Mick Flynn

Bullet Magnet by Mick Flynn




A marvelous and well-written book by Flynn, giving his life stories as an Irishman in the British Army with no punches pulled. From Northern Ireland, to the Falklands, on to Iraq and Bosnia, with a bried time in between to be home with his wife and children, Flynn tells how it really was for the fighting man. This was a great read



View all my reviews

Oliver Cromwell

Oliver Cromwell by Peter Gaunt




I thought that this was a good thesis and I learnt something of British history that I did not know before. I knew Cromwell was important, but never knew he actually replaced the monarchy, so England was free of the royals for a number of years. I notice amongst our youthful generation today that there are those who sport the Cromwell look with the moustache and bit of fluff below the bottom lip.



View all my reviews

Spencer W. Kimball

The Miracle of Forgiveness by Spencer W. Kimball

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


In such work we always learn something new and so it can be read again and again. I'll read it again and again



View all my reviews

The Duchess

The Duchess by Amanda Foreman




A wonderful story, though somewhat sad, of this amazing woman and her involvement with life in the politics of the day between the Whigs and the Pittites. Beset by debts through who inability to stop gamlbing and throwing lavish parties regularly, this story shows just how the arostocracy lived back in the late 18th century and how this woman, the Duchess of Derbyshire, tended to be different



View all my reviews

Robert Kaplow

Me and Orson Welles by Robert Kaplow




A funny story of a teenager determined to be an actor and meets with Orson Welles to participate briefly in one of his plays. The story is fiction but some of the people mentioned were real



View all my reviews

Spencer W. Kimball

Miracle of Forgiveness
"A fabulous and well-written book by one of our Prohpets. Forgiveness is available even to the worst sinner if one seeks the Lord and repents



View all my reviews

Georgette Heyer

The Conqueror by Georgette Heyer




I have just brought this book home and it sits there waiting for me to read it when I have finished 1942 and Hawke unless I weaken of course.....and guess what, I couldn't help it, I am into it and have found myself amazed that heyer should go back so far with one of her novels - to William the Conqueror. So I weakened and finished it and thoroughly enjoyed this part of our very early history of a determined young man and a great knight



View all my reviews

Bob Hawke

Hawke by Blanche D'alpuget

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This biography covers a period of time that was both rewarding and painful and much of it had to do with Hawke's policymaking and charisma. He was the only Prime Minister (I think) that could tell the population of Australia to tighten its belts and help bring down our giant deficit and the Australian population did. I respect him for that reason, gutsy fellow



View all my reviews

Lifesaving

Thanks for this Jane
Dad receives a trophy on behalf of the Ballinu Lifesaving team in 1935
With the Ballinu lifesaving committee during the beginning of its foundation in the early 1930s. Dad is in the second row on the right
australian surfers go gold
Posted on 22, September 2010 by Jane
more statues from the beach display. Yes we have Kangaroos & Koalas etc but we tend to think of our surf lifesaving members as truely Aussie. Iconic


patrol cap

Dad was a life member of the New South Wales lifesaving club, having helped started off the Ballinu Lifesaving Club in the 1930s

Freidberg Temple

From LDS News:

FREIBERG, Germany — For years now, they've been flocking to the Freiberg Germany Temple, the LDS Church milestone that 25 years ago became the first Mormon temple operating inside the Iron Curtain.
They come to stroll the walkways in solitude or sit on the outside benches to ponder and pray.

They gather on the lawns for bridal photos and wedding-party snapshots.

They call it "our temple" — one leader recently boasted that "Freiberg has become world-famous because of the temple."

Oh, and "they" are the non-Mormons living in and around Freiberg.

Brisbane Australia Temple

Susan Dayley's Hezekiah

King Ahaz reigned with evil. He left his kingdom staggering beneath the debt of a heavy tribute to Assyria, wars at his borders, depleted treasuries, crumbling city defenses, a robbed, desecrated, and shut temple, and refugees that swelled the population of Jerusalem beyond it’s protective walls.

Yet when Hezekiah became king of Judah, the first thing he did was to cleanse the temple and reestablish the Passover Feast. When so much was at stake, why did he choose to first redirect the hearts of his people to God?

Hezekiah sent out invitations to come to the Passover. His messengers were “laughed to scorn,” and he wondered if any would come. But they did.

The people poured into Jerusalem, even from Israel to the north, to come to the Passover. They came like thirsty travelers searching for the waters of life. They came footsore and at risk as they crept beneath the watch of foreign rulers. They came to offer sacrifices again in the Temple of the Lord.

Immediately following the Passover Feast, the Feast of Unleavened Bread occurred for seven days. During this feast the people went daily to the temple where the priests offered sacrifices. These symbolized the sacrifice of their own desires and a willingness to bend to an omnipotent will. And there each day, the Levites taught them from the words of the Law. The people continued to go, drinking as if their thirst could not be quenched, listening to the words they had not heard for so long, some for generations.

As the final days of the feast neared a close, the people seemed almost desperate to hear all they could. The temple courts filled from first light to past the evening sacrifice, while the Levites continued to teach. On the last day, a message was sent to Hezekiah and he went to the temple to see this great gathering. There he found a large congregation eagerly listening for what they feared was the final time.

His heart went out to them, and he asked them, “Would it be your desire to celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread for a second week?”

The people, who only understood it meant that they could continue to be taught, did not consider the restricted diet the feast required. “And the whole assembly took counsel to keep other seven days: and they kept other seven days with gladness” (II Chronicles 30:23).

Hezekiah also established a pattern of learning for everyone in his kingdom, so that it was said of his days that men, women and children all knew the Law.

Some amazing things happened after the feast ended. First, when asked to bring their free-will offerings and tithes again to the temple—this request came when the people were already poor from the taxes under Ahaz, from weak harvests, and from undisciplined living—the peoople responded with hearts that had been changed. The outpouring of their offerings amassed in “heaps” and new rooms of storage had to be built to protect them.

Another outcome of this change of heart was that Judah began to prosper and the kingdom became strong. “And thus did Hezekiah throughout all Judah, and wrought that which was good and right and truth before the Lord his God. And in every work that he began in the service of the house of God, and in the law, and in the commandments, to seek his God, he did it with all his heart, and prospered” (II Chronicles 31:20,21). (See also II Chronicles 32:27-30.)

That Building

This little piece was given five minutes to write at the Wynnum Manly Writer's group this morning (7th September 2010) We were asked to be descriptive and not use any cliches. I got top marks for this, which is written about the old Barracks of Perth that were situated at the top end of St George's Terrace. It is not 100% acurate for I used a bit of 'writer's licence' with it

THAT BUILDING
The convicts built it. It stood at the top end of the street as it soared to the hill from the river. Five stories high with wings on each side of the six stories above the arch and angling backwards with multitudes of tiny windows set in regular regimental lines between the locally-made dark red, 6" x 3" brocks. It dominated. It spoilt the view. Its very presence shouted 'Authority'. The steep-sloping, darkly-red roof of shingles, all angular, bespoke 'no nonsense'. Inside the rooms were also tiny, leading off the long veranda that followed each wing at the rear. The central arch was the entrance to whatever lay beyond and roughly hewn, something that looked as if it had been constructed in haste. Either side of the arch stood the sentries boxes, resembling the old-style lavvie. Freezing inside in winter and boiling in summer. They certainly did not encourage use. There was an aura of gloom around the whole edifice. There were no gardens or trees to soften the outlook. Even its very name bespoke 'Authority' – The Barracks
Now I have to write a 400 word story about The Barracks.

History of The Barracks found http://www.lifeonperth/
It was built in 1863 to house a special force of soldiers called the Pensioner Guard. With nearly 10'000 convicts sent to Perth between 1850 and 1868, the task of keeping them in order was assigned to the Pensioner Guard. These guys were the veteran soldiers of conflicts such as the Crimean War, and the Indian Mutiny. They were offered the chance to settle in Perth, provided they guarded the convicts. Wearing their bright redcoats, they added a distinctive flair to colonial Perth.
The pensioner force was disbanded in 1878, but it was not until 1904 that the last guard walked out of the building. Some say he was forcefully pushed....., in a wheelchair that is. The building was then adapted for use by the Public Works Department. They moved out in 1965, and that spelt trouble for the empty barracks. With the old boys long gone, the wings of the Barracks were demolished in 1966, to make way for the Mitchell Freeway. Perth was expanding, and it seemed like nothing was going to stand in its way.

The "Redcoats" were so vivid they even stood out in black & white photos.
The Pensioner Barracks in the good old days.
Only persistent public outcry saved the front arch of the Barracks from total destruction. The State Government was sent a clear message, that it could no longer freely demolish Perth's heritage buildings, without prior public consultation. The lonely arch stands today, where it did in 1863. It provides a glimpse into Perth's convict heritage, and is a constant source of bewilderment for passing tourists.

The Pensioner Barracks were designed by Mr Richard Jewell. He was responsible for many of Perth’s original buildings, which included the Town Hall, Cloisters, and Wesley Church. The brickwork was laid in the Flemish Bond style, common in Perth between 1858 and 1890. Construction commenced in 1863, and was completed in 1866. From an architectural perspective the original building was a fine example of 19th Century Gothic Revival, with a solid underlying Tudor influence. Put more simply, it looked like a three story castle, with 120 rooms.

From 1966 onwards it looked just weird. The building is now the world's Narrowest Unoccupied Military Barracks. After losing 120 rooms, the Historic Day Tour was consolidated into a commemorative wall plaque. The building is no longer open to the public, though you can still walk under the arch. Some people measure historic buildings by their cultural significance. You can measure the Barracks Arch with a household ruler. It is approximately 435cm wide at its base, and narrows even further as you move up the brickwork. The reduced dimensions, and location on a busy traffic intersection have prompted many alternative uses for the building. As recently as 2010, it was suggested modifying Barracks Arch into a drive-through coffee business. However, it was later determined that the building was even too narrow for a skinny latte

Wolf Hall

Eleanor

SYNOPSIS: In the ruthless arena of King Henry VIII’s court, only one man dares to gamble his life to win the king’s favor and ascend to the heights of political power.
England in the 1520s is a heartbeat from disaster. If the king dies without a male heir, the country could be destroyed by civil war. Henry VIII wants to annul his marriage of twenty years, and marry Anne Boleyn. The pope and most of Europe opposes him. The quest for the king’s freedom destroys his adviser, the brilliant Cardinal Wolsey, and leaves a power vacuum.

Into this impasse steps Thomas Cromwell. Cromwell is a wholly original man, a charmer and a bully, both idealist and opportunist, astute in reading people and a demon of energy: he is also a consummate politician, hardened by his personal losses, implacable in his ambition. But Henry is volatile: one day tender, one day murderous. Cromwell helps him break the opposition, but what will be the price of his triumph?

In inimitable style, Hilary Mantel presents a picture of a half-made society on the cusp of change, where individuals fight or embrace their fate with passion and courage. With a vast array of characters, overflowing with incident, the novel re-creates an era when the personal and political are separated by a hairbreadth, where success brings unlimited power but a single failure means death.

I think that this is an excellent and very interesting tale of Henry VII's time, where life seemed to have hung by a thread of whatever the court or parliament desires.

Georgette Heyer

False Colours by Georgette Heyer

My rating: 5 of 5 stars






View all my reviews

Kids in the kitchen

Teaching kids how to cook and care for a kitchen is a must, particularly if they are future missionaries! I was not a member when I taught my boys to cook, but at first when it was mentioned the kitchen was cleared of boys pronto causing much laughter. Now they can cook as good as anyone

Kids in the Kitchen

by Lorae Bowden

With the return of school and the daily grind of schedules, it’s time for education of another kind: kitchen savvy. Teaching kids to know their way around the kitchen can save you time, money, and heartache.


My daughter Sarah came dejectedly home from the first day of "real cooking" in her sixth grade home economics class. "It wasn't what I thought," she confessed. The first project - smoothies - had turned out wonderfully, but was too basic for an 11-year-old who regularly bakes bread at home. What shocked her most, however, was that she had been the only member of her group who had ever hand-washed dishes. "They didn't know that dishes should be washed in hot water," she exclaimed, "or how much soap to use, or that the soap should be rinsed off!"



I sympathize with middle and high school home ec teachers, who try to give a fulfilling experience to both kids who can make a meal from scratch as well as kids who have never warmed up a TV dinner in the microwave - all in the same class period.



There are so many great extracurricular options for improving children's opportunities that many parents don't consider basic cooking and cleanup to be a priority for their kids. On the other hand, here are a few things to think about.



Save Time and Money
Teaching children to cook can dramatically cut home food costs. Real cooking is definitely cheaper than restaurants, fast food, and even frozen or pre-packaged meals. Besides, kids need more to do than play computer games, right? Have them cut up veggies for a stir-fry or peel potatoes for a soup.



Better Health
Research shows that today's kids will have shorter life spans with more health problems than their parents - a first in centuries. A lack of understanding food and how it works is part of that problem. Children who know how to cook are more aware of the health benefits of food and feel more in control of the food choices they make.



Lifetime Benefit
Kitchen skills will benefit children their whole lives. Most of us put our kids in sports, dance, and music because we want them to learn internal skills like sportsmanship, collaboration, communication, discipline, and determination - not because we expect them to be a pro ball player or prima ballerina or concertmistress. Physical skill takes second place to the character built. However, cooking, menu planning, grocery shopping, and washing dishes build character and useful skills that last a lifetime.



Learning how to cook builds self-esteem, sibling and parent connections, and family values, not to mention reading, math, and science skills. Put a child in charge of dinner for a night, and watch him or her learn responsibility and love it!



Kids want to feel grown up and in charge, so why not let them? Admittedly, it might take a little extra parenting effort at first, but eventually it pays off and you can take a break from a meal once in a while. Even parents who let their very young children help out in the kitchen will find that the involvement leads to less picky eaters and helps eradicate much of the before-dinner chaos.



Here are some age-appropriate ideas to get you and your kids started toward some great kitchen memories and skill learning.



Ages 2–4




Set the table. Learn visual place setting, count number of people, make sure all components are there—forks, knives, cups, napkins, etc.

Put condiments on the table—salt, pepper, butter, dressing, etc.

Talk about foods that are healthy "all the time" foods or less healthy "sometimes" foods.


Ages 5–7



Get things from freezer or pantry; open cans, stir, make toast.

Dish cleaning - wash, dry, load dishwasher, rinse off food, compost.

Note food groups used in a meal.


Ages 8–10

Make a green or fruit salad, peel and cut vegetables, and slice bread.

Measure ingredients and follow a simple recipe.

Dish cleaning—all aspects.

Put away leftovers properly.

Evaluate a meal for its health and use of food groups.

Discuss which dishes or ingredients were least or most expensive.


Ages 10 and up

Make a simple meal or dessert and clean it up.

Help plan the menu for the week and discuss whether it is healthy and uses all food groups.

Help shop for meal ingredients and calculate per person cost of a dinner, a day's meals, or a week's meals.


Maybe it's time to add some kitchen time to family time. How are your kids going to stack up when they are adults and in charge of their own eating? Will they know the basics of living on their own? We have seen a strong economy founder. While we hope the best for our kids, knowing how to be frugal and work with their food resources is critical to self-sufficiency. Kitchen savvy is a big part of that preparation.

LDS Living, September/October 2010.

Arabella

Arabella by Georgette Heyer




What a delightful writer Gerogette Heyer is. I laughed at the subtle antics of the ton in London where Arabella had gone from Yorkshire, as a Vicar's daughter, to stay with her Godmother who was to introduce her to society. Heyer wove a plot in the eyes of the rakish Mr Beaumaris who fell in love, against his will, with Arabella, but that lady's anger and subsequent disclosure of 'being very wealthy' was almost her undoing. A great read and read it in two days!



View all my reviews

Elder Robert D Hales Return

"Return with honor" is a call that has become familiar to every Latter-day Saint. For Elder Robert D. Hales, this stirring directive was his unit's motto when he served as a jet fighter pilot in the United States Air Force, and he uses it often in his teaching. During his military days, the motto was a constant and powerful reminder to complete each mission honorably - and now it reminds us, the Lord's children, that what we do on earth can make it possible to return with honor to our heavenly home.


A beloved member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Elder Hales writes with keen insight and compassion about the orderly preparations we need to make as we travel through mortality. Our journey of life has four vital stages:
•Decades of Preparation
•Decade of Decision
•Decades of Serving and Pressing Forward
•Decades of Serving and Enduring to the End

Elder Hales considers each of these essential periods using vivid stories from his own life, compelling scriptural insights, and the wisdom he has gained through a tender relationship with the Savior.

Whatever your stage in life, the message Elder Hales offers in Return: Four Phases of Our Moral Journey Home is clear: Keeping sacred covenants, prayerfully making life's important decisions, and embracing the Savior and His Atonement can prepare you for eternal life - the greatest gift of God. This volume is an inspired guide to your journey home.

Temples

I am half an hour from this Temple and go often

Little Women

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott




I have read this book often as I own it, and can never feel bored . I have learnt how challenges can be faced no matter what the adversity is. I love it and admire the writer's skill. Louisa M Alcott certainly had it. The follow ups, Little Men, Jo's Boys, are equally as good



View all my reviews

Passages to the Past: Review: The de Lacy Inheritance by Elizabeth Ashw...

Passages to the Past: Review: The de Lacy Inheritance by Elizabeth Ashw...: "The de Lacy Inheritanceby Elizabeth Ashworth Publication Date:  July 14, 2010Myrmidon Books256p SYNOPSIS:  Using characters known to record..."

Anne Bradshaw's Place

Anne Bradshaw's Place
Wednesday, September 1, 2010Guest Blogger--Author Susan Dayley
Anne Bradshaw writes: I'm happy to welcome author Susan Dayley to my blog today. Her post made me chuckle, since her day sounds much like many of mine, except mine begin even earlier.

When you've read the post, check out the trailer below for Susan's new book, Redemption. I really enjoyed watching and listening.

A Day in the Life of a Middle-aged, First-time Author
Now that my children are grown and I no longer teach school, I sometimes get asked that question, “So, what do you do all day?” I used to answer, “I’ve been writing.” But then they’d ask, “Yeah, but besides that. . .” I guess my first book didn’t make much of an impression. Now I just say, “Oh, well, I spend time on Facebook.” That gets me a superior over-the-glasses look.

Then I decided to track my day and now when I get that question I can just hand out a business card with a link to this post.

6:15 am: I’m awake. Ever since my dad used to wake us with the volume on the stereo cranked up while playing John Phillip Sousa at 5:30am and his voice booming from the top of the stairs, “scriptures and prayers in five minutes,” I rarely sleep in. A few minutes later I am at my computer, two pairs of glasses balanced on my nose, (reading and regular) and still in my pajamas, trying to finish up the chapter I started the rewrite on last night.

7:30 am: My husband is up and I can now get a work out in without disturbing him. Wahoo. I drag myself off to put on some baggy green sweats and an ugly T-shirt. Sherlock, my black cat keeps attacking while I do hand weights. He wants me on the treadmill so he can lay on the hot surface afterwards. Sherlock thinks I’m his personal slave.

9 am: Showered, make-up, and contacts in place I am back at my computer with a bowl of watermelon. I check my blog stats. The 0 seems to suggest something. Is it that nobody knows about my blog, or am I over-promoting and everyone has hid me on FB? or is it the content (gasp)? How many blogs out there are writing about writing anyway? Oh, that many huh? Back to the rewrite.

1 pm: My husband comes in and starts opening the fridge and the pantry. I look at the clock and realize it’s time to pull out the makings for tacos complete with veggie “ground” and almond cheese. In our family our grown new age children are the junk food carnivores and the parents are 80-90% whole grain vegan. Go figure.

“I hope he doesn’t get hair all over,” my husband says. I become aware that Sherlock is on my lap. He looks up at me like, “What?”

3 pm: Lunch is done, dishwasher unloaded and reloaded, laundry shifted, floors mopped, half the house dusted. Time to check emails: Daily chapters, storytellers, copyblogger, and FB posts where I ‘like’ the new pics of my granddaughter. Also plan tomorrow’s blog post. Maybe I can get some views in the double digits!

4 pm: Back to writing.

6 pm: Husband is back at the fridge. “How about some granola?” I offer. “Or a frozen waffle with blueberries?” He’s good with that. But it’s time to give him some attention and fold some laundry. Sherlock is also complaining that it’s his dinner time. Ok, but then he’s going outside.

8 pm: Check other people’s blogs and plan Sharing Time. I really need to get back to writing. I call to Sherlock, but he doesn’t want to come in.

9:32 pm: Sherlock finally comes in but insists that I walk him down to bed. I have chosen to ignore him as payback for not coming when I called earlier. I still have another chapter to rewrite and the thunderstorms have left the house muggy.

10:26 pm: I was working on a scene in which a room of men ridicule a messenger from the king of Judah when an email arrives from my husband. He’s found an alternative way to get my attention. The subject says “Lighten Up!!!!!” Can he read what I’m writing? I take a moment to laugh at the pictures. Sometime in the last hour he must have gone by me to put Sherlock to bed and is now shutting down his computer. Maybe I’ll just finish this one chapter.

10:59 pm: My husband has come to retrieve me. Oops, when did I start a new chapter? Time to shut down and call it a night. I mention that the lightning is magnificent. He replies it has been for some time now.

6:21 am: I am back at the computer in my pajamas with two pairs of glasses on my nose.