Nephew #1, Tima, just woken from mid-day sleep. 

Nephew #2, Misha. He was somewhere between 3 and 4 weeks old at the time. He is now 7 weeks old.

Me after a long day's work in a woolshed. A zoomed-in picture would show all the fine wool attached to the shirt and the general grubbiness. Add to the smell of the sheds the smell of cigarette smoke from the other workers in the van...

This is the airoplane that I flew in my first training flight. 

Taking God shopping

My older sister Narelle and I went to Palmerston North to run several errands, but the major one for me was to spend some of my hard-earned money on materials for several pairs of work trousers, which Narelle had offered to sew for me. Narelle, in the hope that she wouldn't have to do all the sewing after all, suggested that we visit Savemart, which sells masses of second-hand clothes, mostly in extraordinarily good condition. [I always wonder why people throw out such things.] Well, I did find one pair of longs, but that was all in that department, so we had to go to Spotlight anyway (after which I shall end up with three pairs of longs for $16.50 each!) BUT... here's the blessed thing: I came away from Savemart with 6 good-quality work shirts (actually, one makes a pretty good winter dress shirt, including a button-down collar - I got them all out of the menswear department - hehe), two of them summer short-sleeved, the others brushed cotton or heavier, including one that new would be worth $80-100, and another not far behind; 2 pairs of knee-length shorts, both very neat styles - I don't see any necessity to be scruffily clothed just because I'm farming; plus the longs, all for $56.40!!! The $80+ shirt was also at half it's usual Savemart price, so was only $4.50. Add to that the fact that a Dannevirke friend had accidentally left his glasses in a fitting room, came back for them, stopped to chat to Narelle (who was acting as room attendant, passing clothes back and forth - you're only permitted three items in the fitting rooms at one time), found out why we were shopping, and mentioned a certain type of shirt that might interest me, pointed out where they could be found, then left - with his glasses. We checked out the shirts and found only one - that normally-so-expensive one! I'm sure God somehow hid that man's glasses so that he would come back for a divine appointment! I should take God shopping more often.
Now I have had to empty out the bottom drawer of my scotch chest - it held an interesting assortment of objects for which I have had no other space - so that I could have somewhere to store all my work clothes. That pile of clothes was also added to by Narelle, who has been hoarding favourite old plaid shirts and a couple of work jerseys for 9 years. We find it rather incongruous and perhaps a little ludicrous that Narelle, who would normally disappear into my clothes, is not only giving me hand-me-downs - or hand-me-ups, in this case - after at least twelve years of my being bigger than she, but she's giving me work clothes! She who hasn't been capable of that sort of work in over 9 years! Will wonders never cease?
(Narelle does have long arms, but it is I who slimmed down enough to need a size or two smaller in some things.)

Scholarship Update

Wow! Wow! Wow! God has done it again. It's not the provision I'm amazed about, it's the "over and above". I had the interview, which went well enough. I've been waiting nearly four weeks for an answer. The application form said that they provide up to $2,000 for 20 students, so I was hoping for the $2,000. The letter and certificate finally arrived today (I didn't get home until 6:20pm, so various family members were strongly tempted to open it for me) and I'm sure my eyes nearly dropped out, they were open so wide, and I suppose my jaw nearly hit the floor. The amount is for $3,500!!! Praise the Lord! What wonders God performs for His children when we let Him.