Tomorrow is Danelle’s big scrapbooking day… All day and then tomorrow night we have girls coming to sit in our lounge room and ‘scrap’.

While the scrappers do their thing I think I might head out and do a bit of study.

This year I’m teaching a course for ACOM on biblical ethics and values, a course I have never taught before and (truth be told) feel a bit out of my depth with. I nearly backed out, but the more I thought about it the more I like the thought of actually learning it again and then teaching it. Its stuff that I love exploring so I don’t think it’ll be ‘hard’ work, so much as enjoyable work.

So tomorrow while the scrappers do their thing I’ll be heading down to Leederville where the new Trinity college have their library to do some study in the area of ethics. I figure if I can get a number of ethical frameworks clear in my head then we can discuss issues within those frames and explore different conclusions.

With no teaching this year I am looking forward to having more time for study and reading. I like the Leederville area as I can get there and back by train for a measly $3.00 and its got some great cafes!

If you’re down that way today then give me a call – I’d love to have lunch with someone.

Today Danelle went to a Creative Memories workshop, from 9-9… so I have had the kids.

I don’t know how that expression makes you feel, (‘had the kids’) but I love days like this with my kids. Brekky at McD’s, a movie, wander the shops, veg at home, down to the park… so it goes on.

Right now I am chilling while they are splashing like crazy in the bath. Hey what’s a bath for if not splashing?! I can mop it up in 10 seconds and they lovvvve it.

Ellie said to me today ‘Can you play with me?’ just as I was finishing my glass of wine. I said ‘honey I have been playing all day’, and then it snuck up on me… I have been doing what I love to do with them (ah yes they love it too), but now she wanted me to enter her little world and roll around the play room doing things I have little if any interest in. Building lego towers, playing schools…

How could you say no?…

Days like these I remember how priveleged I am

Today after taking some kids fishing in the morning I replaced the brake rotors on my car. When we had the brake pads done on holidays the mechanic told me the the rotors were ‘totally rooted’. I don’t think this is a technical term, but I understood what he meant…

So today I spent the afternoon removing and replacing them, bearings etc. Despite my fairly lame mechanical skills it was all going very well until the final bolt… it took me 40 mins to get that bolt in… what a bugger!

Still hopefully all is done for a while.

I have just returned from a neighbour’s barbecue – its 8.45 and I am ready for bed – sun, sand, and hard work (as well as two glasses of red wine) are enough to make a man want to sleep…

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzz……………….

The last two days have been spent praying, thinking and deciding where my time will be spent this year.

I found it frustrating yesterday just trying to get focussed and assess my life and the year ahead. I just wanted to get up and meet with someone, tee some activities up, get something happening. It is such a temptation just to be an activist, but I know in my head that I am doing good stuff taking time now to reflect and decide where to invest energy rather than simply running full steam ahead.

Yesterday was difficult – overwhelming – swamping – today I think I am getting a bit of a handle on some of the year’s priorities and main projects and how I will aproach them.

A few years ago I moved away from pure goal setting to compiling a personal development plan. It involved goal setting, but was more holistic in its sweep.

Last year I ‘ran on instinct’ with no deliberate planning to keep me focused. I had a few primary objectives and I think for the most part I got there.

But as a person who values achievement highly I really don’t find much joy in ambling thru life. I want to make the most of it, accomplish as much as I can etc. So its back to being my old self a bit this year.

Plan – work – evaluate – plan – work – evaluate.

I sense part of why I was so loose last year was that in a year of mess and transition it was hard to develop any regular disciplines. When my disciplines are good I find my life ticks along well. When my disciplines are poor I invariably feel like I am coasting.

Now I know this isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, nor should it be. But here’s hoping that this year will be a year of doing what I sense God calling me to do. Not just stumbling along and hoping for the best!

Did you know there are roosters in Freo?… Who kick into gear at 4.00am?

I guess when you stay in the ethnic melting pot that is South Fremantle anything is possible!

It was a really good two days away – great to be able to focus just on each other and not have to worry about the kids. I think we both missed them, but not enough to put us off doing it again.

Danelle and I had some great conversations while away – some serious stuff and some silliness – just the way it ought to be.

As well as eating out and watching the cricket, I managed to finish Winton’s The Turning. It was bit hard to flow with at first, but the more I got into it the more I loved it… Ordinary people with lives of hope, regret, foolishness… people like me. 

I think I am a Tim Winton groupie…

I have just started reading The Fur by Nathan Hobby, a young West Ozzie guy who grew up in Collie. He won the TAG Hungerford prize which is quite an accomplishment so I’m looking forward to seeing where he heads with this novel. Its a pretty tough act to follow Tim Winton, poor bugger!

This morning Ellie went thru her toy room and chose some of her toys and books she could give to the kids who didn’t have any.

She has been following the Tsunami story with us and is obviously wanting to help. A little bag of toys and a rug sits by the door waiting to go to some kids in need.

I’m pretty stoked. At 3 1/2 she has enough going on in her to make that kind of a decision.

After 30 years of surfing I have learnt a healthy respect for the ocean.

Today Mark and I went fishing and when we left it was still and glassy, almost perfect conditions. We sat out on the third reef for almost an hour and then in an instant a northerly wind started to blow.

It stirred up the sea and within 20 seconds had strengthened to around 20 knots and the whole place was transformed into a wild ocean. We came in fairly quickly only to discover there was no wind on the land… Weird hey?!

One minute tranquil… the next wild.

Respect the ocean…

Tomorrow we head off on holidays for 3 weeks. We will be in Margaret River for the next week, back in town for Christmas and then for the two weeks after that we’ll be making it up as we go.

I might be on here occasionally as this is a passtime I enjoy. Then again it might be silent for a long time too. I don’t believe this will change your life one iota!

download babylon 5 the river of souls movie I have just started watching Outback Jack… Yep… really need a holiday…

This Thursday we head off to Margaret River for the start of a holiday. It was just going to be a one week break and we were going to take two weeks in first term next year.

However, with other committments that has become really difficult. So, we decided to add another two weeks on to the first week and take a decent holiday.

It means coming back to the city for a few days at Christmas time, but from there we will simply head off and kick back.

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Probably some luxury and some camping… We’ll see, but you can expect this blog to be in dormant or caretaker mode fairly soon!

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This morning the principal from the school I teach at rang to tell me that the next two student free days probably wouldn’t be of much use to me and I didn’t have to come in if I didn’t want to… ummm… let me think 🙂

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