Thursday, May 29, 2008

Happy Birthday Dags!

Today is my big brothers birthday - the only thing is he is celebrating it without his family and half way around the world, in Iraq. He's been posted there for 6 months after leaving earlier this month. He gave us a call the night before he left, which I thought was pretty special, but then when the phone rang on Sunday night, the last person I expected to say hello on the other end, was my big brother Darren. Now I felt like an A lister!!
The line was amazingly clear, with just the slightest delay, he could have been calling from next door. He sounded really good and even though he is away from his family quite often with his job, he has never been quite this far away from everyone and he just seemed a little homesick to me. He said it's very hot - about 43c at the moment but with summer not too far away, the temperature will go beyond 50c. That will be something to look forward to.
Speaking with some of the guys that are getting ready to come home, they've said that their time over there has gone really quickly and I'm sure the same will be for Darren as well. Once he's done over there, he'll go back home to his family in Ocean Grove, pack up their things and head back up here, for their last posting. I'm pretty sure Darren will seriously consider retiring from the Army to live a little less regimented lifestyle. Not that I'm sure he will know how to do that after being a soldier since he was 15! I'm sure he'll catch on to civilian life quickly enough, he's a pretty resourceful bloke. Needless to say, I'm very proud of my big brother, I think of him often and pray for his safe return to us at the end of the year.
Happy birthday Dags!!


Celebrating Darren's love of music
(click on image for larger view)

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

What I've been doing.

This is a little project I've just completed for a baby shower. I had a lot of fun doing this series and the client was ecstatic with the finished product:

MORNING JO!!
I LOVE THE THANKYOU CARDS YOU ARE SO CLEVER!! WOW THE ENVELOPES ARE AWESOME THANKYOU!
OLI
Thanks Oli for your very kind words, it was my absolute pleasure. I want to wish you and Luke all the best for the upcoming birth on the 14th June - and look forward to hearing from you after you've all settled in at home. xx
Just on another note: I got sent an email, it was just a forwarded email that we all get every day, but I thought it was such a special story, I wanted to share it:
Subject: FW: This is a lovely story.
When I was quite young, my father had one of the first telephones in our neighborhood. I remember the polished, old case fastened to the wall. The shiny receiver hung on the side of the box. I was too little to reach the telephone, but used to listen with fascination when my mother talked to it. Then I discovered that somewhere inside the wonderful device lived an amazing person. Her name was 'Information Please' and there was nothing she did not know. Information please could supply anyone's number and the correct time. My personal experience with the genie-in-a-bottle came one day while my mother was visiting a neighbour. Amusing myself at the tool bench in the basement, I whacked my finger with a hammer, the pain was terrible, but there seemed no point in crying because there was no one home to give sympathy. I walked around the house sucking my throbbing finger, finally arriving at the stairway. The telephone! Quickly, I ran for the footstool in the parlor and dragged it to the landingclimbing up; I unhooked the receiver and held it to my ear. 'Information, please' I said into the mouthpiece just above my head. A click or two and a small clear voice spoke into my ear. 'Information.' 'I hurt my finger...' I wailed into the phone, the tears came readily enough now that I had an audience. 'Isn't your mother home?' came the question.'Nobody's home but me,' I blubbered. 'Are you bleeding? The voice asked. 'No,' I replied. 'I hit my finger with the hammer and it hurts.' 'Can you open the icebox?' she asked. I said I could. 'Then chip off a little bit of ice and hold it to your finger, said the voice. After that, I called 'Information Please' for everything. I asked her for help with my geography, and she told me where Philadelphia was. She helped me with my math.She told me my pet chipmunk that I had caught in the park just the day before, would eat fruit and nuts. Then, there was the time Petey, our pet canary, died. I called, Information Please,' andtold her the sad story. She listened, and then said things grown-ups say to soothe a child. But I was not consoled. I asked her, 'Why is it that birds should sing so beautifully and bring joy to all families, only to end up as a heap of feathers on the bottom of a cage?' She must have sensed my deep concern, for she said quietly, 'Wayne always remember that there are other worlds to sing in.' Somehow I felt better. Another day Iwas on the telephone, 'Information Please.' 'Information,' saidin the now familiar voice. 'How do I spell fix?' I asked.All this took place in a small town in the Pacific Northwest. When I was nine years old, we moved across the country to Boston. I missed my friend very much. 'Information Please' belonged in that old wooden box back home and I somehow never thought of trying the shiny new phone that sat on the table in the hall. As I grew into my teens, the memories of those childhood conversations neverreally left me. Often, in moments of doubt and perplexity I would recall the serene sense of security I had then. I appreciated now how patient, understanding, and kind she was to have spent her time on a little boy. A few years later, on my way west to college, my plane put down in Seattle had about a half-hour or so between planes.. I spent 15 minutes or so on the phone with my sister, who lived there now. Then without thinking what I was doing, I dialed my hometown Operator and said,'Information Please.' Miraculously, I heard the small, clear voice I knew so well. 'Information.' I hadn't planned this, but I heard myself saying, 'Could you please tell me how to spell fix?' There was a long pause. Then came the soft spoken answer,'I guess your finger must have healed by now.' I laughed, 'So it's really you,' I said. 'I wonder if you have any idea how much you meant to me during that time.' I wonder,' she said, 'if you know how much your call meant to me. I never had any children and I used to look forward to your calls.' I told her how often I had thought of her over the years and I asked if I could call her again when I came back to visit my sister. 'Please do', she said. 'Just ask for Sally.' Three months later I was back in Seattle a different voice answered 'Information.' I asked for Sally. 'Are you a friend?' she said. 'Yes, a very old friend,' I answered. 'I'm sorry to have to tell you this,' she said. 'Sally had been working part-time the last few years because she was sick. She died five weeks ago.' Before I could hang up she said, 'Wait a minute, did you say your name was Wayne?' 'Yes.' I answered. 'Well, Sally left a message for you. She wrote it down in case you called. Let me read it to you.' The note said, 'Tell him there are other worlds to sing in. He'll know what I mean.' I thanked her and hung up. I knew what Sally meant. Never underestimate the impression you may make on others. Whose life have you touched today? Life is a journey ... NOT a guided tour. So don't miss the ride and have a great time going around you don't get a second shot at it.'The happiest people don't have the best of everything; they just make the best of everything.

Sunday, May 18, 2008

It's been too long!

It seems like such a long time since I posted on my blog. Sorry to those who check in regularly to check out what we' ve all been up to.
Now, where to start?? Well, things have settled down again at work. I still hate walking in those doors every day though.
Joe and I have some exciting options that we're looking at at the moment - big changes actually. We are both ready for a real change of direction, me especially. I don't want to say too much yet, just in case I jinx things, but I promise to keep you posted.

I have finished my web page design short course. Would you believe, the very last class was brilliant!! It was jammed packed with great information, it was fast paced with useful content - the way it should have been from week 1. My web page is coming along and I feel as though I can nut it out on my own from here on end - not that much work is being done on that either right at the moment - I know, I've been so slack.

Joe and I took a Sunday drive to Redcliffe a couple of weeks ago. I've been wanting to go there ever since I found out that they have a pier and was just waiting for a sunny day to make the trip. I love the atmosphere of coastal towns and we were so blessed with beautiful weather on the day. I took my good camera with the single intent of getting some photos of the jetty. Once we got into Redcliffe, we took the 'tourist road' and were certainly not disappointed with the beautiful scenic views of Morton Bay on our drive down the winding coastal road to the gorgeous jetty. Because the weather was so good, it was very busy, it took ages to find a car park and ended up having to park in one of the side streets at the back of the main strip, then walk back up.
We walked down to the beach first, then along the jetty to the end where I took a series of photos of the stone wall with the cutest boats tied up to it. When I got home, I stitched them all together which then became the inspiration for the layout I did of our magnificent day trip.
I'm going to see if I can get this layout printed onto a canvas, just because I love it so much.

(click on images for larger view)


The Redcliffe Jetty


The end of the jetty.


There was even a baptism being held at the waters edge. What a day!!

Sunday, May 4, 2008

More photos

As promised here are some more photos from last week end when Joe and I went to Ipswich for a visit with my cousins.
All these photos were taken in the most beautiful heritage style park I've ever seen. Queens Park contains significant cultural heritage values not only for Ipswich but for Queensland. It was the first park to be developed in Queensland, first being surveyed in 1842. Its original architectural design dates back to 1862 and is perhaps Ipswich's most well known landmark.
It was certainly a far cry from the slap up piece of green patch & recycled bark, whack a bit of playground equipment on it and call it a park that this generation have become more accustomed to.

John_Deb_Joe_Lynda

John_Deb

John

Joe_Lynda

Joe_Joanne