5 things – Monday 19 October 2020

Monday already…so without any preamble, grab a cuppa and we’ll wrap this week up.

1.Up and at ‘em

I’m almost back to full strength and doing my normal morning walk. Now I’m trying to build back my afternoon kilometres.

After an absence of almost 4 years, I went back to the chiropractor this week to try and get some sort of alignment happening with hips and knees to mitigate this happening again.

I’d forgotten just what a mess my back is in – structurally speaking – until he showed me my x-rays and said my back would be what the textbooks would say is severe scoliosis. While I’ve obviously seen the shape of my back before, it had been over 20 years since I was last confronted with it in (literally) black and white.

Anyways while structurally there’s little I can do about that, functionally there’s a lot we can do to slow any further degeneration and increase my range of motion. While chiros aren’t for everyone, over the years I’ve found the treatment helps me quite a bit and I’m cursing myself for leaving it so long.

2. Camels

Sares and I visited a camel dairy on Saturday. I’ll tell you more about it on Thursday, but this place is not your usual dairy. For a start, it’s completely ethical and secondly, well, it’s camels. Speaking of which, these camels love their cuddles.

3. Bits and pieces

This episode of How To Fail with Nadiya Hussain. She spoke about how sometimes you worry so much about failing that in the process you fail to live. She also talked about how there’s so much pressure we put on ourselves to hide the panic and the worry – when will it happen, how will it happen, who will see it when it happens – and that she’s learnt to allow it to happen, to let the panic come and sweep across you. I guess it’s a little like hot flashes. Anyways, it really spoke to me.

I’m also listening to All Creatures Great and Small, read by Christopher Timothy who played James Herriott in the original series. It’s utterly charming.

In other news, this article about Bill Bryson (one of my favourite authors) retiring and this one featuring some fantabulous landscape photographers caught my eye.

4. Coming to terms with…

My baby leaving home. She’s secured a role as an occupational therapist in Hervey Bay and will be leaving after Christmas. She’ll be nearly 23 so I know that it’s time, but even so. Anyways, I wrote a little about Hervey Bay in this post. If she was going to move anywhere, she’s picked a truly lovely place. And, on the upside, I can go whale-watching there next season.

She doesn’t cook (I know, right?) so I’m putting together a collection of express style recipes for her – (mostly) healthy meals using a few ingredients and no fancy equipment. 

5. In the kitchen…

Over the week I made these Dan Dan noodles, this chicken and barley, this salmon with satay sauce, this lemon curd shortbread slice and some raspberry icecream.

Author: Jo

Author, baker, sunrise chaser

24 thoughts

  1. Lovely catch up. We’re in Hervey Bay for a four-night stopover on our way towards home and NSW. You’re right it is a fabulous spot. Take care and mend well xx Linda

  2. Exciting for Sarah of course and more catch ups for us!

    I’m glad your knee is on the mend but it’s good you’re getting your back sorted.

    I must check out that episode of How To Fail. I’m not a huge listener though have listened to a couple (I think we’ve talked about the Marian Keyes one before).

    1. I’m really looking forward to our catchups. Depending on where she gets accommodation I’m hoping to be able to come up and stay.

  3. So much to comment on here Jo. Those clouds in the coffee photo. Those gorgeous camels. All creatures great and small. I loved It back then. Will definitely check out the podcast. Your daughter moving out is very sad for you. Brings back memories for me #lufethisweek

  4. Wow! A CAMEL dairy! I can’t wait to read more about that. I live in a big dairy farming area, so I am familiar with dairy farming practices. A dairy that gets camel milk in an ethical way is a great story to be sure. So glad you are getting back to your regular walking routine again. Good for you!

  5. As always your plates are lovely and especially that cup even made more special with ice cream. I am going to try and make some dairy-free yummy stuff this summer, just for fun.

  6. I loved this catch-up, Jo. What’s not to love about camels and lemon shortbread slice with raspberry ice cream?! I’m glad that you are feeling better. Extra hugs to you with Sarah beginning her new adventure!

  7. Hi Jo – I’ve just finished writing a post about self-confidence etc and I’m going to listen to that podcast about allowing yourself to fail – because it’s such a huge area I need to work on. It was a very timely update on your part! Loved your camels, glad you’re walking again, and glad your girl is flying the nest – they really need to before they become “failure to launch” victims that their friends laugh about! You can pass on my dessert recipes – her cooking skills seem to be on a par with mine 😀

  8. Fabulous catch up Jo – so much to love! Maybe you can do a little book for those of us who would like to have copies of what you put together for Sarah’s (express recipes)??? No pressure! Love the camels :). Those James Herriot books and the TV show were favourites of ours too. I just adore anything with lemon curd in the title – just saying for when I visit!!

  9. I see lots of Hervey Bay weekends in your future, you lucky duck! What a winning week – hope the week ahead is just as fabulous!

  10. Such fun in this post. Love the camels!! I had to do a double take to realize I was really seeing camels!! Then when I read about the dairy I was reminded to add Greek yogurt to the grocery list. Thank you.

    How delightful to have ice cream in a fancy tea cup. I love that idea so much. And that dessert bar is lovely on the thistle plate. I don’t give much thought at all to presentation…probably in too big a hurry to just sit down and eat. Even Thanksgiving is a hurried affair. But I am going to borrow the tea cup idea and kick things up a notch.

    Can’t believe your culinary interests have not been inherited by your daughter. But we all have strengths, I guess. My best culinary skill is eating.

    1. I’m a shocker for photographing things – I usually cook for our evening meal when the light is rubbish, so styled this up the next day when the light was great (which meant I had to eat the ice cream lol)

  12. That podcast sounds amazing!

    I’m also so glad you went back to the chiro.

    Good luck to your daughter with her new life path and career. #LifeThisWeek

  13. Jo, I’m glad you’ve got the chiro treatment and are back to your regular walking. Congrats to Sarah on her new role! She’s going to miss you and your home made meals so much. Your photos are all beautiful. My favourite is the one of you and the camels. #lifethisweek

  14. Jo, Glad to hear you are still on the mend. The camels make me smile every time. I know the feeling about babies leaving home. Mixed. I am intrigued about your “express style recipes.” Is it something you would share with average folk like me? Daughters are special and in another category.

  15. Your baby is leaving home. Congratulations to Sarah. Of course, this does make perfect sense then to visit Hervey Bay and see Deb too…LOL. B and I have just had the trip back to Tamworth where we met 50 years ago, and I remember I was fine about being dropped in a small country town 7 hours from home but my mum apparently cried all the way home Dad tells me. A cookbook just for Sarah sounds about right. About your spine…hmmm. Hope you have some relief and ways to manage it now. It is a bugger alright. I am OK but my husband’s spine is shot despite 2 x surgeries. Not scolious but very much needed to stop his spine from collapsing onto his spinal column. Thank you for linking up for #lifethisweek. Next week’s optional prompt is 43/51 Inside 26.10.2020. Hope to see you there. Denyse.

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