Mel's 22nd birthday

Here are some pics from the event. The young ones are usually shy of the camera and were reluctant to have their photos taken. I guess that's obvious! Ah well, I managed to get some anyway. They'll have to do. Nick (the rock star looking one- or 70s emulator as he calls himself) was in fine goofing around form!

Mark and Laura flew to Melbourne Friday evening and caught up with Mel that afternoon. They don't feature in the photos taken at the Pancake Kitchen, where Mel chose to share a meal on her birthday.

Tomorrow, school resomes for the fourth and last term of the school year. It is just 9 weeks and packed full of the end-of-year events that'd be expected.

I've had a busy and productive holiday. It's been great to spend some really good times with my kids and my parents in Adelaide as well as completing a lot of school work.

I'm looking forward to this time, with more family birthdays to come too!

Photos

Laura and Mark and Mark with me on my 52nd birthday in August

My oldest son, Mark, is a professional artist. He does some part time work gallery sitting, but not regularly. I wrote somthing about his art in an earlier post. He's in Singapore at the moment and has an exhibition there.

He'll return to Adelaide on Wednesday.

On Friday he flies to Melbourne to give another one of his artists talks about his work.

His partner is Laura. She works as a personal assistant to the Adelaide Senator. The life of politics would not be my choice, but she seems to thrive on it. She was this senator's campaign manager for the Commonwealth elections last November. It was through this campaign that this senator was elected to parliament for the first time.

They live in a town house in the city of Adelaide, about 3 blocks from the city centre of Victoria Square. It's what you'd call a central location!

They are a great couple who enjoy the night life that Adelaide city has to offer. She is very supportive of Mark's art career and they both enjoy visiting exhibitions and watching live bands. They both DJ at times too.

Mark is an expressive kind of guy. He's certainly not the traditional few words man and can express himself and share well when he feels comfortable with people.

I'll miss him if, well actually it's more like when, he and Laura spend a few years overseas in the not-to-distant future.

Another Sunday

Wow, Sunday again... already!
I have to say that the week has gone slowly, probably because I've been tired due to end of the 3rd term. I always find the 3rd term of the school year the most difficult. It is the coldest term, being the heart of winter, and many illnesses spread their merry way around classrooms. I think this is exacerbated because the year 'adds up' by then. The holidays haven't allowed enough time to recover each time before getting back into the intensity of relating with so many kids with issues and so stress and fatique build up- not that I'm complaining. I enjoy my job. I'm merely making an observation about something that shows in all the staff and kids.
Anyway... the holidays are here. I've slept in a little yesterday and today and catching up on washing and watering the garden ready to spend this week in Adelaide staying with my youngest son so my daughter who shares with him can have a break up here. She'll enjoy spending time with the animals, including Mutley, and watching pay TV, etc.
I'll spend the time in Adelaide catching up with family and doing lots of school paper work and shopping. It'll especially be great to spend a more extended time with Nick, my youngest son, who isn't doing too well at the moment. He seems pretty happy to have received an entrance exam for a course for which he's applied. He's an especially gifted writer and will do well in the course should he get in and manage to attend. Getting out and about more will help him.
It is really frustrating find a good psychiatrist who is taking new patients and who has an appointment available withing the next 2 months. This is a real problem. There is such a shortage of doctors in all fields in this country.
Anyway... I'll catch up with Mark before he flies out to Singapore on Wednesday morning. He's organising and attending his own exhibition there and the venue is paying all his expenses as well as paying a daily 'wage' for spending the time there. I think he'll be there for 8 days. Artists have to pay their own expenses and a fee for exhibiting in a gallery space until they become more renown. Mark is getting more known and respected in some circles, so it is something of which he can be proud- I sure am! Of course, we mothers love our kids no matter what, eh?!!
Mel (my daughter) will spend time together tomorr before she catched the bus up here, then we'll spend other time during the next two weeks shopping, etc. It is her birthday on October 11.
I'll also enjoy spending time with my second son Bryan in between his work commitments.
I like living and working here but I do miss my family in Adelaide. It's good that it's only 2 hours away by car.
Enough of my rambling.
hugs and prayers
Julie

School Animals

Thought I'd start showing some of the animals at school- they're mine, but I share them with the kids and staff there- still have no more of my family on camera, but will get them organised during the holidays. Mel's (my daughter) birthday on the 11th October will be an opportunity!

These animals reside in the school office:

A very relaxed 'Peeper' Eastern Bearded Dragon














Peeper was tense when he first came to school to live, but not any more, as you can see!

'Zag' Golden Bell frog

Mark's art... and a pleasant weekend

Wow! When I went into my blog list to edit the last post to say I CAN'T load photos onto the site from Word format I found this draft. I must have run out of time to finish it and then forgotten it!
I've been to Adelaide to the official opening of my oldest son's latest art exhibition. This exhibition will run for a month now, and also coincides with the Melbourne Art Festival, to which he has also sent works. He is exhibiting in Singapore in October and has established quite a fan base in New Zealand. He's getting there- he's 28 years old and is very committed to his art. I am very proud of him. Of course his art is very 'out there'! This exhibition is titled 'Apples'. It is a series of work that takes as it's focus the Apple iPod. You can see his art at Grenaway Art Gallery, Kent Town or onine at http://www.greenaway.com.au/ARTISTS/SiebertM/Apple/ApplesWrk.htm
I will add now that the exhibition is over and it was a success in that Mark sold several works and is doing well with this agent promoting him.
He's being interviewed on Radio National during this week and just discovered he is a finalist in an art prize in Sydney.
I enjoyed my 'catch-up' with my family during the weekend, so did Mutley. The cats and ducks left behind here weren't as happy but they're fine!
One more week of school left now before the holidays... and so much to do but all of it ok! Assessment Profiles to complete for all students in Science and Health learning areas, reports to write and I'm finalising applications for funding to be sent to Sydney tomorrow. Two classes and I are asking for funding to further develop 2 garden areas. I'll write more about them and the animal program I'm doing some other time. I'd better get on with work now.
Blogspot never prints the time accurately here... must be set on a different time zone- maybe where it's based? I don't know, but I thought I'd mention it because you might think my plans for the day or evening are a bit 'funny' given the times that'd be showing onscreen!
Have a great week everyone!
hugs and prayers

photo additions

I'm in the process of adding some photos to my blog, now that I have a digital camera. I'm really enjoying the camera.
I've added a couple of pics of Mutley at work so far and will continue tomorrow. It's late now... midnight, and I need to get some sleep.

precious birthday surprises

I've just had my 52nd birthday last Thursday. I so appreciated the time I've spent with my family who made the effort to travel here from Adelaide (2 hours each way) over the last few days. My 3 youngest kids arrived at my place of work (school) at the end of the teaching day to surprise me. They took me out for coffee, then to a meal at a restaurant overlooking Moonta Bay. They then drove the 2 hours back home so Bryan could get to work by 7:30 the next morning.

My parents drove here Saturday and took me out for lunch at a cafe overlooking the sea, then on to a different cafe in Moonta for afternoon coffee and ice cream (even though it's still really cold here). We had Cornish Pasties for tea... Cornish pasties are a part of the heritage of this area. They are not getting any younger and have their share of health issues and I so appreciated them making such an effort to visit and spend time here with me.

My oldest son and his partner visited here today. They 'shouted' me to a wonderful meal at an Italian restaurant. We spent time chatting and relaxing within busy life schedules.

On each occasion we spent time relaxing here at my home looking at family photos I have been scrapbooking during the past 3 weeks.

I've been involved in a wonderful blogging site belonging to 2 wonderful people who lost their son to Hypoplastic left heart syndrome last year. He was just 4 years old. They enveloped him with such love and gave him such an incredible life during the short time they were privaledged to know him. They appreciated him and continue remembering him via their site. They have sooo many photos and videos that they share with us and they write in such a poignant way about the love in their hearts for their precious son who suffered so much. He was always smiling. This is in part due to his own nature but a huge part of this is due to their strength in giving him such security in their love, showing him values of respect, love, honour, peace, commitment, faith and honesty. They showed such appreciation of him as a person while supporting him through chronic health crises.

I have the DeMellos to thank the new outlook I have on life. I can't say they have renewed my enthusiasm for life because I don't think I ever had enthusiasm for life. I never found living life easy. I didn't really know why when I was a kid, or even until the last year or so really, but I understand the reasons now. Suffice to say that I have an appreciation for the time I have to spend with my family and friends. I appreciate that I have them around me, I mean I REALLY appreciate this. I always said I appreciated them and I did, but now I feel so glad to be alive and living. I've been living in an emotional fog all these years. Please don't think I didn't love my family before... I did... but now I have the emotional energy to really let go of the negative emotions and to rest in the peace and tranquility of love. I value life and just want to spend as much time with the people I love while I can.

Thanks doesn't seem enough in this situation, but I'd like to express it anyway. Thankyou for providing me with the opportunity to gain life enthusiasm, appreciation and love.

Thankyou to my family who made such an effort to simply spend some time with me here. It is a birthday time to remember in years to come.

It's been difficult to put this into words because words don't really 'cut-it' (or at least my words!)but I've done my best.

bye for now
Julie