SEE YOU IN SEPTEMBER - Charity Norman

People are fascinated by cults and I am one of those so this book took my eye at the library. But it was more than this. The front cover drew me in. A photo of a young lady walking along a jetty towards rippling blue water and beautifully framed by mountains in the distance.

The book presented with a casual style but I was quickly drawn into the word of Cassie, a young lady who departs with her boyfriend on the adventure of a lifetime. Relations between them are not and a disagreement sees them separated once they arrive in New Zealand. It was easy for Cassie to accept the offer of a lift from a group of smiling individuals in a beat up old van.

I have always found it difficult to believe that people get sucked into a cult but this book gave me the realization that it could and does happen. The cult members treated her very well while at the same time ensuring that the outside world appears hostile and that individuality is not required or accepted.

The feelings of despair and determination that her parents must have been feeling are palpable and ultimately it is her father’s pending early death that opens a window wide enough for Cassie to squeeze through and go back to her family.

This is a story about belief in family, faith and loss. They are on every page. It is a book that is difficult to put down.

I borrowed image of the book cover from www.goodreads.com where the book currently has a star rating of 3.7/5. Check out the site.
The other beautiful photos have been labelled as free for reuse on google. 

Roses are Beautiful

There is something about roses that is truly magical. 

I am now the custodian of Mum's two rose bushes since she passed away recently and I feel a sense of responsibility and attachment. We used to talk about them every time I visited Mum.  

They are the same variety of an unknown miniature in terracotta pots. I am always concerned about plants in terracotta because they dry out so quickly. We are currently experiencing extremely hot weather in Brisbane so the plants are watered at least daily and I check them morning and evening to make sure they are OK. 

Plenty of water, deadheading the spent blooms and a dose of slow release fertiliser and they seem to be settling in well.