Roses - Kardinal

"Kardinal: A highly prized red-flowering hybrid tea rose bred in Germany in 1958.

A robust free flowering rose, it grows to 1.2 m in height, and has long strong stems that make it ideal for cutting and exhibition. The perfect pointed buds open to a large, bright cardinal-red flowers that are highly-centred and velvety."

Author: Mary Moody

Mr Lincoln

Mr Lincoln--- the most fragrant of them all.

Peggy's collection

Precious Platinum

Peggy's latest acquisition:
Precious Platinum

Sermon on the Mount

Sermon on the mount __ Recently voted one of the most important speeches made in history

Introduction, 5:1-2

"And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain; and when he was set, his disciples came unto him, and he opened his mouth and taught them, saying: ..."
Our Lord journeyed through Galilee "teaching in their synagogues and preaching the Gospel of the kingdom" (Matt. 4:23). The "Gospel of the kingdom" is the most important subject in the New Testament (cf Matt. 3:2). The Gospel and deeds of Jesus Christ were understood as messianic, especially when Christ was "healing all manner of sickness". Christ was accepted by the multitude as the Messiah. It was at this moment that Jesus left the multitude and "went up into a mountain" (5:1), which by tradition is located about five miles west of the Sea of Galilee. On this mountain Jesus taught His disciples and other persons.
The Sermon on the Mount was destined to become the universal charter of ethics and higher ideals that have shaped the moral principles of the civilized world. The Sermon on the Mount reminds us of Moses and the Mosaic law, the covenant and the Ten Commandments, which were delivered on Mount Sinai (Exodus 19:3f). At that time, God appeared in clouds and thunder; but in the Sermon on the Mount, God was present as a divine and human Being, the incarnate Jesus Christ, to utter clearly the revelation for the new creation of mankind.
The main teaching of the Sermon is not so much the kingdom of Heaven and repentance (4:17), which are presupposed, but the new piety versus the old piety of the scribes and pharisees (5:17-26). The Sermon encourages the Christian to apply in his own life these principles of piety. It opens with the Beatitudes (5:3-12), which describe the character of a true disciple, and of the Christian who glorifies God. and will enter His kingdom. The Sermon instructs the Disciples and believers, to seek the true righteousness and informs them that their good works are for the glory of God (5:13-16), not for merit and fame. It indicates that this righteousness is superior to the purely legal kind taught by the scribes (5:17-48) and practiced by the pharisees (6:1-18). For the attainment of this goal, a series of commandments are given (6:19-7:6 negative, and 7:7-23 positive), and the Sermon closes with the parable of the builders (7:24-27), all to the astonishment of the listeners (7:27-29).
The Beatitudes
"'Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled.
Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God.
Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are ye, when men shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad, for great is your reward in heaven; for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.'"
The Sermon on the Mount begins with the utterance of "moving lyrical strains of the Beatitudes." They constitute "the string of pearls" which adorn the crowning of Christian ethics. The Beatitudes are independent exhortations of blessedness to mold the character of the Christian believer.
Blessed is the translation of the original Greek word, makarios, which means much more than happy or fortunate. "Blessedness implies a feeling of being highly favored, especially by the Supreme Being, and often a deep joy arising from the present domestic, benevolent or religious affection" (Webster's Dictionary of Synonyms) (See Ps. 1:1; 2:12; 65:4, etc.)
The Beatitudes provide the specifications for the architecture of Christian character. Accepted as a whole, they provide the ingredients for the upright Christian character:
Blessed is the man who is poor in spirit, that is, one who feels so-the humble one, because humbleness is the gate which leads to the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are the mourners, who long to enter the kingdom of God, but who face many difficulties, such as sin and other impediments which block the way to the kingdom of God. Our merciful God will comfort them.
Blessed are the meek, the people who are not disturbed by their own desires, but trust in the Lord (cf. Ps. 37:11, LXX). Their attitude will be rewarded with the inheritance of the earth, which means through their convictions and trust in God they will inherit the age to come.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness. They feel the impulse and desire to fulfill the Will of God by their worship of and obedience to God.
Blessed are the merciful not only for giving alms, but especially for giving of themselves in helping others, who in turn obtain mercy (cf. 6:14; 18:33).
Blessed are the pure in heart, the upright, the sincere, the honest in every thought and activity (Ps. 24:4). They will feel the abiding companionship of God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, between neighbors and between nations, who have a peaceful mind to resolve human discrepancies. They should be the treasurers of divine peace from above in order to provide this peace for others who shall be sons of God.
Blessed are those persecuted for righteousness' sake. People who are armed with virtues of the previous beatitudes are well shielded to face persecutions for the establishment of divine principles of life. The kingdom of God is expanded to their hearts.
Blessed are ye (my Disciples) who resist evil and undergo persecutions by words and acts for My sake.
The blessedness of God is the source of men's rejoicing and gladness not only in themselves but also for the reward in heaven, as it happened to the persecuted prophets (cf 23:20; Lk 11:33-38).

Silver Jubilee

Here is Wendy's Silver Jubilee - given to Peggy as a gift

Roses

Peggy's latest acquisition--

San Remo Forever

Yi shi wei liao ( let food be madicine)

Have you ever noticed that most Chinese reataurants,(especially the good ones) are packed with Chinese families most days of the week and especially during the weekends. I am referring to the restaurants in the Capital cities of Australia. Try having Yam Cha on any weekend the queue is usually that long your waiting time is always more than an hour. That is because the Chinese love their food. The Westerners eat to live, whereas the Chinese live to eat. Despite that fact very few chinese are obese. Not many of them are fat fat, (know what I mean?). Very few have lobes of flesh hanging on all sides with buttocks that look like elephants' rumps.
Indeed the Chinese are obsessed with food. When a Chinese meets another kinsman he does not say "How are you?" He usually inquires, " Have you had anything to eat?"
The enjoyment of cuisine is also considered an art as well as a measure of culture. Like the French the Chinese are very serious about their cuisine. As far as cooking is concerned the French have done the most with the most whereas the Chinese have done the most with the least. Most Chinese will agree with the French gastronome, Brillat-Savarin,that "the discovery of a new dish does more for the happiness of mankind than the discovery of a new star"
Fancy having chicken feet in plum sauce or birds' nest soup or veges fried in shrimp paste? Yamee!!
Throughout history the Chinese have suffered from severe famines that they have learnt to turn everything edible into items for consumption.
The Chinese see food as something important for the maintenance of good health and many view that food and medicine should not be perceived as seperate. Eating a healthy diet is our first line of defence against disease and is a potent form of preventative medicine.
In the west,foods are classified chemically into fat, proteins and carbohydrates or fattening or non fattening.
Whereas the Chinese have two classes of food -- hot or cool.
'Hot foods' can be beneficial or harmful depending on the consumers' condition at any one time. Good 'hot foods' improves the digestion and stimulates metabolism. Bad 'hot food' worsens infections and fevers. Examples of hot food, ginger, chillies,
pepers, garlic, chestnuts,and beef.
'Cool foods' can also be good or bad at different times. 'Cool food' is cleansing and soothing.It relieves fevers. Excessive cool food causes runny nose, diarrhea, etc. Examples of 'cool food' are cucumbers, lettuce,and most fruits.
I don't think i need go into detail about the Chinese version of food chemistry. You still have to have a well balanced combination of hot and cool food to stay healthy and strong.
Avoid overeating especially meat.
Longevity comes with good food and hard work.
Enjoy your food but don't overeat.

The Hunt's Residence

I don't think this picture was ever posted on Wendy's Blog. It is the place of residence for the Hunt Family. Wendy wil be surprised to see it herself.

How Australians have changed.

What tickled me most, as I watched Steady, Ready, Cook, a TV Cooking Programme, last week, was the constant reference made to Asian ingredients like sesame oil, Indonesian ketchup manis, hoisin sauce and veggies like Bock Choy, Choy Sam, Kai lan and spices like coriander seeds and condiments like prawn paste. All totally foreign to most Australians not too long ago. The chefs, I am referring to were Aussies. They used the wok and talked about stir-frying as a preference to boiling or steaming vegetables.
Indeed Australians have come a long way. Walk into any restaurant and you are likely to find listed, on the menu, fusion food -- in reference to food with Asian Flavour.
I was at Byron Bay two years ago and I had the most delicious dish of shellfish (Mussels) prepared in Vietnamese style in an Aussie restaurant
Most Australians I know love Laksa and they are familiar with roast pork and Char Siew . Invite an Aussie Friend to Yam Cha he knows what he is likely to be served. Some will even tell you what they like to have.
When we first moved to Adelaide, in 1976, we would consider ourselves lucky if you could buy ingredients like coconut milk, or dried chilly from the supermarkets. You would have to travel to the city to buy the stuff you like in a Chinese grocer (at that time they were few and far between, now you find them by the dozens in any Chinatown).I remember we had to drive a few kilometers to a private home to buy bean sprout. To day bean sprout is served in Greek and Italian restaurants in their salads.
Walk into Coles or Wollies and you are sure to find one of the aisles marked Asian foods. Fruits like durians, mangoesteens and rambutans are displayed on the tables and shelves. Of course you pay for them through your nose.
When you invite some friends to your house for a meal they know what to expect. They will tell you there is going to be satay and fried noodles. Prawn on your BarB is a Vietnamese concoction, did you know that?
Jamie Oliver , the young English Chef, uses the lesung (mortar and pestal) to prepare his fresh ingredients for his cooking. Indeed the lesung is a symbol of a master cook and it is an item most sought after even if it not used for the purpose it is made for. They are on sale at Target, Kmart and BigW
Where do you go for the best Asian Meal -- the answer is Sydney or alternatively any of the capital cities in Australia.
Hawker food stalls are found in all food courts. Have a char koay teow (fried rice noodle) the next time visit a food court . It is my favourite, served with lots of chilly.
Enjoy!!!

End of Summer

If you have read Wendy's entry in her blog you would have come to the conclusion that EL Ninio has given way to EL Nina with a vengence. Indeed it has. We did have a very severe storm in our part of the ACT a few weeks back. It was one huge downpour accompanied with hailstones the size of marbles lasting about an hour that changed the landscape especially alongside the waterways and the lake which was covered with tons of debri. Wendy's report was centred on the CBD of Canberra. Yet in the south, where we happen to be, the rain was light and gentle. How widespread the damage is yet to be discovered.
The weather still remains warm , with tempertures down from the thirties to about 27/28 range and still very hunmid. The forecast shows rain / storm for the next week and contrast that with dry run we have had for at least ten to twelve months. We welcome the wet but not the devastating storms. We need all the rain we can get to fill our reservoirs and water tanks or we would have to get used to the idea of drinking 'poo water' that is talked about for some time. Our trees, lawns and gardens need the moisture to survive. We truly pray for the return of El nina and hope it stays for some time yet.

Birthday girl. Clad in her new pyjamas, sitting happily on her beanbag and viewing her cookbook.

A Very Happy Birthday

Peggy

The veges you see are the product of three months of care and attention given to the plants in the garden beginning with the coming of spring. They are our pride and joy. The unusual heat has given us an added problem. Nevertheless the plants survived. We are grateful to Him.
The fruit cake is the result of Peggy's experiment.
It was excellent -- richly laced with brandy.
'Yammy', said Wendy.

Icebergs in full bloom

This is what the front yard looks like from the left side of the house. We are now facing WNW (third down)

A very humble attempt to pave as well as spruce the backyard to improve its look and to save precious water

The appearance changes from year to year -- to keep ourselves busy and healthy.

It took me a while to upload this photo.It is of Sarah in front of the Palace in London. She is looking well and well travelled. Hai! Sarah. How are you?

Left: Busy, busy






Early bird gets the best bite
Yummy. Look !!!







More? Somebody's head of hair

Kevin, Terry and Damien planning for a game of squash

Old man, His wife and Linda

Vincent's girlfriend, Vincent, Vincent's sister, Christine Peggy and Jenny. Sorry if I can't remember all your names. I can edit them later.
Vincent with his girlfriend and sister on his right and Michael with his girlfriend on his left. Poor thing they have been waiting to be photographed all evening.

Christine chatting with Daisy while Tom's girlfriend looks on

Christine and Peggy (sister from Canberra)

Smile!!!