Monday, September 5, 2011

Arrival in Melbourne

I hardly slept any last night.  I couldn't stop thinking about my friend, Judy Lamb, and her bereaved family.  And, also, I kept having to go outside with the flashlight to use the toilet.  I finally fell asleep, but the alarm went off at 3:00 a.m.

Jonathan took us to the airport at 3:30.  I bought a bottle of water, and John bought at juice from a juice bar at the airport.  John boarded his plane to Brisbane at 5:30.  I boarded my plane to Sydney (stop-over for Melbourne flight) at 5:50.

I sat by a lady named Jean who was one of five chaperons for 14 middle school kids.  They were taking them on a school trip to Sydney and Canberra.  Canberra is one of the few places in Australia that ever sees snow, so they were going tobogganing.  They were from a small school of 38 students in the Dainfree Rainforest.

A young lady at the Sydney airport who was from Arizona but had moved to Melbourne five months ago was kind enough to help me figure out why Facebook wouldn't work on my phone.  There were two months of updates that needed to be installed.

I arrived in Melbourne at 11:45 then found the shuttle bus to take me to Elwood.  The bus dropped me off at a restaurant called The Turtle, and I walked about seven blocks down to Bruce Standish's Produce and Health Food Store.  This was their Free Health Meeting which is held in a meeting room above his store.  I met some nice people.  I gave my speech about My Journey to Raw Foods.  It was an informed group and there were many, many questions.  Maureen is coming to get me tomorrow.  Ava and Nick are coming to get me on Tuesday.  I am invited to a raw food luncheon at Maureen's on Thursday.  Bruce served everyone fruit salad. He uses his fruit from his store that is reaching its limit and makes a big container of fruit salad which he gives away to people.
Renee and Bruce in front of his Health Food Store.

Giving my speech.

The Health Meeting

The meeting room above the store is my room for the week.  I have a kitchen, a sofa to sleep on, a bathroom with no shower, wifi, and television.   I didn't try to do anything after the health meeting except unpack and get on-line.

I learned the sad news that another friend, Jenelle Peterson, passed away from a massive heart attack.  Jenelle was from Dallas.  She was an amazing lady who united all of us that lived in Chateauroux, France as young military people or dependents of military fathers.  She breathed life into those years from our youth.  She united the French citizens of Chateauroux and Deols with those of us that were there with our U.S. Air Force families.  She directed several trips to Chateauroux, and I was able to go with her twice.  Last year the Americans presented a statue called The Flame of Friendship to the cities of Chateauroux and Deols.  It was a beautiful and emotional ceremony.  The loss of Jenelle will leave a void.
Jenelle Peterson
The Flame of Friendship

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