Housekeeping

 

I'm going on holidays from the blog for the school holidays (and end of tax year...ugh). 

Will be on Instagram, as always.

And should be back around the 20th July sometime.

#Allseasons will run as usual.

Take care and have fun everyone!

People in Europe & UK, Jeremy Loops has a tour starting so go along and send me pics - he's so great (I'm sulking that we are 13 weeks into waiting for a passport!! We're not going ANYWHERE!)

Linking with #Skywatch

Share Four Somethings - June

This is more PG rated than last month so everyone can breathe easy (or sigh in disappointment).

Something Loved: This month saw the end of VIVID and the Biennale, both of which have added a lot of colour and festivities to my days and nights! I feel there is a lull in the next week or so but I'm sure I'll find something to take its place. Regardless, my INSTA is beautiful and I've loved every minute of what Sydney has been offering us. Not to mention the sunshine! After 6 months of rain, it might be chilly but it still feels fabulous!

Something Gleaned: Some people, who never lost their smell or taste with COVID, have lost their taste for coffee after recovering from the virus. If you know anything about this, let me know. I am most curious to start researching this (and terrified of having this happen to me). Of my poll so far, it appears to be just coffee, not other things, which is weirder still. I do feel it's my mission to get to the bottom of this.

Something Braved or Saved: I braved performing this song for karaoke. I am not a good singer but the theme was America  (in honour of our US friends visiting) and I think of Gospel when I think of American music. What I lack in talent, I make up with gusto. I also don't have to listen to myself so I guess that helps too. Anyway, I love this song because I adore the JJ Grey and Mofro version from a squillion years ago but the Lost Frequencies version hit to coincide with our first 2020 lockdown and I spent a lot of time lifting my spirits with it blasting while I watched the sunset or the world outside my bedroom window. It has a comforting feeling for me, there's an emotional reaction to feeling less isolated from the vast and distant rest of the world. I still sometimes here the song in my head if I stand at the window for a moment.

Something Achieved: I forgot to enter a NYC Midnight competition because I thought I had, only to discover I was not on the list when the tasks were sent out. I was disappointed as I'd also skipped the Furious fiction the week before because I was too busy. However, I was delighted to learn I went through to the second round in a competition I'd entered a few months ago. I ranked higher than 57 other people in the group, so while it wasn't a stellar story, it was good enough. I had 24 hours to write a Sci-Fi story but actually only had 2 hours today to write it and submit it due to a very busy weekend with too many commitments. But submitted and happy so I will celebrate that achievement.

All the photos are from a day on the Harbour, and I tried to take the Opera House from different angles that I didn't usually photograph it from. Our other attempts at boat day this year have all been washed out, so while not swimming weather, it was still pretty fabulous!  

Linking with #ShareFourSomethings  #WeekendCoffeeShare and just for the photos #MCOW #WednesdayAroundtheWorld #TravelTuesday 

Writers festival reading list

 I am slowly working my way through the books by the authors I saw at the Writers Festival. I've already reviewed The Promise. I loved it so much I've picked it as my book club selection. (My other book club has picked Disgrace (coincidently another South African Booker-winning novel) which I've read and can't recommend enough, so I will continue with my Roobis tea drinking and Jeremy Loops on repeat to keep in the South African mood.

I read She is Haunted, by Paige Clark. She was very interesting at the festival and her discussion of the short stories made them seem more interesting than I found them. I liked the collection but didn't love them as much as I'd expected to after hearing her dissecting one of them at the Festival.

I am halfway through Talking About a Revolution by Yassmin Abdel-Magied. This collection of essays I am thoroughly enjoying. It's political, feminist, and charming. Amidst the more serious topics are funny anecdotes about her hobbies and passions. A brilliant love letter to the demise of the petrol car is my favourite and her attempts to get into F1 (she got remarkably close!) pepper a few of the essays. Well worth reading.

I also listened to Prophet's Prey by Sam Brower on Audible as I'm reading Under the Banner of Heaven and they cover the same people, though the Brower book covers more into the court process and rescue operations. It's eye-opening.

I also read The Maid by Nita Prose for bookclub. It's a beach read, fun crime. Not a must-read but if you're wanting something fluffy and fun, this could be it.

I'm a little slow in the reading stakes this month but enjoying what I am reading, and loving that the festival introduced me to so many authors I'd never heard of nor read.

What's on your bookshelf this month?

Linking with #Whatsonyourbookshelfchallenge #FriendshipFriday

#TrafficJamWeekend

Some iconic Cape Town scenery in the clip below.

Roses in Centennial Park

 Arriving early to meet friends, I strolled through the rose garden in Centennial park - literally taking time to stop and smell the roses.

Sometimes the smallest pleasures warm the soul.

All Seasons is open from Friday through Wednesday 5pm, Sydney Time. 

1. Please link one  'seasonal' post a week. 

2. Make sure you link back to this  #AllSeasons post.

3. Please comment on the post before yours and the hosts. Don't dump and run or I will delete your posts. It's rude.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Centennial Park

I haven't been to Centennial Park since the lockdowns began, so well over two years. When a friend suggested we walk there, I only agreed as I hadn't seen her in ages.

However, the location was lovely and the experience made me wonder why we didn't do it more often.

Time and laziness, or habit, I guess.

A good reminder to try and do things a little differently, in small ways, as it dusts off the cobwebs and re-energises the mind and soul.

Linking with #FloralFridayFoto Does anyone know what this flower is?

#WWOT #WonderfulWednesday #ThruMyLens #MySundayBest #GardenAffair #FridayBliss

VIVID at Central

The Goods Line has proved a very popular addition to VIVID, making it a fun walk from the interactive installation at Central, down to the restaurants at Darling Square. 

There is live music in the station on some nights. check the website for details.

The infinity pods are spectacular, and this week's #WeekendReflection.

 

The Frank Gehry building's display is one of the best in the city. (Linking this photo with #BlueMonday and #RubyTuesdayToo)

The queue to be the dancer and get your image projected on the tower weren't too long compared to other installations around town.

That's me, not posing for photos....

It's not Sydney without a celebration of the bin chicken!

Note if you have any Dine(& Discover) vouchers left to use before 30 June, you can use them at Spice Alley.

We saw The Morrisons at Central and they were great - keep an eye out for where you can catch them!

Linking with #WordlessWednesday #WeekendCoffeeShare #SundayBest #WWOAT

#Therandom and on the Theme Green with

for all the green lasers.