Friends – The Poppy Files

Tag: Friends

30 Years

Grade 10 Leavers Dinner

Several weeks ago I attended my 30 Year Prospect High School Reunion in Launceston. Can it really be that long ago?

I haven’t really kept up with any of my friends from High School due to the fact that I left Tasmania when I was 19 and didn’t return ‘home’ until 6 years later. It was a little daunting walking into a room ‘full of strangers’ but after a few chats and a walk down memory lane, I really did have a fantastic evening. It was so nice stepping back into a world that I had completely forgotten about. I loved reconnecting with people that had such an influence in my life at that time and I laughed so much during the night – and even got home at 2:45 am!

The other poignant fact was that most of my peers had children who were well in their late teens, even in their twenties. There were even three Grandparents! I laughed as I told my old school buddies I had a three and a five year old!

Leading up to the Reunion, prompted me to delve into my cupboards and dust off the box of old photos. Wow – the fashions have really changed, but these people are such good people and I relished seeing them again after all these years. I really hope it isn’t another thirty years before I laugh with them again! x

Larni - 30 Years School Reunion Larni, Teena and Scotty Jason & Teena Scotty, Rod and Murray Teena & Scotty PHS PHS PHS PHS PHS PHS PHS Athletics Carnival Freycinet Field Trip PHS Badgers Head Myrtle Park Grade 10 Leavers Dinner Poppy

Sunday, 6 November 2016 0 Comments Short URL30 Year Reunion, Friends, High School, Prospect High SchoolToday I Am Loving

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A Snowy Boating Long Weekend

Spellbound

When Nick and I bought our first boat ‘Tagus’ in 2008, we would head away on adventures together and end up hanging out with his parent’s and all their boating friends. We were always the youngest ones with the smallest boat. We would have great fun but as the year’s have crept by and our own family has grown (1 dog + 2 children) we have upgraded to ‘Spellbound’ (a 36 ft Fairway motor cruiser) and have met a new bunch of ‘young’ boating friends. We are now no longer the youngest ones with the small boat!

This Hobart Show Day Long Weekend was a perfect example. Meeting at Missionary Bay on Bruny Island on Thursday afternoon, we were surrounded by our friends who now have their own boats and we even outnumbered the ‘oldies’!

Even though it was a little cold and wet this weekend, that didn’t stop us from having fun. It is so fantastic sitting side-by-side around a fire with people from different generations, as you stare into the flames, dodge the smoke, turn your sausages and chat away, knowing you have one very special thing in common – boating to beautiful places in Tasmania.

James in my black hole bag James and a dolphin Missionary Bay Sauso's Harry and Pops New generation James being pampered The Girls at Missionary Bay Indy and James James Bruny Island Dinghies Faye and James Dinghy's Spellbound Marshmallows BBQ Cool dude James BBQ Campfire Nicko Barb & Amanda Simpsons Bay Poppy My family Stacks on Maisy Pancakes Spellbound and Mistraal Apollo Bay Barb's platter Dam building James, Maisy and I Muddy feet Highfield Dinghies Rainy bbq Hail strom at Apollo Bay Funny Faces

Sunday, 23 October 2016 3 Comments Short URLBoating, Boating with Children, Bruny Island, Friends, Spellbound Adventures, TasmaniaBoating

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Unite in Yellow

Unite in Yellow Lunch

I am blessed with amazing friends in my life and through Poppy, I have met even more amazing women who I love spending time with. We have children who are similar ages, who all go to the local schools in our area and where we bump into each other at school drop-off, Pilates, coffee catch-ups and play dates.

On Friday, a bunch of these gorgeous friends donned their heels, frocked up and caught the ferry out to Mona to attend the Unite in Yellow Lunch for Cancer Council Tasmania.

Unite in Yellow Lunch

Same Cause. New Colour. Yellow is the new Pink! This event remains focused on raising awareness and funds for women’s cancers. Donate to the Yellow Daffodil – our symbol of hope – ensuring all funds stay in Tasmania to support Tasmanians.

Denise Scott will be bringing the laughs this year. MONA will again serve up the finest gourmet food and wine in Tasmania and we are working on providing the best items for you to peruse in our famous silent auction.

We enjoyed a beautiful lunch, laughed at Denise Scott’s wit, raised money and caught the ferry back, where we continued on at Grape in Salamanca.

We stayed out way past our children’s bedtimes and it was such a pleasure to be surrounded by a group of women that are so lovely, supportive and truly beautiful. Xx

Mona Ferry Mona Unite in Yellow Lunch Unite in Yellow Lunch - Denise Scott Unite in Yellow - Em & I Anna, Em and I Mona Leaving Mona The Girls Mona Mona Anna, Em and Amy More bubbles Grape Anna and I Too many laughs! Alice, Anna and I Grape Furry Em

Monday, 17 October 2016 0 Comments Short URLCancer Council Tasmania, Friends, Girlfriends, Hobart, MONA, Unite in Yellow, WomenToday I Am Loving

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Collecting Treasure

Pops
We enjoyed a night away on Bruny Island on the boat this weekend and the weather was delightful.

Even though we were only away for a little more than 24 hours, I felt as though we had been away for much longer. We enjoyed a shared curry night with friends and family, a cruisey morning with pancakes and cups of tea, followed by a sunny BBQ at Sykes Cove. The kids played for hours in the shallows, building little dams, diverting water, getting muddy … and collecting treasure. Xx

Sunny Jamesy Jamesy Little and Big Boys Foxy Foxy Bubbles The Other Mummy Nick Jacinta and Nick Boating Friends Poppy and Indy Braids galore Sykes Cove Yum BBQ Spellbound and Mercury Maggie and Poppy Sunset

Monday, 1 August 2016 0 Comments Short URLBoating, Bruny Island, Family, Friends, Rafting UpBoating

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A Melbourne Getaway

Melbourne Getaway

I have just had two delicious days in Melbourne with my good friend Cherida. She flew in from Adelaide to meet me on Monday night and for the next two days we talked, ate, shopped and talked some more.

We ate beautiful food at our old favourites, including The European and Coda. We sweltered in the 42°c heat on Wednesday, but found relief in the air conditioning of The Emporium!

We were even asked by a photographer from The Age for some candid snaps of us walking through the Block Arcade. The article about Victoria’s destination for shopping went on-line last night with a couple of lasses featured from interstate! Classic. Xx

Picture taken by Adrianne Harrowfield. The Age News. 13th Jan, 2015. Tourists shopping in Melbourne. Larni Davies from Hobart and Cherida Palmer from Adelaide. The block arcade.

The European The Hill of Content Bookshop Coda Coda Coda Coda Coda Chanel Chanel Melbourne Laneways Flinders Street Melbourne Getaway View from our apartment Selfie Sunset Yarra River Swanston Street Spicy Fish The Arts Centre The European (again)! Breakfast Hot day Hot day Handbag Cos Hot Hot Hot The Virgin Loung

Friday, 15 January 2016 1 Comment Short URLFriends, Getaway, Girlfriends, Melbourne, Shopping, The AgeTravel

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Fabulous Friends

I am blessed with many beautiful friends in my life. Even though quality time together is always compromised due to family and work commitments, I value the time I do share with my dear friends which can incorporate a quick chat before my yoga class, a catch up for a hot chocolate and cake before seeing an art house movie, a bushwalk with our children in tow or a crazy play date with lots of disjointed conversations!

Friends Collage

I was out on Tuesday night at Frank Restaurant with two of my special friends, when we ran into another one. As we were all sitting and chatting about our work, it dawned on me how amazing my friends all are!

One has spent the last year in the battle against breast cancer and has now landed a great job with a Change Management Agency. Another was successful in securing a lucrative grant to develop a tourism App for the local University and is off to Denmark to present a paper in June. A dear friend of mine has a one-year old daughter with Cystic Fibrosis and has the constant juggle of hospital visits and returning to her job as an Outdoor Education Teacher.

Others own their own businesses and juggle being beautiful mothers to their children whilst operating tours around Tasmania; selling fireworks; project managing and building their family home, delivering personal training to a wide range of clients to even marrying people in their spare time! One of my dear friends judges the National Tourism Awards every year, another is fighting for Indigenous rights in an uphill battle in Melbourne whilst others have aging parents living in Europe. One of my oldest friends is the Operations Manager for a very successful business in Tasmania – selling Tasmanian Atlantic Salmon to the world.

One of my beautiful friends was pivotal in organising Tasmania’s premier event last November, where the world was invited to dinner as part of the Restaurant Australia campaign:

Feeling reflective as the snow settles on Mt. Wellington on this cool afternoon in Hobart, I value all the great times I share with you all. You constantly inspire and motivate me. Xx

Friends Collage

Friday, 8 May 2015 2 Comments Short URLCystic Fibrosis, Friends, Hobart, Restaurant AustraliaToday I Am Loving

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One of These Days …

… ‘I’m going to sit down and write a long letter to all the good friends I’ve known’.

A good friend of mine passed away late last year and I miss her dearly. I still find it difficult to comprehend that I will NEVER see her again and only wish I had told her how much she meant to me.

So, this post is dedicated to all my special friends, near and far. I value the times we have shared together and I love you all so dearly. Xx

Neil says it well with this classic song:

One of these days,
I’m gonna sit down
and write a long letter
To all the good friends I’ve known
And I’m gonna try
And thank them all
for the good times together.
Though so apart we’ve grown.

One of these days,
I’m gonna sit down
and write a long letter
To all the good friends I’ve known
One of these days,
one of these days,
one of these days,
And it won’t be long, it won’t be long.

And I’m gonna thank,
That old country fiddler
And all those rough boys
Who play that rock ‘n’ roll
I never tried to burn any bridges
Though I know I let some good things go.

One of these days,
I’m gonna sit down
and write a long letter
To all the good friends I’ve known
One of these days,
one of these days,
one of these days,
And it won’t be long, it won’t be long.

From down in L.A.
All the way to Nashville,
From New York City
To my Canadian prairie home
My friends are scattered
Like leaves from an old maple.
Some are weak, some are strong.

One of these days,
I’m gonna sit down
and write a long letter
To all the good friends I’ve known
One of these days,
one of these days,
one of these days,
And it won’t be long, it won’t be long.

One of these days,
one of these days,
one of these days,
And it won’t be long, it won’t be long.

Neil Young

Tuesday, 8 April 2014 1 Comment Short URLFriends, good friendsUncategorized

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Sneaky Peek : Canada

Ok, are you ready for more nostalgia … and questionable fashion, chubbiness and bad hair?

In 1993 I ventured out into the big wide world and moved to Canada for a year. It was an amazing experience and one that I will always remember. My trip was the perfect combination of new experiences, new travel destinations, a new career direction and most importantly, new friends.

I landed a job in Vancouver as a Tour Guide on the Grouse Mountain Sky Ride. An engineering feat, the cable car carries 100 people and ferries the skiing/touring public from the base of the mountain to the summit. My role included operating this beast, plus giving a commentary of the views over Vancouver and in winter, the current ski report. I absolutely loved this job and felt so blessed to be working in such beautiful surrounds.

Grouse Mountain

The other perks of the job included a free ski pass for the season where I learnt to snowboard, and of course meeting an amazing bunch of young Canadians and other travellers. We worked hard, skied hard and partied hard!

One day at work I was introduced to a fellow Australian lass called Jana Bayliss (who was Troy Bayliss‘ sister) and with her bubbly persona and infectious smile, I just knew we would be fine friends … and we still are, twenty years on.

Jana and I had many adventures whilst in Canada which included road trips away in my old VW Golf. On one trip we drove north to Whistler and Pemberton and naively decided to sleep in the car as we didn’t have any money to pay for a youth hostel. Unfortunately we neglected to take into consideration the plummeting temperature gauge to a chilly -15C. I have never been so cold and so uncomfortable. I distinctly remember a thick layer of ice inside the car. We even lit our gas lantern in the hope of procuring some heat. To top it off, the Golf didn’t start the next morning and we relied on some friendly locals to help two ‘Australian damsels in distress’. The locals did help us, but only after they gave us a dressing down for being so foolish and sleeping in a car in those conditions!

Pemberton

Crazy Girls

Our adventures continued to South East Asia, where we travelled through Malaysia and Thailand on our way home to Australia. We warded off curious local gangs in rat infested alleyways, ventured to idyllic islands and soaked up the South-East Asian sun, culture and food.

Thailand

Koh Samui - Thailand

On return to Australia, I moved to Sydney to work for a couple of years where Jana was also living, and our adventures continued. She now lives in Noosa and has two beautiful boys. We haven’t seen each other for quite a few years but when we do, I know that we will pick up from where we left off. We will relive our travels and hopefully make new memories with more adventures … as Mums!

Sydney