Of ingrown toe nails and other breaking news............

Friends, Romans and countrymen......

Honestly, it is so long since I last posted I hardly know how to begin.  I certainly don't think I can catch you up on all these months in detail.  It is amazing that when I am blogging regularly the words seem to flow.  Just now I feel rather bereft of things to say and yet anxious to reconnect with friends in blogging land.

I really do suffer from ingrown toenails.  Ouch!  I used to have nice even toes and toe nails but apparently the nerve damage which affects long term diabetes sufferers elsewhere, also affects the nails, so I had to have a couple of nasty toenails trimmed off.  I can't believe it but I am also getting finger nails curling inward in the same way.

Yes, I know that is all trivial :-)

The Family

The situation with my OCD son has improved out of sight. He is not totally back to his old self but much more stable and easier to get along with.  School work is still a huge struggle for him as his concentration span is very short.  He does get down but not depressed the way he used to.  He has packed on a lot of weight over his illness and now that he is feeling better in himself he is anxious to get it off.  He is finding it difficult to accept that it takes time and commitment. I want to thank all of you who have prayed for this precious boy over the past year and thank God for the improvement we have seen.  He will turn 15 in a few weeks!

My older son is beginning his final year of school!  He is doing a TAFE course one day a week and so far liking that and fitting in.  He has never been in a classroom situation before so we are very proud of him. One of his cousins is also enrolled in the same course and that has been good.. My girls also did TAFE courses after school so I feel it has been a good option for us.

My older daughters and their families are thriving!
My two eldest grandsons began Prep this year.  While I still have all the same concerns I had twenty five years ago for my own children, I try to see the positives as well.  My relationship with the one "wayward" daughter is still fragile but I would say, improving.  Sigh! Bringing forth children sure can be sorrowful.

I see my home educating years coming to an end soon.  Perhaps the youngest will see out Year Twelve but I doubt it. I have a lot of mixed feelings about it all just now.  Many of my early dreams and goals have never come to fruition, I have children (bar one) who do not profess faith, I have to deal with a whole lot of bad character traits which we prayed, read and learned about for years.  I guess I am weary.  I know my children are good people, but are they the Lord's? are they useful members of society? are they good examples to the grandchildren and other people?  And thus, have I been?  All theses questions swirl around in my head.

My husband is having a lot of back pain and finding his mechanical work quite difficult.  He needs an operation on the spurs growing on his spine but the list is long...........  I will be having a small procedure done on my hands soon as I have very painful joints.  Some pain is just arthritis but I also have, wait for it, trigger finger!  When that is repaired I guess I will have to stop totting a gun!
But on the whole we are coasting along and in general life is good.  In all things give thanks!

Love my children and grandchildren ♥

Mum

In mid-December mum had a nasty fall and broke both her shoulder and her hip.  She has a pre-existing heart condition which made surgery risky.  However, she pulled through well and after several stays in and out of hospital and then Rehab she is now back in her low care unit.  She still needs assistance to walk.  The dear lady has become very frail and fragile but mostly has a wonderful, accepting attitude.  She is just thankful for her family and for her carers. I forgive her the bad days because I know we all have them and I also know that she misses Dad.......a lot.

I attended two beautiful, joyful weddings over the holidays.  Both were daughters of home schooling friends who married wonderful young men who are also following the Lord.  They were quite different but still very beautiful and was really excited to be a part of them.

My cousin and I at one of the recent weddings

A few books to share

I also read lots of books over the holidays.  Mum needed help with meals for over a month so there wasn't a lot of time. I very much enjoyed "Csardas" by Diane Pearson .  This is a favourite of one of my sisters which I wanted to read. It is set over the two wars in Hungary and details the class system and it's downfall in Europe. It follows the adventures and mis-adventure of one upper class family and those whom they came in contact with.  I loved it as my sister had.

I also read the Lancaster series by Anna Jacobs.  Fluffy romance really but a good story and great historical facts woven in.  This book also highlights the strict social class system in 1800s in Britain and the changes which came about for immigrants to the new colony in Western Australia.

I read Philippa Gregory's "Earthly Joys" but I actually found it a little hard to finish in the end.  Just too many immoral encounters for me.  I realise, being set in the immediate years after the reign of QE1 that it was a debaucherous society.  I never want to become so affected by worldly standards that it would not upset me to read such books.  Of course her other historical novels are full of similar behaviour - that's human history :-(

A novel I picked up at the supermarket turned out to be quite interesting as well, even though written by an unknown (to  me) Irish author Elaine Crowley. Now that I have googled her I see she has quite a lot of titles and they all seem to be on that Irish theme.  I read "The Ways of Women" and it was quite good in opening up facts about the Irish "situation" post WW1.

Now my hubby and boys who have driven to Gladstone for the Drag Races have just rung to say that the meet was cancelled and they are on their way back :-(  So many things I was going to do while I was here on my own, which is rare!

It feels good to be back.

Holiday Reads and related trivia

The heat brought my great culling clean up to a stand still a couple of weeks ago.  It really saps your energy. I hope to do the two remaining rooms before we get back to school. Time is running out!  The up side being that in seeking to keep cool I have managed to read a few books.

When Bryce Courtenay died a few months ago, I realised that I had never read any of his novels. Though familiar with his name and some of the titles it seems he began to be popular around the same time that I started having children.  I know that I have read much less over those twenty odd years.

I chose to read "The Power of One" as it was the one which most people seemed to have enjoyed.  Did you?
I did enjoy the story, but I have to admit that I am very squeamish with books that have this type of racism and violence.  Even knowing it is true and acknowledging the realism of it, it does make it a difficult read for softies like me.
Also, I was saddened by the representation of the Christian faith in the book. Again, realistic, but none the less sad and a little shameful.

We have several South African friends and I remember my shock on meeting one lovely Christian family, at how they were still very affected by both apartheid and Boar/ English prejudices.  On mentioning a family we knew from SA I got the crisp reply, "But they are English!"  It took quite a while for this family to accept that over here, we seek to treat everyone equally as regard to race and skin colour and they were amazed (appalled?) at our ease of communication with indigenous people. That's about fifteen years ago, and Lord Willing, those attitudes have changed.

I also enjoyed "The Convent" written by Maureen McCarthy.  Being set through several generations of women in one family, revolving around the Convent, it was a book which I could identify with.  Having had an Irish Catholic upbringing all the prayers and rites were familiar to me. The story is interesting just as a good read if you like those type of generational books but non-Catholics may find some of  "over the top".  One of the central characters enters an enclosed order of nuns in the early 1960s and experiences the changes which came about due to Vatican II.  There are stories of a child being taken from her mother and placed in the "orphanage", a daughter becoming a nun, leaving and later becoming a mother, the meeting of the adopted child and her grandmother etc  All this takes place around this one Convent which make it quite interwoven and in some places heart wrenching.

Because I have several nuns in my extended family, much of this was very real to me.  I also attended a boarding school in the 1970s which was run by Sisters of Mercy and identified with many of the characters.  This book, while having some heart breaking events, is not a put down or expose of  Catholic institutions..

My aunt, after whom I was named and was my "God Mother" (another RC thing) entered the Camelite Order  in about 1965.  This is an enclosed order where the nuns do not leave the convent and spend their days in meditation and prayer.  This still applies to this day (she has never left to attend funerals, weddings etc but some medical visits) although their rules are much less strict.  When I was a child we had no photographs where as now they may take photographs and make and receive phone calls.  We still have to visit her behind a grill and pass photographs or gifts through a drawer underneath.

Here she is in a picture which appeared on her Christmas letter last year.  Even in their garb she is quite easy to pick out!!! A true country girl at heart. (Top outdoor group photo)

The novel I have just completed is "A Gathering Storm" by Rachel Hore. I really liked this book.  She uses the Cornish coast which is so vividly used in beloved books such as Rebecca (yes, I am a Daphne Du Maurier fan ) as her main setting and the time period is pre and during World War 2.  I like reading this sort of historically based novel.

I have been thinking since reading about the class separation in pre-war Britain, about brave, ordinary people who risked so much to spy for their countries and about the enormous changes during and after this period. I believe in years to come this period will be of great historical interest to future generations ( should the Lord tarry) up there with Ancient Egypt, Rome and Greece.  Because of Hitler and the second World War, yes, but also because of the great advances in technology over that time.

For so long horses and slow mail deliveries were the norm, but now communication and warfare was forever changed with cars, phones, electronic devices etc.  Even we who may remember a lot of "olden day" stuff do not have the experiences of this huge time of upheaval in the same way that our parents and grandparents did.

Last year I attempted to use a devotional for my Bible reading and I frankly admit, it was a dismal failure.  Circumstances seemed to conspire to keep me from much in the way of profitable reading and study.  As you know from old posts, I was also in a low spiritual condition and I realise that was my own doing.  Both from my slackness in quiet time with the Lord and in allowing events around me to overcome me at times.  But God.......is ever faithful!

This year I am purposing to be stricter on myself no matter what the outside pressures are. 

This is my first post for 2013.  May you all enjoy a full and rewarding year whether it be with family, church, schooling or elsewhere.  May our great God and Savior bless and keep you and your family throughout.  xo

Okay, Blogger is not allowing me to put pictures on so I have just linked everything.
Please note that both "The Power of One" amd "The Convent" have some bad language.  The latter was loaned to me by a sweet friend who had already blanked out the offending words ;-)

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!!

Spring Break!

Are you taking a break just now?

We are - and really looking forward

to soaking up the beautiful

Spring weather!

The school term has flown by very quickly it seems.

As mentioned in an earlier post, we have used some different materials

 this term in the form of DVDs to supplement for book work and lots of reading

in Science and SOSE.

This has been very successful for us and we will be able to continue this

into next term. The boys have continued on, often independently,

with their Maths and English. Next term, Lord willing, as my energy levels increase,

we will return to a more normal schedule

(for us) taking up the Speech Pathology activities and more art, science etc.

Home schooling through any crisis, be it moving house, illness,

new addition, is challenging.

I feel we have done quite well under the circumstances.

A lot of the boys' day has been devoted to "domestic science"!

We've read this interesting and engaging book this term, I Juan de Pareja.

It is an historical novel set in Spain in the 1600s and though fiction is based

on true characters and events.

The boys really got into this book.

We meet Juan as a slave boy in the service of his kind mistress.

Most of the story is about his life with his new master,

Diego Rodriguez de Silva y Velazquez and his family.

Velazquez becomes painter in the Royal Court of the King.

The friendship between Juan and his master is the focus of the story and

eventually Juan is granted his freedom which also allows him to paint.

Both Juan de Pareja and Diego Velequez became noted painters

with works hung around the world to his day.

The great painter Rubens and lesser known Murillo are also featured in the story.

Also of interest to us, aside from the lavish court descriptions and customs,

 as well as the darker side of gypsies and thugs, was the many references

to Roman Catholic rites and traditions.

Coming from this background, references to "Our Lady" and rosaries etc

were not unusual to my ears, but it gave a good opportunity to

explain these differences to the boys.

This book by Elizabeth Borton de Trevino is a Newbery medal winner

and was first published in 1965.

Read about it here.

To start the holidays, we are attending the local Pipe Band's Ceiledh on

Saturday night. A young friend of ours, a homeschoolded lad,

is part of the bagpipe players, so we are looking forward to

watching, hearing! him perform for the first time.

On the bagpipes, that is!

Vanity of Vanities...

There is no new thing under the sun..

Ganeida reviewed  "The Red Queen" a few months ago and kindly loaned me her copy of "The White Queen" to read. Since then I have read quite a few of these historical novels by Phillipa Gregory.  I am not a history buff, though I do enjoy learning more of history, so I am not going to comment from a factual point of view.

I have vacillated about whether I like these books.  So much scandal, corruption, sex, politics and intrigue.  Hey, that sounds a lot like society today!  This has really struck me - the immorality and lack of ethics in 1500s England.  While the Victorian era heralded a somewhat more austere life style and a turn to family life and morals, the Yorks, Lancasters, Tudors and other great names of the medieval period showed no such restraint.

When discussing  this with a friend, she commented that they were immoral but today people have become amoral.  Hmmm... there is no new thing under the sun.  What makes the 1500s scenario even worse/ sadder is that most people lived  a facade of Christianity and did much of their wickedness under a cloak of "church".  Today, people for the most part, do not pretend to be believers, though sadly many still use the guise of "church" to give some respectability to their wicked behaviour..

If the Lord tarries, one wonders how our own generation will be remembered in historical novels of the future.  While wickedness and ungodly behaviour abounds, perhaps we will be viewed in much the same way as our forefathers.  I pray that the Christians might make a clear and committed stand for the Lord and His ways which is for the glory of God and not for our promotion as so often has been the case.

In these bygone days, many lost their lives defending what they believed was truth and standing against the blatant abuse of power that was wielded over the common people. Whether we agree with their point of view or not, they had the courage of their convictions. Today, many of us are still appalled by similar heresy and ungodly behaviour but do we speak out and make a stand for the truths of God's Word?  Are we lights in a dark world?

Ecclesiastes 1
4One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but the earth abideth for ever.

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.

A Poppy for Remembrance









,

A Rose for the Anzac Boys







When my sister passed on this book to read, I thought I may read it aloud to the boys. Yes, it is historical fiction, and very accurate. But now that I have read it I will pass on the reading aloud. When you start to get teary from the very first chapter, you know it will be a difficult book to read to others in any sort of cohesive manner. It is one of the most heart breaking books I have read in a long while.

Although it is fiction, it is meticulously researched and poignantly realistic in the telling. Jackie French has based her story on the letters, diaries and memoirs, right down to some very gory details, of real characters who were there as well as official dates and documents. Mostly, it is the vivid and emotionally charged portrayals of this bloodiest of all wars which pulled my heart strings and kept me in tears throughout.

Set in Australia, New Zealand, England and the battle fields of France in the Great War, it tells the story of Midge Macpherson.   Midge is a New Zealand girl of Scottish decent who winds up leaving school in England to volunteer in France. Although it is a story which both boys and girls will enjoy/ benefit from, it is very much the story of the valiant women who volunteered in so many roles, without the recognition received by the even more valiant young men who fought in the War. It is also the story of the nurses and rich patronesses who kept the basic needs of these selfless men foremost in their minds and worked tirelessly for the duration of the war.
But just as much it  the story of, to quote The Band Played Waltzing Matilda,

 "The armless, the legless, the blind and insane,

All the poor wounded heroes of Suvla."

and all the other arenas in which the ANZACs fought.

This story, though a novel, is very close to the bone, and heart,  for me as my own Grandad fought in this conflict in the very fields of France where the story is set. As a child, he spoke very little to us of the horrors he had experienced. He was wounded on two occasions. After the first he returned to action (Oh, after reading this I can hardly bear to think how hard that must have been to do.) After the second very close escape (We have his pocket book complete with bullet hole to show how he was spared) he was sent to recuperate in England and after the armistice was signed, shipped home. As this book describes vividly the transportation and conditions of the wounded and dying, I imagine Grandad in those very tents, among the screaming wounded and the shell shocked. My heart goes out to him and all those brave young men who went to war to do their duty, to serve King and country and came back, alive but forever scarred.

As children, (Grandad died, aged 91,  when I was 20 years old) he glossed over the actual horrors and atrocities we now know he must have seen and experienced. But he loved to tell of the wonders of Egypt and spoke of how lovely the people of France, England and Ireland (where he visited relatives after recovery) were. He would roar laughing about  how the French girls called him Michelle (Michael). Of course, France and London were battle scarred and deeply depressed when he visited.But as I got older, I realised that Grandad didn't just carry the scars of the shrapnel which we could see on his shoulder and over his kidneys. He carried much deeper scars and as so many men of that era, he carried them silently.

Now I have only the few memories which my own Dad has relayed of those dreadful hand to hand battles on the fields of France. An image of his mate being blow apart beside him. Of Grandad refusing to shoot a German whose head kept bobbing up and down as he dug in just yards away from them. All was quiet and apparently he told the Captain if he wanted him dead he could shoot him, himself. Which he did apparently and all hell broke loose.

My grandfather was a quiet man, a gentleman and a scholar. How that war must have crushed his spirit.
When World War II broke out and his sons wanted to enlist he advised them to seek positions other than foot soldiers to spare them the same horrors. The two who went become drivers in the Army and were also blessed to return home safely. My Dad, a little younger and also a gentle soul, was blessedly not required, though the ones at home carry many cruel and vivid memories as well.

Once again, as we remember the fallen and those who have served our country in all conflicts, on this November 11th, I thank God that my grandfather was spared and that I have such precious memories of a wonderful man. A grandad, a story teller,  a farmer, a deeply religious, pious and well read man, a hero.

The pocket book which was tucked in Grandad's trousers, over his kidneys,

which took the brunt of the bullet and probably  saved his life.

(It is hard to see the hole in the bottom in this pic.)

Service medals and the Rising Sun insignia

He served in the 47th Battalion

.

A Rose for the Anzac Boys

http://www.jackiefrench.com/historical.html#anzac

Ruth

Here is a link to a write up on the Desiring God blog about John Piper's newest book "A Sweet and Bitter Providence". A book about the biblical Book of Ruth. It piqued my interest and I thought it might yours, though I have not ordered it and will refrain from doing so for a while as I have a PILE of books in the reading queue at present.

You would think being holidays I would be doing heaps of reading, but there is just so much to do, so many places to go, people to see, babies to googaa at .... :-)

Hopefully one day, I shall manage to read this highly recommended book on the noble Ruth. If you happen to read it - let us know what you think.

Carol's Book...Take a Look!

It's here!!

Congratulations Carol.

Here is Carol (NewKidontheBlogg)'s book. Hot off the press. Read all about it!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR;

"Nice girls don't yell!" Oh yeah" The author does some yelling in this book. Carol Noren Johnson is a retired English teacher who discovered that niceness gets in the way of being effective, genuine and godly. She writes truthfully about incidents in the life and her growing understanding of godliness. she lives in Plant City, Florida with her husband. Mrs Johnson holds a B.A. in Teaching Arts and English from Westmont College and M.A. in Educational Systems Development from San Jose State University. She is a Distinguished Toastmaster and is working on a Ed.D. in Counseling and Education from Whitefield Theological Seminary.

To read more about Carol and her book pop over to her website and her blog and you can also order from Carol (See her blog for her details) or from amazon.

I am honoured and delighted to have a copy already, sent to me by Carol herself. Carol has become a friend through contact, first on a Christian Forum which we both post on and later by email and our blogs. This book is her personal memoir but touches on areas which most of us can indentify with. Carol has a great desire to grow in the knowledge and grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and to do all things for His glory. Carol bestowed a great honour on me by inviting me to write the Forword to her book, so I am very excited to see it in hard copy right now!

May the Lord bless this work to His glory and the good of many, Carol.

My Golden Childhood XII

Provoking Thoughts

I have one Golden Childhood post in draft form and one in my head, which for various reasons I have not published yet. This post is prompted by the reading this week of a novel, Dust, by a women who grew up close by to us. I am not writing about this to recommend her book as I think most of my readers are Christians and/ or homeschoolers and this is very much a book directed at modern teenagers. Having said that, it was a fascinating read for me personally!

The author, Chrisitne Bongers, was a year or two older than me and lived outside the neighbouring township from us. Our families attended Mass at alternating Roman Catholic churches. All of the place names are real places in the Callide Valley so I had a clear picture of her house, the bus stop, the railway bridge, the dam, the state school, the local high school .... Just amazing to read a book and be able to actually "be there"!

Christine states that the characters are fictitious and "any resemblance to actual people, living or dead, is entirely coincidental". {Giggle} Any one who grew up and lived around our area will be able to identify some of those characters, and I'm chuffed to say, that includes my own family!!! Other characters are a good melding of various locals. Truly, this is a weird sensation to read a story which you feel is so close to home.

So, why am I posting this under My Golden Childhood?

Christine Bongers book has stirred up some thoughts for me. About my childhood, as I compare it to hers. (The main character is obviously based on her own experiences.) We were not friends, didn't attend the same school, but we had that church connection and our families knew one another reasonably well)I certainly remember her and her six brothers very well. Ironically, the childhood post I am having so much trouble in getting to publish is the one on my upraising in a staunch RC family in the 60s and 70s! One of the themes she emphasises in her story.

So, I finished the book thinking...what is that makes me see my childhood through rose coloured glasses? Was I, am I, naive? gullible? ignorant? Probably yes to all of those. I would like to think it is that I am saved, forgiven and pressing forward!

This author writes her story from the point of view of a girl raised a Roman Catholic who on her web site says that she is not religious but thanks God for.... I think that sums up the two roads that one can take. A nominal faith or a life committed to serving the Lord. As we lean upon the Lord, accept his providence and are thankful for ALL he has done in our life, our glass becomes half full. The past becomes a part of the road to the Celestial City and even when we have tarried in Bypath Meadows, it has been for our good!

If any one comes across this book, be warned, it does contain some course language, adult/ teenage themes, sexual references and I do not think it promotes Christian principles in general though there are some wonderful life lessons taught. Having known the parents whom these characters are based on I can see their strong ethics portrayed in this fictitious account. The climax of the book is heart wrenching and I trust, IS totally of the authors imagination.

I do want my own memoirs to be honest and true to life. I do not think Christine Bongers has been anything else... remembering her story is fiction. It just struck me how deep, intense and sometimes dark her story is, with glimmers of gold as compared to the way I see those days of my childhood as golden just tinged here and there with shadows .

Mao's Last Dancer - The Movie

Last night I went to the movies with JJ to see Mao's Last Dancer. It was a wonderful adaptation of the book, which I read a couple of months ago and posted about here.

As with any one's life story, based on a book, a great deal of detail is left out of the movie. The focus is on Li's ballet career, with flashbacks to childhood. While I found the history and detail of Chinese life so interesting in the book, I thought the movie has handled it really well. It especially highlights the gorgeous and graceful dancer he became. (I love the classical ballet which most of it is, not so keen on the modern ballet which is showcased in one very emotional family reunion scene) .

The dancers who play Li, (Chi Cao) his eventual wife Mary Camilla Vergitos, and others are just breathe taking!

Mao's Last Dancer is directed by Bruce Beresford with an Australian cast (names like Jack Thompson, Penny Hackforth-Jones) and was shot in Australia, China and the US.

JJ and I both really enjoyed this movie and having a Girls' Night out!

The Law of Kindness

The Law of Kindness

with heart and hands

Mary Beeke

This book of interest to all christian women, seeking to grow in grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ, was published by Reformation Heritage Books in 2007. I was a little surprised that it had not reached our circle of ladies as this is just the type of book we love! I would certainly recommend this book, but I can also see that perhaps there is a bit of an overflow of Proberbs 31 and Titus 2 type books circulating at the moment.

The first section examines what kindness is and of greatest importance, our motivations for our kind deeds. Mrs Beeke firmly points the reader to faith in Christ and to doing all to the glory of God. Kindnesses done to ones own glory of course do not serve God, nor earn any merit and she writes well on this.

The second section deals with relationships, Wives, Husbands ( A good chapter by Joel Beeke), teachers, parents. Children and Teens. Mrs Beeke also addresses bullying in this section which of course is a sad reflection on the severity of this problem in our modern society.

The third section is the practical section addressing kindness in our words, thoughts and actions.

Mary Beeke uses scripture extensively. She also uses real life examples of kindness in action. The flip side being the negative effects where kindness is withheld. I found much of the book very thought provoking - for example, that when one uses words to elevate themself (boasting) it is putting others down. Or the wrong in being "neutral", that we should actively seek to be kind, as the Lord has been kind to us.

If you have a book case full of "Women's" books you may find that there is not a lot new being said in this book. However, what is said is valuable, and I will certainly look to share it, particularly with younger women starting out on marriage, child raising and wider opportunities to bless with kindness. Mrs Beeke writes in a gentle and genuine manner which is a pleasure to read.

For interested Aussies I purchased my copy from The Reformers' Bookshop for $23.00 plus postage.

An Interesting Autobiography

Mao's Last Dancer

The autobiography of Li Cunxin

I picked up this book at my sister's place but she had lined me up to read it for some time.

It is the very interesting story of a Chinese peasant boy who became an international ballet dancing sensation.

What adds to the interest for us is that Li Cunxin eventually married a former Rockhampton girl who also became an international ballet dancer. Mary McKendry is not known personally to me but I knew her sister well as we were in the same class in high school! and I visited their home on occasion.

Cunxin's life is extremely interesting because he was born, the sixth of seven sons, to poor peasant farmers during the regime of Chairman Mao and he describes in depth the life they endured as well as many fascinating facts, from his point of view, of Chinese life at that time. Also, since he was born in 1961, his whole life and the events he describes mirror closely the dates in my own life which really brought it to life in a sense of what was happening in the world . I am fairly naive as to the historical events of the Revolution in China and this was a good eye witness account to open my eyes a little.

Cunxin himself, like most of the billion Chinese people, was completely brain washed by the propaganda of Mao's philosophy and rule and joined, as a young boy, their red scarf youth. His amazing release from a certain life of poverty came about by being chosen to train in Madame Mao's Dancing Academy. This was also an institution of political brain washing but eventually Cunxin is given the opportunity to dance in America. He marries, defects, is banished from China, divorces, re unites with his parents and eventually remarries the above mentioned Mary.

For a non christian book, and one in which the author was raised in a mixture of ancient Chinese superstition and communist anti religion, it contains very little and mild bad language. Also, some immorality . This sadly when Cunxin escapes the rigid, controlling rule of the Chinese and goes to liberal America. Cunxin eventually ended his dancing career in Australia and now lives and works here with his family.

I found the book well worth the read and if you pick it up, don't be put off by the thickness of it. It has large print and thick pages. Not a laborious read at all.

The Law of Kindness

Another little gem I read about at Tony Reinke's site Miscellanies

The Law of Kindness by Mary Beeke

Here is a short summary of Mrs Beeke's book from Miscellanies but click on the title and read more about it.

"Today I have the honor of pointing you to Mary Beeke’s new book, The Law of Kindness: Serving with Heart and Hands (Reformation Heritage: 2007).
My wife and I have enjoyed brief but precious time with the Beeke family and have benefited from Mary’s display of kindness. As the mother of three kids and the wife of a busy seminary president, author, and pastor — Mary’s many duties are fulfilled in a display of selflessness and kindness. She is, in the words of Sinclair Ferguson, “Mrs. Kindness personified.”
Her new book was written to help the reader cultivate kindness. The book covers topics such as understanding kindness and its root (chs. 1-3), learning kindness as a wife, parent, or teacher (Mary was a teacher), and helping children and teens learn kindness (chs. 4-9). Finally, she concludes with chapters on the display of kindness: kind thoughts, kind words, and kindness displayed toward the needy (chs. 10-13).
It’s a book intended for a broad audience, not limited to wives and mothers."

Mary Beeke is the wife of Pastor and well known Reformed Christian writer Joel Beeke. I'm look ing forward to reading Mrs Beeke's book on this most important of all subjects, for the christian woman.

The Killer Itch

The Killer Itch ; A pregnancy book every mother should read.
by Jenny McDonald


Jenny has collated stories from women who have been affected by Obstetric Cholestasis during their pregnancies. OC is not common "but for those it affects it can take only a few short weeks to turn their pregnancy and their lives upside down." OC is a condition where hormonal changes cause the liver to not function properly.
Symptoms usually don't begin until the last trimester . The body becomes toxic and babies need to be delivered early before mother goes into premature labour. The classic symptom is EXTREME itchiness also dark urine, pale stools, tiredness and mild depression. The sad end result can be the death of the child if not taken before too late.

As the author Jenny McDonald is well known to me I am well acquainted with her story. Jenny endured several miscarriages and suffered the extreme itching in her two sons pregnancies. Her next child died in utero at 32 weeks. Jenny had longed for a large family and was devastated at their loss but mostly because no one seemed to take much notice about the itch before and now she couldn't find much information afterwards. Jenny is tenacious! She figured she could help other women so she set about researching Obstetric or Intrahepatic Cholestasis. This book is the result of Jenny's research and the finding of women, some close by (her sister-in-law) and some overseas, some who have lost babies, some who have only had the condition in certain pregnancies. This is a very informative book. It is a touching and intimate book. It is not a literary prize winner but the very down to earth stories of real people in real situations. Jenny and her husband Rod welcomed another son some years after the loss of their daughter. This time, well armed, she was able to monitor the situation, and although the baby was born early and needed time in special care was alive and healthy.

Jenny has a really good website: http://itchypregnancy.com/

There is also an American lady with a site called itchymoms.com

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