Lilian's Tree

 I have read seven books this month with a new author, Hira Arikawa being my featured author. I didn't have any books by an author, with the surname starting in A, so I asked a good friend, Wendy and she made the suggestion.  The book she suggested was The Travelling Cat Tails,  by Hira Arikawa. Set in Japan, it tells the story of Satoru and his cat Nana. Satoru takes Nana to visit several friends, with the hope that they will take Nana for him. The story is told from Nana's point of view and you learn about Satoru at different stages of his life, through this journey. Beautifully written but have your tissues ready. 84, Charing Cross Road, by Helene Hanff, was mentioned by a friend, Kerry Farmer and I found my copy and read it. It is a series of letters between Helene and a bookshop at 84, Charing Cross Road. A delightful read. Two more of Jane Bettany's were also read, Murder at Maple Grange and Murder on Bluebell Hill.  Featuring Violet Brewster as the amateur sle...

 The Society of Australian Genealogists ran a five week course on WeAre.xyz, starting in July. I was wary of a new genealogy platform BUT I'm converted. I've been doing my One-Place Study on the cemetery at Mummell for several years and hadn't found the right platform for what I wanted to do, i.e. list and write about the people buried there. This program has given me the opportunity to do just that and I have sent weeks collecting facts and information on the people and entering it into the relevant sections. It has also allowed me to connect people to each other, through creating family trees. I've enjoyed it so much that I've started another study, this one on the Kootingal-Moonbie General Cemetery, but it will take a bit longer to do. This link is to the WeAre.xyz site. you do need an account but it's up to you if you want a paid one.   WeAre.xyz This is the link to the Mummell Cemetery site.   Mummell Cemetery

 In July I started a five week course on the genealogy platform, WeAre.xyz. It is a website that you can create your own family site on or do a One-Place Study. (OPS) I played with the family tree side of it but decided to move my Mummell Cemetery One-Place Study to the site. (more in another post) We also did a six night Outback Safari, going as for as Cameron Corner, where Sought Australia, Queensland and New South Wales meet. It was by 4WD Landcruiser and was wonderful. We went to places that I wouldn't drive to, because of the roads or the distance. Had a wonderful time, exploring our state. Macquarie Marshes Cameron Corner Mungo National Park Back home and we had to get the red dust out of everything! I have been doing heaps of research into the people on my OPS, did a class on Excel and one on Artificial Intelligence, interesting. August has been, wet, wet, wet, and now it's windy!  I did a talk for the Hawkesbury Family History Group on 13 August on the City of Sydney A...

 Since I did the April A-Z Blogging Challenge my blogging mojo has been missing. I've done my book posts but nothing else. May saw Paul and I do a cruise on the Murray River onboard the P S Murray Princess. It was so relaxing, gliding along the river, looking at the bird life and the stunning scenery. Did some shore excursions and wandered around Mannum and Swan Reach. We had time in Adelaide both before and after the trip and caught up with friends. Big Bend Our boat. June was cold and wet, so we stayed close to home and I read, knitted and worked on the family tree.  

 Well the Sydney weather has been cold, wet and windy, just right for curling up with a book. As you know I try and read a book, whose author's surname starts with the letter of the month. Well have three months start with J stretched my author list.  January I did Penelope Janu. June was Rachel Johns, could I read more of their books for July. No, I told myself that would be cheating. This is where it's good to have friends that read and  Deb  recommended a book by Catherine Jinks, Traced. Set in both 2020 and 2015, you soon become gripped by the story. 2020, Jen, a Covid contact tracer, makes a call and the woman on the other end panics. Her partner doesn't like her having visitors or going out, he has her phone and calls several time a day to make sure she is home, how can she explain this. Jen tries to reassure her that something can be done and asks the partners name. Jen  immediately flashes back to 2015, when the same person did the same thing to Jen's fa...

 It can't be the end of June already! This month I finished a vest I started in 2024, it is warm and will be going away with me on our next trip. My reading has been wonderful because I have just sat and read since we came home from our trip. Rachael Johns was my J author and her book The Bad Bridesmaid was my choice. Set in Fremantle and Norfolk Island it is the story of Winifred (k/a Fred) Darling is asked to be bridesmaid at her mother's sixth wedding, she will do anything to stop it. She enlists the help of the groom's son, Leo and what follows is hilarious. A really fun read. These two little books, above were also on my list, recommended at the Church House party they are about Lady Jane Grey and Hugh Latimer and their strong faith. Both were during the English Reformation. Interesting reading. Medivac Midwife (The Pregnant Midwife) by Fiona McArthur was a free read from Book Funnel. I enjoy reading Fiona's books and this one was no exception. Karly Lane was anoth...

 It's been a slow reading month for me, only five books. BUT I did spend a lovely relaxing time on the Murray River in South Australia, cruising on the Murray Princess. My author of the month was Michelle Montebello, you can go to her website here  michelle The first book I read was the Quarantine Station, set in Sydney at the old Quarantine Station on North Head. This is the link to more information about the  qstation   or here  Quarantine Station The book is set both in 1918 and 2019, featuring Emma, whose grandmother, Gwendoline, was born on the quarantine station and now has dementia and wanders and from the past Rose Porter, Gwendoline's mother. Emma enlists the help of Matt, who works at the station and together they unravel the mystery. An excellent read, with twists and turns, that have you wanting more. I then found another new author, recommended by a friend, Deb, who writes a book blog,  debbish   The author was Darcy Tindale and the book w...

 Well I hope you enjoyed my travels around New South Wales. In 2023 and 2024, Paul and I did nearly 6,000klms around our home state. It is a diverse state for scenery, flora, fauna and fun. Don't bye-pass a small town, to get to the bigger one. Small towns are often the best and now towns have bye-passes, pull in and enjoy the town, minus the traffic. Take the long way to a place, rather than the most direct route, follow the Silo Art Trail. But don't forget to have fun.

  Wednesday 30 April   Z –  ZETLAND (Co Cumberland) 33°90’S 151°20’E Zetland is an inner-city suburb 0.8km 2 (0.3 sq mi) in size and is 4km south of the Sydney CBD. Zetland was named for Thomas Dundas, 2 nd Earl of Zetland. Zetland is an archaic spelling of Shetland. I have gone to the City of Sydney Archives site for photos of Zetland .  Archives Royal South Sydney Hospital, Joyton Avenue, Zetland, 1916. Tram, Bourke Street, Zetland, 1954. This photo is from the ANZAC War Memorial in Hyde Park, Sydney. It contains soil from Zetland, indicating the a soldier at lived their, at the time of his enlistment.

 This month I read six books, of which three were paperback ones. But there was one paperback one I didn't finish, something I don't do often. In The Dead Of Night, by Greg Haddrick, is about the murders of Russell Hill and Carol Clay in the Wonnangatta Valley, Victoria. The book tells the story of how the investigation took place and how the police painstakingly put their case together. Very interesting read. The Knitting Club at Wagtail Ridge, by Janet Gover. Set in the Hunter Valley Region of New South Wales, it is about Bree Johnston, a former city lawyer, leaving that life behind and doing something very different, in Wagtail Ridge. There is a love interest, a controlling grandmother, family struggles and the townspeople. An easy read. A Bird In The Hand, by Ann Cleeves. (Ann writes the Vera Series, that I enjoy reading and her new Two Rivers Series, that has got me hooked.) This book is the first featuring George and Molly Palmer-Jones. Set in Norfolk, it is about a birdw...

  Tuesday 29 April   Y - YASS   (Co. Murray) 34°51’S 148°54’E Aboriginal, a corruption of Yarh or Yahr meaning running water. On the Yass River, established c1830. Town gazetted in 1837. Yass Cemetery Yass River

  Monday 28 April   X -   X marks the spot. There isn’t a place in New South Wales, that I can find, that starts with X. So, mark your map with an X to show where you are going. Yes! A paper map. The blue dot is where I'm heading, sometime this year, Broken Hill, in the far west of New South Wales.

  Saturday 26 April   W –   WARIALDA,   (Co. Burnett) 29°07’S 150°35’E Aboriginal, place of wild honey.   On Warialda Creek, established in 1837, village gazetted in 1850. Warialda   This link for more information on the town, and others in the area.                                                                           Cranky Rock Nature Reserve.                     WALLERAWANG,  (Co. Cook) 33°25’S 150°04’E Aboriginal, plenty of water. On Adams Creek, settled in 1821   Wallerawang  This is a link to more information.  We had morning tea in the bakery, delicious.                        ...

  Friday 25 April   V - VILLAWOOD  (Co. Cumberland)   - 33°53’ S 150°58’E Looking at the map of New South Wales, I realised that I hadn't been to any of the places starting with V, so picked the suburb of Villawood, where an aunt and uncle lived.  A suburb of Sydney, some 27 klms west of the CBD. This link  Villawood  give more information of the suburb, both good and bad. Villawood Train Station      Villawood Shops

  Thursday 24   April U –  URALLA   (Co. Sandon) 30°39’S 151°30’E Aboriginal, in a little while, big hill or red wood. On Uralla Creek, surveyed in 1849 by John Galloway, laid out and gazetted in 1855. Situated between Tamworth and Armidale in the New England Ranges. The bushranger Thunderbolt is commemorated  in Uralla.  

  Wednesday 23 April   T –  TAMWORTH, (Co. Inglis) 31°06’S 150°55’E On the Peel River, discovered in 1818 by John Oxley, settlement in 1834 on the western side of the river. World War One memorial. The view from the lookout.                                                    The Big Golden Guitar. Tamworth is the Country Music Capital of Australia.                                                                                    Reflection.  TENTERFIELD   (Co. Clive) 29°03’S 152°01’E On Tenterfield Creek, discovered by Charles Tuckwood.  

  Tuesday 22 April   S –  SCONE   (Co. Brisbane) 32°03’S 150°52’E After an ancient village in Perthshire, where the ancient kings of Scotland were crowned. On Figtree Creek, originally Invermein, discovered in 1824, by Henry Dangar, settled in 1825 by Francis Little.