Monday, May 30, 2005
shortest post in the history of...my blog!
Just a quick post bcoz I can't go on msn tonite (too much hw- i knew the slow amount of work thing couldn't last!) to say HAPPY 18TH ANDRE!!!
Thursday, May 26, 2005
the nerd returns: 25.5.05
Well its been (gasp shock horror) a whole week since i last blogged (and what a week it has been) so i thought it was about time already! Did anybody else notice that if u flip todays date (25.5.05) its like 05 x 5 = 25? Gee, why aren't i doing maths this year with this genius mind of mine!? haha...
To totally echo Lib on her site (libsterm.blogspot.com) but with no less meaning, Cam I'm so sorry about your Mum. and Sez you continue to amaze/encourage me, and you're all still in my prayers (along with Tim's family).
I remembered this verse the other day saying if you say you're gonna pray for someone, you should genuinely mean it and follow through so i've really been trying to! Actually on the topic of verses i found this other cool one the other day as well:
'We have troubles all around us,
but we are not defeated.
We do not know what to do,
but we do not give up.' -2 Cor 4:8
That kinda sums up how i'm feeling at the moment. The Archbishop elections were also on the weekend, and as many of you prob know Dad didn't get it. As well as being a bit of a disappointment bcoz I think Dad would've done a great job, it's a relief as well- I was sort of bracing myself for anything, but I'm happy right where I am at the moment! And the new guy Jeff Driver seems like a good guy with a good head on his shoulders. So that kind of came and went and I was steeling myself for Tim's funeral at Minlaton on Monday. I thought it was a great service and burial- well great sounds a bit out of place, but it really honoured who Tim was, and pointed to the hope we have in God. I found that rather than getting emotional at the funeral (as in crying I guess, even tho i wanted to- I was certainly feeling emotional) it sort of hit me when i got home. I was just exhausted from the whole week so I had a good cry and actually fell asleep at 8:30 (you read right, 8:30!! Well, it's not that early really!).
Anyway, I'm feeling a bit like i'm just keeping my head above water with schoolwork on top of everything (ahh, still haven't started my first art final i meant to start in week 1!!), so i'd better go and actually do some work! I had a good talk to a woman from church who's also a counsellor about everything after school today which was really good, just to offload and get an outsiders perspective on stuff- e.g. these are big things for us all to deal with, and everyone within the community it's impacted on is grieving in their own ways (which sounds obvious, but you know when stuff you know in ur head suddenly hits home and makes sense?) amongst other things... So yeah, I guess I'm feeling pretty stressed at the moment, but I'm finding ways to deal with it alright...
Love you all, and just wanted to say thankyou as well, you guys have been so supportive and great through everything! It's been so encouraging to see how everyone's just there for each other...
and lib HAPPY 17TH BIRTHDAY IN 2 HOURS AND 14 MINS!!!
To totally echo Lib on her site (libsterm.blogspot.com) but with no less meaning, Cam I'm so sorry about your Mum. and Sez you continue to amaze/encourage me, and you're all still in my prayers (along with Tim's family).
I remembered this verse the other day saying if you say you're gonna pray for someone, you should genuinely mean it and follow through so i've really been trying to! Actually on the topic of verses i found this other cool one the other day as well:
'We have troubles all around us,
but we are not defeated.
We do not know what to do,
but we do not give up.' -2 Cor 4:8
That kinda sums up how i'm feeling at the moment. The Archbishop elections were also on the weekend, and as many of you prob know Dad didn't get it. As well as being a bit of a disappointment bcoz I think Dad would've done a great job, it's a relief as well- I was sort of bracing myself for anything, but I'm happy right where I am at the moment! And the new guy Jeff Driver seems like a good guy with a good head on his shoulders. So that kind of came and went and I was steeling myself for Tim's funeral at Minlaton on Monday. I thought it was a great service and burial- well great sounds a bit out of place, but it really honoured who Tim was, and pointed to the hope we have in God. I found that rather than getting emotional at the funeral (as in crying I guess, even tho i wanted to- I was certainly feeling emotional) it sort of hit me when i got home. I was just exhausted from the whole week so I had a good cry and actually fell asleep at 8:30 (you read right, 8:30!! Well, it's not that early really!).
Anyway, I'm feeling a bit like i'm just keeping my head above water with schoolwork on top of everything (ahh, still haven't started my first art final i meant to start in week 1!!), so i'd better go and actually do some work! I had a good talk to a woman from church who's also a counsellor about everything after school today which was really good, just to offload and get an outsiders perspective on stuff- e.g. these are big things for us all to deal with, and everyone within the community it's impacted on is grieving in their own ways (which sounds obvious, but you know when stuff you know in ur head suddenly hits home and makes sense?) amongst other things... So yeah, I guess I'm feeling pretty stressed at the moment, but I'm finding ways to deal with it alright...
Love you all, and just wanted to say thankyou as well, you guys have been so supportive and great through everything! It's been so encouraging to see how everyone's just there for each other...
and lib HAPPY 17TH BIRTHDAY IN 2 HOURS AND 14 MINS!!!
Thursday, May 19, 2005
Tim
As many of you probably know, Tim McWaters (a guy from youth, PAC yr 12) was in a car accident on Mon at 10:15 on Pt Wakefield road in a head on collision with a 4wd who crossed over to the wrong side of the road. Danielle (apparently a lifelong friend, from Maitland) was driving and was killed instantly, and Tim was airlifted to the Royal Adelaide hosp. with critical injuries (I think mainly brain-damage amongst others) but was pronounced dead (braindead- his family's decided to donate some of his organs so his body's going to be kept going until then) yesterday. Like Lib said, everything else seems trivial now- what do you say? It was just so sudden (at least he didn't suffer much i guess) and he was so young and one of the most irrepressible, energetic people i know.
The past couple of nights ppl have gathered at church to talk, pray, cry, and debrief about it, and kind of distract each other together as well which has been so good- i'm so thankful we can have fellowship like that together and help each other through- especially Sarah (who's been so brave, being at the hospital with him must've been really hard, and i can't imagine what she, her family and his family are feeling now, what a nightmare). At least we have the hope of knowing that he and Danielle were Christians, literally thank God, and that they really have gone to a much better place. I sort of switch from feeling numb about it, to re-realising the impact and having a good cry. I just feeling like spending time with people- that's what seems important. I don't really know what else to say, even thought there's a lot going on inside my head, but I'll just add that, like Dave and I were talking about last night, it really had brought out the best in everyone. Makes you realise how important friends and family are (and letting them know that you love them- as i do all you guys, you know who you are!), and how much one life can affect so many others.
The past couple of nights ppl have gathered at church to talk, pray, cry, and debrief about it, and kind of distract each other together as well which has been so good- i'm so thankful we can have fellowship like that together and help each other through- especially Sarah (who's been so brave, being at the hospital with him must've been really hard, and i can't imagine what she, her family and his family are feeling now, what a nightmare). At least we have the hope of knowing that he and Danielle were Christians, literally thank God, and that they really have gone to a much better place. I sort of switch from feeling numb about it, to re-realising the impact and having a good cry. I just feeling like spending time with people- that's what seems important. I don't really know what else to say, even thought there's a lot going on inside my head, but I'll just add that, like Dave and I were talking about last night, it really had brought out the best in everyone. Makes you realise how important friends and family are (and letting them know that you love them- as i do all you guys, you know who you are!), and how much one life can affect so many others.
Friday, May 13, 2005
hoobabalooba
I'm so psyched, I just got the new Chemical Brothers album (Push the Button- so far it's tres good) which i've been meaning to get for months, and the Beastie Boys, To The 5 Boroughs, for...wait for it... HALF PRICE!! Go Unibooks at Adelaide Uni ;o) At the same time I got some Bonds trackies and a Bonds hoodie (also discounted) at the Studio and T-Shirt shop at A.Uni (yes, i found the shop, finally!), and as i was buying them i was chatting to the lady and she was saying how they might be shut down with this whole student union funding cuts thing, which they're debating about in parliament as we speak... I don't know too much detail about it, but from what i do know i don't really like the sounds of the cuts- they'd effect so much of the student life!
ANYway, on this lovely spending spree I also got this book from Borders (well, Mum got it- thanks Mum ;o) which i've been meaning to get for ages- called The Complete Idiots Guide to the Reformation and Protestantism... yeah sounds pretty daunting, but (especially at this point in time) I'm really interested in church history- how all these denominations and stuff originated, what we believe, the origins etc. It looks very readable (which is good, or else i'd never read it!)- detailed but not boring, so i'm looking forward to that! Just have to actually read it now (haha, i've got this whole pile of half read books next to my bed...)
To top it all off I also got to have lunch out with Mum and Dad which was really cool, I enjoyed it!
To continue on this bookey type post (well I've talked about one book so far, lol) I've gotten further into the Da Vinci Code- the controversial claims bit basically saying that the Bible (or New Testament at least) was collated by the Pagan Roman emperor Constantine the Great, who wanted to fuse Christianity and Rome's official religion of the day, sun worship, as a political move to stop warring between Christians and pagans, and that it was decided that Jesus was the Son of God by vote 4 century's after his death to strengthen power and divine authority of the Church and Christianity... It also says that rather than the Holy Grail being the cup Jesus drank from at the Last Supper, it's in fact Mary Magdalene who was married to Jesus... Hopefully that makes sense, it took me a bit to fully get my head around it. So when i read that i was like WOAH big claims here! Apparently it's all built on a pretty flimsy theological and historical base, and we've borrowed 'Breaking the Da Vinci Code' from someone which'll be interesting to read- otherwise this stuff'll just sit at the back of my head and niggle... It's good to be able to remember as I'm reading it tho that 1) my personal experience of God/Jesus kinda doesn't line up with what they're saying, 2) all the stuff I've learnt about the Bible/God/history over the years I would view as reliable, and again totally don't line up with what Dan Brown's saying, and 3) that it's FICTIONAL novel! But it's challenging- and we don't always grow unless we're challenged i guess!
So anyway, that's enough for today... Actually, I'd also like to add on top of all that that I've kind of come back to God a bit in the past week- I realised that (being semi-conscious of it) I'd blocked him out of my life a bit in the last couple of weeks or so, maybe longer... Thank God that He's not like us and welcomes us back with open times each time we re-realise our sinfulness and need for Him! Also that no matter how we're close we're FEELING to God, He's always there anyway- once He's in our heart, He's in... Go God :oP
ANYway, on this lovely spending spree I also got this book from Borders (well, Mum got it- thanks Mum ;o) which i've been meaning to get for ages- called The Complete Idiots Guide to the Reformation and Protestantism... yeah sounds pretty daunting, but (especially at this point in time) I'm really interested in church history- how all these denominations and stuff originated, what we believe, the origins etc. It looks very readable (which is good, or else i'd never read it!)- detailed but not boring, so i'm looking forward to that! Just have to actually read it now (haha, i've got this whole pile of half read books next to my bed...)
To top it all off I also got to have lunch out with Mum and Dad which was really cool, I enjoyed it!
To continue on this bookey type post (well I've talked about one book so far, lol) I've gotten further into the Da Vinci Code- the controversial claims bit basically saying that the Bible (or New Testament at least) was collated by the Pagan Roman emperor Constantine the Great, who wanted to fuse Christianity and Rome's official religion of the day, sun worship, as a political move to stop warring between Christians and pagans, and that it was decided that Jesus was the Son of God by vote 4 century's after his death to strengthen power and divine authority of the Church and Christianity... It also says that rather than the Holy Grail being the cup Jesus drank from at the Last Supper, it's in fact Mary Magdalene who was married to Jesus... Hopefully that makes sense, it took me a bit to fully get my head around it. So when i read that i was like WOAH big claims here! Apparently it's all built on a pretty flimsy theological and historical base, and we've borrowed 'Breaking the Da Vinci Code' from someone which'll be interesting to read- otherwise this stuff'll just sit at the back of my head and niggle... It's good to be able to remember as I'm reading it tho that 1) my personal experience of God/Jesus kinda doesn't line up with what they're saying, 2) all the stuff I've learnt about the Bible/God/history over the years I would view as reliable, and again totally don't line up with what Dan Brown's saying, and 3) that it's FICTIONAL novel! But it's challenging- and we don't always grow unless we're challenged i guess!
So anyway, that's enough for today... Actually, I'd also like to add on top of all that that I've kind of come back to God a bit in the past week- I realised that (being semi-conscious of it) I'd blocked him out of my life a bit in the last couple of weeks or so, maybe longer... Thank God that He's not like us and welcomes us back with open times each time we re-realise our sinfulness and need for Him! Also that no matter how we're close we're FEELING to God, He's always there anyway- once He's in our heart, He's in... Go God :oP
Wednesday, May 11, 2005
brief and concise are...not my middle names!
WELL, so much to write about! But despite my lack of middle names (see above) I'll do my best to summarise... so here goes, in no particular order! :
- Sydney for my Grandma's 80th was tres fun! Flew over fri nite with Mum, Dad, Jono, Dan and Phili (go Virgin all the way! and woohoo, no travel sickness due to the wonder drug Dramamine!) Stayed with Grandma and Grandpa at my Uncle Stephen, Aunty Leone and cousin Michael's place which is always cool because its so familiar and i automatically feel completely at home! We're quite a melodramatic bunch so many group hugs, star hugs (involving flinging your arms in the air so your body forms a star shape, whilst hollering 'STAR HUUUUGG!!!'), screaming, and catching up! Sat. was onto the one and only Opera House in the party bus (we hired a snazzy little, well actually quite large, van) to meet everyone and see the ballet 'White' which was compiled of 3 diff ballets- one from the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries (as far as my limited ballet-understanding mind goes, the first one was traditional ballet- pretty, graceful (i can't believe how they actually do that without falling over!!) but a tad slowmoving, second one was more contemporary (think flesh coloured skin tights, didn't really know where to look sometimes!!) and intellectual i guess- representing woman's equality with men physically and emotionally (which, the femenist that i am, appealed to me!), and the third one was prob my favourite- again more traditional, beautiful... I dunno how you'd describe it! But it was cool). Dad and Jon,during the ballet, went shopping at the Rocks markets (as did Dan and Phili-Dan aquired some very funky shoes, and Phili a bracelet) and Dad got me this really nice silver fish bracelet thing which was really sweet! After that we strolled up to the Stamford Grand for coffee and cake (soo nice, like a really moist marble/mud cake- prob shouldn't have had that second piece, didn't feel that great in the van after!) in the gorgeous foyer which was full of comfy yet chic couches. THEN onto my Uncle Mark and Aunty Eileen's for a Chinese banquet type dinner- really good to catch up with the family, have/listen to lively intellectual discussions, eat, have general fun and frivolity! Don't get that much of the family together at one time, so really value the time we have. Next day (almost) everyone came over for a Mother's Day lunch at home which was good- have a bit more of a catch up (and the best food!), said our goodbyes and flew home! Lol, that was really brief.
- As some of you may now know, Dad's been nominated for Adelaide Archibishop which is exciting/scary! It's cool i can talk to people about it now, haven't been allowed even tho we've know for a few wks. I think it's exciting because, although only time will tell if he gets it, i think he'd be great in the job (and i'm not just saying that because i'm his daughter!)- the diocose is in pretty bad shape with all the sex abuse claims/victims, and the resignation of the former archibishop, but I think Dad's got both the people skills, is a leader in the way he encourages other people to lead- like build up a team and not have it all depending on him, and a knowledge of what needs to be the way forward. It's kind of funny, and a good thing that he's just done a PhD on humility! If he did get it, I don't think the position would be about status to him, although its a privilege he deserves to be nominated! As a daughter I guess my first reaction as well was that I wouldn't want to lose him (which I wouldn't, but emotional reactions aren't always logical)- it would mean seeing him a lot less probably, and it would be a big thing to take on... But i reckon we're a strong family which is important... ANYWAY, we'll cross all those bridges when we get to them, and i hope i haven't said too much!!
- Yes, it's officially official, Dave and I are going out :oD!!!
OK, time to go do the bins... Ciao for now!!
Friday, May 06, 2005
Phwoar
Phwoar, you guys are lucky today! Not only is this my second post today, but i've worked out how to post pic's! So here is a very random semi-trial selection...
05.05.05!!
So come on, i had to post today because of the date- it's the 5th day of the 5th month, 2005, how cool is that! Lol, ah the amusements of being a nerd ;o)! So it's been a pretty full on week thus far, with school and other stuff which most of you know about but which i'm not sure what i can say about on here, haha... Plus another thing which none of you know about but will know soon! In terms of school, i had a couple of days of non-brain-function where i really couldn't be bothered to do work, but then yesterday though i was quite exhausted i had to make myself work, and i did. Fascinating stuff really. After stressing a bit about where i was going with my art final in the holidays (was gonna do some spider thing, inspired by Alfie and Theodore the spiders in my backyard) I'm on a new direction- thinking of doing one of my Dad... Actually i'm enjoying year 12- for once it feels like the work matters (rather than those random assignments you had to do in other years about something you were never going to use/remember!), i really like the whole Eden Park (old mansion/house that's kind of the year 12's territory for the year) thing, and I'm going to miss the comfort of routine (well maybe not the early mornings!) as well as seeing my friends everyday! That's something i've been really grateful for lately actually, i have such awesome friends and family. Plus my house. I love my house.
OK that's really gross/odd, my cat's licking my nail file. Eww, dead skin cells!! Lol! Anyway, i'm getting excited about Sydney tomorrow- the plans have changed slightly- still going to the ballet, but now afternoon tea-ing and coffee-ing at the Stanford (Stamford?) Grand rather than dinner at the Intercontinental (i think), but i don't mind really- it's meant a slight wardrobe revision (yahoo, get to get dressed up!) but the main thing is spending time with the family which'll be really fun!
OK, I'm not gonna copy Sez and Lib by doing a 'listening to' thing on here, so i'll do a 'reading' thing. At the moment I'm reading that oh so famous book 'The Da Vinci Code'. I was kind of putting it off for a while because i thought i didn't really need to read it if it was going to put doubts in my mind (with the whole Church conspiracy thing) but you've just gotta remember it's a fictional novel, and so far it's been a good read- you can see why it's so popular! Nice short chapters so you can't put it down, suspensful, and all the history, artwork, old societies etc (very simplistic synopsis!) is really interesting. But I'm only like a fifth of the way in, so i'll let you know how it goes...
OK that's really gross/odd, my cat's licking my nail file. Eww, dead skin cells!! Lol! Anyway, i'm getting excited about Sydney tomorrow- the plans have changed slightly- still going to the ballet, but now afternoon tea-ing and coffee-ing at the Stanford (Stamford?) Grand rather than dinner at the Intercontinental (i think), but i don't mind really- it's meant a slight wardrobe revision (yahoo, get to get dressed up!) but the main thing is spending time with the family which'll be really fun!
OK, I'm not gonna copy Sez and Lib by doing a 'listening to' thing on here, so i'll do a 'reading' thing. At the moment I'm reading that oh so famous book 'The Da Vinci Code'. I was kind of putting it off for a while because i thought i didn't really need to read it if it was going to put doubts in my mind (with the whole Church conspiracy thing) but you've just gotta remember it's a fictional novel, and so far it's been a good read- you can see why it's so popular! Nice short chapters so you can't put it down, suspensful, and all the history, artwork, old societies etc (very simplistic synopsis!) is really interesting. But I'm only like a fifth of the way in, so i'll let you know how it goes...
Thursday, May 05, 2005
Tuesday, May 03, 2005
back we go to schoolio
Is it just me (and i know this sounds incredibly cliche) or did the hol's go really really fast?! I do a couple of things, then all of a sudden it's school again! Well, I guess i did a lot really, just not much school work, lol. My justification is that its no use going back to school burnt out, better to be recharged and ready to do work. Anyhoo, my last few days were pretty go go go, so i'm a bit tired today.
Lets see, wednesday i had a good catch up with Lib at Norwood and did a bit of window shopping (i was proud, i actually restrained myself and didn't do buy anything!) which was good, then thurs saw Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy (*in english accent* hilaaarious, esp if u like random english humour!) with Dave (;o)) which was tres cool, then (drove, woohoo i made it to Parkside by myself!) onto Charlotte's for a sleepover which was heaps fun (we watched House of Elliot, which most of u have prob never heard of, but i grew up with it and it was such a flashback! about 2 sisters in the 20's who's Dad dies (it sounds awful but this is actually a good thing) and they make a fashion house thingo...), then on fri nite had a bit of a par-tay at my house which (surprise surprise) was also fun (well for me, i hope for everyone else too!)- i hadn't seen most ppl since youth camp!
Then had a Sleepover club with the girls (Annie, Mim, and Erin and I've had these sleepover things for years as we've grown up for those of you not in the know, and it kind of got it's name from that really dodgy show of the same name! ;o) aaaand yeah!
Well it was kind of annoying actually, bcoz I thought up until thursday that we were going back on Tues, but noooo, we went back today! woohoo!! Actually it wasn't that bad, it was Charlotte's b'day (happy birthday Daaarling!!!) so it was cool to see her for that, plus catch up with everyone else... and according to my plan, rather than being burnt out with work from the hols, i've had a good break from not doing it so the whole working thing's not too bad either (lol, it's not an excuse... really!). I'm exciting atm, amongst other reasons, bcoz on fri me and the family are jetting off to Sydney for the weekend for my G'ma's 80th b'day celebrations - going to the ballet, and then dinner at the Intercontinental Hotel (bit swanky!), plus seeing all my cousins which we don't get to do very often because everyone but us and G'ma and G'pa live in Sydney! And then... we have a 4 day weekend after that! Oh yeah! Uh huh!! Aaanyway, in my usual style i've written enough for now (lol, happy Dave? ;o) and better get onto some homwork... And by the way, no rubbing in the going-back-to-school-on-monday-not-tuesday thing you private school people! Public and proud!!
Lets see, wednesday i had a good catch up with Lib at Norwood and did a bit of window shopping (i was proud, i actually restrained myself and didn't do buy anything!) which was good, then thurs saw Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy (*in english accent* hilaaarious, esp if u like random english humour!) with Dave (;o)) which was tres cool, then (drove, woohoo i made it to Parkside by myself!) onto Charlotte's for a sleepover which was heaps fun (we watched House of Elliot, which most of u have prob never heard of, but i grew up with it and it was such a flashback! about 2 sisters in the 20's who's Dad dies (it sounds awful but this is actually a good thing) and they make a fashion house thingo...), then on fri nite had a bit of a par-tay at my house which (surprise surprise) was also fun (well for me, i hope for everyone else too!)- i hadn't seen most ppl since youth camp!
Then had a Sleepover club with the girls (Annie, Mim, and Erin and I've had these sleepover things for years as we've grown up for those of you not in the know, and it kind of got it's name from that really dodgy show of the same name! ;o) aaaand yeah!
Well it was kind of annoying actually, bcoz I thought up until thursday that we were going back on Tues, but noooo, we went back today! woohoo!! Actually it wasn't that bad, it was Charlotte's b'day (happy birthday Daaarling!!!) so it was cool to see her for that, plus catch up with everyone else... and according to my plan, rather than being burnt out with work from the hols, i've had a good break from not doing it so the whole working thing's not too bad either (lol, it's not an excuse... really!). I'm exciting atm, amongst other reasons, bcoz on fri me and the family are jetting off to Sydney for the weekend for my G'ma's 80th b'day celebrations - going to the ballet, and then dinner at the Intercontinental Hotel (bit swanky!), plus seeing all my cousins which we don't get to do very often because everyone but us and G'ma and G'pa live in Sydney! And then... we have a 4 day weekend after that! Oh yeah! Uh huh!! Aaanyway, in my usual style i've written enough for now (lol, happy Dave? ;o) and better get onto some homwork... And by the way, no rubbing in the going-back-to-school-on-monday-not-tuesday thing you private school people! Public and proud!!
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