Finding joy in the everyday

Back home, very little time to write anything right now - just sorting through 100's of photos so a little busy and dinner is almost ready to eat (can you smell it!). Hopefully I can write something soon and post some photos of my trip, in particular my day out at the Taronga Zoo in Sydney.  Had a wonderful few days - there is nothing more special than chatting for hours with a best friend and cousin.  I also enjoyed the company of two little people (Miss Three and Master 22 months) and that was also such a joy as Miss Three is delightful, just listening to her opinions on life  is very amusing to say the least.   May you all have a lovely week - cold, wet and grey here this week.

Ronald the Salmon-tailed Catfish just after he was moved into his new home - not happy Dear friends, I thought I would give you an update on the fish following on from a story I wrote the other day. In the previous story I told you how Ronald the salmon-tailed catfish had eaten one of the other fish, or so we believed. I feel terrible—why, you may ask? On Saturday I was relaxing in my armchair and something caught my eye—I noticed movement at the entrance of our very large conch shell.  I called out to my husband in what he described as a "hysterical yell"!  He came, he looked and he agreed that a fish was most certainly stuck in the shell. It was our missing fish. No horrible acts of cannibalism had occurred at all. Now, it was clear that Miss Fish was stuck in the shell and had been there for the entire week. Dear husband lifted up the shell and gave it a shake. Nothing happened. He grabs a towel and hammer and we decide to break the shell. ...

The simple things in life - photography by Joluise This will be quick entry today as I can't sit for very long in my chair. My back is playing up something bad at the moment and its better if I am standing or lying than sitting at a computer desk right now. Just letting you know the exciting news that my son won the job he applied for and will start sometime soon. He is over the moon as this is a traineeship that will give him a whole new direction and set up his future career path.  My prayers were most certainly answered. *** Here is a great recipe I made last night for dinner - its healthy but so yummy. Best eaten with crusty bread and loads of butter!!!  I added more vegetables to mine (needed to use some up) and didn't bother with the lemon juice and yoghurt bit at the end:  http://www.eatlove.com.au/recipes/lentil-silverbeet-and-lamb-köfte-soup/3663/ . For those who are vegetarian, skip the lamb kofte and use a vegetable stock and it would taste...

I am currently reading “Forged with Flames” by Ann Fogarty, a very brave woman who was severely burnt to 85% of her body as a result of a horrendous bushfire in 1983. This was one very courageous woman who went through terrible suffering as a result of her burns (with breast cancer 20 years later) and I just loved how she ended the book—whilst not all of us will go through such pain and suffering, the lessons Ann learnt as a result of what happened to her are lessons for all of us. I’ve experienced and learned so many things since the fires that I never would have had I not been burned.  I’ve learned that God is always bigger than whatever you’re going through, that laughter can revive you like nothing else, that kindness abounds, and that there is always much more in you than you ever thought possible.  I found out that life can hurt you so much that sometimes you can’t see how you could ever recover,  but them, as quick as a wind change, the same life can bri...

Roy - Photography by Joluise As I mentioned in my last post, we are now proud owners of fish . . . . not really by choose, inherited when our son moved out of home. We never planned to keep them, then my DH had the bright idea " why don't we keep them, they are very nice fish, very friendly " . . . and as the saying goes "the rest in history" However when our son left, he left us with 5 fish (all large fish, not those little tiny things).  And now we are down to 2 fish.  The first 2 died from unknown causes . . . we don't think it was our fault. That is what we tell ourselves.  It makes us feel much better and we can sleep at night. But the last death is all very tragic.  On Friday night DH fed his 3 fish and all seemed well in the fish tank, quite harmonise. However when I went and opened the blinds on Saturday morning (no, the tank doesn't have blinds, the room does!!) I noticed only 2 fish in the tank (Roy - a Green Heros Severus...

What's being happening? Firstly, my husband had a tooth removed this week and that wasn't fun at all, going to the dentist never is. But everything is healing really well and the pain has almost gone. He was very impressed with the new dentist (who didn't over charge like many others do) and did a great job.  Secondly, our eldest son had an interview this week and did very well (even though he was very nervous).  The interviewer contacted him on Friday and asked for other bits and pieces which sounds promising.  Praying hard for this one to be successful.  And finally, we have a new fish tank (4 foot) and ready to fill with water in the next day or two.  Its all rather exciting but I am glad I won't be the one moving the fish as that will be rather stressful for both the fish and dear hubby. Fortunately the lady across the street works at a fish aquarium store and knows everything you need to know about fish - very handy. I will post some photos ...

The Seine at Herblay - I saw this painting when the exhibition "Masterpieces from Paris" visited Australia a couple of years ago.  Up close it looks like a very busy painting due to the technique used - viewed across the room, this is a gorgeous painting full of colour, light and texture. It was one of my favourites at the exhibition.  Artist: Maximilian Luce 1858 - 1941 French Neo-impressionist artist, printmaker and anarchist (and spent a short time in prison) Style: Pointillism A technique of painting in small distinct dots of pure colour to form an imagine  As a Neo-impressionist, Luce was interested in light and colour - others in the group included Camille Pissarro and Georges Seurat.   This website page contains some interesting information on the man and his art:  http://recollectionbooks.com/bleed/Encyclopedia/LuceMaximilien.htm The artist himself