Hi,


I have been putting together an "aussie" chocs & all things yummy package to swap for some usa smelly, splashy usa things & have been pondering - how patriotic am I? I can't stand vegemite, don't like meat pies & am not a huge tim tam fan:

BUT I can sing - very loudly (& badly) the WHOLE national anthem - which I think is an achievement given most aussies cant sing the whole of the first verse & don't even know there is a second verse. Not only do I know the second verse - I also know that our anthem was chosen from a 5 verse poem written by Peter McCormick. (Verse 1 & Verse 3 together make our anthem).

Stand back & let me sing:


ADVANCE AUSTRALIA FAIR

Australians all let us rejoice,
For we are young and free;
We've golden soil and wealth for toil,
Our home is girt by sea;
Our land abounds in Nature's gifts
Of beauty rich and rare;
In history's page, let every stage
Advance Australia fair!
In joyful strains then let us sing,
"Advance Australia fair!"

Beneath our radiant southern Cross,
We'll toil with hearts and hands;
To make this Commonwealth of ours
Renowned of all the lands;
For those who've come across the seas
We've boundless plains to share;
With courage let us all combine
To advance Australia fair.
In joyful strains then let us sing
"Advance Australia fair!"

I can't describe the tune - but that's ok - cause Im probably not singing in tune anyway.

Now for a great Australian poem (I LOVE this poem):
************************************************************************************

My Country
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, this 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 watch 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.
************************************************************************************

I have decided I am going to leave the anthem there & change the poem when it takes my fancy.

If you want to read up on other oz stuff - try here:
www.australianaustralia.com/

Now for the bookcrossing stuff:

I love the idea of Bookcrossing & I am looking forward to releasing many books. I hope I find a few in "the wild" too.

Before B/X I didn't really have a single favourite author - and thought that Sarah Dunant, Olivia Goldsmith, James Patterson and John Grisham were always good standby reads. I particularly like thrillers & true stories - not really a fan of the "Mills & Boon" type romances.
Well - I will now add: Barbara Kingsolver & Anita Shreve as two of my favourite authors & look forward to devouring all of their books.

I have often "left" books for others to read - now I have a place I can register them & see if anyone actually reads what they pick up & I hope to see that they enjoyed the books as much as I have - or enjoy what I didn't .....

When I have time ....I plan on registering all of my books. This is only a very small selection. In the meantime, if the books are on the shelf - they *may* be available for trade - message me if you want one. I will let I am open to trades. (just check journal entries to see if i still have them). If they have sat on the shelf for a while - I will release some of them into the wild.

Thanks & happy reading.
lucygirl - a patriotic aussie