The Wedding Quilt

I have decided that I rather fancy a wedding quilt. If you're up for it, I would like a decorated square from each of our wedding guests that will be sewn into a wedding quilt card for our marriage bed.

So, for all you crafty men and women...don't buy us a Hallmark card. Instead, a six and a half inch by six and a half inch (now, now, stop being rude) cotton square, embroidered, beaded on or indelible penned upon will make a precious, treasured and most personal quilted wedding card from you. Alternatively, a knitted or crocheted square of the same proportions would fit the bill...as long as it's made by you.

Paul's Mum, Gilly, is going to sew all the squares together and we're going to sleep with each of you, every single night.

I know that some of you are inherently craftless so I'll take some squares of cotton and indelible pens to the wedding in the rainforest. Please, upon these squares, write us your message and help us to create a lasting memento of our wedding in the rainforest.

I've started my square and it will take pride of place in the centre of the quilt. Beautiful fillet crochet in fine white silken thread, it will read, "Make the bloody bed yourself." Just joking, I would never say anything so base!

If you want some hints on what I hope to achieve by sewing a combined wedding quilt, re watch "How to make an American quilt" (Winona Ryder, 1995). It's one of my favorite chick flicks and I intend to pull up a whole therapy around life story quilting by the time I die.

Who's Who in the Wedding Zoo: Alexander Renneberg

You've all seen the photos of the drop dead adorable Alexander. The reason we've created a face map is so that you'll be able to navigate your way through the sea of faces.

Well that darn Alexander has gone and spoilt it. Usually it's women who confuse by changing the colour and style of their hair, Alexander has gone one better. The little blighter shaved for a cure and now I can't tell if he's Alexander or a hairless, big eared burgular!!!

Check out his story at Boy Shaved for a Cure - Right Before the Wedding

Happy Birthday to the Norfolk Island Honeymoon Favourite Uncle: John Johnston

Today is St Patrick's Day. The history is long and firmly embedded with patriarchal and dominant discourses of phallocentric and religious dogmas. I won't bore you with the history, I'll wait until I've had too much to drink at the wedding and then do it!!!

Contemporary St Paddy's Day celebrations have swung back to pre Christian influences and revolve more around the mythical movements of small, red haired larrikans, dressed in green and pointing the way toward the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. The pot of gold is in fact xxxx and several inferior beer stops along the path to the bottom of the rainbow result in the served beer turning green with envy of their Australian beer peer.

Leprechauns are funny little creatures. Mythical Irish elves or faeries that occupy a magical realm somewhere between the physical and spirit world, they love their pipe, drink and solitude. 'Tis said that on occasion they become social, dance and engage in antics designed to drive the POMs to distraction

Ummm, sounds an awful lot like our honeymoon plans for Norfolk Island. We'd discussed going to Norfolk, a place neither of us has been before, but when we checked the prices we reconsidered!!!!! And then we spoke with Paul's Uncle John: a consultant for Norfolk Island. Our honeymoon pot of gold would not have happened without the discerning advise, assistance and finger pointing from that favourite uncle, John Johnson. Like a mythical faerie, John kindly waved his magic hands and organised some discounted fares and accommodation for us. YIPPPPPPPP YAHHHHHHHHH: you the leprechaun man John.

And why is he a leprechaun? He is neither red haired, 12 inches tall, dressed in ill fitting green suits, or a beer swilling larrikan. But, he is born on St Paddy's day and therefore, according to bastardised history turning back to the truth, he is leprechaun.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOHN JOHNSTON

and thank you from the bottom of our hearts

(I wish it was from the bottom of the rainbow - you'll just have to wait for us to win Lotto).

We Won an Award for A Wedding in the Rainforest Article.

Congratulations to all of us. We won the

GNMParents Hot Stuff Award for my article on

Children at Weddings: Acceptable or Non-Acceptable?

Who's Who in the Wedding Zoo: The Paul Giveaway (Jade Pinto)

No. I'm not giving my darling away.

It seems that I have upset the original princess (the one giving Paul away because the kids don't need him anymore) because I haven't included enough photographs of her.

So here's my beautiful daughter Jade (aka Nice Lady, as is Paul):

She doesn't look so good with her tongue hanging out does she?

But it's amazing what a bath and a bit of flea power does.

And here she is again on her wedding day, and with her husband Mark Pinto.

We've Been Nominated for a Wedding Article Award

We've received lots of positive comments on creating this wedding site. Many of our guests are saying that they love the information and the ascorbic sense of humour (that's Paul's contribution [said as I bat my eyelids innocently]).



Given that it is a private blog that only our guests can find, there's no RSS feeds or email subscriptions that assist blogs find readership in the blogosphere. However, I do on occasion raise a wedding blog on either my site (Child Protection: Serious Business) or Alexander's Home Schooling Aspergers site (it's okay, no personal information about guests goes into the public realm).



Having children at weddings has created some interesting debate, both amongst our group of friends and the wider opinionated world. I had not considered that some people don't like kids at wedding (we do!). In case I was missing something, I raised an article on whether it's acceptable to have children at weddings or not.

Well blow me down: the article has been nominated for an award.

This is what I wrote in response to the wedding article being nominated:


My greatest award and reward is my partners decision to marry me/us (six kids and me last of all). As I'm sure most people know, I'm getting married in 16 sleeps time. Our wedding is focused on the comfort of our guests, 30% of which are children. We think it's quite acceptable to have children at weddings and judging from article response, so do you.


Somebody has nominated my post, Children at Weddings: Acceptable or Non-Acceptable? for a Hot Stuff award from GNMParents. WOW! I am absolutely chuffed. Thank you to who ever it was.


The award works on a voting system. The post with the most votes wins an, "I'm Hot Stuff" button to wear on their blog site. There are four articles nominated. Head on over to GNMParents, read the posts and cast your vote.


I was also chuffed yesterday to receive a letter from one of our local politicians telling me I was nominated for an International Women's Day Award. WOW. That really blew me away. I was humbled, honoured and disbelieving all at the same time. The letter (pictured) will go into my precious box for safe keeping for ever.

I don't do the work I do for award, recognition or self gain. I work tirelessly for child safety because I want the world to be a better place for our kids. Whereas I see child sexual abuse prevention as the most important thing for me to do, I am thankful that there are other people who work to develop cures for disease, feed the homeless and starving, or protect our environment from total destruction. Without a healthy environment our kids wont have food to eat or parks to play safely in.

The awards though, need to go to the everyday parents who strive to keep their children safe. Parents worldwide are teaching their kids about personal safety, ensuring healthy diets, putting shoes and warm clothes on, celebrating rather than berating and loving, hugging and talking. These are the actions worthy of award.

Thank you to the person who nominated my article for the GNMParents Award and thank you to the person who has already voted for it. Even though I have no idea who you are, you guys are just the best.


To my children and my divine partner: I love you all the way up to the moon, around the sun and stars and all the way back again.

Related article and unsolicited praise from my youngest child: How To Be A PERFECT Mother

Hen's Party this Saturday

Sisterhood only

When: Saturday the 17th March.

Where: Greta Galloways house (three houses down from the Red Beret pub at Redlynch)

Time: 7.30 pm.

Bring: Plate of nibblies and what ever you're drinking. Greta's doing Pate, Punch and Pudding.

Dress: Like a hen

Contact Greta for more information: greta.galloway@jcu.edu.au

Greta, Allen, Catherine and David can't come to the Wedding in the Rainforest because Greta's facilitating a Family Therapy workshop in Townsville that same day.
Greta's daughter Catherine was M.C at my book launch. She's as high as a tree now - obviously gets her height from Greta (not).