right now.
We had a great time mooching about some little seaside towns, swimming, eating and laughing ourselves stupid. Our holiday included :

Some DIY henna tattooing.

Fun and games.

Some catch, kiss, and release fishing adventures.

And of course some icy cold wine to wash down some really great local food!

We also made some stuff, watched Tim Minchin DVDs ( not recommended for those suffering any form of stress incontinence!), visited nearby markets, lazed around reading good books and trashy magazines and of course immersed ourselves in the briny sea at every available opportunity. It was trooly rooly Heaven - even so, it is still good to be home.

Christmas is over ....

Well, I guess Christmas is drawing to a close now that everyone is gradually dispersing back to their "real" lives. I gave my daughter a lift to the city yesterday because she had to go back to work and I felt a little sad. I took a stroll along the beach whilst she got ready for said work  - it has been ages since I have managed a tootle along a beach - and I felt better right away - must be the sea air. Or perhaps it is the bountiful treasures that the ocean so kindly leaves for hunter gatherer types like me ...

I can never resist the allure of an interesting shell, I think they hold some sort of spell over me - and to find a couple of pieces of glass that have been rounded and smoothed by the relentless movement of the sea makes me go yipppeeeeee inside. To me they are more beautiful than any gemstone. Another daughter heads back to her life outside the family fold tomorrow and I certainly don't have a beach handy so perhaps I will have to try a little op-shop retail therapy?!

Home again, home again, jigetty jig ....

Just got back from a little beach holiday. Feeling very relaxed and sleepy after a few days of sun and ocean. We stayed at this cute little place. It is all decked out in retro style. Very fun and close to the beach too.

We ate and drank more than is probably healthy and laughed soooo hard ....well lets just say there were a number of Teena Lady moments! This is one of the best parts of having quasi-adult kids - they are really FUNNY (and get funnier when we have shared a few Gin and Lemonades!).

We trundled off to all the little towns nearby and imagined what it would be like to live there.

We fossicked on the beach and found -

 

- pretty "Painted Ladies" - not quite all in a row like this but we marveled at their complicated patterns and decided Nature could teach us all a thing or two about natty design.

The beaches were splendid - some rolling waves and some calm coves and always reminders of a seafaring past.

No matter how lovely a holiday is, it is always great to return home. For just a minute I am not going to think about school and uni and timetables and all those things that impose themselves upon our family time. Instead I will dwell on all the laughter and sunsets and walks we shared and remember to just be -