Treat them different , love them the same.

I've often had one boy or other say to me that one of the sibs gets special treatment!

Yes they do i always answer.

I treat you all differently because you are all different.

But i love you all exactly the same.

Its a gentle little home that russ and i have created.

The squabbles are few and far between. Lots less now that they are older. But even as small kids( i don't mean toddlers who are still learning the whole sharing the world with other people situation) they would all cheerfully get on with each other.

Today as i was huffing and puffing on my treadmill on the back deck i was watching through the glass sliding door and was a bit overcome at the gentle men in my life.

In the background i can hear Alex practising his accoustic for his first gig at the high school speech night. In the kitchen Russ has just got home from work and is putting the roast on for dinner. (my turn to cook tonight but my work at my desk here at home met with computer complications so i was behind schedule. He stepped in like he always does. Bless him)

Jake has spent the afternoon at the beach without sunscreen (Life lesson there) and his big bro Ben is putting some aloe vera spray cold from the fridge on his back, quite enjoying the shock value I'm sure, but also cheerfully helping his brother out.

If there was an audience not one of them would do what they do.
But when its us, at home, there's a caring for the rest of the tribe...............



............................



.............a bit like monkeys really!

My Newsletter article for November December 2007

From Linda with Love.
I Love Christmas! I always have. The celebration of the reason for the season. The time for family and sharing and special food and yes, also the gift giving.
Don’t get me wrong, I love being on the receiving end of a beautiful gift, (especially the ones in velvet boxes.) But one of my greatest joys is the giving of the perfect gift. As the final layer of paper is unwrapped there is the little gasp of breath and then the look of delight, as they catch your eye; and for that moment they can see that you are in tune with them! Love it!
As wives and mothers our pre Christmas time becomes a
“survivor” style marathon of shopping, card making, card writing, card sending, gift buying and wrapping then sending , School break ups and concerts and find a gift for the teacher , work parties and secret Santa gift buying: Christmas decorating: Food shopping ahead of schedule and then back again for the perishables ; will the shops be open? Pre cooking, then storing don’t touch it its for Christmas and on and on to the ultimate goal of a fuss free perfect Christmas day. What would happen if we missed a task? Would the family get together and vote us off the island?
Are they expecting The Martha Stewart” Christmas, or is it just us?
Would Christmas still be Christmas without the fuss?
You betcha!
So here is my Christmas wish for us all. I hope the shops sell out of tinsel and you have to make do with homemade paper chains and that the whole family help you make it! I hope that wonderful rain comes through in a fabulous summer storm and takes out the power and you make do for Christmas dinner. It’s the sharing of the food, not the food itself! I hope you make something for your gift to your loved ones. Watch their faces as they unwrap it! Come and see me if you want ideas! Wrap it in brown paper that you have decorated yourself!
Don’t send cards at time this year. Send them in January instead or even better, ring your Christmas card list and wish them a heartfelt Merry Christmas over the phone. Want to thank someone? Do it personally, shake their hand and tell them what they have meant to you this year!
And lastly bring your family close around you and tell them what they mean to you at this blessed time of year and truly celebrate the season.
Merry Christmas to you all. Love LindaX
(Disclaimer: Of course the frenzy of materialism referred to above in no way reflects on card making, scrap booking or any kind of paper craft. They are, of course, an essential service and as such, compulsory for our well being.)

My Happy Place

I’ve always got two or three books on the go at the same time. My formula has always been one book to learn something new, one for pure entertainment and one book for my soul.
My book to learn from can be a scrapbook magazine or reference book, or a cook book, or a basic guide to something. I’ve tackled the idiots guide to politics, travelling the world, designing your own backyard, lots of handicraft books, autobiographies, how to write the great Australian novel. Its exciting how much there is to learn!
My books for pure entertainment are frivolous things; the less brain required the better. I especially love old Harold Robbins, or Jackie Collins. You get the idea! These are what I turn to when my brain is tired. I’m so used to reading before I sleep that these are a perfect remedy to drift to sleep by. I do tackle other crime solving, mystery type exciting books, but I know what I’m like and I can’t afford to be lying awake all night with my nose stuck in a gripping read!!!
And then there’s my soul food. My Bible has always had a place next to my head where I sleep. Sometimes there’s been a little layer of dust, but that reflects the changing tides of my life. (It’s dust free at the moment!) I’ve walked with the Dalai Lama, visited the Seat of my soul with Gary Zukov. That men are from mars, women are from Venus makes sense to me! Dr Phil has helped with relationship rescue. I thought if I spend time and feng shui’d my home maybe I’d find the contentment I’m seeking. I’ve enjoyed reading of other people’s journey of faith. I know what’s amazing about Grace!
But my greatest sense of inner peace, contentment and joy has always been in meditative handiwork. I’d not realised until recently that it was my time of prayer.
It’s common for many women that we sometimes can’t find twenty minutes of uninterrupted time. It’s during those times of busy hands that our minds become free to wander. When others see that we are occupied, they leave us be. It can be as mundane as ironing, or knitting or crochet. (Or for us scrap booking or card making) the simple repetitive actions of our hands free our minds to wander.
In the centre of our home, in the heart of the family living area I have carved out a space for my craft. It’s the crossroads room, where everyone passes through to go to another part of the house. It has the highest traffic of any room in our home. It’s there that I sit surrounded by clippings and snippets, colours and patterns to create my legacy to my family; and my mind can drift away!
I count my blessings, and think of all the fabulous events of the day. I think of my hubby and sons and contemplate their journeys of the moment. Then in my mind I travel to other family, and to friends, to events unfolding in the world. I smile to myself at the stories of divine intervention, and place in context the ills of the world. In front of me, amazingly a project is completed, almost without being aware of it.
I always have an ear open for the family. I overheard the other day from one of them. “Wait til later, mum’s in her Happy Place”
Take care, God Bless and enjoy your Happy Place!
Love Linda



A little snapshot from our last retreat

Happy Holidays

Its just extraordinary how tired we were. That first week all we did was sleep and since we have a lovely new stove and we both love cooking so much, the other thing we've done is eat!

We've had one week at carlo point camping. ( weather beautiful) and planning to go again this week! How fast the time goes, then only another week and back to work.

I've included a photo of out stopover on Fraser Island. There's a great spot thats in the middle of Fraser, hervey Bay and Tin can bay that we can get to by boat. The fishing was great although on the day we were there it was "Fish playing with people" day and of course nothing was biting.

Here are my fellas soaking up the sun. A snap of me (thanks Russ ) after a stern talking to about how there needs to be photos of me for posterity. I had to use my angry eyes but he gets it now! Look at that lovely beach!

How glamorous!!!


Also a nice shot we've taken to getting of our shadows, and Alex reminding us that he is after all thirteen years old and a boy!


Its cold and rainy as we pack our gear this time. The weather people have promised sunshine for wednesday. Ben and Jake&Jess will be coming on Saturday for the night. We've promised angel steaks from the rainbow beach butcher for barbeque dinner. (they're a special cut of beef obviously, the other kind are way too hard to catch )

We're taking Max as well. That should be interesting...nothing adds a special something to camping like a fox terrier thats been playing in the mangroves. We'll take his little house and a lead and he'll be fine!

Not taking any papercraft this time. Took a lot for the last trip but did nothing, so this time just sketching and maybe some watercolours.... hey twinkling h2o's would be fun...and I could always do that onto some cards, and alex likes painting ...................
til next time
ttfn

Road Rager

Road Rager.

The other day I had a lady in a four wheel drive absolutely furious with me! It seemed I was completely ignorant of the “rules” and was giving way at a give-way sign (???), just where she wanted to turn. How inconsiderate of me!
I then had an amazing conversation with my boy Alex (13) at how angry people are all the time. For what seems like trivial reasons. They go from zero to fury in moments.
He suggested “Maybe they are too busy to know their own feelings; it’s quicker to make it everyone else’s fault”

Pretty insightful I thought.

So I imagined that lady’s world. It’s after school time and she’s negotiating an all terrain vehicle through suburban streets. The car is full of kids , tired, hungry and full of news. Going to an after school activity or several. Probably squeeze a trip to the supermarket in before home/ homework/dinner/family time.
So mix that with some whinging in the car, the petrol light might be flashing, her mobile phone is going , and someone announces that they can’t find their clarinet ( or soccer shirt, tennis racket, glasses or retainer…whatever) its little wonder that that pause at a give way sign would seem like the last straw.
I can understand that… trust me I’ve been there!

Taking a moment to take stock of how she was feeling would be my gift to her. The time goes too quickly in our family lives for us to race it away.
Our commitments can sometimes control us, but what are the more important lessons.
How to keep to a schedule, or how to laugh and let go.
To run yourself into a frazzled heap meeting the deadlines you’ve set yourself;
Or stealing some time back for you and the kids and have an ice-cream and a play in the playground . Leave the mobile turned off and grab your camera instead.
Trust me! The memories that they will treasure as your families grow to have families of their own are not how you always made it on time to after school sport, but “hey remember when we were stuck in traffic and we had a fart noise competition and Mum won cos her’s was the loudest!”
I told Alex.
“You have a lot of empathy for a boy your age kiddo!”
” Do I? he asked “How do I get rid of it?”
Teenagers!!!
Ta ta for now. Linda
PS Please be nice to little orange cars. Imagine I’m a giant orange M&M or smartie!

Thoughts from Linda
Why is it that we are so afraid to engage people? We offer “arms-length” compassion in case what they require of us will deplete us somehow. Doing just enough of the kind and good work to look the part, but not getting our hands dirty with the gritty, grim real life “helping” that requires a giving of ourselves to make some one else feel better.
We see people everywhere who are burdened with life’s challenges and we deliberately choose to keep our distance in what’s become a typical attitude of not wanting to get involved. Imagine a world where we all not only listened to each other but heard what we were saying as well. Everyone carries a bag of worries. The battle we are waging at the moment, be it a money worry, insecurity about your love, career challenge, conscience for a wrong doing, health concerns or grief. Everyone! Imagine if completely at random you were able to help to carry that bag of worries for someone else, share their load just by asking a kind question from your true heart and then listening to the answer?
One of my joys in this craft is that I see women of all ages nurturing each other while they share common ground. To the happy sound of snipping and cropping, pasting and painting I hear hearts unburdened, support being given, listening to each other. There’s time to hear the whole story, (usually accompanied by pictures) and then the peace that comes from putting it all in context, filing it into our memories, moving onto the next project. We leave feeling grateful to the “family” we have found at Daisychain.So, how are you really?