FaRm-tAsTiC

Arrived in NZ on the 31st March, two black cats in tow. Unpacked (mostly) and have been living in our free farm house, thanks to Uncle Benny (Justin's new employer) for just over 2 weeks. Moving is about as painful as any experience can get. I give it a pain score of 9 and a half out of ten.
Now we are feeling a little bit more settled. We have TV *tick*, broadband *tick*, landline and mobile *tick*, farm dog *tick*, functional killing house *tick*.
We definately are not in Kansas any more Toto.
So far we have managed to spend thousands of hard earned dollars on just the basics. It is amazing how much money is actually sitting in a pantry cupboard with just the bare minimal of necessities. Of course we have had to get a few miscellaneuos items (ie. slow cooker, wheelbarrow, new car) which have made a dent in our profit from the Rose St unit sale, but what can you do?
The cats are happy enough, especially in front of the fireplace. They have mostly forgiven us for the flight and quarantine ordeal which left them both a little bit more than pissed. But home is where the food is, so here is home.
Roger has killed thrice already so he has already paid for his ticket and for Lucky's. Didn't really need the bloody mess at 6am this morning outside our bedroom door, but took on board the fact that this is supposed to be a real gift of love from our feline male hunter.
Will be beginning my new midwifery job next Wednesday at the local (45 mins drive) rural hospital. Will be looking forward to a change of pace by then I'm sure. Farm life is good, but working in a job you love and being switched on is better. To put it another way, I think as a farmer's wife full-time you would become a very good baker, and woodchopper. Not that there's anything wrong with that.
Have met the only neighbour that we have and I give our future friendship the thumbs up. A strong individual with the capacity to do ten things at once. My kind of woman. I can foresee many a laugh and drowning of sorrows together over middle of the range NZ sav blanc's.
The weather has been kind to us thus far, but today we had a small taste of the misery yet to come. Grey drizzle and howling wind that threatens endlessly to bore into your psyche and depress even the most optimistic soul. It won't have much of a challenge with me I'm afraid, I'm not even going to try to fight it. I plan on embracing the meloncholy and writing painfully depressing songs on the guitar about it that will be able to bring the happiest of people to their God forsaken knees.
Slow cooker has been on for 2 hours now, dinner is scheduled for 2300hrs tonight; just as well we tend to eat late.

AwAiTiNg GrAcE

Today is the day we turn our lives upside down. We clean, shift, pull apart every piece of who we have become. I can't quite bring myself to begin yet though because I haven't had my coffee yet.
Coffee, ah sweet coffee. It has always been my one and only drug of choice. I was allowed it as a small child and I truly believe I am addicted. I have given up a couple of times but I always end up back on the wagon so to speak. Dandelion tea is my alternative but it's just not coffee.
My addiction really peaked when I became a registered nurse and now as a newly registered midwife I can not see this dependency stopping anytime soon.
Back to our "big move" however...we are taking a risk and moving to the land of the long white cloud. 'Finally someone moving back' is the comment of the week from complete and arrogant strangers who probably need a proper smack to the head. Justin and I have discussed this move for a very long time and now the time has come and in the nick of time if you ask us. Justin is originally from New Zealand, a kiwi, a pakeha. I'm a true blue Aussie girl born in Camperdown Sydney. Australia has provided a meeting place and fun times growing up with friends, now NZ is hopefully going to allow us to enjoy what really matters most - a home.
We want to begin a family soon, although our efforts have been futile for some time now. Perhaps the fresh air and relaxed lifestyle will aid in our conception finally. Farm life is certainly a step up from the vigorous routine of living in Tweed Heads West; directly underneath the flight paths of 95% of all in-coming and out-going air traffic into Coolangatta.
So today is about avoiding an argument, fitting in a visit to mum in Tweed Hospital so I can pick up her clothes to be washed because I still feel guilty and because she doesn't trust the other inmates from tampering with the laundry facilities. We also need to try to keep this pending move a secret from our two black moggies who are becoming increasingly nervous day by day.
Tomorrow Grace will come and box our whole life up and then take it all away in a shipping crate the next day. We are really not looking forward to sleeping on a blow-up mattress with nothing except what we have left aside in our trusty backpacks.
What we are looking forward to though is the wicked camper road trip from Brisbane to Perth that we are embarking on the very next day after all our stuff is picked up. The kitty's will have to remain here furniture free until our return and then we all fly to NZ. They are going to hate us forever for this little adventure.
Lucky and Roger are going to become one-time only frequent fliers! And we are going to be sitting above them watching some Hollywood blockbuster while knocking back red wine like it's being given out for free.