April surprises
We were in Mt Marshall for a week when our daughter arrived with the grandies! Instead of staying for two nights as planned, they ended up staying for 5, and that was fun!
We celebrated
my birthday and Cassie’s birthday…
We had pizza, pancakes and hot cross buns without end…
Kiddies’ mum
had a chance to catch up on some rest …
With three days of rain, we took a few days to adjust to an empty house. We were thrilled as the water tanks were filled to overflowing again. ๐ After the rain, we got stuck into completing some chores around the house and garden for a few days.
Because we’re
attempting to save funds, we are not doing much sightseeing. But the panoramic
scenery all around us is a feast for the eye and calming to the soul.
We also took
some time to give the van some TLC.
Website changes
First, I’d like
to explain some changes regarding this blog and our website. You received notices on social media that the blog has been separated
from the website, only to then receive an auto-generated email to say a new blog
is posted on the website … then you see it was a post from a month ago!
Confusing, I agree. ๐๐ฅด And I apologise.
To clarify, I
felt it safer to separate this faith-focused blog from the unDESERTED website as it (the website)
is registered in Australia. Religious persecution is rising, and Australia is
becoming a battleground for Christians. It takes one person to report ‘hate
speech’ and you are facing a potential litigation nightmare. We pray that the
tide turns soon, but we are not hopeful as the two main parties, the incumbent Labour
(socialist, Marxist) Party in Queensland and its opposition, the LNP coalition
(supposedly more conservative), are simply two sides of the same coin. The Labour
Party also holds the national government. Unless the voters boot out the same
old, same old, corrupt self-serving politicians and the woke socialists, I fear
Queensland, indeed the whole nation is doomed to more of the same. The ACL runs an informative website and
campaigns against the draconian laws that are being put forward nationally and in
individual states. I hope you find the time to click on the link and read about
what is happening here; it is no different to what is taking place in the US
and the UK.
But I digress … back to the website …I have brought our info up to date to reflect our current situation. However, when I removed the blog, I made a ‘Where are we now?’ page instead but found that it was harder to let everyone know when it updated. So, I created a blog page again, but this time it will be purely a travel blog. As soon as I published the Mt Marshall entry, the website remembered the previous blog settings and let everyone know that I had published a new post. ๐
I need to knuckle down and post more regularly, as I hope to place ads and eventually monetise. I am also hoping to soon complete an online store with a few digital items (mainly with a camping/travelling focus) for sale. I’m afraid my head is still off in 100 directions daily … trying to generate a passive, diverse, income. Perhaps I've bitten off more than I can chew, time will tell.YouTube Channels
LibSandy Proofreading
Some may know that I had this planned in 2019 before Covid hit. Because of Covid, I was unable to get going
and the whole idea had to be shelved in subsequent years. I have now resurrected
the idea to offer proofreading services and have been doing some refresher
training to that end. My focus will be on websites, business docs, social media
campaigns, etc. The tricky part is marketing it … while it may seem that we
must have HEAPS of time on our hands, I still find the days too short to
accomplish plans. My to-do list keeps growing. I would appreciate a mention
here and there if you know of anyone looking for proofreading. And, no, AI (artificial
intelligence) doesn’t cut it! AI is just not there yet, unable to understand
nuances, style and overall tone of voice in writing. Not to mention proper
grammar, picking up typos, knowing style guides and dealing with subjective errors. I rest my case, for now … ๐
So, to summarise, our website is found, as always, on https://www.undeserted.com with its own ‘Where are we now? ’travel blog page. For these entries, subscribers to our site will receive a notification email from the website when there is a new post, and new posts will be advertised on Instagram.
On the other hand, this (Christian) blog with updates for friends and family is found at https://undeserted.blogspot.com (hosted by Google). For these, I will post 'new blog post' notices on WhatsApp and Telegram.
Warwick
We make a trip every 14 days to Warwick for groceries. On one occasion we took the day to view the city. It is known as the rose and rodeo capital. We walked the route to many beautiful heritage-listed sandstone buildings, which are dotted about the city.
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Warwick Post Office bldg. |
We viewed parks and gardens, one of which has an iron sculpture as a tribute to the many roles of horses in society. The well-manicured Leslie Park had hosted the ANZAC day celebrations the day before, so we visited the war memorial to view the many wreaths laid in memory of the fallen, before enjoying a KFC lunch in the park. It was a lovely day.Glengallen Homestead
We visited nearby Glengallen Homestead and Heritage Centre, located on the northern slope of Mt Marshall.
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Side view and kitchen entrance |
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These protruding blocks are thought to be where an exact copy of the existing wing would have been attached. |
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Drawing room, Glengallen Homestead |
Various factors contributed to Glengallen’s neglect by owners and caretakers, with the property being sold in 1993 at a fraction of its value to the Glengallen Historical Trust. The latter made a case to the Queensland government for its heritage status and won. One of the interesting facts raised was that it is one of only two sandstone homestead mansions built over two storeys. With grants from the Centenary Federation Fund, restoration commenced in 2002. Restoring the balconies and verandahs alone cost over $1 million.
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Kerry Raymond, CC BY 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons |
On our travel blog, I hope to cover the story of Glengallen a little more fully.
With 2 weeks to
go before heading to Gympie, we know we will miss these views and the glorious
walks in the countryside. As winter approaches it has become quite cold already.
God willing, we are aiming to take a week-long camping trip back to Gympie,
stopping at a few new places we haven’t visited before.
Roller coasters are fun … right?
Why do people
pay to go on a roller coaster? This I read in a
discussion a few weeks ago. You take the roller coaster, they said, because it
gives a rush of adrenalin and thrills per second, delivers scary twists and
turns, fills your gut alternately with butterflies, fear, and tremors, and ends
in a rush of victory! Safe at the base station and still in one piece. It provides
belly laughs to all the spectators, who provide the photos to prove the
contortions in your face, eyes bulging, hands gripping wherever they can, and hair
waving wildly. If only photos could capture the screams …but we have videos to
thank for that. All in all, roller coasters are fun.
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Photo by Mitchell Luo on Unsplash |
And then God steps in! For the hundredth time you are reminded that you’re not alone. That He has a plan. That He is working behind the scenes on your behalf. You hear Him say that He will direct your paths. You find sudden peace amidst the storm; energy to put the next foot forward. The sun rises each morning, and the birdsong is new again. Our Lord’s brother James, in James 1 vv 2-4 encourages us with,
“Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.“
Oh my! Isn't that another form of thankfulness? Here is a quote from something I read last week:
“… life is still an
incredible journey. It is a gift from God, a never-to-be-repeated
experience wherein we get to walk by faith and not by sight. And the key to thriving
in a world that can be topsy-turvy is thankfulness.”
And this too,
“The thrill ride of life enriches us in a variety
of ways. It challenges and convicts us. It develops character and intimacy
through pain and perseverance. It shows us glimpses of glory beyond what we
could have imagined. It takes us beyond ourselves while making us deeply aware
of ourselves. All of it is an opportunity and a cause for thankfulness.” (From, The Transformational Power of
Gratitude, by Yellow Balloons and Grace School of Theology.)
Hope
And then there’s hope! Endless
hope, because our Saviour, Jesus, is for us and has promised to not leave us or
forsake us.
We are still
very much in the ‘waiting room’ as it were. We have faced trying moments as God
continues to work in us, on our fears and insecurities, teaching us to cope
with disappointment as a few of our plans have fallen flat. Living remotely has
helped us to think in isolation, and the Lord God has taken this time and place
to put us through the refining fire.
In a devotional I read last week by Reinhard Bonnke, he was discussing having the ‘eyes of faith’ when things seemed impossible. He said,
“We have got to get a new set of eyes first. We’ve got to have the eyes
of our hearts opened, and to do this requires that we abandon our fears to our King
and trust Him absolutely.” (From, “Watch With Me Series 2, on YouVersion.)
“Lord, I do
believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!” Mark 9 v 24
May His name be glorified at the end of this road.๐งก
Well, that’s us
for now. Thanks for stopping by. We appreciate each of you, your prayers, your messages and your encouraging wishes.
Blessings, Sandy (& AJ). ๐ผ