Saturday 29 June 2013

Bye Janet

































Our much-loved family pet died last night.

She had seen 14 summers, a pretty good innings for a dog, but of course, the longer she lived, the more the attachment grew, so she will be missed.

She was a birthday present for our youngest daughter, then aged eight, who chose her from a litter of pups in a pet shop because she was the ugliest.

My daughter’s eight-year old reasoning went something like this – “She’s so ugly – no one will buy her, so I will rescue her from being abandoned”.

My daughter called her the first name that popped into her head – Janet.

Raised eyebrows at the name choice cut no ice. Her dog – her naming rights.

Janet was remarkably ugly and eternally confused, but she loved everyone, with the possible exception of our recently acquired adolescent Heeler who tried, always unsuccessfully, to play with her.

The Heeler was three times her size, and a fraction of her age, so it didn’t work.

Janet became part of the daily routines, running into the backyard barking to chase away any threats when my bride hung out the washing, and racing into the shed to clear out all the bad genies before I commenced my daily wood-splitting in winter.

She would disappear into her doghouse in the laundry as soon as the sun went down, and her reappearance next morning would never happen until the sun was high enough to warm her up.

On bleak days she hibernated. She did feel the cold.

She never really understood the weather. She’d stand outside in the rain, getting wet and looking pathetic, despite a plethora of warm sheltered places available outside. Usually, someone would take pity on her and let her into her refuge in the laundry.

She loved walks, but never understood the leash, and when younger and sillier, would almost choke herself. Many attempts to teach her her to heel were unsuccessful, whereas the Heeler learned in a few trials.

She was a gift, and a as it turned out, my daughter made a wise choice 14 years ago.

Monday 24 June 2013

Proud of my City



Excerpt from our parish newsletter - click to embiggen.





































Toowoomba has been identified as a Refugee Welcome Zone.

This is in stark contrast to the demonizing of refugees that has become a hallmark, now bipartisan, of the debate on the national scene.

 Scores of refugees from backgrounds as diverse as Somalia, Iraq and Sri Lanka have made the Garden City home in the last few years.

It has happened with the minimum of fuss, and I don’t think the good burghers of Toowoomba live in fear of terrorism. Not the last time I checked, anyway

Nor do we believe we will be murdered in our beds.

Contrast this with the hate and loathing spewing forth from the likes of Scott Morrison and Cory Bernardi.

What has helped is an active set of Christian communities, represented by agencies such as TRAMS.

The local regional council has also become involved. The bloke in the blue shirt with the grey hair in the pic in my first link is the TRC mayor. Where else would you see a Conservative Lord Mayor taking to the streets in support of multiculturalism?

At least I can be proud of my city. Unfortunately, at the same time I'm ashamed of my country.

Taken for Granted

Pic courtesy Leader Today Yesterday I went to the state school down the road, and voted in the local government elections, something I'v...