Job hunting again, not the easiest task when I'm told the reason I didn't get the position is not about my work, I've done a great job, but... seems their criteria is to employ young local workers where ever possible and darn, I'm old and travel for an hour to get to work each day. So I have to accept that there's something else out there for me.
Quilt wise I'm progressing with my girl gollies for Lin's quilt and over the weekend I made some flying geese for the borders.

My friend Cathy and her husband Geoff came up to Coolangatta to their time share at the Beach House, I was fortunate enough to spend two days with them, it ws so good and so easy to chat and catch up. These photos are taken from their unit, looking north to Surfers Paradise, down to Kirra Beach and south to Coolangatta. It was so easy to just sit and enjoy the view.

Easter is looming and I'm looking forward to a few quiet days at home. I finally got my machine set up - in a corner of my bedroom, but it's all ready to go, so I'm hopeing for some quilt progress to occur. I've been playing with ideas round flying geese and the use of colour, and I went to the Craft Fair at the Gold Coast Convention Centre last weekend and soooo enjoyed the quilts on display. There were the Quilts of the Gold Coast Quilters, an exhibition from Art Quilters - where do they get all those ideas? and a small group of quilts commemorating RFDS. I loved the use of outback colours. My companion was Jean who is a 91yo quilter who does the most amazing work. I hadn't been to a quilt show since Canbera 2005- so I came away with my head spinning.
I was very restrained with my spending, or was it overwhelmed with choice? I bought one design of a frilled neck lizard, and he may just start to appear on a top I made about a year ago - or quite possibly more. I bought the book at Calico Patch in Canberra while brousing with Cathy.

I've been told my locum position at Beaucare is to be advertised as a full-time position, so I'm working on my application. I'm now enjoying the drive through the mountains, though last week we had some big storms and lots of rain that made visability difficult and the water on the roads had planeing a common occurance. Twice I saw cars come to grief - one took a bend too tightly and rolled landing on it's roof against the mountain and the other, a ute, just missed a bend and went off the mountain nose first down the side. It made for stressful driving and I'd decided if the weather continued I'd just stay home and curl up on the couch with a good book. Of course the next morning the skies were grey and only drizzling - till I hit the mountains!

I'm employed for now, as a locum with Beaucare in Beaudesert about an hours drive from home. I've rented a unit in Arundel, 4 km from Mum's, and although it's rather small it's starting to be home.

I'm the Family Support Officer in a team that contains, the Community Development Officer, (the team leader) me and a Youth Worker. The Youth Worker is a great guy, a Maori, huge, and much fun, he's a single Dad of four late teens and a new grandson. The work is more crisis work, especially housing, which just isn't available in Beaudesert. We cover the old shire of Beaudesert, and I spend Tuesday at Jimboola, wednesdays on Mt Tamborine and thursdays will be Rathdownie. It's great to be part of a team and have like minds to bounce ideas and possibilities off. It's also exciting to again be establishing a program.

I still spend time with Mum about 4 days a week, yesterday we had an interesting day, I got to Mum's just on 11am and her neighbour Cassie, came out on her walking frame calling out "help - fire" I thought I should investigate, got Mum to ring the carer, and went to see what was happening. There appeared to be no flame just lots of dark smoke so I went in and the stove was on and the pot had burned and the heat had started to melt the plastic fittings to the stove exhaust- no smoke alarms - so I turned off the stove and opened the windows and doors. Cassie was very distressed, the carer arrived having called 000 and I went down to the gate to direct the fire brigade. Two big trucks with sirens blaring turned up, gues there wasn't much happening at Sunday lunchtime.

Mum and I then revised our plans and went to the Pines for lunch at the cafe. It ws quiet and very nice, we then went to the Sothport Sharkes club, where they have real sharks, in huge tanks, and I got very excited as I won the jackpot of $50 three times, then Mum won over $700 - so we both did well and came home happy.

Life seems to be moving forward, towards what? I have no idea. But I decided it was time to be more proactive. My kids found it a great amusement that I was unemployed and living on my Mum's couch. Annie and Lin said Mum was doing well and from the brief phone calls she sounds well and happy. So find a place to live - not easy when your unemployed. But I did find a unit that would consider me if I paid 3 months in advance. So tuesday will see the removalists at my new home at 7am - they do things early here!

I had decided that Murwillumbah may have to go on hold - the unit I wanted was withdrawn from sale and it is 40 minutes from here, so 12 months renting quite close would give me the time and space to make some more permanent decisions.

Two interviews this week that seemed to go well, but then I'm not sure what well is any more, still maybe there's a whole trend of progress.

On a positive spin I wanted to record Dan's efforts at fund raising for Breast Cancer. With his friends from Natura Records and fellow street artists, they put on a concert and painted some canvases for sale.

three months have past!

it's now 2009 - on reflection I decided 2008 was a year of endings for me, ending a job I loved, ending a marriage I didn't so much any more, ending friendships, just by distance and lack of availability. But I'm looking to 2009 as a beginning on so many levels.

the last three months haven't been the easiest, Mum has had two hospitalizations, job applications are slow, I seem to get lots of interviews, but miss out. On enquiry I find my age is against me and the wide experiance I have is an advantage to go for more jobs but in the big smoke the jobs are more specific - relationship, children, anger, depression, grief and loss, family, drug and alcohol, and though I have worked with all these, there are others that have worked in just that area. I'm still confident the right job will turn up at the right time.

I've been making a list each day when I sleep and when I wake of all the things i'm grateful for - they tend to get lost in the daily struggle to try to get ahead. So today I'm grateful to have the time to read novels, I'm grateful i have airconditioning when so many don't, I'm grateful my children are alive and well.

This is Murwillumbar- Mountain Village retirement but the unit I liked has been withdrawn from sale so I guess it's not or me at this time. I've decided I need to live much closer to Mum at this time so I'll probably rent in Ashmore for 12 months.

and I'll try to write more even though my life isn't at all interesting - each day brings something however small an trivial. No photos but i can still write it down. Ok web photos will have to do.

I had a lovely very quiet Christmas with Dan, he arrived the day before, and seemed happy to just be in a quiet and clean place. Living off my saving means no expensive outings and I live a very quiet life. Dan spent New Year with Matt Ogilvie ( who has been a mate since they were in second grade) Dan and I had a day together on Friday as Matt was at work - I splurged on lunch at the North Burleigh Surf Club - fish and chips and the beach of course! Then we took a trip down to Murwillumbar. Lots of talking and just sharing the day.

and life gives me just what it decides I need.

My posts won't have photos for awhile as I'm using Mum's laptop which doesn't have my camera program - it's in storage in brisbane with just about everything else I own in the world.

The day I flew out of mt Isa, mum was taken to hospital with pneumonia. She has never been hospitalised before - except to have five kids- and doesn't take well to being ill. It is good that I have the time to care for her while the need is there.

It was hard to leave Mt Isa after five great years. I decided to become a landlord and rented my house to a young colleague. Centacare care me a lovely lunch that so many attended - I was surprised. The packers were so efficient that all the paperwork etc I'd left out to bring with me is currently in storage. I have 186 boxes and yes- mostly books and fabric!

I had a surprise farewell at mt Isa airport - an indigenous family I've worked with drove 140km so the kids could see me get on the plane and then they'd know i had left and weren't just not coming anymore. They'd had a cake made for me - it looks like a wedding cake! heart shaped, pink, covered with roses and says "Farewell Jill". Such thoughtfulness and kindness.

but somethings don't change! Telstra! Over two weeks ago I went into the Telstra shop to get a mobile - I had to hand in the work one, and the car! I chose the mobile and plan I wanted, and because Telstra was upgrading their program, I couldn't get activated as I was a "migrating" customer. So I got a $10 pre-paid to see me through the next 5 days - and I still don't have a phone service despite being put on hold for many hours, hung up on and transfered back and forth. I've spoken to 27 telstra employees!

with the current economic climate semi-retirement isn't looking good, though i have enough books and fabric to outlast me. There seems to be plenty of work available and I've put in an expression of interest with four positions on the Gold Coast. I'm holding on to the belief that the right one will present it'self at the right time.

Living in the "city" is very different, the traffic hazzards are different, no-one sleeps on the roads here, and they whizz by so fast. Even buying a car is a daunting task that i will have to tackle sooner or later. Then again they do have a public transport system. I'm currently driving Mum's car - this too was scarey as she has always not allowed me to do this. Having shopping available at just about all days and endless variety is still unique.

I'm continuing to knit beanies for the homeless and searched Mum's garage for left over wool. I had an interesting find - a jumper in size 8 she had been knitting for Dan - size 8 would have been when he was around 6-7 years old and he's now 24. So I unravelled it and it makes good beanies.