What my children are reading from May 18 to May 31

During our month long blogging break we did a lot of reading (both the kids and I) and recently this month we embarked on a gardening unit. 

Reading books on gardening appeals to my boys if it has bugs in the story or something that interest them, so I gave it my best shot at finding some books that I thought they would enjoy.


Books we read this week


Here are some of the boys'

The Hidden Facts of the Kimberley

The Kimberley is a place in the edges of Australia famous for its inhabitants of powerful men and women plus its countless crocodiles. With the arrival of different foreigners eager to see what Australia has to offer, many locations in the continent have modernized to welcome these tourists. The unique scenery that The Kimberley is best known for is unreachable for most areas in the country.

In this large area of about 350 to 650 square kilometers along the northwestern part of Australia specifically cited on the acme of Western Australia is where 25,000 natives live in. It's also home to the bountiful, crocodile infested Ord River, the magical and 350 million year old sand castles of the Bungle Range, and the lush, waterfall draped Emma Gorge. Getting to see these unique and astounding is only a three to five day trip packed with three different soft camping adventures that will surely leave tourist wanting to come back.

Taking a quick plane ride out southwest of Darwin in a town called Kanunurra, the two camp sites will only take about one hour to reach by car, while the last one is about half a day away, The monsoonal wet season which normally happens from November to April will bring about 18 to 22 inches of rainfall a day for The Kimberley. During this season, before, the Ord River would collect the excess water from the rain and overflow to the sea. When the Lake Argyle water project was instituted, collection of the outflow of water for the dry season was easier with the help of the dams and gates.

With the sixth largest artificial lake in the world, Lake Argyle provides the Ord River water that creates an even flow. Different types of creatures have convened in the Ord River now that it is able to provide them with a lasting source of water. Experiencing the pristine beauty of this place will lead you to the only two tour operators that give you the amenities and guidance you will need like campsites plus boating and fishing on the river.

Taking their guests for the one hour drive from Kanunurra to the northwest part is what the Blue Camp, an authorized operator, offers. With the many different views of Australia, this camp balance in a bluff is home to 12 adventurers. A common area where guest can just enjoy each other's company is provided by Bush Camp.

Reaching 215 meters up the desert around it, is the 350 million year old range The Bungle Bungle. Deep in the canyons and gulfs as well as the dome towers keep this range mysterious and beautiful. Orange black tiger stripped skin have protected these formations made up of fragile sandstone since the beginning of time. Rock paintings and burial areas is what the Bungle Bungle is for, over 20,000 years have passed for the Aborigines.

People have the fortune of seeing the ranges as the second camp allows them to fly over. Making the trip more exciting is a walking tour that allows them to see more breathtaking sites Australia offers. What Australian's say is their version of the pyramids can be seen by tourists as they move forward on their journey. The Cathedral George, allows guests to marvel at the structure that takes the shape of a bell. Leading to the end of the tour is a little pond that mirrors that 200 meters away blue sky.

Tourists get a chance to see Echidna Chasm, a structure that most people perceive as that of a snake moving in an elegant manner because of the narrow twists and turns it has, Livinstona palms measuring 15 meters up covers the corners of these gaps and gulfs. Taking all these sights in is an experience both remarkable and touching.

The Hidden Facts of the Kimberley

The Kimberley is a place in the edges of Australia famous for its inhabitants of powerful men and women plus its countless crocodiles. With the arrival of different foreigners eager to see what Australia has to offer, many locations in the continent have modernized to welcome these tourists. The unique scenery that The Kimberley is best known for is unreachable for most areas in the country.

In this large area of about 350 to 650 square kilometers along the northwestern part of Australia specifically cited on the acme of Western Australia is where 25,000 natives live in. It's also home to the bountiful, crocodile infested Ord River, the magical and 350 million year old sand castles of the Bungle Range, and the lush, waterfall draped Emma Gorge. Getting to see these unique and astounding is only a three to five day trip packed with three different soft camping adventures that will surely leave tourist wanting to come back.

Taking a quick plane ride out southwest of Darwin in a town called Kanunurra, the two camp sites will only take about one hour to reach by car, while the last one is about half a day away, The monsoonal wet season which normally happens from November to April will bring about 18 to 22 inches of rainfall a day for The Kimberley. During this season, before, the Ord River would collect the excess water from the rain and overflow to the sea. When the Lake Argyle water project was instituted, collection of the outflow of water for the dry season was easier with the help of the dams and gates.

With the sixth largest artificial lake in the world, Lake Argyle provides the Ord River water that creates an even flow. Different types of creatures have convened in the Ord River now that it is able to provide them with a lasting source of water. Experiencing the pristine beauty of this place will lead you to the only two tour operators that give you the amenities and guidance you will need like campsites plus boating and fishing on the river.

Taking their guests for the one hour drive from Kanunurra to the northwest part is what the Blue Camp, an authorized operator, offers. With the many different views of Australia, this camp balance in a bluff is home to 12 adventurers. A common area where guest can just enjoy each other's company is provided by Bush Camp.

Reaching 215 meters up the desert around it, is the 350 million year old range The Bungle Bungle. Deep in the canyons and gulfs as well as the dome towers keep this range mysterious and beautiful. Orange black tiger stripped skin have protected these formations made up of fragile sandstone since the beginning of time. Rock paintings and burial areas is what the Bungle Bungle is for, over 20,000 years have passed for the Aborigines.

People have the fortune of seeing the ranges as the second camp allows them to fly over. Making the trip more exciting is a walking tour that allows them to see more breathtaking sites Australia offers. What Australian's say is their version of the pyramids can be seen by tourists as they move forward on their journey. The Cathedral George, allows guests to marvel at the structure that takes the shape of a bell. Leading to the end of the tour is a little pond that mirrors that 200 meters away blue sky.

Tourists get a chance to see Echidna Chasm, a structure that most people perceive as that of a snake moving in an elegant manner because of the narrow twists and turns it has, Livinstona palms measuring 15 meters up covers the corners of these gaps and gulfs. Taking all these sights in is an experience both remarkable and touching.

Birthday Boy

Izaiah (zai) turned three...

The older they get the older we feel.
I believe children are much more intelligent today and much more grown up.

So it is up to us as parents and grandparent to preserve their childhood.
And to encourage outdoor fun activities.
They had a wonderful time playing in the back yard.
Climbing the Mango tree, playing chasing's with Mille in hot pursuit and swinging.

And you are never too old to play and take pic's.

My poinsettia bush is blooming.

Finally a memory photo with Mummy and Papa.

Two parents together, add to a child's security.

Look how those little hands hold on to both.

God Says.....
"I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;

I will counsel you with my loving eye on you."
Psalm 32:8
 
My blessing to my grandson:
 
May the Lord Bless Thee and Keep thee....
May His light and Glory shine in thee...
May good health, a generous spirit and the gift of discernment be yours.
And may you always, acknowledge Him who created you. Amen.
 
 
 

Week in review: Gardening (weeks 28-29)

Gone are the days of cool Spring weather, summer heat has taken its place.  Still we have managed to use the early morning hours to explore and have fun outdoors.  The boys explored the subject of gardening (as part of their  homeschooling) the past two weeks. 

Note: For those who do not know my sons are nicknamed Godzilla boy, age 11 and Turtle, age 5. My oldest son has some learning

Antarctica - Much More Than Your Usual Vacation

Planning and implementing unique travel experiences is becoming a booming business for Americans. Americans are tired of going to the usual spots like Mexico and Monte Carlo. The Caribbean no longer draws those who have cruised there before. They are tired of the usual, safe spots and want to see something unusual. If you're into outdoing you neighbors they won't be able to beat you in the unusual vacation category when you come home with tales of your travels to Antarctica.

Making this journey is actually much less challenging than you would think. Sailing for three days, you'll arrive in Antarctica. You'll take a twenty-four hour flight from New York to Ushuaia to meet the boat. The US Navy has a presence in Antarctica. Some tourists will feel more safe knowing this fact. The United States, together with various additional nations, began manning a base in Antarctica in 1957. While the sailors of the US navy may have misgivings about the growth of Antarctic tourism is can be quite reassuring to know that they are there should a traveler fall into a crevasse in the ice or if a tour ship becomes icebound.

So what do you do on a vacation to Antarctica' Diverse wildlife is available to photograph and study. You can expect to find seals, whales, penguins and sea birds in Antarctica. They may also observe long plumes of white smoke billowing out of the 12,000 foot high, ice covered, active volcano, which provides quite an extraordinary experience. That outdoes Kilauea or the crater of Mt. St. Helens any day.

You may also ask exactly who feels inclined to spend $5,000 or more in transportation costs in order to experience Antarctica this way. Scientists and doctors are the most frequent tourists. More and more married couples are traveling there. Grandmas out for adventure also journey to Antarctica. Recently, more and more individuals have become attracted to vacationing in Antarctica, according to one travel agency representative. Experiencing the continent is now possible for almost anyone, he went on to say, as opposed to times past, when only a few brave and daring explorers could actually see the continent.

The US Spokesperson Navy indicates that the American government's single requirement regarding tourists visiting Antarctica is that they satisfy safety benchmarks, are self-sufficient and adhere to the international treaties regarding the protection and preservation of the continent. Conservationists and scientists do have several concerns, however. There are nightmare visions in their heads of tourists and treasure hunters swarming over the ice leaving trash and terrified wildlife behind them. There is concern that they may even deface or destroy the historic monuments that exist on the continent.

Cape Royds houses an example of such a monument. The hut that held the members of a famous expedition during the winter is still there, in exactly the same condition as they left it. The canned food and stored clothes are in perfect condition. A major European newspaper copy from that year is still sitting on the table.

The Antarctic Mountain range, watches over the South Pole, and although it is located 900 miles away, the crisp, clear air of the frozen continent allows for a stellar view, of which many tourists enjoy snapping photos, from atop the hill. Pioneers and explorers were first met with additional miles of crusty ice when they first reached the pole. But presently there is an actual South Pole which stands eight feet in height, painted in orange and blue stripes like a barber's pole and adorned at its top with a reflecting silver orb.

Antarctica - Much More Than Your Usual Vacation

Planning and implementing unique travel experiences is becoming a booming business for Americans. Americans are tired of going to the usual spots like Mexico and Monte Carlo. The Caribbean no longer draws those who have cruised there before. They are tired of the usual, safe spots and want to see something unusual. If you're into outdoing you neighbors they won't be able to beat you in the unusual vacation category when you come home with tales of your travels to Antarctica.

Making this journey is actually much less challenging than you would think. Sailing for three days, you'll arrive in Antarctica. You'll take a twenty-four hour flight from New York to Ushuaia to meet the boat. The US Navy has a presence in Antarctica. Some tourists will feel more safe knowing this fact. The United States, together with various additional nations, began manning a base in Antarctica in 1957. While the sailors of the US navy may have misgivings about the growth of Antarctic tourism is can be quite reassuring to know that they are there should a traveler fall into a crevasse in the ice or if a tour ship becomes icebound.

So what do you do on a vacation to Antarctica' Diverse wildlife is available to photograph and study. You can expect to find seals, whales, penguins and sea birds in Antarctica. They may also observe long plumes of white smoke billowing out of the 12,000 foot high, ice covered, active volcano, which provides quite an extraordinary experience. That outdoes Kilauea or the crater of Mt. St. Helens any day.

You may also ask exactly who feels inclined to spend $5,000 or more in transportation costs in order to experience Antarctica this way. Scientists and doctors are the most frequent tourists. More and more married couples are traveling there. Grandmas out for adventure also journey to Antarctica. Recently, more and more individuals have become attracted to vacationing in Antarctica, according to one travel agency representative. Experiencing the continent is now possible for almost anyone, he went on to say, as opposed to times past, when only a few brave and daring explorers could actually see the continent.

The US Spokesperson Navy indicates that the American government's single requirement regarding tourists visiting Antarctica is that they satisfy safety benchmarks, are self-sufficient and adhere to the international treaties regarding the protection and preservation of the continent. Conservationists and scientists do have several concerns, however. There are nightmare visions in their heads of tourists and treasure hunters swarming over the ice leaving trash and terrified wildlife behind them. There is concern that they may even deface or destroy the historic monuments that exist on the continent.

Cape Royds houses an example of such a monument. The hut that held the members of a famous expedition during the winter is still there, in exactly the same condition as they left it. The canned food and stored clothes are in perfect condition. A major European newspaper copy from that year is still sitting on the table.

The Antarctic Mountain range, watches over the South Pole, and although it is located 900 miles away, the crisp, clear air of the frozen continent allows for a stellar view, of which many tourists enjoy snapping photos, from atop the hill. Pioneers and explorers were first met with additional miles of crusty ice when they first reached the pole. But presently there is an actual South Pole which stands eight feet in height, painted in orange and blue stripes like a barber's pole and adorned at its top with a reflecting silver orb.

Driving Miss Crazy !

A week ago in a city in Saudi Arabia, that bastion of ultra-Islamic Wahhabism, the government moved swiftly to extinguish a budding protest movement of women claiming the right to drive, a campaign inspired by uprisings across the Arab world demanding new freedoms but is at risk of foundering. It's not like she wanted to topple the Saudi government, but no matter, any dissent is not tolerated.

Manal al-Sharif, 32, (see photo) one of the organizers, was detained Sunday in the eastern city of Dammam for up to five days on charges of disturbing public order and inciting public opinion by twice driving in a bid to press her and her female supporters cause. She was arrested after two much-publicized drives to highlight the Facebook campaigns she helped organize to encourage women across Saudi Arabia to participate in a collective protest scheduled for June 17.

The campaign attracted many supporters, more than 12,000 on the Facebook page, but have been blocked by the kingdom. Ms Sharif's arrest was very likely intended to give others pause before participating in the protests in a country where a woman's public reputation, including her ability to marry, can be badly damaged by an arrest. Her imprisonment is due to the government not wanting anybody to think they can get away with organizing anything on Facebook. They saw that the revolt that overthrew Hosni Mubarak gained crucial momentum online.

Saudi Arabia is the only country that bars women from driving. But the topic remains a highly emotional issue in the kingdom, where women are also not allowed to vote, or even work without their husbands' or fathers' permission. For religious puritans (scumbags) the ban on women driving is a sign that the government remains anarchically steadfast in the face of a Western onslaught on Saudi traditions which should have been buried under a huge pile of camel dung a hundred years ago!

Ms Sharif's supporters have sent an online petition to King Abdullah, asking him to free her and grant women the right to drive which gathered signatures from more than 600 men and women. However, some women were opposed to this campaign because they said that driving remains such a social "lightening rod" and that raising the issue is likely to set back efforts to gain more fundamental freedoms like voting or ending the legal guardianship that allows Saudi men to control virtually every aspect of women's lives.

But Ms Sharif and others decided to take to the roads this month to encourage a higher turnout for June's national protest. Saudi newspapers have been filled with articles in recent days detailing a rash of women taking to the roads and then publishing confessions of women who drove their children to school, a father to the airport and of themselves on errands.

The Way I See It....is that these suppressed Saudi women have watched Oprah Winfrey on the their TV sets over the years and have been instilled with her "get-up-girl-and do-it" kind of energetic self esteem, much to the chagrin of the Kingdom's menfolk. The internal frustrations are welling up.

However, one of the main arguments for allowing women to drive is the economic cost. There are some 800,000 foreign drivers in the kingdom and the roughly $350 monthly salary needed to hire one is considered an economic drain on the middle class. Perhaps and hopefully soon the rulers of Saudi Arabia will realize that a few concessions will give them future security from a larger backlash.

I Am, We Are...Australians - by Andrew Bolt

Editor's Note: Andrew Bolt is a popular journalist for the Herald-Sun newspaper.

I AM an indigenous Australian. Most of you are probably indigenous, too. We were born here. We are of this land and we love it. There is nowhere else we would or even call home. We are as the Webster Dictionary describes under indigenous, "produced, growing, living or occurring naturally in a particular region."

That's US! Australians! Produced right here. Yet how often we've been insulted. At almost every Government function it's been the same. It's opened by some dignitary who tells us this country is not really ours---that we, who were born here, are in fact interlopers on the land of some traditional owners (who didn't do anything with it in the first place) we must now acknowledge.

ENOUGH! Thank heavens for Victorian Premier Ted Baillieu, who this week ruled that Government ministers would no longer be forced by political correctness to make this acknowledgment at major functions. So often we've watched a white person piously tell a room of other whites, "I'd like to acknowledge the traditional owners of....", well it's so toe-curling.

How terribly empty is this modish ceremony that was compounded further a few years ago by the leftist former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd saying "SORRY" to the Aboriginals over the phony "stolen generation" guilt trip. There's almost never some Aborigine, let alone a traditional one, to be encouraged by this pat on the head. It is entirely to display our superior compassion that we do it, with not even the expectation that it will do any good to anyone but ourselves. Not one Aboriginal child ever lifts their head to say thanks. Not one workless Aborigine suddenly finds himself in a job. What happened to our shining aim to judge each other as individuals, not by birth but how we can help this country be even better than it is.

The Way I See It....there's just a lot of non-Aborigines clutching their glasses of wine trying to look briefly concerned. But if this acknowledgment, now routine in our political, artistic and elitist academic classes, was merely useless I would probably not much care. But it is also RACIST and undermines our sense of being at home and part of a whole bigger than us under one flag. Thank you Andrew for giving us this renewed perspective.

Queensland Christian Photographer

My daughter Femia.... remember, my first baby in the black and white photo with me below.....
Is a Photographer.

This is my favoured photo of her and her husband David, taken by her a few years ago.
They have been married twenty five years.

                                Her work:

They look much better on her page than on mine.

http://eufemiahopephotographyanddesign.blogspot.com/

* click on the photo on side panel to be directed. 

 

This is grandson Izaiah used as one of her models

                                                       

Granddaughter Shiarn used as another model.

Bride and groom on a bike.

                 BUT...as her mum, I love these two from when she first began to work in this field.

                             Daughter Daniella with Elyshah and Antonio (being naughty)

Daniella with Shiarn as a baby.

Ray and I by Femia, 6 yrs ago.

Femia uses the scripture from

                                                                      Isaiah 49:16                        
                       BEHOLD, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands.

The 'Wet' Season in the Kimberley Region of Western Australia

The remote and rugged Kimberley region occupies the north-west corner of the Australian continent. It covers an area of 421,451 square kilometres but inhabited by a population of only 35,000. Because of its remote location, some areas are virtually untouched by humans and those that are accessible, only have limited numbers of visitors each year. This is in part due to the distinct "wet" and "dry" seasons of the region. The "wet season" from November to March sees regular tropical thunderstorms throughout the region that turn dry river beds into mighty, raging torrents and the dry season golden brown grasses into lush green meadows. Many of the mighty rivers that flow at this time criss-cross the only main road that traverses the region and at these times the highway can become impassable, sometimes for weeks at a time. The national and state parks which are the sites of many spectacular gorges and waterfalls are also closed during "the wet" because of their inaccessibility.

The famous adventure road, the Gibb River Road, is also closed during the months of December to March, trapping pastoralists on their stations with their only access for food, mail and emergency health services via light aircraft or helicopter.

Although it is hot and humid at this time of year, residents eagerly await the sound of rain pounding on their rooftops and the cooling breezes that the thunderstorms and rains bring. The smell of rain after nearly eight months without any is so sweet! Gigantic thunderheads can form late in the day, offering amazing cloud formations that reflect the setting sun and making the whole world seem to glow in sunset colours. When the storms do eventuate, the lightening shows are worth taking time out to watch. Professional and amateur photographers venture out to try and capture those special moments of lightening bolts across the dark purple skies.

To wander along the 22kms long Cable Beach, Broome, late in the afternoon with a thunderstorm building and developing in the distance is an amazing sight. The distant clouds can be dark and threatening and the sound of thunder rumbling in the distance sends a message of promising relief, but the skies above can be clear and sunny and as quickly as the storm builds, it can also disappear......someone else may have been the lucky recipient of this afternoon's refreshing rains!

Many travellers avoid the region in the 'wet season' but they are missing a spectacular time of year. There is a definite unhurried pace around the towns as the warmer weather slows activities but is really is a great time to relax and enjoy what the season does present....particularly the thousands of mango trees throughout the region whose fruit ripens in late November and is the cause for celebration in a festival!

Whatever the time of year, one of the world's last great wildernesses is truly blessed with Mother Nature's gifts of spectacular coastal and inland landscapes, wildlife, marine life, flora and fauna. The Indigenous inhabitants have left a legacy of unique rock art and history... but that's another story.

The 'Wet' Season in the Kimberley Region of Western Australia

The remote and rugged Kimberley region occupies the north-west corner of the Australian continent. It covers an area of 421,451 square kilometres but inhabited by a population of only 35,000. Because of its remote location, some areas are virtually untouched by humans and those that are accessible, only have limited numbers of visitors each year. This is in part due to the distinct "wet" and "dry" seasons of the region. The "wet season" from November to March sees regular tropical thunderstorms throughout the region that turn dry river beds into mighty, raging torrents and the dry season golden brown grasses into lush green meadows. Many of the mighty rivers that flow at this time criss-cross the only main road that traverses the region and at these times the highway can become impassable, sometimes for weeks at a time. The national and state parks which are the sites of many spectacular gorges and waterfalls are also closed during "the wet" because of their inaccessibility.

The famous adventure road, the Gibb River Road, is also closed during the months of December to March, trapping pastoralists on their stations with their only access for food, mail and emergency health services via light aircraft or helicopter.

Although it is hot and humid at this time of year, residents eagerly await the sound of rain pounding on their rooftops and the cooling breezes that the thunderstorms and rains bring. The smell of rain after nearly eight months without any is so sweet! Gigantic thunderheads can form late in the day, offering amazing cloud formations that reflect the setting sun and making the whole world seem to glow in sunset colours. When the storms do eventuate, the lightening shows are worth taking time out to watch. Professional and amateur photographers venture out to try and capture those special moments of lightening bolts across the dark purple skies.

To wander along the 22kms long Cable Beach, Broome, late in the afternoon with a thunderstorm building and developing in the distance is an amazing sight. The distant clouds can be dark and threatening and the sound of thunder rumbling in the distance sends a message of promising relief, but the skies above can be clear and sunny and as quickly as the storm builds, it can also disappear......someone else may have been the lucky recipient of this afternoon's refreshing rains!

Many travellers avoid the region in the 'wet season' but they are missing a spectacular time of year. There is a definite unhurried pace around the towns as the warmer weather slows activities but is really is a great time to relax and enjoy what the season does present....particularly the thousands of mango trees throughout the region whose fruit ripens in late November and is the cause for celebration in a festival!

Whatever the time of year, one of the world's last great wildernesses is truly blessed with Mother Nature's gifts of spectacular coastal and inland landscapes, wildlife, marine life, flora and fauna. The Indigenous inhabitants have left a legacy of unique rock art and history... but that's another story.

Book review: Celebrations Around the World

A year ago while we were covering a unit study on Ireland, I came across a book at the library that has been a wonderful resource for geography for our family. 


Celebrations around the World: A Multicultural Handbook by Carole S. Angell was written to teach children about Multicultural holidays with its 200 page month by month listing of Holidays celebrated all over the world, but it does

Blogger and U.S.A. Tornado Problems

Please leave a comment if you are having problems leaving comments on other sites??
I have written loooong ones to Joey and Geoff and no matter how many times I try to post, I kept being asked to sign in....and it never works???
My comments will not go through?
Very frustrating..

A good excuse to add this famous painting. "The scream."

I love my Blogger friends..
As Gorges Smythe once commented, they become like family.
(And if you love wonderful yarns, Gorges tells them well.)
http://gorges-smythe.blogspot.com/

Beautiful Starry Dawn...please don't think I am neglecting you.
Or, anyone else for that matter.

As I can get through...I certainly shall, (as our Queen would say.)
Until then, I'm off for a cuppa......
And to read my wonderful word of God.
I wonder what He will tell me today??

My daughter Daniella tells you one thing as she writes it on our beach wall.

I am going to open at random...

Just love doing that, He never ceases to amaze me with His great wisdom.

I am going to share with you, what I received.

"For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

Watchfulness


 “Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning,
 like servants waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him.
It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes.
Truly I tell you, he will dress himself to serve, will have them recline at the table and will come and wait on them.
It will be good for those servants whose master finds them ready, even if he comes in the middle of the night or toward daybreak.
But understand this:
If the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into."

Luke 12:34-39

Well! This certainly spoke to me today.
I wonder, given all the events unfolding, how many of you got a message....
Let's all remember our neighbours in times of trouble.

Central U.S.A. hit by Tornado's ....
Devastating effects for all concerned!
Our Prayers are with you.
From The Body of Christ in Australia..

"May the Lord Bless and Keep you Safe..."

  

Kodiak Island

The Kodiak Island Archipelago is a large group of islands about 30 miles from the Alaska Peninsula and 158 miles across the Gulf of Alaska from Homer, Alaska.  The archipelago is about 177 miles long and encompasses nearly 5,000 square miles, roughly the size of the state of Connecticut.

While the vast majority of Kodiak’s population resides in the city and nearby areas, there are villages in the Kodiak Archipelago that are windows to the past and models of modern subsistence lifestyle. Many of these villages offer services to visitors including lodging, fishing charters, and wildlife viewing. The villages are not accessible by car. Port Lions can be reached by ferry and Ouzinkie is within boating distance, but most people reach these outposts by air charter. Regardless of the mechanism of travel, these villages promise a glimpse into Alaska that is seldom seen by most tourists.

Kodiak Island

The Kodiak Island Archipelago is a large group of islands about 30 miles from the Alaska Peninsula and 158 miles across the Gulf of Alaska from Homer, Alaska.  The archipelago is about 177 miles long and encompasses nearly 5,000 square miles, roughly the size of the state of Connecticut.

While the vast majority of Kodiak’s population resides in the city and nearby areas, there are villages in the Kodiak Archipelago that are windows to the past and models of modern subsistence lifestyle. Many of these villages offer services to visitors including lodging, fishing charters, and wildlife viewing. The villages are not accessible by car. Port Lions can be reached by ferry and Ouzinkie is within boating distance, but most people reach these outposts by air charter. Regardless of the mechanism of travel, these villages promise a glimpse into Alaska that is seldom seen by most tourists.

Casting Crowns - Who Am I

I had to add this wonderful song....
It goes completely with what I have written below..
For....I/We are nothing, without Jesus! God's Only Son!!! <><

One of the best breads we’ve eaten

About two years ago I received a bread machine as a gift for the holidays.  I have made several recipes that my family loves such as raisin bread, French bread and hearty wheat breads.  Last year in November, my computer’s hard drive went out and I lost all my bread recipes. Now I back up my hard drive (a lesson learned).

During the winter the boys and my husband wanted some banana bread and I

Who Am I ?

Do you ever wonder this?
Have you ever felt lost and think, what does my life mean?
If you knew the story of your life in advance, would you
 rush ahead or give up before you began?

Think about this, just for a moment.....

"For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord,
Plans to prosper,
Not to harm you,
Plans to give you a hope and a future. "
Jeremiah 29:11

Now that's encouraging...
And yet, you may say while reading this, I can't see the light at the end of the tunnel.... its all just too hard..

Me at 3.

We were not a rich family, my father returned from the war, shell shocked.  I was born the second youngest of five children. My father became incapacitated when I was eight, my grandfather died not long after....
My mother went to work, and we learned from a young age, that life was tough.  The best part of all our hardships was belonging to a church family. The old tin Lizzie, driven by our minister, came regularly to pick up my younger brother and I each week for Sunday School.... 
What a joy that was. Riding down those dusty country roads singing chorus's at the top of our lungs, and learning the accepting love of Jesus Christ. 
I met and married my first husband when I was very young.
My mother was against it. We were unevenly yoken, she said...
And through much hurt and pain, I learnt she was right.

Pictured with my first child, daughter Femia.

When you are young you think you know it all.

I was no different.

I married into a different culture and to a man who I loved dearly, yet one who denied the Lord.

When I walked away over thirty years later, I was a broken mess.

Yet today in wisdom, I thank the Lord.

I know if my marriage had been different God would never have come first.

And in time, I was to come to realise how...

"He turned my mourning into dancing,

and my sorrow into joy."  Psalm 30:11

My younger daughter Daniella, with five of my grandchildren when small.

From left, Antonio, Luke, Kirra, Elyshah and Joel. 

 Today, Joel, Luke and Elyshah at Nanna's.

Because of what I have come through, and what I have come from,

I know first hand that God's promise above is true.

Today all of my children have a faith in God, and all of my grandchildren have grown up in Him.

My eldest granddaughter has married a Christian man.

They are both at Uni studying teaching and plan to be Missionaries.

My youngest granddaughter Shiarn.

My youngest grandson Izaiah with cousin Shiarn.

Their road to travel has just begun.

There will be good times and not so good. 

But if they acknowledge the Lord in all they do, the blessings will flow.

"Trust in the Lord with all thine heart,

And lean not on thine own understanding.

But in all thy ways acknowledge me.

And I will make straight, thy paths."

Proverbs 3: 5-6

                                                 SO TRUE !!!








 

Happy Discus in planted aquarium

trip to the Farmer’s Market

This weekend as a treat our family went to our local farmer’s market. We thought it would be a great way for the boys to see the different types of produce that are grown in our area.

We are no strangers the farmer’s market but in recent years, we were not able to visit.  That has changed. Now we plan on being regular visitors to the Farmer’s market.  It was indeed a good morning to visit so we

Nature Aquariums - Beautiful Planted Aquariums

Weddel Island

Weddell is the largest offshore island in the Falklands group offering 63,000 acres and many spectacular miles of coastline for exploration. Though Weddell suffered from the introduction of land-based predators like the Patagonian fox during the mid 1900s, the island still offers access to a variety of wildlife such as gentoo and magellanic penguin, sea lions, striated and crested caracara, variable hawk and numerous breeds of small birds. Foxes, though reduced in population can still be seen along with a small herd of reindeer more recently introduced. Albatross and petrels can be observed feeding offshore.

There are many walking opportunities on the island including Mount Weddell, for fantastic views across the island, and full day excursions to Loop Head. 4WD tours and drop-offs are also available.

Excellent self catering accommodation is available in the main settlement. Camping is possible.

Weddel Island

Weddell is the largest offshore island in the Falklands group offering 63,000 acres and many spectacular miles of coastline for exploration. Though Weddell suffered from the introduction of land-based predators like the Patagonian fox during the mid 1900s, the island still offers access to a variety of wildlife such as gentoo and magellanic penguin, sea lions, striated and crested caracara, variable hawk and numerous breeds of small birds. Foxes, though reduced in population can still be seen along with a small herd of reindeer more recently introduced. Albatross and petrels can be observed feeding offshore.

There are many walking opportunities on the island including Mount Weddell, for fantastic views across the island, and full day excursions to Loop Head. 4WD tours and drop-offs are also available.

Excellent self catering accommodation is available in the main settlement. Camping is possible.

Juggling Time

Recently, I took a month long break from time online. I felt that I was not giving myself or my family the attention that I and they deserved.  I was trying to to juggle everything in my life: housework, homeschooling, financing, wife and mother and slowly things started to fall and I could not keep up the juggling act.  I was not finding time for me and the things I enjoyed doing anymore. I was

Beyond Imagination

As a teenager I had four passions.

ART
         BALLET
                
                        SINGING

                                        HISTORY
                         

I was a very shy young girl and spent my time after a day at high school, in the local library..

Books can take you into another world. In fact, the great part is, they take you away to places you only dream of.

I love the Old Masters, Rembrandt, Rubens, Da Vinci and Constable.
I can gaze at these works of art for hours.
They hold so many hidden treasures.
Their talent is beyond my understanding.

I try to paint, but I am no real artist, only a novice.
One lady Blogger on here I admire, is Clint's beautiful wife Cindy.
Her site is: http://cindyellison.blogspot.com/
You can even join her on Facebook where you'll see more of her work.

While looking through a book on French Art, BACK THEN.....
I turned the page to get the shock of my life..

                                    http://www.1st-art-gallery.com/

There I was!!

The hair colour was darker, and the style different, yet otherwise it was me!

This painting was of a famous woman named Madame Juliet Recamier`
(and not a very desirable type) dated 1800.
The artist, Jacques Louis David.

My ancestry is French on my mothers side, and if there is one place in the world I would like to visit, it is Versailles.... (dream on...!)

Isn't it magnificent?? I believe the art work inside is out of this world.
I'd have to leave Ray at home.. he takes a quick look and runs on to the next adventure.
Maybe Cindy and Sandie would like to go with me...??
(I'm still dreaming..)

I wonder??
Have you ever seen your double?
If so, tell us all about it?

 "And God saw every thing that he had made,
and, behold,
It was very good."

Genesis 1:31