Finding joy in the everyday

WITH dementia rates set to soar, it is imperative more Australians plan for when they can no longer manage their health care, end-of-life care, or financial affairs, a new report says.  Only about 55 per cent of Australians have a will, and an even smaller proportion have recorded their wishes in legally binding directives about nursing, guardianship, or power of attorney arrangements. ( source ) I am some way off planning my old age, but this is worth considering.  My mother has recently moved into aged care (as she now requires high nursing care)—my parents knew the time would come when she would need specialist care, but not quite as soon as it happened.  My mother didn’t want to go into a nursing home, you do hear terrible things about them, but the Lord has provided us with a lovely place that meets all her needs and the staff are very nice, friendly and caring.  However, at almost 80 it will take quite a while to adjust to her new surroundings - communal living is not

 I was visiting Down to Earth the other day and came across an easy biscuit recipe that I wanted to try.  Made them yesterday and they were great - half filled with homemade apricot jam, the other half with mixed berry jam. I froze half the dough to make later and baked the rest.  This would a great recipe for a child to make. CHEAP AND EASY BISCUITS ( This is the same recipe as the Country Women's Association Five Dozen Biscuits, it makes about 80 biscuits ) Bake for 10 minutes at 180C/360F 500 grams/1 lb butter 1 can condensed milk (recipe below) 1 cup sugar 5 cups self-raising flour Plus any toppings you like - nuts, coconut, choc chip etc. Cream the butter and sugar, add condensed milk, mix and stir in flour. Roll the dough and divide up into two if you want to freeze half the dough for later. Mix in the nuts or whatever you're going to use, divide into into balls and flatten, or place a thumbprint to add jam for jam drops. When golden brown, co

Y esterday was my husband's birthday and as I was home on holidays we went out for lunch to celebrate.  It was lovely to spend time together, away from the house and other distractions and enjoy each others company. We went to a country pub, so the food was pub food but still really nice. Unfortunately, a few items were off the menu as the poor owner had ended up in hospital after falling and his wife (who was the cook and everything else) hadn't had time to shop!! She was looking completely frazzled by midday. Nevertheless, the meal was enjoyable and I gave her lots of encouragement to help her get through the rest of the day.  Entree DH had steak cooked on these hot rocks (sorry I forgot to take the photo until after we had eaten the meat!) and I had a tender lamb steak with salad and chips. The heat from the rocks was enough to keep me warm the whole meal. I even managed to fry my tomato on it as well.  Opposite the Inn was a very green lush looking oval surr

The Dairy Maid by Vermeer T here is nothing that annoys me more that the myth that working women don't cook or clean as they are too busy/rushed or have other commitments.  I have worked with many men and women and I yet to find one that doesn't cook and I mean cook from scratch -- using fresh fruit and vegetables and basic ingredients.  Not only do we cook from scratch, we visit the markets and look for the healthy ingredients (not a quick dash into the supermarket) and put some thought into what we eat.  And I have enjoy many a morning tea at work with a lovely cake or slice that was handmade the night before. I could equally say that SAHM's watch TV all day -- and no doubt I could find some that do, but I know that this is not correct for the large majority.  Like you, am the keeper of my home and I take very good care of my family when it comes to what they eat. I take my role very seriosuly and put a lot of effort into making sure it all runs smoothly. And I

Pool of Reflection and the Eternal Flame.  Within the Hall of Memory (at the end) lies the tomb of the Unkown Soldier - the soldier  died in France in the First World War and brought home on the 11th of November 1993 No Art Wednesday today as it is ANZAC Day . Last week my son and I visited the National War Memorial and I would like to share some of the photos I took whilst there.  I'm not one for celebrating war however I find the War Memorial so tastefully done, both as a place of remembrances, but a reminder of the horrors of war, something each new generation needs to be reminded of. War is never good. Simpson and his donkey John Simpson Kirkpatrick was born in Britain but later moved to Australia. In August 1914 he enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force, serving at Gallipoli the following year as Private John Simpson in the 3rd Field Ambulance, Australian Army Medical Corps. He served from the time of the landing at Gallipoli on 25 April until he was killed in ac

  L is for LIKE  (want, desire, must have, can't live without, to die for) I could write a long list of things I would like, but do I need them? More clothes - a girl can never have enough can she? A long luxurious world trip A bigger house on a larger block Shoes, why not, the latest seasons A diamond ring More money - don't we all want so more? No, of course not . . . but that doesn't stop me from occasionally dreaming about that holiday to Paris or a bigger home.  My children always use to say " I really would like. . . "and my reply would be " is it a NEED or a WANT "? In most cases it was a WANT and therefore they could live without it, wait until a birthday or save up themselves.  Children learn at a very young age to ask for things they "desperately" want and unless you nip in the bud early, it can become a big problem.  We all know about pester power I am sure and thanks to TV it has only got worse.

1910 fashions - source Even 100 years ago fashion was causing grief, being considered immodest and not ladylike. This is what the editor of the 1912 edition of Girls Own Annual thought of "modern" fashion. From time to time in the past, women's dress has had "mad" periods when good taste has been thrown to the winds and eccentricity put in its place. But surely there has never been such an orgy or vulgarity combined with sheer hideousness in the matter of dress, as has run riot during the past year or so.  And this condition of things has been all the more emphasised owing to the prevalence of illustrate papers, the less reputable of which have been only too pleased to give every prominence to photos and snapshots of any women who dress showed a sufficiently suggestive outline of limbs. . . . That is just the curious part about present dressfever; so many women seem quite unconcerned as to how they themselves look in a garment or a hat or a mode of

I will never leave you nor forsake you Hebrews 13:5 Peace I leave with you,  My peace I give to you;  not as the world gives do I give to you.  Let not your heart be troubled,  neither let it be afraid.  John 14:27 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above James 1:17 May you take these verses with you this week and know that God is with you. For those unwell or struggling, tired or weary or your brain is feeling all foggy, you are in my prayers.  For those of you who are doing something new and you are feeling nervous, God is with you.  For those who feel they are all in a muddle . . . don't panic, the LORD is your strength. Likewise those with sick children or grandchildren, the LORD is your rock. Don't give up . . . just LOOK UP Hugs *** Autumn has arrived in my garden and the Maple Tree is changing into these most beautiful golden colours. Hope you enjoyed this burst of orange, red and yellow - I took these photos especially for yo

I thought I would do a  couple of updates on things around the home starting with my homemade vanilla. You may remember back in January I started making vanilla using a bottle of vodka and 10 vanilla pods. Within a few weeks the vodka had darkened but still tasted strongly of vodka so I added the remaining 5 pods that I had left over.  Probably overkill but won't do any harm. Having two grown sons who quite like alcohol (!) they were my tasters and every couple of weeks they would have a small taste.  They both agreed that the longer I left the vanilla extract the better and they were quite right. It now tastes so much better (and the smell is amazing), but like all alcohol, the longer it is left the better it will be. In fact some recipes say to leave the extract for 6 months to obtain the best taste and that sounds about right.  My 19 year old made custard tart on the weekend (to welcome me home) using the homemade vanilla and I can report back and say that the tart was very go

About three-quarters of Australian families eat dinner together five or six times a week, but 60 per cent ''always or often'' eat in front of the television, according to research by Rebecca Huntley of Ipsos Mackay. ( link ) I will stand up and admit that I am often one of these.  I eat in front of the TV (DVD to be accurate as we rarely watch TV - very little worth watching).  My secret is out.  Only yesterday evening my son and I watched an excellent documentary on the Amazon and Andes followed by a discussion on fish (all whilst eating our dinner)! I occasionally watch the news, but that is more likely to cause indigestion! OK, I can hear you all say that this is bad, really bad.  And, of course it is . . . eating at the table should be the time to talk about the day without the interruptions from the TV, computer, computer games, smart phones and work.  It is an important time to interact and learn more about each other. No wonder so many families really don'

Cobblestone bridge Artist: Thomas Kinkade 1958 - 2012 Painter of lights Thomas Kinkade died last week at the age of 54.  I think everyone would recognise his artwork (he was a prolific painter with over 1000 works) as he art appears on so many things these days, from calendars to books, puzzles to biscuit tins to prints.  Now, please don't shot me, but he isn't my most favourite artist because he work is all very similar. It is pretty, cosy and feminine and whilst I like pretty and feminine, I like it in moderation and unfortunately Kinkade did it in bucket loads.  He certainly was a talented artist but I wish he had a little more variation in his works - it can be hard to distinguish one painting with another. Personally I prefer more boldness and movement in art and Kinkade is not a painter I would have on my walls for that very reason. But, art is personal, and what I don't like, others love . . . and that is fine. We all have different tastes, it is what makes the