My Heart and Prayers Are in Australia

With my koala buddy, KiKi

Exactly two years ago, I was getting ready for the trip of a lifetime. I was about set off for almost three weeks in Australia. I planned to join a tour for two of those weeks and also spend time independently in Melbourne and Sydney.  The trip surpassed my expectations. I got to cuddle a koala, see sights of extraordinary beauty and spend time with my bloggy buddy, Little Wandering Wren in Melbourne. 

I am beyond heartbroken at the scenes of devastation throughout Australia. More than twelve million acres have been scorched and hundreds of thousands of animals have died. I know that this isn't the usual happy post of Buttercupland, but the situation so moved my heart I want to make my contribution to a place that welcomed me so completely. 

  I was so excited to see a wallaby in the area outside of Melbourne.

I reached out to friends I made while I was there for a suggestion for donations. My buddies at Chicken or The Egg suggested WIRES, Australian Wildlife Information and Rescue Services. I am not fundraising, but I know in times of disaster we often look for credible organizations to contribute to and this group is doing great work. 

On a completely different note, I'm doing well with No-Spending January. My only expense for today was $1.09 for coffee at 7-11. I also comparative shopped yogurt in the neighborhood and found the least expensive place was my local Walgreen's where it was $1.49 vs. $2.29 at the grocery down the street.  

Total saving on January 5: $30.89

Tomorrow morning I'm leaving for my first trip of 2020, a quick visit to Vermont to see my dear friends, K and J. The airport presents unique challenges for No-Spending. Coffee is twice the price of anywhere else and the same for food. I'm not going to go hungry, but I will look around for good value. I downloaded several library books to my Kindle, so I won't be tempted by books or magazines.

I don't plan to post while I'm away, but will be posting "Vermont in Winter" on my Instagram page. If you would like to follow, here is the link, buttercupnyc.

As ever, thanks for visiting and wishes for a great week!

A Pink Saturday Meet-Up With Little Wandering Wren

 

The most delicious lunch of my trip to Australia, the acai berry smoothie at The Chicken or the Egg Cafe, Maling Road, Canterbury, Victoria. Yes, it was as delicious as it looks. 

I shared this fabulous lunch -- food, conversation, company and setting -- with my blogger buddy, Little Wandering Wren. Wren is from Melbourne, but has been living in Bangkok for the last while. To my great fortune she was in Melbourne at the same time I was visiting and our schedules worked perfectly for an afternoon meet-up. 

If you asked me how I first "met" Wren I would be unable to tell you. In the world of blogging our blogs crossed paths and we started commenting on each other's blogs. After awhile Facebook was added to the mix and then Instagram. I love following her travels, but I also love seeing her homey photographs, especially of "the crazy poodle," who is one of the sweetest dogs anywhere.

I was delighted to accept Wren's invitation to come out to one of the towns outside of Melbourne. It felt like a little adventure outside the regular tourist stops. I made my way to the beautiful Flinders Street Station. Built in 1909, it is the busiest station in both Melbourne and Australia. Thanks to very helpful customer service staff I figured out the fare and made my way to the right track.
 

Flinders Street Station

My view waiting for the train on the Belgrave Line

 

I've never met a blog buddy and found the meeting awkward. Never. In most cases we've spent years getting to know each via our writing and our photographs and Wren was as lovely as I expected. We had a great lunch and then window shopped on Maling Road as the two friends we are. We browsed clothes, books -- of course! -- housewares and pressed our noses, proverbially, against the candy store window in the picture below.  

 

 It was the loveliest of afternoons and one of the high points of my trip to Australia. Thank you, Wren and dear Crazy Poodle, for a wonderful visit.

On the home front, it's still winter in New York, despite the almost 80 degree weather on Wednesday. Today was cold and so dreary and after a quick walk in the afternoon I have been unmotivated to head back out into the rain. I filled the day reading the New York Times, baking muffins and chatting with Verizon about my ailing television service. They agreed that my cable box cannot be fixed remotely and part of tomorrow will be spent waiting for the Verizon person. It does mean skipping yoga, but I want my television back.

As ever, thanks for visiting. Please stop by and visit the bloggers of Pink Saturday for a little fun on this rainy Sunday night. Take good care and have a great week.