My First Born Story Board Illistration

Funny how you know you are going up a level when you hit so many brick walls and the anxiety levels get out of control for days on end.  Tonight I will have a good sleep knowing I can take stick drawings and make them into something that illustrates the different seasons in Katherine and Canberra. That what I have been working towards for 3 years is with in grasp. Persistence pays off. Only 119 more to do. That will complete stage two. Godde is good. Stages are good. Mentor - PERFECT!

Annika Romeyn - Artist

I'm on a mission (hopefully not an impossible one). I'm doing a booklet to celebrate Canberra's centenary. Since the place is my new home, its the least I can do.

Over the last 3 weeks I have been doing sketches contrasting life as I knew it and the life I now live here in the heart of the nation.  To help me along the way Annika has agreed to mentor me. Its an arrangement that really suits my personality, learning style and fits around my other studies.

Today when I visited her in her studio I couldn't help take this picture below. Made me laugh because the pencil is so short and Id never seen someone use a pencil that short before. Says a lot about her as person really - doesn't waste anything to do with art.

Katherine South Pre School

Laughin - just found a piccy of myself at Katherine South Pre School c 1966 on Facebook that Id never seen before. As usual, not looking at the camera. With a clip in my hair. Fond memories of those times including wearing boys Y fronts so I could go swimming in the pool which was about 2 feet deep when I didn't bring my bathers.

Jamiya and Russell

Last two Sundays were not good for Kim church. No one asked me for money and I tried at Woden and Garema Place on both occasions. When that fails I use the money I would have spent getting a massage.

This week has been a double pleasure.  I walked down Garema Place and saw Russell in action and receiving $2 from a young dad.  I waited and walked up to him and he gave me a hug. I said can we have lunch please and off we went to this little cafe (Lebanese) for some food. It had a limited menu so ordered him a cheese tomatoe and onion sandwich and a large Cap. I couldn't find any thing I could eat so just had a small Cap. General chit chat then he went all quiet and dreamy.

Next minute Jamiya arrived and I asked him if he would like to join us for lunch and he said he would. I met Jamiya March 2011 see Street Boy Post. He tried to walk into the shop with a stick with a mean looking skull on it and the owner shooed him out and said you can come in here but not the negative energy. So he took it out side and left it while he had his sandwich and chocolate milkshake. Hes looking so well and apparently does weights now and it shows.  He remembered me from 2 year ago because he said that he played drums on the table which he did at that time. The way he was eating made me feel rather comfortable. Ive been coping a lot of flack about my eating habits lately. However, it did intrigue me the same as last time, it was like a snapping action of a hungry dog.  He showed me some photos of his satanic alter and Russell wasn't having a bar of all this talk and he doesn't like the negative vibes either but he did go outside for a smoke with Jamiya before they took a photo of me with them and I took one of them together.

I went to pay and the shop owner said that's very nice of you to buy them food and we talked about how food is so important for them while living rough. He said hes sorry he had to confront Jamiya about the negative energy and I said you did good and explained to him why and he respected you so you should not be sorry for any of that. If you don't confront and you don't reinforce good he will slide further into the dark side and it appears to me that what ever has happened to him over the last two years he definatley looks alot healthier than last time I saw him.

Kajarine Notes

24.12.2012
Dad and I are sitting outside our cabin at the Boab Caravan Park in Kajarine. Its Simmones bifdy today so we are gearing up the a lunch at Scattinis followed by alot of silliness.  Lauren has a big Christmas tree up which has got Simmones heart all in a flutter. The cabin is 15 steps from the pool which I dove into immediately. FARK!!! Hot soup..... Weather has not been too bad really only a small meltdown after an hour at the Parap markets.  Hamish has grown so much but seems to have lost his tounge. Poor Bulla. Been surrounded by old farts is no fun. Ady is taking him hunting tonight so that will jerk the slack out of him.
25.12.2012
Up early and a swim in the pool. Divine with the sounds of the insects and hawkes flying around. Sun coming up slowly a burnt orange colour. Dave has started a new business fixing phones called ufarkifix. Laughin... Dad is givin Dave dog advice sayin kick the dog outside coz the fat from the ham will give her the shits and we don't want her shitting inside while we are having Xmas lunch. We are having chook turkey prawns and veg. Simmone wearing a father christmas pinny for cooking.. laughin.... Made rumballs a couple of days ago. Dad very protective of them.
28.12.2012
Waved Adrain and Jessy of this morning. dad was demonstrating how to position yourself across the tow bar to do a shit.......note the fascination with crapping. Must be a bloke thing.  Hamish was standing there shaking his head.  Hes taller than Lauren Simmone and me now. Hes not interested in kids his own age... well I'm understanding that tooo.... FARK!! I just popped my head out the door and the 40 degree heat smacked me in the face.  There's a car down the road that has two door windows knocked out and its covered in all different sizes and colours of Tarpoline.  Its not moved since we arrived here.  This place is quirky. I went to hang a yarn bomb up @ the post office last night and it wasn't wide enough. While there I heard some one spewing so loud - was the sound sort of water fall like but couldn't see anyone in the main street. Get in to the car and drive off and a little white kitten crawls out of a drain. This morning I go to hang the bomb again and it fits. YAY!!! Countrymen are up walking around looking under plants and bushes for their stash they hid last night and for coins dropped in the car-park spaces.  Taking theire worldly goods out of the rubbish bin they hid last night. Kind of romantic this scene.... Then smack bang!!! 7AM - main street of Kajaine ELVIS sings Blues Suede Shoes from every speaker in the main street.

Breakfast with Russell

Ive decided I'm going to record my Kim Church activities here because I get so much from these interactions and need to remind myself of how things could be so different but for the grace of Godde.

Walking down Garema Place and pull up under a shady tree. Not many people around but from behind and quiet like Russell comes over and says hello little angel. All soft and gentle. Well I'm hardly little and he is tall. Hes dressed like its winter in clothes that are too big for him and its at least 32 degrees. He starts his request for money to buy anti pain medicine and a packet of White Ox. I just said with a happy face and sound "Would you like to have breakfast with me" He tried one more time to get $2 off me and I repeated you can have any breakfast you want. He looked at me and said with a smile " Id like to have breakfast with you".

So over to a an outside dining area we go and sit.  The waiter comes with a bottle of water. We do general chit chat about the weather and he tells me hes vegetarian while pouring me my water. This confuses me coz he said he wants bacon and eggs.  I asked him can he read? No, he cant. I told him I cant read so well either. Then he bent his head and and showed me where a metal plate is in place on the top of his head. He was rubbing it like it was a baby. I asked if I could touch it and he said yes. I only did that so as to validate him. This is the source of his pain. This is where he gets his dream of being a doctor one day. He askes if he can smoke and I asked what you gunna smoke and he said tailor mades. I said Id prefer you didn't and said have you got any rollys coz I don't mind them. So he gets up to walk and have a smoke and I said nah stay forgetting the smoking laws and he lights up.  Waiter comes and takes our order and looks at me quizingly.
Russell askes me if I have change of $20 coz he has a fist full of $2 coins he wants to get rid off. Must be doing alright I'm thinking. Hes got lovely soft green eyes and they are not looking as sleepy as they were when I first saw him.

During the meal he tells me his views on vegetarianism and I ask him if he wants my toast coz I don't eat bread. First he says no and then when I push it to one side says Ill have it. We pass it over using cutlery and he then passes me his favorite which is a hash brown which I eat. All the time talking about different drugs available and his relationship with the coppers which is good. He said they know me and are kind. Hes intelligent and sensitive. Before we finish up he tries to smoke again and the owner asked him not to so he went for a fag after asking me to go for a foot paddle in the fountain with him. I went to pay the bill.

Of we went towards the fountain and he states he needs a Coke Zero and I said I do too. He knows where the cheapest drinks were and we went to the Carousel with horses to get the drinks.  Once we had the drinks and I paid I had to wait for $2 change and I was doing something in my bag when it arrived and he put out his hand and took the change and to my shame I thought he was going to pocket it. This is the clincher... I have to trust... I don't do trust very well. I felt so happy when he handed me the money and that's what makes these interactions so rewarding. I'm experiencing moral beauty in some one who has every reason not to have any.

Walking along I told him a story Id seen recently, where a young mother was in the shower with a baby in her arm and young son. Son helping with washing mummy's legs and bum who says to his mummy – “turn around now mumma I want to wash your nuts”. He laughed out loud and so did I.

 

Down at the fountain he wants me to get in and cool off my feet, believe me if my knees could have managed that I would of. People were staring but I didn't care. He said he could get some shorts and a T shirt for me if I wanted to get in and I said like Id fit your clothes.... He says "I only buy one size fits all so I can share". What a knight hey! We drank our cokes and he told me a story about his lovely little friend who was staying at his mums house with him once and got sick and spewed all over her clothes. So sick she passed out and they had to get the ambulance. When she woke up in his clothes she started freaking out about where her clothes were and he calmed her down by telling her his mum was at home washing them because they were covered in spew and you have my clothes on. 

Cokes finished and he wants to come shopping with me and I said I'm shopping in Tuggeranong and he said Ok that's too far away for me.  As he is putting his shoes on I said you know what Russell "you have lovely shaped feet" We hugged and with my head full of poetry and a happy heart I cruised towards my air-conditioned car to meet another friend who also does me good.

Mum

Always a snappy dresser my mum. She did it hard with two small girls and her man away out bush working hard to bring home the pay. Help was available but she always said if you make your bed you got to lay in it. Only a few times did I remember staying at nannas place. This constant care made our bond strong. When she was daignosed with the disease that killed her there was never a thought that we would put her in a home. It was never discussed and all three of us just got on with caring for her. So today shes been especially close to me and Ive been telling her all thats been happening hopes dreams and fears. Remembering her labor in the Katherine Hospital where bugs, heat, humidity were all part of the delivery room. What a miracle a mother is. What a miracle a father is. What a miracle a sister is.

TAA - The friendly way.

Every time I fly I wear this badge. I get the best service and creates a bit a vibe. For instance while dad and I were waiting at the airport in Darwin for me to board we saw the pilots arriving.  I said dad that big pilot looks like he is going to have a heart attack because hes so red in the face. Then we boarded. The 2 older hostesses were straight onto it as they have been hosties (and hotties) for 30 years starting with TAA. We chatted about it and I said can you inform the pilots that they have a 52 yo TAA Junior Flyer on board.  I was the last one off the plane and the pilot with the red face was waiting for me and asked me if I needed my log book filled in.  It was such a crack up.

Flying into Darwin some older guy spotted it before I got into the terminal and I had it pinned to the centre of my chest. He was so wrapped he called out to me to come over (works for the airport) and when I got there he took is glasses out of his pocket and scrutinized the badge and I suspect the cleavage. Old fox.

On another flight where I ramped it up a bit by wearing a newspaper boy cap and the badge and a few young fullas come down the back while I was stretching my legs and asked me if I was a pilot. I said "no, why do you ask". "oh, we were wondering who was flying the plane".

Happy New Year

To my lovely readers. Wish we were joining hands and dancing around these lovelies like faeries.