9 Moons Ago

Yesterday, Cameron and I made a visit to the beach and spent the day happily collecting shells, wading, taking photos and walking in the surf.

I can’t believe how little time we have together now, but I think we are both ready for it, as much as we can be. My stay in the U.S. is going to be a long one, because I am staying for many months, indefinitely. I have spent far too many years away from my family and friends, and my mental health is literally at stake over the whole thing, due to my bipolar disorder, in part. I need my support system around me, not that I don’t have one in Melbourne; but even the landscapes and culture of my homeland are things from which I feel torn. I also often miss out on seeing people I intend to visit, with such a short window of opportunity during visits, especially in the winter, with bad weather and busy holidays.

My brother gets married in June and my sister is having a baby in August, and I don’t want to miss out on Easter, Mother’s Day, 4th of July, Birthdays, Christmas or the simple everyday fun we have as a close knit group, yet again this year. Cam is going to try and get to my brother’s wedding in June. Then it will be played by ear. There is much more that goes into the whole thing, and it will be explained later on, after I’ve had some time to sort out feeling, needs, wants and the rest.

But, back to the beach.

It was a gorgeous day, warm with a brisk and refreshing breeze and we’d wanted to eat at our favourite restaurant there, but found out that a bill had been payed from our bank account earlier than expected, so the funds were not there.
We ended up compromising and going to a small Turkish restaurant, which was just as good, because the food and service there are excellent, and they play lovely Middle Eastern music. I love the atmosphere. (It is not the same one which I mentioned here before, Cafe Umut. I’ll give you the name of this shop once I look up the right spelling.)

The girl who brought us our meals seemed happy and breezy as she prepared things, and she did a little dance when walking back and forth from the kitchen. I smiled and laughed with her, at her playful manner. Cameron and I found that it was a blessing in disguise to be eating here rather than the other restaurant. Just as good a meal, for less cost, good music and a happy, yet quiet, atmosphere. We were the only ones in the place at the time, because it was just about 3 pm.

As we were paying our bill, and getting ready to leave, the girl who had served us said to me, “I can’t let you go without telling you that you have such beautiful eyes! I just had to tell you that!” And I thanked her for that sweetness. I was really taken aback, because it’s a rare thing for someone to come forward like that to be so complimentary. I was touched and it made my day that much brighter.

It just makes me think that if we treated each other this way all the time, how wonderful would our life become? Sure, we all have our grumpy, sour or blah moments, but focusing on other people to smile and laugh with them, or tell them something positive about themselves seems like a most important thing to me, even if the words aren’t many. Something she said, which could seem little, had made my day. Maybe some people live this way every day. I hope to become one of them! Are you up for the challenge? I call for more genuine compliments for people we do, and do not, know! It seems so important in days like these. It IS so important!

In my early college years at Moore College of Art and Design, I subsisted, along with all the other freshman and sophomores in my dorm, on the most unhealthy diet of breakfast cereal and ice cream. There were a few dishes on the menu that we dared to try, in order to gain our meager allowance of nutrients and roughage. These ones we ate were the dishes that did NOT contain every recycled vegetable from the last week’s entire menu. I’ve never been offered squash, green beans, lima beans and corn in so many different dishes in a consecutive four day period before, or since.

One way we got some nutrition, besides all those bananas in the ice cream sundaes, was through juice. My favorite was cranberry juice. This was not a weak, pale cousin to cranberry juice. It was not a blend, nor a cocktail. It was 100% nice and tart cranberry juice..or close enough to 100%!

Wandering the store aisles these days, I read the apple juice and sugar content in the cranberry juice bottles and sigh and replace them back to the shelf. I am not sure why there doesn’t seem to be anything more potent than 20% cranberry …unless it’s just because I’ve been in Australia too long and Australian people get a whole different kind of “American” food product over here… but that’s another story…

So I had a flash of inspiration, and I will share my new recipe with you..for those too lazy or poor to make juice from 100% cranberry.

One bag of store-bought ice, because it makes it easy in the summer, when you can go through ice quite quickly:
Add enough ice to the glass to give you some water, so you are being a bit healthy.
Juice of your choice. (Or cordial for your Aussies)
And lemonade, can be carbonated or not. I make it strawberry lemonade: Whatever kind of light refreshing beverage you like, basically.
The secret ingredient: a handful of frozen cranberries.
A straw.

By the time you finish your drink, your cranberries have thawed and are ready to munch on..and some have filled up with juice, others are a bit icy. I find it nice. Especially because I like it TART!

Mmm..The box of cranberries can last you quite a while too. Mine lasted for two weeks. I’m ready for one more box, but I may let it wait, because I’m only here for ONE WEEK and then it’s off to Pennsylvania with me to come home to my loving family and friends…and start up a new chapter in my life. And share in the beautiful ever-expanding life of my family.

I feel quite fulfilled and also expectant. I will be sharing more of the goodness I am finding in my life, despite the rough patches, in the coming months.
Much love to all of you who have helped and encouraged me on this path!
Life is getting good again. I am well on my way to being well again.
xo Amy

Things are going well with both Cameron and myself, but since I might not post anything else till November, here’s an early “Halloween Postcard” from me to you! Trick or Treat!

Sooo… what have we been up to over the past couple of weeks?

Well, Daniel and Adrian came over to visit with us, and we went out to split servings of fish, veggies, chips (french fries), pizza, steak and oysters… topped off with champagne, tiramisu and hot chocolate! YUM!
Then we headed back to the house for more hot drinks by the fireside. What a lovely evening!

We stopped by Worco again, where I wrote letters to my family and drew Alastair at work on a harpsichord keyboard, as he is teaching Cameron a bit about the trade. Went out for lunch and dinner with the guys. Dinner was at my favourite Melbourne restaurant, Cafe Umut in Preston! Not a fancy place, but the food is amazing. It puts the Turkish food at South Street in Philly to shame!

I sold an illustration to someone who saw my work online and loved it. She’s going to send me a copy of the publication (a business brochure) and will add my name to it too. YAY! I sold artwork without even trying to! Great motivation at a time when I’m making preparations to set up an online shop -probably on Etsy- where I will sell some of my paintings!

I’ve been working on some website themes for friends, but they’ve been slow-going so that’s a bit frustrating. Lots of things are competing for my attention.
I haven’t let myself re-design my own website yet, either, so that is another thing I want to change!

Cameron and I caught a daytime movie and had the theatre to ourselves. Watched “The Simpsons” and loved it! “Spider pig, spider pig. Does whatever a Spiderpig does…”

Watched the lunar eclipse and took photos which were quite good, considering our camera wasn’t meant for such long distance shots.

After fully recovering from the tonsillitis and stress of dealing with health problems, I’m back to job searching and attended a job interview today. *Fingers crossed*

And every day the dogs and I are enjoying our walks in the fields. Sometimes they take a dip in the water, and sometimes we take apple and pear cores from my lunch to Leo, the horse. He’s rather anti-social. He comes up for pats rights away, but leaves after a minute or two (whether or not there is food) but sometimes he unexpectedly comes up and tries to eat my scarf or ear and it makes me laugh and squirm because it’s very “tickly”.

Have been seeing the return of the large water birds such as heron and ibis, and watching kookaburras sitting high in a bare-branched tree, laughing loudly, and seeing the little fairy wrens hop around as they create their nests and it’s all breathtaking! The weather is gorgeous, warm, sunny, slight breezes, there are colorful blossoms on the trees, red bottle brush appearing, and new green all over. Drinking it in….

And, I’ll continue the update another time…