Setting Sail in Turner's Boat

 For days & days, I've longed to post about my wonderful weekend in Canberra where my daughter Maeflower & I loved the Turner Exhibition at the National Gallery so much that we literally jumped into  the Best Painting there.
It was beyond our wildest dreams!
Ever since last week I've been obsessing about Turner. I'm now trying to actually read a book about him by that wonderful writer, Peter Ackroyd but of course I haven't got past Page 25 as I was distracted by pictures of Turner that are featured in the book.
In case you were wondering, he looked rather cranky.
And beaky.
Rather like myself.
Although perhaps I'm more Parroty.
Just like Sarah Jessica Parker is more Horsey.
And Keira Knightly is more Rabbity.

But enough of this.
Onwards & upwards in Canberra.
Some Background:
1. Canberra was v.v. cold.
2. My step-son Tyler joined Maeflower, her fiance Ptolemy & me.
3. We watched  Cloud Atlas, which along with Turner & a few v. unpleasant facts about Henry the Eighth, I'm currently obsessed with. Or is it, 'obsessed over'?
4. We all stayed at Maeflower's & Ptolemy's Bijou Apartment.

 One of the things that my daughter & I share is a love of Buying Used Goods at the Salvation Army & at the Mugga Way Tip in Canberra. It is always a highlight of every trip.
This time, I was desperate to start a collection of Seaside Paintings which Maeflower is so dutifully holding up.
Sadly, I resisted the urge & I sorely wish that I could race back to the shop right this minute & purchase them. Of course, that's totally out of the question as its now over a week later & I'm back in Sydney with my trusty 'ol Toy Ugg Boots on & it's almost Bedtime.
I guess just like everything else in my life, I'm going to have to Let it Go.

Here's me, above at the Mugga Way Tip looking v. like an Old Aunt who's being taken out for a Special Outing. I think it's the Effect of the Coat which I had just purchased twenty minutes before at the Salvos in honour of the Shocking Cold. It just had the feel of an Old Aunt which I don't think was helped by the addition of the Toy Mink Collar.
In case you were wondering, I'm not holding a couple of prawns.
They're Toy Giraffes that I found in a rotting box of plastic Farm & Other Animals & subsequently purchased for twenty cents.
Note, the way I'm nonchalantly carrying the Light Navy Longchamp Tote Bag that I recently purchased Brand New at the Longchamp Shop in Sydney. I had finally given up waiting for one to appear in the Bag Box at 'Bednobs & Broomsticks' Op Shop.
Sadly, I now slightly regret buying it as it seems that Every Other Middleaged Woman in Sydney has got one.
But I've always specialised in Following the Pack.

 Dinner at Mae's Bijou Apartment was a colourful & tasty affair. Here's Ptolemy who is carefully attending to the rather Sad Looking Spatchcock wrapped in pancetta which was my contribution to the dinner.
I hate to admit my ignorance, but when asked what a Spatchcock actually was, I couldn't say for sure.
Clearly, it's some kind of a bird. And when it's sitting on a plate, it looks like a v.v. small bird with lots of bones. That's all I know.
We ate whole baked parsnips that had rather nasty pointy ends, but had a lovely, almost nutty flavour.
But the two stand out dishes were the beans served with chopped pancetta that had been wrapped around the Poor Little Spatchcocks & Mae's Somewhat Cajun Lentil & Corn Salad which looked fab & tasted even better.

 When it was time for sleep, Mae & Ptolemy blew up their Queen Size Air Mattress & covered it with patchwork quilts for Tyler to sleep on. Luckily I had my Own Room which was a total Godsend.

That night I dreamed I was sailing in one of Turner's boats.

When we got up the next day, it was v.v. cold. Mae & Ptolemy are laughing about it, but Tyler isn't.