Finding joy in the everyday

The rules state that a recipient of the Beautiful blogger award must *add a link & a note of thanks to the person giving the award * Pass the award on to the most beautiful blogs you love *Share 7 things about yourself Each evening I read through my favourite blogs and when I got to Ganeida's Knots what a lovely surprise was waiting for me - she had been so kind to give me a "Beautiful Blogger Award".  I was delighted. But, then I read the small print and found out that I had to share 7 things about myself.  All week I have been thinking. . . . .  what haven't I already told you . . .  this is a test of my memory. I have very curly hair and have spent my life trying to straighten it.  I also don't like getting my hair wet in the rain as it turns into a mop - you can imagine what it was like when I lived in the tropics. I would love to visit the polar bears in the Arctic and see otters in the wild. When I was in primary school (around the age of 6) I ...

Warning: If you are not a cat lover you may not find this story interesting but you may think I am slightly batty, if you are a cat lover you are bound to like this story but still think I am slightly batty!! Ruby is 8 months old (no, not a child - a Ragdoll x kitten) and she lives indoors.  Because she doesn't have access to trees to climb (like Charlie does) I thought she needed something she could play on and get her exercise so I invested in a scratching tree.  It arrived yesterday in the post. One very heavy box. The box was very full of parts and one sheet of instructions - how hard can it be. Started at 5:30pm Wow, this is easy - almost complete.  Wait, why don't the screws at the top work. Oops, an error in construction.  6:00pm (dinner not started yet). Ok, lets have a closer look - worked it out - it needs to be built from the top down and not from the bottom up.  No, not in the instruction. 6:15pm (no dinner yet). "The supervisor" It is now ...

After a busy day at work, coming home to do all those chores that need doing + make dinner, I like nothing better at 9:30 (or perhaps slightly earlier) to slip into my PJ’s, heat my wheat bag (heat pack), making a mug of tea and climbing into bed with a book.  The wheat bag goes to the bottom of the bed to keep my toes warm and I lie back on my 3 comfy pillows and RELAX – all the worries of the day slip away and I can finally enjoy peace and quiet.  Sometimes I will also listen to calm relaxing music via the iPod or watch a DVD, but generally I read. Did I mention that I also have 3 (small) cubes of chocolate (caramello is my favourite) to have with my tea.  This is pretty good for a busy girl!! How do you like to wind down after a busy day?

Pigean Point Lighthouse I love lighthouses - I find them amazing structures so for this Wednesday I am going to share with you my love of lighthouses.  Architecturally they could be described as a work of art and  I am sure when Smeaton was designing Eddystone lighthouse and thinking of oak trees he saw the beauty in these life saving structures.  And that is the point of a lighthouse - to save lives and many many men, women and children have been save by that light shining out to sea. I am particularly fascinated by those lighthouses built on rocks out at sea (2 examples below) - these are amazing engineering feats but as you will see with Bell Lighthouse, built so well it has never been rebuilt. They didn't have computers or other fancy technology - just an idea ,a dream and hard working men who risked their lives to build them. Eddystone lighthouse stands 14kms south west of Rames Head in Britain. The first lighthouse on the rock was built in 1696 using timber (wo...

(Julia Gillard and Tony Abbott, leaders of our two leading parties) On the 21st August Australian’s vote for their next Federal Government (just as the British did a few months ago) and I started to wonder: What makes a Godly leader? Have I ever seen one? Does it mean that the leader goes to church on Sundays with his or her family and confessors to be a Christian?  We have had leaders who go to church regularly but do not necessarily behave as Christians when formulating policies. Going into a Federal Election, how does a person decide on which leader to support — based on what?  An ideal leader would be one that  “ walks the talk ”, lives their daily life by the scriptures, raises their family in the way God intended and will choose to guide the nation by Biblical principles.  Have I seen such a leader, no I haven’t . . .  so how do you decide when we don’t have any Godly leaders as far as I can see? What would  their stances be on the issues such a...

I have had a really nice weekend - I didn't need to rush about, but I still got lots of things done and had time to relax + enjoy an afternoon sleep. The grocery shopping is done and Ruby's new kitty litter house has been purchased.  I cleaned the house with help from my sons and did a little rearranging in the lounge room.  The vase of dried flowers used to sit on top of the book case, but naughty Ruby could reach them and each day I would come home to find that she had stolen one dried flower (no more and no less)! I also went through my winter clothes and tossed out a huge pile of things that no longer fit (mmmm) or I don't wear anymore.  My husband went through his jackets and throw away some old worn ones.  They are waiting to go to the charity box. In the garden I started the weeding (but due to the rain we have had this winter they keep on growing) and planted some pansies in pots.   I even had time to sit in the sun and admire the jonquils and jet-fire ...

Trust and Obey (D. B. Towner)
 When we walk with the Lord In the light of his Word, What a glory be sheds on our way! While we do his good will, He abides with as still, And with all who will trust and obey. (Chorus)  Trust and obey, For there’s no other way To be happy in Jesus But to trust and obey. Not a shadow can rise, Not a cloud in the skies, But his smile quickly drives it away, Not a doubt nor a fear, Not a sigh nor a tear Can abide while we trust and obey. Not a burden we bear, Not a sorrow we share, But our toil he doth richly repay; Not a grief nor a loss, Not a frown nor a cross, But is blest if we trust and obey. But we never can prove The delights of his love Until all on the altar we lay, For the favor he shows, And the joy be bestows Are for all who will trust and obey. Then in fellowship sweet We will sit at his feet, Or we’ll walk by his side in the way; What be says we will do, Where be Sends we will go, Never fear, only tru...

Whilst I was away my two brothers and I went to the seaside.  My American brother (Nick) lives in the middle of the USA and doesn't see the sea very often so he requested a trip to the beach so we went to Victor Harbour (a popular summer destination). We had a great day stopping off at different beaches, taking lots of photos of waves and birds, going for a few short walks and eating fish and chips for lunch.  You are probably thinking that we had our lunch on the beach watching the waves.  Well . . .  no . . . the sand was wet and we didn't have a blanket . . . and I didn't want to get a damp bottom!  Unable to find a nice park bench, we ate our lunch in the car near the beach.  We decided that we had reached "that" age where eating in the car is acceptable. Below are a few photos of our walk to Granite Island (where 700 fairy penguins live . .  not that we saw any during the day), it is connected to the mainland by this bridge.  It took about 1...

  Thank you for all the wonderful comments this week, they make my day, day after day. May you all have a blessed weekend. In Gods Care Jo * * * At some time in your life you will have to stop and ask for directions ~ just look up and there's the answer!

Recipe I was talking with  my brother (the one who lives in the USA) about Yorkshire Pudding/Toad in the Hole and how much we both really enjoy this dish, likewise our children.  As I was making one last Thursday I wondered if Nick and I were the only ones about that still make this classic English meal.  For those who have no idea what I am talking about - Toad in the Hole contains sausages and Yorkshire Pudding has no sausages but both use the same batter (see recipe).  It is delicious - but not healthy. I would usually serve it with roast veggies, peas and gravy.  But mash potatoes is also very nice with it.  It is best cooked in a tin pan as it crisps the sides far better than glass.  It is called "toad in the hole" because it looks like a toad sticking its little head out of its hole...when the sausage cooks, it pokes its "head" out of the batter!!!! Not sure if the photo above does!!  Its origins are unknown - but is meant to date back t...

The knitting girl (1860's) This weeks artist is another of my favourites - William Adolphe Bourguereau - born November 1825, died on the 19th of August 1905.  He was very famous in his time but today his subject matter and technique receive relatively little attention compared to the popularity of the Impressionists (I couldn't even find him in my art books).  Through his uncle, Bouguereau was given a commission to paint portraits of parishioners, and when his aunt matched the sum he earned he went to Paris to become a student at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts.  Bouguereau’s works were eagerly bought by American millionaires who considered him the most important French artist of that time.  But after 1920, Bouguereau fell into disrepute, due in part to changing tastes and partly to his staunch opposition to the Impressionists who were finally gaining acceptance. Bouguereau employed traditional methods of working up a painting, including detailed pencil studies and oil ...

When I first became a mother 22 years ago I was filled with much joy and increased happiness, not for a few days but from the first day onwards.  It didn’t mean that there haven’t been days of sadness, anxiety, heartbreak and stress, fatigue from sleepless nights, anger at my child’s stupidity and disappointments when things didn’t go as planned.  When I became a mother, I also understood that I would have to focus my time on another human being and therefore had to become less selfish "it wasn't all about me". But it hasn’t reduced my overall level of happiness, my children are precious gifts from God. The other day I was reading an article “ All joy and no fun ” by Jennifer Senior and I found some it quite worrying but perhaps it sums up our modern day society: “ most people assume that having children will make them happier.  Yet a wide variety of academic research show that parents are not happier that their childless peers, and in many cases are less so . . ....

The Blind Side What is it about (according to Amazon) : The Blind Side takes the true story of a young man who went from abandonment to success as a pro-football player and treats it with respect. The movie doesn't oversell what is, on the face of it, already compelling. It's almost impossible to describe the plot without sounding painfully inspirational: Michael Oher, a hulking but gentle African-American teen in Tennessee, gets taken in by a well-to-do white family; the mother, Leigh Anne Touhy, pushes and mothers the boy, who eventually wins a football scholarship to the University of Mississippi. Good, Bad, Indifferent: It was certainly touching, had some very funny parts  (particularly the young son who was very amusing) and some very sad moments that brought tears (meeting Michael's real mother).  After so many Hollywood movies, I was expecting something bad to happen - but no, it doesn't contain swearing, violence, sex etc.. which is quite refreshing. The T...