Five books that changed who I am:

Bethany tagged me for participation in a book meme and I'm happy because talking about books + filling out memes = my kind of fun.

If it were even possible to compile a complete list of the books that formed and shaped me, I'm sure it would contain dozens of titles. Books have shaped so much about who I am. They've opened my eyes to truth, taken me to places I'm far too much of a wimp to go to, chastened me for being such a wimp, and helped me discover the beauty of words. I devoured books when I was a girl. Now, I chew more slowly but I love them just as much. Here are just five of the many I have been fed by:

1) The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom. I've read this many times since I was in my early teens. It's the true story of one family's loving defiance against Hitler's anti-Semitism in World War II, their own tiny world war waged by hiding Jews in a secret space in their home in Holland. Their defiance came at a great price, but it also resulted in great faith. I wish I could do this book justice in my brief review, but I can't. Honestly life-changing.

2) Passion and Purity by Elisabeth Elliot. I've read this one multiple times, too, and every re-reading provides me with something new as well as a fresh dose of wisdom and passion. Although some will argue with me (I'm looking at you, Anastasia Lambert!), this book is incredibly romantic with a unique authenticity and genuineness. It has changed who I am by exposing me to new thoughts about love and romance -- true love, which is so much more than happily ever after -- and pointing me back to the Author of it all.

3) A Chance to Die by Elisabeth Elliot. This is Elliot's biography of feisty, courageous Amy Carmichael, a poet who crossed oceans and cultures to break down the boundaries of caste exclusion and rescue young Indian girls from temple prostitution -- all of this in an era when frank discussions of sexual crime were highly taboo, especially from a middle-class, church-going single lady. Amy Carmichael said that she would rather burn out than rust out, and her burning is a challenge to my cravings for comfort and ease. [edit: Elliot's autobiography? I must have been half asleep]

4) On Writing Well by William Zinsser. This 'classic guide to writing nonfiction' might seem an unlikely inclusion in a list so far dominated by thoughtful discussions on life and faith, but writing is a big part of who I am, and this book has molded that to some extent. It's a brilliant handbook on the craft of writing and, though it has a decidedly journalistic focus, its sage advice rings true whether you write stories, review records, or scribble plays. Obviously, I'm still a work in progress as far as writing is concerned; this is evident by the fact that I crammed three cliches into two successive sentences. Awesome.

5) The Billabong Books by Mary Grant Bruce. Any number of books could also have gone here in the list, the spot reserved for fiction that I consumed like a starving creature as a young teen. But the Billabong Books (yes, I'm cheating by including a whole series here) are special in that they are so distinctly Australian. They are not brilliant works of literature (though they are good) and yes, they're decidedly dated when it comes to issues such as race, class, and gender, but they preserve so much from an amazing period in Australia's history. Written from about 1915 to 1940, they cover war, the depression, and the remarkable shifts in culture and society in Australia during that time. They are also wholesome, good fun adventure books which made me proud to be an Aussie kid. I read these books so many times I'm sure I could quote whole passages even now. They made me love living in a rural area, they made me love story-writing, and they made me wish I had an awesome older brother. Where is my Jim?

What would be on your list? I love talking books so I am opening this meme up to everyone. I tag you alllll! If you don't have a blog, feel free to leave your reply as a comment.

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Conversations:

Laura Elizabeth -- YES. I love the clashing, joyful riot of colours that God puts together in nature. So unlikely and yet so right.

Samantha R -- it's so hard to get good shots when you're powering through the countryside :).

Snoop.

As a little girl, I remember being incredibly intrigued by hiding-places-for-stuff. Because this has never faded with time, I like to think -- I hope -- that it's more than just being a busybody and, rather, has something to do with the fact that people's things reveal just as much of their personalities as what they actually say or do. I've always loved browsing others' bookshelves, and was mesmerised when, as a young teenager, an older girl friend let me look through her collection of journals and sketchbooks. (Her recorded memories inspired the recording of my own for years to follow).

All of which explains why, when I saw this what's-in-my-handbag meme floating around the internet, I had to have a go. Please take part -- I'll show you what's in my handbag if you show me what's in yours (oh, and, while I basically just tipped everything out and arranged it into pictures, I've thoughtfully decided not to include scrunched up tissues and old receipts; aren't you glad?).

The contents of my handbag include:

1) tiny cosmetics purse (+ cute birdy zipper tag)
2) striped notepad (thank you Caitlin & Tegan!)
3) Nivea Strawberry Kiss lip balm
4) Perfume tube (from Abbie)
5) Elizabeth Arden perfume (Mum!)
6) Broken crystal bag gems too pretty to throw away

7) Darius Bell & the Glitter Pool by Odo Hirsch
8) Of This & Other Worlds by C.S. Lewis
9) Isle of Swords by Wayne Thomas Batson
10) A cute journal from my mum
11) Moleskine small planner, week to page
12) Pens
13) Tissues

14) Cobalt 5 gum x 2 packs
15) Burt's Bees lip balm
16) Eclipse mints
17) Palmer's Cocoa Butter moisturiser
18) More pens
19) Listerine mint strips
20) Pain relief pills

21) Small cosmetics purse
22) Compact mirror
23) Nivea shine lip balm
24) Hair clips
25) Small tweezers
26) Bobby pins
27) Combs x 2
28) Digital camera
29) Phone
30) Tupperware Shape-O keychain
31) Despicable Me ticket stub

Believe it or not, I don't carry around a suitcase. All of this fits in my everyday handbag :).

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Conversations:

Simplythis -- and it's actually hard to articulate tragic moments like that in a way which expresses the sense of surprise and shock at being part of something but not downplaying the sadness of it.

Meaghan -- I didn't have goosebumps, but definitely feathers in my stomach.

Eweight -- mission accomplished!

Elizabeth Fay -- and I love you right back!

Samantha R -- so true. Good call.

10 things in 2009

My very super sister, Lauren, tagged me to share 10 things I want to do in 2009. Part of me wants to pick 29 things, since that's how old I'll be turning (um, eep?) and 29 things in 2009 just sounds so much cooler. But ten is definitely enough to think about -- especially when bundled with the ten spiritual and mental resolutions I hope to focus on (I'll post them later, because the list -- written by another many years ago -- has challenged me so much I really want to share it).

So: let's hear it for the numberrr ten!

01. Make 2009 the Grand Year of Correspondence. This means replying to the letters that have languished on my desk for many months, and then being prompt and zealous about writing in the future. It means keeping on top of emails and notes. Viva la letter!
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02. Write 200,000 original words as part of the Get Your Words Out project. This is both maddening and exciting. I don't quite know how it will all work, but I'm eager :). Watch my fingers (try to) fly!

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03. Read the masses of unread books in my to-read pile.

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04. Make as many gifts by hand, or purchase homemade. I intend to haunt etsy.

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05. Tell Mr. Sugar and all his unrefined cousins (among them Dextrose and Sucrose) that they're not welcome in my life except on rare occasions.

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06. Invest six solid months in exploring more freelance writing opportunities. Then, we shall see.

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07. Make a new and gigantic comforter for my bed.

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08. Keep my bedroom tidy. For some reason, this is harder than it used to be when I was twelve.

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09. Write incredibly witty and brilliant blog posts with which to amaze the world. Attempt to keep my blog updated. (Your comments at my last post will help here; thank you).

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10. Smile lots and lots. Even when I don't feel like it.

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What would be on your list?

It's a lovely day for a game of tag.

And apparently I'm "it". There've been tags and thingummies flying at me from all over the place, so let's bundle them all together in this post -- since it's too hot to play the real thing outside anyway.

Karli and Rachael both tagged me for the six by three meme. So here we go...

Six things I value:

+ the comfortableness of family

+ the steadfast love of friends

+ the strange loveliness of the worldwide church

+ the death of a perfect man for a bunch of otherwise losers

+ the existence of eternity

+ babies and their adorable fatness

Six things I don't support:

+ the global domination of cockroaches

+ spiders and their evil influence

+ the necessity of driving

+ no dessert before the main meal

+ the destruction of old books

+ humidity in high doses

Six people I tag:

+ you

+ you

+ you

+ you

+ you

+ you (I throw this tag open to the world!)

Meaghan tagged me with this one: The 15 factoids meme.

The rules:

Once you've been tagged, you have to write a blog post with 15 weird random things -- facts, habits, goals, or anything about yourself. At the end, post a picture, and choose 10 people to be tagged, listing their names and why you chose them to be tagged.

The facts:

+ I am really, really, really sunburnt. I've been slathering my neck with Aloe Vera Gel. The result is both soothing and greenish.

+ I love checking the mail but I haven't received anything handwritten for ages.

+ The above is decidedly my fault, seeing as I owe the entire universe letters, and not the other way around.

+ I frequently paint or draw right onto my brother's face. It's more fun than canvas.

+ For about one day, I had less than six books on my bedside table. This is like a world record for me.
+ Spiders haunt me, but for some reason I'd like to see Arachnophobia.

+ Lately my tastebuds seem to be changing, and stuff I previously liked I no longer like -- and, of course, the opposite.

+ But I don't think I will ever truly love tomato.

+ I have an epic scar on both my left and right legs because I was born with severe bilateral talipes. Thirty-two stitches at a few months old. Yowch.

+ My feet are still a teeny bit jellybean-shaped.

+ I like boys' movies better than girls' movies.

+ And books written before 1970 better than books after (generally, not exclusively).

+ Stickers are still as exciting to me as if I were six years old.

+ So is Christmas.

+ Making lists gives me an inexplicable sense of contentment.

The picture:

is at the top of the page and my sister tells me my eyes look weird. But there you have it.

The tagged:

include whoever wants to give this little game a try.

Finally, Bethany gave me an Uber Amazing Blog Award, which was super nice of her! Here's how it works:

+ Put the logo on your blog or post

+ Nominate blogs that you think are super.

+ Let them know that they have received this Uber Amazing reward by commenting on their blog.

+ Share the love and link to this post and to the person you received your award from.

I nominate:

absolute strangers who will likely never know, but whose blogs I love reading all the same.

+ Abraham Piper at 22 Words has, in my opinion, The Ideal Blog. I guess it helps if you're witty, intelligent, and well-grounded in theology -- and his blog is certainly all of that. In complete randomness, thoughts about daddies and diapers are interspersed with comments on culture and faith -- and all in twenty two words.

+ On Like Popcorn is one of those blogs I just stumbled across in some crazy surfing, and now I keep popping back for little visits, even though I feel tuggings of the embarrassed stalker emotion welling up, when I consider that a) this is someone's personal blog, and b) I've probably never even left a comment to say that I'm reading. But I recommend it to you all the same: this guy writes good.

+ Notes by Naive is pure lusciousness in blog form. Tommy's posts are picture-filled journeys of delight which make me both want to travel and eat nice foods.

+ Sarah Clarkson's observations about words and travel and faith at Itinerant Idealist are ethereal, lovely, and inspiring.

Still reading, all the way down here? You deserve an Uber Amazing Reader award! Pat yourself on the back!

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conversations:

Staish -- you're awesome. The end.

Taggishness :: favourites and other things

Many many moons ago, the lovely Bethany tagged me for this foray into favourites. I give you fair warning: I can never pick favourites. So this will, instead, be more of a first-thing-that-comes-to-mind or a reflection on my current favourites than my all-time, forever and ever best beloveds.

Who is your favourite author and why?
Let me give you about a million -- or six. I love John Piper for his wisdom and godly coolness. I love Elisabeth Elliot for her commonsense amazingness. I love Rosemary Sutcliff because her flawed characters are always easy to love. I love Ethel Turner because her little Australian people are just so beautiful, and they offer an amazing insight into upper-class Australia of a hundred or so years ago. I love Ellis Peters because her characters are as awesome as Rosemary Sutcliff's. I love Gene Stratton Porter for the pure deliciousness of her words.

(and Dickens! and Angela Hunt! and Laura Ingalls Wilder! and Ivan Southall! and SE Hinton! The list could, quite possibly, be endless)

What is your favourite book?
Again, there are too many to list. Let me offer one from each of the authors I just mentioned:
John Piper's When I Don't Desire God
Elisabeth Elliot's Passion and Purity
Rosemary's Sutcliff's The Lantern Bearers
Ethel Turner's Little Mother Meg
Ellis Peters's The Scarlet Seed
Gene Stratton Porter's Keeper of the Bees
(oh, and The Bronze Bow by Elizabeth George Speare needs to be in this mix, too)

What is your favourite Bible verse, passage, or chapter?
These always change depending on what work God is doing in my life. Currently I've been clinging to many of the most basic Scriptures -- the promises of His unconditional love and salvation, the reminders that it's all Him and none of me.

What is your favourite animal?
I know it will pain some of you, but I'm really not an animal person. Shall we rephrase it to Favourite Living Thing Other Than A Human? In this case, it would be my little water bamboo plant, Bambi.

What is your favourite girl's name?
These always change, too, and -- probably quite happily for any possible future children -- I tend to use them up on story characters. Just now, one of my favourites is Aspen.

What is one of the silliest things you've done?
Taken a great running leap to swing from a semi-detached palm tree branch. I'm sure you can imagine the rest of the story.

What is your earliest memory?
I'm tempted to say "womb surfing", but I didn't make that up myself. I remember lots of things from when I was about four or five: my grandfather driving a ute (with Santa in the tray) onto the street where we lived; my uncle giving me a little yellow Care Bears suitcase; our dog Jasper jumping all over me and licking me half to death; crashing my bike in the middle of the road and being paralysed with fear when I saw a car coming.

I'm not going to tag anyone because I'm so late in chiming in, but if you feel this out, do share your link because I want to read it.

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conversations:

Staish -- mm, Jerry Bridges! I may have to request a loan when I am finished with the current mammoth pile of books I have of yours. (Looking forward to tomorrow evening! xox)

Melody -- it's amazingly encouraging knowing someone else can relate. I've heard of that book; I'll have to look out for it. Finding my identity in Christ is something I could learn a whole lot more about. *hugs*

Sarah -- it's so lovely to be in contact with you in this way! I'll add your family blog to my sidebar so I can keep checking back. And, oh, leave loooong comments whenever you want: they make my day! (especially if we're discussing books) Isn't Laddie delicious? It's one of the best EVER. And are you liking Freckles? It's delightful, too, in a very lovely Porter-ish way.

Beth -- your blog post is in my favourites for when I can stop and read and digest. You can expect a comment when I'm done! Thank you so much for sharing that.

Caitlin -- oh yes; I love the parcel man, too! I hope your day was delightful!

BookJournal: a very meme beginning

Sorry to have gone all Quiety McQuiet on you this week here at the blog. It's been a busy one. I have been studying, working, making, talking, reading, planning, updating, socialising, risking, worrying, learning, and even a little unwell.

Because my head is elsewhere, I cling today to that beloved lifebelt of the blogger with an empty imagination, the humble meme. Today's meme has a purpose other than simply taking up space in your feed reader, however: it's the beginning of a beautiful new thing, the first of a bunch of bookish discussions I want to have with you all. I was thinking Thursday would be a great day to talk books -- but they might slip in anywhere -- and I'm starting with The Great and Wonderful Book Meme:

What was the last book you bought?
Hmm. This is a hard one (particularly since I've been poor superawesome at not buying books lately). No. Wait. I've got it. It was The Guardian of the Veil by Gregory Spencer.

Name a book you have read MORE than once:
There are many, with the Bible being at the top of the list as a constant re-read. Little Women is also a biggie. I probably read it ten or twelve times between the ages of ten and twenty.

Has a book ever fundamentally changed the way you see life? If yes, what was it?
I'll steer clear of the obvious answer here and mention a more unlikely life-changing book. L'Abri, by Edith Schaeffer, gave me a whole new insight into the concept of community and relationships within the body of Christ. It was pretty cool. I think I need to re-read it.

How do you choose a book?
If I'm at the library, I'll take a chance on a book based on its title and the blurb. Sometimes I'll pick one up if it has a really cool cover. But mostly I go with books others have recommended to me or authors whose books I've loved previously.

Do you prefer Fiction or Non-Fiction?
I couldn't decide! I read more fiction, because it's delightful and so easy to read. But non fiction has definitely impacted my life in greater ways than (most) fiction.

What’s more important in a novel - beautiful writing or a gripping plot?
Neither; the characters are the most important.

Most loved or memorable character:
I don't like "mosts" and "favourites" because they change too often and one could take hours to decide. So I'll play the first-thing-that-comes-into-my-head game and say Daniel, from Elizabeth George Speare's The Bronze Bow. I could identify with him heaps and would also like to marry him as he was on his way to becoming a great man. Too bad he's fictional.

Which book or books can be found on your nightstand at the moment?
My little ESV.
Postern of Fate by Agatha Christie.
The Chosen by Chaim Potok.
Feminine Appeal by Carolyn Mahaney.
Did I Kiss Marriage Goodbye? by Carolyn McCulley (reread)
Solo by Eugene Peterson et. al.
God's Guidance by Elisabeth Elliot.

Yes, I'm in the middle of them all. Ridiculous, isn't it?

What was the last book you’ve read, and when was it?
I'll say last book finished, since I'm in the middle of a few just now: The Guardian of the Veil by Gregory Spencer, and I finished it at the end of September.

Have you ever given up on a book half way in?
Heaps of times. It's disappointing, but usually I quit because a) the content is worthless, b) the writing is incredibly poor, or c) the book is not right for just now.

What are you reading just now?

In lieu of a real post:

I'm formulating some thoughts (it takes me ages these days -- must be thick), but in the meantime:

How well can you...

cook? I don't cook heaps apart from my two cooking nights per week (Wednesday and Saturday if you want to test out my skilz) and the odd baking fest, but I think I'm okay at it. I am a master at changing recipes. Watch me replace ingredients!

sew? My lack of skill in the construction of actual wearable clothing appalls me; it's embarrassing actually. But I love to cut up fabric and stitch back together. Straight lines are my delight. And hand stitching is fun!

clean? Hmm. Best to remain silent here. I love vaccuuming and tidying, folding washing and washing up... but toilets and showers not so much.

sing? Worse and worse with every passing year. (On first attempt, I accidentally wrote sin in place of sing; I tend to be a natural at that, too).

play an instrument? I used to be so much better at playing the piano. I need to practice!

write? I love it. Love it, love it, love it. And the stuff I produce that I think is good usually isn't, while the stuff that I think is rubbish usually gets some encouragement. I have so much to learn.
read? Awesomely. I'm good at reading. Please give me a gold star.

paint or draw? If it's a matter of splashing paint across a page, I rock. I looove to play with paints! If, however, the paint needs to resemble a recognisable person or place... this is another story entirely.

tell stories? Verbal communication is sometimes scary for me. I talk a lot (my family nods) but sometimes I feel certain I must say what I need to say in a third of the words necessary, and so I am a rather lame storyteller.

persuade? Hmm. I really don't know. Let's test my powers of persuasion right now: whoever you are, if you're reading this, please send me a never-ending supply of Krispy Kremes. Thank you.

resist those who persuade you? Again, I'm not sure. Let's test once more: Krispy Kremes? For me? Oh, you shouldn't have. You should have? You really think so? You want me to take a dozen? And eat them right now? Okay then.

dress? I am pretty bad at this, but I have a lot of fun -- and terror -- experimenting, all the same.

decorate a room? I love decorating rooms, so does it really matter if they look weird when I'm done? I thought not.

decorate a cake? I have made a Very Super Rocket Cake before.

parallel park? Boom-boom. Not Well At All.

[and here I insert my own additional question:

spell parallel? Badly on the first go through.]

regular park? In one swift turn.

control yourself around food? I think my above imaginary dialogue which happens to mention Krispy Kremes may, in fact, answer this question.

control your strongest emotions? I mostly don't reveal them unless I know someone wants to see them. Family is an exception to this rule. Sometimes they get emotion whether they are ready for it or not.

take care of children? Are they naughty ones or good ones with just a creative spark of mischief?

make a cup of coffee? I don't think this is my forte.

motivate yourself? I love me a good deadline!

organise? Organisation is sometimes my middle name. Other times my middle name is Disarray.

make a deadline? See above answer to 'motivate yourself?'

make others feel comfortable? I would love to be brilliant at this, but I am not sure. Do you feel comfortable right now? If you don't answer honestly, it may suggest you do well at controlling your strongest emotions (again, see above).

wrap a gift? I always make those corner bits look bulky.

dance? Inside of me there is a boy band just waiting to break out. It's the attempts to do so that cause me some concern.

swim? I always worry the lifeguard will rescue me when I'm just moseying out in the waves on my own.

debate? I flee confrontations. So the answer to this one is: badly!

Now I would like to see your answers, please!

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conversations:

southeastcountrywife -- thanks for the congrats! I hope you liked the emailed pics :).

Sarah -- what a delight to receive your comment (and a long one, too, yippee!). Yes, Google is beloved over here, too. It's always funny watching Google change with the US seasons/events while ours are nothing alike. Thanks for the congratulations and love to the gang!

Celeste -- (or should that be ? :D) thank you for your sweet congratulations! I'm pretty excited :). Oh, and thank you for your kind words; you encourage me!

The Fantastic Four

Courtesy of Narelle. Play along, folks. You know you want to.

Four jobs I've had:
1. columnist at Country Threads magazine
2. freelance writer for Architect & Builder magazine
3. editor of Whatsoever Magazine
4. freelance project designer for Homespun magazine

Four movies I've watched more than once:
1. A Series of Unfortunate Events
2. Remember the Titans
3. The Great Escape
4. Master and Commander

Four places I've lived:
1. Singleton, New South Wales
2. Bowen, Queensland
3. Nhulunbuy, Northern Territory
4. Mandurah, Western Australia.

Four places I've been:
1. To the letterbox.
2. To the bookshelf.
3. To the library.
4. To the secret stash of sugar-free treats.

Four favorite foods:
1. Chocolate ::smirk::
2. Chocolate cake
3. Chocolate mousse
4. Chocolate milk.

Four places I'd like to be right now:
1. At the front door opening the box of advanced reader copies of my novel. The dream!
2. In a Borders store using up a gift card of an indeterminate value with some zeros after it.
3. Lying on my bed with a book.
4. Having an unbirthday party with all my favourite people in the world.

Four things I am looking forward to this year:
1. Tasmania, and the snow and old buildings it will show me.
2. Discovering whether my due-to-be-born-in-September nephew is actually going to be named Jack and whether, in fact, he will even be a boy.
3. Christmas. It's always great.
4. Seeing if my brother can actually become the rock star he would like to be.

Four TV shows I watch:
1. Foyle's War
2. Poirot
3. The West Wing
4. Numb3rs

Four speakers I appreciate:
1. John Piper
2. Barbara Hughes
3. Josh Harris
4. Peter Barson

Four gifts I like receiving:
1. letters
2. secondhand books
3. something made
4. surprises.

Four things I like doing:
1. being an aunty
2. going to young adult's Bible study
3. chatting with girlfriends
4. organising bookshelves

Four things I like to hold:
1. old books
2. fat babies
3. oranges
4. a comfortable pen

Four things I think need addressing:
1. the irresponsible use of apostrophes
2. hatred of policemen
3. why driving is such a horrid thing
4. integration of the generations.