Viruses physical and cyber! And a place for me!

Getting back to work after the long holiday was kind of hectic. Then just as things were starting to settle down I was struck down with a nasty virus that resulted in high temperatures and a shockingly sore throat. Then pretty much simultaneously the computer was infected with a Trojan virus and a back door virus . These have taken some time to resolve. Am now on the mend and the computer is happy again.

I have thoroughly enjoyed being back at school.I have two and a half days in a year 3 class and I am back teaching as an art specialist and loving it. When I decided to transfer from my old school I finally decided that in order to be able to make a move I would have to take a job in the mainstream class. I did not realize how much I would miss teaching art. I think that not having a space in my life for art took its tole.

People at work have commented on how happy I seem this year. I also prefer teaching the little kids. They have loved Dusty the dog and are mostly keen to be at school (also having a change in bosses has gone a long way to improving my working conditions- the last one told outright lies to cover his mistakes and you never knew where you stood he also didn't like to be disagreed with and as many people have said he would stab you in the back if he got the chance. The new fellow seems nice he's friendly and supportive and above all he seems genuine!)

Last year I did not have a studio at school and I didn't have a studio home. Well in the last couple of weeks I have had a studio built at home....

This is the beginnings of it . It has windows on two sides and two little french doors opening out onto the patio that comes off the house through glass french doors from the lounge dining area.

Here it is with walls!!! Isn't it cute. The glass door you can see through the french doors opens out onto a little paved area this will become my private courtyard, or secret garden.

The next step is to install the sink and the storage cupboards and then I'll have no excuse for not doing some art work. It has made the whole house seem so much bigger having the outdoor entertaining area and the studio kind of completes the whole place.

Mind you the kids are having another "sleep" over and I wish that there were a few more doors and perhaps soundproof walls between them and me. That is what you get when you encourage your kids to be involved in the arts especially drama. They sing and perform all the time and when a bunch of them from the same drama group get together it is somewhat noisy!

Last weekend I had 12 people (my sister and her family, my mum and step dad) for lunch in the new entertaining area. It was very comfortable with plenty of room.

About half an hour before they all arrived my friend Tim turned up with a pile of booty from a garage sale. He found an old footstool very cute with little metal legs and a bag full of very nice old fabric. It was very exciting. Its just down the street he said and there is masses of stuff. So off I went with instructions to the kids about what to do with the lunch.

When I got there I grabbed a few more pieces of fabric and a lovely old cardboard case. There was another case full of pattens but I didn't have time to look through them properly. The lady said they would be going the next day as well so I decided I would come back the next day to have a proper look.


So the next day I went back and looking through the patterns 10cents each I discovered some patterns from the 1930's!!!!!! among a whole lot of others spanning 6 decades. I was gathering up those I wanted and found I was running out of hands. The lady said why don't you take the whole lot. $5 including the case. DONE!!
Look what I found!



Unfortunately most of them are for stick figure people! I will have to put my pattern drafting skills to work and perhaps put more effort into losing weight!