August DVDs

None of this leaving the best till last - this is THE BEST DVD you will see in a long time - IF you like dancing and energy.  Wow.  I will say straight up - I have seen the live show four times.  YES - four times!!  Once in Sydney, twice in Canberra and once in Brisbane.  This is over the span of some ten years mind you.  And yet I STILL loved seeing it all again on DVD.  The Tap Dogs are wonderful tap dancers - but not in that stilted old school way - no there is fun, interaction, characters, energy, modern music, stunts - it's all there.  A terrifically imagined and realised show.  Rush out and see it for yourself.

I loved seeing this series on TV and it didn't pall the second time through.  The scenes are set in the bedrooms of neighbours as they are about to go to bed or to sleep - whichever.  The interactions between the couples is fascinating, and as the series progresses there is good character development and the odd twist or two.  Wonderful pacing, wit and pathos.  Real life magnified.  Highly recommended.

The HUGE shoulder pads are a giveaway that this was filmed in the 80s.  But that's OK, because the music is still as wonderful as ever.  There are scenes of Sting composing and talking with fellow musicians, scenes of him and his wife and the birth of their child - and of course lots of music.  I found it very enjoyable.

I borrowed this because I wanted to educate myself about this group - but to be honest I found it very boring.  The music was not stirring or emotive and I didn't finish watching it.

Book Review

A new review at Our Ms Books -
Miss Chopsticks; Xinran

Cleveland Artwork

I love this sculpture in Raby Bay.  It's called Fiddlers Green and it's by Carol Roche.

On the ground is an extra bit of detail -

festiValley

The Steiner School in the Samford Valley was open to the public yesterday.  I got there in time for the twilight concert which was wonderful.  The outdoor stage is part of a new building at the school - and there's an indoor stage as well.  The fire eurythmy was dramatic. 

Gold Coast

I had a trip to the Gold Coast yesterday.  Broadbeach is a great place for architecture

and I found this pattern in a bar

Mariosarti

I met Bronte in Toowong on Friday night and we ended up at an Italian restuarant called Mariosarti.  Really different food.  Bronte had a duck lasagne, and the bit I had was scrumptious.  I chose the lamb - here is what it said in the menu -
"Scamone di Agnello Arrosto
Roast "Junee" lamb rump, braised lentils, artichokes, green olives, roast capsicum, goats curd, vino cotto"

Here is what it looked like -

We followed our mains with an affogato each -

Executive View

On Friday I was working in an executive office (NOT mine) with an amazing view...

Food (Again)

We went back to the Southern Spice Indian Restaurant the other night.  This time we went all veg, which James wasn't too happy about.  But how can you NOT be happy to eat yummy food like this dosai?

For supper I ate a delicious cupcake Holly had bought me from My Sweetopia - mocha!

Cold Winter

Some winters are one bath winters - ie, not so cold that I crave a warm bath to thaw out.  This year, however, a bath was on the agenda pretty much every night.  I indulged the other day with the goodies I won at bingo...

More Donna Hay

At the Chandler Market last weekend I bought a mix of mushrooms, so made this tart (parmesan pastry from scratch by the way :-)
Mine -

Donna's

Bingo!

Until last night I had never been to Bingo.  I went along to the local soccer club as it was a fundraiser, and to be with friends and have a drink.  Well, it's SERIOUS stuff, eyes down and all that....I finally got the hang of marking off my tickets

which was no mean feat, considering that there were different permutations each call - like stair steps and T and seniors - but I DID get a full house!!  I was so excited I kept saying "Ooh ooh ooh" instead of Bingo.  But they still let me have a prize

Quilters by the Sea

I visited a quilt group in Victoria Point on Friday morning - lovely ladies who were very welcoming.  The had on display blocks they are going to put together for a charity quilt - these are the ones that caught my eye

Donna Hay

More cooking from the Donna Hay mag
Her crab and corn puffs -

mine -

her smoked trout salad -

mine -

this is what goes on top as garnish - fried ginger chips - v yummy!!

Inspiration

The upholstery on a seat in the local library

Thursday in Brisbane

I had some time to kill before my job and so I had a coffee at Dome on George Street.  I sat outside on the wicker chairs and pretended to be in Paris while everyone rushed by.  Queen Victoria kept me company from across the street -

In the foyer of Neville Bonner House is this piece made of stacked thin pieces of glass -

 

 On my way back to my car I saw this kayaker in the river - 

 

Ironic, really...

...but then what would I know, I just live in Superbia....

Montville

Yesterday was a day of doing a lot of this

a little bit of this

and this

and even this

to get these

Anniversary

"The holiest of all holidays are those kept by ourselves in silence and apart, the secret anniversary of the heart." Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

The 16th of August is one of those days for me.  A special day that means an enormous amount in my life.  There is no need for outward signs or rituals, just time for contemplation and thanks.  And a drink - To Life.

Day out

Today was great weather - once I got out of the cold house.  First off it was lunch at the rare pear in Holland Park.

The pear theme was everywhere

There was this art deco style design on the railing

Later on I attended a seminar on publishing at Boolarong Press.  It was great - PLUS I won a book!!!

Cooking

I bought the Donna Hay magazine on Wednesday and yesterday as I was reading it I thought it would be a good idea to get stuck into making the recipes.  I have become very lazy with my cooking in the past few years.  So today I had a great time buying ingredients for a few dishes.

Pork chops with asian greens - Donna's version

mine

baked fennel - Donna's

mine

tart tatin - Donna's

mine

Everyone of these tasted delicious by the way.
As the oven was on anyway, I decided to make some savoury squares - cream cheese, bacon, onion, capsicum on puff pastry - and THEY were yummy too!!

And the best of all is - I didn't burn ANYTHING!!!  Whoo Hoo!!!