My mission today was to go to “one of those hippy shops” and buy “something weird.” I bought a pack of “Mystic East” Frangipani incense sticks that apparently “improves the concentration of the mind for meditation and prayer”. I decided, by way of experiment, to see if burning fangipani incense helped me remember more detailsContinue reading “S#12: Healing Stones”
Author Archives: Felicity Banks Books
#280: Make yum cha
There are about a million different yum cha dishes. The easiest to make (while still looking awesome) is dumplings. Here’s the recipe I utterly mangled: 500g minced chicken (or half chicken half pork) 6 canned water chestnuts, drained and finely chopped (get sliced ones) 1 small carrot, finely chopped 1 tsp ginger, peeled and finely choppedContinue reading “#280: Make yum cha”
#279: Cat reunion
I was cunning and did a big clean just before we left for holidays – including the toxic epicness that is my annual oven clean (the plants are downstairs because I set off a Mortein bomb at the same time). Indah (aka Grumblebum) expressed her displeasure at our abandonment by meowing a great deal forContinue reading “#279: Cat reunion”
#272: Small town lolly shop
*not to be confused with lolly shop which is completely distinct from this entry, since I haven’t repeated myself once* Mmmmmmmmmmmmm……..looooooolllllliiiieeeesss. See those jelly beans? One of the flavours was pomegranite. POMEGRANITE! The others were sour lemon, wild cherry, pear, cranberry and apple, watermelon, grape, hawaiian pineapple, lemon and lime, tangerine, banana split, granny smithContinue reading “#272: Small town lolly shop”
#112: Horseriding!
Dogs worship humans. Cats despise us. Horses will meet your eye as you approach, and make up their minds what they think of you (the results of which will be clear as you ride them). This was my birthday present from CJ, and it was exactly as excellent as I remembered from distant childhood memoriesContinue reading “#112: Horseriding!”
Meander at a beach
Yeah, yeah. I know. I should have called this one “Beach” and this one “Take heroic coastal pictures”. Whatever. Look! I’m walking on water!
#277: Go for a walk
It says plenty about me that the year of Daily Awesomeness is in its final stretch, and yet this is the first time walking anywhere has featured. Flushed with holiday spirit, I followed CJ from the Main Street of Merimbula up the Northern Headland on spider-festooned trails to Bar Beach and back again. I likeContinue reading “#277: Go for a walk”
#110: Ride a wave
The South coast of New South Wales is much, much cheaper than the rest of the coast – mostly, I think, because the water is always cold (due to being, ya know, South-ish). I rather hesitantly donned my antiquated swimming trunks and went to the beach with CJ. CJ happily plunged into the water at once. IContinue reading “#110: Ride a wave”
#276: Magic Mountain
Two years ago, CJ and I visited a place he remembered from his childhood as being fantastic. I later discovered this beautiful childhood moment from his primary school books: Awww! We really weren’t sure if the Magic Mountain adventure playground was going to be good or terrible – and it was great. CJ even injured himself byContinue reading “#276: Magic Mountain”
#275: Fancy-Pants Restaurant
It’s not a holiday if you don’t spend way too much on sweeeeettt delicious fooooooodd. During our second honeymoon, CJ and I ate at the Merimbula RSL club, the Seabreeze Cafe (really nice battered fish), the Wharf Restaurant and Aquarium (I had the duck, and it was insanely delicious), and Wheelers Oyster Farm and Restaurant.Continue reading “#275: Fancy-Pants Restaurant”
S#95: Paddle
“I’ve thought of something,” CJ said, “and now I’ve thought of it I can’t stop thinking of it.” “What is it?” I asked. “The wide sand bars here – they make the water warm up. Sharks like warm water.” And so it was that CJ and I dressed in our fragile swimmers and walked handContinue reading “S#95: Paddle”
S#77: Beach
This is just outside the Wharf restaurant and aquarium, Merimbula.
S#73: Get away from it all
We’re here! CJ and I are on our second honeymoon* at The Palms Apartments, Merimbula. This is precisely where we came on our original honeymoon, except this time we’re on the first floor – which means THIS time we have water views and a proper balcony. The proper balcony (also, a portrait of the authorContinue reading “S#73: Get away from it all”
#280: Kitten
When I was about ten, my family lived on a linguistics town in Papua New Guinea, where people came from around the world to learn some of the hundreds of local languages (we were support staff, keeping the town running). We looked after a neighbour’s cat while her owners were visiting their home in America. The cat had kittens –Continue reading “#280: Kitten”
#118: Lend a cat
As many of you are aware, CJ and I are about to leave on a second honeymoon (two years after the first one, booyah!) so now is the perfect time for an awesomeness I’ve been saving up for a while. When CJ and I go away, we shove the younger, more easygoing Ana into a pillowcase*Continue reading “#118: Lend a cat”
#273: Walk in Water
We’re staying in a John Knight Park childhood for one more day. The wonder of running water never quite runs out. John Knight Park has a wonderful bubbling series of miniature waterfalls leading to the lake. Love! Next time you’re near water, take off your shoes and get in it. That’s an order.
#271: Snake!
There’s a park in Belconnen called John Knight Park, a grassy and shady expanse on the shores of Lake Ginninderra. As I child I picnicked there with my family, paddled in the water (with or without permission), and played on the playgrounds. As a teenager I attended Lake Ginninderra College (which in Canberra means Year 11Continue reading “#271: Snake!”
#274: Three books in three days
On Friday I received a wonderful prize from http://ripping-ozzie-reads.com/: The entire “King Rolen’s Kin” trilogy by Rowena Cory Daniells. They’re beautiful, aren’t they? They’re also – as you may have guessed from my title – utterly gripping. I usually avoid epic family histories (although I’ve enjoyed Jack Whyte and Robin Hobb in the past) butContinue reading “#274: Three books in three days”
#270: Classy Picnic
It’s so nice when awesomeness lands in one’s lap. One of my friends had a birthday, and celebrated with a “classy picnic” – confidently leaving the interpretation up to his friends. Brave move, sir. Does this girl remind anyone else of Mary Poppins (and yes, she’s British, highly intelligent, and very capable of letting others knowContinue reading “#270: Classy Picnic”
S#99: Mmmm, sprinkles!
Today’s awesomeness mission was to bake a cake or cookies for a bunch of friends, utilising the awesome power of sprinkles. I haz fulfilled my mission. Here’s the meringues I made (crusty on the outside, chewy on the inside, and sprinkled with leftover margarita sugar): My recipe: 4 egg whites 1.5 c. sugar healthy splash of vanilla PreheatContinue reading “S#99: Mmmm, sprinkles!”