Weeks have passed since I put the extension on hold. It started back in October last year and what a tumultuous journey it has been. It’s still not complete.

Unfortunately, things didn’t go as smoothly as I had imagined. Even after I pointed out some obvious flaws in the building very early on, the builder kept on going. I was told I didn’t know what I’m talking about. Seriously? It doesn’t take an expert to see that a wall is out of plumb. Nor does it take an expert to see that the gutters don’t line up! I spoke up but was ignored. I don’t understand how he could think this was OK. He said nothing until I addressed the issue and asked him to stop. We are not talking just 10 or 20 millimeters, according to the building report the walls are out of alignment by 80mm!

And so the story continues. I have spent more than 10 weeks living in limbo. I had no idea what to do in the beginning. I hate asking people for help but in this case I had to. I was so upset. This was an awful situation I found myself in and it seemed in the beginning that finding the right help was impossible. Everybody knew somebody, but that person was either too busy or away or retired or simply just not available. I was on my own with this. I hated that fact but it was true. To start with, all I needed was a professional building report. I asked around and found some names, I talked to a lot of people, including engineers, my building certifier, friends, and then finally I was given the name of a great building inspector who does building reports on defective work. He immediately came to take a look. The same day actually! During this time I had also contacted the Department of Fair Trading. I stated my case and explained the urgency of the situation. I was at home alone, exposed to the elements, with my house being open to the weather, all species of creepy crawlies, flying bugs and insects and potential intruders of the two legged kind.

Problem solving can take a lot of time and energy. The weeks went by so quickly and nothing much was happening. I was alone and at times a bit scared. I’ve never felt like that before. Not scared for my life or anything (I actually know what that feels like), just scared of being alone in an open house and scared about what I needed to do. “I’m usually not afraid of anything”, says the fiercely independent, strong female. I was uncertain, vulnerable and way out of my comfort zone.

The building report was far more damning than I anticipated. Could things get any worse? Chris from The Department of Fair Trading came to see the work and immediately agreed with the building report. I had several builders come to look and all agreed (and swore with disbelief!). It took a long time for me to make the decision to sack the builder and tell him that I did not feel that he was capable of rectifying the problems satisfactorily. It is not as easy as you may think to get out of a contract. He was never an easy man to get along with and had acted unprofessionally towards me in the past by being a bully. I knew the only way to do this now was to appoint a lawyer to end the contract on my behalf. At least this way I will be properly prepared in the future if need be.

I have learnt so much about everything.

So, in order to rectify the problem, the extension had to be pulled down! Can you believe it? At least I know that it’s not going to be a patched up job and when finished it will be as it should be. I found a builder offering to help and I know 100% that he is doing a great job.

With the house being open during this time Muffin quickly grew into the habit of hunting all night and sleeping all day. After a few weeks of this I’d had enough! Most nights she would eventually come back inside – bearing gifts for me. In the beginning they were all dead but as she became more efficient she would bring them inside and play with them while they were alive for hours on end. It was horrid. I managed to save one little baby mouse, however I knew once night fell, all would become fair game once more. With the building and renovation also happening on either side of my property, the piles of rubbish and long grass housed a menagerie of playful creatures to entice Muffin. She has been in heaven in the biggest cat playground you can imagine! The same thing happened night after night. This was my very own groundhog day. I didn’t put up with this for long and locked her up in bedroom during the night. She cried and knocked on the door all night trying to escape, jumping on me to wake me up. Her angry defiance along with all the cockroaches, bugs, flies and mosquitoes buzzing around my head have kept me from having a good night’s sleep for weeks. I’m tired and frustrated and need this to be over.

My dear friend Ele always reminds me in challenging times to look for the silver lining. I have found one. I have been sitting in the extension over the past 10 weeks or so, staring at the walls, or rather the plastic sheeting, while my eyes and brain have been seeking out the creative! I have come up with an idea that has given me something to get excited about again. I can’t wait until this idea becomes a reality. You will see it in one of my following posts for sure!

I know that my house will be amazing eventually and the tears and worry will be worth it in the end. Thank you to Frank and Chris for your understanding and kindness and putting me in touch with Jim, to builder Dan for pointing me in the right direction with Steve (Sherlock), to Chris and the Department of Fair Trading, and the new team of builders who have taken on the challenge, and to my supportive friends – you know who you are x

Everything will be all right in the end. If it’s not all right, it’s not the end….

Well here I am again. My last Whisper’s post for 2016. The year has flown by and I have neglected my writing. Not because I didn’t want to write. More like I kept telling myself I couldn’t. Things seem to be somewhat messy. Isn’t it interesting how there is a flow on effect to other parts of your life when ‘things’ start to get away from you? When I say ‘things’, I am referring ‘things of significance’ in my life. I must and I will continue documenting my journey and try to be more organised. (New Year’s Resolution!)

Over the last couple of months I have been working with the builder (whom I chose) to do my extension. In hindsight choosing the cheapest quote was probably not a good idea. I am finding I am having to do a lot of things in preparation.

I am hoping the end result will still be good, we have already met with unexpected and costly challenges.

Everything takes way longer than expected however things have progressed over the last two weeks and the builder assures me that once they are back on board after the Christmas break, everything will progress quickly. So, where are we up to? We have a slab. Wall frames and some roof frames. The room is taking shape. The doors and windows have been delivered along with the roofing material. As stressful as it is, it is still exciting for me. Take a look and see the progress!

This is the first stage of the demolition. As you can see the kitchen now has no back wall and we are pretty much exposed to the elements (and cockroaches). The house has been boarded up so we have no back door. The washing machine was moved outside and no longer works properly so now that my mum has gone home again, I will be using the local laundromat!!!

The ground underneath the concrete was softer than expected so a geotech engineer was called up to assess the soil and prepare a report. In the meantime the timbers for the exposed beams were delivered and I had to get to work on the bogging, sanding and painting.

The concrete pump arrived and it was touch and go as to whether it would fit under the wires and across the garden without damaging the house. Phew! Just made it within cms!

I have to say these guys were very professional and did a great job! I am planning to paint the concrete floor white so the finish was really important.

And the room has started to take shape! I feel like I’m on a teeny tiny version of Grand Designs – I love that show! It really is starting to become a reality now.

The ending of 2016 couldn’t come soon enough in some ways. On a personal note I am very sad to say that our delightful little Tommy Pickles passed away. I can’t even tell you how much I loved that gorgeous little bunny. I am so sad and miss him terribly. He now has a special place in my beautiful front garden where I say hello to him every day.

And on another sad note, well….some things are just too personal to mention. Everything will be alright in the end. If it’s not alright…..it’s not the end.

Welcome 2017!!!!!

The timing couldn’t be more perfect really. A reason to drive away from my every day life was exactly what I needed. I attended my best friends’ 50^th birthday celebration in Gloucester this weekend. We have been friends for over 35 years. Feeling a little like a fish out of water didn’t matter to me because Louise is so special. In the words of her husband (after many drinks last night!)– she is a legend. A true legend! I’m not like her or her friends, but it doesn’t matter. We are true friends and will be forever. As I said goodbye to all the sad and sorry heads this morning, I said “see you at the 60^th! – the last time I saw them all was at Louise’s 40^th!

The drive to Gloucester was beautiful. There are so many cute little towns you pass through along the The Bucketts Way, including Stroud, how gorgeous! On the way I called in to see another friend, Sharon, who has recently bought a property at the “The Branch”. The Branch is located via a little detour, turning off at Booral. Sharon and David have created an exciting retirement future for themselves on their farm at The Branch. David is clearly in heaven with his huge shed full of tools and farm paraphernalia, and Sharon has been blessed with children who not only have accepted their parents choice for the future, but have also taken it on as an adventure of their own. Sarah was there this weekend with a huge group of friends, partying and having fun. What a wonderful family who I am blessed to be friends with. Thank you for lunch Sharon and I look forward to a sleepover up at the The Branch when you have a spare bed!!

After a huge night of partying by all (sorry for opting out early Louise) the park in the morning was quiet, not a soul awake apart from me. I went for a walk. Firstly to the main street of Gloucester to get some coffee. I rang my dad to say happy fathers day then ventured off toward the river taking photos along the way. Today Gloucester put on a beautiful, sunny and surprisingly warm morning. The river is not only a picture of serenity. All of my senses were nourished by its beauty… a gift from nature. I watched as the water rushed across the rocky beds, swirling into a deep pool of fresh sparkles. As I scooped a handful of water to my mouth, the freezing freshness sent tingles through my palms. The water tasted better than food. The sounds of birds chirping over the top of the babbling, trickling water took my breath away. I sat on the rocky bed, closed my eyes and was still for a very long time.

Happy Birthday my dear friend x

I’ve been searching high and low trying to find them but I just can’t. Last night I found some however they weren’t the right ones. I’m still searching, because I know if I don’t find them I won’t be able to keep going. I wish they would just come to me….like they used to, but right now, they are no where to be found 😦

In my very first post I spoke about the move from Sydney to Long Jetty and all the emotional challenges that came along with it. One of the most difficult things for me was letting go of my great grandmothers piano. It simply would not have fitted in my little cottage, not in size or in style unfortunately. In fact, it was so heavy it probably would have fallen through the floor!

I have missed that piano so much….  it was always there for me whenever I felt like playing it.

What to do? I needed to find a solution. It seemed that all around me I could hear beautiful piano music and it started making me feel frustrated and sad that I no longer had piano music in my home. Sophie and I watch lots of movies together and one of our favourites is Pride and Prejudice. This movie has the most gorgeous piano music theme song called “Dawn” by Dario Marianelli.

Isn’t it strange how once an idea happens inside your head it grows like a seed into a bigger idea and then into reality – well that’s how things happen for me when I really put my mind to it. I needed to learn to play that music.

Before I began the google search I asked myself the question, was this a need or a want? I’m not someone who ever wastes money and I rarely buy things for myself, however I felt so strongly about this and knew it was a way to nurture my soul so the search was on for a second hand, small, white piano. After missing out on a couple of bargains I finally came across the perfect instrument. Found. Negotiated. Sold and delivered.

And just like that I have my lovely little white piano and piano music in my home once again and it’s not only me who is enjoying it!

P.S I am slowly learning the beautiful”Dawn” – much more challenging that it looks 🙂

Oh, and by the way, we have a new member to the family – Tommy Pickles, the black and white rabbit! More about him next time…..

It is that time of year again. The mornings are really cold but no matter how cold it gets here, I’m not allowed to complain while ever Sophie is living in Canberra!

The renovation has slowed, giving me time to enjoy ‘other’ areas of my life, but unfortunately, or fortunately depending on which way you look at it, my work in Sydney has become incredibly busy – so much so that it is getting in the way of my life! I no longer have free days to work on the house, or do my boot camp class. (I might be taking advantage of the work excuse…..just a little)

The plans for the granny flat and the extension to the house are finally complete and have been submitted to council. This has been an exciting (and expensive) exercise, however I am really happy with the final design. I did the design myself with the help of a draftsman to draw up the plans. I am currently getting quotes from builders….or trying to. Builders play by their own rules. I’ve been waiting for weeks for the quotes.

This is my rendition of the granny flat I hope to build in the backyard. A two bedroom house above a double garage with an internal staircase. I guess it’s not really a granny flat. More of a small two storey house. I designed this with the deliberate intention of subdividing in the future. Always a good idea to keep the options open. The trees are so important to me so I have designed the structure with the trees in mind. They will need to be trimmed, but as little as possible if I can help it!

Meanwhile, my neighbours have made significant changes to their properties over the last few months. Jacko (to my left) is a builder and is well underway with his major extension, making a huge difference to his property. It is going to look fabulous. The neighbours on the other side of me are a different story. They are supposed to be renovating the property and moved out to do so months ago. Most of the house has been demolished and they have left a mess everywhere. The lawns (weeds) are a few feet high and Muffin, my cat, is in cat heaven catching mice and playing with all the creatures that now reside in the long grass and shell of house next door. There seems to be some delay in their plans. I hope everything is ok with them. I haven’t seen them for ages.

My garden exploded at an outrageous rate over the summer months. The beautiful red fountain grass grew from 8 inches high to just about 2 metres high. I could almost see it growing! Time to trim everything back. Nice and neat and organised and ready for spring when it arrives.

One thing I have learnt in my life is that nothing ever stays the same. My life has changed so much. An unexpected surprise, and a refreshing change from being alone. A welcome distraction for me. Staying on track and focused is important. It is so easy to become lost in someone else and get a little off track with your own personal journey. Remaining authentic and true to yourself and at the same time enjoying the company of a ‘partner’ is not beyond the realms of possibility, however seems to be somewhat challenging for me. An interesting work in progress for me!

I have learnt to expect the unexpected. Dreams evolve and the future will always be an exciting ‘unknown’. What will be will be. The beautiful Long Jetty is still showing me it’s never ending beauty to me!

During the recent holidays I was excited to take Sophie on our bike ride along the lake. A few weeks earlier I had walked a very long way along the track with my friend Anne, probably about 8kms from Long Jetty, through Killarney Vale and into Berkely Vale. The track is gorgeous and it’s interesting how much more you see when you walk as opposed to ride. I had ridden this track many times and had never seen the “Bear Crossing” until that day.

Sophie tells me that she doesn’t really enjoy bike riding however I managed to talk her into coming with me with the enticer of a special surprise. We had recently had a period of torrential rain so the ride was even more fun due to the amount of water still lying across the bike track!

We had been riding a long while and I wasn’t sure where exactly the “Bear Crossing” was. There were lots of things to see along the way, including a man setting up a remote control plane, which he was about to fly across the lake. There were heaps of deep puddles to ride through and we were having loads of fun getting completely drenched. Sophie didn’t want to go any further and I still hadn’t found the crossing. I decided to turn back as the water was getting a bit too deep to ride through in parts!

It was when we were on the way back that I found it.

It seems we had been distracted by the man flying his plane and had completely missed the “Bear Crossing”. It is easy to miss. I stopped Sophie and showed her the sign. She thought that was cute but no big deal. Then I said “look up in the trees”. She giggled her head off and found her phone to take photos. High up in the trees were the bears. Teddy Bears. A really big one and some smaller ones. How cute are they? It makes me smile to think that someone has such a good sense of humour and is creative and fun enough to climb the trees and place the bears up there! (Or did the bears climb up there themselves????)

I have since been there again with a friend who has lived here for years and who has ridden along this track thousands of times. He was amazed that he hadn’t noticed it either.

Note to self: Live each day with your eyes wide open!

It’s the little things that count and happiness is everywhere x

Hello again! As promised, even if a little delayed, are some pictures of my front garden, It certainly has been a work in progress, in fact it still is and always will be I guess.

I absolutely love it and am proud to have created this on my own (with a little help from mum and dad x) As you can see, Muffin quite likes it too!

I have managed to remain mostly true to the original concept which I drew up months ago, however the original design when I first moved in was going to be a formal cottage garden.( I showed a sketch in an older post).

I then changed my mind wanting a more free, beach style cottage garden. I can’t help myself but to include some formality in my designs. No matter how hard I try, I never seem to end up with a carefree, loose design (probably for that very reason – I ‘try’ instead of letting it flow). I changed my mind about the rope fence and decided to use more of the Jetty timbers, so the garden now has some Long Jetty history, giving it more sentimental value and quirky, unique character. I am planning to make my own letterbox and have the design ready to go. Once the letter box is complete I will have a plaque of some kind on the front saying where the timbers and the plants in the garden came from.

Something like –

In the Heart of the Garden – “the timbers used in this garden have been recycled from the old Salt Water Creek Pedestrian Bridge and Watkins Jetty with most of the plants gifted from my kind friends”

Also just wanted to say a very special thank you to the following friends for your kind offerings –

My sister Michelle – for the largest Agaves, Mum for striking the jasmine and buying the Jacaranda Tree (and dad for helping me concrete the timber), Melissa –  Agaves and succulents, Lisa & Derani for the Red Fountain features, Robyn the Sun Parasol, Jenny for the Rhoeos and a variety of smaller succulents (and your gardening advice!), Rhonda for more succulents and the beautiful Date Palm which has now been planted into its own pot, my neighbours Jacko and Carina for the Frangipanis, Bruce the butcher for more Frangipanis, Peter for the Camellia (planted at the side), and Sue for the Lemon Grass. The rest came from Bunnings!

I thought for all the garden lovers I would put a brief description of all the plants used. The garden faces north and is in direct sun all day so I have selected only the plants that I thought could tolerate these conditions. The soil is pretty sandy here so I had some good quality garden soil delivered and built up the beds before planting. I also used river rock in two sizes 40mm and large rock delivered from Tumbi Soil and Sand.

Here is a list of the plants living in my garden.

1. AGAVE ATTENUATA – A bold, architectural succulent occuring naturally in southern USA and Mexico. The plants are perennial, but each rosette flowers once and then dies. Agave’s can be used as feature plants in pots, are great in courtyards and larger landscapes. They are particularly popular in modern garden designs. I have used several Agave’s of different sizes to add sculpture and form in my garden.
2. RHAPHIOLEPIS INDICA – Indian hawthorn is a low to mid growing shrub with mid-green, slightly serrated leathery leaves. The species is native to an area from southern China, Japan, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam. The five-petalled flowers are sweetly perfumed. Blue-black berries appear on the shrub after flowering. For best flower colour or for a compact plant, look for named varieties such as ‘Ballerina’. I have used 5 of these across the front of the deck to eventually form a hedge.
3. TRACHELOSPERMUM – Commonly known as Star Jasmine, these versatile plants can be used in a variety of ways as climbers, as a groundcover, spreading bushes, or indoor plants. They feature attractive, glossy, oval leaves and as the common name suggests fragrant, white, starry, jasmine-like flowers, in summer. I am using them as a ground cover circling the Red Fountain feature in the centre of the main garden, and also on as a ground cover in form of the picket fence.
4. GAURA – also known as Butterfly Bush, is a pretty, water-wise plant, with a succession of flowers over many months. It is a perennial to around 80cm high and wide, which loves the sun, good drainage and a good cutting back as the long wands of butterfly flowers finish. Butterfly Bush is self seeding and will flower again in 6 weeks after pruning. I have used two varieties, white and pink.
5. PLUMERIA – common name Frangipani, is a small genus of 7-8 species native to tropical and subtropical Americas. The genus consists of mainly deciduous shrubs and trees. Plumeria has spread to all tropical areas of the world, especially Hawaii, where it grows so abundantly that many people think that it is indigenous there. Frangipani flowers appear in clusters, also at the end of the branches, and are distinctively scented. The petals are waxy with the centre of the flower a different colour to the rest. I have used the most common frangipani has white flowers with a yellow centre. Flowers will appear from December to April in Australia, and even longer in warmer climates. two Frangipani trees feature in my front garden.
6. SUCCULENT PLANTS – are plants having some parts that are more than normally thickened and fleshy, usually to retain water in arid climates or soil conditions. They thrive with minimum fuss, flourish with little care and grow in small amounts of soil and the maximum amount of sunshine. Better still they require little moisture, making them a stylish solution to Australia’s water crisis. Succulents have bold foliage forms and bright colours, and their ease of growing has ensured the revival of their popularity. I have used a variety of succulents.
7. GARDENIA – is a genus of flowering plants in the coffee family, Rubiaceae, native to the tropical and subtropical regions of Africa, southern Asia, Australasia and Oceania. Attractive evergreen small to medium shrub (1-2m tall and maybe as wide) with deep green foliage. Fragrant and beautiful creamy white flowers which are seen from late spring to late autumn with the main flush in the months leading up to Christmas. Attractive evergreen small to medium shrub (1-2m or 3-6′ tall and maybe as wide) with deep green foliage. A versatile shrub which can be grown as a hedge or a standard, however in my garden I have planted a group.
8. SALVIA – Blue and White mixed – This hardy perennial is generally grown as a half hardy annual as it is ideally suited to bedding schemes and containers. Neat bushy plants produce long lasting nectar-laden flowers which are loved by bees. The vibrant purple and white flowers add a striking contrast of colour to the garden.
9. PENNISETUM SETACEUM ‘PURPUREUM’ – Red Fountain Grass – This is a spectalcular perennial grass and I am using it as feature plants in the garden. The red foliage and tall arching flower stalks offer strong contrast to other plants in the garden. I will need to cut back old clumps with browning foliage in late winter to insure fresh foliage over the entire clump in spring. This plant does not tolerate wet, cold soils very well.
10. RHOEO SPATHACEA – Rhoeo is a short-stemmed tender foliage plant which makes attractive small, dense, clumping rosettes. It forms a solid groundcover of upright purple and green leaves. The unusual flowers, borne down among the leaves, appear as clusters of tiny white flowers nestled within two boat-shaped, purplish bracts. They are not noticeable unless you look closely. I fear that my plants are suffering from getting too wet with poor drainage where I have planted them. Must keep an eye on them.
11. ALTERNANTHERA – Little Ruby is the perfect mounding ground cover with a compact, spreading habit and deep burgundy foliage, making it a real stand out plant in the garden. It is approximately a third the height of the common form. This Alternanthera loves humidity, but can also tolerate frost better than most forms. In very cold climates, it will still need to be in a sheltered position. I adore the colour of this plant and it really does make an impact.
12. TRACHELOSPERMUM JASMINOIDES TRICOLOUR – Variegated Jasmine – A beautiful climbing or ground covering plant that has small fragrant pinkish-white flowers and with new growth that emerges hot pink and turns to white splashed on green. The flowers actually look like the leaves of the plant. I have used this plant as a hedge and eventually the hedge will continue down the entire driveway.
13. MANDEVILLA HYBRID – Giant White Sun Parasol is a climber by nature and produce lots of flowers due to the plants strong branching habit. Pretty varieties require trellis or another structure, such as a fence or pergola for support. I plan to either build or buy a garden arch to support this gorgeous plant, however in the meantime it is staked and able to establish itself until I find what I’m looking for.

Let me know what you think by following my blog and commenting!

I will keep you posted….

Christmas has been and gone. It was all over in the blink of an eye. This time of year just seems to dissolve into thin air. The days blend and I’m finding it difficult to remember what day it is from one day to they next! I just wanted to add a small post mentioning Christmas and New Year 2015 before the memories are a distant past.

New Year was celebrated with new friends x

A lovely family gathering at my sister’s house was made extra special by the presence of a beautiful young Italian girl called Miriam. Last year my sister’s 16 year old daughter Elise went on a 3 month student exchange to Italy and stayed with Miriam and her family. This year we had the pleasure of meeting Miriam. Miriam went back to Italy a few days ago. We miss you Miriam.

A time of appreciation and gratitude…

I have had a break from writing for a while but it’s time to do an update on my progress with the house, and the life I have created here in Long Jetty.

Firstly, I wish to talk about my community. It is a challenge to move into a new environment on your own not knowing anyone. Working on the house has kept me busy however I started to feel isolated on a personal level and decided to do something about it. Early on this year I joined a boot camp class called High Tide Fitness. Kylee runs the classes and happens to live just five doors up from me. We work out down on the beach or in the park at Toowoon Bay. I have been committed 3-4 times a week since I began. It was freezing during the winter months but I still turned up every week to work my but off. This exercise and the lovely group of people I have met has helped me go from strength to strength, so much so I earned myself an award at the High Tide Christmas Party for being inspiring and my amazing transformation. If I think about what happened to me just over a year ago it seems so unreal now.

Thank you to Kylee, Ben and Dave for your encouragement, support and torture throughout 2015. When do we get to train the trainers?? LOL

From there I met people who were part of the Toowoon Bay Surf Life Saving Club. I was really interested to know who and what was involved and somehow my name was added to a list to join the next group going through to do the Bronze Medallion to become a lifesaver. The very first training day was cold, raining, and with really rough seas. I turned up in my jeans and jumper thinking there would be no way we would be going into the water today. I would never get in the ocean on a day like that under normal circumstances. But low and behold we were sent in to start learning rescues. When I hit the water I could feel my lungs contract and I found it very difficult to breathe. I hadn’t swum in a very long time and here I was heading out in the sea, tube in tow trying to rescue someone. Just do it is what I kept telling myself, and I did. Then it was my turn to be rescued. I whispered to my rescuer before I went in that her rescue will be an actual one – not pretend! Thankfully I was saved. We then stood on the beach, me freezing, shaking and shivering while we listened and learned about resuscitation etc etc. At the end of the two hours we were then informed that we had to do the run swim run. 200m Run, 200m swim followed by 200m run. What? Are they serious? I looked at where the buoys were located and thought to myself I have never gone out that far in my life! Anyway, me being me said to myself “you can do this”.

So off I went, once again when I hit the water the wind was taken from me and not only could I not breathe, I couldn’t swim a stroke of freestyle. “Keep your head up, keep moving forward, you can do this”. I did eventually make it. I couldn’t feel my feet at all. I was frozen. My chest was aching and I had difficulty breathing. After a long shower followed by a soak in a hot bath I defrosted. The chest pain and exhaustion lasted for days. I realised that maybe my heart is different now after the operation to close the hole in the heart. This event triggered several panic attacks over the next few weeks. I’m ok, but I know I need to be careful. I was very proud to have passed all the tests and am now a life saver at Toowoon Bay Beach! I have made lots of new friends and am enjoying getting to know everyone. I am really starting to feel a sense of belonging.

I promise my next post will be about the house! (The front garden) x