Decluttering

There's nothing like a good workout in the yard to clear things up - it clears toxins as you sweat and work muscles, it clears the yard of clutter and mess ...... and it clears your head.

Yesterday, Rob and I got stuck into the yard. A green skip bin arrived bright and early and by midday it was half full. While Rob played with his chain saw toy, I work steadily and systematically weeding out long grass and overgrown ferns. Then as Rob broke up branches and tried to avoid powerlines, I trimmed the lower trees with my trusty secateurs. (I didn't really work systematically - I just want you to think I'm organised).

Rob in the thick of it

The denuded jacaranda tree - the garbo will be pleased :-)

Showing off :-)

We both finished exhausted and sore, but very pleased with our efforts. My favouite time is the walk-around as you survey what you've done and how good is looks now. And our reward? - an icy cold beer, of course!

Our beautiful front yard - welcome!

A well deserved beer - icy cold :-)

Getting rid of all the overgrowth, we can now see the front gate ..... and the Gateway Bridge in the distance. Did I clear my head? Well, when you exercise you release endorphins - the feel good hormones - and while I don't know that my head is yet fully decluttered, I do feel quite positive - and that's a very good start :)

Today I can say, with confidence, life is good.

Letting go

OK .....going out on a limb today.

When I went to T.I. my Mum came with me and we spent my first week together. It was great. After she left I threw myself into my new life - mixing, mingling, joining, working and becoming involved in my new community.

All the while I missed my family and as time went by the desire for them to come up and see where I live and work and play intensified. And about two months ago, it peaked. If you've been following, you might have noticed that this is about the time that I was facing a few challenges.

The thing is that this desire has been consuming me to the point where it's affecting how I think and act. And it's turned into a negative emotion as my family sees my requests to come and visit as a "guilting" - guilting them to feel that they have to make the effort to make the trip. And it's turned into a negative emotion as I am unable to feel happy for those around me who can look forward to a visit from family or friends. I feel envy and a bit of anger.

But last night I was shown that my desire, my yearning for family and/or friends to come up is impractical and not likely to happen in the near future, if at all. So the best thing that I can do for myself and for my loved ones is to let it go. Let go of that all-consuming desire and want that is in effect bringing me down and clouding my thinking.

Today I am initiating strategies to help me to let it go. Already I feel lighter, sad, but lighter. And when I return to T.I. in four weeks I will start afresh and try to recapture that enthusiasm that I enjoyed when I first went up all those seven months ago :-)

Maybe this is something that I just have to go through - you know, keep walking until you get there - and I will come out stronger at the other end. I hope so.

At the moment ...... life is ...... challenging

Christmas 2010

I want to share with you one of the best Christmas days I've had in a long time.

As you know Christmas was to be spent on T.I. - a long way from home, family and friends - but it would have been a good day. Any "orphans" were invited to Robyn's place for breakfast and then later in the day Siobhan was hosting her annual orphan's day lunch. We would not have been alone :-)

But Rob's broken leg put paid to that and on Christmas Day we found ourselves in Cairns en route to Brisbane. And I was determined to make it a special day, wherever we were, because I felt so blessed that Rob and I were together and that he was well. So to that end I bought all the gifts that had been sent from home with me to open on the day. And I am so glad I did :-)

Rob woke me on Christmas morning with a ho-ho-ho and a cup of hotel instant coffee - delicious because it was made with love. I had put the presents out the night before, and after coffee we sat on the bed to open them. It was fun - lots of little gifts thrown in with the bigger ones. And fortunately Rob's gift from me arrived  at the last minute - luckily I checked at the post office before I left.

After a light breakfast in our room we went for a walk along the esplanade in the rain. It was drizzly rain, yet quite a few other people were also out walking, probably before the big lunch time feast.

Drizzly rain on Christmas morning. The structure in the foreground is the roof of a wedding chapel.

Lunch - where to go? what to eat? after all this is Christmas Day. Well - here's the thing - the view from our hotel balcony was pretty nice (see above)  and Rob had gone shopping the day before for a few essentials - so why go anywhere? We had it all there.

Our Christmas feast! Cheese, salami, olives, chocolates and wine - all food groups were covered :-)

Merry Christmas Rob :-)

I have never enjoyed a Christmas lunch as much as I did on that day. It was perfect in it's simplicity and satisfaction.

After the obligatory Christmas day nap, we both felt a tad peckish, so we borrowed an umbrella from hotel reception and strolled along the esplanade to the Pier. There we found the Mecca Bar and a cosy little alcove just for us .

Our romantic alcove at the Mecca Bar

We enjoyed a delicious pizza with real sardines, olives, roasted capsicum and tomatoes and topped with rocquet - exquisite! It was light, tasty and very satisfying. A stroll to the gelato bar for dessert and back to the hotel to watch a  movie - Miss Potter with Rene Zellweiger.

And so ended Christmas Day 2010. During the day we both received calls from our kids. And that's the best part - talking to your loved ones so far away, hearing their voices so clearly and happy, having them tell you that they're thinking of you and missing you.

Don't get me wrong - I love Christmas Day with the family - the fun, food, companionship. But this year - the year when (to quote my brother Anthony) nothing went according to script - I was still able to enjoy such a day. And I was blessed to be in a very beautiful part of the country with a very beautiful man ...... and he with a very beautiful woman (right Rob?) :-)

Life is good.

Update on Rob

The power of positive thinking - all your good wishes and healing thoughts have come to fruition.

Yesterday, after undergoing an MRI the specialist informed Rob that his leg is mending and he does not  require surgery. But it does require a lot of rest and slight exercise in order to continue the healing process. We are both very relieved and happy.

So things have changed ever so slightly in that we can now plan and not be concernd about working around hospital appointments. And casts and crutches are no longer a part of the deal :-)

I'm still leaving the island tomorrow and we hope to fly back to Brisbane next week. Our Christmas plans have not changed and it's nice to know that Rob can enjoy the day in a little less pain and a little more mobility.

I've passed on all your good wishes to him - he thanks you.

Life is good.

Rob

I haven't kept you up to date about everything. Rob is in Cairns to see an orthopedic surgeon tomorrow and then he is scheduled for an operation on Thursday. Why?

Well about three weeks ago, while climbing to board one of our pilot boats, he fell. And he fell about four feet - flat on his back - onto the cement wharf. I was there and I got a big fright, especially when I called his name several times and he did not respond. Eventually he opened his eyes, sat up and carried on.

He called into the medical centre the next day and was told that he had bruised his knee. But after hobbling around the island for a week in a lot of pain, he finally went to the hospital where they x-rayed his leg and found a broken fibula.

So - Rob is now in Cairns awaiting further medical treatment. I'm joining him on Christmas Eve simply because there are absolutley no flights off the island and I was lucky to get this one as the company had nabbed this ticket as a "just in case".

We were both ok with the idea of spending Christmas Day together in Cairns, doing our own thing, perhaps enjoying a delicious lunch from one of the many lovely restaurants along the esplanade. But again, matters have been taken out of our hands.

One of our pilots and his lovely lady live on the tablelands about an hour from Cairns and he has invited us  to spend Christmas Day with them. How blessed are we?

After that, on the first available flight out of Cairns, we will fly home to Brisbane where Rob will recuperate for the next 4-6 weeks. Life is what happens when you're busy making plans .......

So now things are a bit hectic up here. ARP is having to find replacement staff and there will be a constant relay of people coming up from Brisbane to fill in until Rob gets back. We are short a cleaner, and I have been filling in until we hired someone, but I'm out of here on Friday and so far we have not had any response to our ad. I hope they find someone soon.

The pilots and crew and all concerned about Rob and wish him a speedy recovery. They're also worried about how things will work while he's away because as one of the pilots said to me today "with shipping, it's just another day". In other words - there is no festive season, there is no slowing down because it's holiday time.

But you know - God or the Universe or whoever or whatever you believe in, works in mysterious ways. Rob needed to stop and rest. But unfortunately, he was not going to do this of his on accord. Now he has to - he has no choice. The matter was taken out of our hands and dealt with accordingly. In the scheme of things this is not a tragedy - it could have been far worse when I think of the way that he fell.

Ok - so a holiday would be nicer without a full cast and maybe a bit of pain, but hopefully Rob will stop, breathe, smell the roses, taste the coffee ...... and enjoy.

As I've learnt so many times this year - life is unpredictable.

Mondo

I don't normally post every day - but I just wanted to share with you the wonderful evening I've had tonight. There's an amazing cafe at the pier - Mondo - it's part of the Hilton hotel. And I discovered it quite by accident.

I was actually on my way to the marina to have a drink and maybe a meal at one of the other restaurants. While I was watching for the turnoff I noticed a grassed area with tables and chairs. So, I wandered over ......

Mondo - a garden of Eden in Cairns

OMG - it was a paradise, a garden of eden in this already beautiful city that is Cairns. I took a table with water views - well, actually they all have water views, but mine was the best :-) The cafe overlooks the river and part of the marina, the mountains are just over there, boats are dotted everywhere. A cruise ship cruised by as we sat and enjoyed the scenery. I just had to ring Rob - he told me that it had been in T.I. a couple of days ago and that one of our pilots is on board to take it through the reef. I wonder ... did he see me waving?

The cruise ship that just cruised by

I have enjoyed a couple of glasses of wine, a cheese platter and a special indonesian rice with chicken satays. Totally indulgent and soul nurturing. I sat for two and a half hours just soaking it all in - the scenery, the atmosphere, the music, the food and the night.

My friends - this trip is the best thing that I have done for myself in a long time. I can't wait to get back to Rob. I have a big sloppy wet kiss just waiting to plant on him.

Life is good.

Update from Cairns

I love Cairns. Last night I bought a t-shirt from the markets. You know, one of those "I (heart) Cairns" and I intend wearing it :-) This is such a pretty city - lots of greenery, not too big, hot - but hey I'm used to heat now and ....... civilised.

Now don't get me wrong, I'm not saying T.I. is uncivilised, I'm just saying that it doesn't have a lot of things. Before I came here I'd forgotten how much I love shops - not so much for the shopping but just to know that they are there. I'd forgotten how much I love crowds - not big unruly uncontrollable crowds, but little crowds - in restaurants, walking along the streets, along the esplanade - giving the place that lived-in look, that lived-in feel.

Last night I took myself to dinner at the marina. There are about half a dozen restaurants there and I chose to dine at the Waterbar and Grill - I felt like a steak. The place was fullish - and it was nice to hear the buzz of conversations and to watch people coming and going and interacting. Afterwards I walked home along the esplanade - this is the cafes, restaurants, ice cream shops, souvenir shops street - and I felt quite safe, even though it was late, because again, there were people everywhere.

I'm loving the variety of shops, and that once inside the shop there is a lot to choose from, especially in the supermarket. I nearly went crazy yesterday - the only thing that stopped me buying fresh crusty bread, olives, cheese, salami and a heap of fresh vegetables was that I'm staying in a hotel and there is no way I could eat all that food in the remaining time I have here. But I did buy a crusty bread roll, slices of pastrami and fresh ricotta to have for lunch ....... yummo!!

Now I know what you're thinking. Oh-oh the T.I. honeymoon is over, she's sick of it, she wants out, she's coming home. No!!! you're wrong - on all counts.

Yes - I have been a little out of sorts lately, yes - I have felt a bit disconnected. And that's why I'm here - to get back on track. And it's working :-)

I am feeling pampered, indulged and nice. I am doing nice things for myself, and staying in this hotel - Rydges on the Esplanade - is a great start. I have a beautiful room on the 12th floor with magnificent mountain views and that in itself is so relaxing and calming. The hotel has a large pool surrounded by greenery and I go there every day to lie, read and swim - very very relaxing.

The pool at Rydges - lots of chilling out happening here

I take myself out to dinner to nice eating places, choose what I want and enjoy a glass of wine with my meals which so far have been delicious and satisfying.

We look after our physical health, but sometimes we neglect our emotional health. Well, I'm looking after my emotional health, and with Rob's full blessing and support. We've talked and texted every day and in the busyness of what we're doing, we still miss each other.

I'm looking forward to going home - to T.I., to Rob - relaxed, refreshed and ready to continue our adventure. I guess I've underestimated how big an adventure it is.  My beautiful daughters Vera and Nikki - my rocks (it's very humbling when the child becomes the parent) - reminded me of this before I came down.

I am so grateful that I had the opportunity and the means to do this. I am so grateful for the blessing that is Rob - my partner and my friend.

Life is good.

Musings on a very rainy day

Yesterday I bought a Christmas tree and decorations - baubles and tinsel. And I still have to get a star for the top of the tree and a crib for underneath - the reason for the season. I wish I'd planned ahead and brought up my decorations from home - I have a beautiful nativity crib and a silver star that's been around since the kids were little.

At the moment there are no presents under the tree - but today I'm planning to wrap a few. The thing is, once they're wrapped, I'll be posting them so that - hopefully - they get delivered in time. Apparently Nikki is posting up a "big parcel" so I'm looking forward to receiving it so that I can complete the tree. And once Rob's present arrives, well there's another one :-)

But you know, who would have thought 12 months ago that I'd be here - Thursday Island - sitting at this outdoor area, listening to the rhythm of the pouring rain, no let me rephrase that - bucketing down rain - and feeling quite good about it all. Who would have thought that a remote island in the far north of Australia could hold such attraction and peace of mind.

I wish my family could come and see where I'm living and playing. I wish I had to make room in the donger for their bags and spare beds. I wish that I could walk them through the pilot house, meet some of the pilots (who are all very nice) and share a meal with them one night.

I'd love to take them to the Gab Titui cafe to meet Mikey and enjoy one his meals. I'd love them to experience the Torres on a Thursday night, to have a coffee at Uncle Frankie's coffee shop and to take them shopping at Mona's, Col Jones and the Pearl Shop. I'd organise a trip to Friday Island to the pearl farm, and Rob could get them on a pilot boat or even a helicopter (but not me - remember? I don't do helicopters).

I want them to see the beauty of this island - the water, the scenery, the people, to get a feel for the place. I want them to see how and why I'm happy to be here for as long as we're here. I want, I want, I want ........

Life is what you make it - and I want you all to know that for me, now, here - life is good.

Did I say I was OK with it all?

Lightbulb moment

You know, I'm living in the Torres Strait - one of the most beautiful places on this planet - and up until now, I haven't done much about it. Yes - I go for walks, especially along the foreshore, and I do appreciate the scenery - in fact I love the scenery. The water that surrounds T.I. is a sparkling aquamarine and the neighbouring islands are within touching distance. It truly nurtures your soul to sit and take in this amazing vista.

Today, for only the second time since I've been up here, I went out in one of the pilot boats. We picked up a pilot from a small cargo ship from the Goodes Island pilot boarding ground. What that means is that we came up alongside the ship, both vessels slowed down to 8 knots, and the pilot came on board. Usually the pilot has to come down a rope ladder, but as the ship was low in the water, he simply stepped from ship to boat.  The while trip took us just over an hour.

Coming back to T.I.

Goodes Island - the pick up was off shore from here

Goodes Island - taken from the boarding ground

As you can see the water was calm and the day was perfect. The pilot boat, the Bindy, is very comfortable - it has a galley, bunks, an upper deck and a lower deck from where I took these photos. Rob and I shared a wine on the way back while he threw a line overboard and half-heartedly tried to catch a fish.

After our boat trip, Rob and I went for a quick dip in the water along the foreshore. It's a very pretty and popular spot and together with other families we enjoyed the warm weather and even warmer water. Crocs? - well, you don't go swimming early morning or evening and there are certain spots where they tend to hang out. Am I a local or what? When I first arrived up here I wouldn't even go near the water, let alone go in it. (Luckily my Mum doesn't have a computer - she would freak out reading this)

OK - so what's my light bulb moment? I'm going to do this more often. I'm going to take advantage of where I'm living and the fact that my partner works in an area where going out on the water is as common as going out in a car. I'm going to visit the foreshore every day, if I can, and either just sit and take in the scenery or go that one step further and actually become part of the scenery - sort of like becoming at one with nature.

After the stresses and down times of the past few weeks, this is exactly what I needed to nurture myself and my spirit. I had fallen into a rut whereby I could have been anywhere and not here on this beautiful tropical island. But today, I remembered where I am ...... and I don't intend to forget.

 I am living on T.I. - and life is good!