5 More Movie Scenes Which Made Me Cry

Here are my first five (way back in 2010):

1. Philomena
Philomena's son Anthony is taken away from her.

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2. Pollyanna (1960 version)
The whole town comes to see Pollyanna after her accident.

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3. Marley and Me
Marley dies.




4. The Neverending Story
Artax sinks into the swamp of sadness.




5. Bambi
Bambi's mother is shot.

5 More Scary Movie Villains

Check out my first five and my second five. I couldn't resist adding five more:

1.Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson) in The Shining

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2. Vigo the Carpathian (Wilhelm von Homburg) in Ghostbusters II

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3. The killers (it's that horrible mask) in Scream

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4. Gmork (Alan Oppenheimer) in The Neverending Story

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5. The Skeksis in The Dark Crystal

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5 Hopes For 2018

It's mid March already, so I'd better post this. Here goes nothin'.....

1. Press on with my dream of becoming a published author. I plan to submit short stories to competitions to hopefully build my writing 'resume', as well as not give up on getting my novel published.

2. Start riding my bike.

3. Build my fitness. I've already been swimming laps at the local pool on my childfree day once a week (man, I'm unfit). When the pool closes for winter (it's an outdoor pool), I'm going to go to Zumba once a week.

4. Go hardcore on DIY projects. I'm in the middle of fixing up my verandah railing (cutting off old wire, sanding, repainting, and putting up new wire). Then I hope to paint the verandah surface with some non-slip stuff I saw in Bunnings. Our verandah gets terribly slippery when wet, and despite my continued warnings, the little fellows run on it, slip over and hit their heads. After that, my scungy outside laundry needs repainting, as well as some of the doorframes and window frames inside the house.

5. Make a serious dent in the huge pile of unread books next to my bed, on my shelves, in my bookcase, and in the drawers of my bedside table. I love books, but I feel like I'm drowning in them (note to self: STOP BUYING BOOKS). Those that I don't like will either be sold, given away, or placed in my in-laws' Perth house (where we stay when in Perth) for other guests to read.

2017 Hopes: How I Went

Hmmm, I don't think 2017 was very 'successful' by looking at this list:

1. Confront (and hopefully conquer) some long-held fears and phobias.  More to come in another post.
This mainly revolved around riding my new bike.  Unfortunately it didn't happen.  This year...

2.  Submit my novel to more publishers.
I entered it into the Dorothy Hewett Award For An Unpublished Manuscript run by UWA Publishing, but didn't get anywhere.

3.  Try to have regular quiet times.  I don't want to set the bar too high (it's hard to go from pretty much nothing/sporadic times to daily, so I'm aiming for 2-3 times per week, then build up).
 Nope! I really only read my Bible the night before Bible study each week in order to prepare. I have such a hunger for God's Word, but somehow I just can't sit down and read it.

4.  Continue to sell baby stuff and other items to raise money for Christian ministries.
I donated some stuff to our church's biannual mission stall.  I did sell some stuff, but keep forgetting to actually give the money to ministries! One thing I did last year was save all of the $5 notes I could and put them in a container.  I counted 20 notes the other day....that's $100 for Pregnancy Problem House. This year, I want to save $10 notes and pray about which person/organisation God would have me give the money to.

5.  Adjust my weekly routine now that I'll be a kindy mum, which will include taking Flynn to playgroup on either Tuesdays or Thursdays, while Rory is at kindy.
This was one thing I had some success with.  Flynn and I became regulars at playgroup on Thursdays by the middle of the year.

Stay tuned for my 2018 hopes.

5 Things I'd Say to My 18-Year-Old Self

Do you ever wish you could go back in time and talk to your younger self?  Tell them not to worry about some things.  Warn them about hardships to come.  Encourage them that, although the present may have its challenges, good things will come.

I follow Turia Pitt's Facebook page.  For those who don't know who she is, Turia suffered burns to more than 60% of her body from being caught in a bushfire while competing in an ultra-marathon in the Kimberly region of Western Australia in September 2011.  She is an incredibly inspiring person and I'm looking forward to reading her autobiography.  One post on her Facebook page particularly caught my eye.  It was a letter she had written to her 18-year-old self for the Business Chicks website.

That got me wondering....what would I say to my 18-year-old self if I had the chance to go back in time?


1.  Your life is about to change in the most dramatic way anyone's life ever can.  Many of your life plans will go out the window.  This is a good thing.  You will meet someone.  It won't be who you think.  It won't be the type of relationship you're hoping for.  Your friends already know him and have tried to introduce you to him.  I think you really do want to know him, even if you say you don't.  I'll give you a hint: His name begins with J....

2.  Don't stress so much about finding a man.  He's out there.  Just wait and make the most of your life until then.  No, it's not the one you're fixated on.  The right one is not quite ready yet...and neither are you.

3.  Your high school friends are keepers.  You'll meet other great friends, too.

4.  Don't give up writing that book.  Don't slack off.  You're single.  Now is the time to write, trust me.

5.  There will be a time in your life that will be incredibly dark.  You will need great strength to endure, but that strength won't come from yourself.  You will be ok.


What would you say to your 18-year-old self?

5 Men's Fashions I Don't Like

I've done the sheilas...now it's the blokes' turn.

1.  Man buns
There are no words.  I can't believe there is a new Ken with a man bun now.

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2.  Biker/bushranger beards

 Sorry, Will.  The beard needs to go.

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3.  Tattoo sleeves

I like a man to actually have some visible skin.

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4.  Tight pants

I'm not a fan of the metrosexual look.

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5.  Ear plugs

Why would anyone want a gaping hole in their ear?

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5 More Scary Movie Villains

Here were my first five, but these ones are also scaaaarrrry!

1.  Mombi (Jean Marsh) in Return to Oz

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 2.  The Child Catcher (Robert Helpmann) in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

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 3.  The Beast (Robby Benson) in Beauty and the Beast
Ok, I know he becomes the good guy, but when he's mean, he's scary.

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4.   T-1000 (Robert Patrick) in Terminator 2: Judgment Day

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5.  Phantom Zone Villains - Zod, Ursa and Non (Terence Stamp, Sarah Douglas and Jack O'Halloran) in Superman II

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5 Ladies' Fashions I Don't Like

This is bound to offend someone...but, again, it's my opinion. ;)

1.  Undercuts
So gross!  Why, oh why?

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2.  Grey or purple hair dye
Why do young women want to look older before their time?

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3.  Too many tattoos
Some tattoos look great.  I like cursive writing on feet, wrists or forearms.  But too many women just get the grossest tattoos (i.e. sleeves) that clash horribly with bridal gowns.

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4.  Claw and African Butterfly hair clips

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5.  Short Dresses
That is not a dress, that is a top.

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5 More Dero WA Towns

Yep, I've visited more than five 'holes'....

1.  Northam
2.  Narrogin
3.  New Norcia (not dero so much, but it gives me the creeps)
4.  Manjimup
5.  Carnarvon

5 Dero WA Towns

Bound to offend...but, hey, it's my blog, my opinion. ;)

1.  Meekatharra
2.  Katanning
3.  Jerramungup
4.  Moora
5.  Gnowangerup

5 Hopes For 2017

1.  Confront (and hopefully conquer) some long-held fears and phobias.  More to come in another post.
2.  Submit my novel to more publishers.
3.  Try to have regular quiet times.  I don't want to set the bar too high (it's hard to go from pretty much nothing/sporadic times to daily, so I'm aiming for 2-3 times per week, then build up).
4.  Continue to sell baby stuff and other items to raise money for Christian ministries.
5.  Adjust my weekly routine now that I'll be a kindy mum, which will include taking Flynn to playgroup on either Tuesdays or Thursdays, while Rory is at kindy.

What are your hopes for 2017?

2016 Hopes: How I Went

Well....2016 wasn't a very productive year AT ALL!

1.  RECOVER!  I have a myriad of appointments to arrange and attend this year to aid my recovery - physiotherapy, chiropractic, counselling, hospital follow-ups, blood tests.  It's doing my head in already.
I don't think I recovered much at all.  There were so many moments during 2016 where I should have returned to hospital.  I enjoyed counselling (I found a Christian counsellor in Perth that did appointments via Skype), but I'm not sure it's really had much of an impact.  I guess it's just an ongoing and LONG process.  I had physio regularly, but will need surgery to repair my abdominal diastasis. 

2.  Send my book to more literary agents and publishers.
I got my submission to Fremantle Press ready with just weeks remaining in 2016.  Now, I just actually have to print and post the thing.

3.  Have regular quiet times.  We're only 15 days into the new year and I feel like I'm failing already.  But maybe if I was succeeding I'd be tempted to become proud.  Thank the Lord it's all about His grace.
My friend Amanda sent me a devotional for my birthday, which I found very helpful.  If I wasn't part of a KYB Bible study, which required weekly preparation, I think I would have sadly neglected my Bible altogether.  I think it shows where my heart is, that I don't see reading God's Word and praying enough of a priority.  It's the being still part that I find hard, just enjoying God's presence without thinking about the next thing on my to-do list.

4.  Declutter and sell things to raise money for missions or whoever the Lord places across my path in need of money.  As soon as Flynn outgrows the baby stuff, IT'S OUTTA HERE.
I've sold a fair bit of the baby stuff so far and donated some to our biannual church missions stall.  It breaks my heart to know there will be no more bubbas for us, so I try to list the stuff for sale quickly, so I don't think about it too much.

5.  Read and comment on other blogs more.  I failed dismally at this last year as I was too preoccupied in keeping my own blog afloat. 
Sorry, I don't think I did very well at this at all.

Oh well, onwards and upwards....
Stay tuned for my 2017 hopes.

5 Reasons Why I Hate School Holidays

I know what you're thinking....You don't even have school-age children yet, Sarah.  But school holidays affect me just as much.  Here's why:

1.  The programs we attend during term time (Bible study, Rory's three-year-old pre-kindy program that one of the ladies on the farm runs) shut down because those with school-age children like to go away then.
2.  There is no-one to hang out with because everyone's away.
3.  There are more loud kids everywhere (just not ones we know).
4.  It's harder to get a spot at daycare because they take primary-age children during school holidays, too.
5.  In a small town like ours, it's not like we have the option of going to shopping centres, or cinemas, or anything else for kids, like my city friends do.

It rained steadily for those two weeks.  My kids were suffering from cabin fever and there was nowhere to go.

Hooray for Term 4.

5 Thoughts on the Election

We are two sleeps from the circus that is the Australian federal election. Will we have yet another new Prime Minister in Saturday?

It's easy to become sceptical and disillusioned with politics. I'm not a 'political person' by any stretch of the imagination, but here are my late Thursday night ramblings:

1. There is no such thing as a 'Christian vote'. There are godly Christian politicians and voters with differing views on how to honour God in the political arena.

2. Don't waste your vote. Millions of people around the world would love an opportunity to vote. Be thankful we don't live in a one-party state, all citizens can vote, we vote privately in booths, and we don't have people with guns standing over us. You may think your vote doesn't matter, or that all politicians are donkeys, but if you do a donkey vote you're the biggest ass of all.

3. Research your vote. Check out where all of the parties stand on different issues. If you're a Christian, don't just vote for someone because they say they're a Christian without seeing how their policies line up with God's Word.

4. Gay marriage and abortion are important issues, but they are not the only issues that matter.

5. We cannot make Australia a 'Christian nation'. Only the gospel can save, not by electing Christian politicians. But Christians have a role in our democracy by speaking God's truth to a nation that has largely turned its back on Him and does what is right in its own eyes. Christians have as much right to voice opinions in politics as any other group.

5 Reasons Threenagers and Teenagers are Alike

Threenager: 
Three-year-old child spouting attitude like a spoilt teenager.
Urban Dictionary

I have one of these at the moment.  Admittedly he didn't become a threenager overnight.  We've gone through the 'terrible twos', and even the 'terrible ones' before that.

Even though I don't have a teenager, my teen years don't seem THAT long ago *cough*.

I can definitely see why three-year-olds are likened to teenagers:

1.  Everything's a drama.  They can put on some Academy Award-winning performances when they don't get their own way.
 2. They're grumpy if they don't get enough sleep.
 3. They want to assert their independence, yet still need their parents.
4.  They can be very lazy and expect their parents to do everything for them (see point 3).
5.  When they're in a good mood, there are delightful conversations to be had.

5 Best Posts From Other Bloggers in 2015

It's time to honour some wonderful bloggers out there....

1. Hope and Comfort - The Key to the Door
2. Clash of Parenting Expectations - On the Edge of Ordinary
3. A Mother's Decision - RodneyOlsen.net
4. Listening to the Word - Markedly
5. Consuming Education - This Fleeting Moment

5 Blog Posts on Parenting That I Can Relate To At the Moment

1. Ten Tips For Getting the Balance Right with Kids and Food - No Reading at the Breakfast Table
2. Slow Parenting - No Reading at the Breakfast Table
3. How I Won the Vegie War: Part One - The Key to the Door
4. How I Won the Vegie War - Part Two - The Key to the Door
5. A Question About Feeding Toddlers - In All Honesty

I wonder if you can guess which child is causing me the most grief right now....

5 Annoying Words/Phrases Which People Use Frequently on Facebook

1. I love you to the moon and back.
2. Cutie-patootie
3. Fam bam
4. Totes
5. Karma will get you/bite you in the bum.

What are some words/phrases which people use on Facebook that really annoy you?

5 Reasons Why It Rocks Being the Eldest Child

1. The most fuss gets made over your birth. You get the most presents, the most photos, the baby shower, the baby milestone book filled in. Ok, so you won't be able to remember all that, but it's nice to see the many photos your snap-happy parents took. Subsequent children tend to get less fuss.

2. You get new toys, clothes etc. 

3. You get more privileges and get to do things first. It's wonderful watching your younger sibling/s stomp off sulkily to bed, while you get a later bedtime.

4. You get to have the best bedroom first because you need the space to study.

5. Usually you're physically bigger than your siblings for at least the beginning. All the better for letting them know who's boss.

What do you think are good things about being the eldest child?

5 Reasons Why it Sucks Being the Eldest Child

I'm the eldest child in my family and Duncan is the youngest in his.  We've had some interesting discussions over who is hardest done by.

Here's why it's tough being the eldest:

1.  You're the 'guinea pig', the 'experiment'.  Every mistake your parents made with you, they (hopefully) learn from with your younger siblings. What you suffered through, they get a cushier ride. When I finished high school and went to uni, I had to spend three years languishing in cruddy student housing.  By the time my brother started a bridging course (which he later dropped out of) to get into uni, my parents had bought a house in Perth and he got to live there by himself.  Although my parents pestered him to get a housemate to help them pay the mortgage, he refused and they eventually gave up.

2.  There are greater expectations placed on your shoulders and the bar is set higher.  You have to be the responsible one, you're the 'heir'. If I'd got the poor grades my brother got in Year 12, I would have got my butt kicked.

3.  You not only get blamed for things you do wrong, you get blamed for what your younger siblings do, too.  Younger siblings dob on you and your mum believes them, but if you dob on them, you get told not to dob.

4.  You have to be in charge when your parents are out, kind of like a third parent (hence #3).

5.  You have to watch your younger siblings get presents as well on YOUR birthday (because they'll throw tantrums otherwise), but you don't get any presents on theirs.


Are you the eldest child?  What do you think are the hardest things about being the eldest?

Stay tuned for '5 Reasons Why it Rocks Being the Eldest Child' next week.