Back beach February 2015

My beautiful son.

After a whim took us to a very wind swept ocean beach we took these photos.  I look awful!  But I clipped some lovely photos of Thomas.  They are beautiful to me.  They capture his handsome face.

Im so proud of him.  He is struggling a little bit to get in the zone.... but he is trying to get back into study and I mean really trying.  He is going to be such a wonderful man in this world.  He will contribute great things.

 

We are so lucky!

 



Samuel has been diagnosed high functioning autistic.  I am very grateful that mostly this seems to involve communication in all its forms, fine motor skills and anxiety when routines change, expectations change, loud noises (like school carnivals) occur.

Im very grateful that he can appear to be a very normal 9 year old.  Im very grateful that with some further investigation and then some learning and counselling.... he should have an ok life.

Today I found a turtle.  (No not a sea turtle... but arent the babies cute?)

So Samuel is getting lots of help.  And Samuel has a turtle.  His asthma is improving.  Last night he slept some hours quietly.  A big change.

I will have some money soon.... there are iron tablets waiting.  Appointments with speech and OT people.  Im feeling like everything will be alright.

And like I said.  Im very grateful that he can run, read, laugh, enjoy Ninja turtles!!!

Sewing Lessons for free

OMG still torn between teaching isolated people, young people, to sew, for free OR *SLAP* charging a modest amount .... my skills are worth something right?

If you can stand the whole debate on how much community service should be free.... Ive written my thoughts HERE

TODAY'S "RETURNABLE" BLOG ENTRY

If you would like to read my latest entry on REturnable consumerism..... well the link is HERE

You will also find the link on how to make this groovy apron out of a used man's shirt.

I cant imagine a world without books, hand written letters and beautiful stamps.

It was interesting but not unexpected that "studies show" that holding a real book, looking at ink on paper and turning real pages are all good for our health and if you are night time reader.... beneficial to a good night's sleep.

This is all very good news for people who love books.  The real thing books.  Dust jackets or just dust.... and all.  It is great news for libraries.  It is good news for book shops.

I reckon an extension of books are letters.  Our person to person hand written letters with a stamp and all.  It is my mission this year to promote hand written letters.

I dont think we need to participate in a study to find a quick list of the benefits of hand writing a letter.  But to do it properly, to do it so that as many people as possible benefit, I think there needs to be a couple of rules.

1. Always use a real stamp.  Who are we helping?  Why stamp collectors of course.

2.  Write the letter in your own hand writing or at the very least sign the letter by hand.
3.  Include a lovely addressed envelope.
4.  Freely include pressed flowers and the like.  Locks of hair or glittery plastic stickers and stars.... no they dont really go with the purity of ink on paper.

So who is going to benefit from a proudly presented and neatly written, heart felt letter?  Well initially the person writing it.  Then the person receiving it.  Then.... well down the track who knows.  We do know that many letters have been kept and then surprisingly found... revealing much about the people and the time when they were written.  SO much love and passion along with historical facts have been revealed because people wrote and kept letters.  Our books and museums would be the poorer if people had not taken the time to write, read and keep the letters that kept them connected.

Today I came across a blog.... this lady makes books out of collections of letters.  The link is here.  The image that follows is hers..... go take a look.  How are we ever going to glean all the important stuff from letters if they arent written?  How are we going to make beautiful keepsakes that reflect a person's life if we dont write, read and keep real, ink on paper, letters.

Pick up your pen and write a letter to someone today.

Reviving old fashioned ways because we are avoiding preservatives

Wow it's a bit time consuming... you have to be organised.... but successfully (I hope) bottled pumpkin & apple chutney.

It's my first time boiling up the jars & lids..... bottling anything really.  It wont be my last.  It was great fun and really rewarding to put the labels on the bottles.

One month curing time... and then we can try the first bottle!!

REturnable : latest post

Here is the link to my latest post on my blog REturnable.

Celebrating living in Australia January 2015 at Sorrento back beach

 Drove to Sorrento back beach, grabbed a boogie board and faced my fears.  I'll be going back often.  Love love love this place.

Thomas turns 18

 He wont let me take photos these days.  But he is taller than me.  He is very handsome.  He has bucket loads of love and compassion for people..... except his little brother.  He doesnt know what he wants to be... but he has time for that.  He has some good friends but like all of us I suppose is lonely from time to time.  He carries a great sadness missing his dad.  It is a physical pain that wells up into tears quite often.  Ive feared for his life while he has fought his way through puberty.  But I think he will be ok.  He is doing year 11 this year.  A year late.  But we do things differently around here.  He loves me.  Im glad he is here.

Lots of cement to fall on to.  But nothing holds Samuel back from skating for hours and hours.  It is so bad Im praying for rain today.  Im not sure why he has become so obsessed with roller blades but he has been hooked for a week and we are basically packing the car and living at the skate park.

That's why Im sewing at 6 a.m.

Not great photos... they were taken with my phone.  But a little note just in case I forget the hours and hours spent at this place : getting sunburnt and going a little mad!

Ive been stupid.  Ive been so busy trying to hold everything together and scrap together an existence that I never even looked up maintenance details.  I havent checked for years.  Literally.

And now the heartache.  The amount is much more.  The money SO needed.  Not for clothes or shoes but for teeth and for school.  The child Ive been trying to nurse through sadness and isolation could have some money to do so many things.  Clothes and a hair cut.  His computer upgrade.  He has nothing.  He waits. Patiently.

But what about the love for the man?  How do I explain how much his son has gone without?  The most urgent is just one tooth.  A dentist visit I cant afford.

But doesnt the child have to come first?  Ive been such an idiot.

Last night a discussion with the child.  Telling him all this.  Asking what should we do.  He says Dad probably cant afford it.  I say he can.  It's based on his wage.  His eyes fill with tears.  Then go for it he says.  We need help.

Cold wet weather with some steamy sunny bits.  Very strange.  Still holiday time and it might have been a mistake to drop into the local op shop.  Roller blades for Samuel that have hardly been off for two days now.  A new goggle and snorkel set.  Im not going to the beach today.  Two hours at the skate park was quite enough.

Nightmarish hours online and on the phone trying to organise youth allowance and school and uni.

Looking at getting into office work.  Dictaphone typing in particular.  It's a leap of faith.... well it will be after I figure out if I should buy / subscribe to Office 365 AND advertise.  What kind of files come from a dictaphone?  Lots of investigation to do.  Cant wait to get back to typing.

Off to finish two boring black screens for the tattoo parlor.  So boring that Ive been putting it off for two weeks but they are phoning and they are big bulky guys and one of them knows where I live :)