June, month of everything

June is a month of Birthdays.

It is a month, (like December) when I notice that I am in a different hemisphere.

Both of my daughters were born in June, on a Wednesday at 10 am, but in different seasons.

My first daughter was born in the summer; flowers, sun, and sandals.

My second daughter was born in the winter; sweaters, clouds, and hot water bottles.

So as I celebrate their Birthdays I feel the cold, but expect the summer heat.

I also feel the passing of time as I watch the olives on the trees turn from green to shiny black.

 

As June passes I see the birds stealing the olives that have gone soft and know it is time to pick. My daughters and I went out today and collected olives, luckily it was warm because they both have colds, my husband too. That’s winter.

June 2011 is when I decided to stop drinking, (because of my migraines) and two years on I am not missing it. However, because I don’t drink, I really notice how much other people do. And how often characters on the television drink. My oldest daughter and I were trying to make a list of all the characters that don’t drink alcohol…wasn’t much of a list. If any one can think of any teetotallers on the television please leave names in the comment section.

So June has gone spinning by and I have spent most of the time looking after my daughters with winter colds, watching them grow, (my oldest just turned 17, where did the years go?), and preparing myself for another visit with my eye doctor next month.

What I should be doing is spinning and weaving! Preparing for the 4th Observatorio Cultural. For anyone visiting La Serena in July come and see all the beautiful art and crafts!

more information on their page Creatif.

Batik painting for kids

My youngest daughter is home with a cold and has been spending the days painting and drawing. In one of her art books she found instructions for batik painting with wax crayons. I really liked the idea and thought I would share how to do it.

Start with a black, wax crayon outline

 

Colour the picture with wax crayons, best with bright or light colours and a heavy solid filling

 

Scrunch the paper up

 

Flatten the picture out

 

Paint over the picture with black paint and plenty of water so all the wrinkles in the paper are filled, (all white areas will also be painted black)

 

I laid a bit of toilet paper on the picture, after the black paint, to soak up the paint that wasn’t absorbed by the wax.

Good fun for an inside day.

 

Finished painting

 

 

 

 

 

Here comes the sun

Sun rise trying to break through the clouds over La Serena.

Where has the sun gone?

First it rained.

Sheldon isn’t bothered by the rain

Then the sun came out and everything turned green and beautiful.

And then the sun went away, and we have been left with cold, wet, grey days.

We are accustomed to misty mornings and grey days, but we haven’t seen the sun in over a week. Clothes are not drying on the laundry line, children are staying home with colds, and where ever you go, people are complaining about the cold.

We are lucky, we have a wood burning stove that keeps us warm. But most businesses, schools and homes do not have heating, so I have been knitting and weaving for my family.

 

A warm hug of wool to keep loved ones warm on these grey days.