A Resolution to Appreciate Perth more in 2013

If Perth gave me a report card for 2012 it would say "Didn't try hard enough". Which is true. And some guy from The Huffington Post has made me feel all guilty about it. 

Yes Yes Perth has fabbo weather, the best beaches in.the.world and proper fish'n'chips but I've been in mourning for the East Coast and its plethora of fabulous Thai take-aways. I also miss jumping off the pier at Balmoral Beach. I'm fickle, so sue me. 

What makes this worse is that I'm a born and bred West Aussie. Multi multi generation West Aussie and all that as well.

A vintage car club displayed their oldy worldy jallopys in Forrest Chase today before re-enacting the first drive from Perth to Armadale.  The first drive took 7 hours so hopefully today's was a little quicker given the 38 degree temps.

So I've decided that my New Year's Resolution for 2013 will be To Appreciate Perth More.

If this resolution is as successful as my 2012 Don't Buy Anything Black resolution then I'll be almost successful but fail at the last moment.  I had to buy some black shoes for a black tie work function (surely that doesn't count?).

Cactus thingy, Forrest Chase - Perth City

On paper Perth should be heaven.  The weather is almost perfect, the beaches are white and the economy is booming.  And yet there is something not quite right.  It might be great to visit in the summer, enjoy the balmy evenings and watch the brilliant sunsets over the Indian ocean, but there is a closed-in feeling to the place.  A skepticism about anything from outside.  A local patriotism that is a little unsettling.  Made In WA is a big thing.  I almost expect West Australian flags to be flown from car windows on Australia day.  The State equivalent of Nationalism.  And the children here are even more Miraculous* than their Eastern States counterparts.

Unveiled - Bridal Exhibition from the V&A visiting Perth for a couple of months

BUT, in 2013 I resolve to look for the GOOD in Perth.

Like a teacher with a school child I will try to catch Perth doing something Good and create little diversions if I come across something bad or boring.

I may even bore you silly with some of those observations here.  Unless rising food prices mean I have to pawn this computer.

*BTW if you ever get the chance to see Matilda the Musical which has an opening song by this name, do so.  Fabulous.

Reading with my laptop...or Why it takes so long to read a sentence.

So, I'm reading a book, on Kindle. An historical fiction novel.

Thing is, I read three words, or perhaps a paragraph and I have to pick up my laptop.  Just now I settled into a big chair with footstool and cup of tea and read

"The court always spent the long Christmas feast at Whitehall, so John..."

So I googled Whitehall and found that the Palace of Whitehall was, in its time, the largest palace in the world. Larger than Versailles.  I then read that it burnt down in a fire in 1669 or some such and that only the Banqueting House still survives.

Of course I checked out its position on Google Maps and its entry in Wikipedia.  In Wikipedia there was a very enticing old map of the area so I clicked on that an noticed that one of the yards inside the palace was Scotland Yard.

Intriguing.

Did you know that Scotland Yard was the street on which the main entrance to the Metropolitan Police station was situated. Hence the name.

Scotland Yard, of course, is no longer there.  It has outgrown various premises many times and as early as 1890 was renamed New Scotland Yard.  But I digress.

Oh, and look at that ... Inigo Jones who designed parts of the Palace of Whitehall also designed the Covent Garden buildings.  Where is Covent Garden again in relation to London?  Oh, yes over there.  Ooh and look at the painting of Inigo Jones.  What is it with men in the 1600s and beards?  Couldn't find any razors?

Well while I have Google Maps up I wonder if I can locate Princes Gate Mews in Kensington?  Stayed there once with the relies back over 20 years ago.  Look there it is.  I wonder if it has street view?  Yes!  And look there is the mews flat I stayed in.  Fabulous.

So, where was I?  Oh yes, back to the Kindle to finish the sentence.

"...was able to leave the royal gardens at Oatlands dormant under a thick frost, and go home to Lambeth..."

I wonder how far Oatlands was from Lambeth...

Swan River, 8am

This morning was forecast to be heavy rain so it was a lovely surprise to see a stunning morning on the Swan River for the official opening to the Rowing season at Blossom's school.

The girls have been rowing together for a month now and this morning, after a tough session of time trials, they rowed in to an audience of proud parents.

If only all mornings were like this on the river!

Things I Find Fun

This photo is here just for fun.  Freshwater Bay, Peppermint Grove.

Inspired by Fairlie and The No. 1 Melbourne Ladies Bookclub I am reading Gretchen Rubin's The Happiness Project.  Gretchen's blog was one of the first I started reading five years ago but as I got into more serious endeavours, such as working in an office, I stopped reading.  Which is why I am finding her book so important right now.  In my earnestness to move back into the corporate world I stopped having fun.  Maybe, maybe, I never really was one for fun anyhow.

Any how, I have had cause to think about what I find fun, rather than what I think I should find fun.  Here is my list so far.  It's been such a long time since I really thought about this that I may need to come back to this from time to time.

Here are my first two.

Maps.  I love all sorts of maps.  Especially ones that relate to something I'm doing or reading.  I am just as happy reading a street directory as I am reading an old map of London.  In fact I will often just pull out the street directory and start flipping through it. For fun.

Walking around the streets, just looking.  I love to familiarise myself with an area by exploring the streets. What types of houses are built here? Who lives/lived here? What makes this street great or horrible?  I love walking as long as the walk has interest.  When I go on walks from home I try to take different routes each time.  Routine is my enemy; it gets me down.

It comes as no surprise to me that I love the idea of Geocaching.  Geocaching is a worldwide treasure hunt which combines "orienteering-lite" with a scavenger hunt where you come home with the thrill of the find but, usually, no prize.  I could seriously get into it but I fear that friends would start to back away slowly...and there's no fun in that.

Five Years

early morning over Mosman Bay, Perth, Western Australia

Today I've been blogging for five years.

In that time I've

finished post-graduate study
started seven blogs, one of them private
stopped writing to four of them
written at first regularly, then intermittently,  to three of them
opened two twitter, one fb and one LinkedIn account
been a stay at home mum
been a part-time worker
started working full time
turned 40
spent lots of money on potions for my face that I know won't make a difference
spent some money on clothes that I'll wear for ever
spent more money on clothes that I never wear
lived in three different homes
in three different suburbs
in two different states
one of those houses was for six months while we renovated so maybe it doesn't count
seen my daughter graduate from primary to high school
had my son start at three different schools; all of them excellent
listened to clarinet, piano, trombone and drum practise
ferried kids to soccer, ballet, hockey, swimming, tennis, cricket and karate
renovated a home
moved interstate 6 months later
learnt to crochet
re-ignited old knitting skillz
done loads of cool stuff that will come to mind later and I think "crap, I should have put that on the list".

and

met lots of wonderful people online...and then in real life.  Thank you bloggers for being such a wonderful community and for sharing your lives with me.

Blogging is a very important creative outlet for me.  I feel am yet to find my own blogging voice and style, I think; but when I do it will probably start here so stay tuned.