seeker. lover. keeper.

Listen to them here please.

for my own benifit.

Today I was looking back over my year so far Its been a big one. January till September I’m going to give you the run down.

January:
2^nd: I visited Lateshia. We begin the planning for a Valentines Day party.

3^rd : Royce came home which I was excited about because…

4^th: …then the “Cup of Tea” gang plus Doug left for Wagga.

7^th: We enjoyed a bush dance in Wagga. Partying Menzies family style.

12^th: Ground Work Youth Theatre started writing a play.

17^th & 18th : My Cousin came to visit.

18^th: Lateshia’s cast came off.

19^th- 22^nd: Summer Camp.

25^th & 26^th: A group of us travelled to Melbourne to celebrate Australia Day!

February:

1^st: I had a lovely time having a picnic on my office floor with Lisa Hilliard.

3^rd: I did CRE training.
5^th: I attended Lisa and Derek’s engagement party.

11^th: We did a Minute to win it night at youth.

14^th: Lateshia and I pulled of an amazing dinner party with our favourite friends.

19^th: Sarah and Zac’s engagement party.

21^st- 25^th: The first of four intensives in Emerald. Filling my brain with stuff.

March:  

6^th: Iron and Clay came to stay.

11^th: Ida had a birthday.

12^th: Dave and Gwinn got married.

17^th: Handed in some assignments. Then off to small group.

19^th: Performed in ‘Faux : if you are happy and you know it, think again.’ The pay we wrote.

29^th: Started walking round the lake with Angela.  The beginning of a beautiful friendship.

April:

4^th: I got distracted.

11^th: I started my job at DHS.

14^th: I turned 19. I had a disastrous birthday.

15^th- Got sick and didn’t use my diary for the rest of the month.

May:2^nd-6^th: Went away to study again.

16^th: Stayed up late entering sports for SYG

17^th went to Melbourne for Hilsong One Day.

19^th: Angela had a wonderful birthday.

23^rd: I lost a friend.

28^th: Spent a lovely afternoon with Lisa and the girls at her kitchen tea.

June:

1^st-8^th: All I did was study, work and plan SYG.

10^th-13^th: SYG. With a quick duck back to Sale for Lisa’s hens night.
17^th: Made a decision that changed my life.
18^th: Lisa and Derek got married!

23^rd: Went on an adventure with Grant and Angela to Melbourne.

July:

1^st: Watched  Bell Shakespeare do Julius Cesar by myself.
16^th: Spent the day with Lateshia getting ready for her engagement party!
18^th -23^rd: Met the most amazing people, had the most amazing experience at the APYC conference.

25^th – 29th: Went to Emerald for the 3^rd time.

August:3^rd: Started 4 days a week at work.

10^th: Attended one of three workshops I had helped organise with Dr. Istvan Gorgenyi.
12^th, 13^th & 14^th: Watch my little sister play the French mouse in Alice in Wonderland.

18^th – 21^st: Spent time in Melbourne for work, then with Amy and then my Cousins.
24^th & 25^th: Adventured in the city with Mitch.

September:3^rd: A friend visited.

7^th: I had desert with an old friend.
8^th: Dragged Mitch to see A Midsummer Nights Dream so I wasn’t alone at the theatre again.
11^th: Went Ice-Skating with Mitch, Angela and Grant.

14^th- My mum turned 50.

17^th & 18^th: Escaped to Point Cook with Angela.
18^th: Had dinner with Lateshia for her birthday.
21^st: Had an amazingly interesting day at work. Going to court, seeing a client at the police station, and visiting a resi unit.
 
22^nd – Is today. I’m looking back at my year so far thinking wow I have done a lot of stuff. The real point I have learnt a lot. The Lauren I was on the 3^rd of January, or the 4^th of April or even 17^th of June, is not who I am today. I’ve change and learnt more than I could have imagined. Part of me is nostalgic remembering summer afternoons spent cursing around with friends. But I know that this year has been one to look back on and think wow that’s when I grew up. And I know that this summer will be something even better because of that.

All of that sounds like I think this year is over. When I flick my diary forward to see the fun times still to be had this year I get a bit excited 2011 has been so far and promises to be a year to remember.

Well done if you got to here with out getting bored.

can you see me now?

Well, anyway, I looked up and saw the very last thing I expected: a huge lion coming slowly towards me. And one queer thing was that there was no moon last night, but there was moonlight where the lion was. So it came nearer and nearer. I was terribly afraid of it. You may think that, being a dragon, I could have knocked any lion out easily enough. But it wasn't that kind of fear. I wasn't afraid of it eating me, I was just afraid of it - if you can understand. Well, it came close up to me and looked straight into my eyes. And I shut my eyes tight. But that wasn't any good because it told me to follow it.”
“You mean it spoke?”
“I don't know. Now that you mention it, I don't think it did. But it told me all the same. And I knew I'd have to do what it told me, so I got up and followed it. And it led me a long way into the mountains. And there was always this moonlight over and round the lion wherever we went. So at last we came to the top of a mountain I'd never seen before and on the top of this mountain there was a garden - trees and fruit and everything. In the middle of it there was a well.
“I knew it was a well because you could see the water bubbling up from the bottom of it: but it was a lot bigger than most wells - like a very big, round bath with marble steps going down into it. The water was as clear as anything and I thought if I could get in there and bathe it would ease the pain in my leg. But the lion told me I must undress first. Mind you, I don't know if he said any words out loud or not.
“I was just going to say that I couldn't undress because I hadn't any clothes on when I suddenly thought that dragons are snaky sort of things and snakes can cast their skins. Oh, of course, thought I, that's what the lion means. So I started scratching myself and my scales began coming off all over the place. And then I scratched a little deeper and, instead of just scales coming off here and there, my whole skin started peeling off beautifully, like it does after an illness, or as if I was a banana. In a minute or two I just stepped out of it. I could see it lying there beside me, looking rather nasty. It was a most lovely feeling. So I started to go down into the well for my bathe.
“But just as I was going to put my feet into the water I looked down and saw that they were all hard and rough and wrinkled and scaly just as they had been before. Oh, that's all right, said I, it only means I had another smaller suit on underneath the first one, and I'll have to get out of it too. So I scratched and tore again and this underskin peeled off beautifully and out I stepped and left it lying beside the other one and went down to the well for my bathe.
“Well, exactly the same thing happened again. And I thought to myself, oh dear, how ever many skins have I got to take off? For I was longing to bathe my leg. So I scratched away for the third time and got off a third skin, just like the two others, and stepped out of it. But as soon as I looked at myself in the water I knew it had been no good.
“Then the lion said - but I don't know if it spoke – ‘You will have to let me undress you.’ I was afraid of his claws, I can tell you, but I was pretty nearly desperate now. So I just lay flat down on my back to let him do it.
“The very first tear he made was so deep that I thought it had gone right into my heart. And when he began pulling the skin off, it hurt worse than anything I've ever felt. The only thing that made me able to bear it was just the pleasure of feeling the stuff peel off. You know - if you've ever picked the scab off a sore place. It hurts like billy-oh but it is such fun to see it coming away.”
“I know exactly what you mean,” said Edmund.
“Well, he peeled the beastly stuff right off - just as I thought I'd done it myself the other three times, only they hadn't hurt - and there it was lying on the grass: only ever so much thicker, and darker, and more knobbly-looking than the others had been. And there was I as smooth and soft as a peeled switch and smaller than I had been. Then he caught hold of me - I didn't like that much for I was very tender underneath now that I'd no skin on - and threw me into the water. It smarted like anything but only for a moment. After that it became perfectly delicious and as soon as I started swimming and splashing I found that all the pain had gone from my arm. And then I saw why. I'd turned into a boy again. You'd think me simply phoney if I told you how I felt about my own arms. I know they've no muscle and are pretty mouldy compared with Caspian's, but I was so glad to see them.
“After a bit the lion took me out and dressed me –“
“Dressed you. With his paws?”
“Well, I don't exactly remember that bit. But he did somehow or other: in new clothes - the same I've got on now, as a matter of fact. And then suddenly I was back here. Which is what makes me think it must have been a dream.”
“No. It wasn't a dream,” said Edmund.
“Why not?”
“Well, there are the clothes, for one thing. And you have been - well, un-dragoned, for another.”
“What do you think it was, then?” asked Eustace.
“I think you've seen Aslan,” said Edmund.
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader – Chapter 7

road trip. girls weekend.

It goes like this. Angela and I needed out. Out of town, out of  Sale, out of the real world for a while. So we went, at 7 in the morning. First stop was Altona, then back across to Cranbourne, back over to Altona then on to Point Cook. There were many hilarious moments from adventures with shoe throwing morons at the skate park to delirious laughter at 11pm trying to make the bed. Here is a photo run down.

We packed,

buckled in Angus and Hector,

‘blasted’ the music and off we went.

 

We drove, 

 

saw a bandicoot

 

and watched my little (sort of) Cousins sleep.

 

We brought these.

We stayed here. 

 

We slept and woke up to this for breakfast.

Angela laughed at me like this.

 

 We filled up, 

had this for lunch and hit the road.

 

We played with these till Angela’s broke.  

We watched Sherraden,

 

she won these.  

I took a pay back embarrassing photo.

 

All in 36 hours.

It was full on and to be honest probably more exhausting than restful. It reminded me for the thousandth time why I love Angela and my family. Even apart form that the whole thing left me feeling quite chuffed with what two teenage girls are capable of packing into one weekend.

i got you .. blog.

I can't lie. I'm a little bit addicted to this blog sunny +scout.
In fact a lot.
In fact I stalk Mrs Buma and her beautiful life almost everyday.
Even besides that, I'm starting to feel that I can't go a day with out blogging. I do it in my lunch break at work, or I draft them at home, then with the help of a trusty usb I steal a computer and and someone's, anyone's internet just so I can blog.

I like venting, thinking, talking about my life as if someone is actually listening.

Mostly I like the idea that I can go back and have a look where I have been what was going on in my life. And I love love love the idea that next year when I disappear from this continent I will be able to blog about that to.

Soon blog you will get a face lift an look interesting and I will fill you with interesting things. Maybe one day someone will say 'that Lauren, her life looks interesting'

[In the mean time enjoy some lovely photos of my beautful friend at I.]

the fourteenth of september two thousand and eleven

My mum turned 50. She was worried about it I think, not ok with the idea she was old. It sparked a discussion, in my mind my mum has only been around as long as she has been my mum but that’s not how it is at all. 19 years of a 50 year life, I’m not really giving her credit where it’s due. 31 years of living happened before I came along that I know nothing about.

Things I know about my mum before she was my mum:

-          She is one of two children.

-          She was a champion swimmer until she coach retied and she gave it up.

-          She got her hair permed sometimes – it was long like mine.

-          She had two children and a husband.

-          She never tried cigarette or an illegal drug.

-          She moved to New South Wales and then back to Victoria (actually she moved 7 times in 3 years.)

-          She went to dances. Like old time dances. Like ballroom.

-          She learnt to drive a truck, shoot a gun and ride a horse.

-          She left her husband.

-          She learnt how to be my mum.

I love my mum. I never get over the fact she has known me my entire life and I haven’t known her even half of hers. There is so much I don’t know.
It’s funny, I wonder if my kids will think this way about me. It means everything I have done in life so far will not be counted by my children.  Not that I have done much yet.

Anyway the point is:

I love you mum. Happy Birthday.

the last three months.

It’s funny how memories get blurry.

How fun adventures are forgotten.

How nostalgia sneaks up on you.

It’s weird how you miss times that you don’t even clearly remember.

It’s strange that even when you swear you wont forget, you do.

A snapshot of the last three months:

• Posted and received legitimate mail.
• Dyed my hair red.
• Spent significant amounts of money on clothing.
• Started making serious plans to travel - Fiji then Nepal
• Tried to study.
• Travelled back and forth to Melbourne.
• Missed old friends - filled my life with new friends.
• Had catch-up cake with people I love.
• Started writing a picture story book.
• Was awed by my God.
• Learnt to knit.
• Stopped biting my nails.
• Walked around the lake.
• Spent 5 hours and 11 minute in Redd Catt.
• Gave up on not biting my nails.
• Developed an addiction to red frogs.

I'm trying not to forget.

i wouldn't say no.