(no subject)

Last day of term for my Wednesday class. We completely forgot word of the day, because we were intent on doing the advance preparations for Mental Health Week. Everything is written and its placement on the display boards has been noted. The ever-wonderful Laura will copy the material and pin it up in its final position (with added photographs!) and it will be ready for all to see the week after next, at Belconnen Community Centre.

The work ranges from aphorisms, comics and short stories to poems and reflections on mental health. I want to say something meaningful about how the work reflects an amazing set of life experiences, but the truth is that I care about these students very much and they're not a collected set of mental health conditions or varied life experiences. They are themselves, and seriously cool, each and every one. Each one of my students has a bunch of stuff to say, whether it's about pterodactyls, puns, or fluffy ducks, or the nature of beauty.

If you're in Canberra and can get to Belconnen the week after next, I suggest you take a look at their work.

ETA: I've fixed the location. Both of the centres are in Belconnen - that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it. Mind you, fixing it means I get to point out that the National Film and Sound Archive have a Mental Health Week festival starting 11 October. If you turn up at 6 pm you get to shake Katy Gallagher's hand or something.

(no subject)

This is one of those days. I'm sending hugs out to a number of you. I rather suspect that you know if you need one! I have them in abundance, so if you're having a bad day and haven't blogged or otherwise communicated it, please help yourself.

Me? I was just given a gorgeous bunch of camellias today, because of last Wednesday's problems. I don't think I did anything to earn them, but I was not going to knock back a gorgeous bunch of camellias. I love flowers, but can't grow them (plants look at me and say "We're going to die NOW, so that you can't cook us. So there.") and these gorgeous blooms make me very happy. So I have lots of hugs to share.

(no subject)

I'm the Bogeywoman. I find this very exciting.

My neighbour (our walls adjoin) was walking her small son out the front door. He was being noisy, because he felt like it.

"Am I loud enough?" he asked.

"Now be quiet," his mother said. "The lady won't like it."

"Which lady?" he asked, and then his voice became suddenly loud. "That one?" Voices become loud when they are directed at one's door.

"Yes," his mother said. "You know you have to be quiet."

The mother and I have discussed the noisy son and I've said I don't mind him being himself at all, just as long as he doesn't knock on my door and run away. I have a lion's head knocker and he's very proud he can reach it and very happy with the scolding he gets when his mother catches him at it. I stopped answering the door to him last year, because he never stays to chat, just runs and hides. Anyhow, from her tone, this is an old conversation.

As he was walking out, he turned his head towards my door again. "Aaaargh!"

His voice echoed nicely. It stopped the moment his mother dragged him outside.

And that's how I know I'm the Bogeywoman. I'm a mythical creature used to hush small boys when they misbehave.