Not really gardening shoes

I don't normally post pics of acquisitions, but these cute shoes begged for a photo! I phoned Nick beforehand to ask if I could buy them...he gave his blessing, so these are guilt-free shoes :) I have most certainly borrowed inspiration (can you borrow it - do you return it? rather, taken inspiration) from Rachel's beautiful work in the composition of this shot - being surrounded by her mind-blowing photos rubs off in a very good way! After tea Nick and the boys headed off into the weed-patch where we also have potatoes and tomatoes growing and corn about to die off. It was time for harvesting. I couldn't believe the crop of potatoes that came out!! The biggest was around the 15cm mark but the rest are just a good usable size, and there are many. We've left them covered in dirt so they should last for ages!

All things yellow and pretty

Just to be sure I retain the honour of 'employee of the week', I bribe the Boss Lady with gifts...Ha, not really. But I am challenged and inspired to new creative heights and a strong desire to make all things pretty. This was an attempt at lemon coconut ice, but unfortunately with not enough generosity on the essence side of things, lemon only referred to the colour.

"My Place" with a little HDR

7.20 PM: Welcome to my craft room - I DO love how the sun streams in through the windows at this time of day! Makes for a very inviting place to be in the late afternoon and early evening. We've been in this house nearly a year now; this is how my room looked a couple of days after moving in:

Meet the newbies

Yippee, Monday - that means back to work! I took a few Rosemary & Lemon cookies in honour of our first staff meeting where all the staff gather together informally in the gallery (i.e. the two of us sprawl on the floor with markers and huge paper!) Left the studio with about ten minutes to spare before getting to TCS for a 'new parents' tea'...Nick and I are new to the school since the last event, so we made the list despite being quite old to the school by now! Really enjoyed hanging out with some other parents though - there was a large contingent of South African moms :)
Janet looking very comfy there in a sunny corner of the staffroom!
And finally, Caleb wanted me to take this pic of The Wounded Finger and patiently rested his hand on a windowsill outside so I could make the most of the fading evening light. It is a fairly deep and wide cut but is healing well already.

In which Caleb finds out how sharp kitchen knives are

A gorgeous day today - it's always a relief when the sun comes out again after a day or two of rain and greyblah. We're treasuring these warm days as winter approaches! Between services Nick and the boys played a bit of backyard frisbee and cricket and then right before the afternoon service Caleb sliced his left index finger open on a wonderfully sharp carving knife, trying to cut up an apple for Aaron. Aaron freaked out at the pool of blood dripping into the sink (fortunately Caleb had the presence of mind to stay in one place); I don't do blood very well so let Nick deal with it...and there was a lot of it! Poor Caleb went very pale, but kept up a brave face as Nick bandaged him up. At church the pair of boys proudly showed the red-stained cotton-woolled plaster off to EVERYONE...very pleased with themselves at having such a dynamic story of real-life drama to share. We decided that it probably didn't need stitches as the bleeding had stopped, so let them watch a DVD when we returned home (customary for any blood-type wounds).

Peopleless pics and poetry

Getting into those dark-morning-Saturday-sleep-in weekends again...it's so yucky to get up at 6 am on weekdays when there's not even a glimmer of light in the sky, so Saturdays are a total luxury. Consequently, a very late and lazy morning was had indeed! Added to which it was grey and just a tiny bit chilly. I mucked around with some macro photography - these are a dandelion head. Same composition, different focus. Nick had to pick up the lawnmower from the Camerons so we all piled in for a drive - this gorgeous canine is Gemma, an ex-farm dog who has the prettiest eyes! Andreas and Danielle shared an informal meal with us on Saturday night - clearly too busy enjoying the evening to take photos! (This doesn't mean that I don't enjoy other times with other people when there are pics - but sometimes the opportunity doesn't present itself!)
AND THEN...Nick had written a new song for me - so amazingly wonderful and deep and poetic. I am a blessed woman!

Lynn the Callander Girl (hee hee)

So here they are! This is what makes Rachel Callander so amazingly incredible: her ability both during the shoot and afterwards to make normal, non-modelly, crinkled, gap-teeth, freckly awkward people into radiant and appealing works of art that you really do want to show off! Thank you sooooooooo so much Rachel...you are absolutely the best!! And I really do mean that...no really, you simply ARE the best photographer ever ever! Okay, no more gush...well just a little more maybe...yay, whooohooooooo! So I'll be expecting lots of phone calls from people all over NZ on Monday morning lining up to schedule a shoot :)(PS: Genevieve, doesn't your reef bracelet look superb!)

Twisters and tsunamis

Today I found myself on the 'wrong' side of the camera as I became the subject of some Callander Girl magic...a rather major employment benefit, I'd say! It was absolutely the most fun ever and Rachel is amazing at getting her 'client' (me) to relax and pose. So cool to see a pro at work. Photos to follow...sooooo much more to say about them but just wait and see!!
Fortnightly youth group happened this evening as well and although the group was small, it was good. We had a short time of worship, then the Mark Driscoll DVD, followed by games and hilarity...a bit of twister, some chocolate game, and even an impromptu guitar lesson were all part of the proceedings.Meanwhile, the world is falling apart with earthquakes in Japan and China and huge tsunamis in the Pacific ring - NZ was issued a warning but fortunately all was well. Our prayers are with those who have suffered loss through this next set of disasters, but more importantly, our prayers are that individuals and nations would turn and repent as this is only a token of the final judgment to come (Luke 13:1-5).

Super, man!

I'm happy to report that after four days I still/already/totally love my job :) :) Rachel is just such a Fabulous Person and an outstanding boss...yellow flowers on Monday, a key on Tuesday, pink stationery on Wednesday, and permission to hold the reflector at a shoot on Thursday...{sigh}...what more could a girl want? The work itself is still a bit muddly and I think I get less and less done each day as the to-do list keeps growing! No panic though, we knew from the start that things might be a bit confusing and random until I know what's going on and how best to get it done - that's the privilege of shaping a brand new position. And sometimes I get to be the "sit on the chair while I test the light" person too!
In the mornings and afternoons around my working hours I've been at home, mostly...although not so much today as I have started attending the Thursday morning prayer meeting at the school, and this afternoon I had a dentist appointment. I've not been to the dentist in our year here; taking nightly painkillers to dull the various aches in my teeth was a sure sign that it's time! 45 minutes in the chair gave me clean teeth, cute little x-rays and an obscenely huge hole in our savings account. Unfortunately there are many more appointments to come as I need some work done...boo hoo! BUT...I am thankful that we have the means to afford what will no doubt become a weekly visit over the next month or two. Got a dress sewn today as well - I bought the fabric in Wellington in January and have only gotten to it now! Super pleased with the finished product (Candice, hope yours has turned out too?!).Caleb was awarded a certificate in chapel today for "putting so much effort into your work". Yay, well done! His teacher was very pleased that he had slowed down and tried harder instead of rushing to get finished.And as usual, after tea the boys were on the tramp again! Not so many of these long evenings left though - already the sun is setting around 8.30 pm and it won't be long until daylight savings switches off. At least then the sun won't only be rising around 7.15 am as it does now!

Here's to the beginning...

First day of work, first day of work!! So excited this morning - I don't normally look forward to starting a new job - first days are a blur of faces and a muddle of written instructions as the hapless newcomer tries to follow along. Today was different though and I knew it would be great - and it was!! I nearly ran late for my 11.30 start and ended up running through Noel Leeming, down Stafford Street and up the two or three flights of stairs to the offices of Callander Girl Photography, where I have been installed as the Creative Administration Manager (I've never had an administration title - admin people are generally viewed as nondescript and unnoticed: "desk"; "chair"; "admin person"; "printer"). My job is to creatively manage the administration side of things - ie make the business stuff pretty and get it done! Between laughing and chatting we didn't get much work done but it sure was fun. Photos to follow some time...er...how does one take photos of a pro photographer?
Now this photo was requested as a 'first day of school' gag - so here's my little outfit, Liefling!"And this is an isosceles triangle", said Caleb through bent lips. Oh the things they learn in school!

Sundays not for resting (for pastors only)

Nick's day: 45 minutes of intense lecturing at Adult Bible Class, in which he presented his 'God and the Earthquake' study; a 10-minute prayer meeting which was all there was time for between the bible class and the morning worship service. Then church 'proper' at 10.30, followed by the monthly fellowship lunch. Home for about half an hour, then off to a community BBQ at TCS. Home at 3 for more sermon prep, then off to church again at 4 pm for the afternoon service, in which he has resumed his sermons in the Psalms. You can bet he was glad to be home at 6! Of course the boys and I had a similar day, except we didn't have to do any preaching and the concentration of listening to a sermon is far different from the concentration involved in delivering one!

Pizza AND a fire? Who could resist!

Timaru was the chilliest place in NZ to be today, with a rainy grey cold 4 deg C...we're hoping to still have some decent weather before winter really sets in. Miriam and the boys are in town for the weekend, and not having seen them since the family uprooted and headed for the West Coast shortly before Christmas, it was great to catch up - they popped in for a short morning visit. The rest of the day was spent quietly at home; we watched all three hours of Fiddler on the Roof, all four of us sitting close together on the couch...better than blankets! I finalized a few polymer pendants - these are my latest pieces. And that is not bath-plug chain...it's the latest fashion accessory chain!While I was at a music practice with Bronwyn, Matt and Rachel both texted individually (did the right hand know what the left hand was doing?) to invite us around for pizza. We have been grafted into the wider Kemp/Cameron family tree, as Bronwyn and the kids were also invited (Rene and Jesse are away), and Miriam and the boys were staying the night there. Fabbo evening, heaps of yummy pizza and time just chilling (with a fire blazing in the background). Anyone for toilet rolls? Bronwyn is selling packs of them for fundraising for Jesse's volleyball...a bit of free advertising for you, Possum!

School's done and 2,000 rolls

Another week of school done...the boys are always happy to be home after their school day to relax, jump on the tramp, read, draw etc (and spend time with the family, Caleb says).
Nick was at the bakery again last night - Simon is run off his feet with additional orders as a result of the Christchurch quake, and can use any extra help! Andreas joined them as well for a couple of hours.Above: Simon with one of many crates; below: U-Bake Cover Girl Nicola with one of the rolls Nick made :)

Illuminated!

So Tuesday has come and gone and if you've been paying attention you'll know that I was set to start my new ultra-super job on that day. I didn't start though as the signing of the contract is still pending! No worries, this week I'm at home getting my head around cleaning, baking, polymer clay, graphic design, dentist and doctors appointments with the boys (Caleb needed his asthma reassessed and some new ventilators), paper crafts, and ironing! I finished the lamp shade which Danielle and I started a few weeks ago - the outer shade is a handmade paper which I found at a stunning gift shop in town (discovered during a lunch break last week), and the structure itself is made from four bamboo skewer sticks held together with bits of twine and glue. It's simple and even a little fragile but for now, it works.