glory day

I don't really have the words

Today is not the day for talking about the op-shop, or picnics or bbqs or seeing a play. Today is not the day to prattle on about the generally boring details of my day-to-day life.

Yesterday nearly 200 people died in the forest fires raging through Victoria, with more casualties expected.  Many more people are missing, and still more have lost their homes and belongings.  And what makes this tragedy even worse it that some of these fires may have been the work of arsonists. 

My thoughts are with the survivors as they start to rebuild their lives - kia kaha, kia toa.

Actually we're all winners

We got up at 4 o'clock this morning to watch the All Blacks beat Scotland, as we felt that if the AB's were exhorted not to take Scotland lightly neither would we.  I'm not saying it was necessarily a bad decision but I'm a bit wiped now.  And euugh, Wayne Barnes can't referee a scrum or a breakdown - seriously, why do we have to put up with this man?

And sadly, after nine years Helen Clark is no longer Prime Minister of New Zealand.  I've been a fan of Miss Clark's for over 20 years, and I have a huge amount of admiration for her.  For 30 years she has served NZ with energy, passion and a formidable intellect, and I have no doubt that NZ is a better place because of her.  And to think she achieved all this without once feeling the urge to wink - certainly she could be a role model for many wanna-be women politicians.

Kia kaha, Miss Clark!  I hope whatever you choose to do next brings you satisfaction and joy.

Everybody's happy now The bad thing's gone away

Today was the last day of my course.  I now have two lovely sets of cardboard pattern blocks, and I got to use the notching clipper which is the coolest thing ever.

One of the nicest things about doing this course, and certainly the most unexpected, was chatting with the other participants.  It struck me today how nice it was, five women of different backgrounds and experiences sharing our lives with each other.  And yes to some degree it was superficial stuff but we also discussed significant things such as family dysfunction, health problems and infertility.  I don't know that I'll ever see any of them again but it was a nice time.

I had a watershed moment on the way home: a young man offered me his seat on the bus.  I had conflicting emotions - on the one hand, win, and on the other: am I old?  Although David has just told me that school pupils are required to offer their seats to any adult standing, so I shall not dwell on it.

And I got home to find that the world has changed today.  Hope and change, such amazing words.  I'm thrilled beyond belief to see such change, I hope very much to see more.

I went looking for a photo to sum up the day, to sum up this feeling of incredibly awesome and tears leaking out and hope for the future and tidal waves of emotions.  And I give you Hook-Hand Jesus, who is holding holy water in his hook:

Some day his story will be told.