 One and a half days later and 30 minutes of rain and the paddock is green  yesterday morning the paddock behind the caravan is gold. I love Dorothea Mackellar's poem, 'My Country', and day-to-day natures events always remind me of excerpts from it, none quite as much that as I listen to steady soaking rains and watch the paddocks turn from gold to green in front of my eyes. Well the poem is copyright so look for yourself, it is beautiful, it is the essence of Australia. http://www.imagesaustralia.com/mycountry.htm  Some of my most treasured face to face, friendships have been made, 'on line'. I am bringing up the delicate subject of friendships made on facebook and requests to make these into face to face, real life friendships. I have made many wonderful and lasting friendships following meeting people over the internet. I am trusting, but I am not very naive where security is concerned. When I meet people for the first time, I meet in public locations. My home address is private, I use mailing addresses, highways of Australia, as the only address I need to use over the internet. Good friends will always understand. If you have a few or a lot of facebook friends, many of whom you have not personally met, or really know, the majority of these people will be decent, wonderful people who may enrich your life. The problem is that today’s con artist, today’s burglar, is intelligent, is up with the latest way of obtaining addresses and then being informed of when you will not be home. Which one of your 100, facebook friends, is the professional criminal? I hope, none, but chances are.... So you spent four hours one evening telling someone ‘NO’, you are not giving them your home address for them to ‘pop in’, when they are passing, and you are feeling like you ‘may have hurt their feelings and that is why you spent so long trying to explain it nicely to them’, but sudden wake up call, this morning. ‘You did the right thing, Kathy’. How could I have been so naive to assume the over insistence to obtain my home address, was based on friendship? Friendship respects your wishes. Friendship agrees to meet you in the park, not require your home address. Friendship knows that trust is mutual and develops gradually and is non insistent or yes I’ll say the word,- pushy. Of course, we all want friendship. We value friendship. However, this week I have declined two new facebook friendship requests because we have no friends in common. Do I need strangers knowing my moment to moment, status updates? This year I have had repeated requests for my home address (in a subtle want to visit in the name of developing a personal friendship, way), despite my constantly saying I do not have people over to my house. I am now wide awake, and aware that true friends would have heard me the first time I said this and it would not have required a constant rephrasing and repeating to stop the constant requests and I now know that I did the right thing. I am so very grateful that I did not slack off my guard, because I was beginning to feel ‘mean’ and ‘feared offending a friend’. Yes I did the right thing, I protected the privacy and security of my home from strangers and I know my true friends will applaud me for being strong enough, to not let down my guard by accident. Consider Your Home Address, Internet Security. There is a lot of concern about who can access your facebook information but the best security is being selective about what information you give out, over facebook, through blogs and on the internet generally, as it is accessed by more people than just your trusted friends. I wrote more on this subject in my 'Personal Massages' blog, at http://www.cars-art.com here http://www.cards-art.com/1/post/2010/02/consider-security-of-your-home-address-when-using-the-internet.html The Secret Language of Your Body: The Essential Guide to Health and Wellness Order DVD's and Books at DISCOUNTED prices. Click on Fishpond Image link below to browse.
 An age of education, regardless of where we work or live. My Father born back in 1890 earned both his architecture and his real estate agents, licence, by correspondence. I attained both my commercial art and my leaving certificate, through correspondence schooling. My sister achieved writing and English degrees through correspondence school. Because of my own family’s use of education methods that we could pursue in our own time and place, I am interested in on line education. On line education is the growing trend today, the rise of the quality online university, to attain credentials even nursing degrees, rn to bsn online, has made education more accessible and affordable for many people. The reasons my family members and myself, in earlier days, chose correspondence education was because it allowed us to earn a living while we studied. the only way we were could afford to attain our degrees. These days, of course we would have been able to attend an on line university, that would have brought a new exciting, instant connection and more visual, element into our studies that I would enjoy. Because of how, distance education, has benefited my family, I personally recommend, the on line university concept, If their courses, suit your needs. Western Governors University is non-profit and more affordable than other online universities. . The above is a review but all opinions and words are my own.~ Kathy Shell Western Governors University comes with some great endorsements, this one from Time Magazine. :-The Best Relatively Cheap University You've Never Heard Of (HINT: it's only online) - Kathleen Kingsbury, TIME Magazine Education Reporter  I am remembering the terror of the bushfires. At the same time I am feeling so blessed and grateful for recent rain accross much of the country, the aftermath of Cyclone Olga, reducing the risk of more bushfires this summer. I am remembering those 173 lives lost, the injuries, terror faced by many more and terrible destruction of property and nature, also the incredible effort of our brave firefighters and support volunteers, on this day 1 year ago. You and your loss, will always be in our thoughts. In the news today:- The Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has declared a national day of mourning for the Victorian bushfire victims. And while long list of problems faced by the victims is slowly being addressed and every day that list seems to get longer. Police say they're looking into reports of looting, and today they arrested two men who were seen acting suspiciously in a fire zone. Tourists are also being asked to show respect, and stay out of fire ravaged communities. It comes as the cooler weather brings a chance for fire fighters to contain more than 30 fires. 1 Comment  Do you fancy yourself riding free on one oof these and supporting a great cause in the process? Here is a great oportunity to bid and support a worthwhile cause. Check this out:- http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Vmoto-Monza_W0QQitemZ300393404204QQcmdZViewItemQQptZAU_Motorcycles?hash=item45f0d7972c Vmoto Monza, all proceeds go to the Hope From Ashes charity to assist those rebuilding their lives after the Toodyay Fires of December 2009 Vmoto Monza ( includes 6 months registration 1 year warranty and a free ehelmet) New Vmoto Monza 12 months warranty 6 months registration ( colour subject to availaibity in stock) and a helmet ( Open face to value of $80) .Makes a bold statement on the road. Can be viewed aVmoto Motorcycles 12 Gladstone Street Perth Sporty styling and a zippy reed-valve 50cc engine, enough power to carry two people with ease. Hassle free stylish commuting. You can buy and ride straight away without a motorcycle licence, an everyday car licence is all you need. Advanced features like remote alarm and front disk brake make the Monza great value, while the same easy-to-ride Vmoto features - electric start, V-Glide automatic transmission and adjustable rear suspension - make the Monza a dream to ride. The Hope From Ashes auction will run online starting on the date of the benefit concert with new items being put up daily over the next week. This online auction will raise awareness and funds and give people the opportunity to contribute and help Toodyay people who are rebuilding after the fire. We have tried to gather together a range of diverse and high quality items and services that in some way reflect the diversity and creativity of the Toodyay community. In finding a gift for yourself you will be giving to the Toodyay community and we hope the excitement and high energy of the auction will be uplifting and inspiring in its way. The auction has the Hope From Ashes flavour celebrating and demonstrating the generosity, positivity and support that has flowed so readily for and within the Toodyay community. As well as people from Perth many local Toodyay businesses and individuals have also contributed to the auction, some although deeply affected by the fires through loss of home or workplace. Artworks, craft items, trips away, fantastic meals and even life coaching sessions, massages, motoring items, clothing and collectors plates are just a few of the amazing items we can offer you. The list grows every day so “no napping” or you may miss a fabulous item…which is just what you need! We hope you will enjoy the items on offer and we hope you have fun whilst you bid big as we pull together to raise much needed funds for the survivors of the Toodyay Bushfires. If you would like more information about the auction or have a donation for us to consider please contact Bruce or Linda Sharman by completing the website contact and writing DONATION at the beginning of your message. If you wish to make a donation in person, please use the following Bendigo Bank details. Thank you. Hope from Ashes BSB: 633 000 Account: 139 064 364 It is amazing what I find in these charity auctions and on EBay. I have bought everything from the complete spa bathroom with granite bench tops through to eczema treatment.  Triggering Memories. 02/03/2010
 What triggers your special childhood memories? It is funny how some of our best child hood memories are often because of the simplest things. I spent a relaxing evening watching TV with Reg last night while I did a few creative activities. In the mystery series Reg likes to watch, this couple arrived home to this dimly lit house. In the TV show, the man picks up a remote control, clicks it and the next second there was a roaring fire in the fireplace. How do they do that? Fire is fascinating to watch, I think electric fireplaces. are amazing. I am going to love our review tour of dog friendly caravan parks this year but Reg and I will still want to have some free bushland camps, as we would miss our camp fire, too much if we spent all our time in places where we could not have a fire. When I was ten, we lived at a house with an open fireplace. I remember one cold rainy night my mum created a special evening, to always, remember. We gathered around the fire, initially reading books together. Then when the pine cones were glowing in the hearth, we made toast over the coals and ate it dripping in butter, and mum told us a ghost story. It is not part of my memory of that evening, but looking back now, I realize we must have had no power. I get my work holistic traits, (I now try to modify to a more balanced lifestyle), from having learned them from my mother. Mum would have normally been working, (part from necessity) I realize. One other trait I picked up from mum was to turn lemons, (that cold powerless night), into lemonade. Mum created a wonderful atmosphere and a night that I still remember and can relate to with pleasure, more than fifty years later. Do you have any special childhood memories that stem from sitting around a fire with loved ones? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This post is illustrated by the card I have made from my camp fire , in the Pilbara, WA, painting, above, available from my cards-art.com web site ~ (see side bar for link) and by my fridge magnet of the same work, below, available from the Western Australia, landscape pages on this website. These art/craft/prints are also available to purchase, ‘direct from artist’, under our caravan awning studio, while we are on tour.  The Barter System! 02/02/2010
    I was in a beautiful home decor store last week and got to talking about art supplies and art, with the storeowner and she hopes to learn art from me when I return from our tour, late this year. In the meanwhile, she wanted some of my art supplies. My art supply stock has been in storage, since we relocated and I had to hunt up the Symbol LS2208 bar code scanner so I could even work out what I had paid, for them, to get a costing. This was partly why I had not tried to sell them until now. I made a lovely trade, soft furnishings for the caravan or my summer studio retreat, for these art supplies. I am thinking of going down to her store next week and asking if she would like to trade more supplies, to sell in her store for a gorgeous standard lamp I saw that would look fabulous between Reg and my armchairs. I am thinking that with these trades, and the $1,000. Art Supply Giveaway.ThatTina from Mummified, Times, Five, blog, and I have organized together, I will not need to do a market this Sunday to sell off some of my excess art supplies stocks and I can concentrate on the preparations for our tour. The post is illustrated, by the fridge magnet art, available from my fridgemagnetart.com web site; see side bar, or from our caravan awning studio, while we are on tour.     Princess Margaret, Quotes. 02/01/2010
               loved some of these 'down to earth' quotes by a fine woman who had the courage to strive to live life her way. I love the non-presumptive comment that her children were not royal. I have always had a dread of becoming a passenger in life. Princess Margaret I have as much privacy as a goldfish in a bowl. Princess Margaret I'm the heir apparent to the heir presumptive. Princess Margaret My children are not royal; they just happen to have the Queen for their aunt. Princess Margaret The Queen is the only person who can put on a tiara with one hand, while walking down stairs. Princess Margaret I have shown some of the fridge magnets available that feature my flower art, thes can be ordered from the flower page of this web site.             |
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