Sunday, December 27, 2015

Werribee Mansion

We had a free Saturday so went to see the Werribee Mansion. It's just a ten minute drive away. 

It was built in 1877 by the Chirnside family. There is a sad/interesting tale of the love between Thomas Chirnside and his cousin Mary. Their marriage was refused by her parents, but she was later granted marriage to Thomas's younger brother Andrew. Thomas never married, but Andrew and Thomas remained business partners and built the mansion together. Thomas wanted Mary to live in the best home in Victoria, even if he wasn't married to her. He lived in Point Cook (where we live). Sadly, Thomas died of suicide in 1887. There are so many questions here, but it makes my heart hurt already. 

Christmas Day

White SAND and SURF Christmas this year! No complaints. 


I managed to get most of the traditional Christmas dinner made in advance so I could just put the side dishes in the oven when we got back from the beach. I put the turkey in the crockpot all day and baked the rolls before the kids were even up for breakfast! It was really a low-key Christmas morning. Not a load of presents but no one complained. We knew we would head to the beach soon.

Carols on the Coast

Every year Allen and I look at each other and wonder what we should do for Christmas Eve. Something special. Something to put a halt to all the hustle and bustle of shopping and gift buying and bring our focus to the Savior. We've tried something different every year.

This year I wanted to do something memorable and special to harness the warm weather we have and make a memory. I came up with Carols on the Coast. I invited some friends to join us on the beach to sing Christmas Carols around a campfire. 


Ward Christmas party and Torquay Beach

Ward Christmas BBQ was HOT by 8am. Fanning ourselves with the plates.

Christmas Family Robinson

I remember reading Swiss Family Robinson to the kids many years ago. It seemed a little dorky how they would say, "oh how I wish we had something like a ladder so we could cross this bridge," and then they would come around the bend and, viola, there's some bamboo poles and a pile of rope. Or they would say, "now all we need is a pulley and some buckets for indoor plumbing," and then they would walk along and find Home Depot. We would laugh about how perfectly timed and placed things were for the Robinson family.

Well, this Christmas I'm feeling like the Robinson family. Christmas has been very different here. We have been more aware of things we don't have here and there are a few things we miss, but everything we've wished for, we've been able to make happen.

Saturday, December 19, 2015

Christmas in downtown Melbourne

I'll say I haven't sensed a great deal of "hustle and bustle" of Christmas like I do in Utah. Usually at Christmas the stores are packed, traffic is terrible, and you can always overhear people in the crowded stores talking about gift purchases they are considering. You can even see people with lists they are checking off as they get all their shopping done. I haven't seen that here. I don't notice a lot of extra shopping happening. Maybe I'm unaware, but I'm fine with the more relaxed nature at Christmas. In the states we always talk about how we wish we could enjoy the season more. Here, people ARE! They are having pool parties, and BBQ picnics, and going to the beach!

We took a train into the city one evening to see all the Christmas displays. 
Merry Christmas from Melbourne! 

Monday, December 14, 2015

What do you expect

I was done with my Christmas shopping by mid-November. No one is expecting much of me this year since I'm half-way across the globe and our means to transport larger items is reduced. It's been wonderful. I've had a great time decorating for Christmas, listening to Christmas music  (also this music), and teaching the story of Christ's birth to Henry.

I've been reflecting on the idea of expectations lately. I'm really content with the lower level of possessions we have now. But I recognize it's made easier because if we lack for something or don't have something very nice, we can use the whole "we're only here for a year" excuse and everyone understands. We don't have a printer. We don't have lawn tools. We don't have matching bedroom furniture or fancy throw pillows. It's okay. We borrow things if we need them or just do without. I have been living without many of the social expectations that are part of regular life for most people.

We have fewer clothes, no guest towels, one car, no fancy serving dishes, no TV. It's fine. I still have something to wear everyday. I just spend less time picking it out.

I have realized how much of my daily life in Utah (and stress) was a direct result of living up to expectations. I felt the need to keep a clean house, the need to keep my Zumba classes fresh and exciting with new choreography, buy or make the perfect present for Christmas, the need to help with school/church activities.

So I notice two things about all of that. 1) all of those things are things I want to do. But 2) when I start to respond to the perceived exterior pressure (expectations) it loses it's joy and becomes a chore. A stress.

For instance, I like (love!) teaching Zumba, but the one and only thing that has ever made me want to stop is if I feel I can't keep creating new choreography at the same rate and same quality that I've done in the past. But I still like it. So do I quit teaching just because I can't meet everyone else's expectation?

I like (love!) Christmas. Without the expectation to deliver lots of presents this year, I found myself discovering little treasures along my path and thinking, "Oh! this would be so great for _______!" It was really a joy to picture them opening it and being happy, knowing that I was thinking of them all the way from Australia. I wasn't *going* Christmas shopping. I just found things along my regular way and carried thoughts of people with me. Kind of a "wish they were here" thing. Just a little gift from me to capture a moment in time when I was thinking of them. Most things I found cost very little money or, in some cases, nothing.

So how can I let go of all of that more permanently? How can we live this freedom from expectations when we return? It is definitely more joyful.

I don't know. I can say I will let things go and not care about meeting expectations, but they creep in.

Are there things I do to place expectations on others? Even unintentionally? When we play the game of matching gifts, worrying about dollar amounts, and spending more than we can afford, we not only steal joy from ourselves, but I think we are stealing joy from others. We could be doing everyone a favor by just releasing it all and living more in the moment. Enjoy ourselves. We may not be able to do everything we have done before. Perhaps it's wiser if we don't.

I have frequently remembered a line from our church's General Conference this past October. Elder David A. Bednar shared a piece of wisdom from Elder Robert D. Hales. He said, "when you cannot do what you have always done, then you only do what matters most."

I'm going to try harder to make my life right now what *I* want it to be. Find out what kind of life I want to make, instead of the one I am supposed to make. Do the things that matter most. It's now or never.

No pressure.





Friday, December 11, 2015

Baby Jesus and The Gingerbread Boys

Every year for the past 12 years, our family has made mini gingerbread house kits. It's been a fundraising project for our children. They cut the pieces, assemble the candy, mix the frosting mix, pass out the flyers and sometimes stand on the street corner to sell them. They've been very popular ever since that first year. In 2014 we sold 500 kits! It's a huge undertaking for our kitchen and takes a good deal of our time during the Christmas season.

But here we are 9,000 miles away. There's no way it can be done this year. We are taking a break. But we still love the smell of gingerbread, so for family night, I made pieces for a larger house we could decorate together. We spent about $40 on candy to ensure everyone was happy!



I should have taken a picture of the candy assortment we came up with. We couldn't find gumdrops or peppermints. But we found candy canes, Mentos, gummy candies in Christmas shapes, some marshmallows, and some Lifesavers that fizzle in your mouth. Pez was familiar and mini M&Ms, but they were just a lot more expensive here. I really liked the sprinkle covered chocolates called, "Freckles." I bought a bag of M&Ms Toffee Apple flavor because they were green and red. They are $5 for a small bag and don't taste very good, but we were mostly after the color.


Henry has been helping himself to the candy and kangaroos for a few days now. 
He says it's very good. Ha ha. Allen and Henry are the real Gingerbread Boys. They worked together to finish the house with candy when everyone else was ready to move on. 

Adding that Australian touch.

 And, I tried out a special new gingerbread house design.


I like it very much.



I've been using the pictures for this nativity for years and years. This time, I needed a nativity that Henry could hold and manipulate. I simply printed the pictures and taped them to some plastic cups. They stack together easily. I have been using them to tell the story of Jesus' birth to Henry often. Hopefully by Christmas he'll be able to tell the story to us. 

Last week we went to the beach. I started collecting shells to make a nativity, but decided the best setting for the picture was right there on the beach. Millie and I had a great time arranging them in the sand, actually UNDER the water. We had to do it twice because by the time we finished the first one, the tide had gone out and it was half in, half out, of the water. 


So Christmas is here! It feels different because it's warm, the sun stays up longer into the evening, we aren't baking gingerbread like crazy, and we aren't spending loads of money buying presents for everyone on the planet. We are keeping the presents to a minimum and enjoying more time together. We aren't missing anything! We love it. 

Merry Christmas to you!

Wednesday, December 9, 2015

Christmas Trees from Trash!

I haven't had so much fun crafting since Allen was in graduate school.

Really, I don't "craft" much anymore. I don't create things anymore because then you have to find a place for it. And I suppose I have turned to "creating" with Zumba choreography and growing in my garden. And remodeling my house. But Allen gets exhausted when I do that. Because it creates work for him.

But Christmas trees are a must. I loved the living tree I created on the patio, but my juices were still flowing and I saw some possibilities for very low-cost trees I could bring inside. So, of course, I did them all. The common theme is "trash to treasure." Making my dad proud.

TREE #1:
TRASHED ITEM: metal fan screen, white trash bags, old t-shirts, salvaged styrofoam ball

I had a whimsical idea for an indoor tree made from t-shirt material. Using t-shirts from the thrift store, I cut fringe pieces and layered them on a frame of bamboo poles. My idea was to layer them thickly and then shine one single light from the inside of the tree to create an illusion of twinkle lights. But I could only find two green shirts at the store so it didn't turn out like I planned. But I still like it!


I needed a good base to hold the poles steady. I was on a run one morning and saw an old metal fan in pieces next to the sidewalk. It was just what I needed.


I topped it with a styrofoam ball that I had saved from the trash at the church Halloween party. I wrapped it with a little yellow fabric from a shirt we didn't need. Millie made a paper chain and I think it looks so cheerful!



TREE #2:
TRASHED ITEM: leftover felt from Halloween costume, reused tent poles

Henry has been needing some activities to entertain him. So I threw together this little felt tree for him to decorate and redecorate as much as he likes. I used the tent poles from the circus tent he hasn't been using much from IKEA and secured them in a pizza box base. I wrapped it with green felt and cut some simple shapes from colored felt. It was pretty easy!



TREE #3:
TRASHED ITEM: tree branch, "coasters," imperfect seashells, bricks and an extra tile piece from garage

I think my favorite "tree" is this one. The house we live in is a typical neglected rental property. There are three trees here and all of them show signs of neglect. I have trimmed two of them significantly and they look much better.

I cleaned the leaves off one branch and brought it inside.


There is a picture hook in the wall holding it steady, one branch bracing against the wall, and the base is supported on more bricks from the other side of the house and a metal hanging basket frame from a yard sale. It is surprisingly sturdy. 


Allen and I went to a garden show a few weeks ago and one of the businesses was handing out some products to promote their business. The lady offered me the last box and said, "they're coasters." I thought, "no silly, they're Christmas ornaments." They look perfect in this tree. I also sprinkled the branch with seashells from all of our coastal explorations. I could only use "imperfect" ones that have holes to thread some string through it. It's very relaxing to sit under it.

One of my favorite restaurants in Orem is Terra Mia. I especially loved the huge live ficus tree that was about 10-12' tall. It felt so good to sit under it to enjoy our meal. There is something so pleasant about sitting under a tree. I think I'm keeping this tree branch even after Christmas is over.

TREE #4:
TRASHED ITEM: rusty rebar, old grass from the front yard

This is a crazy find. Henry and I were on the bike trail one morning waiting for the car to be serviced. I just happened to see a piece of rusty rebar that was discarded. I can't explain my love for old metal, but I was drawn to it. I thought it could be cute to stick magnets on it for holding pictures.

I looked at it for a few days and then found a great use for it.










The nativity pattern is one my mom created years ago. We have a full size version made of plywood at our home in Orem that is painted white. It looks so peaceful in our front window. I found the pattern on my computer and transferred it to brown paper from shopping bags. I added some pieces of "straw" that are actually remnants of last years ornamental grasses out front (Again, "neglected rental property"). It's kind of a tree, kind of a nativity but it looks nice on the wall. And it makes me happy to see our familiar nativity again.


TREE #5:
TRASHED ITEM: loads of discarded succulents! and some empty plastic containers from the kitchen.

I was on a run one evening and as I passed a house I saw that they had cut down a lot of their succulents and the remnants were just laying there. As my feet were still moving, my wheels started turning. I couldn't resist the opportunity to make something with SO MANY ROSETTES. I headed back and knocked on the door. No one answered so I came back later with a note asking for the scraps. Permission was granted.

Commence WORK.

I didn't take enough pictures. Mostly because my hands were dirty the entire time and I couldn't handle my phone. It's also because I lacked faith that I was going to be able to turn my dream into reality. It was really questionable what I was doing.

I pounded some bamboo poles into the ground out front. Now see, "out front" means I was really sticking my neck out doing this crazy thing IN PUBLIC. I was nervous.

I had planned to pack sphagnum moss along a network of poles and string and then fill the inside with dirt. But the moss was more flimsy than I thought. I almost gave up right then. But I start weaving some twigs from other tree trimmings through the string and it gave me hope.

But not enough. There was no way this was going to be sturdy enough to hold up all those succulents.


I gave up again. I was still in the mood to work outside so I walked through the front yard. The grasses still have the dried up remnants of two or three sesaons at their base, so I grabbed a handful to throw away. It was in my hand and I realized I could make a basket-weave out of it to hold the dirt in place.

It worked!

You can see inside that I took up some of the volume with a large pretzel container. More trash to treasure!

The completed base. I still lined it with moss and filled it with as much soil as I could. 

So now "all" I had to do was "just" stick in all the succulents. My hands really suffered with this. I had to poke my finger into the tight weave of the grasses and shove in the stems. A screw driver would have been handy to save my fingers, but...it was inside and I don't like being interrupted. I can't be bothered to go get tools!

It took three days to finish arranging the plants on the tree. I won't get any compliments on my manicure, but I don't care. Do you like my tree?





Tuesday, December 8, 2015

An Australian Christmas Tree

Ever since we got here I've been thinking about what I could use to make a Christmas tree. I didn't want to just buy a normal tree with normal ornaments. This year is all about DIFFERENT and I wanted our tree to reflect that. I wanted to be resourceful and creative and simple.

The first thing I asked myself was, "what do I have an abundance of?" I also thought there was no reason the tree couldn't be made of living plants since it will be summertime during Christmas. Then I could enjoy the plants for even longer.

Okay, maybe it was just an excuse to buy more plants without feeling guilty about it.

On the other side of our house is a large stack of bricks. It's just leftover from building the house and is being kept just in case the need arises. I hauled them over to the patio and built a pyramid shape. I started on it sometime in October. After I felt I had a good shape, I went to buy the plants. I wanted to be sure I bought enough, but only as many as I needed.

Can I just say this was quite the workout hauling 
72 bricks from the opposite side of the house? 

I needed something that would grow in the part-shade conditions of the patio, but could also handle some direct sunlight. Having something that resembled the fine greenery of a pine tree was also on my wish list. And blossoms. If it wasn't asking too much I wanted something that would create it's own ornaments! Oh, and could we have it be a plant unique to Australia? I know, I'm rather demanding.


I found the perfect plant! It's called Creeping Boobiala. Not very Christmasy! I actually prefer the botanical name, myoporum parvifolium. It sounds better when you sing, "O Myoporum Parvifolium, how lovely are they branches." An Australian native, it has fine needle-like leaves and small delicate star-shaped white blossoms. STAR shaped! And it can handle the sun or the shade! Could there be anything more perfect?! I bought them just before our trip to Perth and kept them in the back of the house until after we got back. I wanted the tree to be a surprise for the family.


I was so excited to put it all together. I even had solar powered lights so I didn't need to plug them in, and they come on automatically at night. I had sent Allen to Costco to buy a long roll of ribbon to wrap around the pots to cover the black plastic and to secure them to the bricks. It can get VERY windy here sometimes.

And I couldn't resist adding a showy succulent tree-topper. 

Of course, I took advantage of the back side as well. These are portulaca plants. 
They are also very hardy and drought tolerant. I use them a lot at our house in Orem. 


It's beautiful! Not sure if everyone else was as thrilled as I was, but it sure lifted my Christmas spirits.


And then I was hooked. More trees to come...

Sunday, December 6, 2015

American kid aces Australian history

When we first got here, we had no wi-fi for a few weeks and the kids weren't in school yet, so they had some spare time. Leo read a long travel book about Australia called In a Sunburned Country, by Bill Bryson. It's wonderfully entertaining and in addition to giving highlights of the wonderful things to see in Australia, it contains a good deal of the history and heritage of Australia. Leo has a mind like a steel trap, so all that history poured into his brain.

Just a couple of week after reading it, the youth at church had a Jeopardy game night. One of the categories was Australian History. Guess who aced it? It was fun for him, but pretty mind-blowing to all the other kids in attendance. "How did YOU know that!? I don't even know that!!"

Knowledge is power and you just never know when it will come in handy.

Leo eventually got enrolled in school and continued to impress everyone there with his work ethic and knowledge base. His teachers really liked him. He wrote thoughtful essays and turned his work in on time. Actually turning it in at all would be a strong contrast to a lot of the students.

Last week was the last week of classes before summer break here. They had an end-of-year assembly and gave awards. Guess who did very well?



This guy.

He was chosen as the sole recipient for awards in two categories for his grade level. And check it out! One of the categories is HISTORY! He really enjoyed that class. He says it covered Australia in World War I, including the negative sides of the U.S. involvement. They also discussed the Australian Aboriginal rights and freedoms movement, and Australian pop culture through the ages. I'm so pleased he really got to immerse himself in a completely new world and perspective. The other class was Business and Finance. He chose that class to help prepare him for all the great ideas he has for his future.

Here they follow career paths very early and it limits the variety of classes a student is allowed to take, but Leo is returning to American schools so he still wants that well-rounded education. He's been very thoughtful about choosing classes that will be helpful to his goals and prepare him for college. And then, he has to push for those choices against the existing system that is designed to channel him into just one career path. I'm glad it's important to him!

I asked him what he thought caused his teachers to choose him for those awards. He said he just did the work and made an effort to do it well. I think they also just like him.

Today we had to go into the school to make some class changes for next year (which starts in February). Leo headed off to get some signatures for a while and I waited in the office. The school principal was walking through and said to me, "Very nice boy, that son of yours. You must be very proud." Well, yeah. I am. He also said he was very pleased to have been able to present those awards to him.

Way to go, Leo!