MLP was excited about London. He'd never been before and he had things on his must-see list: The Royal Airforce Museum, Hendon and Prime Meridian, Greenwich. Luckily, my brother was with us and was keen to do boys' days. So, while they did their Boys' Own Adventures, I was able to go off doing girly things for a couple of days. 

2014 is going to go down in the annals of time as Libby's Year of Luck. Admittedly, I have been entering competitions, which previously I have not had the time nor the desire to do. And 2014 has proved to be my year. 

A $50 Masters voucher earlier in the year from tlifecreative on Instagram for making the suggestion to turn an old cable drum into a drinks' trolley. A nice little surprise.

$100 of vouchers from my local shopping centre for filling in a form and dropping it in the barrel. We've dined through a number of Saturday breakfasts on those lovelies.

And then, two tickets to Grand Designs Live, Sydney, because I took the time to write a comment on The Life Creative blog.

Yay! I'm on a roll. Who knows what I'll win next?!? But while the luck is happening, I'm going to keep entering.

So, Grand Designs Live Sydney.

My sister-in-law was one of those people who was always making something. For her girls. For her family. For her friends. And, at times, for herself. I have many things which she made me which I use and treasure. One is my much-loved and much-used jewellery pouch. 

As we cruised down the road in the direction of the Sackville ferry, my sister and her man cried excitedly, "A little deer! Oh, but it's gone." And then there were more. Cute, timid deer. Staring at us. 

Who can not love Paris? This was not my first trip to this wondrous city and I am determined to return, yet this time I found some beauty I had not explored before. Yes, we did the icons. MLP's first trip to Europe, you see.

It's spring. My herbs are flowering. My Ralphter is enjoying the sunshine and I'm trying to green up the lawn. 

Basil

So we'd been travelling for just over 24 hours and it was time to collect our luggage at Charles de Gaulle and begin our first adventure, joining our canal-boat-owning friends for a few days of leisure and camaraderie. Food, wine, friendship. Just what we needed to alleviate jet lag.

A short bush walk in Scheyville Nature Reserve around the Longneck Lagoon surrounded us in the ping of Bell Miners and the whoo-iiiit of Whip Birds. We came across a small red-bellied black snake, but he sensed us first and all I glimpsed was his tail slithering into the reeds.

It was the day before we headed to the Airport Hotel. The house-Ralph sitters had arrived. All was going smoothly … till I decided I should get a last bit of Australian cash to cover our final home-soil expenses.