my BIG little guy

mylittleguy
Originally uploaded by Husky Nutmeg.

My son turns eighteen today.

What can I say about my son? I’m proud of his ability to enjoy many different circles of friends and relatives with an ease I can only admire. I’ve been looking at photos of the three families that have surrounded him through the years, preparing slideshows of the moments, hoping the synthesis will be as smooth when we all get together to celebrate.

He loves to be the clown and isn’t afraid to be different. In school projects, he would always take the off-centre options when other kids were happy to settle for plain vanilla.

He is dramatic by nature. When he was little many knew him as ‘Oscar’. Mind you, real life had a lot of drama attached to it so maybe that was a good thing.

His passion for food and cooking has always amazed me. At an early age he’d be glued to the television when the cooking shows came on. I thought he might become a chef someday, although he did work at KFC for a while there. Now he is an excellent cook at home. Watch out Jaime Oliver, there’s still time for this boy…

His passion has moved onto music (his girlfriend might beg to differ) and he’s learning to be a DJ. I think he’ll be great. He’s also a graphic design wiz. That’s the thing about my son, he can make magic out of whatever he puts his hand to.

We haven’t always seen eye to eye – we are very similar in nature which can be tricky. Add to that the fact that I’ve made just about every mistake in the ‘Parenting Book’, he’s done well to be where he is now.

One thing for sure is that he’s an independent spirit and while at times it can be frustrating, I love that quality in him.

Congratulations Leon.

There's a lot to laugh about if you really think about it

Most people say I have a positive attitude because I look on the bright side of life (Monty Python whistle required –HERE-) and others note that I smile a lot. As I’m getting older (and I’m feeling that this month given my son is turning 18), I’m beginning to realise my ‘positive’ attitude is often cynical and that smile is very (oh-shit-please-don’t-notice-I’m-scared-of you) chimpanzee like.

I love how my family will turn just about anything around and laugh at it. For example, I was born with slow reflexes so whenever tripped over something, I wouldn’t put my hands out in front and inevitably this resulted in my nose always being scratched. My parents didn’t think this needed investigating – they just called me Hammer Head.

I would like to say that over the generations, things have changed. When my son was about nine (was that really nearly a decade ago?), the lenses of his glasses fell out, so I put them back in and growled about how he needs to take more care of them. ‘Money doesn’t grow on trees you know. No, we’re not getting another pair right now… Blah blah blah.’

My son put his glasses back on and said he couldn’t see properly but I wouldn’t listen. telling him, ‘I’m onto his wanting a new pair game and it wasn’t going to happen so build a bridge. Blah blah blah.’

Months later I took him to the optometrist for another pair. The guy looked puzzled and after a lot of messing about, asked me, ‘Your son doesn’t have tunnel vision does he?’

I’d put in the lenses back to front. Now there’s a story for the counsellors office. Sorry mate. I was a young mother of little brain.

My sister announced this week, ‘We now have a pirate in the family’. Our parents’ dog Jimmy, or Captain Fluffypaw as he might now be known, lost an eye this week. APPARENTLY, this kind of predicament can occur with dogs of his breed. He is a Japanese Chin. My sister had bought Jimmy for my parents and later took him in when Mum and Dad moved into a nursing home.

She rang me, ‘The breeders did not mention this. They mentioned something about his mouth but no, there was definitely nothing said like, ‘oh, and by the way, his eyes might just pop out one day’.

I went on my first (and last) date for this century this week. No, I’m not that much of a loser, I’ve just have had other priorities.

I think the date was doomed right from the start because the guy shares his name with the fathers of both of my children. Third time lucky, I’ve been told. Ha ha ha, very amusing, not.

I went on the date, after all, as my sister (who is also a look-on-the-bright-side-kind-of-gal. More whistling -HERE-) said, ‘1. The guy’s had a police check (he drives the bus I catch). 2. You know he has a job!’ and ‘3.He can drive (there it is, the dig at the fact that I don’t – it’s the reflex thing THAT NOBODY LOOKED INTO, btw).’

Are we sooo different reaaaally?

Are we sooo different reaaaally?
Originally uploaded by Husky Nutmeg.

My workplace has just changed sites. Lots of folk I don't know are doing the 'walk through'. A bit like my visit to Collingwood Children's Farm last week.

Volunteering in Twenty five years

I've been involved in research about the future of volunteering... this is what I'm thinking just now. Perhaps at the other end of the research my perspective might change so I'm documenting the moment now.

I wonder whether people within the world community will feel more connected as a result of technology or will we feel more isolated and unable to communicate socially. Social skills are changing - the way we communicate with each other and the way we fear each other.

Litigation can make an act of kindness be twisted into something else.

The plethora of information at the tip of our fingers makes us less likely to explore our world; ask for help; meet like minded people face to face.

When terrorist actions become local news - a new generation is born into fear. In some ways that generation may become more resillient. The impact of losing faith in your neighbour - the deep rooted mistrust - could become another defining factor in how people might socially behave in 25 years.

the work of preschool genius

the work of preschool genius
Originally uploaded by Husky Nutmeg.

Lots of things can happen in a month…

I took photos of the beach and didn’t realise someone (most probably a very little someone who likes taking photos with my camera) had smudged the lens.

The result? What I expected to be an ordinary seaside shot turned out to be something special.

Pope John Paul II went to have a long lunch with Princess Diana and Mother Teresa. Pope Benedict XVI has been elected and some folk are disappointed that there won’t be any dramatic changes to the Catholic Church’s view on most things. In a world of unrest the majority stick with what they know, don’t they? Ask Johnny.

We sympathize with Australian daughter Shapelle, who is about to face harsh justice or injustice depending on whether or not she was indeed guilty of trafficking drugs.

We care about Australian son Douglas Wood but if I didn’t mention his surname you might say Douglas who? Where is he now? He ventured out of Australia to make money so suddenly he’s not as much of an Australian son?

In the meantime we leave a little Australian son in crèche one day and send his Mummy far away.

So many more stories in one month but they blur together and we focus on one or two that stand out for some reason.

In some ways I prefer the blurred picture because the raw reality is so hard to stand beside.

It's here

This is the place
Originally uploaded by Husky Nutmeg.

This is the place where Husky Nutmeg feels at home. It's like the earth and her feet are one and the same.

...the place

This is the place
Originally uploaded by Husky Nutmeg.

Or is it that Husky Nutmeg can still feel her childhood footsteps along the footpaths and the beach.

Along the Esplanade

This is the place
Originally uploaded by Husky Nutmeg.

This is the place where I can breathe

This is the place

This is the place
Originally uploaded by Husky Nutmeg.

This is a special place for a lot of people. There is another lot of people who would be happy to do away with it.