My problem is that there's nobody in a position to get me the things I want.

They're either so ginormously big (peace on earth, fairness for people experiencing systemic 'isms', health, wealth, happiness) or impossibly specific (a Captain Hill epic that is well written and which I don't have to do myself).

All the middling stuff? I can pretty much manage myself.

I even organised my own 7x7 birthday party (completely forgot that I was going to give a speech about why 7x7) had a great time, had dinner with friends last night, watched the Matildas (Aussie national women's soccer team) play against NZ to win 5-0 with a friend and her kids, her eldest son (12) swapped a few chips for popcorn chicken bits, and later on asked me a bunch of questions like I was a trustable adult...

I hope to snuggle with my nephew come Christmas (not entirely sure I'll get that, he might end up being a wriggly boy and want mama), and to get out on the water in a friends' boat, and to see the cousins for Christmas...

Anyway, I'm tired rn, so more about the party shortly. And I haven't forgotten Georgia, I've just been so busy with the party (and with The Month Of Writing Dangerously) that I haven't managed to gather my thoughts.

Growing vaguely anxious about the party on Saturday.

*sigh* My three current mantras are:

My mother's standards of entertaining do not need to be mine.

My friends will not judge me for having a lived-in house.

People do actually like me and will turn up.

I've made a slice, a cake and icing, and will be cooking some chicken wings in soy sauce on Friday. I'm thinking about making a bean salad with a bit of a vinegar zing...

Yesterday, I gave the back door and frame a coat of oil, and it's been a bit whiffy through the house. So the cats didn't sleep in the laundry last night, and around 2am Smokey came by to insist she get to come in and sleep with me. Around 4am, Mal decided to join us. And around 6am, my alarm went off.

I have to get the back porch table cleared this evening, box as much stuff as possible (worry about sorting later).

Tomorrow is going to be hellishly hot, and the hot weather is going to continue on through to Saturday. Argh. It's going to be painfully hot outside, and I was kind of counting on being able to hold it outside...

My second day in Georgia was 4WDing in the Vashlovani Nature Reserve, out towards Azerbaijan. We didn't cross over into Azerbaijan, and there was no intent to, but one of the warnings was that if we got cut off by fire in the Reserve then we might have to exit out via Azerbaijan, so take your passport with you!

(Curious question: on most of the groups for women travelling solo, there's all manner of warnings about travelling with your passport and how it's unwise to do so, but where do you keep it then... It seems to be a peculiarly American thing for women in the 50+ age range, especially those who aren't accustomed to travelling internationally, though, so I'm particularly curious if this is common among people I know.)

( Vashlovani )

As I've said before, the women on this tour were the 'we're different and we're good with that' sort of women. Which made for excellent travelling companions.