Fran Lewis West Burbury:  

Life After graduation from IV Tech I married Rick West and we moved to a town near Chicago. Rick then became a Conservation Officer and we lived in Huntington County for several years. In 1978 we had a little girl. In 1980 we moved to Indianapolis when Rick was offered a job by his old boss who had moved from Chicago back to the Carmel plant. We then bought a house in Arcadia and Erin eventually started school. Rick and I were very busy with the International Federation of Leather Guilds and several leather guilds in Indiana. Rick was President of both the IFoLG and a state guild. I was busy doing the newsletters for both organizations and also involved with helping create the the Hoosier Cavy Club and the Hamilton County 4-H Cavy Club. At one time I had over 60 show quality cavies and who knows how many little cavies. (Guinea pigs, you know.) In 1990 I started working as office manager for Wyatt Johnson P.E.L.S. Rick and I divorced in 1991 and in 1995 Erin and I moved to Australia when I married Malcolm Burbury. Malcolm is a very talented leather craftsman and makes high quality stock whips, belts, and custom fitted shoes. We live in a small town which is 6 hours from Sydney and 8 hours from Brisbane. Surrounded by mountains and known as the capital of parasailing in Australia and world renowned for jumping off our mountain top. Tamworth (45 km south) is the Country Music Capital of Australia and every January we are inundated by musicians from all over the world. You never know who you will see walking down the streets in Tamworth. Currently, I keep books for Malcolm's leather business, for 6 years I co-ordinated the craft market that is held monthly in Tamworth, but quit since we purchased a blind and awning business in Manilla and Erin and I run the business together. We make and install interior and exterior window coverings and shade sails to size and shape. Malcolm has kept his job at the farm supply shop in Manilla to supplement our income and is still doing his leatherwork. He bicycles the 3 blocks to work the days he can. In 2014 we added to Malcolms 6m x 12m shed (where he does his leather work), actually doubled the size and moved my business to the back yard and now I only have to drive to customer's places for measuring and instalations. Living in Australia is similar to the States but different enough that you know you are living abroad. Instead of Cardinals and Robins at our bird feeder we have Sulfur Crested Cockatoos, and several varieties of parrots. Instead of hitting a deer with your car it is a kangaroo surprising you when you least expect it. Our summer is your winter and vice versa - swimming in the local river on Christmas day is not a test of your stamina, it is mandatory to keep cool. We rarely get below freezing here and the last 15 years has been drought, drought, and drought. Water restrictions are more a common fact of life than not. The life style here is much slower but at times more intense due to the drought. As the area we live in is rural every business is ...Expand for more