The Thomases

My book “Worth More Than Rubies” is being launched at Amazon tomorrow. And I’m doing a special offer with giveaways for a 24 hour period only. Of course, the book will always be available, but if you want to experience the special offers, then it needs to be purchased during the time period listed below.

The date is:

Special offer (24 hours only): From midnight 27th June 2008 AEST(10am 26th June - 9.59am 27th June US EDT)

See Amazon Campaign for advance details.

If you’d like to be reminded of the launch and the goodies that will be available please register below - you’ll get an email from me just prior to the launch.

Graham and I spent a weekend near Beechworth recently and we visited Mt Buffalo on a beautiful sunny winter’s day. Neither of us had been up there before so we enjoyed the scenery together for the first time.

We walked the Lake Catani track and as we drew near the lake we found a path that branched off from the main track. It was on the shady side of the mountain and probably doesn’t see the sun much in the winter. Why did we think this? Have a look at this picture. It was early afternoon, after lunchtime. The sun had been up for several hours and it was well past midday.

We had to tread very carefully and hold onto the rail so we wouldn’t slip. Evenso, it was very slippery under foot. We also just stood there watching bubbles move under the ice as it slowly melted from under the sheet of ice. When you’ve got all the time in the world and not in a rush, you can see some really beautiful sights – things that many people totally miss. Later, there was a young family coming along the path from the opposite direction and we could see them in the distance but were not close enough to yell out, to tell them to look out for the ice. They probably wouldn’t have seen it till they were on top of it and the kids were racing ahead. I hope they were ok. I’m guessing they would have missed the beauty of it all and especially the vision of the ice melting under the frozen cover.

Many friends and readers know of my passion and interest in the Proverbs 31 Woman. For those who don’t know what that means, perhaps you could have a look in your Bible, in the Old Testament (after the Psalms). She is a ‘model’ wife that King Lemuel is instructed to look for by his mother and that ‘model’ wife was both a business woman and work at home mum. Women worldwide read about her and aspire to have some or all of her traits.

Whilst we can never achieve perfection in this lifetime, we can certainly aim to make improvements on our lifestyles. Late 1993 I made a decision to return home to work and be here for our 5 daughters as they grew up. It’s a decision I’ve never regretted and there have been so many times when Graham and I have looked at one another and said how glad we were that I was home because… A couple of those times have even been because Graham has suffered injuries (not always from bike riding) and we honestly don’t know how he would have coped if I wasn’t home for him. Thank God I reached out to Him in prayer and sought His help.

It was a couple of years later after my decision to return home that a woman Pastor at our church of that time told me about the Proverbs 31 Woman and I eventually decided to do a personal study of her via a blog in 2006. That blog led to a book which was published in 2007. Not only that, but what I chose to do in 1993 ended putting me in the position of a role model for women worldwide once the Internet was added to the equasion.

Just yesterday I got a lovely email from a lady who is involved with my online team saying how happy she is in what she is doing and that she looks forward to every day with a smile. I read that out to Graham and he said to me ‘you’re obviously doing what you’re supposed to be’ and I had to agree. I know that I’m in my calling.

If you are reading this and interested in knowing more about this wonderful lady, the Proverbs 31 Woman, and if you’d like to mix and mingle with others who have the same interest, then please do join us! I’ve set up a network specifically for that purpose and the group is young and small but I’m sure it will grow. I look forward to lively discussions, prayer sessions, encouragement and support amongst the members, and some fun along the way too! Just click on the link below and come join us!

My daughters have watched me run a business for many years, during their growing years at home. Now they’re starting to branch out and do their own thing.  Two of them I want to highlight here.

Melanie, my eldest, is a very talented dressmaker and she is now beginning to take orders for wedding gowns, bridesmaids gowns, mother-of-the bride outfits and other formal wear. Over the years she has produced beautiful items of clothing and participated in the Melbourne Cup Fashion on the Field entries a few times.  When she married in 2004 she made her own gown and that of her bridesmaids, and since then has also done the bridesmaids for her youngest sister’s wedding. She has also done several other weddings and recently a few mother-of-the-bride outfits.  I’ve just been revamping her site to give it a new and fresh look and I invite you to go pay a visit!  Melanie-Jane.com.

Another daughter, Christine, works in the equestrian industry but has come home for a year after being invited to teach part time at a local college. The college had been researching equestrian studies last year and kept coming across Christine’s blog ‘Equus’ and in the end contacted her and offered her the teaching job since what they wanted to provide in the course, she’d been writing about.  She accepted and it’s been great having her back home.  She also works part-time at two horse riding schools and is never far away from horses.  I encourage you to go visit her blog as well as she always has interesting posts there with a series of interviews of people in the industry from all around the world.  Equus.

Mother’s Day - here and gone again in a flash!   But I did have a lovely day.  Hubby and I went to church in the morning and they had a lovely Mother’s Day service and honoured all the mothers there. Every single mother was spoiled with a give of chocolates and applause from the congregation. We had a Devonshire tea put on after the service.

Graham and I dropped into the local Reddy Roast to order dinner for the evening - I was being spared having to cook dinner for the family which was nice.

We had a peaceful afternoon as the all but one of the girls were not home. Chrissie was working, Angie and Mel were coming over with their husbands in the evening and Mirri was away on a camp.  So I spent the afternoon playing on my computer - where else would I be?

Late in the afternoon Mel rang to say she couldn’t come and was unwell.  :-(   I was saddened by that as I was so looking forward to her and Ryan coming over - Ryan and Graham get along so well and our time together is always full of good conversation and laughter.  Oh well.

Ben and Angie arrived just after 5pm and Chris was home around 6pm. By that time dinner had been picked up and we settled down to an early evening meal as Ben had an evening basketball game and they had to leave before 7pm.

Just prior to them leaving, and after an absolutely delicious and filling meal, Graham disappeared to bring me the gift the family had gotten me.  I’d mentioned some time ago I’d love to put a TV on the shelf of my new office desk arrangement and that’s exactly what they got me!  Wasn’t that nice of them?  It didn’t take me long after everyone had gone off for the evening to get Graham help me put the TV together and I moved around my books and shifted one shelf so the TV could be put above my computer monitor. Now, when I want to watch my favourite shows in the evening, I can still sit in my office.  Sick, hey?  But I loooove this room and am most comfy here.