Dear Stori,

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,

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,

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,

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

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

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

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...