FLYING FEASTS

Im sure all Australians are proud of the way our team played and the fact that they got this far. It was a huge disappointment to lose because of a controversial decision by the Umpire in the dying seconds of the game. But the boys can hold their heads high and be proud of their achievements and how good is their coach Guus ??? Bravo Guus !!!


(Picture: Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)

MUSIC

The music gene definitely runs in my family. Its a huge part of our lives and has been for as long as I can remember. My first memory is way back when I was about seven years old and I accompanied my father to Mass every sunday morning. He had a beautiful tenor voice and sang in the Cathedral Choir in our home city. I remember it well because I was very uninterested in the singing and spent the whole time playing on the stone steps which led up to the Choir Gallery. My father's father wasnt a singer but he was a champion ballroom dancer and was said to be very talented and light on his feet. I wish I had known him, he died a few months before I was born. As I grew up, I was always involved with school and church choirs and around that time,my teenage brother became a singer in a rock band......long hair and all !!! He was a "teen idol" and we had countless young girls phoning our house and hanging out front waiting for a glimpse of him. Ah those were the days!!!
As a young single, I went to live in Italy for a few years and there I met my Italian husband. He and my father both loved opera and classical music, so it was only natural that when our children were born they were exposed to it at a very early age. As she was growing up, our daughter studied singing, piano and flute and now participates in amateur theatre and latin dancing. Our son began listening to Beethhoven when he was about 4 years old and by age 8 began to learn the Flute. As a classically trained flautist, he has played in orchestras and ensembles and played at his sisters wedding, which was a very proud moment for us all. Every Christmas my father would sing Carols with the children accompanying him on piano and flute. The singing would get louder and more raucous and end up in hysterical laughter. Its a memory we will always cherish. When my father was diagnosed with cancer we decided to care for him at home as he didnt want to be in a hospice. His last days were spent with his family around him and his beloved classical music softly playing in the background. It was a sad and special time for us and we were privileged to witness his last moments.
Music has been an important part of our family life. Just as important as love and food, music has sustained us through the good times and the sad times. I thank God for my talented family.  

I have just watched the latest Pride and Prejudice. I loved it ! For two hours, I was transported back to the english countryside and the into the lives of the Bennet family. Everything about it was stunning.....scenery, costumes and the characters as well. Im not a purist and dont mind in the least if the story deviates a little from the original. I think this version brings to it a breath of fresh air. As I write, Im listening to the movie soundtrack which is making me swoon into a slight faint. No matter, Mr.Darcy no doubt will catch me before I hit the floor. I wish !!!!!

BED

My Bed !!! I love my bed. Its nice to look at, its very comfortable and its my haven. Its always dressed in white cotton sheets and pretty white embroidered pillowcases. The Bedspreads, Eiderdowns and Quilts are predominately white with touches of baby blue. I make the bed with double everything….two fitted sheets and two pillowcases just like they do in the best Hotels. It makes sleeping more cozy and comfortable and its a little touch of luxury that makes me feel special.
Its so important to have your bed just the way you like it, not just for a good nights sleep, its so much more than that. When Im feeling sick there is no other place I want to be than in my own bed. Curling up on the couch just doesn’t do it for me when I have a headache or just feel miserable. Its as though my bed wraps its arms around me and comforts me like a big old teddy bear. Its soothing. Its gentle. And its familiar.
My bed has seasonal changes as well. When its Summer time its dressed in very light white cottons. Cool and fresh looking. In Winter, pretty quilts and cushions make it look cosy and inviting. At Christmas time, It has gorgeous huge red pillows and tartan throws to give it a festive feel.
And every night before I settle down to sleep, I think about all the people who might be sleeping on the streets, on a park bench or in a dark alleyway. I think about how they might be freezing cold and even in danger of predators. I think how fortunate I am and I thank God for my bed. I thank Him that I have a safe, warm and restful place to refresh and renew myself.

Our son has gone back to his Army Base and things are getting back to normal again. Housework and Laundry need my attention now and of course a catch up of my favourite blogs as well. The weather is very cold here now and curling up on the couch to watch movies has been the usual routine each evening.
Thick soups and hearty casseroles have been on the menu and I love the fact that most of the winter fare is a one pot recipe. Less washing up is definitely a plus in these long dark evenings. I have taken up the knitting needles these past few weeks and finished a lovely lacy scarf for my daughter and Im working on one each for the little girls.
We are so looking forward to watching the Socceroos play tomorrow night and hope they make us proud once again. Go the Socceroos !!!!!

Our son is home on leave from the Army. We are having a lovely visit and Im spoiling him with all of his home-cooked favourite meals. We are just sitting and chatting, catching up on our news and family gossip. Staying up late watching movies together and just enjoying having him home again.
How fast the years fly and how precious our time with our children becomes as they move away from home and we get older!

DUST

Dust if you must, but wouldnt it be better
To paint a picture or write a letter.
Bake a cake or plant a seed,
Ponder the difference between want and need.

Dust if you must, but there isnt much time,
With rivers to swim and mountains to climb!
Music to hear and books to read,
Friends to cherish and life to lead.

Dust if you must, but the world's out there
With the sun in your eyes and the wind in your hair.
A flutter of snow, a shower of rain.
This day will not come round again.

Dust if you must, but bear in mind,
Old age will come and it's not very kind.
And when you go, and go you must,
You, yourself, will make more dust.


Author Unknown