Look what I found on the tree outside my front door. Yay, Australia!
Exploring the city – May 1998
One of my best friends arrived in Sydney from Johannesburg yesterday. They made the brave decision to leave friends, family and everything they know behind, and start somewhere new. It will be our ninth anniversary later this year. I think back on those first days, the up and downs, the mixed emotions, the craziness of learning to swim in a new pool. Everything so scary, and so exciting too. The best thing was the feeling of safety. To park my car and know with a fair amount of certainty that I will be able to return to it, and that it will still be where I parked it. Nine years on and I feel so very blessed, so thankful that doors opened for us when they did, and allowed us to create a life in a safe and peaceful land.
Australia is its own island, and has only been good to us.
https://dailypost.wordpress.com/prompts/island/
Kookaburra, kookaburra
What do you say to me?
In the morning, dark and cold
You cackle your song at me
Out of slumber, out of sleep
You raise your voice at me
Laughing, mocking while I wake
Wrenching me from my dreams
But I’m flying Qantas not Saa. No sleep tonight.
Today we woke up to Australia Day, the day to celebrate all things Australian. It also marks the end of the summer holidays with schools going back on Thursday. A moment for me to be quiet and recognize the blessings of being in a safe (as can be) country, and having a stable home and work environment. Not forgetting healthy children. We have been here eight years and Australia has been good to us.
Australian National Anthem
Australians all let us rejoice,
For we are young and free;
We’ve golden soil and wealth for toil;
Our home is girt by sea;
Our land abounds in nature’s gifts
Of beauty rich and rare;
In history’s page, let every stage
Advance Australia Fair.
In joyful strains then let us sing,
Advance Australia Fair.
Beneath our radiant Southern Cross
We’ll toil with hearts and hands;
To make this Commonwealth of ours
Renowned of all the lands;
For those who’ve come across the seas
We’ve boundless plains to share;
With courage let us all combine
To Advance Australia Fair.
In joyful strains then let us sing,
Advance Australia Fair.
To really, truly
Scare me, gullible mum, would
Be easy to do
All a young life would
Have to do is jump out of
A magic pumpkin
Looking like some kind
Of ghoul or scary looking
Skeleton and that
Would be enough for
Old scared mum to jump right out
Of her wrinkled skin!
In response to The Daily Post’s writing prompt: “The Fun Platform.”
The schools I attended in South Africa all had swimming pools. At my primary school we would have training between 7 and 7:30 on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and school would start at 7:45.
(In Sydney schools start at 8:55, it seemed so late when my son started!) On Friday afternoons we would compete against other schools, it was heaps of fun. And it could all be done indepedently, walk to school for training, walk back home after competition. But it seems only a few of the private schools here have the facility of a swimming pool. So the children have to be driven to a pool for swimming training, while the parents sit and wait. I would definitely make it compulsory for every school to have a swimming pool, and allow for weekly swimming training!
I’ve been nominated by my dear friend Mark to participate in the Quote Lovers challenge so have decided to give it a go. Mark has an amazing, upbeat spirit and can be found here:
If You Are a Quote Lover, Day Two
Here are the rules:
Post your three favorite quotes, one each for three consecutive days.
With each post nominate three bloggers for the challenge.
Recognize the blogger who nominated you.
I’m taking this one home (to Australia!)
Here goes!
Australian National Anthem Verse 1
Australians all let us rejoice,
For we are young and free;
We’ve golden soil and wealth for toil;
Our home is girt by sea;
Our land abounds in nature’s gifts
Of beauty rich and rare;
In history’s page, let every stage
Advance Australia Fair.
In joyful strains then let us sing,
Advance Australia Fair.
Here are my three (no obligation) nominations:
http://www.frommidnighttodawnlight.com
https://korsakkorner.wordpress.com
Thank you, Mark!
Kookaburra, kookaburra
What do you say to me
In the morning, dark and cold
You cackle your song at me
Out of slumber, out of sleep
You raise your voice at me
Laughing, mocking while I wake
Wrenching me from my dreams
Poems and Petals 