Continuing along Douglas Street

Next up from the DVD shop - Col Jones - the everything shop - newsagent, homewares, clothes, shoes, Retravision. The green shop to the right and behind the container is Mona's - home of all things islander. That's where I bought my Big Dress :-) And they are also supplying our costumes for the Music Festival. When they sent out the email to get our sizes I ordered a child's size 12 as their women's sizes are quite large ...... so they've got me a women's size 14!!! I'll be the one drowning in the floral dress :-) :-)

Homewares aplenty in Col Jones

Kids are always well dressed on TI :-)

TI pharmacy from across the street. The shop to the left is the office of Warren Entsch MP for Torres Strait. Notice how wide the streets are. I'm still standing on the road to take this shot, not the footpath - they're very wide.

Left: Next to Mona's is the medical centre - for doctors and dentist
Right: Torres Shire Council and library. I think I'm black listed at the library. I was away so long I came back to 3 late notices and a threat to send in the debt collectors !?! I returned the books ASAP with a letter of apology and explanation and also names of people who could vouch for my integrity. That they happend to be my Rotary friends and also work at the council is a coincidence :-)

The front of the TSRA offices which is behind our units. You can sort of make out the lane way and see our wooden fence.

When I walk out my gate and to the foreshore this is what I see when I look to the left. The main wharf is in the distance. This is where the ferry stops when it comes over from Horn Island. My fantasy is that one day I will be standing on the wharf waiting to greet a family member - a friend would be nice too - who has come up to visit me. Well I can dream can't I? I don't know if you can make it out but there's a Customs ship moored at the wharf. Tide is out.

And this is the view to the right. Tide is out otherwise it looks really lovely - it still does I suppose. The island  on the right is Goodes Island, I think. Any TI-ers please let me know if I'm wrong and I'll correct it. You can't really see it but the bowls club and the boat club are at the end of this walk. Last year, if you remember,  we went to Derby Day - well it was held at the boat club, right on the water - magic :-)

The building on the far left is the Federal Hotel - the Fed. It has some great murals - most of them politically incorrect, but very funny and very well done. If you sit in the bar you get a great view of the beach - well it's right across the road.  You used to be able to get a good pub meal there but lately it seems to have dropped it's game a bit :-(  Having said that, the place still has a great atmosphere and it's a good place to go for a beer, chips and a catch up. We're going there this Saturday night for a trivia night. And as you can see it's not far to walk :-)

More pics for you - if you want to :-)

I thought I'd take you on a walk through Douglas Street starting at the shop and going up town

Anzac Park taken from the corner just past the shop

Anzac Park - this is where the music festival will beheld next month.  The building on the right near the water is the Jardine Motel/restaurant. As you can see the foreshore is never too far away :-)

The Uniting Church - my friend Jan is the pastor here. The premises on the far left is the Torres Hotel. Churches and pubs all live happily together on T.I.

St John's Community Centre - this is where we held the Toastmasters information evening. My friend Sylvia works here and kindly let us use her office.

Right: Mura Kosker Sorority - this is the office of the women's support group which hosted the International Women's Day dinner.  It's also the premises where we held out first Toastmasters meeting.
Middle: Toshi's butcher shop - good meat at reasonable prices. It's important to eat well while away from home :-)
Far left: TI Hardware

Like any good hardware store it's a hive of activity on a Saturday morning. And yes - some weeks there's a sausage sizzle :-)

The island pharmacy - and as on the mainland it sells a bit of everything - even drugs :-)

HACC - Home and Community Care - elders meet here for fellowship and craft. You can buy their craftware - it's on display in the window. This shop is next to the pharmacy.
The video/DVD shop run by the local 'nazi'. In order to borrow from this shop you have to agree to an ASIO audit and swear on a stack of bibles. I joined last year to borrow a $2 movie - by the time I'd signed all the forms and answered all his questions, I felt like public enemy #1

More pics later. Hope you're enjoying the tour :-)

Bingo with friends

One of the reasons I love being here is that I feel useful, I feel that sometimes I can make a difference. Yesterday - feeling a bit blah - I decided to do something away from the unit. I needed to mix and mingle, be with people - do something positive and productive.

Last year before I started work at the high school I used to do a bit of volunteering at the aged care home - Star of the Sea. I'd go about 11am, sit and chat with a few of the beautiful oldies, and then stay and help the staff feed those that couldn't feed themselves. I loved it.

So yesterday I rang and asked if I could come and do the same - I've got a bit of spare time over the next couple of weeks. Yes, said Terese, we'd love to see you :-)

Rob dropped me off about 11.30 and I introduced myself to the new staff. They were happy to see me .... and they were also very busy, so the fact that I knew my way around and was happy to do my own thing - well, that was a great start to our relationship :-)

The same beautiful darlings are still there - Iacoco, Jaub, Laura, Obi, George, Tommy and Margaret. Iacoco remembered me - she told me I've been away, and it's good that I've come back.

While I was signing out, Maria the sister on duty, asked if I would like to come back today and play bingo with them. They play on a Friday with Pastor Jan, but as they really enjoy it she thought I might like to come and give them an extra day.  Of course :-)

Iacoco and her husband Bua. He was visiting and joined in with Bingo



Margaret - champion bingo player. She won both rounds :-)



George  and Jenny. George is a whizz at cards

Today when I arrived they were being entertained by Brian. Brian lives on site in a self-contained unit - he's one of the 'youngsters'. He also plays eukele and sings :-) So I guess he was the warm up act and I played the main event.


I'd bought a couple of knick-knack things at Col Jones and gave them out as prizes. At first I was going to give them to the 'winner' but once I gave out the first one their eyes followed me to see if I had any more. So at the end of play everyone got a prize.


You know, it's amazing what happens when you provide a bit of mental stimulation. While the game was fun and we had a few laughs, I could see that they were really trying. Sometimes they'd get tired and I would have to show them where to put their marker and even that they had the number called, but for the most part it was their game.

And one sweetheart, who wouldn't tell me his name, had markers all over the place. But still he waited until I called before he covered a number - whatever it was :-)

I would have stayed longer and played another game but I had the car this morning and Rob needed it. And while I was happy to see familiar faces again, I wondered. Time has flown for me since coming up here 12 months ago - does time fly for them? Apart from the distraction of meals and other daily routines, how long are their days?

Yesterday when I arrived, they were sitting in the day room. Some were watching the big screen TV that's mounted on the wall, some were asleep and others were just looking. It made me feel sad.

I'm not an aged care professional - I'm speaking from pure emotion. I know the home is in the process of looking for an activites person - I hope they find one very soon. And I hope this person will not only keep them occupied and stimulated, I hope that they also want to be there - to be with them, know their names, their ways, their likes and dislikes.

These oldies - and I use that word with love and respect - are so special, so childlike, so dependant, so trusting, so beautiful.

I hope life is good for them.

Just for Big Al - Where we live 3

I've taken this photo from the front of IBIS looking to the left. You can't see it but right at the end of the street is the TI hospital. When Rob spent a week there earlier this year I didn't have far to walk.

Again - from the shop looking across the street. This is the Anglican church.

To the right of the Anglican church is the Catholic Church and school - Our Lady of the Sacred Heart. And just across from there is the Torres Hotel - home of great karaoke artists and Australia's Top Pub.

Servo attendant Rob

And with assistant Kacee

International flavour

What I love about living up here is that I am experiencing things that may never have happened to me back home. I'm meeting people and making friends with people that I would not normally encounter in my everyday life. And it's good. And it makes me realise how richer I've become as a result.

Last night was a great example. I'd said to Rob during the week did he want to mention to the backpackers to have dinner together on Saturday night? And let's make it interesting - how about everyone cooks something from their home town? Now I wasn't sure how many of them would want to join in but I was prepared to make it a fun night. And it was :-)

Salad, bread, cheese, beer and wine all adding flavour to our international feast

They all came and cooked and joined in with a spirit of fun and friendship. What better way to cement international relations than over food?

From Belgium we ate steak, chips and salad, from Sweden we tasted swedish meatballs ...... made with lentils ..... because Frederick and Ebba are vegetarian :-), a sweet bread/scone mixture and home made potato crisps; from Australia we shared sweet chilli chicken pieces and sausages and from Italy we savoured a vegetable lasagna - because Frederick and Ebba are vegetarian :-) - and an eggplant parmigiana. It was a feast - a veritable feast!

Kacee getting a pat from Frederick. Arthur (regional manager) and me in the background

Ebba and Frederick - the vegetarians :-)

Nikki and Kacee

Zoe showing off

The lovely Yves

Rob and Georgina

It's funny - Rob and I were a bit iffy when we heard that backpackers were going to live in the front unit. I don't know why. Maybe we thought loud music and all night parties.

Well, when it comes to loud music, I feel I should share with my T.I. friends the joys of Italian songs so the dulcet tones of Patrizio can often be heard emanating from our unit.

And all night parties - well these poor darlings are so tired after their shifts, it's dinner, a bit of  TV and an early night. Although last night we did share our karaoke stories and have made a promise to wander over to the Torres before they all leave.

Last night is another memory that I will take back with me when Rob and I eventually leave this lovely island. Last night was a great example of how wonderful it is to open your heart and your mind and to cherish what you have, not what you don't have.

Last night I found again that - life is good.

Where we live 2

IBIS - this is where Rob works. The shop is in Douglas Street which is the main street of the island. All other major businesses are also on this street. There are 3 IBIS stores on the island - this is the main one. Our units are directly behind the shop.

The driveway to the right of the shop leads to our place. And to the right again you can see a bit of the service station which is also run by IBIS. There are 2 servos on the island. The other is run by See Hops - IBIS's opposition in both groceries and fuel.

This is on the other side of our back gate. It is the premises of the Torres Shire Regional Authority TSRA. After hours the lane way at the other end is closed. However we have discovered a way through - sorry,  I can't tell you :-)

The view at the end of the lane way - about 5 seconds from our back gate :-) This is part of the beautiful T.I. foreshore Can you see the colour of the water? Aquamarine - it's stunning isn't it? Horn Island is in the distance.

No words today - the pictures say it all :-)

Life is good!

Where we live

Our front deck

Our unit - Zoe in the front yard. Well it's not much of a yard yet but will be once the grass grows :-)

This is the unit where we live. There's actually 3 units in the whole conplex - ours is at the back and separated from the other two by a deck and a doorway. The other units share the larger deck and have three bedrooms, our unit has two bedrooms.

The larger deck shared by the other two units - looking towards our place

The door on the left leads to the other units and deck

A regional manager occupies one of the units when he visits and backpackers, employed by IBIS, live in the other.

So - our little complex here is a sort of mini United Nations. We have Georgina from Canada, Nikki from Britain, Yves from Belgium, Frederick and Ebba from Sweden, Rob from Yaraman in Queensland, Silvana and Kacee from Brisbane and Zoe from Horn Island :-)

There's lots of coming and goings during the day, but nights - thankfully - are quiet. The most noise comes from the Torres Hotel across the road - Thursday and Friday nights are karaoke - and from the alarm of the neighbouring business when it sometimes goes off during the night.

Kacee likes living here too. At first it was a bit lonely but now her sister is back and she has someone to play with when Rob and I go out. And the backpackers - well they just love her, so lots of pats, cuddles and all the attention she desires :-)

I've made this place home. Our stuff is here, our pets are here, our life - for now - is here and more importantly our heart is here too.

Life is good.

Back on T.I.

Hi honey - I'm home!

Kacee and I arrived back on the island on Saturday afternoon after leaving our home in Brisbane at 4.45 .... yes - in the a.m. After a pleasant flight to Cairns we then had a five hour wait before boarding another plane for the final leg to Horn Island.

The lovely Air Express person in Brisbane suggested I pick Kacee up from their depot at Cairns airport and take her for a walk to fill in time. What a good idea :-) Needless to say she was very pleased to see me and we spent about an hour together sitting in the sun and walking around the airport car park.

We're so lucky that she travels well - she really has no choice does she? - and we know she's won the hearts of both handlers and airport staff. They love her, and some even remember her from the previous time. Qantas - you really need to introduce Frequent Flyer points for pets :-)

Once home, Rob did the right thing and had a wine chilling for me. It was so great to see him and to catch up on all the island news. I was too tired to unpack so after a chat and a quick shower we walked the few minutes to Anzac Park where a group of people were enjoying a free BBQ. This was to celebrate the conclusion of  "Walk the Ilan" - a joint initiative between Queensland Health and the Shire Council.

Earlier, participants had met in the park and in groups or individually, walked around the island. The walk took about an hour and the idea was to get everyone participating in an activity that is both healthy and fun and to maybe consider doing it on a regular basis.

The wonderful Rotary club looked after the BBQ - it was delicious - as was the lovely warm welcome they gave me. It felt good to be back :-)

Sunday saw me go to church where I enjoyed another welcome-home .... you know, a girl can get used to this :-) And then the rest of the morning I settled back in - read "tidied up the unit". Can you imagine? Rob had been living there for two weeks, alone, with no-one to guide him on how to wash up, put things away and just generally keep house. He was in boy heaven.

So after unpacking, washing up dishes and clothes and putting things away, Rob and I spent an enjoyable afternoon at the pub sipping beer and eating hot chips - does it get any better?

It is good to be back. I wish my Mum had come up with me. She wanted to, but there was still a few things that needed her attention regarding Phil and she didn't want to be rushed. I'd love to have her here in the few weeks before I start work.

But, as I now know, when you make plans - well, God has a good laugh.

I'm not complaining though - life is good :-)

Blessings

Well - have I taken to this Zen thing or what? After my last post I spent about an hour on the phone with Qantas trying to change my flight to an earlier one. And I did .... for half of the journey anyway. Seems they could get us to Cairns okay, but it was going to be a challenge to get us from there to Horn Island. I gave up.

So - finally resigned to the fact that I was to be in Brisbane for another two weeks, I relaxed and did those things that I said I was going to do. Let me share with you some of the blessings that the Universe has bestowed on me - I can see now why I needed to stay :-)

* Dinners:  lots of them - family dinners, dinner with friends, dinners out and dinners in.

* Movies: an afternoon session at the movies with two very special and old - as in long time - friends. Afterwards a glass of wine, a light snack and lots of talking, laughing, sharing and caring. My gorgeous friends - Julie and Moya - two beautiful, warm, kind and loving women. How fortunate are we to have known each other all these years, to have shared our joys, sorrows, heartaches and delights? And we're still smiling :-) ..... and we still look pretty good! I love you both.

* Meditation: When I came down in April, my friend Vicki asked if I would like to join her one Saturday morning at a meditation session. She thought I might like it. Vicki was a wonderful support to me while I was looking after Phil - I found her words calming and beautiful. Last Saturday I met up with her and enjoyed a relaxing and calming meditation class conducted by Chris - a gentle woman who guided us through the session and made me feel very welcomed.

* Toastmasters: By staying down  for the extra two weeks I was able to get to another Toastmasters meeting. While I didn't take too much of an active part, it was great to catch up with everyone and also to get that bit of motivation to keep things happening once I get back to TI.

* Coffee shops: I managed to find two new coffee shops that are just wonderful. One is called "d'arte" in Riding Road and the other is "Cottage Garden" in Stanley Road. Both places make amazing coffee and have their own unique ambiance. I spent ages just sitting, reading, enjoying - and smelling - the coffee and soaking up the atmosphere.

* Friends: lovely, caring, wonderful friends. Sunday afternoons at DMs wine bar at Southbank listening to the velvety voice of Wiley Reed, dancing to the music and sharing a glass of wine. Big Al, Annamarie, Margaret, David, Gareth - thank you for looking out for me and for just being you. By the way, did I mention Big Al?

* Birthdays: mine - my 57th in fact. It's a biggish number, isn't it. But can I tell you that, for me, the bigger the number the more blessings I seem to acquire.

To the Universe I say - thank you, with all my heart - thank you.

Life is good.

Zen in my life

As usual things here happen overnight and at the speed of lightning. Since my last post Rob and I have focussed on his healing, as we awaited the outcome of an appointment with a neurosurgeon. To operate or to not operate? - that was the question.

Fortunately we found someone who was not keen to sharpen his scalpel. He advised us that Rob was progressing as expected and that he could look forward to being back to normal - well, sort of - in about a month's time. To that end he prescribed another cortisone injection and to continue to see Charles, the physiotherapist who has been wonderful in helping to get Rob back on track.

So, a phone call to Work Cover followed letting them know that Rob had been given the OK by both doctors to return to work on light duties. The question remained - was there a position for Rob to return to under these circumstances? We soon found out.

Within hours we were notified that - yes of course there is a job, yes on light duties and can he start now? As in yesterday? So, once again, mad bookings to get a flight and plans to be at work bright and early tomorrow morning.

But what about me? And Kacee? Well - I wasn't quite ready to rush off at the speed of lightning so I confidently told Rob that Kacee and I will join him in a few days - just give me time to tie up some loose ends, do some last minute shopping and then we'll come up. Ha! said the Universe - you will go when I'm good and ready and not a minute sooner.

My friends I am booked to fly up to TI on Saturday the 18th of June. To get a flight sooner has proved to be impossible! The stumbling block is Kacee - bless her. Did you know that Qantas is the only airline that carries pets? If you know differently please let me know ASAP. I am further restricted in that I must make the trip in the one day as I can't leave the dog overnight with the carrier. And said carrier will only accept the pet at certain times on certain days.

Kacee - frequent flyer

So in the spirit of Zen and bowing to the wishes of the Universe I have decided to accept that I am in Brisbane for another two weeks and that I will use this time alone to do nice things - explore interesting little coffee shops, visit weekend produce markets, catch a movie or two. This will be a time for reflection, meditation and stopping to smell the roses (or coffee as the case may be).

Two weeks will fly by in no time and before I know it I will be winging my way up north and ferrying my way over the aquamarine waters to beautiful TI.

But .... in the meantime .... I'll be tryng to get a flight at least by next weekend.  Don't think I'd make a good Buddhist.

Life is moving again :-)