Joss & Chris' Big African Adventure

I know a lot of you are interested in finding out how Joss and Chris are enjoying their trip of a life time to Africa.

I'm sure they will come back with lots of stories and fabulous photos/videos of their own. For those of you who don't know, Chris celebrated his 30th birthday last Saturday (8 Oct) and Jossy got him a lovely digital SLR camera...so there'll be no stopping all those action shots.

Joss and Chris headed off to Dubai on the first leg of their five-week trip to Africa last Thursday at 2:30am. After a very long 17 hour trip, and spending a bit over a day in Dubai experiencing the heat, crazy shopping malls, and luxury, all that Dubai has to offer,
they boarded a plane to Nairobi, the amazing capital of Kenya.

I've decided to be an armchair traveller on their trip. I am extremely interested in where they are going and what they are experiencing, so I've decided to track and learn...following them in their footsteps.

I have no idea what Nairobi is like, so I decided to google and found a number of interesting videos...here's one I'd like to share via a link. It gives me a little idea of the location, people and life over there.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zOBYdsLk-Wg

Their first night in Nairobi, they stayed at the Kivi Milimani Hotel where they met up with their fellow travel buddies. Click on link to get the taste of what they are experiencing. Looks very nice to me.

http://www.kivimilimanihotel.com/about_hotel.html#

We received a late call last night to say they had arrived safely and were enjoying themselves. The phone reception was quite poor, and the call was short, but it was great to know that they were safe and sound. They both sounded very happy.

Today, they headed off on the second day of their adventure to Lake Nakuru where they will listen out for the chatter of black and white colobus monkeys in the treetops above Lake Nakuru, see pink flamingos and other wild native animals.


Here is a link for Lake Nakuru that shows the many interesting facets of its heart.


http://www.africanmeccasafaris.com/kenya/safaris/parks/lakenakuru.asp


We really hope that they had a great day today seeing things for the very first time. I think they will see lots of God's wonderful handiwork where they are travelling.


Have fun guys...looking forward to seeing where you go tomorrow and what you experience.


So, until next time
from the arm chair traveller...
cheerio

Instalment 32 Sunday 8 May 2011

It's Mothers' Day today and the first mothers' day that I won't be sharing with my own mum. She slipped away last October and although for the past six or so years, she was unaware of what was happening around her, I still did.

My mum, Cecily, suffered from 'end stage' dementia for over six years and was unaware of who was around her, where she was or what she was doing. She did not recognise anyone and could not communicate. Somewhere deep inside me knows that somewhere deep inside her, she knew I was there and she knew me. I hang on to these thoughts because they help to get me through.

Dementia is such a cruel illness. It is a robber - a thief, unrelenting and of great stealth.

Even though mum may not have been aware of her surroundings or what was happening to her, she was loved. And today, I missed her a little bit more than normal. I felt the same at Easter time. Each Easter I used to buy mum a small soft toy to clutch. Her limbs had grown very stiff and she needed these little toys to take some pressure off. They worked well.

So, today marks the first Mothers' Day without my own mum, but we still remember her. I will never forget her and I pray in my heart that she knows how much she was loved.

Today is also a day to remember my mother-in-law, Audrey. Ian's mum was a true rose as well and passed away back in 2007. I know Ian and his sisters still find it hard and miss their beloved mum. Losing those we love and need is very hard on anyone. A lot of our friends have now also lost their parents and we all use our memories and photos to help us stay connected. Ian and I have lost all our parents and that makes us feel quite confronted with the fact that now we are the matriarch and patriarch of our family. Wow! I feel too young for this sort of responsibility.

As role models, it is our responsibility to make sure their memories live on for the sake of their grandchildren and great grandchildren. It is important that they all know where they have come from; their roots.

We don't need special days to remember our treasures, they are always on our minds.

However, Mothers are so important to us in many ways and so, today is dedicated to them.

My family blessed me with a lovely dinner Saturday evening at Gusto Gianni, a contemporary Italian restaurant where they serve up the most delicious dishes. It was so lovely that everyone could be together. It doesn't always happen these days, so it was very special to me.

They also blessed me with some lovely gifts. I felt very spoilt.

This morning I found a very special gift on our back lawn. Ian had found a possum box in the weekend shopper and decided to go and get it. He laughed as he told me it was a present from my baby possums...isn't that the sweetest thing?

So to every mother out there...I hope your day was blessed as much as mine.

Instalment 18 Sunday 24 April 2011

Today is Easter Sunday and family came from the Sunshine coast to celebrate with us. The weather was perfect. Sunshine warmed everything and made us all feel good to be alive. The atmosphere was fresh and most enjoyable.

Jocelyn and Chris decided to host a family lunch to mark the occasion. We set up a couple of tables outside in the fresh air to enjoy the sunshine.

Have I mentioned the beautiful sunshine?

Liz, Peter, Thora and Poppy travelled down from Belli Park and Tish and Andy just popped in. They actually live in the same suburb as us.

We started off with a few drinks and nibblies, just to unwind.

Unfortunately Kimmy had to work, but the rest of us were here.

Joss was in charge of organising everything. She asked me to bake some gourmet pumpkin and feta bread. The recipe required me to use yeast. In all my years of cooking I've always avoided recipes that have called for the use of yeast. I don't know why, but I've always been fearful of using the stuff. Anyway, I decided I'd give it a go...and guess what? It worked! Surprise, surprise. Well, secretly I was rather surprised.

Joss made a gorgeous risotto with mushrooms and asparagus. Liz & Tish made a lovely meat platter with garden salad. For dessert, Joss made a raspberry & cream tart. The food was absolutely exquisite to our taste buds.

Pete and Ian seemed to enjoy each other's company and delighted in challenging Dylan and Andy to a couple of games of pool.

Chris busied himself helping Joss set up everything and did a wonderful job laying out some yummy chocolate easter eggs for us to munch on. Never mind our waist lines. They just continue to grow and grow.

Poppy enjoyed the day and it was great catching up with him. He is going really well and he and Thora joined in with all the celebrations. We don't get to see them all that much, so today's opportunity was wonderful.




Dylan's girlfriend, Tahlia, made some yummy handmade chocolate giant freckles and some heart shaped ones as well. Talk about a great idea.

Oscar, Mitzi, and Billie, Ewok and Florence (the dogs) all had a great time running around and being...well, dogs.

It was a great way to spend the day and everyone seemed very relaxed and chilled out.

All in all, Easter Sunday was a very special day. The extended family got to meet our newest members, Tamigotchi and Saori. Everyone thought they really were very cute.

They continue to eat well and Tamigotchi seems fine. He is still on Nilstat and I have been adding a quarter of a capsule of Inner Health Plus, under the guidance of Gillian. This apparently helps balance out the gut flora while Tamigotchi is battling yeast and urinary tract infections.

In the evening, Kimmy and I went together with Joss, Chris, Andy and Tish to church. We visited Joss and Chris' church for their Easter evening service. The pastor shared a great message.

It's Christmas Time

Ho Ho Ho ~ it’s that time of the year again…I’m in denial … again! It can’t be … can it? (lol … I never change – in some things)…

The lead-up to Christmas is an opportunity to reflect on the past year and take a look back over the highs and lows. It is a valuable time to take stock of what our purpose for this past year amounted to, and evaluate our personal goals. So how did you score? Did you achieve what you set out to achieve?

That’s why Christmas newsletters are so good. It gives us a chance to hear each other’s highlights for the year (and sometimes the low points ~ don’t worry…we’re all in this together ~ everyone has them). I want to thank those of you who diligently put together the family Christmas newsletter and let you know that yes, we do read them and we value them. It is such a wonderful way to keep in touch and updated.

This year, I would like to share something that’s been on my heart lately, and, as Christmas is looming, my two bobs worth fits in quite nicely here. This is the season to be jolly and I wanted to share about a powerful three-letter word…joy.

Christmas Spirit – Joy

The ‘big day’ means many different things to all people. Beside all the obvious family togetherness, the real purpose of Christmas is to celebrate the birth of our Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ.

My prayer for all is that, Christmas is a time for joy, no matter what your circumstances may be. And I continue that prayer to encompass all times…for joy is not meant to be contained and hidden away.

During our toughest and enduring times, do we always remember the things we have; the ones who love and care for us here on earth, and importantly, the One who is in Heaven? Are we joyful?

Material things are nice, but how much importance do we give them? This year, think about giving something that is truly special this year ~ your time. Spend some of your valuable time with those you love and care for, and maybe think too about spending some time with someone who is lonely. Time is one of the greatest gifts of all. Time is important and it means so much when it is shared with us. Time spent with others creates special memories that perhaps will be remembered for a lifetime.

Just a thought: I wonder what Christmas would be like if, just once, we didn’t buy commercial gifts, but rather gave of our time, by either spending time with others, or making something special for them? A lot can be said for handmade gifts. They generally come from the heart. What joy might be found in making time and giving of it freely, especially in our time-poor society? Who, along with me, derives much joy from giving?

Joy is markedly different from feeling happy. We can still feel joyful, even when we feel sad or we are having a tough time.

Knowing God helps in this area of life. Knowing that God is always there for us, and living by faith, and not by sight helps us to be joyful.

Joy is an important gift that we need to share in this world.

Hidden joy is a sin of humanity.

A smile costs us nothing, yet it can leave someone feeling immensely uplifted. A kind or gentle word can sometimes be enough encouragement for someone to believe in themselves. How do you feel when someone takes time to smile at you? I know it makes me feel good.

Smiles these days seem harder to come by. A lot of people put their heads down and walk on by. We are all so busy and it seems society dictates the standard where people feel the need to live more privately and cocooned. Privacy is valued, but reaching out to others is a way to experience joy.

The reason for the season is to celebrate the birth of Jesus and to give thanks for why God sent Him to be with us. ‘And a voice from heaven said, “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy.” Luke 17 (NLT). Let’s all try to remember to be joyful for what we have in life and give thanks with a grateful heart.

My prayer for all is that you experience joy during this coming Christmas season and into the coming new year. I pray that if each of us makes an effort to share joy in this world, we will all be winners, for instantly, we will have made our world a better place to be. Just something to think about… God bless xx

Face Book - New World for Mums

Recently I have heard a few of my younger face book and twitter friends lament that their mothers have joined face book. There seems to be some mixed reactions...namely a question of their 'stolen' privacy, mums now keeping tabs on things, or feelings of their 'robbed' honesty. However, there are others who are happy to share the wide world web with their mumsys.

I find it amusing to hear or read the mix of comments. Being a mother myself, the comments have made me wonder what my own children thought of my appearance on face book.

I don't have to worry about Twitter because I am the only one, so far in my family, who twitters. I love to tweet ... especially knowing I have access to the whole world instantly and can find out the most random things in a heart beat...things I didn't even think I needed to know.

Why did I join face book? Many reasons I guess, but my intention certainly had nothing to do with any need to check up on my kids or their friends.

I love to have a go at new things and love a challenge. Learning to manage face book and navigate around the various sites is a challenge and I think I learn new stuff every time I get on there. I have fun on face book and find it a quick way to share info, especially photos. It is a fabulous way to share photos with others who are interested and know how your friends and family are, especially when distance is involved. Finding old friends is an added bonus. I seem to only use face book as a form of communication, rather than playing the games or quizzes that are offered.

Kids whose mum's have managed to create a face book page should be proud of them rather than worry about how it is going to affect their use of face book. For the kids who are happy their mums can share the face book fun with them - good on you.

I can only speak for myself, but I think everyone should just relax. Most mums have their own set of friends who they can connect with as much as any need to be connected with their children. It is simply an added bonus to be connected with your kids and their friends.

I know of situations where being connected to family or friends gives alerts to certain situations, but that is a positive thing, rather than a negative. Any situation can be either positive or negative - it just depends on how it is viewed. Face book may just speed up the inevitable of finding out things faster, perhaps.

I enjoy face book but try to limit the time I spend on it...it does have the potential to be a time waster if you are not careful.

I challenge those mums out there who have joined face book...don't stop there...have a crack at twitter too...twitter is fun, quick and you get in the know fast...

I welcome any interesting stories or comments of your face book experiences...

We went over the Mountain

We were up bright and early today. My husband slipped off to the airport in his ute, loaded up with Jelly Beanz and Mitzi (our two Old English Sheepdogs) to pick up his brother-in-law who was due to arrive from WA.

In the meantime, I decided to harvest some fresh herbs from the garden and make some savoury muffins and some apple, cinnamon and blueberry muffins. When the guys returned home, they put in an order for some porridge and once everything was prepared, we sat down and enjoyed a leisurely breakfast and catch-up.

What do you do with a relly who is only here for a couple of days before heading off to the southern states? You take him to the mountain...Mt Tamborine, that is.

We headed out after the boys set about mapping a new and different way to go. Hubby wanted a new and fresh experience. We drove along the Mt Lindsay Hwy and headed off toward Canungra...the back way. We passed through some truly beautiful country that we don't often get to see. It is amazing where people decide to build.

On a previous trip out that way, we stumbled upon a little settlement called Wonglepong and found ourselves really drawn to the area. It is very peaceful and beautiful out there. The natives are doing an awesome job keeping their places in immaculate condition (well, most of them are). There is one place in particular that we both really love. We can visualize ourselves living there...one day...everyone has to have a dream...don't they?

After we exhausted most of the streets we began our assent of the mountain. Going up this back way presents itself with a slight challenge (very narrow road...too narrow for caravans, etc. Lucky for us we didn't bring our caravan...oh that's right, we don't have a caravan...well if we did...it would have been a challenge).

This was our third assent of the mount and we had to wait at 'base camp' for the lights to go green. Have you ever been in a car with an 'enthusiastic' driver who uses both hands (and arms) to express themselves and point out things of interest? My husband likes everyone to check out the scenery. He says there's no point having everyone watching the road. But I think it's so they can't see that he doesn't have his eyes on the road either.

What is it with men, machines and narrow hairpin turn roads? Mountain roads are like a magnet for dubious road etiquette. How close to the edge of a mountain road can a wheel can go before it slides off down the embankment? How many k's can you do around a hairpin corner? "Brockie ran into a tree honey, probably on a road just like this one", I tell him. "Slow down, don't go too close to the edge, watch for falling rocks (well, we have had a lot of rain these days)"...and so it goes...

We reach the top and I can begin to breathe again. Once again normality returns and hubby appears to be in control - almost. Our guest brother-in-law has never been up the mountain and the plan is to take him to the main centre of the Gallery Walk, have lunch and explore...except for one minor detail...we have never been up the mountain this back way and it soon becomes very clear to all in the car that we have no idea where we are going. Hubby turns this way and that way, backtracks and does it all again...it's a big mountain I tell our brother-in-law (who now has the refidex opened up on his lap, suspicious that there is a chance we may be lost). There were many moments where we thought we were heading back down the mountain after not even finding Mt Tamborine. Finally, though, we were saved from further embarrassment when we stumbled upon a tourist map on the side of the road...and how helpful that proved to be. I was very impressed that my mere male (MM) stopped to check.

We enjoyed a lovely afternoon of dining and checking out the local shops. We were 'fortunately' saved from a sure drowning during a passing shower of rain when we escaped into the Mt Tamborine Winery. Here we were offered wine tasting of their exclusive wines. The boys left the premises (after the weather cleared) brandishing two bottles of awarded labels. Next door we ducked in and sampled some interesting dukkahs. We finished off our trip to the mountain by visiting with some friends who live up there. At least we were able to find them without too much trouble once we got our bearings.

Spending the day up on the mountain was very enjoyable and our brother-in-law assured us he enjoyed himself too. There's always lots to do and see. We missed the craft markets today, however, we can always go back another day...we need the practice.

Degrees of Love

To an outsider looking in, our household is probably very similar to most 'normal' families. We are made up of a mum and dad who have three young adult 'children' (let's face it, they really are 'children' disguised as YA - aren't they?) still living at home. They are my babies...or the remnants of my babies...they just like to drive themselves these days. My husband has been married before and has five adult children from his first marriage. We are a blended family which is pretty 'normal' these days (although, one might challenge me on the word - normal).

We have ups and downs, good times and challenging times, like most. I feel extremely blessed as I love the family we have created. Life is always interesting and each new day uncovers another dimension, another layer of each individual.

I guess I am a bit of a nester. I love having the kids at home, although there are the odd times when I think it is time to find out for themselves what it is really like out there in the big wide world and to really understand and appreciate just what they really have...but having said that - there's plenty of time to discover all that...isn't there???

Well, no ... not really...this year seems destined to be a year of change in our family...and my 'run' of having 'all' my little chickadees home in the roost is drawing to a close. Big changes, adjustments and shifts in dynamics are the upcoming new lessons to be learned.

Excitement is all abuzz in the house...my second daughter (middle child) has decided she wants to travel and live abroad for a year (or so???). I am really excited and think it will be a very positive experience for her. Am I ready for the tearing of the apron strings??? Is a mother ever 'ready' for her child/ren to 'fly the coop?' Most likely not...but I am trying and I've got a whole couple of months to 'condition' myself. I really do feel excited for her, but memories of her first day at Preschool and my hidden tears spring to mind. This child of mine is more than just a daughter...she is a wonderful and thoughtful friend to me too. She is precious (as my other children are) and I am going to miss her. I am going to miss the daily 'small stuff'... the everyday stuff.

I don't kid myself...everyone goes through this and I certainly don't feel sorry for myself. I am shortly going to experience another transition in life and I guess my daughter's departure signals the next stage in my life. I will mourn this passing and move on (as everyone must), but it makes me think back to how my own mother must have felt as her children 'left the roost'.

Our children love us, but I don't think they can ever know a mother's love until they are parents themselves. I mourned the loss of my father deeply. My mother is 'lost' to severe end-stage dementia and when my father passed away, I lost the love of my father. No one loved me more than my father after my mother faded. There are so many degrees of love. Don't get me wrong...I'm not viewing love as a competition. My husband loves me, my children love me, my siblings, family and friends love me ... each at varying degrees...

My kids will leave home, get married and have children of their own (hopefully), as they should. But no one will love them as I do, other than God, and I hope they can tuck that knowledge in their hearts and hold it dear. Their partners will love them, their children will love them dearly, but I will love them like no other till I am no more.

I am going to embrace this new stage that is about to happen with much excitement. The journey is the adventure, not the end. And for all the parents out there who have already had their children leave home, lost their children to misfortune, or are like me, and about to lose their children due to progress, my thoughts and prayers are with you today.