Life is a Journey – Page 164 – The life and times of Libby Withnall

Summer at the temple

Posted on January 19, 2012November 6, 2026 by Libby Withnall

My regular readers will know that we are frequent visitors to the Nan Tien Temple. It’s just 10mins from home with yummy vegetarian food, lovely buildings and gorgeous gardens. It really is beautiful at any time of year or any season – Autumn, Spring, or Summer.

We had a bite to eat and then walked down to the lotus pond, which is actually flowering at the moment.

There are SO many fish in the pond.

I love all the statues throughout the gardens. I’m sure this guy was here before but I don’t remember seeing him.

As for this guy – he’s part of the Chinese New Year decor.

We loved the lanterns hanging alongside the paths and on the buildings…

and these cute dragons…

If you’re ever in Wollongong you should definitely make time for a visit. And I’m always free for a chai latte at the cafe :-).

Organising store loyalty cards

Posted on January 18, 2012November 6, 2026 by Libby Withnall

I saw the most wonderful (and easy) idea on A Bowl Full of Lemons and had to do it immediately.

I didn’t think to take a photo beforehand but I was storing all my store loyalty cards in a small softsided pencil case. It worked but it was always a hassle to quickly find a card when trying to pay.

Now they look like this…

Much more compact and so much easier to use and find at the shops. If you have a lot of cards be sure to try this idea. I think it is so brilliant.

The week that was

Posted on January 16, 2012November 8, 2026 by Libby Withnall

It was the week that started with a trip to the dog beach….

It was the week of beautiful skies…

and time spent by the pool….

It was the week of improvised boxing gloves….

and tea parties and sleepovers with friends….

It was the week of a tragic loss for the Wollongong Hawks…

and a weekend in Sydney to see the Harry Potter Exhibition and the musical Annie….

It was the week of Rosie wearing her bucket…

and Bailey ending up in strange positions….

Weekend in the Sydney – Annie

Posted on January 16, 2012November 8, 2026 by Libby Withnall

We woke up to rain. Nice for a lazy Sunday morning but not motivating to get out and explore.

So we stayed in and played on our laptops before making breakfast in the most poorly equipment kitchen I have EVER come across (having only crockery, pots and a few large utensils does not make for easy cooking).

At 11am we checked out…

and drove over the Star City Casino. We were to meet Nan, Pop and my Granny but they were caught in traffic, so had a bit of wait for them to arrive.

We took some photos while waiting.

Eventually they arrived and with less than an hour for lunch we made a mad dash for the buffet. The food was great but everyone was a bit stressed with the fact we had to eat and run. There was hardly any talking, just eating.

We arrived at the theatre to the chimes ringing. I grabbed a quick photo as we moved promptly to find out seats.

We had barely 5mins till the lights dimmed and the show began.

It was a wonderful musical and we all thoroughly enjoyed. Christy, who is a big fan of the movie, was a bit confused that some parts were different but she just loved the show – esp. the kids and Sandy (Annie’s dog).

We should have stayed for a cuppa afterwards but we headed to the car and back to Wollongong. It was a fun weekend away and lovely hanging out all together.