The power of the ‘right kind of book’

Posted on August 11, 2011 by sarahcondie

The second project that has enveloped me lock, stock and barrel has been the writing of a paper titled “The power of the ‘right kind of book'” for an Anglican Youthworks Conference called Engaging children with engaging stories.  This is my area, and my passion – well one of them.  I could say “This is my one passion”.  But I have many. However, I turned into a uni student surrounded with papers, books, clutter, chaos, a computer, notes, lots of ideas, thoughts milling around in my head and a kitchen table swamped with stuff.  And a paper to write!

It has not stopped me from reading.  One of the books that I read over this time was Jasper Jones by Craig Silvey.  My son Michael told me that I “had” to read it.  It has been compared to To Kill a Mockingbird as its theme are similar.  Set in an Australian outback town called Corrigan in 1965, we meet Charlie who is thirteen.  He doesn’t really fit in with the boys his age, apart from Jeffrey, who is from the only Vietnamese family in town.  The first chapter is fairy harrowing, but this encounter one night with Jasper Jones changes his life forever.  Once you have read the first chapter, the intensity subsides, but I was gripped by the world described, the characters were real and I felt I got to know Charlie and Jeffrey and loved their conversations. I also felt for Charlie’s parents – his mother’s deep unhappiness and consequent behaviour and his father’s withdrawal from the family.  This book uncovers many unspoken secrets and prejudices and Charlie is forced to think for himself.  Silvey is a talented writer and the conversations that take place are memorable – there is dry humour and thoughtfulness.

At the same time, Keith was reading a collection of short stories and he told me regularly that I “had” to read one of them.  Whenever I asked for details, he just said “you have to read it”.  Interestingly, it was written by Craig Silvey also.  A delightful short story about a small boy and his imaginary world called The Masked Avenger.  Humorous, beautifully written and memorable.

Johnny also read both and enjoyed them immensely.   He is in the middle of his HSC trials and I suggested that if he wanted to get a good nights sleep that he stop reading it as he would suddenly reach a point where he would be unable to put it down – this had been my experience and I had read until its completion at 2.30am.  Wisely he heeded my words.  This is a wonderful example of two story that engage.  (Photo taken from Flickr: photo by Newsusacontent.)

Posted in Books, Children's Books | 2 Comments

A story of forgiveness

Posted on August 11, 2011 by sarahcondie

I have not written on this blog for ages.  Why?  I hear you ask?  In my head, I have penned many.  However, I have been immersed in preparing for two major talks.  I was asked to present a seminar on forgiveness at a Ministry Wives Conference.  For some reason, which I now no longer remember, I said yes.  However,  I was completely out of my comfort zone.  I asked my husband for help and he brought home some tomes and ordered additional reading material for me to sift through, read, ponder, write, ponder, write some more and then feel overwhelmed and wonder why I had said “yes”.  I begged my  husband to remind me of how I felt before the conference – stressed, anxious, doubtful of my abilities, wishing that I could bring him along and ask him to run it – oh he is so much wiser than I.

It is over, and I breathed a huge sigh of relief.  However, it allowed me to do some deep thinking and ask questions and then try and find answers to them from the Bible.  It was a rich and good experience and I learnt much.  I asked some dear friends to pray for me and they faithfully did and I experienced an empowering and seeing God’s word challenge, stretch and teach – it was truly remarkable.  So, along with the sigh of relief was a heart filled with thankfulness to God.

I met up with a friend for coffee and was telling her about the conference.  She shared a beautiful story with me about forgiveness.  She has two daughters, one of whom is eight and the other is sixteen.  The younger girl (I will call her Amy)  had borrowed one of her older sister’s (I will call her Rose) precious books to take to school to read.  It was part of a series that had been bought using pocket money that had been saved over a long period of time.  Somehow, the book vanished, and Amy had to confess to Rose that she had “lost” this book and that she was very very sorry.  Rose, unsurprisingly, was angry and expressed this strongly.

My friend had Amy awaking in floods of tears for a few mornings, feeling bad about what had happened to her sister’s book.  She felt guilty and thought that Rose would never forgive her and would never be her friend again.  My friend decided to communicate something of this to Rose, so she sent a text: “your sister thinks that you hate her, will never forgive her and will never be her friend again”.

That afternoon my friend watched Rose approach Amy, put her hands on her shoulder and say “Amy, I am sorry I was so angry with you.  I forgive you.  I want you to know that I love you and no matter what you ever do, I will never stop loving you and being your friend.  Don’t worry about the book.”  Amy visibly relaxed and they hugged.  A reconciliation.

My friend was deeply touched by this exchange.  She told me about her experience growing up in a family where sorry was not a word that was used, and bitterness, anger and resentment were harboured deep inside each family member.  My friend was determined that she was going to raise her children differently.  And she has!

Graphic found on Flickr: Taken by Stephen Cuyos, 16 April 2010.  It includes the story from Luke 7:36-8:3 which I had used in my seminar.  It is a remarkable story.

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The proposal and love, love me do

Posted on June 2, 2011 by sarahcondie

Last night we went to a dinner with a number of people – married and single and we were each given a question on a card to answer in front of everyone else – a little daunting, I must say.  Keith’s question was “how could you have done ‘the proposal’ better?”  He had told me the question would make me laugh and it certainly did!

You see, there was no proposal.  There was merely a conversation late one night in the car when my beloved said to me “do you think we will get married?” and I replied “yes” and that was that.  I have always teased Keith about his “romantic streak”.  Could he have done the proposal better?  Perhaps… but then as my ever practical son Michael once pointed out “is your marriage any the worse for an unromantic proposal?”  That made me think.  Funnily enough, this question sparked many conversations after the dinner and other wives told me that they had never received a “formal proposal”.  One wife told me that once during a very long drive in the outback of Northern Territory, her male companion asked her what she was thinking about and she said “about marrying you”.  He said “that is what I am thinking about the same thing”.  That was the end of any further discussion but they got married and they are still married many years later . Driving home with our neighbours, we talked about those “courtship” days and what it had been like – there was much laughter as we reminisced on days long gone.  Interesting, we all married in the early minimalist eighties.

“How did you meet and decide to get married?” is a question we ask often at the marriage courses we run.  Without fail, we watch couples turn towards each other, smile, laugh and then reach out towards the other with a touch.  It is beautiful to watch.  It reminds me of a conversation I listened to recently on the radio in which Margaret Throsby interviewed a neurosurgeon Michael Besser.  During the interview, music that he had selected is played and he briefly shares why he chose it.  He had chosen the Beatles song “love, love me do” and this is what he said: “I have been married for forty-four years to my wife.  When we met, it was when this song was a big hit and it has become “our” song.  Whenever I hear it played, I get a good dose of serotonin released into my brain – this is the “feel good drug”.  This is a song they listen to together often. As I listened to the song, I couldn’t help smiling as I thought about this couple who still love each other and are together after all those years.

It is a question worth pondering from time to time, particularly when you feel as if your marriage is going through a tough spot – what was it that you liked about your husband?  what are some of those things you used to do together that were fun, that brought a smile to your face?  Do you have a song that you associate with meeting your partner?  Maybe you should listen to it. A release of serotonin might be just what is needed.

I have not written on this blog for a while.  Not because I have not wanted to.  It has been the stuff of life – it has filled my days and I continually put writing at the bottom of the pile.  I love writing – even simply writing on this blog.  I went for a walk with a wise woman who encouraged me to invest in self care a little more strenuously and set time aside to simply write.  However, it has taken two weeks for me to heed this advice.  But, it is a start.  Now am off to the physio.

Posted in Marriage | 1 Comment

Mary Poppins and a chocolate robot cake

Posted on May 4, 2011 by sarahcondie

I remember watching Mary Poppins aged five.  Back then, going to the movies was a special outing, and it was the very first movie I ever saw, making it memorable.  I remember Mary Poppins and Bert jumping into the picture painted on the pavement and their adventure – particularly riding on the merry go round.  My parents must have bought a black vinyl of the music, as I know the songs – almost by heart and yet, did not see the movie again until my own children were about five.

There is something very appealing about Mary Poppins – she is strict and does not tolerate nonsense of any kind and yet she is a woman of wonder and inspiration – her magic carpet bag, her ability to withdraw from the world and enter a world of fantasy,  her ability to bring the best out of the people – here is a woman who knows how to behave and have fun!

My daughter Susannah has just turned twenty-one and to celebrate, we all went to see the musical of Mary Poppins as a birthday treat.  We had a wonderful evening, sang along, enjoyed the music, the energy, the fun.  I have since watched the DVD of the film and bought the book to read.  Perhaps I am in a Mary Poppins phase.

Last Saturday we had a party for Susannah and guests were encouraged to dress as cartoon characters.  How I hate to dress up – but was inspired by my Mother who excitedly planned to come as Woodstock from the Peanuts cartoon and by Mary Poppins herself to make an effort and enter into the spirit of the event.  I dressed as Little Bo Peep and wore a dress my Mother had made for me when I was sweet sixteen – and yes, it fitted – just.  I felt like a very seventies bo peep.

Drama erupted the day before the party when I made “the cake”.  I am not good at producing cakes that look fantastic.  They always taste good, but the presentation is not impressive.  I baked a giant chocolate cake in which I used triple the ingredients.  Keith warned me earlier in the week “are you sure you want to make that cake?  It usually sinks in the middle and then you are stressed by how bad it looks?”  Well, that got me going – of course I was going to make it and this time it was going to be a success.

The cake looked spectacular when removed from the oven – it had risen beautifully, the skewer had come out clean each of the ten times I poked the middle, I was excited.  I put it on the rack to cool and moved on to other tasks.  On returning to the kitchen I saw my cake had collapsed in the middle – an unmitigated disaster.  I couldn’t bear it, so I left it despondently in the kitchen and sat down to watch Sliding Doors and quilt – so very soothing.

The look on Keith’s face when he returned home said it all – he kindly did not utter the words I was waiting to hear.  I debated whether to bake another giant cake – or simply have a cake that looked like a flop.  Johnny came up with a splendid idea – why not turn this cake into a robot cake.

Susannah adores robots – Astro Boy, you name it, she loves them.  But a round robot?  How would I do it?  We looked at Susannah’s little pink robot that hangs around her neck for inspiration, and I thought about Mary Poppins and thought – “yes, I can do that!”  And I did.  Just like that.  We filled the middle of the giant cake with icing and camoflaged it with a heart made with smarties.  I baked two smaller cakes and used them for the head, arms, legs and neck.  He certainly looked very cute.  Who said I can’t make cakes?

It certainly would not win any cake baking/decorating prizes, but it certainly made my daughter very happy – Happy Birthday Susannah!

Posted in My Life | 2 Comments

A little light reading

Posted on April 28, 2011 by sarahcondie

I have not written for a few weeks, despite promising myself that I would.  Alas, migraines hit and then it took a while to recover.  Am feeling like I can now string words together.  I am at this weird stage of life when I seem to have trouble sleeping.  Well, I go to sleep ok, but then I awaken at 1.30 or 2am wide awake and bursting with energy.  So I turn on the light and start reading.  I read voraciously and live in a household of readers.  Both my boys will curl up with a book and vanish for hours.  Most of my reading is done at night but sometimes I think it would be pleasant to go to sleep and not wake up until the alarm rings at 6am.  Yes, it is early.

One of my work friends Cathy shares similar tastes in books to me.  I know when she recommends a book that I will love it.  A few weeks ago, she handed me The Help by Kathryn Stockett.  It is one of those books  you can not put down – perfect for night time when sleep eludes.

It is set in Jackson, Mississippi in 1962 about the black maids who worked for their white mistresses.  It is a story about the great divide of that time between blacks and whites and it is harrowing and disturbing.  The main characters are so real and alive, I feel like I met them and entered their world.  Aibileen is looking after her seventeenth white child, a little girl Mae Mobley who was born in August 1960 – same as me and is more a mother to her than her own mother.  She recently lost her own precious son in a tragic accident but this does not stop her raising Mae Mobley lovingly and gently.  Minny is an excellent cook, but has a sharp tongue and can’t resist saying exactly what she thinks – not a good idea when you are a black maid in the 1960s.  Miss Skeeter is white, has recently returned from a college education and wants to write.  Her mother wants her to marry and settle down, but Miss Skeeter has questions she wants answered. One of them concerns what happened to Constantine her own beloved maid who has raised her.  She has mysteriously vanished and her mother is curiously silent as to what happened to her.

The story of these women is inspiring and beautifully told.  I can’t believe that I look back on it and think “this was a delightful read” – but it is.  I did not want to leave their world – when I finished it, I wanted to return to the beginning and reread.  It is a story we all should read as it provides much insight into what life was like for black people in the 1960s and that was not that long ago – I can remember that time.  I fell in love with these black maids – and wish I could meet them.

My son Michael put me onto the second book I couldn’t put down – Love in the Years of Lunacy by Mandy Sayer is also about relationships between blacks and whites, but this time, it is set in Sydney during World War 2.  Pearl is eighteen, beautiful, a talented saxophone player who plays at the Trocadero in an all girls jazz band who meets and falls in love with James, a black GI another talented musician.  Pearl has a twin brother Martin and it is their story.  The relationship between James and Pearl is not supported or encouraged by anyone – the main reason being that she is white and he is black.  James is sent to fight in New Guinea and Pearl decides to follow – all the while playing her saxophone in an all male jazz band.  Their story provides a fascinating insight into life during the war in PNG – I was completely captivated.

It is wonderful having Michael working at Journeys.  I have a pile of books beside my bed, but I do long to sleep all night almost more.  I have been told that my hormones are messing with me and that one day they will leave my in peace.  All I can say is – I can’t wait!

Posted in Books | 3 Comments

Mirror

Posted on March 21, 2011 by sarahcondie

Mirror by Jeannie Baker is the story of one day in the life of two families who live on different sides of the world.  One is set in the Valley of Roses in Southern Morocco, the other is set in Sydney Australia.  One is in the middle of the dessert in the middle of no where while the other is in the midst of the hustle and bustle of an urban world. And yet, the story they tell is remarkably similar.

Jeannie Baker tells her stories with her magnificent art – each page is a collage constructed layer by layer using materials such as paper, fabric, wool, sand, earth, tin and plastic.  Each collage is photographed to become a page in her book.  It is a book without words and can be appreciated by all ages.

What is unique about this book is that you follow the story of each family together.  It is a double-sided book which allows you to look at each page – one set in Sydney, the other in Morocco.  There is much detail that can be lost, so it is a book that can be revisited again and again – if only to notice more and appreciate how accurately Jeannie Baker has captured each world.

For someone like me, who lives in Sydney, it is wonderful to see Jeannie Baker’s interpretation of inner city life – it is chaotic and noisy, with tiny homes filled with tiny families who are creating their own private world amongst the urban sprawl.  It is familiar and it is my world.  However, the reader gets to see a slice of life in Morocco which is far more interesting – the food at their table has been produced by this family.  There is the donkey who takes them to market – a refreshing contrast to the bright yellow mini van of the Sydney family.  There are the dessert colours, the vibrant colours of the market place – spices and fresh vegetables.  It couldn’t be more different from the world of Sydney.

This is also the story of a magic carpet and how it was created by the family in Morocco – it is lush, rich and beautiful and its journey from this dessert landscape in the middle of no where  and its travels across the world, first on the back of a donkey, then in a giant airplane to the tiny corner “Magic Carpet” shop where the family in Sydney purchase it for their home.  The Moroccan family use the money to buy a computer which is fairly ordinary in Sydney, but for them, it is a moment of excitement and marvel.  The whole family gather around to watch as they turn it on.  How could the family in Morocco part with this carpet – it must have taken so long to create and is exquisite.  As a quilt maker, this is the question I ponder.  But the creation of this rug is this family’s livelihood – this is what they live on – this and the sheep they raise.

In each family there is genuine love and affection.  Each share a meal around a table – the food looks very different – from takeaway fish and chips to a large platter of freshly cooked vegetables and bread shared by three generations of family.  There is chatter.  The little baby is dressed in both families in a yellow jumper while the little boy is dressed red.  We see the creativity of each boy – one draws on the sand at the market place while he patiently waits for his father, the other draws a picture of his family journeying on their new magic carpet to other worlds.  Despite their differences, there is much that is common for both families.  In both worlds, the sun rises and it sets and there is a moon shining down.

It is a relief to see where this rug finally comes to rest – here in Sydney with a family who clearly are already treasuring it and using it to sit together.  There is a sense that the marvel that the Moroccan family share with their new purchase – the computer, they have with their new carpet.  I am sure that the family in Morocco wonder what happened to it.

I was unable to resist the attraction of this book – I love the work of Jeannie Baker and wanted to share it with my family and friends.  It sits on our coffee table in our lounge room for visitors to taste and share in its delight.

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On books and bookstores

Posted on March 13, 2011 by sarahcondie

Twenty three years ago, I was heavy with child – my first child.  I didn’t have much stuff for this new baby  – very few clothes, or anything really, but I had a shelf  crammed full of picture books ready to read.  The only parenting books I had read concerned children’s books – they were inspiring and had me very excited about becoming a Mum and being able to introduce my baby to the wonderful world of books.  (Honey for a child’s heart by Gladys Hunt and Babies need books by Dorothy Butler – alas this is out of print!)

Perhaps I was mad, maybe I still am.  I have no baby clothes left – they either fell to pieces or were passed on, but I still have those books and more books and they have remained with us and are still used either by us or little visitors.

I was recently looking through my bookshelves for my books by Shirley Hughes and was unable to find them.  I was a little perplexed and puzzled about what had happened to them.  Late last week, they appeared on my kitchen table – a lovely pile of old friends.  I had lent them to a friend who now has four young children, but in my usual muddleheaded way had no memory of this.  She has been enjoying reading these with her children and they have now returned to me.  I took a photo of some of these books by Shirley Hughes – they are a little battered, but they are still cherished.

My first baby, a son is a passionate reader and has a wonderful job two days a week working at a local bookstore.  It is one of my favourite shops to visit and I have just returned from visiting to buy some books for babies about to be born.  Much to my surprise I discovered that there were no books by Shirley Hughes on their shelves – why?  They are not readily available locally.  They can be ordered from overseas but will take four to six weeks to arrive.  They are available from the Book Depository.

This makes me so sad!  Shirley Hughes is a gifted writer and illustrator.  Her books capture the world of small children and she communicates profound thoughts simply and imaginatively.  Lucy and Tom’s abc helped me talk to my children about many things, including: friends: “f is for friends…sometimes Tom and James get cross with each other, but friends are important people so you can’t be cross for long” – what a lovely way to introduce the idea that you might have conflict with your friend but you can get over it and make up.  Or getting sick: “i is for ill.  This is Tom being ill in bed.  He needs a lot of things to play with.  Even then, he gets very hot and bored and keeps calling out for people to come and amuse him.”  Tom’s face says it all.  This book was fun to read, it introduced many different concepts and opportunities to talk with my children about the stuff of life.

Alfie – how I love Alfie! The books about Alfie and his little sister Annie Rose are delightful.  The story of when Alfie lends a hand – captures the dilemma Alfie faces when he insists on taking his blanket to a birthday party and then needs both hands for holding hands in a circle game and helping his friend Min feel safe – he has to make a big decision – he can’t do this and hold his blanket.  Dogger introduces us to Dave and Bella.  Bella again has to make a big decision – a wise and good decision for her brother Dave who has lost his precious Dogger and Bella manages to rescue him.  I am sure that my children learnt much from being read Shirley Hughes’ books again and again and again.  Shirley Hughes describes the world of the child with much honesty and her characters make wise decisions.  They are inspiring characters.  Navigating much in life involves growing in wisdom.  Such picture books are a wonderful tool for helping us teach our children about life in all its complexities.

I do want to support my local bookstore, and I bought a lovely collection of picture books I can use as gifts to welcome these babies to the world, but I would LOVE to be able to buy books by Shirley Hughes locally.  I certainly suggested this local bookstore have these books readily available.

Posted in Children's Books | Tagged | 7 Comments

Pearl Barley and Charlie Parsley

Posted on March 9, 2011 by sarahcondie

Pearl Barley and Charlie Parsley are friends.  Really great friends.  This is a story about friendship and despite the differences between them, they appreciate the differences in each other.  I discovered this book at the end of last year while browsing in the bookshop where my son works and I simply had to buy it.  I don’t have small children, but the illustrations and the simple story drew me in and I wanted to share it with others.  This book by Aaron Blabey is a gem.

Friendships are a rich blessing indeed.  My husband gave a talk on friendship: “wisdom in friendship” from the book of Proverbs on the weekend.  I read this book aloud to the group and watched as this group of men and women engaged with the story, they laughed, they responded, they appreciated.  Who ever said that a picture book is just for children?  This book has a simple message that is profound – finding a friend is special and what makes that friendship so special can be surprising and unexpected.

I love these verses about friendship from Proverbs:

  • “A friend loves at all times”.  17:17
  • “Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart, and the pleasantness of a friend springs from their heartfelt advice.”  27:9
  • “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another”. 27:17

 

Posted in Children's Books | Tagged | 3 Comments

Growing Faith

Posted on March 9, 2011 by sarahcondie

Here is a picture of three generations of Christian women.  Growing Faith in action.  My Mum, my aunt, my sister, my daughter and me….  The legacy that an older woman can pass onto the younger woman – and then the young can learn from the older.

Growing Faith is a monthly e-newsletter produced by Anglican Youthworks.  It is now up to issue 8.  If you have children and are interested in reading about raising your children as Christians, you will find this practical, readable and helpful.  I have read all previous issues and have enjoyed each one.  You just need to sign up and each month, it will be emailed to you.  The articles are written by wise and thoughtful people.  I would encourage you to read it if you want tips on how to help shape and mould your young people and help them grow in their faith.

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A new Sarahs postcard snap

Posted on March 8, 2011 by sarahcondie

I have created a new blog for totally random reasons but I thought I would start with a photo of poppies as they are one of my favourite flowers.  A bunch of poppies can look quite ugly until the flower emerges from the pod.  There was a time in my life when I felt stuck in that pod, wanted to burst out of a shell and reflect part of the beauty of God.  It took me a while to feel like that pod no longer described me.  I am a wife, a mother, a Christian and I enjoy thinking and writing about issues connected with being this woman.  So, I plan to write about marriage, parenting, my relationship with God, books, walking, quilting and other random stuff, because sometimes I think about totally random things.  I will eventually close my old blog, but will continue writing similar things on this new blog.  You are welcome to read, comment or ask me to write about something that you would like me to write.

Posted in My Life | Tagged | 1 Comment