Mom, Margaret River, and Mea Culpa

I know it's been a month since I last posted, mea culpa!  My gorgeous mom joined us three weeks ago for her annual pilgramage from Calgary to her far far away family.  It is completely amazing having her here, just sliding into our life without judgment, not to mention that every time I turn around, my dishes are done.

It always takes a couple of weeks to get our rhythm right, the pacing between the things an 11-year old wants to do, the things a spontaneous husband decides must be done now, and the things a near 80-year old can do, requires patience and a little ingenuity.  Somewhere in the pursuit of balance, blogging got lost but I'm back on track now.

Margaret River Chocolate Company

J was beginning his Term 2 break when mum arrived and we spent the first week happily showing her a little of Perth and Fremantle.  However between her jetlag and the rapid fire "here's the Indian Ocean", "there's Cottesloe Beach", "here's the Swan River", "that's a Kookaboora" commentary, I'm not sure how much she took in.  The second week, we drove south to Margaret River for a little family holiday.  The Margaret River region, for you non-oenophiles, is arguably Australia's premier wine-growing region, renowned for its superior wine, market-fresh produce, gourmet restaurants, and world-class surf breaks and beaches along the spectacular south Western Australian coast.

The paddocks at our little house

Murphy loving all the open space

Margaret River was an inspired and perfect fit for our varied age groups.  We three adults dragged J to four cellar doors over the week,  he brought a book, we took our time, he drank tea and ate scones, we tasted wine, and all were content.  The four wineries we visited each offered a fantastic location, as elegant and evolved wine production as I have witnessed in France, with a new world attitude that was refreshing.  The wineries for reference were: Cullen Wines, Vasse Felix Wines, Voyager Wines, and Cape Mentelle Wines.  There are dozens of other wineries still to be discovered in our future in the region.

Prevally

In addition, our little rented house had paddocks leading to the actual Margaret River.  We quickly adopted an early morning routine of strolling with Murphy through the green paddocks filled with fields of Peace Lillies, Kangaroos, and Wallabies down to the river.  We'd leave mum at home with an extra cup of coffee while we explored and played.  Murphy, in spite of her very advanced age, thoroughly loved it.

Twice we deposited mum for a few hours in the township of Margaret River while we went caving.  There are dozens of caves in the region formed by fragile limestone along the spine of the Leeuwin Naturaliste National Park.  Some have been developed as show caves, well lit and with relatively easy access in and out of the deep caverns.  We visited Lake Cave which was a spectacular example.

Lakes Cave, Margaret River

Later in the week, C2, J, and I ventured into Giants Cave, a VERY different experience.  In this case, we had to follow a barely lit trail through dark descents, ascend steep fixed ladders, and squeeze through tiny spaces between rocks.  Not for the faint-hearted but a great deal of fun.  It's always exhilarating to try something never experienced before.

 

Thinking this might'nt have been such a great idea after all

Yes, we had to squeeze through the tiny opening at the top of the ladder

The exit....such as it was

On our final day, we drove to the extreme south-western point of Australia to Cape Leeuwin where the mighty Southern Ocean collides with the Indian Ocean, and where Humpback, Southern Right, Minke, and even Blue Whales pause to rest on their annual lengthy journey north to more tropical waters where they give birth.   During this time of year, whales can be sighted from the beaches near Augusta and from the point, but we joined a small adventure boat heading out to open ocean to sight the pods.   Three boats headed out together in 3 directions to look for the pods, and we all had plenty of long-range sightings.

Cape Leeuwin, where the Southern Ocean collides with the Indian Ocean

After 90 minutes, two of the boats returned to Augusta.  Our crusty captain, however, knew the pod was close, possessed an amazing and respectful understanding of whale behaviour, and we were rewarded with an amazing show of Humpbacks in the natural environment.  The females with their protective male escorts (not their mates), flirty other young males trying to make an impression and the intricate social dance they perform.  It was memorable for all of us.  Mum even saw a Great White Shark which was following a pod of Common Dolphins beside our boat.  She was at the back of the boat alone with a crew member while the rest of us were at the front watching the whales.

Common Dolphins

The magnificent Humpbacks

C2's photography was just a little amazing on this trip.

Namaste

I'm on a bit of a fitness kick these days.  The move from Melbourne to Perth was consuming and emotional and there might have been a few too many Tim-Tams eaten for comfort.  I've always exercised regularly but in the last year or so I've been battling injuries, time, and Tim-Tams.

Anyway...since arriving in Perth, I have been running regularly taking advantage of the cool Western Australian winter.  People tell me that once the long summer arrives, it is too hot to run, even in the mornings.  However, as my injuries are still nagging, I'm only running twice a week.  To fill the gaps, and to complement running, I decided to try Bikram Yoga.

Now a couple of qualifiers.  I've done yoga regularly for two years.  First, I practiced Ashtanga, the cardio-intensive yoga and really enjoyed it.  For the last 6 months or so before leaving Melbourne, I moved to Vinyasa Flow yoga which focused on strength and completely hated it.  Flow's intensity wasn't great for my injuries plus it was stinking hard!

So now Bikram.  Let me describe Bikram: it is hot yoga, 26 poses plus two breathing exercises always performed in exactly the same order over 90 minutes in a hot room heated to 40c with 40% humidity.  Yup, you read that right.  My only intimate knowledge with the practice was through my sister-in-law who tried it once and is still traumatized.   However, there was an elegant Bikram studio close to my house in Perth and they were offering a one-month special so I decided to try.  I was warned upon arrival that I would be miserable uncomfortable for the first 4-5 sessions, would likely feel light-headed, dizzy, and/or nauseated and that I should pace myself carefully.  Wow, where do I sign up!   I've now been practicing for over two months.

This is what Bikram feels like to me.

1.   An utterly non-relaxing form of yoga since it is practiced in intense heat and under intense lighting.  There are no flickering candles nor soft chanting.  The teacher talks non-stop describing every pose in great detail, and not in a gentle, soothing voice.  Throughout the first two sessions, the running soundtrack in my head was "shut up shut up shut up shut up", but apparently it's the Bikram way.

2.  Bikram smells.  Depending on the size of the hot box, there can be 40-50 very sweaty bodies and feet, dong very strenuous exercise.  The smells, can be, upon occasion, overwhelming, especially if a glass or two too many were consumed the night before.

3.  Bikram is hot, like crazy hot.  This morning, for example, I was lying on my mat for the 10 minutes or so that we acclimatise before beginning, and all I could think was "if I was lying on a beach, this would be the time I'd think it was time to jump in the water since I'm overheating".  The practice hadn't even started yet.

4.  Bikram is counter-intuitive.  Every other form of yoga I have ever practiced has counselled "soft knees, soft knees".  Bikram insists on locked knees.  The goal for everyone of the 26 poses is to complete it with locked knees, like concrete-locked.

5.  You have no idea how much the human body can sweat until you do Bikram, seriously NO IDEA.

Given all of the above, you'd think Bikram would be awful, but here's the thing; it's awesome, and  inspiring, and requires such intense focus to keep everything together: mind, balance, form, breath,  that the 90 minutes is over almost before I realize it.    I have never felt more flexible or strong, I am able to bend and move in ways I haven't been able to in years.  My injuries, while not healed, are managed and not bothering me during my runs.  I have lost weight, and the bits around my middle that I've been eying suspiciously are disappearing fast.  That being said, I can't say that I love the whole experience while I'm in the middle of it but, wow, the post-practice endorphin high is amazing and seductive.

Don't judge it till you try it....4 or 5 times.  Namaste

Kookaburra Sits in the Old Gum Tree

Remember that old song?  It's one of those ditties that EVERYONE can automatically rhyme off,  up there with "London Bridge is Falling Down".  Of course all those years ago when the words came humming off my lips, I didn't have a clue who or what a Kookaburra was or a Gum Tree or why it was laughing at me.  It was as enigmatic as a jolly swagman, a billabong or a Coolibah tree (note to self: break down Waltzing Matilda in a future posting).

So here's the thing, now that I live in Australia, I sure as heck know what Gum Trees are (synonymous with Eucalyptus) because they really are everywhere, and whilst living in Melbourne, I did hear the occasional distant laughter of a Kookaburra and was completely charmed.

Laughing Kookaburra

 However, Kookaburras seem to be a primary resident in Perth and while their loud call is supposed to echo human laughter, let me tell you they don't so much laugh as chortle, chuckle, snicker, whoop, crack up, shriek, and scream like a howling pack of monkeys at their preferred time of day ....6:30am ...exactly....outside my bedroom window. 

Here's another thing I bet you didn't know about Kookaburras.  They are the snobs of the aviary set.  When looking at them and encouraging them to  do their thing, they just stare off into space, refuse to make eye contact, show minimal movement, and utterly and completely ignore you.  Until of course you have stalked off, then they chortle at you like crazy monkeys.

If you could put an air bubble on top of this fellow, I just know he would be saying "I'm not listening, I'm not listening" or "Go away, you're boring me, I'm not a circus monkey",  Too right, just a crazy monkey!

A Milestone Birthday

Hiding in denial has done little to change the fact that I had a milestone birthday yesterday, a big one….a really, really big one.  I am of two minds about it.  In one way, I feel heartache that the best of my youth and vigour are apparently behind me.  This feels particularly true when I look too closely in the mirror or lament the southerly movement of a few body parts.  On the other hand, as my darling husband tells me, “it’s better than the alternative”….you know being dead.  Yes, he is pragmatic, my husband.

I thought long and hard about how to mark this milestone.  A family trip to Bali? (too politically unstable at the moment), a big bash? (anyone who knows me knows I HATE being center of attention so definitely not),  a small bash? (well we’re still working on building a new social network in Perth, and I cried my way through the last one in Melbourne, so no), dinner at a fancy, expensive restaurant? (nah).

Then a couple of weeks ago, Child Wise invited me to give a talk at a fundraiser/awareness-raising event on the issue of child sexual abuse and child trafficking, hosted by a small NGO in Perth called ‘Bird on a Wire” on my actual birthday day.    In the end, this seemed a more fitting way to remember this personal milestone whilst at the same time bringing attention to an issue close to my heart in this place I now call home.

After the event yesterday afternoon, I came home to a bottle of Moet & Chandon on ice.  J was out for a walk with neighbours so C2 and I just sat, talked, sipped our champagne and reflected on the life we have had together.  He followed this up with an amazing dinner of grilled Swordfish, Caponata, grilled Asparagus, and grilled bread, all my favorite foods.  That husband of mine is one fine cook!

J took this one and though blurry I think it captures the spirit of my birthday evening

Today, I have found myself continuing to reflect on my life,  I count myself remarkably fortunate that while there have been challenges along the way and my  choices have not been without cost, I have had, to put it simply, a bloody brilliant life and I am so grateful. 

A walk on the doggie beach the day before

J and Murphy

More at the dog beach down the road from our house

It has been a soulful, stimulating, enriching journey; a life populated by a beloved cast of characters some who have accompanied me for only a season, but all of whom in a million ways, contributed to my experience,.  It has been a kaleidoscope of colour, of taste, of language, and of new and different horizons.  It has been a book of many chapters, each shifting and stretching me into the person I am now. 

I intentionally use the word stretch because I hope that as a result of my life experience, I possess the qualities I have learned to admire most in others.

·      To have strong opinions provided they are informed ones, it is important that truths be founded in reason and careful consideration but then they should be sung.;

·      To stay informed in order to contribute to the social conversation; to consider the rationale of others but to critically discern;

·      To be tolerant but only when it is predicated upon personal freedoms and reason, not dogma or undue influence. 

·      To have passions regardless of what they are and to pursue them with abandon without fear of judgment;

·      To be compassionate and to empathize with the broken, the disadvantaged, and the vulnerable;

·      To engage in something, anything; but once engaged, pursue it with honour and commitment for as long as possible;

·      To live life purposefully; open-eyed, open-minded, and open-hearted; to push the limits of your courage particularly when it’s easier to do the easy thing.

Oh and finally, and this one is really, really important: remember to drink more water and the occasional glass of good Champagne with a good friend.

Calgary in the Tropics

is what we've been calling Perth ever since relocating to Western Australia.  We have observed for the three or so years that we've lived in Australia that Canadians and Australians are very similar.  Same dry sense of humour, self-deprecating, don't take ourselves particularly seriously, real news programming, limited filter and not afraid to call the ridiculous what it is.

However, now we have further observed that Perth and Melbourne are as different as say Calgary and Montreal.  Come to think of it Melbourne is Montreal.  Stately, elegant, great architecture, killer fashion sense but I never knew my Melbourne neighbours (excepting one: hi Robyn!).

Perth is Calgary.  G'day from everyone you pass in the street, chatty staff in all the shops, great architecture somewhat lacking, killer outdoor activities.  Trade the Alberta Rockies for the Indian Ocean and you would swear you were in the same place, except with Frangiapanis....and Banana Trees....and beaches...and no snow or freezing temperatures.  You get the picture.

It's been a nice weekend, pretty perfect actually.  J had a mate over on Saturday and we all trouped to the doggie beach at the end of our road (because they have beaches at the end of your roads in Perth!).  Murphy was in heaven.  We did observe several washed-up Man O'War Blue Bottle jellyfish on the beach probably a result of some crazy wind a few days ago.  Want to know more about Man O'War Blue Bottle jellyfish - they're a little scary, just click anywhere on this coloured link.  Awesome!  Can't wait for summer.  That'll be me, the crazy girl in the stinger suit inside a shark cage right near shore.

Anyhoo, jellyfish and sharks aside, we had our neighbours for dinner last night which concluded with a dessert I stole borrowed from my great friend Kerry - Chocolate Chili Ice Cream cake.  It is killer! and I have a Mother's Day date with the rest of it tonight.

This Mother's Day morning, however, I was greeted with coffee, freshly-squeezed O.J., a card, and the latest edition of Australia's Better Homes and Gardens magazines in bed followed by an HOUR of reading my book....by myself!!!  I vetoed breakfast in bed since I hate sleeping amongst crumbs.  Breakfast was outside (because you can have breakfast outside in the Fall in Calgary-in-the-Tropics!).

The day was followed by a couple of hours of all of us reading our books, a Skype session with Kerry and the gang, and a Bikram Yoga class - doesn't get much better.  I am very blessed.

Another Sunday Another Recipe

Not entirely sure where the last week went but next thing I know Sunday rolled around again.  Fall has arrived WA-style.  It's overcast and hovers around 23c before plummeting to 13c during the night.  I spent the day clothed in tights, a t-shirt, and flipflops - crazy for this Northern girl!

Sundays, for Australian Family Hendricks, usually centers around food.  As I have a dearth of topics to discuss, and inspired by a friend who enjoyed our Pina Colada recipe last week, I thought I would share our day of food, ending with our dinner recipe.   Having finally had our erstwhile

stovetop repaired this week (yes, it is possible to become sick of barbeque after almost 3 weeks), we celebrated with C2s  Lemon Ricotta pancakes for breakfast.   A Melbourne tradition for us but our first time in Perth.   Sorry can't share that recipe, it's classified!

After a morning spent pruning my Tahitian Lime tree of its' infestation of Citrus Leaf Miner (clearly no one with a love of citrus trees lived here before us), and planting armfuls of sweet basic, and fragrant mint; our neighbours presented us with a bowl of freshly-baked bread.  Lunch was freshly-baked bread, French butter, ham, cheese, avocado and tomato, piri piri sauce, olives, cornichons, and J's version of soft drink: freshly-squeezed orange juice, carbonated water, and a dash of sugar.

Later in the day, and clearly in a citrus state-of-mind, with a glass of Australian Shiraz in hand and John Mayer radio sounding from Pandora, C2 and I made Penne with Roasted-Tomato Sauce, Orange and Olives accompanied by a green salad for dinner.

Here is the recipe:

Penne with Roasted-Tomato Sauce, Orange and Olives

Ingredients:

1 kg plum tomatoes cut into wedges
1-2 onions halved lengthwise, cut into thin wedges
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
4 garlic cloves, coursely chopped
1 tbsp grated orange peel
1/2 cup fresh orange juice

2 cups penne
1/2 chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup chopped pitted Kalamata olives
1/4 cup freshly-grated pecorino Romano cheese

Spread tomatoes on one sheet and onions on the other.  Drizzle 1 tbsp olive oil over each. Distribute garlic and orange peel over both.  Season with salt and pepper and roast until tender stirring occasionally, about 30 mins for onions and 45 mins for tomatoes.  Cool slightly.  Pour 1/4 cup of orange juice over vegetables on both sheets scraping up any brown bits from bottom of sheets.

When done, prepare pasta,  reserve approx 1/4 cup pasta cooking water.   Add tomato and onion mixture, basil and olives to pasta.  Stir over medium heat until heated through adding enough reserve pasta cooking water to moisten.  Transfer to bowls.  Sprinkle with grated Romano cheese and serve.  It is OMG delish!

Bon appetit!

Sunday Morning Pina Coladas

This Sunday morning just seemed to say "Pina Coladas".  Maybe it's been the spectacular weather we've been having, the Frangiapani and Hibiscus still blooming wildly in this unusually warm Perth Fall.  Or maybe it's the plethora of tropical fruits available in this part of the world.  Whatever the reason, this morning just seemed right for a Pina Colada (virgin 'course).

We started by hacking into a young green coconut.  J's has been drinking them frequently.  We have an outdoor method now following several early efforts resulting in woody coconut bits flying everywhere.  Next pour the coconut milk into a jug before scooping out the ripe flesh.

Next mash the flesh with some of the coconut milk and unsweetened pineapple juice.

Finally, blend with the rest of the coconut milk, more unsweetened pineapple juice, a Western Australia banana (tiny and super sweet), passionfruit yogurt, and ice (the lego-shaped pieces work particularly well).

Add straws, sit in the sun, and dream of summer.

Yep, that's how we roll in Western Australia.