Yummy Yum Cha

A special group of friends and I have found a great way to catch up regularly without taking too much time from our other commitments - Yum Cha, last Sunday each month. We arrive at 11am and are on our way by 12.30 after beautiful morsels, lots of Jasmine tea and all the gossip. One of our number has a life-threatening disease, so we have learned to value time together. Well, we always did, but coordinating diaries meant we didn't get together very often. We've decided that Yum Cha is a very civilised idea - and the warm egg custard tarts just top it off!

Food for Thought

Reading Bohemian Mom's blog just now reminded me of this saying:

" If you want to know your past, look at your present conditions. If you want to know your future, look at your present actions".....

the Weekend Artist

My sister Helen sent me a lovely birthday present, all the way from Queensland. It is a very inspiring book by an Australian "weekend" artist, Gerard Smith, who works in an art shop. He is encouraging and never talks down to the reader. So far I've been too busy writing reports to do anything on the weekend, but I have used the book's ideas for three art lessons at school already. The kids have surprised themselves with their professional results from printing with the rim of cup, potato printing to make a Japanese style cherry blossom tree and using masking tape to creat geometric designs. Thanks Helen!! Now I can't wait to start myself. (Yes, they all received good grades for Art).

Mauvember

I'm definitely going to explore the Jacaranda theme - no, they don't have a fragrance; the petals are like parts of the flower, so just little tubes of mauve fall to the ground. I'll be outside with my camera taking close-ups tomorrow. I love Jacaranda trees (originally from South America), especially the unexpected glimpse of a tree in full flower where you are used to seeing just green. Like many good things in life - they are fleeting.

November

Sydney in November is - purple. The Jacaranda trees burst into colour seemingly overnight. Whole streets are covered in purple blooms,and your car if you park under them. A town on the North Coast, Grafton, has an annual Jacaranda Festival.(I'm not sure what that entails, having never attended). This post is for Annie, whose November birthday is heralded by the blooming of these purple flowers. By December, they'll be gone - so we'll enjoy the burst of colour while we can.

Sydney Summer Sunday

...and my nephew's 5th birthday. He goes to "big school" after Christmas. Just the age to absolutely love a picnic with presents, all for you!

I'm immersed in final reports, hours of extra work after school and on the weekend, but with just five weeks to go till the end of the school year, we can do it (so we keep telling ourselves). Here's mine:
"Cate has had a busy year, with many challenges. She found it hard to get back into the routine after her holiday in the US. This term, however, to her credit, she has bounced back, instigated a successful new discipline system and rediscovered the occasional rewarding moments in teaching. Cate has found that cappucino, good company and a beer after work on Friday will help her to achieve her best results."

Missing in Action

Yep. I've been missing AND there has been plenty of action. Eliza organised a fantastic Halloween themed birthday party for me at home on the 1st Nov., (pics to come) so all Saturday was spent preparing and all Sunday was spent clearing up! It was a lovely balmy night, great decorations by Eliza, lots of friends both young and old as me, people from different groups mixing and chatting, fires in the braziers, lounges out on the back deck, spit roast, wine, dance and song. No sooner had I cleaned up and had an early night on Sunday, it was 5.ooam and - up and at 'em for school camp. Canberra, three days, two nights. The four teachers were a great bunch, we work really well together, and the kids had a great time. Just the usual midnight feasts, sneaking into other's rooms, occasional overtiredness etc. (the kids, not the teachers!)Then back to school and the usual program on Thursday and Friday! Ugh!
By Friday at 3pm, it was definitely: Thank God It's Friday.