Idiot box no more

We have no TV now. We got rid of it more than a week ago for the sake of our middle child who was seriously addicted to it, and unable to keep himself from living in Wiggle-Thomas-ABCKids-land.

I am surprised at how well I personally am doing without it. The house feels a lot calmer in general, at night and during the day.

Potential problems may be that I do not keep up with current affairs enough. I also may suffer from Survivor withdrawals, however I'm certain that will not kill me.

I like it.

This is how I feel about temperatures over 30C

Morbid wonderings

I was watching Stranger than Fiction the other day in which the main character has a conversation with his friend about what he would do if he knew he only a little more time to live. The character (a boring, staid tax official) said he had always wanted to play the guitar, so he went and bought one and started to play.

It got me thinking about what I would do, so here's my list. The scenario is that I have one year to live. I am not sick or fighting a disease and I don't have unlimited funds.

I would
- first of all, triple my life insurance so my husband and the kids can pay off the unit once I die.
- write my memoirs.
- spend more time talking to my husband.
- spend more time playing with the children.
- make sure every relationship I have is in a good and loving state.
- make a quilt for each of the children.
- get outside and look at the night sky more.
- dance a lot.
- read the Bible a lot and prepare to meet my maker.

(I thought about travel, but there are better places coming in heaven. The same goes for hobbies or experiences, although on further reflection, perhaps I might do some horseback riding. It became clear that the things I find important are relationships with people and God.)

Then it struck me that perhaps these are the things I need to do this year and every year. After all, who knows?

Anyone want to play? What would you do with a year to live?

Dusting

Actually I don't think I've dusted my computer in two years or more. (How long have we lived here?)

A bunch of unrelated stuff

>>The gap in posting is due to spending a week in Sydney for Bright Eyes yearly assessment. (See my other blog for the big changes in our lives we have made in response to this.)

>>My current daydream is to buy some land down in the bushy part of the Southern Highlands and build a straw bale cabin for a weekender. Anyone want to help me build? You can stay in it for free if you do...

>>I realised while we were away that I can never be a perfect parent. I will fail my children because I am human. It makes me more forgiving of anyone who fails me. And it is good that grace is there from God to forgive me.

>>I really don't like the city. I'm very pleased to be living in a regional area. It was so nice to come home to trees and space and quiet.

A few good reads

The most realistic 'novel' I have read in a while is Helen Garner's The Spare Room. It is written in the first person, from Garner's point of view, and reads like a memoir but apparently is fiction. It tells the story of a terminally ill friend who comes to visit Helen while she follows some kooky cancer treatment. Helen thinks the regime is ridiculous and the 'doctors' are ripping off her friend and tries to stand up for her while all the time her friend is trying to live in denial of her forthcoming death. If you know anyone with cancer, it might be an emotional read.

A new book just out from Blue Bottle Books is Take Heart by Kate Hurley and is a book of stories and thinking about living with children with disabilities. Yours truly contributed a page to it. It is worth a read, and may be something good to have on a church bookshelf or hanging around to give to families with a child who struggles.

Choosing to Cheat by Andy Stanley is a short, easy read taking on the big issue of work and family balance. Subtitled Who Wins when Family and Work Collide, it clearly states the problems, the causes and the solutions. His big message is to do your your job and love your family, not the other way around. I loved it.