Sunday, January 30, 2011

The best and most beautiful things in the world...

… cannot be seen, 


or even touched.


They must be felt with the heart.
Helen Keller


Science experiment #1 for kids, and kids at heart.
Do bubbles freeze???
Have you ever wondered that?


Wait till you see what other tricks I've got up my sleeve
 to get the messmonsters outside and breathing deeply 
in sub zero temps :)

Some of my OWN artwork nearly ready to post 
(not counting our recently constructed papier maché volcano!!)


Hope you're all set for a wonderful week.
And that you have made careful note 
to surround yourself with beautiful things.


Happy Birthday 
to my dearest Dad, 
my dear friend Patricia, 
and my god son Dorian


Finally got those Indian shots sorted out 
with stories to tell later in the week,
like being invited to be a 'second wife'
by the first wife!!. 

Now please excuse me, 
while I prepare myself for the rollercoaster ride school week
;)
Love to all

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Dream. Love. Faith. Create. Read!!

I am obsessed with words once again
Especially the printed type ;-)
The homeschooling seems to have settled into a full speed ahead
gentle rhythm that is finally allowing us all
  ESPECIALLY MOI
to get our hands into the paint and feet into the mud
(read: calligraphy and running through the fields,
not necessarily at the same time)
And thankfully, no time for house work

So in between reading all of Chickpea's school books
and filling bottomless stomachs,
I've been amusing myself, 
and the messmonsters,
by making these


from an idea I saw here.

Libellule, Chickpea and Pokemon made lots of delicate washi paper ones  
but mysteriously, the lollipops we placed inside the paper hearts
(see the link above)
well
they
uuummmmm
disappeared!
In the blink of an eye and right under my nose!!
JUST LIKE THAT
When I wasn't looking...
In fact, I wonder if I ever actually bought a whole packet of lollipops at all!


Am I losing my mind?
Or dreaming?
In any case, remind me to whip out the camera more quickly
whenever lollies and children are in the house at the same time.


Bless their little hearts.
Now, where was I? 
Lost in the pages of a book was I not?

 

Now that I'm teaching children I I know that the importance of using 
BIG WORDS.
can never be underestimated.
I strive every day to get the right message across.


I wonder if this ultra fabulous work by Isaac Salazar
(click on his name to see his other pieces)


will inspire us to use our words more creatively.

On second thoughts, 
given Azzy's next French book review topic...
Mmmmmm
maybe I'd better not show this to them after all...
:)

Thursday, January 20, 2011

What you see...

… depends ...


...on what...


…you are...


 …looking for!


Just a reflection…

There seem to be treasures everywhere I look at the moment. 

Even after midnight

Much love

P.S. 
Stay tuned for some Indian colour :)

Even though I'm still in awe of the steely grey beaches 
on the West Coast of New Zealand's South Island.

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Getting Wordy...

Would you think I was ludicrous for trying to bring Wordsworth to the ears of my three young messmonsters?


 Had you been at our dinner table this evening, I'm sure you would  have said YES. Then you would have erupted into the same fit of giggles as Chickpea and Libellule when their nearly 7 year old brother let out a resounding BUUUUUUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRRRP! just as I was preparing to inspire them with the profound words below:


"And I have felt

A presence that disturbs me with the joy of elevated thoughts; 
a sense sublime 
Of something far more deeply interfused, 
Whose dwelling is the light of setting suns, 
And the round ocean, and the living air, 
And the blue sky, and in the Mind of man; 
A motion and a spirit, that impels 
All thinking things, all objects of all thought, 
And rolls through all things." 


Effort 1: 
Skilfully Thwarted

Do you think Wordsworth ever burped at the table?

Is there a message in there somewhere? A lesson? A cry from the heavens? A couple of extra commandments for a homeschooling (desperately seeking artist within) mother to bear in mind?

Thou shalt not try to disturb the natural processes of the universe by inflicting classical poetry on under age boys, lest the natural processes of the universe rise up against you at the table.

Thou shalt not impose a routine of rules on the motion and spirit that impels life itself  (or at least thine own children) lest the spirit itself make a motion in some inappropriate form and bring you back to your rightful, humble place. 


Sigh… In desperation I ask you, what other meaning can I find in this act?? That joy is definitely present and rolling through my Messmonsters as vibrantly as the light of the setting suns and the blue of the Provençal sky?

Possums, for the moment it would seem that ''calligrapher Ange'' has taken a back seat to 'teacher Ange' - at least until the end of January when I hope to have cleared the rest of the mess organised my studio and installed a satisfactory heating system .

Thou shalt not make unrealistic and untenable deadlines for yourself.

Pffff.  Bravely flouting the rules I say to you dearies, "Be patient! We are going through some unexpected turbulence. 


Programming will return to normal, whatever that is.  There will be more Words on Wood - but in the mean time, the only inspiration I have to share with you is being provided by my three trusty sidekicks messmonsters as we bumble through our homeschooling beginnings together by the fire, for better or for worse, on a rainy Toulousain afternoon." 

Patience? Nahhh - This is it! This is life! Wordsworth and the messies would surely have had a fabulous time together!  Although I doubt Wordsworth ever burped at the table, they all seem to inherently understand that life is not perfection but a crazy roller coaster of uninterrupted interuptions and the sooner you go with the flow, the more enjoyable the experience.

Wanna go for a ride??!!

Just before I hit the pillow, as it is now after 2am, and we all know late nights aren't becoming to an over 40 year old mother/artist come teacher ;), I wanted to share a couple of important personal messages. 

First of all … To Jane, there are more prayers of strength, love and courage, pouring out to you and your family from us all here in Toulouse, for as long as you need them. 

To all my Australian bloggie friends, the fam, and all of flooded Queensland, more prayers that the waters will subside and dry land is found again quickly. 

To those of you who have taken the time to read my last post and comment so exquisitely, I do intend to drop by and write back to you all personally. It will happen. You know my fondness for late entrances ;-)

Much love to all. 


*All photos taken in New Zealand and unmodified due to severe lack of time!!