The Akubra

I want to buy an Akubra.

There's something about an Akubra hat. They are distinctly Australian in many respects. In fact, they have (as I learned upon investigation) been associated with Australia since they were first made in 1905. Akubra is an Aboriginal word meaning ‘head covering’. Therefore,

Back in my city days, you would have been hard pressed ever spotting me in any head covering at all. It just didn't 'gel' with my city persona. Very sad given my skin quality and the climate we find ourselves in, in Australia. Country people just seem to 'get' that in order to survive the extreme temperatures the sun can deliver out in these parts, you need to dress appropriately.

 Although worn in many outback areas of Australia, they are increasingly seen on the heads of people from all walks of life.

City girls.

Perfect for hiding a receding hairline.

Even Oprah had one on in her visit to Australia! You can google the image, but I had to remove it from my blog after the media company who took the photo asked me to remove it for 'out of licence use'!!! (I find it amusing they think my little blog is significant enough to warrant an image removal. I will name and shame them later :) )

The hats, which are made of treated rabbit fur, have been worn by Australian soldiers, political leaders and sportspeople. And by farmers. And farmers wives. And by farm kids too.

Years and years ago, CP told me that you can't trust a man in black Akubra hat.

Hmmmmm.... Sorry Lee!

And what about this well known black Akubra? Would you trust this man?

Or maybe CP just said that because he prefers the lighter coloured Akubra?! I have to admit that I haven't really paid that much attention to detail. Maybe someone can enlighten me on the subject?

My kids will be getting their first Akubras by the end of this year. I even bought one for the last nanny we had (as a going away present). I am truly fascinated by them.

 Interestingly, as much as I love them, I don't own one myself. I am almost at the stage where I really should buy one (having lived out here in the bush for over 10 years now). But I am more into hats of this persuasion...

Bright, sunny, pool side accompaniments. :)

I am currently in the business of buying a wardrobe that would befit an Akubra hat. Blue work shirt: check. RM Williams boots: check. The hat will be next. I promise. Even though I said all those years and years ago that it would never, ever, ever happen! Life is funny like that.

PS: Any recommendations or advise about buying my first Akubra?

Rules of Sickness - Now vs Then

Today I was reminiscing about my first year of teaching in St George. I haven't been feeling well lately, and it's had me remembering.

When you are a first year teacher, you manage to absorb every possible germ and bacteria you can lay your body on or near. These germs and bacteria manifest themselves into a potent, destructive illness that will leave you incapacitated and at its mercy for almost 2 weeks. We are talking 'man-flu', on steriods!

When I was first struck with this 'illness', which we shall, (for arguments sake) call "the worst illness I have ever had to temporarily endure" (aside from the many bouts of man-flu I have had to watch CP endure), I was lucky enough to have been struck down moments after moving a mattress out into the lounge room in front of the television (and metres away from the bathroom), thereby removing the need for me to have to abandon my position on the floor for anything other than a toilet break.

The first few days were spent in a dreary haze of hallucinations, sweat and fitful sleep. CP was on the phone (being my beau of approximately 3 minutes) offering to drive the hour it would take to get to my house, to give me comfort, medicine, love, or even all of the above. As we were still in the part of our relationship that required me to get up 5 minutes before him (and apply a small amount of makeup and fix my hair) so that he wouldn't have to endure the 'real me' when he woke up, I politely declined his very generous offer.

Eventually I was well enough to drive to the pharmacy to purchase medications that might actually cure me, (or at the very least, mask my symptoms) and rent some videos (this was in the days before DVDs and even internet downloads). One lovely lady I worked with even came to check on me, as I was living on my own at the time. I was a little embarrassed to let her see the revolting conditions I was existing in at the time, but I was sincerely VERY sick.

Anyway, I was thinking about all of this for a reason. Once upon a time CP would have driven 100km (or possibly even more) to pat my back and brush my hair when I wasn't feeling well. I wouldn't lay bets on if he would even cross the loungeroom to do the same anymore. Unless I looked like the girl in the picture above. Which I don't. Especially when I am sick. (I am more like Linda Whats-her-name from The Exorcist when I am sick).

And once upon a time I would have done anything to take away the pain when CP was sick. More recently we seem to spend time debating the actual degree of sickness the other is experiencing. A year or two back, CP was insisting that he was sick (which I put down to man-flu and did my best to ignore), and it turned out that it was food poisoning. Whoops! And morning sickness has given me an unnatural phobia of toilets. When a bout of nausea hits me I am automatically swept back in time to any one of my three pregnancies, and inevitably end up in the foetal position, willing myself to get better. CP goes out of his way to avoid me at those times.

How on earth did this happen? At some point we have become an old married couple!

Ahh times, how they change!

PS: As an after thought, I would like to add that CP has been pretty good today. So I guess he can still surprise me too! And it is nice not having to put on some makeup and fix my hair before he wakes up to know that he still loves me anyway!

Father's Day

Tomorrow is Father's Day here in Australia.

Woop de doo!

I have already organised a card and little bits and pieces on behalf of our three young children (vouchers for 'jobs' that the children will be able to do for him), and they have all drawn little pictures for him too. We are not big 'gift' people in this house, but we are certainly 'thought that counts' kinds of people.

CP's day will go something like this:

• He will wake up to a breakfast of sausages and eggs (no bacon - Mummy wasn't that organised this year), which will be served with toast and coffee tea (during proof reading, CP has reminded me that he prefers tea).
• He will be allowed to sleep in, with little or no interruption from the children.
• CP will be able to choose whatever he wants to watch on the television.
• We might all go for a little drive or do something together at home or in the garden.
• He will probably be able to have an uninterrupted rest after lunch.
• I will prepare his favourite meal for dinner.

All of which I will do whilst I am sick. And then the next day CP will probably contract the same illness I have been battling silently for weeks on end. And I will be made to endure his bout of man flu in much the same way we will celebrate Father's Day.

Happy Father's Day everyone!

Happy Father's Day CP! Love from all of us!