What a Day.

"Finish every day and be done with it. You have done what you could; some blunders and absurdities crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; you shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense."

Ralph Waldo Emerson

An Apple a Day

Sophie Uliano's Veggie Cleaner Spray

Ingredients:

1 cup water
1 cup distilled white vinegar
1 tablespoon bicarbonate of soda
20 drops grapefruit seed extract
Combine all ingredients in a large container. Then, transfer to a spray bottle with a pump. Spray mixture on produce, and rinse thoroughly after 5 to 10 minutes.

From Oprah's Earth Day

First week back at school and the final term for the year. Little Wanna will be a big school next year. Then it will be lunch boxes and apples for everyone; a veritable process line on the kitchen bench and what a challenge that will be. A boy who won't eat any fruit except strawberries but is quite happy with Vegemite sandwiches. A girl who won't eat sandwiches and prefers a narrow range of hot noodles, pasta or rice in a thermos. Food that needs to stay fresh hanging in a school bag in a hot corridor all morning. Ice block coolers in insulated bags. Cupboards full of various shaped containers, dry foods, vacuum-packed foods, snack foods, cling films, lunch wrap and plastic straws. Then when they come home, there is only one tiny nibble on the corner of a sandwich round and you wonder how many times that apple can keep going between home and school.

Happy Birthday

Here I Love You
by Pablo Neruda

Here I love you.
In the dark pines the wind disentangles itself.
The moon glows like phosphorous on the vagrant waters.
Days, all one kind, go chasing each other.

The snow unfurls in dancing figures.
A silver gull slips down from the west.
Sometimes a sail. High, high stars.
Oh the black cross of a ship.
Alone.

Sometimes I get up early and even my soul is wet.
Far away the sea sounds and resounds.
This is a port.

Here I love you.
Here I love you and the horizon hides you in vain.
I love you still among these cold things.
Sometimes my kisses go on those heavy vessels
that cross the sea towards no arrival.
I see myself forgotten like those old anchors.

The piers sadden when the afternoon moors there.
My life grows tired, hungry to no purpose.
I love what I do not have. You are so far.
My loathing wrestles with the slow twilights.
But night comes and starts to sing to me.

The moon turns its clockwork dream.
The biggest stars look at me with your eyes.
And as I love you, the pines in the wind
want to sing your name with their leaves of wire.

Happy Birthday Dear Heart. xxx

School Holiday Bear Hunt

We're going on a bear hunt,
We're gonna catch a big one,
What a beautiful day,
We're not scared.
Oh ,oh!
Grass,
Long, wavy, grass.
We can't go over it,
We can't go under it,
We've gotta go throught it!
Swishy swashy, swishy swashy.

....OH NO IT'S A BEAR!!!

Quick!
Through the cave, tiptoe, tiptoe,
Through the forest, stumble trip, stumble trip,
Through the river, splish splosh, splish spolosh,
Through the mud, squelch squelch, squelch squelch,
Through the grass, swishy swashy, swishy swashy.
Run to the house, run up the stairs,
Oh oh forgot to shut the door!
Run back downstairs, shut the door,
Run back up, to the bedroom,
Jump into bed, pull up the covers,

WE ARE NEVER GOING ON A BEAR HUNT AGAIN!!

My Boy

Lullaby

They didn't have you where I come from
Never knew the best was yet to come
Life began when I saw your face
And I hear your laugh like a serenade

How long do you want to be loved?
Is forever enough, is forever enough
How long do you want to be loved?
Is forever enough
Cause I'm never, never giving you up

As you wander through this troubled world
In search of all things beautiful
You can close your eyes when you're miles away
And hear my voice like a serenade


Lullaby by Dixie Chicks

Dancing queen

Three Cheers for Mrs Chips

Mrs Chips had a party, everyone was there
Little Gracie Garner wore a ribbon in her hair
Captain Pete, the pilot had a hot dog in his hand
BB, Myn, Champ and Darl were playing in the band

Nora Nodd saw Larry Lobb and promptly yelled out "Hello!"
He remarked, "Oh Nora you look wonderful in yellow"
Little coloured lights were flashing, candles were aflame
They bashed a great pinata and played that pass-the-parcel game

Mrs Chips looked stunning in her multi-coloured vest
The party was successful, everybody was impressed
"At four o'clock," the hostess smiled, "We set the white doves loose,
We'll celebrate with chocolate cake and fresh pineapple juice

The band played everybody's favourite funky children's tunes
Captain Pete inflated purple helium balloons
Little Gracie Garner pinned the tail upon the door
"I missed the donkey's bottom by a metre, maybe more"

Larry Lobb was busy serving guests their drinks and dip
But still found time to juggle, cart-wheel, somersault and flip
Nora Nodd tapped her glass and raised it to the ceiling
"Three cheers for Mrs Chips," she cried, "one more time with feeling"

Champ played his guitar and danced around just like a clown
Darl was singing beautifully whilst jumping up and down
Myn was rocking back and forth and spinning like a top
BB did the splits then limboed underneath a mop

Captain Pete did magic tricks while Nora Nodd assisted
"More!" the party-guests demanded, "encore," they insisted
"Watch me wave my wand and say the magic words with flair"
Then Nora Nodd just vanished, dissapeared into thin air

"Has anyone seen Charlie Fripp?" Mrs Chips enquired
He left at two o'clock 'cause he was angry, bored and tired
He said he hated children's songs, they made him blow his top
As far as Charlie Fripp's concerned the party was a flop

But Champ and Darl, Captain Pete and little Gracie Garner
Showed their party-spirit as they shared the last sultana
Larry Lobb chucked a streamer, Mrs Chips threw more
Soon there was a multi-coloured tangle on the floor

"Thankyou all for coming but I'm afraid it's time to go,
Thanks for all the fun and dancing and the magic show
We were right as usual and Charlie Fripp was wrong
Now the band will play their final funky children's song"

By Dave Bray

For Charly on her ninth birthday, remembering the fun-filled disco party with five fabulous friends and two darling cousins. A room full of bright, sparkling girls, metallic balloons, party poppers, Glo-sticks and a revolving disco lamp (thank YOU Aunty Deb). The dancing queens and princesses sipped lemon fizzy and apple juice from turquoise champagne flutes and nibbled sausage rolls and party pies, mini-lamingtons, S&V potato chips, BBQ shapes, grissini sticks and dips, fruit platter and snakes. The finale was a round, home-made, classic butter cake with maple syrup icing and silver cachous. Sparklers heralded its entrance. Ta-da!

Dancing was the main show, but there was an amusing break-out session in the back garden to bounce on the trampoline, and apply coloured hair spray and Camp Rock tattoos (including on Uncle Paul's bald head). The cousins stayed for a sleepover after roast dinner for the rest of the family. We ate fresh home-made pancakes for breakfast before heading out for a short walk to the local playground and then off for the usual swimming lesssons and to drop the cousins home.

All ends with a totally exhausted Mum but, my, what lovely memories! Last single digit year.

Happy birthday darling girl! xxx

Party Preparations

Children's Party

May I join you in the doghouse, Rover?
I wish to retire till the party's over.
Since three o'clock I've done my best
To entertain each tiny guest.
My conscience now I've left behind me,
And if they want me, let them find me.
I blew their bubbles, I sailed their boats,
I kept them from each other's throats.
I told them tales of magic lands,
I took them out to wash their hands.
I sorted their rubbers and tied their laces,
I wiped their noses and dried their faces.
Of similarities there's lots
Twixt tiny tots and Hottentots.
I've earned repose to heal the ravages
Of these angelic-looking savages.
Oh, progeny playing by itself
Is a lonely little elf,
But progeny in roistering batches
Would drive St. Francis from here to Natchez.
Shunned are the games a parent proposes,
They prefer to squirt each other with hoses,
Their playmates are their natural foemen
And they like to poke each other's abdomen.
Their joy needs another woe's to cushion it,
Say a puddle, and someone littler to push in it.
They observe with glee the ballistic results
Of ice cream with spoons for catapults,
And inform the assembly with tears and glares
That everyone's presents are better than theirs.
Oh, little women and little men,
Someday I hope to love you again,
But not till after the party's over,
So give me the key to the doghouse, Rover

Ogden Nash

Illustration by Amy Luhrman

Preparations are underway for Charly's ninth birthday party next weekend. Much to do to organise THE cake, music, games, eats, room decoration and party bags. We are working on a disco theme - girls only - with a turquoise colour code. Trying to keep it simple without succumbing to the temptation to imitate a Donna Hay/Martha Stewart feature spread. A lot of effort for two hours of entertainment, but also years of enduring memories. Let's press on.