Wordless Wednesday

Merry Christmas to all!!

Tuesday's Tangent...

I remember an assignment from my early school days....  to describe something so an alien visiting from another planet would understand what you're talking about.   I think that I even used this concept when working w/ one class to describe 'popcorn'...  Pretend you're writing for someone who's never seen, heard, smelled, touched it before...  someone not from our planet...

Sometimes that's what I'd like to say to people I come in contact with...  pretend I'm from another planet and don't have any knowledge of what you're taking about... start at the very beginning...  'cuz really, I'm not from around here.

St. Nick in Oz....

At Brenna's last Surf Life Saving Club gathering, they had a special visitor!!  Santa came in... 

The kids, in their SLSC uniforms, running out to meet the Big Guy as he rides the waves in...

Santa riding in on the "rubber duck" to greet the kids....

Santa making it safely to shore.  Brenna's to the very left of the pic... ;-)

Santa talking w/ the kids...  Isn't it great that he's wearing his red and yellow surf life saving club hat!  Safety first.  Brenna's in this pic too.  She's got her "rashie" on to keep out UV rays and keep away board rashes.

Santa even took some time to greent he little ones... 

What a fun morning!

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See Brenna and Darian on Santa's List

This was so easy and so fun!  I checked and both kids made it on the good list.  ;-)

Here's Brenna's http://family.go.com/santas-list/video/131834-celtickendra/

Here's Darian's http://family.go.com/santas-list/video/131788-celtickendra/


You can send your picture to Santa and see which list you've made this year too.

Friday Flashback...

My sweet little sis...

over 20 years ago...

Who tolerated me dressing her up and making her pose for countless photo shoots. 

We have numerous shots through the years, guess I was going for the western look here.

It was fun having a little sister to dress-up, well, fun for me anyway.

Happy Birthday, Jane!

Love you!

Aussie Jingle Bells

Enjoy!




but please note... a "thong" = flip flops :-)

Thanks to my neighbor, Joy, for sharing the video with me!

Thankful Thursday

Technology is a wonderful thing.  It's amazing that i can chat face-to-face with family and friends across the world through the internet!  Being able to stay connected across the miles brings me much joy.  The process boggles my mind, but i don't need to understand it to appreciate it... and i sure do appreciate seeing familiar faces now and again.
:-)

Wordless Wednesday

Friday Flashback...

Sharing a moment together

We were spinning in circles and hanging upside down.

Brenna's 3 years old.

Thankful Thursday

In the rollercoaster that is life, the ups and downs are more tolerable when shared with friends.  When we moved to the other side of the globe, I wondered how that journey would change, would I be taking those ups and downs alone, or isolated? 

I am thankful beyond words, and amzingly blessed, to discover that although I may be far away, I'm still surrounded and supported by friends.  There are still many hand offered to celebrate the good with us, or hold our hands through the difficult.  God is good.

Thanks to all the friends who shared in the excitement with us when Brenna was elected female School President for next school year!  Yes, I am extremely proud of her!  And thankful that she can see so many other excited for her achievement as well.

Thanks!

Wordless Wednesday

Trying to get in the spirit...

learning a new Aussie jingle...  ;-)




hope you enjoy it!
(and can see it!)

Finding the right words

I am not good with words.  In high school, I would frequently ask my Mom to help me find a word.  Actually, I just fired questions at her, trying to come up with the word I wanted... "I need a word kinda like...", "I think it starts with...", "It's a little different than..."  I don't know if she even answered, but eventually I found the word I was looking for.  Yeah, she even got calls from me during college to find help me find the right words.

Now, in a odd twist, the words have changed.  I'm still speaking English, my native tongue, but it's not all the same.  I recently had a chat w/ my daughter on the walk home from school.  She rattled off some of the highlights of her day.  I responded with a confused look.  :-/  She quickly 'translated' the Aussie speak that she had quickly incorporated into her vocabulary.  Obviously, I'm not there yet.

It's rather strange to know what I want to say, and not have the right words to say it.  Well, I suppose that's not too strange after all.  ;-)

Friday Flashback...

a priceless moment...

making mountian pies w/ Pappy in PA

a time honored tradition on our summer (and other) visits

it's warm enough in Oz to be thinking about mt. pies

Looks like D's going for some cherry... mmm....

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Thankful Thursday

It often amazes me how people can say or do something very meaningful to me when they think what they've done is ordinary.  You know, one of those moments when someone unexpectedly lifts you up when you're down, or gives you encouragement when you're feeling unsure.  I believe that God's hand is guiding, or perhaps prompting that moment.  But no matter how it happens, it makes me quite thankful for those moments and those friends.

Although we no longer live close to many of friends and family, I still get those unexpected, just-at-the-right-time encouragments.  But instead of a smile, a hug, or a kind word, they come in the form of a facebook post, an email, or a bit of mail. 

God has been good to me, by the friends and family I'm blessed with and their kind and caring hearts.  Thank you, God.  And, thank you, dear, sweet friends... each and every one of you. 

Wordless Wednesday

Tuesday's Tangent...

If you know me well, or perhaps even at all, you will have noticed that I often talk in tangents. I move from one topic to another without a clear, understandable connection, well, at least not to the casual observer.

So here's a new weekly addition (i hope) to my blog... Tuesday's tangent... allowing you, my dear (but few) readers, to go on a random tangent w/ me. (it is quite an honour, i know).

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I have realized i have 'comfort clothes'. Clothes that I like to wear when I'm feeling a little unsettled or unsure. Some people do 'comfort food'... surely, 'comfort clothes' makes sense too.

well, it does to me! ;-)

........

oh, look! a chicken.