Dear Journal~

Sorry if I haven't written in here; hope you understand.  If it isn't me overall health that's giving me what for, it's taking care of a little nipper.  Our son, Trystan Robert, is now a little over three months old.  Not easy taking care of babies, as I have come to realise ...

Tottie Ruth here.  I hope this finds you in fine fettle; me, I'm about to die!!  Heat upon heat here in Sydney, with chance of storms just about every afternoon and night, which makes the heat/humidity seem even more unbearable .. I am looking forward to fall; can't get here soon enough (and still have two more months of summer to endure first!) ...

Had some rippers of storms roll through here a couple of nights ago.  The most fantastic lightning you've ever seen, booming thunder, massive winds and rains.  Power flickered on and off.  Little Trystan was not happy.  He howled right along with the winds.  Thought for a while the winds were going to knock me house down; it was scary!!

Bobbo is a bonzer daddy:  he is smitten with his son.  He carries him around everywhere he goes.  Doesn't mind changing dirty nappies one bit; he does everything he can to get him to smile.  When he smiles, the room lights up brighter than any sun!  He looks just like his daddy, especially when he smiles!

Right now, Trystan is sleeping.  I don't know how: there's some noisy kukaburras squawking in the trees right outside our house.  The birds are raising a nasty ruckus.  I'm about to throw a book at the trees to get them to shut up.  Bloody birds better not wake me son up; when Trystan gets awakened from a sound sleep, he cries loud and long; takes forever to quiet him!

Damn birds!!  Where's Bobbo's air rifle when I need it the most??

Did get caught up on me e-mails (finally!); now I wait for people to respond.  Been forever since I last heard from me Yank friend, Louie Sandusky; wonder if she is even alive, or at least all right ... I pray for her and her family every day.  I have come to love that woman so much; she took such good care of me when I was in hospital over there in the States ...

If it were not for her (or the staff over there at the hospital where she works), I wouldn't be where I'm at currently ...  I owe that woman (and her hospital) me very LIFE!!

I hope I get something from Louie Sandusky in the post today or at least in me e-mail ....will have to check it later ...

Tonight if it doesn't storm (there's a slim chance, the least amount of probability of rain in over a week; prior to this, the chances have been running between 40 and 70 percent), Bobbo, Trystan, and meself might head over to the Harbour and just relax and enjoy the day.  We might have a picnic lunch and watch the boats skim across the Harbour and people-watch.  People-watching is one of my very favorite activities. 

Even with all the rain lately, it's nothing compared to what Queensland has faced.  Devastating flooding, scores of people dead, many more missing, whole towns inundated ... those poor people ... they remain in me prayers and thoughts.  There have been many appeals for help, and countless people have responded.  It does me  heart proud to see how we Aussies have banded together to help our own!

On the 25th of this month, we celebrated Australia Day.  Massive celebrations, including parades, speeches, flyovers, concerts, fireworks.  At least the rains held off until after the celebrations ended.  Could see lightning off in the distance, but it stayed away until after we got home.

And then the heavens opened up.  Oh, boy, did they EVER.  Thought for a second we were going to get flooded, but thank God the rains eased off before that happened.  What  a relief!  Ever since seeing all the horror in Queensland being played out on the telly, I have had a dread fear of getting caught in flood!

Bloody birds ... they're still screaming and carrying on.  And now I hear the baby whimpering.  Bloody bastards woke me baby boy up!!  I would love to turn their heads backwards and wring their fool necks!!  Bobbo's gone in to try to soothe Trystan; I hear him singing one of his silly surfing songs.  For some reason the surf music soothes the baby.  

I can't stand surfing songs ... they are so bloody stupid!  But Bobbo loves them, so I try to put up with it.  It's so bloody annoying, though ...

No more encounters with funnel webs, thank goodness, but I worry that they might come because of the rains.  Same goes for snakes or lizards.  Gad!! I HATE snakes and lizards!  Two weeks ago, a guanna lizard got in the yard.  I was out sunning meself and the bloody thing crawled up on me chest whilest I was asleep.  When I woke up, there is Mr. Guanna looking at me, flicking his ugly forked tongue in and out, like he was TASTING me.

Gad!!  

You never heard such a screech in all your life! I am sure Bobbo thought I was dying.  When he came out into the yard, he got to laughing so hard.  He went back in to the house and grabbed the camcorder and taped me with Mr. Goanna.  He keeps threatening to send it to YouTube.  I say nothing doing, mister!!  

I'm about to make him EAT that camcorder!!  He has to tape EVERYTHING!!  What does he think he is: a bloody film director or something??

And what am I?? His star actress??  "The Wildlife Adventures", starring Tottie Brighton (And Guanna)???

I swear Bobbo's gone bonkers with that stupid camcorder!!  And now he wants a better camera because the feckin' idiot has decided he wants to go on a storm chase!!  He's been looking around at different storm chasing tour groups to go on as a ride-along.  He wants ME to join him.

I say, are you feckin' nuts????  Somebody has to take care of the baby; might as well be me!!  Besides, storms absolutely unDO me.  

I've started telling Trystan to get to know his daddy now because in a few short months he might not HAVE a daddy if a bolt of lightning seeks him out!  Bobbo's response:  "Nothing will happen to me ..."  And I tell him, "Better make your will out now, because it's gonna happen!"

Dumb bloke!!  I know better than to go outside if lightning is dancing in the skies ...HelLO!!

Metal crutches?? Metal wheelchair??  Metal prosthesis??  It's like I'm pointing my fingers at the Heavens, daring God to strike.  I don't even THINK so!!  Why tempt Him??  I'm staying inside, where it's safe!!

And then you have Bobbo standing outside, in the pouring rain, camera pointed at the sky, screaming at the top of his lungs: "BRING IT ON, BABY!!"

I swear, me husband must have Vegemite for brains!!  :/

Well, Bobbo wants me to deal with the baby; he is still crying.  He wants me to work my "mummy-magic", to see if I can quiet him down.  I will write in here again soon; until then, take care, God bless!

~Love, Tottie.