Taking Road Trips and Making Music -- A Few of My Favourite Things!!

I have just returned from a wonderful weekend away in Portland, Victoria, with my husband. We took a little road trip to visit friends and family, and we took a few instruments to play along the way. It was great fun! We just got back, and I'm ready to go out on the road again, any day now, as I'm always looking to share more musical moments. Until then, I'll do some laundry and a bit of blogging about where I've been.

Whenever I am out, I like to check-in to my location using the Swarm/Foursquare app on my iPhone. I was able to do quite a bit of that, while Adrian was doing the real driving and Miss Jelly Bean was in her backseat-driver position. Whilst on this four-day road trip, I recorded over 30 check-ins on Swarm! Checking-in on Swarm is just a silly little pastime that I use to entertain myself and to create conversation with friends online and in the real world. If I check-in enough times in a location, I can become a "mayor" of that location. Woohoooo!

I've never before been interested in politics or much competition, but Swarm is a game that has gotten my attention -- I like being the mayor (of several cities)! (Please note the crown on my head in my profile pictures in the Swarm screen shot I'm sharing here.)


By playing the game of Swarm, [in my mind] I am helping communities get attention, using the internet to verify activity and life wherever I am; and, sometimes, I even become a winner via multiple mayorships or by earning virtual coins just by being myself -- a virtual busy body.

There is a practical reason for me to play the Swarm game, though. I have a little problem remembering where I have been and what I have done, without recording these things in some sort of journal. So, my check-ins create my journal and help me remember things -- like this lovely old bakery in Dunkeld, Victoria.

The Old Bakery Wild Plum Cafe in Dunkeld, Victoria

The Old Bakery Wild Plum Cafe, Dunkeld, Victoria

I have my bakery photos now, and my check-in is recorded on Swarm…..so, I'm happy to know that I can find this place again, the next time I go out on the road to Portland.

Portland! It is such a beautiful city. I'm enjoying my reflection of this road trip.

What was my first impression of Portland on this trip? I was impressed by Portland's friendliness and generosity! Good on ya, Portland! FREE food and drink! Yes!! Happy Australia Day to me!!!

Of course, the beautiful City of Portland has a lot to be proud of and, besides getting photos of free food, there are plenty of picturesque scenes for tourists like me to collect for our Facebook photo albums (see the beautiful sea below)…...but…..friendly people handing out free sausages and cold beverages to anyone who desires it -- that's one of the most attractive things in the world, I reckon.

The Bridgewater Blow Holes -- Near Portland

My friend's backyard -- a gorgeous Portland seascape.

Portland waterfront -- early evening

Whilst visiting Portland, I enjoyed a couple of side trips: to Bridgewater Bay and to Port Fairy. I'll save those Portland side-trip pics for a separate post on this blog.

Before I close this blog entry, I'll share my pics of the lovely lunch spot in Linton that Adrian and I found on our way back to Daylesford -- Wares, Plants 'n' Things Cafe. It was a pleasure to find this spot in a small country town to enjoy lunch outside with Miss Jelly Bean. Our pup was treated as special as we were, with her water delivered to our picnic table.  Jelly got a special doggie-biscuit hand-out  -- real-world-poodle-luxury on a road trip -- and the toasted sandwiches were delicious and delivered to Adrian and me by the owner, beautiful! I imagine we'll be back!

Driving from Daylesford to Portland and back makes for a lovely little road trip. Very enjoyable (as far as the scenery, people, and food go), it is, indeed. I'm looking forward to my next road trip to Portland, Victoria, Australia!

Six Months Here, After Six Months There

Adrian and I have just returned to Daylesford, Victoria, Australia, after a six-month stay in the U.S.A. We will be in Australia until late March 2017. At that time we will return to The Holy Moly in Clarksdale, Mississippi, before the Juke Joint Festival.

While we're in Australia, we'll be running the business of Tasma House and Gardens, as we have for the past six years. 

It's good to be back with Miss Jelly Bean!

Family Life Goes On

I recently returned from a trip to Kentucky and Ohio. I enjoyed a Memorial Day weekend trip with my parents and my husband. My sister and her husband also made the trip, and it was lovely to spend time with my family, away from the day-to-day worries of revitalisation work here at The Holy Moly in Clarksdale, Mississippi.

The last time I made the Kentucky trip was by myself in 2008, before my move to Australia. So, it was a pleasure to have my parents and my husband with me this time.

I have missed my Kentucky family. A lot has changed. I miss the family members who have died since I last visited, but it was good to see the new ones and reunite with others!

It must have been around 2005 or 2006 when I went to visit my Aunt in Ohio. I'm not sure how long it has been, but it was good to be in her home again. Simple family life, sometimes it is hard to manage, but it is one of the best things in this world, and I always thank God for it.

My family's Memorial Day weekend traditions take us back to cemeteries in Kentucky, where we reminisce, cry, and laugh.

I often feel sad that I don't know much about my heritage, but I am thankful to have this Kentucky-connection with my roots -- knowing where my parents got married, where my grandparents and great-grandparents are buried, and where my cousins are being raised today -- what a blessing that is!

It was a pleasure to meet the newest member of my family, little Bentley! He looks just like my Uncle Harold Hale, and he's a treasure -- such a pleasure to be around. I am thrilled that I got to meet Bentley and his big brother, Briley! I now have a couple more reasons to be thankful for this lifestyle that allows me to come and go back and forth from Australia to America.

Alex and Kevin

I'm so happy for my daughter and her fiancé!  They recently became engaged. I love them both and wish them all the happiness in the world.

Meanwhile, in Australia….

I've enjoyed the past few months here in Australia, and I look forward to returning to the U.S.A. in a couple of weeks.

Time seems to move slowly here in Oz, but that is a beautiful thing.

I have spent some time doing a bit of artwork. Keeping things simple, I have been painting with water colour pencils on A4 water-colour paper. I use iPhoto and Comic Life to manipulate photographs of my paintings. Most of the time, my paintings are based on birds and animals that I have personally photographed in Australia.

A Life of Randomnymity

In my last post, I wrote about enjoying unexpected free time, before leaving Clarksdale, Mississippi, to return to Daylesford, Victoria.

For some reason, I don't consider any time in Australia as "free time." Although my activities here are often random, I consider that all my time here is time to enjoy life and be happy. 

As I write this, I realize that I'm ashamed of myself for not having the same frame of mind when I'm in the U.S.A. Perhaps, in the past, I haven't thought of life in America as my choice, as I was born there. At this moment, I'm regretting any lack of appreciation of life anywhere at any time, and hope that my attitude will be better, the next time I'm there in my Mississippi home. I will be there by choice, as I have been here in Australia by choice. 

Unexpected Free Time!

The new owners of the ice cream shop decided to close last week, rather than at the end of October, and I find that I have been blessed with some free time!

I've been enjoying time to draw and play with a couple of photo editing programs. Here are a couple of my latest comics:

The Holy Moly Drug Store Business Sold to John and Naomi Casaceli

That's my big news!

I'm excited to share this information now! My husband, Adrian Kosky, and I have sold our fast-food business (The Holy Moly Drug Store) to an Australian couple who are relocating to Clarksdale, Mississippi.

Happy Birthday to Me!

This is my HUGE cake
chosen just right for me
by my hubby, Adrian Kosky, on Sydney rd
Brunswick, Australia (He knows me well!)

I am enjoying my birthday week in Australia! It's a blessing to be here enjoying life with Adrian & Miss Jelly Bean, along with many friends & family on this side of the world.

As I cut into my black forest cake, I paused to remember I should leave some for others to enjoy. 

I'm always thankful for the privilege of travel and for having time to spend with family & friends, wherever I am.

The Holy Moly Drug Store is Now a Fast Food Restaurant!

The Holy Moly Drug Store started out as a seasonal ice cream shop/vintage soda fountain/espresso bar. Within its first year it has grown up to be a year-round fast-food restaurant that serves meals, along with ice cream, soda, beer, cold press juice, espresso, and good ol' Southern sweet tea (unsweet tea is also available) during every business hour. As of July, 2015, The Holy Moly Drug Store is open from Tuesday through Saturday from 11:00 A.M. until 8:00 P.M. and every Sunday from 11:00 A.M. until 3:00 P.M.

I am Thankful. I Want to Whinge.

Adrian and I have been to Australia and back, since my last blog post.  By making that statement, I remind myself what a blessing it was and what a beautiful time we had visiting dear friends, enjoying family activities, taking long road trips and seeing beautiful sights. On this return to Australia, we didn't step right back in to our regular jobs of full-time housekeeping and property management at Tasma House and Gardens in Daylesford. For a month, we experienced Australia in a different way, with a lot of freedom to do what we wanted.  It was wonderful!

The Holy Moly Business Cards are Coming Soon!

After a couple of lovely months in Australia, I have returned to Clarksdale, Mississippi, with my husband, Adrian Kosky.

Adrian and I picked up where we left off with The Holy Moly Drug Store, our ice cream parlour/vintage soda fountain/coffee shop which is located inside The Holy Moly on the corner of Third & Issaquena.  We changed our business hours from evening to daytime, this time.  We were back in business for two weeks before the ice cream freezer malfunctioned, and we actually experienced a major melt-down.

Back in My Big Backyard

I returned to Australia in September, and I'm enjoying the small-country-town-life in Daylesford again, along with lots of attention from Miss Jelly Bean.

Today was a day for household chores at Tasma House and Gardens with Adrian.  Housework is not something I enjoy doing, but I appreciate the ability to do it.  It has been just over one year since I had a tumour removed and dealt with the fears that go along with such a surgery.  I am thankful that everything went well and that I am healthy enough to travel and to do the kind of work that I need to be doing, as I return to Daylesford.

My Husband Is Now a Permanent Resident of the U.S.A.

Yay! After many, many, jumps through numerous hoops, Adrian has been awarded permanent residency in the U.S.A.  We are very thankful for this.

Visitors from Memphis!

Adrian and I were excited to have these visitors in our little ice cream shop in Clarksdale, Mississippi, last night!

My girl took a Polaroid pic of Adrian and me.  Here's my photo of that photo: