The Ocean

The Ocean

The ocean — both wild and calm, dangerous and beautiful — My "Happy Place".

Walking along the shore, listening to the crashing of the waves, smelling the fresh sea air & thanking God for His creation!

"The ocean is a mighty harmonist." — William Wordsworth

G R A C E

It's been quite some time since I posted - 18 months in fact. This is why...

From the day you were born and I held you for the very first time, you were only a few hours old, my heart met yours...

Grace Clara - 8th February 2018

I didn't give birth to you, yet my mother-heart loves you as if you had grown inside me. A gift from God, we belong to one another.

My precious (grand) child, may you always know you are loved beyond measure. May you always feel acceptance, value and worth.

"Sometimes you aren’t there when a child is born into this world — but that child was born in your heart long before you can ever remember. Sometimes you belong to each other simply because you long to be with each other." — Ann Voskamp

Ann's words resonate with me so perfectly!

EDIT:
When we were asked to raise our own grand-daughter (our 5th grandchild) and become her legal guardians, we were incredibly humbled and honoured. We consider our little Grace a precious gift from God who deserves to be loved deeply, accepted  and valued for the beautiful soul she is.

Happiness & Gratitude is a Choice

I was talking with a dear friend recently about unrealised dreams and how we respond to the storms in our lives.

For me, these unrealised dreams came in the form of a broken marriage. Since I was a little girl, I had dreamed of a long & happy marriage to a man who loved me unconditionally, “until death do us part”. However, after 14 years of marriage, during which I lost 2 babies to miscarriage, I also lost the father of my 4 (+2) children to adultery & abuse.

It would have been natural, to allow negativity to overtake my thoughts and steal my joy. However, I chose rise above my circumstances; to stand and praise Him anyway through these times of trauma & loss, and to be thankful for what I have rather than what I have lost.

My friend had a very similar story to me. We were discussing how we could have responded very differently than the way we did, and the affect that would have had on our own lives and the lives of our children.

It took time to heal my wounded heart... before I found peace, contentment, forgiveness and happiness in my "new" life as a single Mum to my four young children. God carried me through, just like in the well-known poem “Footprints”.

However, it would take 12 years of single parenting until I finally met the man I had dreamed of as a child (and surprisingly, he was a man I had known since I was 6 months old)!

The biggest lesson I have learned through all my life experiences is... Gratitude in all things!
It's a choice to be grateful. It's a choice to extend forgiveness to those who hurt you. It's a choice to find joy in even the toughest situations!

Just last week, I lost that dear friend... she died from complications after giving birth to her 7th child... she leaves behind 6 young children. To say I am sad is an understatement. I will miss her terribly.

Her loss is a reminder of how unpredictable life can be. We never know when our time is up; there is often no warning, no time to prepare. I believe it is important to never leave things unresolved. My aim is to make sure that the last thing I have said to my loved ones is "I love you".

**This post is dedicated to my dear friend Vicki Leanne Butler. Until we meet again, Vicki!**


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It's The Little Things in Life

It's been a while since I posted. My husband Michael had emergency spinal surgery in early September, so blogging, day trips and photography have been put on hold.
Thankfully he got one of the top Neurosurgeons in Brisbane and his surgery has been a great success. I thank God for everything falling into place!

I decided that my first post back would be to share the importance of the little things in life and how that should always be our focus; they are the things that bring true happiness.

If happiness was determined by big meaningful events, then it would be difficult to continuously achieve. It is the small, and often unexpected, pleasures in life that can make us smile each and every day to help us build happier and more meaningful lives for ourselves and for others.

Small victories, random acts of kindness, a smile from a stranger, reading a book, laughter, a genuine hug, receiving an email or message from a friend, watching a sunset, small unexpected surprises, listening to your favourite music...

"Perfect happiness is a beautiful sunset, the giggle of a grandchild, the first snowfall. It's the little things that make happy moments, not the grand events. Joy comes in sips, not gulps."
-- Sharon Draper


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At the Lake

Each time I visit the lake at Minnippi Parklands, it looks so different.
These images were taken way back in 2013, after a LOT of rain... The lake was at full capacity.

I love this image; the cloud formations were particularly superb that day!

I really love Minnippi lake! Each time I visit, the scene is so different.
The following shots were taken in 2012.

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A Fabulous Weekend Away in the Country

Two weeks ago, Michael & I had the opportunity to stay in a gorgeous 100+ year old Queenslander for 3 nights, owned by Suzanne & Tony "McHolden" (via AirBnB)

On our arrival, Suz was most welcoming; providing us with a tour of the house, information on the area, as well as providing us with suggestions of local places to get a great meal. Suz even went above & beyond by recommending great spots for me to photograph sunset! 

The house was clean, cozy, relaxing, well appointed and a great home away from home. We also appreciated the lovely warm fire each evening while watching a movie or reading.

While I enjoyed photographing the property and local birdlife, Michael was in his element playing his Cello on the front verandah during sunset.

We thoroughly enjoyed eating breakfast while enjoying the view, and sipping a nice wine in the afternoon, on the front verandah.

There was even a rusty old barn on the next door property!

We are incredibly grateful to Suz & Tony for opening their home so we could enjoy a wonderful weekend away!"


More images of the Scenic Rim area to come in another post....



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Shorncliffe Pier Refurbishment

Shorncliffe Pier is Brisbane's largest timber pier and was constructed in the 1880s. It is one of the longest recreational piers in Australia, reaching approximately 350 metres out into Bramble Bay. It also forms part of the Sandgate/Shorncliffe foreshore and is a feature of Moora Park. 

The pier is well known and used throughout the local community and is popular with residents and visitors to Brisbane. It is an iconic part of the Bramble Bay foreshore and holds great historic significance in the Brisbane City Council region. 

In March 2012, Brisbane City Council closed the pier to public access, due to safety concerns associated with the condition of the structure. A number of the pier’s piles, headstocks and girders were inspected and found to be in such poor condition that the risk of structural failure was too high to allow the pier to remain open for public use. The plan was to 'renew" the pier at a cost of $20 million.

Old pier showing uneven boards and railings.

The pier removal works commenced in mid November 2014. Construction began in early 2015 and is now complete. In early 2016 the restoration and rebuild of the pier was completed, and it was officially opened to the public on Friday 25 March 2016 in conjunction with the Bluewater Festival.

The pier is perfect for picnics, photography, fishing or even just a stroll. Many locals use the pier to walk their dogs.

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