dissapointment

For the last five days I've been excited about the prospect of clean windows.

This evening I was finding it hard to contain myself... Tomorrow's the day, tomorrow's the day! My wise friend tried to throw a blanket over my enthusiasm by warning me not to pin my hopes for happiness on any single thing. I laughed at her. This is no single thing! This is 12 windows!

But now I am a sad mess. My window cleaning man just rang and cancelled.

I'm sure there is a lesson in there somewhere.

Quiz on optimism and helplessness

Give it a go. Apparently, optimism is something that can be learned.

last day of term

just saying.

Top 5 non-classroom time users on at school today

1. The talent quest (12.40-2.15)
2. The ball games competition (9-11)
3. Interschool sport (12.30-2.45)
4. Year 6 choir (11-11.30)
5. Year 7 choir (11.30-12)

The top 5 things my kids fight over

1. Lego pieces
2. Going first in the shower (no one wants to be first)
3. Someone being annoying
4. Which dvd to watch
5. Who is tidying up toys

The top 5 songs/rhymes I've sung with kids this week

Ben says we should write top 5 lists. Fantastic. Lists are great when you have nothing to blog on.

The top 5 songs/rhymes I've sung with kids this week
1. long legged sailor
2. connie connie in the tub
3. Principal farewell song
4. No one in the house but Dinah
5. ABC

We need vampire romances...

... because we've neutered most of the other off-limit relationships.

Feel drawn to someone who is : a family enemy, already taken, the same sex, a different race, a different religion, a different social class? Who cares. Go for it anyway.

But the vampire. Here is a great off-limit relationship. Love triumphs over blood-lust. Fantastic. And our hero can still be Mr. Perfect because he can't help his murderous desires. True love, though, will help him rise above them...

What I'd like to see is a truly against-the-odds romance. A beautiful, intelligent, well-adjusted 25 year old falling in love with a boring, ugly, middle aged paedophile.

(Actually, I don't want to see it. Let me watch Twilight again.)

the joy of soon-to-be-clean windows

Everyone has certain things that they need to have clean for sanity's sake. For me, it's the washing up, the floor and the windows. The washing can be way out of control and the bathroom can be a health hazard, but if the floors, windows and kitchen are clean, I will sleep well at night.

For the last 2 years the disgustingly dirty state of my windows has been frustrating me. Our house is highset and every window has security screens so I have no way of cleaning the outsides. I suspect that they haven't been cleaned since the house was built 45 years ago.

But I've finally bitten the bullet. A man is coming on Monday to clean my windows for me. I've never spent money on something like this before and am feeling hap-hap-happy.

Rejoice with me. Life is about to get better.

things I like

A long(ish) slow run. Makes me feel good.

charles in charge

Remember this?

Maso mentioned it in Ben's Monday quiz.

Do you remember it?

like widget

Don't know if I'll keep the 'like' widget. I think I'll get rid of the second two options and just give people the option to tick 'like'. If you don't like something (including the widget) you should leave a comment to tell me.

My issue with it is that it looks a little messy at the bottom of the post.

What do you think?

'like' function

You know how facebook has that little 'like' function you can click on? It lets you acknowledge someone's status update (or photo or whatever) without having to have anything profound to say about it. You can simply 'like' it - which is fantastic*.

I think blogger needs a 'like' function. A 'like' option would help lure the lurkers from the shadows and get more conversation happening. It would also stop the phenomenon that Nathan has documented where the most original and insightful posts get no comments at all.

Has anyone come across a blog 'like' widget?

* 'Unlike' is also a great. I often need to undo thoughtless 'liking'. eg. "Tom's grandfather died today" - I want to acknowledge that I've read this, so I click 'like' then realise that it seems a bit heartless...

Idol Review - Top 11

So Ashleigh's gone. Stupid decision, Australia.

Hayley - She's great. I love watching her sing. Hope she stays till the end.

Casey - This guy needs to go. Boring. If you're singing 'I'm not over it' - then be not over it! I wish he'd stop leaning over.

Kate - Yeah. She's just not my favourite. Maybe it was good, but I'm not into it.

Nathan - Thought the comment that he doesn't know who he is yet was insightful (though how many 16 yo boys do?) and that's what all the posing and preening is about. Still hate the fringe. If he really wants to be vulnerable, he should pull it back and let us see his face. But he sang really well. It's the first time I've been interested.

Toby - A pure voice. Interesting almost. Still not quite getting him.

Tim - The judges thought he was good. I could have changed channels at any point.

Sabrina - Thought she was good. I like that she didn't talk back this week.

James - I love this guy. The genre wasn't particularly him, but he still held my attention.

Scott - Yeah, a bit amateur, but he's more interesting than some and I don't want him to go yet.

Kym - Pretty good, probably. Dress makes me nervous too.

Stan - Crowd pleaser song. Good choice. Well sung.


Favourites from tonight - Hayley, James, Stan, Sabrina, Nathan.

Middle of the road, I don't care - Kim, Scott, Tim, Toby, Kate.

Who should go - Casey.

I'm not feeling really into Idol this year. I probably would have not bothered, except the kids are keen. Maybe I'll warm towards it.

Demolition Work

Through meshed wire
we see the rectangles
of exposed foundations
where small strong buildings
once stood.
Bare earth
with traces of brick
and tiled flooring
open to the sky.
A broken, partly plastered, rear wall
still stands.

People once worked here;
they thought
and talked
and laughed here.
They came here daily
and stood where now
the earth is scarred
and birds alone
employ themselves
scavenging among the ruins.

It's all so familiar.
The demolishers have been.
The future has
brushed aside the past.
On this site, in due time,
some office block will rise
and take its place
in the crowded skyline
of our city.
It's a commonplace.
Our urban surgeons
perform these
cosmetic feats daily.

But, even so, I'm troubled.
Troubled
not by the absence
of the familiar,
for these buildings
meant nothing to me;
troubled by the impermanence.
This vacant block,
this earthly blemish
on the city's proud face,
plucks the mortar from my life
and writes 'condemned'
on every wall.

The exposed foundations
are mine
and I tremble.

Bruce Smith

womens' minister role at church

Michelle has put some great comments down on this women's ministry post. You should have a read.

luke7:36-50 questions

[Read the passage here.]

1. Why did the pharisee view the woman with distaste? Was it because:

• she was ceremonially unclean
• she was riff-raff
• she was guilty of sin
  
• there was social pressure on him to exclude her
• she was behaving inappropriately and he was embarrassed.
  

2. Why was the woman sinful? I assume it was because she was a prostitute. In which case:

• how did the Pharisee know she was a prostitute?
• She mustn't have looked obviously like a prostitute - the pharisee thought a prophet would know her to be one, but not a non-prophet...

3. Why did the woman do what she did? I assume she had heard about Jesus and had the faith to know that she needed him... But

• was this in any way a normal first century response?
• tears and hair don't seem the most effective foot washing materials. Perfume is good - but get the feet clean first! Why didn't she find a bucket of water?
• Was the hair and tears bit premeditated or spur of the moment?
• The perfume bit was premeditated. Had the jar always been in her family? Had she gone out and bought it with her earnings? What does perfume symbolise at this early stage of Luke's gospel (I'm thinking it's probably not burial annointing.)
  

4. Jesus interprets her actions as love. What kind of love are we talking here?

• are their sexual overtones?
  

• does it matter if there are?
  

If this woman were a prostitute, I think it's likely that there would have been sexual overtones in all of her dealings with men - consciously or unconsciously. And her repentance and love for Jesus may have needed to be expressed in a bodily way - touching and kissing. Likely all of her feelings for and interactions with men were somewhat confused in their motives and expressions. But notice how kind and gentle Jesus is with her. He meets her where she's at, unembarrassed.

When we cry out to God, we do so from the mess of our sin. We can't help it - so entwined we are. Our manner of confessing and our motives will be mixed. But cry out we must or we'll be out in the cold with the hypocritical pharisee who stayed respectfully silent (and little forgiven.)

lemon butter

I want to make more lemon butter tomorrow (to prove to the world that I am indeed a domestic queen). My last lot was nice, but I think it tasted a bit too eggy. I used this recipe. Does anyone have a better one?

How to lose 1.5 kilos in a week

1. Eat the same as normal

2. Do 2 less weights classes

3. Do a long, very slow run

Trouble is, I don't think this kind of weight loss counts for much or lasts for long. I think I'd rather be heavier and stronger.

facebook cry for help

The 10 and 12-year-old girls updated a Facebook status to say they were lost in an Adelaide drain, and a young friend called for help on their behalf.

Glenn Benham from the Metropolitan Fire Service (MFS) says it is concerning the girls raised the alert on the social networking site instead of calling 000.

from here.

Concerning? Maybe. Surprising? No.

To them it was probably just like calling mum or a friend for help. They knew their friends would be online. They expected them to respond.

And what a great status update! Would have been a shame to have not used it.

making mud pies

The problem with traditional mud pies is that they don't stay together. Yes, they're nice to hold in your hand (or to throw at an unexpecting sibling), but once you put them down on the ground, they're history.

What we need is a sturdier model, like...

Joel's Mud Pies

developed in our backyard, yesterday afternoon and presented to 3KV today*.

Why this is a good way to make mud pies

1. I made it up myself

2. This kind of mud pie sets instead of staying runny

Ingredients:

1. lemon juice

2. bicarb soda

3. PVA glue

4. patty papers

5. dirt

Method:

1. Put lemon juice into a dish

2. Put in bi-carb soda until the mixture is gooey

3. add a squirt of glue and stir

4. stack a few patty papers together for strength and put mixture into patty papers

5. brush glue onto mixture

6. sprinkle dirt on top

7. repeat steps 5-6 a few times

I spoke to his teacher afterwards. Most of the kids were very interested. One, though, just didn't get it. He kept asking 'why would you do that?' Poor kid. He's probably under the illusion that playing his Wii is a purposeful activity.

* the topic he had to speak on was 'My favourite...' I imagine most kids would have picked their favourite book or tv show or game. I think Joel probably stretched the bounds of the topic here.

Music teacher rant

Recorder rules

1. No twisting or twirling recorders
2. No throwing recorders
3. Your recorder is not a sword. No fighting with recorders.
4. No poking with recorders.
5. No touching recorders unless I've asked you to.
6. No blowing recorders except when asked.
7. Make a good decision about where you put your recorder. Some people will be able to keep their recorder next to them. For others it will be wiser to bring them to the front of the classroom right now.

Breaking any of these rules will lead to litter duty at lunch time. Remember that recorders are dangerous. Following these rules will keep our ears and bodies safe.

long legged sailor

... is a great song. Or it was.

But I just taught it to 8 primary classes, back to back.

By the 8th, I had that lesson pretty slick.

I need another song to flog to death tomorrow. Ideas? (Tomorrow is yr 1 and 2.)

6 things I don't like about feminism

1. the me me me-ness that it often promotes
2. that the feminist movement over all has strongly supported abortion rights
3. that feminist readings of texts are often very poor readings of texts
4. that feminist christians often struggle to accept revelation over reason
5. that not all feminists joined the anti-pornography movement of the late 1970's.
6. that feminists and christians don't fight harder for the well being of women in developing countries

Despite my predictions...

... a reasonably productive day. With good and bad.

good

• shopping and washing more under control
• made a husband-pleaser dinner
• baked an all-bran loaf
• encouraging and in-depth chat with friend this afternoon
• started reading a new volume of C.S. Lewis letters
• new bike shopping for oldest child

bad

• chat with a teacher after school. So hard to hear a teacher that I trust and respect tell me she thinks our boy may never be able to write a standard report (eg. on an animal), and that there's no point me trying to work with him on it at home. What do I do with that? (Except cry?)

feminism mop up

This is a response to my polemical post 'feminism is not responsible for...' from a few days ago.

1. I was kidding about global warming. I've never heard that pinned on feminism.

2. Working mums, institutionalised child care, pornography, raunch culture, and homosexuality have, of course, been influenced by feminist thinking. The point I'd like to make is that there were/are broader things going on in our culture that have made a bigger impact than feminism. It gets on my nerves when Christians see feminism as the big nasty that we need to shoot down (not noticing that, in many ways, it's already dead) instead of the bigger, nastier and more insidious evils of capitalism, greed, power hunger and our insatiable sexual lust.

When was the last time you heard of a young guy wanting to put a dent in captitalism's hold on our country? Ummm. Never. How about someone writing/preaching anti-feminist stuff? Last week? Yesterday?

I think it takes little guts to preach against feminism because that's where our society is going anyway. More than ever, girls are dreaming of life-long marriage to Prince Charming and planning to forsake career for his sake. Doctors are telling us to have kids earlier. Politicians are telling us to have more kids. It is not counter cultural for our preachers to be telling us this stuff.

It is counter cultural for our preachers to tell us to reject capitalism: to rent a small house in a low socio-economic suburb, to buy a cheap car, to send our kids to state schools (and limit their academic and social advancement)... to do whatever to show that money and power don't matter. This is what I need to hear. I don't need to hear about whether or not women should be working outside the home.

today

nothing to do...
[but the vast piles of washing, the shopping and some cleaning]

nothing to say...
[no well formed (or even semi-formed) thoughts, anyway]

nothing to think...
[nothing constructive, anyway]

I know. Why don't I spend the day sitting behind my computer clicking through blogs (not reading any- can't be bothered!) then feel bad cause I've wasted so much time?

Aargh! What do others do in such a mood?

I have a spare day

and no motivation.

recipe tag!

The lovely Ali has tagged me in a recipe, err, tag, so how could I resist. Here are the rules:

* I post a recipe here and tag four people.

* They choose one ingredient from my recipe and post a recipe using this ingredient on their blog, linking back to the previous blog that posted a recipe.

* They then tag four new people, and we will see how it grows.

* To keep it exciting please post within a week of receiving the tag.

Okay. Thought I'd be honest and give the last thing I cooked. Here it is:

Dinner from last night (as it evolved)

1. Defrost 600g lean mince

2. Find a bag of 6 potatoes. Peel. Wonder what to do next. See a crinkle cut cutter on the drainer. Chop potatoes into chip shapes with crinkle cut cutter. Put on tray with oil. Turn on over to 200 ish.

3. Get mince from microwave and look at it. Wonder what to do. Put it in bowl with breadcrumbs, tomato sauce, egg, salt and CRACKED PEPPER (Ali's ingredient). Mix with hand. Realise that I've been on the way to making rissoles but can't grill them because I'm using the oven for the chips. Stop. Wonder.

4. Pull out a slice-type baking tray. Line with paper. Make meat balls and put close together on tray.

5. Cut an onion. Sprinkle onion over meatballs.

6. Pour jar of Dolmio sauce over meatballs and onions.

7. Sprinkle grated cheese over meatballs, onions and dolmio sauce.

8. Put chips and meatball thing into oven.

9. Find Broccoli and Cauliflower (my 2 favourite veges). Cut up finely. Put in microwave safe bowl with a little water. Cover and ccok on high for a while.

10. Mix a bit of flour with salt and pepper and some milk (1 cup?). Tip over broc and cauliflower. Mash up a bit and cook some more.

11. Hope chips, veges and meatballs are all ready at about the same time. Eat and enjoy.

Hmmm. Who should I tag? Wendy? Naomi? Andrew (go on honey!) Lucy?

body pump 71 review

Have been doing this one for a while now. Here's what I think.

BODYPUMP 71

Warm up: Magnetized (Original Mix) – James Sampson

Yeah. Normal.

Squats: Summer of 69 (Picco, Jens O & Maddin Original Mix)– Mega-mania

Pretty easy, this one. Some bottom halves, but there's not much else tricky so it's fine. The music is cliched - not the original song, but the mix bits. Cut and paste from 50 billion other songs.

Chest: Right Round – Flo Rida

Hard. I've fatigued out every time. Then there's push ups at the end. Hard.

Back: When love becomes a lie (Cascada Remix) – Liz Kay

No row in between the clean and presses - tiring but over pretty fast. The bar is really heavy for the rows by the end.

Triceps: Black Fingernails, Red Wine – Eskimo Joe

I do my own thing for triceps, so can't say.

Biceps: What I’ve Done – Hiroshi Free

Fine. Lyrics for this song interesting. Change about 5 words and we'd sing it in church...

Lunges: Doesn’t Matter – Mamad Voltek

I like this. With step. Not really hard.

Shoulders: Operation Blade 09 – Public Domain

It keeps going at the end when you think it's all over! Overhead presses, plate work, push ups, plate work, overhead presses.

Abs: Circus – Britney Spears

On step. Interesting. I like it. Funny plank hold at end off step.

Cooldown: Sober – Pink

Always love pink.

The 60s is the decade that just won't die

It's standard operating procedure, practically a rite of passage, for each new generation to fiercely rebel against the one that preceded it -- regardless of the optimistic nonsense that Pepsi's highly paid ad agency would have you believe. But for anyone unlucky enough to follow those who came of age in the 1960s, defiance to some extent has felt all but impossible. This is because, quite frankly, the 60s marked a high point in the evolution of American society as a whole and set an inapproachable standard across so many aspects of our culture -- music, art, political activism, even the act of defiance itself -- and it did this despite being one of the most turbulent periods in our nation's history.

And how do we know this?

Because for 40-some-odd years, the ****ing Baby Boomers have never stopped reminding us.

from here.

Summer of 69 is on the current body pump release. Stupid nostalgia. Get over it. Pretty sad if your teenage years were the best days of your life.

feminism is not responsible for:

• mothers working outside the home (nope, that's capitalism)
• institutionalised child-care (capitalism as well)
• raunch culture (this is a 'bizarre twisting of 'liberation' by men for their own ends')
  
• pornography (it didn't need feminism!)
  
• homosexuality (in a culture of permissiveness, where else is there to go?)
• global warming

Idol Review Top 12

People through... Toby, Hayley, Casey, Tim. Three guys. We're any of them any goood? I had to look up last week's review to remember. But Hayley's through, so I don't particularly care.

Anyway, on with this week's show...

Ashleigh - Miss Independance
She comes across so confident. Solid. I like her. Wonder how much range she has in her voice. Good performance. Hope she stays.

Scott - Come Together
A bit high school performancy... only because of inexperience I think. He's interesting. Sings well. Will watch where he ends up.

Casey
Why the guitar? He's strumming 4 to a bar. Hardly impressive. All the licks are from the band. He sings well. Pleasant to listen to. But I liked Dicko's comment - how's he different from everyone else?

Hayley - Light Surrounding You
No where near as good as last week. Like her version of this song better than the original (hate the original - preachy and stupid) but she should sing something more upbeat... or just better. [I wish Marcia and others would stop saying 'very unique'. Something is either unique or it isn't. Grrrr.]

James - How to Save a Life
Yeah. Okay. I think he could win. I want to listen again.

Sabrina - Earth Song
Overcoached - yeah. Don't talk back to the judges. It never pays. Listen to them, they're right. She sings really well and I liked it but might get sick of her drama.

Nathan - Stop and Stare
Sick of the fringe already. A bit cheesy? He sings good.

Stan -
Was on the phone to my mum and missed this one. Was it good?

Toby -
(listening in background...)

Kim -
Great (still on phone so wasn't listening hard)

Tim
Bit boring? (don't know - still on phone)

Kate
Truth is, I hate hats. Male or female, if there's a hat, I switch off. Line dance thing doesn't work for me either. It might have been good but I don't care if I don't see her again.

Overall, pretty good show.

Best? James.

Who should go? Kate or Tim or Casey?

What did you think?

father's day

What a nightmare tomorrow will be for so many people. Why do we have these be-happy days?

Is this a reflection on how things are?

Lots of little girls called Juliette out there. Not so many boys called Romeo.

Hm.

I'm okay. My name's not Juliette so I never had any expectations.

[Just reflecting after listening to this most unhelpful song. Top of the pops for 6 year old girls (and their mums).]

What is with...

... all the homosexuality in Torchwood?

Man. Someone has issues.

iTunes top 3

In the interests of blogger honesty (see Ali's post), I thought I'd tell you what the top 3 most listened to songs are on my iTunes. I'm not counting the stuff that I've been involved with writing. Assume that various demos of various songs have been listened to alot... But after those, my current top 3 are:

1. Famous Last Words - My Chemical Romance

2. The Tide - The Dailies

3. Now What - The Dailies

What's your top 3?

post pull-down

Hi Guys.

I've pulled down that song post thing from earlier. Don't think it was the wisest thing to have put up in the first place. Andrew (in his cluey-ness) worked out exactly who wrote on that page I linked to in the first place, and from what we know of the situation, the theological issues that she raises are probably not the underlying issues.

However, as Joanna (my wise and wonderful sister-in-law) pointed out, the theological issues are worth discussing. So lets do it.

There are many people in our churches, who through abuse or life experience or whatever, have a distorted picture of themselves and God - that they are unusually unworthy or hopeless or polluted. How do we talk about sin and God's perception of us in a way that is true but that doesn't add fuel to their unhealthy cycle of despair?

To get us thinking...

Here is a song that I wrote ages ago. I like it and am hoping that it will make it to a cd soon. I've had feedback that the second verse paints things a bit black. What do you think? Not thinking about yourself, but for the despairing brother or sister in the pew behind you. How would they hear the words? Do I need to change them?

As surely as the dawn will come

As surely as the dawn will come
As certain as the day
There's mercy for the weary heart
And hope for all who stray.
The Father holds his arms out wide
And bids the sinner come
So come and rest your soul in him
Find shelter in his love.

My sin is nails within his hands
His crown of thorns, my pride
My loveless anger, selfishness
The sword within his side.
And though I'm blackened, scarred by sin
Corrupted through and through
As surely as the dawn will come
There's mercy ever new.

As surely as the dawn will come
Death is consumed by life,
For God has made a way through wrath
His anger satisfied.
Now all is mercy, every breath
Is goodness, undeserved
So I will give my life to praise
The kindness of my Lord.

sar 2007

Meeting famous people

Today we met Andy Griffiths, author of edifying kids books like Just Disgusting, and What Bumosaur is that. He was at a council library, sponsored by our local ABC radio station.

It was all very exciting. Nathan loves AG's books, he loves to talk, he loves and audience and he loves listening to Kelly Higgins-Devine on ABC radio. This afternoon, all of these loves met. He got to meet AG, meet his favourite radio personality and talk to a huge audience on the radio about AG's books. All good.

But what did he say? All the normal stuff- name, age, favourite book, favourite part of the book... Here's where things got a bit tricky. Nathan, in his innocence, couldn't say what his favourite chapter of his favourite book was called because it used the 'c' word. The announcer didn't quite know what to say at this point. Should she push him to say it? Best not. Just in case.

Bless him. It was all pretty funny. The chapter was called 'A terrible Christmas and a crappy new year.'

Micah (age 5) got to ask Andy a question a little later. He asked 'Why do you write rude books?' He meant to say 'disgusting' but couldn't get the word out. 'Rude' is almost the same.

God's Love Is Like A Unicorn

Mark and Jennie B. have suggested that we make a cd with the title track God's Love Is Like A Unicorn. The cd will be warm and fuzzy and include beautiful things like rainbows, golden retrievers and bunnies. So let's get going and write this thing together. We'll start with the chorus:

Metrical pattern - 8, 8, 4+4, 8
de dum de dum de dum de dum
de dum de dum de dum de dum
de dum de dum
de dum de dum
de dum de dum de dum de dum

Line 1 : God's love is like a unicorn....

dog tired

Last night I lay on my bed with my books open in front of me too tired to read or write. I thought I'd watch a dvd but didn't have the energy to get up and put one on.

Monday night was the same.

Glad I'm only working one day this week.

Some people feel like this all the time.