Daisy chains, new growth and biscuits

I love these little daises. They're growing everywhere along the banks of the Yarra at the moment. I know they're only weeds, but they remind me of when I was a kid, sitting in the paddock behind our house with friends making daisy chains.

I was also pleased to see, on my walk into the city this afternoon, that the trees along the north side of the river are starting to get their leaves back. For some reason, they take longer to recover from winter than the trees on the other side, but I was a little worried that they weren't going to recover from the scorching heat of last summer at all. I think they'll be OK. For now...another hot summer is forecast. Yikes.

I just made some Anzac biscuits and the kitchen smells yummy. The biscuits are tasty too. Better than my last effort! I'm six days into another attempt at completing an allergy elimination diet, so it will be nice to have a tasty treat for morning tea this week. I just have to try not to eat them all tonight. Not my strong suit.

I love wisteria

This is growing over my neighbours' front fence

Very Seussian...

I think the tree outside my window came from a Dr Seuss book... It always gets those little tufty things before its leaves sprout in the springtime. I took this photo from my laundry window this morning.

I had a dream the other night that it was National Skipping Day and everyone had to skip everywhere (the sans rope kind of skipping, I mean). It was pretty funny seeing men in suits skipping down the street.

I've had the flat to myself all week. Ah... It's just so relaxing not having another person around. When I have to leave this flat (which could be in February), I'm going to try to go back to living on my own.

I love Anne

I watched Anne of Green Gables on the telly the other night. Saturday night, actually. I'm living it up in the big city. I don't care how uncool it makes me - I LOVE Anne of Green Gables and have since someone gave me one of the books when I was a kid.

I didn't know it was coming on and I happened to see it in the TV guide just as it started.

It was the 1980s telemovie version with the adorable Megan Fellows as Anne. I laughed and thankfully my flatmate was working a late shift, because there were several moments where I sat on the couch and had a little sook, like at the bit where Anne is leaving Avonlea to go to college and Matthew says to Marilla that it was a lucky mistake the orphanage sent Anne and not the boy they had wanted.

Marilla replies: It wasn't luck; It was Providence. He knew we needed her.

Matthew: Even with her queer little ways.

Marilla: I loved her for them.

For those of you who don't know the story, Matthew and Marilla are an elderly brother and sister who run a farm on Canada's Prince Edward Island. They send for an orphan boy to help run the farm but they get the wildly imaginative, impetuous, precocious, talkative Anne instead. Matthew loves her from the start but Marilla, the no-nonsense matriarch, has to be persuaded not to send her back. Of course, Marilla eventually grows to love Anne like her own child.

Even writing this I could have a little cry. Geez, I'm such a sook. I've just decided I'm going to get it on DVD and buy the books and read them again. (I only ever had the one and I don't know what happened to it.)

Oh, and you know what else? Today I answered the phone at work to a woman called Marilla!

Watch out, Post Bill

I'm glad they've finally decided to ease up on Bill Posters. This is in Caledonian Lane in the city.

Ah, spring

And how's this for a flower? Think that's an agave plant

Gleeful is 1!

Today is special for three reasons: it's the first day of spring, it's Gleeful's first birthday and this is my 200th post. Yay, yay and yay!

The blog has turned out to be a little less frequent than I envisaged, but I still can't believe it's been 12 months since I kicked off with a post about the Muppets and an R rated movie. And I can't be stopped now. I'm the Glee Monster. Rarrrrr!

It's been a joy to write Gleeful - to go through the year seeking out and celebrating the simple pleasures that life can offer if you open your eyes to them. I know it sounds cheesy, but I really do believe that the secret to happiness is being able to appreciate small things, because that's mostly what life is - a string of small things. I'm certainly a lot happier - and a lot nicer to be around - since I worked that out.

Of course a big, big thank you to all of you for reading and commenting. I would have kept writing the blog anyway if nobody read it (well, I think I would have...) but you've made it so much more rewarding. You've been the yummy icing on the chocolate cake of glee.

And now for some Muppets to celebrate:

PS I also celebrated with actual chocolate cake.