posted by Lily on books, embroidery, family

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The day before twelve is always so exciting – not only is it the last sleep before the birthday, but it’s the first day of Advent – we open the first door on the calendar, pull out The Christmas Mystery by Jostein Gaarder and begin our annual reading, and ogle over our new edition of the Christmas Carol.

That perhaps sounds a wee bit extravagant, but for the last few years, there has been a marvellous newly illustrated version published just in time for Advent – just begging for our attention.  Last year it was Quentin Blake - a huge favourite in Bootville.  His illustrations are so very jolly and energetic.  This years addition/edition is courtesy of the eerie and incredibly talented Brett Helquist – the cover sends shivers up my spine.

Now if you have never read A Christmas Carol – and seeing one of the many film adaptations simply does NOT count, no matter how fine some of them are (our favourite is that with Richard E. Grant and that fellow from Star Trek – what’s his name?  Ah! Patrick Stewart – he is amazingly perfect as Scroogee and the music just makes me cry with happiness) – you MUST.  It has some of the finest descriptive passages ever penned in the English language.  I am newly mesmerised and delighted each reading with Charles Dicken’s incredible skill with words.  I have to constantly stop an re-read paragraphs to Abby, just so she really hears the magic.

But I digress … the day before twelve.  Yes, every year the day before the birthday is a day of beginnings as well waiting for the real thing.  But today, it was also a day for endings.  Our last cello picnic and lesson.  Oh we have so enjoyed the cello picnic.

I collect Abby from the drive through at school, and then, because we are woefully feeble and lazy, we drive slowly around the corner from school, and down the steep, steep hill to the park on the river.  As I gather together the bits and pieces …

Abby dances across to our tree, where she lays the picnic blanket down …

sheds her shoes and socks …

and we flop down to books, word puzzles and afternoon tea.  A favourite lately has been a juicy mango and the alphabet game. We lay back, the newly and thickly greened tree providing a beautiful cool canopy against the heat of the afternoon, and chatter and play and laugh until it is 4pm.

Today’s themes for the game were Christmas, Halloween and Feelings.  You start with A and then work your way through the alphabet each coming up with a word or name for each letter that represents the theme.  Neither of us are above a bit of “imagination”.  Film characters last week saw the birth of X3PO (the retired one) and his brother Y3PO (the confused one).  Today saw the advent of Christmas Gnomes and Halloween Zebras.  It is such fun and Abby adores it!  Whenever we are sitting together, quiet and occupied with the task at hand, she comes up with a theme and off we go.

Before we could embark upon today’s game, there was a present to write in.  A funny, silly book for the lovely Mr. Patrick, Abby’s cello teacher.  “How to Be the Best at Everything” Mr. Patrick has been a wonderful teacher.  He is young, enthusiastic, a performing musician, and a teacher that is less focused on following the strict AMEB schedule, and more interested in nourishing a vibrant group of young musicians who play by ear as well as written music, improvise their own pieces, and have a lot of fun.  After two years of learning from the book, Abby told me she was ready to let the cello drop.  But 18 months with Mr. Patrick have renewed her enthusiasm and she is avidly looking forward to continuing to learn and play her cello in Melbourne.  Yay!  As with the piano, I am under no illusions that Abby will grow up to be a virtuosic musician.  But I would love her to experience the incredible fun, energy and camraderie of playing in a group – be that an ensemble or orchestra – and the beauty of creating music at home.  Mr. Patrick has brought her to this place and for that I am so very grateful and happy.

The book was well received.  Mr. Patrick is taking it straight home to the WC where all the best books are kept and read regularly.  (Oh how I applaud such irreverance – the girls thought it was hysterically funny!) And much of the lesson time was taken up with learning to hypnotise a chicken, a.k.a. Caitlin (one of the violinists).  Honestly, as corny as it sounds, and as grateful as I always am to receive lovely gifts, there is so much more delight in giving rather than receiving.  I barely heard the cello crunching across the bitumen, as Abby floated from the classroom to the car with the joy of a great last lesson.

So another end.  Another goodbye.  We’re doing okay – we feel wistful, and talk about this regularly, but there’s no tears yet.  Instead, there are smiles as we appreciate all that we have had.  And I’m sure there’ll be more of this, regardless of what city I’m waiting in …

The cello picnic served us well.  In a busy school day, it gave us three quarters of an hour to rest, to be still, to be together, to enjoy.  And oh we surely have :-)  Now it’s up to us to find a new opportunity when February rolls around. We will.  Now I’ve got to go – it’s the day before twelve!  There are presents to wrap, a table to clear and set, and cards to write.  When really, I’m ready for bed.  Maybe I’ll set the alarm and get up early ;-)