Awareness

I have realised that there is much more to what I do.I have a impact on people and the way they think about certain subjects.

Sowing the seeds of change can be difficult and taxing.

I feel I have no option for I am driven by passion and believe that peoples actions are bound to change when they discover one simple thing.

As a human beings,you may no have control over the policies that are pasted or the agenda of those in power,however what you do have control over is yourself. It is your choice to support particular brands or services whether they are ethical or sustainable.

I know we do what we can within our means,it is not my place to judge.

To quote a favourite artist of mine "Make the movement move".
With love 
Maggie

re defining the artist within

When I was in high school, I used to paint. I really was not that great.For me the art room was a great place to hang out, I had a great teacher, we got along well and he would encourage me to paint what was important to me, and try and express how it influenced me. At the time I was a angsty teenager obsessed with music and my painting and drawings reflected that.
When I left school, I really didn't pursue my art, I felt like it had served it purpose for me,art had counselled and healed me through high school and it was time to move on. Throughout my adult life, I would buy sketch books here and there, but I have never really picked up a brush again.
In my mind I had to re establish my relationship with art as a form of expression.
I have discovered different medium to express my creativity whether that is creating clothing,poetry or crafting using fibre as a art medium.

Over the summer we went camping with some really good friends, they are our camping companions, going bush without them, feels very strange.
A place we went to for a day trip has etched itself into my memory.
It's beauty consumed me, I was in my element.

This week I had a child and husband free night, that's a rare thing!
I had so many grand plans, I was going to go to the gym, maybe a movie, go to yoga, eat whatever I wanted, enjoy a quiet gin. So many plans, so little time.
Well in the end I actually did none of them,instead I came home and crafted. I knew I had to commit a couple of hours, fibre craft requires time and patience.
The piece took me a long time, I needle felted areas of it.
I made peace with my inner artist and finally got that majestic place out of my mind.

                                                                         My supplies

                                                              For the love of wild county

Meaningful work

At the moment, I am working in three centers, running a garden and sustainability program. I have witnessed a progressive shift in awareness among the staff and in particular the children. 

It truly is a great feeling to create a connection with children and pass on knowledge about caring for our environment. I love coming in and hearing the enthusiasm in the voices of the young children, eager to join me in the garden.
Whilst we are doing meaningful work and learning about the importance of growing food, there are other elements at play. I have noticed and observed the way children interact with each other,and how they work things out among themselves. The work that is being done in the garden has a ripple affect to a child's learning, the inter personal and social skills that emerge, is profound.

Nurturing our girls into womanhood

I recently took my daughter to a stepping into womanhood workshop, talking about  puberty and what  menstruation means to a girl.It was a wonderful day filled with craft, making mandalas whilst taking about their bodies.
She was was mortified, distraught at the thought of going to such a thing, she wanted to kill me.
I was ok with that because I knew what she was going to learn so much.
It was a gentle introduction to menstruation and how puberty changes a girls body.
She learnt a lot that day, and so did I.

I have always said our children are our teachers, and at that workshop, my daughter taught me.
Being feminine is about showing your vulnerability, not needing saving just sitting with that emotion and being ok with it.
That day I became aware I had some wounds of my own I needed to heal when it came to my relationship with my mother.

All throughout my parenting I have guided my children, I have been able to nurture and protect them. I have felt so much fear, I can no longer protect my little girl, life is changing for her at a rapid pace and I once again have to learn to let her go.
Recently I have come to the conclusion that I can still do these things for her, just in a different way.
She does not want to kill me anymore, instead it has taken our relationship to a new level of openness, acceptance and understanding.

Talking worms

A while ago now, I finished my incursions with a kinder in the inner north of Melbourne.I set up the compost system for them. I gathered my resources and over a few weeks, I spoke to the children about worms,what they like to eat, how we can take care of them, and most importantly how we can harvest their wee, oh that was a great talking point!
The information was so well received by the children, in the end instead of calling me by my name, they named me the worm lady! Kids, they can be so straightforward!
We ventured to CERES to collect our worms and also check out the composting systems there and their worm farms.
It has been a great journey for me. I have created a program that has worked so well for this center.It  has made me feel,  that I can create that connectedness with children, and teaching them about their food is such a important message, it is something we can all be doing.
Here are a few pictures of our worms.

Incursion on tomatoes

 I have been doing an incursion program with a kinder in the inner north of Melbourne. It was a term incursion introducing the center to sustainability practices focusing on composting systems.
At the same time I was educating the children on all things wormie, as well as some natural based crafts. The incursions started with tomatoes. I wanted to introduce the children to the varieties of tomatoes, when in season. We talked about seasons, and when things grow best, this is my fundamental message to the kids. The children were surprised that tomatoes came in such shapes,sizes and colors. They commented on the flavor and juiciness. I walked in with a bag full of tomatoes and I walked out empty handed, it really made me feel like I had made a difference.

Incursion

I have begun working within centers,introducing sustainability. Due to regulations I can not post pictures of the children, but here I have posted one child's work work after the session. The children have been very receptive and engaged, they loved talking about the worms. Hopefully before the end of term we will have the worm farm set up.

New adventures,exciting times

I know there would be a lot of you out there that will resonate with what I am going to write. The emotion of feeling like you are not moving, you are not progressing anywhere whether it is in your career or personal life or you spiritual journey. You feel stagnant and you feel like you have been making a effort to stay positive and believe with every ounce of your body that there is something new. Around the corner, any minute now its all going to change and what seems like a eternity,change finally comes.

It's like breathing in the ocean air. Its unexplainable calmness knowing your manifestation has finally come to fruition.

I am trying to hold onto that feeling for as long as I can.

And what I have wanted is to be to go it on my own, to share the knowledge of gardening that I have, to the people that want it.
To ignite the passion of growing your own food and taking that journey to wellness,fresh home grown produce, living sustainably,giving children valuable life skills and crafting with nature as your resource.

And so I am giving up my outdoor job, my garden for a while, but as a friend said to me, its to instill the same knowledge just in a different way.
I have to help little people understand the beauty of what mother nature has to offer.

I am hoping to create awareness that we are all part of a global community, small people and big people can be active participants in nurturing our earth and in-turn ourselves.

 

Whatever comes my way

My apologies for being absent lately, I always have the intention to type away on my blog, but I always seem to get distracted, life can be that way sometimes.
This post is a bit off the topic from my usual posts, there really isn't any rules when it comes to my blog, it really is just a opportunity for me to go let go of what is going on in my head and hopefully people can relate.
Lately I have been pushed to the boundaries of my knowledge within my professional career and it had a major impact on my life, not only mine but the community around me. As of recently I have become a reflective thinker and try and look at the broader prospective of what lies ahead. This week that was a struggle for me. I was pushed out of my comfort zone, no I was propelled out of my comfort zone like only life can.
And with this whirlwind, other questions arose and my ability to cope was challenged.
I think at times our own internal dialogue or beliefs about ourselves is the thing that holds us back, we believe we are not capable or worthy. Or we are made to feel that way and then our confidence is shaken, and by this we have allowed someone to take our power away.
Through my recent struggle a professional  achievement  has manifested beyond anything I though I was capable of,  it has also made me grow spiritually and emotionally.
And as friend keeps telling me, enjoy the contrast because the contrasts make you aware of what you do want. I have been grateful for the people around me at this time, it has been a journey (with lots of swear words!).
Now I know the opportunities are endless, applying yourself to something, even if you don't believe.
The old saying "fly by the seat of your pants", is my life long motto!

Much love 

how to make a felted winter girl

 Recently I went over to  friends house and I saw this lovely lantern girl. She was made out of pure felt and a tiny copper lantern. My friend showed me how to do the girl and I think it can be a base for any kind of girl or boy you would like to create. Here are instructions to make your own.
 Material:     8- 10 pipe cleaners
                    wool tops
                    silk tops
                    felting needles




The first thing you need to do is get yourself four pipe cleaner, make yourself a round head shape and with the remaining pipe cleaners, twist it tightly to secure it.Then create arms, the best way to get them even is to make a crease in the center and twist the ends to make hands, twist it onto the bottom of the head, this will create your head, arms and torso. Then combine two pipe cleaners to make a round base, the size you make this is your choice.

Then you you add two pipe cleaners, you hook them to the bottom of your circle, shape this however you like, depending on the style you want. My skirt was quiet rounded up the top.Then with some fleece, needle felt it to get a nice round head shape, place it through the center.

Once you have done the head, needle felt the arms. Needle felt some fleece to fill the center of the skirt. Choose your desired colors for your doll, get two pieces of fleece, place them on each shoulder of the doll and wrap around, add  some silk tops for hair, needle felt a hat or wrap,add more fleece to your skirt and needle felt away. You can embellish whichever way you like.

Enjoy your doll!

bikram and I

I have been doing bikram style yoga for almost a year now. Initially the heat was overwhelming, trying to stay in a pose while you were sweating bucket loads was almost unbearable.
However I stuck at it, it became a challenge, how long could I focus and stay in  a pose, and I began to notice my concentration levels were changing and I was becoming more flexible.
However there was a element of my practise I was struggling with. It was hard to meditate with your eyes open, and there was no focus on how your body or mind felt within a pose, the connection was not there.
 Bikram has been a blessing in disguise, not that long ago , I was pretty unwell, it coincided with going to bikram. After many test and copious types of medications the problem has been resolved, although it brought to the surface many issues for me. It made me reflect on my life and how I manage stress, I thought I was doing a good job, but when parts of your body shuts down, and there  is a direct correlation to your lifestyle choices, somethings gotta give.
So I have changed my diet, I have cut down my drinking,( I never really was a big drinker).
 I enjoy a good glass of wine, but I discovered along time ago, I need to only drink preservative free wine.
Its been a interesting time or me, our social environments almost depend on alcohol being involved and now for me, its trying to interact with people without that element. I feel very blessed that I have a unique circle of friends, I share space with these amazing individuals and for me it has not come up as a issue.

I had to find a  less aggressive yoga which I have, Iyengar yoga.
I had been dabbling with meditation, not really focusing enough time on it. Now I meditate everyday, sometimes twice a day! It has changed me in a way that I feel more centred, focused and the most important lesson has been, that I can not control other peoples actions, nor should I dwell on what people say or do. The only thing I can control is myself and my reaction.
 Ive also learnt not to  try and  react from a negative space, (I  say try as I am constantly working on this) there is no point in feeding the negative, it doesn't serve you or the people around you.
So this has been my story lately, things constantly changing, forever evolving and forever discovering.