Courtney's Letters Home

A busy month

2010-07-08T11:25:00.000+10:00

What a whirlwind of a trip to the US! Even now I'm not sure exactly what I did! It was wonderful to see my family and catch up with everyone. The highlights were getting in two days with Stori and the kids (oh how I wish it could have been longer), hanging out in the pool with Mom, Nina, and Trent, breakfast in Velma's with Daddy, and lots of quality time with Grandma and Debbie. As always, the weeks went by too quickly and the tears flowed too freely when it was time to go. I am happy here and I do love my life, no matter how much I may cry when I leave you all.

Here are a few pictures of my visit:

While in Florida, I dropped the Permanent Residency Visa application in the mail. It was wonderful to receive a prompt email from the case officer. We are looking forward to a positive response in a few months. With that in mind, I am going to be back in the US from late September through mid December awaiting my new visa. It was a very tough decision to spend three months without Ken by my side, but we think it's for the best in the long-term. We would hate to both be in the US in case Immigration needs something from him in Australia! We're definitely looking into the future on this and three months is a sacrifice that has to be made.

It was wonderful to get back home on the 30th after so many hours on a plane. Brisbane greeted me with a cold, drizzly day and Ken greeted me with his yummy curry and a lovely warm apartment. This trip has taken me longer to get over for some reason. A week later, I'm still exhausted and going to bed early every night.

Ken has been keeping me busy though. He's discovered the joys of cheese making! Before I left, I made up a batch of feta that was pretty yummy. But while I was away, he made three batches of farmhouse cheddar! It is really beautiful stuff, we cracked open the first round and have been nibbling away. It's creamy and definitely has a bite to it. Lovely! Ken was so excited about doing it, that he made another batch this week so I could observe and learn. It's drying out for a couple more days, then I guess he'll wax it and let it age a bit. Delicious and really so easy!

Some pictures of the process:

I had the wonderful opportunity to meet a dear friend of Ken's on Tuesday. Dennis and Ken have known each other for many, many years and manage to maintain a friendship over email and occasional phone calls. I was thrilled he came over from the West Coast and I was able to meet him over lunch. He is going to happily report to the other "mates" that I really do exist and am not some figment of Ken's imagination!

Now it's time for me to get back to the laundry that's piled up in this rainy weather! I have to take advantage of a sunny day...

Leaving on a jet plane...

2010-05-31T15:19:00.000+10:00

Good afternoon, I am enjoying this beautiful winter weather! It's sunny, breezy and cool in Brisbane - I think this is my favorite time of year. My hot tea intake has increased exponentially and today I've seriously considered knitting up (or attempting to knit up) a pair of fingerless gloves to wear around the house. I've got my fuzzy socks on with my jeans and long sleeve tee AND a hoodie! But if you look outside, the sun is bright - not the grey Indiana winters I'm used to. Ken is still wearing shorts most days and truthfully I rarely have on socks.

The last couple of weeks, Ken and I have been fighting colds. His has settled into his lungs, and he's just been miserable, but mine is just a general chill and feeling rundown. I hope we both get to feeling better in the next couple of days. Our days have been mainly spent inside quietly playing computer games (him) and knitting or reading (me). The television has also been on more during the day than ever before. Poor guy had to put up with Nora Roberts' movies a couple of days last week! Thankfully, he was able to snooze during the worst parts.

We've also completed our paperwork for my permanent residency visa. WOO and HOO! I didn't know if we would both survive the stress of figuring this stuff out. But it'll be wonderful to put the application in the mail and let the ball be in the government's court. I'll keep you updated on our progress.

Ken announced today that he just purchased us a cheese maker. No, not a little French man , but a kit that will be everything we need (except milk) to make our very own cheese. We are very excited about this! He had previously found a cheese making course he could send me on for a weekend. I'd learn everything I need to know about cheese making for only $400. Only $400?! But this new little kit should be here tomorrow and we'll be able to get some made before I leave next week. So when I get home, there will be a lovely block of cheese waiting to be eaten and enjoyed. (If Ken doesn't give in to temptation first!) I reckon we'll have to start walking a couple of hours everyday now, just to work off all the cheese we'll be eating. It's Ken's biggest weakness.

Speaking of weaknesses, I have found the best recipe for bread. I've made it twice now and each time it's a little better. I can't wait to make it again today. It's just a white bread, but instead of making it in a pan I make a round loaf on a pizza stone. Here's a picture of the last loaf I made Friday with my chicken soup.

Tuscan herbs and poppy seeds

We've been preparing for my next Indiana visit. I'm thrilled to be able to go at this time of year, when Mom and the kids are on summer break from school. When I visited in October, Mom couldn't spend much time with me so we're planning on making up for that this time. Stori will also be home and I'll get to meet her new babies, Chad and Ian for the first time! I wish I could spend more time with them, but will have to be satisfied with only a couple of intense days. Mom and my brothers' families are going to Florida for a couple of weeks and I'll be joining them. It's very hard to try to see everyone and do the things I need/want to do in just three weeks. Some hard decisions have to be made and I just feel torn already. But three weeks is better than nothing, and I couldn't bear to be away from here any longer than that.

Mom and I have so much planned already and things get added every day. My sister-in-law, Nina and I just can't wait to open a bottle of wine, some fresh bread and start talking. My arms ache to hold those new babies and Stori Faye. And it'll be wonderful to see my dad and brothers again. Just to feel a part of that circle of love and affection again. I have missed my family so much. It amazed me that people survived this kind of separation before the invention of email, Skype and Facebook. I know that I couldn't.

Mom has found a blanket she wants me to knit. It's a log cabin technique (like the quilts) and to practice I've been working on a dishcloth/hot pad with some scrap cotton. I really enjoy it and I finished it in just a couple of nights, however it didn't look right so I ripped the last round off and have started again. Hopefully I'll get it done the right way tonight. It's going to Mom and Dad until I get the blanket finished.

Blue, red, green log cabin

I'm also knitting a very lightweight baby blanket for Aaron and Julie's newest addition. It'll probably be one we just keep around here for when he comes to visit. Hopefully that will be very often! I can't wait to hold this little guy. Ken and I have already started calling him "Flash" - I guess every child needs a nickname from his grandfather.

In other news, Ken and I had our eye appointments a few weeks ago and I finally can see. Oh how great it is! I got a new pair of glasses that we both just love and a new pair of prescription sunglasses. Here is a picture of me in my new glasses with my long Pocahontas hair. Please excuse the no makeup and pale skin, and thank goodness I'm not very vain!

Or maybe I am a little vain. Here's a better picture of me by the pool at Rae's resort (Ken's sister's house).

Mmmm...ice block by the pool

Happy Monday everyone!

Courtney

Eclectic Reading

2010-04-30T16:06:00.001+10:00

I'm just writing a short post today to let you know about my new blog feature from Amazon. As an Amazon Associate, I can link to books, movies, other products available on Amazon.com and if you decide you'd like to buy the product through my blog, I'll get a commission up to 15%. It's a great way for me to keep track of what I've been reading and share my thoughts on it. Hope you enjoy it!

It been an eclectic month of reading in the Smith-King household. In fact, the librarian might start thinking I'm multiple personality or schizophrenic or something! The first of the books was by an old stand-by, Nora Roberts. She's always reliably entertaining. This was Three Fates and it didn't let me down.

I walked down the aisle at the library and this book just jumped into my bag - The Prairie Girl's Guide to Life: How to Sew a Sampler Quilt & 49 Other Pioneer Projects for the Modern Girl. It was just so cute, but a little too precious for me to take seriously. It did have a couple of nice ideas in it for me. My favorite was about the joy of writing actual letters instead of relying on email or Facebook to keep in touch. I'm trying to to put this into practice.

Lillian Beckwith is an author with whom I was completely unfamiliar, but I've fallen in love with her writing. She lived in the Hebrides and wrote about crofting life. It's a simple, beautiful life that Ken and I dream of often. Hills Is Lonely is the non-fiction book about her experiences in the first year or so of living in the Islands. I recommend it highly! Island Apart is a fictional story that is just so sweet and not what I expected.

Also in the non-fiction aisle was The Ballad of Blind Tom, Slave Pianist. Written by an Australian about an American slave who became one of the most famous entertainers in the United States, it was completely fascinating. I can't believe I'd never heard of this man before and it completely whetted my appetite for biographies.

Mom and I were talking about Elizabeth Berg and her beautiful writing. The Year of Pleasures: A Novel was one I hadn't read before and it is gorgeous, heartbreaking, and uplifting. Everything a novel should be! And the last book from the library shows my growing and odd obsession with Beatrix Potter. At Home with Beatrix Potter: The Creator of Peter Rabbit is a gorgeous book about her home in England's Lake District. I was never a huge fan of Peter Rabbit or any of her books, but I've fallen in love with her cottage and her life. She wasn't just a woman who drew silly little animals in vests and shawls, but was deeply passionate about her home and the land. I look forward to reading more about her...maybe even checking out Peter Rabbit and Flopsy Bunnnies!

Tomorrow I'll go to the library for more books to keep me going another month. With the books, knitting, cooking, and cleaning, I really enjoy being a housewife. Who would have ever thought I'd make a decent housewife? I know Mom and Aunt Deb have to be shocked!

Sorry this is a weird post, I'll do a proper one soon.

Love,
Courtney

Anniversary

2010-03-23T12:33:00.003+10:00

I have officially been in Australia for a year! It's been a beautiful year of love, laughter, sacrifice, and tears. You may not believe me, but every day is a surprise and joy for me. Even the worst day is better than my life before. Not because I had this horribly tragic life, I'm not a character in a Bronte or Dickens novel (as much as I would have enjoyed it), but because I was missing something. Before you click to close this page, yes, my name is Courtney and I'm a romance-aholic. I admit it. Most of my young life was spent with my nose in a book, I can quote all the romantic movies of my youth by heart, and the 1995 BBC version of Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice" is still my favorite movie ever. It's on TV this month and Ken has been kind enough to promise to sit through it without complaint! Who needs Mr. Darcy?

But back to my original point if I can remember what that was...oh yes, missing something. When I was a little girl, our entire family got together for holidays at Grandma and Granddad's. We ate and talked and the kids ran wild and everyone was happy and loved. And every year, I would sneak into the back bathroom and cry. How could I be so happy and so sad at the same time? It was fear - fear that I would never find that love I could see in the married couples around me. It was this elusive dream all through my childhood, adolescence and young adult life. And then I met Ken. We clicked, but the timing was just incredibly wrong. It took another eight years for us to make that commitment.

And now that I have that beautiful love and partnership, life is perfect right? Well, yes and no. Can you believe I'm still sneaking into the bathroom and crying? The fear is back, but it's different this time. My fear is that by following my heart and leaving my family back in Indiana, I'm actually the one being left behind. Our lives are so different and now so far apart. My niece turned 16 a couple of weeks ago! Without me?! My cousin and her family are just growing and changing so much! Without me? My Grandma is getting older and more frail and more forgetful every day. Without me? How can I be so happy and so sad at the same time? Is this what it means to be a grown-up? Does everyone feel like this? How do you get through it?

I'm learning to get through it with the love and humor my parents have passed down. And a lot of hugs from Ken. My dear Ken who took me to a beautiful dinner on our anniversary and acted just as excited as me about my new shoes for the occasion. Ken who gets up early every morning and makes sure I have hot tea and toast as soon as I wake up. Ken who makes me laugh so hard that I collapse into a puddle on the floor. And I guess that's what life is about. Making sacrifices and loving someone so much it doesn't actually feel like it's a sacrifice at all.

My family here in Australia is getting larger. Ken's son and daughter-in-law are expecting a little boy later in the year. We are all so thrilled! Bella is trying to come to terms with having a brother instead of a sister, but it'll be fantastic. I can't wait, little boys are so sweet and just to hold a baby again will be heaven! They were so lovely and brought me over a worm farm for my birthday. Julie even emailed my mom and found out my favorite type of birthday cake, then made it for me!

Life is good. It's been a wonderful year, and I can't wait to see what the future holds in store.

March

2010-03-01T11:31:00.011+10:00

March has always been one of my favorite months. The beginning of Spring in Indiana, when you can finally start to see the pale green haze around the trees signaling the beginning of buds after the long, grey winter. The air smells different in March, and you can start to feel your shoulders come down from where they've been huddling around your ears all winter. March has always seemed more like the beginning of a new year to me than January. Maybe it's because I was born in March or because of the Spring. Either way I'm happy to discover that it has significance in the Southern Hemisphere as well. The Summer will be ending and Autumn will finally arrive. I can't tell you how happy that makes me! I love the heat and sun, but enough already! The last few days have been cooler and rainy, and I feel like one of my garden plants, sucking in the water.

The change isn't dramatic like in Indiana, we'll still have pretty warm, sunny weather most of the time. But there's a different smell in the air. And there is definitely a green haze over everything. My tomatoes are growing every day and I swear you can almost watch them get bigger. We've had our air conditioning off two days now and it's wonderful to be able to hear the outside world. Even if it is arguing neighbors and those bloody crows that love to torment Ken. I woke up this morning and just laid there listening to the rain outside. What beautiful music the world makes!

Last night I was lying in bed reading the novel, The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society, by Mary Ann Shaffer. It's a beautifully written book, told completely in letters. I recommend it to anyone looking for a lovely read. Anyway, I was lying in bed reading this story of change and finding "home" and it hit me how incredibly changed my life is in so short a time. In a couple of weeks, I'll have been here a year! Part of me feels like I've been here all my life, because I feel so right and at home. But then it hits me what a huge transformation this has been. And honestly, the realization of an eight-year dream. How fantastic is that?

My knitting is getting better and more fun every day. I'm still leery about trying new patterns or knitting anything other than scarves, but I am proud to say I finished a tea cozy for myself and even though it's not perfect, it's mine. Last week, I started a scarf for myself just to practice rib knit and I just love it. It did get ripped out a few times, but I needed to practice for a very special project I'm getting ready to start. The yarn I'm practicing with is a beautiful cotton and as I don't have enough to make a scarf, I'll have to go back to the yarn shop and buy another skein. (Oh darn!)

Ken and I doubled the size of our 'farm' this weekend! We now have lettuces and snow pea and cucumber. The cucumbers are a Crystal Apple variety and will be little white balls of sweetness I hope. We had a pretty productive weekend, but still plenty of time to be lazy. Perfect in my opinion! Ken built shelves to store the homemade beer/cider and that opens up a lot of cabinet space for me to spread out in the kitchen. YAY! My job today is to organize those cabinets now. Not a fun job really, but will be so worthwhile.

While I'm doing that, you can look at some pictures of our trip to the bay last week. Even though we had some major train drama, it was a nice afternoon out. We had a picnic on the bay and a great walk. There are some beautiful waterfront homes here - if you have a spare couple of million dollars.

Have a great week!

Rae's Resort

2010-02-22T13:52:00.003+10:00

Well, what a way to spend a weekend! Sun, surf, family and wine, wine, wine - what more could a woman want? Ken's sister, Lynn, and her partner, Eddie, picked us up on Friday afternoon and we drove to their sister Rae's home at Bribie Island. The five of us seem to get along so well, and I am constantly reminded how lucky I am to have been accepted into this family.

Rae's home is so pleasant and relaxing. There are chooks (chickens) in the backyard "Chook Mahal" that Eddie built. And her giant dog, Missy is always entertaining. A table on the patio overlooking the pool was a great spot for afternoon drinks and snacks before dinner. And an evening dip was very refreshing for us girls.

Saturday was a full day of eating (at least 4 times!), swimming in the surf, and much conversation and laughter. Rae, Eddie and I went into the surf and there were some pretty big waves for this Indiana girl! One knocked Rae off her feet and there she lay under the water for a little while. I was terrified! But when I finally saw her face and realized those were tears of laughter, I loosened up a bit. It took us a while to get her back on her feet with both of us laughing, but jeez what a fun time! We also got my favorite picture of Ken and me ever. Thanks Eddie for taking it!

Here is a picture of Ken and his three women on the beach.

And one of Rae, Lynn and Eddie.

Bribie Island is a lovely little place, only an hour away from our house. What a beautiful part of the world I live in! Notice the Glass House Mountains in the distance?

I introduced the gang to "real" Mexican food the Indiana way on Saturday night. Fresh corn tortillas with Mom's taco recipe, fresh salsa and bean and corn salad. It was yummy and I think they really liked it. Or at least they were hungry and ate a lot! There is such a difference between the homemade corn tortillas and the ones we used to buy at the store in Indiana. It makes me so happy to make them too!

Mom sent me a package of Christmas goodies and I'm so glad I received it right before we left on Friday. My new green purse is just the best ever and got me many compliments! I've already finished one of the books she sent and will get started on another tonight. Thanks Mom!

Well, I need to do something productive today. Probably just knit but at least that's producing something! Even if it is a teacozy for myself!

Love,

Court

Merry Christmas Mom! (finally)

2010-02-13T14:12:00.005+10:00

After working my short little fingers to the bone for almost 3 months, I finally finished Mom's Christmas present and got it in the mail. Next year, I'll have to start before November! The pattern came from Mary Jane's Farm magazine and Mom gave it to me while I was in Indiana in October. I couldn't wait to get back home and buy the yarn and get started. Since Mom isn't really a fan of a lot of wool, I went with a smoky blue acrylic that is soft and cuddly. Here's a picture of me wearing the sweater shawl:

It's a terrible picture of me, but hopefully it'll give you an idea about the shawl. It feels very warm and cozy, thank goodness Indiana still has so much winter left so she can use it. (Those of you in Southern Indiana may not appreciate that as much as I do.)

I've gotten a good start on my next project - a little red tea cozy. This will be the first thing except for dishcloths that I've ever knitted for myself, so I'm really looking forward to seeing the finished product! It's also the first pattern I've ever used that was fairly complicated. "Real" knitters will probably laugh if they saw what I think is complicated! But I'm definitely a beginner, so anything beyond knit every row or purl every row seems complicated to me. After my tea cozy is finished I'll be starting another project to send back to Indiana, hope it'll be done before it gets too warm also!

I can't feel too guilty about just getting out Mom's Xmas present, because it's definitely something that runs in the family. My box of goodies for Xmas from Mom still hasn't arrived at my door, even though I anxiously await. I have no idea what is in this box, but it'll be so wonderful to get mail from Indiana. It's been a really hard couple of weeks here in the city for me. Ken has been sick with a chest cold, and I'm just a bit witchy (or is that a witty bitch?).

Reading Stori's blog is always wonderful, but it just makes me miss her so much! I end up crying every day there's a new post. We are both experiencing these HUGE life changes and for the first time, we're experiencing them apart. That is so hard to deal with sometimes. We are lucky in that we know nothing will ever change our relationship, not even being on different sides of the world, but it is hard. Seems impossible that I haven't even met Chad and Ian yet! And she only met Ken once, years ago.

In other news, our "farm" is going well. The lettuce is just not thriving in this heat, I'm going to try again later in the 'fall'. But the tomatoes and bell peppers and herbs are thriving! We have two baby tomatoes that just double in size every day. I go out in the evening and water them and have a little pep talk with them. Ken calls me the crazy Indian woman, but it's relaxing for me, and can't do them any harm. Our capsicum (or bell pepper) is full of babies and a couple that are getting the right size. It's an heirloom plant that is miniature and yellow. So they are just tiny little things, but will be so sweet! As you can see in the picture below, one is orange and we watch every day for it to turn just a bit more yellow so we can eat it!

Bella is in school now every day, but we pick her up once a week or so to help out. She really enjoys school and looks so adorable in her little uniform! The highlight of her visits (for me at least) is taking her out and watering the garden. She is such a good helper, and loves to sneak bites of the basil. Thursday we went out after she changed from her uniform, but she had to get an apron from the cupboard to put on over her clothes. It reminded me so much of a picture Mom has of Mackenzie and Shayla in her front garden wearing old aprons. We've come full circle in a way, haven't we Mom? The funniest thing is that it's probably the same apron! Unfortunately, I didn't get any pictures of her, but I'm sure I will another day. She loves wearing the aprons and has already put in an order for what her baby sister will want. We don't know what Aaron and Julie's new baby will be, but there will be an apron waiting. And hopefully, some knitted goodies too.

Well, that's about all for now. I'm going to enjoy the rest of the day with my knitting. Or at least until Ken comes home from the boat. Hopefully with good news! Here are a couple of photos I took earlier this week on my walk to Spotlight:

And one from earlier this morning out my bedroom window:

Love,

Courtney

The garden - two weeks on

2010-01-30T15:19:00.003+10:00

I know you are all dying to hear how my little container garden is going, so here are some pictures I just took. Today is two weeks from planting my babies and they are doing great! I have three bell peppers coming up good. A new one popped out overnight! And the tomato has pretty little blossoms coming on. I tried to get a picture of the flowers but it didn't turn out. The bad news is that I found a caterpillar in with the tomato! I knew something was munching on them, but couldn't see anything. Today I caught it red-handed! So I carefully took it out and smashed it with a leaf. Tonight I'll spray my new homemade garlic spray on all the plants and see if that works to kill everything eating away and keep new ones from munching. Unfortunately, the apartment smells a bit rank with the 3 bulbs of garlic I chopped and put in water last night. It was in a closed container, but when I opened it to strain - WHEW! We had to open the doors and windows, light matches and spray room deodorizer. Good thing tonight is pizza night - the garlic will fit right in!

We're still a little worried about our lettuce, it doesn't look like it's spreading out, just growing tall. But I'm trying to be patient and let nature take it's course. If you have any better suggestions, please leave a comment.

Ken and I are having a quiet weekend, just enjoying each other's company and reading, watching silly alien movies, and playing Wii. The new Wii Resort that Aaron and Julie got us for Christmas is just the most fun! We have become very competitive at the Frisbee Golf and Sword Showdown. Sometimes we worry that we've become a couple of teenagers playing video games, but then our backs or elbows act up and remind us of our real age. Nothing worse than bursitis caused by flinging a pretend frisbee!

I went to the library on Wednesday and picked up a great bunch of books. Cookbooks, knitting, embroidery lessons, David Sedaris, and a Cottage Tales book by Susan Wittig Albert. If you enjoy Jane Austen, small English villages, and talking animals this series is for you. It's just so relaxing and innocent. I've read the first in the series, but couldn't find the others in order. Finally I couldn't wait any longer, and decided to just skip to whichever was in the library. I think this one is the 4th or 5th, but still just so enjoyable.

Well, I need to get my pizza dough started for tonight. We've been doing homemade pizza because it's so much better than delivery and not hard at all. I'll make enough dough for two pizzas and then just pop half in the freezer for an easy dinner later on. Ken does the shaping, assembly, and baking in our pizza oven. I make the dough and the sauce. What a team!

I've also included a picture from our picnic last weekend with Kerry and Brandon. We went to the Botanical Gardens and got a great table in the shade and by the river. What a perfect afternoon!

Love to all,

Courtney

Where has January gone?

2010-01-23T16:42:00.004+10:00

I know everyone says time goes by faster the older you get, but come on, this is a little ridiculous! It's been a month since my Christmas post already? Where do the days go? Since I promised Mom there would be a post when she woke up in the morning, here goes.

It's really been a pretty quiet January, my favorite kind! The days bleed into each other - one just a bit hotter and more beautiful than the last. The weather still takes some getting used to, but I don't think I'd trade it in for Ohio River Valley weather anytime soon. The more my family talks about the snow, ice, rain, and fog, the more I love the heat, blue sky, and sun. It might get a bit boring with the perfect weather, but that's not a bad problem to have!

My worst fear did come true the other day. I went down to Brookside Shopping Center for groceries and got on the wrong bus! It's always been this huge fear and Ken even made me a list of time tables for trains/buses to and from all the places I go most often. Even with all that, I got on the wrong bus. How stupid can a person be? It started out okay, but then quickly went into neighborhoods I'd never seen. So I started to panic, just a little. But I thought, "No, it'll be okay. It'll come around eventually." And it did, sort of. I finally started seeing familiar streets and landmarks but still didn't know if it would turn down our street. And it didn't. But the bus turned into a train station one down from ours. I asked the driver it if continued on Pickering Street to the left (past our apartment) or to the right. He grunted (which I took as a no) and left the bus! Since I was the only person on the bus, I decided to be smart and just take the train. Ten minutes later my train arrived and home I went. I've never been so glad to see Ken! Tears jumped down my cheeks when I walked in the door. It seriously crossed my mind to never leave the apartment again without him. But after a nice bottle of cider, I had my courage back. Besides I wanted to go to a great yarn shop I've heard about...

American Yarns is just three train stops from our house. It is a really great little yarn shop that has just become my favorite ever. I went on Wednesday morning and spent more time there than I had planned. It's a small place, but a fantastic assortment of yarns at good prices. I picked up some pretty cotton yarn for a couple of projects I have planned. While I was out, I stopped in next door at the quilt store just for Mom. It's just her kind of place, and I can't wait to go shopping there with her someday. (Hint, Hint) Also ran down the street to a Vinnie's (St. Vincent de Paul's) and picked up a couple of gardening books for a buck!

Ken and I have started our little garden finally. Aaron and Bella were kind enough to take us to Bunning's (kind of like Home Depot) the other day and we picked out our containers, plants, and critter-proof fence. The way our unit faces, we've decided it'll be better to do container gardens instead of the traditional beds. This way Ken can pull them out into the sun every morning before I wake up, and they get beautiful sun all day long. Right now we've just got one tomato plant, one bell pepper, and some herbs. But we're already planning another container with beans and radishes. I've also got some lettuce growing in the front garden where it's shadier. Ken's been calling me "Farmer Courtney" because I'm a little particular about it all. He did a great job building the critter-proof cages around each container. We do have possums in the back yard, but I think these will keep even the smartest little guy out.

Ken and I took Bella to the New Market Swimming Pools this week. We had the best time! They have several pools for kids that are varying depths and have sprinklers, slides and all sorts of things. Bella and I had a great time swimming around and she went down all the slides while 'Poppy' watched. It was a beautiful day (of course) and we simply wore ourselves out. By the time we got home and had a huge lunch, we were all knackered. Bella slept all afternoon on the bed and I slept for a couple of hours on the couch. Ken even dozed off a time or two. I'd forgotten how exhausting swimming can be.

All of that is just fine and dandy. But the big news is: I have new shelves in the kitchen! It's amazing how two little shelves can make such a difference and mean so much to me. We were talking the other day about the kitchen and I mentioned that shelves would be nice. In less than a week they were built, painted and up! Is that a good man, or what? I couldn't believe it and literally jumped up and down when I saw them. I wanted simple and they are exactly what I wanted. I think they are just gorgeous. And the space it opens up on my benches! I can roll out dough without moving anything else! It's just perfect. He is the best guy ever.

Tomorrow we're having a picnic with our dear friends, Brandon and Kerry. We're going down to the Botanical Gardens by the Brisbane River and sit in the shade drinking, talking and eating the afternoon away. Oh what a life!

All my love,

Courtney

Merry Christmas

2009-12-24T15:08:00.002+10:00

It's Christmas Eve here already. How time flies when you're having fun! Everyone who knows me well, knows that I am not filled with the Christmas spirit. Mom considers it my inheritance from Dad because it certainly didn't come from her side! I thought it would get better down here with the heat and sunshine. Something altogether unexpected happened instead -- I want Christmas with my family in the cold, gray Indiana gloom.

How could this happen? For close to 30 years, I've dreaded Christmas and here I am in paradise daydreaming about snow and cheese-salad sandwiches? What the hell? I've got it made this year! Beautiful weather, wonderful people to spend time with and the man of my dreams. The best part is they aren't MY family! No stress! You know I love you all dearly, but let's face it, you're loud and overwhelming.

But no! I have to start missing you guys and your peanut butter fudge, and pink icing sugar cookies, and the kids running wild and the men getting grouchy. The fun you will have at Stori and Jamey's and the peace of knowing each other forever and knowing you always have a home there. So once again, I had to travel all the way across the world to find out how blessed my life has always been.

Every year since I've met Ken, he has sent me a Christmas email and promised to raise a glass in my honor. It's wonderful that this year we can actually toast each other in person, but I will definitely be raising my glass in your honor. To my family and dear friends this holiday season, enjoy each other, love each other, and have a fantastic Christmas and even better 2010.

Love and Christmas Blessings to you all,

Courtney

Happy Birthday Ken and Shayla!

2009-12-13T14:14:00.004+10:00

What a beautiful day for a birthday! Yes it's hot, but so gorgeous as always. Two of my favorite people in the entire world share a birthday and today's the day. Shayla is my oldest niece and it's simply impossible that she's 21 today. I still remember the first time I saw the cute little blonde thing with absolutely the tiniest nose! We weren't too sure about her mommy then, but Shayla stole our hearts from the beginning. Of course, it didn't take us long to fall for Nina either! It's such a blessing to watch a baby become a child and then turn into a beautiful young woman. Thank you Shayla for being such a joy. I love being your aunt.

And of course, it's Ken's birthday too. Obviously not his 21st, but close... We had his son, daughter-in-law and granddaughter over this morning for brunch. It's always a pleasure spending time with this new family I'm getting to know and love. Aaron and Julie are a beautiful couple and Aribella is the apple of Ken's eye, as she should be. We had a lovely fruit salad filled with fresh fruits: mango, pawpaw, nectarines, plums, strawberries, peaches, cherries and bananas. YUM! Fruit certainly tastes better close to the source. We followed up brunch with a carrot cake from the local bakery. I know my limits with baking cakes and decorating. The cake was dense and moist and yummy and looked good too. Much better than I could have done!

Now with the house back to normal, the kitchen clean, and golf on TV while Ken is napping in the recliner, it hits me again how happy I am. My life has been pretty darn good from the start - I'm lucky to have a great family and friends. But nothing can compare to spending every day with someone who lights up when he sees you and makes you feel like the only person in the world. Every day I get to spend with Ken is a blessing and a joy. Thank goodness I had the courage to move here and start living my dream life! Thank you, Ken. I hope you have many more wonderful birthdays.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-27T08:35:00.001+10:00

I hope you all had a fantastic Thanksgiving full of good food, family, and all the good things in life. Mine certainly was! Ken and I took the day off from cleaning and painting the boat and just enjoyed being at home together. I cleaned a little and did laundry, he went to the grocery store for me and then we just had a quiet day of Wii, knitting Christmas presents, watching horse races, and cricket on the tube. In the afternoon, I made my first attempt at a pumpkin pudding. I used Mom's classic recipe for persimmon pudding and substituted some cooked pumpkin puree I'd made earlier in the year and frozen.

Since it was going to be just the two of us for dinner, I made a free-range chicken roast with roasted potatoes, pumpkin, carrots, and onion, brussel sprouts and rolls. And yes, Debbie, GRAVY! Which I had to admit was pretty awesome! I'm getting much better at making gravies. Ken had picked up a nice Australian Chardonnay which went beautifully with the meal.

Mom, I'm so glad I brought home all those old aprons from your house! They've been washed and hung to dry and now I wear one everytime I'm in the kitchen. It's silly, but just makes me feel like I'm really ready to get to work. Ken loves them too. He laughs every time I put one on, but it's a nice laugh. In honor of Thanksgiving, I donned the turkey apron over my old skirt and tank top. Have I mentioned it's hotter than hell here? And not even really into the summer yet? YIKES! Thank God for Air Conditioners.

We sat down and had a lovely meal. Ken thought the Thanksgiving tradition came from the Puritans being grateful for landing in a place free from persecution. My belief has always been more that it stems from the first harvest and giving thanks for the success of that. Either way, we both have a lot to be thankful for. Especially each other and the sacrifices we've both made to be together. It hasn't been easy, and I'm sure it won't get any easier, but it has been so worth it. I also gave a silent Thanksgiving prayer for my amazing family that loves me enough to support my decision to leave them.

Dad and Mom, Stephen and Shawn, Trent and Nina and kids, I miss you all so much. But I was with you in spirit yesterday and hope you all had some dressing and sweet potatoes for me! Stori and Jamey, enjoy those new babies and give all four of my kids a big Thanksgiving hug and kiss for me. Grandma Helen, I miss you and love you. Hope you are feeling better!

By the way, the pumpkin pudding was really good! A little dollop of thickened cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon made it as pretty as a picture and yummy too!

Home again

2009-11-22T12:46:00.002+10:00

It's a very hot and sunny day again here in Brisbane. And I thought it was warm in Indiana in November! Right now it's almost 85F, but feels much hotter than that. We finally broke down and turned the air con back on. What a difference that makes! I hate to rely on it, but this isn't even the summer yet! I'll be melting by Christmas, but I can't wait.

My visit back home to Indiana was a lovely time. It was so nice to see everyone again. I can't believe I've only been away for eight months, but then I realized, that's the longest I've ever been away from the family! We are so lucky to have such wonderful family! Although, I guess luck has less to do with it than the pure love and determination of our grandparents and parents! My only regret is that Stori was in Africa the entire time I was in Indiana. I miss my sister of the heart so much. But we know that we're each living the life we need and love. Those new babies will need all the love and attention she and Jamey can give them, but I know it'll be fabulous. They are such good parents, I marvel at how wonderful Livia and Parker are.

As great as going back to my Indiana home was, nothing can compare with how wonderful it was to be home with Ken. I never imagined how much I could miss someone. The good news is that it was mutual! We've quickly settled back into our routines. It has been a busy few days though. Friday we sailed the boat up to the marina in Manly. We left home before 7 and had 2 hours on a bus down to Coochiemudlo. Then down I went to check the propeller before we took off for the supposed four hour sail. Two hours later we're still just off Coochie because both the tide and the wind were fighting against us. It turned into a beautiful day, but the sun and the wind were both strong. They don't make a sunscreen strong enough to keep that off you completely!

The waves got a bit scary here and there. I knew with Ken I was safe, but it was a bit like being on a roller coaster. The work involved in sailing is incredible! Who knew it would be so hard? I am still sore 2 days later in places I didn't even know existed! There were a few really scary moments when I seriously prayed that I would be the one to fall in, because I knew Ken would be able to get me...the alternative I wasn't so sure about. But we finally made it into the marina and headed home. At 7:30 Friday evening, we were home.

Burned, sore, and exhausted, we showered and made cheeseburgers. Then we ate and fell into bed. I don't even remember going to bed, it just happened! We're still both sore and tired, but going back to the boat every day this week to do the real work. Cleaning and painting and readying it for sale. We'll be tired puppies, but it'll be worth it when we get a good price on it! I hate the idea of selling it, but it is the best option right now.

Ken is very sunburned (what a redneck!), and even a bit sick from it. But we've been putting yogurt and cool peppermint tea on it and that has helped dramatically. He says the yogurt was the best. We'll do it again later today. It's off to Bunnings for supplies for the work ahead, and then an easy dinner of delivery pizza.

Menu planning and nesting

2009-09-10T15:01:00.002+10:00

I love these quiet days at home. Ken is at the boat and as much as I adore going to the water, I'm a homebody at heart. It has just been the nicest day! I got to talk to Mom over coffee in bed this morning and catch up on the latest in Indiana. After doing some vacuuming, mopping, laundry, and cleaning out the fridge, it was into the shower and catching the train into Alderley. My favorite fruit/veg shop is there and there is a nice grocery store too. Two and a half minutes on the train and I'm there!

Yesterday, I sat on the patio with a lovely cappuccino and some cookbooks and planned the next week of dinners. This is something I'm just trying out, so many people say it is just THE best way to organize and budget. I have to admit, it is nice not to have to think about it for the rest of the week! So I figured out what I wanted to fix each night, and what ingredients I need to buy for the week. Usually, Ken and I go to grocery on every other Thursday and get everything at once. Since he's gone, I just picked up the essentials today. I can not carry all the bags by myself! But we do have this handy little trolley that can be stuffed full and makes it very easy for me.

So I picked up a veggies at the shop and a whole chicken for tonight's dinner. I'm attempting a roast chicken complete with herb stuffing and roasted veggies and gravy. It's been years since I've roasted a chicken, but I'm sure it'll be lovely. Ken's eyes lit up when he saw that on the schedule! So it'll be worth it. Plus, I can use the leftover chicken for salads and sandwiches for lunch the next couple of days. It's getting much warmer here now, so every couple of days I've been making a big salad and eating that for my lunches. Best part is that I can use up leftovers without feeling like I'm eating the same thing every day. I do a lot of mixed beans, veggies, apples, couscous, rice, etc. Whatever is in the fridge and pantry can go in!

Our herbs are struggling in the pots outside and we're not sure why. We have to pick up some more soon. Right now there is just a little parsley and basil, but I'd love to get some more and some rosemary to add in there. I have so many plants on my wish list: tomatoes, lettuce, peppers, herbs, the list goes on and on. It would be relatively easy to put them in containers I think, but it's just getting them started right that worries me. I haven't gotten to it yet, but one step at a time. In the meantime, our native flowers are blooming and my succulents from Casino, NSW (thanks Sue!) are starting to thrive. Ken and Aribella worked on the beds a couple of weeks ago and they look incredible!

After a busy time at the shops and dragging an overloaded trolley home (I always try to stuff too much in it!), it was definitely time for a late lunch and a pot of tea. Even as hot as I was the tea was just exactly what I needed. There is something so special about making a pot of tea the way women have been doing it for generations, and just sitting in your home. It makes me feel so connected. Strange that it took moving to the other side of the world for me to feel that way. I hope everyone is having a lovely day and can take the time to connect. To themselves and to each other.

Peace,

Courtney

Dear Mom,

2009-08-28T15:46:00.002+10:00

It's 4 in the afternoon and I'm sitting in the air-conditioned living room, watching Ken play Tiger Woods golf. We've been to the shops for groceries, and I've been to the library to get another month's supply of words. You've been waiting for more letters and Ken has been nagging me to write. But it's just so much easier to read and live a life than to find the words to describe one. Don't you think this is so?

We went to the boat on Wednesday. The weather was beautiful and we had enough wind to actually sail for a couple of hours. Definitely didn't break any speed records but it was fast enough for me. Life is about the journey, right? And jeez, what a journey! Three dolphins came right up to our boat and checked us out. We'd seen dolphins in the distance the last time we were on the bay, but this was like nothing I'd ever experienced. One of them came withing 20-25 feet of us and just stuck his little head out to say hello! Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures to show you as my camera was inside the cabin and I was paralyzed with awe. In fact, I believe all I could do was gape and say, "Holy shit!" over and over. It was one of the most beautiful moments of my life - I am so grateful for it.

Ken and I sailed back over to Blaksley's on Stradbroke island. It's such a nice and quiet spot, protected from the winds to make a peaceful night on the boat. We had a lovely dinner of homemade tomato sauce and pasta with garlic toast and a nice Shiraz under the stars. I'm getting very good at picking out the Southern Cross even though it is a little underwhelming. I keep expecting it to be bigger or brighter or something.

Thursday was warmer and completely calm. We messed around on the island, cleaned up the cabin and sorted everything while we waited for a breath of wind. Sadly, it didn't happen so we had to motor back to Coochiemudlo instead of sailing. It was still so beautiful and peaceful. I went for a swim once we got back to the mooring. The water was cold, but it felt so good after the heat of the last few days! And to just immerse myself in water was so lovely. I think I'll be a mermaid whenI grow up.

We were both so exhausted when we got back yesterday evening. A big dinner of Guinness stew, mashed potatoes and veggies fit the bill exactly. I barely stayed awake for Thursday Night Live, my favorite sports show ever! It's weird that I watch sports shows at all, let alone have a favorite, I know. But we were in bed by 9 and I slept almost 12 hours! Then up for laundry, grocery shopping and the library. It's nice to sit down finally. Even though I haven't done much today, work-wise at least, in this heat it feels like everything is an effort. It will be interesting to see how I do this summer when it gets really hot.

Tonight is a simple dinner of pasta, chicken and asparagus baked with cheese. The recipe comes from Ken's sister Lynn and we just love it! Tomorrow I'll bake some cookies and make a beef casserole in the slow-cooker while we enjoy the football games. It's almost finals time and I'm afraid my Brisbane Lions just won't have it in them to last too long in the race for the Premiership. But my backup teams are going pretty well, and have a great chance. We'll have a lovely lunch at Kerry and Brandon's on Sunday as usual. I can't wait to see what we're having! She's such a great cook and they are such wonderful fun.

I'll write again soon.

Love,

Courtney

Goulash and Kitchen Ghouls

2009-07-14T19:28:00.005+10:00

The goulash recipe worked out really well. It was so delicious, I can't wait until I can have the leftovers. I served it with plain potatoes and butter on the side and some sourdough bread Ken picked up at the shops. The recipe:

Goulash

50 g./ 2 oz butter
675 g/ 1.5 lbs lean, tender beef
2 large onions, sliced into rings
salt and pepper
15 ml/1 Tablespoon paprika
1/5 kg/ 1 lb tomatoes, skinned and chopped
50 ml/ 2 fl oz beef stock
150 ml/ 5 fl oz sour cream
chopped fresh parsley

Melt the butter in a saucepan. Add the meat and fry for 5 to 8 minutes, or until it is evenly browned. Stir in the onions, salt and pepper to taste and paprika. Add the tomato and stock, cover and simmer for 1.5 to 2 hours, or until the meat is tender. If necessary, add a little liquid during cooking. Top with sour cream and parsley.

Serves 4

I followed the directions except I used our slow cooker after frying the meat and cooking the onions for a little while. I put it on in the early afternoon and by 7 it was definitely ready. The tomatoes I used were just a big can of chopped. It couldn't have been easier! And it was really delicious! (If I do say so myself...) The crusty sourdough bread and potatoes were just the perfect finishing touches to the meal.

Tonight I was not quite so lucky with the meal. I made a meatloaf using a recipe from the cookbook. It called for 1.5 lbs (675 g) of hamburger. I only had about half that much meat. I tried to follow the directions and halve it all, but apparently it didn't work. The "meatloaf" became a tiny little thing floating in liquid in the bottom of the loaf pan. It tasted okay, but didn't look very appetizing. Oh did I mention that I set the kitchen on fire in the process?

The freaking electric stove is a bit confusing as to which button controls which burner. At least after a couple of homemade beer it's a bit confusing... I had the potatoes on a burner, and the carrots and pumpkins on another burner. Unfortunately, I had the power going to the burner in front of the pumpkins and carrots. This did not become apparent until I threw the tea towel on top of that burner. And smelled the smoke. It set off the smoke alarm, threw Kenny into a tizzy and laughing fit.

I finished up the meal, and made mushroom gravy to cover up the mistakes. Jeez I needed a glass of red after that! We're now watching a documentary on poop. Yep, Poop. It's amazing what you can find on television.

Bella/Poppy day was a lot of fun. She's such an imaginative little girl. Spent an hour lecturing us on the meteors and outer space. Then "The Artist" gave us a lesson on puzzle making. She kept referring to herself in the third person as "the artist" so we just followed suit. Poppy and I are both exhausted tonight, but it's a good exhaustion.

Here's the recipe for the meatloaf. Please follow it carefully and use the specified amounts!

Beef Meat Loaf

1 thick slice of bread, crusts removed
50 ml/2 fl oz milk
675 g/ 1.5 lb lean beef, minced
30 ml/2 Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
50 g/2 oz fruit chutney
1 beef stock cube, dissolved in 30 ml/2 Tablespoons boiling water
salt and pepper
1 celery stalk, finely chopped

Soak the bread in the milk for 10 minutes. Mix together with the beef and the remaining ingredients. Place the mixture in a greased 1 kg/2lb loaf tin, lined with foil, and smooth the top. Put the tin into the oven preheated to fairly hot (190 C/375 F) and bake for 1 hour. Serve hot or cold. To serve cold, allow the loaf to cool for 1 hour in the tin before turning it out. Serves 4 to 6

Oh and another thing... Ken and I took the fitness age thing on the Wii Sports. My "fitness age" was determined to be (drumroll please) 57! And Ken was just 29. He's so excited and obnoxious about the whole thing. My question is how do they determine this after a bowling, baseball, and tennis exercise? I'm taking the damn thing again tomorrow to try to score better. He made me take a picture of our "ages", but I'm not posting them yet.

Lots of love,
Courtney

PS Ken is so distraught that no one has asked for his curried eggs recipe!

Cooking and Shopping

2009-07-13T14:34:00.002+10:00

These are a few of my favorite things...This song has been going through my head all day! The bad thing is that it started with "brains in black butter". I have decided to go through an old cookbook Ken had in the kitchen drawer and make a lot of the recipes. Kind of a very relaxed version of the Julie and Julia idea: http://www.amazon.com/Julie-Julia-Recipes-Apartment-Kitchen/dp/031610969X One of the recipes I was looking at today (which will NOT get made in my kitchen) is for Brains in Black Butter. How disgusting can you get? When I asked Ken if he'd like it, I sang it to the tune of My Favorite Things. Now that song is stuck in my brain!

The recipe I actually did make this weekend out of the 1000 Recipe Cook Book: Recipes for all occasions edited by Isabelle Barrett and Jane Harrop and published in 1976 is the following cookie (or biscuit) recipe.

Butter Coconut Crisps

175 g./6 oz self-raising flour, sifted
225 g/ 8 oz sugar
1 egg, beaten
125 g/ 4 oz butter, melted
150 g/ 5 oz desiccated coconut

Mix the flour and sugar together. Gradually beat in the egg, then the melted butter. Form into small balls, then roll in the coconut. Put on well-greased baking sheets (or use baking paper), well spaced apart, and put into the oven preheated to moderate (180 C / 350 F). Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until lightly browned and firm to touch.

This is supposed to make about 30 cookies. I made 21 so you can tell mine were a bit too big. But wow, were they yummy! I was craving something sweet before the footy game on Saturday (the first of 2 that day), but didn't want to spend too much time in the kitchen. I made these during half-time and sadly they are all gone today. They are chewy when just out of the oven, but crisp up when they cool. Excellent with tea or coffee and I can imagine them with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and some hot fudge sauce! WOW!

The recipe I'm trying out today is a Goulash. We'll have it for dinner tonight, so I'll let you know if it's good tomorrow. And give you the recipe.

Friday was a wonderful day out for me. My friend Kerry picked me up and we had a girls' day at the DFO (Direct Factory Outlets) and then downtown for sushi and cupcakes. It was a fantastic day, weather and company were just perfect. It has meant so much to me that Ken's friends and family have been so accepting and welcoming.

There were some real bargains to be had at the DFO. I found a black purse for $15, it's exactly what I needed. I've lived all this time with one khaki canvas purse from Walmart! Kerry found a couple of cake stands that she's been looking for at a great bargain. The sushi in South Bank was great, eating at an outdoor table in winter even better! The sun was shining and the breeze was blowing. We went around the block for dessert at a cupcake/sweet shop. I had a lovely espresso mud cupcake and Kerry had a beautiful lemon meringue tart. Our lattes were delicious and it was a fantastic way to end the day with a dear friend.

Well, I'm going to sign off for now. Ken needs help bottling the beer and I have goulash to check on.

Love to you all,
Courtney

PS Wait till I tell you about Kenny's Curried Eggs...

Dear Stori,

2009-06-29T14:27:00.003+10:00

It's been a week since we've been home from Queen Mary Falls and Toowoomba. I haven't written my letter about that trip because my head has been full of more serious things. It was a beautiful rainy weekend in the bush. I hope you've had a chance to look at my pictures of the birds and the waterfalls. Lynn and Eddie were fantastic - so much fun to spend time with them. We had lovely little cabins. They were so lovely, Ken and I decided we could just live in one on our own little piece of land! Once we win the lotto...

On Monday we had a really great lunch with Ken's mother in Toowoomba. She fixed some of her famous pea soup and it really hit the spot on that rainy day! It was wonderful to spend some time visiting with her. We looked at family photos and chatted for a couple of hours. I can't wait to spend more time with her in the future.

I can't stop thinking about your babies and how exciting and wonderful this time is for you. There are so many things we're going to miss doing together, but know that you are in my thoughts and in my heart always. Ian and Chad are lucky to be coming into your beautiful family. And you are so blessed to find them!

I'm going to spend most of the day knitting baby blankets! There is so much work to do and so little time! But every stitch will be full of love so that every time they snuggle up in their blankies they will feel my arms around them.

It's been a long week since we've gotten back, but I am so happy to be home again. Homesickness for the family strikes hard sometimes, but I can't imagine being anywhere else. This is truly my home now. And it will only get better as time goes by.

I love you and miss you all,
Courtney

Dear Mom,

2009-06-15T15:07:00.000+10:00

Here are finally some pictures of the surrounding area. Typical suburbs really, isn't it? I took these on Saturday during a quick walk around. There is a park close to us that has great playground equipment, Bella likes to go there some days. I walked down there and had a sandwich and read my book in the sun. How peaceful!

Here is a picture from my park bench. There's a rugby field just to the right of the picture. I hoped there would be a game on, but sadly no one was around.

Preschool just down the block from the apartment. We live in the Enogerra suburb of Brisbane.

And best of all, my record-setting win against Ken at Wii Bowling! Woo and Hoo!! I was (briefly) ahead of him in the tennis scoring too, but sadly he beat me this morning. He has now introduced me to Tiger Woods Golfing and my elbow is in severe pain from playing 18 holes. And my great score was...(insert drumroll)...38 above par! How is that even possible? Is that worth golf elbow?

Love,
Court

Dear Trent,

2009-06-11T11:05:00.002+10:00

It was so cool to get your video message! Are you finally starting to like My Morning Jacket or just missing your little sister that much? It hit me that this is the longest I've ever been away from home. That sounds (and is) so small-town but it's true! Even in college I came back almost every weekend. There is absolutely no way I could have done this in the years before the internet. Getting emails, video messages, and chatting on Facebook makes it seem like I'm just around the corner instead of on the other side of the world.

But I am on the other side of the world and as you guys are gearing up for summer vacations and hot weather, I'm wearing my uggs, jeans and jumpers (sweaters), putting an extra blanket on the bed, and getting the flu! Not the dreaded Swine Flu, of course. What a lot of drama for nothing... The days are clear and brisk and the evenings are downright chilly. It's a beautiful time. (Or would be if I weren't sick!)

The amazing thing about being sick is that Ken is taking such good care of me. He's cooking soup, bringing me tea, entertaining me endlessly with his goofiness. What a treasure! I hate to get mushy, but I am so lucky he waited all these years for me.

I'm spending the day knitting a little, reading a little from my latest batch of library books and listening to the radio. Hopefully by tomorrow I'll be completely over this crappy flu and we can have a nice weekend doing something outside.

Give Shay and Gavin a hug for me!
Love,
Court

Dear Dad,

2009-06-03T10:01:00.002+10:00

You need to get on the next flight over. I've found the place in Australia where you'll feel completely at home. Casino (pronounced Casina) is a small town across the border in New South Wales. Ken and I went down Friday on a train from Brisbane. I've decided this is the only way to travel. You can just see so much and there's no worrying about navigating or bad drivers or anything else. The food car is right there if you're hungry or thirsty. It's a great way to travel! We should definitely take the train trip through the Rockies sometime.

Lester (Shep) and Sue met us at the station in Casino and we went into town to have a look around. Casino is a small town and I just kept marveling at how similar it felt to Orange County. If you overlook the trees and the rain-forested hills in the distance, it looks like home. Full of little shops, some empty storefronts, and small-town people. I felt instantly at home. Sue and I went into the craft market and looked at all the knitting, painting, woodworking, etc. She is such a nice lady. Very down to earth and reserved - Mom would really get along well with her.

After lunch, we went to the farm and Dad, you would love it! The cattle grazing in the fields, the orchards, the cattle dogs, the sheds, the puttering you could do! You and Lester would get along so well and have so much in common. He has everything and can make anything work with what he's got. Cannibalizes one truck to keep the other running, his shed is amazing. I think he may be the Australian Mr. Haney to your American version. LOL

Beef Week was very similar to our county fairs, except that it all happens in the center of town. The judging, auction and everything is right there on the street. They have the kids area with carnival rides and the food stalls. But the beef is the main attraction and they sure are proud of it.

The area has been getting a lot of rain this year, so it's very green and lush. And it rained every day so it was soggy and cold too. I was really glad to have my jacket and long sleeve shirts. I spent the entire weekend in them.

We went into town every day, but spent a lot of time just hanging out at the farm too. The farmhouse is old and just classic. It's very homey and comfortable, the way a farmhouse should be. We spent most of the time in the kitchen, sitting around the table enjoying lovely conversation with good friends. And they did make me feel like I've known them both for years. Lester and Ken had us laughing until we cried at stories from their Navy days. And Lester has a million stories about this injury and that injury. He's a walking accident waiting to happen! Kind of reminded me of you, Dad.

On Sunday they invited friends over and had a beautiful dinner with roast lamb and pork. The company was exceptional, the food was amazing and a lot of fun was had by all. I'm not sure I've ever eaten so much as I did those four days in Casino! Shep and Sue asked when you and Mom were coming out and said you could stay with them. Isn't that the nicest?

Rural life is the same whether you're in Indiana or across the world in New South Wales. It's truly the simple things in life that are important. On our way home Monday night on the bus, I thought a lot about the similarities. Two teenagers were on the bus with their kids. The little mother reminded me so much of the girls Mom helps out. She was trying so hard to be a good mommy, the boy was just overwhelmed by his life and was another kid she had to take care of. The exhaustion on her face broke my heart. But how many kids just like that are in Orange County right now? It looked like that little girl that comes by your house sometimes with her two babies. Life is the same no matter where we live. We just have to make the best of it and enjoy every moment. Try to make it a little better for other people along the way.

My life is so amazingly good right now. The changes I've made have been worth the pain and the crap. I could not have done it without the support from you and the rest of the family and friends. Without Ken's love and support either. Dad, I miss everyone in Indiana, but I feel so at home here thanks to Ken and his friends and family. So when are you coming to visit? LOL

All my love,
Courtney

Morning visitor

2009-05-28T17:10:00.000+10:00

This morning we heard a woman's voice say, "Woo-hoo, woo-hoo" and thought it was the neighbor from upstairs. Went into the living room and there was this little guy - a gorgeous little owl at our front door! Ken had never seen one around before, but we went online and it said it was nesting season so they must have some eggs close by. He stayed for quite a while and was just the sweetest thing, didn't have anything else to say unfortunately, but seemed pretty tame.

I know he looks pretty similar to the kookaburras (at least he does to me in these shots) but it is actually an owl. You could tell when he turned his head around and blinked his eyes. Very cool!

Ken and I are getting ready to go to Casino, New South Wales for the weekend. It's Beef Week! His friends, Shep and Sue, have a cattle ranch there and we'll be staying with them. I can't wait to get out into the bush and see the beautiful country. And the cattle dogs! We leave in the morning and stay until Monday evening. It's starting to get cool at night and it's cooler there apparently, so I'm actually taking my Polartec jacket. We'll take the train down and it goes through a range of mountains - should be fantastic! Ken says they're more like big hills, but I'm really looking forward to it.

We've had a pretty quiet week or two. I had a girly shopping day alone while Ken went to the boat yesterday. It was fun to wander around the local shopping center and browse. Even more fun to walk through the park home. There is a rugby field and a bowls club (outdoor bowling) between our apartment and the shopping center. There's a lot of other stuff too, but that's my favorite part of the walk. Yesterday, the older men were playing bowls and the young kids were playing rugby. I wondered how much they could learn from each other if they took the time. Or if the kids ever thought, "That'll be me one day," as the old men said to each other, "Remember when we were that age..."

The birds are going crazy outside right now. Night is falling and the animals are calling to each other. Ken's playing on the Wii waiting for our nightly game. I need to get out there before he gets even more practice and kicks my butt more than the usual! We sound like such a boring, old couple, but it's a beautiful thing - the stability of knowing what you're going to be doing each day and not worrying about the next crises. Because there is none. I am so blessed.

Stradbroke Island Pt. 2

2009-05-18T12:55:00.005+10:00

Mom and Dad, it was so good to hear your voices today! So sorry I've slacked off on the posting. The week on Stradbroke Island was just incredible and I'm not going to be able to do it justice. There are just no words that mean enough to describe the beauty and peace I found there.

Every morning we sat down to a beautiful breakfast from Sandra and discussed the plans for the day ahead. We pumped the beach for yabbies (little shrimp-like things) to use as bait for our surf fishing. And yes, I did fish for a little while and actually caught one! It was teeny-tiny, but Ken took a picture for me anyway. We drove on the beach down to the Jumpinpin Bar which is where the ocean cuts across the island and separates North and South Stradbroke. It's about a half hour drive from Flinders Beach where the house was. On the BEACH! How cool is that? We stopped a couple of times to try the fishing here and there and Sandra and I climbed the dunes and looked around. We could see the Gold Coast skyline across the bay and the outline of the tallest building in the Southern Hemisphere. We had lunch at the Pin with neighbors, Greg and Mary. It was a beautiful day.

At least, until Ken got bitten on the foot by something. We thought it was just a bee sting, but then his foot swelled horribly and he started having chest pains. Mary and Greg were kind enough to take Ken and I back to the house so he could rest. The chest pains went away quickly, so we weren't concerned enough to need a doctor. We're still not sure what got him, but his foot stayed swollen and sore for several days even after we got back home. He's thinking maybe it was a spider. It was a little scary and put a damper on his good time.

Greg and Mary had a barbeque for us with all the neighbors and it was such a great night! Most of the people knew Ken, Ross and Sandra from when they all lived in the area, so they were glad to catch up with them. They all certainly made me feel like a long-lost relative! Tess, Kit, Gwyneth, and Mary especially were just wonderful and I can't wait to see them again. Tess is a New Zealander who lives next door to Mary and Greg with her husband. They both work from home and are just lovely people! She earned my undying devotion when she asked Ken how he had gotten a "goddess" like me! The rest of the time there she and Mary called me "the goddess". "How's the goddess this morning?" etc... Kit and Gwyneth are an older couple and I just want to be her when I grow up. So lively and interesting, she's in her 80's and he's her "boy toy" at 70-something. They have both lived these incredible lives - I'd love to hear the whole story and write it.

They asked Ken and me over for coffee the next day. Unfortunately, we went to the wrong house and couldn't find them! Sandra and I went over later in the day to apologize and then Ken and I went over Monday before we left. I hate that we missed the opportunity to visit with them alone, but look forward to seeing them again and spending time with them.

As with most great vacations, the days ran together, so I'm having a hard time remembering what happened when. I'll just sum up by saying that it was one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen and the vacation was right up there with my all time favorite, Prince Edward Island. Ken and I are already talking about going back in the winter by ourselves for a couple of weeks. I can't wait and only wish you could all see it in person.

Since we've been back, it's been housework, footie, and spending time with Bella, Aaron and Julie. It's a gorgeous Autumn day and we're enjoying every minute together. As much as I love holidays and paradise islands, I wouldn't trade our quiet routine for all the world. Being with Ken, baking bread, hanging laundry on the line, and knitting is the kind of life I've always wanted.

Stradbroke Island Pt. 1

2009-05-14T13:32:00.004+10:00

It is really difficult to write about an entire week of fun in the sun, which is why I haven't posted anything about Stradbroke yet. Ken suggested I break it down into "chapters" to get a handle on it. So here goes with the first chapter:

It was a dark and stormy night...My apologies to Snoopy for plagiarism. Anyway, it WAS a dark and dreary morning when we headed off to take a train, bus and water taxi to Stradbroke Island. The wind was ferocious and it was more than a little chilly. I'd woken up with a sinus infection and sore throat. What a beautiful start to the holiday. Straddie is only about 1.5 to 2 hours from home, so it's a nice ride on the train through the suburbs of Brisbane.

When we got to Cleveland (not the one in Ohio), we had a short wait at the bus stop for the bus to the water taxi. There were a couple of American backpackers there (they looked so young!) and two Aboriginal school girls. I can assure you that teenage girls are just as annoying and obnoxious in Australia as they are in Indiana. We were all cringing! Especially when a Muslim family came over and the wife had her face all covered in beautiful fabric. The girls went over with their cigarettes and cokes and demanded, "Why do you have your face covered up?" The husband handled it perfectly by suggesting they sit down quietly and he would explain it to them. The female backpacker and I exchanged looks of absolute horror and embarassment. "Oh my God," she mouthed to me.

Finally our bus came, and the Muslim family, the backpackers and Ken and I all got on. The men started talking about the water taxis and time tables, etc. The water taxi was right on time and we loaded our stuff and got on. Because of the wind, it was a pretty choppy 25 minutes, but even in the gloom you could tell it's a beautiful place. Ross met us at the other side and off we went to the house. It was a cute little place on Flinders Beach called Lee's Cottage.

As soon as we unloaded the Ute and dumped everything in the bedroom, we were off to the beach. Wow! The dramatic clouds and dark ocean water were just fabulous. We worried about the fishing, but it truly would have been okay with me if it stayed stormy the entire time. It was that beautiful.

Sandra was so wonderful, she cooked the entire time we were there! I think the only thing I cooked was toast for breakfast. Yes, Mom and Dad, I did do the dishes. We had a lovely night catching up with Ross and Sandra and woke the next morning to sunshine! The kookaburras joined us on the veranda for breakfast and then we were off for a day of yabbie pumping and fishing.

To be continued tomorrow...

Stradbroke Island

2009-05-05T11:34:00.002+10:00

There hasn't been much going on except getting ready for our holiday at Stradbroke Island. We're leaving in the morning and will be gone until Monday, so there will be no updates or posts until we get back. Things are wonderful here and I just can't wait to see the island! It's definitely one of Ken's favorite places, so I know it will be a special time for us. I promise to take lots of pictures and get them posted as soon as we get back. Everyone have a great week and weekend. Love to you all!!

Food!

2009-05-01T11:46:00.000+10:00

Ken's Green Chicken Curry (we ate enough for a small village)
Lasagne!
Dessert - watermelon!!

Recipes and Updates

2009-05-01T10:42:00.002+10:00

It has been such a weird week - a nice combination of busy and quiet. We've had a lot going on and the time has flown by. On Monday we did get back to Coochie and the boat. It was a fantastic time! The bad news is that we didn't get off the mooring...again. But we did spend the night on the boat and it was the most incredible night! The day was just so beautiful, we couldn't have asked for better weather. Ken and his friend Ivan had the idea that maybe the propeller was the problem, just too gunked up from sitting in the bay so long. So I got to go diving! We put the goggles on me and down I went. It was so fun! The propeller was full of barnacles and plants, so I took the wire brush down and spent the afternoon cleaning. Did I mention how much fun it was? The cuts on my hands and arms weren't really fun, but it was nice to be able to finally do something to help! And I love being in the amazing clear green water. I made Ken start calling me Esther (Williams). Of course, everyone who has seen me in the water knows I'm not nearly that graceful!

Sadly, the boat still isn't right. But that's one job down. We gave up for the day and opened up a beer. Sitting on the boat just watching the sun go down was one of the most peaceful moments of my life. I told Ken that it was my favorite moment so far. Then the stars came out. We ate some irish stew that Ken had made and drank a bottle of cabernet under the most amazing starry night. Van Gogh would have been in heaven! I'm actually able to find the Southern Cross on my own now. As the night went on, they just got brighter and more crowded. I had an old sweatshirt of Ken's on and we just sat watching the sky. We went to bed early, but I woke up in the middle of the night just in time to see a falling star. Was this the Universe telling me I'm in the right place, that I've made the right decision? Maybe, but I'm really having no doubts now. They've been wiped away with the dawn. Yes, I woke up early enough to watch the sun rise! It's weird that we don't have the dramatic sunsets and sunrises that Indiana does. They are very quiet and peaceful. Just a little yellow, then silvery purple and finally blue. I do miss the dramatic sunsets over the hills in Indiana. I bet it's beautiful now with the leaves out.

We came back home Tuesday afternoon and were just exhausted! Wednesday we ran errands. Yesterday was my favorite kind of day. I got a lot of housework done, but still took time to read and enjoy myself. Ken had to go to the doctor, so I cleaned the bathroom and did laundry. Made a spinach pie for lunch and waited for him to get home. The pie recipe came from Rhonda at Down to Earth and is so good! I've made it twice now and we just love it.

Spinach Pie
2 boxes frozen spinach
1 onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped (or more)
olive oil
5 eggs
250 g. ricotta
1 c. cheddar and parmesan grated
4 sheets filo pastry

180C Oven
Chop spinach w/onion and garlic and fry in pan until soft. Mix eggs and ricotta together. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add other cheeses. Add spinach mix and combine well. Brush oil over each pastry sheet. Double it up and place in dish. Cover the base of the dish with all the sheets. Pour egg/spinach mix into dish and bake until golden. I use an 8x10 pan.

With a nice salad, it's a complete meal! And I use whatever cheeses I happen to have. Yesterday, it was gouda and mozzarrella. YUMMY! And this is really good cold too. It's great for a light brunch or lunch. Because Ken hadn't been able to eat much for a couple of days, I made a big supper too. My lasagne recipe was much improved this time. I loaded it up! And made some baguettes and a nice salad to round out the meal. Of course, we'll be eating both of these meals for the next couple of days. So it's a lazy day for me!

Lasagne
2 T finely grated parmesan
250 g packet lasagne sheets
Meat Sauce:
1 T olive oil
1 onion finely chopped
garlic (I use a TON)
dried oregano/Italian herbs
500 g hamburger
large can diced tomato
carrots, bell pepper, mushroom, chili pepper, etc
1 cup beef stock
3 T tomato paste
White Sauce:
30 g. butter
1 T flour
1/2 c or MORE grated cheddar (I added a bit of Mozz.)
1 c milk (or so)
salt, pepper, nutmeg

180C Oven
Heat olive oil in saucepan add onion, garlic, herbs and meat. Stir over medium heat until meat colors. Stir in remaing meat sauce ingredients, lower heat and simmer slowly for 25 minutes.
Melt butter in saucepan, stir in flour to make a roux. Gradually add milk and seasonings. Stir constantly until sauce thickens and comes to slow boil. Add cheese until melted. Take off heat.
Spoon thin layer meat sauce into dish. (9x13 works well) Cover with layer of lasagne sheets and repeat layers finishing with meat sauce. Top with the white sauce and the parmesan cheese. Bake for 45 minutes or sheets are soft when tested with a knife. Stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Dear Dad,

2009-04-24T11:26:00.000+10:00

We went out to Coochiemudlo Island yesterday early to fix the diesel on the boat and spend a couple of days out on the bay. The winds were supposed to be very mild. When we got there, they were at least 30 knots. I'm not sure exactly what that means, but it wasn't mild. Ken rowed out to the boat. Well, he attempted to row to the boat to get the part number and head back to Victoria Point to buy it. He set me up in a protected area off the beach to stay out of the wind. His dinghy started taking on a lot of water before he got out to the boat, so he had to come back. He set up the dinghy in a Robertson Crusoe way to create a shelter for us on the beach. It worked until a huge-ass spider came crawling out of a crevice and made it's way to eat me. So I decided it'd be great to go for a walk!

We left most of the stuff tied up under the boat and took off down the beach with my backpack and a bottle of water. It's truly a beautiful place and simply gorgeous day. We had our lunch in a secluded little mangrove area out of the wind. I forgot the sunblock so my freckles came out in force, but it was worth it!

There are these red rocks that are just incredible. I could put up a hut and stay I think. At least until high tide when it covers up everything. The wind died down enough that Ken did get to the boat and got the information he needed. We decided to come home so he could call his mechanic buddy and try to figure out next step. We're going back Monday morning and do it all over again. Hopefully it'll get fixed and we can really actually go somewhere! Mom would love Coochimudlo Island. It's definitely her kind of place.

Wednesday we went to Ken's old school and he gave a talk for Anzac Day. It's sort of like their Veteran's Day. As we were leaving, a little boy said, "excuse me sir, thank you so much for the show." It was so cute! They all wear uniforms and just look adorable. I really think the US should go to uniforms. Tomorrow is the actual Anzac Day and we will go into the city for the march. Ken will march with his shipmates and I'll find a spot to watch the whole thing. It's supposed to be quite a show. The entire country stops for this day. Shops close and everything. It's really a beautiful thing.

Well, I need to get to work. I'm doing laundry today and cleaning the kitchen. Then I'll go off to the shops for some knitting supplies. I'll talk to you this weekend.

Love you and miss you!
Court

Dear Mom,

2009-04-20T13:33:00.000+10:00

What a beautiful day we're having! It's warm, sunny and breezy with little humidity. I wish you could see the sky - it's incredible. Today has been wonderful here at home. I've gotten all my work finished in a leisurely fashion. My favorite way to move as you know! The clean laundry is on the line and two batches of bread cooling on the racks. And it's still not even two in the afternoon!

We had sandwiches on the rolls for lunch with some leftover potato salad (we'll be eating that for weeks!) and veggies, it was really nice. Yummo! We're both full over an hour later! I'm not sure what I'll do for dinner. I'm trying to decide between a spinach pie and salmon patties. The spinach pie recipe is from my new guru, Rhonda from Down to Earth. I look forward to reading her blog every day and am always inspired and moved by it.

The bread recipe is from her blog also. I tried Nina's bread from Mother Earth News and liked it, but there's just something about kneading bread and watching it rise that is so satisfying. We're going to the boat later this week for an overnight, so I'll freeze some of the bread to make it easier to pack.

Tomorrow is Bella and Poppy Day and they're going to let me tag along. We'll go down to the South Bank Beach in the city for a couple of hours and have a swim and a picnic. It should be a great time. She's such a sweet girl. Very much an almost-4-year-old, bossy and girly! It's amazing how that is a global condition.

Last Saturday's lunch with Ken's friends, Brandon and Kerry went very well. Ken cleared up the patio and set the table up out there while I fried chicken, made potato salad and slaw, and cornbread. Brandon and Kerry arrived at 12:3o and we sat outside talking, eating, and drinking wine until after 6!

Unfortunately, I couldn't find cornmeal like you use, just the yellow kind. But the cornbread recipe I used was really good. They all seemed to really like it - first time they'd ever had it! It was light and sweet and went well with the chicken. I came the closest to your fried chicken as I've ever gotten. So excited even if no one else understood why! And the potato salad didn't look like yours, because I couldn't find white enough potatoes. But it tasted like yours and just made my day! Who knew a person could miss potato salad that much?!

We finished lunch up with an apple crisp and vanilla ice cream. It's one of my favorite desserts as you know. I kind of figured if I was cooking a Southern Indiana meal, I was entitled to have my favorites. I could have talked to Brandon all night. He has an encyclopedic knowledge of music and we started talking about bands we like/dislike. Even though he doesn't "get" My Morning Jacket, we have enough other bands and singers in common that I'll forgive him. I have a feeling they are going to become two of my favorite people here in Australia, just like they are Ken's. Anyway, it was a wonderful day and we've already made plans to go to a festival in Brisbane later in May.

Earlier in the week, I made a meatloaf that I actually liked! And you know how rare that is. Australians apparently have this thing they call mince, which is a little confusing because that is also what they call ground beef. But this Mince is ground beef with onion, celery, bell peppers and canned tomatoes that you cook on top of the stove. Anyway, the meatloaf recipe I found was based on this mince but you add breadcrumbs and eggs and make it in the oven in a loaf tin. It was pretty good for supper. But it was even better the next day on sandwiches at the boat! I've never had a cold meatloaf sandwich, because I always refused them. But it was really good! Definitely something I'll make again.

Our trip to the boat last week was a bust. We got it off the mooring and floated about 50 yards before Ken realized the diesel was pooped. So he got in the dinghy and towed the boat back to the mooring line. It was a little hysterical! But I was very good and didn't laugh. Out loud... So while he spent the rest of the afternoon cussing and banging around, I slipped out of my pants and bra and went swimming. It was gorgeous! The water was warm and just fantastic. I could have floated around all day. So we're going back this week to fix the problem and even if we don't get to leave the mooring again, I know I can swim and have a beautiful day. Because God knows I'm not dumb enough to try to help a man fix mechanical things!

I'll keep you updated.

Love,
Court

Shorncliffe Shells

2009-04-11T14:16:00.000+10:00

Dear Nancy,

2009-04-10T13:38:00.000+10:00

I'm so sorry it's been awhile since I've posted anything of substance. The days have been getting away from me. Can you believe it's been a month since I've been here? Sometimes it seems like just yesterday I was getting on the plane, all nervous and excited. Of course, then there are days like Thursday that just make me feel like this is the way it's always been and this is the way it should always be.

"Oh what a wonderful time we had the day we went to Shorncliffe." Ken sang this over and over on Thursday, the day we did go to Shorncliffe. (Pronounced Shawwwncliffe) It's a quaint little town on the bay, full of old houses being remodeled and an amazing collection of purple rocks on the water. We took a short train ride there. I love going by train everwhere - you get to see so much more! The fish and chips we had for lunch were nice, it was raining so we ate them on the porch of the shop instead of down by the water. But because the universe is a wonderful place, it stopped raining just as we finished eating. The tide was out and it was perfect for looking for shells. But I didn't just get shells, I brought home rocks. The prettiest lavender, white and pink quartz and rocks that have shells attached to them, and beautiful little perfect shells that Ken found in a group all alike! My purse got pretty heavy! Ken brought home a piece of driftwood that made a perfect walking stick for him. He's going to dry it out and shellac it or something to preserve it.

It was so peaceful while we walked along, searching for just the right shells. At one point I looked up and no one else was in sight. Nothing else was in sight. We felt like the only two people in the world and it was just a perfect moment. I think we all need to look out for those moments and treasure them. These are what make life worth all the pain, uncertainty, and angst.

It actually got a little cool on the bay, with the wind and light rain showers - I was glad I wore jeans! I'm looking forward to fall and winter here. You know my favorite weather is in the 60s and 70s - cool and clean. It's been nice being able to keep the air conditioning off and the windows open. Especially nice at night! I've even gotten used to the train roaring past the bedroom window every 1/2 hour.

Ken made stir-fry for our "anniversary" that night. He had all the veggies sliced, the beef ready and went outside to use the wok on the gas stove so it would get really hot. No gas. It was so funny! He griped and grumbled for a half hour while I just laughed and laughed! But he got it going on the stove inside and it was just delicious. Completely worth the wait.

Monday I walked to the shops and found some knitting supplies. I've decided I'm going to start with easy dishcloths. I bought the cheapest yarn I could find, mainly because I wasn't sure if I would follow thru with this. But I started one morning and for two hours tried to cast on 38 stitches. Two freaking hours! I was watching videos online and reading directions and everything, could not get my fingers to work the way they were supposed to. Then I watched one more video before I threw all the crap away. And boom! It hit me - when Nana taught me to knit, we cast on with both our needles just like this woman was doing. After that, it took me 10 minutes to cast on. No problem. Ken showed me what to do after that and it all came back to me. Well, the knitting part at least. So I'm working on a little yellow dishcloth and hopefully will be finished by next week. How long can it possibly take to knit a small square?!

I made my first-ever classic lasagna this week. It was pretty good, Ken really liked it. I think next time I'll go heavier on the seasoning. After dinner, we sat and talked for a long time at the table. He kept getting a little piece of lasagna out of the pan. "I'm just evening it up, it's not symmetrical." I guess all men are like that, Dad and the boys say that kind of stuff all the time. But I'm glad he liked it. We still have some leftover and we'll eat it this afternoon before we head to the football game.

COME ON LIONS!! Yes, I am going to see a live AFL game! Brisbane Lions (LOINS) vs. Sydney Swans. Ken went into town this week and bought us tickets in the 8th row center field. The game is tonight at 7 and I can't wait! I know it's not going to be the same as seeing it on TV because the field is so huge, I won't be able to see as much. But oh my God, it's going to be fun! I'm taking my camera, so everyone can see just how beautiful this game is. Here's a fantastic commercial that's just taking Australia by storm:

Although this one might give a better explanation of my love:

Our afternoon on the bay was the most exciting thing we've done lately. Most of my days are spent quietly at home. Which as you know is my idea of paradise! I've been trying to establish a routine - most would say a BORING routine, but for me it's great. Ken lets me sleep in because I stay up and read half the night (a terrible habit I'm thinking of breaking). But then I open up my laptop while he brings me coffee or tea in bed. When I'm finished catching up on stuff in Indiana, I make the bed and put in a load of laundry. Then I wash up the breakfast dishes and make sure the food for dinner isn't in the freezer. Clean up the kitchen and either work on another room of the house, or get my knitting and work on it for awhile. Hang the laundry on the line and get lunch or more likely afternoon snack ready for Ken and myself. It's so laid back and just absolutely pressure free. Even though I'm doing something so completely different from my past, I still want to maintain me. So I'm reading and knitting and finding recipes and working out and trying to kick Ken's butt at Wii Bowling! Making a home for both of us. And of course, we talk throughout the day. And have the radio on and are singing and dancing, being goofy together. I really love this life I'm starting.

Yes, some would say we are definitely a boring old couple, but I enjoy that. At night after the dishes are washed, we sit and watch "nerd shows" on the Discovery Science channel and things like that. One night we sat mesmerized by a show about people who believe that aliens are coming down to earth just to have sex with them. It was sad and funny and we just could not look away! We also watch a lot of shows about archeology digs and stuff like that. We're such dorks.

Yesterday, we had a really nice lunch with Aaron, Julie and Bella. They took us out to the local Sizzler (just like the ones we used to have) and had a really great time. Bella was in a 4 year old mood, but still so cute and funny. She and Aaron had a great time playing with their Jello dessert. He asked her where chicken came from and she said "chickens". He asked her where fish came from and she said "fishies". He asked her where the Jelly (jello) came from and she said, "jelly fish"? It was so cute! Julie looked over at me and mentioned her two children. Just like every other mother in the world - they reminded me of Stephen and Caleb or Maddie.

Well, it's getting late and I need to get up and do something productive. I'm sorry again that I haven't been as regular with the posts as I should be. I'll start doing better. I miss you, tell Scott Manship I said hi!

Love,
Court

Dear Everyone,

2009-04-06T20:31:00.001+10:00

I really want to write tonight, but I'm afraid I'm intoxicated by King Size Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. Ken brought them in to me today as a treat! I love the smell of peanut butter and chocolate. He also bought us tickets to Saturday night's Footy game: Brisbane vs Sydney! I CAN'T WAIT!!!

It was such a great day today. Now I'm going to watch Good News Week - a completely irreverent comedy show. Have a great day!!

Love,
Court

Dear Stephen,

2009-04-03T15:25:00.001+10:00

Today seems to be dragging on. It's been a very peaceful day for me. But I just got the sad news that Ken's friend has passed away. Ken left this morning to go visit. They were supposed to visit the funeral home and lawyer for final arrangements. I don't yet know if Ken was with Twitch when he passed or not. He just called a few minutes ago to say he'd be home as soon as he could. My heart goes out to his sisters and his friends.

When something sad like this happens, I always want to turn to you, big brother. Wonder why that is? I guess you will always be my rock, my pillar of faith and strength. Being this far away from you all has really opened my eyes to how much I depend on you. I may not be able to believe in the church like you, but I believe in you. You're the points on my compass, along with Shawn, Trent, Nina, Mom and Dad. I'm incredibly lucky to have that.

Well, I just put my first batch of bread in the oven! Nina has convinced me the Mother Earth News bread is just what I need. Hopefully, it'll turn out! It certainly has been the easiest bread I've ever attempted to make.

For lunch yesterday, Ken took me to a Chinese place for Yum Chow or something like that. You get pots of green tea, then they bring around little plates of food and you try whatever looks interesting. Kind of like buffet that they bring to you. Let me just go on the record and say it's nothing like the Chinese food we're used to. I didn't recognize one single thing. The best part of it was the dessert: mango pancakes! It was like a very thin pancake rolled around whipped cream and mango chunks. What's not to love?

For dinner, I made the easiest thing in the world, but it really was quite yummy. (If I do say so myself!) Browned chicken thighs with olive oil and garlic, then poured some red wine over it and let them simmer in that for a long time. I had some frozen leftover marinara that I'd made last week, so I threw that in the pan too and simmered some more. At some point in my life in Bloomington, Amy and I went to a restaurant downtown. Anyway, I remember having polenta with tomato sauce and Parmesan at this restaurant. So for the first time in my life, I made polenta the Italian way. And it was Ken's first time eating it! Just put the polenta on the plate, placed the chicken and sauce over it, some fresh Parm and parsley and basil. Dinner was served! Too easy.

With the leftover polenta, I'm going to attempt fried mush like Mom used to make for us. That'll be breakfast tomorrow with some eggs. Hopefully, it'll work out.

Tonight, I think it's just going to be cheeseburgers and fries. Homemade, but nothing fancy. I better get off of here - Ken will probably be home soon and I know he'll need to talk. Poor guy. Please pray for them, Stevie.

Love you,
Court

Dear Deb,

2009-03-31T15:53:00.000+10:00

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,

2009-03-27T21:18:00.000+10:00

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

2009-03-23T14:53:00.000+10:00

Dear Nina,

2009-03-23T14:16:00.000+10:00

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

2009-03-17T14:23:00.000+10:00

2009-03-17T14:22:00.000+10:00

Caloundra

2009-03-17T14:19:00.000+10:00

Dear Mom,

2009-03-17T13:09:00.001+10:00

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

2009-03-15T14:08:00.000+10:00

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

Dear Stori,

2009-03-15T13:39:00.000+10:00

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

2009-03-14T14:50:00.000+10:00

Dear Dad,

2009-03-14T08:08:00.000+10:00

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,

2009-03-11T08:05:00.001+10:00

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

Dear Mom and Dad,

2009-02-11T10:08:00.000+10:00

There are four weeks until I leave for Australia. I know we've been joking about it so much. "Only four more weeks to hear you bitch at each other." "Only four more weeks of seeing your clothes take over the bedroom." But I am going to miss you most of all. I'll never be able to repay you for taking me in when I left Tony. For dealing with the shit that I've put you through over the last few months, not to mention the last 34 years. And I've enjoyed spending all this time with you. It reminded me of when I was in high school and had so much more fun with my parents than with any of my friends. You guys are still more fun than anyone. Most of the time at least - I really can't say that the Polka show has gotten any better on a Saturday night!

Things are going to be good. I know they will be. I'm going to have so much fun and peace in Australia. All that stuff I've been missing out on for way too long.

Dad, I know you don't understand and just wish I'd settle down with a nice guy and have a job with a retirement package. And I will someday, I'm sure. But I have to do this first. I spent the last 15 years wishing that I'd gone away to college and done something brave with my life. I don't want to spend the next 15 wishing I had taken this amazing chance.

Only four more weeks! There are still things I need to do. I've got to go through my storage building, get my immunizations updated and spend as much time as possible with the family and my friends. It all flies by so quickly. It seems like just the other day, I came in and told you I needed a place to stay for awhile. Then remember when I told you that I wanted to go to Australia, Dad? It was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do. And you cried. I swear if you had said no, I would have canceled my plans. "PTL," as Mackenzie would say, you didn't.

Dad, I know Mom will check this blog out and email me and everything. But you have to promise to do it too. You have to stay connected to your "darling daughter" during my trip. I'll do my part but you have to do yours too. Promise? You have to tell me how Mom is feeling for real. Mom won't tell me the truth. You have to tell me what brats Gavin and Caleb are because we all know their mothers and Grandma Hedy won't! And you have to tell me what's going on with you. I'm counting on you guys, just like always.

Love,
Court

Dear Grandma Helen,

2009-02-10T08:13:00.001+10:00

Even though I know you won't ever see this, I'm hoping it'll help me figure out how to tell you that I'm leaving for a while. It's been a pretty tough year or so for me. I really thought I'd figured out life and my place in it. It was in this small town surrounded by my family and beside my husband. For all his faults, I loved Tony with everything I had. I tried to do everything a wife is supposed to. Everything I learned from Mom, Deb, Carol and most of all, you. You created a home, an entire universe out of love and order and dusting and ironing. I wasn't able to do that. Maybe it was my hatred of dusting and ironing?

Anyway, you know I've always wanted to see and do things that no one else in the family has done. My divorce was certainly a start in the right direction, wasn't it? But now I'm going all the way. I'm leaving home for a while, Grandma. Australia has been calling my name for so many years. All of Edna's stories kept the idea in my heart. Don't worry, I won't be on my own on the other side of the world. My friend, Ken is going to be with me every step of the way. He's a good man, Grandma, so you don't have to worry.

Tony always said I was a dodo born in a flock of chickens. When he first said it, I really thought it meant that I'd finally found someone who understood me. Of course, I realized it was another way to keep me as isolated from you guys as possible. Over the last few months it's finally sunk in that I am a chicken. Just a chicken of a different color. A chicken who needs to stretch her wings a bit and see what she can find. Maybe I'll find Courtney Charles King again. It's about time we were reacquainted isn't it?
I know you have always wanted me to be happy. I think I'm finally on my way to that. I love you, Grandma.

Love,
Court