~ March Reflections: Downsizing and Decluttering Adventures ~

During March we made the difficult decision that it was time to downsize. Although we have No. 1 Daughter and the two munchkins living with us now we all needed to have our own space.

First up was engaging estate agents, which No. 1 son did for us. Working in property gives him the edge and able to convey succinctly what we wanted. Two agents quickly came and went. Before they had even given proposals I knew I was more comfortable around the first one, Susan. From here on was where I became overwhelmed and began having restless nights.

It was the decluttering that was beginning to take over my thoughts. We had a go at the dreaded “tool cupboard” in the garage that has long been the bane of my existence. We being my dear hubby and me. We managed one shelf in two hours and I gave up when he lovingly held a decade old ball of string and said “this is good is twine, we might need it”. Most just got moved onto another shelf.

I asked him also to remove a can of paint that had become stuck. Disaster struck as he pierced the bottom and paint quickly started spreading. He came to me and said “I’ve just made an unholy mess”. At this moment Susan’s assistant rang to say she had arranged 6 tradesman to come around the following week for quotes. I said we need the painter now to help us with this mess. She came to my rescue and sent around a handyman, who cleared up within minutes.

During March No. 1 daughter backed her car into the moving electric gate and knocked it off its tracks. Fortunately we have a wonderful neighbour who came around and fixed the problem. The next day after coming out of an appointment she saw her car being towed away! Not having read the parking sign properly. The car was returned but not without a fine.

We were told that to obtain the best price it was better to engage a stylist to showcase the house to look its best. This lady turned up along with six tradesman. I didn’t know if I was Arthur or Martha at that point, it was bedlam. We then found out there was a serious leak in one of the bathrooms so this is first on the list to be taken care off.

Believe it or not I did have some lovely moments in March. Laurence and Maddy came for a weekend and we had such a great time. We spent a morning at the beach and the water was perfect.

I also went to see two films. The much hyped up and talked about “Wuthering Heights”. Quite an eye opener but on the whole I enjoyed this version. The second was a Matthew McConaughey film called The Rivals of Amziah King. This was such a good film which we all loved.

I had a night out at an outdoor venue, called The Quarry. It is situated in an old quarry and the seating is in tiers. We took a picnic and watched three tribute bands, Santana, Little River Band and Fleetwood Mac. Beautiful balmy evening underneath the stars.

Having a much needed break at our local Indian. The table behind had 22 guests so was a tad noisy!

If you managed to read to the end of all my rants, thank you indeed. Some of you will have been through similar in your lifetime and know the stresses and strains of decluttering and moving. I have read so many articles on the different ways to declutter and I’m still none the wiser. On that note I wish you a happy Easter.

He came to join me this morning while I was having my morning coffee. How cute is he?

Joining Natalie for Weekend Coffee Share and Brian/Ju-Lyn @ The Changing Season (a tad early).

~ Sculptures by the Sea – Cottesloe 2026 ~

Sculptures by the sea is back for another year with more weird and wonderful sculptures. We went last week for a walk along the sand to see what was on offer. It also happened to be the windiest day and we were whipped and scoured by the sand. The sea was churning and the waves were slapping against the Groyne, soaking us when they came over the top. Anyway we managed a good 45 minutes walking in the softest sand. All of our eyes were watering and sore, I’m not sure how I managed to take any photos.

This is an annual event at Cottesloe Beach, Western Australia and is also held at Bondi Beach, NSW. It is a sponsored event and free to the public. The artists get a chance to exhibit their latest creations and prizes are awarded. Cottesloe Council often purchases one of the sculptures and these can be seen on the seafront.

Daring the waves to splash them

SOMA – Drew McDonald

Taking a rest

Love UJason Hirst

Homage to the CubeAndrew Farmer

I like the way the above photos turned out with the iconic “Indiana Tearooms” reflected in the mirrored cube.

Ode to the Ancestors – Dr Jason Christopher

Artificial Real TimeErica Zaino

Click on the photo to read the caption

Sun Dial – Tanya & Evi Ferrier

Time to go yet? It wasn’t quite accurate but close enough.

Reef Reverie – Jonathon Rockefeller

Heaven – Vaughn Bisschops

My favourite sculpture this year is the silver pelican sitting on a shiny suitcase. It looks like postcards have been attached to the suitcase.

Joining Jo for a Walk.

~ Shadows in the Playground ~

Squares is back for November! This challenge is hosted by Becky from The Life of B and should be tagged NovemberSquares. Read the link to find out more.

For the first day I’ve gone with shadows. Photos I took when I took my grandchildren to the park a few weeks ago. For a better effect I changed the filter to black and white.

A photo of 7 year old Lachie on a net swing

5 year old Rosie on a swing

Rosie waiting to “bat”

I also took this the same day at a mini golf course. The dappled shadows of the trees caught my eye. Look closely at the bottom left and you can see me as well!

⬛ ⬛ ⬛ ⬛ ⬛ ⬛ ⬛ ⬛ ⬛ ⬛ ⬛ ⬛ ️

~ A Town Mouse or a Country Mouse, which one are you? ~

This is the question posed by Tina from Travels and Trifles this week. We are all familiar with the famous story by Aesop from our childhood. The moral of the story is “living a simple and happy life is better than living an extravagant life with constant fear.

Of course we all want a happy life, not so sure about simple. I love living near a city, but not in one, just near enough to get an exciting vibe whenever I feel the need. On the otherhand, I do like the peace and quiet of the Perth suburbs.

Having lived and worked in London and also Hong Kong, I enjoyed the hustle and bustle of city life. We lived in the countryside in Hong Kong, an anomaly right there, but it wasn’t too far to drive into the city.

Hong Kong City – Day & Night

Hong Kong Countryside

Perth – Countryside and City

I love a city break for two or three nights, see the sights and visit fancy restaurants. Coming home to my serene suburban life is always welcome at the end.

🐭 🐭 🐭 🐭 🐭 🐭 🐭 🐭 🐭 🐭 🐭 🐭 🐭 🐭 🐭 🐭 🐭 🐭

~ Weekend Walks ~

How nice it is to see blue sky again. We are luckier than most I know living in Western Australia, but the last two months there has been so much rain and grey skies. It has also been one of the coldest winters on record. I’m not one for venturing out in the rain unless it’s in the car to a shopping mall. This weekend the weather has been glorious and I’m sharing a small gallery today.

Birds of a Feather

Left- Galah; Right – Heron

I couldn’t be sure of this creature when I first spotted it. I was convinced it was a monkey! But it was an extremely large Black Cockatoo.

Hues of Blue

Green Scenes

Bye for now!

Linking to
Jez’s Water Water Everywhere
John’s Cellpic Sunday

“The Best Laid Plans of Mice and Men”

After much planning and anticipation we flew to London last week. Our itinerary included a month in America, visiting friends and relatives.   A visit to my mum was also long overdue.

My mum was overjoyed to see us on the first day, but sadly on the second had to be reminded of who I was.  That is the cruelness of dementia.

Things were going swimmingly, flights and hotels were all booked for the US.  Unfortunately a few days ago my poor husband had to visit the emergency department.  There were problems with his bladder.  He is now awaiting further tests.

Health always comes first obviously, but that still doesn’t mean there isn’t profound disappointment over a long awaited trip. We have both received quite a scare and a wake up call.  As soon as he is fit to fly we will be making our way home.

We did have a few lovely days before this catastrophe.  A walk along the River Crouch, along from where my brother lives.  Staying at my brother and sister-in-law’s has been a blessing. We also had a fun day in London catching up with some cousins.  Although Anthony did nearly fall down the stairs from the top of a double decker bus!  He just about managed to hold on, this is where things started to go wrong.  Who knows, a coincidence perhaps?

River Crouch
Sunset over the River Crouch

London Gallery

These are photos of the Guild Church of St. Katherine Cree and with the Gherkin in the background. I love walking around the streets of London, admiring the old and new. Although I think they could spend a few pounds on cleaning up this lovely old church! It is one of the oldest buildings in the city, with the present building dating back to 1628.

Overlooking Regent’s Canal

The best laid plans of Mice and Men is from a poem by Robert Burns. It highlights the idea that even the most carefully planned things can be disrupted. The best way forward is to accept all things with equanimity and not to rail against events that cannot be changed. This is my mantra for the moment.

~ Taking it Easy – Perth, February 2025 ~

The Summer school holidays finally came to an end here in Perth. Master Lachie would be starting year 2 and Miss Rosie would be entering kindergarten. Time for new shoes. I took both munchkins to our local shopping centre to have their feet measured up for new shoes. Everything is so sophisticated these days, and feet are measured electronically. Back in the day your foot was put into a wooden contraption with a slide bar.

Rosie was going two and three days a week, so I can still have my days with her.

Larger than life Sylvanian Rabbit

Out shopping for her favourite toys.

We had some extensive tree cutting and bush pruning performed by professionals. Although my dear hubby said he would do it all – eventually – it’s the removal of all the debris that is a problem. Now I have an empty flower bed to replant, which I’ll be getting advice about.

I’m looking forward to discussing ideas with a lady I found locally.

The weather is turning slightly cooler in the mornings and evenings which is a relief. I’ve been able to sit out in the mornings with my coffee. This little guy has been visiting every morning and having a morning feed. Luckily Zac and Rufus didn’t notice.

Hubby and I had a lovely lunch in Fremantle last week. We tried a place that was new to us but I’d heard good reviews. It was such a beautiful day, we managed to get a table outside.

A couple of sculptures caught my eye. The dog is so cute.

Say hello to Dwert (noongar for dingo). Created by sculptor – Martin Jaine.

The above is a life size sculpture of a memorial to the migrant children. Between 1947 and 1953 over 3,000 children (many unaccompanied) from UK and Malta migrated to Western Australia. They went to voluntary and religious organisations. Many of these children we now know were little more than unpaid workers. They suffered untold abuse which has only come to light in the last ten years or so. The children were told they were orphans. Some of them were. Others had mothers who, due to extreme hardship, had no choice but to let them go.

We stopped at a local delicatessen to pick up some goodies and this exotic lady was posing in the middle of the shop.

Please don’t touch. I am very fragile. My name is Caffe’tina. I was made in 12 days. Arrived 8th January 2023. Multicycling in Brazil.
Coffee beans used on me __ kilo ___ grams.

I thought this was so clever and must have taken ages to put together. I wonder what the answers were?

Well that’s February done and dusted already. Have a lovely March everyone.

I’m joining in with a few challenges.
The Changing Season hosted by Brian and Ju-Lyn
and also Dan’s CFFC – Blue and…
PPAC by Natalie

~ January Adventures – Family Fun in Busselton, Western Australia ~

The first half of January has been busy in the extreme! My son Laurence and his lovely fiancee Maddy tied the knot on January 3rd. Our house was full to the rafters with overseas family staying and various guests popping around to see us. It was the happiest two weeks I could imagine.

Our visitors wanted to visit South West WA for a few days. I managed to book an 8 bedroom house in Busselton. We were so happy that Laurence and Maddy decided to join us as well. I booked a few places to eat and drink as there were 17 of us in all. I couldn’t imagine turning up en masse without a booking. I was teased constantly that everywhere had better be good, otherwise there would be complaints to travelswithali!

To find a house this large and in high season was a feat in itself. There were enough bedrooms to accommodate all of us, so no-one had to sleep on the floor.

Our first lunch was spent at Shelter Brewing Company, right on the promenade overlooking the beach. The food came quickly and the beer was served in paddles, four at a time. Great for beer lovers who got the chance to sample a few.

After checking in and everyone choosing a room, we unpacked and headed to the beach.

Busselton Jetty is the longest pier in the Southern Hemisphere at 1,841 metres long. At the end of the pier there is an underwater jetty and sculpture park. To see the sculptures there are scuba diving tours.

There is a train that goes to the end and back for a fee. Otherwise a walk will take around 30 minutes each way. The beach is beautiful and great for small kids and adults who don’t like too many waves (me). With many restaurants, cafes and bars here it’s not difficult to find somewhere for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

On our second day, a few of the boys played a round of golf and the rest of us drove to Dunsborough. I’ve written about Dunsborough previoulsy. It’s a small town full of quirky shops and small boutiques. We did all manage to buy a few items.

Wild Hop Brewery was booked for 4pm. A fantastic place in Yallingup. By the time we arrived many of the items had disappeared off the menu. Also some of the staff were quite rude. Anyway after a few drinks we still enjoyed it.

On the morning of our last full day, we had a trip to Meelup Beach in the morning. I had booked a winery for the afternoon. Meelup Beach is also a child friendly beach with soft sand and beautiful clear water.

Next we were off to Lentedal Winery in Marybrooke, Margaret River. What a wonderful find this was. We had a table outside but under a shade cloth. Before ordering any food we did some wine tasting. After a scrumptious lunch we walked around the estate to look at the animals.

We had an absolutely perfect time away together. There’s nothing like a family holiday. I’m not sure when we will all be together again like this, living so far apart from each other. People have busy lives and jobs to do. Flights are expensive and holidays are short. We made so many memories to treasure and look back on. I made a Whatsapp group and can look back and read all the hilarious messages that were posted daily.

I did manage a walk to the end of Busselton Pier with Anthony, quite an accomplishment!