Every now and then the universe reminds me how lucky I am.
The past weekend was one of those times.
DD and I were invited to the most amazing birthday celebration in the Hunter Valley.
We drove through belting rain on Friday night to join our fellow party goers as they popped their third bottle of French champagne.
And things just kept being bulk fun from there.
Saturday morning dawned with a private yoga class (after a quick trip into Cessnock for warm clothes from Target … I scored the last women’s hoodie in the store … brrrrrr!).
The class was deceptively simple, but surprisingly challenging. Lots of holding the “dead swan” pose (or whatever it was called) and doing “the frog” for three-minute intervals to “open our hips.”
Ooooooouch.
My youngest joined the grown-ups for the class and I was sure I’d get “I’m bored!” hissing in my ear but she was a total trooper and hung in for the whole thing without one word of complaint. Go her!
That afternoon, the French champers started flowing again before we walked up the road to Brokenwood vineyard for dinner in the private dining room.
The evening kicked off with Salamander Bay oysters in pools of semillon and salted cod balls in the tasting room, then a tour of the cellar.
Noice.
Dinner was a spectacular, multi-course affair with a centrepiece of a whole suckling pig. I tried not to think too much about the cute little piggy and just enjoy his succulent goodness. Mmmmmmmm.
To make things that extra bit awesome, Fleetwood Mac were playing across the ridge at Hope Estate, so we stood drinking Brokenwood wines on the balcony between courses as strains of “Gypsy” drifted across the vines.
And then there were fireworks.
Well, not for us, but talk about ‘wow’ factor!
So. So. Cool.
I could have done with a little more sleep … but Sunday dawned too quickly and it was time to head home again.
Such a gorgeous weekend.
Thank you to my wonderful friends – who I’ve known for more than 30 years – for inviting us along, we had such a brilliant time.
And thank you for making DD so welcome.
Love youse all.
The fabulousness in my life continued on my return to Sydney. I dragged myself slightly hungover, totally exhausted and silently cursing to the youngest’s end-of-year skipping presentation, where she walked away with six awards/medals/trophies. I THINK one was for being most improved in the whole club … but I was so tired I can’t totally vouch for it. Whatever it was that scored her the silver trophy, she was pleased as punch. Bless her lovely little heart.
Here are some happy snaps from my weekend away …
Did you get up to mischief too. Love to hear about it.
PS I hope this doesn’t make me sound like a terrible person, but I decided to suspend thinking about the awful events in Paris until I returned to Sydney on Sunday afternoon. So, so sad. Actually, I wish I could keep suspending thinking about it, because I don’t want the world to have such abominable things happening in it.
housegoeshome 
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