September, October, Movember!

I've decided to participate in Movember this year.

If you aren't familiar with Movember here are the basics:

• People sign up to participate
• On November 1, all the guys shave their facial hair off
• For the month of November, men grow moustaches
• While doing this, everyone raises awareness and funds for men's health issues (especially prostate cancer and male depression).

I like my facial hair as it is, but this issue is important to me, so I'm doing it. I'm hoping to get a few guys to join me as a team. I'd like to have my team raise a few hundred dollars over the month. 

According to the Movember website, 3300 men will die from prostate cancer this year. That's tragic.

1 in 8 men will experience depression in their lifetime. Help is available. 

According to Lifeline Australia, suicide is the leading cause of death for people under 44 in Australia. That's unacceptable.

I urge you to participate. Do something. Anything to help.

You can donate through my 'mospace' page, or directly to The Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia, Beyond Blue or Lifeline.

Know Your Herbs

From The Australian Cookery Club circa 1976.

Australian Cheeses

From The Australian Cookery Club circa 1976.

Know Your Cuts: Veal

From the Australian Cookery Club circa 1976.

Know Your Cuts: Beef

Last week I found some cool old books and recipe cards at the tip. Over the next few weeks, I'll be posting some of the posters, cards and ads from them all. 

To start, we have some posters that came with a recipe card set from the Australian Cookery Club. The set seems to be from around the mid-70s and is in quite good condition. 

Click for a closer look!

From The Australian Cookery Club circa 1976

Odds, ends and very odds...

I've been a bit busy over the last while, with assignments and trips to Sydney and what-not. Here's a rapid-fire of the posts I forgot to post:

1. Neat finds at the tip!

8mm film projector in excellent condition, with original box!

8mm film camera with original box, instructions and carry-case all in excellent condition too!!

The front of the projector.

2. We saw our baby (the other one)!

It's a girl, but no name yet.

3. I had a birthday!


4. I got my full licence!

5. Addie turned 1!
We had a party and presents and stuff.

Presents!

"Don't you love the big pink cake I made you, Addie? Addie?"

How about a very hungry caterpillar cake?

6. We went to Sydney!

Due to the distance Addie spent a lot of time in her car seat:

Asleep on the way home.

While we were there I decided to test my morning manliness capabilities:

Manliness: oozing from every pore!

...and Addie stuffed herself with cake and sweets where ever we went (Grandparents don't help):

7. We returned to peas!

Our pea plants were covered in ripe peas when we returned, and heaps of flowers had blossomed too!

Freshly picked

Those that made it to the bowl after being shelled.

8. Last but not least, Tab's looking Fab!

What a beauty!

Catch you all soon!

Happy Election Day!

Well, by Sunday we should know who the Prime Minister is for the next while.
Last time, I did an informal vote on purpose. I didn't know much about the different parties and didn't really have definite views anyway.
I was on team that year and we were asked to hand out flyers for the CDP at one of the local voting places for an hour or two. When I got there, I found the flyers called for a total stop to Muslim immigration- something that sounds rather discriminatory for a secular society like Australia. So, I didn't hand them out very enthusiastically.
This election, I've reviewed a lot of parties' policies (ALP, Lib, Greens, LDP, CDP, Family First, The Sex Party and The Secular Party -even Senator Online [which I find ridiculous as it would be totally dominated by trolls]) and controversially (among Christian circles, at least) I've decided to mostly go Green.
I don't agree with all their policies (notably the abortion and gay marriage issues), but i do agree with most of them and their general ethos. The "Christian" parties (CDP and FF) make me cringe and the "Anti-Christian" parties (Sex and Secular Parties) go too far in the other direction. The two major parties don't seem to make a hard stand on issues that actually matter to me (like climate change) and I don't want to throw my vote away again.
I encourage every one to go check out the different parties, make up your own mind, put together your preferences and vote like you mean it!

It's My Birthday!

Today marks my 26th birthday.
I feel the past couple of years have seen me grow a lot.
Getting married and having a child has made me really think about the kind of man I am and the kind I want to be. It's amazing how these kinds of life events change your perspective.
3 years ago I would have thought the idea of committing to a 4 year (at 3-quarter pace) degree was horrible, but now I've committed myself to a lifetime with Tab and Addie (and more soon) so 4 years to be able to better provide for us all doesn't seem too big a deal.
Previously, I had struggled to make a 5-year plan. Now 5-years seems rather short-term.

Today I read this article from NYTimes about "emerging adulthood". Seems rather appropriate.
Here's a quote:

During the period he calls emerging adulthood [roughly 18-30 years old -A. S], Arnett says that young men and women are more self-focused than at any other time of life, less certain about the future and yet also more optimistic, no matter what their economic background. (p4.)

Apparently this is revolutionary stuff for the field- to establish a new 'age group', just as it was when we first started talking about adolescence as a separate time of life to childhood and adulthood.

I found some of the quotes from young people echoed what I felt/thought just a few years ago:

 “It’s somewhat terrifying,” writes a 25-year-old named Jennifer, “to think about all the things I’m supposed to be doing in order to ‘get somewhere’ successful: ‘Follow your passions, live your dreams, take risks, network with the right people, find mentors, be financially responsible, volunteer, work, think about or go to grad school, fall in love and maintain personal well-being, mental health and nutrition.’ When is there time to just be and enjoy?” Adds a 24-year-old from Virginia: “There is pressure to make decisions that will form the foundation for the rest of your life in your 20s. It’s almost as if having a range of limited options would be easier.” (p.6)

Julie, a 23-year-old New Yorker and contributor to “20 Something Manifesto,” is apparently aware of this. She was coddled her whole life, treated to French horn lessons and summer camp, told she could do anything. “It is a double-edged sword,” she writes, “because on the one hand I am so blessed with my experiences and endless options, but on the other hand, I still feel like a child. (p. 7)

Today, on my 26th birthday, I really feel like I have grown out of this stage and further toward a man than an "emerging adult".

NYTimes (via AOM Trunk)

Create more, Consume less...

A blog I love to read is The Art of Manliness. They just launched The Trunk and The Library of Random Man-Knowledge and have a great repository of articles in the archive. In April, Brett (&Kate) McKay, who runs the site, posted an article titled "Creating and Consuming: How to be Mature". The main motto of the article is "create more, consume less".
What a great motto!

Give it a read sometime.

I do think that there needs to be a balance between our consumption and creation, but in today's western culture there is a great need to be careful what we consume. Often people go a long time without any thought as to what it is that they are consuming from other sources- TV, radio, music, movies, books, the internets....
Much of what is out there is not wholesome (to say the least) and is unhelpful for a healthy, godly or peaceful life.

Some pics of Addie

Here's some shots of Addie from the last week or so!
It's nearly her 1st birthday!
Exclamation mark!

Gimme the camera!

Under the table at a party

Banana!

Look at those teeth (between the banana).