Hope and Validation

We're a little bit behind the times down here in Oz. Today's Oprah episode is from the day after the Presidential Election! It's neat to sit here and watch it and get that excited buzz all over again; to remember that moment when I had a little part of changing history. I did a mail in ballot and had to read up on all the Props in California to make sure I was voting the way I wanted to. I was deeply disappointed when Prop 8 (aka Prop H8te) passed and disappointed again last week when it was upheld, but I figure maybe we'll get it right the next time it comes up for a vote. But I was also glad when my fellow Californias voted for Prop 2, which meant livestock (chickens, pigs, cows, etc) had to be caged/stalled in a humane manner from now on.

I will never forget sitting on my couch in my apartment in Newcastle for 5 hours straight watching the Australian coverage of the election. My heart soared each time a state was called for Obama. Boyfriend and everyone at his work was watching it online and we'd constantly message back and forth as news came in.

When the election was finally called in his favor I remember feeling so much pride in my country. I remember crying out of happiness, probably the only time I've done so in my life up til now. I remember calling my Mom and her screaming in the phone because she was so excited and us talking about how big this was. It was an amazing moment. Watching John McCain give his concession speech, I was proud of him as well because he did it with grace and without bitterness. Then when President Elect Obama got up there I was a mess of tears again. "Yes, we did!"

So I know that we're behind the times in TV here and I know this post is months too late (though this damn show has me tearing up all over again!), but I wanted to tie it in to that message of hope that President Obama stands for...

When was the last time you felt hope or thankfulness? Like really felt it? Up until yesterday I can say that I don't think I had felt hope since the election. I had been thankful for all the big things in my life, but how often do we all overlook the little things we have to be thankful for?

I was out on a walk between storms yesterday and was overwhelmed by the awesomeness around me. The lake was like a mirror and reflected all the different colors of the clouds overhead in it, the air was fresh and clean, and there were so many birds flying around me: kookaburras laughing, white and pink parrots screeching, little purple, orange and green lorikeets screaming from the trees, huge pelicans trying to steal fish from the fisherman on the bridge, and the tiniest little song birds flittng around in the trees that I could only see when I stopped walking and watched them dart from branch to branch.

It was then that I began to feel hope for things that have been bothering me lately because of all the little things I was thankful for. I know I'm getting in to some hippie-sounding crap here now so totally, if this isn't your thing, skip this posting and the next one will for sure be lighter, but if not and you want to stick around reading, I'd like to share with you all the things I am hopeful for and the things I am thankful for. I'd also like to challenge you to think about the own things in your life that could do with some hope and all the things you have to be thankful for. It's amazing how much doing these two little things can lift your mood!

Hopes:

I have hope that I WILL get a job.

I have hope that I will be able to stay in Australia with Boyfriend.

I have hope that everything will work out.

I have hope that things will get better....money wise, housing wise, job wise

I have hope that Boyfriend and I will someday get married and that we will be able to figure out some of the things that stand in our way (i.e. where in the world to live?)

Thankful for:

As always, my amazing family

Still having a little bit of money in my bank account

Having a roof over my head

Having a boyfriend who loves me heaps

Having a great 2nd family of Boyfriend's family and friends here to support me

That if I did have to leave here my family would welcome me back with open arms and help me in that transition back home

And then there are the things that are so easy to forget to be thankful for:

Being able to see so that I can see all those amazing birds I hear in the trees

Being able to hear because I love music so much

Being able to walk and not having any types of other physical or mental disabilities

The fact that I've been able to live in another country for over 4 years

That I have been able to travel the world before I was even 25 years old

So that's it for me trying to be all deep/cheesey and stuff...I'll get back to posting junk food recipes, tv show reviews, and travel adventures now!

Hey Good Lookin, Watcha Got Cookin

Really not a whole lot going on around here over the past two days. My work day for this week got switched to tomorrow (Friday here) and I'm nervous to be going back for my first official day. I've got to pick out a work appropriate outfit this afternoon and make sure it's not too wrinkled. I think I need to invest in a new work shirt and pair of work pants this weekend. Boyfriend is on a 4 day workweek right now and we normally have Fridays together, but we'll both be working this Friday. Instead, he came over last night so I went on a cooking bender before he got here so he'd have yummy stuff to eat and take to work. First I baked some cupcakes but I think something was off in the mix because they kindof tasted like soap. Next, I made bread dough and kneaded it by hand twice and let it rise for an hour between kneading-the little bread rolls I made from it turned out soooo good and soooo tastey! I made my own pasta sauce as Boyfriend felt like chicken parmigiana for dinner and that takes a couple hours to simmer down and it also turned out sooooo good. Then I hand breaded some chicken breasts and the rest of my chicken was about to go off so I made chicken curry to freeze for some day I don't feel like cooking and butter chicken to take for lunch or something tomorrow. Boyfriend loved dinner and took 5 mini breadrolls, about a pound of chicken parm, and two cupcakes with him for lunch and snacks today at work.

This weekend is ANZAC Day in Australia and New Zealand. ANZAC stands for Australia and New Zealand Army Corps. This weekend is basically like Memorial Day weekend in the States, but here they actually celebrate the returned and active service members. There is a huge parade for everyone in Sydney and all the capital cities and it is so moving to see all these really old guys marching with their old army buddies. Boyfriend and Bob are going down with their Grandpa on Saturday to march in the parade. Family also get to march with the soldiers. Lots of people get up early to attend dawn services to remember all the lives lost and then everyone goes out drinking. It is a really special and important day here. I opted just to stay home this year so that Boyfriend and his brother could have a special day on their own with their Grandpa....we call him Pop and he is an awesome awesome man!

Friday after work we're going to a bbq at Croc and the Teacher's place. Saturday Boyfriend will be away and Sunday will be grocery shopping and work clothes shopping. Next Friday I'm baking 2 dozen pink frosted cupcakes for LC's baby shower and the shower is all afternoon Saturday. The weekend after that Boyfriend will be gone for the weekend to Queensland for his cousin's wedding. She is super sweet and I got an invite, but I just couldn't afford it right now. Boyfriend should have a good time as it is him, Bob, his Dad, and all his uncles going up together! It seems like all of our weekends go by so quickly and we get to Sunday nights and feel like we need a break still!

Oprah just had young, self made millionaires on her show. They all said find a way to make money doing what you love. I wish I could make millions or at least hundreds (haha) off the blog because I have a lot of fun writing it, but I guess I'd have to have readers to make any money off the thing....maybe someday! I'd also love to open a 50's style diner here in Australia, kindof like Ruby's in California because I really feel like it would be popular here and it is something that is needed around here, but a)I haven't been to culinary school b)I don't have a business background and c)I don't have any money to start it up. Maybe I will cross paths with someone who has money to throw around and wants to back me and I could import a chef from CA who knows the style or get a chef from here who could go to CA with me and eat at Ruby's for a week and then reproduce it here. You just never know where life's going to take you.

Sorry about the randomness and the rambling today. Like I said, not much is really happening right now. I'll fill you in on the BBQ and how the first day of work went, probably when I'm on my own all day Saturday. Hope you're having a great day, wherever you are and whatever you're doing!