Craving Caffeine {local cafe/quest coffee}

You should know by now I love me a good soy latte!

This week brings you a glimpse into my fav cafes and espresso bars on the Gold Coast.

Now these won't be reviews as such, yet!  More showcasing the fact that we do in fact have well trained  Baristas dedicated to their craft here on the Gold Coast.

First up....Quest Coffee Roasters

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Quest is found in very busy James Street Burleigh Heads. 

Last Saturday we were child free so we thougt we'd head down to Quest for a quite coffee and a chat. Could we get a seat? No!  Due to two reasons, firstly there is very limited seating and secondly they make an excellent espresso.

So with that we took our takeaway coffees and lemon slice and went to the park, perfect!

The Lemon Slice was DIVINE!  Hand made by the Quest Team, talented bunch.

Everything at Quest is organic from the coffee, tea to the milk.  As well all the food on offer is handmade right on the premises.

Their coffee beans are roasted on the premises ensuring high quality and freshness.  Plus they have packs of beans you can purchase to use in your home espresso machine.

You can find Quest on Facebook or look them up on their website.

Where is your favourite cafe and what makes it your favourite?

Piquing My Pinterest {the chocolate edition}

2012 hasn't had the best of starts for me, but I can move forward and accept what it hands out.  My Grandmother said we were only to be sad "for just a little bit" and then we had to be happy.  Sometimes that's been hard to do, as the grief process is affecting family members in different ways and it can be hard to watch the hurt, sadness and anger.

I'm home today (after an HUGE grocery food shop as we had NOTHING in the house!) with my boys, both down stairs watching a movie, as this Queensland rain continues to pour down, and I'm in my office with my secret stash of Smarties hehehe! 

So in light of my somewhat down mood, the rain and eating my smarties I present to you The Chocolate Edition! Yes you may thank me now or alternatively really dislike me because you've had to get in your car and go get CHOCOLATE!

chocolate lego blocks

cross section of a choclate bar

chocolate pudding

chocolate coconut slice

chocolate fruit ice blocks

Have I tortured you enough yet?!  Ok no more then :)

All these pictures can be found on my Chocolate Board on Pinterest.  You can follow all my boards here.

If you haven't joined up to Pinterest yet (and BTW I will want to know why!!) don't panic just shoot me an email and I will send you out an invite.

 Linking up with the lovely Tina Gray {dot} Me for another edition of Piquing My Pinterest.

So tell me what's your favourite chocolate fix?!

Cancer.....I HATE You

Nanny Rosa went peacefully to Heaven yesterday morning.  Mum said she smiled like someone was greeting her. 

For that we are thankful but it doesn't make the loss any easier.

I wrote this post a couple of nights ago when I was sad, teary and angry all in rolled into one big emotion.  But I still wanted to post it, so here it is.

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My Nanny is still fighting on, the doctor said she is a strong woman, and that she is.  However heaven is calling and we want her to find her peace.

A very BIG thank you for all your kind messages of  love, support and strength during this difficult time for me and my family.

I don't want to start a debate on euthenasia here, that's not what this post is about.  But when you see a loved one in agony and there is no hope, there has to be something more dignified than our current palliative care.  They put animals down for less.

You see if you haven't seen someone near end of life with cancer then perhaps you may not understand why I say this.  Terminal melanoma is horrific, it goes from your lymph nodes, to your bones and then your organs.  One of the worse cancers you can get, if that's at all possible with cancer.  Part of my Nanny's bones are destroyed by the cancer and it's in every bone in her upper body.

She is now on a syringe driver that releases continuous flow of pain relief.  But the pain doesn't stop.  Nanny then has further pain relief injections for the breakthrough pain every 30 minutes.  She now can't talk, eat or drink.

This medication doesn't calm her and she is restless and agitated, further medication is needed to calm her.  All the while my Mum and her two sisters are there on shifts around the clock at the hospital, ensuring she is never ever alone.

It's not pretty, it's not right and there has to be a better way for people who are at end of life.

I struggle everyday with being away from Nanny and especially my Mum.  I need to be at home but part of me wants to jump on a plane and head back down.  Perhaps that's what I may do on the weekend, I'm not sure.  I'm not sure of much lately.

I'm grieving in advance as I know what's coming in probably only a few days.

Right now all I want to be around is my Hubby, our son and my close friends and family.  The thought of being around any other people makes me feel agitated.  I don't know why, it just does.

Laughing and being joyous doesn't seem right to me at the moment.

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Beautiful Nanny sleep peacefully and know you are loved for always and forever. xxoo

I Don't Want to be at Home.....

My heart is breaking into a million pieces and my head is exploding with a constant head ache, that I've for so long now I've lost count of the days.

It's been a while since I've blogged, I've had more pressing matters.

My sister and I along with our three boys took a road trip down to Canberra to see our Nanny.

We were only staying for five days but ended up being there for two weeks.  You see my Nanny has terminal melanoma.  And her condition became worse while we there, so we lengthend our stay, just to be with her.

The hardest choice to make was to come home.  We knew it would be the last time we would see her.  But we had to get back home to get our boy's ready for school and my sister to return to work. 

Nanny understood, she's good like that.

My heart while breaking on one hand is bursting with pride and love on the other for my son, Mr 13 and my two nephews, Mr 10 and Mr 5.  Not only did they handle a 14 hour trip there and back without too many whinges but the love they hold for their Great Nanny shone through.  The many comments we received from the nursing staff at the hospital about how well behaved our boys were made me smile.  We spent countless hours at the hospital, and they too sat and held her hand.

This is the hand that has held, loved and cared for me since the day I was born, it was my time to hold her's.

Nanny (Rosa to everyone else!) wanted to get the message out to ensure you get your skin checked and if something doesn't look right get a second opinion.  Your life depends on it.

I've experienced a very emotional two weeks, but one I would never change.  The chance to sit with my Nanny, remember the good times and talk about them all with her is a blessing.  She knows she is loved to the moon and back, we know it too, and that is special.

So as I sit here and type this, 1200kms away my Mum is sitting with her Mother holding her hand and my heart is aching while I wipe away the tears.

And this is why I don't want to be home.

I'm Going on a Road Trip

Hoping all of you had a fabulous New Year and enjoyed yourselves no matter what you got up to!

So tomorrow my sister, myself and our three boys are off on a road trip to Canberra to visit my Grandmother who is battling agressive melanoma.

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We live in Queensland so it's about a 14 - 16 hour journey, this time tomorrow night we shall be there yay!

Now I'm busting with excitment to see my Nanny and Mum but I'm an anxious travller, so much so that I don't even own a passort and the fear of leaving Australia fills me with fear! I'm bad aren't I?! 

But I'm looking forward to the journey with my little Sis, who by the way will drive through Sydney as that fills me with dred! I usually hand over the wheel to my Hubby or Dad but since they won't be with us it's going to be her job! And don't get me started on those hills getting into the outskirts of Sydney that makes me feel physically ill.

Boy reading this back makes me out to be such an od bod!  Surely I can't be the ONLY person like this?!