Michael Franti makes me so happy.

“Don’t fear your best friends,
because a best friend will never try to do you wrong.
And don’t fear your worst friends,
because a worst friend is just a best friend
that has done you wrong.
And don’t fear the night time,
because the monster’s know that you’re devine.
And don’t fear the sunshine,
because everything is better in the summer time,
summer time

And it’s never too late to start the day over
It’s never too late to pick up the phone
(pick up the phone and call me)
It’s never too late to lay your head down on my shoulders
It’s never too late to come on home,
come on home

And don’t fear the water
coz u can swim inside you within your skin
And dont fear ur father,
coz a father’s just a boy without a friend
And don’t fear to walk slow,
don’t be a horse race, be marathon
dont fear the long road,
coz on a long road,
u got a long time to sing a simple song

Don’t fear ur teachers,
coz if u listen u can hear music in the school ground
And don’t fear your preacher
if u can’t find heaven in a prison cell
And dont fear your own self,
paying money to justify your worth
And dont fear your family,
because you chose them a long time before youur birth

Go to your children, go to your children, go to your children”

Conference

Today I am going away for 2 nights for the national conference for the organisation I work for. I have probably in previous posts mentioned the name of this organisation but have been reading all about people who have lost their jobs because of their blogs so I am being a bit more careful. I am quite looking forward to it. I speak to so many of these people on the phone so it will be good to meet them. Also good to get to know my colleagues better too. They are really good women I think, I am very lucky. Also looking forward to getting some kind of continuity happning. Although we are all under the one logo we all do different things so it will be good to get the best things from each program and come up with a uniform process.

It is happening at Collaroy Beach and was also looking forward to walks on the beach in the evening and swims but given I have torn the ligaments in my foot and am on crutches that may not be happening. What a shame.

This seems like a very strong statement but I am hating study so much right now. I am just so over it and can not seem to get into it at all. It is very sad.

Hayfever

Today I am back to work after spending two days at home pretty much in bed most of the time. I watched three movies and read half a book so that was a pretty good effort. Could have been nice if I didn’t feel so crappy and with the ever present feeling of guilt that I wasn’t at work or doing uni.

I thought I had the flu but this morning I worked out that it was actually hayfever. Itchy eyes, sore throat, very runny nose and incredibly groggy in the head. Not very pleasant I tell you what. When I was growing up my mum always got hayfever. I often thought I am so pleased that it didn’t happen to me but now it seems it does. Anyway now I have worked out what it is I have taken an anithistimene and I am feeling a bit better. Though a little drowsy even though it supposed to be non drowsy.

Swimming Season Starts Swimmingly.

This morning I went for my first swim of the season with Libby. Boy oh boy was it lovely. Even the fact that my goggles kept getting water in them and my swimmers were too big couldn’t ruin it for me. I am very much looking forward to swimming again and getting my fitness back. After Gem and I had the Big Vegetarian Breakfast at the cafe down the road. There is nothing I like more than coming back from a swim and having a hot shower and then having a yummy breakfast in the sun with someone special. Life feels good.

Some Updates

I am getting so much spam comments at the moment. It is really annoying and some a pretty grose too. Anyway just went through and deleted them all and had a bit of a read pf my blog and realised that there are a few post I have made that need updating.

Firstly, the good news. I am going to Alice for my prac, well flying into Alice but will be doing my prac in a remote community somewhere a couple of hours out. Apparently my cooperating teacher is a 60 year old nun which I think is cool. I have booked tickets to for the second week of October. Thankfully I will get to spend the weekends at mum and Keith’s house. Very much looking forward to seeing it and them. I miss them a lot.

Secondly, the bad news. Teresa’s daughter is yet to be reunited with her mother. We were told that she had been found but now nothing has happened. It is a very long and complicated story and I don’t really get any of it at all but it’s pretty dodgy. I am not sure what exactly is going on but Teresa, some of the Ayni volunteers and a lawyer are on to it so I am hoping and praying for some good news soon. It is all so awful.

Maggie

My mum just rang to tell me that Maggie (my dog) had died. She has been sick for a long time now and when mum and Keith got home today she was having trouble breathing and appeared very distressed. So my mum rang the Vet to make an appointment to have her put down but then she died about half an hour later. I am sad, she was a very special dog and we loved her a lot but I am happy that she is no longer sick and that mum was with her and she wasn’t on her own.

Maggie was really good friends with my friend Peter who died earlier this year. In fact I am convinced she loved him more than any of us, he used to cook her all this exotic meat that we never did. Anyway mum said that she had an image of Maggie and Peter meeting in heaven, both happy and healthy. I am not sure (nor is she) that, that is the way it works but it is a really nice image to hold on to as I let go.

Blogs

I have borrowed a book from the library called, “Uses of Blogs” and it is sitting on the table. Many people have walked in and said “Uses of Blogs? Who is reading that?” When I say that it is me most are somewhat surprised.

But alas it is not because I am going to update this blog but because I am doing an assessment on the ways a teacher could use Blogs in language learning. We had to pick some type of IT and I thought blogs might be what I know most about. Not that I know much but hey I have one and read other people and sometimes I even comment.

It is quite interesting. I have learned some things but then I have to talk about how I may use it in my work. Given that what I really want to do is teach in poor communities where most people won’t even have a computer, let alone the internet I am not sure how useful it will be. Then again technology is one of the areas where the gap between rich and poor is growing and maybe if I could teach something it would be helpful.

Inspired

Yesterday we had training. It was a pretty long (7.30 -5) and exhasting day but we invited a volunteer and her friend to come along and talk to us and they were so great. They had such an obvious and genuine affection and respect for each other, it was lovely. The friend shared very openly about her experiences, many of which were pretty horrendous, and about how helpful she found her volunteer. It very much reinspired me about what I do and I needed that.

Sweet Tooth.

I am eating too much junk food at the moment. We have been having lots of people over for dinner, which has been great but it means we have dessert and then there is left over dessert and so it just goes on. There also seems to be lots of events at work, today was someone ‘s birthday so we had cake and tommorrow I am sure there will be left over cake. And then what happens is a develop a sweet tooth and then after lunch or dinner I start to want sweets cause I am used it. I feel pretty grose, especially cause I am not really doing much exercise either. I think it is time to buy some dried fruit to help me wheen off the sweets.