an illusion of here-ness!

it's been a while since i have been around these parts.

a friend has started up a new blog called http://emmausroadaustralia.blogspot.com/ so i may be popping in from time to time.

sumara - you should check him out. (it's 'the lutheran' *grins*)

hello all of you who i've been so hopeless at keeping in touch with. don't know if anyone will be checking this up after all this time, but if you do, please pop on and say hi.....

cheers all,
jo

*ouch* sumara tagged me....

ok. i've already done this whole thing and then it didn't publish it!!!!

but since it has been SO quiet here for so long, and since it was the ever gorgeous sumara who tagged me, i shall try again....

so here is the meme thang.... again......

If you could build a house anywhere, where would it be?
half way up a hill in wales, uk.


What’s your favorite article of clothing?
at the moment it is a pair of brown velvet jeans

What’s the last CD that you bought?
it was SO long ago, i honestly can't think.
now that is just SO terribly, terribly sad....

Where’s your favorite place to be?
half way up that hill in wales... or in a cuddle with my babies.
ideally it would be both

Where’s your least favorite place to be?
running errands...


What’s your favorite place to be massaged?
again, i have to reach far back into the recesses of distant memory, but i seem to recall enjoying both foot and scalp massages...

Strong in mind or strong in body?
if i had to choose, it would be mind

What time do you wake up in the morning?
too bloody early!!!!
presently it is between 5.30am and 6.30am

What is your favorite kitchen appliance?
kettle... or dishwasher.... hmmmmm

What makes you really angry?
hatred. pettiness... world politics.
actually all of those things have a lot in common...

If you could play any instrument, what would it be?
i presume this means apart from ones i already play?
celtic harp.

Which do you prefer…sports car or SUV?
not fond of either to be honest...

Do you believe in an afterlife?
i THINK so......

Favorite children’s book?
i'm going 'picture books' here -
'sometimes i like to curl up in a ball' by charles fuge
and absolutely ANYTHING illustrated by julie vivas


If you could have one super power, what would it be?
to communicate telepathically

If you have a tattoo, what is it?
one day when funds allow and i get the nerve, i shall get one for each of my babies

Can you juggle?
no

The one person from your past that you wish you could go back and talk to?
that's too heavy a question to answer today

What’s your favorite day?
saturday

What’s in the boot of your car?
spare tyre, picnic rug, spare clothes, hats, towell, water bottles.
now before you laud my efficiency and forethought, they are all either used, dirty or empty, and awaiting replacements ...

Which do you prefer, sushi or hamburger?
SUSHI!!! yum.
but there is this one place that makes these marvellous real hamburgers...
i would rather vomit than eat a macca's burger.

R.I.P. steve irwin

as much as the guy was a bit of a wally sometimes, i had the utmost respect for his passion for animals and his family life.....

he was a fellow sunshine coaster and homeschooler and he will definately be missed.....

health dramas

i now have experienced the horror of seeing my child have a seizure.
it was seriously scary business.

he is ok now, of course, and all is well, but the trip in the ambulance and hospital stay - complete with very scary tests for a 3 year old - were not my idea of a fun way to spend the weekend.

aghast!

well, today i discovered another depth that people can sink to in their darkness, their smallness, their hatred, their vindictiveness and stupidity.

the fact that it is wrapped in a facsimile of christianity and putting words into god's mouth made me more furious than i have been in a long time.

i hate that i was brought to tears by these people. and their effect on good people. people who live with the knowledge that others want them dead!?! it's insane.

we're so sheltered here in australia.
we hear the news.
i know what is going on in the middle east.
we see the movies.
i've seen 'mississippi'.
i have jewish ancestry so i know this stuff in theory.

but i'm still shocked how people can react against people for who they are.

i'm aghast.

i shouldn't be surprised.
why on earth was i so surprised?

ok. rant over.

happy birthday rupert grint.

the lovely rupert, who plays ron in the potter movies, was 18 years old today.

happy anniversary to us....

well, i had miscalculated. i've been thinking this was 15th and it was 14th. oops.

so it arrived, and we both started the day by forgetting about it.
possible tension and despair was avoided when we both remembered in time to save face.

pizza and a bottle of wine after the kids were in bed was quite a nice way to spend a tuesday and all was right in the world.

amazing to think we've been 'together' since early 1988. we're almost talking 'decades' here folks.
YIKES!

my sister's keeper

"my sister's keeper" by jodi picoult

i wasn't going to read it, and if i did, i certainly wasn't going to like it.

it was for a new bookclub (some of the homeschool mums are going to do a thing after the kids' literacy group once a month).
this was the book decided on for the first one.
when my reserved copy came in at the library i took one look at the cover and went EEEEK!

when my dh read the blurb on the cover he just looked at me and said 'no way are you reading that!'.
now he's not the bombastic sort, just that he didn't think it conducive to my mental health and the stability of the family (or the likelihood of him getting any meals prepared for him) if i read a book which was asks

if you use one of your children to save the life of another, are you being a good mother ... or a very bad one?

he knows i've never quite recovered from 'sophie's choice'.

still, i didn't want to decide against it without even dipping in, so i did.

i hate it when i like popular things. i feel so normal. (just kidding).

i really enjoyed this book.
it's got quite a light touch, regardless of the soul numbing horror it's dealing with.

the different voices were all distinct and believable, and i was moved by the unexpected insights each of them had.

i was so ready to hate sara (the mother) and yet, her viewpoint made me sympathetic despite myself.

jesse (the delinquent brother) is my favourite character.

cheers all,
jo