Colin's Show and Tell

Colin Receives His Age as Cafe Number

Thu, 11 Sep 2008 16:51:59 +1000

I’ve made up for lack of blogging lately with some more substantial contributions, which is good.

Just when the tone looked like it might just rise a little toooooo much, I snapped myself at the shopping centre today after i received my age as the cafe number. I don’t remember this ever happening before (or noticing it) so I whipped out the camera and captured the moment for posterity. I was with my wife, Robyn, who was nowhere near as amused by the event as I was. Wheich I found possibly more amusing than the whole number thing, anyway. I think she said something like, “Weird.”

I don’t think she meant the number. I think she meant me.

Special thanks to the mystery man in the background who maintained his natural composure in the face of events of worldwide significance happening just inches away.

And in other breaking news...

For those who are interested, the local Coles supermarket light-up sign still reads COL. My name is still up in lights, after just over a year!

Life since November... (Part 3: Aargh! It’s Sept 08! A Quick Summary!)

Mon, 1 Sep 2008 13:47:26 +1000

Woah! I came back to the blog to find the milk spoiled and ants in the sugar...

What has life looked like since the last entry?

SONGWRITING...

With Tania...
I got a text the other day from Tania Kernaghan, letting me know she was heading over to Nashville to record a new album. Way back in March Tania came to my place to do some songwriting...we came up with a song or four. It’s fun reconnecting after some time and nice to get to the other side of three days together and have some solid tunes that seem to have a good reason for existing. Tania has been doing some TV that has drawn her into the wayfaring caravan culture so there was a bit of the theme of travelling and covering the expanse of Australia in the lyrics. Can’t wait to hear what she comes up with in the US!

With Troy...
I’d say Troy Cassar-Daley is one of the most motivated writers I’ve come across. He boldly throws himself into writing partnerships with no real certainty how things might turn out. So although we’ve written together a number of times before (Family Farm is one of my favourite collaborations - as is They Don’t Make Em Like That Anymore) it’s always interesting to see what the boy throws at you.

We went to his weekender in the hills west of Brisbane for three days and got some nice tunes out of the whole exercise. And Troy took me fishing, which resulted in a catfish for Bucko and a beautiful Australian bass for Troy...There is some justice in the world! He is the original hunter-gatherer! It’s in his blood. We’re trying to connect again before Troy heads into the studio later in the year...

With Lee...
Lee Kernaghan is The Australian of the Year - a formidable responsibility! It has taken him deep into the heart - and heartache - of the bush this year. So going away together with Garth and I up into the hinterland on the Queensland Gold Coast was, I think, a timely diversion. I love our times up in the hills there. We wrote for Electric Rodeo and The New Bush up there and it definitely has “the vibe”. Companionship, music, a nice red or two, an open fire, a lot of laughs...and some great new tunes to boot! We’ve made a couple of trips up there for the next Kernaghan recording, which is always like the next good rainfall - you never know quite when it might happen but you learn to keep an eye on the signs...

With Jayne...
Jayne Denham and I first met in 1997 when I was recording one of my first kids Christian records. last year Jayne recorded her first county album with John Kane (who produced my first two country albums.) She is now in pre-production with Garth Porter with a view to recording early next year. Garth, Jayne and I have had a couple of swings at writing this year at Garth’s Rancom Street Studio. It’s been fun to write for Jayne - she has a unique country rock voice and a huge heart for her audience - and she is very open to trying lyrical and musical ideas.

So songwriting has been a big part of my 2008 so fat! Some real diversity, great times chatting, writing, laughing and being friends together.

I really believe friendship is the foundation of really successful creative pursuits. Every song is a little package of uncertainty. You never know if or when (or in whose hands) it might see the light of day. But when the time taken to bring it to life has the glow of happy friendship, well, right from the start it owes you nothing!

GIGS

I had a lovely run down to the Mallee to perform at the invitation of a Christian Farmers Group. I’ll knock out a little album to show you - it’s a great part of the world and the people of Waracknabeal, Boort, Sea Lake and Barham made me so welcome. I travelled around with Quambatook farmer Brett Hosking - not only a fine farmer but a world-class roadie, as it turns out! The Mallee has been in drought and the free concerts were intended to be a blessing from the hands of the local churches to their communities. It was a wonderful time - lots of folks came along, a huge number of kids and their families. It’s great when the joy of community and the release of laughter and the message of Jesus collide and no one’s quite sure where one starts and the other ends...

A shearer mate of Brett’s in Boort grabbed Brett’s arm mid-gig (as Brett was wrangling an inflatable crocodile or something) and enthusiatically said to him, “This is great, mate!” Brett said, “The kids loving it?” “The kids? I’m lovin’ it!!!” replied the shearer! It was great to see the barriers and inhibitions and pre-occupations dissolve for a time. By the end of the four concerts I’d played to about 1500 people - it was a very special tour! Great peopel, great country. Praying for the rain they need and grace to shine, even in the midst of hardship.

Gigs earlier this year have included Barabul Hills Baps in Geelong, VIC, Nuriootpa in the Barossa Valley SA (Redeemer Lutheran School), Belgrave Heights Convention Centre for the Victorian Bible Society (pic left is Tony collecting me from the airport!), Hurstville Church of Christ NSW, Reedy Creek Baptist Church in QLD (look at the mean bouncers with their dark glasses above right!) and Katoomba Easter Convention...

OTHER STUFF...
Not insignificantly, so far this year I’ve completed the recording of my latest kids Christian album, Super Saviour, finished my second book for Christian Focus Publications, Practise Being Godly (one of our pics-in-progress on the right!) and sent off the bits of the follow-up to the Scholastic best-selling Fair Dinkum Aussie Christmas, called (predictably) Fair Dinkum Aussie Easter, to be released for Easter 2009. (In the tradition of Aussie Jingle Bells - if it actually has a tradition - FDAE is a collection of parody-driven songs reflecting the distinctively Australian cultural habits that around Easter time, such as The Great Big Aussie Easter Egg Hunt, The Easter Hat Parade, Aussie Easter Oi! Oi! Oi! and The Easter Long Weekend.)

So I haven’t been sitting still... And I think there’s still room for a dedicated bloggy bit about the 2008 UK tour and a very special trip to the Northern Territory... But they will have to wait...and wait...and wait...

Life since November 07... (Part 2: Tamworth CM Festival)

Wed, 28 May 2008 10:02:45 +1000

My mate David says it can be hard finding the balance in this digital camera video editing age between recording your life and actually living it. I deliberately disclaimed at the outset that my blog (technically named incorrectly - Pedro tells me a blog is daily) wasn’t going to be gap-less. I know myself too well. But having said that, here’s a little more show and tell to explain where 5 months of 2008 have managed to get to....

Beach Mission

Our family took ourselves off on the Scripture Union Family Mission to Bawley Point. A wonderful experience of community and mission and ministry, complete with camping trailer and moonlight walks to the dunnies. Reflections about the whole thing probably should reside in my God etc bit, but it was great to be away as a family being part of a team of Christians wanting to bless families on holidays. Bush Dances, Discos, Pancake days, Water slides, sand modelling, sunset services... Good stuff.

Tamworth 2008

Every year the Tamworth festival hits with a vengence. I get sort of chilled and suddenly I’m off north to be part of the mayhem. This year my committments were limited - I had a lovely little solo acoustic show at the Reegnt Theatre - a nice mob of listeners came along to hear probably my biggest live batch of new songs in ages. I love the solo acoustic thing. Good chum Peter Denahy came along to sing “Wanaaring Road” with me and treated us to his “Sortof Dunno Nuthin’” which has literally caused a sensation. (His album “Picture in a Frame” is a great record - he’s an astute writer with an affectionate but piercing ability to paint musical portraits. And he is a funny, funny man. Naturally funny - he can’t help it. A lot of “funny types” we’re served up are average people with a bit of schtick. Pete’s trying to weigh up whether he goes down the comedy route or not. He has a rare and precious ability to make people reflect and feel as well as laugh. I hope he finds a line to walk that allows him to deliver that balance.)

Not really bloggable or newsworthy in an industry where artists and promo people try to pump up every Tamworth event “ARTIST X Walks Down Peel St to buy Socks” “ARTIST Y hosts biggest Tupperware Party of Festival” ‘ARTIST Z Brushes Teeth” bla bla. I vistited the old folk’s home again and sang a bunch of tunes - we finished singing “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross” together. It’s the second time I’ve done the gig and it was food for thought again. An unnoticed moment with the power-players of yesterday. Mothers, nurses, teachers, administrators, business people, farmers, public servants - movers, shakers, leaders, masters. Now it’s Life in the Hostel. I think we should think often about growing old. You have to get ready. Appreciate the power of youth and anticipate the time when other people get a turn. Grace in frailty is magnificent. Bitterness in old age is ugly ugly ugly. I want to keep doing the emotional weeding so my emothional garden is ready to bloom if and when I get to that season.

And in the theme of the significant insignificant, I had some marvellous hours with Paul O’Gorman, my music lawyer/fellow songwriter/valued sounding board, Skip, manager of Adam Harvey and passionate music man and Max Ellis (in the photo on the left), CM pioneer and gold class conversationalist. Long chats, knocking around music and Tamworth and things deep and shallow - meandering like a willow-shaded river. Ahhh! I must be getting old - Tamworth should be full of gratuitous self-promotion, but....

The frenetic end of the spectrum came with the TOYOTA Country Theatre Family Show. Just when you thought Colin was getting all serious on you, 1500 people cop The Hokey Pokey, Nicky Nacky Nocky Noo, the now-annual panto-inspired cross-dressing band-performed Sleeping Princess, The Mummy Song etch etc. Always a hoot and between Mitch Farmer, Jake Lardot, Tim Wedde and Ian Lees there was more cheese than the Coon factory....

Saturday night was the big Golden Guitar awards sponsored by Kenny’s Butchery in Gulgong. A glittering night, my highlight was Kasey Chamber’s and her Shane thingo’s performance - nicely organic and no great big videos going behind them. I has 2 nominations for Lee Kernaghan’s “Spirit of the Bush” which did actually win 3 awards but none for the writers. Never mind - the songs has done great work with ALL of the royalties going to AUSSIE HELPERS who roam the bush helping folks in a very practical, sacrificial and, in some cases, life saving way.

I think I’ll need to go to Part 3 on this little exercise....

Life since November... (Part 1: Christmas Books and Broken Hill)

Mon, 31 Mar 2008 09:40:14 +1100

Sometimes you just get so busy livin’ life that you don’t get any time to record it...

Since my last entry, in a nutshell...

The Christmas mayhem hit... Hey, I have become a bestselling author! Last year’s “Aussie Jingle Bells” book, (words by me and illustrated by Nick Bland) once again plopped into the Australian top ten children’s books list, joined by by its new stablemate, “Fair Dinkum Aussie Christmas” with words by me (Bucko) and Greg Champion (Champs) and beautiful pictures by Kilmney Niland. So, along with my chum Champs and our talented illustrators, we were on the bestseller list! Both books are in my shop, although you may want to wait until a more appropriate season... (I included the above pic which I sneaked as I was waiting to appear on Phil Clarke’s drive time radio show on Sydney’s 2GB... Felt a little like a naughty boy, but I should let you know that both cutouts were really nice and happy to pose for a photo with me...)

As for the carols performance roundabout, it took me from Brisbane to Broken Hill, Townsville to Gymea... I love the Australian Carols by Candlelight thing - balmy clear summer evenings with the locals laid out on folding chairs and rugs, taking in the music and enjoying a true family community event... Of course, you get your summer storms (ask my Gymea chums - a total washout!)

I think Broken Hill was the winner this time around. For my overseas readers, Broken Hill is a mining town that’s way, way, way out in the desert, about a 2.5 hour flight from Sydney in far western NSW. (You may be able to make out the town in the picture below.)

The locals piled into Sturt Park, on the corner of Beryl and Chloride Streets. The storms were circling somewhere in the desert north towards Tibooburra, but they never got to the Silver City. Pastor John Curtis was a good a host as ever, the Church of Christ team put on a really nice show and I just loved being back at one of my favourite caorls events. A post-show cuppa with Cornerstone chums Russell and Sue Hodge and family capped off a really nice night.

Russ told me about a chat he had with some kids during the show. The kids were eyeballing Rus’ artificial leg, the result of a terrible bike accident a year before. They asked him about it and he had a lovely chat with them about that the good of God may mean hard, tough things but that God had helped him though it and wouldn’t they like that sort of great and wise and good Friend, too. Went nicely with “He rules the world with truth and grace and makes the nations prove...the glories of His righteousness, and wonders of His love...”

Forgive me for the photos that accompany my blog - I know they are a little odd at times but in the thick of gigs and stuff, grabbing the camera isn’t at the front of my mind... Although I like the photo on approach to Sydney - a tiny white toy opera house and Harbour Bridge peeking from beneath the clouds...

Anyhow,stay tuned, there’s more to fill in about The Silent Months...

3 days, 7000 k’s: Sydney to Port Douglas to Hobart to Launceston to...

Tue, 6 Nov 2007 09:42:21 +1100

View the photo album of Colin’s Cape to Tassie monumental trans-national 3 day dash this here...

When the TOYOTA-shaped hotline rings I always hope I am able to say “Yes!” to whatever gig may be in store... My “Yesses” to TOYOTA have taken me barramundi fishing in WA’s remote red Kimberley, up to Australia’s highest town, Cabramurra, for an intimate dinner to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Snowy Hydro Scheme (wrote House #163 after that one), into rural Victoria to sing over a homestead lunch with motoring journos, driving in the scrub around Parkes, NSW, in a new Prado with TOYOTA’s exec general manager, hosting and singing to a world-record line-of-TOYOTAs in the outback Queensland town of Thargominda...

So with a week to go before the Tassie dates of my Koorong tour (the last in the annual run) the hotline rings and this time it’s a call to head to Port Douglas, north of Cairns (on the top of that pointy bit on the right hand side of Australia, for my international readers!) It was always going to be tight, but I said, “I have a sound check in Hobart the next day at 3 pm. If you can get me there, I’m your man.” They could, so I was.

The event kicked off with a beach side unveiling of the new Landcruiser, the flagship of the TOYOTA range. It was a simple affair, involving a MIG jet, 10 Snowy River horsemen, 4 helicopters, a floatilla of boats and, of course, a bunch of shiny hero vehicles. (A little more elaborate than pulling a sheet off a car!)

I was the disembodied MC voice of the Great Aussie BBQ, a post-Landcruiser launch evening of fun and games around the pool at the Mirage, Port Douglas. (It’s where Bill Clinton was staying when the Sept 11 attacks happened.) I spent the evening spruiking the various games put on for the 400+ dealers, execs and their wives. (Favourite event was by far the Cane Toad Races!)

The gig ended on the sleepy side of 10.30 pm and 5 hours later I was up to drive the 60 km back to Cairns airport for a 6 am flight to Hobart, via Brisbane. Just before 1 pm and having covered over 3500 km, I stepped off the plane in my tropical clobber into a bitter southern breeze. Australia is a big country! Rheban Bradley, ever-reliable Koorong chum, was there to meet me with a blanket and a hot cup of cocoa...!

Sadly, due to lack of time, I missed my planned trip to the Cadbury chocolate factory. There was time for a quick lunch then straight to sound check. The show was a cracker, the locals, as ever, enthusiastic and always grateful to any performer who “crosses the ditch” to come to Tassie.

An early start the next day saw us wind our way north to Launceston via the usual stop for breakky at Banjo’s in Campbell Town, home of the Custard Croissant...(!?!@#!?) (I settled for bacon and eggs.) We rolled into the impressive Door of Hope facility and by around 2 pm, pumped but exhaused, I had the last show and signing behind me. (Thanks so much to all the wonderful Taswegians who came to the gigs! My Koorong run for 2007 definitely finished with a BANG!)

In the remaining hours, I dropped off Roadie Rheban at the airport and was free to fang the hire car around Evandale, just out of Launie. A short squiz at the impressive Clarendon homestead (saw the signs and thought, “Why not?”) then it was back to the airport, and before I knew it we were touching down in Sydney, the weary wanderer returning home after what felt like 7000 km but was, in fact, only 6978 km...

I could use lots of words to describe those three days, but dull certainly wouldn’t be one of them...

Look at the Cape to Tassie Photo Album here.

Another National Tour, no less...

Mon, 15 Oct 2007 16:14:31 +1000

I sit on the “done” side of the Koorong national tour, an exhausting, fulfilling, fun, chaotic experience which has been happening around this time each year for the last 10 years or so. Every year I promise myself I’ll take some pictures and share the experience and every year I run out of time and find myself with memories and not a lot more to share.

I thought that maybe my N95 camera phone may change that. It has, but not significantly! It seemed impossible at creating more time, wouldn’t take photos of me on stage on its own and, for all the hype, has an image quality inferior to even the most prehistoric dedicated digital cameras. I think I’ll put out a call to folks who came to see if we can’t score a pic or two to share.

So my personal album of the tour is both scant and eclectic - but I’ll pop it up just for the fun of it. You will find Colin's Sept/Oct '07 Tour Road Shots here.

A huge thankyou to everyone who came to the gigs - i can’t mention you all by name, but I can mention the towns and cities - Melbourne, Toowoomba, Brisbane, Mooloolabah, Gold Coast (Reedy Creek Baptist was a welcome ring-in), Canberra, Penrith and Ryde in Sydney, Adelaide and Perth. 14 shows all up. That’s 28 poppers, about 24 km of streamers, about 60 changes from spaceman to caveman to explorer and back, countless daggy dad jokes and puns, about 250 songs and a good few litres of water!

In terms of folks who came along, there’d be somewhere around 8000+ kids, parents, carers and grandparents who came to the shows. The signings took up to 2 and a half hours (!!!!) but it was wonderful to meet and chat and high-five lots of precious friends across Australia.

Now, to get to work on “Super Saviour” - and get out on the mountain bike again!

Colin performs at Seymour Centre Songwriter’s Show

Fri, 14 Sep 2007 08:57:08 +1000

Last night I did what could best be described as a "cosy" gig at what's known as "The Sound Lounge" at the Seymour Centre in Sydney. It was part of a series of shows featuring songwriters in an informal and intimate setting. Nice idea. The concept is still in the establishment phase, but I jumped at the opportunity to sing a few new tunes at a local gig.
My set was...
Day 13 855
Throw the Music Away
Missin’ Slim
High Kilometres
I Want to Love America
House #163
North Bourke Bridge
Those "in the know" would recognise only 3 of those songs as previously recorded. The newest tune was High Kilometres, a song I wrote the day before on a recently-purchased octave mandolin bouzouki thing. I was audacious enough to bring the thing along and showcase my fledgling skills as I sang a song the ink was yet to dry on.
I love the idea of the old folk club days, when people would go out to hear songwriters play their songs in smokey, squishy, vibey venues. Minus the smoke, The Sound Lounge has the potential to be a new millennium version of that. I hope they can build a following, so that it becomes the sort of venue where people may not even be too bothered to check out who's on, they just go 'cause they know they'll hear satisfying, interesting music.
The gig wasn't recorded, but I have posted the live TGIF mp3 version of I Want To Love America plus the lyrics in my music etc blog, along with a little background on the song. (click here)
Meanwhile, Colin the Songwriter (as opposed to all the other "Colins") has a lovely night singing songs he'd love to sing a little more often...

Colin on Richard Glover’s 702 Drive radio show - live from The Shire (+ mp3)

Mon, 27 Aug 2007 11:24:01 +1000

When Richard Glover has a hair-brained idea he always calls up his mates to be part of the whole thing so at least he has someone to crash and burn with. And one of the really irritating things about Glover is that he defies the odds so often and with his irrepressible enthusiasm, boyish charm and boundless dagginess.

So I came up with a couple of pieces for the August 8, 2007 broadcast in the Southern Sydney suburban heartland of the Sutherland Shire - far from the safety of the ABC studios in inner city Ultimo. Here’s how Richard’s site Which reported the evernt here and featured music from the day here) described the idea:

It all started when a listener noticed Richard Glover's producer Rory MacDonald on the train from Sutherland.
She then called Richard Glover to say she couldn't believe not all ABC employees live in Glebe.
So Richard decided to buck the myth, and go on down to 'the Shire' himself to broadcast the Drive show live from Rory's balcony in Oyster Bay, south Sydney.

What did I have to do with the whole thing? As a songwriter and a Shire resident, my brief was...
The audience will call out things about the Shire and Colin has to put them into a brand new song in a matter of 10 or 15 minutes. Simple. For Richard that is!

The result was the magnificent song, It’s the Shire.

And with a rush of blood to the head that morning I also came up with two audio pieces - Captain Cook’s Voyage of Discovery into the Sutherland Shire, Sept 1770 PARTS 1 & 2

Here’s the BACKGROUND and TRANSCRIPTION of Cook’s stunning and revealing diaries

The local (of which Colin Buchanan is the President, Secretary, Treasure, Founding and only Member) Historical Society discovered the lost journal of un-able sea person Scotty K. Taylor who sailed with Captain James Cook in 1770 – it contains the TRUE account of the ships log which gives a fascinating and penetratingly accurate insight into the SHIRE as encountered by the great British Explorer.
Sadly only two entries were preserved after a perilous toilet paper shortage east of Lord Howe Island.
It was a Drive World Exclusive, rivalling Hitler’s diary and the discovery of a double decker bus on Mars.
Ships log, Sept 12, 1770
We put down anchor in a large bay which we named “Botany Bay” after the container terminal we discovered located on it’s northern shores.
The longboat was made ready and the Captain, James Cook accompanied by Sir Joseph Banks, Corporal Glover, Private MacDonald and 4 men of arms set to and made landfall to the east at a sheltered point named Kurnell.
Being a state recreation area under the auspices of the National Parks and Wildlife service we were not allowed to take plant cuttings or light fires and were required to render an $11.00 per vehicle entry charge.
We trekked Westward through the virgin mangrove flats of Towra Point, past the virgin oil refinery as a Virgin aircraft flew overhead and numerous virgin car bodies languished in the mud, Finally we encountered natives, clad in blue, black and grey staggering through the leagues club car park and shouting strange, unintelligible chants such as, GO YOU SHARKIES GO, and bring back ET.
We charted a course due east and were met with a vista of the blue ocean which, it was, safe to say, put the prospect of purchasing property well and truly beyond the reach of ever ranking officers in her Majesty’s Royal Navy.
The best we could hope for was sifted ocean glimpses from a 2 bedroom townhouse or a villa backing onto the railway line at the Taren Point end of town.
However a very helpful local with streaked hair a snappy suit, 2 mobile phones and driving a black convertible of European origin stated to us that he had a couple of little bobbie dazzler deceased estates he was hoping to list next week and if we gave him our details he’d see what he could do although he couldn't’t promise anything at which point he rushed off to an appointment with Simon his personal trainer.
We encountered the busy commercial centre of Cronulla, a midden heap of surf, branded youth, big-wheeled designer super strollers, freshly preened middle aged female coffee huddles and numerous natives who appeared to have unwittingly contracted the income-sapping beachside, beyond your means lifestyle virus.
Corporal Glover was called “Darls” by the girl who served him the half caff skinny soy latte at the café and Private MacDonald was most alarmed when he was informed by a mop topped youth with a low slung, crack revealing pair of piping Quickabong hot billa silver branded board shorts that the surf at Cronulla point was “Sick mate”.
In fact the same sorry condition was being suffered by the young man’s new skateboard, the most recent powder finger album, the night before at Carmen’s nightclub, the new Japanese hatchback Jaydens parents had bought him for his 17th birthday.
With our exploits leading us deep into the Shire we made camp under the railway bridge to the gentle lap lap of the fecal bateria tainted waters of Gunamatta Bay and being a clear night we gazed out what seemed like a million twinkling waterfront mortgages on Woolooware Road.
What the new shire morning would bring us none of us knew.
 Captains log, Sept 13, 1770
 After an early make do breakfast of bircher muesli and a double shot long black we forged inland, along the peninsula affectionately termed “The Real Shire”.
To our north the stench of industry from Taren Point and to the south nestled in bush clad waterfront inglenooks the stench of the split level floor to ceiling surround sound new money of Lilli Pilli, Upper Lilli Pilli, Lilli Pilli Heights and Lilli Pilli Downs home of the Lilli Pilli Silly Billy Day Care Centre.
A short diversion into the reserve at Dolan’s Bay is met with fierce resistance by the local progress association natives who felt that the presence of voyage-weary seamen would not only lower the tone of the neighbourhood but potentially shave 1/2 to 3/4 of a percent off the capital benchmark resale values of real estate in the area.
With no serious injuries sustained we continued west, past the grey-haired devonshire teas of Camelia Gardens until after a perilous crossing of President avenue, a motoring tributary crawling with p-plated hatchback girls and spotless, city-hardened four wheel drives, we caught a curious sound drifting on the wind…..
“What a feeling….. when your dancing on the ceiling….. sing us a song, you’re the Piano Man… That could only be one thing declared Corporal Glover, car park musak.
Nearing the natural junction formed by the traffic lights at Kiora Rd, there, looming across the eastern horizon, was the source of the sound, as far as the eye could see was what we could only assume was a structure of immense religious and cultural significance to the natives of the shire.
No it wasn’t St Lukes Anglican church it was Miranda Fair Shopping Centre.
We approached cautiously with our arms at the ready but rather than finding resistance from the many native sentries, we in fact found our entire party drawn as it were by the memorising scent of retail up up into the very belly of the beast.
What we saw and what we did that day I am scarcely able to put into words, but when we emerged after what felt like minutes but was infact hours, Corporal Glover had a full leather lounge on order 4 years interest free, Private MacDonald was laden with bulging bags of beach-branded bargains and the Captain had booked 2 week holiday in Bali at the Long Pong Dipthong resort on Kuta Beach. Aor only $1299 all meals and air flights included. None of us remembered anything of the transactions, however part way through the transit of Venus in Tahiti the bills came in and we all fairly soiled ourselves.
But ahead the western shire now beckoned us on.
SADLY, THIS IS THE LAST ENTRY.

My Name Up In Lights

Fri, 24 Aug 2007 22:57:21 +1000

The local Coles supermarket have honoured me by making a sign with my name. Lovely. I took a photo tonight with my phone. This blog has turned out really useful...

How I came to create Remember the Lord - the book

Thu, 23 Aug 2007 08:50:59 +1000

I wanted to share with you a little about how my very first Christian book came to be.

"Remember the Lord" started as an idea floated by William MacKenzie, the chief raconteur of Scottish Publisher Christian Focus. I met William and his wife Carine here in Australia and over a coffee at Sydney's Central Station William suggested I think about "a book version of your CD." The idea was not really developed any further and I was left with the broad possibilities such a project might take. I knew that whatever I came up with needed biblical purposefulness, accessibility to a broad range of ages and a solid dose of fun... A few sketches were sent across the ocean to Inverness and the noises that came back were positive.

So, armed with a copy of Remember the Lord CD, my Bible and a small pile of reference books, I headed to the Blue Mountains, west of Sydney, to see what popped out. Friendship has always been a critical part of my creative pursuits and it took no time to draw my chum Geoff Thompson into the project. His default encouragement kept calling from the sidelines to draw the pictures, write the words and keep chasing the vision for a book that could engage families, little ones and anyone else who has a heart to graze the smorgasbord of funny drawings, bible truths and photos of Colin in variously-themed dress-ups. He was coach, water boy, trainer, manger, barracker and, armed with his powerbook and paints, chief art director and colour-in-er-er. It was a lean ship, but it was propelled by God-wrought friendship. What a lovely way to undertake a creative endeavour!

Of course, the final technical, practical printery and freighty bits saw the Christian Focus crew swing into action. But it never felt like we'd shifted into corporate land. It just felt like we had a few more friends involved.

The process was a wonderful venture into a new realm - the realm of author. Near where I sit writing this is a revolving book case, full of our family's grazable books. Among them are old annuals, produced for Christmas 1965, 1982, 1979. They are still regularly splashed with milk as my kids read them over breakfast. Books - even unlikely ones - have the capacity to endure and make themselves part of libraries and lives in a way quite different to recorded music or videos. (That's to say nothing of some of the really enduring books that form the backbone of our family library.)

The old, simple song says, "The best book to read is the Bible!" Too right! It's been my intent to reflect and restate the biblical heart of songs from my record so that what lies at the heart of my book is what God says in His book. Of course there's a lot of colour and layout and pictures along the way, but that's what I'd like left when the winds of life have blown across whatever this book holds for little ones or big ones.

I wrote it thinking of the 3 year old sitting in grandma’s lap, pointing at pictures and forming the simple vocabulary of “Jesus, Bible, God, obey.” I imagined the thoughtful 5 year old listening to Mum reading truths and asking those straight, simple questions about God that require the sort of deep, thoughtful, precise and accessible answers that often nourish the heart of the answer-er more than the ask-er. I had the Christian family sharing the things of God together after dinner, maybe singing, reading, springing off this book into the word and prayer. I had the precious lone little Christian soldier, maybe with the torch on under the covers, maybe listening along to the audio CD of the book, chuckling at the not-very-well hidden jokes and finding his or her heart warmed and drawn to know and love Jesus, the Treasure above all. And, as I so often imagine, there's the adults, with all their complexity and challenges and experiences, perhaps hearing or reading a simple truth and finding their will and mind challenged and opened to the things of God. It's up to God to do any lasting work from these few pages and pictures. I pray He will, far and wide, to achieve his good and wise purposes.

I was on the phone to William MacKenzie last night: "There's a wee number one on the spine. Here, when are we getting number two?"