Saturday 29 September 2012

hold tight


we are off up the coast for a few days to visit family, friends both old and new (hopefully).  

Friday 28 September 2012

six already


Ah, such sweetness in this little (ish) one. A laugh that is delightful and pure, an openness and kindness that extends to all and a gentleness that holds him close and keeps him safe in a place where he is most happy. Happy Birthday beautiful one. 

Poe's birthday started with dancing for joy that he was six and lots of patience as he waited with Peeba (my mum) until everyone else woke up. After a few little gifts we focused on sewing an octopus, creating jellyfish and making a treasure chest and 'mormaid' costume for Poe's underwater party. 


The party was quite small with eleven children and it was absolutely delightful, so much ease, great times, wonder and fun. Dancing, laughing, hide-and-seek and marvelling at all the awesome costumes. 


We were extremely blessed to not only have my mum and dad up but also some very, very, very special friends from Sydney; Lily, Saul, Jen and Rod. So special and wonderful.


Ilo as a cake eating 'mormaid'


Just after dinner their was more squeals of utter delight and disbelief as Poe yells "Annabel is at the door, Annabel is at the door", yes to complete a pretty perfect day, Poe's teacher Annabel dropped by to deliver this beautiful posey of flowers she picked especially for Poe, she came, she was shown a few 
presents from the day and with a few cuddles, she left, pretty beautiful. 

Playing around with a new lens

Wednesday 26 September 2012

celebrating Poe


After a busy Spring Festival day, I wasn't too sure how Poe's birthday celebration at school would go but it was the perfect day for it. The class was small, about seven children, there was an unmistakeable calm and flow that the children (and teachers and parents) delighted in (this class usually has a few, high energy children who can sometimes affect the general flow).
Scott and I played with the children outside, digging/sifting for crystals and flying on swings. We then entered the fireside room to listen to the special birthday story, sitting with Poe, who was resplendont in a golden crown and cape with a grin on his face that was skirting very closely to tears, I was feeling the same.
Annabel told a wonderful story about the star child and how he chose his family and then we were served birthday biscuits with Poe and shared morning tea. It was warm, intimate and totally gorgeous. Scott, Ilo and I, all loved spending the time in the class, playing with the children and having lovely and passionate chats with Karen and Annabel (Poe's two teachers).



Sunday 23 September 2012

spring fair


On Thursday we joined our school community and celebrated Spring. The day held close a gentle rhythm as we crafted with the children making felt caterpillars, paper butterflies and beeswax flowers, we then listened as they sang and joined them as we all shared a feast. In the Kindergarten area, the kindergartens paid particular delight in showing everyone the little swallow nest above the table, where they have their lunch, a nest complete with chirping baby birds and mamma and pappa swallow providing them swiftly with tasty morsels.

We followed the children to the Maypole where the rest of the school gathered. Kindergarten 'opened' the maypole with a shower of petals and then sang and danced, much to the obvious delight of everyone. To me the sound of so many sweet, little, earnest voices singing together, made my heart do a little dance of joy.

The higher years then did a variety of maypole dances, with the configurations getting increasingly difficult. It was lovely sitting back in the shade on a grassy hill watching the children dance around with garlands in their hair and laugh as they made mistakes, became entangled and untangled and in some cases struggle as they tried to maintain their status of 'cool'.

As, I am sure, with most school events, I love the way that children hold so much reverence to the event at hand. It is beautiful seeing them hold themselves a bit differently, walk with intent and watch in awe. Poe and Ilo (and Scott and myself) were singing the songs well into the evening and the next few days.

Poe with his good friend, Izzy, she is pretty great. 


Today we drove out to Mylestom for a 4 year old's party. As we headed out Ilo noticed a calf, quite small lying next to it's mum, he yelled out delighted, we then noticed more and more calves, all over the place it was then I realised that over the last couple of weeks we have been noticing lambs, calves, foals and chicks galore, ah yes, Spring, that's right, animals being born. So this is Spring in the country.

Thursday 20 September 2012

love is in.....


Cutting into a satin dress, pinning haphazardly, tucking, laughing and going with it. A liberating experience of helping Amy, a pre raphaelite and pregnant beauty, if ever there was one and the bravely talented and gorgeous Bell, cut, hack, create and construct Amy's wedding dress. 


This loveliness was squeezed between a different kind of uhh, loveliness as Jason, Liz and I struggled with the world of Final Cut Pro and the input of three different cameras, not synched (eek) and then the triumph as we were launched headfirst into the latest Final Cut Pro that solved our problems, an interesting learning curve. I quite liked the process of this, but am looking forward to the Pat Movie becoming a reality.

Sunday 16 September 2012

the surprise


Okay, so maybe not a surprise to you lovely readers out there, due to me already blurting it out, but I thought I would take you through it anyway, just imagine if you will......

Three nights before the highly anticipated 'Woo's 40th birthday extravaganza', we had a smallish curry night at our house, just to stretch our tummies a bit for the curry feast that was to come as part of 'Woo's birthday extravaganza' . Eno, Scott and Ben were chatting, chatting about how on Eno's 30th (6 years ago), Woo proposed to him, and how wonderful it was but since that time nothing had really been done about the whole getting hitched thing and they progressed to having two more children and barely a sideways glance at the matrimony business. Anyway, the idea was hatched that they should get married at 'Woo's 40th birthday extravaganza', as a surprise to Woo and all her guests, and before they knew it the ball was rolling, the idea had been sparked and would quickly become reality. The next day Scott was calling up marriage celebrants and finding out details; you need one month advanced notice to be legally married, so the wedding wouldn't be official, but a commitment ceremony could happen,which would then make it all legally minding in one month, great, wonderful, lock it in. 

The next couple of days, Scott and I chatted to, a sometimes teary, Eno (filled with love, excitement and heightened emotions) and experienced the uncontainable joy and delight in the anticipation of this wonderful surprise. I whipped up a few decorations and some doily ring cushions for Ziggy and Sidney to hold, whilst Poe and Scott gathered flower petals in baskets. Ben and Victoria, some dear friends of Woo and Eno's also shared in this secret, so there were lots of chats with them, as we were all experiencing butterflies in our stomachs and the desire for the day to be amazing and the secret to be held close. 



And it was wonderful. Briefield Hall, where the party/wedding was, is amazing, an old hall surrounded by bush with a beautiful deep verandah that sweeps around it (it is the hall of my dreams), that provides shade, beauty and a great place to hang the mandatory bunting. The guests started arriving bearing their offerings of curries, picnic rugs and a variety of cold beverages. The tables were soon heaving under the weight of pots filled with deliciousness, the feast was ready. So we feasted and we marvelled at the day, the space, we chatted, and those of us who knew tried to stifle the rising nerves. 




Woo was beaming, she was surrounded by friends and family that she loved so dearly, eating food that made her happy, looking totally hot in her favourite dress and marvelling at the perfection of the day, little did she know what was in store. 

And then it was time, Eno, finished playing in his band and called up Woo's sister, a dear friend of his and Catherine Campbell, the marriage celebrant. Woo stared, she held her hand to her mouth and cried and laughed, she could not move and then finally, still crying and laughing she made her way. Needless to say everybody else were quick to tears too. 



As you can see, she was beside herself with joy, delight, utter astonishment and love, it was literally bubbling over and pouring out of her. The ceremony was wonderful, funny, simple and all about the love that these two share. Eno, did an amazing (and quite a risky) job, but all was beautifully confirmed by Woo declaring that she would not have done anything different, if she had organised it herself. 



And then they were 'married', and even though I didn't think it possible, Woo, beamed even more, Eno couldn't keep his eyes of her and there was a magic around these two. Friends and family stared, smiled and enjoyed the feeling of basking in such a glow. 

Ahh, the love. 


Wednesday 12 September 2012

bits



oh that smile lights up my day. as does that face. Amy's absolutely delicious and totally fun Ayurvedic cooking class. the warming irish songs of Roesy. bush dance love, Poe couldn't get enough of it and danced the night away with a huge smile on his face.

Tuesday 11 September 2012

a spring intensive


Last week I spent every morning from 6am to 7.30am at a yoga and meditation Spring Intensive, it was the first time I had ever done yoga on a daily basis and I was really surprised by the change in my body by about Thursday. It wasn't a physically obvious change; I hadn't suddenly turned into some yogi who was streamlined, super flexible and supremely calm, oh no, nothing like that but I felt stronger and more focused within myself. As someone mentioned by day four it felt like we were all doing a kind of dance together, we all moved with a grace, a certainty and ease, it all kind of clicked in a way that is very different when you go just once or even twice a week.
Yoga always offers me a glimpse at centeredness, physically, mentally and emotionally, at least for a few hours but last week it offered me more and gave me, hmm, not sure whether this is the right word but maybe courage within my body and and an openness within my self.

A Spring clean indeed.


In other news to come, I have started Samba dance classes (yes, to those out there who know me, it does seem a little strange but I have been coerced to perform as part of a group of about 15 at the River Festival this year, hmmm, stay tuned, tonight class was lots of fun though), I endured many many cuts along my arms (not related to emotional stuff above) but to a working bee at the school, I was put on lantana duty with a few others, very therapeutic and a great workout and now you have trawled through the droll, here is the most exciting and beautiful thing that we have been up to lately, Woo had her 40th at Briefield Hall, which was amazing but what made it beyond amazing was that her party turned into her wedding without her even knowing about it! Yes it is true, Scott, Victoria and I delighted in being part of the inner sanctum with Eno as we managed to make a wedding happen in literally two days. Oh I cannot wait to share more.