Thursday Thoughts

Reflect

Well it's been awhile....my excuse...ah life.

On Family -

It's been a great week. Last weekend we spent some time as a family down at the coast. It was cold and raining...but absolutely beautiful - it's great not having to worry about sunburn and just enjoy the ocean for as long as we want - well, as long as the littlest bundle will stand for it, that is. But we got some great rainbow views over waves and rocks and beach and we were even able to take advantage of the winter timing to be up to watch the sunrise over the water - now that's something I have never seen and it was worth it :-)

It's the last week of schooling before a couple of weeks off, so the kids have been finishing off the work I set for them as fast as they can so they can start the holidays early. I am going to spend the holidays correcting a mountain of workbooks and setting new, less monotonous schedules for Term 3.

Master DJ had a nasty earache a couple of weeks back and I even had to submit to taking him to the doctor for antibiotics (which of course I have big issues with, considering research suggests antibiotics (including amoxycillin which is what he was prescribed) are linked to the onset of ulcerative colitis. It certainly would make sense in my case - Before I knew better, I was on about every antibiotic there is for a recurring throat infection when I was 17 and then on an acne antibiotic for months when I was 19). Anyway, he is thankfully through the 5 day course now and we are dosing up on probiotics.

Little Miss Ginny is still a night owl, but we are getting there, she is so close to 1 year old now - it's carazy.

On Writing -

No progress to post as regards the novel, but I have been soooooo excited working on another short story for a local competition titled "The Doctor, the Dancer and the Doors of the Cathedral". It was quite a challenge as it was only allowed 3500 words....my chapters are usually more words than that. But I have to admit the editing and culling process was liberating in a way and now I feel inspired to keep my novel sharp and succinct. Depending on how I go in the competition, I may post the story here for you in a couple of months.
The coastal trip was research for one of the settings in my novel and oh my - guess what.....they have fenced off an area to the public that plays a critical role in my story...Mr. T says not to worry about it and just write for what and how it used to be, but it does concern me some.
And as to be expected with such scenery and history on show, I have some new ideas for another story that has been playing out in my mind for a good ten years...so that's got me excited also.

Rave

Coconut Yoghurt -

I don't have all the commercial details for my rave this week. However, on a recent trip to another close by city we discovered a wholefoods store selling organics as well as wheat and dairy alternatives....it was like a candy store to me, I tell you. I tried not to get too excited for my own good, but I did try a little luxury item - Coconut yoghurt.  Oh my....it was delicious....of course the kids weren't near so impressed and I've decided it should be mandatory for everyone to go on my restrictive diet every so often just so they don't forget the simple pleasures...the wonderful flavours that become blazay and even distateful in our over-sugared over-artifically-flavoured world.

Review

This is a children's story, but I believe it would do good for absolutely everybody to read it.
I bought it as a gift for my 6-year-old god-daughter a few weeks ago, but my own kids also loved it.
Using the story of little wooden people (Wemmicks) and their creator (Eli) Max Lucado writes a poignant story about self-love and how our feelings about ourselves should be based only on how our creator feels about us, rather than anything that other Wemmicks (humans) think/say about us.

What was most interesting/impressive about this story about star and grey dot stickers was that it wasn't just the grey dot stickers that we should not allow to stick, but the star stickers also. There is a prevailing attitude in our society that those who receive earthly praise will and should be happy, but the problem is that those who receive star stickers end up believing that their value lies only in the accumulation of these star stickers and the achievements for which they were given them....this view is just as dangerous as the poor self-esteem of those who received the grey dots due to their lack of "achievement".

A beautiful story with equally beautiful illustrations.

Religion

I was saddened to read this week of the death of young Italian mother Chiara Corbella after she lost her battle with cancer. I had been praying for her and am comforted to know that her husband has taken such a heroic attitude toward the death of his wife. The young family is inspirational and their cross is bitter -sweet.

http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/im-going-to-heaven-you-stay-here-with-dad-italian-mom-sacrifices-life-for-u

And another interesting quote I read this week -

 The United States was a nation founded to secure liberty, not comfort.

Interesting point.

Thursday Thoughts

Thursday Thoughts

Reflect

It's been another really good week - thank You God!

On Family -

I actually took Master DJ back to Preschool this week and it went quite well. He was overtired by Wednesday though.
Little Miss Ginny slept better this week and got ever more clever - clapping, saying "Hello", standing unassisted and sitting up from lying. We met some new people this week who described her as a petite little doll with beautiful hair :-)

We went out for our first homeschooling get-together yesterday. The people were lovely, but I'm still making up my mind as to whether our family is a fit there. It was good for the kids to get to meet some others who are being homeschooled and Little Miss Winny quickly made a new friend, so that makes me HAPPY!

We had beautiful weather earlier this week and I thought maybe we might skip right over winter and go to spring, but it's cold and wet today so winter is definitely still on its way. Thankfully we can have an inside day, with no karate or dancing or guides to rush off to, so we're rugged up and doing book/computer work instead.

Not sure I can declare myself in remission yet as I've had pain and other symptoms this week, but overall I have been really well and I continue to thank God for His abounding blessings.

On Writing -

I've worked on networking this week, subscribing to groups and getting involved in some potential online pitch sessions. I'm still working on the re-write of Chapter 5 of my novel, but no great movements there this week. However, I've written what I think is a great 100 word pitch, which isn't easy to do when you're talking about a 90,000 word novel, so I'm happy with that and I will reveal it to you down the track a bit.

Rave

Active Manuka Honey.
I have been making use of manuka honey since 2009 when I first researched its anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory qualities and tried it as a potential remedy for IBD.
While I didn't see any miracle cures on that side of things, I do believe it has helped me to stave off infection and cleared a path for probiotic colonization. It has also proved helpful for speeding up recovery from tummy bugs, skin/acne care, wound healing, but, most importantly, it works wonders for colds and sore throats. Use it as soon as you know a cold is coming on or even if you know you've been exposed to a cold.

I use Summerglow Apiaries UMF 16+ Manuka Honey
Summerglow Manuka Honey

It comes with all the certification bells and whistles, but mostly because it tastes so yummy. The kids have no issue with taking it when they're unwell, even when they've had tummy upsets (except Master DJ, but I'm afraid he is fussy-personified).
I've tried numerous other brands and they just aren't as well accepted by the kids or by me :-)
It is expensive, so keep that in mind.

Review

This week I want to review Delirium by Lauren Oliver.

Now I'll start by saying that, yes, you're right, this doesn't seem like my kind of book. It fits in the genre of Young Adult Dystopian. And while I'm not really old and would like to consider myself still fitting in the "Young adult"category, I'm not into the majority of what's available in this genre and I would never have looked at this book either, had I not been drawn by a potential "bargain". It was in our bookstore bundled with its sequel (Pandemonium) two for the price of one :-) I picked it up and read the blurb.

There was a time when love was the most important thing in the world. People would go to the end of the earth to find it (for those who know my own love story...this is very true) They would tell lies for it. Even kill for it.
Then at last, they found the cure.
Now everything is different. Scientists are able to eradicate love, and the government demands that all citizens receive the cure upon turning eighteen. Lena Haloway has always looked forward to the day when she'll be cured. A life without love is a life without pain: safe, measured, predictable, and happy.
But then, with only ninety-five days left until her treatment, Lena does the unthinkable...

This is actually a really terrific read. I will plaster disclaimers all over this review, in that it's not really a Christian book. But it is not anti-Christian either. In fact, there are direct references to Christianity being a faith that was soaked in love and therefore eradicated along with the disease (Amor deliria nervosa).

But there are other tiny seeds of thought planted in the story that aren't Christian belief, and there is violence and some completely uncessary bad language and sensual content, which I have to say did detract some from the brilliance of the actual story so it's a pity it wasn't edited out before release.

Having said that though, the concept is amazing and it is beautifully written by Lauren Oliver. I have to say that she now rates as one of my favourite writers - in terms of style. Her prose is exquisite (except for the fact that she described the protagnoist's hair color as Autumn leaves - just changing...I guess she means yellow, but each time I read this I pictured a tree instead of a good looking guy :-)

I was a little put off when I started reading and realized it was written in real-time (ie. I say, instead of I said) but I got used to this and it didn't bother me at all after awhile.

I was concerned that her definition of love would be just the emotional side of falling-in-love and while there are parts of that, she goes further. People who have been "cured" not only don't fall in love anymore they are unable to feel/show/give love in terms any relationship (parents to children, best friend to best friend, humans for animals etc.)

By far, the best part of this book is the ending...it's a cliff-hanger and it is brilliant - literally left me breathless. There are references made to the ending in Romeo and Juliet, but this is much better than Romeo and Juliet. To me, Romeo and Juliet was depressing, fatalistic, even somewhat selfish, but the ending of Delirium is real love - self-sacrifice, giving until, and although, it hurts.

Read it.

Religion

Speaking of real love, self-sacrifice and giving until it hurts.

Mother beats tumor after refusing to sacrifice her baby's life for her own

Although illness in pregnancy is a horrible situation for any mother to face, thank God there are still those who understand that valour never lies in self-preservation, but in laying down your life for another.

See also St. Gianna Molla

Thursday Thoughts

Thursday Thoughts...

Okay, so it's not actually Thursday, but I'm trying to make up for some lost time :-)

Reflect

It's been a good week...God is good.
Any week where we have good health (including me, I am hoping to officially declare myself in remission), where Mr. T has a job to go to, the kids get their school books finished, no one has to get any teeth pulled and I get to work on my writing....is a very good week.

Writing-wise -
I got Chapter 3 of the first book reworked and some of the way into Chapter 4. I became a little distracted by the end of the week when a short story opportunity arose.  So I've written a story for that and will be submitting it for possible publication :-) Here's hoping!

Kids-wise -
Our biggest issue this week has been behaviour :-(  Master DJ is still mr. fussy about food and mr. frustrated when tired, but we're getting there, because he is also mr. beautiful when it comes to morning hugs and "I love you Mummies".
Little Miss Ginny is still not sleeping, but since she was over her cold we tried to stretch those night time feeds out a bit more and we had pretty good results.

Like I said, a good week.
Praise God! Let's hope we see another.

Rave

Krill Oil - WOW.... Thank God for Krill

(Back Story - I have a chronic inflammatory bowel disease known as Ulcerative Colitis. The standard treatment for this condition is a lifetime of immune suppressing drugs.  I do not want this to be my life, so, since my diagnosis in early 2009 I have researched and trialled natural remedies...krill oil is my latest and I am having wonderful results.....)

Anyone with any kind of inflammatory condition should try it.  It is also good for heart/brain health, cholesterol and, even, menstruation pain. It is more expensive than fish oil, but it is worth it!

Krill Oil Research

Review

Life Without Limits by Nick Vujicic

Verdict - Read It
Everyone (except children under 14 years due to Adult Themes)

Nick was born in Australia in 1982 without arms or legs, and with only two deformed feet at the bottom of his body. This book describes his battles and how he has found amazing purpose and meaning in his life and has not only accepted his situation, but has learned how to live a ridiculously good life. He is an inspiration! Awesome awesome book! Easy to read too...

About Nick

Religion

Check out this link -

I thought I was prolife, but God told me I had the spirit of abortion

Thoughts?