Of Marriage, Milestones and Many Waters!....

The last week of every year is very special and usually very busy in our house.  This year was no different except we have had the rain and flooding to contend with :-)   This has been the biggest rain event in these parts for many years.  It is very widespread and the Fitzroy River is the catchment river for all the surrounding water ways...all of which are experiencing record flood levels!  So we sit here in Rockhampton, waiting, watching, wondering!

Previous record 1918
The Old Fitzroy River Bridge

There are predictions as to how high the river will rise but realistically no one knows for sure as the levels coming in from the north and west are higher than ever previously recorded.  Needless to say the Big Wet of 2010/11 will go down in history as one of the biggest.

My older daughter and her family live in the flood inundated area of town and have evacuated to us for the duration.  It looks as though their place (a high set house) will get water through the upper living area. We have a house full but we are enjoying it and will make the most of the precious family time despite the stress of the situation and the knowledge that when it recedes the big clean up will begin.

This is what the Depot Hill area looked like over the last couple of days.
If the river rises to expected heights this area will be under 2m plus of water.
This is where my daughter lives!

My second daughter and her family spent the long weekend in the south and are now (happily) stranded there until the roads reopen.  Their home is thankfully high and dry.

The town is very low on milk, bread, fruit and vegies etc.  We are fairly well stocked but with nine in the house plus their dogs we will need to be!!

oo00oo

For better, for worse,
For richer, for poorer,
In sickness and in health,
Until God shall separate us by death.

On Tuesday we celebrated our 25th Wedding Anniversary. Yes, 25 years!
 Although we did not take the above vows in our marriage service, I think it sums up well the commitment that two believers make when they stand before God, and the congregation of his people to promise and covenant themselves to one another.
My own children and my little grandchildren make every hurdle and difficulty through out the years seem trivial and very worthwhile.

Psalm 127

1Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it:
 except the LORD keep the city,  the watchman waketh but in vain.

2It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late,

 to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sleep.

3Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD:
 and the fruit of the womb is his reward.

4As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth.

5Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not
be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.

oo00oo

Yesterday, Thursday was my birthday!  How quickly these seem to roll around these days. We had to postpone our usual lunch with my  little group of birthday celebrators . We regularly take the birthday girl out for a meal when each one rolls around.   When the flood dramas are past we will go out and have a nice meal together.  As mentioned, I had plenty of my family here to celebrate the day and some visiting friends from Canberra came for lunch.  This meal was cut short too with their decision to fly home before the airport is closed! Earlier, I had enjoyed a coffee and a chat with JJ and tomorrow will be lunch as usual with Dad and Mum .
I love that I get lots of phone calls and messages and I feel very spoiled in general. I am so grateful to the Lord for preserving my life thus far and giving me so many wonderful family members and friends to share it with.

Tomorrow will be the beginning of 2011.  We are having a barbecue with friends but it is most unlikely that I will actually see it in . I am sure my boys will take the opportunity to stay up late and have some goodies!

May God bless each of you in the coming year xo

And a NEWS FLASH!
The missing fuel cap was found today by my daughter, just going about her business down the back! Thank you Lord!

My Golden Childhood XVI

         The Other Relies and the Boxing Day Bash

If you are relatively new to reading my blog, you will notice from the title that there are a whole series of posts, mostly from 2009, entitled My Golden Childhood.  The link includes all fifteen posts in that series and a few other childhood related posts.  I hope you will read some of them as they are my favourite posts since I have been blogging.  After a long break I am attempting to finish the topics I have in draft.

My childhood home was situated in very close proximity to my Grandparents, my father's parents, and his two brothers who had remained on the land.  This meant we had an abundance of aunties and cousins close by and many visiting relatives on that side of the family.




Golden Wedding Anniversary   1966


My Mum came from the Darling Downs and her three sisters had all eventually ended up living in towns but her two brothers both took up grazing properties in Central Queensland .  This meant that we had a large number of cousins from Mum's side fairly close by as well! (Mum's parents had a total of thirty six grandchildren in fact! Most are pictured above.)

Mum's family has an interesting history of "raising orphan children", in that both her grandparents and great grandparents, through various Providences, had raised some of their own grandchildren when they had lost their parents at a young age.  In this spirit, Mum often saw to it that city cousins and more distant relatives who were having some hassles could come to the farm for school holidays if they wanted to. Her brother was the same and one of the great memories I have of holidays at their place was that there were always heaps of kids, lots of noise, plenty of work and plenty of fun.  My greatest childhood friend, later my bridesmaid, was a cousin from this family.  She was a fiery red haired lefty and I loved her dearly! What times we had!

During the year the families would exchange visits once or twice.  This was usually taking the hour and half drive after mass on a Sunday,.  Each family had eight children and one car in those days! We would all pile in for such trips with no thought of seat belts.  Thankfully, Dad was a very cautious driver!  These were much anticipated meetings and we (the girls and I) would try to wrangle it so they would fall at the start of one of the holidays (May and August in those days) so that we could stay over for a while at each others places.   My beloved cuz and I were the same age but she had four brothers directly above her.  This made our lives a misery! or so we pretended.  In reality I loved those boys but they teased and tormented us mercilessly!




Some of The Lads             &                   A Fiery Red Head!


My uncle had been in the Light Horse pre WW2 and transferred to regular army during the war.  He had a crisp military carriage, always had his boots shined to a high polish, walked like a man who has been in the saddle all his life and directed the household like a Sar. Major! (In fact he was a Lieutenant).  From the girl's room we would hear him at daylight.  "Rise and shine, boys. Time to get up. Cows to be milked. wood to be chopped and dogs to be fed."  Cuz sometimes confided she was pleased she was born a girl! However, Uncle was a very tender and affectionate man. who made time for us kids and was devoted to his wife and family.   (He is 89 years old now and suffering since a stroke.  He did not recognise me last time I saw him :-(

Aunty had been bred in the city, but she was the most capable woman, along side my Mum and Grandma, I have ever known!  Nothing fazed her!  Along with raising a large family she cared for her own mother until her death, catered for the numerous strays and relatives who lived with or visited them from time to time, and ironed everything in sight! I once asked her why she ironed all the men's work clothes?  She said they fitted into the cupboards better that way!  Her cooking was renowned and her hospitality a legend.  Aunty died a couple of years ago and one thing I noted at her funeral was the number of cousins from both sides and kids of these cousins, myself and my girls included, who travelled long distances to pay tribute to this very special, precious woman.

Each year my Mum hosted the Boxing Day Bash.  The families, all being fairly large, would  hold their own Christmas Day get-togethers.  Then Mum and Dad would have all the relatives at our place on Boxing Day.
This was often the high light of our year, especially if we had not seen some of the clan much that year.  All of the Grandparents, Uncles, Aunts and cousin from "Over the Road" would come at some stage of the day and the further afield relatives would come all day.  Far away relies would even make their plans to coincide with sharing Boxing Day at "Glen Erin" .  Apart from lots of food and good company we played cricket, endless games of cards, swam if there was enough water in the near by river and the men would always do the obligatory farm tour.

When my parents retired a few of the relatives tried to keep up the Boxing Day Bash but it never really took off at another venue.  Now my own family meet some time around Boxing Day and New Year .  We have a large crew of our own when we all get together but we still include any other local relatives who would like to drop in.  This year, Lord willing, we will not congregate until March when dear Mum and Dad celebrate their 60th Wedding Anniversary.

The photograph at the top of this post was taken at the 50th Wedding Anniversary of my maternal grandparents. I am 3.5 years old! Anyone want to take a guess which little girl is me?  The fiery red head is also there and a little easier to indentify! This grandmother died the following year from lung cancer.

SAID HANRAHAN

 by John O'Brien

"We'll all be rooned," said Hanrahan in accents most forlorn,
Outside the church, ere Mass began one frosty Sunday morn.
The congregation stood about coat-collars to the ears,
And talked of stock, and crops, and drought as it had done for years.
"It's looking crook," said Daniel Croke; "Bedad, it's cruke, me lad,
For never since the banks went broke has seasons been so bad."

"It's dry, all right," said young O'Neil, with which astute remark
He squatted down upon his heel and chewed a piece of bark.
And so around the chorus ran, "It's keepin' dry, no doubt."
"We'll all be rooned," said Hanrahan, "Before the year is out."
"The crops are done; ye'll have your work to save one bag of grain;
From here way out to Back-o'-Bourke they're singin' out for rain.

"They're singin' out for rain," he said, "And all the tanks are dry."
The congregation scratched its head, and gazed around the sky.
"There won't be grass, in any case, enough to feed an ass;
There's not a blade on Casey's place as I came down to Mass."
"If rain don't come this month," said Dan, and cleared his throat to speak -
"We'll all be rooned," said Hanrahan, "If rain don't come this week."

A heavy silence seemed to steal on all at this remark;
And each man squatted on his heel, and chewed a piece of bark.
"We want an inch of rain, we do, "O'Neil observed at last;
But Croke "maintained" we wanted two, to put the danger past.
"If we don't get three inches, man, or four to break this drought,
We'll all be rooned," said Hanrahan, "Before the year is out."

In God's good time down came the rain; and all the afternoon
On iron roof and window-pane it drummed a homely tune.
And through the night it pattered still, and lightsome, gladsome elves
On dripping spout and window-sill kept talking to themselves.
It pelted, pelted all day long, a-singing at its work,
Till every heart took up the song way out to Back-o'-Bourke.

And every creek a banker ran, and dams filled overtop;
"We'll all be rooned," said Hanrahan, "If this rain doesn't stop."
And stop it did, in God's good time; and spring came in to fold
A mantle o'er the hills sublime of green and pink and gold.
And days went by on dancing feet, with harvest-hopes immense,
And laughing eyes beheld the wheat nid-nodding o'er the fence.

And, oh, the smiles on every face, as happy lad and lass
Through grass knee-deep on Casey's place went riding down to Mass.
While round the church in clothes genteel discoursed the men of mark,
And each man squatted on his heel, and chewed his piece of bark.
"There'll be bush-fires for sure, me man, there will, without a doubt;
We'll all be rooned," said Hanrahan, "Before the year is out."

ooOOoo

John O'Brien was the nom de plume of Patrick Joseph Hartigan (1878-1952), born in Yass, New South Wales. He was a Roman Catholic priest in the Goulburn diocese and later parish priest at Narrandera -- also rural towns in New South Wales.

'Said Hanrahan' paints a wonderful portrait of Australian-Irish bush culture, together with its church, the land, the climate and the seasons which constitute its core. Hanrahan (a quintessentially Irish name) expresses unconquerable Irish pessimism about the prospects down on the farm. Hanrahan has a point however: the lush growth from spring rain can indeed dry out into fuel which poses a serious fire risk in summer.

'Said Hanrahan', I think, is readily accessible to non-Australians but here are a couple of notes: 'rooned' is Australian-Irish pronunciation of 'ruined'; 'never since the banks went broke' refers to the turbulent 1890s which were bad drought years and also when, in the absence of a central bank, nearly all the land banks and building societies, and 12 of the 22 trading banks went broke, following the collapse of an intense property boom. 'Back-o'-Bourke' is an Australian colloquialism for being just about anywhere in the vast and sparsely populated heartland of bush Australia; 'every creek a banker ran' means that the rivers overflowed.

'Said Hanrahan' was published in Around the Boree Log and Other Verses (1921)

William Grey.

I love most of the poety of  John O'Brien!  I posted "Around the Boree Log"  here.  Being brought up in any Irish Roman Catholic family, though I no longer hold the doctrines of that denomination, his poetry brings back many childhood memories for me. 
I thought to post "Said Hanrahan" because I was thinking about the many long years of drought we have been through and now it is just raining, raining, raining, day after day, week after week and we find ourselves wishing that "this 'ere rain would stop" even after praying for rain for so long! Hope you enjoy!

Thoughts to take into the New Year

The Duty Man Owes to God

Thomas Boston:

"Let us consider the duty which man owes unto God.  this is obedience.  We are in a state of subjection to God.  He is our superior, and His will we are to obey in all things.  He is our King, and we must obey Him as His subjects, by complying with all His statutes and ordinances.  He is our Father, and we must show Him all respect, reverence, and affection, as His dutiful children.  He is our Lord and Master, and we must yield Him the most cheerful and unlimited service, as is our reasonable duty.  He is our supreme Lawgiver, and we must receive the law at His mouth, every law and precept, every ordinance that is stamped with His authority, whatever is subscribed with a "Thus saith the Lord, " readily obeying it."

It is difficult to fathom that the year can have passed so quickly.
It is convicting to think about just how much time has been frittered away on the frivilous things of this world.  Let us purpose to walk, no run! after the Lord in renewed obedience  in the year ahead.

In which I learn a lesson

The hard way!

After many years of mothering and supervising children, one might assume that I know all the tricks and pitfalls to watch out for.  My little grandsons are every bit as switched on and mischievous as any of my children were.  My daughters are on the ball, but I am obviously slowing down and losing some of my smarts when it comes to out witting children!

So we are all sitting in the back yard, attempting to escape the very draining humidity.  We have cold water and  nibblies for the kids.  Mumma has her feet up and is fanning her very red, hot face, sighing periodically and generally feeling drowsy in this blistering heat. We while away a few hours until we feel sure the children have had enough and then pack for the evening.  One of my daughters is in the flood affected part of town so her children  really appreciated being able to run about freely.  All in all a very busy, noisy day but lots of fun.

Fast forward to next morning....
Dad goes down to work on the excavator which is parked in our back yard........
Well, yes the kids did have a little drive of it.  Why do you ask?

Can you believe it?  One of the two year olds has managed to unscrew the fuel cap! So the boys and I, and Dad muttering under his breathe about his  irresponsible wife, the cost of a new fuel cap, how naughty children are and the general difficulty in finding good help these days, went on a search and destroy of our back yard. It is small but has a great deal of  "equipment" in it.  Many wonderful hidey holes for little hands to squirrel something away.  Although we have no garden to speak of we do have several patches of thick ferns - again excellent to just drop something in if you never want it to be seen again!

Two days have passed and the wretched thing has not turned up.  You may think it is much ado about nothing but the excavator belongs to a friend and parts for Cat machinery, even little insignificant ones, are not cheap.  Sigh......

Rule #1.  Never, never take your eyes off a two year old!

It looks like this if you happen to see one around!

But are they Socialized??

Hahahahahahahaha!

Somewhat exaggerated but rather funny conversation!

This is one persistant robot lady!

Thanks to Kelly from Generation Cedar for the link.

No More a Baby!

Life has been too busy to deflate from the high of our holiday away. 

Saturday was my youngest grandson's first birthday!

Can it really be a year since he was born?

We celebrated the occasion with an afternoon in the park, all the while watching the ominous dark clouds, the children's faces bright red with the intense heat and humidity.

Alas, we are back to true CQ Summer weather.

The Fitzroy River is flooding moderately and expected to peak tomorrow.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!

Still the baby of my family!

GS3 is wearing his little Melbourne Aquarium tee shirt.

Cousin and brother are big two year olds and really enjoyed the cake

(despite the heat :-)

My plan is to blog little but read as often as possible over the break.

My dear ol' Dad has had a couple of weeks in hospital having become blind.  He is returning home tomorrow so this will be a difficult adjustment for my parents. I hope to spend as much time as possible with them.

Have a great week everyone.

Melbourne and Points Beyond

Our wonderful trip to Victoria is over :-(

So many months in the planning and every bit as exciting as we had dreamed.

Too much packed into those nine days to write about so I will do the album thing.

I have selected these from 450 photographs we took.

Enjoy!

Leaving Rockhampton airport.

To the Top of the World!

88 floors in 37 seconds to see the spectacular view from the Sky walk at the Eureka Towers

Then on the the Old Melbourne Gaol.

Site of the hanging of Ned Kelly.

WANTED

and other disreputable characters!

The Melbourne Zoo

showcases the wonders of Gods animal creation!

We were delighted to watch a platypus swimming, diving and frolicking.

Jemimah's favourites ~ the butterflies.

Elephant wallowing.

The Aquarium.

Absolutely awe inspiring creatures of the deep!

We could have spent a long while just watching the antics of the nesting and playful penguins.

Up close to some very spectacular creatures!

More than a mouthful!

The Museum held many wonders including

a 3D presentation from the Hubble Telescope.

"The Heavens declare the glory of God"!

The absolute highlight!

Two days at Sovereign Hill Historical site.  Ballarat.

WOW!

This place is so well done in every detail.

The children enjoyed panning for gold, and finding a few specks.

The huge treat was dinner in one of the old pubs, the spectacular light show and re-enactment of the events leading up to and including the Eureka Rebellion, and staying the night in the on site accommodation!

The Red Coats fired some pretty impressive guns!

Every building is done up in minute detail, right down to folks in 1850s clothing doing needlework and shop assistants passing the time of day with quaint conversations.

Site of the Eureka Stockade

Bendigo

The Chinese Museum

Winging home.

Exhausted and exhilarated!

Bloggers three!

Jeanne, from  A Peaceful Day, Ruby, That's me! and Jeana, from Jeana Marie Blackert

As with all things, people are the best part of my holiday memories.

Jeanne is the same wonderful, warm person in real life as she is on her blog. I cannot tell you how much I appreciated the hospitality and generosity which she and  her family showed us nor the time and energy they spent ensuring that we had the holiday of a lifetime. Well, for me at least, perhaps my boys will go on to great adventures.  Life long friends have been made and many precious memories as well.

It was an added bonus to meet and spend some time with Jeana and her family.

On the Lords Day we were blessed to worship with the people of God at Jeanne's home church.

"Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brethren dwell together in unity!"

Psalm 130

Although we sing acapella we use this beautiful tune (Martyrdom). It is a Psalm very precious.

"I wait for God, my soul doth wait, my hope is in his word,

 More than they that for morning watch, my soul waits for the Lord."



Wish you were here!

We  arrived safely at Avalon airport on Tuesday night and are having a wonderful time in Melbourne!!
Jeanne and "Major Nelson" are the perfect hosts and tour guides and Jemimah is delightful as only 9 year old girls can be.  What an amazing experience it has been to meet this bloggy friend and her family and share real life friendship as well as visit this marvellous city.

We have done lots of touristy type stuff, like the Old Melbourne Gaol, the Eureka Tower, Zoo and Aquarium.  We have also enjoyed some absolutely fantastic meals! ummmm....home cooking was never quite like this!  In the last few days I have sampled Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, Italian and Jeannese!All amazing, l really loved the Vietnamese food which I have never tried before though my boys were not so fussed on it and ended up eating a lot of rice! Well, at least they can say they tried it.

Jeanne posed a question on her blog before I came down wondering whether a visit from me would enrich and strengthen our long distance friendship, or perhaps strain it.  Well, I cannot answer for Jeanne, but I know that I wondered the same thing.  For me, this has been an amazing experience for both myself and my boys.  We feel very at home and are enjoying the company of the residents of the Peaceful home immensely.  I know that the friendship which the the two of us began about eighteen months has now become a very close and important one for me and that all those things which we sensed we had in common are certainly there in real life.

I just hope Jeanne and her family have enjoyed having us as much as we have enjoyed being here,


Jeanne has kindly let me post on her laptop but I will post more about our adventures and some pics when I get home.

H ~ H ~ H

Don't judge a book by its cover" ~ so the old adage goes.  I guess I did just that and I think I have been pleasantly surprised by this recently released novel by Christine Bongers, Henry Hoey Hobson.  The cover suggests a creepy, witchy type book and this is what one is meant to think.  All through the theme is that things are not always as they first appear and that one should not jump to a conclusion too quickly.

This is the second novel by Ms Bongers, I wrote a little about the first DUST here.  Henry Hoey Hobson is a very different type of story. As I said, the cover, and my misgivings about the previous book, led me to be not overly enthusiastic about reading this one. However, as you gathered from that last post, the author is known to me and her sister-in-law, who is an old friend of mine,  told me recently that I should read it. She promised it was not at all like the "based on her own life" book.  Then my sister passed on this copy and there you have it.

Henry has been shunted around all his short life and when he finds himself at yet another new school he feels the odd man out, being the only Year 7 boy.  Much of the "bullying" is in Henry's head as he begins his ordeal.  He also sees and sums up his arty/ alternative new neighbours without really knowing the facts. Vee is in fact not a vampire but suffers from Xeroderma pigmentosum and although they live unusual lives, they each have a story.  The entire book is about being different and being accepted.

WHAT I LIKED ( and didn't) ABOUT HHH...

There are suggestions of bullying and weirdness and witchcraft but they mostly turn out to be in Henry's imagination. However, his fears and past experiences are very real and I think many would identify with them.  There is resolution with  the protagonists as well, which is good. Most of the adult characters are not your normal Mum and Dad stereotypes, and yet the adults come through. They have worked through their hangups, problems, disabilities and show some wisdom, leadership and compassion. Lydia, Henry's mother is the exception but she comes through in the end. 

I do not particularly enjoy modern fiction and slang writing but on the whole it is not too heavy here. I did not like the use of the expression OMG, though I realise how frequently that is used in today's society. I think the use of the vampire and a few other creepy things is a concession to what seems very attractive in literature for young people these days so although I am not into it, it did make for a good yarn. Not giving it a thumbs up or down,  but the end result was I really liked Henry and the crew by the end of the book and thought Christine Bongers has done an okay job of this one. Because I know that like me, most home schoolers tend to like more wholesome books I would suggest pre reading before letting it loose on the children!

The book is set in Brisbane so many of the places and land marks are familiar. It is suited to readers around the ages of twelve to fifteen.

Our Big Adventure!

WORDLESS  WEDNESDAY