Real Women - 4

I think that my creative woman has been inspired by Dot's art - look at those sparkles!

This has been a very busy week ... and I have made a new friend. My friend K's feisty, independent - but ill - Uncle had a fall earlier in the week. He was alone on the floor overnight and was lucky to be found by a census collector.

The situation has forced this little old man to admit he needs help, help K has been trying to give him more of for years. What a sadness in my heart when I saw the way he had lived. What a privilege to meet this digger (ex serviceman), to hear his stories of cricket and diamond mines. There is a hope in my heart that as he lives his final years I will be his friend - hear his stories, and occasionally, make him laugh, as he listens to mine.

All but my immediate family are in England. In 2000 I attended my Grandfathers 90th birthday, we lost him peacefully in 2005. Since 2000, when I spent time with my amazing, creative great Aunts, and chatted with both Nana H and Grandad S I have realised, that despite a wide circle of wonderful friends, my life is missing the wisdom of the old.

Same, same and different.

Hamish asks. "What is wrong with me? Charles is getting all the attention this week!" Seriously here is Hamish sitting on the same lap, in the same location as Charles earlier in the week. Different way up though. The funny little man nudges me until he is picked up and placed on his back on my knee. Thank you to everyone who asked about Charles, he is fine. And yes, it was ok to laugh at the previous post, by the time I wrote it I was standing a little outside of the situation and having a giggle too.
I have had a lovely totally relaxing day today. Lots of sleep, chat with friends, more sleep, a little school work and I did use these few decorated beads for some jewelry. The kids always comment if I wear new clothes or beads - even the boys (One lovely 14 year old commented when I wore new shoes - my feet have even become self conscious!)! I am quite pleased with the pin and will wear one of the strands of beads, the other is for a friend - pieces like this are almost disposable. I can wear them a few times and then perhaps use the beads on an altered book or journal.
Now for a challenge. I bought a new vacuum on Wednesday - tonight I removed it from the car, and I have even taken it out of the box. Oh my goodness, it has two heads! Apparently one is for hard floors (my wooden floor boards) and a turbo (((?))) head for the pet hair. Vacuuming is so, so not my thing, in fact I go without treats once a fortnight to have my beautiful cleaner come and deal with the noisy beast, however, tonight I must. Wish me luck!

Work in Progress and a Deadly Visitor

Last night I fiddled with these beads until about midnight. I could of played all night - as you can see my mind bounced from style to style. I decided to finish off some of these, make some more, and make them up into jewelry over the weekend.

In an effort to wind down and get sleepy I hopped into the bath with a gin and tonic and a good book. I wish they made G and T perfume - love just getting a whiff of it. So there I am reclining one foot hanging out of the bath, two slices of freshly picked lemon floating in my drink and a trashy historical romance - guaranteed sleep material.

I hear Charles (He's been getting to much publicity lately, hence no new photo) crash, bang, thump, run ... Mildly annoyed by his bouncing on the wooden floorboards I picture him playing with one of his toy mice. Yep, at 3 1/2 he still loves to play. A favourite is to push a mouse under one of the floor rugs then dive under from the other side and look for it. Alternatively he will hide his toy behind one of the dining table legs and then spring to the kitchen, There he spins until dizzy runs back to the dining table and tries to find his mouse. I have no worries about his playing. And then a call of nature ...

As I make a nude dash (picture me wrapped in a towel, or still covered in bubbles if it helps), through the kitchen, I pause to adjust the gas heater, and glance down.

Hear palpitations, quickly drawn breaths ... there is a snake on the mat in front of the fire. Not to be too dramatic I will tell you that later, much later, I measured it and it was 52cm long about 21" for my American friends. Back to the gasping and hyper-ventilating. Is it alive? I am nude and it is 1.00am. Can't leave it - it might wriggle away. Where is Charles, is he ok? (Well, obviously or I would not be writing this). Brave, be brave ... Grab the barby tongs - quick grab the snake by the head - don't breathe at all during process.

Aaagh, dead ... head is damaged, bit missing from middle. It is dead. Keep tongs held tightly, find bag. Drop in clear plastic bag, tie top.

Hamish still asleep on study chair ... check. Phantom still asleep in lounge ... check. Charles on bed ... check, breathing, not sure, wake him up. Breathing... check. Start lap top. Wake Charles every minute to check he is alive (note, Charles is not happy at being woken frequently after an hours exercise), use other hand to Google Western Australian Snakes - all the time watching dead snake in bag ....

You are getting the picture. After no luck with Google and realising that at 3.00am it is 2 hours since I set off for the toilet I find that I am too scared to use the loo, after all there could be another one curled up under the seat! Well there could be, after all 30 years ago the 'Big Bad Wolf' lived down the loo at night. I pop the snake in the freezer and try to sleep. Then I start to imagine that this is not the first snake that Charles has brought in through the cat door, that he has let go of the others before he killed them ... after all every snake has a Mum, and a Dad, and google did say snakes have large litters ...

Well after no sleep at all I set off for work, with my now frozen snake on the seat beside me. It was identified there as a young tiger snake, highly venomous at any age ... It seems that Charles may have risked one of his nine lives last night and I have now had a very long afternoon nap.

Time to try for sleep, in the dark, again.

Joyous Art and a Furry Friend

Here is a pic of Charles and I, (the dark blue is my knee, and the light my jumper) unwrapping a beautiful parcel. In our parcel - these two joyous prints by Kelly Rae Roberts (see my links). I check Kelly's blog every day and have so enjoyed watching her art journey over the past six months in particular. One day I will own a Kelly Rae original, but for now Charles and I are happy to hang these beautiful quality prints on our wall.
Today was a full one, but a fun one. I am off to choose spots on my walls for these lovely ladies, although they may not be hung until the weekend. Then I have an idea for some simple collage on large beads. Will share if it works ... try something else if it does not.

Real Women - 3

Does she travel? Or does she just dream about it?

Today a grotty 12 year old boy said to me, "Miss, I have been reading about over weight people, they usually have low self esteem, do you?" His comment did not upset me. What disturbed me is that he had so little respect, that I know he will go home and repeat the comment, and receive support, not correction from his family.

I love teaching, most of the time, I enjoy supporting teenagers through their emotional years, I like to empower them to choose their futures. I am however concerned that there is such a decline in community support for education and educators. I am also saddened that I teach many students who live in homes without a bookshelf and horrified that there are students who have never seen their parents read (sometimes because they can't).

In contrast I have a wonderful class of 14 year olds that I am teaching for the second year in a row. We are a mixed ability class ranging from a child with Down Syndrome to a couple that are gifted. What a joy it is to see them pull together as a team, to support each other, and to consistently give their best. I really love that their first question Monday morning is, "What did you make on the weekend?" :) This week they are helping each other write cv's and are so good at finding positives about each other - just a little more work on being bold about their own strengths.

And as I escape into another novel or biography I am on vacation - for a few hours at least.

The best made plans ...

It seems all my plans for this weekend have been way led by others. No big deal, except that I still have a list of things I must do, and would like to do, about the length of my arm, all before I go back to school tomorrow...

Oddly I did find time to find time to finish these mini clipboards ... So a swap, a gift and having learnt a little more - all achieved! Yeah! I will keep them next to me as I do some marking this afternoon - a reminder that I have had my fun, and that the garden is not calling me, that the list of ideas on my creative desk is one shorter.

I almost typed, 'perhaps next weekend', I thought it - then I gave myself a mental slap. I do not want to wish my life away waiting for the next moment. I want to enjoy the now. So off to see what progress my beautiful, hormonal, antsy, teenagers have made with this assessment.

At last ...

When I purchased my home four years ago the garden had not been touched for a decade. In fact the neighbour's stated, without any attempt at humour, that they did not believe the previous owner had ever stepped off the footpath leading to the car port. My beautiful lemon tree and this ornamental cherry were saved.

I love this tree, that it blossoms in winter when little else does, that it's leaves are a lovely marachino red and that it is part of my homes' history. Each winter I have meant to photograph it in blossom, and each winter I have left it too late - only to see a winter storm dash the blossom to the ground. Today, at last ... I remembered.

I remembered thanks to my lovely friend Dot (see links). I was looking for a sunny spot to photograph the egg people I received from her in the mail today. I bought the lovely blue egg from her (on e-bay), and generously Dot has included the pink one. Thank you Dotee.

While I have moved them safely inside, I have to say, they look gorgeous dangling among the blossoms of this favoured tree.