Won't You Be My Neighbor?

Today, I met a really beautiful soul. Having Dodger at the park typically attracts people, as they are always interested in him. Today I was approached by a set of twins and their mother, who looked on the outside very different that the other parents. She had beautiful dreads and plenty of piercing. She sat down and we instantly starting chatting. She knew right away I was from the States and was inquisitive about my experience here so far. We talked about the little things of convenience that I miss (hello drive through pharmacies) and some of the things I don't miss (guns, of course among a few other things).

I got the feeling as we were talking that other parents weren't too keen on her look. But I found her fascinating. She explained to me that she was essentially homeless for the time as she and her husband and three children were living with her parents and siblings. "In between homes…" she said. She was my age and so I could relate to her about what that must feel like, considering I just made a big move and felt homeless a bit. She talked about her siblings, the mistakes she had made, and the fact that she hoped they would learn from her. We talked about her travel experience to the States and the many other places we want to travel. Her kids followed us down to the oval while I let Dodger have a run and we talked more about the challenges of raising kids. It was simple conversation. We talked about potty training, how friendly people were in the US (her words I promise), the size of the meals in the States, and where you could find organic items around here. I made mention of Petty's Orchard and she indicated she had not been there before. She was going to make plans to check it out. We talked about free things to do with the kids, since everything seems to be expensive around this area.

Of course, then I walked home and had the horrible interaction with Dragon Lady.

It made me wonder why some people are so angry in life? What could possibly make these neighbors so hateful?

Then there was this women at the park. She had seen some hard times. She was so beautiful to me, inside and out. Interacting with those type of locals is what this adventure is all about.

In Mr. Roger's neighborhood, Dragon Lady would not survive. She may appear to be "normal" but her ugliness on the inside is like a rotten apple.

I hope to run into the twin's mother again as she was so unique and so friendly…very considerate; true to herself. People are so interesting if you just give them a chance to show their true colors. I would welcome a neighbor like that.

A Few of My Favorite Things

We have now settled into our rental home and I have began collecting my favorite spots in the house to sit and think about life. Typically this tends to be wherever I might find sun coming through a window. So far, I enjoy my spot on the bed around 2-3 pm. The sun comes beaming through and warms the spot. A second favorite spot in sitting on the couch near our living room windows. This brings joy to me as I can sit and see the beautiful trees and enjoy the scenery. We also have a Butcher bird that frequents our back tree and sometimes I can see him swoop in to grab dinner. I also enjoy sitting on each of the boys' bed and looking out over the trees from the second floor of the house. Really- there is not a bad view from any of the windows in my opinion. So, favorite spots in the house have been found.

Favorite spots out of the house our plentiful. Our local parks are simply amazing. Beautiful walks, lots of wildlife, and plenty of exercise. The spotting of kangaroos is a common occurrence. The spotting of the wombat or echidna that we have recently seen is not so common so we feel quite lucky. I enjoy walking through the gum trees and beautiful park lands and listening for the kookaburra. It's simply not possible to avoid smiling when you hear them laugh. I often times wondering what they are saying. This morning when I heard one laugh I am certain he was telling the other birds to hush up. Today we discovered Petty's Orchard where the boys played in the fenced in playground, kicked a soccer ball with the other kids, crawled all over the tractor in the field, saw kangaroos resting in the orchard, and where Paul and I enjoyed a coffee and fresh apple pie. The boys did their thing independently and we did our thing…enjoyed our coffee and read the paper. It was incredibly enjoyable. The orchard itself is one of the oldest in Melbourne, founded in 1853. It's 5 minutes from our home. We are now making plans for our first trip to Phillip Island to see the Little Penguins and eventually weekends where we can drive down for a day at one of several beaches in the area.

I am still searching for employment and hope to find something soon. Otherwise, I am enjoying learning my way around, spending a lot of time with Evan while Ian is at school, and trying to figure out what to cook in this new land. I drink a lot of tea to stay warm, make a lot of biscuits/scones with fresh cream and yummy jam, and try to make the most of my time with the kids.

And Dodger is enjoying life as well. I should add that in. He pretty much goes everywhere with us it seems. He enjoys his walks and all the new sites and animals that are fun to sniff out. And of course he loves the kangaroos.

Many favorite things. Many more to discover.