Just Nicky

barbeque May 14, 2008

barbeque by pochacco20

You know when you go to Bunnings on a weekend there’s always some community group or other selling sausages in bread by the front door? Well, on the 31st of May, at the Bunnings in Hopper’s Crossing the community group in question will be our kinder.

I know Hopper’s is the arse end of nowhere for most people, but if anyone so happens to be in the area/passing through/heading Geelong way on the freeway and feeling peckish, please stop by and buy a sausage or two.

There’s a huge amount of work going into making this happen and it’s a really big fund raiser for us. We’re hoping that it will give us enough cash to put a fort in the kids’ playground.

Mark and I will be there helping out at some point in the day. We don’t know when yet, it depends on how many other volunteers we get and when we’re needed.

We’d love to see some friendly faces while we’re there…

Community April 28, 2008

I’ve never been a ‘joiner’ so the idea of community that people rabbit on about never really resonated with me. I didn’t get it when people talked about it in relation to playing sports or working for charities because I hadn’t done those things. But now I get it.

Joining the committee of Finn’s kinder was a spur of the moment-ish thing. I thought it would be a Good Thing to do. I didn’t really think it through much more until after I’d put my hand up. Then I decided that it would be good to be active in the kids’ kinder and school life. I reasoned that being the only deaf kid in the kinder would make Finn pretty prominent and that he should have a highly visible parent as well. I also thought I might enjoy it a bit.

What I hadn’t bargained on was the sense of connection it would give me. Suddenly I have a really direct interest in what goes on in my local area. An interest which is strengthened because, not only does it affect me and mine, but it impacts a group of which I am a member. I feel like what I have to say matters. It’s quite empowering. I don’t know whether this feeling will last once Finn finishes kinder and I am no longer a part of that group, but I hope it does.

One delusion I don’t hold is that I will ever be so integral to any community that it will cease to exist once I am no longer a member of it. The farkenace community of bloggers may no longer hang off the farkenace domain and there may be 2 or 3 fewer people taking part, but it still exists as much it ever did. There’s still a little group of people who blog and read. I’ve become much more aware of that community through doing the kinder stuff and it has immeasurable value to me.

Thunderbirds Are Go February 19, 2008

Things have are suddenly getting rather busy around here. It’s a bit of a shock to the system.

The kinder committee is underway and I have committee members email addresses to chase up, bank authorities to sign, meeting minutes to type up, folders of stuff to read and a working bee to attend. Finn started his full quota of kinder sessions this week. Leila is healthy again and back at childcare. Mark is as busy as always at work and going on camp in a few weeks.

I’m wondering when I will find the time to take Finn shopping for new shoes, get my hair cut and coloured (it sooo needs a colour) and plant out the plants I got for my birthday.

All very good and very healthy … I think.