2018 in review

I used to do this review every single year but then I sort of fell out of the habit. But maybe this is a good way to get back into it?

1. What did you do in 2018 that you’d never done before?

I went to Africa.

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?

I don’t make resolutions.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

Nope, no new babies this year.

4. Did anyone close to you die?

Sadly, yes. My friend Phil died in February. He was 36 and had bowel cancer. He left behind a wife and two young boys. Probably the saddest funeral I’ve ever had to attend.

Also, the boy’s Grandmother died in October. However, she was 92 so it was neither unexpected or quite as sad, although we miss her terribly of course.

5. What countries did you visit?

SO MANY! South Africa, Zambia, Namibia, Angola, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Ascension Island, St Helena, Ethiopia (briefly), Egypt, UAE and Jordan. Oh and we went to Japan as well.

6. What would you like to have in 2019 that you lacked in 2018?

Better health.

7. What dates from 2018 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?

February 5, the day Phil died.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

Surprise event for my parents’ 50th wedding anniversary (not massive but they loved it)

9. What was your biggest failure?

Staying well!

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?

Far too much. I had a cold that lasted about seven weeks, and I developed De Quervain’s Tenosynovitis first in my left wrist and then in my right wrist. The right one is still not healed.

11. What was the best thing you bought?

Um… nothing very exciting I have to say.

12. Where did most of your money go?

The mortgage, probably. And that holiday.

13. What did you get really, really, really excited about?

Going on holidays, we were very spoiled by going to so many wonderful places.

14. What song will always remind you of 2018?

Call Me Maybe by Carly Rae Jepson, it wasn’t released in 2018 but became our go-to song for fun for the year. She’s getting a lot of royalties from Spotify from us!

15. Compared to this time last year, are you:

a) happier or sadder?

About the same.

b) thinner or fatter?

About the same.

c) richer or poorer?

About the same.

16. What do you wish you’d done more of?

Not much really.

17. What do you wish you’d done less of?

I do what I want most of the time, so…

18. How did you spend Christmas?

The usual Christmas Eve with my family. For Christmas Day we had lunch with the boy’s parents and aunt and uncle at the RACV Resort in Inverloch, which was very different and very enjoyable.

19. Did you fall in love in 2018?

No.

20. What was your favorite TV program?

The Missing. I also binged the entire series of Brooklyn 99 on Netflix which made me very happy.

21. What was the best book you read?

I always enjoy a new Clive Cussler.

22. What was your favourite film of this year?

Avengers Infinity War or Black Panther.

23. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?

45, and we went to dinner at Il Bacaro and then saw Michael Palin live in stage.

24. What kept you sane?

My doggy.

25. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?

Look, my bestie Chris Hemsworth is pretty fine.

26. Who did you miss?

Phil.

27. Who was the best new person you met?

Did I make any new friends last year? I think maybe not.

Rambo

No, not the movie. Did I mention we got a dog?

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He is 12 years old, a German Shepherd, and just about the most lovely dog you could ever imagine.

Teddy hates him.

2017: the year in review

It has been about 27 years since I remembered the login for my blog. I thought this would be a good way to get back up to speed.

1. What did you do in 2017  that you’d never done before?

What I did do, was NOT go on a holiday. Which was hard.

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?

I don’t make resolutions.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

We aren’t close, but my sister-in-law had her second baby.

4. Did anyone close to you die?

No.

5. What countries did you visit?

None. Not one. Not even part of my own country!

6. What would you like to have in 2018 that you lacked in 2017?

HOLIDAYS.

7. What dates from 2017 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?

Um, none really.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

I would say that 2017 was a very average year and therefore there were no big achievements.

9. What was your biggest failure?

Conversely, no big failures either. So that’s something.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?

Yes. God I was sick. For about two months with a stupid throat thing that made me sound like a serial killer. I was also diagnosed with osteoarthritis in my right big toe which was devastating as I am now not able to wear about 85% of my shoes.

11. What was the best thing you bought?

My iPhone X.

12. Where did most of your money go?

The mortgage, probably.

13. What did you get really, really, really excited about?

The holiday we are taking in 2018. EPIC.

14. What song will always remind you of 2017?

I don’t know. It was a pretty nondescript year.

15. Compared to this time last year, are you:

a) happier or sadder?

About the same.

b) thinner or fatter?

About the same.

c) richer or poorer?

Slightly poorer but for a good reason.

16. What do you wish you’d done more of?

Not much really.

17. What do you wish you’d done less of?

I do what I want most of the time, so…

18. How did you spend Christmas?

The usual. Christmas Eve with my family. Although for Christmas Day we actually had lunch in the nursing home with the Boy’s grandmother, which was surprisingly good.

19. Did you fall in love in 2017?

No.

20. What was your favorite TV program?

Westworld. Or The Kettering Incident. Or The Night Manager. SO spoilt for good TV.

21. What was the best book you read?

I always enjoy a new Clive Cussler.

22. What was your favourite film of this year?

The Martian (was that this year???)

23. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?

I was  44. We went to lunch at The Lakehouse in Daylesford and it was amazing.

24. What kept you sane?

My doggy.

25. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?

Look, my bestie Chris Hemsworth is pretty fine.

26. Who did you miss?

Nobody.

27. Who was the best new person you met?

Did I make any new friends last year? I think maybe not.

2014: the year in review

Click here to see last year’s answers for comparison.  And feel free to do this on your own blogs!   Let me know if you do so I can see your answers.

1. What did you do in 2014  that you’d never done before?

I had to wash poop out of Teddy’s pantaloons.  And that sets the tone for the rest of this blog post!

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?

I don’t make resolutions.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

Three new babies this year!

4. Did anyone close to you die?

Thankfully no!

5. What countries did you visit?

The USA again.  Photos here.

6. What would you like to have in 2015 that you lacked in 2014?

Nothing.  I am a very lucky girl.

7. What dates from 2014 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?

1 December, the Boy (who has gone back to university this year) got his results and achieved straight High Distinctions for the whole year.  I’m very proud.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

The really sad thing is, I can’t think of one.

9. What was your biggest failure?

On the bright side, I can’t think of one of these either.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?

Strained my hip flexor.  That is quite a debilitating injury, I have to say.

11. What was the best thing you bought?

My iPhone 6.

12. Where did most of your money go?

Teddy’s trips to the emergency vet 🙂

13. What did you get really, really, really excited about?

Being in Hawaii in the middle of our winter was exciting.

14. What song will always remind you of 2014?

Happy by Pharell.

15. Compared to this time last year, are you:

a) happier or sadder?

Happier

b) thinner or fatter?

About the same

c) richer or poorer?

Richer

16. What do you wish you’d done more of?

Swim in my pool!

17. What do you wish you’d done less of?

Work.

18. How did you spend Christmas?

The same as always: Christmas Eve with my family, Christmas Day with the Boy’s family.

19. Did you fall in love in 2014?

I am still in love with my Boy.

20. What was your favorite TV program?

The Michael McIntyre Chat Show has me laughing every time.  We got on the Modern Family bandwagon too – Phil is definitely my favourite character.

21. What was the best book you read?

Superstorm: Nine Days Inside Hurricane Sandy was really interesting.

22. What was your favourite film of this year?

The Railway Man was exceptional.  August Osage County was pretty good too.

23. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?

I turned 41.  We went to Vue de Monde for dinner on my actual birthday, and it was spectacular.  Then we spent the weekend down at Port Fairy, which is a lovely spot.

24. What kept you sane?

I’m not sure, I think I may have gone a little mad this year. 🙂

25. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?

Robert Downey Jr.  I still adore George Clooney.  I can’t believe he’s married now.

26. Who did you miss?

Huffle Mawson.  She was the best cat ever.

27. Who was the best new person you met?

I am not sure I met any new people this year.  I told you it was an average year!

Baking with Tracey

So, I found this recipe on Pinterest, and because chocolate and coconut is such a winning combination, I decided to make them myself.  I tweaked the recipe slightly from the original, because I found that the cookies spread out WAY too much (even though they still tasted amazing).

You will need:

240g semisweet chocolate, chopped into chunks

55g butter, unsalted

1 cup all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

2 large eggs

¾ cup brown sugar, packed

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 ½ cups chocolate chips

½ cup plus ½ cup shredded coconut (sweetened or unsweetened), packed

Directions

Preheat oven to 180˚C. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Heat chopped chocolate and butter in the microwave, stirring every 30 seconds until just melted.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat eggs, brown sugar, and vanilla until fluffy.
Mix in melted chocolate.
Add in flour mixture until just combined.
Stir in chocolate chips and ½ cup shredded coconut.
Using a large cookie scoop or 2 tablespoons, scoop cookies onto prepared baking sheet 2 inches apart. Gently press a pinch of coconut onto the top of each cookie.
Bake for 10-12 minutes. Cookies will have a shiny crackled surface.
Cool on baking sheet for 10 minutes then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
Store at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

I used milk chocolate instead of semi-sweet because I prefer the taste.  Mine tend to spread out more than the original recipe, and I’ve never figured out why, but who cares when they taste this good?  The perfect chewy chocolate cookie.

The latest

I am being a very bad blogger these days.  In my defense, I was overseas for two weeks.  You can read all about that here.

But recently I have made a couple of cakes.

A marscapone meringue layer cake for a friend who was leaving work:

And some neapolitan cupcakes just because:

(extremely tasty – I ate four)

Baking central

I thought I’d show you a few of the cakes I have made in recent times.

There was this Chocolate Peppermint Crisp Cake, which I made for a friend’s birthday:

And this carrot cake, for an occasion that I can’t remember right now:

I also made these red velvet cupcakes with cream cheese frosting when we had some visitors coming one afternoon:

Random Stuff

While we were in New York City last year, I made a pilgrimage to my spiritual home, the Saks Fifth Avenue Shoe Salon. I came home with these shoes:

And the people were happy.

2013: The year in review

Click here to see last year’s answers for comparison.  And feel free to do this on your own blogs!   Let me know if you do so I can see your answers.

1. What did you do in 2013  that you’d never done before?

It’s not something I’ve never done before, but this year we had lots and lots of dinner parties.  A rare event for us.

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?

I don’t make resolutions.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

Nope, no new babies this year.

4. Did anyone close to you die?

Thankfully no!

5. What countries did you visit?

The USA.  Photos here.

6. What would you like to have in 2014 that you lacked in 2013?

Nothing.  I am a very lucky girl.

7. What dates from 2013 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?

27 September and 6 October, I finally got to meet some of my very longest term online friends.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

I don’t know… I can’t think of anything amazing that I’ve done this year.

9. What was your biggest failure?

Nothing exciting here this year either.  Clearly it’s been quite the average year for me.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?

I had two killer sinus infections.  Made me want to chop my head off both times.

11. What was the best thing you bought?

I didn’t buy it, but the weather station the Boy bought me for my birthday is totally awesome.

12. Where did most of your money go?

Holidays.  Not a bad way to spend it really.

13. What did you get really, really, really excited about?

Nothing.  My year has been average, as I mentioned earlier.

14. What song will always remind you of 2013?

Anything by Luke Kennedy.

15. Compared to this time last year, are you:

a) happier or sadder?

Happier

b) thinner or fatter?

About the same

c) richer or poorer?

Richer

16. What do you wish you’d done more of?

Swim in my pool!

17. What do you wish you’d done less of?

Work.

18. How did you spend Christmas?

The same as always: Christmas Eve with my family, Christmas Day with the Boy’s family.

19. Did you fall in love in 2013?

I am still in love with my Boy.

20. What was your favorite TV program?

Still loving The Big Bang Theory, but this year I also got on the True Blood bandwagon.  Honorable mention to the final season of Breaking Bad, which was AMAZING.  The finale will go down in history as one of the best ever (although still not quite in the class of Goodbye, Farewell and Amen).

21. What was the best book you read?

I read all the Sookie Stackhouse (True Blood) books and enjoyed them.  Life and Laughing: My Story by Michael McIntyre had me in tears at times, and Ghost Child by Caroline Overington was beautifully written.  You know, the tragic part is I had to go to my Amazon account to see which books I’d bought for my Kindle to answer this question.

22. What was your favourite film of this year?

Star Trek: Into Darkness was a thousand times better than I was expecting.  I haven’t seen it yet but I’m expecting the second Hobbit movie to be pretty good too.

23. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?

I turned the big 4-0, and had a massive party at home.  It was great.  We also went to Vue de Monde for dinner on my actual birthday, and it was spectacular.

24. What kept you sane?

I’m not sure, I think I may have gone a little mad this year. 🙂

25. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?

Robert Downey Jr.  I still adore George Clooney.

26. Who did you miss?

Huffle Mawson.  She was the best cat ever.

27. Who was the best new person you met?

I am not sure I met any new people this year.  I told you it was an average year!

Baking with Tracey

This weekend just passed I decided to make a cake.  Not just for fun; I was having lunch with some friends and it was my job to bring dessert.  So I decided to make this Red Velvet and Raspberry Supreme cake from Sweetapolita.  Rosie’s website is my go-to when I need cake inspiration.

So I baked the cake, aiming for six layers.  I made one small change to the recipe – I used sour cream instead of mayonnaise as that’s what I had in the fridge.  I can only assume it was a suitable substitute as the cake turned out wonderfully.  I also decided not to do the whipped cream layers, mostly because I am not a fan of whipped cream on anything (except maybe hot scones).  So I doubled the marshmallow cream cheese frosting and used that in every layer instead.

I put fresh raspberries on every second layer of marshmallow cream cheese, and they really added to the overall taste.

It turned out pretty well, I think, although I suspect my piping skills leave a bit to be desired…

But who cares when the cake is this tasty?

I think next time I might also increase the cocoa in the recipe, as this wasn’t quite chocolatey enough for my liking. It’s not my favourite red velvet cake recipe, but it’s pretty damn good and the marshmallow cream cheese is spectacular. SPECTACULAR.

My fave beauty blog

Yes, it’s true, I read a beauty blog.  But not for the reasons you think.

Zoe Foster Blake is a former beauty editor for Cosmopolitan magazine, was the managing editor at Primped.com.au for three years and wrote a beauty book called Amazing Face (which I have.  It is v v good).

She is also a novelist, although I have never read any of her books.

But her website, Fruity Beauty, is just about the best, most fun, well writted beauty blog evah.  It’s not all about make up (just as well, since I never wear that stuff).

The best thing about Fruity Beauty (aside from the content) is ZoZo’s (I call her that because in my mind, we are already best friends) writing style, which will keep you engrossed but make you laugh at the same time.

I highly recommend it.

Catching up

Wow, I didn’t realise it’s been so long since I wrote anything here!

In case you were wondering, Teddy survived his weekend with my parents so that’s all good.  We had a lovely time in Lakes Entrance.  We specifically went to see the Buchan Caves, and they were quite amazing.

If you click on the photo you’ll be taken to my FlickR photostream where you can see more photos.

Brave

This weekend is a long one in Melbourne.  The boy and I are off to the beach for the weekend.

My parents have offered to look after Teddy.  Which is terribly brave of them, considering that when we went to Papua New Guinea in November last year they were looking after both Huffle and Teddy, and Huffle sadly died.  It was totally not their fault.  But seven years previously, as the boy and I were about to head off to Queensland for a holiday… my rottie Max was staying with mum and dad.  The day before we got on the plane, I got a phone call to say Max had died.  Also totally not their fault.

My parents do not have good history in pet-sitting.  And yet they still offer.  I think they are really brave.

It will be different this time.  Instead of Teddy going to their house, they are coming to stay at our house.  It will be totally different.

Really.

In or out?

Are you an introvert or extrovert? I used to think I was an extrovert: outgoing, talkative and energetic. And to some degree I still am. But now I think I could be part introvert as well: reserved, quiet and shy. Actually I’m not that reserved once you get to know me, and truthfully I’m not entirely shy either. I can’t be bothered with small talk a lot of the time though. Does that count? I have no idea. Maybe I’m just not patient.

The general theory is this: an introvert will be delighted at the thought of spending the night in, possibly alone.  The extrovert will hate that idea.  I love and hate it in equal measures.

So what I think is this: I am an extrovert, with introverted tendencies.

Which are you?

Daily Photo

Here’s a photo from our trip to Papua New Guinea last year – Ponam Island in the Bismarck Sea.  There was a storm coming.

I still haven’t decided what else to write about.