Losing the coffeepot

Japanese garden at University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba

It starts with a text from my son: 'please mum, can we take the coffee pot on holiday next week...' I reply 'yes, sure' So I get the old espresso coffee pot down from its' high shelf, and tuck it under my arm, fully intending to bring it with me when we meet up a short time later for brunch.

Only thing is, that was 2 days ago, and I still can't find the coffee pot.  I 'must have' put it down somewhere.  So clearly, there is the suggestion of rhyming slang in the title of this post.

In the meantime, I turned sixty. Surely, a coincidence?

 Bank Lane - with an actual bank

We were in Toowoomba last week for the Carnival of Flowers, which was awesome as ever, but it turns out there are also many great examples of street art in Toowoomba, from the First Coat Project, now running for several years. There is even an app., for finding the murals, although finding murals is a lot easier than finding coffee pots.

Apart from that, I'm now basking in the joy of having received Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi, and Neighbourhood, by Hetty McKinnon, for said birthday. And also the Angry Chef, by Anthony Warner, who writes about pseudoscience and fads around food. And how it makes him feel.

I am still following (Annabel) Crabb and (Leigh) Sales' hilarious Chat10 Looks3 podcasts, which have now expanded into a Facebook page/cult of the same name. Its actually a delightful, if full on, private but huge FB group, from which I have gained recipes, book recommendations and various other life hacks. Many participants have observed how different it is from other social media groups, as everyone is so NICE.

In July I went to Adelaide to learn the art of Slow Journalling with Ro Bruhn at the annual Quilt Encounter.  This is actually a 3 day fabric journal-making workshop, which I loved so much I have signed up for two more workshops with Ro when she comes to Queensland this November. 

I also learned how to make cheese of various kinds from the Gourmet Cheesemaker, Graham Redhead, in July. I note there is a Slow Food logo on his website. These creative pursuits take TIME, which is pertinent, I think, to turning sixty. My psychologist friend, who is 4 days older than me, and who invited me to the cheesemaking workshop, is apparently planning to give up psychology soon. 

I have no such plans, but doing a bit less sounds good. 

Teapots are also a thing in Toowoomba

Its good to be back. 

More later.