Is it finally getting warmer?

Can I start to believe that it is finally getting warmer?
It seems to me that this winter lasted much longer than three months.
Its been cold and bitter in this part of the colony.
I am so glad to see the sunshine and feel the warmth.
As I write I hear the cockatoos and magpies outside, the day is clear and the flies are returning.
I am very blessed at having the strength to get through each day and even though I stress at little hiccups along the way I have the support of my wonderful husband to get me through and to slap me back to my senses.
I know of a person who looks at this very same day from his hospital bed and knows that for him there are not too many left to enjoy as he has an inoperable brain tumor.
This thought brings me back to a sense of perspective that, even though I may whinge and complain and carry on about trivial things my issues are nothing compared to what this person is going through.
I dont know how I would cope with such a predicament.
So today I am grateful and looking forward to what the day brings and will take time to say "its good to be alive".

You can live so close to a place...

Its strange that we often dont know whats in our own backyard.
Hubby and I went for a drive yesterday in our little corner of the colony and discovered a beautiful little wetland area only ten minutes from our home. We knew the park was there but had never ventured down the pathway to explore it.
What a joy that we did.

Originally an old brickworks which closed in 1977 it was a smelly dirty site for over 85 years which was recently rejuvenated into a peaceful and beautiful wetlands.

The site was renovated in 2007 and has walkways, BBQ areas and play areas for children where once so many men worked and created bricks for NSW building projects. What a great use of this site. It pays to discover what is so close to home.

shhh..quiet its trials time!

It has begun.
Trials.
The time of woe and angst for all Year 12 students.
I remember, a long time ago, in the dark ages when we used slates and chalk at school (smirk) I did the Higher School Certificate too.
Somehow it was not such a big deal -we just did it.
There was no fanfare, no needing copious amounts of support and incentives.
We were not allowed to go into a melt down nor did we cram till 3am.
The best thing was that we knew that the end was nigh - no more school with the class full of idiots that you had been forced to spend the best years of your life having to endure their infantile stupidity.
Well that was my case anyway.
I had been stuck with a class full of girls who spent their lunch breaks talking about the techniques of applying lip gloss and who they were intending to get on to during the up coming weekend while the "weird ones" of which I was a member tried not to mention weekends at all.
My daughter crammed last night with the light in her room still on at 2.30am.
She left today stressed and anxious while I kissed her on the forehead and told her to do her best.
For me ...these next few weeks will signal the last weeks of me having any children at school.
I hope she does well.

The sun is finally shining on the colonies..

It has been a record breaking week without rain in my little part of the colonies. The Lord and I have been able to venture outside and enjoy the warmth of the sunshine on our skins even though there is still a bite in the air in the early afternoons.
Somehow the sunshine makes things look and feel brighter and more achievable and this winter for us has brought life changes and difficulties we so are glad that this winter is almost over.
Also as I do some tour guiding in the city the rain has been horrid for my business and for local businesses that depend on tourism coming to the area as there have been weeks on end where we have not been able to go out due to the weather and tourists and visitors have stayed away.
So now as we slide into the back end of the year I am hoping that things stay warm and clear.
The Lord has been taking it easy and allowing some healing to occur within his sore and battered shoulder and is thanking the Gods for drugs that keep the pain reduced.
He is also getting used to the idea that at least for now he will be accepting the role as a house husband and true Lord of the Manor until his shoulder issues resolve.
So life is moving along slowly but surely.

Another fine Scotsman leaves his mark on the Colony.

Well it seems that there is a huge connection with this part of the world and many great Scottish people.
William Arnott (1827-1901), biscuit manufacturer, was born on 6 December 1827 at Pathhead near Kirkcaldy, Fife, Scotland. He was apprenticed to a baker and confectioner and, with his younger brother David, followed his family to Australia. He prospered until the two great floods of the Hunter River in 1857 brought disaster. The new building he had put up in 1856 was flooded and he had hardly recovered when he was flooded out again in 1861. In 1862 he was forced to compound with his creditors and in 1864 there were more floods. In February 1865 one of his creditors demanded full payment and in April his wife Monica, née Sinclair, died; he had met her on the voyage to Sydney and they were married in 1850.
Arnott moved to Newcastle in 1865. By September he was established in Hunter Street, Newcastle, and quickly built up a successful business, helped by his second wife, Margaret Maclean, née Fleming, whom he married at Morpeth in October. The move to Newcastle was made possible by loans from friends but he repaid all his debts within twelve months. In the next few years the name of Arnott became famous for bread and cakes but especially for sweet and plain biscuits and ships' biscuits, in which there was a big trade with the growing number of ships in port. Thank you Mr Arnott for your great biscuits - you used to give your broken ones away to the poor in Newcastle.

Here is a picture of Mr. William Arnott

You can see the tip of Mr Arnott's headstone here- this is all that is left of this fine man's burial site.