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I know that as a mother I should probably feel too ashamed to show you that I let my youngest out with holes in her leggings, yet strangely I'm not! I find something utterly charming in that little knee poking out and those oh so cute toes in her pretty pink sneakers.

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She has the best taste in flowers, this little one of mine. I had forgotten how much I love the elegance and simplicity of hydrangeas. I'm not sure Geoff would fancy them in the garden, but a single small sprig, it gives me so much pleasure.

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I'm not good at self portraits. I intend to buy a remote shutter thingy whatsit, but haven't got around to it. The reality is that I never look as nice as I imagine I do, so I prefer to just not right now. Ella, however, always looks beautiful to me, so she's my model.

An unexpected birthday gift arrived today. I wish I could share my friend's blog with you, but she's shy and it's private. I consider myself one of a priviledged few outside her family that gets to share in her day to day life. Her friendship has been such a lovely surprise and quite unlikely I guess, given that she lives hmmm over 12,600 kms.

Thank you Sandy for making me feel special with a surprise gift so perfectly suited to my taste, for making me feel that I'm worth remembering and worth the effort.

x

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I finally got around to using the rest of a voucher I received for my birthday last year. I couldn't find one big thing I wanted, so instead plumped for a few smaller items.

My mum asked "do you need another cup?". I do like cups. Yes, I felt I needed this one. It's a Marimekko. I was blissfully unaware they designed ceramics. Now I know, well, let's just say that there could be more cups.

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We had more visitors from overseas last week. In town for the wedding of another friend, as a bridesmaid, Kate and her family were only with us for a day. She didn't look different, not really, still just the same, the boys bigger, Darren strangely more tanned than me ....?! It was nice to share family time and Darren's birthday together with us.

At the end of the night (why do we always leave it until the end) it was time for photos. Now I can take a good photo, it just doesn't happen very often. My dear husband took so many shots and he kept shaking his head and saying to me "what are you doing? Kate looks exactly the same in every shot, you're the problem"! So, it is with great embarassment that I share the best of a bad bunch, of me. I would defend myself saying I looked nice when the day started, but Kate now believes me (post a swimming session) that my hair does indeed go curly and crazy when left to its own devices!

Travel safe guys.

PS Kate, be sure that this is an indication of how much you mean to me that I would share a photo like this with the world!

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I'm struggling with work at the moment, there's a situation I can't do anything to change, and I don't handle that well. I don't shirk away from speaking up for myself, saying out loud what perhaps others would try to avoid or ignore, but I've done that, a number of times, and I'm not sure what else I can now do. I have written and rewritten this post in an effort to explain what's going on, but honestly, it just sounded like waffle. It's just one of those situations that causes real angst when you're not at work and I hate that permeating of work into homelife, particularly when I'm only there 2 days a week, so to me that says it's time something changed. The problem is that I've identified the problem, asked for a solution, have been promised one, on a number of occasions, and nothing's changed. So, what next ....

The ceramics above are some of my favourites, all functional, not all new, but all special. There is a coffee cup from London, a handthrown latte cup from Stockholm, a bowl from Antwerp, another coffee cup from Mud in Healesville and a yellow bowl and the jug from my sister in laws old family holiday house - old pieces of either her aunt or her grandmother.

I must away, today is both my MIL's birthday and my dear, dear Lena's 40th - so I have some errands to finish off for both.

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We took the girls to see the Ron Mueck exhibition at the NGV today. You should definitely go, his work is AMAZING. We saw one of the pieces at the Tate Modern, but together, wow, they are mind blowingly real. It's the sort of thing where you can't stop saying "how does he do that?". The hairs on the legs, the way they lie in different directions in different areas, the veins just below the surface, everything sooooo real. Some pieces were life sized, some about quarter sized and others gigantic, but all perfectly, perfectly proportioned and faultless.

I liked this one the best, although it's not a great shot, but the only one with other visitors in the shot. The contrast from a distance, of the "real" figure with the natural ones, the twigs, just worked for me.

Geoff liked the nana the best, thought it was almost too lifelike.

This guy was so gorgeous, despite his boo boo (Leila's words) - he was about quarter life size and everything so perfect, the jeans, "his undies are sticking out mum", the ways he's holding his hands and his hair looked so fluffy you wanted to give it a rub.

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I've got new shoes (and dirty floors). I'm sharing this fact with you because I do love a good bargain. I am notoriously hard on my shoes. I love flats but wear orthotics so they have to be wide enough with a high enough back to take them.

I bought Leila a pair of Walnut shoes recently as every day shoes for kinder. She loved them and so did I. Imagine my joy when I found out that make for the ladies also. Best bit, they're not only comfy, they're under $40.00! That means I can throw them out when they get stinky, which my shoes always do. I am getting two more pairs as soon as the postie comes again!

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The sweet toes of a dear friend who turns 1 in only 9 days.

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They left today and by now are lying on the beach on Hamilton Island.

I didn't get to see her yesterday and last night I babysat so they could go for dinner as a couple. I didn't cry last night, when she walked me to the car just before midnight. I managed to avoid tears also when she said it hadn't been long enough and she hadn't said all she'd wanted to. I do feel teary now though.

I wrote her a card and amongst the things I said was that I hadn't managed to say everything I wanted to, it's hard to squeeze 7 years worth of thoughts into a few days. I also hope it isn't another 7 years before we're together again. It's these thoughts that actually hurt. It was so normal having them here, life felt so rich with her around. I guess it's loneliness I feel, it's that feeling of being understood and loved all the same that is infectious and hard to let go of. It's nice to feel affirmed as a good and friendworthy person. So, my darling Lena, I so loved having you here, I wish I could have thought on my feet more so I could have shared every thought I've ever meant to share with you, but there just wasn't enough time.

To distract today, we went to the beach and it was lovely. I wish you could have been there .....

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We went to Porgie and Mr Jones for breakfast this morning. Good coffee, loved the decor, the menu presentation, a lot of inspiration and great staff.

She really doesn't like having her photo taken. Geoff tried to take some photos of us together this afternoon but she and I both agreed that there was something wrong with my camera as we simply didn't look like that. Her eyes open, mine closed; my eyes open, hers closed; our eyes closed; her tongue out; my double chin showing - you get the idea.

Last day tomorrow.

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She won't be happy, I'm sure, but I think she's gorgeous and photographs exactly as she is!

Last night we went, two families together, to dinner in town. The girls are getting along famously, holding hands, each with their respective handbags walking through Chinatown. I can't believe any time has passed, excepting the fact that we both now have walking, talking children in tow! I can't bear to think ahead to when they're not here anymore, but that will be the time when I start discussing travel with Geoff!

Off to the hills today. Taking a meandering route to my parent's place in Healesville. They've kindly house swapped with us for a couple of days so we'll be eating and drinking our way through the Yarra Valley.