Mamma Mia!

I went with a group of ladies from my Church to see the movie 'Mamma Mia' on Wednesday evening.
It was fantastic. We had such a wonderful time that we didn't want to get up out of our seats when the movie finished. We watched the credits and all. There was clapping and even one or two who couldn't resist the temptation to get up and dance!
Everyone was smiling as they left the cinema and the coffee shop next door filled up with noisy, laughing, happy ladies who didn't want the evening to end.
We were all uplifted by the Abba melodies and the crazy, happy nostalgia of bright coloured clothes and platform-soled shoes.
Go and see it - it is really good! Long Live ABBA

Living up to my blog

Well I am living up to my Blog title.
On 1st July my sister went on a trip to the UK, and left me in charge of her house, her pets (2 small dogs, one free-range rabbit who thinks he/she is a dog and 2 lovebirds whose main occupation is to make as much mess as they can) and her business. So I am living at her house.

For the last couple of years I have been working with my sister every Thursday & Friday in her business which she runs from home. I still do my half-time job at the University of Western Australia library, in the first half of each week.
Heather's business is two-fold, firstly she is an Education Agent, dealing mainly with international students http://ultimatestudiesaustralia.com, and secondly she is an au pair agent, perthdemipair.com, where she places au pairs and demi pairs with families.
Now the best part of all this is that the au/demi pairs when they arrive in Perth stay at Heather's house until they are acclimatised, inducted, oriented etc. to their new situation and placed with a host family.
The demi pairs also go to school, usually to learn English, so they learn to use our public transport system. We train them to be independent, helpful people who can't rely on their mothers any more to pick up after them.
It is very interesting and informative and we have met some really lovely people.
However July is historically a quiet month for the arrival of au/demi pairs. But as soon as Heather booked her month long holiday, July turned into a busy month.
At this moment I am sharing Heather's house with a Korean, A Zimbabwean, a German and a Japanese. Tonight, being Friday, I decided not to cook, so we had fish and chips, and they all enjoyed them. Every other night I have concocted delicious meals for them :-)
These girls are wonderful. They are helpful, they wash the dishes, they sweep the floor, they hang out the washing, they play with the dogs and the rabbit. They are happy and we have lots of good conversations and have lots of laughs.
But I am so tired. I feel as if I am on constant duty. I have a normal telephone, Heather's mobile phone, my mobile phone, the phone connected to the computer, the answering machine, the fax, the emails (mine and Heather's) and my job!! And then "Excuse me, Kathryn, I have a question..."

Today I had to call out a plumber. The water would not drain away from the shower. Disaster! Five women who can't take a shower! I convinced the nice plumber that it was essential it was fixed today even though he was extremely busy.
The weather was particularly bad today too, raining, very windy, thunderstorms and cold. Many homes in Perth ended up with no electricity because of power lines being down. Some houses were damaged by falling trees, some houses lost parts of their rooves (roofs?). So we were fortunate.

I feel better now for having written all this down. Now I can go to sleep. Tomorrow is another day.

Life and death

Today is the 3rd anniversary of my Mother's death in Christchurch, New Zealand.
Her last years on this earth were difficult and very sad for her because she was suffering from Alzheimer's for a long time before any body realized. She was often upset, angry and demanding and we didn't understand why. My Dad did everything for her in their later years until she turned against him too and eventually she was hospitalised and wouldn't even see Dad at all.
We just always thought she was a really difficult person to get on with. And 3 years after her death, we are all still thinking about how it could have been so different for our whole family if people in the medical profession had listened to my sisters and to me, as far back as 1982.

Then today, I learned that my Mum's younger sister Barbara, my Godmother, passed away in England. She had been very sick for a long time and many people had been praying for her health and her salvation. Well she wasn't healed, but we're pretty sure she was saved, and went peacefully to her maker.

With the time difference between UK and NZ, it seems that my Mum and my Godmother actually both passed away on the same date, just 3 years apart.

So, Christine and Barbara, it's my prayer that you are both together again now, after all those years apart, safe and content in the arms of Jesus.

Children

Last night, my son, Richard and my daughter-in-law, Mandy, left with a group of friends from our church to go on a missions trip to Thailand.

There were three very sad little girls saying good-bye to their mummy and daddy, although I think the main reason they were sad was because their mummy was sad to be leaving them.

Those three little girls, Ella, Violet and Molly, my grand-daughters, are so well loved by so many people. They have grandparents, great-grandparents, aunties, uncles, cousins, great-aunties and a host of people who are their church family who love them. They have regular hugs, cuddles and kisses. They are taken out to all the fun places where children love to go. They get presents, toys, sweets, chocolate, outings, sleepovers, all with heaps of love. And they are appreciative, they have lovely manners and I am not biased at all.

But Richard and Mandy have gone to Thailand to try to bring joy to some other children. Children who have no parents, no people who love them and cuddle them. Children who have no nice clothes, no toys and most of all, not enough to eat.

Our missions team will be visiting a Church that we support in Thailand, and also assisting the attached school with an English camp.
They also will be travelling to Mai Sot, where there are thousands of refugees from Burma/Myanmar. Who knows, maybe somehow they will get across the border into Burma?
There they will spread the love of God, show His love to people who have such enormous needs.

So, although Mandy was sad to be leaving 'her' girls behind, she knows they will have love and hugs and everything they need while she and Richard are away. And Mandy & Richard can devote their time to those with greatest need. The team of 6 people were excited to be going, and we prayed for God to use them in whatever way He can, to show His love in Thailand.

I heard the other day that every second, a child dies somewhere in the world. How tragic.
It makes me think, what more can I do? My heart aches for children in need.

New Baby

So Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban have their new baby, a little girl called Sunday Rose Kidman Urban.

But the baby was born on Monday in the USA (Tuesday here in Australia). I wonder why they called her Sunday? I'm sure there is a story there that the media will research.
Clever people on the current affairs shows are already saying the child's name sounds like 'Sunday Roast' - how awful.

A reason for the Blog

I never thought I would have a Blog.
Then someone said, 'Why don't you start a Blog?'

'What about?' I thought. 'Who would want to read my thoughts?'
Well, we'll see.

I called this Saturday's Child because I was born on a Saturday and when I was a child we used to say the rhyme about what day of the week people were born.

When I was little I wondered if it was true, and hoped it was not!

And then later I wondered if it had any influence on how we turn out as adults. Not because the rhyme is true, but whether knowing the rhyme, has an influence on us.

You don't know the rhyme! OK then...

Monday's child is fair of face,

Tuesday's child is full of grace,

Wednesday's child is full of woe,

Thursday's child has far to go.

Friday's child is loving and giving,

Saturday's child works hard for a living,

But the child born on the Sabbath Day,

Is fair and wise and good and gay.

I always wanted to be a Sunday's child, but no, Saturday it was. In too much of a hurry as usual as I suppose.

So what day were you born? And is the rhyme true for you?

Something to think about. :-)