Here Is Proof....!

(Australia Paint Splashes Map Art Print by artPause)

       For our 'Virtual Date Night' last night we wanted to go somewhere colorful...and warm! And as we do every year around this time, we headed for...

 (Melbourne Australia Map Pendant Necklace by PAPERandPLACE)

     ...Australia! :-)

     Why Australia, you ask?!...Well, it could have been the fact that we heard that they were having really hot, hot weather, and our weather here in Holyoke Massachusetts is anything but hot!...Or it could have been because of the song that keeps playing over and over on every commercial...♫ "I wanna know....I wanna know what you knowwwwww....I wanna go....I wanna go where you go when you're gone!"

       ...Or it could have been because we wanted to be able to sit somewhere quiet that had lots of crowd noise, but we could still be focused on our crocheting! ^_^ With the really good matches finally playing at the Australian Open Tennis Tournament, Australia seemed the best choice for a date!! :-) 

      I won't bore you with the details because...because I've done that before... HERE. LOL But trust me....there was a good time had by both of us! :-) Maybe not as much fun as I had yesterday, watching my husband so intensely sitting and crocheting!! ^_^ ...I have proof too!....Shhhhhhh!...

        I took these photos while he was deeply concentrating. :-] He didn't even hear the camera clicking!!! LOL Later, when I showed him the photos, he was like: "Hey!! When did you take those?!!!" ^_^ ... He gave me permission to share them, even though he's in his relaxed muscle T-shirt and he hadn't shaved. Just imagine him as his handsome self in a suit and tie and cleanly shaven....that's what I'm gonna do!! ^_^

     Okay...I've got some phone calls and letter writing to do! Have a good day Everybody! And if I don't catch up with you...have a good weekend too! :-)

 Going Out With My Baby

Going out with my baby.
Or going nowhere, but it's alright.
Playing games and constant laughing.
I think it's gonna be a great 'Date Night'!

Going out with my baby.
Or staying in, and hugging tight.
Eating all the things we shouldn't.
But smiling through every single bite!

Going out with my baby.
And visiting 'virtually' every sight.
All dressed up or in our jammies,
We're having fun. You know that's right!!

When It's January, And You Can Go ANYWHERE In The World.....

(Large Wheelthrown Stoneware Textured Sphere by blueroompottery)

      I am beside myself with frustration right now...at Blogger!! Grrrrr! I did a whole blog post, with links and everything, about my 'Virtual Date Night' trip to Melbourne Australia, and then when I went to post it everything disappeared except the header photo and link!...UGH!... I don't have the energy, and I'm not in the mood to do it all again now. :-( 

      I'm just gonna say...We had a good time. If I muster up enough 'want to' later, I'll come back and upload the whole story. But NOT RIGHT NOW!!! Grrrrrr! Sooooooo frustrating!...I need breakfast...and a nap! {The poem below is my attempt at changing my brain chemistry right now....See you later.....maybe! LOL}

I will Be Happy!

Today I will be happy!
I've decided, and so "There!"
And it won't depend on clothing,
or the way I wear my hair.

My 'Happy' has to be
from my head down to my toes.
And not coincidental,
but because that's what I've chose.

I am trying to be happy
when there's always such bad news.
But the good news is that happy
is a way to squash the blues!

So today I will be happy!
I've decided. Enough said!!
There'll be plenty of time for sadness,
and for taking to my bed.

Are you thinking that my poem
is too 'Optimistic/Sappy'?
Okay, you could be right.
Don't burst my bubble. I am happy! 

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 (Map Art Pendant Necklace by badcandy)

          Okay, after breakfast, a nap, and a little chat with the hubby, I'm back. ^_^ I just had to come back. I mean...I found these great shops on Etsy with beautiful photos of Melbourne, and I just had to share! :-) ...{Unless labeled otherwise the shop I shared most of these photos from (the black and whites) is called FlashPhotography.}...Come along with us on our 'Virtual Date' as seen through the eyes of these shop owners. :-)
      Come along with us and see early morning Melbourne, looking out to Port Phillip Bay. An ordered maze of roads snaking their way around the sprawl of the city...

       ...and early morning Melbourne from the clouds...

     ...Then come with us and take a walk through Melbourne's most interesting and quirky Webb Bridge, a pedestrian and cycle bridge, designed to represent the fish traps used by the original Koori inhabitants of the city's Docklands area...

     And "Everyone who's ever been to Melbourne has surely taken a free ride on Melbourne's famous Route 35 City Circle tram!"...she says!...

        ...We hadn't!!...What was wrong with us anyway?! LOL Too much time spent watching tennis, no doubt! ^_^

(Fabric Panel by jennylouvintage)

      Okay, back to our tour!..."Up these stairs is another world ... the bustling, frenetic world that is Melbourne! Taken at the edge of the Yarra River looking up the flight of steps that leads to the Princes Bridge, walking up brings you to Melbourne's famous Federation Square and Flinders Street Station..."

      Once we got to the top we were at the place where Melbournians say: "I'll meet you under the clocks". :-) Meeting under the clocks with the bustle of people...delightful! :-) ...And then we went and took in some of Melbourne's culture.

     Did you know that Melbourne has many cultural institutions, such as museums and galleries, events and festivals, public and street art, popular and live music, independent music and film, and fashion?!...Well, it does!...And some famous modern day actors from Melbourne include Cate Blanchett, Rachel Griffiths, Olivia Newton-John, Guy Pearce and Eric Bana!

 (Greeting Card of the Yarra River at night in Melbourne by FrancescaChen)

      We had a little something to eat...I'm not gonna talk about it! ^_^ Suffice it to say that I'm not a fan of EVERYTHING I ate in Australia! But.....they've got meat. I like meat!...And even if I'm a little picky about what I put in my mouth, they still have one of my favorite things...hands down!....tennis! :-)) So who cares if they have Vegemite! LOL...Wait! I said I wasn't gonna talk about it! ^_^

     After thoughroughly being entertained, we got away from the bright lights of the entertainment precinct, and took a walk down Melbourne's Yarra River at night. Soooo quiet and calming...

       A pretty great place to go for a 'Virtual Date', don't you think?! :-] ... Especially if you don't let Blogger bug you so much!...Thanks to FlashPhotography for allowing me to share the photos from her shop, which are for sale right now...just saying! LOL

      Thanks to the other Etsy shops in this post also. Melbourne would not have been the same without you! :-) We thouroughly enjoyed our trip. The only thing that would have made it better would've been if we could stay until the end of next week...when the Australian Open was over...

 (Tennis Ball Pottery Bowl by LASpottery)

        ...and if we didn't have snow staring us down outside our window right now...reminding us that this is Massachusetts in January, and that there's a warm climate and nice people far far away, in Melbourne Australia, right now. :-( Probably people who aren't enjoying the high heat, but thoroughly enjoying the high drama of the tennis! :-)

(A warm sunset over Melbourne by jackslomovits)

        We miss you already Melbourne, but thanks to you...we still have our 'happy' intact! ^_^ (See poem above) Okay, now I'm gone for real!! LOL