Wednesday, June 20, 2012
In her inspiring words:
"...When I went to the Coorong, Murray River, for my first visit I knew I wanted to sit in the dirt with the Aunties and weave. Weaving is a girl's right of passage into womanhood - once you learn to weave you are ready to fall pregnant. I got to weave only a few stitches but within less than a month I was pregnant with Estelle.
The first time she touched the earth was on this mat. Made by one of the master weavers from our tribe - Ngarrindjeri - down south. Her feet were dusted with earth from where our dream story began. The flower on her back was made by my mother from Pelican feathers. The women originally made them to sell to the "tourists" (treasures made by the exotic other) - it was the only item they had to trade which ensured they could stay "in country" and not be removed in the assimilation policy.
After making placenta prints (tree of life) my placenta was encapsulated. The umbilical cord we dried in a spiral (the spiral is the symbol for women) and wrapped it in a placenta print with a copy of my story "Returning to Country". I then bound it with paperbark and twine and buried it in country. The women from my culture have buried their babies' placentas and umbilical cords for years.
I felt a strong connection to the land when I visited my ancestral country for the first time. I also felt deeply saddened by the fact that I had grown up detached from my heritage. In a way I felt lost from my soul's song. I wanted Estelle to be born into that connection and know what it is to be connected to her people and the land. I want her to know belonging and not to have to spend a good part of her life, like I did, in search of it.
I felt privileged that my Aunties and cousins embraced my choice to do this for Estelle. It was a powerful move to realign my life with my culture." - Natalia
Photo by Jane
Labels: birth , friends , natural birth , water baby
Monday, October 17, 2011
If you drive up to the Central Coast from Sydney, you'll notice a big dinosaur near the Gosford exit. It's an icon and it's been around for as long as I can remember. Its name is Ploddy.
Labels: adventures , che , exploring , family , friends
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Daniel has discovered his passion and his art. Twenty minutes of filming, a couple of hours editing and here we have a beautiful peek into the lives of friends...a memento, a keepsake, a reminder of a normal day when their son was small and cheeky.
Labels: danielgrey.com , film , friends
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Watercolours - book launch and giveaway
Tuesday, April 05, 2011
and warm inside. That's how I felt after my birthday weekend. Daniel went out early on Saturday morning to photograph the sunrise and came home with a bunch of flowers and a paper bag full of freshly baked croissants. The croissants were, without doubt, the best I've ever had. We topped them with lashings of raspberry and blueberry jam and we enjoyed them with a few cups of tea. I opened my presents from my boys, a collection of books I'd been coveting for ages, and then headed out to teach my pregnant students.Labels: birthdays , celebrations , family , friends
Wednesday, February 03, 2010
postcard style.
i'm a little addicted to prints and frames.
but for now these are pegged onto string in the entryway
my friend kiri has just spent 2 years travelling -
uk, europe and japan
and while in paris she got these for ché.
we treasure them (and her)
check out these cute framed bears
this studio violet print is on my wishlist
i'm getting this photo printed on canvas....i love my boy
p.s. an interview & giveaway in the next few days.
till then...
Labels: friends
Friday, January 29, 2010
Daniel remembers when he was little and he would fall asleep with a book open across his face - because he loved the scent of the pages. I read to Ché when he was in the womb and at our recent trip to the ashram, while reading to him before breakfast, we were joined by a couple of swamis who sat, quite happily, listening to Emily and Daisy. "I can't remember the last time I heard a mother read a book to her child," one man said. It was one of those moments I'll cherish and it really spoke wonders of the beauty and the preciousness of storytelling, of stories.
Daniel is in Melbourne for the week, drinking good coffee and watching the Australian Open. Ché and I spent an hour in our local bookshop today to quell the melancholy of 'Dada gone'. Perhaps that's a little dramatic but we are so so missing him. I worked in bookshops for 7 years and it is a job I miss. I loved knowing the insider goss on publication dates, new writers to watch, which books were becoming surprise bestsellers. I even started talking to a customer in the store today because I missed that interaction with strangers who had a passion for words (so many of the strangers I met in bookshops later became friends). I'm reading this at the moment (loving it) and picked up this today...I can't wait to start. Ché chose:
which is one of those books that will stay with us for years because of it's beautiful reminder:
Husk, cob, corn, yum!
Tomato blossom, fruit so red
All the world's a garden bed."
&
Labels: friends , reading , we love books
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
He's got his truck and she's got her doll.
I always wonder how long these friendships will last.
I suppose all that's important is today...
the fact that they shared banana bread and walked hand-in-hand away from the cafe.
Just so sweet.
Labels: friends
Wednesday, July 08, 2009
just the way you are.
One of the most wonderful magazine covers I've seen in a while.
Black, white & red.
Super stylish and oh so sweet.
It's helped pass the time as I lay on the couch with the flu.
Four days of bed rest and pyjamas.
Resting, dozing, reading and knitting.
Some much needed down-time for a very burnt-out Mama.
Thank goodness for fabulous Grandmas.
And my marvelous man who makes the best cuppa
and gives the greatest cuddles.
The lovely Evie from Handmade Romance sent me this award:
emmabradshaw
hazyjane
tinyhappy
udder
marvelouskiddo
littleredcaboose
littlejanest
rabbitandtheduck
alonggriffincreek
onegirl
katiecrackernuts
homegirl
pass this on girls, if you like.
Labels: friends
Sunday, April 26, 2009
and with envy listened
to her stories of Japan.
kids with Mohawks,
cherry blossom trees.
auburn hair and fake eyelashes;
doe-eyed beauties.
she tells me that one day
in the gion district
she saw a real-life geisha girl.
she was star-struck, my friend
and she followed this geisha
for two whole blocks.
mesmerised by the perfection
the hair
the intricacy of her being
it was only the other day
while sorting through my cupboards
that i found my photos.
i explored the geisha for my final artwork in high school
the artist as the artwork.
i was intrigued.
i still am.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Colour and light and all things bright. We are finally crawling out from under the clouds - feeling better and ready to play. And today I watched my little one 'play' for the first time. He took his Che Che (choo choo) train and pushed it around the floor as he crawled. Around the basket and the table. Around and about. It was beautiful to watch. I could tell that he was actually thinking about what he was doing, he planned a little route and off he went. Che and his train.
My house smells of lavender, ylang ylang and patchouli - the 'hippie chic blend' made by a local scent and soap maker. Since we found our rhythm I have enjoyed playing house so much more. It's cleaner and more organised than it has been in months and I feel more inspired in my own space. Inspired to write, make, create and yes, play. It's a good feeling.
Che and I have found our little groove and we're so happy. I'm a better Muma because of it. I'm calmer and more engaged and I can easily say that I am more certain and more passionate about my role as parent - about the choices Daniel and I are making. After teaching a pre-natal yoga class last week a few of my students were talking about leaving work and the significant changes that would make to their family income. I suprised myself with what I said to them because it was the first time I had actually considered it myself. "Your life become simpler when you become a parent. You spend more time at home, you spend more time together. Your life-style doesn't cost as much."
Because...you clean, you feed, you bake, you wash, you play, you read, you cuddle - together.
After a phone call with a dear friend today I realised how important it is to be surrounded by like-minded parents. It's so good to know that Che's friends are being raised by parents as passionate as Daniel and I. We share the same values and beliefs, we're choosing an 'alternative' form of education and we're trusting in our natural instincts. I feel supported and understood in my parenting journey...it's so nice.
Enjoy the bright light of an approaching Summer ... or the cosy dim haze of a Winter just around the corner. Wherever you are I hope you find your seasonal rhythm.
Labels: corners of my home , daily rhythm , friends , handmade , parenting
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Today we were so fortunate to attend the Naming Day of Priya Shanti (in Sanskrit her name means Beloved, Peace). She was welcomed to this world by her parents as they blessed her with the four elements - earth, air, fire and water - and performed Nama Karana, an Indian tradition where the child's name is whispered into her ear three times. It is said that the child will always remember that moment, when she was given her name.
Priya, may your name resonate deep within your heart and may you indeed be beloved and peaceful.
As we stood on the sand to witness the ceremony I realised how important ritual is in our lives. How special it is for family and friends to unite and to celebrate. Today we welcomed Priya to this world and into our lives. It was a chance to acknowledge how blessed we are to be in her presence and also to consider the responsibility that we share with her parents - to raise her in a loving and kind world.
Ceremony provides an opportunity to be thankful. Prayers around the dinner table, the blowing out of birthday candles, the kiss to seal a marriage. No matter how small, ceremony makes our lives more meaningful.
He is to young to understand now, but soon Che will ask me why I walk around our house with incense burning (to cleanse the space), why we decorate the Indian Elephant God Ganesh (remover of obstacles) who sits at our front door and why we chant ((((Om))))). He will come to know these little rituals as a chance to be thankful for what we have. And one day soon I will introduce him to Bhakti Yoga - where he will plant, water and nurture a flower - to help him understand the art and practice of devotion.
He will choose whether he believes what we do. On his Naming Day we acknowledged that when he is older he will decide who and what he believes in. We can only share with him what we know.
I hope all children are raised to know their parents beliefs. I hope they understand that taking a few moments to be still and quiet is ritual in itself.
We ended our day under a mango tree, eating beautiful food, laughing and playing. I wish that Che and Priya understand how wonderful celebration is and I hope they stay friends for life.
Labels: celebrations , ché , friends , yoga on sundays
Wednesday, October 01, 2008
We had such a wonderful day celebrating Che's first year. He was oh so happy and playful, laughing and giggling and dancing away. And yes I look at him now and see a one-year-old. He pulls tight around my neck when I cuddle him now, he blows kisses into the air and laughs into his belly. And all that has happened in last few days. It has been beautiful to watch him play with his birthday gifts and laugh with all his birthday well-wishers who came to visit for cake. I'm so proud to be his Muma.
I enjoyed organising his little party and wrapping his presents...but it was the opportunity to reflect on and remember the past year that really made my day. I created a little birthday table for him last week. And as I placed each momento on the table I came to understand how precious a child's birthday is for a parent. His blessing bracelet, his hospital band, the candle my mum lit at my blessingway and the same candle I lit during my labour, the mala beads he wore at his naming day and the necklace and pendant blessed by a Sage in Bhutan and given to him by his Ommi. Gentle reminders of his many blessings. And a firm reminder that he has and continues to enrich our every day.
Amidst the cake and the giggles there were lots of beautiful presents to unwrap and we all adore them. Especially this wonderful handmade homemade "Che Che train" from Che's newest little friend, Lilly. Thanks Lilly, it will be treasured forever. x
For me, birthdays have taken on a whole new meaning.
Labels: celebrations , ché , family , friends
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
In some moments of some days, and sometimes for an entire day I can feel weary. Tired. The kind of tiredness that needs chocolate and coffee. Today is one of those days and unfortunately the caffeine hasn't worked. But I can be grateful for the tiredness today because it has helped put things in to perspective. I am gushing with gratitude for the people and the things that make my journey as a muma smooth, relaxed and happy. Today I realised that I couldn't do it without them (mostly the people, sometimes the 'things').
1. Mr Smith. He is here all the time, even when he's not at home. He brings me back to earth when I'm in the clouds (not just my head, sometimes all of me is off in the ether). He reminds me what is important and what is not. He's intelligent, handsome and creative. There are times when I am in awe of his parenting...he does it so well. He sings the best songs and can be just as silly as a four-year-old on red cordial...he has never lost his inner child. He inspires and encourages me - constantly.
2. Grandparents. Perhaps they are the best people in the world because while they are guiding me as a Mum they also have the intuition to take a step back and let me find my own way. And they are always always there. With time, cuddles, patience, love, overwhelming pride and...home-made food. It makes me gush with happiness when I see Che cuddle into Mama or Ommi in a simple display of trust - he feels safe with them and with Grandad.
3. Aunties: lovely girlfriend's of mine who dote on Che and make me laugh.
4. A slow cooker. I love knowing that when dinner time comes around, dinner will be ready and all I'll have to do is eat. And it will be yummy. Very yummy
5. Stand-up dustpan and broom. So easy to do a quick sweep under Che's chair. If I don't? I'll find him under the table eating the leftovers from lunch. Also makes a great toy.
6. This colourful (sometimes stripy) creature;
He was so content when he was growing in my belly, he birthed easily and calmly, and he makes every day easy because he takes the time to just sit back and watch the world go by. A lesson for all of us.
So many people have said to me: "...he's been here before". And the more I get to know him, the more I believe that this is true.
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
I know that we're really lucky to spend autumn mornings playing at the beach - lots of sky, ocean and sand. Baby C has just begun to notice the seagulls and giggles at the sight of them. Look at his chubby cheeks in this photo - and the blonde fuzz sprouting on his head. After a play on the sand he sat in his pram and watched Ziah and Coen race down the ramp...he stared longingly at them, wondering when it would be his turn to race the big boys. Soon precious one.
