Anniversaries and Instagram

September always makes me reminisce - especially this year.

I arrived in Australia in September 1992 - twenty years ago.

Typing that sentence, it seems incredible to me that it has been two decades.

I still remember the days leading up to leaving Scotland, packing up my flat and alternating

between excitement about the adventure ahead, and tears and anxiety about 

leaving friends and family behind. My parting words to my darling Mum in Glasgow

were "don't worry, I'm only going for a year". And yet here I am, 20 years later.

That guilt still stays with me, and I wonder if it's just me, or if anyone who has

 made a new life for themselves in a different country, leaving behind loved ones, 

 ever feels completely at home in their "new"home . 

Even when the new home has been home for 20 years.

It was however a great time of year to arrive: not too humid, gorgeous sunny days

 and a city coming alive in spring. For the first month in Brisbane I lived in accommodation 

at the hospital where I was employed in South Brisbane. This was close to everything, 

especially South Bank, which seemed idyllic to me at the time. It's Jacaranda season

soon and I remember that year seeing them for the first time and falling in love

with their beautiful colour, and the carpet of violet petals they would leave 

on the ground.

On another note, it's the one year anniversary of me starting this blog.

I don't post as frequently as I'd like, and I've mentioned before that I have been

enjoying Instagram which is like a condensed but more immediate form of blogging. 

Turns out I have Instagram to thank for my most recent furniture purchase too!

I had been keeping an eye out for a table to fit a long space in our living room upstairs.

I hadn't seen anything at all that would fit the space.

Lo and behold the lovely Katherine posted a photo on Instagram and my 

eagle eye spotted it. A flurry of measurements later and I became the proud

owner of this table:

I love the fact that this table has been pre-loved, and that it's my turn to give 

it a home. Many of you know Katherine, she is such a helpful, kind and warm 

person. She often puts photos of her lovely items destined for either the WAC or the 

shop at the Cottage Garden Nursery on her Instagram feed.

You can follow her there: @katherinetheoldboathouse

And in the latest chicken news:

escape attempts : five

eggs laid: NONE

Those statistics better start turning around soon........

Have a good weekend

xx