A HILARIOUSLY GOOD READ

Recommended by Emma over here and a review here.  Set in an old-folk's home in England in the 1970's.  I haven't, ever, laughed out loud so much while reading a book.  It would make a fabulous BBC series.  I can even recommend actors for the parts if the BBC reads this blog and needs some ideas.  So, you remember that British series, set in a hospital with three women who were the main actors?  One was the head nurse, Jo Brand the regular nurse and one who was a doctor.  Well BBC, the one who played the head nurse is definitely the one to play Matron in this series.  Please make contact if you need further ideas.  I'm full of them.  PS  Found a link to that BBC series here.  I noticed several of the episodes were directed by Peter Capaldi.

A GREAT FILM

We watched this great film on Netflix the other night.  Here's a review of the film LOCKE which makes the point that if Hitchcock were to make a film on modern-day life, this would be it.  A man trying to do the right thing and because of his decision and actions, his world begins to collapse around him - and all while he is on a long night drive to London.

BROKEN BONE AND CHRISTMAS

I broke a bone in my foot the other day and I'm in plaster up to my knee.  By the sound of everyone's advice I will probably be like this for a few weeks.

"Give me your Christmas quilt Connie, and I'll baste it for you!" said my dear friend Robyn.  Here it is on her basting frame where I am sure that everyone who quilts in this town has at one time or another had their quilt tied to it with Robyn helping baste it with them.

Looking forward to sitting, leg up, and quilting while David runs around at my beck and call!

HIS FIRST WORD TO US

"...Yet he (a man Jesus met - Matthew 5) was called, as we are called, to listen attentively to God's first word to us.  This word is the gift of ourselves to ourselves - our existence, our nature, our personal history, our uniqueness, our identity.   All that we have and are is one of the unique and never-to-be-repeated ways God has chosen to express himself in space and time."

Excerpt from Manning's book above (Italics mine)

PREPARING CHILDREN HOW TO LEARN HOW TO.....

Emma posted an article on the Finnish education system on Facebook.  Here's another article from Smithsonian.com.   A key phrase from the article stood out to me..." We prepare children to learn how to learn, not how to take a test."  May sound simplistic, but it's not.  I am aware from reading articles on postmodernism that today's reader prefers information in short bites.  This isn't a particularly short bite but well worth a bit of perserverance.  It's a wonderful gift, not only to watch a child suddenly 'get it' but also to teach that child the process that is required to reach that point. Anna's post on Home Schooling Heresies (see previous post) adds to this idea.

BEFORE AND AFTER...

Oh dear!  I can't find any BEFORE picture of the bathroom, so you will have to put on your imagination glasses.  The floor was timber and wasn't very friendly with the water from the shower and the walls were completely white with no picture rail.   We are very chuffed with the finished product with thanks for the many hands who put it all together;  ma boy, Alan who laid the base for the tiles, the man who regrouted the shower walls and base, the amazing tiler who, when I gave him the picture I had printed off Pinterest shook his head and wondered how he would ever get out of the place in time to pick up his children from school.  He did it!  Started around 8.00am and was gone by 2.30pm.  Also thanks to the plumber who had to initially uninstall the toilet which sat in all its glory on the front verandah for a couple of weeks and of course returned to reinstall it.  And again, ma boy who did all the woodwork and painting.  "I'll do inside the linen press!" (which is behind the door) I said, knowing it would be a very awkward (don't you love that 'awkward' word written down, very awkward!) job and who had already done it when I was ready to role up my sleeves.

Click photograph to enlarge.  

PAINTING THE FENCE

Well I've just about finished painting the fence.  Bit more to do on the inside.  Shall put up a photograph when completely done.  

THIS one is from a property out at Caboolture apparently.

HOMESCHOOL HERESIES

Some Home School heresies from Anna at Pleaseant View Schoolhouse.

http://pleasantviewschoolhouse.blogspot.com.au/2007/05/homeschooling-heresies.html

PEACEFUL

Anton took this photograph while visiting Scotland last month.  The photograph was taken in or near Arnisdale, one of the most beautiful places on this Earth.

Click to enlarge photograph.

HECTOR

We watched HECTOR on Netflix last night.   David went off for some guitar practice while I browsed Netflix for something to watch later.  What a treat it was with the wonderful Peter Mullan from Sunshine on Leith in the leading role.  The film takes you into the world of survival where people sleep with nothing more than a cardboard box as a blanket, a world of sadness, kindness and ultimate hope.

The haunting music of Emily Barker's title song - Anywhere Away can be found here