Fields of Gold

Just beautiful!!

Get Talking - Family and Thankfulness

Oops! I missed last week. But I'll do double this week.
So, first question:

What's a family tradition you love?

One of my favourite family traditions is that every year we make a new Christmas tree decoration for each family member. I love it because our tree tells a story of the years gone by. We haven't done it every year, but we started in 1992, and since 2003 we have had a new decoration every year. Most are hand made, but some are memory things, like where the item was bought or the year my sister used clear glass balls and put the name of each family member inside. When it comes time for me to start a family of my own, I will have my decorations to use and keep the memories going. Yes, our tree looks very eclectic, but I like it that way. I'm not someone who likes a perfectly colour coordinated and matching tree.

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Question 2:

What three  things are you grateful for?

Three things I am grateful for today are:

• That God sent His Son, Jesus, to take my punishment so that I will not be separated from Him for eternity, but will instead spend eternity with Him in heaven.
• My family - we may not always agree, but we are there for each other.
• A day off. Seems trivial, but this term has been hectic with 2 jobs (which is why I missed last week), so I'm glad for a little time off to rest, recharge and get some things done that I haven't had time for.

ACRBA Tour - The Pounamu Prophecy by Cindy Williams

7 - 11 March

Australian Christian Readers Blog Alliance

is introducing

The Pounamu Prophecy

(Rhiza Press, 1 October 2015)

Cindy Williams

About the Book:

Since she watched her village burn to the ground, Mere’s life has been anything but dull. Now as an older woman she has come to stay with Helene and James to finish writing her life story – a tale of injustice, revenge and
reconciliation.

But Helene and James have their own problems. After five years together, their marriage has become dull, predictable, boring … and it starts to unravel. 

Weaving fiction with the traumatic history of the Ngati Whatua tribe of Auckland, The Pounamu Prophecy sweeps from the sultry heat of Australia to the verdant shores of New Zealand.

About the Author

Cindy Williams lives in Sydney with her husband and teenage son.

As a child growing up in a culturally rich part of New Zealand she enjoyed writing, not copious screeds, but short intense pieces that brought tears to her eyes and made people think. She marvelled at the power of words to inspire far beyond the intentions of the author.

Then she became a dietitian – all science and seriously researched facts. She completed a Master of Public Health and a Graduate Diploma in Communication and spent many years encouraging and inspiring people to live a healthy life.

She writes a nutrition blog – www.nutritionchic.com – and is working on her second novel, set in first century Israel. She teaches scripture in schools, and swim and cycles. She is also studying for a Diploma of Theology and trying to improve her abysmal French! 

My Thoughts

It is sad to think that in every culture there is some form of discrimination based on race and that every generation sees (or doesn't see because it is covered up) attempts to rid the world of a particular race or culture. This book deals with some of that as the story of the past and present are intertwined.

I wasn't sure about reading this book initially, but I have grown to appreciate many things from it - like the message of forgiveness.

Well done, Cindy, for sensitively dealing with the issues you have presented through this story.

Get Talking - Skills

What do you think of these so far? Is it making you think about your answers? Giving you ideas of topics that you can talk about with your friends? Are you joining in and answering the questions for yourselves? I hope you are and would love to hear your answers.

The question for this week is:

What skill would you like to learn?

My answer to this is that there are 2 significant things. I would love to learn how to fly aeroplanes and to play the guitar.

Ever since I was a kid learning piano I've wanted to learn to play the guitar. I liked the idea of music being portable and I could still sing while playing (if I ever got that good). Pianos are not portable - although if I learned the piano accordion it would be.

As for aeroplanes ... I fell in love with flying at the age of 15 when I experienced my first flight and got to go up to the cockpit to have a look (back in the day when kids on a commercial flight were still invited to see, before the days of terrorism). I didn't just want to be a passenger (although I do enjoy that too); I wanted to fly myself.

Neither of these dreams are yet to be realised, and I think my fingers are too short to effectively play a guitar, but maybe one day ...

Get Talking - Dream Job

Here we go ... the question for this week:

What's your dream job?

My dream job is to be a wife and mother.

Get Talking - 2 for 1

With the craziness of a new year starting at the school where I work, last week's Get Talking post just didn't happen. So this week I am going to feature 2 of the cards.

What was the first job you had?

My first job was at a deli. Not in a supermarket, but this was in Western Australia, where the corner shop or milk bar that sold basics also sold fish and chips and sandwiches. For a variety of reasons, I was not there for long.

What's your favourite book and why?

How to choose ... there are so many wonderful books that I have read over the years. I would even have trouble choosing a top three. Sometimes my favourite depends on which author is my favourite at the time. Other times it may depend on the topic or setting. Then again it could depend on lessons the main character is learning and how that could apply to my life.
I just really cannot decide.

I Lava You

Get Talking - Childhood Memories

This week the card is:

Describe a favourite childhood memory.

Hmm ... where do I start? There are so many good memories.

But I think, perhaps my favourite is something that happened when I was in Grade 5. My Dad had long service leave from his job, so we packed the car and headed off up the east coast of Australia. With stops along the way, we made our way up as far as Cairns and then back again - we had almost the whole of Term 4 away from school. My teacher didn't send any homework - I just had to do a diary of our travels. I learned so much on that trip - things I would never have learned or experienced in a classroom. Thanks Dad!

2016 Reading Challenges - January

I'm on track with the Anne of Green Gables Challenge. I finished Anne of Green Gables, but I must admit I'm finding it hard not to just keep reading the series and limit myself to just one book a month.

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6 Letters done for the Alphabet Soup Challenge
A - Anne of Green Gables by L M Montgomery
B - Before Green Gables by Budge Wilson
E - Every Storm by Lori Wick
G - Greetings From the Flipside by Rene Gutteridge and Cheryl McKay
S - Seaside Blessing by Irene Hannon
U - Undetected by Dee Henderson

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And finally, I have made it on the board for the Bethany House Challenge.

This one is common to all three challenges:

• Anne of Green Gable by L M Montgomery

Jason Gray- Not Right Now (acoustic)