Did It Look Like This At Your House?

Did you have lots of these scattered about the place last night? Wasn't it nice and restful? Thank goodness Earth Hour happens at a time when the Little Buttons are in bed or I don't think I would be using the word restful!

I did a bit of cutting by candlelight and recycled some scraps for the Year 1 collage table. Mostly I just enjoyed the quiet and the lovely scents of the candles as they burned. Something big started crashing about in the bush just as the hour was winding up. Mr Button and I tried to do a bit of spotlighting to discover the visitor but we struck out. It sounded as though it was koala sized which made me happy. I like it when they come to stay in our trees.

Thought for Thursday

Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.

William Morris

We have a house full of sick kids at the moment and as a result we had an unexpected day at home. I took the chance to apply this rule to our living room and have a jolly good Toss and Tidy. There is plenty more to do in the rest of the house but at least the space where we gather and relax is looking and feeling nicer. As my good friend Louise always says, "Good comes out of bad!"

I hope you have somewhere beautiful to sit and enjoy your night.

My Market Pal

On Saturday morning as I was getting ready to start my preparations for The Handmade Expo, a snuggly little 6yr old declared he was coming with me for the day. Paddy has developed quite an attachment to THE. I suspect the attachment is based on more than just spending a day with me although I know that is part of the attraction! My Mum, sister and nephew also visited the market and it really was a lovely way to catch up with them.

A reliable source informs me that some of the other attractions at the Turf Club are the fudge, the super generous cupcake ladies, Pauline from the Snow Cone van and his latest love, the bloke who Airbrushes hats. While I was busy tending my wares, Aunty Vick took Paddy shopping. The hats you see in the picture are the result of the shopping expedition. Good grief, I am just not ready for this kind of 'tude'! I'm thinking the days of dressing him in button embellished tees may be gone. Do you think I am in with a chance? That is his cousin is in the photo with him, I don't usually show my children's faces on the blog but in this instance, I made an exception. I believe the 'eyes' have it!

Thought for Thursday

A little preamble to the thought this week. It is taken from a school newsletter. Four women from the community were interviewed. The collective age of these ladies is 377 years so they can certainly be considered to be community elders. They were asked to explain respect. This is an excerpt from what they said:

Respect is looking for the good in others,

instead of judging others.

Respect is laughing and enjoying life,

instead of growling and complaining.

Respect is being interested in what others are doing and saying,

instead of only being interested in me.

Respect is taking time with one another,

instead of rushing the time you have with one another.

I like the simplicity and down to earthness of these observations. I'm going to think about that last one when I am trying to hurry small folk through the day and I am going to slow down, breathe, and give them respect. Have a great end to the week!

Sailing Through the Week

Are you sailing through your week, so far? Mine is off to a great start. It was nice to be back at Portside for the Boutique Markets, yesterday. You couldn't help but notice the cruise ship in port and it certainly proved a talking point for lots of shoppers. The weather played a few tricks on us but nothing too serious and the company was great!

Looking back at the photos of the day it seems I did manage to have a little nautical theme of my own happening.

Serena from Avant Garb was across the way from me and her wrap skirts looked great. She uses lots of black and splashes it with these beautiful Japanese fabrics. I really liked the purple one and I think I might just be tempted next month.

It's going to be a busy week replenishing stock before The Handmade Expo on Saturday. I best go and see if Mr Button has left any more of his jeans laying about the place as the new denim tees were a bit of a hit on the weekend and I will need to get busy with my scissors and sew some more.

Please Select From the Following Options

Hypothetically speaking, if one was to embark on a new project using pre-loved denim jeans and skirts, and, when cutting stars from said denim, one inadvertently picked up a pair of still loved denim jeans which someone had left lying around near the ironing board and proceeded to cut several stars and a couple of large hearts from them, the most appropriate course of action would be:

a) contritely confess the mishap to the owner of the jeans and offer to make reparation

b) reattach the missing pieces of the jeans with a combination of blanket stitch, interfacing and wood glue

c) when questioned about the missing jeans, deliver a stern lecture on the importance of putting things back where they belong and slip a confession in at the end

d) when questioned about the missing jeans, look vague and motion in the general direction of the laundry for the next few months

To see the results of this misadventure, pop along to the Boutique Markets at Hamilton tomorrow. Mr Button's jeans may, or may not, be there as well!

Sincere apologies for that first sentence. In spite of several attempts to rewrite it, it still sounds like a Dr Seuss book.

Thought for Thursday

In teaching you cannot see the fruit of a day's work. It is invisible and remains so, maybe for twenty years.

Jacques Barzun

I am happy to report that I did survive my day of relief teaching. I was surprised and delighted to discover some of my past pupils teaching at the school. They have grown into beautiful, remarkable and gifted young teachers. I also came across some parents of past pupils who were on staff and I loved hearing about stories of their children who came to me as tiny, wee, folk and are now grown up and doing amazing things.

I did come home in a bit of a state and it wasn't because I'd broken the library computer, forgotten to do a lunch duty or accidentally dismissed the students 5 minutes early. (I know, I'm not sure I'll be asked back either!) I had a great day and spent it with bubbly, eager to learn and gorgeous kids. Some things made me sad yesterday. Dear little folk who didn't have anyone to pack their lunch, help them find their glasses, listen to them read, cuddle them on the couch or send them to bed in time to get a good night's sleep. Sad and angry little people who have a lot in their heads and hearts and haven't yet mastered the verbal skills they need to express the tumbling thoughts and emotions.

I said a quiet thank you prayer in my head for the teachers at that school, who arranged lunch, who patiently reminded the parent about the importance of the glasses, who stroked bunched up, angry shoulders, found a good thing in the day and showered praise and congratulations, spoke kindly, regardless of the message and sprinkled a fair smattering of humour and cuddles about the place. I said a thank you prayer because they were there today, doing it all over again.

I'm Doing Something Exciting Tomorrow

In a previous life, before the last lot of small fry arrived, I used to teach. I haven't taught in a classroom for two and a half years, through a combination of choice and circumstances, but, with my big boy starting Year 1, I've had a bit of a hankering to get back amongst it. I'm off to play with a Year 4 class and I must confess to quite a bit of excitement. It's a combination of the feeling you have the night before you go on a holiday and there is also a fairly large flock of butterflies flapping about in my tum!

I'm putting the Janome in a holding pattern until tomorrow night. P'raps I better blog so you know I made it through the day! I'm sure it will be grand. This Old Duck still has a few tricks up her sleeve and I've asked Mr Button to pick me up a book of raffle tickets so if all else fails I'll use blatant bribery to keep things in hand! Now to pack my basket with my tools of trade (as shown in the photo above)!

I Love it When it Rains

Well, to be honest, I loved it that the rain complied with the BrisStyle guidelines and managed to stay away between 9am and 2pm on Saturday!

St Augustine's was green and shiny from the rain and provided a beautiful backdrop for the shoppers and stallholders alike. Great to see some familiar faces and also lovely chatting with lots of new customers. One gorgeous visitor came from the Sunshine Coast and was dressed for the event in her gumboots. She decided to make the dash to Brisbane when the floodwaters receded enough for her to get out and stock up on her BrisStyle supplies. What a dedicated shopper!

I have to admit to doing a brief happy dance when a gorgeous Gran purchased the first of my upcycled, denim skirts for her granddaughter. There will be more of them available for purchase at the Boutique Markets at Portside on Sunday. Here's a little sneak peek before I go. Hope your week is outstanding!

Thought for Thursday

The best way to have what you want, is to want what you have.

Marley and Me

Mr Button and I had a chance to watch this movie the other night. That quote has really stuck with me throughout the week. I think it is good every now and then, to be reminded of the importance of being in the moment, knowing and loving and giving thanks for the blessings in our life.

It's really that song we sang in Kindy; The Bear Went Over The Mountain, by another name, isn't it? It's a lesson I'm still learning. Thank goodness I have patient teachers.

The Things We Do For Love

Image: www.eontarionow.com/images/Rain.jpg

It is raining where we live...really bucketing down. Puddles on the road, soggy grass, damp, damp, damp.

It is Kindy sign on at 8am tomorrow. Kindy is an optional year of part time early childhood education for children aged 4-5. Our local C & K Kindy is brilliant. It was a fantastic introduction to formal education for Paddy and we'd love the twins to have the same solid start.

I have only one problem with the place: I started camping out in the line up to sign on, this morning at 8:45am. Yup, you heard me, camping out. Yup, that's right, almost 24hrs before the sign on. Chairs, tents, tarps and port-a-lights on the nature strip. On the plus side, a lovely chance to meet and chat with some of the parents of the twins' future classmates. By the way, did I mention it is raining? Quite a bit, in fact.

Mr Button assisting where possible by stepping in for his turn in the camping out zone. He seemed quite chuffed when I left him there. I think the rigging of tents and tarps in the torrential downpour smacked of a Boys Own adventure and he doesn't mind a bit of that. He was dry at the time. He won't be now. Did I mention it was raining in our neck of the woods?