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

Fancy That

For some reason whenever I take a trip or go on a holiday I seem to get caught up in taking photos of nature's wonderland.

I don't show any interest when I am at home, probably because I'm too busy with everyday life, but send me on a holiday with a camera and suddenly I aspire to be the next Ken Duncan. Not really, but I don't know where this inspiration comes from.

Could there really be a little bit of fantasy mixed up in this urge? We all know that when we are away on holidays, we can be almost anyone we want to be.

Maybe pretending to be a hot shot photographer is one of my fantasies. I've never really thought that one out loud before, but perhaps it is tucked away in my inner soul just longing for the next holiday to reveal its hidden talents.

Or maybe is is just simply about stopping to smell the roses.

Whatever the reason, it is an enjoyable way to spend some of my 'rest' time, taking notice of the intricate ways nature interacts with its world.

On one trip up north last year we were blessed to spend some time on the coast. There's a lot to be said for kicking shoes off and feeling the sand between your toes. You can literally feel the healing properties of the sun's rays penetrating your soul.

The time spent on the beach allowed me to get up close and personal with nature first hand. I sometimes felt like the paparazzi of nature, instead of movie stars.

I am a mere mortal when it comes to taking photos, but on holidays, I actually start to think about the shot; the position of the subject, angles and light. This is a little different to the snap photography at home; quick head shots of friends and family members doing life.

I actually enjoyed getting down close to the earth where I could smell the salty sand and vegetation to take my photos.

On a trip out to Mt Isa earlier this year, my significant other took me for a drive to the deserted township of Mary Kathleen. What an interesting place. Here, my interest in nature sprung to life as I tried to capture every imaginable angle of the many gorgeous ghost gums I discovered in and around the many old foundations of the once vibrant uranium mining town.

The smooth, cool white of the trunks stood out in contrast to the rough and tumble of the surrounding relics and scrub. I saw beauty in every tree, each unique in its own way.

Ghost gums are my absolute favourite type of tree and if I ever contemplated hugging a tree, it would definitely be a ghost gum.

I'm Coming Back to You...mumma

It has been quite some time since I paid a visit to my blog.

I came and took a peek last night ... and then today I could feel the pull - enticing me back and making me 'itch'.

'Come on', it called, luring me for all it was worth. This has gone on all day, and funnily enough, when I decided this afternoon to sit down and write something, the blog site was down and prevented me from doing what I felt compelled to do. Isn't that always the way?

So why did I take a little vacation?

I needed to have a break ... because life, as it does sometimes, took greater priority.

Back in September this year, my beautiful daughter Kimmy decided it was time to fly the coop. She is our middle child and had been showing signs of being unsettled in the early part of this year. She had an 'itch' - 'itchy feet' (a little similar to the itch I get when I don't write). My way of dealing with 'writers' itch' is to journal everyday. I do this religiously.

Kimmy's way of dealing with her 'itch' was to book a ticket to the UK ... and not for a holiday, mind you. She decided that it might be nice to join the hoards of other young adults who make the pilgrimage to the 'mother' country and get a job and stay for a while. I, myself, would have preferred her to take a lovely holiday, but, she had other ideas. Who can argue? If you feel the urge, then it is only right to weigh up the situation, make a decision and go. So, with that said, off she went.

In the meantime, mum was left with all sorts of mixed emotions that come with 'empty-nesters' syndrome, didn't she?

I must admit, Skype has helped majorly. I don't know how mothers coped in the old days.

Kimmy's been gone for six weeks now and life has taken on a different sort of routine.

Oh, how is Kimmy going you may be asking?

She is lovin' it. She found a great church. Daily, she is making new friends, shares an apartment with two young adventurers from Brazil and another, from London. She's found a great job which she enjoys attending everyday. She has access to all the dance classes she could have imagined, has a great Christmas holiday planned for a trip of twenty days to a 'Game Park' in South Africa, catching up with 'besties', and is simply enjoying this time in her life. I am excited for her...I miss her, but in a 'good and healthy' way.

Then yesterday, my eldest daughter, Jossy jetted off to Japan with her lovely boyfriend, Chris. They are spending almost four weeks over there and have mapped out lots of sights to see and adventures to experience. One of the highlights they have organised is to stay two nights with the 'snow monkeys' in the mountains at a resort. How exciting...I am very happy for my girls. They are living a blessed life.

Back at home, I'm the 'lucky' one I guess. Lucky I love animals...I have gone from taking care of a rainbow lorikeet to helping to look after Kimmy's cat, Oliver, two old English sheepdogs, Mitzi and Jelly Beans, and two Lipizzaner horses, Dutchy and Obie...not that this is a problem...it just seems comical to me...I try to see the 'funny side' of life...and this is one of those times. The girls and my husband Ian (who lately works away from home during the week, whilst on a project), seem to have been replaced by a tribe of animals to keep me busy. I must make a mental note: Do Not Turn into Crazy Animal Lady!

Oh well, it's only for a short time and then, hopefully, everything will return to 'normal'.

My darling Kimmy has 'promised' she will be back ... one day...and Joss...well I know I only have a short wait till she returns...

They have both told me ... 'I'm coming back to you, mumma'. So, in the meantime...I'll be waiting.

Book Review - 'Anne Frank the Diary of a Young Girl'

Anne Frank's Diary is a book I had always wanted to read, but it had not been at the top of my priority list. Then one day I spied it in a bookstore and felt compelled to finally get it. Now seemed to be the right time; I was ready.

My approach to this book was one of great care and slight intrepidation. Years ago I read Elie Wiesel's 'Night' and 'The Forgotten,' just two of his many books about the holocaust, and I found them hard to get through from an emotional point of view. These recounts are seriously horrific and serve as a sharp and extremely uncomfortable reminder of the lowest acts performed on fellow human beings. These recounts play such an important role in reminding us to never allow atrocities of this nature to occur again. They are stark, piercing recollections and will forever haunt me for all my days.

Anne Frank's Diary is well-read by a mass population and many reviews are already in circulation, so I am not going to attempt to add another one to the pile. I simply wish to add some of my own thoughts and if you happen to be reading this blog and have never read Anne Frank's Diary, then it might just inspire you.

What an interesting, complex and deep girl Anne Frank was. She began the diary when she was thirteen years old after receiving a diary as one of her gifts. Initially she wrote purely for herself, but later she began to write for an audience and as she matured her language increasingly became well-developed for her age. She dreamed of being an author and approached her writing with this in mind.

The details and subject material Anne chose to write about daily, detailed intricately what life was like for this small group of people hidden secretly away in the annex of her father's workplace. It is hard to imagine such cramped living conditions and how intimately these people had to share this existence for just over two years. It is beyond all comprehension when most of us enjoy the freedoms we take for granted.

I found reading the book difficult as I neared the end. Knowing what fate was in store for Anne made me read with such a heavy heart. This diary is Anne's history and the history of those who were closest to her in the final two years of her life. It is a perfect example of times when one can be surrounded by many and still be lonely. I do wonder if Anne would have been so hard on her mother if she had of realised what her fate was to be. She was brutally honest about a lot of things and stayed true to these feelings, even when she decided others would read her work. All teenagers and parents go through issues with each other. It's a fact of life, but usually we are given a chance to work through these things privately and without being judged by others. Just think if we were all to write down our feelings when dealing with each other, I doubt any of us would come up smelling like roses.

I was most interested in reading about their living conditions, how they divided up the space, the roles they each undertook daily, the rationing of food, their diet, their resourcefulness and the way they continued to educate themselves and each other. Things gradually became harder as time went on. I was also very interested when Anne wrote about their friends outside (the people who helped them remain in hiding). It was important to show how these people continued to help them and what they had to endure from the outside as well.

How do you thank someone for their insight whose life was sacrificed so young? Anne bared her soul and the life of those she lived so closely with. I am sure she was optimistic and believed her diary would be published and read while she rebuilt her life after the war. I doubt she would ever have dreamed her words would be read post-humously. She may have died as a result of typhus, but she died, along with six others she shared the annex with, because of the conditions she was forced to live. What a waste of life. War is such a sacrifice for all who are forced to be a part of it. Whenever I read novels of authors, or other notable citizens who have died as a result of war, I am always left wondering...what if? What if there had been no war...what might these people have gone on to write, to be, gone on to achieve? Even just regular people...when life is snuffed out...we lose. We lose in so many ways too numerous to number...but, that is another story.

Book Review - 'The Ice Age' by Kirsten Reed

I always look forward to reading a debut author's work almost as much as I enjoy reading a favourite author's work. I anticipate fresh ideas and writing from the unknown...you never know what treasure will be unearthed. I particularly enjoy reading emerging local authors in order to see what talent is mulling around our own community.

The Ice Age is Kirsten Reed's first novel and is described by other reviewers as something between Lolita and On the Road. It is the tale of a young female hitchhiker who hungers for independence, life experience and in her search for these things, attaches herself to Gunther, a much older guy who seems to exist purely to travel across America's hicks ville highways looking up his interesting and quizzical collection of misfit friends.

It is a quick, fun read with quirky lines like "We drove past all the gaudy painted signs telling us where the next doughnut shop was, the nearest hamburger joint; pizza, now doughnuts again. The road stretched across this wasteland like a big silver rubber band, stapled down by fluorescent mustardy-yellow lines. Even the sky looked tacky, needlessly aqua, a tourist's T-shirt."

The novel pans out like a road trip journal. The young narrator delves into the mundane daily grind of long journeys, the same cheap motels in any town, food on the go, survival, sanity, the people they meet along the way and Gunther's friends dotted along the way.

There are several threads that pull this journey along. One thread is the relationship that develops between Gunther and the narrator. Not yet 18 and travelling with a much older guy draws quizzical and sometimes suspicious looks. Both characters seem up to task to put their relationship to the test as well. Society seems quite intolerant, even judgmental, for friendships of this nature.

Another thread is the narrator's rush to move from innocence to experienced and the immature way she goes about it. She longs for a closeness to Gunther he seems torn to be a part of. The see-saw of emotions between the two protagonists is intense and sometimes leaves the reader feeling tense and maybe even a little frustrated.

As a reader I kept asking myself questions about the two main protagonists. I like stories with layers that get uncovered ... I like depth and I found myself wishing I knew more background about the two main characters. I'm not sure I liked them. They sometimes made me feel awkward, which is probably the best way to feel reading a novel of this nature because the loss of innocence is an awkward time.

I enjoyed this story because it made me think of lots of possibilities and outcomes that could have transpired, but didn't. Throughout the entire story I thought like a writer and for someone who enjoys both reading and writing, that is a good thing. This trip is probably not for everyone, but if you're adventurous, I say ... go for it ... and enjoy :o)

Book Review - 'Disgrace - What is a Mad Heart?' by J.M. Coetzee

I thought it was time to write a little about what I have been reading lately, seeing as I haven't written anything before about books since beginning this blog. I am still getting used to writing publicly and sometimes feel like I get a dose of stage fright...still getting into 'the swing of things'.

I have just finished reading the book by J.M. Coetzee called 'Disgrace - What is a Mad Heart?', which I began a couple of days ago. This is the first book I've read by this author and I am happy to say, I'd read more of his work. He was a winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2003 and a two times winner of the Booker Prize.

What drew me to choose this particular book? Good question...

I am on a mission to build a personal library, and so, often when I am out and find myself near a bookstore, I am magnetically drawn into it's depths to walk amongst the many shelves looking for new titles to accompany me home. Often I leave a bookstore with four or five new books for my shelves at home.

Some of my selections are based on titles I have heard about, friends have suggested, or what bookstores and writing societies have recommended. Sometimes I just like the look of a book's cover and the blurb and go that way. I know you're not meant to judge a book by its cover, but if it draws you in, then that can't be a bad thing.

I choose this book based on its cover and the fact that I found the blurb intriguing. I could not base my experience of this particular writer because I had none. I'm not certain the title grabbed my attention as much as the overall picture on the cover. I also felt compelled to read this story because I have many South African friends who have shared some of their stories about life in South Africa. Some of their stories I've found quite disturbing and judging from the blurb, this story sounded like it would be one of those disturbing yarns.

What did I think about the author's style?

I found the author's style easy to get into and everything flowed sequentially which helped the story move along well. I would say his style differs greatly from a Dan Brown page turner, but Coetzee is a steady page turner. My heart rate remained steady and I could breathe unassisted. The language was easy to digest and entertaining.

What did I think about the story?

I found the issues quite confronting and sometimes distasteful. But, having said that, they were interesting and moved the plot along. I was right about it being a disturbing yarn. The story left me thinking about lots of different issues, about life in general and about the racial tensions experienced in our world. I have lived all over Australia, along with a couple of other countries, and have enjoyed and lived through many life experiences, however, this story left me feeling at a loss at how racial issues touch our lives and the lives of others in countries where I have had no experience, and so, found it hard to relate to the issues experienced by the protagonists of the story. The author spent a lot of time looking at human relationships between family members, friends, colleagues, neighbours and metaphorically looked at relationships between humans and animals and compared the two throughout. A deep thread running throughout this story was values; the value of human life in many forms and situations and comparatives were made across the value of animal lives.

Overall?

I found this a very thought provoking story that has a lot of merit. The protagonists and minor characters of the story are ordinary people leading ordinary lives who live under some extraordinary situations or deal with extraordinary issues. The author has left many threads untied. This story is certainly not all tied up in a neat package with a happy ending. I enjoy reading books that make me think and stretch me. I believe this book stretched me and I took away a new awareness of what some people in other parts of the world endure.

If you like to be challenged, then I recommend this book to you.

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...