Sunshine

Many years ago, my Mum did astrology charts for my husband Georgie and me, and she said that he will be the one who keeps the romance alive in our relationship. I remember thinking ‘What about me? I’m romantic!’

But you know what? She was right. He keeps life fun when I’m under the pump or strung out about something or racing the clock to be somewhere on time. And he can read me like a book which shits me sometimes because he knows everything… even when he knows nothing.

And when I’m venting, he gets in my face and smirks and says ‘Don’t you smile, Boopie!’

And then I smile.

My world wouldn’t be a patch on what it is without him. I love him so much and words don’t really cut it.

There’s a song by Sinead O’Connor called ‘Dancing Shoes’ (Google it. It’s beautiful) and each time I’m writing a card for Georgie I feel compelled to finish it by quoting a line from that song. I resist because I worry he’ll think I haven’t put thought into what I want to say, that I’ve just dragged out an old standard. Silly, eh?

So while I’m feeling brazen (and not just a little bit lovey) I’m going to drag out that ‘old standard’ and finish with this:

Darren Scarce, you take my rainy days and make them go away. I love you.

For Tani and Bear (the best friends a Boop could have)

With my sister's wedding at the beginning of the year, a major holiday at the end and some expensive living in between, 2008 can be summed up in two words: cash strapped. So when it came to Christmas presents we made a pact with our closest friends that each of us would only do gifts for the children.

Now 2008 was an interesting year for me and along with Georgie and my sister Sasha, my two dearest friends Tani (yes, my personal tutu maker)and Bear were never far away when I needed them most.

These two beautiful girls have a knack of knowing when things aren't right and a call will come out of the blue. Their friendship means the world to me and I wanted to recognise that at Christmas whilst not breaking our 'no-gift' pact. So I made them each an apron (I adore aprons... but that's another story) which turned out so fabulously I'm making myself one in a ladybird print.

So for Tani and Bear... thank you gorgeouses... I love you both more than even I can say. For everyone else, here's an introduction to the best friends a Boop could have... and of course, their aprons.

Tani

Tani is a beautiful girl blessed with an enviable pout so I sometimes call her Lips... especially when she signs my cards with a big red lipstick blot. We met at work in Adelaide about 10 years ago and we just connected. Her gorgeous daughters, Taylah and Lilly are my godchildren and my favourite reason to get back to Adelaide whenever we can.

Tani's Apron

Bear

Bear has been my best friend since high school but we've known each other since primary school. Her name is actually Andrea but with her beautiful dark curls and gorgeous round face she looks like a panda bear... and that's how she got her life-long nickname. I most often call her Mrs Bearly and she's a very proud mummy to Evie, a favourite subject in my last post.

Bear's Apron

Redottification

When I was just thinking about starting a blog, my friend Miss Marzie - herself a longtime blogger - said that you meet some lovely people in blog world. Now it's not that I disbelieved her, it's just that meeting lovely people was not high on my list of motivations for starting the Daily Boop... and then I met Whimsy Cate.

Y'see the luscious, lolly-like dots you see here before you (as opposed to gloomy green and yucky yellow) are thanks to Cate and her man Tim, who wrote a comprehensive step-by-step guide through image editing and HTML that was so easy to get, I had new dots up by lunchtime.

So when Miss Marzie said I'd meet some lovely people online she was so right! Thank you Cate and Tim... you have made me a very happy Boop!

PS Whimsy Cate writes a lovely blog, as does the gorgeous Miss Marzie. So if you haven't ventured out into blog world yet, I highly recommend doing so. You'll be amazed at what - and who - is out there.

Beginnings

When I was just two years and nine days old, my little sister came into the world. I don't know why my dad thought I needed a present to mark the occasion but I doubt very much that he was aware of the impact the three little books he gave me would have on my life.

They were by the creator of Winnie the Pooh, AA Milne: When We Were Very Young, Now We Are Six, and The House at Pooh Corner. I adored these books - especially the first two - and even now I love to pull them off the bookcase and read them loud and animated like a primary school librarian.

I don't know why I love these poems so much and I don't want to think about it too deeply in case it tarnishes the beautiful innocence of it all. But I do know there's something uplifting and inspiring and beautiful about the way stories like these can shape a child's imagination; and I'd like to think they had a similar influence on mine.

My favourites have changed over the years. When I was really little I loved one called 'Happiness' which was about John and his great big waterproof boots. As I got older I laughed out loud to 'Bad Sir Brian Botany' (an eccentric old soldier whose long-suffering neighbours took their revenge in a duck pond), and wondered at how that precocious little upstart, James James Morrison Morison Weatherby George Dupree, persuaded the King to help him look for his mother in 'Disobedience'.

But this is my all time favourite AA Milne poem. It's called 'The Four Friends' and it's from When We Were Very Young.

Ernest was an elephant, a great big fellow,
Leonard was a lion with a six foot tail,
George was a goat, and his beard was yellow,
And James was a very small snail.

Leonard had a stall, and a great big strong one,
Earnest had a manger, and its walls were thick,
George found a pen, but I think it was the wrong one,
And James sat down on a brick.

Earnest started trumpeting, and cracked his manger,
Leonard started roaring, and shivered his stall,
James gave a huffle of a snail in danger
And nobody heard him at all.

Earnest started trumpeting and raised such a rumpus,
Leonard started roaring and trying to kick,
James went on a journey with the goats new compass
And he reached the end of his brick.

Ernest was an elephant and very well intentioned,
Leonard was a lion with a brave new tail,
George was a goat, as I think I have mentioned,
but James was only a snail.

These are few of my favourite things... (cue music)

In my first post, 'Blogging not Jogging', I said I was going to write about the things that make me happy, so I'll start at the top with this guy... my husband Darren.

He's known by many names: Darrenby, Dazz, Dazzler, Dazza, Dazzafrass, Count von Dazzler, Bedazzler, Dashing, Derwent, Dags, Daggy, Derwie, Virgil, Scarce, Scarcey, Scarcecrow, Rabbit, Bunyip, Bullfrog, Lightning, and Johnny Holmes (although not for the reasons you might think); but I call him George.

I took this photo as he was whipping up a tuna salsa this afternoon, which is a perfect segue into another of my most favourite things: food! I wish I had taken a picture of the salsa because it looked as good as it tasted. We piled it onto tomato and linseed crackers and gobbled it up.

It took about ten minutes from raiding the cupbard to piling the crackers so it's perfect for when your mother in law rings and says she'll be there in ten for lunch. Thankfully mine lives interstate so I didn't have to share the very first Georgie's Tuna Salsa. Here's the recipe... hope you enjoy.

Georgie's Tuna Salsa
Tuna in springwater
Finely chopped tomato, basil and parsley (don't be shy)
Lightly toasted pine nuts
Dash of light mayo
Whisker of wasabi

Combine and serve on your choice or spice- or herb-flavoured crackers.