9 Moons Ago

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!

Would have posted this before Thursday, but we’ve got some (some-what) unexpected news and major projects in the works. I won’t expand on anything tonight, because I need some sleep and might otherwise be up editing this for hours. Just wanted to get this important announcement up tonight!

Our friend Adrian often participates in the Melbourne Fringe Festival.
This year he’s chosen to perform a one-man comedy act on a subject which is not traditionally viewed as humorous, but one that he has lived through and coped with over the years. Part of what keeps Adrian going through the years, is ability to find humor in the most unlikely situations. I am really looking forward to this show.

After dinner at Daniel’s place with some other friends, and possibly the star of the show himself (provided he has the time), we’ll head over to see it at the Glitch Bar downtown.

Adrian performed last night and tonight, and we’ll have to ask him how it went.
Probably gave him a good chance to warm-up for the big Saturday night gig! ;-)

The rest of his schedule is as follows:

Sat the 6th of Oct. 10:15 pm

Thurs the 11th of Oct. 10:15 pm

Sat the 13th of Oct. 10:15 pm

and

Sun the 14th of Oct. 7:45 pm

Find out more about it, and the Festival, here: Melbourne Fringe 2007! YAY! Should be a fun night tomorrow. Can’t wait.

I’ll explain more about recent events as soon as I’m able..
xo Amy

Wrote this entry a couple of days ago, but have been too busy to post it.
Hope everyone is well. We are on the mend. I still have a bit of a sore throat tonight, but have more energy and am thankful for the gorgeous weather we’ve been having. More walks in the fields with the dogs. Cam has been feeling much better. Visits with friends and family, and plans for more this week. I can feel Spring in the air too. Thank goodness!

I’ll be in touch. This site seems to be behaving itself once again, (knock on wood!)

Here’s what I wrote on Thursday:

A few days ago I started feeling good enough to walk the dogs in the paddocks (fields) adjoining our yard. Saw droppings that I didn’t recognize -being the talented bush tracker that I am now (Well, I DO know what wombat scat looks like)- and told Cam about them. He said it sounded like Kangaroo, which is what I’d suspected. Yesterday, while taking laundry down from the line in the early evening, I happened to look up past the pond when Goldie started barking. Lo and behold, a kangaroo was sitting right past the pond (known here as a dam), staring over at us. WOW! So I scurried the dogs inside, and told Cam to come out with the camera. We didn’t get any new pictures, because the ‘Roos were quite fast as they bounded to the larger pond/dam down the hill. But what a sight to see them along the horizon! I’m glad we watched it rather than waste time trying to get a good shot!

Here is where I first saw them:

The weather has been warming up enough to make things more bearable. I’m still on antibiotics, still have a sore throat, still lethargic, but feeling wonderful in spirit, nonetheless. Although last night I went to bed very early, and very grumpy because I’m tired of being sick!!!

Today, this poem resonated deeply with me:

Starfish

This is what life does. It lets you walk up to
the store to buy breakfast and the paper, on a
stiff knee. It lets you choose the way you have
your eggs, your coffee. Then it sits a fisherman
down beside you at the counter who says, Last night,
the channel was full of starfish. And you wonder,
is this a message, finally, or just another day?

Life lets you take the dog for a walk down to the
pond, where whole generations of biological
processes are boiling beneath the mud. Reeds
speak to you of the natural world: they whisper,
they sing. And herons pass by. Are you old
enough to appreciate the moment? Too old?
There is movement beneath the water, but it
may be nothing. There may be nothing going on.

And then life suggests that you remember the
years you ran around, the years you developed
a shocking lifestyle, advocated careless abandon,
owned a chilly heart. Upon reflection, you are
genuinely surprised to find how quiet you have
become. And then life lets you go home to think
about all this. Which you do, for quite a long time.
Later, you wake up beside your old love, the one
who never had any conditions, the one who waited
you out. This is life’s way of letting you know that
you are lucky. (It won’t give you smart or brave,
so you’ll have to settle for lucky.) Because you
were born at a good time. Because you were able
to listen when people spoke to you. Because you
stopped when you should have and started again.
So life lets you have a sandwich, and pie for your
late night dessert. (Pie for the dog, as well.) And
then life sends you back to bed, to dreamland,
while outside, the starfish drift through the channel,
with smiles on their starry faces as they head
out to deep water, to the far and boundless sea.

- Eleanor Lerman

Some more recent pictures. I’ve been snap-happy again:

Our “front yard” :

Our “back yard”:

The large pond/dam at the bottom of the hill. (Just past the property we’re on):

Goldie wandering by the banks of the large pond:

My self portrait, taken in reflection of outside of the studio window. (A bit hard to tell, but the smaller pond is in the background. Because of the drought, water levels are quite low. Last summer there was no water in it at all, but it’s recovered a little this winter.):

Gorgeous irises from Cameron on my bedside windowsill:

Iris detail:

The wonderful moon through the tall eucalyptus trees at dusk:

Here I am painting, in the cheery yellow knit hat that Christine gave to me the other week:

And, I’ve saved the best for last!
The whole family had to try on this fuzzy “dandelion” hat! Tee Hee!:

I can’t believe that this little guy is turning three!
This picture was taken in the summer of 2005. Awwww. I have it by my bedside and see it every morning.:

Happy Birthday Isaac!, “Good night joggers, go go go!
Good night dawdlers, why so slow?”
and Happy Birthday to his Dad, Zach, for Saturday!

I’ll be calling sometime soon, family. Unfortunately, my tonsillitis has returned a few days after I finished my course of antibiotics. So it’s off to see the doctor in Eltham again today.

(UPDATE for family/friends: I’m on a new course of antibiotics now, with a refill, and have a recommendation for an ear drop med. if the pain in my ear gets to be too much…. I’d email you, or call, but I’m off to get some seep now and posting here is quicker. Talk to you sometime soon, tho.)

The portrait is just about finished. Just a few more details and I’ll send it off early next week. YAY!

Also, for my friends in the Melbourne area, I thought I’d let you know of an upcoming fund-raising event which helps people in Vietnam. If you’re interested in attending please don’t hesitate to go to the website and/or contact Karen for more information:

“Lifestart Foundation is a non-profit charity registered in Victoria, Australia. Founded by Karen Leonard, it has been created to help orphans, street kids and families in Vietnam to become self-sufficient.
Lifestart Foundation is currently sponsoring street kids into apprenticeship programs, sponsoring entire families through the Support a Family program and assisting orphans and orphanages in Quang Nam Province, Vietnam.
Lifestart Foundation is a grass-roots organization run by a dedicated team of volunteers. Run entirely on good-will, the foundation guarantees that 100% of all donations go directly towards assisting and providing for children and families in need.
The Foundation raises funds independent of donations to cover travel and administrative costs.”

Christmas in July

DINNER DANCE & CHARITY AUCTION

Saturday, 28th July 2007 @ 6.30pm

501 Receptions
501 Barkly Street Footscray

3 Course Dinner, Wine, Beer & Soft Drinks included

Tickets: $65 per person; $650 per table of 10; $780 per table of 12

Dress: Black Tie
Music by: Minute by Minute

To learn more or reserve a table, go here. (Click under EVENTS for the fund-raising info):

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