Our Day

WORDLESS  WEDNESDAY

A Fine Heritage

The Capricornia Home Schoolers had a fantastic end of term excursion last Friday to the

Rockhampton Heritage Village.

Sixty children and eighteen adults met for the tour, which was divided into high and primary goups.

The many toddlers and babies tagged along too ~ as usual!.

A session in the 1917 school house was an eye opener for these home educated students.

Some of us old hands were very gratified to observe that this years batch managed to get into two straight lines and march up the stairs in a reasonably orderly fashhion.

(There are some skills we just don't get to practice much at home :-)

They stood for the National Anthem , The teacher broke into "God Save the King"!

Afterwards, the children did us proud with a rendition of "Advance Australia Fair".

"School days, School days, dear old golden rule days.

Reading and writing and 'rithmatic,

Taught to the tune of the hickory stick!"

Superwoman going in to don her cape!

Fire! Fire!

Cobb and co.

A great day was had by all.
Have a great break all those who are doing so at this time.

Flourish Like the Palm

Cedars of Leanon

Jeremiah 17

7Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is.

8For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.

Don't you love the way the Word of God affirms and overlaps in places, bringing out certain truths to us. Psalm 1 is so familiar to most of us. Here in Jeremiah we find these parallel verses. Once again the picture of a strong tree, deeply rooted, the unfading leaf. Never ceasing to bear fruit! This is a scriptural theme I have recently been mulling over. Even in time of drought, dry spiritual periods, the Spirit which dwells within each believer is working, no matter how small the harvest may seem to us at the time.

Flourishing Palm Tree

Psalm 91

12The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon.

13Those that be planted in the house of the LORD shall flourish in the courts of our God.

14They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing;

15To shew that the LORD is upright: he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.

Mumma's New "Place"

Some of you may recognize the photograph below as one of my old headers. It was the childhood home of my paternal Grandmother and was a another great example of the good old Queenslander.

About every six months I usually change my header. I have been using the family homesteads from my family history albums which should keep me going for a little while. This time round I thought I would use this beautiful example of a classic "Queenslander".

I bought this wall hanging from a second hand store about ten or eleven years ago. I just love the style of this house. The Queenslander has a central section consisting of 3 bedrooms, hallway and lounge room. Across  the rear, bathroom, dining and kitchen. The front and both sides are verandas. Typically, especially in places like Rockhampton, the house stands on high stumps. This increases air flow and gives some safety from flooding. You see many Queenslanders in Rocky, and many along the Fitzroy River, where low blocks such as the one in the wall hanging are rare. The old family picture is from a location far from any rivers so is also on low stumps.

Many of these grand homes no longer look as the above. Most, such as the 1920's built model we live in, have had the verandas enclosed. This gives us a really big home but of course much of the character is lost and they have become box like. They also loose the ability to capture the breeze. Up here, we call the enclosed veranda used as a bed room a "sleep out". In ours, we used the sleep out as such when all the children were at home. Now it is Annie's room.....Anything can be found in here!! Computer, spare bed and cot, babies things, stored clothe ~ you get the idea,  Our other side is our "school room" (complete with old school desks with ink wells!). The front is just an entry area with phone and  several book cases.

The above house is very grand looking. It hangs in our lounge and reminds me of the glory days of this old house. Ooooh.... I feel another song coming on!

"Ain't a-gonna need this house no longer

Ain't a-gonna need this house no more

Ain't got time to fix the shingles

Ain't got time to fix the floor

Ain't got time to oil the hinges

Nor to mend the windowpane

Ain't a-gonna need this house no longer

He's a-gettin' ready to meet the saints
"
From this Ole House by Shakin' Stevens

Back view at Mumma's Place

Don't forget the Lyrics

(I am once again having some posting troubles. Forgive if you got this earlier under a different name)

You know, my children think that I have a song for every occasion!

I think it is the era we grew up in, when songs actually told a story. But whether it is a beautiful Sunday, or just a beautiful morning, or there are lights on the hill, or they are not the hills of home, Mum will be able to give you a ditty! My basketball crazy boys are fascinated that there are so many songs about the American cities and states which they hear of on the TV.

Try it!

New York, Chicago, San Francisco, North to Alaska, West Virginia, Rocky Mountains,

San Antonia, El Paso, Phoenix, Arizona ...and so on.

Of course I love Australian ballads and poetry. I was raised on the bush poets and country music (to my husband's horror) but it comes in mighty handy at times. We can go a-waltzing with Matilda, or click our shears or even tie down a kangaroo!

This week as we read about the Snowy Mountain Scheme my boys were amazed that even

that has a song. Did you learn it at school? I did.

I thought I would post it to refresh our memories!

(The only pity is that I have this enormous repertoire of songs and no voice to sing with...sigh)

Snowy River Roll

Bill Lovelock

Give me a man who's a man among men,

Who'll stow his white collar and put down his pen.

We'll blow down a mountain and build you a dam,

Bigger and better than old Uncle Sam!

Roll! Roll! Roll on your way!

Snowy River roll on your way!

Roll on your way until Judgement Day!

Snowy River roll.

Sometimes it's raining and sometimes it's hail,

And sometimes it blows up a blizzardly gale.

Sometimes there's fire and sometimes there's flood,

And sometimes you're up to your eyeballs in mud!

Give me bulldozers and tractors 'n' hoses,

'N' diesels to ease all my troubles away.

With the help of the Lord and good Henry Ford

The Snowy will roll on her way.

Don't bring your sweetheart unless she's your wife,

For here you must follow a bachelor life!

When woman is woman, a man is a fool!

Y' get much more work from a bow-legged mule.

Quaint little final verse! I reckon the men might have worked a lot better with the women folk around but it seems that Mr Lovelock had a jaded view of the fairer sex. It is also interesting that the Lord's help is recognized. I believe the Snowy doesn't roll along the way she used to :-(

Roll on you way!

God Bless Australia

When Deborah judged in Israel, it was a reflection of the low spiritual and moral state of that nation that a woman should have rule over the men of Israel. God has, and does raise up women in desperate times. But what has happened to our country, once thought to be a christian nation? Where are the men of substance? Where are the leaders? These are indeed desperate time.

Lord, be merciful on our land and raise up Godly men that we might once again be a people which seeks after Thee. The nation that honours God, he will honour. Lord, do not forsake us.
We get the government we deserve. God help us.

Quentin Bryce, Anna Bligh, Julia Gillard.

History is made but at what cost?

1946

WORDLESS  WEDNESDAY

Life After Motherhood

Now, that is a come along title isn't it?

Once a mother, always a mother! I only need to look at my own dear mother. Eighty, frail, forgetful. But always a mother. Even when she doesn't get our names right she is thinking all the time about us, how we are going, how the grandchildren are coping, where in the world everyone is.

But I am pondering the ways in which we should occupy our time when the home based years of training and raising children are over. What you say? But that time may come far more quickly then we imagine. I have sisters, friends and blog acquaintances already in this phase. A couple who are sadly, widows. Life will not always be as it is now.
What saith the scriptures?

Titus 2
3The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things;
4That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children,
5 To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.

We are told in .1 Timothy 2:14,15 that the woman, having been deceived,  shall be saved in childbearing. It  seems to me, that if the Lord wills, this serves to keep a woman occupied in the good deeds of caring for her husband, their home and their children where her natural inclination is to be easily led astray with other worldly distractions. So, from Titus 2 we may gather that, when we are aged we might be prone to some gossip and bad behaviour. Let's face it, we often need these good things to occupy us lest we might run amok! The tongue in particular can be a problem for the older and under occupied woman.

The more mature woman is to teach, by example the young women in her sphere of influence. For me this will include my daughters, but perhaps others who come into our lives through family, church and other Providences.

And in the empty nest stage of life, how important will be the foundation set in our relationships with our husbands. What we sow, so shall we reap. This is going to be so apparent both in our post children relationship with our husbands and in the ongoing role we play in the lives of our children and Lord willing grandchildren.

As I observe the older women in my own circle I see a variety of approaches. Some see this as the "selfish" time of life. They travel, spend money on luxuries and socialize a great deal. Others see this as a time to serve in a new way. This is where our christian world view influences our choices. the experienced Godly woman has such a lot to share, a great deal of encouragement and good advice. Wisdom hard won through a busy life in her child raising years.

I have many hopes and dreams for those years although right now I am making the very best of every day. I do not long to be out of this season but I look ahead hopefully to the next. As a woman in the mid season of life, I can already see the wisdom in the Titus passage and the responsibility we carry in passing on the meek and quiet spirit of godly womanhood. There are plenty today who claim Christianity but use the same strident voices as the feminists of this day. Does this reflect verse 5 to you? discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient . I esteem those older women who quietly lead by example. I have enough struggles with my own forceful nature, but we are to emulate Sarah whose daughters we are.

As often happens, my thoughts are floating a little. You  know that I do find it difficult to keep on track some times! But all these thoughts are related, I think. While the years without children in the home may seem far off, yet all our life is preparing for those days. Will I build up my house like a wise woman or tear it down? Will I lay a foundation now for the years ahead in serving the Lord in the realm of the aged woman? Will I be one who goes into that age bitter, twisted, full of gossip and running from house to house, or one who loves God and loves his people and reaches my hand to the poor ,  needy and the lost?

Proverbs 14:1

Every wise woman buildeth her house: but the foolish plucketh it down with her hands.

ooOoo

Autism Info?

and an appointment at last!

Immunisation can be a hot topic. I am not really wanting to post about the pros and cons, but I would be really interested if any readers have personal experience with negative effects from immunization . Or perhaps your family does not immunize because you know of others who have had bad outcomes.

It is on my mind at present as my two older grandsons are turning two.  Both have been fully immunized without any adverse affects. However, a friend with a similar aged child mentioned the other day that they are reconsidering his two year old shots, due to the link between these injections and autism.

We have a friend who works with autistic children and she hears from parents that this is when their symptoms began.

Among our friends and family and the local home schooling group, I have known a few children diagnosed some where on the autism spectrum. One woman in particular I remember attributed her sons condition to immunization but being a couple of years since I spoke to her, I am not sure whether it was specifically the two year old shots.  The young woman I spoke to recently was saying that a parent can choose to have all or leave out some, of the shots.
Hmmm... so any thoughts? Any anecdotes? For or against?
Care to share?

Worth waiting for....

8 July is the date for my pre-op. appointment! This means I should have the cataract procedure done sometime later in July! I am really pleased about this, and the timing couldn't be better. This pre-op work up falls in the second week of our school holidays.  Then we will take a few days off and go down all together, DV, for the operation. (JF if you are reading, we hope to see you then.
Thank you all for your prayers and encouragement with this.
. 

The end of another great week. Delightful weather, Cool and crisp. Younger son competed and came third in a Cross Country event which involved local home schoolers and a few small christian schools. Great effort. I am crashing into my bed tired but very happy after a cuddle and giggle filled afternoon with all the little boys here.
Sigh..,
Thank you. Lord for a wonderful week.
Have a good week end , one and all.

Queenslander #2

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

Praise Ye the Lord!

Psalm 147

Scottish Metrical Version sung Acappella

A.P.D........A Waffle

A Productive Day

A Perfect Dish

Amazing People's Day

A Pretty Daughter

Astonishing Pink Dress

Awful Purple Duds

A Profitable Discussion

A Pleasant Drive

A Peaceful Day (hey Jeanne)

Adorable Puppy Dog

Alien Person's Department

HeeHee...

I like playing with words :-) Some of these phrases describe my week, others not so much! Well, we have a few odd bods around here but no actual aliens!

APD

In this house APD stands for Auditory Processing Delay. I've written about it here. There are about sixteen different ways in which Dyslexia manifests itself and this is one of them. It is a phenomic dyslexia. So, after about nine months absence we visited the Speech Pathologist this week. She is very happy with the boys' progress! We will try to see her at least monthly for the rest of the year. She works with the boys individually at these sessions and sends home new activities to go on with. This will give Rae a little new material to play with as well.

The Speech Pathologist noted that my younger son has progressed better as far as actual reading goes, but also observed, as we have, that the older son has better auditory comprehension skills. So while they have always had slightly different symptoms they are also advancing in slightly different areas. I am really happy with the way.things are going at the moment. Onward and upward.:-)

A Good Foundation

As a child, we had no television. We ran free most of the day. Both of my parents were readers and Mum particularly read to us kids a lot. We heard the radio news at each meal time and Blue Hills after lunch.! At night someone read aloud or we played board games or cards. We went to bed early and rose early. Our brains were active, stimulated and eager.
I know there were children at our small country school who were challenged by reading, but it was not a huge deal. I remember the mothers, mine included coming in to read with the stragglers.

When my older girls were small we also lived out of town. We had no television. We rambled, read and talked a lot. They had a lot of area to play freely. One took to reading without any problems, the other struggled.
The environment when my boys were small was vastly different. We had moved to a small town block. The girls were doing more structured school work, Mum was not well. The television was used, usually on video to occupy the two restless boys when everyone was busy :- (

I do believe that the difficulties we are experiencing are genuine in my lads, but I can also see that their foundation was not the ideal one. I am not beating myself up here. As most home schoolers
find somewhere along the journey, there are times when you just have to tread water and do what can be managed. But I am recommending to others, perhaps starting or much earlier on in the child raising journey, to really be strong in this area. Lay down the good foundation.

# Read, read, read, From the womb to the grave! All of mine have loved to be read to and we have always done a lot of it. It does not guarantee good readers, but at the very least they pick up heaps of useful general knowledge and life skills as well as stimulating the imagination.

#Limit whats going in. I am not anti-TV but like most good things it is good in moderation and under supervision. We have maybe erred on the side of caution with some things but in an era where the six o;clock news is terrifying most days, we need to be on our guard. Also limiting junky food is a big plus for growing brains.

#Plenty of exercise. This seems obvious but I know only too well how hard this can be with a tiny back yard in a cramped neighbourhood. Sometimes it takes effort to get to a park or meet up with friends for a play but Mums and children really benefit.

#Plenty of sleep. We have always kept bedtimes, slowly getting later as the children get older. I could not have survived without it! and the children greatly benefit as well.

#Learning to read? I honestly would not recommend a program. Every teacher and often every student thrives with different methods. My boys could not make the connection between hearing the sound and reproducing it and then recognising the symbol for it. While I detected this fairly early on it can be difficult to distinguish whether they are just later than average in understanding or whether it is a genuine disability.

#Patience and love. Sometimes it can be hard to accept that your child is not the academically highly gifted student you had dreamed of. Character is so much more important than academic achievement. I try to rejoice in a good attitude as greatly as I do when a small break through is made in the reading department. I so greatly admire friends and family I have known who have loved and nurtured children with significant physical and mental disability. God gives the grace and strength I know but they deserve acknowledgement.

Do not be weary in well doing for in due season you shall reap if you faint not.

Life is just like a merry-go-round!

WORDLESS  WEDNESDAY

                                                                                                                                                   Psalm 128

1 Blessed is each one that fears the Lord,

and walketh in his ways;

2 For of thy labour thou shalt eat,

and happy be always.

3 Thy wife shall as a fruitful vine

by thy house' sides be found:

Thy children like to olive-plants

about thy table round.

4 Behold, the man that fears the Lord,

thus bless-ed shall he be.

5 The Lord shall out of Zion give

his blessing unto thee:

Thou shalt Jerus'lem's good behold

whilst thou on earth dost dwell.

6 Thou shalt thy children's children see,

and peace on Israel.

(Scottish Metrical Version)

Fruitfulness

Physically fruitfulness is a blessing from God. It is a coveted christian privilege and one that the world has sadly come to view as a curse.

But what of spiritual fruitfulness? This is what I have been pondering a lot lately. Am I growing? Am I blossoming? Am I beginning to bear much fruit?

We struggle with our besetting sins. We stumble, we fall. But the Psalm tells us that the man is blessed who fears the Lord and walks in his ways. This is the secret to happiness and he shall reap the fruit of his labour.

Do I exhibit love, joy and peace? how about gentleness, goodness, faith and suffering long? am I meek and temperate?
It's quite a hefty list when you look at it and really look at how you are going on a day to day basis. I know the struggles I have especially with losing patience, with having a meek and gentle spirit, with showing love.

But God....is working in his new creations. By his grace we are moving, no matter how slowly, on our pilgrimage in sanctification. If we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us of all unrighteousness. I am so thankful and humbled by His amazing Grace.

I have studied before the "Fruits of the Spirit" . I need to seek more diligently to make them an evidence in my life of my love for the Lord Jesus Christ. Not just reading and praying about them (very important :-)
but making the fruits of righteousness evident in my life. The Holy Spirit indwells all who believe and trust in Him. May we live each day as witnesses to this great blessing.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. Galatians 5: 22,23



Very inspirational clip
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0DxlJWJ_WfA&feature=player_embedded



This young man is a great witness for his faith in Christ and lives it! Take a look at the clip. .

The times they are a-changing.

Have I mentioned how wonderful this phase of life is shaping up to be?

If you are still young, with little ones in nappies, who cry through the night and need constant training and supervision during the day, then you are bone weary.
If you have all of your children in school, especially if you home school, then your days are jam packed with getting it all done. The ironing and washing are like a never ending mountain filling baskets all over the house in various stages of the process. You probably have books piled up for marking and dream about the day you will get to all the creative projects and maybe have a quiet dinner with your hubby once in a while.

Or, if all your chickens have flown the coop, perhaps you are beginning to do all those interesting crafts and courses you dreamed of when the children were at home. You and your hubby get to dine together all the time. If you are in this stage I hope you are not lonely at all.

I'm in between. Some have left home, some are still here. But I notice more and more how things are changing. Years ago, we would get a baby sitter if we wanted to go out. This was rare and still is but now even the boys at home can just bunk over at a friend's place or one of the their sisters' . This is appealing to them as the girls have 1HD and we do not!

More often it is my husband and I who are home alone and the kids who are out! All that quiet time to talk without interruptions. No need to argue over what we will watch on the TV. No herding up the mob for teeth cleaning and chores.

More often too, I am finding I am actually in the house by myself. Do you long for this? Well, I do enjoy the solitude. I like to put on my own music, which no one else has acquired the taste for. I like to potter about my chores, or read. Sometimes I do find myself wondering when they will all return. Wondering if someone will call.

Sometimes now I am the babysitter. Like this morning, the baby. (6months) stayed awhile as my older daughter took her 20 month old to an appointment.

I used to be the one to take up little hands to make sure everyone got across the street safely. Now my young gentlemen take my arm to make sure I get over the curb and across the street without being knocked down by a vehicle!

Time was, I would give the childeren lunch, sit to read aloud from Little House or some other good story and then have a rest time, sleeps for the littlies, quiet time for the bigger ones. Now, everyone else is far too busy for a day time rest but I often need a "nanna nap" after lunch to get throught the day.

,
Times are a-changing very quickly indeed. When I go to visit my parents I imagine that in no time at all it will be hubby and I in the old recliner chairs, sitting back and looking forward to the children and grandchildren and dare I hope, great grand children arriving!

So, whatever season of this fleeting life you find yourself in, make the most of it. Do not wish away the precious young years of your children or hanker after some imagined ideal life to come. Sufficient for the day is the evil thereof. I remember when the older ones where tiny, wishing they would just be old enough to do stuff for themselves and maybe give me a couple of hours sleep in a row. Then when I had teenagers thinking that it was soooo good back when Mum was in charge and everyone agreed with her:-) Embrace each day with vigour and commit each day, each stage, every trial, every triumph to the Lord.

For everything there is a season and a time for every purpose under heaven!
Ecclesiates 3:1

Film & TV 101

WORDLESS  WEDNESDAY