The Beauty in Dull Weather Days

April 29, 2012 Joanne17 Comments

About a month ago I joined a website called Blipfoto, which I was introduced to by Kathy at “Reinventing the Event Horizon”. Kathy’s partner Sara, a wonderful photographer, had discovered Blipfoto and joined the site herself, and Kathy invited everyone to drop by Sara’s Blipfoto site.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA — Surfing fanatics don't care about the weather, just the waves.

Initially my plan was to take a look at Sara’s photos and offer her my support, although five minutes later I had joined the site myself and was contemplating my first photo!

The decision was a no-brainer really; any site recommended by Kathy and Sara had to be worthwhile, I had admired Sara’s photos on Kathy’s site for some time, and, although I am a novice photographer myself, I have become increasingly interested in the technicalities of photography myself over the past couple of years.

Blipfoto allows the posting of one photo per day, accompanied by a small description of said photo, although not absolutely essential. I find this extremely achievable, even on the busiest of days.

In the process of taking just one photo for each day, however, I am ending up with at least ten new photos each day, and after choosing “the one” for the day, the rest of my photos, however amazing, must be resigned to a life in my desktop folder of photos…..

…..unless ~ I show some of my favourites here!

In reality, the weather here during the past week has been nothing spectacular, unless you enjoy rain and dull days. Some of my photos have even been taken from inside my car, in an effort to keep dry and I have been surprisingly pleased by some of the results.

When the sky is cloudy and grey, the lighting effect on the photos is different to that of a sunny day and I find that there is a certain beauty in photos taken on cloudy days.

Perhaps there has even been a name invented for this white/grey effect, I’m not sure.

“The Week That Was” may even become a regular end-of-week post here, if I keep on taking photos worthy (to me, at least!) of being displayed.

Australia · cooking · recipe · traditions

ANZAC Biscuits

April 26, 2012 Joanne6 Comments

“They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old;

Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.

At the going down of the sun and in the morning,

We will remember them”. ~ The Ode.

Yesterday was a public holiday here in Australia, in honour of ANZAC Day.

ANZAC Day originated for Australia on April 25^th, 1915, during World War I, when Australian and New Zealand soldiers landed in Gallipoli. By the end of 1915, eight thousand Australian and New Zealand soldiers had lost their lives, which had a huge impact on those back home in Australia.

The word ANZAC stands for Australian and New Zealand Army Corps and is still to this day a name held in high esteem, especially on April 25^th each year, when the battle of the original ANZAC’s is commemorated throughout the country.

During World War I, sixty thousand Australian soldiers lost their lives. This number increased during World War II and the Vietnam War, and on April 25^th, the country joins together with great pride and respect, in remembrance of the men who fought for this country.

Memorial services and marches are held throughout the country, beginning at dawn and continuing throughout the morning. Major marches held in the capital cities are televised and it is deeply moving to watch the old “diggers” marching through the streets, many needing assistance, with faces displaying the emotions they are feeling as they remember their fallen mates.

Another ANZAC tradition is eating, or baking and eating, ANZAC biscuits. The recipe for these biscuits was devised through the necessity of women at home, caring for the Australian soldiers fighting overseas, and sent to the soldiers as a part of their care packages.

The recipe purposely does not include eggs, to prevent the biscuits from spoiling if left uneaten over a long period of time. Many variations of the original recipes are available, with the basic ingredients being oats, flour, coconut, butter, sugar and golden syrup.

For the batch of biscuits I baked yesterday I followed a Country Women’s Association recipe, and the biscuits turned out crunchy and delicious, just the way they should!

Don’t wait for ANZAC Day to bake these biscuits, they can be enjoyed at any time of the year, and if you prefer to use an alternative name, try calling them Crunchy Oat Biscuits. They will be just as mouth watering, given either name. 😉

ANZAC Biscuits

1 cup plain flour

1 cup rolled oats

1 cup coconut

½ cup brown sugar

¼ cup caster sugar

Grated rind of 1 lemon (optional)

125 g butter

1 tablespoon golden syrup or treacle

1 teaspoon bi-carb soda

1 tablespoon boiling water

Gently melt butter and golden syrup in a pan. Add to a large bowl containing the flour, oats, coconut, sugars and lemon rind, along with the bi-carb soda which has been dissolved in the boiling water.

Mix all of the ingredients together thoroughly.

Place teaspoons of mixture onto a well greased baking tray, allowing plenty of room for spreading, and flatten with a fork.

Bake at 170 degrees Celsius for approximately 15 to 20 minutes, or until biscuits are golden brown.

Cool slightly on the tray before transferring biscuits to a cooling rack.

The Country Women’s Association recommend enjoying these biscuits with a cup of tea. 🙂

Australia · autumn · Mount Warning · Tweed Valley

Towns of the Tweed ~ Fingal Head (Part 2) A Volcanic Rock Headland

April 24, 2012 Joanne10 Comments

In May 1770, when Captain James Cook sailed along the eastern coast of Australia, he originally named what is today known as Fingal Head, Point Danger. Today, Point Danger is located just five kilometres north of Fingal Head. Since the mistake of locations was made so many years ago, the two place names have become established in the area, and are not about to be changed, even to keep Captain Cook happy!

Regardless, both Point Danger and Fingal Head are points of immense natural beauty in the area and both also share the need for a lighthouse, due to the dangerous offshore reefs.

When my husband and I spent a leisurely Sunday afternoon at Fingal Beach recently, the dangerous reefs and pounding waves were the least of our concerns. We took a long walk along the sandy beach, dodging the volcanic rocks, as my ex-surfer and fourth generation Tweed Valley husband educated me on the history of the beach, pre-Cook days.

About twenty-million years ago Mount Warning, (you will remember Mount Warning, surely, from the umpteen times I have made mention here of this Magical Mountain) a now-extinct volcano, spat out basalt lava, now hardened into rocks, which to this day adorn the shores of Fingal Beach.

Surely these rocks haven’t remained here, on this same beach, for twenty-million years, untouched, I wondered? Apparently, yes, they have. The basalt lava from Mount Warning solidified and over the years has transformed into the rock formations we see today on the beach.

As the lava cooled and contracted, in places it split into unusual columns of rocks, which resemble rock formations in Fingal, Ireland, hence Fingal Head was given its name.

We climbed over a narrow section of the rocks to reach a grassy, tree-lined track, which would take us up to the Fingal Lighthouse.

After quite a considerable amount of time spent photographing and admiring Fingal Head Lighthouse, we ventured along the boardwalk tracks, not knowing for sure where they would lead to.

After surviving over twenty-million years subjected to the elements, it is good to know that the area is being taken care of, in an effort to retain the natural beauty of Fingal.

There were a number of off-shoots along the path but we chose the path which would lead us back to the beach.

I’m not sure of the name of the trees around the beach, but look at the unusual roots in this next photo. I thought at first that the soil, or sand, had eroded from around the base of the trees, leaving the roots exposed, but my husband assures me that is the way these trees grow.

As we headed back towards our car, I glanced back for one last look at the volcanic rocks along the beach, and noticed how long the shadows were getting as night-time approached.

It really was a picture perfect day, with the brilliant blue skies are gentle breeze. Even as the sky darkened, everywhere I looked I found more and more beautiful images to photograph, as we bid our goodbyes to Fingal Beach.

A Sense of Spirit · spirituality

A Synopsis of Spirituality

April 12, 2012May 14, 2013 Joanne10 Comments

When I discovered the Abraham-Hicks books, recordings, videos and teachings, about five years ago, I devoured every piece of information I could get my hands on.

As I read and re-read each word written in their books, and as I listened to every word spoken, my heart leapt with joy at what I was reading and hearing.

For me, it was confirmation of the feelings I had carried with me, deep within my heart, for as long as time; confirmation that there were others who shared the same beliefs as me; reassurance that my thoughts were very “normal” ~ well, to those who share my beliefs, at least.

Abraham is very quick to point out that you either get it, or you don’t, and either way, it’s okay.

Time has passed since those early days, when I thought that I may burst with excitement at the discovery I had made. These days, the excitement and enthusiasm has not subsided, it has only grown stronger, although the feelings are different, more subdued.

Now, there’s calm acceptance of the truth, my truth, as I know it to be. My beliefs feel natural, unquestioned, and I accept complete ownership of my feelings.

If you haven’t heard the teachings of Abraham-Hicks, here is a synopsis, or perhaps a list of twelve quotes oozing with wisdom, written by Abraham. If these points “gel” with you, visit the website at www.abraham-hicks.com to hear more.

If you just don’t get it, that’s okay too.

Either way, all is well. 🙂

~ ~ ~

Abraham-Hicks Synopsis of Teachings

1. You Are a Physical Extension of That Which is Non-physical.

2. You Are Here in This Body Because You Chose to Be Here.

3. The Basis of Your Life is Freedom; the Purpose of Your Life is Joy.

4. You Are a Creator; You Create With Your Every Thought.

5. Anything That You Can Imagine is Yours to Be or Do or Have.

6. As You Are Choosing Your Thoughts, Your Emotions Are Guiding You.

7. The Universe Adores You, for it Knows Your Broadest Intentions.

8. Relax into Your Natural Well-Being. All is Well. (Really It Is!)

9. You Are a Creator of Thoughtways on Your Unique Path of Joy.

10. Actions to Be Taken and Possessions to Be Exchanged Are By-products of Your Focus on Joy.

11. You May Appropriately Depart Your Body Without Illness or Pain.

12. You Can Not Die; You Are Everlasting Life.

Australia · autumn · Mount Warning · old house · Tweed Valley

Towns of the Tweed ~ Fingal Head (Part 1) The Tiny Lighthouse Watching Over the Huge Ocean.

April 10, 2012 Joanne10 Comments

When my children were little people who loved having a bedtime story read to them each night, one of their favourite books was called “The Most Scary Ghost”. There was nothing particularly significant about this story, other than said star of our story, the ghost, resided in an old lighthouse and would run up and down the one-hundred stairs each night shrieking, “I’m the most scary ghost, whippety-woo!”

The big attraction to this book was definitely the lighthouse. There’s something rather romantic to the image of a lighthouse, even to a child; of being a lighthouse keeper, living in the lighthouse, and being responsible for the safety of countless ships and the lives of the crew, as they pass the rocky points of land the flashing lights are a warning of.

One such lighthouse exists at Fingal Head, a lovely little seaside village just south of the New South Wales and Queensland borders.

This tiny lighthouse, situated twenty-four metres above sea-level, stands only seven metres in height, making it one of the smallest lighthouses in Australia. But height wasn’t an important factor when designing and building the lighthouse in 1878, due to the natural elevation of the site.

Once upon a time this lighthouse did have a keeper, in fact the first keeper, William Arnold, happily resided in the keeper’s residence with his wife and eleven children for twenty-seven years. What a view they enjoyed, with Cook Island just half a kilometre out to sea, and the endless blue waters of the Pacific Ocean, as far as the eye can see!

These days, Fingal lighthouse has the honour of being the oldest public building in the Tweed Shire. It was converted to automatic operation in 1920 and with the keeper’s cottage having no further use, it was demolished.

Yesterday, when I visited Fingal Heads, the sky was the most brilliant of blues and a pod of dolphins frolicked playfully not far from the shore. I wonder if Captain James Cook was met by such a delightful day, back in 1770, when he sailed north along the eastern coast of New South Wales, sighting Fingal Head and Cook Island, and naming the local landmarks of Point Danger and Mount Warning?

If there were any ghosts present at Fingal lighthouse yesterday, they were no doubt basking in the glory of the day, watching the dolphins play in the ocean below and sighing with contentment at the sight of the multitudes of happy people, enjoying a day in the sun in the surrounds of the old lighthouse.

And what became of the scary ghost in my children’s beloved childhood story? The child in the story yelled “BOO!” to the ghost, and it fled down the one-hundred stairs, never to be seen again. 🙂

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