The Hunger Games

I haven't read it yet, but I am going to have to.  Not because it is so popular at the moment, but because Samantha has asked me to read it.

Today I am very grateful to Susanne Collins for writing a book which has captured the attention of my daughter.  I have tried very hard over the years to get any of my children to read for pleasure.  Well, Susanne has finally managed it!  Hopefully it is just something that the children will "grow" into!!!  And hopefully I will also enjoy reading the book (or books - if I get hooked!).

ANZAC Day - Lest We Forget

I’ve always been obsessed with World War I – and particularly Gallipoli.  And that was even before I saw Mark Lee and Mel Gibson running into battle!  I think my fascination in ingrained.  Somehow as an Australian I can’t help myself.  I hear stories and read accounts of a place where Australians and New Zealanders (as a minority) fought a pointless battle and you can’t help but be completely indignant about the position they were put into by the War tacticians.  It’s a romantic notion – no matter how horrible the actual situation was.  In Year 11 I did a unit of English on Literature in World War I which I absolutely loved (I just went and checked – I only got a ‘B’ for it, so I loved it but didn’t set the world on fire with my profound understanding of the subject).   But the stories and the poems have stayed with me – and I still keep a copy of ‘Up the Line to Death: The War Poets 1914-1918’.  I also have a treasured first addition copy of ‘The ANZAC Book’.  I still haven’t managed to visit Turkey and Gallipoli myself – but it’s definitely on my ‘to do’ list. 

So today it is appropriate for me to write how I am grateful for all people who sacrificed their lives to preserve our way of life.   This is a simple and easy statement for me to make, and I do so with a lot of background noise that I want to acknowledge.  ANZAC Day is an important day of remembrance.  It is said that Australia became a nation in part because of our role at Gallipoli.  I would like to think that we would have become a nation anyway – without the loss of lives.  Australia was in its infancy, but a great defeat is not an auspicious start to a nation. 

I really find War History interesting and so I’m going to quickly mention two World War I stories:

1. James Nathaniel Woolley - I was most excited (if that’s appropriate) when I discovered that my Grandmother’s Uncle had died at Lone Pine, Gallipoli.  James was 36 when he died on 6 August 1915.   As designated next of kin, his sister was given his personal effects.  However, under the Deceased Soldiers Estate Act of 1918, there were rules about who would receive the war medals in cases where there was no will.  It was first available to wife (if applicable), then parents, then oldest surviving BROTHER.  This meant that although Mrs Fisher was the next of kin, she was not entitled to the medals.  Nor was Mrs Mary Williamson, as the eldest sibling. 

After some investigation by the Special Inquiry Office, it was ascertained that Mr T Woolley was the eldest surviving brother.  A letter was written to him asking whether he objected to Mrs Fisher getting the medals.  He replied that: “for reasons which there is no need to enter into I object to [the medals] being handed over to Mrs Fisher and as person entitled to receive them, would like you to forward them to me.”

 

I wonder what Thomas did with those medals….  (Note that completing a Will was a condition of enlisting in World War II)

2. Wilfrid George Crofts – Ian’s grandfather was under 21 when he wanted to enlist so his father had to provide consent.  He also had to work out at the local YMCA so that his chest measurement would be large enough to be accepted.  Anyway, his father was in England at the time and sent a telegram stating “Father consents if Mother Agrees.”  Ummm….   Wilfrid wrote to his mother faithfully and she kept all of his letters.  They actually detail a rather boring life:  Lots of movement from one place to another.  But Wilfrid Crofts came back from war a changed man.  He often spoke of his hatred of war.  He wrote a fantastic story about one of his mates who didn’t come back – I’d put it in here, but I haven’t transcribed.  It’s good ‘though.

Lest We Forget

Knit one...

I didn't have a great day today.  I have had a bad toothache for a few days and managed to get into the dentist today.  Only to be told that I have to have Root Canal Treatment on one of my teeth.  This is quite costly and quite painful.  I'm quite sad about it...  I guess I am grateful that I can afford to fix it up properly. (That's lame!)  As I said to the girls, just keep brushing your teeth!!!

I went back to work after this revelation, but my mouth was feeling terrible and then my computer stuffed up, so I left early.  Arriving home, Rachel showed me a scarf she had knitted for her doll.  There is something beautiful about your 12 year old daughter showing you something she's knitted!  I haven't knitted for a long time and never actually learnt how to start knitting (as in casting on) - she did the whole thing herself.  Even learning how to cast off by watching a You Tube video.  My mother has been showing her how to knit.  I was so excited about her achievement that I called my mother to tell her.  And, quite frankly, I think it made her day (or her hour!).  It's amazing the little things that can make you happy.   And it was lovely!!

From the top

On Wednesday I flew to Darwin. It was a great flight - direct and smooth! It was also clear, which allowed for great vision of the landscape. Whilst I love the coast, the interior of Australia is magnificent. The terrain is red, but so varied with so many different shades. And the flat red goes on forever until it merges with the horizon. The red is broken up by winding rivers the creep along. You can see that there has been lots of rain recently because the rivers are shadowed by tinged of green and bushes on either side. Roads extend in a straight line before turning a slight bed for whatever reason before continuing on. There are small communities clustered around a bend in the river. I also love the "lines of the land". It's so fascinating. I enjoyed the flight. Now I'm sitting in the Qantas lounge waiting for the flight to take me home. I suspect it won't be quite as interesting (seeing that most of the flight is in the dark).

Good weekend weather

Gee, is this pathetic or what.  I'm grateful that the weekend had (relatively) good weather after such horrid weather during the weekdays.  Yesterday was slightly chilly because there was cloud cover most of the day, but it was still pleasant (noting that most of my daylight hours were spent at the netball courts).  Today was a lovely day.  It's definitely getting colder, but the sun shone and there was no wind.  Ian, Alan and I went for a bike ride wearing shorts and T-shirt.

Two very pleasant days - and I guess it was more than the weather - and I feel refreshed and ready for the week ahead!

Something new in something old

The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new lands but in seeing with new eyes. Marcel Proust

I’m not sure, but I don’t think Marcel travelled very much outside of France.  He was a sickly boy, who grew into a man considered sickly (he died in 1922 aged 51 – which wasn’t unnaturally young for the time, but hardly a ripe old age!), who wrote a couple of books one of which was very successful.  He is one of those writers who has lots of quotable quotes of which the above is one.  It was on my boss’s mug and I only noticed it this morning during a meeting.  What a lovely quote.

I really love to travel.  I really love seeing new things.  While I love to go long distances, I also know that I don’t need to travel a long way to see things that are new – or able to be seen in a new light.  As I’ve mentioned before, it’s one of the things that I love about travelling with children – you get a different perspective.   Maybe it’s also why I’ve enjoyed a number of recent activities so much – going to places I’ve already seen but looking at them differently.   On the weekend Sam and I walked 5kms from our place and found the views quite fantastic.  It's just a matter of how you approach life.

Anyway, it’s something to be grateful for – the ability to see something new in something old!

Renaissance

Yesterday Sue and I went to see the Renaissance exhibition at the National Gallery.  Finally!  It was, in fact, the final day of the exhibition and for some time we have been saying that "we must go".  Sue is the friend that I tend to do things like this with.  Both of our husbands aren't particularly interested, so we go together.  We both enjoyed it.  I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed it.  I'm very grateful that the NLA puts on these exhibitions that broaden my horizon!  I'll probably never be a Renaissance art convert, but I did gain an appreciation for the period (of course, a Leonardo or Michelangelo would have been very welcome!!!).

Royal Easter Show

We've just returned from Sydney where we went to the Royal Easter Show.  It is a bit of an institution, having started in 1823 to "bring country life to city folk".  One of my favourite photos of my Dad was taken at the Easter Show when he was about 7 years old - with his Dad and sister and holding a Week-bix showbag.

We had a lovely day at the show with the Watts family.  We spent about $500 - which I'm told is the average spend for a family.  I thought we were relatively restrained as well!!  I liked seeing the animals, which are very well tended by their owners, and I enjoyed deciding which showbags I'd buy (with my $50 limit!).  The most unexpected pleasure was watching the Polo game.  I'd never seen Polo being played and just assumed that I'd hate it (on account of it being a snobby game for the very wealthy - and on horses!).  However, it was very interesting and I was impressed with the skills on display.

Will we go again?  Maybe......

40 days of water

Lent has always appealed to me.  The idea that you give up something you really love in the lead up to Easter - when Jesus gave up his life for us - is a strong symbol.  I don't actually practice lent very often - mainly because I forget to start.  Perhaps I should start MY lent after Easter!!!

This year, our three children have been doing Forty Days of Water: a fundraising idea from blood:water mission.  The idea is that you only drink water from the tap and the money you save is donated to the oganisation to build clean water projects for communities in Uganda.   Ian and I didn't do the water challenge, but we stopped buying juice (because it became obvious that Ian was the only one drinking it!).  So as a family we saved around $20 a week from the grocery bill when you take into account normal juice and the juice-boxes the kids take to school.  The kids found it quite difficult to do - especially when others were drinking hot chocolate or an original iced chocolate (Sam's favourite from Gloria Jean - and I suspect the next time she passes a Gloria Jean she'll have to buy one).

Anyway, I'm very proud of the efforts from the kids.  For my part, I love water, so only drinking water is not particularly difficult.  I am very grateful that I can drink water straight from the tap!