This arrived in the post yesterday.
It's only Tuesday, but my week has been made.
Friends
24 February 2015
22 February 2015
16 February 2015
Shirts for Sweeties
My sweet, handsome and charming buddy, Sean in NY state, received the Australia Day cum Superman t-shirt I sent him. Yep, that's an Aussie-flag cape that attaches to the back with velcro tabs.
Sean has a delightful preoccupation with superhero clothing.
Enjoy, my friend!
14 February 2015
Happy Valentine's Day
...especially to a certain someone.
06 November 2013
Crazy Intersection
It's been nearly a decade since I moved to Australia.
I am at the point where I think of friends here that I would enjoy introducing to friends in the US.
Late to the party much?
18 October 2013
08 July 2013
Marble
I've been off the Facebook radar a bit this weekend, what with experimenting with a couple more dog biscuit recipes, visiting friends and doing some housekeeping. This morning, I sat down to
catch up.
Only a few minutes into the process of backscrolling through my newsfeed, I discovered the passing of Marble, the beautiful cat who lived with two of my dearest friends in Palm Springs. I immediately apologized to them for my belated condolences. That word, however,
cannot describe what I wanted to say or how I felt upon learning of
Marble's death.
I know the focus is on celebrating Marble's long life and the loss that my friends are feeling, but this evoked a significant emotional response within me. And because this blog serves as a personal and often therapeutic account of my weird life, I am writing about my feelings.
I had a special connection with Marble. I will always cherish the summer of 1996, when I stayed in my friends' beautiful home in the high desert just outside of Santa Fe while working that season as a professional singer. Not long after I moved in, a litter of kittens was dragged under the back porch by a mother cat trying to protect her babies. I remember working diligently and patiently every day to tame at least one of the kittens by the time the summer was over and I had to return to Tucson. I was successful with a big yellow tabby and I took the kitten back to Tucson with me. I called him Maxwell.
Shortly after I got back to Tucson, I learned from my friends that they had successfully tamed another before calling animal control to come and collect the rest. They had tamed a diminutive tortoise shell tabby and named her Marble, and she joined the two other feline companions in their home and quickly became a staple member of the family. Being the sap that I am, I was overjoyed. I can still remember lying in bed at night and hearing the coyotes scream in triumph after killing some kind of prey. I always worried it was one of the kittens, and each morning after the coyotes' eerily gleeful announcement, I would rush outside to make certain all kittens were accounted for.
My friends subsequently relocated to Palm Springs, which was excellent for me on a number of levels. It meant that they were closer to me when I lived full-time, temporarily or visited Tucson. And considering the many, many times that I traveled between Tucson and LA for flight connections between the US and Australia, Palm Springs was the perfect stopover place. Each visit I made to my friends cemented the fact that they are family to me. These two men mean more to me than I can express.
And then there was Marble, too. I dished out love to that cat as much as she would let me in her archetypal, feline way. I adored her primarily because of the "family" connection, but also because of her spirit and disposition. Aside from that, seeing Marble was always a wonderful reconnection with the decade of my life that I had spent with a wonderful partner, moving from Washington DC to the Arizona desert and then to Vermont, accumulating experiences and developing friendships along the way.
Sometimes, however, I despise these markers that punctuate my life. They make me realize that not only am I getting older, but that everything seems so, well, difficult to grasp in the greater scheme. That may not make much sense. It isn't tragic, really. And I put a positive spin on it by recognizing that all of these experiences, whether the critters or the people involved are still in my life, have helped make some sense out of this crazy thing called life.
The loss of Marble represents something substantial to me, and I'm devastated. But I'm very happy to have known her, and I mourn the loss with my friends. I know how much they both loved her, as they do with all the living creatures they decide to take into their home, feline or otherwise, and call family.
05 April 2013
This Land (My Land) Is Girt by Sea!
Really! Totally girt.
Today I was conferred Australian citizenship by the Lord Mayor of Sydney and NSW MP Alex Greenwich.
In a large room filled to capacity with people and guests from 59 countries, I found it surreal and joyful that between both lovely statements by Clover Moore and Alex Greenwich, there were two references to how welcoming Sydney is to its gay and lesbian (et al) population. One reference was a thank you from MP Greenwich to the Lord Mayor for all of her wonderful work and cited the relatively new rainbow crossing on the pavement at Taylor Square as an example. In his statement, MP Greenwich also made reference to his soon-to-be husband. There were whispers all around me, but nothing too alarming. At once, I felt proud and in a good place.
The other fantastic thing arising from the opening statements was the Lord Mayor's comical, but nevertheless biting dig at the Daily Telegraph. She's pretty fantastic. After I posed on stage with her and Greenwich for the obligatory photo, I shook her hand and said, "See you at the dog park!" Which I do very often.
I have received a number of congratulatory wishes via social media and sms, and I thank each of you who has offered them. Although I would never had been opposed to the
idea (only confounded that it would present itself to me), I do have to
say that of all the places I would end up pledging a second allegiance, I would probably not have guessed Australia. But that was before I met Mark
and Zane and was introduced to a world of relationships, some familial, some astronomically close, some beautiful and really meaningful friendships...you get the point. I can
still taste the sweet bitter that I sensed while
sitting in the ceremony without them as guests. Thankfully, that was
shortlived, because I had two new friends there to felicitate with me.
I'll say this now and hope that it is one of the very, very few times I'll have to do so. [sidebar: I really don't like repeating myself, which is why I chose to teach university rather than kids.]
I dig Australia. I mean, I really get it. And I admire it greatly. There are problems, yes, but let's face it. There will never be a generally accepted Utopia. But if you take the time to learn why you like/dislike a place, regardless of its geographic position on the planet, you discover a fascinating world of knowledge and power. I am elated to be able to vote in the upcoming election.
I adore the US. I really do and would never renounce my ties to the country. During my life, I have had uncountable events there that, I can tell, shaped who I am today. Everything from my youth, to early adulthood, to university, to the Fulbright, to the career. And to what would become family, ie, partner and son, for nearly a third of my adult life.
I appreciate that I can hold dual citizenship. There are many who cannot. I thank and extend fondest thanks to all the Australians (or Aussie residents) I have met during this journey. I expect the next [x] years will be equally enchanting.
I'll say this now and hope that it is one of the very, very few times I'll have to do so. [sidebar: I really don't like repeating myself, which is why I chose to teach university rather than kids.]
I dig Australia. I mean, I really get it. And I admire it greatly. There are problems, yes, but let's face it. There will never be a generally accepted Utopia. But if you take the time to learn why you like/dislike a place, regardless of its geographic position on the planet, you discover a fascinating world of knowledge and power. I am elated to be able to vote in the upcoming election.
I adore the US. I really do and would never renounce my ties to the country. During my life, I have had uncountable events there that, I can tell, shaped who I am today. Everything from my youth, to early adulthood, to university, to the Fulbright, to the career. And to what would become family, ie, partner and son, for nearly a third of my adult life.
I appreciate that I can hold dual citizenship. There are many who cannot. I thank and extend fondest thanks to all the Australians (or Aussie residents) I have met during this journey. I expect the next [x] years will be equally enchanting.
Finally, I have an anecdote that seems fitting to share. At the reception following the senior recital that culminated my undergraduate studies, one of the faculty came up to me (Dr. John Cowell, Professor of Organ), grabbed my elbow with the hand that wasn't miraculously holding his wine and cheese plate--but then, he was an organist and, therefore, fairly coordinated--and took me to the side of the room to say something in relative privacy. He congratulated me on a fine recital and honestly told me he thought it was of an extremely high standard. And then he said, "And if there's one piece of advice I can give you, it's never to get tied down by the local scene."
Those words have stuck with me to this day. And, fair dinkum, I am happy about that.
01 November 2010
The Man Who Came To Town
Mark is in town for a couple of weeks. Thanks be to whomever! These brief respites from the distance and physical separation make all the difference. Let's just hope I can scrape the pennies together to get back there for December and January. If not, it will be a loooong summer/winter (circle the appropriate a season for your hemisphere). But enough of that.
Zane came along, but he spent the day with his mum. Because of visa regulations, Mark cannot travel out of the US without him, so Zane will be home-schooled for a couple of weeks. We have all his assignments and projects. Boy has a lot to do!
Yesterday afternoon, we strolled to the Beresford in Surry Hills for a Sunday session. We were joined by Alison, as well as our friends Kerry & Simon. It's been a while since I've had a Sunday session, as this ol' body can attest to. Fun, nevertheless!
Recent Comments