We seem to be caught up in an endless cycle of the very worst actions that human kind can inflict upon itself. Terrorism, racism, abuse against children so vile that I can’t even bring myself to read beyond the headlines…
Where will it end, how will it end and will any of my thoughts make a real difference? I can profess to stand with a city, I can post images and articles to social media in support and I do pray for the suffering and the dead but at times it can all feel like hollow actions and lip service to the evils of the world which are as complex as its human fabric.
I’ve taken the easy option this weekend and taken a step back from the rest of the world. It’s been a weekend of good times with good friends and food.
Friday night was all about dressing up and unwinding from a long but rewarding day at work – with a restaurant bathroom selfie….
A bit of pre dinner Priceline hauling took place.
I’m very excited about this new Ombree eyeshadow palette from L’Oreal that’s coming soon. Did you know NYX is online at Priceline already? You must have been reading my tweets if you did.
Gowings Bar and Grill is looking like being my official girls night out venue….
The food is always excellent. Love pork belly and crackling? You must try theirs.
Love crab cakes? Ditto.
Love fancy lights in lifts? You must ride theirs.
It’s also been a weekend of chance encounters that have made me smile and put some pep in my step (don’t you love it when clothes from Costco punch well above their weight?). It’s also been a weekend of stepping in and helping a stranger in her moment of need. It’s been a sense that I’m now a part of the new ‘hood. As much a part of its fabric as its buildings, parks and beach.
Being very present and engaged in my here and now definitely makes me feel better about the world and its people than if my energies had gone towards the latest headlines and interactive news articles instead…
Preschooler SSG and I went for a little day trip into the city yesterday. I had a goal of eventually getting to the Art Gallery of NSW but you probably have some idea already that day tripping with a three year old is more about the journey than the destination.
Our first stop was the Winter Wonderland in front of St Mary’s Cathedral. The Krispy Kreme was parked out the front, outdoor table settings were dotted around the forecourt and the sun was out. What more could you ask for on a winter’s day in Sydney?
Snow!!!! For $5, Preschooler SSG and I spent 15 minutes in a little snow pit that was separate to the super slide and ice skating rink that were also set up for the winter festival.
It was one of those special parenting moments watching him as he played with and explored the ‘snow’.
Our next stop was Hyde Park.
Where beautiful bubbles floated and danced above and around us amorphously.
I think bubble artists have one of the best jobs in the world.
Their work brings such joy to everyone who sees it.
The winter gardens of Hyde Park were immaculate and the rich, velvet colours of the flower beds were a striking contrast to the greyish skies and the sea of mostly dark jackets, scarves and boots walking around them.
The Domain has this stately air to it.
The gardens and sculptures take me miles away to the parks of London.
It’s a Sydney thing, isn’t it? This clash and contradiction of sights and sounds that all works because its people love and embrace it all with good humoured passion and friendliness.
See those banners advertising this year’s Archies? That’s as close as we got to the exhibition. The queue to even get in was too long to contemplate with an active preschooler in tow.
But we enjoyed exploring the gallery itself. The names of artists engraved into the walls, the statues, the numbers in the car park spaces….
We rode the escalators up and down the levels of the gallery, peaking into exhibitions as we saw fit.
The marble floored areas squelch clicked under our feet as we (decorously) ran with our mother’s hand hovering around the back of our jacket.
While the parquetry floors of the permanent collection wings squeaked like agile, rubbery mice with each step we took.
Have you had a bit of world crisis over exposure? How are you dealing with it?
