Father, forgive me for being lukewarm,
For not having You as my first love,
For being distracted by the shiny things of the world,
For being self-centred,
Help me live for You,
To be 'hot'.
Thursday, March 06, 2014
Wednesday, March 05, 2014
Bible Verse of the Day
I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm - neither hot nor cold - I am about to spit you out of my mouth.
Revelation 3:16
Revelation 3:16
Tuesday, March 04, 2014
Holiday Destinations Beginning With D
It was recently pointed out to me that our two summer holiday destinations (Dunsborough and Denmark) both begin with the letter D.
And in a few days we are off to Dalwallinu...another D.
I think it's fitting to say that this post is brought to you by the letter D. :)
First up, Dunsborough - Duncan's hometown and where his parents and numerous extended family members still reside.
For the benefit of interstate and overseas readers who may not be familiar with WA, Dunsborough is a beachside town in the south west of Western Australia (this is a winery, brewery and surfing area). Years ago, it was a small surfie town but now it's a holiday destination for Perth's elite. The yuppies seem to treat Dunsborough as if it's their own personal playground, coming down to their holiday houses numerous times a year, and shopping at the expensive boutiques which have sprang up everywhere in the town. Duncan's not too pleased with what's happened to his hometown, but that's life I suppose. It's still a lovely place to holiday and I love the free accommodation with the in-laws. :)
After five days in Dunsborough, catching up with friends and relatives, we headed home for a night, did loads of washing, and Duncan got his gun ready for a fox shoot he was planning to go in the following weekend (which he didn't end up going in). Then it was off to Denmark.
Denmark is a hippie town on the south coast of WA, half an hour's drive west of Albany. It's kind of like WA's version of Byron Bay but on a much, much smaller scale. Apart from the smell of incense in lots of shops, I love Denmark!
We stayed in a chalet a few kilometres from town. It wasn't flash and was overpriced, but it was an adequate home for the week.
We visited the Valley of the Giants Tree Top Walk:
The estuary near Ocean Beach:
Green's Pool:
Fish and chips by the river:
The downside of the week was that I had a particularly bad flare up of arthritis. While we were at the Tree Top Walk last Wednesday, I said to Duncan, "I don't feel well. I think I'm getting the flu." I had no head cold - just aches and pains, fevers and fatigue. This happened three years ago, not long after I was first diagnosed, when I had two of these fevers within three weeks, each lasting a few days. I had to spend a lot of time lying down and we timed going out when I had bursts of energy. Panadol enabled me to enjoy the week and I slept while Rory napped. Thankfully it has now passed although my lower back and right hip are still painful. I read online this can happen during flare-ups. Despite this, it was a great holiday.
Looking forward to returning to Dalwallinu on Saturday for the first time in over 18 months....and visiting our old cottage in Buntine.
And in a few days we are off to Dalwallinu...another D.
I think it's fitting to say that this post is brought to you by the letter D. :)
First up, Dunsborough - Duncan's hometown and where his parents and numerous extended family members still reside.
For the benefit of interstate and overseas readers who may not be familiar with WA, Dunsborough is a beachside town in the south west of Western Australia (this is a winery, brewery and surfing area). Years ago, it was a small surfie town but now it's a holiday destination for Perth's elite. The yuppies seem to treat Dunsborough as if it's their own personal playground, coming down to their holiday houses numerous times a year, and shopping at the expensive boutiques which have sprang up everywhere in the town. Duncan's not too pleased with what's happened to his hometown, but that's life I suppose. It's still a lovely place to holiday and I love the free accommodation with the in-laws. :)
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| Playing ball with Granddad. He loves his Granddad. |
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| Ahhh holidays! It's tiring being a bubba |
Denmark is a hippie town on the south coast of WA, half an hour's drive west of Albany. It's kind of like WA's version of Byron Bay but on a much, much smaller scale. Apart from the smell of incense in lots of shops, I love Denmark!
We stayed in a chalet a few kilometres from town. It wasn't flash and was overpriced, but it was an adequate home for the week.
We visited the Valley of the Giants Tree Top Walk:
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| Rory wasn't sure about the whole thing. Perhaps he's like his mummy and not too keen on heights! |
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| Don't look down! |
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| Happier to be out of the pram |
Green's Pool:
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| Th water was so cold! Brrr |
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| One of my favourite beaches. Just beautiful! |
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| Perfect for snorkelling...except I forgot my snorkel and flippers |
Fish and chips by the river:
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| Some feathered friends thought they were invited to the party |
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| Shoo! It's my fish! MINE! |
The downside of the week was that I had a particularly bad flare up of arthritis. While we were at the Tree Top Walk last Wednesday, I said to Duncan, "I don't feel well. I think I'm getting the flu." I had no head cold - just aches and pains, fevers and fatigue. This happened three years ago, not long after I was first diagnosed, when I had two of these fevers within three weeks, each lasting a few days. I had to spend a lot of time lying down and we timed going out when I had bursts of energy. Panadol enabled me to enjoy the week and I slept while Rory napped. Thankfully it has now passed although my lower back and right hip are still painful. I read online this can happen during flare-ups. Despite this, it was a great holiday.
Looking forward to returning to Dalwallinu on Saturday for the first time in over 18 months....and visiting our old cottage in Buntine.
Monday, March 03, 2014
Church Camp 2014
It was nice to be able to be a part of our church camp again this year (last year we had to give it a miss due to Rory being only a few weeks old).
One of the activities for the weekend was a photo scavenger hunt. We were given topics and had to creatively think of a photo to take that reflected the said topic. Duncan and I decided to document Rory's weekend at his first-ever camp:
Our Saturday night entertainment involved getting creative with some fruit and vegetables, knives and toothpicks. Since I feel very uncomfortable with wasting food, I made sure all toothpicks were removed and lots of people took bags of scraps home for their chooks.
As you can see, there are some VERY talented people in my church when it comes to food art:
It was lovely spending the weekend near Perkins Beach (between Albany and Denmark). My Saturday afternoon swim was so refreshing.
One of the activities for the weekend was a photo scavenger hunt. We were given topics and had to creatively think of a photo to take that reflected the said topic. Duncan and I decided to document Rory's weekend at his first-ever camp:
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| Sports action This is Rory and his friend Allen |
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| Bible scene |
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| Food scene |
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| Relaxing weekend |
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| Beach action |
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| Broken |
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| Wildlife This is Rory's beloved bedtime teddy |
As you can see, there are some VERY talented people in my church when it comes to food art:
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| Mr Potato Heads |
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| My Mr Potato Head |
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| Rockmelon Jack-O-Lanterns |
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| Farm equipment |
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| Farm equipment |
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| Farm equipment |
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| Food faces |
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| Bible scene. This is my entry hehe. Yes, I know Eve wore fig leaves, but I thought cabbage and spring onion underwear would be a winner. |
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| Moses parting the Red Sea |
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| Last supper |
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| Nativity |
Friday, February 14, 2014
Friday Funny
I couldn't resist posting this before I head off on holidays.
Just remember, you lovebirds, any hanky panky tonight could have consequences later in the year haha.
Happy Valentine's Day!
Just remember, you lovebirds, any hanky panky tonight could have consequences later in the year haha.
Happy Valentine's Day!
Thursday, February 13, 2014
5 Things I Did During My Bloggy Break
I have to say that I enjoyed my break from blogging immensely. As much I look forward to writing new posts, it was good to allow my brain to rest from thinking (or overthinking) a bit. It was good to be free of the burden of worrying whether this blog is interesting to other people.
Here's what I got up to:
1. I edited two more chapters of my book - that's 35 chapters down, 13 to go. I've been putting Rory in daycare one day a week and I spend the day editing in the public library in town. I can be much more productive in the library without the distractions of home.
2. We went to Perth last weekend for our annual farm staff party. Friday was spent at Adventure World (not my cup of tea) and we had lunch on Saturday at a tavern with a fantastic indoor kids' playground.
3. I went to Zumba twice. I love it!
4. We went to an Australia Day barbecue at church.
5. I took Rory for a swim at our local pool to try out the new little floaty swimming thing my parents gave him for his birthday.
I've only just returned to blogging and now I'm off on another two week break. Tomorrow night we head off to our church camp near Albany, and then Duncan has two weeks of annual leave. Dunsborough, Denmark (the WA town, not the country), beach, coffee, wineries, reading, relaxing (as much as you can with a baby) here I come!
*happy dance*
Here's what I got up to:
1. I edited two more chapters of my book - that's 35 chapters down, 13 to go. I've been putting Rory in daycare one day a week and I spend the day editing in the public library in town. I can be much more productive in the library without the distractions of home.
2. We went to Perth last weekend for our annual farm staff party. Friday was spent at Adventure World (not my cup of tea) and we had lunch on Saturday at a tavern with a fantastic indoor kids' playground.
3. I went to Zumba twice. I love it!
4. We went to an Australia Day barbecue at church.
5. I took Rory for a swim at our local pool to try out the new little floaty swimming thing my parents gave him for his birthday.
I've only just returned to blogging and now I'm off on another two week break. Tomorrow night we head off to our church camp near Albany, and then Duncan has two weeks of annual leave. Dunsborough, Denmark (the WA town, not the country), beach, coffee, wineries, reading, relaxing (as much as you can with a baby) here I come!
*happy dance*
Tuesday, February 11, 2014
I'm Back and My Back
My breastfeeding days are numbered. Rory is down to one feed per day (just before bedtime). But what I feared has become reality....my arthritis has returned.
Those who have been regular readers of this blog for quite some time will know that I have a type of arthritis called Ankylosing Spondyltitis in my lower back. I was diagnosed after a year of thinking I had a back injury from sport or from sleeping on bad mattresses. My local doctor picked it up straight away when I complained of back pain in the early hours of the morning which eased when I got up and moved around. A blood test confirmed his suspicions as the test showed I have a genetic marker called HLA B27. AS is an autoimmune condition where my white blood cells mistake my own cells for a bacteria called Klebsiella (so they basically attack my own body). Most people manage the condition with anti-inflammatories and lots of exercise, but I decided I didn't want 20 years of Celebrex. Two months after my diagnosis, Duncan's cousin's husband told me about how the pain can be managed by a low starch diet. The Klebsiella bacteria feed off starch in the intestine and that sets off the autoimmune reaction. If there's little or no starch in the body, the bacteria will effectively starve and therefore my back will not be so inflamed.
Here's a recap for those who are interested:
The Back Verdict
Life With AS
Six Months of Weird Diet Complete!
Diary of an Incubator: Pregnancy and AS
The thing I really enjoyed about being pregnant and breastfeeding is that the arthritis went into remission. After a year of little or no bread, pasta, rice, potatoes, bananas, corn, cakes, chips etc (basically everything I love), I was scoffing vast quantities of them again with no pain! It was one of those mysteries. Even Dr Google doesn't know what causes it. Most articles I read said sometimes pregnancy makes AS better, sometimes worse, and sometimes no difference. Now that I'm nearly done with breastfeeding, I have to go back on the low starch diet. Booooo!
I've been back on it for nearly three weeks now. Bye bye cereal and a banana for breakfast, hello fruit and yogurt and a fruit smoothie (and sometimes scrambled eggs). Bye bye cookies with flour, and hello cookies with almond meal. Bye bye looking at menus with glee at all the wonderful options, hello thinking what the heck am I going to eat at this cafe (a limp salad does not sound appealing).
I still often wake up in some discomfort in the mornings. My left hip has been playing up recently. I don't know if I'm not being strict enough with what I eat, or if the diet is not as effective this time around.
I'm going to try a Bioflow wristband next. Everyone I've talked to who has one reckon they're great and, besides, what have I got to lose?
It's very tempting to have another child so I can go into remission again (Duncan says, "NO!")
Those who have been regular readers of this blog for quite some time will know that I have a type of arthritis called Ankylosing Spondyltitis in my lower back. I was diagnosed after a year of thinking I had a back injury from sport or from sleeping on bad mattresses. My local doctor picked it up straight away when I complained of back pain in the early hours of the morning which eased when I got up and moved around. A blood test confirmed his suspicions as the test showed I have a genetic marker called HLA B27. AS is an autoimmune condition where my white blood cells mistake my own cells for a bacteria called Klebsiella (so they basically attack my own body). Most people manage the condition with anti-inflammatories and lots of exercise, but I decided I didn't want 20 years of Celebrex. Two months after my diagnosis, Duncan's cousin's husband told me about how the pain can be managed by a low starch diet. The Klebsiella bacteria feed off starch in the intestine and that sets off the autoimmune reaction. If there's little or no starch in the body, the bacteria will effectively starve and therefore my back will not be so inflamed.
Here's a recap for those who are interested:
The Back Verdict
Life With AS
Six Months of Weird Diet Complete!
Diary of an Incubator: Pregnancy and AS
The thing I really enjoyed about being pregnant and breastfeeding is that the arthritis went into remission. After a year of little or no bread, pasta, rice, potatoes, bananas, corn, cakes, chips etc (basically everything I love), I was scoffing vast quantities of them again with no pain! It was one of those mysteries. Even Dr Google doesn't know what causes it. Most articles I read said sometimes pregnancy makes AS better, sometimes worse, and sometimes no difference. Now that I'm nearly done with breastfeeding, I have to go back on the low starch diet. Booooo!
I've been back on it for nearly three weeks now. Bye bye cereal and a banana for breakfast, hello fruit and yogurt and a fruit smoothie (and sometimes scrambled eggs). Bye bye cookies with flour, and hello cookies with almond meal. Bye bye looking at menus with glee at all the wonderful options, hello thinking what the heck am I going to eat at this cafe (a limp salad does not sound appealing).
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| Almond meal choc chip cookies |
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| Low starch breakfast - fruit and yogurt and a mixed berry smoothie |
I still often wake up in some discomfort in the mornings. My left hip has been playing up recently. I don't know if I'm not being strict enough with what I eat, or if the diet is not as effective this time around.
I'm going to try a Bioflow wristband next. Everyone I've talked to who has one reckon they're great and, besides, what have I got to lose?
It's very tempting to have another child so I can go into remission again (Duncan says, "NO!")
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