It's been a while.

Hello there lovely people, it's been a long time between postings. 💖

I can't believe it but here I am nearly 10 years on from my last Blog, 'Pigs Kids and Gecko's Life in a Ubud Village'.

This blog has a new title for a new life here in Melbourne .... 'Accidental Oldie'

Yes, I am still trying to get my head around it, but here I am 10 years later and in my sixties!!! WTF happened and yes it is an accident that I'm here, as I never planned on having aches, pains, reflux, memory prolapses er Ulcerative Colitis, floppy boobs and all the lovely 'things' that go along with ageing, again I say WTF????

Yes, I always wanted to live forever, but somehow I ridiculously, subconsciously, thought that I would stay the same, with a scattter of wrinkles and lovely white hair. Well, I'm getting wrinkles in places I never expected and my natural hair is a dirty grey. I tried going natural for the first 2 years but I'm pleased to say I finally took my daughter's advice and went back to good old blonde, and I don't care if I'm setting a bad example for young women because I feel way better when I look better!

Yes, that's one of the bonuses of hitting sixty, you start to give less of a toss what people think about you... and that is something that I have been working on for most of my life FOPO Fear of Other Peoples Opinions.

Oh my, a lot has happened in 10 years, where do I start ???

Well, we left our dream home and village life in the rice fields of Ubud and moved closer to Ubud central, still amongst the rice fields but somewhere more private and 3 minutes from the cafe strip. During that time our gorgeous friend Pamela decided to make a life change and at 90 years of age, she left her family home in Perth, Western Australia and moved up into a Villa right next door to us. She was so brave and so inspiring we had 2 wonderful years together.

Then that proverbial 'shit hit the fan' Covid hit and my darling Pammie died. It was a very sad and stressful time, dealing with death as a foreigner in Indonesia was a toughie. Police investigations and everything blown out/over-dramatised by the arrival of Covid. With the help of our wonderful Balinese friends Tiwi and Yusa we were able to have Pammie's ashes and could book a ticket home to Australia.

Due to the COVID panic and inexperience in dealing with a pandemic, our flights were cancelled several times. When we finally had a flight to Melbourne confirmed we were told that the plane had to go via Jakarta, and once we landed in Jakarta we were told that Melbourne was closing its borders and that our flight would now land in Sydney. Then we would be driven straight to an undisclosed hotel to stay in Quarantine for two weeks.....AND that our flight was the last flight that the Australian government would pay for the cost of accommodation! Thank you, Jesus! The whole trip was so eerie the airports were deserted, everybody was masked nothing was open you couldn't get a coffee or something to eat anywhere. There were just the 40 of us walking through this massive empty airport to the lounge with not a soul in sight.

My gorgeous fairy godmother Pamela Gertrude on her 91st birthday! 😍

Ok so here I am in Melbourne, yes We and Us, has now changed to, I and My, another tough and sad part of this road I'm travelling on. It was a mutual and very loving agreement and I find myself now living alone in one of the most vibrant and happy eclectic cities in the world! It has not been easy, to stand by the choices one makes especially when family and feelings are involved. I am so grateful to have spent the last 15 years with my best friend, we are now on different paths that will continue to cross. I am blessed.

The gardens and parks here are spectacular, and the cafes and restaurants are full of buzz, with cuisines from every country around the world. You will hear more in upcoming Blogs.

I have my favourites but am always happy to try something new, every Sunday morning I go to Mammoth Cafe in Armadale (THE best suburb south of the Yarra) And enjoy a piping hot bowl of the best almond milk porridge with stewed apple, topped with a buttery, crumbly pecan topping, a dollop of crème fraîche, and a drizzle of maple syrup. Absolutely divine! After breakfast, Leonard and I stroll through Toorak, admiring the heritage mansions on sprawling grounds, surrounded by manicured gardens. We also see some less appealing replicas of European homes, alongside amazing modern architectural designs. I have a deep appreciation for beauty in all forms—whether it’s a flower, a bird, music, or jewellery. I’m all about beauty, precision, and detail—definitely a Libran through and through. I love this place!

Yum!

Me and my best buddie Archie Peter!

So much to tell you 10 years of stuff actually, but I need to run out the door to go to a Collaborate and Conquer Day luncheon with my new volunteer place of work 'Fitted For Work'. I will fill you in on all of that next Blog BUT the bestest most fabulous thing about being in my sixties is, that I have two adorable gorgeous, yummy Grand Babies, Archie and Iris 😍 2 divine little miracles. You will get to hear all about them very soon and yes they are truly 2 little miracles.

Oh and, I forgot to tell you they call me Yay Yay, well Archie does Iris just squeals! 

Yay Yay is Archie's pronunciation of Jay Jay.

It's time to go, I love being back on board and I hope you enjoy what I have to say. I love feedback so please let me know what you think and if you have any suggestions or questions. 

Sending you all big Hugs and Love. J xxoo