Jellicoe House

Jellicoe House is a delicious mixture of simplicity and sophistication.

The Barossa B&B belongs to Sorby Adams Wines, and is run by the fabulous Simon and Helen Adams.

 We went there to celebrate my 40th birthday with some very special friends. Jellicoe House is nestled against the gentle slope of an Eden Valley vineyard.

What it is to greet some rare winter sunshine in the early morning, knowing that the voices in the next room are stretching into a luxurious breakfast, cooked with special ingredients stored in the 19th century pantry.

Welcome 2009!

Can you see the four children on the left, and the balloon caught in the tree, to the right?

We walked to the Oval today with our neighbour's children, carrying a basket of Hal's home made paper aeroplanes. He was hoping to fly them into the duck pond and see how they fared as flying-planes-that-are-also-boats.

The children all delighted in seeing the balloon in the tree; a remnant from someone's revelries last night. Fragile, fun, trapped and irretrievable (despite much tree shaking).

On the Eve, I stayed up beyond the witching hour, and was surprised (in our very quiet street) by all the fireworks, cheering...and running.

Yep.

Naturally, if I hadn't been looking after the blighters I'd have been out there myself. Gangs of people seemed to run to and fro, calling out good naturedly to one another. A bizarre South Australian phenomenon? As my chum Jodie pointed out, if only there'd been a good exercise bike at the party she was at, she'd have been spinning the wheels at midnight!

I shan't let you see the New Year's Eve created pin boards until they are installed in their new homes. (I am concerned that they are too fussy, but it will take hours of careful styling to be sure.)

In our new home. Our seventh in twelve years. It is just round the corner, so not a huge upheaval, but oh, so much better than our current one. Instead of falling over furniture (quite literally, quite a lot) I am wondering whether it will all look rather insubstantial in the new place.

As I do very frequently, I have been musing on the nature of my domestic life, which is transient but rich, imperfect but full of lessons...no answers, just thoughts.

We made it to the Oval today. There were too many ducks to attempt the flying plane come boat (didn't want to pose a duck threat) so the boys indulged in normal paper aeroplane flying. The girls wandered about and sang (apart from me. That would have been hazardous to the ducks.)

This afternoon we had a MAJOR clean out of the blighter's bedrooms (financial reward for the most things put in the bin or given to the Sally Army) and I scourged my wardrobe. I decided I would rather have hardly anything in there than lots of grim, old things to depress me. Some of those babies had lived in each of the 7 houses! Time to go!

Well, it's possible I'm rambling. I'm sure a rambling blog is an oxymoron, so it's time to go.

Happy New Year, or Can You Eat Too Much Sushi?

At last, something that even I could make, or me and my treadle sewing machine. I constructed Santa's stockings without any instructions; who would know that the stocking on the right wasn't an ingenious personal design? Some might even suppose the zig zag trim to have been sewn on upside down in a frenetic pre-Christmas frenzy...

Santa was very good and. God was good and gave us sunshine, apricots, whiting, prawns from Port Lincoln and fine wine from South Australia. Some smashing friends came and spent Boxing Day with us. The chaps fished (more Whiting) and the women and children read, lolled and got burnt on the beach.

Blighter Hal lost his first tooth; the Tooth Fairy followed the pixie dust and made it to the shack - and left him $2.

Now the Gent is away for New Year, and the blighters and I have indulged ourselves. Imogen and I had our first attempt at sushi. It was such a success that I now feel sick. Hal declined and ate some sausage rolls with good old tomato sauce. He is fast asleep. Im is reading.

I may not make it to midnight. We purchased some fabric to make covered pin boards today; it's just me, the canvas and a staple gun. Watch out!

Not Rudolph, but clearly one of Santa's reindeers. They are probably snoozing right now, preparing for their big dash around the world tonight.

We are at the shack, counting down the minutes (literally). Impending current excitement is a visit to Spog's Shed in Minlaton, where vintage Famous Five books can be bought for cents, not to mention broken guitars, shabby chairs and aluminium trunks.

The Gent is going fishing with his fishing buddy this afternoon,after raking all the pine needles and gum leaves out of the garden. This morning he plucked a whole bucket of fresh apricots from a burdened nearby tree, so we should dine will tonight.

Imogen and Hal are desperately hoping that 9 pm Mass will be cancelled tonight in order avoid any deviation from present worship. Crazy Gill's gifts arrived in very good time and look splendid in their wrapping under the tree. Kiwi Cousin's are also snuggled there. Oh, brother mine, I think your parcel has been delayed...

We decamped here on Sunday morning, after my big work function at (Clivv Pagg!) the Adelaide Cricket Oval! All went jolly well, and The BeatNIX, flown in from Sydney, were fantastic. Is it tragic to love the Beatles? It was compulsory listening in Earlswood Park as a child.

I am able to write this as Gent's new super status gives him a laptop with wireless connection. However, I was not prepared for this excitement, and thus have not brought my password for my regular email with me.

Fear not, dear readers! You can email me on essatshack@live.com.au

I shall supply you with more thrilling updates on Christmas Day.

Dodgy Christmas Elf

The photo was taken just outside our shack (on the road, facing east, next to the now-cut wheat crop, the one that in sunshine, did look sublime).

You can’t quite see the delicious cruddiness of Hal’s self-chosen outfit; it’s finished by faded black shorts, stick thin legs, several bruises and cuts, and dark red Timberland boots. He insists on wearing the too-small Christmas hat at every available moment. Naturally, he looks very sweet. My neighbour, Jodie, thinks that Hal is a freckled piece of perfection, like Dickens’ Pip. A boy who never moans or grumbles. A skinny child, intelligent, dedicated to good manners and gentleman-like behaviour. He takes after his father...

We walked around the Bay. Imogen, despite being bossy (where does she get that from???) is terribly good to her little brother, and they play together tremendously well. The children bumped into Phoebe and her dog, Charlotte, The Best Dog On The Planet. She's a Jack Russel x Fox Terrier, and is our dream dog. I think we'd all have a dog like Charlotte, if she just fell into our laps. I simply can't face the puppy stage, but if we could find a short haired, sweet natured little canine, then we would welcome he or she into our ordered and very full lives.

It's been a busy time of late.

The usual: end of term (long winded end of year Mass, school trips for the Blighters: to bowling (imagine Hal! He got two strikes, mind you) and Madagascar II (Imogen, laughed like a drain).

The Absolute Gent and I had a rather decadent couple of evenings last weekend; two functions for his work.

First, the National Wine Centre of Australia for cocktails for Gent's work do. I rather like this building; created to look like a barrel, abutting heritage buildings and the Botanic gardens. I managed to squeeze into the smart cocktail dress I'd had made in Penang (remember, CG, the one you designed with the black bandeaux across the breast bone).

Then, the following night, a dinner at The Naval, Military and Air Force Club a hitherto unknown gem in Adelaide City. This is a delightful building, smothered in hand-made crested carpet, bejewelled with the clutter of fine antiques, and harking back to WWII at the earliest.

We had a delicious meal, shared with Gent's peers and spouses, with good conversation and vino! We stayed overnight (!) whilst the Boss' teenage daughters babysit our Blighters.

School is now over. Gent is almost finished work and will take on the domestic reins. I have this week left, which will include a number of staff functions and the usual end of year frenzy...

Presents, from the Fairies and Grandma

We couldn't find our Advent Calendar this year. The one with Santa presiding over 24 little pockets for the Fairies to fill, one each night.

Instead, the children made this Advent Box, covered in the material for my Bridesmaid's dress, and furnished with a handle supplied by Daddy, a stud from his Mess kit.

Each night, the Fairies leave a little treat...fairy dust, gold coins, lollies. Hal is hoping for DVDs and Matchbox cars!

I told him the Fairies are only small, and they don't like greedy children.




One of the good things about having family overseas is that their gifts arrive in the mail. Hal's birthday present arrived a little later than his actual day, providing nigh-on hysterical joy for the whole family.





Wrapped to perfection by David Jones, the box was deliciously enormous.

Brilliant, Grandma! This baby corners like it's on rails...and does great skids too.

Quangdong Decorations

News of the impending decorations has drawn enthusiasm from Sydney, England and possibly New Zealand.

After almost scorching ourselves with the hot glue gun, then asphyxiating ourselves with the silver spray, the children and I have made countless tiny silver things for the Christmas tree.

Hal is taking some to school tomorrow, for the classroom tree. Boy, Room 3 is lucky.

Below is the photo of the quangdong nuts in their natural state, and in the front, the new, turbo boosted silver plated version.




Call me crazy, but I'm not starting a small 'quangdong' business yet.