It's a teacher's life...

Well here we are in the last term of the Australian school year... I thought I'd share with you my top ten moments in teaching for 2007 (no particular order..)

1. Having a student make her dad drive her back to school (over 100km) for one of my classes.
2. A student making and presenting me with an oil painting she made, for me! And it looks good!
3. Getting a big clap at assembly for my WaterWise mural project.
4. Teaching a student called Rong.
5. Getting given a jar of placenta cream for Christmas from an Asian student. Yes, placenta.
6. Emails from parents impressed with my teaching,
7. Birthday cake, almost every week there is at least one birthday cake.
8. My workmate Moya, as (one of my bosses) Maureen says 'a living angel.'
9. Having my bag and piles of stuff carried around by eager little helpers everytime we have to move somewhere.
10. Smiling faces, every day.

It's been a short year! It's gone fast... but it's been great.

Monthly Drop In

(A piecemeal family: Mark, Lily and I at my Nan's 80th last weekend)

Hello! From the seventh floor!

So much has been going on this past month it almost feels like nothing at all has happened... if you know what I mean?

Mark and I decided to move house again, and quickly! Within one month of having a chat to our 'concierge' (read: lady that minds front desk) she came back to us with an offer: a one bedroom apartment in our block, on the seventh floor, with a full view of Sydney City's skyline and The Domain, with a peek of water too (good for pisceans like me!) So suddenly we were moving again, and now we are starting to settle once more, hopefully for a comfortable period of time.

Our new place is nestled amongst the tops of Moreton Bay Fig Trees, and our neighbours are Paul Keating (ex Prime Minister, directly opposite, yes, I ahem, can actually see into his bedroom when the light is on!) and Russell Crowe (well, we can see his place on the Wharf.) It is extremely quiet and we live behind big gates, I now understand how easy it is to isolate one's self in the Eastern Suburbs and go completely batty!

So this month we have been heaving boxes, disconnecting and reconnecting, rearranging, purchasing. For relaxation I have become addicted to looking at American homewares websites and dreaming of the perfect lounge-rug-coffee table combination. Yep, age sure is getting to me!

Mark and I went and saw the brilliant movie 'Control' a few Wednesdays ago which is all about Ian Curtis and Joy Division. It is one of the most beautifully shot films I have seen in recent memory and I recommend it... it sort of resonates in your brain for days afterwards!

Also saw The Assassination of Jesse James, I loved it but Mark thought it was terrible... I'm happy to side with Margaret Pomeranz on this one and say you get lost in the plot and feel of the film and it's glorious! but anyways.

The seasons of Christmas parties are upon us, but for teachers they are thin on the ground. Mark is off on boats, eating at fancy restaurants etc. etc. and of course there is the Christmas bonus, but nothing for me, at least I get to see all the fireworks from the windows, but overall I'm pleased to report I will be getting through Christmas relatively hangover free. It's never too late to turn a new leaf!! (And I'm still not smoking... it's been over 6 months now!)

Also looking for a new job for next year, not happy, but dealing with it by working hard for what is left of my year... something should come up... I hope! Rather than haul you through the boring details on this issue, I instead offer a quote on how I feel from my mate Bec Olive's Phd proposal:
"A beholder who lacks the specific codes feels lost in a chaos of sounds and rhythms, colours and lines, without rhyme or reason" (Bourdieu, 1984: 2).

Hope your season is not too silly, and thinking of you all!

Lots of Love, until the New Year, Laura x

I HEART: Christmas beetles, Christmas bush, giant zucchinis from Byron Bay, indoor plants, honey candles, southerly breezes late at night, Sydney Festival (coming up!), My Nana Richards, seeing the harbour from my shower, Laser Hair Removal - yes it works, chuck those razors out! http://www.hairfree.com.au/

I DON'T HEART: My cheap black thongs from Target that I keep slipping over in, storing books, changing address again, lack of airconditioning in my car.

Make a chocolate bouquet!

Christmas is coming...

My sis and I will be making one of these for the centrepiece of the Christmas table, crafty and fun!

Here is a step by step guide...

http://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Chocolate-Bouquet

Freecycle today!

I am moving house again next week, and as usual there will be stuff to keep, and stuff to THROW OUT.

Well, my days of throwing things out are numbered, because of freecycling!

You put your things on this website to give away for FREE! And whoever wants the bookcase, or mattress, or broken desk will come along and pick it up.. and you can also search for free furniture of your own!

http://www.freecycle.org.au/

Thank god for all of this environmental consciousness flying about right now... xx

Cousin Tammie's Kitchen Tea

The Richards family headed over to Burraneer Bay for Tammie's Bridal Shower!


I have hardly seen Tammy since this photo was taken, it's great for the family to get together and celebrate!


My Nan Richards and sister Kathryn was there.


And I wore a new dress, which was ahem, a little 'booby.'


A male belly dancer showed up!


He was pretty flashy!


He danced with the bride to be...


And everyone applauded!


Then he asked my mum to dance...


And my sister too!


Aunty Kim gave it all she had! Here she does a move from the film Cabaret...


Afterwards we headed over to the dessert table for all manner of delicious food.


We ate more and more, we were heaving with food!


And of course there was CAKE! (Spelling, whoops!)


We really enjoyed our day...


And wish Tammie the very best for her wedding!

We will see her again on her big day this coming Saturday!

A weekend in Newcastle

I love getting out of Sydney for lots of reasons, but one of the best reasons is when my friends ask me away for a birthday celebration! And last weekend it was my best mate Katie's #!st birthday. We had alot of fun.

Katie and her husband Charley have just bought a house, and it was fantastic to see the family settled in their new nest. I could only imagine having access to that sort of space, after living in a studio for almost 6 months!


When we arrived we got into the food and cake almost immediately. Amanda had whipped up this fabulous confection earlier in the morning!


Katie blows out the candles (don't count!)


Charley and Sanne wait to be fed...


Beautiful Jeb keeps us all company.


After lunch (and a few glasses of wine,) Jess brought out the watermelon that he had prepared a day earlier (by pouring vodka into it!)


Jess is proud of his work.


Shortly after that the vodka watermelon started making Amanda laugh like a crazy pirate!


Mark and Jeb held onto each other for dear life!


After lunch we went for a walk and took in the sights of Newcastle.... and to get the watermelon out of our system.


And I met this crazy man who runs the local 'bike library' which I thought was a great idea, until he invited me on a nude bikeride!

The next day after a big night on the watermelon, we met up again and headed to Stickyrice Thai for a lunch special.


Sanne gives us the finger.


Jebediah Mozart Miyagi: a grand old man.


And of all things, we ended up at a Lucien Freud exhibition after lunch, which was very un-Newcastle like! Sanne has recently taken to pointing things out to everyone, here she points at a fountain with Newcastle City in the background. Cute!


And we ended up in Darby Street for coffee, a perfect end to a perfect weekend!

Cousin Tammie's Hens Day!

Kathryn, Mum and I headed to King Street Wharf today for my (second) cousin Tammie's Hens Day! She is having a big fat Greek Wedding shortly and we were glad to join in the celebrations. We had High Tea at Loft Bar, which had a lovely view and nice comfy seats.

The best part of the day for me was actually seeing Tammie, as we haven't spoken for years! She's all grown up and so beautiful, it was lovely to see her again.


The blushing bride-to-be, Miss Tammie Hunt.


Laura, Tammie, Kathryn...


Mum and Aunty Kim.


It's hard to get them to stop laughing to take a decent photo!

Thanks to Maid of Honor Nicole Arena for organising the day. I believe the group were last spotted heading towards home nightclub with a Hire-a-Hunk trailing close behind...

Next the Kitchen Tea, then the big day! Expect more photos...