My littlest sister

Did I mention my family is spread all over the world?  My littlest sister is more spread than most.  Her significant other is a professional sportsman, which sounds glamorous, but comes with a significant down side.  Her life is spread between cricket seasons, a round of endless summers on different continents.  Ever six months or so, she has to up sticks and move.  She has to find a new home, a new job, reconnect with other itinerant friends – and just when she’s settled, she’ll do it all again.  Sometimes she’s close to my parents.  Sometimes she’s close to our other sister.  She’s always at least a five hour flight from me.

I miss her.  She’s one of the most truly generous people I know.

Sometime in the next four weeks she’ll up and move again.  Away.  There isn’t even a firm date yet – it’s all dependent on making the finals, or not.  So when Jamie asked who I wanted to send some love, it was her. 

Wishing all my lovings for my wild, whimsical, gypsy sister, who spreads love and compassion everywhere she goes.

Happy Wednesday

More love February

The multi-cultural festival has begun!  This is a great time to be loving and learning other cultures.  Last night, I went with a friend to the Arabic poetry reading event.  It was beautiful – not everything was in English, but even when you can’t understand the language you hear the rhythm and the power and the emotion.

Afterwards, my friend came home and we ate lots of icecream.  Icecream is an easy sort of love to give.

  It’s still really hot,here in Canberra.  Or as one poet called it “the capital of serenity and meditation”. Tee hee!  Is that just a more polite way to say there’s nothing to do here?

Family building, one trip at a time

We have been in New Zealand, visiting Ryan’s family.  The are new family to me, really, but even Ryan doesn’t know them well.  He grew up in another country to his cousins and aunts.  This is our third visit to them – the second since our marriage.  And, although it sounds funny to say it, on this trip they finally started feeling more like relatives.

I didn’t get much writing done on this trip.  Mostly because there was very little down-time.  We celebrated a big joyous wedding and two birthdays.  We shared bathrooms and car trips and hats.  We shared food and stories and laughter.  And I think that is the beginnings of family.

The stories shared?  Just the normal stories every family has, funny stories aren’t really funny unless you know the main characters.  There’s mushy ones too, like the way the bride and groom got to know each other, and how he proposed.  There are others that are ancient history, about elderly aunts growing up together.

We made some new stories, too.  I think I shall forever be the daughter-in-law that eats prodigous amounts, and shockingly mangles the Queen’s English.  Ryan now has a reputation to maintain as an entertainer of small boys.

oh-mi-goodness did we eat!  I have a list of recipes I want to try, for dishes both new and remembered.  Starting with caramel slice, pink coconut slice  and trifle.  And we are friends with all Ryan’s cousins on Facebook.  And one of those elderly aunts is threatening to visit, and I think we’ll be sending many more Christmas cards this year.  Definitely family.