Roots and Wings...

I leave tonight on the red eye flight to LA. From there I go to Detroit, Ottawa and finally Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. I'm not looking forward to the flights but it'll be great to see everyone once I finally get there! It's funny, I've been quite homesick for Canada the last few months but yesterday was the kind of beautiful day that reminded me of how grateful I am to be living in Australia. I walked Jesse around Albert Park lake (an amazing 5.3 km walk) and saw black swans (only in Australia), lorikeets, cockatoos, and other colorful parrots I don't know the names of. It was pretty amazing, although a little scary at times if you happen to be afraid of birds (ah-hem...). It's swooping season in Australia, so all the more scary and those black swans sure didn't like Jesse walking past, especially when they had their sweet little babies close by! Just so you know, black swans make a very scary pre-historic animal kind of hiss sound when annoyed... Yikes!

How cute are the baby black swans? These ones were a little bigger than others I saw, but adorable just the same!

Everything is so, so pretty right now. It seems that almost every tree, shrub or bush in Australia flowers at some stage. I'm sure this isn't fact but it definitely does feel like it! I haven't even left yet and I'm already missing bits of Melbourne (all the pretty new signs of spring and in particular my two favorite boys!). Sad, I know seeing as I'm only away for 3 weeks! I'm the biggest flip-flopper ever. When I'm here I miss there, when I'm there, I miss here. I always think of the part in the movie "Sweet Home Alabama" when Reese Witherspoon's character says...

"I'm happy in New York Jake, but then I come down here (meaning Alabama) and...this fits too." To which Josh Lucas' character replies..."Since when does it have to be one or the other? You can have roots and wings Mel."

Ah, I love that part. It always makes me teary because I can so relate! It's nice to think of it that way...roots and wings:)

I think that's why visits to Canada are so important to me, it helps keep it all in balance. I'm a firm believer that balance equals happiness!

So, I look so forward to all the fabulous things and people I will get to enjoy in Canada over the next 3 weeks, and then the exciting things about coming back to Australia...my handsome boys, spring in full swing, and possibly another piece of this amazing mars bar cheesecake I ate last night at our favorite dessert place. I figure I deserved a little cheat, seeing as I'll be away for awhile!

I'm not sure when I'll get to post again, as I'll be quite busy and all over the place for the next 3 weeks, but I'll pop in whenever I get the chance and have lots to share when I get back! Until then...xo

Packing...

I leave tomorrow for Canada and have finally got around to packing this morning. Jesse isn't too happy about it. He's spent the morning laying on top of every single thing I lay on the bed.

I wish I could take him with me! He'd have a blast running and playing in the Canadian autumn air. Autumn really is Jesse's best season. The colors of fall compliment him well. I can't tell you how many pictures we took of him in the woods in Canada, with leaves changing color all around him. So pretty!

I'll be back later with one more post before I leave. For now I'm off to do a few more last minute things...

Tis the season!

Yesterday was the nicest day ever! Okay, maybe not ever but most definitely the nicest day anyone living in Melbourne has seen in awhile. It was perfect...blue sky, temps in the low 20s (I wore shorts!) and only the odd pretty cloud. We met friends in the Botanical Gardens near our house for a relaxed day of doing...well, not too much! Hanging in the park is definitely an Australian favorite thing to do and it was so wonderful to see everyone out and about drinking in the fabulous day!

We had lots of "nibblies" as I like to call them. I *love* nibblies! One of my favorite things is when everyone brings snacks (nothing too fancy) and we just dig in and enjoy.

Me, sans a sweater or a jacket or even any kind of sleeves at all. It's amazing, especially considering I am always cold. I do have very pale arms at the moment though. Those babies haven't seen sun in months!

Steve-O hanging in the grass.

Friends...Micheal and Alida...

More grass hanging. It was all very relaxed. It was nice too because the guys have been working a lot lately and deserved a good veg out!

Also in true Aussie fashion, we played a little with the cricket bat and ball. Wow, it's tough hitting a ball with that thing. It's nothing like a baseball bat at home. Steve found this out the hard way. How many tries does it take a Canadian to hit a ball with a cricket bat? Lots. ;)

Alida, on the other hand...well she's an Aussie and gave it a pretty good go!

I'm looking forward to many more outings like this in the months to come. Nice weather, good friends and yummy food...what a fantastic way to spend a Sunday afternoon!

Life's simple pleasures...

I've had the best week this week! After being sick for 3 whole weeks, I was finally feeling better and made a real point of getting out of the house. I have been starting to go very stir crazy, which makes me grumpy, negative and overall not the kind of person I want to be. So this week, I made a real point of soaking in and enjoying every little thing and being grateful for all the small things in my life, that make me so happy. Here's a bit of what I loved this week...

...playing at the beach with Jesse...

...the thank you card I received in the mail from a treasured friend...

...applying for jobs...

...finishing and hanging my new spring wreath...

...Steve...

...sunshine!...

...lunch on a rainy day with a bright and cheerful friend...

...a massage...

...cooking...

...new shampoo...

...the nice man i met on my daily walk that told me Jesse has a very beautiful face...

...a yummy Thai dinner and lots of girl chat with 2 amazing women...

...putting the finishing touches on the plans for my trip to Canada (I leave next week!)...

...shopping with a friend...

...soy hot chocolate (yum!)...

...a very kind email from a parent I knew at my old job...

...needing a new shower curtain and finding the perfect one on sale for $5...the very last one!


Ah, it's been a wonderful week and it's calling for a lovely weekend, weather wise. I'm really looking forward to it!

What's been making you happy lately?

A sense of confusion

This wreath has been hanging on our front door since the beginning of autumn (early March). That's kind of sad, seeing as it's a fall style wreath, but winter here kind of feels like a very long, extended autumn, so it seemed okay. I decided it was finally time to make a more spring like wreath and kiss this one good bye. Even though, technically, it still feels right because well, we'll be heading into October soon and isn't October all about these colors? Confusion.

So, I made this wreath for a spring time feeling. I wanted something pretty and cheerful. It was only as I was finishing it and about to hang it on the door that I remembered that Halloween is coming soon and I should have made a wreath for that. Who needs spring colors when it's all about to be black and orange and scary stuff? More confusion.

How can it be that I'm hanging spring inspired wreaths when Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas are just around the corner? It seriously throws me off. I can't remember birthdays anymore, it's all mixed up with the seasons. Holidays, forget it. Total confusion. I've been in Australia for almost 4 years and still haven't worked out a way to make all this confusion feel back in balance. Seriously, what's a girl to do?

Dairy free quiche...

I made my first quiche today! Don't laugh, it was a very exciting moment for me! :) I stumbled upon this recipe and was inspired to give it a go. I made a lot of changes though and it turned out super yummy! So, I thought I'd share what I did to make this delicious dinner!

Ingredients I used:

Mushrooms (chopped small)
Onion (diced)
Green pepper (diced)
Bacon (cut in little pieces)

3 eggs
1 cup of coconut milk
2 store bought pie crusts
Salt and pepper
Fresh basil

First, I decided to pre-cook the pie crusts for about 15 minutes at 375 degrees Fahrenheit. I poked holes in the crust all over with a fork and in the oven they went. I thought this might help to keep the crusts crispy and not make them soggy. Unfortunately, they don't sell gluten free crusts at the grocery store, so this time around I made it with wheat ones. I'm going to try to hit a specialty shop for gluten free ones the next time I make it.

While the crusts were in the oven, I cooked the bacon a little. I used a bacon similar to back bacon in Canada, so not much fat. Then I added the onion, green pepper and mushrooms to the pan and cooked until the veggies were how I wanted them. I seasoned with salt and pepper.

Once the crusts had come out of the oven, I let them cool a little to crisp them up and then spooned the veggie and bacon mixture equally into the two pans. I'm sure if you made your own crust in a larger pan, you could make just 1 big quiche.

Then I beat the eggs in a bowl and added the coconut milk. I whipped until nice and smooth and then poured it over the mixture in the pan. I put a few pieces of fresh basil on the top and popped them in the oven.

I baked it at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for about 30 minutes, or until a fork inserted in the middle came out clean.

I served it pretty much right away with a yummy rocket and spinach salad with goat fetta, cucumber, cherry tomatoes and a herb and olive oil dressing.

Delicious! A definite make again recipe! :)

Hello, Sunshine!

It really felt like spring this weekend, with temps hitting 21 degrees Celsius, so we hit the beach for a little fun! Jesse was more than willing to tag along. I love the way his tongue is sticking out in this picture:)

I can't tell you how nice it felt to feel the warm sunshine again. I have found winter in Melbourne to be very gloomy, gray, damp and depressing. I think the fact that I haven't been working didn't help, but this weekend I really felt much more like myself. I love that spring finally feels like it's here and there is so much to look forward to in the coming months!

Pretty beach boxes. Lots of people using them today! You should have seen the ice cream shops...super long lines! I guess lots of people are glad to see the sunshine too!

Jesse and I having a play on the beach.

Steve playing Jesse out. He was one tired puppy!

Ah, good ole fish and chips. Gotta love the summery junk food that tastes so good with a cold drink on a sunny, warm day!

Hello, Spring! Boy, am I glad to see you! :)

Kangaroo Island

Lisa (cousin) and I went to Kangaroo Island for 5 days, we drove up alone the Great Ocean Road, then into South Australia to catch a ferry to Kangaroo Island. I'll post some more details later but here are some pics from the trip....
If you ever come to Australia, or you live here now, please visit this island......take your camping gear, bring some warm clothes and enjoy one of the most amazing places I've been to since moving to Australia....

Steve (loves lamb chops) Dickinson

Thinking...

I've thought for a long time that I should be a vegetarian. A really long time. I'm a serious animal lover and often read things that leave me feeling sick to my stomach over the way animals are treated, particularly chickens and pigs. I won't go into the details but it's very sad and worth knowing if you care about where your food comes from.

The problems with me becoming a vegetarian are...

...my diet consists of a fare bit of meat because there are so many other foods I can't eat due to food sensitivities...

...common meat substitutes like tofu are made of soy, a food that gives me a big tummy ache...

...I have very low iron on a good day and truly need all the iron I can get in my diet...I know there are other foods high in iron, I eat those too! Like I said, I need all the iron I can get! I'm determined to live a life without iron injections, iron infusions and iron supplements.

...I really do like meat. Just being honest.

So, I've concluded being a vegetarian isn't really for me at this stage in my life but I'm thinking there are options, right? I think the idea of Meatless Monday is a great idea, in regards to doing my small part to help with the environment but what about the animals that suffer everywhere so I can buy meat cheap at the grocery store to throw on the bbq? Which has lead me to think it's worth knowing where your meat comes from...

Organic, free range meat is much more expensive but cutting back on meat slightly is an option for me, hence Meatless Monday. So, while I might pay more for organic, free range chicken (for example) from a respected butcher, I would know I'm getting healthier meat for my body (Hello! Have you read about the hormones in chicken??) and supporting a farmer/rancher that respects animals and gives them a good life.

I haven't decided if this is something I want to commit to just yet, so I'm wondering, what are your thoughts?

...How many of you buy organic, free range meat?...

...Do you know a good, respectable butcher in your area?...

...Are you concerned about this at all or haven't really thought about it?...

...Are you a vegetarian?...

I'd love to hear your thoughts! Thanks for reading. I always feel better after blogging my thoughts and getting them out of my head! :)

Photo found here.

Time out.

Just want to let you know that I'll be away from this space for the next couple of days. Can you believe that I'm still sick? I went back to the doctor today and I have to repeat both types of antibiotics and start using a puffer for my cough. I have been coughing so hard, I managed to crack (possibly even fracture!) a rib. I didn't even know that was possible but it sure does explain the horrible pain I've been having in my left ribs! Steve and his cousin are away until Tuesday night on a little Aussie adventure (so sad to be missing it!) and I think I'll take advantage of the down time with lots of rest and puppy cuddles. Hopefully, I'll be back next week feeling much more myself! Have a great weekend everyone! xo

Look who had a birthday last week...

Jesse turned 9 on the 10th of September. They grow up so fast, don't they? It honestly blows my mind that we've had him for 9 years! So much has happened in 9 years, yet it seems to have gone by so fast! Time really is the strangest thing. We love this stinky puppy so much! Yes, I said puppy. He'll always be a puppy to his Mama! We couldn't ask for a dog more suited to us....he's perfect, even when he's not! :)

I'm Here! Hello? Hi!

Yes, yes, I'm here! It's been awhile, eh? Oh my, it's a been a crazy couple of weeks since I last posted. I went to Brisbane for a friend's "Hen's Night", as the Aussies say, a.k.a. a bachelorette party. Then, on my last day there, I came down with a terrible flu that left me the sickest I have ever been in my whole entire life! I spent 7 days in bed with a fever (7 days with a fever!) and flu symptoms and today was the first time in over a week (thanks to 2 kinds of antibiotics) that I was able to leave my house and enjoy a little fresh air. Luckily for me, the sun was shining and it was feeling like spring. I'm still not feeling 100% but I'm definitely on the mend! I should have known that making it through an entire Melbourne winter without getting sick would be too good to be true!

Here's a few photos of what's been going on the last little while...

I made my friend, Amy a condom crown for her Hen's Night. The goal was "classy tacky". She wore it very well!

The Hen's party was a great time. Amy was the best looking Bride-to-be on the block! We surprised her with a limo and spent an hour driving around the city, drinking champagne, chatting and playing a silly game that tests how well the bride and groom know each other. Then we settled in at a great venue on the Brisbane waterfront for drinks, food and fireworks, as it happened to be the Brisbane fireworks show that weekend. Good times!

Steve's cousin, Lisa arrived from Canada on the exact same day I got sick. Needless to say, I didn't get to spend much time showing her around! She did a great job exploring the city on her own and when Steve wasn't working, they went looking for kangaroos and other Australian fun...

Lisa is away in Queensland for a few days and then back to Melbourne. I hope to be feeling all better by the time she gets back. It's been wonderful having her around!

That's the update! I promise not to leave you for so long again without warning. I hope that you can forgive my absence more easily than my poor house plants have! :)