Girls Night In update

Our Girls Night In on Friday night was very successful. Margaret and I played host to 12 wonderful women who came for a night of fun, food and a few wines.

The evening took on a special note when one of our guests, Fayleen, spoke of her breast cancer journey - she was diagnosed after a routine mammogram. After surgery she had to travel from Toowoomba to Brisbane every day for her radiation therapy - a journey that took two hours by bus.

This amazing and courageous woman spoke openly and honestly of her feelings, hopes and fears. She left us with a very positive message - regular check ups, education, and live in the 'now'. After her recovery, Fayleen took leave from work and treated herself to a backpacking holiday around Australia. What a woman! :-)

Here are some pics of our night.

Katie and Bron enjoy the lasagna

Margaret being Margaret

Pink cakes and party favours

Chatting and enjoying the company

Bec, Deb and Siobhan

Yes ..... is that so? Bron, Molly and Bec

A certain freedom

Kacee and I went for our daily walk this afternoon along the foreshore. She had a ball - running through the sand, chasing the sea birds (they're called terns apparently - I didn't know that, but Mr Bird Expert Rob told me), playing tag with me - and I couldn't help thinking that she truly has become an island dog. She has such a good life here - freedom to run around in the unfenced yard, freedom to come and go to the office, to play with the pilots and staff. And then of course there's our special walks.

How will she get on when we go back home? Do dogs have memories? Will she remember what she was doing one day and how it's different the next?

I've become bit of an island d-- um ..... I mean, I've become accustomed to island living too. There is a certain freedom up here that you don't have in the big city. Freedom from traffic, from crowds, distances are close, people are friendlier - there is a sense of community here that I didn't experience back home.

And it's never more evident than on a Saturday morning at one of my favourite places on T.I. - the coffee shop. A cup of coffee at Uncle Frankie's is a community event - you will always meet somebody :-) be it a fellow church goer, a fellow Rotarian, a colleague from work or someone you met at so-an-so's that night or at the pub.

Uncle Frankie's coffee shop - my favourite place

The next big community event here is the Catholic Church fete this Friday night and I'm looking after the cake stall. I can see my kids laughing and shaking their heads - yes, after all these years I'm back doing fetes. All I did was innocently ask "have you got anyone yet to do the cake stall?" and next thing my name is in the newsletter and I'm being given eggs to give away to any potential bakers.

"Silvana, I found that the more eggs I gave them, the more they'd bake" - quote from Pat Jones, my predecessor and island identity. Pat is the widow of Col Jones, the founder of Col Jones newsagency and all-round island shop. This lady is ...... not young - I hope she doesn't get offended - but has the energy of a 20-year-old. She's involved in the community, still helps out in the shop, looks after her grand children, and does weekly religious education at T.I. primary school. (She asked me the other day about taking it into the high school - I told her to not even think about it. She got it.)

So - what I'm feeling is that lovely freedom that comes with being in a small community. I love it. I love that I can meet people in the street and ask them to bake me a cake for Friday night. They all know what I'm  talking about, where it is, when it is, and most of them have promised me something on the night - cakes, tarts, chutneys and marshmallows.

How will I get on when we eventually go back home? Well I'll have my memories - lots of them. And to help me remember, I'll read my blog, and enjoy the photos I've taken to remind me of places and faces and events. I'll remember how well - and how easy is was - to become accustomed to island living. I'll remember that Kacee and I had a certain freedom, and that up here, on T.I. ..... life is good.

Girls Night In

Tonight I've baked a batch of brownies, a chocolate cake and written a letter to my Mum. No - Rob is not away. He's actually having a nap on the spare bed, but I suspect from the sounds of sleep that are emanating from that room, that he may stay there most of the night :-)

The brownies are for an event this Friday night. Margaret and I are hosting a Girls Night In. For those of you who don't know it's an initiative by the Cancer Council of Australia to raise awareness and funds for Breast Cancer. Women simply invite some friends around for a night of fun - be it watching a chic flick, sharing a meal or a cheese platter and a glass of wine. The guests are asked to donate what they would spend on a night out.

We have organised a game of trivia with prizes and will be providing dinner - a simple meal of lasagna, salad and garlic bread. Margaret is baking pink cupcakes and I have made the brownies to be given as party favours when our guests leave.

I was chatting with one of the teachers today in the staff room - I found out this morning that a friend of mine has just been diagnosed - and she commented that it would be unusual to not know someone who has had breast cancer. Too true.

My friend, Claire, has regular mammograms and so the disease has been caught in the early stages. Her GP is very confident that treatment will be successful. Her attitude is amazing, and her friends - myself included - will be supporting and loving her though this journey.

So Claire - this Friday is for you. And for all those other amazing women who have heard those two words and then with amazing strength, courage and dignity have fought, survived and now wear their scars with pride.

Best of friends

When Rob and I went home for the holidays we left Kacee here. We didn't want to disrupt her for the two weeks - and then there was the four day trip to Adelaide which would have meant having her looked after by someone else. So it was easier to leave her on the island.

Margaret, Rob's very able and capable assistant and Jules her partner, looked after her. We were all curious as to how Maui their cat would get on with Kacee - would she accept her and eventually befriend her or would it be a case of total rejection. Well, after their initial meeting when Maui arched her back and hissed  her displeasure, very soon they were playing hide and seek, having their naps together and sharing a food bowl.

By the end of the two weeks they were best friends. And when we came home - while Kacee was very happy to see us - after a couple of hours she became quite sad and mopey. I thought this would last for a day or two, but I was wrong. She was missing Maui .... badly.

So when Rob and I walked into Ibis - our local supermarket - and saw a notice on the community board "Kittens to give away" ...... well, was that a sign or what??? Rob rang the number there and then and made an appointment with the owner for delivery of the kitten. And that's how Zoe came to be a part of our family.

Are you wondering how she and Kacee get on? They get on beautifully - they play, they cuddle, they nuzzle. Kacee is so gentle with her - she's a darling. And Rob and I are getting so much pleasure watching them at play - they are delightful.

Rob has since told me that he thought I was being quite impetuous when I "suggested" he ring Zoe's owner (well I am a Gemini) - but now he's glad. He adores his girls - and I'm included in that group too :-)

Expanding our little family - life is good.

On reflection ....

Our Lady of the Sacred Heart - one of the oldest buildings on the island

When I arrived on the island I looked for different ways to meet people. I knew that Rob would not always be available to show me around - not because he wouldn't want to, but because he is so busy. To that end I started going to Rotary breakfast meetings - and eventually joined, I made sure that we attended any social events that came up, I put myself down for volunteer work ...... and I started going to church.

Now I'm not embarrassed to say that that's the reason why I went. Since joining that community and getting to know a few regulars, a couple of them have told me that they started coming for the same reason. Now that I am local, I continue to go every Sunday. No, I haven't found that ol' time religion. I have simply found a very caring and friendly community that gets together on a Sunday morning - and I like being a part of it. And the spectacular morning tea afterwards has nothing to do with it :-)

You know it doesn't hurt me to have to sit for about 40 minutes and be still. It's a lovely time to reflect, think things through and be grateful for the many blessings in my life.

Life is good.

Home is where the heart is

So where is home? Home is in Brisbane where we own a cute little 2-bedroom house with polished timber floors and carpet in the bedrooms, a wonderful front deck, a lush garden which at the moment is a picture of spring with lillies all in bloom, a very regal persian cat, 2 chirpy budgies and my own laundry.

Home is Brisbane - my Mum and kids live there, as do my friends and relatives. Home is where I can go to the movies, buy fresh flowers at the grocery shop or better still the florist, where the shops are well stocked with my favourite grocery items. Home is where I can't decide to go when I want to eat out, where new places spring up overnight, where I can go to the theatre or the opera, or the Story Bridge Hotel on a Sunday afternoon.

But I don't live at home - I live on Thursday Island. I live in a yellow donger (unfortunate name, isn't it) with ugly grey rubber flooring that shows ALL the dirt, a straw runner in the bedroom so I have something else to stand on besides the rubber and a couple of carpet tiles. The yard here has been sadly neglected. There is a certain amout of greenery and Rob and I are starting to tend to the soil so that hopefully we can add some variety to our garden and have it thrive.

The yellow donger which is now home to Rob, Kacee and I. Garden is looking a bit sad, but with some TLC will soon be lush and thriving.

The fake tulips which look quite nice I think.

The shared laundry. Sometimes all machines are in use - a case of getting in first.

As our donger is a part of the pilot house we share some faclities, namely the laundry. I used to take doing the laundry for granted - you know the clothes are dirty, so you wash them. But now there are times when the laundry is in demand so the trick is to do try and get in before the others.

It's not unusual to go to use a machine (we have 3) and it's being used. It's also not unusual to go to collect your washing and find it sitting on top of another machine, or else someone's put it in your basket. Sometimes if they're really keen they'll even hang it up for me. But it's all good :-)

The supermarket shelves are a bit bare at the moment - I'm thinking of joining Coles Online - I do miss my favourite cheese flavoured rice crackers. Rob says I'm addicted to the yellow food colour and flavour enhancer ...... probably :-)  And as for flowers - well, I'm enjoying those fake tulips that I bought up with me - they suit the dining table quite nicely.

There is no movie theatre here, or any theatre for that matter. Places to eat out are limited and there is definitely no Story Bridge Hotel - although the Torres on a Thursday night does come a close second :)

And my family is so very far away. But Rob is here, pup is here and now my heart is here too.

Life is good.