Hello all and happy weekend! This past week has been busy and a bit stressful for me at work, so I wanted to have a fun weekend out and about. I did get a chance for some before work reading at a cafe with a doughnut and mocha. I have still been re-reading the Harry Potter books on my commute, so that has been fun. Thursday night, I went to a seminar on buying a property in Sydney. Brandon and I have had a few meetings with financial people about investment opportunities. We have more this week as well. We are looking at investing in property, but have a lot more to learn about it. No rash financial decisions for us; we need all our options explained to us first. On may way to the train this week, I found some better pumpkins for carving, but haven’t gotten any for decoration yet. I am just no up for decorating with fall decor when it is spring. The Jacaranda trees are blooming an amazing purple all over Sydney. So fun to see things blooming all year long. Friday night, we had a quiet night in and had tacos with Heidi for supper.
Saturday, Brandon and I went to a Ramen place for lunch just up the street which was yummy. It was real Japanese Ramen, not the package of square noodles they sell at the store for 19 cents. 😉 We then walked to Cremorne Point and took a ferry to Circular Quay. We walked around the Opera House to the Royal Botanical Gardens and saw their pollination display and living wall. We saw people zip lining between the skyscrapers and agreed that it would be more fun to do it through a rainforest instead. We stopped back in Circular Quay for some dessert crapes and then took the bus back home. I watched the first Harry Potter movie and Brandon continued working on his logo for his business.
Sunday morning we went to church and came home to the cats having tucked themselves into bed for the morning. We left them to it and took the ferry out of Cremorne Point again to Circular Quay. We took a ferry from there to Watson’s Bay across the Harbour to the east. We hadn’t been out that way on the ferry yet. We passed a bunch of the coast line, bays with boats docked, and fancy houses. Watson’s Bay was having a Cider Festival that I wanted to go to. I have been trying more cider since I am not a fan of the wines they have here, too dry. We tried a few ciders and ate some lunch of paella and tacos. There were a bunch that were sweet enough for me, so now I just need to remember the names for when I go out. We walked by the beach, sat and enjoyed the sun, then saw the rain coming in. We got back on the ferry and were nearly back to Circular Quay when the rain hit; thankfully we were in a covered part of the boat. It had been threatening all weekend with on and off showers. We were able to stay out of it for the most part, and thankfully had been prepared with our rain gear, just in case. We were going to meet Heidi and Jax for supper, so we hung out in The Rocks. We got coffee in a cafe and wandered through some of the touristy shops. The markets were on, but it was too wet to enjoy them. Jax and Heidi joined us at Pancakes on the Rocks. We all had breakfast for supper; yummy pancakes!! It stayed sad and rainy, so we headed home for a quiet Sunday night in. I am writing this post and looking forward to reading and watching more Harry Potter this week, maybe even tonight. 🙂
I expect to stay busy in every aspect of life until my trip back to Wisconsin. Work will be busy with training our new nurse and me taking over more management tasks. Home life will be busy with sorting out our next step in our financial future, packing and prepping for my trip, and still getting in all the exploring we want to around Sydney. Brandon was just commenting today, how good it is to have me to get him out of the house. I am glad he approves of our adventures, because they are a long time from being over! Heidi and I are talking about starting a yoga class to help us stretch and get more balanced. After I get back, Brandon and I will be searching for an apartment. Busy busy and a lot of fun to be had besides. Have a happy week everyone!!
What beautiful flowers and good looking food. Weather great here this week. But see things are changing here next week. Going to drain water in cottage tomorrow and will then close it for the winter.
Rain moving in and Packer game this noon. Must leave and get to church.
Love Grandma and Grandpa Miller
Dear Amy & Brandon,
Thanks for the beautiful pictures, especially the artwork with the flowers, and the orchids are just awesome!! My flowers in the pots are still blooming here since no frost as yet; however, it is really time to get them cut down and out of the pots because the weather is getting colder. The White Pelicans and cormorants are flocking together on the lake to migrate south and that is quite a site. Looked in the bird book to see just where they go from here in the winter and it is mostly Florida and the Gulf Coast area.
Grandpa got a cortisone shot in his left hip recently, the second one, and it seems to be doing some good but probably not as effective as the one he had a year ago. He has Bursitis of the hip. He’s still working at the Thrift & Gift Shop about 3 mornings a week, tending to “The Man Cave” there. Said they are already putting out Christmas merchandise in the store. We really like the new Cadillac and am not sure we told you about buying it the first of August–nice car and it handles and drives well. It has many “bells and whistles,” in fact, almost too many!! It’s somewhat smaller than the one we traded in, not as roomy, but still very comfortable.
My “Busy Hands” quilting group at church recently shipped 65 quilts to Lutheran World Relief and also donated six to a couple local Oshkosh centers. Saved four for use within our congregation in case of need. We also took a “road trip” to Clearwater Harbor at Waupaca in September and took the cruise on the Chain-of-Lakes and had lunch at the restaurant there. It was a very nice warm day, however, busier than we anticipated but think it was the last of the vacationers/tourists before start of schools and colleges.
We haven’t made the drive to Eagle River as yet to see what’s going on with Lori & Jeff’s home but do want to do that soon before the weather gets too cold–perhaps in the next week or so. She said their builder hadn’t done anything last week as he must have been on a different job. It’s really hard when you’re not around to keep an eye on what’s being done and sometimes the builders do whatever they feel needs to be done. Lori mentioned they would be there most of next week and, if so, we’ll take the drive then. Want to meet friends from Post Lake for breakfast on our way there, too.
Here’s hoping all is well with both of you. We sure enjoy all the beautiful pictures of Sydney and the cats. Have a feeling they are quite spoiled kitties, but that is good.
Love, Grandma & Grandpa Kohl xoxoxoxo