a new year

I always feel very retrospective at the end of another year and the beginning of the next.

I've never been one for writing resolutions, but one of the things I am going to start doing this year is to keep a notebook of positivity. I'm going to try and write down something positive for each day; a highlight of the day, something I've done, created, something to remember, to be grateful for. A word, a sentence or a paragraph.

I often feel like I haven't accomplished enough each day, well not what I want to accomplish! Hopefully by writing things down I'll feel like each day has been lived more fully. Hopefully by taking the time to notice the small things, and not worry about the big picture, the anxiety will lessen.

I've also thought about what I want to do with this blog. And I'm going to worry less about it! Not worry about how often I post, or how many followers I have, or how many comments I get. Not to compare it to other blogs I read.

The photos were taken today, on a not very summery beginning to 2014. Between showers we managed a half hour walk beside the sea. To the Motueka Sandspit a place we'd never been before, yet is only 20 minutes from home. It's currently home to the godwits after their epic flight of 11,500 kms from Alaska, along with numerous other birds. It's good to get out and explore new places.

Later in the afternoon looking out the window I saw this rainbow. A good omen for 2014. Wishing you all  the best for this year, may you find happiness and joy in your endeavours. Sally x

battery recharge

Things have been hectic around here lately. Who said it was easier once your kids started school? I find that I spend so much of my day driving kids, both during and after school hours. I'm looking forward to the school holidays next week.

I think the kids are too. Last week Miss L sat two dance exams, went to an inter school gymnastics competition (and got second place against real gymnasts!). This week she ran inter school cross country, and auditioned to be a model for the judging part of WOW (World of Wearable Arts), which she got accepted for so will  be doing on Friday. She has to sign a confidentiality agreement so can't tell us what the costumes she's modelling are. We'll have to wait until the show, which is on in Wellington in September, to see her in the programme.

The Teenager has also been busy. He went to the inter school gymnastics competition also, although didn't compete in the same competition as Miss L. His biggest achievement was to do accomplish a handstand on top of the vault without falling off! The great thing about the small school that the kids go to is that everyone gets to participate, which means kids get pushed out of their comfort zones. He's off with the rest of the seniors for an overnight tramp on Thursday to the mountains. It's due to get cold again, so they might even see snow!

And then there's been work dramas with the hubby's job. He thought he had another six months or so left on the particular project he's working on, but that rug was whipped out from beneath his feet last Monday when he was in Australia. Thankfully he's got lots of experience and ability to do various things, so by Thursday he had sorted out a new role! This one involves trips to Fiji, which is much closer to home than India.

We were hoping to all go with him on his first trip. But after failing to find self-catering accommodation on the internet, I gave up for these holidays, and we'll go later in the year.  Although with the weather here I was already visualising walking on warm sand.

Things are slightly chilly around here, although you wouldn't think it from today's walk on the beach. I hadn't been to the beach for a couple of weeks. It was so good to walk in the sunshine with the waves and birds as company. Just what I needed to recharge my batteries.

 I'm now a third of the way through the 100 Days Project. Some days I find it  quite hard to do a drawing, especially if I leave it until the evening. So today I looked for something to draw at the beach, and this piece of sponge was the thing that called to me. Here's the link if you'd like to see what else I've been drawing each day.

Well I wrote this post a few days ago, not quite sure why I didn't hit publish?!  It's now Saturday, but I can't be bothered going and changing the tenses! Now I remember I wanted to include a photo off my phone so has to download my Instagram photos.

Have a lovely weekend wherever you are, and I hope the school holidays are packed with sun and fun and not dampness and bored kids if you're in NZ. I'm definitely going to be dragging my two down to the beach regardless of the weather (yes they sometimes are reluctant to leave their couch grooves!)

changing threads

Since the Mapua Makers Market (which was on 9 Feb) I've been beavering away on another deadline - my entries for this years Changing Threads National Contemporary Fibre Awards.  I have entered this award three times and been chosen twice, both with blanket wall hangings. As I blogged about last year here.

 This year I've stepped away from wool and felt into the great unknown - environmental art! Tomorrow I drop my entry into the gallery on CD, so I've been taking photos and writing my artist statement and going slightly crazy. But hey even if I don't get one or two pieces selected at least I can share it with the my lovely readers on this blog.

The first piece I created is an installation, so is quite hard to photograph especially in my garage. It's titled "Coming Home to Roost", and my statement about it is:

This installation is constructed from some of the plastics that I have collected from the beach at Ruby Bay over the last 18 months. Some of the sources of this rubbish can easily be identified, such as the tags off fishing vessels or parking meter tickets, which have flown out of car windows. While these may look like paper they are in fact plastics, the recycling symbol on the back of the parking meter tickets identifies these as polypropylene.

It is hard to imagine the size of this problem. In the North Pacific Ocean there is what is known as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, an estimated 11 million tons (and growing) of floating plastic covering an area of nearly 5 million square miles of ocean, swirling in the Pacific Ocean between the coast of California and Hawaii.

Unlike organic debris, which biodegrades, plastics disintegrate into smaller and smaller pieces while still remaining a polymer. They never “vanish” so throughout the decay cycle different sized organisms are affected.

“Coming Home to Roost” is my response to this disaster that we cannot see. While I realise that the amount of rubbish that I pick up is so miniscule in the big picture, it may still help at the individual level. If one bird is saved by my actions that is better than walking past and leaving the rubbish to re-float in the next high tide, and go who knows where?

 

 In the centre of the shelter is a nest I made from fishing rope and twine. I made the top part first, and then added the mound, similar to what some sea birds build. This nest building led me onto using some of the large pile of twine and fishing line I've collected, and I made three vessels loosely based on a basket design. These are sewn together with salvaged fishing line which I had to untangle first.

The second entry is titled "Adrift".

These three vessels have been made using pieces of fishing net, twine and line that I have collected while walking along the beach at Ruby Bay. Originally the materials were used for fishing, and then discarded, cut loose or lost to become part of the garbage system that drifts with the ocean currents.

When fishing nets are left or lost by fishermen they are known as ‘ghost nets’ which drift about continuing to do what they were designed to; catching fish along with sea mammals, reptiles and birds.

By piecing together the fragments I have collected, I have made these vessels as a reminder of how fragile the marine environment is, and the need to care for it.

 

 

 

 

This morning when I went for my daily look at what's happening in the world according to Facebook, I came across Kirsty Elson's post with a link to this video. It's mindblowingly sad, and makes me feel like every little bit of plastic that I pick up off the beach is making a difference. Take the time to watch it, please.

a long, hot summer

Yes it's been what feels like a long, hot summer. And it's not over yet, the kids go back to school on the 7th which seems so late! It's because we have two public holidays this week, so most primary schools have chosen to wait til they are over.

January flew by without me venturing near this blog! I've not been sure whether to return, but have decided to keep at it, as one of the reasons I started in the first place was as a diary for myself. So I'm going back to basics. I'm not going to change the world, I'm not going to attract 100s of followers, I'll just be me.

The hubby had 10 days in India, which wasn't the easiest on us with the school holidays. I'm not a super-mum, I don't plan fun-filled, action packed days. I seem to have to tell them to turn the tv off and get outside, a lot. I've been preoccupied with my craftiness as have markets coming up. So when hubby returned from India we headed to Golden Bay for two nights. It was just what we all needed. We hired a bach (kiwi for holiday home) at Patons Rock, which is my favourite spot.

We kayaked, collected mussels off the rocks, tried to catch fish and swam in the sea, even me. On the second night as we drove back from having dinner at the bach friends were staying at we spotted the most amazing full moon rising.

 If you follow me on instagram you'll already seen the following photos I took on our last walk along the road past the cute old bachs, then back up via the beach.

 Farewell Patons Rock, till next time.