Australia Day

Fri 26 Jan was Aus Day.

The Ozzies don't hang out the national flag like we do back home. And most people celebrate the long weekend by going away...or like Tricia and Russell (whose guests we were), hosting a barbie in the backyard.

T took us on a tour of the house and pointed out all the DIY projects R had undertaken over the years. He built the pergola under which we sat. R jested that it took 15 years to conceive and was finally rushed out in time for Christmas. He laid the plumbing for the outdoor spa bath (imagine relaxing in your bath in the coolness of the open air just outside your bedroom, in a little enclosure surrounded by fernery and nothing else!). His dad built the couple their wall cabinet. So we see where the fondness for DIY comes from.

The DIY genes have clearly passed on to their older son as well. Matthew walked in during the barbie to update his parents on the progress of his latest project. He's painting his house, and doing it very meticulously - in the fashion of his dad. We heard about him sealing the corners and masking the lights and sanding down the walls and the fun he had with his spray gun.

Apparently it's a very Ozzie thing to do, fixing up your roof, painting the house, building your own shed...Just look in the Bunnings catalogue for all the supplies and instructions. Am not sure if it's because labour's expensive here and therefore people prefer to DIY or it's the reverse. I just know that back home, we would have rung up a contractor to come do up everything and gladly pay him to take care of the mess!

What we had for lunch:

Mains: Barbequed lamb chops and sausages
Starters: Green salad, Vegemite sandwiches! (T says this is in honour of Aus Day :-)), crackers and dips (the fave Ozzie starter at parties), corn chips (which Beth LOVED), salted nuts
Drinks: Wine, fruit punch (made with ginger ale, strawberries, kiwi fruit and mint leaves)
Sweets: Pavlova (it's apparently THE Ozzie dessert, and can be found at weddings), Lamingtons (a dark brown cake covered with dessicated coconut)
GREAT COMPANY

As my cousin puts it, it's such a privilege to be invited into someone's home cos you get to see a side of them that you wouldn't otherwise know about. We were overwhelmed by how transparent T and R are. Every room was open for us to peer in and admire, along with nuggets of info on why something was built or laid out in a particular manner, who lived and worked where, who was who in the family photos.

Above all, we were impressed and touched by the easy humour and affection between the couple (who just celebrated their 36th wedding anniversary in Dec), the warmth with which they embraced their guests, and their authenticity about things some of us might feel uneasy sharing.

Such as their younger son's near-death encounter as a teen and how it affected his brain and left him disabled. They call Andrew, now 30, their Special Child, because he almost died of a heart attack (T says he died and was rescuscitated). He lives on his own just across the road, is on a disability pension, has a defibrillator implanted, is sucrose and fructose intolerant, and loves Vegemite. His Nanna (T's mum Shirley, who is 79 and sews the loveliest children's clothes) told a beautiful story about how he responded well to Vegemite smeared on his lips while deep in a coma some years ago.

I watched Andrew as he chatted naturally and easily with his parents, and thanked God for second chances, and for the blessing the family are to one another. Most of all, I thank God for the warmth and hospitality of Tricia and Russell and Shirley, and for the love of God they demonstrate so amply as members of the church family.