I love Winter. It is cold, moody, grey and wet, and the other night saw gale force winds, but I am thankful that I have a home and I was safe and secure inside. It was roaring outside, and I was cosy and warm.

This caused me to think about Australia’s epidemic of unnecessary homelessness, and how it becomes even more difficult for people in the colder, wetter months. I can’t imagine what the other night was like for rough sleepers, given how much the weather impacted on homeowners across the State.

If you feel like helping out with this, even only a little bit, I can recommend a donation to our long-time client (in my architectural life) Sacred Heart Mission, which has been doing good things for many decades in St Kilda, a beachside Melbourne suburb. Check them out here, and make a donation. They work hard to make a little bit go a long way.

Donate here: Sacred Heart Mission

Now I am fifty (did I mention that already?) I am wanting to mark the transition to nominal late midlife with some changes of habits. Nothing major, and certainly nothing rapid (in my experience sudden change doesn’t hold), but just a sharper focus on some tendencies I have been encouraging.

Better eating, yes - a bit of fitness activity, yes - but most successfully so far, early to bed and early to rise. I am rediscovering the early morning, and getting into the office quite early. This puts me in a better frame of mind to greet the day.

On another topic, I am consciously working on my general lack of patience. Hmmmm. Enough said about that for now. That and my general need for instantaneous gratification are noted failings that need some work.

More to come.

Oh, and the image above is of a priest with an Anubis mask, from the Temple of Isis at the Villa dei Misteri (Villa of Mysteries) in Pompeii. Included just because I liked it. I promise, no deeper meaning at all.

Last Sunday I dined with 25 friends at The Pialligo Estate which is a vineyard in Canberra, at the Eastern end of Lake Burley Griffin not too far from the airport. We had a private room, and shared several lovely hours of fine wine, good food and convivial company. This was a very pleasant, relaxing and thoroughly enjoyable way to celebrate my birthday, albeit one week late, with my Canberra friends and family.

We ate slow cooked lamb which fell off the bone, and braised chicken, after a charcuterie board with home smoked meats and pickles. Champagne and wine flowed freely.

Two spectacular cakes was served and eaten, and coffee and tea were drunk. All in all very satisfactory and great to see so many friends and family members (same thing, right?) all in the same place. Two even visited from Sydney for the day (hello Gavin and Sarah).

Monday morning it was back to Melbourne after a fantastic and celebratory short getaway.