Toadstool in the forest
Posted on by Debbie

Let’s have a cuppa and a chat – saying au revoir to April and g’day to May

Grab a cuppa, make yourself comfortable and settle in for a chat! Let’s take a look back over the month together.

April seemed like a long month…maybe because the Mathematician was away for over half of it walking the Kokoda Track with high school students – for the 8th time! Usually I would go away to visit my mother or my daughter during this time but instead I stayed home and hosted family over the Easter break.

TIME

As you know, TIME is my word of the year and I’m well aware of how fast it goes! Can you believe we’re already into May? My monthly wrap-up posts for the year will all have a similar flavour, taking into account the TIME theme.

Toasting marshmallows at Easter
Time for toasting marshmallows

ALONE – TIME

Make the most of my alone TIME during April included reading, walking in the forest, a massage, a hair appointment, blogging and catching up with friends. My sunroom was a very comfortable place to while away the hours. Although I enjoyed my time alone, I was very pleased to have some company over Easter and to see my husband return home safe and sound.

Toadstool in the forest
A welcome spot of colour while out walking in the forest

As well as the Mathematician being away, our Rotary Exchange Student Anna was also away most of the month on her group Safari seeing parts of Australia I still haven’t seen. When she arrived back we had a night together as a family before she moved on to her next family in town. We’ll definitely miss having her at home with us.

RAIL TRAIL – TIME

We had the official ‘turning of the sod’ celebration while the Mathematician was away, which was a shame as he has been instrumental in getting to where we are today. Construction of the pilot Rail Trail for NSW has started and we couldn’t be happier! You can read more here – Good news about the Rail Trail and in my recent Winners and Losers #6

Rail Trail banner
Looking happy with the new Rail Trail banner

BLOGGING  – TIME

Have you seen my new Friday Feature, where I share various bits that have made me laugh or cry during the week? It’s fun compiling these posts and I find I’m taking more notice of things that are going on around me. I’ve been heartened with the response I’ve been getting too, so thank you to all my faithful readers for your continued support, ideas and suggestions.

I was happy to be a guest on Sue’s Sizzling Towards 60 with a post for Active April – it was all about Chiball and Keeping Active after 50

I have continued with my Wordless Wednesday posts and enjoy letting a photo tell the story. You can see them all here and feel free to join in at any time: Wordless Wednesdays

These flowers were a favourite photo from the month featuring in a Wordless Wednesday post.

yellow flowers
Happy Flowers

The Sunday Stills photo challenge during April included some interesting themes from Terri. For the love of reading and books, I shared a very special book my father wrote. Another prompt was Gate, and I used some photos of Hells Gates in Tasmania. For the prompt of Spirit, I shared a magical stand of trees nearby to home, called Sugar Pine Walk.

FAMILY – TIME

It was fun to have our youngest daughter pop home for a long weekend in early April. She said she just wanted to be home with us for the weekend, and as she lives in Brisbane, over 1000km away, it’s not always easy to just ‘pop’ home. We thoroughly enjoyed having her with us and catching up with her in person. She’s always good at staying in touch but nothing beats face to face chats while sitting in the autumn sun on the front deck. I wrote about her visit in my Winners and Losers #5 post.

Father and daughter
Father and daughter

I had a full house over the Easter break, with my mother, my sister and brother-in-law, my daughter and son-in-law and baby granddaughter as well as day visits from my brother and uncle. It was very pleasant catching up and we all enjoyed the glorious autumn weather. It’s quite unusual for my mother to have all three of her children together in the one spot, as we’re all quite spread out around the countryside.

Easter family time
Easter family time

My mother and her siblings

My mother’s family arrived in Australia on April Fools day 1955, after sailing from England as 10 pound POMS. The first photo was taken shortly after they arrived, mum was just 16 at the time. The photo on the right was taken almost 64 years later! None of them have changed very much have they?

  • Recently arrived from England in 1955
    Siblings recently arrived in Australia from England in 1955
  • Siblings 64 years on
    Siblings 64 years on

AUTUMN – TIME

If you know anything about me, you know I can’t get enough autumn colour. At a recent pedicure I chose a gorgeous autumnal tone, just to keep in the spirit 🙂

READING – TIME

I enjoyed reading a range of books again this month with the highlight being More Glimpses from blogging friend Hugh Roberts. I read his first book of short stories, Glimpses and thoroughly enjoyed More Glimpses, his second collection. Here’s my review posted on GoodReads

This was a much anticipated read having read Hugh’s first book Glimpses and regularly reading his blog. This was a great collection of stories each with a little twist in the tail! Short stories are hard to write but Hugh does it effortlessly and I was enthralled. My favourite was Murder in Evershot! Well done Hugh.

I was thoroughly caught up in the drama of Scrublands by Chris Hammer, a fast paced Australian thriller, highly recommended.

Understandings is a special book compiled by Stevie Turner. I came across Stevie’s blog where she was asking for contributions to her book and when I responded she sent me some questions which form the basis of everyone’s stories in the book. Here’s the review I wrote:

I am proud to be included in this anthology collated by Stevie Turner. The range of experiences, coping mechanisms and ultimately hope, that shines through is heartening. 

All those interviewed by Stevie have a story to tell and they do it quite well in their answers to her questions. It’s good to have the links to their blogs as well, so we can follow up and interact. If anything, I wish I had been more fulsome in my responses. But with the links there anyone interested enough can click on over and read my words. 

In my case the support I have had since sharing my story on my blog has been massive, especially considering my accident was over 40 years ago. You can read my post here for background information – What I’ve learnt from surviving a school trip that went terribly wrong.

This anthology is full of interesting people who have experienced real trauma or significant events in their lives. We are all everyday people, not celebrities, but still our stories deserve to be told and heard! 

Thanks to Stevie for giving us this place to share and be heard.

TIME FOR ANZAC DAY – 25 April

ANZAC Day
ANZAC Day in Tumbarumba

THAT’S A WRAP – WE’RE OUT OF TIME!

And so we wave another month goodbye! May and early June are a special time of the year for us. Back in the day I gave birth to all 3 daughters within five weeks of each other – though obviously not in the same year!

That means it’s always full on with birthday wish lists flying around, presents being bought and mailed off and lots of fun memories. This year we’ll be heading north to be with our youngest daughter for her special day.

All is well with my world now that the Mathematician is back! Out walking in the forest together brought it home to me that this is what matters most.

All is right with my world, out walking in the forest
All is right with my world!

And Mother’s Day is coming up 🙂 This will be first for my daughter as a mother and for me as a grandmother!!!

Thanks for the chat, I’ve enjoyed your company as always 🙂

Wishing you all the best for May. Do you have anything special planned for the month ahead??

Deb xx

G'day mate

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43 Replies to “Let’s have a cuppa and a chat – saying au revoir to April and g’day to May”

  2. Such a lovely month and great to see how you incorporate your word for the year with that. Alone time is great but so is time with friends and family. It’s wonderful to see how amazing your Easter was. That’s a lot of books too – some for my list. Those autumn leaves are gorgeous! While I am not a fan of the cold {winter is the worst!}, I do appreciate the beautiful hues of autumn. Hope you have a fabulous May!

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  4. What a refreshing read it is to come here Debbie. Thanks for sharing so much of you and your world. Mother’s Day 2019 will be awesome.

    Loved the family photo re-creations!

    Thanks for linking up for #lifethisweek. Next week’s optional prompt: 19/51 Contentment Is…13/5/19 I hope you will join in! Denyse

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    1. Thanks so much for your kind words Denyse! I enjoy sharing and often wonder what others think so it’s lovely to get comments like yours. I especially like the word ‘refreshing’.

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  8. Nice to have you time! It’s my birthday today and right now I’m stressed as I’ve made my own birthday cake and I still need to find the key that locks the bathroom window. Hubby is sat right here and has been watching tv since about 6.30am.. he has hardly moved.. right now I’m wishing he was at work.. I could then put my feet up and read.. and relax.. alone time is so necessary!.. lovely post.. and happy first grandmother’s day!.. (I’m now off to search once again for the key…)

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    1. Oh happy birthday to you! It’s quite stressful at times isn’t it, trying to hold it all together. Hope you find the key! Yes I agree, alone time is very necessary and I hope you can find a few moments in your day to celebrate you!!!

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  11. Yes, only seven months till Christmas – where does the time go. Loved your monthly wrap up of April, and loved reading it tucked up in bed with my morning cup of tea. Enjoyed the chat Deb. Oh yes, and lots of nice things here planned for May, starting tomorrow with a camping trip to the forest, a few campfires, and some nice forest walks. Looking forward to it.

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  12. What a wonderful month – so much happy! I loved that pic of your mum and her siblings – those trailblazing ten pound poms! Love the colours in the trees in the country, they just don’t seem to be half as colourful in the city. Enjoy your first Mother’s Day as granny!

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    1. Lovely to have you join in Sammie! We are so fortunate to have four distinct seasons here, I just love the changes. Yes the intrepid 10 pound poms, I wouldn’t be here without them. Really looking forward to Sunday 🙂

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  13. So pleased your husband returned home safe and sound, I’m sure he’s got lots of fun tales to tell about the trip. Weird to see your autumn leaves on the ground when our spring leaves are just in full bloom! What a great photo of all your family together, you certainly appreciate times like that when they don’t happen that often. Enjoy all those birthday celebrations!

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    1. Yes, I know what you mean about seeing autumn colour when you’re having spring blossoms but I love that we can experience differences around the world through blogging. Birthdays are well under control, so I’m happy! Thanks for your comment Deb.

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  14. Love your happy flowers shot Deb and I love the monthly review idea. I do that on a more work- level with a bit of personal thrown in and I find it quite useful. Often I don’t remember what I did three weeks later!

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  16. So when you say g’day mate do you sound like Paul Hogan (Crocodile Dundee)? I know, I know there are different accents, goodness knows we have a lot of them here 🙂

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  17. What a fabulous month you had Deb. You had it all, alone time to read lots of wonderful books, time out in nature and the best time of all spent with family. Loved the generational photos, so very special Hope your May is just as wonderful and filled with joyous moments. Big hugs from me xx

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  18. A lovely April. I’ve been super slack and haven’t done a wrap-up of my month although it would be pretty much work and work and work and oooops out of time! I’ve been loving the autumn colour in your posts and others from Canberra and, well, pretty much everyone who doesn’t live in South East Queensland lol. And finally, I can’t believe your husband has done that walk as often as he has done!

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    1. Thanks Jo, we are very lucky to live in this climate and get the change of seasons the way we do, I just love it. My husband loves his treks and isn’t calling it a day just yet!

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  19. I’m just enjoying More Glimpses. I always have a short story collection on the go on my Kindle. I had a look at Scrublands, sounds like a must read. I also enjoyed reading and being in Understanding. What lovely pictures of your mother and aunt and uncle. My father’s brother and sister-in-law, his parents and finally his sister, all followed us out to Australia in the sixties, but my mother is now the only one left of her generation.

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    1. That’s great to hear of your family’s move. I love hearing their stories when they’re all together and capturing them in photos. I’m happy we’re both in Understandings, it’s a very special book. Thanks for your comment 🙂

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  20. Time is a great theme Deb because it can cover all aspects of our life. Last week I spent a day alone which rarely happens and it was such a treat. I have envied you your sunroom but now that we have moved I have the beautiful ocean to look at so I’m very happy each morning, waking and taking the time to sit with my coffee and watch the sunrise over the ocean. You had a very busy but enjoyable April especially the time spent with family. My highlight was moving and also making Ethan’s Jurassic World birthday cake. Have a magnificent May and I must say your blog seems to have just taken off to a new level – loving it! xx

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    1. Sue, you know how to make me smile with your lovely generous comments. Your ocean views sound delightful and I can only imagine waking to that every day! Your move was a huge deal and I’m so happy you’re feeling settled. Your cake making skills are very impressive! Your comments on my blog moving to a new level made me very happy, as I have often wondered where I’m going and what I’m doing. Thanks again my blogging buddy xx

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