New Year’s Eve is tomorrow…Where did the time go?..How do we celebrate now?

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Yesterday while on a walk, we spotted this White Faced Heron.

Early this morning it dawned on me that tomorrow is New Year’s Eve.  With no big plans to celebrate, except for an event on New Year’s night (more on that later), we’ll spend the usual celebratory night at “home.” 

Perhaps, we’ll celebrate with a glass of wine on the veranda, (if the skies clear) and do as many do throughout the world, have a quiet evening at home often heading to bed before the stroke of midnight. 

Leftover from Halloween?

Its not very exciting but Penguin only has a few bars with most locals celebrating at private gatherings or, as the case for many, not celebrating at all.  Rolling into the new calendar year is not necessarily an event of significance to many throughout the world when many nationalities have their own particular calendar:

“New Year’s Eve:
In both the Gregorian calendar, currently used in the United States, and the Julian calendar, which was used until 1752 in the British colonies, the last day of the year is December 31st.”

Masses of yellow daisies grow along the road.

Here is an interesting link as to when and how each country throughout the world celebrates their interpretation of the beginning of the New Year. Many  countries celebrate both their own spiritually based acknowledgement of the New Year and also the New Year those of us in Australia, the US, parts of Europe and other countries have adopted over the centuries as indicated in the above quote.

In our old lives, each year we enthusiastically celebrated New Year’s Eve with a theme based party at our home.  For days, I’d prepare a wide array of foods for the party and decorate our home befitting the theme based occasion. 

Fluffy yellow blooms.

One year we did a “tacky 70’s” theme party.  Along with our guests we dressed in bellbottoms, flower printed silky shirts and chunky heeled shoes while disco music blared in the background.  For the food, I made 70’s type of appetizers while we encouraged guests to bring their favorite 70’s type foods.

From cookie cutout baloney sandwiches to pickled eggs to homemade White Castle burgers to gruyere cheese fondue with chunks of baguettes for dipping, we had every imaginable dish as a result of a huge turnout.  For a list of 70’s type foods, please click here at this great site.

These flowers are so dark they’re almost black.  We’d seen these in new Zealand as well.

Our last such New Year’s Eve party occurred in 1999 with the fears of something awful occurring as the New Year rolled over to the year 2000.  For the first time, we had a poor turnout especially with the icy and snowy weather.  It was that year we decided we’d most likely discontinue the huge New Year’s Eve house parties. 

From there, on several occasions, we got together with friends and neighbors or stayed at home keeping the festivities low key.  This time of year in Minnesota was often bitter cold.  The idea of heading out on the icy roads with the potential of drunk drivers spinning out on the highway didn’t hold much appeal.

Wishing well planter in side yard of neighboring home.

I suppose in part for many, aging in itself is reason enough to lose interest in celebrating New Year’s Eve, whether we acknowledge it or not.  No longer is the idea of drinking copious amounts of liquor well into the night as appealing as it was in our younger days.

With few friends in this area, its unlikely we’ll do anything more than enjoy one more pleasant evening together, feeling blessed and grateful for the quality of our lives, for those we love and for each other.

Rocky beach on a cloudy day walk.

Moments ago, Tom mentioned it was two months ago today that we left Bali on a “red eye” flight arriving in Sydney spending one night in a hotel.  The following day we boarded the 33 night cruise circumventing the Australian continent.  Wow!  How the time flies! 

As for where we were one year ago please check below for our “Photo from one year ago today, December 30, 2015.”  Please have a safe and happy end of the year.

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Photo from one year ago today, December 30, 2015:

When we walked through the Pacific Harbour, Fiji neighborhood, one year ago, we crossed this river.  For more photos please click here.

Four days, no sun…Cabin fever setting in?…Dogs, flowers and beaches…A little bit of “this and that”…

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Simple, but delightful.

We’re anxious to get out to explore, but with rain over the past four days, most likely we won’t be doing so today. Neither of us sees any reason why we should get soaked on a walk in the rain (not our thing).

On a walk across the street which is lined with a wide variety of blooming flowers, we spotted this unusual plant.  Any comments from locals or flower enthusiasts?

Nor do we see any purpose in driving through the countryside with limited visibility, making photo taking annoying to say the least. There’s strong storm conditions in the Australian continent and we suspect we’re getting some of that inclement weather as well.

Instead, like many of you, on bad weather days, we choose to stay close to “home.” In our old lives, when we had to work, we never hesitated to go out when it was below zero or on rainy or snowy days. 

Note the purple/mauve borders and veins on the leaves. 

Now, in this life, we don’t have to go out in bad weather unless we have a definitive reason, such as a travel day; to catch a flight or when boarding a cruise. We love how flexible we are in this life!

Two dogs swimming in the ocean on Christmas Day, the last sunny day in Penguin.

Do we get cabin fever on days like this? Tom, who can easily occupy himself online for days at a time, has no problem to prevent cabin fever. For me, spending little time online after posting the day’s blog, conducting research or logging future travel plans and financial matters, I have little interest in using my laptop. 

Aside from vast expanses of white sand beaches in Tasmania there are rocky areas.

Somehow I find myself with plenty of tasks that easily consume part of each day, whether it’s preparing a meal, doing laundry or organizing and rearranging our “stuff” to make the next packing session all the more seamless.

Little bells.

Today, I’ll be rearranging our pill bag. I take three prescriptions, while Tom takes none. Recently, we received a shipment of a one year’s supply of my three meds each of which is wrapped in blister packs.  

Having used all the loose pills I had on hand, I decided today would be a good day to open all the blister packs putting the individual pills in the appropriately labeled plastic pill bottles from past purchases in Australia. 

Walkway along Penguin Beach on Christmas Day.

Yep, I must admit, as an old timer myself, I use a monthly pill container case since I take the three meds together once each morning. It contains space for 28 days. Thus, like many of who are taking multiple medications, it makes sense to use a pill case to ensure errors aren’t made. 

Looks like this possible Great Dane was looking for her/his owner to return from the shop. We took this photo on a very cool day.

Pressing the pills through the blister packs for an entire year’s meds could take a few hours. For three different meds for 12 months, that is 1095 “presses” in the blister pack. 

Dogs allowed.

I realize that keeping the pills in the blister pack may extend their freshness, but in an effort to eliminate excess weight, getting rid of the superfluous paper and plastic makes more sense due to our circumstances.

Also, today, I have to use a needle and thread to sew a few items. I don’t mind doing this, but have trouble threading the needle unless I use that silly little tin thing that is often included in a package of various sized needles. Its this thing:

Ever use this thingee when trying to thread a needle? I’m lost without it. Must be old age.

Yesterday, I made enough low carb, grain free, starch free pizza for several meals, leaving only a salad to chop for today’s meal. We left out enough pizza for two days, freezing three packages we can later reheat as  additional meals. 

Specifically, Penguin Beach.

Sure, I have a touch of cabin fever, but with plenty to do plus a few favorite downloaded/streaming TV shows we’ve been binge watching in the evenings I’ll be fine. We’ve been watching these shows: “This is Us,” “Victoria” and “The Crown.” We seldom watch TV during the day, although we may have local news or talk shows on in the background.

More of Penguin Beach.

We hope you have a great day today filled with a little “this and that” to keep you occupied and entertained.

Photo from one year ago today, December 29, 2015:

We’d been warned against purchasing locally caught fish in Fiji when it’s often caught close to the shore where bacteria is heavy in the waters from sewage disposal.  As a result, we never purchased any fish for four months. For more photos, please click here.

Eyes drawn to beach after beach…Is Tasmania as amazing as Hawaii?…

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We took this photo from downtown Penguin. Wow!

Two years ago, at this time we were on the Big Island of Hawaii while 12 family members had visited us at the two vacation homes we’d rented next door to one another. It seems like a lifetime ago. 

We were watching from our front veranda as a massive flock of birds (most likely seagulls) were in a frenzy over a school of fish.

To view some of our photos from that period, please begin searching through the archives beginning here. Below is a photo of Tom in our “backyard” in the Big Island, taken the day after we arrived, awaiting out kids and grandchildren soon arriving. What a view!

Two years ago Tom stood in the backyard of one of two of the vacation homes we rented awaiting our family’s arrival for Christmas. Here is the link for this particular post, the same as indicated above.

Having spent a total of eight months in four of the Hawaiian Islands; Oahu, Maui, Big Island (aka Hawai’i) and Kauai we left the exquisite US state with fond memories of amazing scenery and experiences.

Scene of Penguin from a distance.

Now, after only three weeks in Tasmania, we’re finding ourselves entrenched in the beauty of this island not only for its amazingly friendly people and ease of living but also for its simplicity. Nothing feels rushed here.

Farmland view of the sea.

Is it possible to compare the islands of Hawaii with Tasmania with their expansive ocean views, white sand beaches, mountains, hills and lush vegetation? 

From of the ocean from a country road.

Tasmania offers the exact same features that make visiting this island state of Australia comparable in many ways to visiting some of the Hawaiian islands in the US.

This is a view from an elevated road in Penguin.

A few differences we’ve observed during this short period in Tasmania:

  • Considerably less tourists in Tasmania due to it’s distance location to many countries. Hawaii is easier to get to from many countries in the northern hemisphere. Most of the popular islands of Hawaii are packed with tourists, creating traffic and commotion typical of life in many island communities, not necessarily bumper-to-bumper traffic, but  it may be difficult to find parking spots at popular beaches and venues.
  • It’s generally more expensive in Hawaii, perhaps a trade-off for the added time and transportation costs to travel to Australia from many other countries.  Rental cars were more expensive here.  Groceries are less expensive. Dining out is comparable.    (Continued below).
Many homes and farms in Penguin have beautiful ocean views.
  • The weather? It’s sunny and warm in Hawaii year round, although it may rain off and on, with most rain storms quickly moving through to returning sunny skies. In Tasmania, we’re experiencing three cloudy and rainy days in a row (which may be unusual during these summer months) with considerably cooler temperatures during the spring and summer based on its distant proximity to the Equator. Winter temperatures are cooler. Not all travelers care for warm climates. 
  • Friendliness factors in both locations? Comparable. We found the people of Hawaii to be outrageously friendly. Here in Penguin, in Tasmania, in general? The locals are equally friendly if not more.
  • Recreational activities: Scuba diving, deep sea fishing, diving, whale watching, shopping and the availability of tourist spots are readily available in both locations.
Tasmania has many roadside viewing areas on the highway.

In reality, for most travelers, it all boils down to cost, weather, proximity and crowds. If a traveler prefers a quiet, laid back experience with temperate weather and can travel the long distance, Tasmania may be preferred.  If one is looking for a more active location with nightlife, warm sunny days on the beach, Hawaii (on some islands) may be preferred.

Walkers exploring the beach.

As for the scenery, they’re equally exquisite in their own way and we treasure the opportunities we’ve had in visiting both states. The ocean and mountain views, the green grassy hills, the abundant variety of vegetation and wildlife and the cooler climate has made us feel we’ve come to the right place at this point in our travels. 

An early evening guitar playing session while sitting on a rock.  Photo taken from our veranda.

Have a beautiful day as we work our way toward the end of 2016. It’s been a good year for us. We hope it’s been so for YOU as well.

Photo from one year ago today, December 28, 2015:

  • One year ago in Pacific Harbour, Fiji Tom was engrossed in watching a ski movie on the projection screen in Baku Blues bar/restaurant in the Arts Village. For more dining out photos, please click here.

A sunny day drive through the country…Nature at its finest…For the less experienced reader, how to use our archives…

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This was our favorite photo of the day, a huge Billy Goat with quite the beard and defined facial marks.

Even today the weather is cloudy and overcast, but that does not bother us. We’ve been fortunate to have a lot of sunny days since we arrived in Tasmania more than three weeks ago.

By car across the countryside, you can see the ocean in the distance.

Each sunny day, we head out to take photos as shown in today’s post, photos from the countryside, the quaint towns, the ocean and the points of interest we’ve found to be most appealing.

Cattle are funny when humans come by.

In many locations around the world, living in more remote regions often leaves us looking for photo opportunities. We had assumed this would be a dilemma over the four months we spent in Bali (with a two-month break in between) as of April 30, 2016. 

Nice country sign, by the way.

But, the photo opportunities in Bali kept coming and coming as evidenced in our posts, easily reviewed if you missed them, by researching our archives located on the right side of this page below our advertisers.

Cattle on a hill.

As a matter of fact, here are the step by step instructions for using our archives.  For our more experienced readers, please bear with us as we review these instructions:

  • Scroll down the day’s home page, below our advertisers, to PREVIOUS POSTS 
  • Note the list of years since we began posting beginning in 2012
  • Click on the little black triangle of the year you’d like to research, that looks like this:  ► 
  • Once you click on this ► the entire year’s posts, month by month, will be displayed.
  • Select the month and search for headings, you like to see. If you’re looking for something in particular and are unable to find it, please don’t hesitate to send me or Tom an email and we’ll send you the link by email.
Highland Breed cattle.  See this link for details on this breed.

Many of our new readers find they are more easily able to grasp the nature of our continuing story by reading the posts from the beginning. Our story is a a continuing day to day journal of the lives of two retirees with no home, no storage and only a few bags in our possession, traveling the world for years to come. It’s less of a “travel and sightseeing” log one may find elsewhere and more of a personal account about living all over the world.

This annoyed male approached the fence when we stopped for photos.

Many have written to us explaining how they began reading our posts from the beginning to grasp the full intent and meaning of why we do what we do and how it impacts our daily lives. Could YOU do this? Some could, some actually do what we do, although few would choose this odd life.

Although this one mooed at us, she/he didn’t bother to get up.

Yesterday, we loved speaking to our family members on Christmas Day (in the US) and were reminded of how much we left behind. Any yet, after hanging up, we giggled with delight over the prospect of seeing them in a mere five months, spending six weeks in Minnesota and three weeks in Nevada.

The countryside in Tasmania certainly reminds us of New Zealand.

Will we run out of photo ops while in these two locations in the US? Hardly. We’ll be busy in our “home town” looking at it through new eyes and a new perspective. We’ll share the nuances of living in the US for our readers in other countries (and in the US) and perhaps a different perspective after having been away for almost five years at that point.

Old log house seen along the country road.

And, for now? We have hundreds of photos we’ve yet to share and the stories surrounding them.  There’s no doubt we’ll leave Penguin having many photos we’ll never have had the opportunity to post. In the interim, we’ll share our favorites, which we hope our readers find interesting.

The hills, the trees, the vegetation and the sea create a breathtaking scene.

Today, while the house is being cleaned, we’ll head to Ulverstone to shop for groceries. After discovering pesticides are used on most of the produce at Woolie’s we no longer buy their produce. Instead, we now purchase organic produce at the local Fruit & Veg market, a delightful five minute walk down the road. 

The views of farm fields, bodies of water and the sea is always stunning.

There’s nothing quite like a walk down the road to the veggie mart. Then again, there’s nothing quite like Penguin. Leaving in three weeks leaves us with a twinge of disappointment. It won’t be easy to say goodbye.

We hope all of you who celebrate had a fulfilling Christmas as we anticipate the New Year rolling in.

Photo from one year ago today, December 27, 2015:

During a period of many cloudy and rainy days in Fiji, we visited the capital city of Suva. This photo is the top of the President’s house located in Suva. For more Suva photos, please click here.

Boxing Day situation with a seal…What?…Plus, what is Boxing Day, for those who may not know?

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Members of the public should not approach the seal. Pictures: Tasmania Police
Photo taken by the Tasmanian Police of a seal sitting atop a car.  The area has been secured to prevent the public from getting too close. For details on the story, please click here.

After yesterday’s perfectly sunny Christmas Day, today is Boxing Day and its overcast and cloudy.  We’re staying in other than a possible walk if it doesn’t rain.


Our Christmas Day meal.  The filet mignon was tender as it could be, the prawns sweet and delicious and the plate of bacon and sautéed mushrooms, salad and green beans were added treats.

We’ve always assumed Boxing Day had something to do with the sport of boxing.  This is the first country in which we’ve lived that was celebrating this special day prompting us to research what Boxing Day really is about.


Pedal kayaking on Christmas Day.

In Australia and other British Commonwealth nations, Boxing Day is a day for many shoppers to line up during the night, to take advantage of the continent wide sales on new and leftover holiday merchandise.  They take this very seriously and many stores had long queues since the middle of the night.


These are the same purple flowers that bloom this time of year in New Zealand.

What is Boxing Day?  From this site, here’s some speculation as to its origins:

“Boxing Day is a holiday celebrated on the day following Christmas Day  in the United Kingdom and Commonwealth nations. Boxing Day occurs on 26 December, although the attached bank holiday or public holiday may take place either on that day or a day later.

In the liturgical calendar of Western Christianity, Boxing Day is the second day of Christmastide,[ and also St. Stephen’s Day.  In some European countries, notably Germany, Poland, the Netherlands and the Nordic countries, 26 December is celebrated as a Second Christmas Day.

There are competing theories for the origins of the term, none of which are definitive. The Oxford English Dictionary gives the earliest attestations from England in the 1830s, defining it as “the first week-day after Christmas-day, observed as a holiday on which post-men, errand-boys, and servants of various kinds expect to receive a Christmas-box”. (Continued below).


Sunny day view of a portion of Penguin.

The term “Christmas-box” dates back to the 17th century, and among other things meant:

A present or gratuity given at Christmas: in Great Britain, usually confined to gratuities given to those who are supposed to have a vague claim upon the donor for services rendered to him as one of the general public by whom they are employed and paid, or as a customer of their legal employer; the undefined theory being that as they have done offices for this person, for which he has not directly paid them, some direct acknowledgement is becoming at Christmas.

In Britain, it was a custom for tradespeople to collect “Christmas boxes” of money or presents on the first weekday after Christmas as thanks for good service throughout the year.  This is mentioned in Samuel Pepys‘ diary entry for 19 December 1663.  This custom is linked to an older English tradition: since they would have to wait on their masters on Christmas Day, the servants of the wealthy were allowed the next day to visit their families. The employers would give each servant a box to take home containing gifts, bonuses and sometimes leftover food.

The European tradition, which has long included giving money and other gifts to those who were needy and in service positions, has been dated to the Middle Ages, but the exact origin is unknown. It is believed to be in reference to the Alms Box placed in areas of worship to collect donations to the poor. Also, it may come from a custom in the late Roman/early Christian era, wherein metal boxes placed outside churches were used to collect special offerings tied to the Feast of Saint Stephen,which in the Western Church falls on the same day as Boxing Day.”


During our walk on Christmas Day, we noticed many mailboxes say, “No junk mail.  Thank you.”

As we sit here now with TV on in the background with coffee  mugs in hand, the conversations on the various news shows are all discussing the exciting sales throughout Australia.  This is a favorite day for many Aussies.

For us, with no interest in shopping we won’t even notice the shopping frenzy in quiet, laidback Penguin.  With only a handful of shops not related to dining and food shopping, we don’t expect the Penguin shops to be open.  We’ll know more later when we go for a walk.


B&B in the neighborhood.

We had a pleasant, albeit quiet Christmas Day, with a great midday meal with a light snack later in the evening followed by a lovely walk in the neighborhood.  Later, we lounged on the front veranda exchanging “Merry Christmas” to one passerby after another.


With summer starting on December 21st and temperatures warming flowers are blooming.

Talking to some family members  on Skype and sharing wishes in Facebook via chat and posting kept us busy for part of the day.  Tom spent hours on Ancestry.com piecing together more of his family connections while I busied myself reading and writing to family and friends.


With most islands formed from volcanos an amount of lava rock remains on the beaches in Tasmania, along with a tremendous amount of white sand beaches.

For those on the opposite side of the International Dateline who celebrate ,we wish you a very Merry Christmas and for those on this side,  located in British Commonwealth nations, we wish you a Happy Boxing Day, and shopping experience as well!

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 Photo from one year ago today, December 26, 2015:
 

What a great meal we had dining out on Christmas Day last year in Fiji.  I ate four of these octopus!  For more food photo, please click here.  See Tom’s meal below.
Check out the size of those slabs of prime rib and prawns on Tom’s plate last year.  It was the most tender beef we’d had in months

Merry Christmas to all of our readers…Its Christmas Day today in Tasmania…

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Finally, we were able to take a picture early in the evening of a high-speed train decorated with Christmas light. We’d hope for a nighttime train for a better shot. However, each time we heard a train coming in the dark, we quickly ran outside with the camera only to find that particular train wasn’t decorated. We’re pleased with this photo.

This marks the fifth Christmas since our departure from Minnesota on October 31, 2012. Each one has been unique in its own way, especially when living outside the US. There isn’t any snow. It’s usually warm and has even been hot in some locations. 

The penguin mascot, this gigantic penguin, is decorated for Christmas.

Over these years of world travel its made no sense to decorate a Christmas tree or our vacation home when we’d be required to purchase everything when we’d have to leave it all behind.

Only a few homes in penguin have elaborate Christmas decorations as this festive display.

To our great surprise, we were not disappointed in any of that. Having long ago let go of owning “stuff” we’ve both acquired a perspective of what really matters to us. And, it has nothing to do with owning furnishings, pots and pans, flat screen TVs and Christmas decorations. 

More elaborate Christmas ornaments on a local house.

It has everything to do with embracing our surroundings, learning about varying cultures throughout the world, while taking time to stop to notice the song of a bird, a blooming flower or an expansive ocean view.

We are in awe of this elaborate display in Penguin.

Last night, Christmas Eve in this part of the world, we sat outside on the veranda in the front of the house sipping wine. We discussed how we don’t miss having an elaborately decorated home with twinkling lights, a variety of Santa displays, exquisitely wrapped gifts under the tree and the smell of cookies and other holiday treats baking in the oven.

Wild red flowers, perfect for the holiday season.

All we’re missing is being with people we love. In a mere 154 days, a little more than five months we’ll all be together again. There’s no making up for lost time, but there is such a thing as making new times together. To that end, we eagerly and enthusiastically look forward to our visit to the United States.

Decorated penguin outside a store in town.

As we waved to passersby last night, in cars, yelling out “Merry Christmas” or walking along the sidewalk in front of our vacation home, we were reminded of the warmth and friendliness of people of Penguin, Tasmania and Australia. 

St. Stephen’s Anglican Church in Penguin.

Even the conductor signalled and shouted “Merry Christmas” as the train went by. There are few places we’ve visited over these past four years that have been quite like this. We couldn’t love Penguin more!

Uniting Church in Penguin.

Today, we’ll walk in the neighborhood as we’ve done many days since arriving in Penguin three weeks ago today. During each walk we’ve found something new and interesting, only adding to our joy of spending this precious six weeks in this special little town.

This penguin house has been decorated indoors, making it difficult to take pictures at night through the window. Nonetheless, it was quite an exhibition.

May each of you who celebrate, wherever you may be, have a Merry Christmas filled with companionship, a world of wonders and an abundance of love. 

Another view of above display.  Breathtaking!

Photo from one year ago today, December 25, 2016:

A year ago today our power was out. We went for a walk in Pacific Harbor, Fiji to see this small boat heading down the Qaraniqio River.  For more details, please click here.

A meaningful and heartbreaking story from a loyal reader…Tomorrow, Tom’s birthday, a special but scary story with photos…

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All of today’s photos were taken yesterday on a drive to the countryside surrounding Penguin, Tasmania.

After a lazy start of the day, finally I opened my laptop to begin today’s post. Each morning, before starting I check my email for comments that we may have received overnight. 

At times, there are many email messages from readers and some comments posted on the site. Rarely is there a day when we don’t hear from our readers. With the commitment to respond to all email messages and comments within a day, on most occasions we respond within 12 hours

Poppies, Permethrin flowers and the hills.

This morning, there was only one message and it read as follows with this word in the subject line:

“Inspiration

Dear Jess,  I came to your talks on Radiance (of the Seas)and now follow with great interest your blog. I wish both you and Tom continuing health and happiness. You are both so inspirational. Happy holidays!”

Immediately, I wrote back thanking the thoughtful sender for writing to us. Each message we receive, short or detailed, is truly a gift.  As Christmas approaches we’re reminded that we have no need for decorations, a tree, presents to unwrap, cards to open, cookies to bake and yet… the gifts keep coming and coming.

What are those gifts? Simply put, the gifts of words, written by readers, family and friends when they share their love, their experiences and their heartfelt expressions over the holiday season and throughout the year. 

Beautiful farm land with hay rolls (bales) at a distance.

Sometimes, we receive a comment or message that touches us in immeasurable ways; with compassion, empathy and appreciation for a reader opening their heart to reveal their innermost struggles and losses. 

Today, I share this story that came to us via a comment at the end of a post of a few days ago. Had the reader chosen to be anonymous, he could easily have done so. Instead, he used his name and location both of which we’re excluding today with the utmost of appreciation for his privacy. 

We share his story with respect and sympathy over his tragic loss.  Had it not been the holiday season, which inspired our story of a few days ago of the sorrow and loss many suffer over the holidays, our dear reader may not have been inspired to write. 

Bordering trees.

Perhaps in doing so, it may have provided him with a moment of relief from the grief which some of us may feel when we put thoughts into the written word. “They” (whomever “they” are) often say expressing ourselves in writing may provide clarity. 

His message had a powerful and lingering effect, one we’ll carry with us long after the holiday season comes to a close. As sad as his experience, he so kindly wrote to us to share his life changing experience. 

For us, in a way, his message became a gift, one we’ll always treasure. Not all gifts in life bring a smile to our faces. Some are a message from which we learn and grow. Isn’t that the message of Christmas, after all? And, long after a “happy” gift has worn out and withered away, the gift of learning and growing lingers with us for the remainder of our lives.

Thank you, dear reader, for sharing this sorrowful, yet powerful story, for being a part of our lives in your own special way as you work  through the grief and healing you’ll experience for many years to come.

A creek running through farmland.

Here’s his story as written to us in a comment a few days ago:

“Hi Jessica and Tom. I have written you a couple of times during your travels and my wife and I have followed you since you left Minnesota, where we lived nearby.  I love your adventure and we were using you as inspiration to perhaps do something similar. I had to write today because your words of grief are so true and enlightened. I lost my wonderful companion and wife in July this year. Without going into details she hid her depression from everyone and developed psychosis late in life, very unusual (age 66). She took her own life. And it has been very daunting. But myself and our daughters are forging ahead and I treasure your wise words about filling our hearts with the blessings we’ve been gifted (I feel very fortunate for the 33 amazing and wonderful years my  wife and I had together) and this Christmas time we will tell joyful stories about her. So just wanted to say I find your words many times inspiring and wise, always interesting, and look forward to reading every post. Thank You. You and Tom have a wonderful Christmas.”

We wrote the following response to his comment:

“Dear Reader, we hesitated in responding to your comment on our site as quickly as usual. We were at a loss for words, our hearts aching so, for the loss of your beloved wife. Its kind and generous of you to share the story of your devastating loss of your love and companion of 33 years.

No words we or anyone can express can lighten the load of the sorrow you must carry with you each and every day. The typical, “I’m sorry for your loss” is meaningless and shallow, an easy attempt to deflect the responsibility of saying something more revealing and heartfelt when we try to imagine the depth of your loss. None of us who haven’t experienced such a loss can even comprehend.

We are grateful to hear your daughters have rallied at your side while together you try to make some sense of it all. We commend you and admire you for your determination and hope for the future.  (Continued below).

A peek between the trees to the sea.

Reading your comment has had a profound effect on both Tom and I, especially in light of our discussion of loss in the prior post. We are honored and grateful to know you have found even a morsel of distraction in reading our posts and thank you with all of our hearts for reaching out to us.

If you don’t mind, we’d like to make mention of your comment on tomorrow’s post. We will do so anonymously, using no names, no city or any specific identifying references. We all have a lot to learn from you which is all the more vital during the holiday season and year end, as we all reflect upon our own lives.

May healing and comfort find their way into your hearts as you work your way through the painful grieving process.

Much love and blessings always,
Jess & Tom”

One of Mother Nature’s bountiful gifts.

Photo from one year ago today, December 22, 2015:

One year ago in Fiji, we noticed there were no poinsettias or Christmas cactus plants in the stores, only colorful flowers blooming year round.  For more in Fiji, please click here.

More tragic loss of life in Germany…Change in today’s planned story…Binalong Bay photos…

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Entrance statue of Binalong Bay. Click here to learn more.

After hearing about the horrific news of yet another terroristic attack in an open market in Germany, we changed the subject of today’s planned story. We’d planned to include photos of the Penguin Market (open every Sunday throughout the year) where many holiday shoppers gather to purchase unique Christmas goods offered by locals in a variety of booths and shops. 

Binalong Bay in beautiful and expansive.

We’ll publish the pictures and stories of the Penguin Market another day. For today, we can’t stop thinking about the nightmare in Germany, details of which may be found in this article.   (Keeping in mind all the recent scuttlebutt about the media’s often inaccurate representation of actual events, we encourage our readers, as we do ourselves, seek information from a variety of resources).

We traveled off the highway when driving from St. Helens to Penguin to see the popular Binalong Bay.

With a commitment to avoid posting our political opinions on this site, there’s little we can say other than to express our heartfelt sympathy and prayers to the loved ones of those who lost their lives and to pray for the healing of those injured. 

We have repeatedly mentioned such tragic events on our website and will continue to do so. Without a doubt, there will be more. How did we get here? How did these scenarios so easily unfold when there’s talk of beefed up security in prone locations?

Vegetation rich surroundings.
We all have opinions on who and what is to blame, often not only the perpetrator(s) but also politicians who’s decisions may have impacted the possibility of such occurrences. We live in a world where blame often extends well beyond the parties who conceived of, planned and enacted such attacks.
A path toward Binalong Bay.

Most of us don’t hesitate to share those views when we’re together in groups, during times of socialization and even at celebratory times such as during any holiday celebrations. 

Green bean looking pods on this plant in Binalong Bay.

Many of us don’t agree on these topics which can result in disharmony among family members and friends. Even on Facebook, a medium frequently used for political views, I find myself backing away when I’d prefer to keep myself from outrageous negative comments spewed by those who choose to use this means of communication with “friends” to let everyone know how they feel.

The wind causes a rippled pattern on the white sand beach.
Perhaps, how we “feel” is less important than what we “do.” We may ask ourselves, “How can I possibly effect change in this terrifying world?” I don’t have an easy answer, but I do know this… If each one of us, with humility and lack of desire for accolades for our good deeds, reached out to one another with kindness, love and compassion, the world would be a better place.
The scenery is exquisite with many inlets and lakes.

May this holiday season (and also for those not celebrating Christmas) bring each and every one of us an opportunity to reflect on who we are, who we’d like to be and how we can change to make this a better world.
Be well.

Photo from one year ago today, December 21, 2015:

Last year, upon spotting this ship while moving along in traffic in Suva, Fiji, we were curious as to the purpose of this vessel. Upon returning home we discovered this: “The Yuan Wang 3 is at the Suva Harbour. The vessel is used for tracking and support of satellite and intercontinental ballistic missiles by the People’s Liberation Army, Navy (PLAN) of the People’s Republic of China.” For more details, please click here.

Remembering lost loved ones during the holiday season…A visit to a local resting place overlooking the sea…

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What a peaceful spot for the General Penguin Cemetery. May all those who rest here bring peace and comfort to the family members and friends of Penguin, Tasmania.

The holiday season is upon us and for those who celebrate worldwide, many find themselves entrenched in myriad festivities, purchasing gifts and participating in endless traditions.

With thoughts of those we’ve lost, we visited the General Penguin Cemetery overlooks the Bass Straits in Tasmania.

But, many with memories of heartbreak and sorrow for the loss of loved ones during the holiday season and other times throughout the year are plagued with feelings of loss and grief during these special times.

View of the bay in Penguin from the cemetery. 

Anniversaries of losing someone we love can be daunting. I sense this feeling myself while easily remembering my father’s death in October, 1960 when I was only 12 years old. All these years later the angst of that loss becomes all the more prevalent on that date.

How interesting it would be to know the history of those buried here.

For Tom, the loss of his first grandchild in 1999 and losing both his parents, his father in 1985 and with whom he shared a birthday on December 23rd, and his mother who passed away in 2008, remain in his heart during the holiday season and throughout the year. 

Penguin General Cemetery was established as a National Heritage site.

We all grieve differently. Losing a loved one never seems to heal, but as “they” say, “time is a great healer.” In essence, this may be true but no one wants to hear these words during their deepest periods of grief.

There were fresh and permanent flowers recently placed throughout the cemetery.

The feelings of joy and excitement over holiday festivities are often marred by the sense of loss sweeping through our hearts and minds as the flurry of activities often helps us avoid thinking about loss.

From the 1800’s on we noticed many young lives lost.

Suddenly, the memories overcome us resulting in holiday periods being one of the most likely periods of depression and suicide.  Loss, in the form of the passing of a loved one, the end of a relationship or especially in today’s world, the end of a meaningful and pertinent career or financial security, merely enhances the heaviness in one’s heart, easily exacerbated during the holidays.

What stories could be found herein?

There’s no easy answer as to how to avert these feelings. No method is cut and dried. We’ve found that focusing on embracing the spiritual meaning or special significance of the holiday while sharing joyful stories of those we’ve lost may be instrumental is softening the sorrowful feelings. 

Decades of erosion and weather left some headstones tilted.

The ability to fill our hearts and minds with the blessings we’ve been gifted in our lives today (and in the past) may ease an overwhelming sense of sorrow.  Above all, finding ways to give to others may aid in taking us outside of our own grief to focus on bringing a moment of happiness and joy to those who may need it more than us. 

This lost soul at the top of this headstone was born in 1829, the lower lost soul was born in 1859 and passed away in 1877, at only 18 years old.

Now, far from family and friends, alone together in this foreign land that we only call our own for short periods, we still feel the love awaiting us when we visit Minnesota and Nevada in five and seven months respectively.

There is a wide array of markers.

In the interim, Penguin has wrapped its arms around us healing some of our losses from the past, including us in her magical world and filling us with memories we’ll always carry with us.

It was sunny the day we visited the cemetery, but the wind was blowing voraciously, chilling us to the bone.

In a mere 27 days, we’ll be on the move again, leaving behind new friends, a town we’ve treasured for its charm and unique qualities, adding greatly to the repertoire of memorable experiences in this unusual life we live of traveling the world until we can’t, with no home, no stuff, no storage and an ultimate sense of freedom and adventure. 

This gravesite is showing signs of many years of erosion.

We’re grateful. We’re happy. We continue on..

A statue commemorating the cemetery.

Thank you to each and every one of our readers for sharing this seemingly never ending journey with us (health providing). It’s through YOU that we find the determination, the commitment and the dedication in sharing our story, day after day.

A family plot of many years.

Photo from one year ago today, December 20, 2015:

Danny, Samantha, (newlywed couple staying next door) me and Tom, outside our house in Pacific Harbour, Fiji, one year ago today. We had just returned from dinner at a local restaurant.  For more photos, please click here.

The wonders and scenery in Penguin, Tasmania never ceases to amaze us!

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Our wonderful vacation home in Penguin, Tasmania. (House with reddish roof).  Click here for the link to the rental listing.

Tom watched the disastrous Minnesota Vikings game. They lost and it was easy to tell by the look on his face. He’s not one to yell during a game. He sits quietly and bears his angst from within.  Win or lose, he’s a loyal fan.

The white sand beaches in Tasmania are uncluttered; not a lot of people and no trash.

As I prepared today’s post my eyes frequently wander to the game on the TV screen (using our HDMI cord) although I’m certainly not as dedicated a fan as he and our family members, who bear the angst of losing along with him from afar. 

Seagull lands atop light post.

Its been cool in Penguin. With the start of their summer on December 21st, we’re surprised it’s been this cool. After four years of tropical climates, except for the three months we spent in New Zealand at the beginning of this year, we’re having quite a time adjusting. Plus, we don’t have the proper clothing for cool weather.

Another seagull joined the first resulting in quite a bit of squawking.

While in New Zealand earlier this year, it was relatively warm, mostly above 21C, 70F, during the day, dropping to a low of 10C, 50F at night. Even then, we were chilled when heading out but the steel roof on the house kept us very warm when indoors.

But, who’s to complain when the northern and eastern parts of the US are suffering with extreme below zero temperatures and outrageous amounts of snow and ice? 

What a great spot for a park bench at this park across the road from our vacation rental!

Of course, everything is relative. We can empathize for the residents of our former state of Minnesota and other parts of the US but it didn’t keep us warm this morning when we awoke to 7C, 45F. Without central heating, as of yesterday, we began using the electric space heater we moved from the bedroom to the living room. It helps. 

View from the park bench. People sunning on a flat rock.

Also, the bed we use in the master bedroom has two separate adjustable heated blankets under the sheet. I’ve been warming up the bed before retiring, turning it off before falling asleep. Nice touch, Terry!

With the wind blowing, we’ve had little interest in taking walks these past few days, although on a few occasions, we’ve meandered through town, taking photos, enjoying the scenery and the people. We need to toughen up a bit with Antarctica on the horizon in a little over a year!

Across the bay on a sunny day.

Today, while the house is being cleaned, we’ll head to Ulverstone to grocery shop for the week to include items for the upcoming planned holiday meals. With a  dinner reservation booked on Tom’s birthday on Friday, the 23rd, we’ve decided to dine in both Christmas Eve and Christmas day.

Homes at the end of a point.

Typically, we’ve dined out on Christmas Day since the onset of our travels. We contacted several local restaurants unable to find any open for Christmas dinner. Instead, we’ll prepare a special meal and perhaps watch a Christmas movie, such as “It’s a Wonderful Life.”

Out to sea…

Although we’ll always miss being with family and friends, we’ve adapted to spending holidays and birthdays on our own. Hopefully, we’ll have an opportunity to speak with everyone on Skype. The time of day and also the fact we’re a day later, makes talking tricky.

Rocky path to the shoreline.

May your holiday week be filled with warm and wonderful memories and time spent with those you love.

Photo from one year ago today, December 19, 2015:

In many areas of Fiji houses are tightly packed onto a smaller plot of land. For a cultural story and photos, please click here.