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! ;)

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.

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. :)