Murray Ceff's Blog

On January 15, my oldest daughter, Leahannah, married Zane Crimmins. This was a significant event in my life, not to mention hers! I can't write from her perspective of course, but I can write from mine. The wedding was held in the Maranoa Gardens in Balwyn at about 12.30pm. Quite a crowd had gathered to witness the event and it was a beautiful sunny afternoon, which we were all very grateful for as it had rained almost continually for about 3 days prior to that. While most of the crowd waited patiently for Leahannah to arrive, I waited at the main gate for her arrival. NOt having been party to the planning of the event, I was somewhat surprised to see her arrive, with her mother, maternal grandmother and older (half)sister in a white 1960 model Rolls Royce. After a few photos of her being taken as she was getting out of the car, I walked her down to where the marriage ceremony was to take place. The guest had formed an isle down the middle and lined our walk to where the c

I usually work on Saturday nights looking after the kids, but tonight I had off work. I got home from work at Torquay (at Stonker) at about 6.30pm and Miriam and I went down to the Lara tennis courts for a practice hit. After a bit of a warm up we played a set which Miriam won 7-5. You may think I am a bit of a  wimpy tennis player letting my 13 year old daughter beat me, but at least tonight I didn't get beaten by as much as I did earlier this week! After playing tennis we got home for dinner in time to watch Kim Clijsters play Li Na in the women's final of the Australian Open. It was an exciting game, which we were happy to see Kim win. Hopefully with tomorrow being Sunday I might have time to write something meaningful and maybe even spiritual.

I finished work this morning at about 10.00am to go from my night job to my day job. The night job is with MacKillop Family Services and I work there in a "Residential Unit" which is a home for about 4-5 kids who would otherwise be homeless. My day job is selling surfboards down at Torquay (in Victoria). I enjoy both jobs but I guess the one with kids is the more meaningful one. Surfing is just a hedonistic sport (which I am totally addicted to), but I guess on the bright side it does keep me (and others) fit and healthy. So I left the "resi unit" at about 10.00am headed down to Torquay via North Geelong, spent a couple of hours in the shop, and then went for a very, very small surf at Centreside (next to Bells). Then it was back to the shop until 5.30pm. Now it's time to head for home. Maybe I will write a bit more about work at the resi unit sometime. There is some interest stuff that goes one there. You get to see how kids turn out without the Gospel and

Today is a National Public Holiday - Australia Day. I am not sure exactly what it is for, but I do see a few people driving around with Aussie flags on their cars. Maybe I am meant to feel more patriotic today than other days? I don't feel any more patriotic today than any other day. I think the most patriotic feelings I have ever had came upon me while I was in New Zealand for 18 months serving a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I was at a Church member's home one evening and we were singing songs and the host started singing Waltzing Matilda. I really felt homesick at that time. Australia is a great place to live - no question about it. How long it will remain that way I don't know. I hope for my children's sake that it doesn't change to much in future years, but I fear it will. Perhaps all I can do is make my own little piece of Australia a great place to live?

Well, here it is my first post. It may not be that exciting for anyone else to read. But then I am not really doing it for anyone else, apart from my family perhaps. Why am I doing it? Well, I have struggled for years with journal writing. Our prophets have been suggesting for a long time that keeping a journal is a good thing to do. I started (before computers were available) with a paper journal. Then I progressed (was it really progress?) to writing in a Word doc. Now here I am with a blog. My hope with the blog is that I will make more regular entries, maybe even daily! Perhaps I will write my own feelings here. Maybe link to articles that I have found to be interesting. Maybe it will be a bit of day to day activity. Why do I call myself a Mormon Aussie Bloke? Well, thats what I am. My view of life is colored by the fact that I am a Christan and more particularly a Mormon Christian. I am an Australian male and therefore have views that are influenced by the fact that I live at