TEN MONTHS IN!!

So, it's been more than 10 months now! I can't believe how much has happened in the four months since I last updated my blog. 

UK
So, the most exciting news from the UK is that my lovely son and his equally lovely wife have announced that they are expecting - end of April 2020. Which means that I'll be a grandmum, which is tremendous news. Sadly that will be in the middle of Term 2 here, but I've already booked my flights back over as soon as term ends, end of June 2020, to be able to snuggle the new addition to the family. It's so exciting. My mum will also be a great-grandmother for the first time, which is just brilliant. I plan to be the most annoying user of Skype to view bathtime, bedtime, teething, all of that!

Work
I have been lucky enough to win another year's contract at the Catholic school where I've been doing maternity cover - so for 2020 I'll be doing the 35 min commute again, but hopefully teaching the Seniors (Years 10-12) in History (hurrah!) as well as English (my new second favourite subject to teach).  I am still waiting to submit my folder of evidence to move from Provisional to Full status - I have to teach 200 days in a QLD school to apply, so that will be end of Term 1 (Easter 2020).

At work, together with my friend Abbey, who is also a secret historian teaching English, I led the school's Book Week celebrations, including a Mad Hatter's Tea Party for staff. We put on a wide range of activities and raised $650 for an Australian charity called Share-A-Book, which gives books to underprivileged children.  Abbey and I have also been looking after Year 7 English for Term 4, when the previous person moved on - we've had to write assessments and everything! It has been really interesting to get to grips with the Australian Curriculum and a new subject. 

I've also been active in our union, again with Abbey - and we are both on the Executive of our "Chapter" (what a union branch is called here). Currently our union is holding a state-wide series of actions because the employer is refusing to meet requests - 206 Catholic schools are taking part. Very interesting to be on this side of the table, after all these years. 

Walking to class for the last two weeks, I have been amazed by the scent of gardenias flowering (it's spring) along the walkway. How lucky am I, I think, to be smelling these fantastic flowers when I'm about to do battle with Year 8?!

At work, instead of sending cards and gifts to each other, staff are donating cash to buy a "swag" - like a tent/sleeping bag altogether - for the homeless. What a brilliant idea.  

Life
I have been taking advantage of the brilliant venues near me - I've seen Dave Hughes, the comedian at the Shed (15 mins' drive away); I've seen the Sydney Comedy Festival when it toured to Caloundra (literally 5 mins' drive away); and I went to the Caloundra Music Festival and saw the amazing Missy Higgins (walked along the beach there and back, 10 mins from home). 

I managed to complete my tax return online - and even got a refund! I think the principle here is that they tax you more and then give you a bit back? I was pleased to get it right and I liked the way it was pretty interactive - it already knew my bank account, how much interest I'd had, etc.

I've continued my walking in the rainforests and along the beaches - I've made it to Sunshine Beach near Noosa now with my boardwalk route, and have had to pause my walks so that I can fit everything else in! My cousins want to do the last bit with me, through the Noosa National Park, so we might have to wait til the summer holidays.

Spring has been very dry and there have been many hot days over 30deg. Lots of bushfires have also meant a state-wide fire ban - the land is so dry after years of no rain. Here at the coast, where I am, we get plenty of rain, usually a deluge with a thunderstorm. I did plant lots of bulbs in a big pot in my patio.... however, two furry friends decided this was a big improvement on their cat litter box.... so nothing flowered!!

It's edging towards summer now, with daily temperatures around 27-30deg.... the doona (duvet) has gone back in the airing cupboard, and now I just have the duvet cover over me.... still hot and need the fan on, the window open, the air con on!! The hottest day so far this spring was last week at 37deg... it felt like a sauna!! My school has aircon in EVERY classroom, and the staffroom... we hardly ventured outdoors at all that day!

I've stepped up the volunteering, and am doing two different roles now. One is as a bushcare volunteer, so once per month we spend two hours clearing something for Council, near Shelly Beach. I have really enjoyed this - quietly improving the area for everyone, and being invisible (in the most awful khaki shirts you have ever seen) while we do it!  

I've also joined the Ithaca Caloundra City Royal Life Saving patrol team, who patrol at my favourite beach, Bulcock in Caloundra. I did a Grey Medallion course (a whole weekend) - a bit like Bronze Medallion which I did years ago in the police - for fogeys like me who are over 55. I found it fascinating to learn how to treat different stings from a range of "unidentified marine objects". I do Sunday mornings - so I cycle there (I bought a brilliant bike, powder blue with a fabulous wicker basket on the front) to start at 7.30am, until 12.30pm. I've now achieved four "badges" and can use a defibrillator, so I am beginning to feel useful. The uniform is not at all Baywatch - red shorts and a yellow long-sleeved top!

I've been to dinner at Mets on Kings, a surf club restaurant, watching the waves crash on to the sand as I had fantastic food with my cousins. On Friday nights, I've been going along to a little bar near me which does burgers (a very big menu, I'm working through it) and has live music. This signals my weekend!

I also still visit the community church from time to time - we did Xmas shoeboxes (see how many we did in the pic!) - which was lovely, something I have done for years in the UK. What I didn't know, and learned here, was that every single box costs $10 to deliver. That is so expensive. So at the church we've all donated towards it.

I've found a great acupuncturist, who has been boosting my energy levels. I've also found a great healer who does a superb sound bath, which again is to clear out negativity and to tune into positive and healing vibrations. I did a Celtic Reiki course too, which I thought was very interesting although I don't think I've got the skill to get any better at it!

I had my first "bingle" (car accident) when I was trying to get on to the motorway via a roundabout and the person in front just stopped. No damage to him and just a little bit for me. No drama, as the Strayans would say.

I've rediscovered Jeffrey Archer as a writer, and have read all seven of his Clifton Chronicles - I can highly recommend them to keep your brain occupied!  I'm also regularly ordering books and audio books at the local library - they have a fantastic online service and seem to get things in stock quickly.


And I've found a new house to rent for the coming year (my current one runs out mid-Jan). I was really lucky and have found one that is in Dicky Beach (named after SS Dicky which ran aground there in 1893). My new place is literally 20 steps from the sand and I'll be able to hear the waves crashing all night. I'm looking forward to moving in, when I get back from the UK where I'm spending Christmas.

Finally, the very worst news in my world over the last four months has been that the person I thought was my Mr Wonderful, who I'd found again after many years apart, who I was anticipating joining me here - decided in mid-September that he wanted to pursue a different path, one that didn't include me. It has been horrific. No word of a lie. It doesn't matter how old you are, does it, when your heart breaks. My two besties in the UK were the ones who ensured I kept on breathing, with endless phone calls, messages, memes - there have been desperate times, I'll be honest, when I didn't want to survive, the pain was so great. But I have. I'm still here. I'm very, very sad, but I'm still here. I do so wish things were different for that person, that he had chosen to be with me.  But I can't influence what that person wants. And it isn't me.

I am looking forward to coming back to the UK for a 3 week trip - hoping to see my children, my friends, my mum and sister. It will be very cold for me!! But I strategically left clothing, coats and shoes all around my special people so hopefully I will layer up! And maybe the UK won't be super-cold, though I have spent most of the last 10 months somewhere above 25 deg - I think acclimatising will be tricky!