We're camping

This past weekend was our District Youth Retreat at the beach. We had a great time camping, and had the perfect weather for it (quite sunny and warm, perhaps a little chillier at night than we would like). Simon thoroughly enjoyed all the attention he received, and it was helpful to me to have many willing entertainers for him :)

I had my first experience with meal planning and execution for over 30 people!! Jesse and I planned the food together, I made a shopping list on Coles Online, and we took said shopping list to Aldi. This accomplished a couple of things; we knew what amounts we wanted of everything, and we also knew how much we were saving by shopping at Aldi (for the record, $330 worth of groceries at Coles cost us $200 at Aldi!). We underestimated the amount of milk necessary (well, I think I technically underestimated the ability of teenage boys to drown their cereal in milk) and overestimated the amount of greens/salad necessary (yeah, should have thought that through). Also overestimated was the ratio of chips/cookies to sandwiches people wanted to eat; we had to ration the seconds. In the end, we had to buy more sausages and milk, and a few more drinks on the Saturday, but I don't think anyone went hungry.

Growing up, we always went to our District Family Camp at Chambers Camp near Corning, NY. We had a campsite right next to our good friends, and whether it was trailer-camping or tent-camping, had a great time. We have photos of my birthday at family camp, all 6 of us kids "napping" on a blanket in the shade, and siblings receiving "baths" in plastic buckets of some variety. Whenever someone would complain, or realize something had been left at home, our moms would sing a little song that went something like this, "We're camping, we're camping, we're ca-amping."

In the midst of all the various food situations this last weekend, I only wished I'd remembered that little song. The teens probably would have thought I was crazy (they'd be right), but having a little song to sing when things aren't going just right can provide a fresh dose of perspective, or at least lighten the situation a bit.

The latest adventures

Whew! Where have the past few months gone? Into a growing little boy, I think.

I've started back at work! I'm really enjoying the opportunity to get back into things. I have taken over the kitchen table with my laptop, laptop stand, wireless mouse and keyboard (a birthday gift from Jesse) and love my new "home office." I'm doing slightly different things than I was before (as my old role was filled with another full-time employee, who I trained before I left), and I've found the new position to be challenging and rewarding. Jesse and Simon had a great time while I was gone last week, so here's hoping tomorrow and the other Thursdays will be the same :)

Simon is growing by leaps and bounds. He plays peek-a-boo, and has started to do it himself sometimes (pulling a towel/curtain/whatever over his face, then removing it and expecting a reaction). It's clear that he wants to be more mobile than he is, but he breaks into a triumphant grin after rolling/wiggling off my lap after he eats. At my mothers' group today, he and one of the little girls carried on a "conversation" with each other; it was so cute. He's started wanting to gnaw on things, although he's generally disinterested in teething toys (Mom and Dad's knuckles are far more satisfying). We're hoping to get him into swimming lessons soon for Thursdays while I'm at work.

It seems we have one thing or another going on from now until Christmas! In some ways, the lack of Thanksgiving here means that the holiday season sneaks up on me. In others, though, it's surprising because with no Halloween (or very little Halloween) or Thanksgiving, the Christmas stuff is already dominating some of the stores. I've been making use of Amazon.com's Universal Gift List, but I've found that many things on that list are baby-related (Ergo baby carrier, food processor/steamer for baby food, etc.). Guess I'm a real mom now ;)

With that, I'm going to go make a mug cake (go ahead, google it! They're quick and tasty) and have some ice cream. There is a fantastic rain storm, Simon's napping, and Jesse's out. Might as well make use of the ability to eat lots of food before Simon starts solids :)

is it really April?

Well, March wasn't exactly "in like a lion and out like a lamb" at our house. Weather notwithstanding, it was more like "a lion in a decathalon of some sort" with church events, baby classes, hospital checkups, and work. (Ok, that was lame, but I tried. Moving on.)

We had the opportunity to go to a Newcastle Knights (rugby league) game with tickets from work, which included dinner in the corporate suite and some pretty good seats. That was cool; I've missed going to Amerks and Red Wings games like I used to with Deloitte. Jesse had a decent understanding of the game, and we sorted the rest out together. It wasn't quite as amusing as the time Laura and I went to a Knighthawks (lacrosse) game in Rochester, and affectionately dubbed the sport "baskesocckey" as we attempted to decipher the rules, but it was still a good time. I did get a bit stiff with my ever-heavier body in the plastic chair, but was able to put my feet up for the second half of the game, which we watched from the box.

I'm not sure if it was in March or late February, but we've encountered a previously unanticipated benefit of pastoring a country-ish church: a family in our church "came into some beef" and we have been enjoying some of the most tender steaks I've ever had since then. (Well, steak, and a roast, and some ground beef too :) Our little freezer, at one point, was full of meat. We've been alternating with chicken and experimenting some with marinades to keep things exciting, and Jesse is becoming an expert at grilling the steaks. He also made chicken parmigiana this week when I missed the train coming home from work and we had guests coming over for dinner. That turned out very good; recent experiments of mine (including satay chicken and a peach-chicken dish I didn't fully think through ahead of time) have been less successful. Edible, but less successful.

The last week of February, we attended the National Pastors' Conference in Tweed Heads (on the border of NSW and QLD). It was my first time into Queensland (unless you count the Brisbane airport), as our hotel was technically in NSW but across the street from Queensland. We had a great room with a beautiful view of the water, and I got to catch up with a high school friend who is pastoring a church in Perth with her husband. Who would have thought that Fillmore grads would find each other on the other side of the world? Anyway, that was a good trip. We took our time coming home and spent a couple of days in Port Macquarie, where we had the pleasure of wallabies playing in the backyard of our rented cabin/house.

The conference fun didn't end there, though. The first weekend in March was our District Women's Retreat, in a retreat center on Lake Macquarie. It was fun to get to know some other women from around the state, and hang out with a friend and her two-week-old baby.

I only have 3 weeks left of work (actually, it's only 12 work days, with one holiday and two Fridays off) before it's time to come home and wait for baby! We got a lot done yesterday in preparation for his/her arrival, and there's still more to do. I've been reading up on childhood vaccinations and have been trying to formulate a plan for those. I don't mean to make anyone nervous; we are planning on our child receiving all the recommended vaccines, perhaps slightly delayed from the planned schedule. What I'm struggling with at the moment is why my newborn baby needs a Hepatitis B shot. I haven't found anything that compels me to believe this is critical for a newborn, other than that it was the easiest way to make sure everyone is immunized against it. If anyone has an idea on this, I'm all ears.

And so all of this brings us to nearly the middle of April, with just over 5 weeks to go (give or take) until the baby's room is occupied. Crazy!

October

Two months later. Yikes. Jesse and I had a great trip at the beginning of September to the Barrington Tops. We went on a hike that definitely pushed the boundaries of the shape I was in, but it was fun to get away and relax for a few days. Jesse surprised me by bringing some of our nice clothes to have a candlelight dinner one of the nights; it was a great celebration of our almost-anniversary.

For those who don't know, our visa was approved the first week of October, so a lot of that worry/phone calling/stress has died down. At least we get two more years now until we have to go through it again. It's been nice not having to haggle through another employment extension every month, and to have all of my paperwork now in my married name and new passport (I think health insurance still needs to be changed... and maybe some frequent flier club memberships, but that's it.)

We looked through a house that's closer to the church (essentially in its backyard), but so far it looks like we can't afford to move there. Housing prices are very high over here, particularly in comparison to the Rochester area (where I was once house hunting a couple of years ago), so it's hard to swallow the cost of some of them. The area hasn't been hit by the financial crisis nearly like most places in the US, and it's believed by some that there is still somewhat of a housing bubble to be burst. Combine that with the fact that someone working in the mines could be making upwards of $1,700AUD/week, and ta-da, expensive housing. So we are staying put for the time being, but on the lookout.

I haven't done much reading lately, but I have appropriated Jesse's ipod shuffle for the ride to and from work, which has been nice. It was particularly useful yesterday when some drunk man near the front of the carriage was "singing" very loudly for a good half of the ride. One day when I was NOT listening to the ipod, a very dark-skinned man wearing a heavy Christmassy sweater came an sat next to me at the University stop (most people were wearing a light jacket, at most). Through my scholar-servant powers of reasoning, I deduced that he was likely from Africa. He's originally from Nigeria, spent some time in Ghana, and was hear to do a master's in education. I don't usually strike up conversations with fellow train-goers, but it was nice to have a bit of a cross-cultural experience on the way home.

Jesse and I discovered a new restaurant near where I work, which touts itself as a "pizza and pasta bar". This sounded very good to me. I had a creamy chicken penne with baby spinach and pesto sauce - yum! Jesse had a four-cheese pizza, and we watched a Chicago Bulls game on the HDTV. I think we both prefer college to pro basketball, but a chance to watch familiar sports over here is one we will take. We've started getting reception on a channel that shows basketball and NFL football, and have even watched a couple of NFL games (although the commercial breaks are never timed quite right, and we end up missing parts of the game. We get back from the break and have to figure out what just happened). All in all, the pizza and pasta bar was a success.

(Oh, for those who are wondering, our delusions of garden have been crushed by lack of effort before they even fully materialized. I think we have managed to kill another herb plant, though.)

Today, I am looking forward to a massage and a chiropractor visit. It's been a year since I've gone to either, and I'm feeling it. I actually found this place via tv commercial - not where I would typically look for a doctor - but their clinic offers both and is open 1/2 day on Saturdays, so here's hoping it will be good.

August

Another month come and gone. Before I get into what we've been up to, I need to put in a plug for a life-saving cookbook, which I know I've done before, but here it is: What to Eat When You Can't Eat Anything. I've not been feeling the greatest lately, so it's back to a strict diet for me. One of the things I like about this cookbook is that it categorizes recipes based on how you're feeling - ultrasensitive, sensitive, and unsensitive. So I can turn to the ultrasensitive section and pick out recipes until I start feeling better, then add in the sensitive recipes, etc.

But enough about my food issues. I received an employment extension from the government, which allows me to continue working for a few more weeks at my current job. I'm not sure whether they will grant an additional extension if Jesse's visa isn't approved by then, however. This is still a matter for prayer, but I am confident that God will continue to provide for us/me, even if it's not in a way I'm expecting.

Our volleyball competition ended, and we were at the bottom of the A-grade at the end. Funny; we won the B-grade in our first "comp" (as they say here), and then lost the A-grade. The sports center is in the process of relocating to a new facility (which is not yet built), so in the meantime, we have freed up another weeknight. That's been nice.

The weather's been unseasonably warm for August. We're talking about trying to put a small garden in the backyard (those who've seen our backyard know that it could only be small!). Neither of us has a particularly green thumb (and I killed one herb plant last year by giving it too much sun in the sauna that is the back of our house), so I'm thinking of getting some plants that can grow in the shade of our tree. (Also, I don't want to necessarily be in direct sunlight while taking care of it in the hot summer sun.) I want to grow veggies or herbs of some kind. Any suggestions from the audience?

We had a great time at a birthday party for a friend yesterday. Jesse and I "designed" the card ourselves and I think we may have been more pleased with it than the recipient, but he seemed to enjoy it as well.

Well, off to prepare for church. Thanks for reading, and I'm looking forward to the gardening recommendations!

July: poof

Where has July gone? It was a busy month at work and church, that's for sure. It began with a celebration of my 26th birthday, which started with "presents in bed" (a few dvd's, books, and nice warm slippers from Jesse), ended with a friend's exhibit opening, Mexican food, and watching one of said dvd's, with "afternoon tea" at work in the middle. They were going to make me a sugar-free cake, but the woman who would've made it was sick, so they bought a spinach quiche and stuck candles in it. I think, along with the list I maintain of "places I've spent my birthday" I may make note of this unique "cake-replacement". :)

Friends came up to help celebrate the Saturday after my birthday, which turned out to be day 2 of the worst flu I remember having. I still participated in the "birthday game" (pinata) Jesse had so proudly put together. We have some great photos of our friends' poor daughter, distraught after her daddy knocked the pinata down from its hanging place on our clothesline. And also some great photos of Jesse decapitating the pinata. Its head currently rests on our mantle in triumph. (Said friends gave me a great tv series, called "Lost in Austen", for my birthday, about a woman who gets caught up in Pride and Prejudice. I loved it.)

The rest of the month saw year-end stuff at work for me, a work bee at church, the church annual meeting, a celebration of life at the passing of a young member of our congregation, and the start of a new/revived prayer ministry.

In reading news, I read My Seventh Monsoon by Naomi Reed, about time she and her family spent in Nepal, and loved it. I may post some quotes on my profile; she has an acute sense of the seasons of our lives, and had a lot to say about transition that meant a lot to me. I'm currently reading Jesse's copy of The Salmon of Doubt, a collection of writings by Douglas Adams. Of course, he's quite clever and funny, but it's also given me an interesting perspective on his atheism and how he, for lack of a better term, "wore" that.

All of this brings us to August. At the outset, it doesn't appear to be quite as packed as July, but we will see.

rain, lawnmowers, and other stuff

This afternoon, Jesse and I decided to take a walk around Maitland. Festivities from the Steamfest (think steam engine festival; at one point this weekend, I commented, "it sounds like there's a steam engine coming down our street." I was not incorrect.) were finishing up, people getting ready to go home. We walked over to the park and just sort of wandered, until we decided to head back toward High Street and potentially the video shop. It started to sprinkle, and then rain. There was the most beautiful rainbow across the sky, over the train tracks and the highway. We were soaked by the time we got home (I nixed walking all the way to the video store), but it was great to see the rainbow, and even great to get a little wet. We changed, made a list, and went grocery shopping, and right after we returned, there was another downpour. While I enjoyed the first experience, I was grateful to be home and dry.

Yesterday, we decided to buy a lawnmower. We had thought a weedwhacker (whipper snipper for you Aussies) might do the trick, since our lawn is so small, but it didn't really cut it. We headed to Bunnings and purchased the recommended electric lawnmower. We arrived home, I helped Jesse to get it out of the box, and then curled up on the couch under a blanket with a book. He took it outside, worked on getting it all plugged in, and then realized that the prong on the mower plug was bent. He tried to bend it back, and it seemed to crack. Great. Back to Bunnings we went, mower, folded-up box, and receipt in tow. They took a look at it, and told us we could go grab another one. No luck. They bent the prong back itself (apparently, it hadn't broken when Jesse bent it... even though we saw a crack there, it had to do with something else), tested the mower, and deemed it workable. So, back to the house we went (leaving the box with them). He headed outdoors once again to tackle the lawn. I heard clicking noises, but no mower. I found the owner's manual just as Jesse came in looking for it. He went back outside. I sat inside praying it would start. I have never been so happy to hear the whirring of a lawnmower! Not only did he cut the lawn, but took a saw to a few large weeds/shrubs/trees growing in front of and behind the house. Yay!

Jesse had a great visit at Coffs Harbour last week, and returned bearing many carob goods for me! I've been munching on some carob-covered popcorn while I wait for dinner (I'm a terrible pre-dinner snacker) and enjoying it immensely. He is now in the kitchen, making a new batch of salsa. His favorite foods to prepare are salsa and breakfast potatoes, with the related "McSkillet Burritos" (apologies to Macca's) coming in a close 3rd, I think. He's learned his lesson with chopping the hot peppers, though, and has commandeered a pair of my dishwashing gloves to prevent eye-burning on removal of his contacts.

I've continued doing some family history research on Jesse's side, and have enjoyed finding various relatives and learning more about the stories of those in his ancestry. Families and names have always fascinated me, and since Dad and I had done some research on our lineage, I've found it interesting to dig into Jesse's a bit. One thing's for sure: it would be a lot easier if he weren't a 3rd generation only child on one side, since then there would potentially be other people out there looking for the same answers as me. But it's been an enjoyable hobby.

Speaking of hobbies, we had our second craft day at church, and it was pretty well attended. I enjoyed scrapbooking some of the Christmas photos and birth announcements I've received from friends and family. Our scrapbookers have ranged in age from 6-60's, so it's been fun to have an intergenerational feel to it. We may learn flower arranging in June, which could be cool.

That's all I've got for now. There are some enchiladas that need to be eaten!

new job, new routine

As many of you know, I got the job I was interviewed for! It has been almost two weeks now (they called me on a Monday evening to offer me the job, and asked if I could start Tuesday at noon!), and I'm really enjoying it so far. There is still a lot to learn, but most days I'm up for the challenge :)

I've been taking the train to and from Newcastle each day, which means getting up a good 3 hours earlier than I had been (and thus going to bed much earlier each night), but is well worth it, given that we don't have to buy a car and pay for it, insurance, and registration ('rego' here), as well as gas (petrol here) and parking. That, and I can't get an Aussie license until I've been here 6 months, so I'm sure that would complicate things. But the nice thing about the train is that it takes about the same amount of time to get to Newcastle as driving would, plus I don't have to deal with driving. I've been able to do a lot of reading, which caps each end of the day off nicely. There's a short walk to and from the office, and Jesse's been dropping me off at our train station in the mornings and often picks me up at the end of the day. So I'm getting limited exercise out of the deal :)

Jesse's been helping out by doing more of the grocery shopping (or should I say, all of the grocery shopping) and we've been making dinner together, which is fun. Evening activities are quite a bit more tiring for me now, but we're continuing to monitor our schedules and make sure we still have time for 'us'.

As a brief update on my grandmother's story, things are still progressing in amazing ways in that situation. It would seem that there is redemption at every turn, and I'm watching the story unfold in anticipation to see the new ways God will use it for good.

As I settle into my new routine, I'll try to post more, but be aware that it may not happen - due to both time constraints and personal convictions about posting too much about work online. We'll see!

a time to socialize

Since my last, semi-defeated job hunt post, I've found a couple more opportunities, which I've applied for.  We'll see what comes of those.  In weather news, it was hot today, but not crazy hot, and I was able to get two loads of laundry done.  Scintillating stuff, I know.

Friday afternoon, Jesse took me out to lunch and to see Bride Wars.  He's well aware that a movie is, in some ways, a "quick trip home," even if I never lived in NYC.  For a chick flick, it had some good character development, and wasn't completely predictable.  It provided the entertainment I desired, and it was nice to have a surprise date.  In the evening, we had the first youth group of the year, which went quite well.  Saturday, after a day of tidying up the house and relaxing, we went bowling with the young adults, plus some of their friends.  I didn't do too badly; but anyone who's ever seen me bowl knows that I didn't break any records either :)

Sunday night, we headed to Sydney and had a great time hanging out, talking, watching cricket and tennis with our gracious hosts.  Monday morning, we had a Super Bowl party with friends of a friend, which was cool - the Aussie commentators were quite interesting, as was watching our poor host (a Cardinals fan) suffer through the game.  We had pizza and snacks, but not nearly to the magnitude of Super Bowl parties past.  It's hard to eat that much when the game starts just after 10am!  After the game, we drove back home, then to a family's house for dinner and a lot of laughter. 

It's been nice to spend so many days in the company of other people.  On the way to dinner last night, I saw my first wild kangaroos; I'd seen several at the Melbourne Zoo, but never any in the wild.  That was an exciting milestone.

This evening, I'm taking a break at home.  Jesse's playing soccer, and I'm looking forward to a quiet evening of tv, laundry, and possibly some scrapbooking.  I realize that I'm typically home, and you'd think I would jump at the chance to get out of the house.  While that may be true, it's in the cool of the evening that I can actually feel motivated to  get things done - fun or otherwise - so it's nice to have the option now and then. 

Heat, Celebrations, and Antics

This weekend was quite full.  Friday, Jesse and I left in the morning for Sydney, where we met up with friends to attend a one-day cricket match.  Once we arrived at "the cricket" (as it is referred to here), we were in the sun pretty much from 2pm until it went down, gloriously, around 8pm.  I have never been so hot in my life!  But Jesse had a great time, and I enjoyed watching it, during those brief moments when the sun went behind a cloud, or during the cool of the evening once the sun had set.  There was what appeared to be 2 families sitting in the row in front of us, with about 5 boys and 1 girl in total, ranging in age from about 4 to about 9, all dressed in Aussie jerseys and hats, waving flags and shouting things like "shot!" and "that was well fielded!" There is something incredibly charming about little children with an Aussie accent, particularly when it involves a phrase like "well fielded."  We had a lovely 20-30 minute walk in the cool evening back to Sydney Central to catch a bus back to our friends' house.  Great day.

Saturday, we got up quite early (for us) to head back to Maitland.  An elderly woman in the congregation had passed away this week, and Jesse was presiding over the funeral.  We arrived at our house in time to meet with her cousin, go over some last-minute service adjustments, scrub the temporary tattoos ("Go Aussie Go" and "Australia") off of our faces, and head to church.  The funeral was a great tribute to her life, and many folks hung around for the morning tea afterward to discuss remembrances and enjoy each other's company.  

It's interesting to contemplate grief, and how we honor the memory of our loved ones.  I may have blogged about this story in the past, but it comes to mind again.  I remember when we were putting together the services for my great-aunt Lois a couple of years ago, which included a handbell choir piece to honor her love of the handbells.  I was standing next to my sister as we practiced before the service, and it must have been particularly warm, or I was particularly nervous, or something.  At any rate, I rang one bell with unusual gusto, and it slipped from my hand.  I panicked, reached out, and caught the bell just in time to ring it again (and, honestly, to prevent damage to the bell and its surroundings).  My sister and I dissolved into laughter.  My grandmother commented that it was just such a moment that Aunt Lois would have enjoyed.  In that crazy moment, we honored her memory.

Saturday was one of the hottest days yet.  A couple from the church who have a pool took pity on us and invited us over for a swim.  It was glorious.  We had lovely conversation, watched a bit of the Melbourne Cup, had tea (dinner) together, and then Jesse and I headed home.

Sunday, Jesse began his sermon series on Leviticus, for which he'd given the congregation a reading assignment last week.  It seemed to go well, and it was nice to have the rest of the day to relax.  While job-hunting online, I found a couple of positions that seemed like they may be a good fit, and applied for them.  I'm optimistic; we'll see what happens, however.

Today, Australia Day, we had a church outing to a nearby lake for a day of cricket, boating, cricket, barbecue, and of course, more cricket.  We had a great turnout amongst the church families, and played a few rounds (innings) of cricket with a group of guys enjoying the lake as well.  Jesse and I have the sunburns to prove that we were thwarted by the overcast sky for much of the day (I didn't put sunscreen on until about 3:15), but we felt like we had celebrated Australia Day properly.  

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!

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 :)

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.