A Whiff of Whimsy

 I may have solved the problem of having difficulties with altering this post so we have set up an alternative by producing a new Google Account and starting afresh with a new BLOG.

You can follow our current and future adventures on whiffofwhimsy.blogspot.com

https://whiffofwhimsy.blogspot.com  hope this works for you.

A Round Tuit

Its an Australian expression - not sure if its used internationally. Its a bit of STRINE or more correctly Australian.

A ROUND TUIT translates to eventually I'll get, "Around To It".

Its a bit like this Blog problem I have in changing the site to suit our current lifestyle here in Ballarat, but for the current time, I'll just persevere with the Blog as it is until I find the solution. Besides, I should imagine that because its been dormant for so long, I've most probably lost our followers.

For those that might remain, the news is that we will return to France one last time in October this year. Long haul flights are now a bit of a struggle these days as we age. We have now both entered our early 70s. Sue celebrates her 73rd year May 5 and I clicked over my 74th early April.

Sue is quite excited in our return to France. She's been reading three novels based on the life of Eleanor of Aquitaine and so we will most probably follow some of the areas noted in the novels - Poitiers will be one and naturally we will revisit Chinon.

I can almost walk the streets of Chinon in my sleep, knowing it so well along with Montrichard and Saint Aignan in the Loire.

A little Renault parked outside a Chinon wine store.

Below: Street scenes of Saint Aignan

TERRIBLY CONFUSED with BLOGGER

 I seems that since coming back to Blogger after some years, I have lost my knowledge of how it works or Blogger has made changes that I was unaware of.

I try to make my current page "Trentham Tales" more relevant to our current lifestyle. The changes required are;

1. Change the title

1. 

   
   
   
   
2. Change the title photo

Firstly I go to the Blogger icon LH side of the page.

Attached is a screen shot.

This is what I get, first photo - where are the other icons?

Below is a screenshot taken from U-Tube showing the missing icons.

Should I find a solution or create a new identity and start from scratch?

WHAT's IN YOUR BOOKSHELF

Thinking and planning our October trip to France, it’s intriguing to contemplate our own familiar surroundings. This is a corner of our sitting room where we spend most of our evening time. We’ve been here 3.5 years and so you take your surroundings for granted. Taking a photo makes it special.

On the third shelf to the far right is a trumpet with the record cover of the Miles Davis album, Round Midnight.

There’s a B&W photograph of the horse race in the Siena square. A great memory of being there.

The bookshelf holds books, mainly my political books of past prime ministers. There also our travel books and a couple by song writer Paul Kelly. Shakespeare and Michael J Fox share another shelf with Bill Bryson and Jon Faine, not to forget Billy Connelly and my favourite eclectic cartoonist, Leunig.

Sue’s mother’s Royal dalton dinner set sits both on a shelf and stored behind the doors in safety.

When visiting someone for the first time, I’m drawn magnetically to their book shelf.

What about you, what does your book shelf say about you?

Ballarat has been our home since September 2020

From the quiet rural life of Trentham, we moved to Ballarat about 70 kms away. Ballarat is now the 2nd largest regional city to Geelong in Victoria. It has the most up to date medical facilities, hence the reason for the change in lifestyle.

After Sue having some health issues and the long wait for ambulance response, the decision was made during the early stages of Victoria's Covid lockdown. It was a good time in real estate with people from Melbourne looking forward to a more relaxed lifestyle.

We must admit that we enjoy our life in Ballarat and after a little more than three years, we have a lovely social group of like minded friends. The catalyst for establishing a social network was that Sue and I formed a regional division of the MG Car Club of Victoria here in Ballarat.

Such a group never existed in the past and Ballarat MG owners were just waiting for such a group. starting with 20 on the mailing list, we now are close to 100. I liken it to the Kevin Kostner baseball movie phrase, "Build it and they will come."

Any way, they are all very enthusiastic and are forming friendship groups within the network. Many like us are refugees from Melbourne and even interstate to make a life here in Ballarat.

Most would know that I've been a cyclist for many years however, my competitive days are now over, I enjoy cycling with a local group that I met on arrive in Ballarat.

I shall endeavour to post at least once per week - hopefully some of you will return as readers.

PS: How do I change the heading and photo on my Blog - I've totally forgotten.

Below photos: two of our toys.

MIGHT BE TIME TO MAKE A COMEBACK

So much has happened since our last post on this BLOG site. Not that I can tell you all in one post but maybe just step by step since we left Trentham for Ballarat.

Health reasons brought us to Victoria's second biggest regional city. Ballarat was built on gold mining in the 1850s and has an amazing architectural history with a most glamorous main street, amazing botanical gardens and a large lake where there is a huge population of water birds.

Food, wine and nightlife are still under discovery by Sue and I but we are getting there. Since arriving in 2020, we established friendship groups that make us feel comfortable enough to make it our last home.