COLOURFULWORLD

Friday 3 January 2020

December Wrap-up - Part 1

I love getting together with friends and every year for the last 4 or 5 years I have organized a get-together for Portuguese friends at Easter time, Portugal Day in June and the Christmas get-together in early December.
This year I organized a picnic for Sunday, 1st December at Kings Park, (Perth's Botanic Gardens) and this time my friends invited other Portuguese friends, so we managed to get together around 50 people. It was a great afternoon for all!













While decluttering the garage Jose found a couple of boxes with stuff that we obviously didn't need, so I photographed the pieces and advertised it my suburb's Facebook "Buy Nothing Group" page.
Except for 1 piece of fabric and 1 pair of curtains over 20 pieces went in 3 days! It actually feels good to give things to people who will have some use for them.




In late November I advertised some pieces of furniture I had painted with "Fusion Mineral Paint" and was lucky to sell 3 pieces during the first 2 weeks of December.
I've been collecting ideas to paint the remaining 7 bigger pieces of furniture in the garage.













My last day at work before my Christmas holidays was on Thursday 12th, and I gave my 5 colleagues and two of the Doctors (my favourites) my hand-made soaps.  The Doctors would also be getting wine just before Christmas, to which we all contributed to.









The spare bedroom was ready to received our daughter Karina and son in law Thomas who arrived from the Philippines in the early hours of Friday 13th.


The guest room and Twiggy sleeping on the bed
The airport outdoor Christmas tree is spectacular!



Usually just before sitting down to breakfast I check my emails, facebook, etc on my mobile, and sometimes read a couple of news articles on my newsfeed.
On the 14th December I was stunned to read that British blogger and writer Lindsay De Feliz, living in the Dominican Republic, whose blog I had been following for a few years had been found dead.
Her younger husband who had recently become a lawyer, and one of his sons were arrested.
I can only presume that they thought that by murdering her they would just get their hands on her money...

Her posts about daily life in the DR were always amusing, she was kind and loved by her neighbours, she loved animals and rescued many dogs off the streets, she helped other expats in the DR, and she was a mentor to a young boy who was being brought up by his Grandmother... Sadly, I think young Chivirico will be the one who will miss her most.
It's very sad that she met such a tragic end at the hands of those she loved and helped. RIP Lindsay.

lindsay de feliz

Thomas' parents Isabelle and Max and brother Benoit, who travelled from France, via Frankfurt and Singapore, arrived very late on Saturday 14th.
The in-laws were going to stay in an Airbnb place just 5 minutes walk away from our house, but we first brought them to our house for a snack and also to celebrate Benoit's birthday which had been on the 13th, while he was flying.



After a good night's rest the whole family met up with our son Michael, wife and kids at the Dome Cafe at Coogee Beach. Afterwards we walked over to the small protected beach so that little J could swim. The sun was setting when we drove to the port suburb of Fremantle for dinner.



In Fremantle, as there was still time, the men wanted to stop for a beer at Little Creatures Brewery before going to dinner at Kailis Fishmarket Cafe at Fremantle Harbour.
As the name implies, the fish and seafood is fresh, and you choose what you want to eat and they cook it for you.

It was a wonderful first day with the whole family, and on Monday 16th, we would be driving south to Margaret River for a 4 day mini-holiday.


Travel posts to follow next week.
Have a wonderful weekend :)


From top L to R - at the counter inside Kailis, the Christmas decor at the harbour, the harbour, Christmas tree at Little Creatures Brewery, plate of prawns

26 comments:

  1. Muito interessante este encontro de amigos portugueses.
    Um abraço e bom fim-de-semana.

    Andarilhar
    Dedais de Francisco e Idalisa
    O prazer dos livros

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    1. Sempre bom encontrar gente que fala a nossa língua. Bom fim de semana Francisco.

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  2. Wow 50 people, that is some party!!
    Yes, decluttering is refreshing (if I may use that word, considering your temps).
    Butterflies in soap - too good to be used! (I am still having your first one).
    The room is very beautiful indeed.
    Wow, when you cannot trust your husband, how sad is that. But, really. That man looks way too young for her to be with her "just for love"...

    Thomas´ parents had to go via Frankfurt?!

    The wee one is swimming already?? What?! Time flies!
    Hmmm. Little Creatures! :-)
    Great you had such wonderful times!!

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    1. I made the little butterflies in soap and put them in transparent soaps. They flew out of Marseille to Frankfurt, maybe the only or best flight that day. Otherwise they would have to go via Paris. Little E is 8 months, just standing up, not yet swimming, but she loves the water. In the photo she's with Mom, 3 year old J is in the water.

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    2. J is three years old already?!
      When you have no (Grand-)kids you never get how time flies. I see my Nieces only seldom. (60km is a long way to to them and without a car it is a long way for me indeed, and my SIL does not like me, hmmm, loads of excuses, huh).

      The big Niece is 9 now and sounds like an adult, it´s "frightening"! (Reckon it´s also due to her diabetis 1 that she has to cope with).

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  3. ...2019 looked like an exciting year, my best wishes for 2020.

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    1. Certainly lots happened in 2019. Thanks Tom.

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  4. Hello,

    A lovely look back at your 2019 year. I am sorry to hear about the blogger Lindsay's death. I wish you all the best in 2020, a happy New Year!

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  5. You had a most wonderful December. Being with family and doing fun things is most wonderful.

    Have a fabulous day, weekend and a very happy New Year. ♥

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    1. Thank you Sandee, a great 2020 for you too.

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  6. Your usual busy life plus great family times. Sad about Lindsay. I read her last post and the comments are quite revealing.

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    1. Thanks Andrew. She had been attacked twice already, the last time just a few months ago, so I wonder if maybe her husband or stepson wasn't already behind it all :(

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  7. Dearest Sami,
    Sounds like you have been very productive and got to downsize quite a lot as well. Always feels great when being able to and giveaways are also good.
    So happy your family did trigger in for the celebration of a birthday (French time was still valid more or less...) and some quality meal time together.
    Hugs and Happy New Year to you and yours and indeed may Lindsay de Feliz (who thus was NOT 'Feliz') Rest In Peace; what a fate!
    Mariette

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  8. You do more in a month than many people I know. Your first of Dec. party sounded like it went over well and was very well attended.

    I gave all my melt and pour soap materials and molds away last year. You make beautiful ones that turn out so pretty. For some reason, I just prefer the lye method. Of course, you don't get the lovely designs available in the melt and pour. Yours turned out lovely and those butterflies were amazing.

    Sorry about the blogger. How sad she met such a cruel, yet predictable fate.

    Sounds like you had a ball over the holidays with all your family with you. I'm sure you had fun. LOVED your guest bedroom. Your painting skills show in there, too.

    Happiest of new years, too, dear friend.

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    1. When I started making soaps a few years ago it was also with the lye method, but since discovering the melt and pour I think its so much more fun, and I can be more creative. Yes, the wall and chest of drawers of the guest bedroom were also painted by me Elizabeth. Thanks :)

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  9. I love the pieces you painted, Sami. If I lived nearer, there may have been a bidding war! Love all the crafts you did and the family fun. That bedroom is to die for -- light and peaceful and restful but fun. What a year, what a MONTH! Here's to a fun January!

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    1. Thanks Jeanie. The bedroom's striped wall and the chest of drawers were also painted by me.

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  10. The airport outdoor Christmas tree was spectacular!
    Sorry to read about Lindsay...

    All the best Jan

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