Personal

This morning it was minus 17 outside when I woke up.

The sky is still blue and the sun is still there and we saw them both yesterday – it was really beautiful.

I found a jumbo box of fair dinkum cornflakes – oh I am so happy.

When it’s really cold the inside of your nostrils freeze.

Pris Gollan is a good cook – and all of her kids are growing up really fast.

I’m not sure if I’m more annoyed at having shoes stolen out of my van, or having the window with my silver fern and southern cross smashed.

Stuck in traffic! A rainy late Friday afternoon and I'm stuck in a propka. The name for a cork is the same word for a traffic jam. I see a sign for the metro system so I pull up on the footpath, park the van and head to the underground. 15 minutes later I'm waiting in the rain with some friends. I have a silly hat, a sign that says Lida for president, and I'm wondering why for the second time in a few weeks I forgot to bring a jumper when the weather is below 10 degrees. Eventually we hop on a bus and are transported to some weapons factory that has been converted into a TV studio.

Variety is the spice of life. However, too much spice spoils the food. It is the subtle differences that bring about a pleasant change. It is the slight change of perspective that teaches us something new. Trying an old trick a new way uncovers a skill. Approaching the same situation from another angle helps get us out of the rut.

I thought about this today as I was getting dressed. I don't know why, but I put my left leg into my trousers first. It felt weird! I then realised that I don't think I have ever done that before.

Also I bought a new camera. Fiddling around with all the settings and functions, I notice that the subtle changes in setting help bring out a variety of finished products.

With NSW on school holidays I spent the last two weeks up in Queensland. I stayed with my "Aussie family" the Gollans. Highlights include but were not limited to:

• climbing Mt Beerwah
• organising a garage sale
• working with Josh
• ANZAC Day service
• riding with Tim
• Jemimah's surprise 18th (which I didn't give away)
• basketball training
• general socialising
• seeing Serge and Tanya from Ukraine
• walking in the bush etc.

Tim and Judith are both much better bloggers than I (and I currently don't have a camera), so you can see pictures of the climb and pictures from the garage sale on their sites. Judith also drew a really good image of an Australian diggers hat. Click on the picture for a larger version on Jude's site.