Mother culture in the bush

Many of you will be aware that every Monday afternoon, I travel to a neighbouring town for Jemimah's dance class (well two, actually, one after the other). Since it is not worth travelling back home again, I usually just sit for the two hours in the local park and read, or during winter, I sit in the car and blog.

Today, though, lured by the pretty yellow wattle on the roadside, I grabbed a coffee from the local bakery, and traveled out of town to the nearby Box Ironbark Regional Forest to spend some time in the quiet beauty of nature. Acres of wattle in full bloom is really a sight to behold. I love its rich perfume, as well.

I walked peacefully along the path enjoying the companionship of kookaburras, rosellas, honeyeaters, swallows, cockatoos and grass parrots. I admired the great wedge-tailed eagle soaring overhead. It was strange being unable to identify birds, wildflowers and trees in America recently. Today I felt very much at home with my familiar native friends.

This skill of identifying local flora and fauna was one of the things that attracted me to the idea of homeschooling my daughter. I wanted her to know the names of the birds, flowers, trees and clouds like my mother did, and my mother before her. I really regretted that Australian education in the 70s considered the familiar things of our environment old fashioned and unnecessary. One of the loveliest parts of learning alongside Jemimah has been the opportunity to rectify this lack. I appreciated my new found knowledge very much today.

In common with most homeschooling mothers, I rarely have time alone to myself. To spend two hours today, happily in my own company, was very, very nice indeed. Even if a blogpost didn't get written, and my book remained closed and unread.

I think I shall be heading out to the bush on another Monday soon. I enjoyed myself very much indeed.

Take time to read this PRArticle on Mother Culture. It is wonderful.