Natural Medley: 2016

24 December 2016

BeautyScope 322: It's Christmas!

peeping in the night

eyes unfocussed

heartbeats loud

holding breath

on toes outstretched

as love pours

into the world

Photo by Aiden Brack

23 December 2016

BeautyScope 321: Parrot feeding

I've got it

you can let go now

...but it's yummy!

22 December 2016

BeautyScope 320: Summer baking

Summer is beating down

heavy and dry

burning us white hot

21 December 2016

BeautyScope 319: Buds unfurling

coyly the little buds

slip behind a screen

to undress

20 December 2016

BeautyScope 318: Growth by committee

Oy chaps

we seem to have gone astray

all together now

grow left, now right,

no up, er down?

19 December 2016

BeautyScope 317: Blue balloons

a jewelled belt

of bluebottles

strewn across the sand

painful balloons

stranded

sparkling in the sun

18 December 2016

BeautyScope 316: Magical fringing

fringing escaping

from hidden magic carpets

transporting us to places beyond

17 December 2016

BeautyScope 315: Grassy borders

aimlessly breeze blown

grasses weave lace edged borders

for the woods

16 December 2016

Kids' Achievements - One Year Unschooling

Greetings everyone.

It's the last day of the school year here in Australia. Of course that doesn't affect us as we learn all the time! We joke to the kids that they have to stop learning things now. Just try it. It's not easy.

But one of the down sides of unschooling we've discovered, is that at this time of year they have no award ceremonies or reports from teachers to tell family and friends how amazing they are!

So I'm writing this bragging post to mark this graduation moment of one year unschooling.

Firstly Mr Actor - Aiden

His year has comprised many ups and downs in his physical health, but at this point of the year we can say he is having more ups than downs. Yay!

His biggest challenge and what we have focussed on mostly has been learning to come back into the world after his OCD had sidelined him. Here I would like to chronicle some of his achievements in this area. And although they may seem basic to some, they constituted much talking to himself and conquering of panic attacks etc. I am so proud.

Some of these steps have included:

Climbing the rock face across some slippery gravel and dealing with heights

Riding in the boat (this is still a work in progress)

Eating in a café (we celebrate the weight gain that has come with his health)

And covering himself with cicada shells whilst there (okay that bit surprisingly was fun for him

- despite the Mr Actor face)

Playing on a children's playground

And climbing across a stream on a slippery log

(when there was a perfectly good bridge!)

Next we have Mr Artist - Miles
He at 14 has really started to hit his stride. Independence is busting out all over the place.
Miles has LOVED homeschooling this year, and the worst thing you can say to him is that he would have to go to school again. He is revelling in the relaxed pace, the late nights, doing his own thing, and studying his own passions. One of those has been to build an Anderson Shelter at Heartwoods. So earlier in the year he measured out and started digging. It was slightly delayed due to rain issues, but he kept it up digging solidly and not accepting help, until he finished the digging portion this last visit! I'm so proud. Now is the building part...

Miles also enjoyed climbing the rocks, although not sure it was such a stretch for his long legs.

And learning to drive our boat solo

accompanied occasionally by a surprise passenger Winter. A sea hound...or as a passing boater said - shark bait.

The final achievement Miles has unlocked in this last year has been to drive a car solo. We have been teaching them on our property, and he finally was able to help out when we needed to deliver our old Elsie to rest at Heartwoods. Bushy and he were alone, and so they each drove a car. It saved Bushy having to run up and down driving both up the hill. If you watch the video you will notice he is very slow. He discovered as he left the shot that he still had the handbrake on!

So, I've compiled this little pile of photos to help the kids mark a passage of time and some of their accomplishments. It'll be nice to look back on, and fun to share with all of you!

Thanks for reading and being interested.

And happy graduation kids! It's been a mad, scary, fun, calm, exhilarating, panicky, confusing, learning, proud, loving year. Bring on the next one!

Lots of love,

Jazzy Jack and The Bracks

14 December 2016

My clothes are fascinating!

Greetings beautiful readers!

I hereby present for you a few of the outfits I've worn recently. I'm sure you will find them as fascinating as I do!

Well actually, I am finding my clothes a little more interesting with the change of colour regime.

But I don't claim to be a fashion blogger, so bear with me as I show my crumpled, barefooted, relaxed clothing shots. This is the real me...just a bus kanaka at heart...roughly meaning bush person in Tok Pisin.

I love this shot of Miles and me at the beach. See how much taller he is now?

These little red shorts are the lightest things to wear in the heat. In fact I have them on again right now!

The yellow bucket is now in the sea. I used it to collect sea water for my dyeing, and a wave took it and wooshed it to the bottom never to be seen again. I stood there for 5 minutes watching for it to surface, and watched for it everyday after that. Hopefully some sea creature is making it his home, and I won't be accused of littering!

Some of the colours I'm playing with are purple, green, and orange. I love this green silk with the purple.

Maybe one day I will write a post about how I made this coat from a linen tablecloth and two matching napkins, self dyed of course. Such fun to wear!

I like the cute proportions of this 3/4 sleeved jumper with the 3/4 pants. I made a scarf pin out of a ring to repeat the red. I love the little starry socks and the pink and red shoes I just happened to find in the op shop the same day I was wearing this. I often find that happens to me. I seem to accidentally shop the colours I'm wearing. Do you?

One of my favourite colours to wear is this dark chocolate. I am really looking forward to cooler weather for this. This wear was just for the photo to see how it looks. I like it.

Yellow has always been a colour I've shied away from, but this pale gold has surprised me. I really enjoy it. It's soft but playful.

Finally this gorgeous jacket which may not suit so well with it's greys, but the warm blues and orange stripe rescue it a little. Of course the orange scarf is a triumph!

I leave you with another poem from the shore.

This one inspired by my adventures with the yellow bucket.

Having heard

Of our dyeing plans

Waves hurl themselves

Into our bucket

"Pick me, pick me"

Trying to launch

A career in fashion

20/11/2016

Aiden took this shot of me as we walked through the Eurobodalla Botanic Gardens. A beautiful natural place with some wonderful bush walks. We had a ball!

Til next time,

keep on creating!

Much love,

Jazzy Jack

Needless to say all the clothes except the red shorts and blue jacket are second hand.

13 December 2016

BeautyScope 314: Daisy song

oh little daisy in the grass

you sing a song to me

your face so open

wild and free

sitting there dancing

amongst the feet

12 December 2016

BeautyScope 313: Dinner conversation

do insects have conversations

at the dinner table

with their mouths full?

9 December 2016

BeautyScope 312: Dragon dilemma

hmmm what shall it be today?

darkness or sunshine?

water or rocks?

or flowers?

8 December 2016

BeautyScope 311: Caving in

sometimes the ground

just opens crying

"feed me"

7 December 2016

BeautyScope 310: Log seat

quick! quick!

we need a seat

stat!

6 December 2016

BeautyScope 309: Grassy haircut

nodding quietly

unnoticed in the grass

this head has been styled

to within an inch of its life

photo by Aiden Brack

5 December 2016

BeautyScope 308: Spider visions

spinning strong web

gaining inspiration

from barbed wire

spider with delusions

of grandeur

photo by Aiden Brack

2 December 2016

Leeway visit and poem

Greetings all!

We have returned from two glorious weeks at our beautiful "Leeway".
This time the kids settled a little more, and we were able to provide more time on the boat as Cris also had some holidays. So Miles is now doing solo runs back and forth to town! How independent!
Aiden was feeling much better this time and managed a few more activities. We put his improvement down to having started "Kefir". He loves it, and it has a good reputation, so far so good. Not only has it appeared to help with his digestion, but he also says it is helping his brain not be so scared and OCDish.
I was quite productive poetry wise or at least pottering. So here is one sample:

As I walk the line

Along the shore

I wonder about permanence

And impermanence

Wash and backwash

Hearing the splash of waves

In one ear

And crunch of rock

In the other

I wonder that

The same waves that erode

Also build the beach

I ponder

The crab, shell fish, even seaweed

Have much to teach

About living with grace

in tumultuous times

Here where life provides abundance

And then lack

And so I tiptoe shore footed

Among my musings

Keeping a fine balance
Avoiding the blue bottles.

27/11/2016.

I hope life is treating you well in these "interesting" times.

I want to reach out and hug those of you who are struggling. So I write my BeautyScopes, put up my poems and photos and talk about our lives to send some love and beauty and understanding out into your world. I hope it helps!