Still Flying Over the Rainbow

Book Report: The Washer Woman's Dream

2012-03-07T01:30:00.000+11:00

Australia is a country with a rich history full of interesting people and events. For those of you who read my own book and enjoyed it, I'd like to now begin leading you gently a little deeper - and recommend some of the Australian books I've read and found simply wonderful.

So I'm going to start writing some "book reports" (laughing at how I used to HATE doing this as a kid in school, and now I can't WAIT to share...). I'll give you enough information so that you can find it (generally Amazon.com is a good source, although you may have to go to "resellers" to actually get a copy, as with this first book I'm going to tell you about). I'll tell you a little about the book and why I liked it.

We'll begin with this one: The Washerwoman's Dream

This is non-fiction, a beautifully-written biography about Winifred Steger - an extraordinary Australian woman.

It begins with her immigration from the UK with her father (her mother refused to leave the UK), and eventual settlement in New South Wales.

Her childhood was less than ideal, and life got worse when she married her first husband. He and his family made life so impossible for her that she walked away from everything, even leaving her four children behind, in order to survive.

She faced her life with great courage, eventually finding love and experiencing adventures which are lovingly told by author Hilarie Lindsay. If you like adventure stories and enjoy reading about strong women who prevail against the odds, then this is for you!

American readers are cautioned to look around a little for your copy. When first out, this paperback sold for about $40 in Australia, but seems to be available now for about $25. So, do look beyond your normal book sources to see if you can get it for a reasonable price (also, be aware that the book was released a second time - in 2007, I believe - with a different cover). The 2 well-known online booksellers that most US buyers would turn to don't seem to have the best price... shop around!

Pictures from the Book: Page 4

2012-02-29T01:30:00.002+11:00

This morning I was honoured to be the guest-speaker at a book club connected with Wyandotte Winery (they recently read "Flying Over the Rainbow"). As part of the Q&A, they expressed the desire to see colour versions of the photos in the book. I'd been thinking about that myself, and so, YEAH! Why not?!?!

There are LOT of photos in the book - over 70 - that's too many to put up all at once, but the beauty of having this blog is the fact that I CAN show you colour photos. We'll start with page 4 - a photo of Cockatoos sitting on a park picnic table:

(Click on the image to see a larger version)

She'll Try Anything Once - Twice if She Likes It

2012-02-24T15:30:00.000+11:00

(side note: finally, FINALLY, computer seems to be straightened out, so I can post again!!!)

Avian bodies are not really designed for lactose, but a little taste every now and then isn't harmful. We were having breakfast, which on that morning included rockmelon (aka cantalope) and Greek yogurt. Laka was sitting on her t-stand next to the table - clearly very interested in what we were having. I gave her some melon, which she happily licked over and gobbled.

But she wanted more, fascinated with the white substance I was transferring via spoon from the bowl to my mouth. She leaned toward the spoon, swinging her body to follow my hand each time I took a bite.

I finally gave in, scooping up about 1/4 of a teaspoon of yogurt onto a spoon and handed it to her.

Oh, yes... it was a big hit. First she licked the back of the spoon, carefully getting every little molecule, her face showing intense concentration. Then she deftly turned the spoon over and went after the inside of the bowl, managing to get some on the bottom of her lower mandible in the process:

After extracting every little bit, she flipped the spoon end-to-end and inspected the handle (no joy there, the yogurt was GONE!).

Once she was satisfied that the delectable white stuff was gone, she summarily dropped the spoon, enjoying the loud CLANG! it made when it hit the pan under her stand.

The Bain of all Bloggers...

2012-02-22T18:46:00.000+11:00

Computer problems - my usual machine is down...

I'm on a clumsy laptop using wifi and pulling my hair out. I'm using some pretty choice language right now... with this machine... I think it's possessed... It's taken 30 mins to type this much. I'll get to the bottom of this (or beat this laptop with a hammer...) and put something worth reading up in a day or so.

Apologeeeeez......

Angel Food Cake - Part 2

2012-02-15T01:30:00.005+11:00

Last month, I mentioned my plan to introduce my Aussie friends to "Angel Food Cake". I'd planned to do it right away, but somehow managed to procrastinate until this week - but I finally did it.

I am part of a group of women who meet one afternoon a week to play mahjong. They are a great bunch of gals and fairly adventurous, so I decided they were the ideal ones to try this out on.

I got a Duncan Hines angel food cake mix from an American food store here in Melbourne - and located an angel food cake pan via eBay. The cake mix turned out to be amazingly easy - certainly easier than attempting this from "scratch". Everything needed (including the eggs) was part of the mix; all I had to do was add water. I have to admit that I was a bit skeptical that the cake would turn out correctly - but it did!

The cake pan is non-stick, so I had to be extremely careful in how I loosened the cake from the sides. My plastic spatula worked well for out outer edge, and the cake came away from the sides easily.

The inner tube part was trickier - I used a butter knife for that (and managed to get the job done without scratching the pan).

Worrying that the cake would adhere to the pan's bottom, I lined it with wax paper before pouring in the batter. It's a good thing I did; I'm convinced the cake would never have come out easily, esp. after seeing how it was clinging to the sides.

Voila!

It turned out perfectly. The texture, colour, flavour - all if it was exactly what angel food cake should be. And what did my friends think of their first taste of angel food? Well here's the unanimous verdict:

(the ladies, from left to right are Joan, Phyllis, Jill, Jenny, Dianne, and June.
In front are Jill's grandchildren, Caitlin and Thomas, who came home from school just in time to be offered a slice)
They were pretty surprised at how tall the layer was, and by the texture, which they compared to sandwich bread. Most of them remarked on how sweet it was - which surprised me, as I don't think of angel food cake as being particularly sweet. I don't eat cake often (almost never, really) so I'll have to get some the next time I'm out for a coffee and make note of how sweet it is.

Anyway - angel food cake is a hit in Australia!

Andy Warhol's Famous Prediction

2012-02-11T14:32:00.023+11:00

In 1968, artist and celebrity Andy Warhol said "In the future, everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes." Well, my 15 minutes came this past week, when I was interviewed by Jan Goldsmith of Melbourne radio station 3CR (855 AM).

As part of my publicity campaign for the book, I sent complimentary copies of Flying Over the Rainbow to Jan and a few other radio personalities - hoping they would read it, enjoy it, and invite me on their programs to discuss it. I was tickled to pieces when Jan contacted me in late December saying she'd be in touch after her summer holiday to schedule an interview on her weekly program "Published or Not".

And so she did! I was there last Thursday, sitting in the studio, so excited to be there I could hardly breathe. I was one of two authors being interviewed that day - and thank HEAVENS they put me on first. I'm sure my jangled nerves would have been a lot worse if I'd been second. This was live-to-air radio (no "undo" buttons anywhere, folks...) and I was painfully aware that the microphone in front of me was transmitting anything and everything.

EEK!

As the introduction theme music played, my heart started pounding like mad, and I developed a very bad case of "cotton mouth".

DOUBLE EEK!

From the way Jan conducted the interview, it was obvious that she not only read the book, but liked it. Her enthusiasm for the book helped settle me down, and I managed to get through it without coming off like an idiot.

The station regularly records "Published or Not" and puts podcasts of the program on their website for a few days afterward. It won't be available for long, but anybody who checks their podcast page in the next week or so can listen in (Or try this direct link: "Published or Not | 10 Feb 2012").

Here I am, less than 30 seconds to air. Do I look relaxed? LOOK AGAIN! I was dying a thousand deaths...

The Display

2012-02-02T16:31:00.007+11:00

I've heard them calling in the forest, and have seen females while out walking along the paths just beyond Grants Picnic Ground, but I'd never seen a male lyrebird doing a mating display until just the other day.

We were at The National Rhododendron Gardens, when we came across a family who'd stopped alongside the path and who were intently watching something hidden by some bushes. I heard the sound of a butcher bird coming from the direction they were looking, and wondered why they'd be so entrance by a bird that is interesting and lovely, but certainly not a rare sight here. Then the butcher bird call ceased and the sound of a loud camera shutter took it's place, and then the sound of kookaburra's laughing. All the sounds were coming from the same place: underneath a bush just in front of us.

Ah! It was a lyrebird! Lyrebirds are incredibly talented at mimicking sounds they hear.

So we stopped, too, and stood quietly watching. There were two of them, both males, and they seemed to be taking turns dancing and performing a mating display.

Stephen was able to get a couple of good photos of one of them:

During a display, the male flips his long tail up over his body and quivers so that the long feathers wave and tremble. He turns this way and that, stomping the ground and calling as he dances.

I didn't see any females, just the two males, so I don't know if they were really trying to attract a mate or if they were just practicing and showing off for each other. There might have been a female in the bush next to where they were dancing; the dark shadow of the bush made it very hard to see much, and we didn't want to move in closer and possibly upset the birds.

"Junior"

2012-02-01T01:59:00.010+11:00

Maggie and Billy Bob - our resident magpies - have a youngster now. "Junior" has been out of the nest for some time, and I think that Maggie and Billy Bob wish he was back in it; he never gives them a moment's peace.

And here he is (right):

He's nearly the same size as the adults - a little bit thinner-looking and darker, and with a slightly "pouty" look about him.

We always know when he's around. He follows his Mum and Dad pretty closely, with an insistent, whiney call - reminding them that he's hungry.

And he's ALWAYS hungry.

Morning, noon, and evening - Maggie and Billy Bob are busy hunting food for their fledgling, working desperately to satisfy his bottomless pit. We see the family in our yard several times a day, and when I'm out on my morning walks I find them all around the neighborhood hunting for anything that might make a snack for Junior.

Here he is cawing madly at Billy Bob, begging for whatever it is Billy Bob has just picked up:

And down the hatch!:

Junior is actually capable of feeding himself, provided he sees the food. Here he is, picking up a crust of bread. I love the look on Billy Bob's face - SHOCK!

The crust that Junior has (left) is a little too large, but he's capable of snipping of bits with his beak. Still, if he sees Billy Bob with something in HIS beak, Junior will walk right across the food in front of him to beg something from his dad.

We're getting a big kick out of watching the magpies rear their baby, but I have to admit that the early morning feedings are a bit of a pain. At the first crack of dawn we hear them landing on the roof above our bedroom - thumping down so hard that it sounds like cockatoos landing. We hear "thud.... thud..thud" as they hit, then the "clickclick" of their toenails on our corrugated roof, and finally the LOUD and insistent whinging from Junior (impossible to sleep through). Not exactly welcome at 6:00 a.m. ...

Australia Day

2012-01-25T01:00:00.008+11:00

January 26 is "Australia Day".

It's a unique national holiday - a day set aside to celebrate this country, its history, and everything that is great about being Australian. It is celebrated with citizenship ceremonies, flag raising ceremonies, barbecues and fireworks.

One of my favorite Australia Day celebrations is the naming of "The Australian of the Year" - a person who is seen as a good role model and has contributed to the country in some significant way. Any Australian can nominate someone for the award, providing the nominee meets the criteria established by National Australia Day Council (NADC). It is this council which selects the recipients. Past recipients have been doctors, businessmen, sports personalities, and artists. Just being nominated is a great honour, and the award winners truly are remarkable human beings. I enjoy watching the award being presented - it's always an inspiring moment.

January 26 is the date that the first fleet of convict ships arrived at what would become Sydney in 1788. For this reason, the date chosen for the holiday is somewhat controversial, as Aboriginals and Torres Straight Islanders (who suffered greatly at the hands of Europeans) view the anniversary very much as Native Americans view the arrival of Columbus: an event to mourn, not celebrate. For them, the date is referred to as "Survival Day" and sometimes "Invasion Day". Aware of the issues, The NADC has a formal "reconciliation plan" developed to ensure that Australia Day is respectful of these communities and inclusive.

Meet "Red"

2012-01-18T01:00:00.009+11:00

With brown/grey feathers, the Red Wattlebirds that live in the trees around our home blend in with the bark and foliage. If they weren't so active, you'd not see them.

Here's a photo of "Red" - a wattlebird who has a nest on our property:

I first became aware of these birds when the red-flowering callistemon bush next to the house was in bloom. Also called "bottle brush" plants, the flowers are shaped just like the brush they are named after. The Red Wattlebirds adore them, and when the flowers bloom, they bounce all over the bush, enjoying the nectar. The top of the bush is right next to the window in my laundry room - and every spring, when Red and his mate are breeding, he gets very upset with the "bird" he sees reflected in the window - and attacks it.

Sitting in my office, I'll hear the familiar clatter of Red as he buzzes against the window, and then the clack-clack as he hangs on the side of the windowsill and pecks at his reflection. Fortunately, he doesn't hit that window hard, so he's never been injured. Still, sometimes he goes at this pointless dogfight so long that I worry he'll exhaust himself - and on those occasions, I go and shoo him away, hoping he'll rest a bit.

Below is a closeup - you can see small red bit under his cheek - that's the "wattle" he's named for. He's a medium-sized bird - smaller than a magpie (about 12" from beak to tail) and seems thinner, more trim than a magpie.

My favorite bird-identification source says that Red Wattlebirds feed on nectar and some insects - but when I'm wondering about that. You see, our magpies, who normally ignore all the other birds, are quick to take offense at Red, and always attack him and his kind. The only other birds the magpies attack are the currawongs (which makes sense, since currawongs compete for many of the same foods - and are known to raid the nests of other birds).

Why would the magpies drive off a nectar-eater?

The other thing that makes me wonder is the fact that Red eagerly grabs bits of bread and gobbles it up. For some reason, this year he's hanging around our deck more than ever before. He's clearly looking for a handout.

Angel Food Cake - Part I

2012-01-11T01:00:00.021+11:00

I recently shared a story with some friends here about my misadventures as a teenager trying to bake an angel food cake from "scratch". I could tell by the looks on their faces, and by the comments afterward that at least some of them had never heard of angel food cake. I was surprised by this, but after thinking about it for a while, realized I'd never seen it for sale in the grocery store, and I've not seen "cake flour" in the store, either. Was this one of those situations where the thing in question is known by some other name?

As it turns out: probably not.

I did a little "web research" and found that angel food cake is, apparently, an American invention. There's some disagreement on whether it was first made by the Pennsylvania Dutch, or by slaves in the deep south - but it's invention in the US does not seem to be disputed.

Surprisingly, cake flour - a main ingredient for angel food cake - isn't readily available here. You can get it, but it's not sold in the average grocery store. I say that is "surprising", because I've always thought proper cake flour was essential for good cakes - and, believe me, there are some gals here who can turn out spectacular cake! A quick search on the internet turned up quite a few message boards discussing "cake flour" and offering substitution recipes (such as 2 tablespoons of cornstarch sifted with 3/4 cup of general purpose flour). After reading up on what cake flour actually is, I'm not sure that the results would be the same with a substitution recipe - at least not where angel food cake is concerned.

There's an American foods store in Melbourne which is currently advertising (on their website) that they have cake flour in stock, so I have at least one source for it. I suspect that it's can also be found at specialty shops (and a friend told me last year about a shop not too far from where I live that sells lots of baking supplies - so they may offer it).

The more I think about it, the more intrigued I become.

I've located and bought an angel food cake pan on eBay. I'll see if the shop my friend told me about has cake flour or (if not) may just order it from the American food store. And then I'll take a stab at making 2 cakes: one with proper cake flour and one using a substitute recipe. My Aussie friends have introduced me to loads of Australian culinary inventions such as Lamingtons (oooOOooo!) and Pavlova (Ahhhhhh!), so it only seems fair to reciprocate.

Will my friends like angel food cake? Or will I find that it's something of an acquired taste?

And... when they see and taste it, will they say "Oh, yeah! We know what this is, and it's called (fill in Aussie word here)!"

I'll let you know.

WASSUP?

What I’m listening to: "The Good Life" by One Republic
What’s for tea: Oh, hell... Let 'em eat CAKE! ;-)
What I’m reading: Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
Wine recommendation: what wine to serve with angel food cake? Hm.....
What's the season?: summer in Oz, winter in the U.S.

King Parrots Swinging

2012-01-04T01:00:00.012+11:00

There are floor-to-ceiling windows on the north side of our house on both the first and second floors. The windows give a fabulous view of the trees, but in summer the sun streaming in turns the inside of our home into a sauna. Three years ago, we installed outdoor matchstick blinds along the balcony and first floor deck - and we let them down on hot days. The blinds do a fantastic job of keeping the sun off the windows and decking. They also provide amusement for the wild birds.

Here's the first-floor deck with the blinds down. Remarkably, the wild birds love flying through this "cool tunnel". You'd think they'd avoid it, but they don't.

Y'day I was out on the deck for quite a while, assembling a new BBQ. Stephen came out to help me and while we were working, the birds were assembled to see what we were up to (and, of course, to see if we had any food). The King Parrots in particular were having a ball. They were zooming through the space and at one point smacked us both in the back of the head with their wings when we suddenly stood up.

They are also intrigued with the blinds when they are rolled up. The Rainbow Lorikeets and King Parrots love to climb up and down the cords.

The two birds in the photo above and the one below are quite young (their beaks are dark, which indicates they are youngsters). The one on the right called to me from my office window, clearly wanting me to come outside. I stepped out onto the balcony to find her friend (the bird on the left) hanging on the white rope suspending the planter. The bird had the planter spinning and was having a ball.

I ran inside to get my camera. When I returned, they both flew up to the blinds cord and the bird on the left put on quite a show of swinging on the horizontal cord, flipping upside down, hanging from one foot and so on.

Unfortunately, right after the above photo was taken, the bird on the right leaned down and started gnawing on the cord in earnest. Not wanting the cord severed, I had to shoo these two off. I may have to devise some deterrent to save the blinds (not to mention the plant in the hanging basket, whose leaves show signs of having been "trimmed" sometime today).

WASSUP?

What I’m listening to: "The Thrill is Gone" by BB King
What’s for tea: Chicken Paprikash (baked potato topped with a mild chicken curry and sautee'd mushrooms)
What I’m reading: Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
Wine recommendation: a rose - nicely chilled
What's the season?: summer in Oz, winter in the U.S.

Dan Murphy's

2011-12-28T01:00:00.029+11:00

If you're wanting a bottle of bubbly for your New Year's Eve celebration, it's easy to find something here. Wine and liquor stores are everywhere, often situated next to (although separate from) grocery stores. Drive-throughs are popular and seem to do a brisk business, too. It's much like what you'd see in the US - but with one exception: Dan Murphy's.

I remember my first experience with Dan Murphy's. We were having dinner at my mother-in-law's home during my first visit to Australia and Stephen wanted to take some wine, so naturally we went visited the closest outlet. I was absolutely flabbergasted by what I saw.

The average Dan Murphy's is the size of a grocery store - and all they sell is alcohol. Imagine a "Kroger" or "Safeway" where aisle after aisle is strictly wine and beer (with stronger spirits along the back wall and sides). I'd never even dreamed of an alcoholic beverage shop of this magnitude. And they are EVERYWHERE! I know of 3 Dan Murphy's outlets within less than 30-minutes' drive from our house.

The selection is astounding - a little dizzying, really. In the movie "Moscow on the Hudson", Robin Williams plays a Russian immigrant who has a breakdown when he encounters the huge assortment of breakfast cereals in an American supermarket. I think about that scene when I wander the aisles of a Dan Murphy's - laughing internally at my own sense of disorientation when confronted with the huge range on display.

The stores are expertly arranged to provide a satisfying shopping experience for both wine snobs and the casual shopper.

The more "elite" wines (generally $30 and up) are arranged in hip-high timber cases, with the bottles lovingly placed at a slight tilt, with their labels turned upward for easy reading. Prices are printed on neat white cards positioned near each type, with the winery name, vintage year, and cost per bottle. This is the only place in the store where a given winery's offerings are together (elsewhere the wines are grouped by variety, not label). The elite section takes up roughly one fifth of the floor space. On the wall next to it are locked cabinets containing the most expensive bottles.

At the edge of the "elite" section and between the more standard wines are wooden half-barrels filled with "end of the bin" bottles at clearance-sale prices. Generally costing between $6.99 and $12.99, the displays lure you with the possibility of a good wine or two at bargain prices. I've sampled a couple different ones with mixed results. Occasionally there's a real gem, but you're just as likely to end up with undrinkable plonk and I've learned to steer away from labels I'm not familiar with.

The middle of the store has row after row of wines. No fancy wooden display racks here; it's very spartan, almost like a warehouse. Sparkling wine, red, rose and white wines each have their own section. Within the sections, each type is grouped together. All the merlots are together, all the shiraz are together and so on. There are no special displays set aside for specific wineries - the arrangement is purely by type. Bottles of fairly expensive chardonnay sit right next to the cheap stuff. The variety and price range is dizzying.

And then there are the "clean skin" wines - sold in cartons of 6 bottles. Cleanskin labels show only the grape variety, year, alcohol content, volume and so on. The labels don't show the name of the winemaker. What you're buying could be a good quality wine that's been re-labelled, or something that has been specifically made to be sold as a cleanskin. The quality can vary quite a bit, but the low price is always tempting. It's a bit of a gamble, but is usually worth it. I remember getting a truly "poor" cleanskin wine only once.

Hard liquor and "box wine" occupy the back wall, and refrigerated displays line the side wall, with chilled wine and beer ready for those who want something cold and ready to drink (for a slightly higher price).

About half the customers I've observed come in, select one or two bottles, and leave. The other half wander the aisles with grocery carts. You get the feeling that there's some heavy partying going on somewhere.

I've just checked our stash and realized we don't have any bubbly for NYE. Hm.. going to have to fix that! Dan Murphy's, here I come!

Come Saturday night we'll probably dine on the last of the Christmas turkey (which is presently in the freezer) and we'll lift our glasses to toast the outgoing year and welcome the new.

And a very Happy New Year to you!

WASSUP?

What I’m listening to: "Pub With No Beer" by Slim Dusty
What’s for tea: Garlic Prawns with Fettucini (a break from all the turkey leftovers)
What I’m reading: Year of Wonders - A Novel of the Plague by Geraldine Brooks
Wine recommendation: a cleanskin white - probably chardonnay
What's the season?: summer in Oz, winter in the U.S.

Aussie Christmas

2011-12-21T01:00:00.003+11:00

My father never had any trouble getting in touch with his "inner child"; it happened regularly every December. Dad adored Christmas and each year as the temperatures dropped and the nights grew longer, he'd drag the boxes of decorations and lights from the attic and the fun would begin. Miles of outdoor lights were strung along the roof-line and tacked around the windows. Fresh-cut trees were installed in the living room and decked out with cheap glass ornaments and tiny strips of silver "tinsel" (which in retrospect looked more like silver spider webs than the icicles it was supposed to represent). Christmas, for him, was a time to indulge, a time when restraints were tossed aside and "excess" was the rule of the day. And I am his daughter in every way.

I adore Christmas trees, decorations, nativity scenes, and Nat King Cole on the stereo crooning about chestnuts and "folks dressed up like eskimos."

We don't dress like eskimos in Australia at this time of year, but even so, many decorations and traditions (including what to serve on the day) are connected to and reflect the holidays as experienced in colder climates. I thought that I'd miss chilly December and the possibility of "white Christmases", but I don't . Maybe that's because growing up in central Ohio, my Christmases tended to be cold and muddy, not snowy. Had my childhood been full of Norman Rockwell holidays I might have more trouble adjusting. As it is, I adore Christmas as a summer holiday. The idea of Santa in shorts and flip flops doesn't bother me a bit - and that his sleigh is pulled by eight white boomers (kangaroos) and not reindeer, well... of COURSE!

Here's my top ten favorite things about Australian Christmas (not necessarily in order):

The weather is, normally, reliably nice. Yes, it might get hot on Christmas Day, but that's OK. Sunshine and flowers - ahh... the first month of summer. You can have your Christmas tree and still sit out on warm evenings to enjoy the stars and the scent of roses in bloom.
People here actually LIKE fruit cake (it's called "Christmas Cake" here), and when they receive one as a gift they show enthusiasm. Of course, fruit cakes you get here were actually baked in the current century and that probably has something to do with it.
In the grocery store y'day, the kid ringing up my purchases wished me a Merry Christmas. He looked me straight in the eye, paused a second, and said it in a way that made me understand that he really meant it. When I returned the sentiment, he grinned broadly and lit up. "Thank you!" he beamed. It's the same everywhere. Australians at Christmas never miss a chance to wish their fellow men and women "the very best". And they mean it.
The TV channels have a certain amount of "holiday programming", but they aren't clogged with annual re-runs of so-called Christmas classics. Today is Dec. 21, and I just checked the local free-to-air channels for this evening. There isn't a single Christmas-themed program on tonight. How refreshing. Yes - I understand the real meaning of Christmas, yes I grew up loving (and still love) "A Charlie Brown Christmas" and it's like. But it sure is nice NOT to be bombarded with an overload of secular (and often sappy) holiday reruns. Does that mean there are no Christmas specials at ALL? NO! Of course not. Australian TV serves up some goodies every year - but not in a suffocating avalanche.
Along the same lines as the TV, I have to say that Christ is more evident in Christmas here. Without so much focus on "Frostie the Snowman" and such, there are fewer competing themes.
No Christmas music piped in at the grocery, or in most stores. Yes, there are the performers in the malls - but the retailers here don't drown you in holiday hits as you shop.
Australians just don't seem freaked out over Christmas. I don't hear anybody complaining about the "stress of the holidays" - my friends are having too much fun to worry about stress. Didn't get the cards out on time? No worries. Still haven't found the perfect prezzie for that special someone? No worries.
Christmas pudding - which I think of as an extra-moist fruitcake. Everybody likes "pud" and I've got a great recipe which yields one that I've been told (by two elderly Australian gentlemen who would never lie or flatter me unduly) is pretty authentic. I adore steaming the "pud" - esp. after a friend told me about putting a coin in the bottom of the pot so that I'd know if the water is boiling off too soon.
This year I'm seeing a LOT of cars with those wacky antler-horns that you put in the car windows - and the little "Rudolph red-nose" that is affixed to the front grill. Actually - loved this so much that I got a set for Stephen's car (next year I'll get a set for mine).
At parties and functions, private or public, "bonbons" (Christmas "crackers") are very popular. These mini-poppers are paper rolls with a little gunpowder wrapped inside. You and a friend grab an end and pull... and POP! Inside is a tissue paper crown, a trinket of some kind, and a slip of paper with a horrible, tacky joke written on it. No matter where you are - in someone's home or in a 5-star restaurant - most people will put on the crown and then take turns reading the horrible jokes. It's so silly, so fun, and so wonderful - like stepping back in time to a place and day when you were still innocent. I know this isn't something invented here, but I adore watching and participating in the silliness.

Christmas is definitely "felt" and noticed here, but it's relaxed, joyous, and optimistic. It's not about how big or fancy your tree is, it's not about whether or not you have lights hanging outside (very few do), and it's not about the prezzies. It's very warm, very real, and very, very Aussie.

WASSUP?

What I’m listening to: "Christmas in Australia" - not sure who the performers are
What’s for tea: leftovers from last night's homemade pizza
What I’m reading: Year of Wonders - A Novel of the Plague by Geraldine Brooks
Wine recommendation: leftover chardonnay (a clean skin) from last night
What's the season?: summer in Oz, winter in the U.S.

Laka Speaks

2011-12-14T01:00:00.002+11:00

It never fails. Laka and George will be down in the lounge room just chattering away. I grab the video camera and run down to catch them - but the moment I turn the corner they both clam up!

In desperation, I put the camera on a tripod and left it next to Laka's cage, pointed at the area that she seems to sit in most of the time. I turned it on and let it run for 2 solid hours. For about the first fifty minutes, she just sat there and stared at the lense. Eventually, though, she relaxed a little and seemed to forget about the lense and microphone, and she started talking.

Most of what she said was "practice English" - just yammering and so on. But at least I've finally got a recording of her vocalizing. I clipped out some sample segments and put the short video out in YouTube:

I have never understood the fascination she has for her "potty command", but she repeats it over and over. She's never said "potty" (just "pot"), but there's no mistaking the phrase. "Laka pot" is her own creation, as is "pot-pot-pot" and so on.

I've been asked if she swears. Yes, unfortunately, she does. She's picked up a specific bad word which I almost NEVER use - but which Stephen does (the "f-bomb"). She doesn't repeat it often, thank heavens, but when she does, she says it with MY VOICE!

Parrots love drama and swear words, when uttered, are usually said with a certain amount of drama (and often volume as well). So any talking parrot that is exposed to foul ("fowl"?) language will eventually press "record", and there you are. Once they've got the word or phrase, it's there forever. But I know that the thing to do when they repeat that little special "something" is to refrain from any reaction. Don't laugh, don't scold, don't react at all. Wait for the next (non-profane) utterance and respond to THAT in spades - but never EVER react to a bird's potty-mouthing. If you do, they'll only swear all the more because they'll have learned they can do something that gets a reaction.

OH - and one more note about parrots who swear... Laka and George are going to outlive both Stephen and me. At some point we're going to have to find new homes for them and when that happens, it will be important that they don't have any bad language habits. Parrots who swear like a sailor may amuse some people, but it's cruel to encourage it. A bird who cusses will be welcome in fewer homes - and we want our birds to get the best deal possible when the day comes that we can't care for them anymore. So, please, don't teach your parrot unsavoury language.

WASSUP?

What I’m listening to: "We No Speak Americano" by Yolanda Be Cool & D Cup
What’s for tea: Thai Steak Salad
What I’m reading: Justinian's Flea by William Rosen
Wine recommendation: Hmm.... don't know... haven't decided....
What's the season?: summer in Oz, winter in the U.S.

Welcome Back, Wolfie-the-Spodder!

2011-12-07T01:00:00.008+11:00

I have to admit that I was beginning to be a bit concerned. I've seen several huntsmen outside - even a really large one hanging on the outside of the front door. But we got all the way to the end of November, and Wolfgang hadn't shown up. I'd caught several White-Tails and was starting to wonder if they were killing the huntsmen (White-Tails hunt other spiders).

But just this past week, there he was! It was a very rainy day - with temps in the upper 50's (F). I'd been out shopping and started to put away the groceries. I turned and there he was - hanging on the wall next to the refrigerator.

Well, good. With warmer weather (summer has begun here), we'll need him to help clean up the bugs that invariably find a way into the house at night.

Here's a closeup - hairy legs and all:

He didn't much care for the flashing of the camera - and scrambled between the refrigerator and wall after the photo was taken:

Poor Wolfie... no privacy!

WASSUP?

What I’m listening to: "This is Australia" by GANGgajang
What’s for tea: Chicken Enchilada's, refried beans
What I’m reading: Justinian's Flea by William Rosen
Wine recommendation: Victoria Bitters (beer - really GOOD beer...)
What's the season?: summer in Oz, winter in the U.S.

Garden Sculpture

2011-11-30T01:00:00.009+11:00

One of my favorite quilt-supply shops is attached to a local tile shop (both stores are apparently owned and run by the same family). The area around the door that joins the two stores has little garden knick-knacks and giftware. Among them were metal flamingo sculptures with metal legs, wings, necks and head - but brightly-coloured ceramic bodies. The flamingo's feet weren't terribly large, and so the sculptures were a little unsteady. Two had fallen over and their ceramic bodies shattered.

The tile shop owner wouldn't have been pleased with this, of course, but wasn't about to send those birds back to the manufacturer/artist. Instead, he reduced the price and hung a little paper sign on one. The sculptures, honestly, looked a little sad - but when I saw the sign that clever shopkeeper put on them, well, I had to have them.

Here they are, standing in the Secret Garden:

And here's the sign that sold them:

WASSUP?

What I’m listening to: "You Have to Be There" by Susan Boyle
What’s for tea: Lean Cuisine (poor Stephen....)
What I’m reading: "What Einstein Told His Cook" by Robert L. Wolke (ironic, isn't it?)
Wine recommendation: uh... if we're eating Lean Cuisine.. seems a bit indulgent to have wine...
What's the season?: spring in Oz, fall in the U.S.

Spodder (Spider) Watch

2011-11-23T01:00:00.000+11:00

Now that the weather is warming up here, we've had a few evenings when the windows have been open at night. Naturally, the light from the loungeroom (after dark) attracts loads of bugs, and the other night, we had an eight-legged visitor, as well.

Stephen spotted her just about the door in the loungeroom - a Delena Cancerides. I'd seen only one before, the one I mentioned in the book, but I recognized the species immediately because of the reddish-brown legs. I don't have a photograph of one, but you can get a look at photos here, on my favorite "spider identification" website. The website describes the species as light brown, but the photos look reddish to me, and the spider in the loungeroom had a definite reddish tone on her legs (very much like the one in the photo on the website marked "with spiderlings").

She wasn't all that big - maybe 3 1/2" (leg span), but still - that's a good sized "spodder".

Well, Ms. Delena was a girl on the move. She quickly walked along the top of the wall, just below the ceiling, moving from the door over to the adjoining wall, then moving downward behind the chimney of our woodburner, and finally dropping down onto the small stack of firewood next to it. I didn't think much of it, figuring there was probably something on the wood that attracted her.

A few minutes later, I saw her wander over under the TV, and then turn and start walking at a steady pace straight for me! This is unusual, in my experience. Only once before have I seen a huntsman walking toward me (an incident I mentioned in the book). I'm no longer terrified by these creatures, but I'm not terribly tolerant of the idea of one of them coming at me - so I jumped off the couch and while Stephen ran for the flyswatter, I stomped my foot a few inches ahead of her to stop her. She froze and stood still, then obligingly climbed up on the end of the flyswatter when I put it in front of her.

I scolded her mightily for her "bad manners" and took her outside, gently tapping her onto the deck just outside the door. She quickly squeezed between the decking slats, moving safely out of sight.

It's a shame we had to eject her. I haven't seen any huntsmen in the house for quite some time, and I depend on them to keep the house bug-free, esp. in the warmer months.

WASSUP?

What I’m listening to: "Deadly Animals (Come to Australia)" by The Scared Weird Little Guys (it's HILAROUS!)
What’s for tea: Curry Pumpkin Soup (homemade) and dill-feta rolls (also homemade)
What I’m reading: "What Einstein Told His Cook" by Robert L. Wolke
Wine recommendation: shiraz - a cleanskin from Dan Murphy's
What's the season?: spring in Oz, fall in the U.S.

Blue

2011-11-16T01:00:00.011+11:00

I've been struggling with how (and when) to announce some very sad news.

About ten weeks ago, when I was working to finish the book, Blue (our canary, who is mentioned in the book) fell ill with what we thought was a respiratory infection. We took him to the vet right away and the doctor put him on medication. As part of her examination, the vet noticed a mass in his abdomen. It turned out to be a tumor, and although little Blue did perk up once on the antibiotics she prescribed, it was clear that he wasn't going to be with us long.

His appetite was good and, although there were days when it was clear he wasn't feeling well, for the most part he was perky and enjoyed playing with his toys and bossing me in the kitchen.

It came to an end on Oct. 21, when he left us. He was quite young, only five years old.

It's been three weeks now, and we still miss him dreadfully. The house has seemed too quiet, even with an eclectus and a large macaw bellowing in the lounge room. He was our smallest avian family member, but was certainly a significant part of the household. There will never be another "Blue". He was one of a kind, and we loved him dearly.

Although we are still mourning for Blue, this past weekend we decided it was time to look at canaries. As I type this, I'm listening to a familiar twitter coming from downstairs and the sound of a pair of canaries bounding from their perch to the bottom of the cage, throwing their weight onto the grate and making it clang (something Blue loved to do, too). Over time these two will assert their personalities, they'll figure out the family routine and they'll have me and Stephen trained to fetch fruit, egg, and fresh greens for them. I know they will be beloved members of the family, just as I know we will never forget our dear Blue.

...and THAT, my friends, is Australia

2011-11-12T17:25:00.011+11:00

It's Saturday, November 12 and although my next post isn't actually due until next Wednesday, there's something I have to share. Today is the 5th anniversary of the day I arrived as an immigrant to Australia. It's a very happy day for me, a day of great significance.

With that introduction... here's the story:

Stephen and I decided to have a quiet little celebration here at home this evening. We bought steaks (and a fresh tank of gas for the BBQ), and this afternoon headed to Dan Murphy's (a chain store that sells beer, wine, and liquor) to find something special to drink with dinner. Coming out of the store, Stephen realized that the left rear tire had gone flat - VERY flat.

He managed to get the spare out, and get the rear jacked up, but the bolts on the tire were so tight that he couldn't budge them. I was thinking we'd be stuck and have to ring the RACV for roadside assistance.

Just then, two men walked by and stopped. One said "Oh, now THAT is interesting..." and commented on the design of the jack. They saw Stephen was struggling with the lugs, and asked if they might help.

The elder of the two men (possibly mid-fifties?) knelt down and picked up the wrench, tried it and said "ah, yeah, these have been put on with one of those air-gun things. I hate 'em!" Then he leaned in on the wrench and gave it a powerful crank to loosen the lug. The two men chatted with Stephen about the jack and the car - talking as if they were great old friends who'd known each other for ages. Their remarks made it clear that they work with cars a lot (possibly professional mechanics), AND that they were clearly pleased to be able to assist us.

"Thank you," Stephen said, and I added, "This was very nice of you!"

"Nah," the younger man replied, "we didn't have anything better to do".

Stephen is perfectly capable at changing a tire - and I'm sure would completed the task unassisted. But it would have been very hard and probably taken quite a while to get those four lugs loosened. We weren't in any distress, and certainly not in any danger there in the car park outside Dan Murphy's. But the kind, neighborly offer of assistance from strangers, well, it's very, very "Australian" - esp. since it was carried out in a way that would not embarrass the person being helped. In less than 15 minutes the tire was changed, our two helpers were strolling into the store, we were on our way.

It's a lesson for me, a reminder of the spirit that makes Australia a great nation.

So if, some dark and stormy night, you are stranded on a dark highway with car trouble, when you see headlights coming in the distance, pray to God that it's an Australian at the wheel. If it is, "she'll be right, mate! No worries. No dramas."

Gus & Company (Kookaburras)

2011-11-09T01:00:00.002+11:00

We hear the kookaburras every morning at dawn. They don't always visit us in large numbers, but on the day this video was taken, we had a family of 6 show up. In the video you can hear cockatoos screeching in the background, but also the low growly purr of the kookaburras, with some magpie carolling thrown in for good measure.

Notice how close I am to them!

My neighbor Ian tells me that he's managed to pet one! I don't think I'm brave enough to try that; those beaks could do a lot of damage if the bird wants to bite (and Ian confessed he's been nipped a couple of times).

WASSUP?

What I’m listening to: "Choose You" by Stan Walker
What’s for tea: Chicken breast strips marinated in Char Sui (chinese BBQ sauce) and cooked on the BBQ; steamed basmati rice, bok choy lightly stir-fried.
What I’m reading: "Mary Boleyn: The Great and Infamous Whore" by Alison Weir
Wine recommendation: chardonnay - Hardy's (a very nice Aussie wine available in the US)
What's the season?: spring in Oz, fall in the U.S.

My Battle With Elvis over the Hanging Basket

2011-11-02T01:00:00.002+11:00

(FIRST - an update on last week's Melbourne Cup posting: Dunaden - my horse - was the winner. It was a fantastic race, loads of drama and a photo finish at the end, so close it took the judges something like four minutes to decide who'd won! The 2011 race will be on Facebook at some point, I'm sure, and it will DEFINITELY be worth watching. George wasn't phased by it all but Laka was mesmerized. She stared at the TV from the moment we turned it on and was clearly excited by the voice of the announcer.)

The hanging planter just outside my office window is one of Elvis's favorite hangouts. He likes to pounce on it and make it spin, and sitting there gives him an excellent view of my office.

When it was new, I planted some petunias in it, but didn't get to enjoy them long. Elvis and his pals had a ball pulling the flowers off as soon as they opened. They didn't actually eat the flowers, just pulled them off and flung them to the ground.

The day after the video was taken, Elvis returned, pulled off the remaining flowers and started ripping the plants out, as well. I put the plants back in only to find them ripped out again a day or so later.

I gave up on the petunias and replaced them with spider plants. Those fared well, for a while, but one afternoon I found a female King Parrot perched on the pot happily gnawing on one! She pulled the plant right out of the pot, chewed away and discarded the leaves, and was munching away on the white root. I chased her off and replanted what she'd ripped out. Of course she returned and we went through it all again, but eventually I won out. The spider plant recovered and although the King Parrots attack any "babies" it sprouts, they leave the plants themselves alone, at least for now.

WASSUP?

What I’m listening to: "Black and Gold" by Sam Sparro
What’s for tea: Tassie smoked salmon steaks (cooked on the BBQ) topped with yogurt/dill sauce, spinach/feta/walnut salad
What I’m reading: "Mary Boleyn: The Great and Infamous Whore" by Alison Weir
Wine recommendation: Diet Lemon Lift (a soft drink - it's fabulous)
What's the season?: spring in Oz, fall in the U.S.

Getting Ready for the Melbourne Cup

2011-10-26T19:00:00.000+11:00

The first Tuesday in November is Melbourne Cup Day!

It's the highlight of Melbourne's Spring Carnival, and the day they run 'The race that stops a nation™' at Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne. It starts at 3 p.m., and I can tell you where I'm going to be: in front of the TV in the loungeroom!

The morning of the race, Stephen will prepare a "sweep" (a betting pool), assigning each of the horses in the race to a member of the household. There's no betting, of course, just the honor of holding the name of the winning horse, but who cares? It'll be SUCH FUN!

In Flying Over the Rainbow, I described the first Melbourne Cup race I ever saw, and how exciting it was. Well, seeing is believing, and here's a YouTube video of that fantastic race:

And here's last year's race (not quite as heart-poundingly dramatic, but heaps of fun to watch, all the same):

Part of the fun of race day is getting all dressed up and strutting your stuff around the racecourse. If you're going to the race, you've gotta dress for it, and the official "New Racegoer's Guide" advises attendees to "dress to impress!" My budget just doesn't include funds for haute couture, but the hat I put together last year (using Laka's tail feathers) will work just fine for the fashion parade in our loungeroom.

WASSUP?

What I’m listening to: (what else?) "You Can Leave Your Hat On" by Joe Cocker
What’s for tea: homemade chicken-fried rice
What I’m reading: "Ali Abdul v The King" by Hanifa Deen
Wine recommendation: Pinot Gris - from any of the wineries on the Mornington Penninsula
What's the season?: spring in Oz, fall in the U.S.

Ready, Fire, Aim!

2011-10-20T19:30:00.000+11:00

It's official: Flying Over the Rainbow is available on Amazon.com!

Time to launch this blog - a companion to the book (and the new book I'm working on now). You can stay up-to-date on the doings of Wolfgang (the giant spider), the wallabies, the inside and outside birds, and so on. There are lots of little stories which didn't make it into the book - just the kind of thing that blogs are great for. And, of course, links will be easy to share here.

Best of all, it doesn't have to be a one-way conversation. Let's experiment with anonymous comments for a while and see what develops.

Read/share free excerpts from the book
Buy it now!

WASSUP?

What I’m listening to: "Heaven (Must Be There)" by the Eurogliders
What’s for tea: chicken roasted with lemon/herbs, steamed rice, roasted pumpkin with madras curry
What I’m reading: "Ali Abdul v The King" by Hanifa Deen
Wine recommendation: shiraz - a cleanskin from Dan Murphy's
What's the season?: spring in Oz, fall in the U.S.