Home three days and although I repeat that I am emerging from the fog, I underestimate the strength of the body to hold on to the time zone it woke up in.  Our sleep is topsy turvy and  I am knackered (British for exhausted with an onomatopoeic flare describing me rather perfectly right now.).  

The practice must be patience.

Wednesday, our travel day, was smooth but when I first woke up on Thursday, I could not make sense of the entirety of what was Wednesday. Indeed, we boarded a plane at noon in Sydney, flew for 18 hours to arrive in Madison at 5 in the afternoon.  We slept some, watched too many movies and ate too often.  About six hours before we were to land, we were served a major “snack.” I thought it was breakfast when the crew member woke me up. I woke Julia up and then realized our remaining time.  Had I some presence of mind I would have refused the snack and slept. 

But whatever small fault I find, we were so well taken care of so much of this  journey.  Julia and I were gifted with so many kindnesses.  We had a home in Sydney and cousins to show us corners of the city that we would have never seen by ourselves.  My old friend suggested and joined our Uluru excursion and opened her home (and beach) to us.  And new friends who we met on our Uluru tour and others who were cousins of another old friend drove us around and entertained us.

On Wednesday, my cousin drove us to the airport. Planes were on time.  We managed to finish our US travel program enrollment in Dallas and made our connecting flight.  We landed on time as did our luggage and a friend met us in our own car and brought us home.  So much kindness and generosity so freely given. 

We came home to more roadwork.  On the positive side, the crews are no long digging in front of our house and the porto potty has moved, but we cannot park in our driveway or on our street and there is still noise all day.  And the dust! The dust of a house closed up for a month is nothing compared to the road dust everywhere!  Even garden plants (and weeds) are coated with dust.  I don’t have the energy for vigorous gardening yet but right after breakfast today, I put the sprinkler on the gardens, front and back.  Sure enough, the garden green emerged quickly.  Then I sprayed down the doors, windows, deck and even the worst of the driveway.  Monday will bring more dust but for the moment, it is quiet and road dirt is at bay.

It is good to be home.

I was happy that we were home for the Penguin Project picnic on Friday evening which was mercifully near our house.  We ate, kids played.  Julia connected with some of the kids and had a bit of independence.  I enjoyed parents and the talented folks who produced and directed our kids.  They gave all the kids medals.  Julia loves medals.  The night closed with two of the songs with choreography that everyone did at every rehearsal.  How sweet to see Julia and her mentor, Olivia, singing and dancing again.

It is good to be home.