Christmas Day

Christmas Pudding made by Jon

Seafood Paella made by Lisa

Remarkable Queen of the Night plant grown by Lisa over the last 5 years

Mc Carrs Creek at sunset on Christmas Day

Jon

Lisa and Richard our hosts

We were fortunate to spend Christmas Day at Lisa and Richard's this year. Their two sons Freddie and Felix played with Nick, all close in age together, and Tom and Alex went fishing, boated in the kayaks and then had their own boating adventure on Pittwater with Richard. It was a relaxing day centred around food and conversation. Finally close to midnight we drove home. Thanks Lisa and Richard for a great Christmas.

Carols at the Haven Amphitheatre Castlecrag

Each year on Christmas Eve, Carols by Candlelight are held at the Haven Amphitheatre in Castlecrag. Everyone comes together in this beautifully cared for public space and sings traditional carols as well as some popular seasonal songs. So many of our Crag kids end up overseas at the start of their young adult lives that we also sing "I still call Australia home" by Peter Allen as well. This year Nick and I went together, with our tinsel and chocolate almonds.

Alex's Year 6 Graduation

Year 6 performed a rap music farewell then sang Firework arm in arm. As they exited the hall they went through the traditional tunnel of all of the students in the school until finally they were free of primary school. It was emotional and I could see Alex was really happy.

Paul at Picasso NSW Art Gallery

Dora Maar - Paris - 1937

Paul and I went to the Picasso exhibit. It was my second visit. This time I was less overwhelmed by the diversity of the chronological grouping and more in tune with the individual works. The sculptures are still the best part of the show for me. As I move through the rooms looking it is the sculptures bringing the paintings to life inhabiting the three dimensions of Picasso's perspective and his unique way of seeing the world. The portraits of Dora Maar are the resilient masterpieces of his love for women. We spent two hours in the rooms of the exhibit discussing philosophy, The French, friends and art. One day I hope to revisit these works and the many others not shown in Sydney at the Musee d'Picasso in Paris. Until then....

Sunlight

At the start of Summer in Sydney we can only hope for sunlight and this song is sending out some needed rays, Sunlight by Bag Raiders is a enjoyable track made with minimal instrumentation and these two techno musicians,
Jack Glass and Chris Stracey rock.

Blessings

I have had a wonderful year. I went back to Alexandria Park Community School and taught the Yr 12 Indigenous students, reconnecting with my training through the Koori Centre at USYD. I have seen Tom, Alex and Nick my three sons grow and change, taking on new challenges at school and in their young lives. I have travelled north and south, east and west, continuing my involvement with community for the environment as well as in wellbeing through the Crag and SANE Australia. My writing has continued to diversify and experienced a new fluency. Friends and family have rallied around me when I have needed support. I am looking forward to 2012 with a new spirit.

Tarzan and Jane

The Janes

Nick as one of the Tarzans

The Christmas Concert is always one of the highlights of Term 4. This year Nick's class performed a dance to a song called Tarzan and Jane. Nick performed all the moves and had a great time. He is not one of the most outgoing and starlight seeking kids however he had a great time participating in the act with his classmates.

Bush Regen

It started in 1999 for me, pregnant with Alex I went to the National Trust Bush Care Techniques Workshop at Mowbray Park. Then I joined my first Bush Care group in Castle Cove at the oval and learnt about what it takes to volunteer in a team. I met Dick Smith's mother who brought lovely morning teas each month and made jokes about her son and his childhood to us, I made friends with people who loved the bush and connected with them. And so to Castlecrag, finally living in bushland with its own bushcare group. In Retreat Reserve, we work in dry and wet sclerophyll rain forest and there has been bush regen on our block over the last twelve months to connect the land with the bush. Today I started my first paid bush regen job, next year I will enrol at Tafe to compete a qualification in this work. In twelve years my life has changed completely.

Picasso

Picasso in his studio in the 1960s, strong bold and innovative at the height of his skills

The crane is a symbol of longevity and peace

This Buddha is carved with two Bodhisattva in attendance, more blessings

A silver ornament worn on the back by men as part of Miao dress in China early 1900s

Robert Klippel's sculpture as perfect as his smaller models but larger than life

Watching the installation of images in the upper Asian art galleries, wrapt in silhouette



The Picasso Exhibition will run until 25th March 2012, brought to Sydney from the Musee de Picasso in Paris housed in his attelier that is being renovated while the works travel the globe.

Into my arms

Nick Cave singing Into My Arms

Away

Cabarita Beach

Hobie Porter's palette

Sugarloaf

So then I had a party

With the end of the teaching block came the end of so many other things so the best way to handle it was to have a party. Invite the friends who count and relax around a fire on a rainy Sydney afternoon. I didn't get many photos of everyone at the time as I was too busy talking and listening. However the fire did look great and hopefully Alex will have his blue cast off soon.

Endings

I wrapped up my teaching block last Friday. Year 12 graduated and I attended their dinner. Most of the teachers had headed for international departures at the airport by Friday. Which left me at the pub with a few boxes waiting for a lift home. I had less than I usually do at the end as this time all of my files were electronic and I walked out the door with a usb stick. Teaching in the digital era. As Year 12 had already deserted and most of Year 9 were already out there I just watched Korean rock music with Year 10 (cnblue - check them out on Youtube if you have time) and shared some party food with them that they had thoughtfully provided to farewell me. I was still on the outside looking in as far as the teachers were concerned but I raised the final glass of beer and we all said goodbye more or less amicably. The tears came for a moment and then the sun set on another episode of my teaching career.

Willoughby Spring Fair

Here is Lorraine's portrait in the photo wall

Nick with the photos

Audience listening to Mayor Pat Reilly

Thanking Vanessa Cheung for her design of the artwork

The key collaborators on the project

Lorraine Cairnes

Today was the Willoughby Spring Fair which is held as a street fair following a parade in Victoria Avenue, Chatswood. Nick and I went to the opening of The Faces of Willoughby which is a digital photo wall featuring many portraits of people taken over the last two years in Willoughby of all different groups. The display is a series of light boxes which have a background of heritage maps of the area. Our next door neighbour Lorraine features in one of the portraits.

The beauty of the night

Right now I am sitting in the living room typing and just in the window right in front of me is the moon nearly at half sitting brightly in the western sky. The moon that can be seen from this window every year at the beginning of Spring. I think about how many other people have sat here looking at the moon and wonder if the original architect knew that it would be the movements of the stars and the moon through these windows that would always leave me in silent admiration for the timeless night sky.

Everything I've been up to

When I have more time I will come back and explain what all of these photos are about, but basically they are from the last twenty four hours of my life. T. xx