5 things – Monday 11 January, 2021

And just like that the first week of January is done and dusted.

It was a week of rainy morning walks interspersed with bright blue sunshine before more rain. What can I say, it’s January in Queensland and the humidity is, well, it is what it is.

Brisbane went into a snap 3 day lockdown over the weekend after 1 case of the UK variant of covid was found in a quarantine hotel worker. It broke Queensland’s record of well over 100 days without community transmission. The lockdown ends tonight but masks are now mandatory in Brisbane for the next 10 days or so. Fingers crossed there are no more associated cases.

In other news, it’s my parent’s 57th wedding anniversary today, so happy anniversary Mum and Dad!

Okay, without any more faffing about, here’s the five:

1.Moving

It was moving day for Sarah on Saturday. We hit the road at 6am for the 2 and a bit hour drive north in the rain. It was amazing how much stuff needed to be transported – and yet it all came out of her rom. Sigh.

I’m staying up here for a week to not just help her get settled in, but to also give her someone to come home to and download to after the first few days in her new role.

To be honest, it’s no great hardship for me – while I have no transport here, I have all I need around here and can walk pretty well anywhere else.

2. Rediscovering

My love of classic literature. The book club I’m in is reading Wuthering Heights and even though the book isn’t new to me, I’m seeing it in a whole new light. I totally agree with what one reviewer (sorry, I can’t remember where, but was probably in The Guardian) said: 

Wuthering Heights is like its hero Heathcliff, dark, mad and flawed but it makes you feel. It’s less book than weather.

There are entire hashtags on Instagram devoted to Wuthering Heights and Bronte country. It’s almost the next best thing to travelling there myself.

The Moors – not my photo

Almost.

3. Random 

I came across this word during the week:

Uitstraling

It’s a Dutch word that, while it has no direct translation into English, can be used to describe someone who radiates a certain energy, an atmosphere, if you will. Now I need to find somewhere to use it.

What else? I was excited to see a couple of sea turtles off the rock wall at Mooloolaba the other morning. They made my day.

At low tide yesterday I walked way out on the sand at Urangan. It was hard and rippled by the water, and full of those little rolled up pieces of sand that crabs leave behind when they burrow into it.

4. Writing and Blogging

I’ve got all comments back from my beta readers now for Escape To Curlew Cottage so will be finalising that manuscript this week. I’ll be telling you more about it on my author blog this week and will have a link to the first chapter with my newsletter this month.

I aim to get close to finishing the draft of my new novel this week – fingers crossed and all that.

I popped up a few blogs:

5. In the kitchen

Not a lot – I’ve been in Hervey Bay since Saturday and as Sarah has no baking trays – or ingredients – I won’t be doing any baking while I’m here.

I did, however, make the afore-mentioned orange and almond cake and Nigella’s Beetroot and Chickpea Dip.

Author: Jo

Author, baker, sunrise chaser

25 thoughts

  2. LIke Janis, I love the beach photos Jo especially at low tide. It is a bitter sweet time for you, Grand and Sarah with her move but it is exciting for her as well. That Beetroot, Chickpea Dip looks delicious and maybe a healthier alternative too. Although your orange cake looks pretty yummy! Yay to lockdown in Brisbane being short-lived but you never know with Corona!

  3. How have your parents been married for less time than I have???? Were they hippie/flower children who decided to get married on a whim somewhere down the track? I’m so curious now…..
    Congrats on getting Sarah moved and sorted and for all the book stuff. You’re certainly on a roll and seem to have lots of good stuff going on atm.

      1. I wondered if it was a typo – as I didn’t picture your parents with flowers in their hair – so 57 years is quite an achievement – congrats to them both for hanging in there 🙂

  4. You’ve had a very busy January! We still have no restraints or mask wearing in WA feeling thankful for that. I would like to get to Melbourne soon to visit my son

    1. Thanks for dropping by Alison. Thankfully on the Sunshine Coast we have no restrictions or mask mandates either, but an hour down the road the story is very different.

  5. I love Wuthering Heights Jo. Each time I read it, I find something else to love about it. Lovely that you are able to stay with your daughter for a while. It’s such a lovely spot. We’ll done on doing do well with your writing goals #lifethisweek

  6. Hello from locked down Brizzy! With 4.25 hrs to go, I can say that it truly has been no hardship for me. I haven’t even left the house. It’s wonderful news that it ends tonight with a few restrictions and mask wearing to stay at least for the next 10 days. Happy Anniversary to your parents! 57 years is quite an achievement! I think it’s lovely that you’re staying with Sarah for the first week. Looks like it wouldn’t be too hard to take I must say! Still loving that vintage dish you have that dip in. Hope that Sarah loves the new job and comes bounding home full of enthusiasm and joy! xo

  7. A big week for you guys. I’m off to read the posts I missed. I think I skipped a ‘link up’ on Thurs so only did some blog visiting last Monday last week. I tend to binge and then withdraw… (in life in general probably!) 😉

  8. I love classic literature but Wuthering Heights never appealed to me. I love that quote, though, of it being more weather than book! I’m also intrigued by that Dutch word. My husband’s half Dutch so I always like learning new words!

  11. How nice that you can stay with your daughter for a week to help get settled into her new place. 2 hours away isn’t so bad! Oh, my! Orange and almond cake? Sounds heavenly. Looks that way too.

  13. I need to properly sit down and catch up on all your posts!! I did follow your daughter’s move on Insta. That Dutch word sounds intriguing. Still trying to pronounce it though! I read Wuthering Heights twice and didn’t enjoy it both times. The first was as a teenager and the second was in my twenties thinking it might be different but nope. I give up! I hope you have a fab week ahead!

  14. Your book club sounds interesting Jo and what a great classic to read! I thought I had read it but it appears not 🙂 I hope Sarah’s move goes well, it’s always hard when they fly the nest but at least she’s relatively close by, my daughters seemed to move as far away as they possibly could! And I can’t wait to hear. more about your new book, so exciting! Off to read some posts I missed #lifethisweek

  15. Another classic that has stayed with me years after I read it is Jane Eyre, very gloomy and forbidding. In Feb my husband and I are heading to Sunshine Beach for a month (all going well), so I will be taking my own water photos and will not have to be envious of yours! One problem with being landlocked in Canberra.

  16. Oh well now it is almost the end of the week I am wondering how S is finding work…and you too having time to explore her new hood.

    Congratulations to your parents. Great innings as they say.

    Terrific images up there Jo, they are so different to surf beaches I am more familiar with.

    Thank you for linking up for Life This Week. Next week the optional prompt is Back To. 3/51 #LifeThisWeek 18 Jan. I hope to see you there. Denyse.

  17. Love all your photos. Good to see Queensland jump on the outbreak straight away. We have been very lucky in Australia with the strategies we have in place. I have family on the Sunshine Coast and I’m looking forward to the day when I can visit them again.

  18. Love your beach photos, Jo, and the almond orange cake looks divine. So glad that you have this week with Sarah to help her settle in. #lifethisweek

  19. Glad to learn a new word. My vocabulary is sadly kindergarten-like. A lot of one and two syllable words. But I did hang out with kinder babies for 25 years. That’s my excuse and I am sticking to it. I envision ‘aura’ to be similar to Uitstraling. You said ‘faffing about’. That’s new to me, too!!

    What a good mama to help your baby girl settle in. Glad you are able to be there for her and with her. Make some special memories this week.

Comments are closed.