Finding joy in the everyday

Warning: Some readers may find language used in this piece offensive, I will attempt to keep it to a minimum. In recent weeks we have had a number of rallies called Slutwalk in Australia ( from this point on I will refer to it as SWalk ). SWalk started in Toronto, Canada, after a local policeman told a group of law students that ' 'women should avoid dressing like sluts in order not to be victimised ''. Protest marches have since been held or are planned for cities in the US, Canada, UK, Australia, the Middle East and Europe. The sole purpose of SWalk is to show the world that women (and girls, some women even brought their young daughters to the rally) can WEAR WHATEVER THEY LIKE , from mini skirts to almost nothing and if anything happens to them (eg assault or rape) it isn't their fault at all.  If a man is sexually aroused and titillated by a woman wearing very little, it is his fault and not hers.  If women want to look sexy, they have the right to, if

( not my kitchen - but I do have yellow walls like this photo! ) I was reading a magazine the other day and it listed 10 health hazards in our kitchens.  Here they are (my comments are in italics).  How does your kitchen rate!  I failed on a few points Open fridge : loses heat quickly.  Minimise opening and ensure it stays below 5 degrees ( Pass - this is tricky with children around! Much easier now that they are all grown up - but sometimes DH will stand in front of the fridge door wide open at midnight or even later looking for a snack - he has a habit of waking up in the middle of the night feeling a bit peckish ) Dirty dishes, trays in sink: They should be washed immediately. ( Pass - I have a "thing" about dirty dishes - just ask my children - I wonder how immediately "immediate" is! ) Washing-up brush and sponge : They should be kept dry and replaced regularly.  Replace sponge weekly. ( Guilty, don't replace weekly - but do pour boiling water over th

Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.    Humble yourselves in the sight  of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.  James 4:7, 10 To submit to God is to find rest! The rule of God is so beneficial that He ought readily to be obeyed. He never commands us to do that which, in the long run, can be injurious to us, nor does He forbid us anything which can be to our real advantage. Our God is so kind, so wise, so full of loving forethought, that it is always be to our best interest to follow His lead. Even if we could be left to choose our own way and were under no bonds of duty, it would be wise and prudent to choose the way of the Lord, for it is the path of pleasantness and safety. Spurgeon:   The Reason Why Many Cannot Find Peace ~oOo~

While the chicken and vegetable soup is simmering on the stove, I wanted to tell you about my wonderful morning out.  My son (18 yr old) and I decided to visit our favourite tea shop and have morning tea in the sun.  Even though a cold frosty morning, by 10:30am the sun was shining bright and it was perfect for sitting outside warmed by the sun sipping Earl Grey Jasmine (thats mine) and Scottish Brew (my son) whilst eating Dutch Poffertjies (or Little Dutch Pancakes ).  I had maple syrup on my pancakes and my son had chocolate sauce.   It was almost too nice to get up and go home:)  After our morning tea, we went and bought some tea to take home.  I bought Chai Chocolate which not only taste divine, the smell is gorgeous.  I plan to make this with hot milk rather than water which is perfect on a cold winters night (just before I go to bed). My son selected 2 strong teas-Java Bop-Santosa Estate and one that I can't remember the name of!!  All in all, it was a lovely couple of hou

I might be strange but I like winter and looking forward to it (in only a few more days).  I love the idea of being tucked up in my home (cave), warm and cosy, safe from the elements. People usually grumble about winter but God gave us four wonderful seasons, each beautiful in their own way . . . and even though winter can appear to be uninviting and cold, there are many things worth considering about winter. Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire: it is the time for home. Edith Sitwell All rugged up in wooly jumpers, scarves and gloves going for a walk Enjoying hot chocolate while reading a good book or watching an exciting movie Golden syrup puddings or dumplings to eat with family on a cold night Crisp frosty mornings which make you feel alive and want to shout out and thank the Lord Hiding under the warm doona away from the world Rugged up in a blanket reading an adventure novel while drinki

School chaplains and religious groups have been given $222 million ( AUS/USA ) in extra funding to the National School Chaplaincy Program.  This, on the surface, sounds promising. At present 2,700 schools across Australia partake in the Chaplain Program and with this addition money another 1,000 will be able to participate. This is great news. Here is the question . . . what is the role of the chaplains in schools? Did anyone mention religious activities, prayer groups etc...? I hope not.  According to the Federal Department of Education: " they are allow to provide support and guidance about ethics, values, relationships, spirituality and religious issues , the provision of pastoral care ".  But  without "pushing religion" onto the students .  Therefore any spirituality and religious issues discussed must be done without really talking about religion. NO discussion of God or the Bible. No sharing of ones faith and no offering of prayers together. Those chap

 Flowers in an urn on a ledge by Anton Hartinger I LOVE flowers. I love growing them, looking at them, smelling them and touch their beautiful petals.  So today I am focusing on flowers - paintings of flowers.  So here is a bouquet of flowers to you. Do you have a favourite? The maid in her garden by Daniel Ridgeway A Cup and a Flower by Francisco de Zurbaran, 1598-1664 Magnolia on red velvet by Martin Johnson, 1888 Artist garden in Giverny , Claude Monet (Impressionist) The flower seller by Diego Rivera Flower painting by 17th century Japanese artist Yokoku Flower painting by Japanese artist Yokoku (1675-1716) Arranging pink flowers by  De Scott Evans Welcome to my garden by Janet Kruskamp painting by Pino I like flower paintings so much that I have one on my wall.  Not the best photo, it is in fact much brighter in colour that it appears in this photo.  I bought it from a local market and I can't remember the name of the young artist.  It is a very textured painti

Sssshhh, the baby is sleeping I'm standing (sitting) guard! This is taking AGES to rise - the house wasn't quite warm enough so we turned on the oven to heat up the kitchen! Pretty impressive And the smell is SO GOOD!! I'm keeping guard (yes, again) so the cat doesn't touch the delicious bread!) When I wasn't looking someone took a slice:( This is the bread recipe I use - it works all the time: link (I mix wholemeal flour with the white flour and increase the water slightly) Wanted to show you where I live. On the kitchen window seal I have blurred the faces of the family next door, they didn't want to be identified. But between you and me - they are Mr and Mrs Russian Doll-Measuring-Cup family, they have one child. ~oOo~ The marigolds added colour to my garden for 5 months, but sadly with the 2 weeks of heavy frosts they have all died, so now I can plant bulbs - I think I will do a mix of tulips and jonquils. Firstly I will add some more organic soil to th

Have you ever read a blog and thought " I disagree with this " or " this is just not true ".  It plays on your mind and you mull over the words.  I have read a couple of new blogs this week and have felt this way so I am going to respond.  You may not agree with me, and that is ok.  We are all different, with different opinions and that is what makes blogging so enjoyable.  So what has annoyed me? Working men and women often make comments about at stay-at-home mums and wives and wonder " what do you do all day ".  I have had many conversations with colleagues along this line and defended SAHM/Ws.  However, it also happens the other way, with SAHM/Ws making comments about working women that simply aren't true (not all women bloggers, please don't get me wrong).  So I want to tell you my experience, which are very similar to many of my friends and their friends. We are not all frazzled, worn out and exhausted women. We are in fact: full of ener

Take therefore no thought for the morrow:   for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself.   Sufficient un to the day is the evil thereof. Matthew 6:34 There is no need to feel overwhelmed about life, trust it to the Lord.   We must take things one day at a time. ~oOo~

The weather: It is overcast and cold, but warmer than earlier this morning when it was minus 3 (26.6F).  The washing is on the line, not sure if it will dry, the towels certainly won't!  We have had some very cold mornings of late - only the other day we started the day at minus 7 (19.4F). What am I wearing: To keep me warm I am wearing a long woolen navy blue skirt, long sleeve cream t-shirt and a cream cardigan + slippers.  What's cooking: As I write a vegetable and lentil soup is bubbling away on the stove (I've added a bacon bone to enhance the flavour) and in the oven is a "Rustic Chicken Casserole with chorizo sausages (my DH loves chorizos and wanted me to make something using them, happy to accommodate) - the latter will go in the freezer to be eaten later this week. Around the house: For the last few days I could smell a chemical smell in the house but couldn't work out where it was coming from - it was worse when the house was cold.  No one else co

Our local and national papers have been full of storys of how Australian families are struggling.  Now, this isn't something new . . . many families are indeed finding times tough.  But those families in the articles are earning around $150,000 (AUS/USA) per year .    One side of government say this group is "well-off", the other side refer to them as the "forgotten families" who are certainly not rich and should be receiving tax deductions to help them during these tough economic times.  This got me wondering . . . when is a family well off? When should governments stop providing welfare (through tax deductions) to families? Depending on choices that families make . . . eg sending children to private schools, buying an expensive car, trips overseas, latest electronic gadgets OR not doing these things plays a big part on how far a family income will stretch. As a result, some families on $150,000 can make their money go a long way and therefore consider the

Debbie Cook If you do not like cats, don't look at this weeks Art Wednesday.  This is all about cats, cute cats, cuddly cats, naughty cats, adorable cats. These aren't masterpieces worth millions of dollars nor are they works of art that will appear in great art galleries.  They fun, bright and will hopefully put a smile on your face.  And isn't that the purpose of art . . . to bring pleasure and enjoyment to the viewer.  To be completely honest I don't mind if you don't like these as I LOVE them all:) Jenny Newland Cats and quilts by Bill Bell (this is one of my favourites!) Jumble Sale by Linda Jane Smith Miss Kitty by Braldt Bralds Lowell Herrero   Marrazion Cats by Colin Birchall Jean-Jacques Sempe Home is where the cat is by Ruth Sanderson These two are rather beautiful, in particular the one below. Early risers by Jim Daly German Ogotodnokov I could have gone forever with cat paintings . . . but sadly I had to stop at some point. ~oOo~