The fruits of summer...

Summer is just a few days away and already the ripening summer fruits are adorning the supermarket produce isles. I'm enjoying mangoes, cherries, strawberries and apricots most of all. Aldi even has them at reasonable prices... Bring on summer. Oh how I enjoy all its fruits... bright sunny days and long balmy evenings, BBQs and picnics and days on the beach. Cricket and the night market at Queen Vic. Christmas and holidays and special times to share with family and friends. My little sister and her husband are off to Germany in a couple of week's time, they'll miss out on the best part of summer this year, but will be consoled with Austria, Rome, Prague and special time with our parents.
Mmm, more cherries... yum!

A Close Shave

The weather wasn't so good on Friday evening and I was tired and heading home from work. The car I was driving (a work car) had been playing up all afternoon, skidding when starting at traffic lights, etc, but that didn't prepare me for what happened next...

I had just turned from a side street into the main road and was picking up speed when the tyres span and skidded and I lost control of the vehicle. Thankfully I was alone, didn't hit any other cars and came to a stop after plowing through someone's fence and into a tree in their front yard.

I was able to drive the car safely around the corner and off the main street, which was wet and very busy. Then called the insurer and waited for a tow truck. Didn't have to wait long and the tow driver was kind and waited with me for my boyfriend to come and pick me up. I was pretty shaken but otherwise unharmed.

Below is a picture of the carnage that I took with my mobile phone. Thank goodness I had already dropped off the child I had been looking after that afternoon!

Quiet Days

Things I love about quiet days:

- that they are preceeded by a rest night's sleep
- that you have time to just sit still and consider
- breakfast in bed and Margaret Throsby's interview
- time for prayer and bible reading
- time to catch up on odd jobs that have been left for too long
- a chance to get in touch with friends and family
- time to do "homey" things like baking

I have the chance to have a quiet day today and I'm enjoying it in all its sparseness!! ;)

I hope you are having a good day too xo

God provides :)

It is wonderful how our God provides what we need (just not always in the way we first anticipated...)

I was planning to go away for the weekend. Good family friends of mine live on the edge of the city in a beautiful, big home. I was hoping to go and stay with them for the weekend. Spend a little time with them and just take a breath and relax. But it has been deferred indefinately.

I was feeling deflated. Why? Its not fair! I was really looking forward to that weekend, God... I complained. Then, while I was checking my e-mail an opportunity passed my way. I received an invitation to a camp. Cross Cultures is a ministry overseen by my church and the AFES of Melbourne University. They meet on Thursday evenings for dinner and basic bible study. It is to meet the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of the young foreign students who temporarily call Australia home. Twice a year they go on camp and that is what the e-mail was about. Hmmm, I wondered, perhaps they could use mine & my car's services... So I offered and was accepted.

I drove to Albury (NSW border) on Friday and picked up the cooks - Max & Mary, a delightful couple who formerly attended Cross Cultures when they were living in Melbourne. We then drove to Echuca via a small detour as I wasn't paying attention to my fuel gauge!! But we arrived (late) but safely at the camp. Actually the last of the campers didn't arrive till after 2am!!!

We were blessed with beautiful weather, a great campsite (Billabong Ranch), an inspiring preacher and great food. I assisted Max & Mary in the kitchen and appreciated getting out of the big city for a weekend. All too briefly it was over and time to head back to Melbourne.

It really was a blessed weekend and reminded me how wonderfully my God provides for me. He knew I needed a weekend away and he provided it, as well as an opportunity for me to live out my core values for 2007! ;) Isn't he great?!

A Splendid Sydney Wedding...

I was very privileged to be able to join with my cousin Josh and his family to celebrate his marriage to the lovely Jayne. It was a beautiful wedding followed by a fabulous reception right on the waterfront at Darling Harbour. I don't think I'll ever attend a wedding quite like it again. So I really enjoyed living it up at the reception!! It was held in the kind of venue that you can float past or walk or drive by while looking into the windows and wishing you could afford to eat there! The ceremony was very traditional but also very special as it was held in the church where our Great Grandfather and his children (including our Grandfather) were very, very involved in. Aunty Jean also pointed out the house that our Great Grandfather used to live in. Ah, if only his grandchildren hadn't been so philanthropic!! We would still have that Rosebay frontage on Sydney Harbour.... Still, I consider that our family's connection with the Eternity story is more illustrious and to be proud of than even Kirribilli house!! (so there!)

The speeches during the reception were also great. My parents were singled out for special mention as they had bothered to send a telegram wishing Josh and Jayne all the best on their special day. I got a bit teary at that point, although all the speaches were very moving. The MC got teary too!! There was also some very impressive dancing as Jayne grew up dancing at the Schembri dance studios. Her chief bridesmaid and best friend Corrina will even be starring in the upcoming series of Dancing With the Stars, so I shared the dancefloor with a celebrity ;) Unfortunately I didn't get to dance with any of her dancing friends, and nor was the music particularly inspiring. It doesn't help at these kind of events when your brother is a DJ. We were all wishing he was in charge of the music, but he wasn't as then he would have been working instead of enjoying himself!!

All in all it was a fantastic celebration. God was honoured and we all enjoyed ourselves. The only thing that was missing were several special family members, like my parents, but more particularly Josh's younger brother Daniel. He was invited, but he lives in a cult so he didn't come. I have attached a picture below of the three siblings. I can almost picture Daniels beaming face next to Josh. Please join me in praying that he will be freed from the community and reunited with his family.

I also had a great time with my extended family, especially Anna, who is my nearest cousin in age. She has been living it large in the UK for the last couple of years and has just returned home. We went for a long, long walk and talk and then I gave her a driving lesson! I've heard since that she's gaining in both skill and confidence - you go girl!!

Well, that's enough for now. Enjoy the pics and I'll post again with more stories soon.... Tschuss, Ciao & Bye for now <><>

My Magnificent Mum!

Happy Birthday Mum!Ten things I love about my Mum...

1. She writes the BEST letters
2. She taught me to appreciate a good cup of tea
3. The way she sings/whistles when she works around the house
4. That she is always ready to welcome another to her table
5. She has not let "age" catch up with her... ;)
6. Her tasty, healthy, heartfelt cooking (I'm drooling just pondering it!)
7. The way she falls asleep when I read to her in bed
8. How she does everything she can to help her precious children (even from thousands of kilometres away)... and how she "adopts" all those without wonderful Mums like her!
9. Her eye for beautiful things... like roses, pictures, scarves, shoes
10. That she continues to love God, my Dad and me - and how she not only tells of her love but does it every day.

Five Things I would do for my Mum's Birthday (where's that warp switch??)

1. Pick and arrange a fragrant and colourful bunch of flowers
2. Dance around to Mum's latest favourite pop song/music
3. Bake a fantastic layer cake with all the trimmings - passionfruit sponge anyone?
4. Give her a manicure/pedicure, massage, whatever she wants to make her feel like a "million dollars"
5. And finally ensure that she is wearing a splediferous outfit to go with those fantastic shoes (so she looks a million dollars too!)

Ah, instead my poor Mum had to suffice with an e-card, a phone call... and the package will get to you eventually (promise it will be worth the wait Mummy!!!)

PS Did you notice that her knuckes aren't white? Instead of singing another bad version of "Happy Birthday" how about this... can you remember the tune?

We've come a long, long way together/ Through the hard times and the good/ I have to celebrate you baby/ I have to praise you like I should....

A Tail of two dogs... & a bunny

(on the left) This is Bob... he's a hyperactive and very friendly fox terrier....

(on the right) and this is Maddy... she's a hyperactive and very friendly fox terrier too...

and last, but (definately) not least....

...

...

...

(below) This is Rabbito... a calm and quiet rabbit.

I would count these three little creatures among my friends, but why is that exactly?

Is it because they live in the homes of people I hold dear?

Is it because they are nearly always happy to see me?

Is it because they are happy to let you watch them... do their intimate things?

Or is it just that age old thing... I just read a really funny quote that seems quite apt...

"Outside a dog, a book is man's best friend... Inside a dog, its too dark to read"! (and a prize for the first person who can tell me who first said it!!!