Sending Sunshine Her Way

July 10th... two years ago this day would have no doubt been filled with friends, family, gifts, cake and perhaps a drink or two. Today, it is simply another day. Schapelle decided last year prior to her birthday that she would not be celebrating it. She insists on staying 27 until she is free. This is one of those times when I woman defying her age is completely acceptable! So rather than wishing her a Happy Birthday, I as always send love, support and happy thoughts her way.

The Spirit of Schapelle Lives On

Well I am so relieved to announce that the Spirit of Schapelle Forum is back in action!! It has been down for about a month due to a malicious attack by a person or persons with far too much time on their hands. It will take a little while to get things all sorted out again but must of the same supporters have found their way back and I am thrilled to see that! This is a truly remarkable group of dedicated supporters with huge hearts. If you have not yet checked out this website I urge you to do so. Schapelle needs as much support as possible from those who truly care about her and believe in her innocence.

I want to take a moment and give a huge high five to the admin at SOS for their tireless efforts to correct the problem. This was no small feat and your dedication is truly appreciated.

While I am handing out props, I think a huge one is in order for Roz Veevers who for the past 6 months has been working on a supporters scrapbook for Schapelle. People from Australia and all over the world have sent pictures, and letters to be included in this 87 page masterpiece which will be in Schapelles hands shortly. I know Schapelle will absolutely love every page in this book. It is great that she will be able to put a face to the name of all her supporters and to see that we are real people who believe in her. Fabulous job Roz!!

Headline Haircut

How many people in the world celebrities excluded cut their hair and make the news for it? Well, if you are Schapelle Corby you do. This is just funny to me. When I first read the article about her giving herself a haircut, I rolled my eyes and thought it was ridiculous that a journo would seriously find that newsworthy.

No surprise really that she finally took the scissors to her beautiful locks. If I were living in a ridiculously hot climate (which, I'm not) I would be tempted to do the same thing...especially when the place you are stuck in is unsanitary...thats just asking for problems. So she grabbed some scissors and a razor and gave herself what reporters are calling a "butch look". Please. There is nothing butch about her or her hair. I think it looks fabulous.

Not only did this story mention her haircut but her fear of getting fat in jail because she eats a lot of KFC...again some fine reporting. My afterthoughts on this story differ slightly from my original. I try to think that anytime Schapelle gets in the news it can be a positive thing. It keeps her in the minds of those who may have forgotten about her. It reminds them that she is still there and still fighting. So while the story itself like many others is slightly silly, the point is she is still making the news...and that can't be all bad.

Prisoner Exchange

There has been a lot of news lately on talks between Australia and Indonesia signing a prisoner exchange agreement. It is looking like the agreement may be signed by September. So where does this leave Schapelle? She has said many times that she is not sold on the idea of going back to Australia as a prisoner and I cant say that I blame her. She is not guilty of this crime. I know a lot of people would be thinking she should jump on board of this agreement because at least she would be be back at home. I know a lot of her reasoning behind not taking part in the transfer is due to the lack of freedom she would have in a structured Australian Maximum security prison.

In Bali, she is free to have visitors throughout the day until lockdown at 4:30. They can bring her food from outside which helps sustain her. That would not be the case in Australia. Also, Indonesia has remissions for good behavior which she is eligible to apply for on various days throughout the year mostly public holidays. She could end up having her sentence drastically reduced through this avenue.

Some of her family have expressed concern about leaving Indonesia because they are not sure where that would leave her legally. This makes me wonder if there are still possible legal avenues open to her. If it were me or a member of my family I would certainly want to make sure that all possibilities were exhausted before agreeing to leave the country. I would also be wondering about the chance of parole or reduction of sentence once she got back to Australia which I know has been weighing on the minds of Schapelle and the rest of the Corby family.

In the end, Schapelle will be the only one who will make this decision...and its a huge one. I support whatever choice she makes and would completely understand either one. I would love the outcome to be that when her plane touches down in Australia she was able to step off it a free woman..not a prisoner for a crime she did not commit. My heart is with her and her family as they weigh the options and try to come up with the best possible solution.