Some Oldies..

Me and my Dad in one of his old classic sports cars, this one was the Triumph we had in Boise Idaho. I think this photo was taken in 1998. It was a cool little car. But I don't recommend being boxed in on the highway by two semitrailer trucks while driving this model.

This one makes me smile. This is Graham and his Mum Karen in our Kitchen in Perth 2009. Karen always comes to visit for Thanksgiving, and here she was making a yummy hollandaise sauce. You can really see the motherly love coming through in this photo. And Graham is just being a ham.

Happy Easter! Here is Graham the Easter Bunny, well the angry Easter Bunny in this shot. But I had to take a picture! If you are looking to hire a Easter Bunny to hop around you yard and hide eggs Graham is your man!!

 (Easter 2005)

Our Wedding Day (the first time) in the American summer of 2005. This was all the guests we had! From Left, my Dad and Mom, center my friend Janice she was with me when I met Graham in Sydney, Graham's Mum Karen who traveled last minute from Sydney to come for our quite wedding, and Graham and myself. We where married by the then mayor of Greenfield, and had dinner in Carmel (Indiana). It was a beautiful day. This picture was taken on my parents back porch in Greenfield.

Let the campagne flow! My Mum in law is going to kill me for posting this one, but I love it. This photo always makes me laugh. This was right after Graham and I got married back at my parents house. Karen and I had had a few drinks! We seem to be attacking the camera while giggling in this one. Love it!

That's it for the old photos folks!!

Tomorrow is Graham's 30th Birthday party at the Lawn Bowls Club in Como, Western Australia.  So my next update should have some photos of that in it!

Happy Easter!



March Madness

So March has been a busy one at our house!

Work kept me busy with the opening of our latest show Thrill (a double bill), with one piece by a local Perth choreographer and another by a choreographer from New York City. It was a great show and I was kept busy with the 54 schools who came to see the performance during a week long series of day time school shows.  I saw over 700 high school students, it was a huge success for my company Buzz Dance Theatre.

photo by Ashely de Prazer for Buzz Dance Theatre

www.buzzdance.com.au

Graham was busy with school and study in March. He sure does work hard and often a week can fly by before I realize I have yet to tell him all my stories from the week. He keeps long hours. Up at 6:30am and is hard at work until after 8:30pm most nights.

We did find time to check out a local aviation museum a few weeks ago, that was a lot of fun and a hidden Western Australia gem. Lots of world war II relics and information. It was a good Saturday afternoon activity!

Things at the Wolfla house in Indiana have been busy as well. My Dad got a shoulder replaced which he is healing from now, and even the family dog did not escape a trip to the vet for surgery. Mom has had her hands full taking care of Dad and Jack the dog. They have also just had their kitchen re-done with a new refrigerator (they retired a 20 year old friend) and new granite counter tops!

I am getting excited because my Butler University Boys Basketball team has made it into the NCAA Final Four tournament in Houston this weekend. I was asked to a Butler viewing party in Sydney this weekend, but its to far to go! So my options are stay home and watch the game cast online (live blog updates on espn.com) or go over the Casino in the city at 5:30am and beg the sports bar bartender to put the game on the big screen. I might try my luck at the Casino because I would really love to watch it. If they won't play it (and they have ESPN) I will kindly flip them the bird and catch a cab back home and watch the blog updates..... People here think I am nuts. But they have no idea what a big deal it is. It is the only time I have ever wished I had expensive cable TV in Australia..

April promises to be just as busy. Graham's 30th birthday is on April 25th (Anzac Day).  We are getting excited because his Mom and Step Dad will be out to visit for it and Easter! We sure miss our family over in NSW and this will be a great time to catch up with them and make some new family memories!

Sending everyone my love. I have been saying special prayers for my family and friends in Indiana, Connecticut, and Idaho this Lent season, and I hope everyone is well, and knows how much they are loved and missed!
XOXOXO -Mary

Whats Been Going On

Well its been a busy start to the year for me and Graham. I am busy at work. We have two shows in rehearsal at the moment and they open on March 11th so there is plenty of work to be done!

Graham is back at school now and starts his first week of hospital rotations next week. I think he is a little nervous and extremely excited. He can finally get in there and do something! Even if it is just pricking people with needles and taking blood pressure. Hey its the beginning!

I have put a few pictures of Western Australia up. The first photo with the sandy hills was taken at sunset north of Perth over Christmas. Graham and I took a day trip with our annual Christmas rental car to Lancelin Western Australia. About a 2.5 hour drive north of our home. It was a really beautiful place, we went to the beach and swam, and then spent the evening watching the sunset on the beach while fishing for a small fish called "whiting" they are long slender fish you can catch on a simple rig set up. Just a light wait reel and rod is all you need. We use sand worms and some fake baits to catch them. We always through the fish back, but its a lot of fun casting into the serf and bringing out a fish!

This photo is of Graham working in our little front garden area. He loves looking after the herbs. I like to think I am a gardener. But it seems if it doesn't flower or grow large food items I am just not interested. Thank goodness Graham loves to take care of the plants. That way I can continue to think I am a great gardener, while he is busy keeping everything alive.



Graham and I have been crewing on a friends yacht a lot this summer. I really enjoy the sunset cruises on Thursday nights. Normally we get about 10 people on the sail boat and everyone brings some nibble foods and wine, then we just hoist the sails and eat and drink into the evening. On this evening (photo) we had 4 dolphins swimming along side the sail boat. It was really amazing and a experience I wish I could have shared with all my dear friends back home. I asked a dancer from our company along that night for the sunset sail and it was great to have James along to see the dolphins too! What a treat! Graham and I feel so lucky to have made some friends (Peter and Helen) who do not mind having us on board their boat so often. I have decided I like sailing and it is something I want to do a lot more of! Graham and I will be on the boat this Sunday for a race on the Swan River! Hope we win!

I can not believe it is already February and we are 2 months into 2011. Time is going by at a fast pace these day.

To all my friend back home in the US going through one of the worst winters on record. I am blowing you our hot summer weather every day! All my best to you and yours!

Christmas with the Wolfla's

So its Christmas time again. Being away from my family at this time of year is always a little sad. But some time spent remembering the good family memories always helps!

So I thought I would share a few Christmas memories with you.

The picture above is of me and my Dad. The year my Dad gave me "Julie" the doll that could read books to you. It was the coolest Christmas gift ever!! This is Dad teaching me how she reads right after I opened her! I loved a doll that could read to me as I struggled to read myself. I was pretty impressed. And I still am! This was 1986 or so and this was a high tech doll for its time! I was so lucky to have parents who spoiled me rotten!

Another favorite Christmas memory is of our family ritual on Christmas eve. I was an only child so Christmas was pretty quite at our house. But that did not mean we didn't know how to have a good time. My Dad use to take me on a drive to see the Christmas lights around our area. It was always just me and Dad. Mom would stay home to wait for Santa, "just in case!" We would always end the trip with an ice cream sundae from McDonalds. God Bless America. I love that you can get an ice cream sundae on Christmas eve! We would sit inside the restaurant and enjoy our sundaes! That was a real treat! Then like magic when we would get home Mom would come rushing out the front door of our little log cabin calling "Mary, Mary guess who came while you where away!!" None other then the man himself. He even ate a few of the cookies I left out! How exciting. We always opened our gifts on Christmas eve, it was a family event. Even the cats got involved and would play in the pile of Christmas wrapping and bows!

Another one of my favorite Christmas memories involved my childhood cat Tomas "yes I know its not spelt that way, and it should be spelt Thomas, but thats not how Tomas the cat spelt his name." Tomas was a real trouble maker, a black cat, and like most black cats he knew how to find trouble. Over a 10 year period Tomas fell 2 Christmas trees. The first occasion happened in Boise, Idaho. It must have been the Christmas I was in 7th grade. Tomas decided it would be great fun to climb the Christmas tree (real tree) well as he made his way up the branches the tree could no longer hold his weight, as he got closer to the top the tree simply snapped in two. "Bang" down came Tomas and we had two trees instead of one.

The second occasion happened in Greenfield Indiana when I was about 21. Mom, Dad and I had been out visiting family on Christmas eve. We got home late and I took a seat in the living room to admire the lights and ornaments on our beautiful large Christmas tree. Little did I know Tomas was orchestrating one of his famous stunts. As I sat there half asleep I heard a strange snap of tree branches coming from our tree and as I opened my eyes I saw Tomas leap off the Christmas tree from somewhere in the midsection of the tree. He just leaped from the tree like his little kitty but furs had caught alight. As he was leaping I noticed that he had Christmas lights wrapped around his body. He hit the living room floor running pulling a 5 foot Christmas tree  behind him. He dragged that huge tree a couple of feet before he struggled free from the lights. I jumped out of my seat, so shocked at when I just seen. Don't worry Tomas was okay. But I think the following year we bought our first fake tree. And that put an end to the tree climbing. Please note Tomas was also the reason why my parents have cat safe ornaments on the lower branches on the their tree. Sadly my little Tomas cat passed away a few years ago now. He was my best buddy. But don't be concerned, he did not die in some horror Christmas tree accident. He was just old.

I have to say although I am an only child my parents made Christmas such a special time of year. It must be because I have such amazing parents.

This year 2010 will be the 5th Christmas I have not been home with my wonderful parents. As the years are passing I want to get home again and have a few more Wolfla family Christmases. I love my in laws, but nothing will ever be the same as Christmas with my family.

So weather you are near or far this Christmas be sure to let the ones you love know how much they mean to you!

Merry Christmas everyone!!

A Flag In The Rain

Like many American families my parents have an American Flag hanging off the front of their home. Boldly stating "A Proud American Lives Here" , or "God Bless Our Troops". My parents flag bares both these messages. (Side note: except when its Butler Basketball Season, then Mom displays her Butler Flag, Butler was the University I attended). 


When I was home in August an unexpected storm blew in one evening. Mom and I sat on the front steps under the flag and watched as the wind picked up and swiftly blew the leaves on the  big cottonwood tree across the street. We listened to the clap of thunder, and felt as the first big drops of rain came down, on us and our flag. 
Mom and I sat and watched the rain for sometime. All the while our proud flag was getting soaked in this summer rain. At one point the wind blew so fiercely that the flag flapped wildly, spraying us with water. I could not help thinking to myself that I had just been baptized, in a way, by that flag. Suddenly each droplet the flag spayed onto me tingled my skin. 
I have always loved our flag. But living away from home in a foreign country has made me respect that flag in a way I have never experienced prior. 


In Sydney Graham and I went to an Australia vs. America Rodeo. (Graham's first rodeo experience) 
The Australian and American Flag where hanging side by side. I watched as nearly 4,000 Australians rose and sang their national anthem. When it was the Americans turn to sing the anthem and pay homage only a handful of people in this huge stadium rose, crossed their hearts and sang our American anthem. It was a strange moment. A moment that made me miss home badly, and a moment that made me proud to be an American. Don't worry I sang loudly!


Another experience happened to me while working on World Youth Day 2008 in Sydney. Its a huge Catholic event, Over a million Catholics gather from around the world to share their faith. I worked on this event as a Stage Manager. Part of my job was to get the Convention Centre ready for mass in the mornings (among many many other things). One morning I went to mass out on Darling Harbour with at least 1,000 other people. I stood next to another American(I did not know that at the time), a young man I didn't know, he was just in Sydney for World Youth Day. As is it came time for the Lords Prayer to be said we looked at each other at the same moment and clasped hands, we where the only two people holding hands in this huge crowd, we held hands through the prayer and let go when it was finished. This hand holding is a normal occurrence in many Catholic churches in America, but not a practice that is common in Australia. When I attend a mass in Australia and have no hand to hold I always feel a little bit alone, alone in a country that is not my home country. Standing next to my fellow American in the crowd, holding hands for the lords prayer, I thought to myself, I am sure glad I came to mass this morning, or this man next to me would know what it feels like to have no hand to hold, when it feels so natural. This was one of the best moments of World Youth Day for me. Among a few other really cool ones too.. But that man is still the last strangers hand I have held during mass. No need to worry though, I make Graham hold my hand for the lords prayer. 


I want to let you all know that yes I do have the American colors hanging on my front door. Its something I will always do no matter where I live. Its important to remember where you come from. And I come from America.

Dogs on Grills

Yes, that is a dog sitting on a park grill. I just thought I would add this photo as it is one of my all time favorites. This photo was taken in 2005. Graham and I took Jack my parents dog to the park for a walk. We tied him up to the grill and walked a short distance away, when I turned back to have a look at what Jack was up to, this is what I saw. Still makes me smile. I have no idea how he got up there. But he seemed to enjoy the view.

Not much is happening around Perth at the moment. Graham is busy with studies and I am working hard at Buzz Dance Theatre. Things are moving along. Its spring now in Perth and the warm days are wonderful, I can not wear summer dresses and sandals all I want! I have put away the winter sweaters and have the shorts out for another hot summer. This year we will have airconditioning in our living room! One of my cousin's friends gave the airconditioner unit to us and I was so grateful. Now we can keep at least one room cool on the hot days. Although I don't plan on using it all the time, just on the hottest days of the summer!

We have made some new friends in the neighborhood. Liz and Franck. They are a married couple from Houston and have recently moved to Perth. Its nice to have some fellow Americans near by and we have had a lot of fun getting to know them! It helps with the home sickness to have someone else to talk to who knows what your going through!

Kit cat is visiting the vet this Saturday and I think he may need to get his teeth clean. We have had him for almost 3 years now and he has just turned 10 years old. He has turned into a good cat who likes to sit on your lap and sleeps between me and Graham at night. He is my cat for sure, I guess the two weeks I was in the USA he was sad and just roamed around the house, sleeping on my side of the bed and just looking like a lost little cat. I love my kitty! Well I better go. Kit is giving me the signal that its time for his dinner. Mine too!
Smell Ya Later!

Bowls

This Sunday Graham signed me up to play in a lawn bowls tournament at our local Bowls Club.  Before I begin, a basic guide to Bowls.

Now being an American I did not grow up with this popular Australian past time. To describe it, its kind of like Bocce Ball, but different.


Basically you have a long flat grassy playing field, similar to a golf green. You place a rug on the ground where you will be tossing your balls (bowls) from. You then take a small ball about the size of a white ball on a pool table, about as heavy too, and you toss it in a strait line from where you stand. This is the "Kitty" ball. Its the ball you want all of your Bowls balls to get closest too. Then you start bowling.

In the picture above is the small Kitty and two Bowls balls. These balls are weighted to curve to one direction so its important before you throw it you know which way the ball is going to curve. If you get it wrong your ball will end up in someone else's bowls game, or way out on the other side of the lawn. 


The objective is to get your bowls as close to the Kitty as possible, you have 4 bowls balls to toss, as does your opponent. Your opponent can hit the Kitty out of the way of your balls, or knock your balls further away from the Kitty. Its a tricky game. You should be getting a rough idea of the game. If not go and check out this link.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bowls

Now back to my story. As I said before Graham signed me up to play in a Lawn Bowls Tournament this weekend. Now it was nothing really serious, but  when we arrived at the club I quickly realized I was going to be on the losing end of this tournament.

Bowls is mostly an old persons activity in Australia but just recently it has enjoyed a spark of interest from young college aged people. At this tournament however Graham and I where the youngest in attendance. After a few practice tosses and a chance to buy a pint of beer the tournament was ready to begin.

For the first round I was paired up with two older gentlemen who at first seemed annoyed to be playing with a young American woman who knows only the basics of Lawn Bowls. After a few frames the group atmosphere warmed and I laughed listening to these two men use phrases such as "thats good green", and "come on get that kitty". This is a really competitive sport, with lots of courtesy rules similar to golf. Like no talking when someone is bowling, not acting in a distracting way when someone is bowling, picking up your next bowl only after someone has just bowled and not while they are in the act of bowling. But on the other hand this is also a sport that allows you to play barefoot and smoke cigarettes while playing.

I won a few frames and was happy to give the old guys a run for their money a few times. But at the end of the game my score was 16 and well... thats really really low.. like scoring a 13 out of 200 at the Bowling Alley. So I lost. Graham did well though and got to play on in another game. It was an interesting afternoon.

Now I am not sure if I am going to take up this sport more seriously, I think I had better get a little more practice before I try to compete against anyone again. But you never know if you never try.