The Invented Amalgamated Housewife

Today I would like you to meet the invented amalgamated housewife or Tiah for short (pronounced Tee-a), she is not real of course, I invented her and I'll explain the amalgamated part later but I wanted you to meet her, for you might recognize yourself in the descriptions. This is a kind of reality check blog post because Tiah can pop over to my house sometimes and is often on my mind, she is someone I have to ask to leave. Does she ever visit you? I bet she does, especially when you are blogging!

Anyway, Tiah invited us to go and visit her home and not wanting to offend I agreed and RSVPed to her hand made, exquisite invitation card. We park the van in the driveway - no skateboards or bikes parked out front of course but Tiah does have children in case you are wondering! Tiah's home has a white picket fence, a rose covered pergola and a veranda - I haven't even stepped inside and already I am gushing. Tiah decorates her veranda for whatever season we happen to be in. It's all so lovely. I take five minutes admiring the potted colour, door wreaths and antique urns standing sentinel on either side of the wooden door which she painted herself, a fetching shade of ruby.

I finally ring the polished brass doorbell and Tiah comes to the door. She is as manicured as her green lawn, as neat as the rows of cottage flowers in the front beds and doesn't realize it but her front door matches her lipstick! Tiah has never experienced a bad hair day (February was so humid I christened it bad hair month!) She invites us in and we try not to gasp, it is all so lovely, the type of home that real estate agents describe as immaculate. Her tiled floors sparkle, the wooden floor area glows, it has such a lovely patina. The chandelier is just breathtaking - we have to take a breath and stop ourselves from saying 'Wow'!

Tiah invites us to sit on the sofa, soft cashmere throws are folded neatly on the arm (I have throws, they are not cashmere which is probably a good thing as they tend to be used to make tents and playhouses) and a hand stitched quilt in coordinating colours is draped gracefully over the back. You comment about the lovely quilt and Tiah tells us it is took just a couple of weeks but she was very happy with how it turned out. You decide not to share about the quilt you have been working on for the past two years!

Tiah was expecting us and is so organized and well prepared, she pops on her 50's vintage apron and excuses herself to go and take the freshly baked cranberry muffins out of the oven - so that was the delicious aroma! You love Tiah's kitchen - it is rustic farmhouse chic combined with Parisienne style. Tiah herself limewashed the cabinets. Her modern stainless steel stove shows not a finger mark (I think they should be called 'mark more' steel rather than stain less !) and she is not embarrassed to open the door of her new side by side stainless fridge/ freezer which matches the oven of course and all the other appliances apart from the Kitchen Aid mixer - she had to have the red one to match the lipstick!

A glimpse of my pantry - it is not 'pantry perfection', it is quite impractical but I do the best with what I have and try to keep it clean, well organized and well stocked.

Have I told you Tiah is an excellent cook. She makes everything from scratch. The vegetables artfully arranged in her copper bowl all come from her organic kitchen garden, her potager. The fruit is from their orchard. She bakes her own bread using freshly milled flour (OK I know I'm guilty of this - just had to pop it in!) Her cook books are pristine, neatly arranged in a special compartment in the kitchen island. Jaime and Nigella fight for position but the domestic goddess wins every time. Tiah opens her pantry to find the icing sugar to dust over the muffins. No rummaging around in this pantry - everything is in glass jars, labeled, standing to attention. You will not find half opened packets of flax meal, old spices or items past their expiration date. It is just pantry perfection!




After enjoying the cranberry muffins served with fragrant herbal tea in vintage china tea cups on a tray bedecked with a crocheted lace mat and tiny rosebud in a vase. Tiah takes us on a guided tour of her home. We are such sticky beaks we cannot turn down this offer. We see her living room, a picture of elegance, a polished piano is home to silver plated photo frames of sepia toned photographs of distinguished ancestors and beautifully posed family portraits - dad and all the boys in crisp white shirts and linen pants.

Quilts feature throughout Tiah's home. They hang over stair rails and are stacked in armoires and of course every member of the family has their own quilt folded neatly across the foot of their bed. Tiah made every quilt, she is such a talented sewer. She even has a room set aside for crafting. The shelves are stacked in an orderly fashion with colourful fabrics, trims and ribbons. The sewing machine is ready for action and Tiah knows how to make full use of all the embroidery functions.

Tiah also scrapbooks, knits and crochets. She is even a talented laundress.
Her linen cupboard is scented with lavender. Some linen is even tied up in ribbon. The organic cotton sheets are folded in sets even the elasticated bottom sheet. (So someone mastered this skill - I tried to follow Martha's instructions but gave up and stuffed the sheet into its pillowcase - oh well it keeps the set together I suppose!) Tiah's washing line is pegged out perfection. Snowy white pillowcases flap in the breeze. Wooden clothes pegs all stay in the hand sewn peg bag and no child forgets to bring it in when it rains!

Oh there is so much more I could show you in Tiah's home - I did use the bathroom and it was so lovely to have hand made goats milk soap (did I tell you Tiah also kept goats!) and embroidered towels to use but it is time to go now. We have stayed far too long but Tiah is such a gracious hostess. We thank her so much for having us and stroll back along the garden path to my van - I would call it a people mover but let's face it, it's a van, stereotypical of the homeschool family (ever see that funny video clip on You Tube?)

I never introduced you to Tia's sisters, the invented amalgamated mother or the invented amalgamated homeschool mother and you did not get to meet her children. Never mind, maybe next time but as you do realize Tia and her sisters are not real. She is my invention and my amalgamation - the amalgamation of all those skills, talents and wonderful creative qualities that all the blogs that I visit display. I do appreciate and love to see all the evidence of so many talented homemakers so vividly portrayed but I am guilty of sometimes amalgamating all that talent and turning it into desire. Not just saying 'I wish I could do that' but going away and striving to do it and falling short. Trying to do it all, wearing myself out and blaming myself - feeling guilty because I do not make my own soap or knit my own dishcloths. That my white tiled floors do not always sparkle unless the children have spilled glitter again and that my towels are not fluffy - sometimes they are just down right stiff due to the lack of wind - I cannot get my pillowcases to flap, maybe a flutter but definitely not a flap!

I have a pergola but no roses climb over. Don't look up - we have cobwebs!

Please note, I did not say any of these things were wrong or that dreaming was not allowed! I love verandas and I dream of a rose covered pergola. I love to see the creative ways in which different homemakers decorate their verandas. At Christmas time a hand made garland is to be found at my front entrance. I don't have a wooden front door but if I did I would probably paint it red or maybe aqua blue. But I don't have a veranda, just an uneven brick paver patio and at the moment it's renovation season (it's a very long season too!) and my patio is decorated with bags of concrete, a wheelbarrow, shovels, spades, levels and half a hundred other tools! I'm learning to be a patient renovator, I am thankful that I have a husband who is always busy working with his hands to make improvements to our home but I have to be careful that I do not become irritated or inpatient, renovations can be a messy business and having the children put away the tools when they have been left out intentionally because my husband is hoping to do some more landscaping work when he arrives home from work is not helpful to him. I should have checked first but I just wanted a tidy patio after seeing that wonderful front porch on someone's blog.


There were a number of things from Tiah's home that you will find in my home and there were features that I do truly admire in homes such as well organized pantries. I have a white tiled floor which is mopped every day but I also have children who forget to wipe their feet or realize too late that they have a leech attached to their toe until they spot the trail of blood through the house! (we are having leeches in plague proportions at the moment, anyone else experiencing this?!) We have a piano, not always polished and not often played but a lovely place to display the sepia toned photographs but as of yet there is no professionally posed family portrait -I would have to persuade the husband to dress in a white shirt, in fact I don't even think he owns a white shirt! Oh one day I know one of my children will learn to play the piano but none have really expressed an interest, one daughter has said 'maybe' but she would have to give up her Mandarin lessons for us to afford the piano lesson. In her eyes, Mandarin is the best, piano would be nice but she would not give up Mandarin for piano, for Asian culture is her passion, not music.



I mentioned being guilty of the bread making. Tiah made her own bread from freshly milled flour. Yes, that's one aspect of me. Making bread was one of the skills I chose to learn because it would bring so many health and financial benefits to my family. I chose the best for us but never want others to feel guilty because they buy bread from the store. There are some good breads appearing on the shelves now as consumers demand bread without artificial additives. Yes, the principal that is working for me is 'Choose the BEST and leave the REST'. The best is what works out to be most beneficial for your family.



There are so many skills I would love to learn but not enough hours in my day. I would love to make my own soap (and candles) but as I have young children who love to be around when I am making things and soap making involves a few risky processes I have decided 'not yet' - maybe when the children are older I will give soap making a go. For now, I can buy beautiful handmade soap at my farmer's markets, there are quite a number of locals making and selling their own soap. By purchasing their soap I am supporting local enterprises and I am happy to do so.

Quilts were quite the decorating feature in Tiah's home. I love quilts, a reminder of our colonial past, of the pursuits of pioneers, such a womanly art, homespun, hand made, injecting colour and warmth into a home. I just love them but I have never made one but maybe one day I will try my hand. I even have two quilts made by neighbour given to me waiting to be finished, one needs to be bound, the other is a half finished project that will give me a head start but not just yet. So the lesson here is don't be afraid to learn something new just don't take on too much. Weigh up the costs, effort, time involved, the location - do you have to leave the home on a regular basis? Do you need to go to classes or can you teach yourself from blog tutorials or better still can a friend call round to show you the ropes? Will this new pursuit benefit the whole family? Will it save you money or cost you money? Don't procrastinate - you say you don't have time but maybe you could sacrifice a few television shows but if you know this is going to overwhelm you right now, don't be afraid to say no and file it away for the future. 'One day I WILL learn to'.... and don't forget it's never too late. My auntie is in her eighties and is taking on technology - learning how use email and surf the net. It means she can stay in touch with family and receive photographs which she is thrilled to receive so soon!


I once visited the home of a lady who was a talented quilter. Her home was just beautiful and also operated as a bed and breakfast. Her quilts were in every room and even colour coordinated with the flower beds outside the windows - I still remember the blueberry room! She was such a lovely Christian lady, a very talented homemaker and I made the assumption that she had been quilting for many years. Then she told us (because I just had to ask, I was in awe!) that she did not take up quilting until all of her children had left home. Now she had the time to learn how to and this was her main creative pursuit. Until this time she had stitched together the home and family rather than pieces of fabric. I left inspired and hopeful. I understood I did not need to do all those creative pursuits at once or be accomplished in every home art. Choose the best, leave the rest and save some for later in life. It is something to look forward to, I can prepare by reading books and being inspired at blogs but the actual pursuit is for another season in my life.

My not so perfect patio. The birds, two budgies and a cockatiel have been moved outside for disturbing the peace- just look at where the cat has decided to rest. And which male left the petrol container there?

So let's give ourselves permission to choose the best (for us) and leave the rest and not be embarrassed to admit that life is not about the pursuit of perfection. Be aware that images and words can draw us in to this scenario and tempt us to take on too much, for words can be evocative, descriptions such as 'gracious host', 'sweet scented soap', 'snowy white linen.' I have accepted my linen will never be pure white, maybe antique white but never snowy, thanks to the tannin from gum leaves in the rain water - our beautiful trees come at a price. Did you recognize some of yourself in Tiah? Maybe your version of Tiah is different to mine because we are different and have different tastes and aspirations, though I must ask why so many gals choose the red Kitchen Aid mixer - I would love to own one but funds do not allow and a wooden spoon and mixing bowl is just fine at the moment! I can still make cakes without one but I am not resentful of those who own one. Another key - contentment not resentment!

My 'kitchen aid'!

I may never own a Kitchen Aid mixer, have my home feature in an interior's mag, be nominated for the beautiful blog awards or master quilting. I have to be content and accept that maybe I never will. I do choose to be dedicated to the upkeep of my home (there is no excuse for laziness) without obsessing and I choose to be faithful with the talents and passions that God has given me, sharing my ideas, passions and aspirations with others, especially at Christmas time. I am happy to open up my home to others too . If you visit just watch out for skateboards and bikes on the driveway when you pull up and I have warned you about the leeches! I decorate for Christmas but not the other seasons. I may even make you cranberry muffins dusted with icing sugar and take you on a tour of my garden, don't mind the weeds. I will probably apologize for them anyway because they are always with me in this kind of climate. It's a never ending task!

I will be happy to show you how I make my silk flower wreaths and when I visit you I will admire your latest quilt. And as for Tiah- don't expect to be invited back again, she's still recovering from the last time we called over!

With Love and Joy,
Ann

A Family Memory Box

I just love the scene in a book or movie where the leading character climbs into the attic and discovers an rusty biscuit tin or spies a wooden chest tucked into a corner. Her curiosity is aroused and she lifts the lid to discover a pile of old letters, photographs and cards. She starts to read them and finds they were love letters and correspondence from her grandfather to her grandmother during the war. She had intended to spend her time in the attic cleaning but this discovery changes all that - she spends the next hour or two reading the letters, captivated by all the memories of the lives of people who were special to her.

One day I would like one of my children or future grandchildren to find such a box. I do not have an attic but I do have a box - it is my family memory box and I have created it for my children and I hope they hold onto it to share with their children one day! It is likely that most of their memories will be digital, they will operate a mouse or touch a screen to bring up images from the past. This box is for the handwritten memories - the birthday cards, the valentines and anniversary cards and the messages of congratulations on the birth of children which were once attached to bouquets of flowers.

I would love to share with you my family memory box - to show you what I have chosen to keep. It is more than just a box of sentimental stuff - it is the story of my life!

Each bundle of cards represents an occasion in my life. There is a precious bundle for each member of my family.

Our wedding cards are tied in white sheer ribbon, the doves on the ring once decorated one of the tiers of my wedding cake. The cake of course is not preserved but my marriage is and the memories of the people who witnessed us declare our vows before God are contained in this bundle of cards.

The bundle of cards tied in red ribbon are cards sent to me from friends on special occasions. I have tied on a tag for the person - on my children's tags I have written out their name and its meaning. There are also cards from my children for Mother's Day and valentines and anniversary wishes from my husband.

And an article on a restaurant where we enjoyed a romantic dinner together during a weekend trip to Armidale in New England - the New England in New South Wales, Australia that is! I only keep menus or leaflets from places that really make an impression on me and the 'Bishops Court' certainly did - we enjoyed lamb served with a mint pea puree - so delectable I can still taste the memory! Everything was just perfect - the meal, the service, the setting and of course just being with my husband - we rarely receive the opportunity to go out, just the two of us, so when we do it is very special and it is nice to go somewhere lovely.

Another lovely place I have fond memories of is Oak Tree Cottage near Blenheim in the South Island of New Zealand. It is quite a number of years ago that I had the pleasure of visiting this homely gift shop in the setting of an early colonial cottage. Everything was for sale from the pottery on the kitchen dresser in the dining room to embroidered towels and linens in the bedrooms and one room was even turned into a Christmas room. I was in heaven and it took some persuasion on the part of my husband to get me to leave so we could continue our trip - especially to drag me out of that Christmas room! I'd love to know if Oak Tree Cottage is still there should we ever go back for a trip to the South Island! I'd love to pay a return visit.



Another reminder of a home is this roll of a wallpaper border. Remember when borders were all the rage in the early 1990's! This border is the one I chose for the living room of our first home. It is by Laura Ashley and it not only brings back memories of my first home but also my favourite clothing and homewares shop. As a teenager I would wander around the Laura Ashley store sighing at all the floaty, feminine dresses that I could not afford and dreaming of one day having a 'Laura Ashley' home! I still have my Laura Ashley white lace napkins - a wedding gift and another touch of England that graced my table when we first began to open up our home and offer hospitality as a married couple! So if you are thinking of putting together a memory box remember to keep swatches of fabrics, wallpapers, even the paint colour you chose when you decorated your home. In years to come they will bring back sweet memories of home!




These Oriental inspired cards are from my daughter's bundle - they will always remind me of her passion for Asia. I now have some paintings to add to her bundle - ones she has completed at her Mandarin class where her teacher who is an artist is also teaching her Chinese brushwork!

The ticket is from the first sports game she attended, a rugby union match in Christchurch. I will not mention the result on the day for the All Blacks lost - she will not remember it, she was just a baby but I do, for I have breastfed babies in some amazing places - on the top of a mountain in New Zealand for instance, but the embankment in a sports stadium packed with rugby supporters was the most unusual! No one noticed but the fans around us who had consumed a beer or two were rather taken with my daughter's bright blue eyes and started singing 'Baby's got blue eyes' at the tops of their voices! It was just hilarious! I have told my daughter this story - remember to do this too - tell your children stories from their childhood.




Do you keep every single drawing your children doodle, paint or crayon? I don't but I have preserved some special artworks in family newsletters sent out at Christmas. This drawing is from 2001. It is actually the classical singer from New Zealand, Hayley Westenra, drawn by my daughter after we attended one of her concerts in Timaru. She wore a blue dress that sparkled so much and bedazzled my little girl that she insisted on adding glitter to her original painting that this drawing is copied from! Reading the family newsletters from years gone by is lots of fun. In this one I was letting friends know about our decision to move to Australia and apparently, my favorite TV show back then was 'Monarch of the Glen'!



There are only a few items in my box from my childhood and they are the only possessions I have to remind me of my grandparents. The book 'Mary's Bible' was given to me on my eighth birthday by my grandfather. He died when I was ten . I loved this true story and have read it to my older children. I'm going to read it to all of my children and hope they read it to their children one day!


The postcards are from 1908 and were written to my grandmother or possibly her sister, they begin 'My Dear Miss Fawcett'. So formal, so polite, so beautiful! I am looking forward to finding out more about the life of my grandmother as we research our family history but these cards give just a little glimpse into her life. From the content I have realized that she was a regular correspondent. One card is a real photograph of people that she obviously knew, as the writer lets her know who is sitting where in the shot which shows a group of people enjoying a picnic in Edwardian England. The picture is fading but the dresses and the detail of the magnificent hats is still evident and in the days before paper cups and our throwaway society, they drank from china cups on the grounds where they 'lunched'.

Oh how I wish I had more letters and postcards to read from days gone by!
It is why I am keeping my box of memories and written correspondence is something to treasure in an age when hand written letters are becoming a fading memory replaced by electronic communications and social networking sites. I will admit Facebook is a useful tool for finding old friends. I had lost touch with my penfriend in Germany when she moved cities but she found me on Facebook. But when we were young people, this is how we kept in touch!

She may be surprised to know that I kept the letters and photographs she sent to me. We have met on three occasions, my first overseas trip was to visit her in the beautiful city of Heidelberg.




I only open up my Family Memory Box once in a while but I always enjoy reliving each moment in time. I will be tying up another little bundle of cards soon but for now they still decorate my window in the family room. By the way, my little man is still smiling! In fact he just loves to smile, laugh and communicate with me - that will be a memory that I will always want to hold onto; the cards and the hospital bracelets will go into the box but the smiles go straight to the heart!



The bon bon is the one I created for his first Christmas. I do not have the time to stitch elaborate cross stitch samplers these days but the bon bon is an expression of me and how I love to craft at Christmas time and make lovely things for my family. I'm hoping this one stays intact as a special memory of our family Christmas in 2009.


If you don't have a Family Memory Box and if you do not have the time or the inclination to scrapbook, I hope this post inspires you to consider creating a memory box. Just remember to choose a big strong box to hold all those precious memories. I found my box at Aldi for just $10! The lid is going back on for now but one day in the future perhaps a son or daughter will lift the lid and discover not just bundles of cards and letters tied up with ribbon but rather relationships, love, memories, treasured times of family life and know how much they were loved and cherished - for the real treasure is the person, not the possession.

With Love and Joy,

Ann

Loving The Library!

We are just loving the library at the moment, for our local library has new books and what a great selection - were they thinking of me when they ordered these books? I had to borrow all these titles as soon as I set eyes upon them. Perhaps there is one here you might want to check out!

For all you Aussie homeschool mums or if your children attend school and have to do a project on Australian pioneer life this is a fabulous resource.

Lost is published by the National Library of Australia. Based on a true story, it features the amazing tale of the survival of three children lost in the Australian bush in the 1860's. Beautiful illustrations by the original artist accompany this account by Stephanie Owen Reader. At the close of each chapter is an informative account of different aspects of life in the 1860's from a child's perspective.

We read this book aloud, a chapter each day and discussed the topic presented such as 'Kookaburras and Cooees' Entertainment in the 1860's' and 'Ants in the Pants and Packhorses' Toys in the 1860's'. This book would be a great resource to use for a project. After we had read the chapter on housing, I had my son commence a lapbook. This is the front cover which features a collage of a bush hut constructed from twigs and bark.



For rainy days and if you are searching for simple craft projects for the younger members of the family 'What Shall We Do Today?' by Catherine Woram is worth a browse. Projects for each season of the year are presented with colour photographs and clear instructions. My favourites were the hessian garden tote bag and the felt stars which feature on the front cover.

For all the sewers and Jane Austen fans here is a beautiful book by Jennifer Forest that will have you sighing and reaching for your sewing basket. It features some simply gorgeous crafts from the Regency era that can be replicated today. There are pin cushions and purses, a muff and even a bonnet. Some of the projects are definitely for the more accomplished sewer (not me!) but the linen pillowcases trimmed with ribbon and lace are tempting me to dust off my sewing machine. Even if you do not sew but love Jane Austen, this book will be worth just having on the coffee table to browse through - there are quotes from her novels relating to each craft, stunning photographs and illustrations and of course clear instructions and patterns for the various projects (18 in total).



And finally, for the gardeners who are looking to grow something a little different. My new special interest is water gardens and we have recently started to grow both ornamental and edible water plants which are just flourishing in our climate - taros, water parsley and water chestnuts. We have been searching for a good book on what to plant in our pond but most books on water gardens have a very limited selection on what to and what not to plant. Then I found this book at the library 'Edible Water Gardens' Growing Water Plants for food and profit' by Nick Romanowski. It is the most comprehensive, most informative book on water plants - so many are edible and stacked with nutrients. We will be looking out for some of the plants he suggests and expect to refer to this book often, as we educate ourselves on this topic but alas it has to be returned to the library next week. Looks like we will be buying this book for our own library.




When it comes to being informed, entertained and educated e books, kindles, dare I say it, blogs and websites are all very well but real books whether purchased from the bookstore or borrowed from the library are something I love to have around my home, lining the shelves, filling the baskets and decorating my coffee table. I for one cannot imagine a world without books and a trip to the library is still more exciting (and better for your health) than sitting at a computer waiting for a download! Especially when they have new books!

With Love and Joy

Smile!

'When you smile, it lights up your face and the lives of others'

Today's encouragement comes to you courtesy of a 6 week old baby boy who thought you deserved a smile - so, go ahead, pass it on, smile at the next person you see today!

With Love and Joy,

The Battle Boy Series 'Brilliant Books for Boys!

At last, I have found books for emerging readers that do not feature ponies, fairies or princesses! It seems that most of the books designed for younger readers are written with girls in mind and boys who often face more challenges with literacy have been neglected. I do not understand why authors have to use ridiculous or rude titles to entice boys to read and this is reflected in the range of books lining the junior fiction section of shelves at the bookstore - there are not too many titles that appeal to me or to my son and the only 'reading' books he tends to check out at the local library are Tin Tin, (so politically incorrect, I know!) Asterix and Star Wars.




And then, we discovered Battle Boy! Brilliant books for a 'battle boy' like mine who loves to play with plastic soldiers, build lego castles and make his own bow and arrows from elastic cord, twigs and poly pipe! The author of the Battle Boy Series is Charlie Carter and I suspect he has a passion for military history, as each book takes 11 year old Napoleon Augustus Smythe back in time, landing him in the thick of the action of famous battles and military exploits. He is recruited by Miss Perdu at the local library who offers him intriguing missions - to spy on the past, as a Human Data Collecting Device (a HD-CD) with the opportunity to meet heroes of history and solve mysteries such as ' Who shot down the Red Baron?' There is not a Snoopy in sight! Napoleon is issued with special futuristic equipment such as his 'Simulskin' and a 'Battle Watch' which allow him to travel back in time, protecting him and enabling him to complete his operation.

Battle Boy is a combination of science fiction, an action packed adventure and a history lesson - the details are not missing, Charlie Carter weaves in the people, the places, the dates. 'Red Devil Down' features illustrations of planes and labeled diagrams of weapons. There are also illustrations of the special survival gear issued to Napoleon, breaking up the text. This feature of the books held my son's interest, ensuring that these books were not tossed aside after a few pages.

The books are short, just eight to twelve chapters and certainly aimed at younger and emerging readers - they also make a great read aloud book, the adventure begins on the very first page and words which need special emphasis are presented in bold bringing the sounds of the battlefield to life! They will certainly appeal to boys but my twelve year old daughter joined us when I read 'Red Devil Down' and enjoyed the story - I also wanted her to benefit from the history lesson and educate myself too. The further along our homeschool journey we travel, the more I am convinced that history is a subject that must not be neglected, in fact I believe it needs to be given more attention. I am very grateful to authors such as Charlie Carter who are reinventing the history lesson in exciting and relevant ways for a new generation who need good books to entice them away from the computer screen.



This Battle Boy is hoping for more books in the series to be published soon - I gather they are in the pipeline from the hints in the first book 'Open Fire' (about Sir Francis Drake) as Napoleon is asked if he would like to meet Gengis Khan or Julius Caesar and informed that the list is very long. I'm hoping that Napoleon's namesake is also featured in a future book as we will be delving into the English/French wars to find out more about the man who this plaque from a country church is dedicated to. Click on the image to read.



I have recently discovered this man is on my family tree, thanks to my teenage daughter's desire to trace her family history. We have found famous writers, military heroes, early settlers and colonists of New England - famous families and connections to countries I never knew about.
I will share more about how we are studying history at home and learning so much about the past by delving into our own family heritage. If you homeschool and have not thought of studying history by researching your own family tree - give it a go, encourage your children to start a project. You may be amazed at just what they find out and how much they learn about the past in the process.

It is time to think beyond the text book for history lessons and I will share with you in my next post a wonderful resource I am using this term to teach my children about life in the Australian bush in the 1860's.

With Love and Joy,
Ann

'A Poem for Australia Day'

Why we Love Australia!

We came to Australia in 2002
We weren't really sure what we would do
Leaving NZ, a place we held dear
But knowing that God wanted us here

Heading north in our four wheel drive
Exploring each place when we'd arrive
In Port Stephens, Nelson, Forster-Tuncurry
No one seemed in much of a hurry
At Port Macquarie, we had to stop there
But everyone seemed to have gray hair!
'We' re not retiring!' mum said to dad
We got back in the car
Boy, was I glad!

And drove on past the gum trees and more gum trees
and more gum trees
until ....
The scenery changed from brown to green
The most beautiful place we have ever seen
Fertile valleys and sapphire blue sea
This is where we were meant to be!


But we had to learn the language
Little did we know
That all you have to do, is simply add an O
The servo, a garbo
I'm going out this arvo
To buy myself an eskie
To keep my drinks cool
Put on my swimmers and hop in the pool!


We love our rugby as all Kiwis do
But turn on the telly, what do we see
They don't have one goal post
Instead they have three
Kick the ball high and kick it some more
How on earth do they work out that score?

If Aussie rules baffles our brains
At least they play some proper games
For cricket, they know how to score
And managed to cope without Steve Waugh!



Now wildlife abounds, this is quite true
No need for us to visit the zoo
Koalas, echidnas, goannas we've seen
But when it comes to snakes, mum's not so keen!
All creatures great and some not so small
Like the rather large python mum met in the hall
I said 'Let's give it a name, like Monty or Jack
We christened him 'Arnie' - 'I'll be back!'

Whilst coping with reptiles
Mum's been a failure
She still says she loves Australia
The 'Great South Land of the Holy Ghost'
And from the outback to the coast
God is moving in this place
Pouring out His saving grace
It's why we are here, the reason we live
So let's not be afraid to give
Our all for the task that God has planned
To see Christ rule in this great land.
Lives will be changed, families made strong
With Christ as the head, we can't go wrong
And as the world in 2000 did see
Australia will impact Eternity



Penned in 2004 for an Australia Day church service and narrated by my son.

It is 2010 and I still have not worked out the rules of Aussie rules. I'm sorry but I cannot switch allegiance in rugby union or rugby league - I still support the All Blacks and the NZ Warriors. I know not to refer to the corner store as a 'dairy' but sweet potatoes will always be kumara. I miss kiwi chocolate bars - Frodo frogs are no match for chocolate fish or Mars bars for Moro bars and I wish they sold proper jaffas. I cannot get out of the habit of calling swimmers 'togs' or bring myself to call flip flops or jandals, thongs! For my friends overseas - an eskie is a cooler, one of those plastic chest thingies you take to the beach or picnics and place all your drinks in, they make good seats too! A servo is a gas or petrol station and a garbo is a binman or the guy that collects your household refuse! Half the male population also adds 'o' to their first name - John o, Stevo, who started this trend?

This is an esky! Doesn't matter what brand it is, everyone calls them eskies!

I do pass some of the test questions on 'You Know you are Australian if....' that did the rounds on the internet last year. Some of my favourites included ......

You think it is normal to have a Prime Minister named Kevin

You believe it makes perfect sense for a nation to decorate its highways with large fibreglass bananas, prawns and sheep (Kiwis do this too!)

You believe all famous Kiwis are actually Australian until they stuff up, at which point they again become Kiwis

You wear ugg boots outside the house

You know it's not summer until the steering wheel is too hot to handle



Your biggest family argument over summer concerned the rules of beach cricket

I have ties to three different countries and have lived in both cities (Liverpool and London) and the countryside of New Zealand with its stunning scenery. Each place had unique qualities and good people.

I thank God for my heritage, for each place I was privileged to call home and especially on Australia Day, I give thanks for this wonderful country, a great nation. I know I am blessed to be able to raise beautiful children in such a beautiful place. I will never take it for granted.


Wishing you a very happy Australia Day
Hope you enjoyed the poem!

With Love and Joy,
Ann

The Domestic Terminal of Life

Family outing to an Airshow Summer 2006

When I first landed in the domestic terminal of life in the early 1990's, I intended my stopover to be a short one. I was happy to be home with my first born but I was on maternity leave and rather than return to my familiar position in the Health Service, I chose to apply for another job in a different part of the country. I boarded a plane and flew down to attend the interview taking along my husband and my 3 month old son. He was left holding the baby as I was grilled by a panel of four senior managers for over an hour. I was offered the job and I accepted, believing that somehow I would be able to juggle everything with my husband taking on duties in the domestic terminal on my behalf, as I traveled between two destinations - home and the workplace which was my 'international terminal' with a lot more going on, more people to deal with, deadlines to meet, connections to make - life is always busier in the international terminal but I had a passport (my qualification) and thought I had to use it outside of the home.

Today I still have a valid passport, my hard earned qualification has not expired but I have chosen to leave it in the drawer and live my life fully within the domestic terminal of life. I expect to be delayed in this terminal for quite some time but I am not complaining! I have ripped up the boarding pass and I will not be boarding a plane to go anywhere soon. I no longer read the situations vacant columns to see if my occupation is still in demand or to discover what salary package it now offers, for I no longer measure my worth in monetary terms. The Bible tells me that a good wife is worth far above rubies. In a word, she is priceless to her husband and family - this is how I would prefer to be valued!



If you have spent any length of time in a conventional airport, even in the international terminal, the novelty can wear off. Believe me, I know - I once spent 14 hours waiting for a connecting flight in Singapore - the airport there is expansive but after 14 hours I could find my way around with ease - if only I could have earned frequent airport terminal walking points rather than frequent flyer points! You have tested every perfume in the duty free store, browsed every magazine in the bookshop including the ones in other languages, sipped more than a few lattes from cardboard cups or worse, suffered 'International Roast' just to keep you awake (always the coffee at my workplaces!) - you just want to go home! And this was my desire as I roamed the 'international terminal' of the workplace - I just wanted to come home and stay home. I thank God that He heard my prayer and made a way for me to return to the place where I longed to be, to be all that He had created me to be.

The domestic terminal at the airport is somewhere we do not wish to linger, it is just a place to pass through but the domestic terminal of life is a place I have come to love and I am so pleased I chose to step off the plane, climb down the career ladder and exchange it for all things domestic!

Today I cannot imagine a life spent outside of the domestic terminal. Retrieving some clothes from the washing line the other day, I discovered my twin girls playing a game they had invented using toy dinosaurs stolen from their brother's room. These are the moments I do not want to miss out on!

It is called 'Toss the Dinosaur'!

Let's play it again - this is so much fun!

And here is the most recent photograph of another of my reasons for not wanting to leave the domestic terminal.
He needs me to stay in the domestic terminal of life, there are nappies to change, feeds to be given, wind to be brought up and kisses to be planted upon his chubby little cheek right throughout the day!


And there are others who are not totally dependent upon me but appreciate that I am here to oversee the management of everything that happens within the home as I fulfill the role of wife and mother, being a helpmate to my husband and taking care of all the domestic details, as well as the vital act of nurturing.

There are those who would describe the domestic life as one of drudgery, a life of menial, unrelenting tasks and unpaid labour but that's not how I see it. I thought about what I achieved yesterday and it did not seem like much until I realized it was so much more - I gave the gift of optimal nutrition (at regular intervals throughout the day and night) to a baby which will bring strength, health and vitality to his growing body, and along with this came comfort and emotional wellness through bonding for both mother and baby!

I offered 'educated' guesses to a teenage son, who was reading and trying to decipher a wordy sociological text about the media in preparation for a university assignment. Did I help him? Probably not! - but in listening to his opinions I was letting him know that I appreciated the effort he is putting in to his degree - communicating with teenagers is so important - show an interest in what they are interested in, it will pay dividends!




I baked my husband's favourite rhubarb cake which was appreciated by all the members of the family who like rhubarb, this also filled my kitchen with the aroma of baking which drew people into the kitchen, the heart of my home and a hub of domesticity. The cake brought other benefits - we stopped our individual activities and sat down together as a family to talk, laugh, drink coffee and eat cake.

I accompanied my husband as we drove to a local nursery to choose some water plants for our pond - a major landscaping project my husband has been working on, as we tend to our eight acres of eden. On our return the children helped to fetch an old bath tub which was sunk into the water, secured and filled with rocks and planted with Louisiana iris. One outdoor work project was the chance for a husband and wife to communicate, a family to work together and another section of our garden was beautified.

These were the main accomplishments of the day. I did not have time for intensive house cleaning, craft projects or even the computer which can entice us away so easily from our everyday life and the people who need us the most. I was encamped in the domestic terminal of life and it is where I am returning to now. My father-in-law arrives for a visit from NZ on the weekend and there are domestic duties to attend to and a new school year to prepare for.

Faith our Border Collie who also needs us to be home - she loves company!

I am grateful for summer holidays and even though the days are hot and humid and our air conditioning is not working and we are roasting, it has caused me to slow down, to remember that beautiful Scripture in Isaiah 40 v 11 that reminds us that the Lord gently leads those with little ones - it is simply too hot to race around town or work for hours in the garden - I am so grateful for mulch, I need to use it more! I also have a baby who needs my attention and I have deliberately chosen to stay home more and live a life 'less complicated.' Therefore I do not crowd my schedule with summer sports, organized 'educational' activities outside of the home or visits to town unless absolutely necessary - no window shopping for me!

A twin trying to look and stay cool!

Of course we still find time for people - over the weekend we enjoyed our local markets ensuring we arrived as soon as the stalls set up, avoiding the crowds and the heat of the day and there was time to stop and chat with folk, buy veggie plants and enjoy a cup of ice cold homemade lemonade! We attended church on Sunday morning followed by more fellowship at the church picnic. My daughter went to a birthday dinner at a Thai restaurant last evening and I spent this morning engaged in animated conversation on the telephone with my former neighbour who had received our family newsletter, it was so lovely to hear from her - we talked about family and caught up on so much.

Life will get busier over the next few weeks. I will have less time to blog, so my blog posts will be short and sweet - this is just another way of living a less complicated life for me and setting my priorities in order. This is my chosen field, my vocation and calling, this is my life and it is where I want to be - the domestic terminal of life, a place I am happy to call home!

With Love and Joy,
Ann