mini-vacation

We're back from Sydney, having thoroughly enjoyed the company of friends for a few days.  We took a walk over to the water in the evening of one day - what a luxury to be so near the beach!  We also enjoyed playing the new Wii games we'd each received; our Mario Party and their Mario Kart.  It was nice to simply have other people around, whether we were playing a game together, or reading while some played, or playing with their baby.  A good time.

Cricket is on again, the second test match between Australia and South Africa.  Jesse's napping on the couch.  When I visited Senegal, my dear hostess made me nap/rest during this, the hottest part of the day.  I think she was on to something; there's not much to be done but rest through the heat.

Not much to report on the job front; the recruiter is on holiday.  I'm having trouble discerning what exactly I want, which isn't necessarily helping matters either.  There are a few opportunities/plans we've made or would like to make that could be hindered by my getting a job.  It's hard for me to make the call.  I think I need to trust that we will find the right job for me, as I keep looking.

Having received my wedding photos last month, I'm finally getting the prints ordered.  That's exciting.  I had to wait for our internet to re-cycle so that I wouldn't use it all up.  Speaking of internet, we're looking into getting another gig per month.  That would be cool.

In culinary news, we found an organic grocery store near our friends' in Sydney that carries spelt flour for $3 less per kg.  Our natural foods store up here charges $9/kg, and they haven't had any spelt flour for weeks.  Now that our breadmaker has arrived, I can finally make myself some guilt-free bread, without a good portion of the hard work!

Guess those are all the snippets of news I have for now.  Hope everyone enjoyed Christmas with family and friends.

And to all a g'day

Christmas has been great.  We had a Christmas Eve service last night, with may families back to celebrate together, so that was cool.  We were 'serenaded' beginning at 10:45pm by the neighbor across the street, who apparently received Guitar Hero and/or Rock Band for Christmas, and thought it would be a good idea to turn the volume all the way up and leave the windows open.  We had our fan right next to our bed, earplugs in, and could still hear it.  Sigh.

We eventually got to sleep, though, and awoke to the same sounds yet again this morning.  They stopped after a little while, which told us it was time to open presents while we enjoyed the peace and quiet.  We'd gotten books for each other, as well as Wii Fit for me (yay!!) and 2 Lego Star Wars sets for Jesse.  He finished his droid gunship in no time, and is still in process on the other, more complicated one (which came with 2 instruction manuals because of all the steps.  I'm pleased that it will take awhile to complete :).  I set up the Wii Fit and took the initial fitness test, but was too hungry to do any real exercises yet.  I'd made Christmas Breakfast last night (eggs, bread, cheese, veggies), and initially didn't turn the oven up quite enough, but eventually corrected the problem and we had a tasty breakfast.  We called all our parents (and talked to all but one of them).  It's been a nice, leisurely day so far.

Now I'm finishing off the peanut butter pie I made a few days ago.  We're leaving for Sydney in a bit to hang out with friends tonight and tomorrow, so that should be nice.  One of the things Jesse said in his sermon yesterday has stuck with me; that God invaded the ordinary on the first Christmas.  He invites us to allow him to invade the ordinary in our lives.  Whether I'm celebrating with my whole family, my new family (Jesse + me), my old friends, or my new friends, Christmas is a time to remember that.

And apparently, to be bombed by Jesse's droid gunship.

Happy Christmas to all, and to all a g'day ;)

looking up...

My great computer crisis is slowly resolving.  I received a CD I needed, and we are now the proud owners of an external hard drive, which houses my documents and photos.  Soon, I will be re-imaging the computer myself, with a little help from one of Jesse's friends.  I'm looking forward to using it again.

The postman just arrived with all of our Wedding List presents, which is quite exciting as well.  I was realizing that we'd just finally stuffed the last of the cardboard from our bedroom set into the recycling bin, only to have all of this arrive, but I'm excited because it means (a) we have our presents, and (b) all our stuff is finally in one place.  We're getting there.  Yay.

We also bought a curtain rod to try to shut off the back half of the house, as that's where the sun is in the afternoon, and it makes the living room hot.  However, it was too long for the space (we bought an extendable one, and even fully collapsed it's 4 inches or so too long), which is a bummer.

I'm making progress in the front rooms of the house in terms of organization.  I've been able to fit a bunch of suitcases under the twin bed in the guest room.  Tonight, we're hoping to put up some of our wall decorations, most of which were obtained from other travels.  We were going to have an "Africa room" but I think so much of our stuff came from various places in Africa that we may need to spread it out a little more.  We shall see.

Now, I'm off to open up the presents!

Christmas is coming...

...but you wouldn't know it by the weather!  Or at least, I wouldn't.  Yesterday, Jesse and I went in to Newcastle to run some passport-related errands (I need a new one before we play the visa game again this coming winter/summer depending on your hemispherical location, and he needs more pages before he can travel anywhere), then spent a few hours at the beach.  It was fun to get out for a bit, play in the waves, and enjoy the milder coastal weather.  Once we got past the errand-running, a good day overall.

My computer is still mostly down for the count, which is frustrating, and I wish I could say I'm dealing well with it.  But - I'm not, really :)

I've been doing some baking, being thankful for the thunderstorms that make the weather bearable enough to bake in.  I made some sugar cookies and frosted them for us to give a few neighbors, and I'm working on some gingerbread cookies.  I left them in the fridge overnight, as opposed to only a few hours, and our overzealous fridge (which sometimes freezes things) seems to have overdone its job.  So I'm waiting for the dough to soften a bit before finishing the rolling, cutting, and baking.

As Christmas rolls around this year, I'm realizing that I'm tired of stuff.  Tired of books that can't come with us when we move.  Tired of little trinkets that looked cute in the store.  I'm loving the Christmas cards coming in - really appreciating the connection with people they represent.  Thanks for those.  We've got some good plans for Christmas, including going to see friends in Sydney, so that's something to look forward to.  And the chance of a snowstorm thwarting our plans is slim to none ;)

quick update...

No, I haven't forgotten the blog, but I have been dealing with annoying computer problems.  It's been sporadically shutting down, with varying error codes at fault.  I called the hp support people, and the guy basically told me that I'd have to take all my files off and reinstall all the software.  Annoying, particularly when I have limited download-ability.  At any rate, I'm still exploring other options to pinpoint the problem without having to effectively do a re-image.  I've done a bit of online research, but most of the potential solutions seem to be a bit above my technical expertise.  The ones that aren't - I can't look at the page long enough before the computer crashes and restarts.  We've contacted one of Jesse's friends who seems to know things about computers for help; if anyone else fancies yourself gifted in this arena, by all means, let me know!

We set up our Christmas tree on Friday, and it's now happily lighted.  I even wrapped a few presents this afternoon, so our living room is looking festive.  Since it's summer break here for many of the schools (or will be later this week), we had our first free Friday night last week.  That was nice; we were actually able to take Friday off, and only made one brief trip out of the house.  We're going to try to be better about taking a full day off in our week, to get the rest we need.

I'm still loving being at home, and having that flexibility.  We went to an award show at one of the local high schools (where several of the youth group kids attend), and it was remarkably like the award shows I remember from jr. high and high school.  They were efficient about the academic awards, waxed eloquent about the athletics, and there was the one star athlete who was also smart that won a lot of awards, prompting a "guess who" from one of the student leaders when announcing that she'd won yet another award.

For now, it's off to bed; I'm still alive, I'm just in crazy computer drama at the moment.

Hit the Road

Yet again, I can report a few eventful days. Monday morning, after enjoying a night's sleep in a real bed, we set off for the Sydney area to visit friends. We arrived a little after 11am and had the chance to chat and play with their daughter (who, for the record, reached out because she wanted me to hold her. That definitely made my day) before eating a tasty lunch.

After lunch and a cuppa (cup of tea), Jesse and I headed to Parramatta to make a stop at an immigration office there. The officer we were assigned for the visit seemed very nervous; she spoke quietly, and covered her mouth when she talked, so it was difficult at times to understand her, but we were able to confirm what our next steps should be in the visa process, and that we don't need to take them for several months yet.

Having received that news, we stopped at the Koorong bookstore, a Christian bookstore in the area. We had a great time browsing there, and picked up a few Christmas presents for each other :) A couple of hours later, we were finished with our browsing, and headed for the Hope Wesleyan Church and a pastors' barbeque with the NSW district. I met some of the other pastors and their wives, and it was a good time of fellowship with a meaningful prayer time as well. Jesse and I ducked out just after 9 and made the 2 hour trip back home, making a stop at McDonald's halfway to procure caffeine for the driver :)

Yesterday (Tuesday) morning presented an opportunity for me to tidy up around the house a bit. Jesse started a couple loads of laundry, which I finished after he left for work, and I was able to collect some of our camping things, and just generally organize the house. My jewelry had been spread all over the dining room table (as it was in a ziploc bag with some exploded makeup, and had a shiny mauve tint to it as a result), so I wiped that off and put it into a jewelry box. I'd been wanting to put that away for some time, so that was good.

We went out for lunch, as we hadn't been grocery shopping (and still haven't; I made pancakes with our final egg for breakfast this morning), then Jesse napped and I got ready for my interview. I realized during this process that the only full suit I'd brought with me was my black suit, which was going to be (a) really uncomfortable given the temperatures, and (b) impossible to match shoes with, as I'd only brought close-toed brown shoes with me, and didn't think black flip flops (thongs to the Aussie) appropriate. I settled on brown pants with a colorful dress shirt, so that I could wear the right shoes. Sheesh.

We drove to Newcastle to meet with the recruiter. Since my current visa allows work, but not for more than 6 months with any one employer, I'm essentially applying for temporary work. The interview went well (we'd already discussed many things over the phone), and now it's just left to wait and see what they can find for me. It likely won't be until the new year, which is fine with me, as there's still plenty to do around the house. A few people have asked me if I'm bored yet just being at home; I'm not. There's plenty to do, and I like being able to tackle it with a relaxed pace.

After the interview, we swung by the hospital in Newcastle to visit a friend from Jesse's soccer team's wife and baby. The baby was born at 28-29 weeks gestation, and he's a little over 2 pounds. We got to see him in the NICU; he's so tiny, but has all the features he should. His mom thinks his toes look plastic :) He's doing very well, particularly for his size, so that's encouraging.

We headed back home in time to change before Jesse's soccer games, and then drove to Rutherford for those. I worked on thank-you notes to try to bring the pile down somewhat.

So, there you have it; two full days, but good ones. It's nice to be home for a few days now, to recouperate!

Aussie Mozzies

We have returned from our weekend of camping with the youth group, quite tired, and relatively unscathed, save the mosquito (mozzy) bites all over my body. I still seem to react quite strongly to them over here. It was suggested to me that taking some extra Vitamin B might help the reactions in the future; I'll have to check that out.

I think we ended up with 10 kids on the trip, plus 6 leaders who were there off and on (Jesse and I had to leave early this morning for him to preach; another leader had to work yesterday and arrived in the evening). The theme for the Bible lessons was the parable of the Good Samaritan, and I was excited by the level of participation in each study from the youth. One such session ended abruptly when the local possum in the tree decided to relieve himself on half the teens. "That's not rain!" will never have the same meaning.

There were certainly trying factors; namely, the kids would not settle down until well after midnight Friday night, and we had not brought earplugs, nor a soundproof tent, so we didn't get to sleep for awhile. I awoke with a start, at 5am Saturday, to one girl screaming to another, "BE QUIET!" Despite the lack of sleep, though, the kids still managed to have fun ;) Jesse got a rousing game of beach cricket going in the morning, as the tide began coming in and slowly overtaking the wicket.

It was quite humid. After lunch, I decided to nap in the tent, and awoke pretty much covered in sweat. All the kids and Jesse were swimming, so I headed for the beach and rowed around in the canoe with Jesse (or let him row ;) . The rest of the evening was enjoyable; the kids were taking turns in the one shower, then working on a skit modernizing the parable for the youth service this evening. We built a fire and cooked potatoes, onions, and sausages on it for dinner. The fire was a great help in prevention of mosquitoes. As the evening wore on, we played a little cricket with the glow-in-the-dark ball Jesse had found (more of a home run derby type idea, with one person batting until s/he was bowled or caught out), a few roasted marshmallows, and we had some good conversations.

Given the previous night's antics, we got them into their tents a bit earlier, and set a lights-out time. We all must have been tired, because not much enforcement was necessary (one boy had to be escorted from his dangerously-close-to-the-fire chair to his tent to ensure he, in his sleep-induced state, did not fall out of the chair/into the fire) at lights-out time, and all was quiet until Jesse and I awoke at 7am. We brought 2 girls back early with us, who needed to be around for dance rehearsals (something every girl in the youth group seems to be involved with) and set them up with the Wii while Jesse and I got ready for church. They were picked up, we finished getting ready, and off to church we went. After church, I had lunch and a nap.

All that to say; this weekend brought to you courtesy of mozzies, teens and naps. We'll head back to the church in a little bit for the youth service, where the teens will hopefully be putting on the skit they wrote for the rest of the church.

Running Around

Yesterday was a day for errands and visiting. We had to take the car to nearby Cessnock for its 20k tuneup, and wandered around the town while the work was being done. We found a little cafe where we ate a tasty breakfast, and then shopped at Target. Although it sells similar things to the Target in the US, it had far less selection. At any rate, we proceeded to the Reject Shop afterward, and between the two stores, found several things we'd been looking for.

After picking up the car, we stopped by and visited a couple of people from the church who live out that way. We didn't stay long, and then it was off for more shopping; Jesse needed new running shoes, and the sports store was having a sale. They also happened to sell a glow-in-the-dark cricket ball. So we didn't get all necessities :)

I was in desperate need of a nap, so we headed back to the house. I slept, while Jesse went on another visit. When I got up and got ready for volleyball, Jesse and I returned to church. He participated in the worship practice while I printed out the bulletins for this week. We headed to the indoor sports center for our volleyball game.

I neglected to post on that; it went reasonably well last week. Another guy stepped in to help out our team, so we didn't have to play with 3, and that was a big help. This week, we met our actual teammates, a very nice couple. It was a lot of fun to play with them, and while we were losing at the end of the first half by 7, we came back and only lost the game by 2! (They're timed games of 2 15-minute halves). We don't see the score throughout the game (something that used to infuriate me at volleyball camp), but I think it's just as well at this point. Jesse and I are both getting the hang of the rules and strategy, and it was good to get a bit of exercise. All in all, a good choice.

We stopped at Mustafa's for some kebabs for dinner (mmm!) and watched a little BSG before Jesse went to bed. Thanks to my nap, I found myself up reading for awhile after. The neighborhood dogs decided it was a great night to go nuts, so the sleep was fitful at best. Today is Friday, though, and a day off for us, at least until tonight. And thus (hopefully) ends our running around.

Good Onion, Mate

When I would tell people I was planning to move to Australia, once they'd wiped the shock off of their faces, one of the first ways they would respond was something to the tune of "at least there's not a language barrier" or "how are you ever going to learn the language?" We'd enjoy a good laugh. The fact of the matter is, though, that down here, Jesse and I are the ones with an "accent." Some of the kids in the youth group claim that Jesse has "lost" his accent, but I still have mine. I'm pretty sure they've just gotten used to the way he talks.

Throughout our engagement, Jesse complied a bit of an "Australian to American" dictionary for me, with everything from phrases that will be useful to phrases to steer clear of. We enjoyed a laugh the other night over how much the Aussie phrase "good on ya, mate" ("good for you" is the closest I can think of, but it seems to connote "way to go" as well) sounds, to an American, like "good onion, mate." Of course, most readers will be familiar with the use of "mate" which can be used in any sort of situation - don't remember someone's name? "G'day, mate." Have friends from your cricket team? They're your "cricket mates." "Accidentally" foul someone on the other soccer team? "Sorry, mate."

After being thanked, most people will say, "it's ok" or "no worries." When greeting someone, it's "how ya going?" as opposed to "how ya doing."

I was shopping yesterday, searching rather unsuccessfully for additional thank-you cards at the shops downtown. As a result, I decided to go back to the craft store where I'd bought yarn and buy some blank cards there. When I walked in, the clerk who'd checked me out just a few minutes beforehand was at the register.

"Hey again," I said.
"Pretty well thanks," she said.

I smiled to myself and headed to the card rack; my saying "hey again" sounded a lot to her ear like "how ya goin'", with perhaps slightly less vowel movement at the end. So funny.

Having been here for a year already, Jesse has most of the phrases down. I'm working on finding ways to train myself to use them. In the interim, I try to say things like "hello" and "how are you," which appear to be universally understood. I still clearly sound like I'm from somewhere else regardless of what phrases I'm using, so at least I'm trying.

Full

This describes our weekend, and it also describes my stomach, as I just had a delicious piece of apple pie (left over from Thanksgiving) with Jesse. We had the usual youth group on Friday night, and our 3rd and final wedding reception at the church on Saturday. A few friends came up from as far away as Sydney, and many from the church and area were able to come. It was fun to celebrate again with all of them. Yesterday, I was able to spend some time reading and writing in my journal, which was good.

We're still being invaded by ants. We did a little Wikipedia research this morning, and it sounds like we're doing some of the right things - we're washing the counter and windowsill (their point of entry) with vinegar-water. We may need to get some corn meal or something for them to eat and take back to their nests. One of the suggestions was to capture a bunch of them, dump them on another ant hill, and let them fight it out. I think you can guess which suggestion Jesse related most heartily to.

It was another humid day, and I spent most of it IMming with friends. The weekend, though nice, had made me a bit homesick, and it was nice to get out of my own head for a little while and catch up with friends. Once I finally became productive, though, I attacked our office room with a vengeance. I put all my summer clothes (and almost all of Jesse's) into our dresser. Winter clothes are still in a suitcase, awaiting a better home, but the floor of the office is generally picked up now. I also pulled aside the Christmas decorations so they're ready for when we get a tree. By far, the best news of the day was finding some skin medicine I thought we'd lost in the transition over here. I was so happy, as I'd been convinced we HAD to still have it, but had combed every place I could think of and hadn't found it. It was tucked away, with a few other forgotten toiletries, in a Target-style plastic bag. That was a good find.

When Jesse got home from work, it was roasting inside the house, and we decided to go out to dinner. Not only could we enjoy air-conditioned solace, but that meant I could have a break from cooking, and he could have a break from the dishes. Also, we would have a break from vinegar-ing the entire counter after using it for food preparation. We returned home, watched a little tv and ate pie, and now I'm watching Jesse play the Raving Rabbids game he bought for the Wii. He's convinced there must be something seriously wrong with the people who invented the game. But he's enjoying it, nonetheless :)

Thankful

Thanksgiving Day was technically yesterday for us, although we had dinner on Wednesday (it went well, aside from the fact that I forgot to make the green beans. Oh well!), did little to celebrate yesterday, and talked with my family for a bit this morning. In the spirit of the season, and with credit to SRW, here are 10 things I am thankful for, in no special order:

1. Our bed. It is so nice to sleep on a comfortable mattress, safely elevated above cockroach level and supported by the slats of a bedframe underneath.

2. Technology. I'm thankful that we don't have to wash all of our clothes by hand (although it feels like it, at times). That our internet has worked pretty well, and we've managed to stay underneath the monthly cap. That we have computers, email, and web-based phone services to communicate with loved ones at home. That I now have a mobile phone again!

3. Friends and family in the US. I'm thankful that I can send an email to my girls and they respond when I'm feeling homesick. That we receive at least one piece of mail a week (but would love to receive more! hint hint) from someone at home.

4. Spelt and Maple. Most of you know I have some food intolerances. These substitute for the major ones (wheat and most refined sugars), so that I can cook and bake without too much trouble.

5. Waffles. This one's for you, SRW.

6. Friends in Aus. In the midst of all the transition, there have been a few people who have made me feel at home. You know you're good friends when you can get their daughter a Princess Leia costume for her birthday, and they are just as enamored with it as you are.

7. TV shows on DVD. Burn Notice, Boston Legal, Battlestar Galactica, all brought to you by the letter 'b'. Yes, I do like Battlestar Galactica. To quote Laura, this means I've entered the "upper echelon of dorkdum."

8. Books. I've become reacquainted with these foreign objects since finishing my job in the US. I've read 3 Jodi Picoult, 2 or 3 Christian fiction, and various other things (whatever I could get my hands on.) Currently reading Amazing Grace: A Vocabulary of Faith by Kathleen Norris. I like a good book that challenges who I am and where I'm going, and to combine that with someone this reflective about her faith journey has been formative to say the least.

9. Jesse. Perhaps it's cliche, but I'm thankful for my husband of just over a month. Whether he's helping to peel the potatoes, playing volleyball with me despite a sprained wrist, borrowing tv show seasons from friends, or just hanging out, I'm loving the fact that we can be together just about all the time. Not that I would change our long-distance "courtship" (used here to refer to dating and then engagement, as opposed to any Joshua Harris-esque ideas, but I digress) as it brought us close, but that sharing life is 'heaps' better (to use an Aussie phrase. Heard this week in context: "there's heaps of crickets in here." "he's heaps good [at soccer].").

10. Summer Vacation. "Vacation" may not be the right word, but this break from the "working world" has been refreshing for me. It's hard to believe it's been almost 2 months since I was "gainfully employed." I'm amazed at how much there is to do around the house, and somewhat nervous about how things will get done once I do get a job, but in the meantime, this time has been everything I could've hoped. I'm able to plan meals and be creative in the kitchen, settle into the house and organize things to make it a liveable home. I have some time to write notes to friends (and thank-yous from the wedding). Yes, I'm starting to look for jobs, but for now, I'm enjoying the chance to sleep in some and reclaim some rest.

Of course there are other things I'm thankful for, but here is a limited smattering. Hope you all have wonderful Thanksgivings, and in case you didn't catch the not-so-subtle hint before, send us mail! ;)

Tradition

Last year, I came to visit Jesse around Thanksgiving time, and we made a sort of Thanksgiving meal for the young adults group. In the interest of making a tradition, I decided to make Thanksgiving Dinner for the group again this year. That's right, just me. Thankfully, Jesse took some time out this morning and peeled all the potatoes (white and sweet) and cleaned up some of the boxes from the bedroom furniture so that I could focus on dinner. He also went shopping with me first thing so I'd have all the food I needed.

Things were off to a good start; Jesse cut up the cheap day-old French bread I'd bought for stuffing, and I began sauteeing the onions and celery in lots of butter. I decided to get the turkey out of the fridge, so I could prepare it to be stuffed. I pulled it out, only to flip it over to the back of the package and read: REHEAT ONLY. FULLY PREPARED FOOD. I flipped it to the front, where a strategically placed circle proclaimed "Ready to Eat." I repeated the process a few times. Sure enough. The turkey we'd bought was fully cooked.

I was bummed. We'd bought a slow-cooker this morning because I couldn't find a roaster pan to my liking (nothing big enough that also had a cover), and we'd already started making the stuffing to go in it. I did what any self-respecting cook would do.

I called my mother.

It was highly convenient that I'd started working on this project in the morning, as that meant it was evening for Mom. After chuckling with me about the mix-up, she confirmed that the stuffing would probably cook just fine while the turkey reheated, and wouldn't need more time than that. I was relieved. She stayed on the phone, and Jesse and I chatted with her and my sister in turn while working in the kitchen.

Having redeveloped a plan for the turkey, I placed it back in the fridge and continued working. I boiled and mashed both sets of potatoes, adding garlic to the white potatoes and maple sugar, dried cranberries, and walnuts (among other things) to my signature sweet potatoes. I sang for a bit while I cooked, and that was fun. I missed the camaraderie of the Thanksgiving kitchen, though. For the past few years, I've brought my sweet potatoes to whatever family gathering we've had. Other family members each chip in a dish, and typically, whoever's hosting provides the turkey. There's typically bouncing around in the kitchen, snitching of others' dishes, helping with various tasks, etc. It's a lot of fun.

Don't get me wrong; I've had fun getting this dinner ready. I'm reasonably pleased with what I've accomplished; the turkey is now reheating in the slow-cooker with homemade stuffing, there are apple pies in the oven (with spelt flour crust), two potato dishes awaiting reheating, and before too long, there will be green beans and corn. It's taking the whole day, but it's worth it to keep the tradition alive. Even though they're a world away, my friends and family are gearing up for the same marathon. That's the part that's fun to share in.

(PS - I finally put pics up on facebook. Enjoy!)

It's Here!

Our bedroom furniture arrived today!! :D The dresser smells like cedar; it's wonderful. We haven't taken out the bedside tables yet; we wanted to get the bed put together first, as that seems to be the bigger project. The fact that we won't have to sleep on the floor anymore is quite exciting. Not that we didn't have a mattress; it will just be nice to have a real bed.

We got the headboard and footboard assembled before we headed off to lunch with the Ministers' Association for the Christmas get-together. Only 2 of the other wives came, but it was fun to get to know everyone there. I had a great time talking with one of the women who attends a group in Newcastle for minsters' wives, and she said she'd let me know the next time they were meeting. So that's exciting.

I accompanied Jesse on a hospital visit for the first time yesterday. We had quite the time finding our way around inside, at least in part because we knew the woman had been pregnant, but whether the baby had been born or not remained a mystery. After taking a few wrong turns, and asking for directions more often than either of us would like to admit, we found her.

Now that the furniture's finally here, it seems there's plenty to do. I'll need to go and buy sheets (we have some coming from our wedding registry items, but those are still 5-7 weeks from arriving, even though we know what they are), and I've needed to get some groceries in order to put on a Thanksgiving dinner of sorts for the young adults tomorrow night. (Yes, tomorrow is Wednesday, but Thursday night is volleyball and cricket night, and there would not be time for a big meal afterward!) Thing is; I'll be on foot to the grocery store and Kmart, so I'll be choosing my purchases wisely or suffering the consequences ;) Once I have the things we need, I can finish putting the knobs on dresser drawers and start putting clothes away. It will be a good day when our front rooms are no longer completely cluttered with suitcases.

The Organization Continues

Friday, we went on a bookcase and dresser hunt around Maitland after a late breakfast at Lavender's (a restaurant on the river, with plenty of shade. Glorious!). We found The Reject Shop, a sort of Tuesday Morning meets Big Lots kind of place, I think, which had some bookcases for sale for an amount we were willing to pay :) We found a dresser for the guest room at Sam's Warehouse (kind of a K-mart type store, but without any clothes for sale). The main purpose of our "shopping trip," however, was to go to the cricket supply store, which was having a sale. Jesse got a pair of cricket gloves and was quite pleased with himself.

We returned home for a quick rest and to pick up the car, and headed to the movie theater to see Quantum of Solace. We both enjoyed the movie, and were excited to watch another Bond movie with a bit more to the plot than some have had :) After the movie, we drove around collecting our finds (we'd been out walking before) and got them back home before youth group.

Saturday was day 2 of the cricket match between NZ and Australia, and it was on our TV for most of the day. We managed to get a little laundry washed while it was both sunny and windy, and to stock up on groceries for the week. Jesse put the bookcases together, and things began to appear more organized.

Church went well Sunday; we had strong support for the youth leadership conference we'd like the youth leaders to go to, and that was really encouraging. There was also a positive response to starting Bible studies for adults in the coming year (and for youth to start over the school break). The school year is winding down here; most of the high school kids seem to be studying for and taking their final exams.

After church, we just lied low again and relaxed. I've been hooked on Battlestar Galactica, so I finished watching the first season. Jesse watched with me for awhile, then built the dresser we'd bought and organized all our books and DVD's and put them away. I made some whole-grain honey bread, and didn't realize until too late that I don't have bread pans. They went on the shopping list, and I baked my bread on a cookie sheet. It's a little flat... but it tastes good!

The big exciting event in our lives so far this week has been receiving the call from the furniture store that our bedroom set has arrived! It will be delivered tomorrow (Tuesday), and we walked over to pay for it today. I am looking forward to having my clothes in drawers, and not sleeping on the floor (well, on a mattress on the floor, but still...). Once we get those things situated, more photos will be forthcoming.

A Familiar Face

We played our first volleyball game last night. The owner of the sport complex where Jesse plays soccer and cricket found another couple that wanted to start a team in the mixed league, so we signed up. Unfortunately, they were leaving on holiday for two weeks, but another woman from the better league joined us for our first game. The house rules are quite different from what I've played before, the closest being wallyball. We're surrounded by nets, and it's the same as volleyball in that you can't hit the ceiling when it goes over the net. But after the serve, any wall (including the back wall) is fair game. There's not really any such thing as a lift (pretty much every contact with the ball is some kind of carry), and you just stand in the back corner to serve. There are 2 points for an ace serve. Guys can't hit the ball with a closed fist. (Actually, the rule as explained was that 'blokes' can't hit the ball with a closed fist.)

I haven't played volleyball since college, and Jesse maintains he hasn't since 6th grade. It took a little warming up, but we got into it. There are 2 games of 15 minutes each. We lost the first 42-40. Not too shabby. The second game was a different story. The person helping us out was good about informing us of the house rules. Unfortunately, she also took every opportunity to explain what we had done wrong. Those who know me well know that I took this really well... ha. "Cover your corner." "You have to move for that." "You hit the roof with the serve."

I heard "cover your corner" so many times, I was about to lose it. Thank you, I am well aware that ball was my responsibility and I botched it. I know that serve was not good. After being told that again, I just said, as straight faced as I could, "I get it." I'm tired, I'm not as good as I used to be, these rules are different, and I'm trying.

This is where I saw the familiar face: my pride. It's so easy for me to rip into the rules, talk about what a low level of play it is, etc. To be frustrated with this woman who is, in all likelihood, just trying to help us get used to the game. But the real problem, I discovered, was that I considered myself above the instruction. It's scary to think that I can take that kind of approach to something that's supposed to be just for fun. Yes, I may know more about 6-on-6 volleyball, but I'm really not good enough to blaze any trails there. My "career" there ended after 4 years of varsity at a DD school in Western New York State, never having won even a Sectional title.

It's tempting to be proud of educational achievements, of having obtained professional certifications, of uprooting my life for a new adventure. But if the gospel is true, none of these things make me any better than another person. My hope and my prayer is that I can get back on that court next week and just have fun. I'm not going to be anyone's MVP; in all reality, I will need to re-learn the game a bit, between being away for so long and the new rules. Perfectionism has no place in recreational sports. Perhaps, with myself out of the way, I can build relationships with people and show them what real hope looks like.

Green

It seems "green" has come to refer not only to the environment in general, but to things that are 'good' for the environment, or at least 'better' than other things. At my former job, we had a 'greening' initiative of sorts, that involved moderating temperatures to save on the energy required for heat or a/c, being issued mugs made out of corn (not sure how that one worked) to be used instead of disposable cups in the office, unplugging power cords when not in use, and other measures.

I was thinking about my "green" footprint today as I stood battle, yet again, against an army of ants determined to take over my kitchen. They launched their best assault yet this afternoon. Jesse and I had taken our lunches (which consisted of leftover meatloaf, 4 baking powder biscuits-turned-grilled ham & cheese sandwiches, and tomato soup) into the other room to continue watching Battlestar Galactica (on which I am now hooked), and I kept watching after he'd left to go back to the church. On my return to the kitchen, the little ants had turned out en masse. After removing all the items from the counter yet again, the orange spray-bottle cleaner and I struck back. Jesse is bringing home some sticky-tack, as a temporary plug for the hole the ants are coming in.

After cleaning up the counter and dishes, I saw another failed attempt at being "green." Sometime last week, during a grocery trip, I noticed some basil plants in small planter boxes that were on sale. (Incidentally, some of that fresh basil had been used in the tomato soup that I thawed out for lunch. But I digress.) I purchased one, and dutifully set it at the front of the sink, where it could receive sunlight, and I would be more likely to remember to water it. However, on hanging out the initial loads of laundry (on which I've previously waxed eloquent), I noticed that the leaves were shriveling up and realized I was baking the little basil plant, since the sun shines on the back of the house all afternoon. I then moved it to the other side of the kitchen (actually, the dining room), where it gets more moderate sunlight and, you guessed it - forgotten in the water department. So I gave the poor struggling thing some water.

On the plus side, there is a cute little lizard living under our house who's probably 4 inches long (not counting his/her tail) and scampers under the house whenever I come outside. Supposedly, our twin-tub washer is environmentally friendly. So is our laundry detergent and dish soap. That's got to count for something. On the minus side, there was a 2-inch or so cockroach in the kitchen last night. The young adults from church were still over, playing on the wii, and I just called, "Jesse, I need you. Big big bug."

Also on the plus side, there is a beautiful flower garden in front of the house which was put in and maintained by the former tenants. As we were walking in one of the first days we lived here, I said to Jesse, "Too bad about that flower garden." "What? Why?" "We're probably going to kill it." "Oh. Yeah."

The New Normal

Various antics of the weekend included Jesse and I both taking Friday off (we went out to eat, and found a cute little diner right around the corner from our house for breakfast!), finishing season 1 of Burn Notice, purchasing more household supplies, wandering Newcastle and wading in the ocean, good Bible Study discussion at youth group, and playing the Wii.

Sunday morning, the service was structured as a hymn-sing, with announcements, sharing and prayer, and devotional times included. During the sharing time, one of the men in the church shared a devotional he'd read recently. The really intriguing thing was that Jesse's topic for his mini-sermon was on the same topic as that shared by this man, unbeknownst to him. It was confirmation that these were words needed in the congregation, and they seemed to be well received by everyone present.

After church, they always serve 'morning tea', with little snacks and hot drinks available for fellowship. I met a few more people and reconnected with some I'd met before. The people love having the chance to get together, and it's great to see in this small way the fostering of faith community. After tea, we sat with a few other church leaders (we'd brought lunches) and discussed various church activities, including the reception they're hosting for us in a couple of weeks, certain conferences available for youth leaders, and other pressing matters. It was a good time to get to know these people better, for me, and to see how these things are put together in the church.

Since there was no evening service, we were able to relax. After a trip to the grocery store on Jesse's part to get me the egg I needed, I made cinnamon rolls from scratch. We munched on them while watching Boston Legal.

It's funny, this complete change in normalcy. I waffle between the need to indulge my inner introvert and really figure out where I'm going, and just taking things as they come. Don't get me wrong; I'm enjoying this life. I've just reached the end of the detailed plans, and as I consider things like headhunters, visas, and job applications, I'm realizing I need to go back to God and seek further instruction on what my role is here.

Jesse's gone to work out; I'm going to crack open one of the books I purchased for the trip and never got to: Amazing Grace: A Vocabulary of Faith by Kathleen Norris. I know a lot of my friends read it in college, and I thought I'd check it out.

Exploring

I ventured out for a walk this afternoon, as I'd seen advertisements for an open air market on Thursdays from now through Christmas. As I set out, I realized it was 3:15, and probably, the market would have died down by then (markets tend to be morning things, in my experience, and doubly so when several shops close down by 3 around here). I was able to wander in and out of a few stores downtown, though, and pick up some previously neglected items at one of the grocery stores. I'm liking the size of Maitland; within walking distance, I have at least 2 grocery stores, several thrift stores, a few home stores, a number of clothing stores, and several restaurants/pubs. There were a few options in walking distance of my apartment in Rochester, but not nearly this level of variety.

This morning, I was able to wipe out the armoire and begin hanging clothes in it. The "office" (where the armoire and all our suitcases full of stuff currently live) will not likely live up to its name for awhile, but it is in process.

We hosted the young adults group last night, and with closing doors to the bedrooms, were able to appear settled :) Jesse had wanted to make cheese and egg burritos, which we did, however we have been unable to track down any cilantro in a grocery store, and thus they did not taste quite as southwestern as they could have. The recipe called for some orange juice, and being the kitchen overachiever I am, I used my new juicer attachment to make some. That was tasty juice. In hindsight, I should not have wasted it on the burritos. Live and learn. :)

Tonight is Jesse's cricket night. We're going early, as that's when the volleyball teams play. It sounds like my playing might be dependent on some extroversion on my part. In certain situations, my inner introvert takes over, and cross-cultural athletic events appear to qualify. I'll try to muster up some courage as I tackle my next challenge for the evening: making gyros. :)

Laundry: Day 2

I promise/hope not to write about laundry every day. The good news is - I figured out how to use the wringer sans screeching. The bad news - I have to babysit it and hold the cover just-so. Good news: being able to reach the clothesline from the ramp off our back door. Bad news: the key to the back door unlocks all but the latch, and doesn't touch the front door.

Due to the second set of bad news, I locked myself out of the house around 11:40 this morning. I had brought the back door keys with me, only to realize they only unlocked the deadbolt and screen, and not the actual latch to get into the house. Thankfully, I knew Jesse was coming home around 12:30 for lunch. See, I had no phone (even inside), and his phone numbers had been carefully written down and left for me on the kitchen counter, so I didn't even have the option of getting a neighbor to call. I decided I would spend my time on our front porch waiting.

This turned out to be good thinking-time. In thinking about our washing machine, and the dishes, I came to understand that, for two people to work outside the home, it really does require technology. I can't imagine still working as an auditor and having to cook and clean without the conveniences of microwaves, fully automated washing machines, and dishwashers. I suppose I would use cleaning services and eat out most of the time. It was interesting to me, that in order to "contribute to society" outside the home, there is a certain level of technology required inside the home, or a household employee to do the cooking and cleaning. I'm still chewing on this idea, as I'm not sure whether it's as profound as it first seemed. Time will tell :)

The first day of the rest of my life

The subject reflects how I'm feeling about today. Although it seems like something that would have been on a poster in my junior high school cafeteria (right next to "When we Compromise, Everyone Wins"), today is different because, after a little over a month of auto-pilot, planning, wedding, and moving, Jesse and I went to work. Jesse to the church, and me to try my hand at the life of a stay-at-home spouse. By way of quick background for those who don't know, I'm taking a little break from the working world to get us settled, take care of additional visa stuff, and have a bit of a "summer vacation" for a change. Soon, I will begin circulating my resume in the hope of finding a job to start in 2009.

At any rate, Jesse left early this morning for a meeting, and I happily slept in until 7am. This was great, as it shows I'm adjusting to the time here. After catching up on email for a bit, I wrote some thank-you cards, and played a little Wii Play (I have a gold medal on the shooting game, of which I am quite proud). While making lunch, a couple from church stopped by with a two-tub washing machine they're loaning us until we're able to shop around for our own. Jesse arrived home for lunch, we received some instruction on the operation of said washer, and were left to our lunch. After lunch, with Jesse back at the office, and after a brief phone call with my parents (who are coming to visit in May/June! Yay!), I decided to tackle the washer.

Mom said I would feel a bit like a Pioneer woman with this washer. And she is right. Mistake #1, perhaps, was that my first two-tub load attempt was made with towels. In my defense, I wanted to wash my new towels, as they fuzz all over everything and it's nice to use clean towels. However, the wringer makes a terrible screeching sound and I couldn't bring myself to let it run. So there is right now a pile of formerly soapy towels in the bathtub (awaiting rinse), and a load of half towels/half dark clothes that has just been rinsed in the washing tub. We'll see if I can find a way to appease the wringer and not have to squeeze each towel myself. Thankfully, there is a clothesline all set up in the backyard, and plenty of clothespins, so once I get past the wringing stage, there is hope for obtaining clean towels at some point.

Between loads of laundry, I've been washing dishes. I think Jesse and I are always washing dishes. We have a rather small sink, a rather ominous small-ant problem, and no robot to wash the dishes for us. So far, in my experience as a stay-at-home spouse of a whopping one day, I can see where it gets exhausting. I haven't even gotten to cleaning out the armoire and putting clothes away yet.

Tonight is Jesse's soccer night, so I'll get to go cheer him on there, and look into the volleyball leagues at the gym. I would love to start playing again. For now, it's back to the washer.

on kitchen mishaps

I come by my kitchen abilities naturally. Not from famous chefs, but grandmas. Mom's mom is known for her ability to make entire meals without measuring; Dad's mom is known for her kitchen creativity and substitutions.

This made today interesting. Jesse and I were up early again (yay jet lag!) and after some more kitchen-organization, I decided to make pancakes for breakfast. It went relatively well. We sat down to eat them, poured tasty maple syrup on them, and went to town. Long, gross story short - we neglected to verify the mold-status of the maple syrup prior to slathering it on our pancakes. So the initial pancakes were tossed and we split the remaining 3 pancakes.

Jesse met up with a man from church, who graciously brought along a trailer to haul over the opp shop furniture. They also picked up a love seat, so we are now the proud owners of a couch and love seat (which we febrezed and covered) and a wooden armoire in desparate need of a new finish and new handles. But the price was right.

I digress from the mishaps. We were going to go out to lunch, when jet lag slapped me in the face and told us we were going to stay home. I rested for a bit, then Jesse and I warmed up something small for lunch. No mishaps there, other than not being able to go out.

We had yet another shopping trip this afternoon, and more settling in of stuff. We did our first 'real' grocery run (for which we forgot the list we'd meticulously put together), which was fun and exhausting. For dinner, I made burgers, potatoes, and steamed veggies. All went well until I was frying the potatoes (which I crinkle cut with my pampered chef gadget) in the meat fat and set off the smoke detector. After dinner, I set to muffin-making, only to determine that neither of us could discern just how to light the oven. Several failed attempts, 2 phone calls, and a visit from the friendly landlord later, we were in business. I put the muffins in only to set off the smoke alarm again. Not really sure why that happened.

At any rate, the muffins are now cooling, and I'm watching Jesse play Lego Star Wars on the Wii. Here's hoping the everyday cooking won't be quite so adventuresome.

Welcome to Australia - Detail-averse, beware :)

We're here!  After a long flight, we've arrived.  It was rather amusing coming through customs (as amusing as such things can be); after all, I'd carefully researched all of the eligibility requirements for my visa which, though granted, required me to have proof of such things as enough money for a return ticket, health insurance, and other such details.  I had an envelope full of it, and all the customs person said to us, essentially, was, "Maitland, hm?  Wine country."  Not that I'm complaining.  It's much nicer to have things go that way.

We were greeted by the DS and his wife (G&H), another pastor in the district.  They brought a trailer for our 6(!!!!) bags so that they'd all fit.  (At some point, I hope to explore in more detail the moving process.  For now, I will just say that even with living in a constant state of getting rid of things for the past 5 or so months, I was still disappointed that I had so much to bring with me).  We had showers and tea at G&H's (morning tea, in this case, involved lovely breakfast pastries with egg and meat in them, something called "rizzoles" that was some type of meat, and strawberries), then hit the road in the little Yaris.  Jesse & G had managed to pack all of our luggage into the little Yaris, and we hit the road, determined to stay on the culturally appropriate side of the road for the 2 hour trip "home".

After a quick stop at the church to pick up house keys, we headed to our new home.  I think it was around 1 in the afternoon or so, and getting somewhat hot.  Once everything was inside, we began making lists of various necessities, and spent the afternoon shopping for them.  On returning to the house, Jesse busied himself with the furniture and I cleaned, papered, and stocked the shelves in our linen closet.  Dinner involved a run to Mustafas, and we happily (and sleepily) munched our kebabs in front of an episode of Burn Notice.  Afterward, around 8pm, we crashed on the floor of the living room, where we had dragged the mattresses from the futon and Jesse's twin bed next to each other, in lieu of a bed.

We slept until around 5am; not too shabby for the first day of jet lag.  After eating breakfast out, we shopped at a furniture store and an Opp Shop (thrift store); we returned to the furniture store to order a nice bedroom set, and have reserved a couch and armoire at the Opp Shop.  So, once we have the means to retrieve them, we will add to our current furniture collection of futon, twin bed, and various tables.  

One question people have asked throughout this whirlwind of job-quitting, wedding-throwing, world-traveling, marriage-building adventure has been whether we are excited.  We are, for sure, but I think right now we're both feeling contentment at being able to settle somewhere, and that's exciting in its own way.