A Couple of Classics!

I'm sure I have mentioned that our family reunion to celebrate 100 years "On our Selection" is drawing near.  Ever since I began this blog I have included snippets of family and farm history.  A group of us, mostly from my generation, have been organising and it is going to be a fabulous day of re-uniting, reminiscing and general good times!  Today I received these photographs emailed to my brother from a distant cousin who will be attending this great event.

He and his parents visited my grandparents way back in the early 60's!  Need I say it, fashion was not the primary concern of these hard working farmers!  If you look closely, Grandma has slippers on.  I am going to guess it was early morning and the visitors were about to hit the trail when this picture was taken.

My Grandies are in the centre with the visiting relies on the right

 and  Dad's two younger brothers on the left.

I love old family shots that have the car in them. 

That and the clothes are usually a good pointer as to when the photo

was taken. I called my hubby over to look at this and he

 immediately guessed late 50's going by the car.

Farm butchering!

Yikes!

This was one aspect of farm life that I did not like so much :-(

Especially if it was a poddy calf or pet pig :-(

To me, this pic is also interesting as it shows the underneath of my

grandparents house. This was the "new" house built about 1947

where my uncle on the left raised his family in the 60's through 80's

and now his son, my cousin lives.

The house is very different underneath now!

Stay tuned ~ I will be posting more about the big event as it gets closer!

Interesting Book Reviews

A review of "Created to be His Helpmeet" by Debi Pearl.
I read this book a good few years ago and found that some of it didn't sit well with me.  Tim Challies has zeroed in on some of those doubtful issues for me in this review of Mrs Pearl's book. Read the reviews and see what you think, especially if you have also read the book.

part 1

part 2

Over the years I've been loaned a number of the Pearl's books to read by well meaning and very sincere friends.  I have often come across doctrine and practice therein which did not seem correct to me but again, I had trouble discussing it with the friends in question as they are very enamoured with the Pearl's teachings.  At least I would say be wary. Aside from the controversy of their methods of punishment they promote "sinless perfectionism" and a somewhat works oriented life style.  I found some very good and thought provoking stuff but also some doubtful teaching.  Have you read any of their books or literature?  What do think of the Pearl's teaching?

Wisdom!
We must search the scriptures daily to see if these things be so.

And for any Reformed readers who are happy to have the mickey taken out of them occasionally you might enjoy this review of  Killing Calvinism  over at Pyromaniacs!  It sounds like a read for all who take themselves a little toooo seriously in the Reformed world.  (Serious is good by the way, but you know our reputation for being unbearably superior and condescending.  Oh and argumentative :-)

Yes, I am getting to read the occasional article these days and have posted twice this week!!

On turning 50....

It is some months until the big '50' birthday for me but celebrations have already begun.  A couple of years ago when my Senior class held our last reunion it was decided to meet again this year.  The year most of our class mates would turn fifty.  As it turned out it was just a small group but we had such a great catch up I think we will try for more regular reunions, even when not so many can come.  As I live in the city where I attended high school I have the advantage that so far, they have always been held here.

We were boarders, about twenty of us in a Senior class of ninety.  Some of the girls who boarded during our years also attend. There are strong bonds made between girls who have lived, laughed and studied together during their formative years.  We did laugh about some of our childish escapades!

Some of the girls hated boarding school and remember dreadful things which I do not.  I was very homesick and life was strict and very regimented in a Roman Catholic boarding school in the 1970's, but I have mostly good memories of those years.  I go to that same place every time I visit my parents and I have none of the bad dreams and unresolved issues that some of the girls expressed.

We met for morning tea and lunch, lingering through the after noon and having dinner together in a nice Asian place on the river.

I thank God, that as a believer I seem to have a capacity to forgive which others perhaps struggle with.  Still, there seems little to forgive in my memories.  I have been asked whether bad school experiences are the reason for my choosing to home school but I can truly say that both my country primary school and city boarding school experiences were good and wholesome ones.


Some say that your school days are the best days of your life, but I reckon that the best is yet to come!  I have five more months to enjoy the roaring forties!

Sisters!

I wanna be just like
you when I grow up!

Grrrr........... Computers!

It seems we can't live without them but neither can we live amiciably with them!  Yes, our computer is old so we often have glitches which, over time, become major problems.  We are blessed with a couple of friends who actually know a bit about the inner workings of the beast, unlike us. 

Today I sit at the very conveniently installed booths at our local super market.  When I sat down about half an hour ago to check all the important stuff :-)  (emails, scrabble games, face book) I was the only user of the five booths but now all but one are in use.  I am totally accustomed to a racket going on as I write a post but this is ridiculous!

At home we are debating the direction to take as far as this can't-live-without technology.  Our old one should be up and running over the weekend.  But with five users and high demand the majority of us are plugging for a) an upgrade and b) another beast to join the family.  I am checking out lap tops and other fancy portable devises.  The kids are very keen on this option!  They pointed out that I can use it while watching TV (apparently  men/ boys are beginning to multi-task too!) but the few TV shows I watch are my veg out times.  Plus, I need conserntration to read blog posts etc!  It is convenient for school.  Hey, we have to walk, oh at least three metres from the school room to the computer desk!  I can even pull it out at Maccas or a long wait at the doctors.  

Hubby is not keen for it.  He has the valid point that we have always had our computer in any open place where we can supervise what's being read etc.  I think he secretly fears I, and everyone else, may spend tooooo much time on it, which is also a valid point.  Two divided by five could jack up the usage.

I don't like to admit it, but I think I will/ would be tempted to doodle away on it at the learning area, which is something I have always tried to avoid.  Would I get to the stage of needing it near while I cook, wash, iron?  Do any of you do this?  Oooops, giggles, I don't iron :-)

So what do you prefer?  Your computer with it's nice big screen and keyboard ? your laptop? tablet? ipad? or some other doovy?? I admit I am hopeless at typing on touch screens so I am more of a key board person.  I'd value your opinions as I wade through catalogues trying to understand the terminology and decide what I actually need.  Need?  Hmm...what I want.

A lot of stuff have happened here over our Semester Break.  We've had a good holiday and a few special occasions.  I hope to catch you all up soon.  Not enough time for me to blog read at your places just now.  I hope all my regular blog friends are going well.  God bless!

(I hope there aren't too many typos.  Spell check doesn't seem to be doing its job.