Chasing Butterflies

17/02/2012 Joh learn, love, relationships, School, work

Today set out to be a doozie. There were so many fallout’s before I even got to my students at 9am. Yesterday had seemed a disaster, yet the lightening had struck and the air had been cleansed by the rain. This is an actual weather report. When I heard the lightening’s deafening crack just before my alarm went off, and then the rain (which was the kind you hope for when you have a day at home in bed), I decided internal peace was all I had left and entered the day.

It was enough. All the stats came through. My students attended, walking through rain, (I had one of the best attendance stats so far this year) and the student who didn’t make it called me to let me know why…I am delighted with the connections we have made in the first fortnight of school. I have learnt so much about what it takes.

Yesterday I realised that because I had achieved the basic stats so early I had taken it for granted and leapt ahead in my expectations. Yesterday I pushed back, asked for more and there had been reaction to that. I left school feeling deflated, thought I’d perhaps pushed too hard and was preparing to backstep.

I underestimated. The families and students I work with are everything I hoped they would be and I felt today was a success. I learnt a lot that will support us all to learn more. Life is good.

When I got home I got to play with our beautiful little ones, catching butterflies with the nets nana from Sydney brought. Darin’s parents’ have driven from Sydney laden with gifts. We took the butterfly nets out this afternoon and caught a variety of moths and butterfies as the sun went down in our local parklands. The energy and delight has my week feeling brighter than I expected.

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Extreme Ways – Moby

12/02/2012 Joh music

I heard this song in the car before, haven’t heard it for years. It was comforting after a busy week. I really like the lyrics of this song.

I remember the first time I heard this song in the cinema at Wollongong watching one of the Bourne Identity movies I think, or was it a James Bond movie? The ceiling of the cinema was really dirty. Life has changed a lot since then, just as it will again and again I imagine. Always good to have perspective I reckon.

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Reading Nikki Gemmell

11/02/2012 Joh reading

This summer I have read ‘With My Body’, ‘Cleave’ and this afternoon just finished, ‘Why you are Australian, A letter to my children’. I loved every one of them. She has such a great voice and this latest book has been perfect for me this week. At work it is challenging. It was like having a shower to read about a childhood closer to mine when I am working with students who seem so far removed from my own experiences. It was great to have my head and heart in something happy and familiar.

It celebrates all the goodies of being Australian. She expresses gratitude about the simple things I love about our country, motherhood and nature. All her books drop you right into the settings. She shares all her senses with you. I can’t begin to say how much I enjoy it.

I read ‘Shiver’ years ago when I was teaching year 8s Humanities. I hoped to recommend it to students as a novel set in Antarctica which was then part of year 8 Humanities curriculum. I didn’t use it because there were no students that year that were ready for it. I learnt a lot about Antarctica from reading it and totally enjoyed the story as well.

Here are some links to other thoughts on these books:

Mini Review: With My Body (Review by Toni Whitmont)
Review of Cleave by Murray Waldren (1998)
A response from a blogger to ‘Why You are Australian’

I have picked reviews that are positive because I want to. It’s quite interesting to read all the different responses to Nikki Gemmell and her writing. I’m just glad they haven’t put her off and will be looking for ‘Lovesong’, which is one of her novels I haven’t read.

 

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New Students

02/02/2012 Joh learn, love, relationships, School

Darin’s youngest daughter (R) starts school tomorrow. When he talked to her on the phone tonight, she wanted to speak to me also. It made my day. The anticipation of good things in her voice when she talked about all the fun had me smiling. “The teacher will read books, Joh”, with all the excitement of santa coming. I love it!

Tomorrow I meet my new students. Some of them I have worked with already, and some are new to me. I have met most of them in the interviews explaining our new program. Meeting a class for the first time is probably as big for me as it is for them to come back to school. We will all be a little nervous and hopefully the excitement about learning a bit differently will triumph. I hope they all come:).

I anticipate I will learn a lot this year. I hope my students do too!

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The Probable Future by Alice Hoffman

27/01/2012 Joh gratitude, reading

This book was gorgeous. I am sold on Alice Hoffman’s writing and I want to read everything she’s written. There is a long list. This is her 16th.

The story is about a family line of women who discover a gift on their 13th birthday. Stella, the latest in the line of Sparrow women rewrites the past. I find she writes such empowering female characters. Flawed, human women who use their strength to have what’s important to them. This quote from The Times says it better than I could:

Alice Hoffman hits bulls-eyes on the incomprehension between the young and the old, on the magic and pain of ordinary life. She is erotic and romantic, funny and clever and humane.

Finding a new author with troves of books I haven’t read, is like the first days of summer. I have been reading in my lunch hour by the Lake in Sale some days, or when I’m in a rush I just read for some of the time. Things are getting busier as my half holidays draws to an end. I do more when I’m busy and more important things. I think holidays are a little overrated for me. I enjoy the life I’ve created, including work.

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Happy Australia Day

26/01/2012 Joh gratitude

However you do it, celebrate that you can choose:)

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New Moon in Aquarius – 23rd January 2012 – Chinese New Year

23/01/2012 Joh astrology

I have read that the Year of the Dragon doesn’t actually start until 4th of February on Kim Falconers 11th House blog. I love Kim’s new blog. It’s a great read. We are having dinner tonight with friends to celebrate the New Year. Monday night is not really a party night though. I have in no way cleared my home of clutter this year. It will be clean enough. I’m not sure what I do with all my time lately!

This new moon in Aquarius is taking place around 6pm. When the moon is new in this sign, it’s a good time to hit the reset button of your mind. Aquarius is an air sign, so think mental. Air signs are also about communications. Check the delicious feed for more reading on this new moon.

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The Dovekeepers by Alice Hoffman

17/01/2012 Joh reading

This book is based on historical evidence. Alice Hoffman has brought an historical event to life. Those Roman’s certainly went in all directions to conquer the world. From the back cover:

In 70AD, nine hundred Jews held out for months against armies of Romans on a mountain outside the Judean desert, Masada.
Two women and five children survived.

Their story is told through four strong women, dovekeepers. The doves were kept to fertilise the gardens (interesting in itself). It’s a great story of survival even before the final event.

Alice Hoffman’s book’s are magical. I have ordered more to read because I enjoy her inclusion of the invisible in her stories. The women in this story have to keep themselves hidden in many ways. They are courageous and love fiercely. It was an insight into religion and spirit.

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Full Moon in Cancer – Monday 9th January 2012

09/01/2012 Joh astrology, music

Relationships are highlighted this full moon. My relationships have been blessed lately. There were some special moments for me over Christmas that meant the world to me. Love and others are the most important and powerful things in my life.

The blog posts I’ve enjoyed about this full moon are in my delicious feed in the sidebar of this page. If you are into astrology, I put all the posts I read that I think are good there:).

If things are not so cruisy for you right now, this U2 song has been the most helpful to me when I’ve felt fraught with angst.

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Part Time Holidays

08/01/2012 Joh Business, gratitude, holidays, learn, work

I’m continuing my part-time job during the school holidays. I love working there, some days it doesn’t even feel like work. My days off are more precious because they are rarer.

This week a customer came in who is converting a barn and we had a great conversation about all the challenges involved and found the perfect floor covering for her needs. I’m delivering it to them next week and will get to see the project. I meet lots of interesting people making their homes in their own ways and it’s fun to help them select the perfect floor covering.

I enjoy my drive to work. It’s about 45 minutes through really open country. Lots of people complain about the boringness of that drive, but I experience the spaciousness. The countryside changes colour with the clouds. I love it. There are a couple of spots on the way that I pay particular attention to.  Such big views! I enjoy listening to my music and making playlists for the trip.

I had big plans for the shop over Christmas. I was expecting less traffic and getting lots done. We did a bit but were busier than I expected, which is always a good thing, so there are still a few more jobs on my list. I have found a place for all our new tile samples. I enjoy maintaining the displays and getting to know each pattern, texture and size, imagining where it would best serve. Filing it away in my mind so when the right person comes I will know where to find it.

We are getting the computer program and systems into better shape. I need to learn more about MYOB. It is a different package to the one I used for ‘The Butchers Dog’ so there are things I am tweaking. The book-keeping is different. I did the book-keeping for ’Unique Furnishings’ and ‘Total Vision’ manually and I had systems in place to keep informed of the business stats. I am still working towards finding the way to get this businesses stats.

I love the freedom and responsibility my boss gives me to have a hand in all aspects of the business. It feels as though it is my own, yet I am working with a team. There is another sales person as well. We often all have different opinions and this makes for more interesting discussions.

I am immersed in home improvement. I am learning. That is what I love most about my part-time work.

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