Taking the Australian to the County Fair.....

We arrived at the fair around 11am. I proudly presented my free "Exhibitors Pass" for entry and we immediately see a stage to the left. We arrived just in time for the "Animal Noise Contest"!! I'm anxious to see the Needle Arts display to see if any of the items I submitted were displayed. This was my first year submitting anything and the primary reason for doing so was to get the free passes to the fair. But now that I was at the fair.....I was anxious to see how I did.

Grant and Janeva wanted to make animal noises.....their making noises is nothing new....but to see them do it one stage would be a first....how could I say no to THAT!!

Janeva jumped on stage first, she decided at the last minute to make the sound of a domestic cat whose tail is being stepped on. She made some hissing noises and a hedious meow cry into the microphone. So loudly and startling that I think any stray cat within a 2 mile radius ran for cover! Being the proud mother that I am, I cheered, hooted and whistled for her.

Later in the competition, my husband stepped up to the microphone. Strangely, he spoke softly into the microphone.....was he nervous? He explains that he will be making the call of a "rare Australian Red Kangaroo male"....and he proceeds to make this soft clicking, almost chirping sound. Everyone strained to hear it, because seriously, how many chances do we get to hear one of THOSE in San Diego?? Again, being the proud wife, I cheered, clapped and made a scene....but all the while looking at Grant thinking the performance was suspect. Seriously! He could make ANY noise and name it as something rare and in Australia....who, in San Diego will challenge him??



BTW, Janeva took 1st place, and Grant took 2nd place in the competition! While they gloated, my mom and I were thinking we should just be happy to be seen with them. (rolling eyes)

We stop off at the Australian deep fried potatoes...and anxiously wait to taste an Authentic Australian dish. We loved them, my mom raved, I enjoyed them, Janeva thought they were "okay"...and Grant said he never seen anything like it in Australia. Go Figure!

So...off to the Needle Arts Display!

I enjoyed seeing all the beautiful knitting and crochet and tatting displayed. I then was thrilled when in the midst of the display Grant found the first of four sweaters that I had entered......I took a Blue Ribbon First Place prize in the Woman's Knitted Sweater division, Third Place in the Mens Knitted Sweater division, and a Third Place for a knitted/crocheted combo sweater in the "Other" division. I was thrilled!



I was doing the Happy Knitters Dance out of the showroom, and Janeva totally into the spirit of competition entered a pie eating contest. Even though this sweet little girl of 13 was up against some hulking teenage boys (perhaps THAT is why she entered?) Janeva took a respectable 3rd place in the Pie Eating Contest!

While Grant and Janeva went off to ride some of the stomach turning rides on the Midway, mom and I decided to shop the vendor booths. We scored some hair clips and three of the "it slices, it dices, it mixes, and purees" cutters. (Mom a few days later testing the slicer gives it a thumbs up review.....only the thumb now has stitches it it!!! OUCH)

All in all, we had a fabulous time. I am knitting with a new purpose....to enter into next years fair so we can get the free passes and see Janeva take 1st in the Pie Eating Contest!!!! (She announced that she is in training and I need to bake pies now.....hey....I could maybe enter one of those too!!)

My FIRST post on my own blog!

Grant and I married in 2005. Grant immigrated from Australia to the U.S. in 2005 after a two year long distance relationship. After all the huge phone bills and several trips to the U.S. so he could take me on REAL dates, Grant decided it would be so much easier and cheaper if we both resided in the same zip code. So he made this huge leap, leaving a career, family and practically all the material things one accumulates in a lifetime behind and arrived in Southern California to start a new life with a new wife, her teenage daughters Jillian and Janeva, and their dogs Max and Murphy. Side Note: Murphy has a blog of his own and now apparently only understands Australian.

Shortly after Grant arrived he discovered that I was a KNITTER. He knew I knitted, he thought it was charming that I knitted from time to time. That was his impression BEFORE he arrived.

I wish I had a picture of the first time he opened the closet to claim some space as his own, and found my stash of yarn. Okay, well ONE of my stashes of yarn. I think maybe it was about four months before he found ALL of the yarn that is tucked in various parts of the house, the garage, closets, bowls, in bins, in plastic bags, under beds and in the attic and even in my car.

About four months after Grant's arrival, he got to experience his first earthquake. It was a mild 4.2 in the wee hours of the morning. I woke up startled and threw my arm over Grant to ensure he didn't jump up out of bed not knowing what was going on. When the shaking ended, Grant calmly asked "what was THAT?" I said "An earthquake, don't worry it was a small one and we are all fine." Grant said "no doubt, if it had been a big one we all would have been buffered by falling balls of yarn! No worries!"

A day does not go by without an outburst of laughter somewhere in the midst of our normal chaos or a simple explanation is offered of "It's okay, he's Australian" by myself or one of my daughters to a puzzled onlooker.

Life is an adventure when the subtle cultural differences and language barriers are factored in with the normal grind and routine of an otherwise typical life.

Finding out what we will get when my husband orders dinner at the drive up window in his thick Australian accent makes fast food one of those simple little unexpected surprises.

Welcome to my blog, to our adventures and all the knitting. Perhaps we can put you in stitches as well.