Posted by karooch on
April 24, 2008
Lest we forget
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On 25 April Australians and New Zealanders honor their fighting men of the past and the present, our ANZACs.
Few of us today see war in the glorified light that it was viewed in times gone by. Television has brought the reality of the horrors of war into our living rooms ever since the Vietnam War.
However, regardless of how we feel about the ‘wrongness’ of war, it is a part of our global landscape and whilst that is the case, men and women are in the field defending our national point of view and sometimes our sovereignty.
These men and women are often in harms way and deserve to be honoured for their steadfastness and bravery.
As we honour our fallen heroes, so should we honour our living ones.
They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old;
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning-
We will remember them.
Lest we Forget.
The Ode comes from For the Fallen,
a poem by the English poet and writer Laurence Binyon
Posted by karooch on
April 14, 2008
The Story of Aviana
Today I’d like to share the Story of ten year old Aviana with you.
Together with a few of her friends, Aviana decided to shave their heads to raise funds to aid the Uganda Project which is funded through The Global Heart.The aim is to build schools in Africa.
Although her mother was nervous about how this would go, she agreed to support Aviana and they shaved her head.
Aviana then rang her friends to tell them that she had done her bit, only to find out that none of her friends had gone through with it.
She was devastated!
Her mother writes:
It was shaky there for a few hours. Afterwards she cried as she was the only one. She called herself ‘ugly’ and cried, sad and angry. She wanted her hair back. I looked over at her hair (all of it) lying lifeless on the table and exclaimed, “Oh, I get it…you think it’s your hair that makes you beautiful…how about you run off then so I can spend some time alone with your hair.”Well, something shifted in her and about 30 minutes later, my daughter was dancing and singing out loud about how beautiful she is. Do you know what else she is? Brave. Courageous. Caring. Daring. And her own person. Being the only girl who shaved her head, she is getting lots of positive feedback. And I think she gets that she is not her hair.
Watch this video interview with this gutsy little girl and help her in her goal to build a school in Uganda.
You can read the full story here.
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Posted by karooch on
March 24, 2008
Meme: Passion Quilt
I don’t really do meme’s much these days but this one’s a bit different and a bit special.
Long time Scraps of Mind Reader, Family Matriarch extraordinnaire, insightful and intelligent woman and creative digital scrapbooker Tink, has tagged me for this meme:
A PASSION QUILT
THE RULES:
1. Post a picture or make/take/create your own that captures what YOU are most passionate for students to learn about.
2. Give your picture a short title.
3. Title your blog post “Meme: Passion Quilt.”
4. Link back to this blog entry.
5. Include links to 5 (or more) educators.
” Unlock Your Creativity”
(Credits: Wood Sprite by Doreen, Photo by Jools)
I have spent my whole life believing that I was devoid of creativity.
I have watched others create beautiful things and wished that I was able to do the same.
I was convinced that I didn’t have a creative bone in my body and was always destined to admire others’ work but never create anything myself that I would deem worthy of the word.
Then I discovered Scrapbooking and things started to change.
I found that I could create layouts that I was proud and happy to share with the world.
I stopped thinking of myself as an unimaginative and uncreative being.
And that opened up a whole side of me that I didn’t know existed.
That ‘creative side’ exists in all of us and if someone had opened my mind to it when I was young I wouldn’t have missed out all these years.
Every student, no matter how scientific or technical their leanings should have the opportunity to explore their creative side. It won’t be the same for everyone but if students believe that they are creative and understand how to search for the right medium to express themselves in, their whole lives will be enriched.
If you know someone who believes they are not in the least creative, help them to recognise the areas of their lives that they are already demonstrating their creativity in and open their minds to their creative spirit.
This is where I’m supposed to tag some Educators.
Well I believe we’re all educators.
If we’re not sharing our knowledge with others then we’re failing as human beings.
So I open this meme to all of you.
1. Post a picture or make/take/create your own that captures what YOU are most passionate for students to learn about.
2. Give your picture a short title.
3. Title your blog post “Meme: Passion Quilt.”
4. Link back to this blog entry.
5. Include links to 5 (or more) educators.
What are you passionate for students to learn about?
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Posted by karooch on
March 3, 2008
Scrapbook Fitness Journal for SAHMs
I’ve just finished reading a free eBook written by my friend Cindy from GoWorkOutMom and I thought some of you might be interested in it.
Cindy is a stay-at-home-mum to two active youngsters. She wanted to maintain a level of fitness that she enjoyed during her child-free days but found that the pressures of managing a young family made that a lot easier said than done.
So she worked out how she could incorporate activities into her daily life that would keep her fit without having an impact on her busy life. Then she started GoWorkOutMom to help other mums in the same boat.
As well as her blog, Cindy also offers a free Newsletter full of great tips to help maintain some quality ‘you’ time in your busy ‘Mum’ schedule. When you sign up for her Newsletter you also get this cool eBook which is designed to help a new Mum to set up a routine, tailored to suit themselves, and paced to suit themselves.
Even though it’s a lifetime ago, I can still remember how shocked and devastated I was to discover that my body didn’t automatically spring back into its pre-pregnancy shape after I gave birth to my daughter. And then for the next few years there didn’t seem to be any time (or, let’s be honest, discipline) to do anything about it.
Cindy has put together this guide and plan for you to manage this situation without running around in circles or trying to be SuperMum. She suggests that your routine is tracked in a special journal which she recommends be designed as a Scrapbook Journal. And she even includes free scrapbook page templates and quick pages in her ebook to get you started easily and quickly. You just add your info (and of course some photos) and then print and include in your Scrapbook Journal.
All round this is avery cool scrapbook idea. So if you’re a SAHM with small children, or about to become one, why not click over to GoWorkOutMom and check it out. You might even like to join Cindy’s newsletter and get her free eBook.
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Posted by karooch on
February 28, 2008
Touring with the Travel Teddies - Part 2
In 2000 I took an 8 week trip around the UK and Ireland with my daughter and two friends and a band of Teddy Bears. Here is the story from the point of view of the bears. Part one is HERE.
You may like to try a crazy perspective such as this when creating your own vacation scrapbook albums. I hope you enjoy the album.
WARNING: Lots of Scrapbook layouts on this page. You may experience delays in downloading.
Many thanks to Thatch and Jools who were the Tour Photographers.
Welcome back to the Saga of the Intrepid Travel Teddies on their quest through the wilds of England, Scotland, Ireland and a little bit of Wales. I recommend you read Part 1 before continuing with this final chapter.
Having explored the beautiful mountain country of The Lake District, The Bears lost no time in heading northwards to Hadrian’s Wall. Built by the Roman Emperor Hadrian in 120-30 AD in an attempt to keep the marauding Pictish Tribes out of Roman occupied Briton, The Wall presented no challenge for our Fearless Leaders as they scaled it’s rocky sides and prepared to invade Scotland.
The Authorities must have got wind of their plans because when we reached Bamburgh Castle, the Bears were thrown out on their ear for some trumped up Camera Misdemeanor (legal action pending).
Perhaps it was this that occupied their minds as they steered us around all the crinkly bits of Scotland, or just the effort in keeping our motley band organised, but they stayed away from the camera for a couple of weeks. Until we reached John o’ Groats and sailed for the Orkney Islands. Read the rest of this entry »
