Tomorrow it’s December 1.
How did that happen?
When did that happen?
Rather than trying to jam a jam-packed year into a single post, I’m doing each month in order…starting with January. Here goes:
What I blogged
I started a few series: Cooking the Books, The Week in Review, and the A-Z of me…I got up to X. I really must do Y and Z.
The Beach
Bondi means the beach and Miss Chu’s for pho. Of course. There are more photos in this post. This particular day Miss 16 and I took my Mum (hers is the red hat below). She still looks so good in a pair of swimmers I vowed on the spot not to take her to the beach ever again.
The event
My Mum and Dad’s 50th wedding anniversary.
As the eldest of four kids, I have to say this: they waited years and years to have me….truly…would I lie to you? I told you a bit about my family here.
I couldn’t get all the grandkids in frame for instagram, but you get the idea. Oh, I’m the short one with the hair.
The roadtrip
To Canberra. Hubby’s Mum lives down there, so we like to get down as close to Christmas as possible.
This trip, we called in at the Olive Farm on the way through,
stayed at the Hyatt for something a little more posh than usual,
and had lunch at the Yacht Club.
It was a bit of a trip down memory lane for us, as hubby and I had our wedding reception at the Yacht Club, and spent our wedding night at the Hyatt. Awwwwwww.
Best Breakfast
At A.Baker in Canberra.
Easily…despite tough competition from Youeni Foodstore at Castle Hill- whose baked eggs are worth getting out of bed for.
Best Meal
Szechwan at Eastwood’s Spicy House Hotpot. Cheap and fiery…just as it should be. I talk a bit about it in this post.
The vegie garden
Ok, so it wasn’t prolific- the heat and cockatoos saw to that. But this salad of zucchini strips with mint and chilli came entirely from my garden. Just saying.
The recipe
Home-made cheatie pho….perfect for a hot summer night.
The pool
We lived in it.
That’s all.
The Ducklings
This was the most stressful moment of the summer holidays- rescuing these ducklings who’d slipped through the gaps in our fence and were sheltering in the box hedges from next door’s stalking cat, while Mum and Dad Duck quacked loudly.
The family was eventually reunited, but I don’t think the story had an entirely happy ending. Let’s not dwell on that.
What I read
Lots…and lots. It’s what happens when your days are spent by the pool. I devoured the entire Jack Irish series by Peter Temple, re-read a few thrillers from Desmond Bagley, and chilled out with Summer at the Lake (Erica James), and the whimsical The Love Detective from Alexandra Potter.
What I watched
I don’t get to many movies, but the three of us saw two in January: Philomena and Jack Ryan. One touched all of us emotionally, the other got the adrenaline pumping. I’ll let you figure out which did what.
The Walk
In preparation for February’s Routeburn Track, we ambled leisurely around Pyrmont to the Fish Markets…for lunch.
It’s the Blackwattle Bay loop,
and I wrote about it here.
Chinese New Year
We ushered in the Year of the Horse with made from scratch at home Chinese takeaway. From sesame prawn toasts to chicken and cashews, and chocolate dipped fortune cookies. All eaten with my super special, absolute favourite Shanghai Tang chopsticks.
What about you? Can you remember back to January?
And Anyways... 
Argh! You can’t be doing a wrap-up post yet. It’s way too early. As for me… yes, I just saw some pics from last December and kinda realise I’m back where I was – well, in some ways! Not in others which is guess I should look on as a ‘win’.