Cementing Love

19 Jun 2013 Leave a Comment

by Catch Up With A Mate in Pets are People

Cementing Love

Cementing Love

A few weeks back my street was treated to a new foot path / pavement.

Initially I was hesitant to engage in some street art…but when my neighbours started to get creative…I rallied to the cause.

The sun had gone down , so I shone my i-phone screen in the direction of the footpath with careful precision I lovingly carved my name, Flora the cat’s name, to cement.

And I got in just in time.. the footpath had nearly set….It was after all 7.33pm, and the cement had been laid at 9.07am.

I am ever so proud of my street art….Friends say I have changed, that the previous Kate Boyle would NEVER have engaged in modern-day street graffiti

But change is good…and everyday when I close the front door of my tiny flat and take to the streets, I am greeted with a constant reminder that change is good…the big, the small, the seemingly insignificant….

 

 

 

 

One Purr-fect Life

18 Jun 2013 Leave a Comment

by Catch Up With A Mate in Pets are People Tags:

There are some days where I would give my life to be a cat.

Any cat in particular I hear you ask?

Specifically, my cat Flora.

Flora

Flora

This morning as I went about my morning routine which would enable me to embarked on a day’s work in an office block, a fate worse than death, Flora slept.

The cat was deep in slumber mode….this feline was snoring nestled in between the blankets of my unmade bed.

It was enough to make my blood boil…what I would have given to crawl up under the covers, and drift off to the land of nod…to where it was all sunny and warm, a place where computers and data entry did not exist, where chocolate cake was available on demand and Johnny Depp was my husband.

With military style precision I ate breakfast, showered, prepared my lunch and did a few house hold chores.

All the while Flora slept and snored….a noise which filled my tiny best-sit…a joyous soft purr with a nasal twang!

My heart softened…I could not be jealous of my furry four legged life companion…. My time would come for rest and relaxation…it was a mere 3 days off….72 hours till Friday to be precise!

So I further indulged her…I made my bed, pulling the doona towards the bedhead, encasing Flora in a mound of blankets.

Then just to make sure she did no suffocate, I placed a tissue box on one of my pillows, allowing a little light into my man-made cat cave, should she over heat during the day and need to escape for air…..

Undercover agent

Undercover agent

Yes, there are some days that I would give ANYTHING to be a cat!!

One year later…Still walking on Sunshine!!

10 Jun 2013 Leave a Comment

by Catch Up With A Mate in Classifieds: Births, Death, Marriages Tags:

I’m cheating today…reposting some writing I did one year ago…when my brother Michael married a most beautiful woman, Tennelle.

One year on, the words below still define a union most special…even more so as their love grows stronger with each passing day…Happy 1st Anniversary M n T xx

 

Though NSW has recently endured torrential rain, flash floods, howling winds and king tide surf…I am walking on sunshine.

On Sunday the 10th of June my little brother Michael got married to his fairytale princess, Tennelle…the weather held off as they declared their love for each other in an outdoor service in North Wollongong….

Love

American Novelist Mark Twain said of love

Life is short. Break the rules

Forgive quickly, kiss slowly

Love truly

The lead up to the big day crept up slowly….Tennelle, Mum and I spent Friday pampering ourselves at a day spa in my home town of Austinmer : Ibah Spa. The spa is located at the top of the street I grew up on as a child. As I drove to the 3pm appointment, I felt a surge of nostalgia….I was home for a wedding, a family wedding, my brother, the little boy with angelic red ringlets, now a grown man was getting married… precious childhood memories came and went as  I lay down for my massage and pedicure.

Saturday and my Dad and I did pre-wedding errands. Collecting cakes, flowers and the mini bus that would transport the wedding party.

It was clear that mini bus hire company refused to join the technology revolution…preferring to rely on a computer circa 1985. Minutes felt like hours, and eventually the keys to the mini bus were handed over.

‘You getting married?’ questioned the man responsible for the 1985 style business operations

‘No, not me, my brother’

And perhaps, only in Wollongong would you get this reply: ‘ Whats the wrong with YOU then?’

Jason Donovan sang to Kylie Minogue of Love

Especially for you

I want to tell you, you mean all the world to me

How I’m certain that our love was meant to be

You changed my life

You showed me the way

The Big Day….special is so many ways

An early morning stroll in Austinmer….Passing the beach were Michael and I had learnt to swim, the parks were we had played as children, the corner store were we walked to by mixed lollies, the bus stop we stood at to go to school….

Hair and makeup sessions for Mum and I, at the family home by a local makeup artist. Small talk with Michael and his four grooms men,  all childhood friends….friendships that span 25 years….

The outdoor service…my brother looking sharp in a gray suit and bow tie, close by stood four dapper groomsmen and four modern day beauties : the bridesmaids.

And then she appeared…..the bride….breathtakingly beautiful…

The wedding guests beamed, wiped away happy tears as two individuals united by love became man and wife

 

English Poet and Novelist William Shakespeare said of love

Love is an ever-fixed mark

That can never be shaken

The party that followed was a celebrations of the love shared by Michael and Tennelle.

Family and friends chatted about love, danced to songs about love, listened and gave speeches about love….and ate and drank an array of fine food and drink the couple had chosen…well…because of love.

And when it was all over, and Monday came around, followed by Tuesday, then Wednesday…I felt a bit flat…All the build up, the hype, the preparation, the gossiping was no more…

But the  memories sustain me…..they are as precious as gold

The beautiful bride, Tennelle….simply stunning.

The couple being serenaded by their friend Mikaela to ‘ At Last’ by Etta James, as they took to the dance floor

My brothers speech …where he declared that their  first meeting in a Wollongong Bar was , in his words almost ‘ an epic fail’

But most of all…..

The loving gaze shared by Michael and Tennelle as they stood before their wedding guests, before the celebrant started official proceedings…Not a word yet spoken…The look of love was there for all to see.

Five Sentence Fiction – Desolate

03 Jun 2013 6 Comments

by Catch Up With A Mate in Writing Tags:

And so I continue with my serial killer themed 5 sentence fiction. For those stumbling upon my writing for the first time, under the category ‘ Writing’, you will find the two short pieces that were written in conjuction with the piece below. Those short stories are 5 sentence fiction ‘ accident’ and ‘ charmed’.

Word Prompt- Desolate

I used to stare at my wall calendar…what a barren and desolate scene that once was, an endless blank canvas of days, which turned into weeks, then months of sheer nothingness.

But that description of a wall calendar is not mine, I quote it from the novel  ‘Notes on a Scandal’ by Zoe Heller, a description I related to and which prompted me to act, to plan each minute, each precious hour of each and every day.

Oh if you could see my wall calendar now…and the things I have planned!

The Blonde who goes walking with her chocolate labrador each morning, I ‘ve pencilled her in for next month ( I’m thinking Tuesday the 5th)

As for this month, well there is just so much planning and preparation for the task ahead, I look at my wall calendar now and am positively exhausted by the endless list of daily tasks I have set myself…but I would not have it any other way.

Five Sentence Fiction- Charmed

29 May 2013 6 Comments

by Catch Up With A Mate in Writing Tags:

I guess you can say I am writing a short story ( in 5 sentence instalments) around a serial killer theme. I have just finished reading the book ‘ Gone Girl ( prehaps that is the reason behind the sudden surge of dark writing!) I don’t know how long I will continue with it….but it is fun!

For those who have stumbled across this piece, last weeks 5 sentence fiction is where it all began (Accident- 5 Sentence Fiction) and the wonderful Lillie McFerrin hosts the site Five Sentence Fiction, inspiring her readesr to submit short stories to a weekly word prompt. I am using her weekly word prompt to guide the story…..

Word Prompt- Charmed

So you came back for more, I can’t thank you enough…I’m having fun with this!

What can I say?…I have a charmed existence! 8 months, 7 days and 13 hours and still no-one has a clue as to who I am.

I’m smiling as I write this, the whole god damm community is afraid of me, little old me!

They know that I will strike again, that it is only a matter of time…time tick tocks by and all the while I plot and plan my next attack

I fancy a blonde this time, the last victim was brunette, but Marilyn said it oh so well ‘Gentlemen prefer Blondes’…She was so on the money!

Marilyn

Marilyn

Five Sentence Fiction- Accident

19 May 2013 10 Comments

by Catch Up With A Mate in Writing Tags:

Lillie McFerrin’s wondeful blog Five Sentence Fiction(
http://lilliemcferrin.com
), encourages you to write just that….5 sentences to a weekly word prompt…Here is my contribution.

Word Prompt- Accident

It’s no accident your reading this, I don’t blame you…curiosity would get the better of me too.

I’ve done it again, another victim, bringing the grand total to 7….but there will be more.

I’ve been at large in the community for 8 months, got the police completely baffled, this latest stunt, hacking into the local newspapers online website will only bide me more time…While divert man hours into trying to figure out how I hacked the system…I can get back to work

My advice, be on guard, don’t walk alone at night after dark and sleep with a night-light on for comfort.

Yes, it’s no accident your reading this, I’ve got the attention of the whole community, got you right where I want you…watch this space.

Chicken Larb in Lettuce Cups

14 May 2013 Leave a Comment

by Catch Up With A Mate in Low Carb / Low Sugar Cooking, Main Meals

I have been making this recipe for close to a year…I overheard one of my colleagues at work talking about this amazing dish called ‘ Chicken Larb’….I listened so intently that I copied the recipe down as she spoke!!

And I never looked back….the dish was a life changer…So flavoursome and healthy, fresh and appealing.

I made it recently for my Mum, Dad, Brother and sister-in-law…. all four of them requested the recipe ( here it is guys!!)

So without further ado…Chicken Larb in Lettuce Cups

Chicken Larb in Lettuce Cups

Chicken Larb in Lettuce Cups

Note to the budget conscious- Chicken mince can be substituted for Turkey Mince…I have made this recipe numerous times with Turkey mince and the taste is just the same / some might say even better

Ingredients

500g chicken mince OR 500g Turkey Mince

1 tablespoon Olive oil

1 medium brown onion, finely chopped

1 stalk lemon grass, white part only, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, crushed

1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger

2 sliced fresh red chillies

1 tablespoon fish sauce (or to taste)

1 table spoon soy sauce (or to taste)

½ juice of fresh lime ( or to taste)

1 teaspoon coconut sugar / or brown sugar

1 cup coriander, chopped

1 cup mint, chopped

1 cup bean sprouts (optional)

1 whole lettuce, leaves separated

Chopped coriander and mint for serving

Cooking Method

Heat oil in fry pan, add finely chopped onion, lemon grass, crushed garlic, ginger and chilli and cook for 3 mins or until aromatic.

Add chicken mince and cook, stirring to break up any lumps, for 5 minutes or until chicken starts to brown.

Add the soy sauce,  fish sauce, lime juice and sugar and stir to combine. Set aside for 10 minutes to cool slightly.

Add bean sprouts, coriander and mint and gently toss until just combined.

Spoon chicken mixture into lettuce cups and serve with wedge of lemon, chopped coriander and mint.

Totally YUMMY!!

Other serving suggestions

  • Sprinkle with roasted peanuts for additional crunch
  • Serve chicken mince in lettuce cups on a bed of alfalfa sprouts and grated cheese

Five Sentence Fiction- Festival

05 May 2013 8 Comments

by Catch Up With A Mate in Writing Tags:

Word prompt- Festival

Part of her sons school homework had been to research the definition of the word ‘ festival’.

Though there were numerous dictionary meanings, her son had decided that festival was best defined as ‘ gaiety, revelry, merrymaking’.

What she loved most about this research project was the affect it had had on her 10-year-old.

He had insisted that each morning , breakfast would become a festival, a time for ‘merrymaking’.

Balloons decorated the dining room, streamers had been strung from window to window, music played, and most importantly, laughter and chatter filled the air as the family ate their cereal and toast.

Lest We Forget

27 Apr 2013 2 Comments

by Catch Up With A Mate in Odes to the Extraordinary Tags: ,

 

My Grandparents- Bruce and Joan Gibson- True Anzacs xx

My Grandparents- True Anzacs

Anzac Day, 25th of April, 2013

My Grandfather told me a story about his war-time experience that I hazard a guess he had never told anyone. It made for a very special day, I felt honoured and privileged that he opened up to me and told me a tale that for 68 years had never had an audience….

‘ His name was Alton Neil Robinson….but we all called him Bill. He was a few years older than me at school and very intelligent. He completed his leaving certificate at Mudgee High School ( 5 years of High School). I only did three years of secondary school’

‘ In Bills civilian life, he was a very talented cyclist. He also had a passion for languages’

‘ How many languages did he know?’ I asked but I did not get an answer.

‘ Bill was smart enough to enter the airforce during World War II. They wanted men who had completed their leaving certificate and Bill was a natural-born pilot’

‘ Did you want to be a pilot Grandfather?’

‘ Everyone had there different ideas about what they would do during the war’

‘Bill wrote me a letter from his pilot training quarters, asking if I would met him at a pub in Sydney for a drink. Telephone calls were to expensive to make, so we arranged out catch up through letter writing’

‘I remember sitting at that pub and waiting….Bill never showed up. He was too reliable a character, there had to be a reason….I knew something was wrong’

‘ Seven months passed, and still no word from Bill. One day I was scanning the newspaper, and I glanced over the war casuality list…and there was his name ‘ Alton Neil Robinson of Mudgee’…pilot, plane shot down over the English Channel..no survivors’

‘ I cut out the clipping and kept it. I still have it in my room, I came across it yesterday’

‘ He’d been called up to the war, and within two weeks, his plane was shot down, he was killed….and that was the reason we never had that last drink’

‘ I’ll never forget it. I just sat in the pub that day and waited for what seemed forever’

My Grandfather is crying.

I reach out to him and say ‘ Thank you for sharing this story ‘

He looks at me, and through tears says ‘ There are just some things I don’t talk about’, but with a look on his face that implies he is finally glad he had the courage to share, to let go in some small way of the hurt and suffering, guilt and anger that he had carried for close to 70 years.

Anzac Day, 25th April, 2013…a day I will never forget. A day the story of Alton Neil Robinson finally surfaced,a day I saw the softer side of my Grandfather for the very first time, a day I was entrusted with a story that will say with me forever.

Gym training with One Direction

17 Apr 2013 Leave a Comment

by Catch Up With A Mate in Catch Up With A Mate

I continue to move in a direction

It just so happens this morning as I worked out with my fabulous personal trainer I was in the presence of arguably the most popular boy band in the WORLD…ONE DIRECTION!!

5 guys, buff young things, all wearing singlet tops and tiny shorts, and the hair styles….not something you expect to see during a 7am work out session….hair blow dried and riddled with hair product, teased to perfection and causally sweeping across the face of the kid who looked remarkably like Harry Styles…. the token blonde kid,  hair neat and tidy, the trendy guy with the cap on backwards….I could not focus in on the other two….my gaze was fixed on the Harry look-alike.

Oh it made for a fun work out session…even more so when One Direction music was pumped through the gyms sound system…Live While we’re Young…

Working out with Sydney’s version of One Direction…the perfect way to start the day

xx

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