DON’T FRET THE SMALL STUFF...INSTEAD FIND DELIGHT (YOU KNOW WHERE THE LIGHT SWITCH IS) IN EVERYTHING...BIG, SMALL AND IN BETWEEN...

At the beach at Southport on Queensland's Gold Coast - in years gone by -..with the daughter of friends of mine

Can you recall the days of splayds, Filet Mignons, Beef Wellingtons, French Onion soup, French Onion Dip, Chicken a la King, Chicken Kiev, Prawn Cocktails, Syllabub, Chocolate Ripple Logs et al; washed down with a glass or two of Orlando’s Barossa Pearl, or Lindeman’s Porphyry Pearl or St. Cora Burgundy

I never did drink the lightly effervescent Porphyry Pearl or Barossa Pearl after sampling the first sip or two of either.  Both Pearls were far too sweet for me; not my style of wine in any way.  I’ve always preferred red wine over white. And when I do have a white wine, I like it to be a dry white.

It seems like only yesterday when flaming Crepe Suzettes and explosive Bombe Alaskas reigned supreme on our dessert tables. 

Sometimes it feels as if it was only yesterday that I was still in my teens and early 20s, trim, taut and terrific, light-heartedly enjoying blithesome weekends with my group of friends at the beach .  Carefree times when our bikinis became briefer and our tans more golden.  These days a glance in the mirror quickly brings me rudely back to reality.  I don't recognise the stranger who lives in my mirror!  The girl that I was has long gone.  Fortunately, most of my friends with whom I shared those halcyon times haven’t departed (and they see similar reflections when they look into their own mirrors)!  When we chat these days, often we reminisce about our days in the sun.

Suddenly, without warning, today became tomorrow; and then the day after, and on rolled the years. All too soon, far too rapidly, the number of yesterdays multiplied.

Some dreams were fulfilled; some remain in the process of being woven; while many tapestries will never be completed; some hopes and dreams will be unfulfilled, but still alive in the mind - imagination. 

There are things each one of us have meant to say or do; things we’ve said and done.  We have past actions of which we’re proud; and then, we also have those we regret, the memories of the latter can linger endlessly, like an unwelcome visitor, eager to torment. 

Memories endure of people who’ve crossed our paths. Recollections, fond or otherwise, loiter within; the laughter shared; the tears spilled; frustrations and anger; confidences kept.

Life is funny that way.  The days of future passed – fading too quickly into memories, allowing little time to catch one’s breath.

Loved ones lost, but never forgotten, remain in comforting kind within our hearts and thoughts, to hold our hands, guiding us forward. 

We're not handed a script for life. Some people are more adept at hiking through life’s trail, but most of us muddle through the best we can.  We try.  We may not always receive an A-Plus, but we don’t always received a D-Minus, either.. 

Quite often as we traverse our path through life we ad lib it.  There are occasions we tread water as we attempt to regain our equilibrium; but somehow, we manage to make it through to the other side.

There are times, buffered by confidence we march along the road conquering the hurdles, letting nothing distract us from our goal.

At all times, the good, the bad; the happy and the sad, one must remember to take heed of the “inner voice”; to try one’s best  not to “fret the small stuff”.  It’s not always easy to achieve. It’s not always easy to make the attempt, either – but it doesn’t do any harm to, at least, try.

It is often said.... “We don’t miss what we’ve never had”.  I disagree.  

One doesn’t have to agree with everything that has been uttered by the so-called “sages”. Those “sages” don’t walk in my shoes, or your boots, whatever the case may be, Similar to you and me, even the so-called “sages were, and are capable of making mistakes.

I have no desire to burst anyone’s bubble, but no one is infallible. I don’t care whether it’s the Pope, the President of the US, the Prime Ministers of Australia and the UK, or, dare I say it, Putin – or anyone else, no matter who they are or what title they hold!  We all have our vulnerabilities; our chinks in our armour.  My goodness!  Even the White Knight’s armour gathered a bit of rust along the way!

How boring life would be if we never erred.

That being the case, I’ll tell you a secret; my life has never been boring, and mistakes – well, I’ve made my fair share and more; and, no doubt, I'll continue making mistakes!  I’ve made correct decisions, too. 

In life we come face to face with many, many choices; some expected, others unexpected; the – “whether to” or “whether not to”.  

When standing at the crossroad of choices, most times it’s prudent to ponder a while before taking the next step, or turning the corner ahead.   

However, there are times a spontaneous action can prove to be the better choice.  Take a deep breath; push the door open; barge on through without a backward glance.  The choice is one’s own; it belongs to the individual, not to anyone else.  As long as no one, including one’s self is going to be hurt or harmed a whole new and wonderful world might be waiting behind the door, eager to be discovered, giving  an entree to a different outlook on life; a different perspective on all things past, present and future..

Who knows?  It might be time to toss aside the unwelcome, uninvited fears that have surreptitiously snuck unnoticed into our life when our guard was down. No matter how much we might protest, we all have one or two, and oft times more. Fears have an uncanny habit of creeping in and silently taking hold, often keeping a low profile - when we least expect their rude intrustion. 

Who moi? Never! Not me!  Yeah! Yeah!  Pull the other one!

That’s when it’s time to take a deep breath and forge forth.  Show the fears who is boss.

Once we’ve kicked them to the kerb, some things that have been lost for years might be rediscovered.  It’s a case of looking in the right places, and knowing it’s the correct thing, for you...you...for YOU to do; not for your mate down the road, or your neighbours across the way...but for you.  We all have the power...the power to be...the power to be “me”...one’s self.

Who knows what we’ll discover behind the closed door....there might be a golden pastry-encased Beef Wellington a-waiting; or a bowl of aromatic Spaghetti Bolognese!

I’ll never forget the first time I made the latter.  I was 15 years old, and had not long started working in my first job as a legal secretary in a Gympie law firm.. I cooked enough pasta to feed the whole of Gympie and its surrounding areas; enough even, to feed the population of Maryborough, a neighbouring town!  Before 1960, the only spaghetti we knew and ate came in a Heinz can!

Prawn Cocktail: Combine 1/4c tomato sauce/ketchup, 1/4c thin cream, 1tbs fresh lemon juice, 1tsp Worcestershire sauce and a dash of Tabasco in bowl; season to taste. Shred some iceberg lettuce; place in 4 glass serving dishes or glasses. Using 600g cooked, peeled, school prawns (to make a seafood cocktail, add crab meat and oysters to the prawns) top lettuce with the prawns; drizzle with the cocktail sauce.  Add a slice or a quarter of lemon as décor on the glasses; serve immediately.

Beef Wellington: Season 1 whole beef fillet with salt and pepper. Seal in a roasting pan or on a flat top grill until all sides are browned. Set aside. Melt a little butter in a pan; sauté 1 finely chopped onion until soft, but with no colour; add 500g finely chopped mushrooms, 1 bay leaf and a little fresh thyme. Season with salt and pepper; cook down until cooked and there is no moisture. Remove the bay leaf and add some chopped fresh parsley. Make crepe mixture: Sift 125g flour into a bowl, add 15g sugar and pinch of salt. Beat together 1 egg and 250ml milk. Mix flour and egg mixture together; add 30g melted butter (nut-brown). Set aside to thicken for about 15-30mins. Brush a crepe pan with oil and butter for frying; heat the pan. Ladle a little crepe mix into the pan; quickly swish around to cover the base. Cook briefly on both sides, but without getting any colour on the crepe. Set aside. Keep going until you have at least 6 crepes. You may also add a sprinkle of chopped parsley to the crepe batter, if you like. To assemble the Beef Wellington: Lay out a piece of puff pastry long and wide enough to enclose the beef fillet. Cover with crepes (this soaks up the beef juice and stops the pastry from going soggy on the bottom; you can substitute the crepes with prosciutto, if you prefer; or you can use a few strips of prosciutto, as well.  Using the crepes is the better option for the reason given). Place a layer of mushroom mix in the centre of pastry sheet; then place eef fillet on top. Roll over the crepes and pastry and neatly seal with egg wash. Place on a baking sheet. Decorate the pastry with shapes if desired. Egg wash the top; refrigerate 10mins to re-cool the pastry; then bake in preheated 220C for 15 minutes. You will need to increase the time for an extra 15 minutes if you are cooking a full Beef Wellington. You should have a nice medium pink beef fillet; if you have a thermometer cook to about 65-67C in the centre of the beef. Serve with a nice rich beef glaze or red wine glaze;- Using pan fillet was sealed in, add 1 knob of butter; melt; add 1 roughly chopped carrot, 1 roughly chopped onion and a few sprigs of thyme; brown; add 2c dry red wine; deglaze pan. Cook over high heat until reduced by half. Strain sauce into jug/pot; discard vegetables. Just before serving whisk in 2tbs chilled butter, a small knob at a time; whisk over high heat until glossy

Raspberry-Orange Syllabub: Divide 300g fresh or frozen (thawed) raspberries between six small glasses. Finely grate zest of 1 orange; squeeze the juice of 2 oranges into a large bowl. Stir in 6tbs Grand Marnier (or Cointreau) and 75g caster sugar.  In a bowl gradually whisk 568ml double cream until it just holds its shape in soft folds; spoon cream over the raspberries; serve with soft amaretti biscuits on the side.