In loving memory of my beautiful son Benjamin who would have been 23 years old today…Happy Birthday Benny..Love from us…we still miss you so very much xox

A Picture Of You Ben

I only have a picture now, a frozen piece of time to remind me of how it was when you were here, and mine....

I see your smiling eyes each morning when I wake. I talk to you, and place a kiss upon your lovely face. How much I miss you being here, I really can not say. The ache is deep inside my heart and never goes away.

I hear it mentioned often that time will heal the pain but the void you left in our lives will forever more remain.

I think about you constantly, this gets me through the day. It broke our hearts so very much when your last breath slipped away.

The angels came and took you, that really wasn't fair. They took my beautiful thirteen year old and left us in despair.

If only they had asked me if I would take your place. I would have done so willingly leaving you this world to grace.

You should have had so many years to watch your life unfold and in the mist of this, watch me, your Mum grow old!

I hope your watching from above at the daily tasks I do and let there be no doubt at all, I really do love you.

Thank you Deborah Robinson...big hugs

I can't believe this weather! Here it is the beginning of February, traditionally the hottest month of the year, and it is cold and wet. This past week has seen non-stop rain with floods throughout north/west NSW and southern Queensland.

It is a cold rain too. Everyone is rugged up, which is bazzare given the time of year. The year J and I were married, 1982, the sun shone in all of it's glory all day. There was no extreme heat just beautiful sun rays.

Several years later some friends Richard and Mary, were married February 4th. The day suffered from 40 degree temperatures. Some of the guests attended the ceremony in regular clothes and went home to change before the breakfast. I remember feeling like I was going to melt. On Monday John and I celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary together. The difference in the weather between now and back then, is amazing.

Australia Day 2012

Today is Australia Day 2012. I tried to remember what we did as small children to celebrate Australia Day but could not think of anything. I guess it has only been since 1988 that the community has been encouraged to
observe such a day.

I do remember back in 1970 there were huge celebrations to commemerate Captain Cook's bi-centenary 1770, when he first landed in Australia. That year I was a ten year old student in year 5 at Holy Trinity Granville. Dad was also in year 5 at the Patrician Brothers Granville.

Again in 1988 we celebrated the arrival of the first fleet . Re-enactments of the tall ships arriving in Sydney Harbour made for a wonderful spectacle. Your Grandmother Mary George and cousin, Sharon Budwee took a picnic and sat on the shores of Landy Macquarie's Chair to watch the celebrations. Thousands of sailing vessels made their way into Botany Bay and on to the harbour. People waved the aussie flag and a wonderful sense of commeradery was everywhere. Dad and I (30 weeks pregnant with Alex at the time) sat at home and watched the television together with a BBQ lunch. Afterall, this was the bi-centenary of the landing of the first fleet. The Aborigines went on to call this day "Invasion Day" and great debate has taken place ever since.


Anyway, Happy Australia Day everyone! Today, January 20th 2012 I am sitting here surrounded by Kookaburras, Loorikeets, Banksis trees, the beach, smiling beach walkers and blessed sunshine...it doesn't get much more "aussie" than that! So whatever your day holds ready for you...have a relaxing Australia Day.

Our Alex is currently in Thailand at a Muay Thai Kickboxing Academy. He use to enjoy Tai Quan Do for many years and achieved a black belt however, he decided to move into kickboxing years later. I have been amazed at his interest in healthy eatting and fitness since changing to mauy thai, this will be good for all the family when it comes to meal preparation too. Alex has had to "unlearn" some of his Tai Quan Do techniques in order to learn new Mauy Thai practices because it makes use of punches, kicks, elbows and knee strikes, thus using eight "points of contact" hence, Muay Thai is referred to as the "Art of Eight Limbs" or the "Science of Eight Limbs" as opposed to "two points" (fists) in boxing and "four points" (hands and feet) used in other sports, such as kickboxing, boxing, and Tai Quan Do.

Good Luck in Thailand Alex, we are very proud of all of your achievements. Love Mum and Dad xxx

The photo above was taken approx ten years ago when Alex was competing in Tai Quan Do

After a beautiful day yesterday we woke to the pitter patter of rain outside this morning, the thousands of birds in the surrounding woodlands and forrests would not be silenced by this, they simply whistled on, squawking and chirping an unending stream of chatter amongst themselves. Even as some thunder gently rolled in from Myola and Husskison they increased their beautiful noise as if nothing was happening. Tis a nice way to wake up on a Sunday morning.

The joy of watching a busy Banksia Tree......

I believe in paradise. I am not sure if paradise will be found in Heaven however, down here on Earth it certainly can be found here at Jervis Bay.

This morning J and I walked across to the beach, a slight breeze, the crystal clear water sat like mirrors reflecting the sky and the only movement out on the bay were about

six dolphins gently slicing through the
soft waves. It is so beautiful here. J and I often debate with the locals about the value of tourism to the area; of course the locals hate tourist time each year. J and I love this time as it brings renewed life to the local economy as well as the beach.

I particularly love seeing people enjoy what I love about Jervis Bay, the beaches, the wildlife, the floral and fauna life. It is certainly a beauty to be shared and each time that come and stand in awe of all of this I think about how lucky we are. The sounds of the waves soothe the tension of everyday life in the city; the stressful sounds of construction, traffic and crowds all become alien to this environment. The feel of the waves washes away the tension and strain of being so constantly busy; The gentle breeze and the smell of salt air silently instructs our bodies to wind down and let everything go. A while back we seized watching television whenever we visited here; the stressful news stories about crime, social struggles and war are kept away here. This is a place where life is simple and tranquil. Paradise is where one can do all of this.

Today is Boxing Day and J and I have awakened to the sounds of birds and some sunshine. We are here at Callala and we have wound down from the rush of Christmas and working. Ahhhhhh tis good to be home. I am sitting on the verandah up high amongst the Banksia tress with the birds feasting on the Banksia cones and singing their delight as they go. Across the road the ferns and bush have grown double in size due to the rains and all of the Australian natives as far as the eye can see are flowering in the National park. Behind us the waves hit the beach full force reminding us of how long we have been away. Every now and then I forget about these small pleasures when I am in the city all week working. Tis good to be home

Where have you been?

Wow...has it been six months since I last posted? I will be back shortly I promise!

Well my last day at HMAS Cresswell has passed and what a magical day it was. As I left, as always in a hurry, I decided to drive along the waterfront past the captin's house for one last look at the bay. After weeks of rain followed by days of extreme wind the sun was shining and the bay seemed amazing. It shone sapphire blue with white sands. Along the roadside the kangaroos nibbled on the grass and stopped to watch my car pass as if they knew it was for the final time. Further up the road several mothers stood feeding their joeys in the sunshine and the tree above them was filled with chattering parrots. I drove around past the new gym and swimming pool center, still under construction, and waved to our boys for one last time. The biggest surprize waited for me at the front gates where several of the officers waited to say good bye and left me with a salute, that brought tears to my eyes. I will miss them all. It is time to move on to the next project and carry these wonderful memories with me. I went to Cresswell thinking that I was happy to remain fishing and exploring for another twelve months and now I have left, leaving with new friends and experiences. Life has been good to me, I have had the opportunity to encounter so much that I would not otherwise have...ANZAC morning service with our Naval friends, the NEOCs passing out parades, camping out experiences, and so much more. Thank you to friends along this part of life's journey.
I did a quick drive down past Murray's Beach, Greenpatch, Caves Beach and many of the haunt's which J and I visited. After packing the car I looked about Callala at the many Banksia's, Bottlebrush, Wattle and Gums all out in flower and listened to the ocean for one last time. As I turned out of Calla Beach Rd. standing on top of the Callala Beach sign was a lone Kookaburra staring at my car. I stopped to take a photo and say goodbye.
Thank you to my dear friend Gaza who took me to work at the jail and hence, my time at Jervis Bay. This will always be considered a special time in our lives and I will treasure it. Had you not have taken the time to ring me that afternoon I would have missed so much. It has been a fantastic two and a half years with so many breathtaking views, excellant experiences and wonderful memories. I know that my friend Mick will also read this blog so I want you to know that I value your friendship and company highly, I hope that we have the chance to work together once again some day. Life is always filled with smiles and laughs when I am around you. You left me with fun memories of Wellington and now Jervis Bay. Go the blues. Some other names whose company I want to note in my blog are Don, Paul and Barry from Richard Crookes, Lewis the homeless man lol, Rob Planet, Paul Stowe and Sue (everyone knows to be nice to the cook lol)from the jail, Daniel, Steph, Tina, Rebeckah, Tom, Ben, Miss Sally, Steve from DOD, Max and Cameron, Pete from Lamonts, Glen, Hugh and a very special Ryan. Gosh you lot bring a smile to my face when I think of you at any time. What a wonderful gift you have all given me, a smile at any time is something very special. I am going to make a collage of photos from both sites so stay tuned.

Kings in Grass Castles......................

"If one were to paint this country in it's true colours, I doubt it would be believed. It would be said at least that the artist exaggerated greatly, for never have I seen such richness and variety of hue as in these ranges"
From the novel "Kings in Grass Castles" by Mary Durack

The Trout......

When I was in fouth grade our teacher Sister Fabian taught us a German Folk song called The Trout. It was just a simple song and I have come across it several times since then. The Trout was written by Franz Schubert in approx. 1750. When we went to high school I remember one of my music teachers instructing us the very same German folk song in German. It is amazing that I remember the first verse word perfect (in Germen) lol and again today I came across it in some text. When I calculated the time period it is 43 years since learning this in German and I can still remember it, eyt I cannot remember what I did yesterday lol lol.

In einem Bächlein helle,
Da schoß in froher Eil
Die [launige]1 Forelle
Vorüber wie ein Pfeil.
Ich stand an dem Gestade
Und sah in süßer Ruh
Des muntern [Fisches]2 Bade
Im klaren Bächlein zu.

Ein Fischer mit der Rute
Wohl an dem Ufer stand,
Und sah's mit kaltem Blute,
Wie sich das Fischlein wand.
So lang dem Wasser Helle,
So dacht ich, nicht gebricht,
So fängt er die Forelle
Mit seiner Angel nicht.

The bottom photo is of the four of us children, I was in fourth grade at the time

Your grandmother Mary George was born to the Budwee family. Your great grandparents Anthony and Sadie Budwee migrated from Kfarsghab Lebanon before Mary and her twin brother Armen were born. Kfarsghab is known as the twin town because its people traditionally lived in one town during the winter and another town during the summer. The summer village is called Kfarsghab, which means fortified village and the winter village is called Morh Kfarsghab which means the winter resting place of cattle which belong to the village of Kfarsghab. Both villages are in the Caza (district) of Zgharta, which is in the Valley of Qadisha, this is considered a holy and spiritual place in Christian history. Simply put, Kfarsghab is located in the North Lebanon region.
Kfarsghab, the summer village, is located high up in the mountains on the road going from Ehden to Bsharri in the northern part of the Qadisha valley. Kfarsghab is mentioned in documents as old as 1283 AD so you can appreciate the thousands of years of tradition and history the family must have practiced. Kfarsghab is a Mediterranean mountain village with heavy winter snows and mild dry summers. However, Kfarsghab is located in an area with rivers around it so the people were assured of clean stream water all through the summer. Often during the winter there were very violent snow storms and landslides so it seemed safer to move down to the winter village. The terrain of Kfarsghab is very rugged hilly land.
Morh Kfarsghab, the winter village, is located down on the north-western slope of the Joueit valley separating Miziara from Bnachii. A written document mentioning Morh is dated to October / November 1748 AD (Thu'l-Qa'dah 1161 Hijri). Morh Kfarsghab is a Mediterranean “plains” village with heavy rains, mild winters and hot dry arid summers. So you can understand why the families moved back to Kfarsghab during the summer, when they knew in advance how harsh and unforgiving the summer sun and dry conditions would be. In fact, Morh Kfarsghab experienced torrential floods; sand and dust storms in April / May, which was the summer months. The terrain of Morh Kfarsghab is rugged hilly land overlooking the Joueit Valley.
The semitic name of Kfarsghab is composed of two parts : KFAR-SGHAB

Kfarsghab is surrounded by two rivers and crossed by a third one. Al Msil is the torrent which separates Kfarsghab from Bane, a neighbouring town. It was a tiwn where Valleys and rivers, springs and forests, peaks and mountains stamp the life of the people. Generations of hunters and farmers, shepherds and hermits have lived there.
In 1998, the officially registered population of Kfarsghab was of 3,772 persons, making it the fourth populated area of the district of Zawiyeh. It is estimated that 25% of the registered persons (ca. 900 persons) live actually in the village. Emigration took its toll of Kfarsghab population - but also blessed it economically - since the mid 19th century. It is estimated that 20,000 persons around the world - mainly in USA and in Australia - are related by origin to Kfarsghab. In fact, 95% of the family live outside of Kfarsghab now.
The religion practiced by the ancesters was Maronite (Roman Catholic rite) 100% of the town were Maronite. After migrating to Australia a Maronite church was built at Marrickville and later at Harris Park.

The ancestors made their living from growing olive trees hence olive oil, apples, pears, grapes and cherries. They herd cattle and sheep for food and milk and exchanged their wares with other villages. in the 20th century they exported their produce and meat to countries such as Irak, Egypt and Saudi Arabia. Many of the town's people that did not participate in farming or herding were raised in families where age old skills were passed down the generations. Your great grandfather for example, was a stone mason. He could carve headstones, create decorative finials for buildings and ornamental fountains.

Rich Beyond Measure.........

I read that the New Zealand government would like to move the city of Christchurch; makes sense considering how many earthquakes have damaged the city and how many residents have either been killed or injured over the past year. In Alaska there was a devistating earthquake only a few days ago which left death and significant destruction behind it. Additionally, 5 million people in a township on the coastline of China were washed away when floods hit the town one week ago today. Indeed, another tsunami warning has sent Japan into a tail spin at a time when they are still trying to recover from the last one.

I sit and look and wonder what messages Mother Nature is trying to send us.

When I think about this I think of all the damage that has been done to the planet but we can recover from that. Perhaps we need to rethink our values or learn that peace of mind and peace in our hearts should be the most cherished possession that we can have. The material objects can not go with us, the obsession many have to buy more and more, to own better and better, to be as good as the next person, is such a waste. The memories one can leave behind for our children and their children are priceless. The laughter, the experiences together, the love shown to each other is all immeasurable. The most precious thing that J and I have are our children, attached to us by threads of love stitched in place over a lifetime. If the world ended tomorrow I would die rich beyond measure.

This beautiful wedge-tail eagle was down at Tianjarra Falls at Moreton National Park when we went hiking one weekend. The birdlife there is amazing, especially the raptors. The falls are on the back road to the coast via Nerriga. It is a very beautiful part of the world.

Grauation Day Part 2

Today was Graduation Day for the NEOCS. By this time of the evening they will be partying and celebrating. There were over two thousand guests at the passing out parade at HMAS Cresswell made up of family, friends, school mates and instructors. J and I stood at the side of the canteen watching as they accompanied their guests back to the car park, both struck by how mature and grown up they all appeared in their new junior officewr uniforms. We both turned to each other at the same time harbouring the same thought of how proud their families must be of them. I know that we certainly felt proud of them, we have come to know them so well over this past six months that it is hard to believe the officious young men and women who stood so tall and serious today were the very same. One young man who came in for breaky today walked his mother and grandmother to their car and I stood amazed at the difference in him. His mum gave him a huge hug and his grandmother wiped the tears from her eyes. I guess that said it all. Day after tomorrow he will report for duty to Watsons Bay where he will live on base; his best friend will report for duty to HMAS Albotros at Nowra in tow weeks. Out thoughts and best wishes go with all of the new young officers. I hope they have a wonerful life, a rewarding career and may they never see war.

The End of the World........

www.youtube.com/watch?v=84Ud3V9NPw8

The End of the World, trivialising neuclear missiles, blaspheming kangaroos and loving world power.........made me laugh

Graduation Day.....

On Thursday the NEOCS (New Entry Officer Cadets) will graduate after having finished their six months training here at HMAS Creswell. J and I have come to know some of them very well; you would be proud to call any of them son or daugher. They manners are impecible, their maturity over this past six months has developed enormously and their pride in their position and the Australian Navy is very obvious. I might say that when they first arrived they were like any other civilian and we have watched their personal growth during this six month course. One could sayy arrived looking for direction and will leave self-confident and empowered.

The course requires them to live full time here at HMAS Creswell as Creswell is a training college. During those first six weeks they have no free time whats so ever including weekends. The NEOC age diversity ranges from school leavers to mature aged men and women; some people decide to join the armed forces later in life after experiencing a career. Our friend Paul is a Lieutenant Commander who joined the Navy at age 39. Another friend was a solicitor who simply wanted to move in a new direction in life. One of our customers told me that she had been a nurse in civilian life and had reached a point of wanting a new challenge in life. She loved the sea and enjoyed physical activities and wanted to return to study. The Navy offered her the opportunity to do everything that she aspired to and paid her as well.

It has been fascinating to meet so many of the officers and the enlisted personnel here at Creswell. They come from all over Australia, some are married with families, some are single and others are widowed. But each and every one of them has their own story and is unique in a very special way. Those that are stationed here at Creswell are involved in the training of the NEOCS in one way or another. There are physical trainers, medical staff, leadership trainers, Communication specialist trainers, trainers in Equity and Diversity, Weapons Trainers, trainers in boatwork, Pistol handling, Combat Survival, First Aid, Survival at Sea, and even systems management. So you can see that the NEOCS are kept extremely busy whilst here. During our time here at HMAS Creswell J and I have seena lot of officers come and go. They appear to be reposted about every 18 months to 2 years.

Back to the NECOS.....I remember the first weekend that this current class of NEOCS was given leave. Friday afternoon arrived and they were excited to finally have a weekend off. Some were heading home (if they could communte over the weekend that is) and the rest were hitting the town and because the weather was much warmed back then they went surfing and fishing and made the most of their first leave. Monday morning came and it was interesting to hear the tales of that weeekend lol.

That first six months is really aimed at teaching the NEOCS to live within a community. When I though about this it would be strange to suddenly eat, work, study and socialize with strangers and expect the situation to be a harmonous one so teaching skills which reflect on living communially takes place without anyone thinking about it and before they know it they have made new friends (known as divisional mates) and are supporting each other. We were here for the last several graduations and it is two days of excited families, proud Mums and Dads and even prouder Naval Officers. These young people will graduate and be recognised as Royal Australian Naval Junior Officers and be stationed elsewhere immediately. They will all attend ADFA at some stage. (Australian Defence Force Academy) to undertake a degree. I had wondered what would happen in this case and was told that most people sign up to the Navy for six to nine years and however, after completing two years of their degree they have to serve in the Navy, known as Return fo Service Obligation. I imagine this ensures that the Navy get a return on their investment made in the individual's education as there are no HECS fees to the individual and all costs are paid for by the Navy. The remainder of the degree is finished part time. When I talked to the NEOCS about their plans they were so excited to have this plan available. Their intended degrees varied from engineering to business and their sense of adventure was very obvious. We wish them all well and hope that the leaders of tomorrow enjoy and learn at every step along the journey,

Good luck girls and guys!

Our time here at Jervis Bay is soon to come to an end, perhaps three weeks or so. I lay in bed last night listening to the sounds of the ocean's waves pounding down onto the beach reminding me that once I leave, those sounds and sights will be left behind. So although I am excited to move onto to the next phase in life I leave behind many many hours of beach walking and fishing and surfing and boating and seashell collecting and bird watching and the list goes on and on. I have my memories, my blogs and my photos to remind me of what once was. I also have another group of friends whom I will remember through out the rest of my life.

How lucky have we been to have had this experience down here. Sometimes I feel like a witness to something very special here on Jervis Bay; a mother whale nudging her calf to swim, some dolphins frolicking around the bottom of the boat as we left harbour, an Australian Parrot dancing along the banister of the front verandah trying to get our attention through the front window to come feed him, the whitest sands of Cresswell and the beautiful rocks of Orient Point, the giant stingrays swimming the waves behind me at Caves Beach, the black cockatoos that we hear before we see them...their sounds so individual and distinct, the magnivicent sunsets at Callala and the beautiful sunrises of Boodeerie.

One day J and I will return perhaps as Grey Nomads knowing that all of this will still be waiting for us.

Theses photos were taken at Taronga Zoo 2009

Pitta Pizza by the Roadside.......

Found a couple more camping recipes....
Pita Pizza
You will need pita bread, a selection of toppings (such as tomato paste, mozzarella, tomatoes, tuna, ham, tinned pineapple and so on) frying pan with a lid and a dash of water.
Spread the toppings over the pita bread and set to one side. Fire the stove up, add a teaspoon of water to the frying pan, pop the prepared pita into the frypan and put the lid on. The water stops the pita bread from going hard and the steam produced by the water keeps the toppings moist while they cook. Lift the lid off from time to time to see how they are going. Weremove the pizza when the toppings are nice and gooey. We cooked this several times before we got the timing/ water/equation spot on and even when the pizza was a bit floppy it was still delicious.

It is not always easy to stop at a club or restaurant for lunch when exploring the country side. A recent example was when J and I visited the Snowy Mts. last month. We were literally out in the "never-never" with nothing but a creek filled with melted snow beside us. At times like this we use our trusted billy-boiler which is very small and compact. Here are some recipes which J and I use when we cook on our billy-burner at rest stops when travelling those sorts of weekends....
Foil Hamburgers

We pre-cook hamburgers at home before we leave. Place one patty in a foil with onion and place on top of the cooker. Once hot add veges; we use tomato, mixed vegies such as brocolli, beans, carrots and capsicum. Then cook for a while longer until everything is really hot. When ready place in a warmed sour dough roll with lettuce, beetroot and sauce. Aioli garlic sauce or ranch dressing is a nice alternative to BBQ or tomato sauce. Very simple...enjoy!

We also have an old fashioned jaffle iron which turns out some great toasties such as ham, cheese, tomato and onion or bacon egg, spanish onion and capsicum or chicken, avacado and tomato.

Small foil meals are easy to cook with and we chop before we leave home and park them in the car fridge until meal time. I have learned to use very little olive oil and minimal foil so as the food doesn't burn. One of my favourites which I found on a camping site is skinless, boneless cubed chicken, 1 onion diced, 2 cloves garlic, some strips of red and green capsicum, some pre-cooked chat-potatoes and some lemon juice.

We simply place everything into a plastic bag with a small portion of virgin olive oil and shake it up. Place one third onto a piece of foil then top with another sheet of foil and roll up the edges tightly. Cook in the campfire or as we do...in a small pot on top of the cooker flame, until the chicken is opaque and steam has formed, approx. 15 minutes. J often adds bot gal (a chinese chicken stock), white wine or chilli. Additionally, don't forget to a nice bottle of wine to wash lunch down with and your billy for a nice hot cuppa afterwards.