Friday, April 12, 2013

K is for Kudos

Know.   Know-it-all.   Kiss.   Kepler.   Kaizen.  Karen Carpenter.  Kindergarten.   Kinesthetic learner.   Knock off work to carry bricks.  Great Keppel Island.   Kookaburra.   Koala.   Keyboard.   Kangaroo.  Kindness.

I thought I knew in what direction this post was going to go, until I sat down to write it. Turns out, this post is for the purpose of giving kudos to our time in Aus, and our Aussie friends.



Kudos to the guys in the band, Dave, Don B, Graham, and Don P, who gave me a chance to join the band, playing the keyboard and singing backup vocals.

Kudos to the people of Australia who have managed to keep a lot of it untamed, where we could see kangaroos, koalas, and kookaburras in the wild.



Kudos to the friends we made, and especially the time we spent on Great Keppel Island with a group of great people.


Kudos to the very kind mother of a friend who asked me how I was doing, and even though we had been there for a year, I was homesick, and her kindness was my undoing. I still have the cloth handkerchief she gave me to dry my tears.

Kudos to the lovely Capuano family for sharing their Christmas with two Americans who were very far from home and family.


Kudos to Bruce who cared for his sick wife, just like he said he would when he married her, and for the clever phrase he used one time, which has stuck with us for over twenty years, "Knockin' off work to carry bricks."



Thanks, friends. xoxo






8 comments:

Harvest Moon by Hand said...

What a lovely post! Especially enjoyed your pictures from Australia. Visited there many years ago and some of my fondest memories are those of petting and seeing some of Australia's wildlife - including the koalas and kangaroos.

Anonymous said...

I enjoyed this, Susan.
And I see you came up with plenty of your own "Ks"! :)
~ Mary Ann on hm

Unknown said...

Kudos to you! :)

Unknown said...

Oh yes a lovely post! Kudos to you too (~:

Anonymous said...

Wonderful memories, as we continue to construct a wonderful life together.

Deepa Iyer said...

Lovely post Susan. You seem to have a way with writing memories, as if they happened yesterday. That handkerchief to dry the tears is so emotional, to say the least. Kudos to you too for bringing vivid descriptions.

Ida Thought said...

Kudos to you. I haven't had a moment of homesickness till I just read your post. I often tell people that once you land in Australia, whether it's for a moment or a lifetime, a part of her belongs to you and you belong to her. I still have the handkerchief my father gave me when I left.

sherilee said...

I spent time in Australia a long time ago (1987 and 1988, two separate trips of about six months each), and brought back the guy who would become my first husband. Love love many things about Australia, especially Sydney and it's environs. Such fond memories. Thanks for the walk down memory lane.