together

Pearl at the Dharma School

So we got through Oliver's first term of School.

Amongst the many reasons to move to this part of the world was because of the Daylesford Dharma School, Australia's first Buddhist school.

For the last couple of years we thought we would be homeschooling our lovelies. 

But then there was this. 

We spent time there with Oli & Pearl, sometimes i would get a few chubby little tears in my eyes watching them meditate, play, ponder compassion and be around such amazing teachers.

But then apparently it's quite difficult to rent a house in a small country town when you have chickens, children a dog and this town is filled with cottages that are empty most of the week then fill up with(sans chooks) Melbourne escapees on the weekend.

So for this year the Dharma School was not to be.

It left us agonising(it was painful!)about Oli's School choices.

In the end we went to the public school down the road (we can avoid the road by following the creek and train track).

On our way to school

After this lovely term I've realised that all this agonising was really my own projection of what MY schooling was like.

I am a passionate advocate for life learning/home/un-schooling etc........I've read all the books (Which may have contributed to my angst somewhat...)

but this little public school has such a lovely soul which reflects the spirit of the little town we live in.

Pearl & Oli's Ballet teacher commented the other day about how she see's the children in her classes being so supportive and beautiful with each other...that she's noticed the children(and families)have a much stronger sense of community and the importance of well being, health, simplicity and connection then previous generations.

At my public school in Sydney we weren't even allowed to play on the grass, it was bitumen and bullying all the way.

I'm just so happy to be experiencing (to really see it)this shift in "what matters" through Oliver's public school.

Dave and Pearl make muffins for playgroup

They have a wonderful Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden program.

One of my amazing Permaculture Design teachers (the Permaculture Design Certificate is taught at the school and heavily subsidised through Castlemaine Community House) works at the School teaching children in the Food Garden

Children who are feeling overwhelmed and fidgety in their classrooms can negotiate an alternative such as working in the Garden. 

Then there is a huge industrial kitchen for children to cook scrumptious food in with ingredients they have JUST harvested from the garden.An experienced,passionate and patient cook helps them.

On Fridays parents are allowed to use the kitchen for making & baking delicious goods for their stalls at the local markets.

It's just gardening, harvesting and connecting

but it's power is immense.

   

missing

It will be 11 years on Sunday the 1st of April since my Dad died.

He was such a beautiful, strong and creative Soul.

I miss him

Both of my Parents died relatively young.

I was 5 months pregnant with Pearl when my Mum died

I cherish (and so does Oliver) that he had One and a bit years with my Mama. 

I have beautiful memories of them dancing together everyday, playing in our garden and sharing such a big love.

Sometimes, I think part of my inspiration behind doing a blog is not having either of my Parents around to relish in the beauty of our wonderful little family. 

Grandparents(the good ones)have a way of cherishing those tiny fleeting beautiful moments of their grandchildren's lives that the untrained eye may not even pick up.

I was sitting in my lounge room yesterday and noticed gifts from my Dad.

banjo 

art

books

music

dance

guitar

teacups 

ink wells with calendar

love

all ceramics and artworks by my dad except for "Water Woman" etching plate by Moi

big city book adventure

I love our library, they even supply books for the 2 hour trip to Melbourne. Love the Library humour.

On Sunday we headed into Melbourne on the train with some lovely friends. For the long trip in we were armed with blank books, pencils and fresh bounty from the station's library...see above.

 

We went to the State Library for The Children's Book Festival.

 We had a wild time running through the city,

meeting and listening to some special authors such as Boori Monty Pryor. 

The kids were completely captivated by his beautiful storytelling

I Even glimpsed Grahame Base somewhere under a patient and excited throng of children waiting for autographs.

 We hung out at the "Love and Devotion,Persia and beyond" tent for a dose of Henna and drawing persian carpets.

 We finished with a glass of hot chocolate from the Spanish Chocolateria next door (Ooh La La). Then ran, high on Cacao all the way back to the train station for our 2 hour trip home.

transition

Pearl was born at home in the water still sleeping inside her amniotic sac.

She made the easy transition into the loving arms of the oceans and waterholes of the NSW North Coast.

Our children have been blessed to spend the first few years of their lives amongst the rainforest's of the nsw Byron Bay hinterland. Water fell from the sky (sometimes continuously), it came from the earth in springs and it roared lovingly from the oceans. 

There , the water is ABUNDANT.

Of course sometimes too abundant.

We spent summers wading around waterholes under gargantuan foliage, breastfeeding in the bath, dipping our bed sheet into water and laying it across our bodies only to have it evaporate too quickly.

And now......

We are now living in the Goldfields of Central Victoria in a land bled dry by the Goldrush. Where this beautiful,strong and creative community has experienced 10 years of drought.

 The rains have returned briefly, leaving 150 year old glorious oak trees to fall down in complete shock.

Our children have had to learn about conservation in a way they never have before. Water was a way of life (swimming,bathing, playing, growing with and consuming) and now we have to quench our thirst in other ways.

It's been a time of transition,instead of living in a land of ancient lush volcanic soil that constantly gave to US,we are now in an environment where the relationship must be more of a passionate symbiotic tango. 

We have a relationship with this weary garden of ours.

She's tired and needs lots of lovin'

I'm blessed to have a partner that's a Green Man, a "Permie"(a permaculturilist)a lover of the Earth.

He knows good stuff about bio-dynamics and garden lore.

Over Summer the earth cracked and opened up, when the rain came in dribbles our garden was full of found vessels collecting the preciousness, to then feed to our little veggie seedlings. 

In our adventures beyond our new town we have found some water for playing in.

The mineral springs of Daylesford, Hepburn and Vaughn and Glenluce are our favourites.

As the tree's start to hold on to their chlorophyll and drop golden leaves , we head into the unfamiliar realms of winter.


It seems they spent most of their early life in the sub-tropics naked in our garden. Our first winter here last year was a daily dose of "Nude on Ice".
Possibly denial... or maybe because of children's amazing adaptability, Pearl and Oli were passionate advocates of....well...being nude amongst the icy garden.

I wonder if there will be clothes this winter?