Mary Mackillop was the first ever Australian to become canonised, on 17 October 2010 Mary MacKillop was declared a Saint
by Pope Benedict XVI and is now known as Saint Mary of the Cross.
she was born in Fitzroy, Melbourne, on the 15th of January, 1842 and died just over a hundred years ago on the 8 August 1909, she was buried in Gore Hill Cemetery but people kept taking soil from her grave so she had to be exhumed. She now rests in the vault before the altar of the Mother of God in the newly build Memorial Chapel in Mount Street Sydney. Her parents names were Alexander and Flora, Mary was the oldest of all their Children, her brothers & sisters names were; Margaret (Maggie) 1843-1872, John 1845-1867, Annie 1848-1929, Lexie (Alexandrina) 1850-1882, Donald 1853-1925, Alick who died only 11 months old and Peter 1857-1878. Donald would later become a Jesuit Priest and work among the Aborigines in the Northern Territory and Lexie became a Nun.
Mary was educated in private schools and by her father and at the age of 8 on the 15th of august, 1850, she received her first holy communion . Alexander was a loving father and devoted husband, but he could never make a success out of his farm, but he was even worse at a politician or anything else ( for a while the Mackillop’s had to live on the little money the children could earn), so Alexander Mackillop left his family and went on a 17 month trip to Scotland.
She left home to work as a clerk at the age of fourteen and gave all the money she earned to her family, and by the time she was fifteen, Mary had already decided she was going to be a nun.
In 1861 Mary went to work in a small town in South Australia called Penola, where she met father Julian Woods, a catholic preist, and he and Mary became very good friends. In those days, only very rich families could afford to send their childeren to school, so Mary and Father Woods opened the first ever free school, and gradually Mary grw more popular, until she had a reasonable group of followers. Mary took a vow of poverty, so she and her followers had to beg for money. She moved to Adelaide and opened another school, and eventually opened another school, and yet another, untill she had 17 schools under her care, but the catholic leaders didn’t like her independancy, and the bishopin Adelaide threw her out of the church, Mary was devastated and very poor but she stuck to her beleifs and the next year she was accepted back to the church, Mary was never bitter towards the Church afterwards.
Over 100 years after the death of Mary Mackillop, the sisters of St. Josephs are still working in towns all through South Australia.
Prologue
Hey, I’m Lexie, and this is my story.
I suppose before I start the actual story I’d better tell you about me. well as I’ve said, my name is Lexie, my full name is Alexandria Fae Mackenzie no-one calls me Alexandria. Um, I have muddy brown-blond hair and grey-blue eyes… very boring. I’m 17 years of age now but when the story started I was 15.
My mum died giving birth to me and my dad is, well hes not around to much… he pretty much lives in our back shed which is the equivalent of the local pub. The only ‘parent’ I had growing up was my grandmother, but she was never around much, grandad was a bit of a controlling husband and never let her out, sometimes Nana would sneak out the bedroom window like a, well not like a teenager ’cause I’m a teenager and I would never sneak out of my bedroom window, I can just walk out the front door!
Nana is always saying how lucky I am to have survived birth (although sometimes I wonder), how lucky I am to be as gorgeous as I am (pfft), how lucky I am that I haven’t been run over by a car (I can be a little absent-minded), and how lucky y I am to have her, which sounds a little tuck up but its totally true, Nana is the only reason I’m not down in the shed doin gdrugs and getting drunk with dad and his mates. She’s always rubbing that in.
I like to think of myself as an only child, but truth be told I have two older brothers. Mickey and Rickey are identical twins, once upon a time I was the only one who could tell the difference between them, but as soon as they stepped foot in dads shed, I pretty much disowned them on the spot. It’s sad really, ’cause when I was little they were the only ones who got in dads way when he got a little too rough, and when they started going off to friends places they taught me some self defence and about the magic in-between-the-legs-department, just in case any of dads friends got a little bit carried away. We used to play games in the little patch of backyard we had, but after a while dad decided that we weren’t allowed out the back after all, so we were constricted to the house and the tiny strip of front yard we had.
I really should be more carefulabout what I say, it sounds like pop is a horrible husband, dad couldn’t give a damn about me, and Mickey and Rickey are a couple of loons. Well none of that is true, pop’s a nice guy but he was brought up to beleived that women are good for nothing except cooking, cleaning and making babies and old habits die hard but eventually Nana talked some sense into him (she threatened to leave him after about 50 years of marriage). Dad is really a nice guy, just a bit of a mean drunk, he paid for my education and food and when he was sober he was the best dad ever. Mickey and Rickey, well I didn’t literally disown them, they’re still the most fantastic brothers ever, I would NEVER literally disown them, but I did refuse to talk to them for about 3 months, probably not even that long. I love them, all of them.
So I guess I’d better get on with the actual story, I’m probably just postponing it, I don’t even know why I decided to write it all down, Nana would say something about psychology and stuff, meh. I tried to talk to my friends about it, but I must have spoken a bit too fast, because the look on their faces made it clear that they hadn’t understood. So what nana would say aside, my excuse is my friends couldn’t keep up, I hope my keyboard can.
Oh no, I’ve done It again, back on track now.
PART 1
Chapter 1
So I guess the story probably starts when I first saw him. Him, with his scruffy brown hair, him with his miracle smile, him with his perfect face, and him with his big, brown eyes. Yes, that’s when, it started. I walking down the hall with Matt and Allie when I got my first glimpse of him, I know I blushed because Matt asked “Lexie do you have a fever?”
“Huh?” I replied
“You’re red Lexie, bright red.”
“Oh, uh-uh-umm.”
Lexie’s blushing! And I know why!” Allie teased pointing across the hall, “ Kristen Kamelesh, he’s been going here for almost a month, but of course Lexie wouldn’t have noticed, she’s always got her face in a book!”
I started to disagree but then she gave me this look and I stopped, she was right, but I sure did notice him after that. His locker was just across the hall from mine, which means I got to see him every day, even if he never saw me. Matt, whose locker was next to mine, (like everything else, he sits next to me in class and we’ve been next-door-neighbors for as long as I can remember.) reckoned I was stalking him and Allie, whose locker was next to Matt’s, was always threatening to walk across the hall and talk to him for me, which I totally refused to, well not totally, I secretly wished she would, it would take the pressure off me. Well, guess what? One day, she did.
Chapter 2
It was a misreable day and Matt was sick with the flu, so it was just me and Allie. we were talking about our geo paper that was due in next week, and my eyes kept darting off toward Kristen, “Where do you keep looking?” Allie quieried as she looked off into the direction I was looking. She rolled her eyes. “That’s just it Lexie, I’m going to talk to him.”
“Nuh-no!” I stuttered
“No ‘nuh-no’s Lexie I am going to talk to him for you.”
“Bu-”
Allie glared at me. “Fine.” I sighed and I turned back to my locker trying to look busy. Across the hall I could hear Allie and Kristens’ conversation.
“Hey, My name is Allison, Allison Jackson, but you can call me Allie.”
“Hello Allie, my name is Kristen Kamelesh, what brings you to my locker?”
“Well, Actually Kristen, you see my friend over there, brown-ish hair, red cheeks…?”
“Yes, Alexandria Mackenzie, I sure do see her…”
“Really? ‘Cause she’s just a teensy bit obsessed with you…”
If I was red before, than I must have gone white then, I planned to storm across the hall and set her straight, with my dignity in tact, but instead I tripped over my own feet and when I got across the hall, my strong firm voice somehow went to “Er um not obsessed that’s er-a slight eg-eg-egadgeration. I uh- don’t obsess.”
“Well I do… a little.” Kristen grinned.
“Yo-you do, do you?”
“Well, only a little.” he laughed. I should have known right then and there, that musical laugh just made it all too good to be true.
“You, uh wanna go to the movies one day?” Kristen asked.
“Er, pardon?” I couldn’t beleive it, it was just not possible, this just doesn’t happen to me.
“Well, you don’t have to of course, only if your up to it…” Kristen started to turn away slightly.
“Oh yes! Sorry of course yes, absolutely! Fantastic!”
“Great, 6:00 friday?”
“Yup, sure, I’ll just check my uh, what’s it called…”
“… Schedule?”
“yeah, tha’s the one.” I smiled a little shy smile, and he beamed back. Just then the bell went, we were going to miss Japanese with Ms. Chong, and she wasn’t the most paitent teacher in the world. Allie brought me out of my little trace. “Lexie c’mon, Ms. Chong’ll KILL us.”
“Oh… yeah … Ms. Chong.” to be honest I really didn’t are if Ms Chong shouted at me, i had just scored a date with the most popular, hottest guy in school.
Chapter 3
Our first date went great, we saw some soppy romance-comedy that I can’t remember the name of, I didn’t watch it to closely. We went on a second date, then a third, then a fourth, a fifth, until it was known throughout the school that Kristen Kamalesh was going out with Lexie Mackenzie, and through my relationship with Kristen, I gradually climed the social ladder, until I was sitting at the popular table, and I honestly thought that I was friends with all of them, I was so naive.
Chapter 4
It was Brittanys’ sweet sixteenth, and by now I had already turned sixteen as well. She was having the biggest party in the history of Australia, and the whole school was invited, except, of course for the ‘freaks’ at that time I didn’t realize that ‘freaks’ included my almost-forgotten friends, Allie and Matt.
I was dressed in a blue and grey swirled dress, matching the emotional storm I was about to go through. Me, Laura, Skye, Emma, Raechel, Fiona and Dianne all drove up to Brittanys’ in Raechels’ hot pink limo. the interior was black and hot pink leather seats, if you havn’t already guessed, Raechel loves pink, she was even wearing a hot pink mini-skirted, v-necked dress. Emma sat to my right, looking dangerously stunning in a black dress with red hemming and a red satin ribon under her bust, to my left in a long floaty pastel green-ish dress sat Skye. Fiona & Dianne are identical twins, they wore the same style mid-length dresses, Fiona in de ep green and Dianne in royal purple. There we all were, dressed up for a great time, chatting excitedly, ready for a great time. And so began the worst night of my life.
Chapter 5
I was parting away, dancing with Kirsten, when he yelled over the blasting music, “I’ve gotta go to the loo, be right back!”
“Ok baby, I love you!” He never replied.
I danced and danced when after a while, all the punch I’d drunk (I refused any alcohol, it makes me mega-sick) got to my bladder, and I really needed the toilet, so I walked down the hall, vaguely wondering where Kristen had gotten too, when I opened the loo door on him and Brittany, I guess that was her birthday pressie. I stared blankly for a minute and then it hit me, tears came gushing down my face. “Wha-wha-wha?” the words wouldn’t come out.
“I can explain-”
“you don’ need to explain baby, I think can figure it out.” those words killed me on the inside, my heart felt like it was on fire. I was burning, and that smile, I had seen Kristen smile before, but never like that. Not that malevolent half-smile that sent shivers down my spine. I ran outside, all the people who I thought were my friends just looked, disgusted, then kept on dancing. The only People who paid any attention to me were Skye and Emma, they followed me out the door. “Lexie, sweetie, whats wrong?” asked Emma
“Was it Bekky? That b**** she’ll be sorry she ever messed with my friend.” said Skye
“Nu-nu- *sniffle* no-o-oh” My chest was burning, I was on fire, there was no oxygen in my lungs. None.
“Sweetheart what happned?” Emma again, god bless her
“K-K-Kris-st-t-”
“Kristen?” Skye asked. I nodded.
“Did you two have a fight?” asked Skye
“B-B-Britt”
“Brittany?” Skye sounded furious ” What did that sl** do she better-”
“Skye settle down, Lexie we’re gonna get you home ok? Mr Mackenzie and the twins will be in the shed right? so they wont notice?” Emma, never usually the voice of reason, was the only one who had her head.
“No, don’t- not ho-” There were too many memories at home.
“Ok, my house, c’mon.”
* * * * *
Got any ideas for p2?
Camp was a while ago, sometime in first term, but seeing as I forgot to write a post on it then, I’ll write what I can remember about camp now.
We had our camp at Woodfield lodge (which I thought was funny, seeing as how my Mum and keith -who aren’t actually married yet- were thinking about getting married there), and it was WET!!! it rained heaps and our group got locked out of our cabin TWICE! Once because someone **cough**Skye**cough** locked us out, and the second time a bunch of boys locked it.
No-one would shut up when i was trying to sleep, so I had the biggest headache in the morning, but the second night was better because everyone was soaked to the bone and really wanted to sleep, although half the girls in my cabin reckoned they stayed up all night but they didn’t cause I woke up in the middle of the night and everybody else was snoring away 
.
Here are just a few funny little things (not naming people) that happened on camp:
- Someone got bitten by a wombat o.O
- One of my friends went absolutely ga-ga over a guy
- We were bush walking and someone goes “oh NO!!! I broke a nail! Oh, its ok, I have more in my bag.”… we were BUSHWALKING! sheesh **rolls eyes**
- I went pyromaniac and set fire to marsh mellows >:)
- A possum got into one of the guys wagons and ate their lollies
- We had damper… with custard powder? Mine looked like warty. yellow potato o.O
- The teachers were going like a million miles per hour spiting scones out of the kitchen and we were still eating them twice as fast
Heaps more stuff happened but I’ll leave it at that.
All the cabins had beds, showers and toilets but some had mini kitchens! Our shower was SO tiny, I couldn’t have a shower the whole trip cause it was too claustrophobic. On the first day the toilet started to stink of sewage and we had to have a peg to put over our nose when we used the toilet.
Overall it wasn’t the best camp I’ve ever been on, but it was good… I wouldn’t mine going yo Woodfield lodge again
Polymer clay is a type of clay, sort of like plasticine, but when you bake it it goes hard. I recently bought some polymer clay of the Internet and I’m starting to make a few things with it. I bought red, blue, yellow, black, white, gold, silver, translucent and pearl… the translucent and pearl make any colour you mix them with, translucent or pearl eg. you mix purple and pearl together, and voila! you have pearly purple!!! I haven’t yet finished any pieces, but when I do, i an planning to upload pictures of them for people to see I am making jewelry with my polymer clay and I might even be able to use some of my mum’s silver wire for hanging pendents but for the moment i have to find other ways to hang my pieces. I got my polymer clay from a site called over the rainbow, you have to become a member and have pay-pal and all that sorta stuff to order, but I asked my mum to because she was ordering pmc (precious metal clay) and cork clay at the time (my mum is into making jewelry out of silver and other metals… she is doing a TAFE course on jewelry making at the moment). over the rainbow doesn’t just stock polymer clay, it has allot of different jewelry sorts of things such as beads, watch faces, bracelets, necklaces, display & packaging (for finished pieces of jewelry), jewelry tools, craft wire, resin supplies and heaps more. The packing nuts get everywhere and the boxes are mummified in tape, but they pack lollies for free as well
As any of you who have looked at the title of my blog have probably guessed… my favourite animal is a koala and one of the reasons for that is because of my star sign. My Step-mother had a book telling you what your Australian animals is from your star sign (e.g. cancer-koala) as she was into allot of that stuff…
if your interested to know what your Australian animal is here they are:
Aries - Red Kangaroo - Movement = Shifting Attitudes
Taurus- Hairy-nosed Wombat- Fertility = End of Cycle
Gemini- Pygmy Sugar Glider- Breakthrough = Self Change
Cancer- Koala- Strength = To clear obstacles
Leo- Frilled Neck Lizard/Gecko- Signals = Gain wisdom
Virgo- Echidna (Spiny Anteater)- Opening = Self confidence
Libra- Sulphur Crested Cockatoo- Joy = Bringer of Light
Scorpio- Red Back Spider- Constraint = Power to overcome
Sagittarius- Kookaburra/kingfisher- Harvest = Fruitful outcome
Capricorn-Goanna- Initiation = Inner Guidance-
Aquarius- Emu- Wholeness = Power to achieve
Pisces- Platypus- Growth = New Beginnings
Hope you fond that interesting!!
~Ashleigh~
Original image: ‘Koala Portrait‘
http://www.flickr.com/photos/20868483@N00/2735356293
by:
Released under an Attribution License
E-books are an electronic book.
Can you imagine a world without paper books? Well, that’s where we’re headed. e-books can be download to your ipod & they even have a device called an e-reader made especially for storing & reading e-books. The newest sort of e-reader is called an i-pad (I’m not particularly fond of the name……… ☻).
Newspapers and Magazines have come up with iPad editions. Book publishers are also doing the same, but some of them have been worried about what e-readers will do to their business. There are questions about how much an e-book should cost and whether it will be enough for publishers and authors to make the money they need. And, of course, the threat of Internet pirates ripping them off.
Some authors, such as JK Rowling, refuse to put their books up for e-sale.
They’ve been around since the 70′s but there are certain people, like JK Rowling, who, still aren’t so fond of the idea of electronic books in our midsts.Original image:
‘” Let me see, let me see; is not the leaf turn’d down Where I left reading? Here it is, I think.”‘
http://www.flickr.com/photos/78366623@N00/4486630439
by: Ronnie Pitman
~Ashleigh~
Fantastic Beasts & Where to Find Them is a fictional book with an A-Z of fictional creatures.
