Dear Deb,

Today has been happy-homemaker day in the apartment. I've cleaned (using all-natural homemade cleaning products) and cooked most of the day. The annoying rash on my hands has been a wake-up call for me to watch the chemicals I'm around. So we bought some white vinegar and that's what I used to mop floors in the kitchen and bathroom. I added a little bit of eucalyptus oil to the vinegar and hot water and the place smells so good!

Adding to the good smells is the bouquet of flowers Ken brought back from the shops for me. I've been a little moody and down this week, and the sweet man brought me purple and gold flowers! He didn't even know that those are Paoli's colors! It instantly raised my spirits and made me feel more at home. Can you believe that I've never had a man bring me flowers for no reason?

For lunch today, I introduced Ken to the joy of pastrami reubens! He made dark rye bread in the bread maker while I was down and out yesterday. So this afternoon, I took our leftover sauerkraut from dinner the other night, pastrami from the shop and some swiss cheese and thousand island dressing and BAM! Reubens! Had a side salad with it and Ken acted impressed. It certainly smelled good, but there was something missing. I don't think I put enough kraut on it. But then that's my favorite part of the sandwich.

While Ken went to visit his sick friend, I finished cleaning and mixed up a cake for tonight. Mom and I both love the webblog: http://down---to---earth.blogspot.com. And she had a recipe for the "best cake ever". I had to try it! It smells really good and was terribly simple to make. After dinner, I'm going to attempt to make a hard sauce with whiskey and dates to pour over the top of the cake. I haven't even searched for a recipe yet, so I'm not sure it's possible but it sounds good!

It's time for my baked pork chops dinner. This is one of my favorite recipes and I've done it so many times. You brown the chops in a skillet. Chop a couple of sweet potatoes in big pieces and core a couple of granny smith apples. Put the potatoes and apples into a casserole dish or baking pan. Sprinkle with brown sugar, cinnamon, salt and pepper, etc. Lay the browned chops on top and cover and bake. How easy is that?! And it's so tender and yummy! The best part is you only have two pans to clean. I'm going to serve that with some more of the rye bread.

I'm really trying to find my place in the grand scheme of things here and make it my own. You know how much I love to cook so I'm hoping to do some nice things in the kitchen. It's so much more fun to cook for two. And the cleaning is important to me. I'd like to make this home as cozy and healthy as possible for us. I've got your example and the other women in the family as my guiding stars.

In other news, we went to Aaron and Julie's house for dinner on Sunday night. Aaron is Ken's son. Julie made a beautiful corned beef, mashed potatoes, roasted vegetables dinner and for dessert a chocolate pavlova with raspberries and whipped cream! I've had multiple dreams about that dessert! The pavlova is a meringue - crispy on the outside and light. I'm going to try to get the recipe from her for you guys. We had a great time at dinner, they are very sweet and funny. The night flew by. I look forward to spending more time with them both. And their daughter, Aribella, is beautiful and fun. She'll be four in June and like all 4 year-old girls, believes the world revolves around her. As it should.

Well, I need to get off of here and onto the Wii Fit. I have to work off all the food!

Hope you are all well. All my love,
Courtney

Dear Sports Fans,

I finally found my game! Australian Rules Football is my new obsession. Ken and I watched the first game of the season tonight, and I'm hooked! This won't be a long letter because I've had a bit too much wine during the game, but it was AWESOME! Ken has promised to take me to see a real game live and I can't wait! It's the strangest combination of American football and basketball and the men are beautiful! So much fun - I don't know why we don't have it in the US. It's exciting and fast-paced, but fairly easy to follow. Well, it would have to be for me, wouldn't it?!

Of course, I cheered for the losing team, and God did they lose big! I was devastated - the other team got twice as many points as my boys. But there's a bloke that looked just like the Greatest American Hero on my team. You know, "believe it or not, I'm walking on air..." He was so awesome, but it was a total blowout. "A routing" whatever that means...

We had a very quiet day at home today. We went to the library this morning and then to the shops for some supplies. Read the day away then I got on the Wii Fit and got in my 30 minutes of exercise. Yay me! Took a shower and started dinner. We had steak and baked potatoes while we watched the last half of the footy. Yes, grown men do call it the footy! How adorable is that?

It's coming up to 9:30 Friday night, and I'm really ready for bed. Since I cooked, Ken did the dishes tonight. I'll talk to you all soon.

Love,
Court

Dear Nina,

It's been so nice getting to chat with you a bit today! I'm sorry Gavin is having such a hard night, but glad for me! It's starting to get cloudy out here now, so I probably won't do the sunbathing. But I'm sitting out on the patio getting ready to have a pot of tea. Am I that Australian already?! Have to admit, that is one really wonderful thing about this place. I love the hot tea! I'm making my first attempt at a full pot of loose leaf tea - no idea if I'm doing it right or not.

Ken went to the doctor this morning for a checkup and came home to take me to lunch and the chemist (pharmacy). Then he left again to visit his friend in hospital. Twitch has cancer and has been given only a few more weeks. Since we've been gone so much, Ken hasn't visited him for over a week now. They were in the Navy together and have been through a lot. It's wonderful that we're close enough to the hospital that Ken can visit as much as he needs.

I know I'm starting to sound like a broken record, but I just can't believe how happy and peaceful I am. Retirement suits me I guess! But really it's the sun and Ken. We have the best time just hanging out and talking. He talks so much! But he listens just as much too. We're so much alike that it gets a little freaky.

There are so many things I've thought of to write about, but they aren't important today. The important thing is that life is good. I knew eight years ago that one day I'd be here living this life. And now here I am living my dream. What can I say to top that?

I do miss you all, but I think we're talking more now than we ever did! Please give everyone my love and hugs and kisses. I'm going to get off of here and relax in the sun and listen to Ray Lamontagne. By the way, the tea isn't half bad! :)

I love you!
Court

And More

More

Caloundra

Dear Mom,

Oh my God, this beach is incredible! You would love it here. The water is so wonderful and the sky so clear. I can't even describe it and my pictures don't do it justice. I can't remember the last time I felt so peaceful and relaxed. Just so content and happy.

We took the train from Brisbane and had a great scenic trip up. I have no idea why anyone would travel another way. We could relax and look around and it only took about an hour and a half. The Glass House Mountains were on the way. Trent needs to come here and we could climb them. They are so cool looking! I couldn't get a good picture, but here is a link: http://www.moretonbay.qld.gov.au/discover.aspx?id=2460.

Our condo is very close to the beach and the shops. We've done a bit of both in the last two days. And even more of nothing at all. We walked along the beaches yesterday and just got a feel for the place. I took a lot of pictures, in fact Ken called me Japanese all day! We had lunch on the beach, fish and chips and my first prawns. It was so good! For dinner, he went to the market and picked up some cheese, fruit, and bread. I broiled (grilled here in Oz) the nectarines and plums, and they were amazing with the Camembert and the blue cheese on the bread. We simply gorged ourselves. And with the Monkey Bay Pinot Grigio it was perfect beach food!

It stormed for a bit last night. Nothing like we have in Indiana, but neat to watch from the balcony. The wind was fairly strong and the lightning lit up the sky over the water. Beautiful!

This morning dawned bright and clear. We were up early and enjoyed some coffee and bananas on the balcony. After we got ready, we walked into town for more groceries and tried to find me a hat. No success on that, but Ken did buy some Mango-Macadamia Nut ice cream bars that are unbelievable! I had that in the middle of the street while he went to the bakery for bread.

We unpacked the groceries and had some hot tea. Then down to the beach! I laid out the towels and just collapsed in the sun. It was the best feeling in the world. Ken walked around and explored while I just soaked in the sun and the sounds and smells. I finally went in the water and it's just special. The beach drops off quite suddenly and so it's nice and deep really close to shore. The beach I was at is protected so the waves aren't overwhelming and you can actually just float a bit like in a pool or something. FANTASTIC!

After a few refreshing moments in the water, I got back out and put on more sunscreen. Ken came by to check on me and we decided another hour would be enough for me. He's scared to death I'll burn and be miserable the rest of the week.

So now we're taking siesta and hanging out in the condo until later in the afternoon. The sky is blue and the temp is about 82. Pretty perfect for me. We've been talking and laughing pretty continuously. It's a good life.

I love you.
Courtney

Pictures of the Day

Rugby League Players
Beautiful Sky!!
This looks familiar doesn't it?
Ken in front of our apartment.

Dear Stori,

Hey Sweetie, I've been thinking about you all day! Hope you are all doing well. Give the kids and Jamey a hug and kiss for me. It's been a quiet couple of days here. Tomorrow we leave for our holiday in Caloundra and I'm really getting excited! Like a kid waiting to go to Disney! The sky today is just marvelous. It's so blue and bright and unbelievable! I'm posting a picture of it. Not a good picture, but it'll do.

After breakfast, I called Mom and Dad. It was so nice to hear their voices. I'm trying to convince them to plan a visit here. It's definitely worth the plane ride. After I got off the phone, Ken and I walked to the shops. It's really hot right now, but feels so nice after the Indiana winter! We walked past a rugby game and stopped to watch for a bit. It's kind of like American football, and basketball and I was completely lost. But it looked like they were having a good time and so we decided to stay for a full game sometime down the road. The season is just starting apparently. We shopped for a few minutes, trying to find an adaptor power cord for my laptop and a hair dryer for me. After those tasks were accomplished, we caught the train back home and ate some sandwiches for lunch. Last night we had roast chicken and vegetables for supper. Ate like freaking pigs!

I had to pick up some shorts and a pair of capris yesterday - it's so much warmer here than I expected. But I love it. We also went to the shop for groceries and it was like Walmart on a Friday evening. Utter chaos and horror! Desperate looking moms and their heathen children screaming at each other sounds pretty much the same in Oz as it does in US. We were both so frazzled we forgot the chicken!

Ken was so sweet, he went back into town later in the afternoon and got the chicken and a really nice New Zealand Chardonnay while I was writing and lazing around outside reading in the sun. What a man! Then he fixed dinner! I did do the dishes and cleaned up the kitchen. But I've yet to cook a thing.

I'm gettting ready to go back outside for another read in the sun. I've almost finished the Watchmen book so we can see the movie while we're on holiday. Ken wants to read the book too. It's very good!

I wish you guys were here too. Hope everything is going well, send me updates!

Love,
Court

Dear Dad,

Yesterday was my 34th birthday! It was such an amazing day. I can't remember having a better one in years! Probably since I was a kid and you and Mom spoiled me. Before I tell you all about my adventure, I'll tell you about my trip over.

The first leg was extremely bumpy but not too scary. When I was in the Louisville airport waiting for the flight, a guy sat next to me and called his mom on his cell. Immediately, I knew I'd be stuck with him beside me on the plane. He was complaining to her about how bad the day before was and how he hadn't eaten in 1.8 days. Yep, 1.8. How crazy is that? Well, sure enough I got in my seat on the small plane and here he came. He started talking before the plane even went down the runway! And didn't stop for an hour! He had a mild form of autism or something I'm sure. Everything was very precise and thoughtful and dreadfully boring! He was on to Frankfurt, Germany for his 38th trip. I found out everything about him, his work, and his frustrated wife who wanted him home. I seriously wondered if I could fit out my window and jump! Finally we made it to Chicago.

The trip from Chicago to Los Angeles was very uneventful. I had all three seats to myself and could just read and watch out the window. It got dark very quickly but I could still read my book. I had just under 2 hours to wait for my flight to Brisbane and it really flew by. On that flight I lucked out again and had an empty seat between me and the next woman. And she was quiet! It was very uneventful, we ate dinner, they shut off the lights and we slept. I woke up about midnight Brisbane time and watched movies for a few hours until others started stirring and they turned the lights back on. Rachel told me I would like the movie, The Duchess, and she was right! It was so good and girly! Then out of boredom and not being able to get into any of the other movies, I watched Twilight again. Yes that's 3 times now! I still enjoyed it but was able to drift in and out during it which was nice. It was so cool when the woman in the aisle with me asked if I was coming home from the US. I said no, I'm actually leaving home for the first time! She thought I was an Aussie and she actually was one! It made me feel so good, like maybe I won't stick out like a sore thumb here. We ate breakfast and landed in Brisbane 5 minutes behind schedule.

I was really nervous about going through customs and all that, but it was so fast! No one asked me about my visa or anything, it just all came up when they scanned my passport and I walked out. I was so fast that I beat Ken! But I only waited a couple of minutes before he came in and swept me off to the train. It was a little after 7 in the morning and so sunny and HOT! Sticky hot. I was hot and just nasty after being on planes for what felt like 14 days, and the humidity just wilted me. I can't really remember our train ride or how we got home. But then I took a long hot shower and changed clothes and that helped tremendously.

Ken made me some tea and eggs and toast. It all tasted so good! I knew I was just jet-lagged, but it felt like a feast for a queen. We sat outside on the patio for awhile and caught up. I don't really remember most of the day, but I knew I felt very much at home. Finally at 7 that night, I crashed and slept for about 12 hours.

When I woke up yesterday (my birthday here), Ken brought me a lovely card and a pass for the public transit service. He had coffee made for me and water to help me get over my dehydration. Then he made me eggs benedict. I'd never had it before, but it was so good! There were fresh yellow daisies on the table that he'd picked up for me. It was so lovely. After breakfast we got ready and went down into the city for the day. It was a rainy, cloudy day in Brisbane but still so beautiful! The clouds were probably best for my pasty, white skin! I did take some pictures and will try to post them today. We walked down the center of the city and saw banjo players in front of the Louis Vuitton store! It was so cool. I told Ken that you would like that! It must be an okay place if there are banjo players... We also saw a Border's bookstore and I took a picture for Mom and Mackenzie.

We walked down to Brisbane River and they have a beautiful river walk. We made the decision to stay on the river instead of going through the Botanical Gardens. That's for next time. But along the river, they have mangrove swamps you can walk through and of course the river is right there with its beautiful views. South Bank is really cool too. The kids would just adore it! There's a water feature they've built that has sprinklers coming out randomly and soaking you. They've made a beach in the middle of the city! Imported sand from the Gold Coast and a beautiful pool - again I could just see Maddie and the boys playing so wonderfully there.

We went on to have lunch in a really nice place overlooking the river. It had stopped raining, so we sat outside and the sun even peeked out a time or two! I had the most interesting salad, roasted pumpkin with rocket (a salad green), goat cheese and a vinaigrette topped with roasted pumpkin seeds! The texture and flavors were so well-suited. It was absolutely delicious. Ken had a smoked salmon "damper roll" and chips. Which is basically a sandwich and fries, but it looked good too and he liked it.

After the meal, we came back home and relaxed. We just ordered pizza in and I introduced Ken to the joys of pineapple on pizza. It was so yummy, even if he did have to deal with the internet tech assistance people during dinner. We sat up and talked for hours about everything under the sun. Until again, I collapsed for the night.

Today is going to be a quiet, peaceful day at home. Ken is stretched out on the sofa and we're listening to My Morning Jacket. How cool is that!? We'll be heading down to the shops later on for some supplies and ingredients for dinner. We're doing a roast chicken and vegetables later with a nice bottle of Australian Chardonnay.

I'll talk to you again soon.

Love,
Courtney

Dear Everyone,

This one is for the entire support network. I love you guys and have no idea how I could have survived the last few months without you all. I'm not sure how I could have survived the last few days without you guys! Nina and Trent, thank you so much for taking Elsa. That means the world to me and is such a load off of my brain. She'll be happy there with you guys and the animals. And she'll be a good girl I promise. She's the best dog.

Stephen and Shawn, thanks for the jewelry. I'm wearing a Silpada necklace and Stephen's leaf pendant he made for me and it's helping me stay calm. When the flight was getting a little too bumpy, I just held on to my leaf and my feather. And we flew on...

I just finished eating a lovely meal at McDonald's in O'Hare Airport. And of course, on the flight from L'ville, I sat with a talker. And in front of a teen girl who panics a bit. It was fun! Actually it was, because I kept thinking, "I'm on my way to warm, beautiful Australia. And you aren't!" Knowing my luck, I'll have even worse seatmates next. Karma...

Mom and Dad, you did such a good job letting me go this afternoon. It was such a relief to just get a hug and a kiss and know you were okay. I couldn't have dealt with a crying scene. Thank you. You guys are truly the best parents anyone could hope for. I'll talk to you soon.

I love you all!
Court