Category Archives: Written stories

My ten year old daughter can sometimes feel hard done by. I rebuke her and remind her that she is very lucky. She could have been stuck in rural Africa. The lottery of life has been very kind to her. We are in a secure state, and I’m thankful that mine and my children’s personal safety isn’t at risk.

My five year old is very sensitive. We were watching the news and she saw air strikes. Her eyes filled with tears and she checked that wasn’t near us, then she asked after her Granny. I explained that both her Grandmother in the UK and our family here are all safe.

Maslows hierarchy of needs is a model for understanding behaviour. And safety is vital.

I must say as a mum of young children, I would be very distressed to be displaced.

Sudan has a population of 49.4 Million. 25.6 million people are food insecure. 10.7 Million people are displaced (inside and outside Sudan) since April 2023.

Famine has been confirmed in Zamzam camp, which Shelters hundreds of thousands of displaced people in Sudan’s North Darfur region, as conflict, displacement and humanitarian access constraints have devastating consequences. 13 areas of the country are at risk of famine in the coming months.

The World food Programme (WFP) has delivered life saving food and nutrition assistance to over 7.8 million people since the start of the conflict, including some of the most hard to reach areas in the Darfur region.

Sandalwood is coveted by consumers. Its oil is native to Australia. According to experts it may become a threatened species.

Sandalwood is used by Aesop and Ester Lauder. Santulum Spicatum is harvested in Western Australia, used in perfumes, incense, cosmetics and other consumer products.

The crop of Sandalwood is 50% Aboriginal owned. It is sourced from plantations, throughout the Wheatbelt of WA.

For the conservation of the crop re-seeding and regeneration programs are necessary. WA sandalwood management programs seeks to conserve, maintain or re-establish self sustaining sandalwood ecosystem’s in the state.

An environmental consultant Peter Robertson states, in addition to over exploitation, climate change and grazing by feral animals were major threats.

I’m so thankful my children have a religious education. Those with a religious education are exposed to art far more than those without. We are all exposed to beautiful stain glass, statues and paintings. Religious imagery and symbolism is very important and is easy to understand.

At the NSW library in Sydney there is a collection of 300 rare bibles, a few which are medieval. One of the manuscripts was the Book of Isiah the Prophet. It is thought that the manuscript was compiled by Italian monks in the monastery of St Michael, Pisa, about 1225 C.E

The Rimini Antiphonal manuscript is thought to be the finest. It is a illuminated choir book from 1328. The Antiphonal was produced on vellum, it contains 21 decorated initials. Antiphonals are used by choirs and include the chants that are sung during mass.

The bibles have a history. John Rogers, called Thomas Matthew, published the second complete bible in English, the Matthew bible , in 1537. The publishing of the bible was illegal at the time and Rogers was sadly burnt at the stake. Mrs Richardson started collecting bibles because she believed she was related to John Rogers. He was the first Martyr of Queen Marys Reign.

During the first world war some Australian troops were based in the UK , Weymouth. The Richardson’s , who were based opposite the camp, would show the troops the manuscripts.

In 1926 the collection of manuscripts were donated to the Public library of New South Wales to honour the Australian troops who supported Britain in the first world war.

Its is definitely worth a visit to the library, to see this collection. Or if you are studying, recently snacks have been on offer for HSC students. It is a beautiful space to write or research, to work on memoirs or novels.  

Keep an eye on the website; http://www.sl.nsw.gov.au

Jacquie Lambie on Skye news was interviewed about Youth Detention, and also Queensland Premier spoke about Youth Crime. I believe Prevention is better than cure, and a religious education is vital. Parenting is critical, and shepherding our children’s heart. Being law abiding demonstrates our Christian Faith.  

I bought a book about parenting and I wanted to share with you some of its insights. It’s written by Tedd Tripp. Also, the Pope released a long document about the heart, some of which I have quoted.

Proverbs 4:23 instructs us that the heart is the foundation from which life flows.

Parents and teachers have a massive role in Shepherding a child’s heart.

As parents it is important not to get angry, ‘My dear brother, take note of this; Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.’ James 1:19-20

You must discipline your child in love. Proverbs 3:12 ‘The lord disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in.’ Discipline when done correctly, is an expression of love. It is designed for growth.

The best part of communication is learning to draw out the thoughts of your child. We are, after all, seeking to understand them. Proverbs 20.5 ‘The purpose of a man’s heart are deep waters, but a man of understanding draws them out.’

There are many types of communication with your children, and they include encouragement, correction, rebuke, entreaty, instruction, warning, teaching and prayer. These forms of communicating not only disciplines, it disciples.

Try not to focus on behaviour but rather address the heart. The heart directs behaviour. Behaviour is just a manifestation of what’s going on inside. Luke 6:45 ‘For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.’

As the Pope says ‘The Word of God is living and active … it is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart’ Heb 4:12. We should use scripture to help Shephard our children.

The Pope goes on to say St Ignatius and his exercises break into our hearts and helps us set our life in order. Our hearts, he says, united with the heart of Christ, are capable of working social miracles.

Under the guidance of Church teaching we can become and bring up peace makers. We can all invest in our community and participate in good works.

I’ve recently gone to the optometrist and been given prescription glasses. I find it difficult to read my iPhone. Now they issued some glasses I feel better. But it served as a reminder of my age, and how distressing it is to loose sight. Being a mum of three young children, loosing sight would be disastrous. I suddenly felt more compassion on those that had sight problems.  

It reminded me of the hardship some people face, especially in places when medical care is sparce. And so I looked to the Fred Hollows foundation, and the good work they do. Fred Hollows was an ophthalmologist that started a charity wanting to improve the care of those that are poor, especially indigenous Australians and Torre Straight Islanders.

The figures from the Foundation are confronting. An estimated 36 million people are blind around the world. A further 191 million are visually impaired and 90% of people who are blind live in developing countries.

Tracheoma is one cause of blindness, it can be prevented by access to clean water and improved sanitation. If caught early antibiotics can be given. Later on in the disease surgery is necessary. In 1996, the World health Organisation launched the WHO Alliance for the Global Elimination of Trachoma by 2020. As of 19 March 2024, 18 countries had been validated as having eliminated trachoma as a public health problem. Although this is a success the disease still remains a serious public health concern.

Semira, a lady from rural Ethiopia lives with little access to healthcare. She had an eye infection, and was unable to look after her young family. Thankfully she was not left. A community health worked referred her to The Fred Hollows foundation and local partners where she received the appropriate treatment. Once her sight was restored she was thrilled to see her children’s faces.

“I feel like a curse has been lifted,” Semira said. “Now, I can take care of my children, I can work again, and I feel hope for the future.

Praise God that Semira was treated, and not left alone. The WHO recommends SAFE strategy: Surgery if necessary, Antibiotics, Facial cleanliness, Environmental improvement, access to water and sanitation.

I’ve decided to get a record out and play my girls ‘Isn’t she lovely’ by Stevie Wonder.

I love wildlife, especially birds. I love watching the little robin in my parents backyard come and feed. I love the sound the birds make early in the morning. My daughter was getting to an age ideal for having a pet, and I settled on getting a pet budgerie. I wanted a blue one. I went to the pet store and was given strict instructions on how to clean the cage and keep a happy bird. My daughter named it ‘love heart’ and it made the most beautiful chirping sound.

The girls played around the budgie cage in our kitchen, it was a beautiful scene. They were fascinated, communicating about the bird, even when my youngest, being two at the time was just starting to speak.

Disaster struct pretty quickly however, when, after a week of being in the home the budgie fell to the bottom of the cage and writhed around for fifteen minutes. It then stopped moving and I knew that it had died. I didn’t want the girls to see the distressing sight. So I picked up the bird, who felt lovely and soft to touch , placed it in my best Tupperware container and put it in the wheelie bin.

The girls came home and Belinda squealed when she saw the empty cage, ‘mum the birdie.’ I replied by telling her the bird had flown away when I was cleaning the cage. She became quite philosophical replying that this was probably better if the bird was free. I was sorry the bird died and sad I lied to Belinda. I wish it had flown away. It was distressing to see it at the bottom of the cage.

It made me think of my own mortality. That we don’t know when or where we will die. I’m hoping it will be when I’m old with family around me. But that often doesn’t happen. Covid has made me sad with stories where loved ones have been separated. I’ve always believed in the soul, where it goes who knows, but maybe like the bird it actually flys away to another life, and it’s just the body that remains. Maybe it’s just an analogy, but maybe it’s closer to the truth than I realised so not a lie after all. It was my husband who suggested we tell them that. Bye bye love heart, fly safe..

Icons in Greek simply means ‘image’ and the painted Icon on a flat wooden panel, that we are familiar with today, has its origins in the Byzantine Empire. Icons are used today to focus worshippers prayers on a particular saint or subject.

The Byzantine Empire was the eastern Greek speaking half of the Roman Empire. While the last Roman Emperor was deposited in AD 476, the Byzantine Empire continued until 1453. What we think of as the Eastern Orthodox Church was created largely within the Byzantine Empire and the generations of icons is part of its legacy. This legacy is a symbolic proclamation of the power of images.

Some groups in the church strongly disapproved of the promotion of art. In response Pope Gregory the Greta, around AD 600, defended imagery as useful for teaching the Christian message to the illiterate and helping the faithful towards the contemplation of God.

And it is this education that underpins my love of art. An image can speak 1000 words, the same way a caricature, or a photograph can challenge, mock, ask questions or capture a moment in history. This is why we protect, promote and produce the image, in whatever form it comes. Art I believe is not just for the illiterate. I can read ten pages and the words depicts nothing but useless babble, yet a piece of art can capture a sentiment, an emotion, a thought. I believe art is a higher way of communication,

Having homeschooled my seven year old now since the beginning of lockdown I’m certainly thankful for the iPad. Some Sydney Catholic schools have embraced iPad technology to aid in their children’s learning. One such school is St Thomas in the Southwestern Suburbs where the school is located in a low socioeconomic community, representing 50 different languages. 73% of pupils are from non – English speaking backgrounds. During the pandemic last year and this year they have turned to the iPad to flourish against all odds.

Michelle McKinnon, principle of St Therese Catholic primary school states ‘ it gives students the freedom to explore and express their ideas that makes the best sense to them. That could be in writing, as an audio report, via a video presentation, or even an animation they create themselves.’

I’m a fan of the ePM Reader collection, an online library full of books at different levels which is interactive, the students can press on a word they don’t know and it is read to them. My daughter is currently making videos of herself making lego that she sends to her cousins in the UK. Not only is she communicating with her cousin but she is learning about different ways we can express our ideas, and she is learning to take her own video footage.

McKinnon continues ‘I’ve been in classrooms for 30 years – a tool is only as good as the teacher using it, so professional development for our teachers was also critical to any change we sought.’ With parents acting as teachers we have all had to learn a few new skills as we try and impart knowledge to our little ones. I struggled at the beginning trying to assess the stage my daughter was at, we got there in the end and I’m relieved when she shows an interest in tech, and is using it to her advantage.

A new exhibition is on at the National Library of Australia, Canberra, from Saturday 14th August to Sunday 14th November, 9am to 5pm daily. Entry is free. The Exhibition will travel to the South Australian Museum in 2022.

The exhibition looks at the life of George French Angas and his works. He was a painter, a naturalist, poet and explorer, and the Museum holds many examples of his work in its collection. The exhibition is presented in partnership with the South Australian Museum, and features works from national and state cultural institutions, as well as private collections.

Angas was 21 when he came to the Antipodes, and is a child of the colonial enterprise. It is said that his meticulous and sensitive portfolio transports us to the moment of his encounters with its people and landscapes.

Why I’m thankful for my iPhone.. I don’t know why the smart phone had had such a bad wrap. Personally I love mine. I use it as an organising tool, a way to stay informed, I work on it, learn on it and FaceTime my parents on it. It keeps me connected, helps me get around the city and prevents me from getting lost. All on a mobile device that fits nicely into my leather made handbag. It makes my life easier. I’m thankful for its creation.

One app that I’d love to review is duolingo. It free and it helps you learn your chosen language. I can use in when I have a spare moment, on the bus or when the kids are asleep. And you can learn more than one language. It is a gift to be able to learn languages, and I love the fact learning is being made easier and more convenient. I’m even at the stage where I’m thinking of getting seven year old an IPhone because it has so many good/ educational applications. No longer do I have to battle with DVDS and fill my house with books, but I can simply download an application and I can learn. Thank God for my IPhone..

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With the milder weather in Sydney a rain coat is an essential in Sydney. I love a rain coat because it protects from the elements while not being too heavy. Blue illusion does a lovely lined classic rain coat, coming in acqua green, while Kmart does a rain coat also, coming in blue or pink. Be sure to wear with a cozy jumper underneath for warmth and a pair of knee high boots.

Lace has a long and interesting history, and has been carried out by many women for centuries. It is often used for decorative purposes and has been used to decorate church alters. Lace was first made using bobbins and this is known as Bedfordshire Lace. Catherine of Arogan while in exile in Ampthil, in Bedfordshire was said to have burnt lace so as to commission new pieces. Here you will here me interview my Aunt Francesca and how she has been making beautiful things for almost a century and how she was taught by her mother.