Crappy Pancakes, Politics and Love
LIFE
Lately I have felt very happy and excited about what life will roll out in the next ten months and beyond. I was afraid to allow myself to be too happy, just in case something bad happened.
What I have learnt is that I cannot live like that. It's like living half-heartedly in the moment.
So I'll be happy when I'm happy, I'll be sad when I'm sad. Yet what I find to content myself in either is the way I see things.
For instance, on Saturday I had to journey to the Gold Coast for a First Aid and CPR course where I caught five buses and two trains - I had never been on that much transport in my life!
I'd taken a couple of wrong turns and got myself lost at Southport. I had a lot of time to think about the wrong turns that had happened in my life - especially the ones from the past three years and even before that. In 2006, the year I graduated from high school - Queensland brought in a new law that required people under the age of 25 to do 100 hours of practice driving before going for their licenses. I remember my parents strongly encouraging me to go for my Learner's License before that law came into effect but I wasn't ready. This Saturday just past, as I was waiting in the hot sun for a bus - I wish I had been. So what had begun as a small cross-country trip had become a day of reflection. And what I realised was that sometimes, you have to lose your way to find it again.
LOVE
Tomorrow is A.'s birthday. And yesterday marked the beginning of his birthday week.
For A.'s birthday week I am taking the opportunity to spoil him ridiculously rotten and hone my domestic skills in the kitchen.
Yesterday I cooked us pancakes for breakfast and they tasted okay-ish.
Okay-ish for me means lacking in favour but edible. Thank goodness there was jam and cream!
Today I decided I had to redeem myself by making dinner.
Atlantic salmon with salad and sweet mashed potato. It made A. forget about those the unfortunate pancake incident yesterday. And to top it off, I made home-made mango ice-cream for dessert.
I found the recipe on a blog called Just One Cook Book www.justonecookbook.com, I tried it and to my complete astonishment - it worked! A. really enjoyed it and started to talk about other flavours I could make. At his suggestion, I added a small sprinkle of desiccated coconut to each of our bowls - it was delicious!
What I liked about the mango ice-cream recipe on this site was that it was only five ingredients and most of the ingredients I already had in my fridge and cupboard.
1 lemon
3/4 cup of sugar
3/4 cup of milk
1 cup of cream
3 mangoes
Go and check out the Just One Cook Book site - it's really awesome!
& THE EVERYDAY
What I long for these days is so simple. I miss having my sisters so close - and when I'm with them every moment is precious in way that is sacred. But what the past year has taught me is that we thrive and grow together, wherever we are.
Something else I crave is the sight of the ocean - I know that John baptised Jesus in the ocean out of necessity but I reckon he had the right of it. The ocean is a contradiction - it's shallow and deep, it's calm and it's violent, it's life and death. It's full of wonder, secrets and beauty.
For many, the ocean is a large pool of water that is awesome for surfing - but for me it represents what being human is.
Speaking of being human. I just want to say something in regards to the fiery debate between Jacqui Lambie and Yassmin Abdel-Magied on Q&A. I know this is last week's news and I've just caught up after reading an article by Susan Carland and watched the video.
I was really impressed with how Yassmin stated her case, I was awed when she apologised to Jacqui Lambie for shouting at her on National television even though Jacqui Lambie was equally in the wrong (and didn't apologise) and when the interview stopped rolling I was clapping for Yassmin.
I liked how she wouldn't be silenced even when Jacqui tried to rail-road her, not many people could stand up to a public figure like that. It's people like Yassmin that Australia needs in politics - somebody honest and humble with back-bone.
So people, just remember we have a small window on earth to live and be happy - embrace diversity and differences in faith and culture because these two things are kindle for fire to start wars - not only on a global sphere but also in our communities and neighbourhoods.
There is a famous Dalai Lama quote. "My religion is very simple. My religion is kindness."
A piece of scripture in Proverbs 10:12 says "Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all offences."
So love the hell out of life, guys. And most of all, love each other. Because that's what really matters.
- Sarah x
Lately I have felt very happy and excited about what life will roll out in the next ten months and beyond. I was afraid to allow myself to be too happy, just in case something bad happened.
What I have learnt is that I cannot live like that. It's like living half-heartedly in the moment.
So I'll be happy when I'm happy, I'll be sad when I'm sad. Yet what I find to content myself in either is the way I see things.
For instance, on Saturday I had to journey to the Gold Coast for a First Aid and CPR course where I caught five buses and two trains - I had never been on that much transport in my life!
I'd taken a couple of wrong turns and got myself lost at Southport. I had a lot of time to think about the wrong turns that had happened in my life - especially the ones from the past three years and even before that. In 2006, the year I graduated from high school - Queensland brought in a new law that required people under the age of 25 to do 100 hours of practice driving before going for their licenses. I remember my parents strongly encouraging me to go for my Learner's License before that law came into effect but I wasn't ready. This Saturday just past, as I was waiting in the hot sun for a bus - I wish I had been. So what had begun as a small cross-country trip had become a day of reflection. And what I realised was that sometimes, you have to lose your way to find it again.
LOVE
Tomorrow is A.'s birthday. And yesterday marked the beginning of his birthday week.
For A.'s birthday week I am taking the opportunity to spoil him ridiculously rotten and hone my domestic skills in the kitchen.
Yesterday I cooked us pancakes for breakfast and they tasted okay-ish.
Okay-ish for me means lacking in favour but edible. Thank goodness there was jam and cream!
Today I decided I had to redeem myself by making dinner.
Atlantic salmon with salad and sweet mashed potato. It made A. forget about those the unfortunate pancake incident yesterday. And to top it off, I made home-made mango ice-cream for dessert.
I found the recipe on a blog called Just One Cook Book www.justonecookbook.com, I tried it and to my complete astonishment - it worked! A. really enjoyed it and started to talk about other flavours I could make. At his suggestion, I added a small sprinkle of desiccated coconut to each of our bowls - it was delicious!
What I liked about the mango ice-cream recipe on this site was that it was only five ingredients and most of the ingredients I already had in my fridge and cupboard.
1 lemon
3/4 cup of sugar
3/4 cup of milk
1 cup of cream
3 mangoes
Go and check out the Just One Cook Book site - it's really awesome!
& THE EVERYDAY
What I long for these days is so simple. I miss having my sisters so close - and when I'm with them every moment is precious in way that is sacred. But what the past year has taught me is that we thrive and grow together, wherever we are.
Something else I crave is the sight of the ocean - I know that John baptised Jesus in the ocean out of necessity but I reckon he had the right of it. The ocean is a contradiction - it's shallow and deep, it's calm and it's violent, it's life and death. It's full of wonder, secrets and beauty.
For many, the ocean is a large pool of water that is awesome for surfing - but for me it represents what being human is.
Speaking of being human. I just want to say something in regards to the fiery debate between Jacqui Lambie and Yassmin Abdel-Magied on Q&A. I know this is last week's news and I've just caught up after reading an article by Susan Carland and watched the video.
I was really impressed with how Yassmin stated her case, I was awed when she apologised to Jacqui Lambie for shouting at her on National television even though Jacqui Lambie was equally in the wrong (and didn't apologise) and when the interview stopped rolling I was clapping for Yassmin.
I liked how she wouldn't be silenced even when Jacqui tried to rail-road her, not many people could stand up to a public figure like that. It's people like Yassmin that Australia needs in politics - somebody honest and humble with back-bone.
So people, just remember we have a small window on earth to live and be happy - embrace diversity and differences in faith and culture because these two things are kindle for fire to start wars - not only on a global sphere but also in our communities and neighbourhoods.
There is a famous Dalai Lama quote. "My religion is very simple. My religion is kindness."
A piece of scripture in Proverbs 10:12 says "Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all offences."
So love the hell out of life, guys. And most of all, love each other. Because that's what really matters.
- Sarah x
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