A BIT OF STILLNESS AMONGST THE EXCITEMENT!

I'm exhausted already and there's still 12 days to go! Yes! I'm referring to the Olympics. Every event I watch, I'm competing along with the competitors! I feel their pride and I applaud their achievements, whether win or lose. The long road they've traveled to get to this point has been a difficult one full of early mornings and endless days of hard training.

To all those fine young people (those who are drug-free),I bow to your determination.

If I was wearing a hat, I would take it off to all those fine competitors.

My absence I'll have to put down to all the training I've been doing - it's taken up a lot of my time lately! Now, you'll have to excuse me while I go back to the parallel bars!

I'm sharing a couple of my paintings with you - I did them between laps of the pool!

A TASTE OF THE GOOD LIFE TO WHET YOUR APPETITE!

I don't know what's going on!!!! My life is full of social engagements at present, either here at my home or elsewhere at the homes of friends - or sitting on sidewalks sipping hot chocolate, lattes or cappuccinos! Life can be so hard at times, but someone's got to do it!

However, I did get time to complete the painting above, commence another together with a drawing, both of which I hope to finish in the not too distant future.

Last weekend was filled with the fun company of a circle of friends. And I didn't escape the throng mid-week or at week's end, either. Blame it on the moon!

Yesterday, I was invited by a local chocolate shop owner to visit her premises to taste-test some new delicacies of the choccie variety to hit her shelves. I ask you - how could I possibly decline such an invitation? While sipping on hot chocolate, I chatted up the artist in residence in the next door gallery and those at surrounding al fresco tables! Needless to say, I had to try many chocolates to come to a definitive decision - ummmm - I'm still not sure! I may have to re-visit and test some more, methinks!

There was a method to the proprietor's reasoning. She wants me to write something about her glorious little oasis in my next food article for the local "rag". A chore that I find is not a chore at all considering the side benefits! I don't mind being on her agenda - would you?

I have a friend visiting overnight, down from the sunny shores of Noosa Heads. We've not caught up for a while and he's been a dear friend for many a good year - and bad!

"Feed the man beef" the saying orders, so dutifully I shall oblige. I've a juicy, tender-looking whole beef rib fillet sitting a-waiting in my fridge for me to do decadently delicious things to it! Forgive me if I set your taste buds a-drooling, but I thought I'd share this recipe with you.

The red wine has been chosen - a couple of bottles of Shiraz - Rosemount and Penfolds - with a couple of back-ups of other vineyards - just in case!

ROAST BEEF STUFFED WITH SPINACH, PINE-NUTS & FETA

Pre-heat oven to 200C. Using sharp knife, butterfly whole piece of beef fillet by cutting nearly all the way through the meat, lengthways, then open it out with several long incisions. Lightly flatten beef. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in pan over medium heat. Add 3-4 tablespoons pine-nuts, 3-4 garlic cloves, finely chopped, 1 firmly-packed cup of young spinach leaves and 3-4 shallots, finely chopped. Cook for 2 minutes until the spinach has wilted. Transfer mixture to a chopping board and chop roughly. In a bowl, combine spinach mixture with 100g feta, 2 cups firmly-packed fresh breadcumbs and enough liquid beef stock to just bind the mixture.

Press mixture along one edge of the beef. Roll up beef tightly, encasing the filling; secure, at intervals with kitchen string. Heat a little more oil in pan over high heat; add beef and brown well on all sides. Transfer to a baking dish and roast for 25 minutes for rare, 35 minutes for medium or 45 minutes for well done. Remove from oven, cover with foil and rest for 10 minutes before carving. Meanwhile make a rich beef gravy adding a splash or two of red wine to the stock during the making thereof. Serve sliced roast beef with your favourite vegetables. Pour the wine and start eating and sipping - the rest will follow automatically!

Have a great weekend everyone. I think mine is going to be a lot of fun - as long as I don't look at or read the news. All around us these days is gloom and doom. I, for one, refuse to be dragged down into the cauldron of despair.

Let's all look on the bright side of life!

REFLECTIONS AND CONSTANTS

Some people enter our lives and stay for the duration. Others stay long enough only for a brief moment before leaving. Albeit a short visit, some leave an indelible impression, others not. Some leave without hint nor warning. Some give a reason why. A few we willingly choose to walk away from without wasting a backward glance, feeling happiness or relief, sometimes both, that they are no longer a part of our lives.

Those who have helped forged loyal friendships and memories are dearly cherished. Anticipation for those yet to enter one's circle of existence is a part of life's wonderful mysteries. And it's a marvelous inevitability that this chain of new acquaintances will not be broken until the day we float off into the unknown blue yonder. (Well, in my and my readers' cases, anyway!)

The choices one makes of who enters, who remains, who is not welcome and who leaves one's circle of friends is purely up to one's self - to the individual. Isn't that a wonderful power to possess- particularly if recognised and utilised?

Last week, a family - an extended family came into my life unexpectedly - though it was from my own instigation. One thing is certain, they shall now be a part of who I am from this day forward, and I, a part of them.

You see, I found my long-lost, but always-known-about half-brother! I'm not an orphan after all!

However, I'm never alone, nor am I an orphan when I have my two furry rascals as pictured above by my side!

VERY, VERY, VERY SLACK! I KNOW!

Time - sometimes our friend, other times our enemy! I have no idea where time has gone so far this year. Already we are mid-way through June and here am I posting for the first time in 2008! I guess I've lost all my regular, good-hearted readers and shall have to begin at the beginning once more!

I apologise for my absence, but I have been very busy with this and that and a bit more of that!

As you can see from above, some of my precious time has been occupied with painting in acrylics and I thought I'd show you a couple of my completed "masterpieces", just to prove to you that, in fact, I haven't had idle fingers or hands!

Where do I start in telling you what I've been doing. I think I will broach the subject/s slowly so as not to inundate you with too much information! Suffice to say all is well in my neck of the woods - the gloriously lush, green woods in which I dwell. My mountain greenery and sanctuary has benefited from much welcomed rain of late, so everything is standing sparkling tall and bright in thanks to Nature's gift.

I promise I shall not be so slothful in my jottings from this moment on. I do hope someone pays me a visit. I have missed all you wonderful folk and hope all is well in your respective lives.

The fear of not remembering how to do all of this set in for a moment or three - but I guess it's kind of like riding a bike!

Cheers,
Lee

And The Party Continues....

...showing no signs of ending!

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas. I did! And the celebrations continue here "Down Under". I'm not sure when it all will end, or, for that matter, if I'll survive! But I come from pretty strong stock, so I won't give up or in! Time enough for sleep later!

My left-over visitor has snuck off to the pub to replenish the supplies, so I've taken this opportunity to sneak in here to catch up with you. If I was sensible (and I'm not), I'd be trying to catch a nap. However, the local liquor store is only a few moments away, so I really don't have time to have a worthwhile "catch-up" sleep!

Christmas Day was a bonanza of guests, food, champagne, wine and goodwill. I think it was only a couple of days ago, but as I've lost track of time and days, I really have no idea. I do know I had and am still having a marvellous time.

Now the run-down to New Year's Eve is upon us all. Although I'm sure I still have enough food within my household to last until New Year's Eve 2009, I'll be doing a run to the butcher on New Year's Eve to pick up some good, thick, juicy steaks as I'm planning a small barbecue. What's New Year's Eve without a good old Aussie barbie, I ask you? I might even do a "Paul Hogan" and throw a few "prawns/shrimp on the barbie", just because I can!

My two cats have just sighed, given up and decided to go with the flow. I think I've done similar as I know I will have no peace until around 2nd January 2008...not that I'm complaining, mind you! 'Tis all lots of fun and good cheer.

After a fairly erratic, and at times, a downright annoying 2007, I'm quite happy to bid it farewell with a loud"bang", and to be able to optimistically look forward to 2008. I have a gut feeling 2008 has a lot of good things in store for me, and I hope, likewise, for all of you.

Towards the end of next week, I'll have to take off my party hat, hide away the whistles, burst the balloons and burn the streamers, as it will then be time to get serious...head down and bum up to describe it with clarity...work will be beckoning, and I shall have to heed the call!

Even though 2007 had its "moments", amongst those wasted times that I have since chosen to forget, I did have many good times (and the good times were in the majority), I was fortunate to meet some interesting, very nice, honest and "straight-from-the-shoulder" new friends. I bade farewell to some, but in the long and short of it, I gained more than I lost. And one can't ask for more than that, can one?

Here on the mountain and elsewhere in Australia from all reports, except for Western Australia that is, we've experienced a wonderfully cool Christmas season. Rain fell on and off throughout Boxing Day, making it gloriously cozy here in my cabin. I do so love rainy days...and nights.

I wish each and everyone of you a prosperous, healthy, peaceful and happy New Year. I hope 2008 is kind in every way to one and all (including me!).

Happy New Year!

A Ho! Ho! Ho! And a He! He! He! Ha!

Let's feast our eyes a while before attacking the repast on the "Day"! I'm whetting our appetites in readiness.

An Aussie Christmas is not Christmas without a collation of fresh seafood, in my opinion. Long gone are the days when I slaved for hours over a hot stove to produce the "traditional" fare to hungry hordes around my Christmas table. A "traditional" feast handed down by our Scottish, Irish and, in some cases, but not mine, English forefathers that is so, so wrong for our Christmas temperatures!

I've friends coming over on Christmas morning for drinks and tasty hors-d'oeuvres. Some will be staying on for a leisurely luncheon, which shall linger long into the afternoon through to dusk. No doubt by now you've guessed I'm having a scrumptious banquet of succulent seafood to be followed by a mixed berry Pavlova, a Sacha Torte, and of course, over to the side a rich fruit cake (which I've already made and have been "topping up" over the past few weeks), just in case we have any room left while we sip on coffee and liqueurs! Oh! Did I mention a variety of dark chocolate truffles and chocolate-coated ginger that will accompany the coffee?

As usual, I've broken my promise to myself. I had planned not to plan anything for Christmas, however the fever surreptitiously grabbed hold of me when I wasn't looking and was weak of mind and will. The above is the result!

It's been a year of ups and downs, more downs than I needed or wanted, I think. So I figured, "what the hell", I may as well go out with a bang, forgetting the bad (and those who caused it!), concentrating on the good with my eyes, heart and mind keenly on the future.

I'm starting a new job shortly, so that's a huge plus. With that in mind and on hand, my time for blogging will be very limited, at least for a while.

As much as I tried to escape pre-Christmas celebrations, I have failed and am failing miserably (read "happily", I guess!). Already I've succumbed to four celebratory gatherings with more to come over the next couple of weeks. And I've not even mentioned New Year yet! There's life in this old bird yet, it would appear! Ask me again around the second day of 2008 and I may answer differently!

All is good in this neck of the woods. I wish you all a very Merry Christmas. I hope you have a wonderful time with your families and friends. And may 2008 be kind to us all, bringing peace, good health ,and a little prosperity thrown in for good measure.

I'll leave you with a few fine words. When you hear the corks a-popping at the stroke of midnight farewelling 2007 while heralding in 2008, know that amongst that sound will be some of mine! "Here's to your top, here's to your middle, may you get a "liddle!"'

Should auld acquaintance be forgot
and never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot
and days of Auld Lang Syne.

Chorus: For Auld Lang Syne, my dear,
for Auld Lang Syne,
we'll take a cup of kindness yet
for Auld Lang Syne.

And surely ye'll be your pint stowp!
And surely I'll be mine!
And we'll tak a cup o' kindness yet,
For auld lang syne.

Chorus

We twa hae run about the braes,
And pou'd the gowans fine;
But we've wander'd mony a weary fit,
Sin' auld lang syne.

Chorus

We twa hae paidl'd in the burn,
Frae morning sun till dine;
But seas between us braid hae roar'd.
Sin' auld lang syne.

Chorus

And there's a hand, my trusty fere!
And gie's a hand o' thine!
And we'll tak' a right gude willie-waught,
For auld lang syne.

An Irregular Visit!

I admit to the error of my ways! I've been missing in action! I apologise for my absence and thank you all for your good wishes in the meantime, and thanks to those who passed on your very nice comments for my birthday. I had a wonderful day, a wonderful weekend, actually. A friend came to visit for a few days and I had a group over on the day for a long, leisurely, totally misbehaved birthday celebratory lunch! We grazed over a table laden with delicious fare, tossed words and laughter back and forth. Food and wine, however, wasn't tossed around other than down our respective throats! I certainly proved I was still alive and kicking as did my guests!

Time has been my enemy. I've been busy with this and that and a bit more of that.

I'm working on a fairly large painting at the moment that needs constant care and attention. Together with answering the call of my creative juices, many other important chores have needed my attention.

The mountain has received some much welcome rain over the past few weeks. Daily I gaily watch as my vegetable plants reach out for the sun, their stems and leaves growing stronger by the minute. All are looking healthy with the promise of future home-grown, healthy produce to be heartily and thankfully consumed. Nature is an awesome phenomenon. It's so humbling.

David Beckham visited our fair shores this past week and proved what a wonderful young man he is. Some of our footballers, of all codes, would be well-advised to take a leaf or two out of his book. I'm definitely a fan of his. His professionalism and good manners during interviews and his behaviour when mingling with the crowds were impeccable. With all the pressures of his "celebrity-status" and the football field upon him, he stands tall.

The above painting and drawing were done for fun.

Thanks again, everyone....I must away to the woods. Duty calls!