The Roaming Stevens

The dilemmas of being a blogger with no internet or dodgy internet!  Funny things happen when travelling and I hate it when I bust a gut laughing and cannot share. In the near future I will give you tips and more warnings about excess luggage loads AND international travel.  TRUST me when I say you cannot always believe words just because they are in print. Trust me, TOO, you cannot always believe airline itineraries just because you are reading them on a boarding pass.  Words MAY be typed: Arrive Terminal 2 Los Angeles - Depart Terminal 2 Los Angeles, but you will NOT find your international flight to Melbourne...because it has been moved, but no one thought that little pearl of info was important enough to share.  As much as I have roamed I wear decent shoes that allow me to run like the wind!  What a sight it must have been... Did not utter one word on the exceedingly long flight to Melbourne; DK, if you are reading this...I can actually SEE your eyebro...

Countdown time for departure is nearing. The 12th of December, 2013 is the date I arrived in Memphis leaving our Australian home behind and wondering how the future would look. There was no way - no way whatsoever I could have envisioned what was in store for my husband, or me,  or for my dear Mother, Judy.  One enters 'the caretaker zone' with a sense of responsibility, pride, enthusiasm, and a bit of fear.   To be a caregiver is one of THE hardest roles you will ever tackle, but it will leave you with peace and some sort of sense of accomplishment.  Nothing will be perfect.  Yes, you will always wonder what you could have done differently i.e., could you have made your parent more comfortable, could you have brought greater joy into his/her life, could you have tried varied tactics of persuasion to convince him/her to be truthful and tell you EXACTLY what they needed or wanted.  Older people can speak their minds and do, quite often...but the ones who...

WHO on earth doesn't feel better after a big stomp in the outside air ~ especially IF it's COUNTRY AIR??? Honestly, I could not wait to hit the pavement today.  It was very brisk - had to keep the wind off of my face, but the sun was brilliant and the animals were out.  This time I went in a completely different direction and felt as if I walked back into time - when things were simple.   Nothing ostentatious.  Nothing.   Sweet, country livin' and the colour does not appear as brilliant as it did in person...a flag nestled between the limbs. American flags hanging out all over the place, but...LOOK at this wrap around porch and bright door! This place is talked about a lot; many people hanging about AND you can get your firewood here, too.  Wanted a closer look because I can be a bit inquisitive, but A BIG BLACK DOG ON A ROPE did not want me anywhere near.  Flags, a mirror attached to the front of the house AND a STOP sign, of ...

When you need a weekend getaway and if you are in or near the southeastern part of the United States take some time to check out Chapel Hill, North Carolina.  I did not get to see the spectacular scenery loaded with cherry, dogwood, and magnolia trees in the sunshine, but I bet Spring makes a grand appearance in this city. It is always best when you have a super good tour guide and I had some dear, kind mates (locals); well, they have been living there for approximately 18 years and they both are part of an even greater scheme, the University of North Carolina.  UNC's campus looks very sophisticated and is ranked #30 for American universities.  UNC was the nations' first public university - established in 1789; how good is that?   According to www.usnews.com...UNC offers one of the strongest and most diverse student bodies.   How charmed can one town possibly be?   Chapel Hill is home to UNC and Duke University (ranked #9).  These universiti...

My Mother used to tell me that she had never seen anyone move from one country to another with such ease.  Judy said that I took to Australia like a duck takes to water.  It was true.  It is a gorgeous country with wide open spaces and terrain that is like no other country.  Although when I travel to Nevada...the colours in the Grand Canyon do remind me of my Australian home. Funny though I was under the impression that when I moved to Australia it would be a piece of cake because it was an English speaking country.  Whaaaat?  Well, Hell, I couldn't understand most of the lovely people I met because of their rapid fire way of speaking; the words tumble out very quickly and the accent was not like any I was used to hearing.  You can say 'Excuse me' or 'Pardon me' or 'I'm sorry I didn't hear what you said'  only a few times without embarrassing yourself and the person with whom you are trying to connect.  When Tinto and I owned The Wheatsheaf...

  IF you peek in from time to time to see what's happening with The Roaming Stevens or to catch up with some country fun in Athens, Georgia or Memphis, Tennessee...you, dear mate, are an 'interested person' and WE appreciate YOU.  Every single post doesn't have to be read...only some or even ONE.  PLEASE go to home page, look at the 3 horizontal bars on the left, click and hit FOLLOW.  IF you have a Google account you will be prompted so sign in with your password.  IF you do not have a Google account you will be prompted to open one because that is the only way you can FOLLOW us.  Google's rules ~ not mine.  But, I have been advised you will simply be notified from time to time that a new post has been placed on the blog.  IF YOU choose to accept this challenge, YES, your efforts will be enormously appreciated.  Cheers! In South Australia (Bethany), I have a fabulous friend with many incredible talents.  She and her husband are outsta...