Mother's Day

The seasonal marker of May is Mother's Day (and in Sydney apparently non stop rain and clouds that stop you seeing the Southern Lights when the rest of the world gets to see the Aurora).

I took Mum to Lotus with my sister. I also managed to accidently cancel the booking at 3pm the day before, but a frantic phonecall rectified the situation. 

I was amazed that neither of my family had ever had shallot pancake, ome of my all time favourites (if done right).

The dumplings were sensational, as always and so were the desserts (fancy fried ice cream for me!)

Everyone had a good time, but me most of all, as getting Mum out of the house is becoming trickier...not in ability but will. David Jones Flower Show and Mother's Day....big tick. Now to find some other reason to lure her out of the house....

Linking with #WBOYP 

Spring Flowers

Every year (well, traditionally every year - there have been some bumps in the road of late) David Jones puts on it's beautiful Spring Flower show. For those of you overseas, it's our Department store in the city and they fill it's windows and floors with displays of exotic flowers. There is usually themes - last year's was oceans and quite spectacular.

I always race out to see it (and this year dragged my mum along and made a 'day' of it with lunch). For me,  however, the David Jones Spring Flower Show is the start of Spring (and Summer) and the party season. From this point we roll into Halloween and Christmas.

There are weekends away, end of school and holidays.

There are 'let's make the most of the sunshine' outings and the outdoor festivals begin.

So the Spring Flower Show is like my alarm clock. It is the wake up call to 'get ready for the good times to come'. 

We are creatures of habit with many external routines and this one heralds the start of three months of fun.

Years of attending it and I only just realised it. It's an activity that provokes a shift in me, an event that marks time loudly in my calendar. 

So here's to the colourful burst of happiness and enjoyment ahead.

Do you ever realise you have traditions that take on more meaning than the actual event?

Linking with #DND (tho nature indoors) #BlueMonday  for the Irises and camera window #MCoW #WednesdayAroundtheWorld #TrafficJamWeekend #WWOAT  #GardenAffair  #HappyTuesday

I love they included the carnivorous plants (see right)

 

David Jones Spring Flower Show

 I was lucky enough to go in to the David Jones Spring Flower Show with my mum before I left for Singapore. It was nice to get her out and enjoying the city. We had lunch at the lovely little cafe on the second floor after admiring the beautiful displays.

What I loved was the bar on the 7th floor packed with grey haired ladies 'making a day of it' with their champagne at midday.

I hope it long becomes a tradition like that for me and my friends in retirement. That seems like a small and achievable but very worthwhile goal.

"In between goals is a thing called life, that has to be lived and enjoyed". Sid Caesar

 

Linking with #FriendshipFriday  #DND #WednesdayAroundtheWorld  #SeniorSalonPitstop 

“Plant a garden in which strange plants grow and mysteries bloom.” ― Ken Kesey

 Last week I went to the David Jones Spring Flower Show - and thought I'd share a few of the strange and unusual flowers they used for sea plants and coral. It really was a clever display. 

Colourful but unusual shapes and textures really added to the display. A lot of thought and creativity went into making the underwater world come to life....

They also kindly signposted the names, for people like me who don't know anything about flowers and plants...

Just like in the old days, pre COVID, the Flower Show heralds the start of Spring for me. And as I've said many times before (in all the posts), it truly puts a Spring in my step!

Linking with #WWOT #DND and #GardenAffair

David Jones Spring Flower Show

 

The David Jones Spring Flower Show is back and ends this weekend so you only have a few days left to see (and smell) it!

An abundance of glorious orchids are transformed into an underwater seascape in celebration of the Great Barrier Reef.

They've found many strange and wonderful plants to represent coral and anemones, and have helpfully named them (for people like me with limited knowledge of botany).

The most interesting fact to me, however, was the flower show's history. Over 80 years ago, the store staff started bringing in the spring flowers from their gardens to adorn their counters. The then leader, Sir Charles Lloyd Jones encouraged and formalised it. Over time it grew into a Rose show, then a Daffodil and Azalea festival. In the 80's it grew into the Spring Flower Show with the grandeur and opulence we see today.

So head to David Jones between now and Sunday to see these gorgeous blooms in the windows and on the main floor.

"The beautiful spring came, and when nature resumes her loveliness, the human soul is apt to revive also." Harriet Ann Jacobs

Linking with #WordlessWednesday #PicturePerfectLinky #WWOAT #YourMoment #Allseasons #FridayBliss  #DND and #FloralFridayFoto

No winter lasts forever; no Spring skips it's turn. - Hal Boland

Linking with #RubyTuesdayToo

 Gustav Mahler said 'Spring won't let me stay in this house any longer. I must get out and breathe the air deeply again!', and I would add, especially if near jasmine. I am roaming the neighourhood streets on the dog walk, following my nose. The air is full of fragrant floral notes, leading me down back streets in order to get the full impact.

I've gone from lamenting missing the David Jones Flower Show and the cherry blossom at Fagan Park to revelling in the random blooms that surround me.

A riot of colour on the inner city streets delivers a beauty I previously never paid enough attention to. An abundance of sweet fragrance brings a joy to my weary heart. It's a small pleasure but it's something.

Mix in the warmth of the sun on my face and I've got plenty to smile about. 

Sometimes that's enough.

For those of us in lockdown with a small radius, it has to be.

'Spring will come and so will happiness. Hold on. Life will get warmer." Anita Krizzan

Linking with #GardenAffair  #Makro-Tex (September) #FloralFridayFoto #FridayBliss #DND &  #ClaireJustine 

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