For Lincoln, who likes fast yellow sports cars…..

On May 23, 2015 By oceangirl63In Uncategorized2 Comments

Just slipping this blog post in amongst the posts I am preparing about our recent trip to Washington DC. Its Mavis, my new (old) fab little 1977 MGB. And sure, its odd that an Australian is driving a British car while living in America but stranger things have happened….lets not forget Roswell, being able to buy everything you will ever need in Walmart (guns included), frying pretty much everything edible and the election of George W. Bush!

I have had Mavis (yes, I actually named her….its the first time I have named a car) for about two months now. Anyway, purchasing Mavis had me thinking about my time in the lovely South Australian town of Gawler. I was so very fortunate, while living there, to have been able to volunteer with FOGL (Friends of Gawler Library) and during my time with this group I not only met some amazing people, but I also had the opportunity to volunteer to read to a group of guys and gals on a Tuesday morning. One of those in the Tuesday morning reading group was Lincoln. An aficionado, an appreciator and an avid admirer of fast yellow sports cars.

Mavis needed quite a bit of work once purchased as she had been sitting for almost four years in a yard uncovered. First stop was a week at the mechanics where she arrived with a box of new parts then once home I gave her a makeover. Her spa treatment included one whole day of cleaning, washing, polishing and vacuuming. She had two bottles of Armorall rubbed into her top alone and another entire bottle was used on her interior. Slowly she looked to be coming back to her former glory……well as close to her former glory as need be as nobody is perfect!

You can see I had a little help from two of my favorites……

My number plate…..

And topless……..

Mavis, not me! This is how she will look with the top down….

Mavis can be a little, lets just say for the want of a better word….temperamental, and she needs to be handled in a particular way when behind the wheel. She has some little quirks which only she and I seem to appreciate and driving a four speed manual – yes, believe it or not I am driving a stick shift on the opposite side of the car on the opposite side of the road has been great fun. Steve has a little difficulty in driving her and her size and his size are currently not compatible. And again, its all about how you drive her and how well you adjust to her little eccentricities.

Hearts were originally set on a Mustang and we are still on the look out for one. Actually we are looking at one this weekend so I am hoping we don’t appear as capitalists as we ‘collect cars’ while here in the states. My understanding is that two cars is perfectly reasonable but three or more is possibly on the cusp of hoarding! Anyway, we still have 18 months left in the states so who knows what we will arrive back in Australia with.

Here in Georgia we seem to have almost missed the mild season of spring and we have launched into another blistering summer. That said however, there is no reason not to go topless and take a lovely early morning (around 4:30am) Sunday drive down the peach and pecan lined back roads of this beautiful American state. So with my massive Jackie O sunnies and sun hat on, and as I drive through the flat lands of orchards and just sown cotton fields (dodging the massive rednecks and their massive trucks and the slow moving armadillos), I will fondly think of Lincoln and his passion for fast yellow sports cars xx

Washington DC….. (part I)

On May 10, 2015 By oceangirl63In UncategorizedLeave a comment

One year later and we are back in beautiful Washington DC. Home of the White House and expensive lunches. I always feel an incredible glow of pride when in DC. Maybe that’s because I know and truly appreciate how very fortunate I am to be living here in the United States.

Last year while in Washington I did an awful lot of sight-seeing (see previous blog from May 2014) and of course this time was no different. Once again I enlisted the help of the ‘foot falcon’ (my preferred mode of transport) and walked just over 52 miles in six day. Pedometers, it would seem, are very handy for walkers 😉

Last year it was all about the museums, the monuments, the memorials, the history, the National Mall and the city so this time I decided to do things a little differently. Here’s a snapshot…………

Two of my favorite foods in one shop. How lucky can a girl get……

And just a few more pics for good measure……..

Praying you don’t run out of petrol…….

Part II to come xx

Super ‘running’ Man on the streets of Washington DC….

On May 7, 2015 By oceangirl63In UncategorizedLeave a comment

What a great way to start a day.

Just up in DC (more to come on that) and during an early morning stroll I happened upon this man, Michael Wheeler, running for ykw and spreading a little joy and happiness along the streets of the America. And we all know that can never be a bad thing……

He lives in Kansas but hits the streets (you never know where he will pop up next) in his fashionable homemade Superman outfit every day come rain, hail or shine. Apart from this he also competes in marathons and has run seven laps around each of the Capital Buildings in the 50 states – 7 laps being a nod to the number of times the Israelites marched around Jericho.

He is an amazing man who I met not long after he had arrived in DC after running the streets during the recent Baltimore riots and prior to that he was running in Ferguson. He said his main goal was to inspire young black men.

An infectious spirit and genuine mindfulness will never goes out of fashion xx

ANZAC DAY 25th April 2015……..

On April 25, 2015October 26, 2015 By oceangirl63In UncategorizedLeave a comment

ANZAC DAY 25th April 2015…….

ANZAC Day is one of Australia’s most important national commemorative occasions. It is a national day of remembrance in Australia and New Zealand that broadly commemorates all Australians and New Zealanders ‘who served and died in all wars, conflicts and peacekeeping operations’. Observed on the 25th April each year, Anzac Day was originally to honor the members of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) who fought at Gallipoli against the Ottoman Empire during World War I.

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the Gallipoli landings and the birth of the ANZAC legacy.

Once again here in the US, we celebrated ANZAC Day with the traditional dawn service. Members of the Canadian, British, American and Australian services turned out on a beautiful but stormy Georgia dawn to commemorate this very special occasion.

The Happiest 5k on the Planet…….

On April 17, 2015October 26, 2015 By oceangirl63In UncategorizedLeave a comment

The ‘Color Run’, also known as the ‘Happiest 5km Run on the Planet’ is a wonderful and unique paint run which celebrates and promotes happiness, joy and individuality. It is really less about the run but more about having the absolute time of your life……and I certainly did that in the company of five of the best (and most fun) people I know (two Canadians and three Brits).

The run rules are very simple:

Begin the race wearing white
End the race splattered in every color of the rainbow

The color run was brilliant and just so much fun. Everyone you saw pounding the course looked happy and cheerful plus there are the very happy and enthusiastic color throwers along the way who are only to eager to douse you from head to toe in color. By the end of the race you look and feel as though you have run through an extraordinary rainbow.

The beautiful Maggie organized t-shirts for us both. Mine a kangaroo and hers a maple leaf.

Let the fun begin…..

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Before – clean and shiny

We are already planning our next color run which is due to be held in six months time. We will all be wearing white tutu’s and white tee’s and just quietly, I think Jon is the one most pleased about our up and coming race outfits xx

If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need (Cicero)……

On April 10, 2015October 26, 2015 By oceangirl63In Uncategorized1 Comment

I first read the book To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee almost 32 years ago and have re-read it several times since. Recently I thought about the time I learnt to read as a very, very young girl and this gift is one of the things I am most grateful for in my life. I now cannot imagine a time when I will not read and of course I still love the warm feeling of a book in my hand rather than the coldness of a device. Please give me a book anytime!

I wrote a blog post last year about the book group I joined here in the US so naturally it soon came time for me to host………and I knew the perfect book! I chose To Kill A Mockingbird.

I really do love this beautifully written novel and as we all spoke during the evening about the book, I was surprised to learn that some people had never read it. Happily now though, they also love it so I guess it really is one of those alluring classics.

The novel, first published in 1960 and set in the early 1930’s, is a book that I think almost everyone has or will read at some stage in their lifetime. It is the sort of book which leaves a profound and lasting impact on its reader. I also chose the book (not only because is it a favorite of mine – right up there alongside The Magic Pudding by Norman Lindsay) but because is was also set in the South (which is where I live) and it tackled the important issues of its time. Issues which in fact are still just as relevant today.

Host duties for book club are quite painless and undemanding. You simply open the front door to your home and you welcome people in.

I made a wreath for the front door but please don’t be alarmed book purists. I recycled a book which was about to be ‘binned’ because it had no front cover and there were some pages missing…..

It turned out to be a great night of good food, good company, robust discussion and lively fun…..which could well have been fueled by the ‘Tequila Mockingbird Cocktails’ I served.

I really do enjoy being a member of this book group. Each month we read a different book, head to a different hosts’ home, enjoy different food and discuss a book. For my ‘hosting night’ I also compiled a quiz (which was very well received) of twenty questions. The questions ranged from Where did the title of the book come from (which line by Atticus) to Who was Rose Aylmer? and I also made book marks for each person in the group with memorable lines from the book printed on them.

Book marks and ‘mockingbird eggs’…..

Talking about books with like minded people will always lift ones spirits and when I do eventually return to Australia I will certainly be seeking out a book group to join.

And onto my garden. It is the season of spring currently here in Georgia and it really is a wonderful season. Everything is coming into bloom and my resident Mockingbird is nesting. My little world of my garden, its inhabitants and my books are bliss xx

Oh, and for those tortured by the question Who was Rose Aylmer?……..she was Uncle Jack’s Cat.

Happy Easter…….

On April 3, 2015 By oceangirl63In UncategorizedLeave a comment

Have a beautiful Easter……

At the end of the day in the season of Spring you should smell like dirt…..and I do!

On March 22, 2015 By oceangirl63In UncategorizedLeave a comment

The beautiful season of spring has arrived in Georgia and with it comes the pansy, the peach and cherry blossom, iris, the daffodils, tulips and the hydrangea. Winter has been cold and in many parts of America snow has thickly blanketed the landscape for many months on end. For me, after the bitter blast of winter, spring signals the country survived the arctic blast……but perhaps only just this year.

I love this time of year in Georgia. After months of cold and damp it is almost as though the whole world is coming back to life. The birds, squirrels and chipmunks (yes, I have managed to attract the shy and elusive little chipmunks into my garden) are returning, the birds are nesting (a beautiful red breasted robin has built a nest under the eave of the porch) and the bulbs I planted one spring ago are showing themselves in full splendor. Dandelions have sprung up everywhere in the lawn too but for some reason I don’t mind them. I like the shot of color they give my still frost burnt brown lawn.

The days are longer now, it is light and bright and warm and the appearance of sunshine seems to have made people a little happier. Oh, and my shoes are off which is absolute bliss!

The last three days have been very happily spend outdoors in the garden. I have been pruning, weeding, deadheading, digging, planting and mulching. And quite frankly, nothing has made me happier.

The Red Robin nest just near the front door……

Sweet but shy little chipmunk……

Peach blossom…..

As Autumn begins in Australia, I will be enjoying lovely spring in the south because as Winnie the Pooh said, “Sometimes the smallest things take up the most space in your heart”…. xx

Feeling Blessed……..

On March 15, 2015March 17, 2015 By oceangirl63In UncategorizedLeave a comment

What an incredibly beautiful day. I was very privileged to receive an invitation to attend a ‘Brit Milah’ Ceremony at the Jewish Synagogue in Macon Georgia.

The ‘Brit Milah’ is a Jewish religious male circumcision ceremony performed by the Mohel on the eighth day after the child’s birth. The baby’s name is also revealed to the world at the end of the ceremony and he was named Etan – which in English is Ethan.

What made Etan’s birth even more special is that he was born on the day the Jewish faith celebrate ‘Purim’, a holiday of miracle and joy. The ceremony was extremely beautiful and very moving and once concluded it was followed by a festive meal.

I completely understand and respect this isn’t for everyone. Opinions, beliefs and attitudes are varied on this very sacred tradition. I for one however, found the entire ceremony beautifully fascinating. It is steeped in observances and from beginning to end I was captivated.

I am honored and very humbled to have been asked to attend. I am certainly feeling blessed xx

Poor Ol’ Champ and ‘The Birds’……… Texas

On March 9, 2015 By oceangirl63In Uncategorized1 Comment

Poor ‘Champ’. Grand Champion Steer at the Fort Worth Steer Show in 1960. Met with rather an undignified end by being mounted on the wall at the Cattlemen’s Steak House in Fort Worth Texas! One day a winner the next………….

And also while in Texas we happened upon something quite extraordinary. Huge flocks of birds. More to the point…..huge flocks of birds everywhere!!

The birds in question are Grackles. Grackles are a migratory bird who leave Canada and North America during the cold and head south for a warmer sunnier winter. Given there have been massive snow and ice storms and below freezing temperatures up north who can blame them. Their numbers are huge and it is fascinating to see them however I can understand how their presence annoys the local folk of the towns and cities these birds inhabit as their numbers do leave quite a ‘mess’!! These birds are also protected by a law called the ‘Migratory Bird Treaty Act’, so once in your town there is little to be done to fend them off.

Very ‘Hitchcock’ like!!