Day 126 in a Year of my Life

"Beautiful one day, perfect the next."

I'm thinking that Queensland can no longer use that slogan for it's tourism campagne.  Currently experiencing the third major flood in four years and the seemingly endless days of rain this year alone, the title of 'Sunshine State' is rapidly changing to 'State of Disaster'!

I've spent most of the day looking at photos that I took while on holidays with Adoring Husband in November last year.

They've brought back some fond memories and allowed me to play and experiment a little with editing.  Nothing over the top and probably not even noticeable to the regular Joe.

This next photo is the only one not edited ... aside from minimal basic stuff.

Today, I am grateful for photography.

I'm sure that I have been grateful for photography already in the last 126 days, but it is something that I love. There is so much more to learn, and at the moment, it's one of the few things that really lifts my mood and brings me together with people that I care about, while I struggle through this stressful period of my life.

Healing is a slow process, but we're getting there.

Nite all.

Day 125 in a Year of my Life

Good grief!

I've been trying to write this post for more than two hours ... while watching 'Pretty Woman'.

I've seen this movie a good 30 times ... and that's a conservative estimate ... but it gets me in every time!

Today has been a pretty good day.

I got to talk a bit with people who I hadn't seen since the tornado and a couple of important people in my life acknowledged my sadness in last night's post.

You know who you are and I thank you.

Aside from 'Pretty Woman' playing on tv, (which also reminds me of my mother),  a very special thing happened tonight on our way home from the club.

Adoring Husband drove to the club, because he can't drink alcohol for a month while on this special medication.  As we drove home, there, standing in the middle of the road,  was a Tawny Frogmouth!

He stopped the car and I climbed out to chase the bird away from the road.

The last time I saw a Tawny Frogmouth, was the day after the tornado and there were two birds near the old Seat of Knowledge, but they had disappeared the next day.  I have searched in every tree that I ride past hoping to spot them, but there has been no sign of them.

All of the trees that they usually nest in, have gone now and I was worried that they had left town, possibly never to return.  Tawnies are creatures of habit and like to nest in the same area, even the same tree if possible, every season.

Needless to say, I was extremely excited to see this Tawny tonight and thank goodness it was us who saw it, because people often expect these birds to fly off to safety as their car approaches, but that's how a lot of Tawnies die.

It's so nice to know that they are still about.  I think I will go exploring the trees in that area tomorrow.

I think that this will be a happy moment to write down and put in my 'happy' jar!

So that is what I am grateful for today - my beloved Tawnies are still about :D

Almost midnight - pumpkin time - bed time.

Nite all.

Day 124 in a Year of my Life

Well, I wrote a rather intense post tonight, and then when I re-read it, decided to delete it.

I'm really feeling de-railed and I'm trying so hard to get back on track, but I can't seem to find my way.

Everything has changed.

My house doesn't feel like my home right now (for obvious reasons).

My town doesn't look or feel like my town any more.

The event has shown me that some people who I thought were 'my' people, really aren't.

It showed me that other people care more than I thought.

Some people have already left town, never to return, and that leaves a hole in the heart of the town.

I really miss the life that was.

I miss the trees.  I miss switching lights on and off.  I miss my oven.  I miss music.  I miss the old Seat of Knowledge.  I miss the landscape.  I miss the relaxed, carefree attitude.  I miss all the 'stuff' that is now packed in boxes in the back room until we are repaired.  I miss 'normal'.

I'm sick of the tarp on the roof and the horrible noises it makes in the wind.  I'm sick of all the different coloured tarps on all the roofs in our street.  I'm sick of seeing all the holes in the houses.  I'm sick of missing all the things in the last paragraph.

So I have to move forward.  I have to figure out a way to do that.  I must stop dwelling on what 'was' and focus on ways to be happy again. I need to slowly build on my happy future, step by step.

One thing I know for sure ... I have to stop writing this late at night, because it's when I feel the most melancholy.  I should write in the day time and then go to bed at a reasonable hour so that sleep can heal my mind and heart.

A photo from today ...

I like the light and shade, as well as the textures in this one.

Tomorrow ... brighter and lighter!

Nite all.

Day 123 in a Year of my Life

Today was a good day.

No wind.

No rain.

I got washing done.

I took photos.

I did, however, have a cold shower this morning because the solar hot water system had not seen sun for a few days.

I don't mind cold showers ... that statement may change in Winter ... hopefully the house will be repaired by then!

Today I am grateful for no wind and no rain.  My heart remained steady and I could breathe.

Nite all.

Day 122 in a Year of my Life

I got to see some of my boys this morning.

Adoring Husband and I got coffee and then drove to the park where the temporary Seat of Knowledge is.  Only three of the boys were there but they were well.

Then I got to see my girls again.  I had returned home and forgot that it was Tuesday, our usual morning tea day at the 'local'.  So Adoring Husband drove me back for more coffee.

I got home just in time for the rain to start.  Again.

And then again.  And again.  *rolls eyes*

When will this weather end?????

Everywhere is flooded and the rain just keeps coming.

I would really like the weather to clear - just until our house is repaired.  After that, I will feel safe again, and the weather can do almost anything that it wants.  Note the word "almost".

Some more photos from the girlie weekend ...

It's almost the end of February.  That means that we are fast approaching the third month of 2013.  I swear,  the older I get, the faster time goes by.

Psychotic dogs are asking to go to bed.  Time for me to go too.

Nite all.

Day 121 in a Year of my Life

Our girlie weekend worked on a buddy system.

We had to make sure that our buddy was never left alone in a vulnerable position.  To be certain that they didn't get lost and to know that they got home safely from the restaurant/pub/club/casino/shopping etc etc.  It was just about looking out for each other.

The buddy system worked very well for the majority of us.  It almost didn't work for a couple of us.  It turned out to be a good idea.

The four days were filled with so much walking!  I should have taken my pedometer.  We must have walked at least 5 kms each day.  It was more than a kilometre to the Myer Centre and the Queen St shopping area from our rooms.  Then add the 4 or 5 hours of walking while we were shopping.

Obviously, we all did a LOT of shopping.

I bought a medium sized suitcase (because we only have a small and a large) and I filled the small suitcase and put it inside the medium suitcase, then filled all around the outside of the small one with my stuff.  I was able to fit everything in, except for the tripod that I had bought and a shoebox with some bits and pieces in it.  Those things went with one of the girls who had driven to Brisbane, but she won't be home til later in the week.

The Southbank market was my biggest success for shopping.  It was in the last day.

One thing I know for sure .. I'm not happy about the current fashions.  They don't suit my body type and the shops don't sell anything BUT that style!  I was searching for a certain style of clothing, which was obviously in fashion last season, but totally NOT any more.

The weekend, except for the first night, was a huge success as far as food is concerned.  There were two of us who require a gluten free diet and the restaurants provided delicious GF options.  The Marriot, where we had breakfast each morning, had one whole fridge full of GF breakfast options, plus GF bread and separate toaster to toast it.  Lots of fresh fruit and plenty of hot food like poached eggs, mushroom, tomato, bacon as well.

We were very happy with our meals.

There were lots of laughs to be had.  A few deep and meaningful conversations.  Story telling.  Advice offered.  Tornado experiences to share.  A few bottles of wine consumed.  Plenty of photos taken.  Bargains bought.

It was agreed that what happens on the girlie trip, stays on the girlie trip!!  (Do we think that Adoring Husband will read this and wonder what we might be hiding????)

The weekend helped me forget, for just a little while, the stresses associated with our disaster.  It was nice to relax and unwind and I think we all had a good time.

Some photos from the trip ...

There has been terrible weather in Brisbane since we left, and terrible weather here and also on the Sunny Coast.

Eight water spouts off Bundaberg yesterday, one of which hit land and took some tiles off the Surf Life Savers Clubhouse.  This adds to my already intense paranoia.  Our rain has been hitting us in short, sharp, heavy bursts.  So heavy that we can hear it coming and the noise is similar to the tornado as it approached.

It puts me on edge and I am ready to run every time.

They say that the effects of a disaster don't usually hit people until 6 weeks after the event.  We still have a week or so to go.  I can almost physically feel it building inside me.

It must be frustrating for people who haven't experienced this to listen to me constantly harping on about the weather and checking the Bureau of Meteorology radar and being so paranoid about every breath of wind.

I know that there has been a big shift in my empathy and sympathy for people who experience this kind of disaster.  My heart skips a beat every time they show the damage from the tornado that hit Kiama in NSW and I feel so deeply for all of those people.

Their homes weren't built for cyclonic conditions and so they were easily destroyed by the tornado.  How hellish that must have been for them!  Imagine feeling your house falling apart around you.  Imagine the feeling of being sucked up a stair well (as one woman experienced).  Their nightmares will be worse than any of mine.

Today, I am grateful that I live in an area that legally requires our homes to be built to withstand certain wind conditions.  It means that we were safer during our weather 'event' and the damage much less severe than others down south.

Now if only we can get it repaired quickly to that same high safety level!!

Nite all.  

Day 120 in a Year of my Life

I have arrived home safe n sound after a great weekend away.

I actually forgot what it was like to be worried about the weather.

I was brought back to reality quickly, when severe weather warnings were issued for our area and 'Woman of Many Talents' and I drove through some dodgy weather on the way home this afternoon ... though it could have been worse, but I think our timing worked out so that we followed our route between storms and dodged the worst of it.

I am absolutely exhausted, so once again, I am taking a rain check and will endeavour to bring everything up-to-date tomorrow, after I am rested and have time to sit and ponder my weekend entertainment.

One photo from the weekend ...

The front window of the restaurant where we ate last night.

I still have a lot of photos to go through.  A few hundred in fact.

Today I am grateful to be home  (I wish that all was right and calm in my world again, but Mother Nature doesn't appear to be finished yet.  I hope she's just teasing us to keep us on our toes.)  I'm grateful for our safe trip home, while being surrounded by crazy drivers and some crazy weather.

Thank you 'Woman of Many Talents'

Nite all.