Where's Wally?

Here's Wally's friend Wenda. Has anyone seen Wally? Where's Wally?

It is Book Week and Brianna dressed up as Wenda. What a find the umbrella was yesterday - $5 at Cheap as Chips. Thanks so much to Casandra for knitting the beanie! Brianna loves it!

I have just returned from the annual Book Week Parade at the primary school. How wonderful to see most of the school dressed up and so many happy faces as each class took their turn to walk around the gym. The creativity was inspiring.

My art in a book!

It has been an exciting week! Earlier this year I responded to a call for art for a new book - Four-Word Self-Help by Patti Digh. Last week I was so excited to receive my copy and see my artwork on page 48. Here's a little I wrote around the time that I submitted the art:

'I love to create (to play with patterns, shapes, colours, words and ideas) and learn so much about myself during the process). I was excited to receive the eagerly awaited 'call for art' email. My first reaction though, I must admit, was that of disappointment. I was randomly assigned 'tip the hotel maid' to illustrate. I was not impressed and started formulating a reply email in my head - "Sorry, can't do it. I don't travel! I haven't been in a hotel room for a very long time! It's not relevant to my life! I can't draw a maid!." Then I started to think about showing gratitude to those who help and how that also helps us. I started to play with colours and shapes. I found myself liking the creation that unfolded. The stars represent the wonderful job a maid does in making a hotel room beautiful and the large gold star represents the tip - the gratitude expressed. I really enjoyed creating it despite my first reaction of rejection. I'm glad I persisted. I particularly love that this piece of artwork exists only because I participated in the 'call for art.' '

and here's me at Christies Beach with my copy of the book (page 48!)

--

Wisdom from Brianna on a Saturday morning

This morning Brianna announced, "that song 'Nobody's Perfect' by Hannah Montana is wrong."

"Why is that?" I questionned her.

"Because everyone is perfect in their own way. You might even be perfect at not being perfect."

Couldn't have said it better!!

As challenged by Alysha

Metrophobia is a fear of poetry

i

The teen has her head on a pivot
From the mirror to me to the mirror to me
Fingers run over a neatened bow
Clumpy, is my hair too clumpy?
And inside my head 'clumpy' chimes
Then bursts out loud
Clumpy, clumpy, clumpy
Love, love, love that word
Mum, STOP! Please stop
Remember, I have metrophobia
There, can you write a poem about that?
So I did

The picking of the first pea pod!

Friday August 13th, 2010

A poetry challenge

Metrophobia: the fear of poetry

Alysha is learning about phobias at school. One she has enjoyed discovering and letting me know about is metrophobia (the fear of poetry). Her dramatisations of a person suffering from metrophobia are rather hilarious. This morning she challenged me to the writing of a poem about metrophobia. Now that's a challenge that I am not about to let pass. I will post the resulting poem when it's done!

The garden update continued

The broccoli has really started growing in the last couple of weeks. I have replanted some of the plants I got at the Sustainable Living Expo into the garden beds. Also starting to grow well (after initially being eaten by some bugs) is some silverbeet and more lettuce. The spring onions should be ready to pick soon. A note to myself - "those marshmallow weeds need to be pulled out before they take over". I am looking forward to doing some more planting soon in the third garden bed. Hmmm, what shall I grow next???

Time for a garden update

Well, the gardening pursuits are still going well. I am still surprised by how much I am enjoying gardening. The enthusiasm levels have dropped just a little as measured by how I feel about the rain. In the initial stages of my gardening adventures I would get annoyed when it rained because it meant I would not have to water the garden now I am grateful as I means I don't have to go and water the garden.

The snow peas have grown a lot!

The first flower has been joined by many more. Many pods to follow!

My initial attempts at growing rocket were far from successful thanks to the assistance of baby earwigs (they were discovered feasting on the new plants one night). Later attempts were more successful with two rocket plants now flourishing.

The other photo is of hot pepper seedlings (initially grown inside) that I have just planted into a pot.

As well as enjoying watching the new growth and changes in the garden each day I have enjoyed some home grown food (radishes and lettuce) and will be enjoying more very shortly (snow peas!). Yum!

I do what I need to do...for me!

I created this piece of artwork during a session of Community Sisters (a community art group for women) in March 2010. It is a reminder to myself (more conversations with myself!) that quite often I know what I need and I take action to meet those needs. Even if how I take that action may not be how other people perceive I should or in the way that would work for them. I can be strong with the knowledge that quite often I do know what works for me (and also that I do not need to constantly explain my actions). I just simply 'do what I need to do for me'. Of course this does not mean I am not interested in input and ideas from other people or that what I do will not change.

The photograph is of me (aged about 4?)

I wrote the words "Always Alone" in August 2005 around the time that I was realising the amount that I had shut down my emotions throughout my life and how this had impacted on me.

Always Alone

I need a childhood transplant,

Not the memories,

I have thousands of memories

Times, places, people, events

I need the feelings to go with the memories,

Feelings other than numbness, calmness, oddness,

Feeling strange, alone, disconnected.

The scared little girl,

The worried little girl,

The sad little girl,

The excited little girl,

The happy little girl

Where were you?

Why weren't you there?

I want you now.

The years have passed without you there

Physically present,

Emotionally distant.

Protecting of self.

The scared little girl couldn't be alone,

The worried little girl couldn't be alone,

The sad little girl couldn't be alone,

The excited little girl couldn't be alone,

The happy little girl couldn't be alone.

Only the numb, feeling odd little girl.

She was more powerful,

She could be alone.

Beginnings - keyboard, violin, celery and a birthday

Alysha has just begun learning to play keyboard and is enjoying it immensely and Brianna is enjoying learning to play the violin. They both began a couple of months ago. We have just bought a keyboard allowing for lots more practicing along with duets.





and there is new celery growing in the house in preparation for addition to the garden in the future

and today is my birthday! Happy Birthday to me (and Happy Birthday also to all of the horses in the Southern Hemisphere). Today marks the beginnning of a new year in my life...