La Perouse walk with Elna and the boys

Srini's fractured foot is still fragile so we did an easy, flat walk along the coast. Elna joined us which was really lovely and we bumped into James - the chances of which are a billion to one!  The king tide made for some very impressive waves.  We ended up at Maroubra Pool for a lovely refreshing dip.

Maroubra Pool

I'm blown away by this amazing wall art by Elna

 

Ally visits Jo and the family

It's super that Ally dropped in to say hi during her last visit to Cape Town.

 

Catch up with Roger

 Roger came to Sydney for a few days and it was lovely to catch up.  We went to a great Thai place for dinner, finished off with Messina Ice-cream, the best ice-cream in all of Sydney.

Lunch with Chris

Friends don't come better! 

Weekend away in The Southern Highlands

 A wonderful weekend away at Little Forrest Cottages in Alpine with Lauren, Christian, Kim, Derek, Jassenka, Sanchie, David, Maria, Juni and Eugenie.

Highlights included...

• A spread of food for breakfast and dinner fit for a king including succulent salmon, kofta to die for, the best bean salad I've ever tasted and amazing tiramisu.
• A squelchy, damp stroll around the forested circumference of the property where we stayed. The leeches were out in force but we were onto them before they could take hold.
• Lots of laughs and some wonderful deep philosophical discussions.
• Playing a hilarious game called Dirty Minds. Lauren and I were in our element :)
• Sampling craft beers at the local brewery including one with a gorgeous honey flavour.
• Visiting the Berrima market where we met a gorgeous Samoyed dog from Siberia whose fur is used to make beautiful, warm beenies.
• Strolling around the historical section of Berrima. It's a beautiful town with the most visually aesthetic jail in all of Australia.

Lowlight

• It turned out to be a super-spreader event!  JC, Juni, Jassenka, Kim and Derek all came down with Covid.  I dodged the bullet - the 2nd time. The first time was Christina, my housemate, getting it, Martin and I both avoided it that time.

Little Forest Country Cottages where we stayed

A squelchy walk around the property trying to avoid the leeches

We were delighted to meet this very friendly horse who loved being stroked

Cottage life

Sampling craft beers at the local brewery

Berrima market and the gorgeous Samoyed dog from Siberia

Berrima historical town

Apple Airtags

I bought 4 Airtags which allow me to find things if I lose them. I put on in my wallet, keys, backpack and suitcase.

They have proved invaluable. They helped me find my wallet 3 times: In Argentina in the mountains, in The Falklands and when I dropped it when taking Pickleball photos for Chris.

They also put my mind at rest when flying because I put one in my luggage and know, before it appears, that the luggage has arrived ok.

Berowra to Hornsby (part of The Great Northern Walk)

A tough 24 km hike at quite a fast pace. I was exhausted after it! Norman led the hike and I got to meet some lovely people.

 

Dinner at Gavin and Tanya

Before a delicious dinner of spicy biryani cooked by Tanya, Gavin and Srini and I went for a stroll through Glebe. After dinner, Gavin showed us what he's been working on in his new role and we were bowled over by it. He really is so amazingly creative.  I felt very inspired. 

Why photography makes me so happy

"According to research, looking through photo albums makes you happier than chocolate, music or even your favourite TV show.  In a study, Peter Naisch, Doctor of Psychology at The Open University, compared the moods of people using four typical cheer up treats with those browsing their favourite snaps.  The results show that the mood of those viewing photographs was consistently lifted by 11%. When you look through your personal photo albums, it produces a positive improvement in relaxation, calmness and even their sense of being valued and popular.  In return, this results in an overall higher happiness score."  Mark Goldstein

Taking the time to look back on our treasured memories can be truly beneficial for our wellbeing as it can help to evoke feelings of positivity and happiness. Because of this, and especially at times like this, we should take more time to appreciate and look back on them.  Jo Hemmings

Taking photos

• Inspires me to get out, go on adventures worth photographing.
• Helps me to be mindful, in my senses, noticing beauty in the world around me.
• Helps me to see beautify in both the widest landscapes and the tiniest details.
• A wonderful form of creative expression. 
• A skill to continually hone and master.
• Seeing the world as God's work of art and my role is to capture the beauty and share it through my photos.
• A passion to share with others (e.g. photo Meet Up, camera club, Jo).

Editing and uploading photos to Life Trove

• Creative expression: editing is an art to be mastered and enjoyed.  Lightroom makes this a pleasure.
• Reliving the experience, strengthening the memory.
• A sense of joy in curating something precious (selecting, ordering, displaying and sharing).
• I get to share my experiences with my loved ones.
• Sharing my photos with others who were there.

Looking back as time goes by

• A dairy of what I got up to and the good times I had.
• A curation of all that I love.
• A reminder of the people, places, and activities I love.
• Preserving memories while saving space (the joy of digital verse physical photo albums).
• Photos on the wall of my beautiful home to enjoy and share.
• The ability to photograph and preserve precious things that would otherwise fade (e.g. cards).
• Random memories via the "surprise me" link on Life Trove.

Fun

Live and work but do not forget to play, to have fun in life and really enjoy it.  Eileen Caddy 

Below are some moments and experiences that have made me smile or laugh.