After a blue start, it’s been a week of on and off rain – mostly rain. The day job has been busy and I’m running behind in deliverables for both my writing and my RWA commitments, so steps have also been low-ish. I have, however, managed my daily 5km – even in the rain.
From a covid-19 viewpoint, Queensland is still not reporting any new community transmissions (touching a lot of wood and crossing fingers), although Victoria and NSW aren’t quite as fortunate with clusters of outbreaks. From last week masks were mandatory for Victorians venturing outside their homes and some previously relaxed rules have been tightened back up in NSW.
Okay, to the wrap-up:
1.Red sky in the morning
They say it’s a sailor’s warning or a shepherd’s warning – depending, I assume on whether you make your living from the sea or the land. Anyways, Tuesday’s sky was certainly remarkable and prophetic – we have barely seen the sun since.
2. Re-thinking and re-jigging
My author website is down at the moment – under construction. I am, however, fiddling with some posts in the background – moving some travel-related ones from there to here and some book-related ones from here to there – so if you follow me and get a notification of a post that appears to come from nowhere, that’s the reason.
I’m scheduling out all my old France posts from that site (some have accidentally already found their way across) so these will trickle through over the next few months once I finish the English series aka how to make a 20-something day holiday last almost a year.
The end result of all of this will be a fresh and new and (hopefully) professional author website that will showcase my books and contain regular posts about writing, publishing, and books in general. I’ll continue to post food, travel, travel-inspired food and whatever here. It’s all part of getting real about this author business.
I’m also rethinking the purpose of this weekly wrap-up and may do away with it and go back instead to a single monthly wrap…what do you think?
3. This Qantas flight path
How clever is this? The last flight of the Qantas 747. It was off to its final resting place in the Mohave Desert, and farewelled Australia with this very special flightpath – which, for the benefit of non-Aussie readers is the Qantas Flying Kangaroo. Perfect.
This meme also made me laugh.
4. Masterchef
It was the grand final on Monday night and a fitting one it was. I’ve loved this season of Masterchef. I’ve loved it even more because we’ve watched each elimination through the season virtually with my brother and sister-in-law via the magic that is Facebook video messaging. Masterchef Gogglebox we’ve called it, but it’s made the season so much more fun and was something we looked forward to each week.
In other news, Foxtel now has the Great Canadian Bake-off and I’m very excited.
5. Foodie stuff
A little baking this week – I made these chocolate, orange and almond biscotti on Wednesday (you can find the recipe here) and also the parkin from the same cookbook (which isn’t very photogenic). I used it also as the top for an apple crumble on Sunday night.
I’m itching to bake more bread and get my hands in some flour, but Grant says we don’t need it. Perhaps our tummies don’t need it, but my monkey brain does.
We had a non-destination drawn out for Saturday Kitchen this week – dude food. By popular request we decided on chicken parmigiana, followed by a lemon delicious (thanks Sam for the reminder of this fabulously squidgy pudding which I haven’t cooked in ages). And yes, that is a massive cauliflower in the background of the pudding – I have to cut it down so it fits in the fridge.
On Friday night we tried out an Asian restaurant we’ve been meaning to try out since before we moved up – Moom. Fabulous food (sorry, lighting too bad at night) but we enjoyed it so much that Grant and I went back on Saturday at lunchtime for dumplings and noodles – Pad Thai for me, BBQ pork wonton soup for him.
Okay, that was my week… how was yours?
And Anyways... 
That meme is gold! Stealing….I did not know that about the flight path. How cool! TYour first pic is stunning!
How cool was that flioght path? So very clever.
Sounds like you’ve had a lovely week Jo despite the rain. As usual your photos are beautiful. The biscotti made me drool. I didn’t realise you had an author blog also. I’m off to find it
I certainly do have an author blog – or rather I did – it’s currently under construction or should I say reconstruction. Have a great week.
The red sky photos were breathtaking. That meme made me laugh. Now I know who hoarded the TP when I went looking for them in March. Your food photos make me feel hungry as usual. #lifethisweek
It was hilarious, wasn’t it? Have a great week.
That red sky, tho! Mother Nature sure knows how to put on a show, right?! I love your Lemon Delicious, it’s a perfect pick me up for a wet winter’s day, isn’t it? I for one, love your weekly wrap ups and would miss them dearly if I had to wait a whole month for one. That’s my half penneth anyway!
It was a truly amazing sky. Thanks for your feedback re the 5 things. I enjoy writing it, I just didn’t know whether anyone else wanted to read it!
Hi Jo – interesting all the blog changes you’re planning – I think we all feel the need for a bit of a refresh occasionally don’t we? I’m glad you’re getting more serious about your novel writing and about helping others to find their way through the maze. Gorgeous photos from your week and the meme made me smile. Not sure if you should go monthly with these – how would you fit it all into one post??
Actually, you have a point…
I loved your meme – very apt! The photos of the red sky are beautiful
Thanks…have a great week.
Oh I want Pad Thai now!! I haven’t had it in ages. I had to take some intensive rest days due to pain and I was hoping the rain would make me feel all “yay chill read” about it but yeah…. didn’t quite work out that way!! Still, at least the grass will be very green now.
Look after yourself Ness…
Hi, Jo – I seriously know that it’s not all about me, but….I love your Weekly Wrap-Ups. If mere peons get to vote, I vote YES to keeping those the same.
I also want to know more about the Great Canadian Bake-off (which I never heard about prior to you mentioning it).
BTW – I love the category of ‘Dude Food’! 😀
You absolutely get a vote… so that’s a yes then.
Beautiful photos, as always, Jo. Stunning morning red sky. And, always more spectacular in real life. I am all for making a holiday last. The pre planning, the actual holiday, and the after glow.
I look forward to seeing and following your new website. You are inspirational on many levels, Jo.
Very clever about the flight path.
Huge laugh on the meme. I think I agree with Leanne, how would you fit it all into one post.
Thanks Erica…your words truly mean a lot to me.
What gorgeous photos Jo!! I loved the kangaroo flight path and that meme is spot on. I agree with the others, how on earth would you fit it all into one post??? Good effort on the author site, you rock!
How cool is that flight path?
All I can think about is how did it feel being on the plane while they did that 🙂
Love your five things posts BUT also you have so much else you want to blog about too…so don’t wear yourself out. Creativity needs some clearance time…like your beach walks and more…
I “think” you will like the prompt for next week….
Thank you for linking up this week for #lifethisweek 199. Next week, the optional prompt is Food. Hope to see you there too. Denyse.
I wish I had your motivation to walk 5kms. Maybe when the weather warms up. I love all your photos and that toilet paper meme gave me a good laugh. Some people are so witty. I’m a reality TV junkie but I’ve gone off Masterchef and didn’t watch it for the first time this season.
To be honest Veronica, one of the reasons I do it at stupi o’clock is because I dont have a chance to think about it lol.