My how time flies...

...when you're not having fun. As usual I have let too much time pass since posting here. Actually it hasn't been that long but compared to others who post daily then it has been awhile. Since arriving back from my visit to the states to visit my mother I have been fast at work with my duties back here in the land down under and barely had time to think much less tend to or read other blogs. So with all of my rushing around I have had little time for fun.

Anyway, an exciting event is about to occur in my home town of Sydney. What may you ask is that event? I am happy to announce that the "Shirt of Shirts" arrived here in Australia and soon, meaning tomorrow, I plan to take the shirt on a tour of Sydney. Now for those of you who don't know what the "Shirt of Shirts" is, it is a project started by this kind and and gentle man who I might add who has a way with words over at his blog Spo-Reflections. This man is very talented so much so that not only does he have a way with words but he also yields a mean needle and thread. "Spo" as he goes by in the blogger word makes shirts. Now these shirts by many standards most would be considered a type of Hawaiian shirt. Well, one of these shirts was destined to become the "Shirt of Shirts", so called as the fabric to make the shirt contains the pattern of a multitude of colourful shirts. This shirt, as I said, has made it's way around the world and with every stop Spo has generously offered to make a donation to the charity of choice that the wearer chooses. I thought it was such a wonderful idea I just had to be very much be a part of this project.

So, with that said I will proudly wear the shirt and will take pictures of the sites the shirt gets to visit. As I said, I am very excited to be able to take part of this shirt's epoch journey around the world. As it stands the shirt has been to many locales within the United Staes but it has also visited places like Spain, France. Great Britain and Canada. Anyway. I just wanted to share this bit of news and I will in inert post pictures to share with you the photos that are taken during the shirts vista here in Australia.

Hello peeps,

Well, if isn't a doggone Christmas miracle, that"s what it is a great big ol' Christmas miracle. That is, if you can have a good ol' fashioned Christmas miracle in March. What the hell it's my blog and I can have Christmas when ever I damn well please. And what just may that miracle be? The answer would of course be that, I' m actually posting something to this blog. As life usually does, it has tangled me up in a big ol' knot. (BTW, I have no idea why I find it necessary to use the abbreviation of the word old but maybe I'm just in one of those good ol' boys state of mind. Anyway moving on...) So, back to life tangling me up in a big ol' ball. Life has indeed tangled me up and because of it, along with some just good ol' fashioned laziness, I have been severely short in the area of blog posts. I even missed the very last 12 of 12 and I loved the 12 of 12 posts. I do have, even though I don't need one, but I do have some good reasons for not posting and they included everything from work commitments to important family matters. At the end of the day the biggest web tangled bit is a family matter, which revolves around my mother's cancer.

Just before Christmas I called my mum to check-in with her to see what was new on her end of the world and also to hear what the families" Christmas plans were and what specifically she was doing for Christmas. I worry about my mum, especially since dad passed away in 2006. I know mum is a strong women and that she can take care of herself but I know, through personal experience, what it is like to suddenly find yourself all alone after your partner-in-life passes away. And it is especially hard during the holidays after the loss of your spouse. Anyway, I thought all I was going to do is get an update on the holiday plans instead I got an ear full, which later became a head full, of my mum telling me that her cancer had spread to her lungs. Mum had a fairly large melanoma removed in 2006 and for all concerns she had nothing else to worry about, boy were we wrong.

So since my last post, that particular part of my life (that being mum's cancer) has taken over my every thought and has made life extremely difficult trying to find enough time to spend with my mum. The biggest problem is of course approximation. With mum living on one side of the world and me on the other, it makes it really hard to get over there to be with one another. It's not like I can just call her in the morning and ask her if she would like to meet me for lunch somewhere, because no matter how hard we try or how much we would love to have lunch with each other, it's just not going to happen. So what to do? Mum was offered a cancer treatment, actually the only one of two treatments available, that she can take to help slow the cancer's progression. Mum's doctor has been very specific in telling her that this treatment is not a cure and for that matter there is no cure for her type of cancer period. Saying all of that I decided that I needed/wanted to be with my mum whilst she went/is going through this treatment. The actual treatment consists of four individual IV infusions over the course of twelve weeks, one infusion every 3 weeks.

After talking to my boss I was able to arrange some time off to fly back to the states to see my mum and to help her in anyway I can during the time that I am here. I also wanted to be able to give my big brother a small break from helping my mum whilst I am here. Mum is handling the treatments and more importantly the side effects from the treatments, pretty good so far. This specific treatment is not the traditional chemo because traditional chemo does not work on the type of cancer mum is currently battling. In fact as far as mum's treatment goes this is her only option and once these four doses are done and after she has a new PET scan to see if the treatments had any affect on the spots on her lungs and to make sure the cancer has not spread they docotor will let her know if she can have another round of the treatments. If they find she needs the treatment again she can have one more set of four infusions and then that"s it she can't have any more. It should be noted that each one of her infusions cost $30,000. That's right Thirty Thousand dollars for a grand total of $120,000. We have no idea how much mum's insurance is going to pay and how much they are going to expect her to pay. We will,cross that bridge when we get there. We will just take this one thing/day at a time. The biggest problem is that I am going to have to go back home and go back to work soon. My boss/work has been extremely generous letting me have all of this time off especially seeing that I have actually only worked there for 2 months so far. But I need to go back shortly before they give my job away. I'm not completely sure when I have to leave I'm just waiting on an email from my boss.

That kind of sums up what's happening in my life but I just wanted to catch up with everyone. I also wanted to mention that I am going to take part in a shirt around the world for charity event started by one of my blogger friends. This blogger actually makes his own Hawaiian print shirts and I have to say he makes some really cool shirts. He has a real knack when it come to choosing the fabric he uses to make the shirts. So, I am apparently up next to receive the shirt. All I have to do is take a picture with me wearing the shirt, then post the picture on this blog.I will then post the shirt on to the next person in line to wear the shirt. So they can do the same thing on so on. 30 people have already taken part in this little project and as an added bonus there will be donations made to various charities for every person who wears the shirt. If my calculations are correct close to $3,000 has been donated. Now that, is a very special Hawaiian shirt and I'm happy to be a part of the fun.

That's all for now, just be on the look out for pictures of me and the shirt. I'm sure I will look stunning in the shirt and I'm even more sure that by the time the shirt arrives I will also have something else to write on this blog especially some good new about mum. Fingers crossed... Until then take care and be safe...

Another month gone...

Update: I just realised that the post previous to this is about the same topic. Not only am I not posting to this blog but now even my none posting explanation posts are becoming repetitive. Man I need to figure this out because I'm about to remove my self from my bookmarks. I don't even want to follow my self. I mean I can bore myself in lots of other ways besides having to read my own lame attempts at writing a cognitive and some how fulfilling post. Anyway, moving on...

So as I was saying another month gone and I have not posted anything for yonks (Australian for: a really long time). I know I've posted about this before and I'm sure I'll do it again. I don't know why I seem to have lost interest in my blog. In reality it's not so much a loss of interest as just not knowing what to write. I know many of you over the past said I shouldn't worry about rather I post or not. And I shouldn't worry about what I write about. You also said that it didn't matter what I posted because it's my blog and it is up to me as to what I post. This is all very true, not to mention very kind of you to say, but I still don't feel right about not posting.

It just seems that other things have taken over my time and the blog has suffered through lack of attention/posts. It's sad because when I started this blog some 6+ years ago, I loved posting but then again it was all new to me and it also provided a great way for me to let my family back in the states know how and what I was up to here in the land down under. Since everyone I know is on Facebook, including my mother, I seem to find it just as easy and a lot more simple to type in a one sentence communique and be done with it and move on to the next thing. It's all just a bit lazy don't you think?

Now, don't get me wrong, Facebook provides a really a great way to communicate but at the end of the day are we just buying into the next latest, greatest, need to have/do fad? Remember when blogs were all the rage? Are we really that fickle? I suppose in some ways we are. We are very much a throw-away society. If it breaks don't get it fixed buy a new one etc. All said and done it doesn't come anywhere near to explaining my lack of motivation when it comes to posting on this blog. So, I guess the best I can do for now is to go off and ponder this some more and when I find some more clarity I'll come back and let you know what I find out. In saying that I hope I can find a little something to post before that because it could be a really big gap in between posts waiting for me to answer the big "to post or not to post" question and I'm sure you will get very bored waiting to hear my brilliant revelations. Of course that all depends on if I actually get/have and brilliant revelations. We shall see... Oh and I'm not going to promise but I would love and will try to post another batch of 12 of 12 before the year is out. Once again we shall see...

12 of 12 for June 2011

Well, well, I've finally made it back to 12 of 12. I have to tell you that not only was it raing all day which made it extremely difficult to take my pictures but then for some reason there was a computer malfunction and I don't know if it was between the camera and the computer or if it was a problem with iPhoto but I finally got these pictures up the long way around and I didn't even get to put up the ones I really wanted but none the less here are June's 12 of 12. Enjoy... (I'm also sorry to say that they aren't in order as I'm tired an frustrated but there here) Oh and one more thing I have to thank this man for starting the 12 of 12 project.

The entry marker to Hyde Park in the middle of downtown Sydney

The tree canopy the runs from one end of the park to the other

This lovely fountain is on one end of the tree covered walkway and the war memorial is on the other end

Yet another fountain in the park. It'a bit of a rain/water/fountain theme this month what can I say it/I was wet all day

This is this month's guess what it is picture....

The main Apple store in Sydney

This lovely, quaint, little fountain can be found in Martin Place near the Central Business District downtown...

This statue of a boar is supposed to bring you good luck if you rub it's nose and as you can see it gets a work out but can't say that it's done much for me, because I have tried. Hey it can't hurt...

No real reason for this picture other than as far as fall/winter changing of the tree/colours this is about the best you'll get in the city...

I mentioned the War Memorial earlier and here it is... I just checked all the pictures and I don't know why this one came out so small, but hopefully you can see it well enough.

This statue is in the centre of the memorial. I wished they had cleaned up all the junk down around the bottom. It's a bit disrespectful not having it tidy in my view...

...and last but not least I thought this was a cute way to keep people from parking in front of your garage. Something tells me it works... Well that's it for this month. Hopefully I will have my mechanical breakdown fixed but the time July set rolls around. Take care and I'll see you soon

Gee...Time really does fly....

....rather you're having fun or not. As some of you might know, we have recently, for the past 3 months, have been relatively homeless as we wait for our current tenants to move out of our place in the city. Due to this displacement it has been very difficult for me to keeps tabs on this blog. Hell who am I kidding, I had trouble keeping tabs with the blog even when I did have a place to plug in our computer. Regardless, I am happy to announce that if all goes well that by the beginning of next week we should have a new place to call home. That's right the tenants are in the process of moving out as I type and as it stands we have the movers scheduled to move our stuff out of storage and into our place on Friday. I'm hoping that after everything settles I will be able to focus on this blog and most definitely be able to get back into my 12 of 12 photos. So, all I can say is fingers crossed and watch this space as it should be showtime all over again in the next coming days. Until then take care and stay out of trouble...

Miss me much??? I do too...

As usual I have neglected this blog so much that even I thought it was no longer functioning. Then I realised it was I that was no longer functioning or for that matter writing. Anyway, here I am and I'm coming back with a not so happy post. I'm not even sure why I'm sharing this but non-the-less I am, so read on if you care to but remember it's not a very happy post.

As many of you know or maybe you don't either way I'll remind you that I have been and still am HIV positive and have been since 1986. Now the fact that I have lived with this dread disease for 25 years and am still around to be writing about it is wonderful. Well, wonderful that I'm alive not wonderful that I've had to live with this disease for so long and will continue to do so for the rest of my life. I am one of those unlucky ones that watched one to many of my friends loose their lives to this disease including two of my own partners. It will actually be exactly 25 years to the date on the 16 of this month that I found out I was positive. It's funny how you remember certain life changing things. Well maybe not so much funny as just plain odd/interesting/strange, you get my point.

I am lucky in that I was able to survive long enough to have access to the antiviral medications that became available in 1994. Those drugs and have extended and saved many peoples lives since then. I'll be honest it's not been nor is it for anyone a joy ride taking these medications with all of their various side effects like constant diarrhoea, nausea etc. Regardless, I persevered and finally found a combination that provided me with the protection I needed and had the least amount of side effects. Now, I have taken this combination of medications for over 9 years and through all of that time they have kept my little friend (aka the virus) at bay, tucked away in it's own little corner not bothering anyone.

The drugs, if you don't already know, are supposed to keep the virus at such a low level that it has a hard time replicate and as such has a hard time destroying your immune system. At the same time by holding the virus at bay and with your immune system not under constant attack the system itself is better able at repairing itself and bringing your defences up to normal or higher levels of protection. My counts as far as the virus is concerned are always in the undetectable range which is where we want it to be and my immune system albeit on the low end of normal nevertheless is in the normal range. That is until 4 weeks ago...

It seems that after all of these years of gliding along rather smoothly. My little friend has decided that it is not content with playing all by itself in that dark little corner. No, it wants to come back out and play in the sunshine with all the other immune cells, blood cells and all the other parts of my body. It just wants to have fun again. Problem is, when it has fun I don't. So, what am I saying? Well, what I'm saying is I now have a detectable viral load and my immune system is headed to the no go zone. Now, we don't need to panic because there are lots of new medications to choose from so there should be some combination I can take that will send my little friend back into his little hole where he will hopefully stay for a very long time. We have done some blood work to see what medications I have apparently be come resistant to and can no longer use and then allow us to to decide what other new medications I can try and we will go on from there.

I know I shouldn't worry but I'm not very happy at the moment. It's not that I was fooled to believe that the virus had left the building. I've not only lived with it for to long but I've also worked in the field of HIV education so I know the in and outs of this terrible disease. It's just a kick to the head and it makes you suddenly feel so damn vulnerable. All from something we can't see with the naked eye but that we got from being naked. Hmmm, I digress Anyhoo, no time to wallow in self pity, nor would I as I did enough of that a long time ago. Lets figure out what we're going to do and just do it. I've got nothing to loose and so much to gain.

Mystery photo...

Hi everyone, this is not going to be a long post. I just wanted to tell you what the mystery photo is in last month's 12 of 12 photos. First, thanks to everyone who commented. As usual you are all too kind. I really appreciate everything you have to say. Your comments make me want to find better and more interesting things to photograph and challenges me to be a better photographer.

Now as for the mystery photo, there were actually two. The first one I asked what the symbol stood for and it stands for the major telecommunication company here in the land of Oz. The companies name is Telstra and this symbol is stamped in the concrete cover that covers the access points out side. The covers are located every so often along the footpath (sidewalk to the rest of you). The second photo is actually part of a grating that sits around a tree so that water can get in when it rains and or when the trees are watered.

So there you have it, mystery solved. Now I'm not sure if I will get another post in before next month's 12 of 12 but you never know. I'll definitely see you on the 12th so keep watching this space. Until then take care, be safe and Enjoy the world around you...

Hello world...

I bet you thought I fell off the edge of the world, and you know I think I almost did but then again here I am, so I guess I didn't. Anyway, as you all know, or as many of you do and for those of you who you do now know I decided a few months back that this blog is going to be pretty much dedicated now to the 12 of 12 project. You know, the one started/created by this man, where I/you take 12 photos (I actually take like 100) and then I pick the best ones to share with you. Well that's all fine and well but it only happens on the 12th day of every month and only 12 photos. I'm not sure one post a month makes a very interesting blog. Does it make it a blog at all or is it now a Photoblog or something else entirely? Needless to say, that is what will be happening for a while so if you're up for it great and if you're not, then I totally understand, I'm a little hurt but I understand.

So, just a heads up that this months photos will be very different in so much that I have to work that day so I can't just meander around town taking pictures with my good camera in tow. Besides, I only have an hour for lunch and believe me there's not much to see from my morning/evening bus ride, to and from work, seeing as it's dark out both ways (remember it's winter here). I also don't think my boss will let me have a field trip day because taking pictures sure doesn't fall into the realm of what I do for work. don't think my new boss wold like that. At the same time I might still as I'm not that impressed with my new boss. I'll get to that in a bit. So because I have to work and can't lug my good camera around with me at work (unless I find a way to do it easily) what I've decided to do is experiment and this month I'm going take all of the pictures using the camera on my new iPhone. I'll get to see how good the new zoom feature works that came with the new IOS 4 software they developed for the new iPhone 4.

As a side note, I didn't get the new iPhone 4 firstly because they are not being sold in Australia until I think the end of the end of this month and secondly I just bought my new/old iPhone last month about 3 days before they announced the new phone was coming. And since I just started a new phone contract and unless I want to turn around and pay this phone outright to the tune of $850.00 Australian $700.00 US. then I'll stick with what I've got. Oh well what do I care as long as I get the benefits from the new software upgrades, which I do since I upgrade my software the other night. The rest of the little things with the new iPhone like the new design and screen resolution etc. don't do much for me as I don't watch a lot of videos and stuff like that. I mean I easily go through my monthly data allotment of 500MB easily just going through with emails, some of my apps that have push notifications and some of the Internet browsing I do when I checking the news etc. at the end of the day if you're not careful downloads become very expensive. Besides, no matter how clear the screen is, with these poor old tired eyes I need at least 17"inches. And get your filthy, dirty, little minds out of the gutter (and I know several of you went there) you know very well I was talking about screen size.

So at the end of the day, I know that the pictures that i take this month won't be anywhere close to the kind of stuff that I've shared with you in the past. Of course, I'm making a big assumption that what I have offered in the past were good/decent photos. I like to think I've done some good work in the past and some of you have even said you like some of my photos. It' gives me hope. anyway that ways a very long winded way of telling you that it will be an interesting experiment and we shall see what comes of the day at the end of the day.

Let's see what else? Ah yes, the new job how could I forget the new job. Maybe it was so easy to forget because I'm trying so hard to do just that. I really hate saying this but I've never hated a job so much in my entire career. It was totally misrepresented and at the end of the day so as not to bore you it's plain and simple a s#%t job! I'm not trying to be elitist but this job is so far beneath my intelligence and overall skill level, and yet I'm still there. Why you say and I say because 1) I have not worked in so long so the last thing I want to do is add and new entry in to my resume that says after being out of work for so long I recent took this job and then quit 3 months later. 2) the pay cheque is nice but to be honest I could not survive on this salary. I don't make enough money to pay the rental for maybe a studio apartment here in Sydney (albeit prices here are outrageous)I'd have to live a good two hour train ride out of town to get something meager and affordable and it would be a dump. And then there would be food, utilities, etc. If I wasn't in a relationship and have such a loving husband I literally would not be able to survive living in Sydney or probably for that matter in any city in the world given even the exchange rate. i would be homeless and if were homeless I would have anyplace to keep my work clothes or take a bath to go to work and you see how that cycle would just get worse. Anyway enough regardless. I am starting to look again this weekend. Hopefully if i find something to get an interview I'll be able to explain well enough why I'm leaving this new job so quickly without putting the company down as that looks bad to a new employer. (See I was listening at those how to find a new job/ and interview well classes)

So that's it from me for now. I'll be back on the 12th with new photos and until then take care stay safe and live large (if you can...) Enjoy....

Stay tuned...

Hey ho one and all, long time no post. My new position is keeping me very busy. So that's why you've not heard much from me. And although it means I don't get as much time on the net as I would like I am at least able to pay bills which is a good thing. Anyway, I just wanted to say that June's 12 of 12 will be here soon and as I promised I'll be posting to make up for last month. So stay tuned and I hope I'll have some really good photos for your to view at your leisure. Until then take care stay well and enjoy life where you can. See ya soon...

No 12 of 12 for May 2010...

Hi everyone, yes it's me again. I know I don't post regularly and I'm sure what few readers I had have dropped me as part of their regular blog reading but I will keep posting when I can and hope someone will read what I write. It was inevitable to lose a few readers but in the end I am comfortable with that outcome. However, I did decide a few months back that maybe this blog will become more of a photo blog and using the 12 of 12 project, that was the brainchild of this man, gives me the opportunity to present to those that are interested, a look into my life through the lens of my camera. I truly enjoy taking the pictures each month and have the hardest time picking out the just 12 pictures to submit each month. I usually take around 160 pictures so the filter process is a bit difficult but I think that it also is part the fun for me doing the project.

Anyway, the main point of this latest entry is to very sadly tell you that I won't be able to do the 12 of 12 for May 2010. But, there is a very good reason for this unfortunate event. "What is that good reason you ask?" My answer is "I got a job!" Yes that's right, after 15 long months and more then 70 applications sent out of looking for gainful employment, I finally snared myself a job. I will be working for a company called International SOS. I am so looking forward to starting, which is on the 10th of May. Maybe my new work environment will provide me with some raw material for a few good post. We will wait and see. I want to thank everyone that supported me through the job hunting process. I really appreciate all of your kind words and encouragement. It meant a lot to me.

There is one more reason for this post and that is to show you the two pictures from last months 12 of 12 that will show you where I got the close up shots of the parts of the two different fountains. So here there are...

This fountain sits in the middle of Sydney's Hyde Park. You cab see the two horse head on eacj side that I took the closed up of one of them.

This fountain sits in the courtyard of Sydney Hospital, which is the oldest hospital in Australia. A note of interest the hospital is still in service and will continue to do so as long as there is a need. In fact my husband just got a new job there working in the Emergency Department. Anyway, I'll keep in touch so I hope that you will keep watching this space and I'll definitely see you for the 12 of 12 for June 2010. See ya...

Lookee here...

Well, it's been a month to the day and guess what today is??? That's right it's the 12th and you know what that means. Right again, it's time for the monthly 12 of 12 photo post. Maybe, I should rename my blog to to "Being Normal - Pictures" I'll have to think about that one for awhile. Anyway, I really love taking the pictures for this monthly endeavour and can't wait to see what I find today to feed into the lens of my camera. We will just have to wait and see. It's early morning on this the 12th day of April and I am about to head in to the city (Sydney, Australia) to take this months photos. So, stay tuned and I'll see you later today. Wish me luck...

I just don't know what to do....

I want so very much to keep up with this blog because I put so much effort into it since I started it back in 2004. It just seems that I get sidetracked and then the next thing I know it's been like seven days or more since my last post. Sometimes I have a lot of things to talk about and then other times it's like pulling teeth trying to even get a paragraph out of my head. I know that I can always count on the 12 of 12 project which means, I can have at least one post per month. As it stands right now, if I can't find my camera which is somewhere in the final 20 boxes that we have not unpacked then I won't even have that post to put up here.

I keep promising that I'll do better and then I end up not doing it or in fact the length of time between post actually gets worse. When I say I'll post more regularly, I mean well, really I do. However, as I said I seem to get easily side tracked. Now, I could blame it on the fact that since we moved back to the big city (Sydney aka The Big Smoke), don't ask me why it's called that it just is, but since we moved back we have been extremely busy. There is some truth to that but not enough in so much that I don't have the time to sit down and tap out a few words on this here little ol' computer. The fact remains that if I wanted to post everyday I could but I'm just being lazy. On the other hand to be honest I'm not sure that my life is that interesting to warrant a post every day. I've never really thought about it. Maybe I should do just that, think about that is, and then get back to you to let you know what I find out from that little insight seeking excursion

Anyway, as it stands all of this rambling so far is going to constitute a post for now. Lets see what else can I tell you? Oh yes, I do know a few details of upcoming events. We are going to visit friends in Cooma NSW, which is about an eight hour drive from here. We are going up on Wednesday and staying for a few days. Then the week after that we are heading north of Sydney towards the Sunshine Coast to visit another friend who recently had a baby, which will be nice to see her but I'm not looking forward to the added heat and humidity. Other than that it's just business as usual around here and all that adds up to keeping the fort down and looking for work. Oh, one other travel item I recently found out that we are going to Fiji in July to attend a friends wedding, The same friends from Cooma, so I'm very much looking forward to that. I can guarantee that I will have things to post about after that trip if it's only just the photos.

Okay, that's it for now. I won't promise to keep posting everyday. I will just say that if you are interested in hanging around, I will post on occasions but I don't want to be responsible for you turning blue because you held your breath until I posted again. So please don't do that because there is so much paper work involved after a nasty non-breathing blue-turning episode. Until next time take care, stay safe and ENJOY life every way you can... .

I know you don't believe me...

...but I'm still here. I think we have finally settled into or new digs here in Sydney. It's kind of nice to be back. There are a lot of advantages to living in a big city. At the same time there are drawbacks. I am trying to acclimate to the weather. I loathe hot weather when it includes high humidity. We of course have had nothing nut hot days with humidity in the 85% + range. I told myself if I can just get through the end of summer I will be just fine. Technically there are only have four more weeks of summer so I'll just see how I go. I mean I lived here for six years before we moved to Tassie so I know I can put up with the weather. Probably the other big difference is the amount of people and traffic. We moved from Sydney with over four million of people down to Tassie with only 500,000 for the entire island of which Hobart only had a little over 200,000 people. So getting used to the buzz of the big city will take some time especially seeing that one of the reasons we left Sydney in the first place was to get away from all of the hustle, bustle and noise.

I begun the job search in earnest up here and I hope I have a more positive experience than I had in Tasmania. I at least have more options and more job opportunities available which will hopefully make looking easier. All I can do is try and as the say in the lottery "you have to be in it to win it" and so I have to apply for things as they won't just come to me.

Anyway, there isn't much else to tell at the moment. As I said we have just now settled into our new but temporary living space. We started house hunting and plan on taking our time in order to get just the right place. We are grateful to have our current lodging which allows us to take said time so we won't feel so rushed and pressured to buy quickly. Now, don't get me wrong if the right place came along this afternoon we would definitely take it but I don't think it will be that easy. We shall see what comes our way. I hopefully will now pick up on my posting. As usually I am also always on over at Facebook if you want to keep up with me that way. Okay, until next time, take care and try to enjoy life and the world around you.

Moving in a forward direction....

...or at least moving back to Sydney for me/us that is. Yes, the move is still on. The days are counting down with only fifteen more days before we fly out of here and on to the beginning of new adventures albeit on familiar territory. We have a huge to do list that we have to get through before the movers arrive on the 21st and begin to pack. I'm happy to say that we have made considerable progress on that list, in fact I'd say that we are almost 3/4 of the way through the list. Hopefully by the end of next week and the beginning of our last week here all we will have to do is wait for the movers to arrive and let them do the rest. In a sentimental turn we made reservations at the same hotel that we stayed in the first night we arrived here five years ago as we waited for the movers to arrive with our stuff from the mainland. Now five years later the same movers will be moving us up to the mainland. It all seems to have come full circle except that we have grown since then.We have changed a lot over the past few years and we learned a few things also.

We look forward to our move and what a better way to begin that move than with the start of a brand new year and an entire new decade ahead of us. We are excited about looking for a new house and more so the fact that we will be able to take our time while looking so as not feel as if we have to grab the first place we see. The same holds true with the work prospects. I plan on checking with a few of the local non-profit organisations to see if I can do some volunteer work while hubby will start looking for his first job outside the medical field since he got his Masters degree in Education. There are all sorts of endless possibilities and it is great feeling as we begin another greater chapter in not only our individual lives but also of our life together.

I will miss our little house. We both really love this house and as I may have mentioned that is one of the reasons we will be renting it out instead of selling it. We never say never and we don't know what the future holds and maybe the right time will come along when we will be able to move back here, although I don't see that happening for at least a good 15-20 years. I'm sure that if this house can make it for 115 years a few more won't hurt it. I'll miss the quiet that living in a smaller city provided and will admit that the noise of the big city is not something I look forward to but the way we will get around that will be to move to a place that is not right in the city like the apartment we lived in when before we moved here. We still rent that place out but I have no intention of moving back there as it would be defeatist and would feel as if we had made a huge step backwards when it is so very much the opposite. We have made huge strides in our lives over these past five years and a lot of things have happened over that time. We have had many good times but also a few sad times. There is no guarantee that all will be a bed of roses once we settle back in Sydney but then again I would worry if everything was too perfect. I think we'll just take it one day at a time just like we did when we first moved down here.

So that is what is happeneing around here. I'm not sure if I'll get in another post before we leave and get set up in Sydney but if not remember that if you want to also keep tabs on me until then I'm over at Facebook. I will resume regular posts here once we get settled and will be able to share our new adventures with you. I will try to do my 12 of 12 this month but other than that I'll just have to see. So until next time, I wish each and everyone of you the very best for the coming year. Stay safe, take care and enjoy (life that is)

Far too long...

...in between posts that is. Life has been extremely hectic in my part of the world. We of course like everyone else are in the middle of the holiday season. Although, we aren't really in the celebrating kind of mind set. Hubby is still healing from his mum's passing. Money is tight with all of the moving costs etc. I'm usually flat this time of year as it is the anniversary of my late partners passing. in fact that would be today the 21st eleven years on and I still remember it like it was yesterday. Then of course I just spent ten days in the hospital including 3 days in the ICU. I was really sick, but I am home and on the mend. I would tell you what happened but it's long and complicated. As I said I was really, really sick. So with all of that and with all of the moving activities I've not had much time to write.

I can't promise I'll do any better for the next couple of months until we get settled back in Sydney which won't be until the first week in February. We will be in this house until the last week in January. We have not even started looking for a new home yet but since we have made temporary arrangements in Sydney. Those arrangements will give us a few months to look for just the right place. Then of course we both will have to start the job hunt. I plan on volunteering for some non-profit agency like the Cancer Council or alternatively the state library or art gallery/museum. As soon as we get settled I'm sure I'll have a lot of new things to write about and all of our new adventures back in Sydney. Until then posts will be few and erratic.

I know I missed 12 of 12 for December but I was still in the hospital but I will definitely try to do January's and then of course February's will be the first one from Sydney. Anyway, thanks for your patience and if you can be a little more patient I will try to get back to regular posting soon. I am still also available on Facebook for those of you that are that interested. Until next post, take care, stay safe, stay well and enjoy...

Hectic is as hectic does...

As the title implies things around my world are just plain hectic as all get out. We are into full swing with our moving plans. The moving people will be here on Friday to give us a quote for the move. We have set a date and we will officially be moving back to the mainland the last weekend in January which will make the house ready for rent as of 1 February. We still have to get the rental agents out here to also give us a quote as to how much rent they think we can get for the house. We would like to get at least $400.00 a week but we will wait to see what they have to say.

There is a whole list of things that need to be done, like getting painters in and buying a new dishwasher, which I'm bitter about as I have been hand washing our dishes for months and now as we are leaving we are going to get the new one for the tenants. It's not fair but that's life. We also need to have some light fixtures in the hall replaced. All of these thing will make the place more appealing and at the same time when the time comes to retire and if we are still going ahead with the current plans the house will be all ready for us to return.

The main reason we are leaving is because we can not get adequate work here. Hubby has finished his Masters in Education and wants to change fields unfortunately that won't happen on the island as there are limited opportunities. I have had no lucky finding work for over year now. So we will head to the mainland and there will be ample choices for new employment. It will also give us a change of pace in our life. We haven't decided rather or not to buy another house or not. If we do the payments will have to be the same as the rental we are getting from the house or possibly a little more as we also get the rental from our apartment in Sydney and could add that to a repayment for the new house. I know a lot of you would say why not move back to your apartment and the reason we don't want to is that it would feel as if we had somehow failed in out venture down here to the island. We also don't want to be right in the middle of the hustle an bustle of Sydney, which unfortunately is where our apartment is located. I hate to think we will have a new mortgage since it's been over three years since we became mortgage free. We will just have to wait and see what come our way.

Well, that's what is going on in my neck of the woods and it's my excuse for not posting as much. I will try harder and as usual I will always do my 12 of 12. As a matter of interesting facts it will be fives years ago to the day 1 Dec that we moved to this island. Funny how things change. Well until next time take care, stay safe and enjoy...

Guaranteed...

... a new post that is. Yes, I can guarantee that there will be a new post besides this one coming soon. Of course I'm relying on my monthly 12 of 12 post to make this guaranteed post happen. So, wait for it patiently as you always do and a new 12 of 12 will be here before you know it. Anything after that is totally unpredictable. Until then stay safe and enjoy...

A small break...

Hello one and all. I'm going to have to take a small break from posting as there is a lot going on right now in our life. My hubbies mum is very unwell and it looks like we are getting to the point that this chapter in our life is coming to an end. So, as I said due to this situation I need to focus my attention and energy on family. I will return to posting after all of this returns to normal or at least as normal as possible. I hope you will indulge me this break and that you will keep and on checking in with my blog watching for my return. For all of you that have been following these recent events and have sent me your kind words and thoughts I say thank you because they mean a lot to myself and my hubby. I'll see you soon and I will continue to make small updates on Facebook in case you are wondering what is currently happening. Until my next post I say to you take time to enjoy life as it is precious and sometime very fleeting. See you soon.

More signs of Spring...

Well after that gloomy post I thought I would share some of the other flowers that are currently blooming in our garden. Every year I know that Spring is on it's way when or camellia bush and our rhododendron start to bloom. The camellia bush has been here for over 30+ years and maybe even 50+. The rhododendron is also very old. You can see in the pictures how tall thecamellia bush is as it is as tall as our house. The rhododendron is not as large but that is merely do some pruning done a year or so ago. You can also see that the camellia bush has both pink and white flowers. We're not sure what colour the bush started out as but because of the pibk flowers we occasionally get pink stripes in the white blooms.

All is well here and I have seen the local doctor. He has suggested that it would be better if I schedule the surgeries to occur in Sydney as it will be some time before I can get in to see the neurosurgeon here at home. I'll write to my doctor in Sydney today so he can hopefully get the process started in there and then I just have to wait until a spot opens up. I may have posted pjotos of these bushes before but it never hurts to see them again. Anyway, I hope the flower photos brighten your day as much as they do mine. Enjoy....

Keep moving in a forward direction....

That's what I need to keep telling my self and at the same time remind my self not to break or drop anything on the way. As you know things are a bit fragile around here and we are just waiting for something to crack wide open. In some ways it would be best if certain things did just up and fall apart because then at least we could focus on taking care of the fall out. As it is all we can do is make plans as to what we think we should do which is difficult since we don't know for sure what, how and when we will have to put the plan into action.

The whole looking for a job is a joke. Everyone I talk to tells me to not take it to heart and that I'm not the only one in this predicament. I appreciate the thought but unfortunately it doesn't pay the bills at my house nor does it, I'm pretty sure, at the homes of all the other people who are apparently in the same boat as I am at the moment. Now, don't get me wrong, I do very much appreciate every ones support and kind words. I know you care and that means a lot to me. it also helps especially when I feel so down, undervalued and unappreciated. I just don't know what the answer is. I'm drowning here and there's not a life raft in site.

At the same time we are walking on egg shells when it comes to the subject of hubby's mum and her cancer. Things are getting worse by the day and as such we are taking things day by day. It's a terrible thing when someone has a terminal illness and even more so when it is a loved one. You feel so helpless, not knowing what to do. You know what the outcome will be but you just don't know when. Now some people would say well you never really know when you're going to die and to some extent this is true but when someone is given a diagnosis of a terminal disease. It's not so much that they know when they are going to die but that the know that they are going to die earlier than they might have wanted and still they're not sure when. It's very messy ball of tears, fears and emotions. Somehow we will work through it.

At the moment we are just going to hunker down and hold on with all we have left. We will deal with what ever comes our way and make tentative plans to regroup and see where we stand and what are options are at the end of the year. That's five months from now and believe me a whole lot of s#*t can happen in that small amount of time. So until then we plan to keep moving in a forward direction with the occasional side ways detours of which hopefully there won't be too many, too difficult or too painful.