A festive street

Steph and Shane live in a pretty street. Steph is very community conscious and three years ago she decided to decorate her block of their street with red ribbons on the street trees at Christmas. She door knocked as many neighbours as possible and then proceeded to put the ribbons up at night, with Shanes help. It took her a few evenings to complete the task.

Apparently one lady who she hadn't spoken to, rang the council during the process complaining that she didn't have a ribbon, and demanding to know when were they coming to do her tree!

Last year Steph left the ribbon in peoples letter boxes with a request for them to put them up, but I think they didn't all meet her high standards in ribbon artistry so she abandoned that idea.

.

She buys red plastic tablecloths by the roll and cuts it into strips, so each year they start with fresh ribbon.

This year a neighbour helped her, and the street is beautifully adorned again.

Most of the houses have Agapanthus and lawn on the verge, so the red ribbons look very festive........but some don't take as much interest in the streetscape

but they still have a ribbon to brighten their footpath.

Even the vacant block has two!

everyone is treated the same

They have found it a wonderful way to get to know their neighbours, and now Jont rides his bike along the footpath, and talks to Ben and Gerry, and Dot, and Di, he thinks it is quite normal to know many of the people on his block.

And in a small way one family is helping their community to celebrate Christmas.

.....and my real BFF

What a friend we have in Jesus,

all our sins and griefs to bear!

what a privilege to carry

everything to God in prayer!

O what peace we often forfeit,

O what needless pain we bear,

all because we do not carry,

everything to God in prayer.

Have we trials and temptations?

Is there trouble anywhere?

We should never be discouraged:

take it to the Lord in prayer.

Can we find a friend so faithful,

who will all our sorrows share?

Jesus knows our every weakness:

take it to the Lord in prayer.

Are we weak and heavy-laden,

cumbered with a load of care?

Precious Saviour, still our refuge:

take it to the Lord in prayer.

Do your friends despise, forsake you?

Take it to the Lord in prayer:

in his arms he'll take and shield you,

you will find a solace there.

My new BFF

My love/hate relationship with the birds on my property is continuing.

I really love the diversity of bird life, from the magpies and willy wagtails to the ducks that make my dam home while they raise their chicks.

But the destructive habits of some of them really makes it hard to appreciate them.

The roses continue to be a target for the lorikeets, and I am continuing to battle for supremacy in that theatre of warfare.

But a new enemy has arisen.

The sulphur crested cockatoos are trying to destroy my lawn, and just for fun they poop all over my outdoor furniture!

So I have a new best friend......

I am hopeful that this fearsome looking owl will discourage any toilet action by these birds on my table. He is perched on the front patio to help them to find another place to empty their bowels.

I have another one on the coffee table, and one sitting in the middle of the lawn to stop the destruction of the lawn. I always go over board with a new idea! I bought the updated model, that has a solar panel on its head so that the eyes glow at night to stop any nocturnal activity.

Pretty good don't you think?

And very classy sitting on my front patio.

I wonder what my daughters will think of my taste in outdoor art?

Well, when you consider that they are replacing Bob the gnome I think it is an improvement.

Bob wasn't originally meant to be on guard against these predators and really he isn't very scary with his cute little ukelele and red mushroom.

Even the scar on his forehead from a mishap in the rockery hasn't made the birds respect him.

So I think I will retire Bob back to the anonymity of the garden where the little boys can play hide and seek with him and he doesn't have to worry about pesky birds pooping on his little red cap.

I'll leave the work of guarding my property to the plastic owls, with googly eyes, and a fearsome scowl.........and a solar panel on their head.

Cool, sophisticated, noice!

Suits in the city

I have just returned from a visit to Sydney.

It was my first on my own.

I chose this time as it coincided with the AGM of "Waymans" company, and I decided that I was brave enough to attend. I stayed with wonderful friends who allowed me room to remember with delight the 9 years I had lived there. I have many memories of Sydney that are specific to my own life, but I wanted on this visit, to remember Wayman. As I visited people and places I made a list that particularly related to him.

It isn't profound, but I thought I would share it with you. I didn't take any photos, it wasn't that sort of trip. There is no order, and I apologise if it is bit boring, as most of the list relates to things that we did, just the two of us. But they helped me to remember us, living ordinary lives in a truly beautiful city.

Men in suits in the city

Pages and Pages book shop

Hayden Orpheum picture theatre

Indian myna birds scavenging on the streets

McIntosh of Mosman

Illawarra Street

The ferry ride from Mosman Bay to Circular Quay

Fanuli furniture

Allan Border oval

Queen Victoria building

Crystal carwash cafe

the walk from the piazza to the church at St Thomas'

Rihani menswear in Mosman

Little Sirius cove

Rubicor

Jane, Kevin and Sharad

Coffee group at St Ives

Qantas club

the cross word in the inflight magazine

having to "lean in" to hear Gwens' lilting Irish accent

Balmoral Beach

the drive on Archibald road to St Ives

the men who were Waymans friends

Lastly, the ferry terminal at Mosman bay. I managed to be brave most of the time, but here I admit I had a good cry.

Wayman would drive to work most days toward the end of our stay, but occasionally he would catch the ferry. He would ring me as the ferry was coming around Cremorne Point and I would drive down to Mosman Bay to pick him up. There is short term parking where you can watch the passengers as they alight from the ferry, and I would sit in the car and watch the suits as they filed off the green and gold ferry waiting to catch the first glimpse of him. Wayman always looked the same at the end of the day as he did at the beginning, his tie still tied, his coat on even on the warmest day. At the end of the day he still looked immaculate. He would stride toward the car, with his satchel under his arm and always, always, he was pleased to see me.

This time my heart ached as I watched the people coming off the ferry, knowing that my man wasn't among them.

Would you choose ........here?

I visited my mum today, and she was very keen to take me out into her backyard.

We often enjoy a walk there, as she is keen gardener, and while my brother-in-law Roger does most of the work, Mum takes great pride in her flowers.

But today she had something different to show me.

We had to use the sliding door out of her living area, rather than the laundry door, I wondered why.

When we were outside, Mum directed my attention to................

her 2 mops and outside broom. You can imagine my excitement!!!!!

Mum has a cleaning lady, so she doesn't use the mops much, but the outdoor broom is usually in use fairly regularly.

But the mystery remained.

She beckoned me to examine them more closely............

There tucked in behind the broom was a birds nest, perched on top of the mops.

Mum has been watching it for a couple of weeks now, avoiding using her laundry door, respecting the privacy of the occupants.

and this is the result..........

three tiny little chicks cuddled up on top of Mums domestic floor cleaning equipment!

Would you choose ....... here?

I just hope that the whole thing doesn't collapse as the chicks grow, and that Mums' cleaning lady continues to bring her own supplies!

To avoid any disasters we bought a new mop today, as a precaution.

Prayer

We are currently doing a series on prayer at our church. Each week our minister has asked someone to talk on praying before he speaks. A few weeks ago he asked me. In sharing

with my church family about prayer I was honest enough to admit that I have found it difficult at times over the past 15 months to pray. But I am trying to put in place some things that will help me to pray more regularly.

I thought I would tell you too about my strategy to pray more.

So here is an excerpt from my talk.

I found it hard to pray when I faced great personal loss and deep grief. There were times when I just cried out to God. But I know that he wants me to talk to Him, and so I have thought about some things that might be helpful.

Being honest with ourselves about our prayer life is very important. Do we pray? How often do we pray? Do we sit quietly and pray or is it usually when we are on the move? It helps us to make changes or to try to pray more regularly if we are honest with ourselves.

I know that it requires discipline to pray. Like all things that are good for me, [for example physical exercise] it takes commitment to pray. I am not fooled into thinking that it will one day become easy. Yes it is a delight and becomes more so, the longer I practice the discipline, but it will always require me to make time for it.

I must be intentional about praying. By that I mean if I want to pray while my grand daughter is napping, I have to be intentional leading up to that. It is very easy to get side tracked into just clearing the kitchen bench, or putting on a load of washing. If I want to pray before leaving the house for the day, I need to keep an eye on the clock as I eat breakfast so I don't run out of time. I have chosen not to have a set time each day, as each day is different. Instead, I am trying to set a time that morning in keeping with the days activities.

An important thing for me is to have a specific place to pray in my house. It is good to have somewhere where you can close the door. Also I have a chair that isn't too comfortable! Praying in a cosy chair will put me to sleep in an instant! At the moment I pray at my desk. This is where I conduct the business of life, so I pray surrounded by photos of people, reminders of chores to be done, and all the issues I am dealing with. It helps me to pray for people and about events that are happening.

This is my new favourite cosy chair. It is in the office near the desk, and it beckons me to sit in it at prayer time. I resist the temptation knowing it is very comfortable!

I read the Bible before praying. This isn't Bible study, just a few verses to help me to focus on God. I find if I don't start with this, my prayers are very selfish. At the moment I am reading Hebrews and loving the focus on who Jesus is.

Lastly I have a simple plan. It is really basic.

Adoration

Thanksgiving

Repentance

Requests.

This is my blue print, and while I have presented it to you, I by no means am achieving this regularly in my life, but I am trying to take ownership of my prayer life.

So dear readers, that is some of what I presented on Sunday morning. Many of you I know talk regularly with God. Some of you might never have done so. He is waiting for you. Why not find out more about Jesus and start to talk to Him. Oh yes, and if you want to know more about my church our website is

www.trinitymountbarker.org.au

Taking on new jobs

It has amazed me over the past six months, the number of "jobs" that were Waymans.

Like mowing the lawns, and opening wine bottles with corks, towing the trailer, and cleaning the gutters. He wasn't a real out doors man, and he didn't really understand cars, but he knew when the wheels needed to be balanced, [he always noticed that it needed doing after I had tried to park somewhere and had run into the kerb! I never seemed to get away with it!] He always kept our cars beautifully clean, inside and out. He used to clean my shoes for me, and he would do the small painting jobs on the house. It was Waymans job to pack the dishwasher. Lindy did it when the family came for a BBQ on Friday, and she has her Fathers ability to stack the maximum amount of dishes in.

I miss him terribly, and while some jobs are easy for me take on, I am learning to do others for the first time. My boys are wonderful, and they are helping me too.

I am sure that most people in the western world know what 2 stroke fuel is, but it is new knowledge to me. Cam showed me last week how to make it, when he was teaching me how to use the leaf blower.

Even my American stockbroker knows the formula, "lube and gas"

I have mastered the art of the pull start 2 stroke engine on the leaf blower, but I find the mulching machine a bit of challenge. Steph and I tried it some months ago, and we both are a bit frightened of it, so we are leaving that one for now.

But the leaf blower is a friendly little machine, and on my property is a very useful tool.

I used it on the driveway this week, as the gum trees are dropping leaves at the moment, and it was beautifully clean on 20 minutes!

I then decided to try the tennis court, that is a bit more of a challenge, as the leaves kept swirling up and over my head. I decided that it is a bit like herding sheep, it works better with less noise and bluster, and more gentle coaxing.

I also discovered that even a gentle breeze is your enemy if you are trying to do this job.

I had just finished and the wind gave a couple little puffs and this was the result!

So the week begins, and my list of jobs is

plant some lawn runners in a bare spot

stake the tomato plants

mow the lawns

harvest the duck weed off the dam [apparently it makes very good compost]

make the compost

spread some mulch on the garden beds

plant lettuces and a watermelon plant [the pumpkins are already in]

do some painting touch-ups around the house

.......and perhaps I might try to blow the leaves off the tennis court again!

Grandmas day

Today I had my first ever Grandparents day at school.

C has chosen to call it Grandmas day, and that's fine with me.

It is a bit daunting to arrive at a day like this on your own, but I was cared for immediately by friends who I don't know very well, but who took me under their wing compassionately.

We started in chapel, this is the view I had of C sitting with his teacher and friends.

We then had time in his class room looking at his work, he showed me around the school, and I enjoyed morning tea with other GPs. this was followed by a school presentation. All is well in the world when primary school students are given a clarinet and put in the school band to entertain us with songs arranged to include the few notes that they can play.

I remember that stage all to clearly!

The highlight of the day was at the end.

We were meant to bring lunch to have with the children.

I had stayed a little longer in the concert hall than many others talking to an old friend, and I thought rather than eating my lunch with C, I would just quickly visit him in his area, and say goodbye.

Cs teacher saw me coming across the yard, and I heard her say, "Here she is Charlie!"

He had worried that I wasn't coming. He had saved half his lunch for me,

two rather battered triangles of vegemite sandwich and the left over crumbs from his muffin.

He shared his drink bottle with me, I am glad his Mum has provided the type that does not allow any "backwash"!

I felt very loved as I sat awkwardly on the common area floor.

Gods plan to put us into families is pretty good, don't you think?

The war of the roses

I love my roses. To live on my property, you have to love roses, there are dozens of bushes, and that means a lot of pruning and spraying, and caring.

At the moment I am at war to protect my roses!!!!

I don't mind the usual enemies, things like black spot, or aphids, I know how to fight them, and currently I am winning these battles, as my gold bunnies attest.

But there is a more sinister enemy out there that is trying to decimate my bushes.

These beautiful native rainbow lorikeets are everywhere here in the hills, and they are extremely destructive, orchardists have to net their fruit trees to stop them eating their crops.

This is what they do to my precious roses:

Before:

After:

Again, before:

and after:

I'm sure you would agree this is very disturbing, as they are simply being destructive, sucking the sap out of the new shoots, leaving the flowers to wilt, and the plant with no new growth.

Here is an example of their work......

so I have declared WAR on these monsters of the sky!!!!

They strike, when I am at my most vulnerable, using guerilla tactics, usually swooping before dawn. Now, I have been through an exhaustive investigation of the tactics available to me and here are my findings:

1. I could run around flapping my arms in my PJs at 6am to scare them off, but that really doesn't appeal to me, and could be a bit embarrassing if I am spotted by the neighbours.

2. I could hang CD discs from the bushes to scare them off. This has been tried by others with limited success but I like to listen to my CDs, and besides I think a garden full of shiny discs hanging from bits of string looks a bit naff.

3. I could put nets over the bushes, but what's the point of having them if I can't see the flowers?

4. So this is my preferred method of attack:

I boil up a mixture of these potent ingredients, and spray them on the bushes!!!!!!

The poor little birdies don't like the taste and go away!

And if this doesn't work my gardener has some really foul smelling stuff that is my last line of defence.

Chemical warfare .............as a last resort!

Be afraid pretty little birdies, be very afraid!

Please be aware that the aim is not to harm rainbow lorikeets at Elmbrook simply to stop them from ruining my roses!

Lions of Singapore..... and other things.

Lindy and Gus invited me to share their family trip to Singapore which was part holiday and also an opportunity for them to connect with Gus' sister and her family there.

The children coped well with the flight, and arrived ready to greet the Lions of Singapore.

First were the statues in front of the Takashimaya shopping mall....

We were much more interested in the interior of the shopping malls, but that had to wait!

Then we saw the Merlion.....

Miss P had just been harassed by a group of Japanese tourists who wanted to take her photo, and she was a little un-nerved by the experience so we have the back of her head!

We then discovered these cute little versions on our way to the Marina Bay complex...

The Marina Bay Sands hotel is simply mind boggling!

and as we walked through the mall we discovered this lion was coming to town!

Lindy and Gus had dinner at the top of the hotel to celebrate his sisters birthday... I declined the invitation to join them to mind the children, and to avoid having to go to the top of that building,

however....

a ride on the Singapore flyer was the next activity!

[you can see it in the distance in the photo of the hotel, it doesn't look very high but it is nearly as high as the hotel}

Can you see the cars on the freeway? we were only half way up!!!

C was also a little anxious, and at about this point, he strapped himself into the stroller for protection.

No-one had the heart to tell him the facts of gravity and strollers, and very great heights, after all he is only 5!

We visited the zoo, the lions there were asleep with their backsides pointing at us, so I didn't bother with a photo shoot, but C fed the elephants with his cousins.

We then had a morning at the childrens' science centre ,

Miss P played the chimes

And C served his head on a platter for us

It was a wonderful time with this dear family doing all the things that little people enjoy. But I did see some of the arcades with the amazing array of designer boutiques and even dropped in on a fashion parade!

The highlight of the week for me was really rather simple. I had time with Belinda just the two of us, something that is in short supply, as she is busy young Mum, with many responsibilities. She is a woman with great general knowledge, and can talk on many different topics, and I loved having time with her discussing history, politics and our christian walk.

Her Dad would have loved being in these conversations.

I can't finish this blog without including one last Lion.

I shared my room with C and he was a wonderful room mate.

But if I needed to have a little "Grannie" time I would turn on the TV to the Singapore cartoon station and he would happily watch Tom and Jerry.

So this lion became an integral part of our days, roaring at the start of each cartoon.

The same cartoons were probably playing 23 years ago when Wayman and I took our family to Singapore for their first overseas holiday

A holiday in Singapore

Tomorrow I head to Singapore for a week with Belinda and her family.

I have packed my bag, and am ready to go. Having flown to Nashville to see Cassie and Nathan in August, I am not feeling anxious about going without Wayman.

But there is something about this trip that has made me realise how much my life has changed.

With Wayman we always managed to fly premium economy or business class on long trips. He had the FF statis to be able to obtain upgrades whenever he needed to.

Now I am on my own, I haven't got that pull. It has made me realise how much we can take for granted a position of privilege. This time there is no extra baggage, or leg room, no priority boarding, and no white cloth on the meal tray. It is a humbling thing when these extras are removed.

Why am I telling you this?

This tiny inconvenience has made me think about how much Jesus gave up. His position as king was put aside so he could become a man, and not a man of privilege, but an ordinary man.

He would not have had priority boarding, or a white cloth on the meal tray, he would have had an economy class seat.

And he did it to give me a way to have a relationship with him.

I am humbled, and repentant of my sense of loss, and expectation that privilege is my right.

I am grateful that my family want me on this trip, and I will enjoy the really important things.

Jill.......and others.

I have a friend called Jill. She lives in Sydney and last week she came to stay for a few days. Jill has been a part of my life for about 10 years, and we have a friendship that is stronger now than at any time during the past decade. As a couple Wayman and I enjoyed being part of a friendship group that included Jill and her husband. At that time we all attended the same church. Before we moved to Sydney I had only lived in Adelaide, and these people helped me to feel at home in a much bigger, faster paced city.

I have a photo of us all, minus one couple.

[with three younger couples, as you will be able to see!]

Now dear friends, you are probably thinking, who on earth would wear an all green outfit?

That's me!

And in case you have missed it, I had matching green shoes!

Quite a feat! I was very proud of them!

Let me introduce these lovely ladies:

From the left:

Ruth J is in the pink blouse: she has a wicked sense of humour, she always enjoyed Wayman's schoolboy pranks. I can still hear her chuckling at his antics.

Gwen is next in the white trousers: This lady is the hostess with the mostess! An invitation to dinner in her home is a coveted thing.

Nitia is standing between Gwen and her [Nitias] daughter-in-law. She took me under her wing and helped me cope with Sydney life, teaching me that many women had moved like me and that if they could do it, so could I!

On the other side of the young couple, is Jill hiding behind her husband, more about her later.

Next is Alison, with the red top, standing between her husband and Wayman. Alison is one of the nicest people I know. She is generous, and kind with a beguiling nature that draws you to her.

Then there is me in the green suit..........what was I thinking?

My friend Berry and her husband didn't come on this weekend so I haven't got a photo of her. She and I were in a book club together and we enjoyed many deep conversations, not always about our books. I miss Berry.

Back to Jill.

The fact that she is hiding behind her man is very interesting. Jill is tall, elegant and confident.

I have come to appreciate her immensely. She is a dream to shop with, everything she puts on looks stunning. I just stand back and watch as the assistants bring in items for her try.

Last week we tried on the same shirt.

I couldn't stop laughing, we looked like Danny Devito and Arnie Swarchenegger in twins!

But she is also very caring. Recently she sent me a package with small individually wrapped gifts for me to open on days when I was feeling a bit down.

Here is an example:

Each one had a verse from the Bible and some special treats to brighten my day.

While I now live in a different place, and my life has changed enormously, I am grateful that God has given me Jill, and special memories of this group of women that have enriched my life.

So thanks Jill, for being my sister in Christ.

Thanks also to the "coffee group" and keep on befriending others as you did me.

The adventures of George

My grandchildren have favourite toys, as do children all over the world.

C has Big Ted.

As his name implies, he is big, well bigger then your average teddy bear.

Big Ted came to America with the family when we visited for Christmas 2008.

He added quite a bit to our carry-on luggage, but he was invaluable in helping a little boy to settle in numerous different beds and to sleep on many flights on that trip.

Miss P has Oscar.

I know that Grannies aren't supposed to have favourites, but Oscar is mine.

[I guess it doesn't really matter as it is only a toy!]

Oscar is also quite large, and has a wonderful shape. He has a longish neck, just right for a little girl to put in the crook of her arm to carry him, and a tear shaped body.

His head wobbles around and his body jiggles as she runs.

Then there is George.

He belongs to Jont.

George was given to Jont by Aunty Cass and while he is is much smaller than Big Ted and Oscar, he is just as precious.

He is a monkey, and is a bit like a stick, with long arms and legs and a thin, grey tail.

George came to stay with Grannie when Jont had a sleepover this week.

George got to play in the garden with Jont and Miss P and Oscar, and George went missing.

We searched everywhere for him.

[well, we retraced our steps, and searched the house and as much of my large garden as possible........ there a lot of places a small brown stick like toy could be hiding at my place]

Sadly Jont had to go home without George.

That night he requested Dogga as his bedtime story, the tale of a little boy who looses his stuffed toy called Dogga.

There were many tears.

[As is fitting in a childrens book, there is redemption in the story, Dogga is returned.]

Grannie searched the garden again the next morning without success, only to spy him sitting on a tree stump, as she drove down the driveway on her way out to run some errands.

He had been carefully placed there by his owner, to free up his little hands to collect stones and weeds.

Grannie put George in the car............

and drove him to Jonts house to be re-united with his owner.

[Jont was out so I left George on the doorstep]

The reunion was fittingly excited and affectionate......

and Jont was keen to assure Grannie that he didn't mean to loose him....

and that he will take good care of him....

and can he come and stay again????

[if you know Jont you will understand that he has a lot to say]

The End.

10 things I miss about East Nashville

It is good to be home at Elmbrook. Spring is just beginning and I have spent quite a bit of time in the garden trying to get my mind around all the things that need to be done.

Being on my own I spend a lot of time with my thoughts.

Naturally I am thinking about Cassie and Nathan in Nashville, so I have put together a list of things that I miss about East Nashville:

1 French toast on Saturday mornings made by Nathan with bread from Marche.

2 Sitting on the back porch reading, or doing cross words, or cross stitch.

3 Seeing the last few fire-flies of the summer.

4 Watching Nathan chase the neighbours cats out of the yard.

5 City church on a Sunday evening.

6 Watching Downton Abbey with Katherine.

7 New friends Regina and Chrissy, and a "semi" old friend Linda.

8 Hearing Cassie laugh with her friend Keely.

9 Listening to Nathan read to Cassie at breakfast time from a devotional book called

Be still, my soul.

10 Walking to Ugly mugs, for great coffee.

It is not a very profound list, is it?

But when you are recovering from such a great loss, I guess little things become important.

Memorial for Jack and Lucy

Cassie and Nathan called their babies Jack and Lucy

The night before I left Nashville they held a memorial service for them.

Their pastor had encouraged them to do this as part of the healing process. Friends Wes and Linda Yoder have a family chapel on their property and they graciously allowed us to use it.

It was the perfect size for the twenty or so people they invited to share in this most intimate of times.

Belinda and Steph had arranged for flowers to be in the chapel from their families.

Aaron read Psalm 34, Nathan spoke of their heartache and hope, Craig encouraged us to mourn well and to look to Jesus, Chrissy read a prayer written by Katherine and we sang Abide with me.

Wes closed our time in prayer his voice resonating through the little building he is constructing for his family to honour God.

And we shed our tears.

The Yoders hosted us all for supper afterward in their home, and the time was well spent as good friends came together continuing to live while acknowledging the presence of death.

In the chapel I sat with a vacant chair beside me. I have spent times this last month questioning God and His purposes. Yet the faith he has given me has sustained me through these most difficult of times.

And that covenant faith has me confident that Wayman and his grandchildren are in glory together worshipping around the throne.