Mission "Des Res" Accomplished

Finally the T-J's have a home.

5 minutes from Bay St shops

5 minutes from Brighton Beach

Que sera, sera

Move date 5th April 2012

......................and breath

The difference between Africa and Australia is....

Dave, the characterful Zimbabwean Landlord of our local, the Noel Arms once exclaimed:

"The difference between Africa and Australia is this, if you get bitten in Africa, it might kill you, if you get bitten in Oz, it will kill you!"

Thanks Dave but it got me thinking about this amazing country and continent that has now become home.

It is the world's 6th largest country and the world's largest island. It is the only island that is a continent and it is the only continent that is a country too and it is the only nation that began as a prison.

It is the home of the largest living thing on earth, the Great Barrier Reef.

Coming back to Dave, it is true! It has more things that will kill you than anywhere else on the planet. Of the world's ten most poisonous snakes, ALL are Australian. Five of its creatures, the funnel web spider, box jellyfish, blue-ring octopus, paralysis tick and stonefish - are the most lethal of their type in the world.

80% of all that lives in Australia, plant and animal, exists nowhere else. Well that's 81% now cos Oz will soon take possession of an animal that is also a salad vegetable pretty cool eh? lol!

It is the driest, flattest, hottest and climatically aggressive of all the inhabited continents. Only Antarctica is more hostile to life than Australia.

So its gotta have some major plus points then eh? Talk to anyone and they LOVE it here.

Perhaps the pictures should do the talking. I went walk about today, come on my stroll with me xxx

I have had a busy morning, I was ever vigilant but luckily never encountered the box jelly fish or the blue ring octopus.

I did however open a bank account and catch a tram  - now that's what I call brave!

The Wonderland Suite



This day, 07.16 am, I landed in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

My new home.

The sun had just risen and I watched it do so as we made the approach. Most symbolic I thought.

Hubster was there. After what seems like an eternity of keeping my nerve, being strong, pinning on the grin and digging deep through this whole process, with all it's highs and lows, I dissolved.

Like a lost puppy who had found its owner, I let him scoop me up and I was safe once more. It felt good to relinquish all power and responsibility and let him take hold of my reigns and lead me.

..........to the Blackman.

An oddly named hotel, which will be home for a little while. A brave name too I thought. The name has nothing to do with ethnicity however and everything to do with figurative art.

Named after the extremely famous Australian artist Charles Blackman. Every true Aussie knows him and his work which is widely recognised the continent over but it's all new to me.

Alice on the bathroom door!

Not to my taste, but then I don't class myself as a great purveyor or judge of art. What do you think?

Our suite is fabulous, inspite of the bizarre artwork. Named after a series of "Alice" themed works by Blackman, I think it is very apt indeed.

I feel a bit like Alice right now setting foot into a wonderland with all the trepidation and curiosity that she must have felt.

But the picture I love best of all is this one, from the balcony.

Back to the Blackman though, I love the concept don't you? What an honour and tribute to the man, his work and his life, he must be so proud of it.

If I was to open such a place it would have to be called The Radish, of course and I would have no problem at all in filling it with appropriate artwork and pictures.............now there's a thought!

Would you come and stay?

In that still and settled place!

In that still and settled place there is nobody but you.
You're where I breathe my oxygen.
You're where I see my view.
And when the world feels full of noise my heart knows what to do, it finds that still and settled place and dances there with you.
Edward Monkton

But I have to go and dance a new dance now for a little while, in another place, create some new threads on my life's tapestry and be with the one for whom I breathe my oxygen.

For the next blog you might have to turn the screen upside down.

Love and light always, Mrs T-J

.

The time has come...the little bird is about to take flight!

Today is my birthday, 42 big uns!

Its a strange one.

Hubster has been squirrelling away my birthday cards all week so I had a lovely and surprising clutch to open in bed this morning.

However, among the birthday ones, we had Bon Voyage ones too. So heartfelt and special words....

There were tears.

There was this one, beautiful words, inside the card too but they are for my eyes only.

So true and it resonated so much with me.

I recall that little bird started tweeting about 3 years ago to be honest.

You see I am not really a routine kind of gal I have decided. Definitely not your "Fish on a Friday and cottage pie on a Wednesday" every week sort at all.

I love spontaneous most of all and if I feel things are getting too samey, I start to feel trapped and a tad rebellious (in a non-anarchic way)

Anyway when my inner bird started getting restless, I threw some thoughts up to the universe.

Time for a little change me thinks, what do you reckon you lot up there?

YOU WANT CHANGE? WE CAN SHOW YOU CHANGE!

And so it is and here we are.

That little bird is now squawking like a native Ozzie Cocatoo. Let me at em!

Will you share our adventure too? xxx

Breaking the no pressie rule, Hubster bought me some beautiful Australian Opal earrings. Chuffed to little pieces really and happy that he broke the rules, thats why we make 'em eh?

It's still home

Stone walls do not make a prison, nor iron bars a cage.

Yes that is true; and something more I find, sumptuous antiques and gilded walls can never make a home either.

Well its not quite as we knew it but it's still home. A house where love abides and friendship is a guest is still surely a home.

....and that will always be the case - wherever we are.

Radders temporary bedding situation!

No Mama, you might just have to explain this one to me again, I am not impressed.

Our 9th move in 17 years! You would think we might be used to it by now wouldn't you?

Simple answer is, no, its always a tough process.

But none as dramatic and so long drawn out as this one. Oh yes we had to go the whole hog didn't we?

Lets just how see how big a move we can do this time? God help us if they do create a living habitat on the moon!

I am beginning to apologise in answer to that question:

"Haven't you gone yet?"

"Sorry no we haven't but it wont be long now!"

But it really isn't long now. Two weeks today in fact. Two weeks! (well less than a week for the Hubster)

The first one arrived in the post this morning. Goodbye, hmm no, we don't like that but

Toodle Pip?

Bon voyage?

Yes we can cope with those can't we?

Really relishing the garden, hosting the last of British spring times we will enjoy for a little while.

The plum blossom is particularly lovely.

The fish have woken up too after their long sleep during the winter months

I might let Hubster break the news

Remember where love abides and friendship is a guest, is all that's ever required