Heart Reflections Live

I'm very excited at the moment, as my Aunt, Fay Bradford,(our family historian and author of "One Way Ticket") has set up a family history website to supplement her wonderful book, and to keep family up-to date on family news as well as any memories, stories or anecdotes that come to mind.

I'm mentioning this on my blog, as I have a variety of international readers, who might just happen to know people of the surname Kuskopf, in particular, or of some of the other compatriot families mentioned who immigrated around the same time- we know that some went to Illinois.

US, so there could be descendants anywhere now, and it would be so exciting for my Aunt to be able to add to our family tree.

the website address for "One Way Ticket Revisited" is http://onewayticketrevisited.weebly.com/

The picture I have included is a special one for me. The parents in the middle are my Great Great Grandparents, Peter and Catherine (pronounced Caterina) kuskopf. Catherine was formerly Rehder from Kellinghusen in Schleswig-Holstein. They were the first settlers in Palmwoods on The Sunshine Coast, north of Brisbane in Queensland.

Catherine, was Peter's second wife-their own children together were the 3 girls and the baby boy on her lap. but she was greatly loved by the children of both families. She was a woman of great grace and character, and I wish I could have known her. Seated next to her mother's shoulder is Catherine, my Great Grandmother, who went on to grow up and have 17 children.

Our family heritage is very important to me, to keep the stories alive in our children's hearts and minds- the perilous sea journeys and the providence of God. The wonderful people who walked this way before us, must never be forgotten.

Labels: Australia, family history, heritage

My Country
© 1904 Dorothea MacKellar
The love of field and coppice, of green and shaded lanes,
Of ordered woods and gardens is running in your veins.
Strong love of grey-blue distance, brown streams and soft, dim skies-
I know but cannot share it, my love is otherwise.

I love a sunburnt country, a land of sweeping plains,
Of ragged mountain ranges, of droughts and flooding rains.
I love her far horizons, I love her jewel-sea,
Her beauty and her terror- the wide brown land for me!

The stark white ring-barked forests, all tragic to the moon,
The sapphire-misted mountains, the hot gold hush of noon,
Green tangle of the brushes where lithe lianas coil,
And orchids deck the tree-tops, and ferns the warm dark soil.

Core of my heart, my country! Her pitiless blue sky,
When, sick at heart, around us we see the cattle die -
But then the grey clouds gather, and we can bless again
The drumming of an army, the steady soaking rain.

Core of my heart, my country! Land of the rainbow gold,
For flood and fire and famine she pays us back threefold.
Over the thirsty paddocks, watch, after many days,
The filmy veil of greenness that thickens as we gaze.

An opal-hearted country, a wilful, lavish land -
All you who have not loved her, you will not understand -
Though earth holds many splendours, wherever I may die,
I know to what brown country my homing thoughts will fly.

Labels: Australia

Since, I have so many international readers, I thought I would do a couple more posts on Australian foods and culture.I enjoy so much learning about YOUR countries via your blogs, I thought I'd share a little from mine.

Being born in the late sixties and growing up in the seventies, our meals were greatly influenced by English foods. One of my Grandfathers was British,and our heritage is strongly English and German. We grew up mainly eating very traditional meals of meat and 3 vegetables per meal, followed by a homemade milk pudding.We never had international foods, and takeaway was always Fish and chips or accasionally a pre-cooked chicken. Roast Lamb dinner has traditionally been the Aussie favourite over the years, but in recent times with the influx of more international foods, Spaghetti Bolognaise officially tops the list as the favourite Australian Aussie meal!

THE PAVLOVA: is our famous Aussie dessert. It is a huge merengue shaped like a cake. We usually buy the shell, top it with whipped cream and fruit and/or crumbed chocolate.

VEGEMITE: In the Bible there was Israelites, Canaanites, Jebusites, Hivites- in Australia we are a nation of Happy Little Vegemites! This is a dark yeast based spread rich in Vitamin B. I sometimes have it on toast, lightly spread over butter. It tastes like...Vegemite. Forget Marmite and Promite- they are totally different. The only substitute we sometimes buy is Mighty Mite by Three Threes- it is Ausralian owned, and very very close in taste.

THE MEAT PIE: Yum, what can I say? We actually have stores over here that specialize in meat pies. They are also the all-time favourite food sold at sporting events over here. There used to be a TV jingle over here when I was a child that went "Football, meatpies, kangaroos and Holden cars!"

The Lamington: These are a plain vanilla cake, cut into large square serves, dipped in chocolate icing, then dipped in dessicated coconut. Very nice.


Please don't ask about delicasies such as kangaroo, crocodile or snake- I was tricked into eating a Kanga-banger one night (a kangaroo meat sausage)I felt so sick after finding out what it was, I can't remember what it tasted like!!!


Anyway, that's a brief run-down on some of the main foods people associate with our great country Australia.

Labels: Australia

Well, tomorrow is Australia Day- January 26th- and so this week I've been reflecting on our Aussieness, mateship, and the wonderful things God has blessed us with that are unique to Australia.

I've dug through our DVD cupboard for some Australian movies for our girls to watch, and have come up with "The Man From Snowy River", and "Phar Lap"- both our girls are interested in horses at the moment- Talitha especially! Our copy of "The Lighthorsemen" is out on loan at the moment, we also have the Australian mini-series "Against the Wind" made in the 1970's, which is the true story of the lives of 2 convicts, and gives a good look into the history of Australia, and the bad corruption in the country's ruling authorities, prior to the Govenor Lachlan Macquarie coming to power. If you live in other countries and wish to learn more about Australia, try to hire these movies they are very well done.

Well, Australia can take credit for Vegemite( no it doesn't taste like axle grease!), the Victa Mower, the Hills Hoist Clothesline, the "Queenslander" style house with its wide verandahs ( A verandah is similar to the porch on a home in the South part of the USA, only it sometimes goes all around the house) No we don't live in one (sigh!), Tim Tams-Yum,Drizabones, RM Williams boots, and Arnott's Biscuits. I find it sad though that some of these things are no longer owned by Australia.... ( Buy Australian!! Aussie readers please!)

Our nation is the home of The Great Barrier Reef, Ullaru, Cradle Mountain, beautiful opals, the kookaburra ( We have gum trees in our street and often see kookaburras- my favourite!), kangaroo, koala, platypus, red deserts, and lush rainforests. We are truly blessed.

So what uniquely Australia stuff have we got in our home? Let's see... We have Blinky Bill ( a koala character) and a traditional Koala that plays "Waltzing Matilda" in the cot; I collect things with kookaburras on them- 2 vintage jugs(pitchers), some wall prints, a fridge magnet, a hand painted tile hanging in the kitchen; Darcey Doyle Artwork-images of vintage Australia, a copy of "Snugglepot and Cuddlepie"; and some stuffed toy Aussie animals for the children to play with.

Some facts you may not know: Australia has been named "The Great South Land of the Holy Spirit" by Portuguese explorer Pedro Fernandez de Quiros in 1606.He was the first recorded European explorer to lay claim to Australia.

The constellation The Southern Cross is on our flag and hangs in our Southern skies. Each star shows the exact points where our Lord Jesus Christ shed His blood for the remission of our sins. Our nation has had its share of droughts ,floods and natural disasters. Recent surveys say that mateship is now second in Australia to getting ahead. We need to pray for our nation, that God would drive us to our knees, and exhort us to "Look up"- He is there for any hardened sinner who'll look to the One who is there, and whose enduring sacrifice is illustrated above.

Labels: Australia