V is for Vagaries

It was going to be V is for Verity but I can't now remember why!  I know 'truth's beauty, beauty truth' was going to be mentioned but in what context? And it's not for Verity in Poldark.  So, here's a vagabond wandering through the last few days.

I finished my Advent Calendar from H Bells a few days after Christmas.  I'd kept the largest packet to last, and there was the delicious golden bear.

If you are loathe to discard your golden bear wrappers, I have discovered they fit quite nicely over an upside down bubbly cork.

Last Monday I was rostered on to PUBS from 0930 to 1500 which actually went quite quickly despite being the hottest day - 42C - I can ever remember in Tasmania.  There is no airconditioning but the building is solid brick so it was slow to warm up.  By 3pm I just wanted to be home in airconditioned comfort and escaping to Paris with this book.  All went to plan for a few minutes, and then I got a call from Steve:  he had a flat tyre.  Fortunately he was not far away and all he wanted me to do was get Jill as she was not proving very helpful.  Also very fortunate was that he could remember how to change a tyre AND there was air in the spare.  I think I would fail on both counts.  Anyway, I spent the rest of the day, and a little of the next, in Paris.  Fabulous.

Thursday, Madam Cyn and I went to lunch in Bellerive.  We both had linguine with prawns and blue cheese.  This is not a flavour combination I had thought about but it certainly worked.  All this was very exciting for me, not just for being back in Bellerive but also for seeing Mr and Madam Cyn's new place.  It is very similar to the house she had before she left Tasmania over 20 years ago.  There are views to the river and Tasman Bridge (not very obvious in the photo), and she finally has a piano again.

Steve and I decided we wanted a red market umbrella for Christmas.  We ordered online and were told every effort would be made to deliver it before Christmas.  We were sceptical but, lo and behold,  upon returning from spending Christmas Eve at Georgia's, there was a note in the letterbox saying they had attempted to deliver it.  Hmmmmmph.

It arrived yesterday and, just to show there is a Dog, Georgia was with us.  It proved to be large enough to cover an entire market, absolutely dwarfing our table setting for six.

Fathoming out how to erect it proved challenging

and we eventually decided that threading the pole through the glass table was not a good idea.  I picked up a metal base after taking Georgia back to Hobart.

Today we finally got it all sorted

and it looks just as I had imagined through the lavender.

Except a wind gust has blown it over and it's broken!!