Thirty-three.

 

This weekend in South Australia is a long weekend. That means I don't have to go into work tomorrow.

 

It is also my birthday: Today I turned 33 years old.

 

I slept in.

I got flowers and drank tea with family members.

I spent too many hours in front of the computer, and I read a book.

 

I like it quiet, simple and uneventful.

 

Happy birthday to me!

The Week in Pictures...

 

 

** I had hoped that with the arrival of March the summer weather would finally begin to ease, but alas! it hasn't been so. I think it might even be worse now as the days are in the mid-30s (*C) or higher and the humidity is up around 70%. We are not tropical. We're not even sub-tropical. Perhaps that's the reason why, unlike the tropical parts of the country, we don't get the relief of regular, afternoon rains. The week ahead appears to be much the same: High temperatures with high humidity but no rainfall. Clearly Mother Nature missed the memo about the changing seasons.

 

** Although warm, the mornings have been lovely; almost too beautiful to complain about. The moisture in the air creates a gentle mist that weaves itself around the trees and through the garden, before the warmth of the sun finally gobbles it up. I like to think of it as interactive weather: You can smell it, taste it, feel it, and it sustains the hope that autumn really is just around the corner.

 

** I got to spend a few precious hours with my grandparents this week as they were passing through on their way home from Adelaide. They live more than two hours west of us, in a cozy farming community on the Eyre Peninsula. They ended up staying longer than expected, which was wonderful.

 

** I also had a birthday. A little older and hopefully a little wiser, right? Shane took me out for a special off-the-menu gourmet vegetarian feast at our favourite local eatery (lucky we know the cook!). I spoiled myself and ordered books and shoes and nerdy postal knick-knacks, and received the most wonderfully thoughtful gifts from friends and family, including a pair of handcrafted emerald earrings from my sweetest friend, Lau. I finished the day watching episodes of Ghost Adventures and eating icecream cake. Not a bad way to spend a birthday at all.

 

How did you spend your week?

The Soul of Patrick Daly

When I woke this morning it was 13 degrees (Celsius), which was quite warm compared to the early morning temperatures of late. The sky was looking a bit grey and drab but I was feeling optimistic so decided I didn't need a scarf for the morning commute through the Ranges to work, nor would I need a pair of socks to keep my feet warm.

Now, mid-afternoon, it does not feel as though the day's temperature has increased from the 13 degrees of this morning. The wind has picked up and it is decidedly chilly. My feet and hands are icy and I really wish I had that scarf for the evening walk from the office to the car.

I've spent most of today daydreaming about all the little adventures and discoveries I could be undertaking if I wasn't sat in front of a computer with nothing to do, but as it turns out it is that fact which has allowed me to stumble across and rediscover these photos - An old Lutheran and Catholic cemetery respectively, which were taken in 2009 on my 28th birthday.

I took a lot of photos that day and the four I've selected are just a few of my favourites. The headstone in the last reads: "O Lord have mercy on the soul of Patrick Daly, who died 10 July 1899, aged 33 years". It provides no indication as to how Patrick met his untimely end, but the headstone stipulates that it was erected by friends, suggesting that the deceased had no family in the region, at the time of his death or after.

It was a day of adventure and discovery: My birthday request that year had been to take a day-trip through the Ranges to Pekina, stopping at the towns and historic sites along the way. It was a warm-but-not-too-hot weather day, perfectly autumn. As we wandered through the ruins of deconsecrated churches and passed aging headstones, the dry, parched earth and paddocks of stubble reminded us of the summer that had just passed, and provided a beautiful contrast to the pale blue sky and its scattering of clouds.

Happy 5th Birthday, Bailey-dog!

Life would be so boring and empty without you.

xoxox

“It's just the most amazing thing to love a dog, isn't it? It makes our relationships with people seem as boring as a bowl of oatmeal.”

~ John Grogan

(Long) Weekending...

[A fascinating read!]

Well, it was back to work today after an extended long weekend. It was my birthday on Friday (I turned one-and-thirty) so I took the day off work and spent it getting in some (long overdue) retail therapy.

It was a relatively quiet day, which suited me fine, and I received some wonderful, useful gifts. I am of the opinion that how well someone knows you is revealed in their choice of gift. My Ma gave me Rhonda Hetzel's  Down to Earth (picture above), which I'd been eyeing off since its release. I am really enjoying the read: Rhonda's transformation from consumerist to simple life advocate is truly fascinating. I highly recommend visiting her blog; it has been a favourite of mine since day dot.

[Silver Victorian Earrings]

These silver, Victorian antique earrings (in the Art Nouveau style) were a gift from my dearest friend, Laura, who collects antique jewellery and decided to help me start my own collection with my very first piece. I spent a fair portion of the long weekend admiring antique jewellery online, and I can feel a new obsession brewing just beneath the surface...

[Note pads from Nicola]

Nicola surprised me with some stationery for my birthday, which I put to good use over the weekend when I wrote some letters. It was almost as if she had read my mind and discovered that I was getting drastically low on stationery supplies!

[Nicola's letter and my reply]

Of course, with it being a public holiday yesterday, the mail didn't go out until this morning (hense the absence of a "Monday Mail Out" post). This week letters are on their way to StoneZebra (USA), Claire (Wales), and Nicola (Australia).

[Today's outgoing mail]

Growing Young.

1. crazy firworks , 2. Birthday Cupcakes, 3. Birthday Candles, 4. Beryl - Massachusetts, 5. birthday balloons, 6. birthday cake, 7. H E A D S, 8. Birthday Girl (^) 23-9-09, 9. Pisces

"It takes a long time to become young." - Pablo Picasso

Yesterday it was my birthday, and not just any birthday.

Yesterday I ended life as a Twenty-Something and welcomed in (albiet somewhat reluctantly) a new chapter as a Thirty-Something.

All day everyone I know was kind enough to remind me of it, and I must admit that I wasn't much impressed at the thought of it: I have always considered turning 30 as officially becoming old, and I have dreaded its arrival. But then again I didn't much enjoy turning 10 and 20 either. What is it about starting a new decade that is just so...scary?

Moving from 29 into 30 is a little step that feels like a giant leap, and I am sure that everyone who has or will ever turn 30 must feel the same way about it. However, as a consolation, in the light of the day-after I have noticed that being 30 doesn't feel so bad as turning 30.

So, now that I appear to be getting past the initial fear of becoming that little bit older, I suppose I can start thinking about all the exciting discoveries and grand adventures I can make as a Thirty-Something, and put the fear of getting older aside for at least another 9 years.