daughter

A Reminder of a Priceless Treasure

January 29, 2011 Joanne2 Comments

Further to last night and my post “A Time for Silence”…..

After completing my post, I wandered off to have a browse at what was on the television. I felt rather “brainless” and needed something to amuse me, without having to concentrate, before I turned in for the night.

At first flick through the TV channels I found nothing entertaining at all. Surely there must be something worth watching on the fifty-million channels available?

Fox Classics was the big winner. How did I mange to miss this, during the first flick through?

I had missed the beginning of “The Sound of Music”, but that’s okay. Hadn’t I seen this movie enough times during my life to know where I was up to in the story line?

With my body constantly breaking out in goose-bumps, I sailed along on my cloud of reminiscing, recalling most of my favourite songs from the movie; “Edelweiss”, “Climb Ev’ry Mountain”, “The Lonely Goatherd”, “My Favourite Things”, “So Long, Farewell” and of course, the movies signature song, “The Sound of Music”.

As the wedding scene began, I instantly recalled that Maria walks down the aisle of the abbey, to marry her beloved Gaylord, (played by the dashing Christopher Plumber), to the song, “Maria”. I remembered the post I wrote here last year, in July, noting that my own daughter, Emma, reminded me so much of Maria in “The Sound of Music” (played by Julie Andrews).

At the time, I gave the post the title of “Miss Seventeen”. Emma is now eighteen, is definitely still my “Maria” and still makes my heart dance and sing, every day!

If you would like to read the post, you can do so here….

As I re-read the words I had written about my daughter less than twelve months ago, it became evident to me that she has matured. Oh, for sure, she is still my “Wild Child”, but my girl is learning new lessons of life, every day.

It seems like only yesterday, when she was just fifteen years old and I worried myself to a frazzle over her. Wanting to protect her, I tried to hold her down, just a teeny-weeny bit.

She announced to me one day, with the most solemn look on her face, that she knew I was only trying to protect her, but she wanted to make her own mistakes.

How could I argue with her? They were the very same words I had spoken to my own mother, as a teenager!

Emma reminded me that it is impossible to live someone else’s life for them. You can only ever live your own life.

So here we are, three years down the track from that most memorable of conversations. There are still times when I worry myself to a frazzle over my beautiful girl, but what else can I do? I’m her mother!!!

Emma is living her own life and learning from her own mistakes. She has grown in maturity since July last year and she is happy; oh, she is very happy!

Some things remain the same, though. Her bedroom is consistently messy, there are times when she is far too outspoken for words and as I write this post, late at night, she is not at home.

My Moonbeam is still sparkling, still shining her light of individualism and still making choices full of wisdom far beyond her years.

And as for me, I just keep on loving my Moonbeam, just as I have every day of her life, and since her conception.

How appropriate that my need for silence and watching an old movie has reminded me of how much I treasure one of my life’s greatest gifts ~ My daughter, Emma. 🙂

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A Time for Silence

January 28, 2011 Joanne1 Comment

I’ve spent a lot of the day talking today and I think I may well be all talked out.

It hasn’t helped either that the weather has been hot and humid, quite exhausting actually, after all of our lovely summer’s days of late.

Now, it is raining, not surprising after the humidity of today, and the frogs are happily croaking away in the stillness of the night.

Do you ever have days like I’ve had today? Days when your brain and body both feel rather lethargic?

The talking I enjoyed, the heat not so much. It’s Friday, the weekend is ahead of us and the summer holidays are all but over. The last of the school’s will reopen on Monday.

And so begins another year.

A year of new beginnings; new friends; new dreams; making new memories.

New lessons to be learned.

New mountains to conquer.

A year to know when to talk and when to remain silent.

Silence, to restore the soul.

And now is a silent time….

Goodnight. xxx

Youthful History

January 27, 2011 Joanne4 Comments

With Australia being such a young country and myself such an avid fan of any subject which remotely comes under the heading of “history”, it can be rather disappointing at times that my home country is rather lacking in the history department.

It is comforting to know that we do have a limited written history, however young, much of which has been carried out on my very own doorstep.

As I cannot relate to you the history of Australia’s Medieval Days, (they didn’t exist!) the seventeen hundred’s will have to suffice.

Let me take you back in time to the month of May, in 1770.

Captain James Cook and the crew of his ship, the “Endeavour”, sailed north along the eastern coast of Australia.

After reaching the most easterly point of Australia’s landmass, which Cook named “Cape Byron”, the ship continued north to a point where they struck dangerous reefs, some three nautical miles off the coast.

The prominent mountain sighted by Cook, just a few miles inland from the sea, he named “Mount Warning” as it seemed to be a distinguishing landmark to warn sailors of the hazards in the ocean nearby.

Cook named the land along the coastline near these reefs “Point Danger”, which is said to be the site where the Captain Cook Memorial Lighthouse is situated, on the border of New South Wales and Queensland.

In his writings in the ships log, on May 16, 1770, Cook noted a small island just off the coast, which was later named “Cook Island”, in his honour.

In this photo, you can see the mouth of the Tweed River, right next to Duranbah Beach (D-bar to the locals).

In the distance is the small island sighted by Cook and named for him.

As you can see, this zoomed in photo of Cook Island is rather poor quality, although it does show the rocky and deserted land of the island.

It would be almost another eighteen years before Captain Arthur Phillip arrived in the colony of New South Wales, on January 26, 1788, with eleven ships containing convicts, the so called criminals who were expected to forge out a new life in this barren land.

Yesterday, as Australians celebrated the birthday of our country, we could only lay claim to being 223 years old!

We may be a baby country in comparison to most of the world, but I do believe our history is well worth preserving.

Australia

As Australian as…Vegemite!

January 26, 2011 Joanne3 Comments

January 26, 2011 ~ Australia Day in the Land Down Under.

Australia, I believe, is known for a wide variety of what you could call typically Australian icons.

Our Aussie icons would include such things as the beach, surf, golden sand, football, meat pies, kangaroos, koalas (not koala bears…koalas are not bears!), Holden cars, Hugh Jackman, Nicole Kidman…and Vegemite!

Yes, the humble jar of Vegemite is a true Australian icon!

I’m not here today to explain the history of vegemite, tell you who owns the company that produces Vegemite or to describe the colours in the label on the jar. (They are predominantly yellow and red, by the way).

Today, I merely want to set the record straight.

Yes, I’ve watched in horror as a group of young American girls shrieked their repulsion to the world, on a YouTube video, over the taste of our beloved treasure.

No, let me correct myself….I started to watch and after getting the gist of the video, I stopped watching.

The world has been ill-informed!

Firstly, no, Vegemite does not taste like Marmite. Marmite has a taste of its own, just as Vegemite has its own distinct flavour. The similarities end after “strong”, “black” and “goopey”.

Vegemite was not designed to be plastered in a one inch thick layer onto a piece of bread or toast! I’d shriek in horror myself, if forced to eat it like that!

Let me explain. Firstly, take a piece of your favourite, freshly-baked-that-morning slice of bread. Any bread will do; white, wholemeal, multi-grain, sour dough, rye….take your pick. But fresh is always best.

You can toast your bread, or not. I prefer fresh, squishy bread. There’s nothing quite like it!

Place a thin layer of butter over your bread/toast. It’s all personal preference, but I do like that layer of butter first. Vegemite without the butter is just a tad dry, but that’s just my opinion.

Next, place a thin….I said thin….did everyone get that bit? Just a thin layer of Vegemite is all that you need! Don’t chuck on half the jar, then complain it’s too strong! Would you add a whole jar of hot chilli powder to you Chilli Con Carne dish? No, you wouldn’t; because chilli is strong. And so is Vegemite!

I know of some people who love to eat peanut butter by the spoonful, straight from the jar. The same with Nutella, very yummy, eaten alone, straight from the jar. Perhaps unhealthy, but definitely delicious. (Hmm…Do they sell Nutella overseas?)

Do not, I repeat, do not eat Vegemite by the spoonful, straight from the jar! It will leave you gasping for breath!

For all of my overseas friends, if you are ever given the opportunity to sample a taste of our wonderful, much loved, little Aussie treat, please grasp the opportunity with both hands!

But please, take my advice, use Vegemite sparingly!

Vegemite and cheese sandwiches are rather scrumptious also. The Vegemite people, in their infinite wisdom, decided to combine the two ingredients, coming up with a product called “Cheeseymite”, or some such thing as that.

It was a complete flop. I’m not even sure if you can buy it any longer, because I’m not looking, and neither are too many other people, from what I hear.

The above is all the opinion of “myself”, a life-long, die-hard Vegemite lover. I will concede that Vegemite may well be an acquired taste. And, if you are born Australian and raised on Vegemite, somehow it seems very un-Australian to say you don’t like the stuff!

The main point of my defensiveness of my life-long love is just to say this ~ If you ever have the opportunity to taste Vegemite, at least give it the honour of eating it the right way!

A jar of Vegemite, when consumed correctly, lasts a looonnnng time!

Happy Australia Day! 😀

Australia

Visiting Point Danger, With Eyes Wide Open

January 25, 2011 Joanne6 Comments

Colours of Light

“Keeping my eyes wide open, I will show gratitude for all of the Everyday Inspirations I find in my life, recording their appearance to me in my Gratitude Diary.”

I wrote the above quoted words myself, on January 6, 2011, in my post “My Year for Freedom and Gratitude”. Little did I realise, as I wrote these words less than three weeks ago, just how closed my eyes had been.

For here, virtually right on my door step, is a veritable Touch of Paradise.

(Note ~ Run the mouse over each photo and click on it, to enlarge.)

Oh, for sure, I always knew it was there. The trouble is, I have been taking it for granted.

“Oft the colours are pitched so high
The deepest note is the cobalt sky…” ~ The Colours of Light, Dorothea Mackellar.

Point Danger lookout is situated right on the border of the two states of Queensland and New South Wales, with the border line running straight through the Captain Cook Memorial Lighthouse.

The lighthouse itself stands 45 metres above sea level, or 146 feet.

This “Slice of Heaven on Earth” would be no more than fifteen minutes drive from where I live.

My first series of photographs were taken late yesterday afternoon. Although these pictures were all rather stunning, I figured the morning light would produce a far superior result, as Point Danger is located on the eastern side of Australia.

The weather this morning was spectacular, with not a cloud in the sky. The salty-air wind howled around my ears as I walked around the lookout, taking photo after breathtaking photo, while the foamy white of the waves crashed into the rocks below.

These photos do not do the area justice. The colours surrounding me were magical. The bluest of blue skies, the greenness of the Southern Pacific Ocean, progressively darkening as the waters deepened and the ocean swelling and crashing in cascades of white bubbles against the rocks and along the shoreline of Duranbah Beach.

In certain places, the sun glistened like shiny little crystals dotted across the ocean’s surface.

As I headed back to where I had parked my car this morning I came across a little fellow who my son had spotted yesterday afternoon, lazing on an embankment of rocks on the cliff face, probably 20 feet below us.

My attempts to photograph him yesterday had produced the result of a mound of brown rocks; he had camouflaged himself so well!

This morning, however, there he was as large as life, sunning himself on the grass beside the pathway, posing beautifully for a photo! After our photo shoot, he headed back to the safety of his rocky embankment.

I’m confident in identifying my little model as an Eastern Water Dragon.

To say that I have reached an epiphany would be an understatement. I need to get out more; to explore my home area, my Touch of Paradise, with my eyes wide open and all of my six, (yes six!), senses, completely in tune to my surroundings.

And all of my discoveries will be written of, with accompanying photographs, right here. 🙂

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