CROSSTITCHING BY THE SEA

CROSSTITCHING BY THE SEA

I have just returned from a week in Middleton SA....on a cute little rental property that sits on the hill and overlooks the sea and hills....not on the beach but 2 streets back. The sea actually roars down there.....we are used to the sedate murmer of Wallaroo shallow shores....not the swells of Middleton.

DD (13), DS (11) and Hubby (40 something) actually hired wetsuits and surfboards and braved the deep....sort of, the waves were not much chop.....but they had a go that is the main thing.

They got a taste of Surfie culture, bare chests...and watching (or trying to avoid watching) dudes in wetsuits changing and baring all for the surfing God of the best wave dude (pretty hard that week). They saw Mambo anti God Culture (remind me to tell you about that one day!) and the drug, driving looking for the best spot to surf "cultcha".........well we saw it.....hmmmm

It reminded me of years ago.......we had a good friend who got saved at the same time as us, was a committed surfer....married my friend and used to leave notes on their fridge to her "..........the waves are calling.......gotta go.....".

Old habits die hard......he still surfs years later, but he is a dad and a committed Christian not a struggling new convert. It was an experience watching him grow

ANYWAY BACK TO OUR HOLIDAY....................

God must have known how much I needed it....also at a good price for 8 of us!!

I read (ummmmm) 4 books in 7 days.......good Christian Historical Novels.....very easy reading, perfect for getting lost in....and I did lots of my neverending crosstitch saga.....

I have done a crosstitch smapler for each of the kids.....phew what a drama...I am now 2 kids behind....at least 3 of them have seen their own sampler being stitched, oh well nicer that way, they come to me and say is that mine mum, when will it be finished???? Ummmmmm I dunno......

Sunsets, sea breezes, salt air, and warm sun, no people!!!!

My most treasured memory was the last night, warm and balmy, sea roaring on the balcony, feet up, sun on my back ....kids all inside watching a DVD, Dad sleeping.....I was actually SHHHHHHHHH...... ON MY OWN.....crossstitching for at least 1.5hours.....ahhh bliss I enjoyed it because it was a rare moment, not because I prefer it but it was a treasured hour in my 24/7 day routine with all around me!

Boy did I take a big deep wiff of those tender roses that night...

We need to smell the roses a lot more!

It was a tonic for my weary soul......I want to face this FUN term with some zest and zeal........so the break worked and I am on my way.

This term is one of my favourites.....even though it is our busiest....Church wise (Hubby is travelling to Manilla, to worship God with our Missionary friends at Baseco Slums in manilla....they just want him to come and get lost in God with them, sounds good to me!!) Pipes and Drums (4 Pagents and lots of Gigs) Highland Dancing (Concerts, Breakups and more) Plus normal Christmas family stuff.

But I really enjoy Christmas...each year we have a breakup party and the kids do a concert dance play instruments etc and show off their work for the year....everyone oooohhhhsss and aaaahhhhhssss....it is cool..... squishy in our little house but cool.....actually it is generally very HOT at that time of year all squished in our family room!

But this year I want to do a Christmas play, i figure I have done them for years with chn in Church, Youth Groups, brownie Groups....WHY NOT my OWN kids.....I am also gonna get my oldest to write it for me!

So i got lots to do.......just planned a photo shoot with my sister in law with all of our kids in kilts (her girl's Highland dance too) to give to my"I DUNNO WHAT TO GIVE FOR CHRISTMAS " got every thing Parents......they have everything...what do you give to 60 plus parents grandparents .....well I had a brainstorm and photo shoot here we come, boys in kilts & drums, girls in kilts and swords....cool!! Mum and Dad will sooooooo love it!

Anyway, life is good school here we come.....

Enjoy the moments we do have, they sure make the NORMAL more bearable. Thanks God for understanding and meeting my deepest and most simplest needs!

Blessings your friend and fellow fighter for this generation

Cath

~*~*~*~*~*~*~)(~*~*~*~*~* ~*

Grand Day Out

Today I again am thinking of our Grand Day Out...

This time in the Cities, the great Edinburgh and the bustling Glasgow ....

Sigh there are some memories that I will never tire of, In Edinburgh, Scotland where we saw the first of our castles, we explored Edinburgh Castle and marveled at the small courtyard where the Tattoo was performed (compared to The Red Square it was teeny!!! We explored Linlithgow Palace the residence of Mary Queen of Scots.....we saw the turret she climbed 100's of feet in the sky to watch and await and pray for her husband to return from battle with the English.

We explored the Dining Chambers and the great Banquet Hall with the Fireplaces as big as 2 carport roller doors...and there were 3 of them!!!! Imagine cutting the wood just for that!!! Oh my it was astounding....

We climbed the circular winding stairs, cold stone with no handle rails and imagined the poor queens and princesses climbing them in billowing dresses and shoes made out of slippery satin or the like. We saw there bed chambers with secret passages that led to the outside in case the King's life was in danger.

It was the first castle that I saw (or imagined) the expense it must have taken to run a place like that....just the servants needed to chop wood and serve the royals, dress them and feed the royal court....it really amazed me.....and there was nothing left except stone and wood, but I could see!!!

I saw the hardship of medieval living, the coldness of the stone walls (even covered with expensive tapestries and HUGE roaring fires, it would have been a cold atmosphere) The courtyard plain but a respite from bitter Scottish winds on the banks of a river......the sun was warm....but the stark square nature with a gothic type fountain in the middle could only depress! The threat of war and the grief of a queen waiting for a King to return. Truly hard and harsh times.

We tasted Mill life in Scotland, saw where David Livingstone lived with his devout parents in a small room where children slept in a box....I saw his home and where his parents worked, I saw the hill his father walked up to take his son to the boat in Glasgow, going to Africa NEVER to see his son David again.... We stood and had a photo under the enormous statue of Livingstone and his African friends being attacked by Lion.....with DD then 2 years screaming "KAWEY" (scarey) "LION" and refusing to go near it (it was huge though!!!)

We saw the slums in Glasgow where Hubby's Parents immigrated from....we saw the still standing Tenament Buildings where his Aunty lived in, and Hubby when his parents were alive visited.....what an experience.

Too much to write about, the Farms where we saw Scottish Black Face Sheep for the first time, the HUGE and ugly Highland Cow with mud caking its feet and snot dribbling in its hairy face....but in the calendars they looked so sweet!!! We tasted IRN BRU fizzy drink for the first time YUM, we had Scotch eggs, i bought clothes from Mothercare and George....shopped in Testco.....wow i loved it!!!

Anyway, I am a Scottish fan so this just whetted my appetite for more YES LORD!!!!!

Bless you guys sorry if i have bored you but I just need to talk about it...even just for me!!!

Cathy

Education is a Process

I could spend hours doing things that may be deemed & "silly" or a waste of time....but oh the principles I have learnt....a few years ago I was studying a Graduate Diploma in Childbirth Education (after my 4th baby was born) why???? Dunno I thought God told me too....I am sooooooo glad I listened although it took me 4 years longer than anyone else!!!

BUT....

A very sweet nominal Christian lecturer from the course said to me KEEP GOING.....YOUR KIDS SEE YOU EXTENDING YOURSELF & EDUCATING YOURSELF.....IT WILL CREATE AN EXCITING ENVIRONMENT OF LEARNING IN YOUR OWN HOME....... and I can say it has....my kids like school after 10 years they enjoy learning it is an adventure....Why??? I love to learn, I love to extend myself....it creates an atmosphere in my home!!!! :P

I encourage lots of things, why??? Because I love learning, I also LOVE my kids meeting ALL KINDS OF PEOPLE, the good, the bad, the ugly. Things like, sports....hobbies....Pipe Drums (for us), Highland Dancing.....they extend and help kids embrace all walks of life. All colours, races and creeds....when they leave my nest they MUST be able to interact and LOVE all in order to win them to Jesus....

What I lOVE about Hschooling is that either hubby or I am there with them when others challenge them about Jesus, or talk rough, use expletives (the older ones anyway) what a great learning opportunity that we can nurse them through......

Education is a process, through crosstich we learn beauty and patience, through stamp collecting we learn order and geography, through dancing we feel beauty and expression, through sports we learn teamwork and the way to win and loose RIGHT!!!! The list is endless....

I feel that we must not loose the process by sacrificing the product/activity. I also feel that there is a tendency in our homeschool world to overprotect and spiritualise everything....lets face it everything may not be spiritual, it may be just plain FUN!!!!! I am sure Jesus liked to giggle too....

Our kids are at such an advantage anyway because they are Homeschooled, lets embrace life and let them live it!!!

Just some thoughts......I love it

Can you tell we are on school holidays in Adelaide!!! He He :whistle:

Love Cathy