Monthly Wrap-Up - May

For other signs from around the world please check Tom's blog

Friday 5th - am - met up with my now retired ex-colleagues Gill and Jan at a South Perth cafe- Atomic Expresso.

South Perth streets

Cheese and ham croissant and Hot chocolate for me

In the evening Jose joined our friend Maria (who I met via my suburb's "Buy Nothing Group" at the Attfield Pub for a karaoke night to celebrate her birthday.

We had dinner first (Fish & Chips for me) and then some of the ladies got up to perform a couple of songs.  None of us are great singers, but we braved the stage as a group 🤣.

Singing "Man I feel like a woman" from Shania Twain

Fish & Chips

Saturday  6th - Our friend Maria, Jose and I went olive picking in the morning, in one of the local parks, to add to the olives already picked by the other member's of our "Community Harvest Group".  We also have a tree in our front garden and Jose and I picked about 40kgs in our tree.

Friday 12th - 3 of us took olives to Tarralea Grove in the suburb of Jarrahdale to be turned into olive oil. The total picked was 292kg which yielded almost 39kg of olive oil. The oil was brought to my house and has to sit for 1 month before being decanted. We will have a get-together in mid-June to distribute the oil by the pickers.

Our crates of olives ready to be transported to Tarralea Grove

Jarrahdale is an historic country town, with a past of logging industry (jarrah trees), and while we waited for the olive oil, we drove to the Jarrahdale General Store for a coffee. Some interesting signs were found in the shop/cafe.

The General store had second hand clothes for sale and this sign was in the corner with the clothes for bigger people - Cuddly corner - isn't that so sweet?

Sat 13th - After lunch I drove to the inner-city suburb of Subiaco (just north of the city centre) to visit the "Subi Blooms" - 12 flower installations that were set up in the two main streets during Mother's day weekend. On the Monday the flowers would be distributed to women in hospitals.

One of the exhibits was at the Subiaco Theatre Gardens where one of the Thomas Danbo's wooden giants (Bille Bob) is located. 

In the evening we attended a 50th birthday party of our friend Simon at The Shorehouse, in the suburb of Swanbourne.

It was also my Mom and Dad's 64th wedding anniversary, and because we are 7h ahead, when we got home from the birthday party we called them.

Mom & Dad celebrated their 64th wedding anniversary.

Saturday 20th -  With another 3 friends, I attended the 3rd Bloom Women's Festival that celebrates multicultural unity, presented by the Canning Recreation Centre.

The entertainment was provided by a Spanish Dance School, the Falun Dafa Association, and an Italian ballet school.  

After the dances we listened to the keynote speakers which were the Indonesian consul general in Perth - Mrs Listiana Operananta, the President and founder of the not-for-profit organization United in Diversity, as well an English teacher to adult migrants - Mrs Mamta Kochhar and the nurse and founder and CEO of Worthy Australia Foundation - Mrs Jennifer McGivern.

They also had an inspirational talk by a deaf and blind young woman who leads a normal life - Deborah Kazich, and a moving song and speech by a woman who experience the Bosnian War and is now resides in Perth.

Dinner was beef curry. The Bosnian lady sang a song she learned at kids choir in Bonia and talked about her war experiences. Best ethnic dresses

Sunday 21st - had coffee with my work colleagues to discuss work issues.

In the afternoon Jose and I joined Maria again to pick more olives at a neighbour's house. I had already picked around 40kg from our olive tree and Maria and I wanted to make more oil. This time the 3 of us got just over 100kg and got almost 14lt which will be divided between Maria and I.

Friday 26th - a Portuguese friend arranged a Portuguese dinner at Rimondo's Italian Restaurant in Landsdale. We had to pre-order from 3 dishes - bean stew, goat stew and Octopus Rice.

Sixty five people were in attendance, it was a fun evening and the food was fantastic too.

Meat and beans stew, Goat stew, octopus rice and desserts - Chocolate mousse and Tiramisu

Saturday 27th - We went with our friends Lido and Wendy to the Regal Theatre in Subiaco, to watch Cirque Mother Africa.

It was a fantastic evening with great performances by African artists. The presenter was super funny and got the crowd involved in the show.

The other day driving home from work going over the Canning Bridge I noticed the reflections in the water and I drove to the river edge to take some photos.

A rainbow after some showers

My poor Twiggy has been sick lately.  She first started with a sore around her neck which she would scratch constantly, and the vet gave her a 10 day antibiotic. Just 2 or 3 days before the treatment ended she basically refused to eat any of the foods she previously ate.

I took her to the vet again - she had lost a little weight, had her bloods taken, but the vet can't find anything out of order - she's not diabetic, no kidney or liver disease, no thyroid problems....

After the last visit to the vet Twiggy was given an appetite stimulant and she's been eating a little more, but still not as much as she should, and not any of the pet foods she had previously eaten, now she will only eat fresh pet meat. 

I was told if she carries on like this, we might have to take her for a scan.                    At almost 16 years (in September), it seems her health problems are starting.

Other signs seen this month:

The Two foxy 4W drive with eye-lashes over the lights