Okay, a mixed bag across the month – which is how it should be – multi-textured.
In covid news, Sydney and Melbourne are still in lockdown – as are some regional areas with both NSW and Victoria. Our state premier, who has locked the state down in the past over one case, resisted the urge to do so during September. Fingers crossed on that one.
Anyways, without further ado, let’s jump into the wrap-up for September – in a sentence (or more) a day.
1.Slept in until 5am. We both had the day off to pick up the new car. Took it for a drive up to Sunshine Beach and lunch at the surf club there.
2. One new covid case in Queensland – a truck driver come over the border. Fingers crossed we don’t lockdown. Nightmare day in the office. Made Adam Liaw’s Chicken Paprikash – it’s a keeper.
3. First listen of the new Abba tracks – I love them and can’t get Don’t Shut Me Down out of my head. Day off but work calls this afternoon. Sarah home for the weekend – requested a roast pork dinner with self-saucing chocolate pudding (something that never photographs well).
4. Double farmer’s markets: Kawana and Yandina. Flame Hill Winery for an early Father’s Day lunch. Just how pretty is that beetroot risotto?
5. Father’s Day breakfast at Montana’s on Buderim. Sarah back to Hervey Bay.
6. Monday being very Monday-ish. Great sunrise though.
7. Another cold morning and another blue day. Last book club meeting for The Tenant of Wildfell Hall. Cover for The Little Cafe By The Lake nailed.
8. Scheduled day off in the day job but ended up working all day. Finished the copy edit for The Little Cafe By The Lake and signed off the print cover for Escape To Curlew Cottage. Made a ginger-spiced date and walnut slice. The recipe will be up on BKD soon.
9. Awful awful messy day in the day job. That’s all.
10. Some regions in NSW to reopen. Super productive book admin day – well chuffed with myself.
11. A cultural cruise with Saltwater Eco Tours. A sunny day, a bush tucker inspired lunch and a 2-hour cruise of the Mooloolah River learning more about our indigenous past from a traditional owner.
12. Off to Hervey Bay this morning for the week. A visit to the seafood markets to source lunch.
13. Gorgeous Monday sunrise, busy day job day.
14. Take yesterday and repeat.
15. Inspected a couple of townhouses this afternoon in Hervey Bay. Caught up with Debbish for a drink.
16. Hard power class with my fabulous on-line training buddies. The usual Thursday day job mayhem, inspected another couple of properties. Made this creamy ginger chicken curry. A keeper.
17. Submitted an offer on one of Wednesday’s townhouses. Sarah and I drove to Bargara for the weekend via Bundaberg. Offer accepted and contracts signed. How did that happen? There goes the retirement idea!
18. Off to 1770 and Agnes Water for the day. (I blogged it here.) First ocean swim of the season.
19. Back to Hevey Bay and then back home. Thankfully Grant loves the townhouse (from the outside at least).
20. Normal busy Monday plus house contract stuff in between. Riots in Melbourne and the construction industry shut for 2 weeks – not sure what that means for the refit project I’m managing for the day job down there. Nigella’s cold roast beef salad with warm beans and anchovy cream sauce.
21. More riots in Melbourne – can’t believe what’s happening there. Print cover for Wish You Were Here signed off.
22. An earthquake in Melbourne. Seriously? Car in for its first service. Made Diana Henry’s Malaysian roast chicken with Asian greens.
23. Fitness test day – so chuffed with how I’ve improved. Stupid busy day in the office. Print cover for Careful What You Wish For signed off. Turned last night’s leftover roast chicken into Diana Henry’s Chiang Mai Noodle Curry.
24. Baking Bakewell Slice with my book club. Inspected a property in Mooloolaba for an interstate friend.
25. First really hot day for the season. Yandina markets and shopping for white goods and furniture for the new Hervey Bay townhouse. First Saturday night dinner at home in ages – made James Martin’s salmon mousse with pickled cucumbers and melba toast followed by cod with a shellfish sauce. Bakewell slice and custard for dessert.
26. Bunnings early to buy seedlings and more garden soil. Lunch at Kin Kin General Store. Finished filling the garden beds with soil and planted out zucchini, eggplant, beans, baby beetroot and salad greens when we got home.
27. Showery start to Monday and a new set of exercises at pre-work training session. Made Diana Henry’s tahini dressing to go with some heirloom carrots (and pork chops) for dinner tonight. A lovely thank you from a friend on the doorstep.
28. 4 new cases in Queensland. Fingers crossed we don’t go into lockdown – suspect this won’t happen until after the NRL grand final on Sunday.
29. More showers about this morning. Building and pest reports back from Hervey Bay townhouse, so contracts go unconditional. Made Diana Henry’s braised leeks with peas and feta as a side dish for tonight’s salmon.
30. Overnight thunderstorms, usual busy Thursday in the day job.
And Anyways... 
I love how you’re doing these few sentence entries. I have a five year journal and at the time I intended to write about my kid’s development when she was born but I realized maybe rather than doing a daily report about her development, I need to write for myself too. I need to report how I’m feeling, what I’m experiencing, what frustrates me in the moment. She can write hers too once she picks up a pen — scribbles are fine too.
These lines come straight from my 5 year journal…and yes, scribbles are fine too.
Wow, those photos! Especially the sunrises. I’m jealous–I miss the ocean so much.
Sunrise is almost too early for me again – we walk at 5am each weekday, but without daylight savings here in Queensland the sun will soon be up well before 5. Thanks for dropping by.
Awesome catchup, Jo. You are incredibly talented at expressing so much in a mere few words! 😀
Awww shucks. These lines come straight from my scribbled journal entries.
Congrats on your townhouse contract and book cover, Jo! You’ve got a lot done in a month as usual. Thank you for sharing your updates and beautiful photos with #weekendcoffeeshare.
It certainly was a big month!
What a wonderful read for my Sunday morning Jo and I particularly love your foodie photos. You certainly had a varied month and I like the idea of the Saltwater Eco Cruise. I know it is hard not having Sarah close by but at least you can escape and enjoy some quality time with her plus do some sightseeing as well. Have a fabulous October xx
Excited to hear more about the townhouse and furniture buying etc… And love that hamper. It’s a great one!
So much good news Jo among the Covid worries. Congrats on the quick purchase of the townhouse, sounds like you’ll be having fun with all it entails for a while! Love the new car, wish we could go for a long drive in ours 🙂 Well done on the fitness improvements, you are nailing it!! Lovely to read about your month.
Wow a new townhouse and a new car! You need to get that day job calmed down so you can keep doing it…..or sell a million novels (how do you get onto Oprah’s book club pick?) I’m assuming Sarah will move into the new townhouse and you’ll visit her there? I hope the views are as good as the ones she has currently 🙂
I enjoyed all your photos and congrats on the books and their progress and also your fitness progress too. xx
It’s a couple of blocks back, but yep, she’ll be moving in – and paying our mortgage lol.
Jo, sounds like a great month. Love your photos. I love Paprikash though I’m guessing there are many versions. We’re on vacation so I didn’t get a post up Friday, hopefully this next week. I’m working on finishing your “wish you were here book”. Have a fabulous week. Maybe I’ll try to do the Sentence a Day. I always seem to forget and then I give up.
You had me at self saucing chocolate pudding! Agree doesn’t photograph well, that’s alchemy for you! Great month round up.
Congrats on the new car and the new townhouse! Sounds like such a productive month. Those beach views are amazing.
Hi Joanne,
Any week that includes a new car has to be pretty good – right?
lots of other fun stuff even without the car.
I’m suddenly paying much more attention to all things covid related and hope to hear soon that your corner is moving back towards normal life.soon.
Blessings.
Thanks Gary. Have a lovely week.
What an epic catch up! Congrats on the new place – does that mean you’re moving to Hervey Bay or Sarah is just going to have bigger digs? Sorry to hear work has been so wearing but on the plus side your book covers are looking the real deal. I can’t wait to see the rest of them!
Thanks…Sarah will be moving in and paying rent. It gives her some security and stability – the rental situation up there is very volatile!
I can’t believe how packed your days are and how much you do! getting those books done, properties looked & purchased, great meals out & cooked …. wow!
Cannot believe we are all still battling Covid. Exhausting. At our school board meeting last night, parents and teachers almost came to blows over whether the mask mandate in the schools should continue to be imposed or lifted. We are all just exhausted with this virus. Apparently the mask mandate was lifted but is still in place in all other public spaces. Baffling.
Enjoyed seeing everyone’s version of the Bakewell Slice (which I had to look up). Did you guys all use the same recipe or find your own? Sounds like a delicious dessert. I made a blackbird pie today to go with the book Midnight at the Blackbird Cafe. It was just the right combination of tart and sweet.
Your month was full of beautiful images to photograph. Those sunrises make it worth getting up each morning.
What a very busy month you had. Love all your photos especially the sunrise ones. Can’t remember the last sunrise I saw!
It’s getting so early Alison, I think that even though we begin our walk just after 5am we’ve seen our last for the year.
I go to bed too late to see a sunrise!