Anna's Testimony

I think often Christians can be guilty of doubting God can rescue celebrities. I've heard many Christians express their scepticism when they hear a famous person declare their faith in Jesus - as if  it's a fad like being Buddhist, or gluten-free, or paleo.

I know the smut that often goes on among those in amateur theatre, let alone those who are professionals. But God is powerful enough to save anyone....even those in entertainment industry.

Australian Actress Anna McGahan shares how she encountered Jesus and how He continues to change her life.






God bless you, Anna. Thank you for sharing your story.

Anna blogs at The Forbidden Room.

Benedict Cumberbatch

Can someone please answer this question?

What is the big deal about Benedict Cumberbatch?

So many of my friends love him and it seems just about everyone does. Is it his looks? His acting?

I don't get it. Please explain....

12 Things You've Never Done

Rodney has created a list of 12 unusual things he's done or had happen to him in his life that most of his readers wouldn't have (at least not all 12).  Read it here on his blog.

This is my list.  I haven't done as many exciting things as Rodney has, but I'm guessing no-one reading this post has done all of them.  Let me know if you've had any of these experiences.

1.  Had a Transient Ischaemic Attack at 19
I was in my third year of uni when I woke during the night with agonising pain in my head.  Worse than a migraine, my head hurt just touching the pillow and it felt like my skull was going to blow apart.  I was so dizzy and I lost feeling in the right side of my face and down my right arm.  I was left with a pins and needles sensation in my face and arm for nearly a week afterwards.  After numerous tests and doctor's visits (including a CT scan to check for a brain tumour), ruled out a number of other possible diagnoses, the doctor decided it must have been a TIA.  My family on my dad's side has a history of stroke; my dad has had many TIAs.  I've never had one since, but I'm mindful that I need to reduce stress as much as possible and get plenty of sleep (haha why did I have kids?).

2.  Played a black cat, a farmer's wife from 1914,  and an old crone with a bucket on her head in some of the plays I've been in.
I'm willing to bet some people reading this have been on stage....but I doubt any would have played these characters.

3. Played tennis against Casey Dellacqua. 
It was 1996. She was 11, I was 13, and she was part of a group of state-level juniors who came down to Albany to play some of the local kids.  We thought we were to be playing against ordinary kids like us.  Talk about a mismatch.

Image from here

4.  Been hospitalised for postnatal depression...twice
Related posts:
Where I Am and Where I've Been
It's Happened Again

5.  Had two short stories published in creative writing magazines
My first was in Brillig (a literary journal of prose and poetry for teenagers, which existed between 1995 and 2000) when I was in Year 10 (1998).  The second was in Sitelines when I was in my first year of uni (2001)....unfortunately the older editions aren't online anymore.  I want to try to get some more published. 

6.  Been diagnosed with Ankylosing Spondylitis
I never thought I'd get arthritis.  Thankfully, I'm feeling pretty good at the moment.
Related posts:
Life with AS 

7.  Eaten crocodile
Our local butcher stocked some for a while.  It was very expensive, but delicious.  It tastes like a cross between chicken and fish.

8.  Had my photo taken with a giraffe
It was when I was doing a play at the Perth Zoo in 2003.  I wish I had a copy of the photo.  You'll just have to take my word for it.

9.  Made a chicken hat
I've made this hat several times...once for an Easter hat parade when I was in primary school, once for a friend's mad hatter themed birthday, and once for a hat competition at our local agricultural show.
Related posts:
Show Business

10.  Made a watermelon bra
Another show competition creation
Related posts:
There Are No People Like Show People

11.  Seen The Doctor Blake Mysteries being filmed
It was in Williamstown, while we were on holidays in Melbourne in 2012.
Related posts:
Williamstown

12.  Written a novel about Aussie Rules football
The big one!  Still working towards publication.

Save A Place To Call Home

Grrr Channel 7, what's with axing one of the best shows on TV?  Are you seriously wanting to destroy Australian TV and deny fabulous actors, like Marta Dusseldorp, their chance to shine?

Yes, yes, I know, it's all about saving money.  Import cheap overseas crap and promote terrible reality TV, like What Really Happens in Bali (I, and probably many others, do not give two hoots about what stupid things Australians do in Bali).

If you're a fan of this show, sign the online petition so we can see the third season which has already been written. 

Maybe it won't achieve anything, but we'll never, never know if we don't give it a go!

Image from here.

Love Child

Season 1 is over, but when it returns, you must watch this show!

Love Child is an Australian drama set in Sydney in 1969.  It centres around a 'home for unwed mothers' next to a hospital, and explores the issues involved with adoption during this era.  Young, unmarried mothers were expected to 'hide away' for the duration of their pregnancy, give up their child for adoption, and then return to their old lives as if nothing had ever happened.  The main character is Joan, a feisty, young midwife who challenges the injustice of the system.

Now that I'm a mother, I felt quite emotional watching this show.  Giving up Rory would break my heart, I can only imagine what some mothers must have gone through.

5 Favourite American TV Shows

Now that harvest is over, Duncan and I have resumed steadily making our way through all five seasons of Ally McBeal, which I borrowed from our local library.  I watched most of it when it was on TV from 1997-2002.  Duncan has seen little bits of it, but this is the first time he's really watched it properly.  We're often in fits of laughter each evening.

I mainly watch Aussie TV shows, but here are my Top 5 favourite shows from the US.


1.  Gilmore Girls





2.  Full House





3.  Ally McBeal





4.  Home Improvement





5.  Heroes







Which American TV shows (past or present) are your favourites?

Shopping Ethically

Image is from here

Duncan and I watched a documentary on SBS about the clothing industry in Bangladesh last year.  Appalling working conditions resulted in buildings collapsing, killing and maiming many people.  Those who were left amputees could no longer work and had to be financially supported by their families.  Their pay rate was disgraceful.  What really hit home was that I shop at the clothing chains responsible for all of this.  Greed!  It's such a blind spot for all of us.


After that, I couldn't buy any clothes made in Bangladesh with a clear conscience.  Now some Christians would argue that boycotting is not a solution, that if we don't buy the products then the people will be out of work, resulting in them being poorer still.   I was glad to see that Oxfam has released a list of the clothing companies that have signed the Bangladesh Worker Safety Accord.  There is a petition here to sign if you're interested.

But this only addresses the building safety and does nothing for fair wages and workers' rights.  I wish I could shop at some of my favourite stores now that they're on the 'nice' list, but, the truth is, they still fail in many other areas.

Shop Ethical is an online consumer guide (they also have a booklet and a smart phone app available) which details and rates each company behind popular brands according to their environmental and social impact.  And some of them fail big time - oh my!  Definitely a big conscience prick there!  They are evaluated independently (so not by any company seeking to badmouth their rivals or blow their own trumpet) - see the FAQs for how it works.  It's NOT about persuading people to buy the more expensive brands instead of cheaper ones - some of the classier brands receive a bad rap as well.  Nor is it about product quality - the product itself could be excellent, but the company who makes it exploits their workers in developing countries, tests on animals, and uses poor environmental practices.

Now I've taken the hard step of trying to shop ethically when it comes to food and clothes.  It's not easy!  Some 'good' brands are not available in small country towns.  Some of my favourites don't get a good rap. I love a bargain as much as anyone.  It's very tempting to pretend I never saw that documentary, that I never visited the Shop Ethical website or bought the app.

But I can't.  If I claim I love Jesus, then I must love my neighbour.  Not turn a blind eye because I want to shop how I want.  Not continue on my merry way because it inconveniences me, a rich, white Westerner.  Not support companies which exploit people made in God's image for profit.

This is one of my hopes for 2014 and beyond.  We each can make a difference.


This post has been entered in the January edition of the Christian Blog Carnival.  If you're a Christian blogger and would like to enter one of your recent posts, submit it here today.

Prompted To Write: The Best Advice Ever

This is an entry for Meredith's bi-monthly writing challenge, Prompted To Write.  Follow the link if you'd like to join in.

My advice...to myself....to Christians....to all people.

Do less.

Slow down.

Be.

Commit to a very small number of things.  A VERY small number.  Then pour yourself out for those things.  Even if you consider yourself to have a large life plate, it is far better to do a few things and do them well rather than commit to lots of things and give a half-baked effort at each.  The worst thing I've found about spreading myself too thin is that I start to hate and resent the things I'd said 'yes' to.  I breathe a sigh of relief when a group or event I'd committed to is cancelled.  I start to wish I'd get sick just to get some respite from my 'overcommittedness'.

I like Meredith's post about keeping a lazy diary because we WILL get sick at some stage in the year.  That's not being morbid, that's just being realistic.

As for those things that you should say 'yes' to...well, you'll know what are the right things.  If you're a Christian, ask God for wisdom, stand back and look at the big picture and then evaluate your life and what's important.

I'm not advocating laziness, far from it, but we tend to live as if we're indispensable to God, that He can't run His world without us helping Him.  Bollocks!

I was a chronic 'yes' person.  I'd like to think of myself as a recovering 'yes' person.  The only person I need to please is my Heavenly Father and He is already pleased because He looks at me and sees Jesus' perfect righteousness.

This year I'm a 'no' person.  Not to everything, but circumstances have forced my hand.  I truly believe God's love for me is not based on how much I serve at church or how many old ladies I help across the street.  I like doing those things, but sometimes I just can't.  Getting out of bed is a big enough achievement.  I recently said 'no' to a night Bible study.  Out here night Bible studies mean dragging Rory out and driving half an hour or more on a gravel road in the dark with kangaroos lurking when I already feel like my eyelids are weighed down with coins I'm so tired.  I meet with two other women from the farm for Bible study and prayer on Friday mornings instead.  We all have young children so we need flexibility and mornings work best.

When did you last stop to smell the roses?  I should take my advice and go out into my garden to smell my own.

Some lighthearted advice:

Those of you who watched Thank God You're Here may remember Frank Woodley's performance as the Shaolin Temple Master of the Way.  It's classic.  His advice?

A man should never hold his nose when he sneezes or if you do this, my children, your eyes pop out of your head.  And it's hard to get them back in because you can't see.

Don't try to eat a stone...it'll hurt.

Don't ever try to throw a feather at someone in anger for they will just look at you and go, "Well, what are you doing?"

Rafters and PND

I've watched every episode of Packed to the Rafters since it began in 2008, but I was most interested to see how the storyline involving Nathan, his wife Saskia, and their new baby Edward would pan out.  In the episodes leading up to last week's episode where Saskia walked out on her husband and son, it was clear to me that she was suffering from postnatal depression.  I was wondering how realistic the storyline would be.

I was glad to see this illness that affects so many women being given the limelight in a popular TV show.  I was still very puzzled about how the storyline was handled, such as why Nathan didn't try harder to save their marriage or get her to see a doctor.  But ultimately I felt I could relate a lot to her suffering.  While I didn't want to leave Duncan for another man, I empathised with her confused mind, wanting someone to take the baby away so she could get decent sleep, the feeling of being surrounded by chaos, yelling at the baby to shut up.  As regular readers of this blog will know, I've been there and still coming out of that long, dark tunnel.

Bravo to Rafters for at least attempting to highlight this issue.  Even though they are just TV characters, I really felt for both Saskia and Nathan.  It's so hard on the men too.

Source: http://l.yimg.com/ea/img/-/130521/pttr_s6ep5_gallery1_18plsb6-18plsce.jpg

5 Actors Who Are The Best At Playing Villains

These actors play the baddies so well. 

1.  Alan Rickman



Source

 

 

2.  Jason Isaacs

Source

3.  Anthony Hopkins

 



Source

 

4.  Jack Nicholson



Source

 

5.  Robert Carlyle
 



Source

 

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?

 

 





Revenge

Season 1 of Revenge finished last night.

For those who haven't watched the show, it's about a young woman whose father was framed, convicted (and later murdered) for a heinous crime he didn't commit back when she was a girl.  Years later, she returns to the Hamptons under a new name to exact revenge on the people who were behind it all.

The series had me hooked, yet left a bitter taste in my mouth at the same time.  Duncan remarked that he's so glad we're not part of society's elite where kisses are bestowed, but everyone secretly plots to destroy one another.

I can understand why Amanda/Emily would want revenge.  I've never been grievously wronged as she had and had my whole life destroyed.   I would be sorely tempted to take matters into my own hands as she does.  But it disturbed me when one of the main characters says vengeance is justified if the person deserved it, and if they didn't, then you just have to forgive yourself.  Watching this show made me more determined to trust in God and leave things in His hands, even if my sinful nature is screaming for me to take revenge.

Did anyone else watch it?

Friday Funny

One thing I'm keen to do in my lifetime is to start everyone dancing in a public place.  Yes, I know...I'm a bit odd.  I just think it would be cool if everyone broke out into song and started dancing just like in musicals.

I loved Ally McBeal back in the late 90s.  When you throw together a bunch of quirky lawyers, a unisex bathroom and Barry White, you get one of the funniest scenes ever.  Life would be very interesting with work colleagues like these.  (Pity I couldn't find a better quality clip).

The Friend Who'll Just Scream With You

If you didn't know it already, I'm a big fan of Packed to the Rafters.  Season 4 ended a while ago now, but there was one episode that really got me thinking.  It involves the nature of friendships.

I had been watching the development of Julie's new friendship with Donna with great interest.  After initially getting off to less than a good start, the two middle-aged women were starting to bond.  But the turning point really came when Julie received a phone call from a rather distressed-sounding Donna, asking if she could come over early in the morning.  Julie was puzzled, but went and was starting to realise that some of Donna's behaviour was quite bizarre.  It was then that Donna confessed to suffering from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.

I think this is true for many adult friendships.  We meet many people we get on well with at surface level.  But there comes a time when the friendships are put to the test.  Will the friends go deeper and share more of themselves, and be willing to ask for help if needed?  Or will they remain at superficial chit-chat level and revolve around fun activities?

Friendships often mirror dating relationships in many ways.  On the few first dates, both parties are usually trying to impress each other.  Charm is employed.  Weaknesses are hidden.  There is a lot of 'sussing each other out'.

But as the dates go on, one party is going to have to make a move.  They are going to have to drop their mask.  They are going to have to risk exposing more of themselves.  Otherwise, they might have met their potential mate but have the relationship never go any further.

Donna took that risk.  She knew she needed a good friend to help her, and she suspected that Julie might be that friend.  She dropped her mask.  After the initial shock, Julie responded by being a good friend to Donna.  Her efforts to help Donna manage her OCD culminated in a hilarious scene in a park where she showed that sometimes the best way to cope is just to let out a huge scream...right there...in the park...in front of many onlookers.  Julie put herself out there for her friend.

There seems to be an unwritten rule that you shouldn't expose yourself emotionally too early in a friendship in case you scare your new friend away.  There is meant to be a period of shallow acquaintance-level conversation before more deeper topics are broached.  Donna acknowledged this in the episode by saying, "I know we haven't been friends for very long..."  When I moved here, I felt the same.  I knew I had to go through the casual "How are you?...I'm ok" type conversations and that was what made me feel so weary.  I was down, I'd just lost my Nan, our house was a mess, it was my second big move in 2.5 years...I didn't feel like conversations that didn't have a point.  I just wanted to find someone here who I could be honest with straight away.

My prayer is that we will drop our masks and foster environments that encourage others to do the same.  And I pray that I will be the kind of friend who'll just stop and scream with my friend when they're going through hard times.

Image is from: http://tvweek.ninemsn.com.au/blog.aspx?blogentryid=894113&showcomments=true

5 Thoughts on The Slap

Well, everybody else seems to be talking about this series so I thought I should share my 5c worth (it's gonna be a bit more than 2c haha).

1.  The characters are all extremely unlikable and from various conversations and blog posts, I can tell I'm not the only one to think this.  Rosie was the one who probably annoyed me the most with her 'I let my child run wild' style of parenting.  I was furious when Connie made up the lie that Hector raped her and didn't even apologise to Richie when he went in to bat for her and got in trouble over it....grrr.  I couldn't stand Koula, especially when she complains about Australia (well, go back to Greece then) and calls Aisha 'the black one' behind her back.  Harry is a bastard.  His wife, Sandi...well...why on earth does she stay with him?!?  I love character studies.  It's a sign of a good series where you get so engrossed you feel something towards the characters.

2.  But while the characters are generally horrible people, I think they reflect ourselves more than we'd like to admit.  People have been commenting on how lewd and crude the characters are, but that's what happens when you see people up close and personal, and unfortunately that's how people talk these days (come and live in a country town where, with some people, every second word is a swear word).  At first, it just looks like a normal bunch of people getting together for a barbecue, but The Slap takes you below the surface.  I have to confess that I saw bits of myself in some of the characters.  I've felt the tension between the choice of marriage/family or career.  I can remember what it feels like to be a teenage girl liking an older guy.  While some people were horrified at The Slap, I think it's a confronting but fairly accurate portrayal of the world we live in.

3.  The acting was brilliant.  William McInnes' narration was really unneccessary.  At times it felt like I was a fly on the wall eavesdropping on conversations, the dialogue was that natural.  The little boy who plays Hugo is outstanding for his age.  They picked some absolutely brilliant child actors.

4.  I think this series shows the impact that different stages of life can have on friendships - those who have kids and those who don't, and also parents who have different 'parenting strategies'.  I fully expect kids to be little turds at times, but it annoys me when parents make no effort to correct their behaviour in other people's houses (read: my house).  I was talking to a friend who is a mum to two young boys today and she was recalling an incident a few days ago when she invited lots of mums and kids over to her house.  Two of the kids (who were siblings) started trashing her house (and I mean trashing it) - climbing up bookcases and getting bubble blowing stuff out and then throwing it on the floor so there was a slippery mess everywhere; picking up ornaments, throwing them and breaking them etc.  My friend tried to gently ask the mum to get her kids to stop (since there is a rule you can't discipline someone else's child), but the mum just sat there as if nothing was happening.  My friend said she was fine with it if it was just toys everywhere or something, but it took her and her mother-in-law hours to clean up the mess.  In regards to The Slap, I don't blame Hugo for his behaviour since he had clearly had very few boundaries set for him in his life!  The scene where Hugo spits on the old man and then Rosie blames everyone else for his behaviour disgusted me.  Ok, I get that you're not supposed to have a go at parents, but seriously....even my friends who have kids themselves expect visitors to show some respect for their property and other people.

5.  I think this series will be really good for Australian TV.  It shows that you don't need a big budget to tell a compelling story.  Yay that it has already been sold overseas.

Image is from http://resources0.news.com.au/images/2011/10/06/1226160/581292-abc1-the-slap.jpg

God, Justice, Underbelly, and The Magic Finger

I mentioned in my post 5 Things I've Learnt in 10 Years of Following Christ that sometimes I really don't understand grace.

Perhaps it is because grace involves getting what you DON'T deserve.  In their song, Be My Escape, Relient K wrote, "The beauty of grace is that it makes life not fair."  That's the whole point of grace - it makes things unfair.  It does not always appear just.

Don't get me wrong - I'm very glad God showed grace to me.  He gave me life and salvation when I deserved judgement and death.  But often I struggle with understanding grace and showing it to others.

I've always been very concerned with justice - even since I was a child.  I remember screaming at my mum on countless occasions, "It's not FAIR."  Usually this was in response to getting punished for something my brother did.  Perhaps it's also because I, like many others, was bullied at school.  When you're a kid, it hurts to see others doing terrible things to you and getting away with it.  The lack of justice can be spirit-crushing.

Maybe this is why I got so excited when I heard about the book, The Magic Finger by Roald Dahl.  Although I never read the book until I was an adult, I'd heard that it was about a girl who had a magic finger to get revenge on those who made her angry and I thought, Cool!   Here's a caption:
The Magic Finger is something I've been able to do my whole life. I can't tell you how I do it, because I don't even know myself. But it always happens when I get cross... and suddenly a sort of flash comes out of me, a quick flash, like something electric. It jumps out and touches the person who has made me cross...
How great would it be to literally point the finger at someone and something humiliating happens to them.  Excellent!

Some people I know have also wondered why I have enjoyed watching all of the Underbelly series.  "It glorifies crime," they say.  I actually think it does the opposite.  It shows evil people briefly having their time in the sun, but in real life, they all seem to be either dead or in prison.  I think that's why I'm drawn to Underbelly and other crime shows.  Justice is inevitably done.

I know that God is just.  What I have trouble dealing with is suspended justice.  God has set a day in the future where He will call everyone to account for their thoughts, words and deeds.  This is both comforting and scary, and sends me running to the cross of Christ for mercy.  But knowing this doesn't always make it easy to live in the here and now where I need to leave justice in God's hands, and resist the temptation to take revenge.

Over the past 10 years (and particularly in the last four years), I have learnt a lot about trusting God when I am wronged and mistreated.  It has been a hard and painful journey at times.  I have had to fight the urge to take matters into my own hands.  In saying this, I do not mean that it is wrong to use the earthly justice systems.  It is not wrong to involve the police or go to court.  But these systems are not perfect and God is the only one who executes righteous anger and true justice.

Last year I was listening to a sermon which challenged to me to think harder about what Do not take revenge actually means.  It can mean not bashing the person, but also it means not doing more subtle things like trashing that person's reputation during a conversation with a friend and....here's the shocking one....not praying for the person.  Massive ouch!  How many times have I refused to pray for someone because my anger was burning towards them.  Not lifting someone up before our Heavenly Father can actually be the ultimate form of revenge.

A few months back I was treated badly by someone and plotting revenge was at the forefront of my mind.  I considered playing some pranks like ordering them a pizza and a taxi (I know, how juvenile am I) - even though I didn't have their phone number and would have to get it from the White Pages (if it was in there).  I thought about how many people I could tell how evil this person was.  I couldn't pray for them except to say, "Lord, please smite them for me."  I was ANGRY.  I wanted revenge.  Even though I felt God telling me, "NO Sarah!  Leave things to me," I strongly considered putting one of my plans into action.

But then, not long after the incident, I was prayed for by a Christian friend and this friend told me she felt God telling her that I would inherit His nature.  This friend did not know what was going on, so when she told me that, I could not describe the peace it brought to my soul.  Despite my evil thoughts of revenge, God was at work in me and He was going to make me more Christ-like.

Then a couple of weeks later I found myself praying for the person who had wronged me.  I'm not saying this to make myself look good.  It was hard to get the words out, but I was honest with God, and He helped me.  I told Him that I was having trouble praying for this person, but He enabled me to pray for her.  This person is not a Christian and I found myself praying that God would change her heart and bring her to Himself.  All glory to God here because this was definitely not from myself.

When I find myself on the receiving end of hurtful behaviour, it's a constant battle to stop wishing for a magic finger.  Instead I need to keep trusting in my good and just God, who knows and sees all.

Insight: Narcissism

I can thank a regular reader of this blog for recommending that I have a look at Insight on SBS.  This show is fantastic!  I can't believe I've never watched it before now (although maybe our crackly SBS reception has something to do with that).  Thanks Jodie!

There was an episode about narcissism and the use of social media earlier this year.  Very fitting with all the posts I've done on Facebook this month.  I'm enjoying watching through the three parts (as quickly as my internet will let me).

Take a look if you're interested.  There are heaps of other interesting topics too.

http://www.sbs.com.au/insight/episode/index/id/366/Narcissism#watchonline

5 Best TV Couples

My Top 5 ended up dominated by Blue Heelers and Home and Away.  Here they are:

1.  PJ and Maggie (Martin Sacks and Lisa McCune) in Blue Heelers
These guys were the ultimate TV couple in the late 90s and were a major reason for Blue Heelers' ratings success.  They had millions of Australians (including myself) glued to the screen.  Maggie's death must surely rate as one of the saddest TV deaths and I cried as she died in PJ's arms.

Image is from http://heelers.tripod.com/special/articles/mags/topguns_big.htm

2.  Jack and Tess (Rupert Reid and Caroline Craig) in Blue Heelers
A lot of people doubted whether Blue Heelers would be any good after Maggie's departure, but, in my opinion, Tess did a great job in filling the void.  I loved her shortlived relationship with Jack even though it seemed destined for trouble from the start (she was his boss).  I was devastated when Jack was arrested and left the show.

Image is from http://blue-heelers.piczo.com/?g=27083071&cr=6

3.  Luke and Lorelai (Scott Patterson and Lauren Graham) in Gilmore Girls
How many coffees did Lorelai drink at Luke's Diner before they finally got together?

Image is from http://www.celebritycouples.net/Features/FamousTelevisionCouples/LukeandLorelai.aspx

4.  Aden and Belle (Todd Lasance and Jessica Tovey) in Home and Away
Belle was really the one who 'reformed' Aden and it was so sad that she died of cancer just weeks after their wedding after initially hiding her illness from him.

Image is from http://au.tv.yahoo.com/home-and-away/features/article/-/5791092/a-tribute-to-belle/

5.  Angelo and Nicole (Luke Jacobz and Tessa James) on Home and Away
These two only just got together and then left the show!  It was so sweet how Angelo wanted to be a dad to Nicole's baby son, George.

Image is from: http://www.virginmedia.com/tvradio/top-tv-shows/home-and-away/spoilers/home-and-away-week-25-2011.php?ssid=8

Who are your favourite TV couples?

My Ideal Wedding

I loved, loved, LOVED Carbo and Retta's wedding on Packed to the Rafters last week.

For those of you who don't watch the show, Retta was getting a bit anxious and upset about organising a big fat Greek wedding to satisfy Carbo's family.  I laughed out loud when she showed Carbo the colour-coded seating plan and said, "Your family are in blue.  That's why it looks like we're having our reception at sea."  Boy, do I know how that feels.  Duncan's family may not be Greek, but they are numerous and it felt like I didn't really know a lot of people at the reception.  I felt for Retta when she cried to Carbo, "Your side of the church will be full and mine will be empty."  We didn't do 'sides' for our ceremony, everyone just sat wherever, but I did feel it a bit sad that about half of my already very small extended family couldn't come.

Those of who you have read my blog for a while will remember Diary of a Wedding Planning Machine.  I felt like I went through a waking nightmare to get to our wedding day.  Maybe that's why I rejoiced when Carbo whisked Retta away for a surprise elopement under a tree with just the celebrant and the celebrant's brother who he'd asked to be a witness.  The celebrant's brother had just come from a children's party and was still dressed as a clown.  Hilarious!  I loved the simplicity of the wedding although maybe I would have worn something a tad nicer.  The marriage is the most important thing - not the pomp and frills and the demands of friends and family that you do things THEIR way.

Part of me still wishes that Duncan had done that for me.  I asked him if he liked Carbo and Retta's wedding and he said no, that he still would have wanted all the family there.  Some people have said to me that I must now think all the stress was worth it.  No, I don't.  All I wanted was to marry Duncan.  While our wedding day was full of joy, I was overwhelmed by all the people and all the stress it took to get to that point.  I thought I'd like being the centre of attention, but I didn't.  Now I'm just so glad I never have to do that again and I can just enjoy life with my man.

I know they're only TV characters, but bravo Carbo and Retta for doing things your way!  I can't wait to watch tonight's episode and see if there's any backlash from Carbo's family.

Image is from http://www.facebook.com/pttrs

5 Favourite Children's TV Series

I must have watched so much TV as a kid because it was quite hard to pick just five.  Oops that probably makes my parents sound like terrible parents for letting us spend so much time in front of the box haha.

Do these bring back some memories?

1. The Wizard of Oz



2.  Captain Planet and the Planeteers




3.  The Famous Five (enjoy, Karen)



4.  Round the Twist





5.  Gumby




Which TV shows did you love when you were a kid?