Williamstown

I've wanted to visit Williamstown since I found out many of the location scenes for my favourite TV show of all time were shot there.  So Duncan and I headed out there on the ferry for a day of exploring.

How murky does the river look!

 

 

Duncan had heard that John Wood lives in Williamstown and can often be seen there having a coffee.  I said, "I wonder if we'll bump into him there."  Duncan just gave me a Yeah, right look.

 

Well, we got off the ferry and guess who we saw shooting a new TV series with Craig McLachlan.

 

 

 

 

I was SO EXCITED to find this building which appeared in my favourite TV show! 

 

Can anyone guess which TV show it's from?

 

 





Birthdays and Catchups

The night before we headed off on our holiday to Dalwallinu and Melbourne, we went to our friend Clare's 21st birthday party.  We know Clare from church, and it was great to catch up with others from church there as well as a few ex-Cranbrook people.

 

 

Clare's shearing shed was totally transformed for the party, and looked fantastic.  Since I'm planning to have my 30th on the farm next year, it was good to know that sheds can look great if required.

 

After four lovely days in Dally, catching up with as many people as humanly possible, we headed to Perth and flew out to Melbourne.  The first thing we did upon arriving in the Victorian capital (apart from checking into our hotel) was to go to another birthday party - this time for our friend Jenn at a pub in East Brunswick.

 

Us with the birthday girl.

With Jenn and her friend Meredith.  Jenn's friends were so lovely.  They went out of their way
to talk to us.


I learnt two things during that evening.  One was that apparently I sound like a South African (last time we were in Melbourne, we were asked if we were English).  I never notice any difference in accent between Australian states.  The other is that Victoria is behind WA when it comes to smoking laws.  It's still legal to smoke outside pubs and cafes in Melbourne.  There were ashtrays on the tables.  Yuck!

 

The next morning we caught up with our friends Jo and Dan and their three boys at their church which is the oldest church building in Victoria.

 

 

Meeting baby Jonah for the first time.  He doesn't look so thrilled to be meeting me haha.
 


 

We went out for dinner in Lygon St with Jenn and her housemate and just had to take
a photo of this very cool Diet Coke bottle.

 



Diary of an Incubator: 25 Weeks

I haven't reached the fat and waddly stage yet, although I can't do everything I used to do either.

Meanwhile....at Cluckingham Palace

Last year I wrote a post called Henpecked about Russell Crowe's sad lack of tail and bum feathers.

Well, I'm pleased to report that there has been a significant improvement in the tail department.  A few months ago, Russell and his eight wives/concubines went through a major moult and looked very scrawny and bald.  During this time, Russell suddenly got his cranky pants on.  Whereas before he just stood there and allowed his girls to peck his bum feathers out, now he was asserting his authority.

The end result of the new assertive Russell Crowe:

Unfortunately his magnificent new tail is hiding a continued lack of bum feathers

That's Mr Crowe to you!  Yes, yes I know I'm a fine-lookin' bird.


When Duncan's parents were visiting a couple of weeks ago, his dad helped us treat the chooks for mites.

After initially struggling, the hens went quietly and had their legs dipped without much fuss:

Russell, on the other hand, was not so keen.  He might be a big boy, but he is quite difficult to catch.  He squawked and flapped and struggled:

Only in the country!  Duncan thought it was suspicious that the hens didn't seem to be laying.  Then he caught this raven stealing eggs:

It now hangs there as a deterrent to its friends who may also be considering some thieving.  It's gross, but it works!  We are now inundated with eggs again.



My Prayer For My Church

A few months ago, a new pastor started at my church.  After a year of being pastor-less, it was great to welcome him, his wife and four kids who have moved from Perth.

Like I've witnessed at other churches, welcoming the new pastor was an exciting time in our church.  But part of me felt wary.  I've seen what can happen as the months and years go on.  The excitement dwindles.  The church expects him to be a multi-talented man with outstanding gifts in preaching, teaching, pastoral care, visits, hospitality, youth group, evangelism....then realises that the pastor is not perfect.  They start to compare him to previous pastors.  The pastor realises that in order for the church to grow and for God to be glorified, changes must happen...hard changes.  The Word of God must be preached even when it ticks people off.  When the pastor stops dancing to the congregation's tune, they turn against him.

My prayer for my church is that we won't burden him with our expectations of what we think he should be like, but encourage him to be the man God has called and made him to be.  That we won't put in our 'shopping lists' of things we'd like him to do.  That we'd stand back and let him and the elders lead us.  That we'd trust God by trusting them and submitting willingly to their leadership.

Bible Verse of the Day

Obey your leaders and submit to their authority.  They keep watch over you as men who must give an account.  Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you.
Hebrews 13:17

Statement For Youth

I received this via forwarded email.  It's what I was getting at in this post.

About time someone said it.  Northland College (NZ) principal John Tapene has offered the following words from a judge who regularly deals with youth:
"Always we hear the cry from teenagers, 'What can we do, where can we go?'  My answer is, "Go home, mow the lawn, wash the windows, learn to cook, build a raft, get a job, visit the sick, study your lessons, and after you've finished, read a book.  Your town does not owe you recreational facilities and your parents do not owe you fun.  The world does not owe you a living, you owe the world something.  You owe it your time, energy and talent so that no-one will be at war, in poverty, or sick and lonely again."
In other words, grow up, stop being a cry baby, get out of your dream world, and develop a backbone, not a wishbone.  Start behaving like a responsible person.  You are important and you are needed.  It's too late to sit around and wait for somebody to do something someday.  Someday is now and that somebody is you.