Resoled Riding Boots!

Last Winter I spent a lot of time worrying about boots - nice boots that I could wear inside. All I had was a pair of riding boots that were getting past their prime. I felt uncomfortable about the boots available in stores (actually, I felt really stupid wearing them), and just didn't know what to do. Enter a genuine shoe repair shop, with custom made shoe repair sewing machine...
He recognised the brand as Australian, and fully appreciated that I wanted to keep them going. He got an $80 pair of leather soles from Italy, and resoled them, recoloured them, and it is practically like a new pair of boots! I added a cushiony insole, because they were a touch hard, and the boots are good to go, and probably better, for this Winter.

Christmas Lights

Turns out that a lot of people get organised with Christmas tree and lights after Thanksgiving.
The kids and I went for a walk and looked at some of the lights in that awkward half hour before dinner. Love the winter season! Christmas lights really make sense in this context...

Christmas Wreath

It is a big part of life here, not sure about the rest of the USA, to have the appropriate wreath on the door for the season. I got enthusiastic after seeing a cheap wreath at the supermarket and thought, I can do that! I did of course, have second thoughts, when trying to tie the bows, but too late. We have to work out how to hang it now.
We also discovered that possibly, the wreath we bought was a blank for a 'harvest themed' wreath, given that there are now wreaths of oregano and also wreaths of pine needle origins at the same supermarket, but there you go. It has a red bow and bells, it must look sort of Christmassy.

Quiet Thanksgiving

We had quiet Thanksgiving, with some friends nearby who had kids younger than ours (so leaving at 8 wasn't leaving early and ruining the party!!). We also managed to rearrange our lounge room and clean out our basement (quite a lot of recycling occurred!). Now we need to have the four days again, so we can get more of those obscure, important but not urgent projects done...
I will say again, I find Thanksgiving to be completely relaxing, given that it is a celebratory meal together with friends/family, without the stress of finding appropriate Christmas presents for people who generally have all they need and more. Although I should admit here that I have never had to cook/host a Thanksgiving meal...

Oh, and I'm not boasting or anything, but in the morning I managed to fold a completely complicated origami paper aeroplane from instructions in Japanese (and pictures...). It is such an awesome flier...

New Orleans - thoughts

A very typical balconied house (prob small flats by now)

View through to the courtyard of our guesthouse

Architecture - after a couple of huge fires that burnt most of the original structures in the French Quarter, the government (Spanish at that time) banned building with wood, and imported building codes from Spain including having to have an interior courtyard with a well for defense against future fires. The back of the house faces onto the street, and the interior courtyard was the front of the house. Used for hanging laundry and hanging about. The street balconies were only added on after sanitation improved beyond chucking it out the window. The courtyards were sort of open air extensions of the very open house, with lots of big shutters front and back to provide airflow and storm protection. Thats my summary anyway. There are whole books on the subject if you want more precise details. It is all beautiful, and I loved seeing it. There are other styles, from later on, but I loved seeing the glimpses of the courtyards. I also loved the idea of sitting on your balcony with a drink watching the world go by. It was too cold for this when we were there.

Music - they are very proud of their musical heritage. There are heaps of buskers. The first day we were there, a brass band made up of teenagers were on a street corner going for it, with about 5 brass instruments and a couple of drums at the back. They were pretty good. All the shops and restaurants play jazz music. The National Parks Service runs a Jazz preservation park there - essentially a service to encourage the music.

Food - seafood based, simple, usually stews, we ate very well, and enjoyed every bite. We even got the kids to eat some Jambalaya, because it is sort of a rice dish with shrimp and chicken and sausage.

Bourbon street - I walked down Bourbon St, including the busy end (full of clubs and pubs) that we had previously avoided, on a quiet Tuesday morning. My experience was that it stank... no matter how the pavements were washed down (and they were all sprayed, every morning) the smell of stale beer and worse lingered. It just didn't seem like a nice place.

Alcohol - New Orleans has an open carry licence, so you can purchase alcohol then walk around drinking, or purchase a drink then stand around on the street drinking, so there seemed to be a lot of random drinking, from around lunch time onwards. I wondered at the point, given a lot of places had a 'no outside drinks' rule. It looked like a lot of people were just doing it because they could.

Homeless - Maybe because we're out in the 'burbs here at home, and maybe because of the tourist activity, I'm not sure, but there were a lot of homeless congregating on the streets of the French Quarter.

Beads - I don't get the beads. I think they are some sort of party favour,thrown from Mardi Gras floats, but they are generally very cheap, imported from china, and worn by tourists whatever the time of year? They are strung on balconies or trees or bits of ironwork.

Hurricane Katrina - most locals have a story to tell, or an opinion to voice. It felt like a semi-oppressive elephant in the room actually. Because although life goes on, you can still see the occasional boarded up house, and it was all such a big shake up of the city. One big change was the skyrocketing cost of real estate in the French Quarter (which didn't flood), which means it is now being (or has been?) gentrified or turned into B&B's.

New Orleans - Horse and Carriage Tour

Today was a designated to be spent  doing a self guided walking tour around New Orleans. We realised that our boys have a very low tolerance level for self-guided walking tours (or any sort of aimless walking at all)... So spent some money and got a half hour ride around the quiet end of the French Quarter. The driver also gave some commentary, giving a potted history of the development of New Orleans, and pointing out some of the more typical house styles, so it turned out to be quite a peaceful half hour.
After that we went to the Tuesday Piano hour that the National Parks Jazz Preservation office puts on, and as it was Scott Joplin's birthday, listened so some glorious rag on the piano, as well as a bit of a history of the development of the ragtime style. The boys got bored about half an hour in, so they went and bought lunch, and we reconvened to eat it in the courtyard of our hotel. It was finally warm enough to do that!
We spent the afternoon in a local park, then had baths, then went and got dinner at a restaurant down the street, which was 70% chosen because we were looking at its menu when Mr 3.5 declared he needed to go to the toilet. He should get commission.

Swap boat ride (no Alligators)

Timeshare shacks - people come to fish, boat, or just have some time out

Cypress tress in swamp. All trees were about the same age - from 1910 on, when the clear cut logging stopped (presumably that was when they ran out of the original old timber)

Early start this morning, to go on a boat ride in a swamp, hopefully to see some alligators. Unfortunately, it was cold, so no alligators had yet risen to sunbake. We saw one grey heron, and a whole lot of swamp, mostly beautiful, and endured the strange commentary of the boat driver, who was playing some sort of Southern/simple/backwoods person, and who had an obsession with children getting eaten by things in the swamp. I think he thought it was funny, I'm not sure Mr 6 always understood he was joking.
Highlight of the tour - when we went at 30 mph down the river to see a different bit of the swamp - the kids loved it. On the way back, he did some swerves from side to side too, maybe to make up for the lack of alligators.
Another lesson - those touristy necklaces that have alligator teeth plus some beads, and cost $5? Kids love them...

The Creole Queen - paddleboat on the Mississippi

Streetcar

Ride on a paddlesteamer on the Mississippi. Very big brown river! The rain had gone this morning, but it was cold, with a big wind, which got worse when the boat got going...We had packed full winter coats, then thought we'd overpacked, then realised that we were needing every last layer. Apparently we were visiting in a bit of a cold snap. Typical.

Paddlesteamer went up the Mississippi for half an hour, then we visited the site of the Battle for New Orleans, where Andrew Jackson, future president of USA, led a rag tag army of locals and pirates (free pardon for all in return for use of their extensive weaponry and huge numbers) against the British, who had finished burning Washington DC, failed to take Fort McHenry in Baltimore, and were now trying for a tail-end victory over New Orleans. The boat trip included a local 'historian'/storyteller giving a commentary of the history of the development of New Orleans, and retelling the battle, so it was much more interesting than visiting an empty field and reading some signboards.

The afternoon was spent fruitlessly walking down Frenchmans Street, the plan being to find a pub that was playing music we liked and to sit and watch it. The problem - they all had video gaming, which meant that anyone under 21 was not allowed in. The other problem - our kids tended to listen to maybe 1.5 songs, then lose interest and loudly ask to go, even when we found a place where we could sit outside. Lesson learned - don't bother with Frenchman St with under 21 year olds. Just go to Jackson square and see what buskers are around.

New Orleans - getting there

First plane trip after three international flights... I was definitely a bit worried about how this would go. Additionally, we decided to travel with a car seat on the plane after realising that it is a half hour taxi from the airport into the French Quarter where we were staying.
We got there fine, and went to find the Farmers Market where we had planned on buying fresh fruit for snacks. The Farmers Market turned out to be less fruit and veggies and more local shops, like a spice shop, a local photographer and several prepared food stalls, which left us a touch worried about accessing fruit. It was also very crowded, and we were a touch exhausted after the early start (5am) and the travel, and a change in time zones.
Dinner: The Gumbo Shop, which is set up for tourists, but the wonderful thing is, the local food is so fresh and simple... So while our boys had grilled chicken and pasta, we had gumbo,  and a sample dish containing jambalaya, crawfish etouffee, and red beans and rice.

Leaf Day

Today was leaf day in our community - that is, the maintenance company got the troops together and collected all the leaves that are lying around.
Requirements - 10-15 men, 8 leaf blowers, 1 ride on mower, 2 sort of wind machines, 1 large covered truck with huge vacuum cleaner on the back.

At back of playground at around 10am

It is like a muster - the men with the blowers 'muster' the leaves to collection point, usually gutter or middle of road where truck can drive and vacuum can be applied. Man on ride on mower was using mower like a small digger, scooping piles of leaves on the front of the mower, and then driving to the collection point and dumping them. Two men with blower things - were doing something as well, but I'm not sure what.
And they went like that, all day, from one side of the community to the other...These guys, they really work. When you see them, they always have something to do, there is very little standing around and yakking, except at lunch time (I presume). They start at about 8am, and disappear at about 3-4pm.

Out the front of our place at 2pm.

Covered truck with vacuum on the back. One to operate the vacuum, two with blowers to collect the leaves that are left behind, one with rake to direct stray leaves under vacuum. About 8-10 guys were in front of the truck. It took them about 5 mins to come and go out the front of our place.

Our front yard on Friday. It will be 98% leaf free now.

There is a Higher Throne

There is a Higher Throne - Keith and Kristyn Getty, 2002

There is a higher throne than all this world has known,
where faithful ones from ev'ry tongue will one day come.
Before the Son we'll stand, made faultless through the Lamb;
believing hearts find promised grace: salvation comes.

Chorus:
Hear heaven's voices sing; their thund'rous anthem ring
through em'rald courts and sapphire skies; their praises rise.
All glory, wisdom, pow'r, strength, thanks and honour are
to God, our king, who reigns on high, forever more.

And there we'll find our home, our life before the throne;
we'll honour him in perfect song where we belong.
He'll wipe each tear-stained eye, as thirst and hunger die;
the Lamb becomes our Shepherd King: we'll reign with him.

The Questions of Pain, answered through Revelation 4:1-11
Where was God when we were so terribly wounded? (4:1-3)
God never leaves His throne - he is always ruling, never absent, never feeble. He is where he was when his Son died. Not getting off throne for Son's death, not getting off throne for our suffring - threrefore there is a reason for the suffering.

If God speaks to us in our pain, what is he saying? (4:4-6)
This is not the way it always was. This is not the way it is meant to be. Our hope is that it is all going to end - at the gathering of the redeemed.
"God whispers in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pain, it is his megaphone to rouse a deaf world" CS Lewis, "The Problem of Pain"

What can we do even while we and others suffer? (4:7-11)
We need to be reminded of, or tell it - that Our God Reigns. in our suffering, just out of suffering, just going into suffering, Our God Reigns.

Navy Football

We had a night out at the football, with a babysitter... so no questions about play, or declarations of boredom/hunger/toilet. Sun in our faces until it hit the horizon near the end of the second quarter, then it got cold really fast, but we went with coats and a blanket, and it was really enjoyable, even with four rows of a scout troop from New Jersey behind us. We are starting to be able to keep track of the ball, and the play.

Photo is of the US flag and the big screen, because at stadiums all around the country, that is what you get. I don't remember the Australian flag being so prominent on the landscape. I will remember this as a typical American scene. It was even better in the sunset, but the iphone camera can't deal with that sort of light, so use your imagination!

One of the Navy team front men - not sure what you'd call his position, but I'd call it enforcer, personally... I commented he looked big, and confirmed it by looking up his stats - 6'5", 280 lbs. the other side had similar size, and possibly bigger, as Navy players need to be under the acceptable serving weight before they graduate (prob less than 280lbs).

Navy 55, UMC 14. Last home game of the season!

Fallen leaves!

Glorious day of wind where drifts of leaves ended up being blown off trees and hurried into corners (gutters, our front lawn, the leeward side of cars, etc).

Winter

Winter is definitely here... the boots are in the stores, Thanksgiving/Christmas is being flogged, Winter collections(clothes) are arriving, Fall sales are on. It took a week to go from Peak Foliage, to Not-so-peak Foliage, and a week after that, 70% of all leaves are down, or on the trees brown and crinkly. Although the sun is warm when you are in it, there is a chill to the wind, and once the sun goes down, we are getting into the 40s F(4-10 C) at night.

Khakis

http://www.shopstyle.com/browse?fts=khaki+wrinkle+free+pants

One thing we both noticed, is that the office seems very casual in dress - as in, most men wear Khaki pants instead of suit pants. Even the young blokes. The other option appears to be chinos (for the difference, see here: http://thegentlemanadvisor.com/2015/01/11/the-gentlemans-khaki-vs-chino/).
When commenting on this, and assuming out loud that it must be different in Washington DC, hubby was assured that it was quite normal to wear kahkis. Often, with a 'sports jacket', which seems to be a slightly more loud version of a suit jacket. Sort of makes that quote from Fight Club more understandable - "You are not your kahkis..." (edited for family viewing). If lots of men wear kahkis to work, which they do seem to, perhaps it is suggesting they are not their job?
But in Australia, where mostly the guys in my office wore suit pants ('dark slacks is another description I've heard here...), it didn't hit the same cultural reflex.

Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing

Hymn 457 - Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing - Robert Robinson, 1758

Come, thou fount of ev'ry blessing, tune my heart to sing thy grace;
streams of mercy, never ceasing, call for songs of loudest praise.
Teach me some melodious sonnet, sung by flaming tongues above;
praise the mount! I'm fixed upon it, mount of God's unchanging love.

Here I raise my Ebenezer; hither by thy help I'm come;
and I hope, by thy good pleasure, safely to arrive at home.
Jesus sought me when a stranger, wand'ring from the fold of God:
he, to rescue me from danger. interposed his precious blood.

O to grace how great a debtor daily I'm constrained to be;
let that grace now, like a fetter, bind my wand'ring heart to thee.
Prone to wander - Lord, I feel it - prone to leave the God I love:
here's my heart, O take and seal it, seal it for thy courts above.

Oh, that day when freed from sinning, I shall see thy lovely face,
full arrayed in blood-washed linen, how I'll sing thy sovreign grace.
Come, my Lord, no longer tarry; bring thy promises to pass,
for I know thy pow'r will keep me til I'm home with thee at last.

Raising an Ebenezer - reference to 1 Samuel 4-7 - where Samuel raised a stone which he called Ebenezer, (stone of help) as gratitude to God who had just given the Israelites the victory. A reminder of how God helped them. (thank you, internet - http://www.housetohouse.com/BibleQuestions.aspx?Letter=all&Question=4234)

Creative Mama: Glittery leaves

Art in progress (looks quite ordered in a photo?!) and the finished leaves

This was something I thought of on my own, but acknowledge there is nothing new under the sun. As usual, it didn't turn out how I expected, but we did get a result. We traced actual leaves onto cardboard, making a template. Then we traced around the templates onto paper and decorated with glitter. We will make 'party string' of leaves, for fall decoration!

As usual, I have emerged slightly scarred. Despite my best efforts, there is still glitter on the table, and probably on the children.
Something I did think of - getting tubes of glitter and glue, rather than the little pepper shaker style glitter that you need to use glue with

Lessons learned:

Cover the table with paper before getting out the glitter

Turkey Craft (Thanksgiving...)

Turkeys aren't in Australia, so this is new to me. My friends grew up doing this in elementary school, apparently.

Paper grocery bags

I only ever saw these in the movies before coming here - usually two bags carried by someone who is going to drop the bags and then meet someone/make an important discovery. But, most supermarkets provide sort of big brown paper bags (with handles) for groceries!
I see I have part of our dining table mobile in the photo too - volcano and T-Rex, incase you're wondering.

Notes

When you're feeling harassed and short of time;

When you feel fatigued, not just simple tired, and its getting monotonous;

When you're stuck in the twilight zone (what ever and where ever that is);

When you're feeling a bit like you're doing everything badly...

Your little boy scrawls you a note and smiles and presents it to you. And things don't seem so bad anymore.

Tree Foliage Comparison

21 October 2014                                                               21 October 2015

I didn't get to post the tree comparison I wanted to earlier. Here it is. I think I'm right, the colour, although beautiful, is less vibrant than last year. Could be timing, I haven't taken any later photos, but given that peak colour for most other things was around now, I'm sticking with the theory that it didn't do as well this year.

Pumpkin spiced beer

I didn't try it, but apparently both these brews were quite drinkable. I'm wondering if people see it as their duty to put pumpkin/pumpkin spices into everything they can at this time of year.