Goodness it has been awhile. I guess I am going to have to do one of those lists things to catch up on what I have been doing/thinking/feeling. I quite enjoy them really they make me feel like I actually do things with my life which is satisfying not to mention force me to actually remember things and reflect on them even if I don’t write it all. Okay well after that intro I better say somthing.

This month I have:
I have been keeping pretty fit, I did the bay run two times which makes 14km.
I did a mental health first aid course for work and learnt some new things which is always good but made me feel like I still knew so little. I guess sometimes you just have to make a call and stick to it. Sometimes you will be right and other times you will be wrong and most of the time you will be somewhere in between.
Felt happy most of the time.
Celebrated Vinnies Birthday. 125 years in Australia. Happy Birthday Vinnies.
Being really quiet at work and then got really busy. I did three interviews on Monday and today I did my very first introduction of volunteer and friend. It was so nice. I felt all warm and fuzzy inside.
Jemma came home from Alice Springs and it was so lovely to catch up with her and where she is at. We had pancakes this morning which is always great and listened to John Coleman and Leo.
The weather got warmer which has been such a relief as our house is so cold. We had a pcinic at Rozelle on Sunday to celebrate.
Started looking for a church so I have been thinking a lot about church and what I want and why. Something I have been meaning to do for ages but just couldn’t seem to get around. Probably a chat with Lesley really inspired me to actually do it. First try was Pitt Street Uniting. People were really friendly and it was very open teaching which is something Martin and I really need. People were a lot older than us though and I didn’t love the music but I think that is something I could compromise on.
Went to Helen’s kitchen tea and had some good chats with some very good people. Even someone I didn’t know. Yay for me. I am not sure when I became so scared of doing that but believe it or not I am.
Looked at almost all of Joel’s photos of Peru and felt nostalgic as always.
Put all our photos from this year in a photo album most of the time and felt daunted.
I read the post evangelical and I got a lot out if it. In fact I think I may become mildly obsessed with it. It was written by someone called Dave Tomlinson. I wonder if all the people whose ideas I obssess over will be called Dave.
We bought five CD’s. India Arie, Michael Franti, the Gorillaz, David Gray and Santana. I think it may be the first time Martin has went into a CD shop and not brough Bob Marley or Bob Dylan. He is obssessed with Bob’s.
I went and saw Peribanez by Compnay B. I really enjoyed it. It was about love and I love, love. Not to mention I saw it with my mum, Gemma and Martin and I think they are the three people I love most in this world.

I am off to spend the afternoon drinking coffee with some volunteers and their friends in manly. What a wonderful job that I have.

Come as you are, that’s how I want you
Come as you are, feel quite at home
Close to my heart loved and forgiven
Come as you are, why stand alone

No need to fear, love sets no limits
No need to fear, love never ends
Don’t run away shamed and disheartened
Rest in my love, trust me again

I came to call sinners, not just the virtuous
I came to bring peace, not to condemn
Each time you fail to live by my promise
Why do you think I’d love you the less

Come as you are that’s how I love you
Come as you are, trust me agin
Nothing can change the love that I bear you
All will be well just come as you are

There is so little space in the world for us to just be who we are. I am so thankful to God that it is not the same with Him.

It’s 2am, I’m half a world away
But you never leave my mind
It’s getting hard to deal with everyday
And we’re both hanging on the line

Talk to me lady.
These two different lives we lead.
Talk to me lady
Cause all I need is to know you won’t give up on me.

So we may not have a perfect love
But it’s real and it’s alive.
So we may not live in the world we’re dreaming of
But, darling all we need is time.

-Luke Vassella 2005-

Thank God. It looks my work drought might be over which is good. I like having work to do. I spent most of the day ringing catholic churches asking them if I could come and speak to their parsih. It was a bit scary at first but then I got used it and even though I didn’t get any definites most people were relatively positive. I also got a phone call from one of the friends of our program who I think has become my favourite person. I know I say that about a lot of people but he really is cool.

On Wednesday night on my run I took a very bad fall on King Street. The footpath was being worked in and I didn’t see the ditch and down I went flat on my face. It was very embarassing and I was rather badly injured. I have lots of scratches all over my hands and shoulders and knees and one of them is infected I think. Martin did claen them all with antiseptic but there was just too much dirt around. I am limping around as my knee hurts but most importantly as I mentioned the wrist bone has a crack in it. I went to the doctor yesterday and he gave it an Xray and there is big crack in the bone. Even though it hurts a lot and it so frustrating that I can’t do anything with it it was kind of cool to see a big crack in my bone. Anyway because it is not broken but not just sprained either he was not sure whether to put plaster on or not so he is going to get a spcialist report and let me know today. I will keep you posted……

You know you are underworked when before lunch you are doing Sudoku puzzles but they are so additive. This is my second phase of addiction to the Sudoku and I think it may be even worse or better than the last.

I am really quite grateful to the Sudoku puzzle because it was in the end the thing that set off the final spiral of events that led me to leave my evil job at the skin cancer clinic. I really hope that does not happen here though as despite the fact that I don’t really have enough to do at the moment I do still really like it.

The great thing about uni holidays is that you can do whatever you like on the weekend and not worry about studying.

You can sleep in, you can go for 7km runs, you can go for walks along the beach or up King Street checking out all the book stores and second hand clothes, you can go to parties, dance clubs, musicals, movies and you can spend heaps and heaps of time with friends and family. It is wonderful.

You can also read books and I am reading a pretty interesting book at the moment too. It is called the “man who feel in love with the moon” by Tom Spanbauer. It is really full on so I am not sure if I would totally reccommend it but it has some interesting things to say about telling stories, sexuality, abuse, indigenous cultures and family. One of my favourite parts in the book is when the protagonist is comparing how white americans (tybos) tell stories and how the indiands tell stories. He says:

“Indian people talk about how the world is. Their stories are about how the wolf got the name wol. How mosquitoes got to be such nasty little things. How elk got antlers, what bears say to bees when they wan the honey, how river sings a song to trees and how trees sing back.
Indian people talk about the mountain – the mountain the morning sun rises behind – how it is the reason that we are acting the way we are. We may think that what we are doing is what we are doing, but really what we are doing is being snagged by the mountain.
What tybos talk about is: gold, money, dollars and dollars but even though that’s what they’re saying that’s not what they’re talking about. What tybos are talking about is hoe they’re going to be – somewhere down the line and around the corner – talking about themselves as though they weren’t living yet. Afraid of being who they are now.”

The stories that we tell are so much part of who we are and how we understand the world and he goes on to discuss that this difference in story telling led to to so much misunderstanding between the indian americans and the white americans and therefore much poverty for the indians. I don’t really know but that seems to be the case here too.

This has also challenged me to talk more about the present. To live more in the present. I know I spend a lot of time thinking about and talking about where I am going and what I will be doing. So much so I don’t notice the present just flying by. Birthdays always remind us of how fast time goes and I want to be flly present for as much of it as I can be.

Hello everyone,

This post is really an invitation to a very exciting event on Saturday night.

At 7.30 we will be having dinner at Blackbirds and then at around 9/9.30 we will be heading to a latin club near by to dance the night away. Well maybe not the whole night but a small proportion of it at least. You can come to one or the other or both. Anyway please come cause it would be good to see everyone and it is also mine and Gemma’s birthday and it is good to have special people around you on your birthday. It would make me happy.

If you can call to let us know you will be there so we can get a big enough (or small enough) table. Otherwise see you there with your dancing shoes.

I went for a walk today, just up to the post office, but the ground was wet and I discovered that my shoes have a whole in them so my socks and feet got all wet too. I have now taken them off but my toes are still really cold. I have turned on the heating but it is making my skin hurt. I am not sure what is worse. Oh what a winger I am.

Last night I helped Helen and Jon make their wedding invites. It was fun, a little tedious at times but I enjoyed it. Made me think about marriage and my dreams were full of romance. I can’t believe I have been married for over a year now. Time does go fast. I was scared, still am sometimes but hopeful and committed. Plus Martin is a gorgeous guy.

We talked about the world. Some were quite worried about the world and where it is going. Struggles for justice and change so often end up becoming struggles for power, fame and wealth. The things we are fighting for now are the same things people were fighting for 40 years ago. I worry about the environment we seem to be running very quickly out of everything but not much seems to be being done. I think I am going to continue to hope anyway.

I am enjoying the rain a lot and I am trying to think about my washing. I like the sound of it on the roof andI like the look of it splattered on the window. I guess that is reason to hope for the world.