House warming gifts

January 29th, 2012

 

 

“People keep asking me what you would like to receive as housewarming gifts!” Sprite told me.
“I don’t know what you want; so I asked the others.”

 

“Oliver Moremouse said you want cheese platters, One Twitter Bird said you want Dr Jeff’s 21C water cooler set up again and Tweet and Retweet said you wanted a nest with a pink egg and a blue egg!”

 

“Psycho Motor Dabrowski said you want a trampoline, Intellectual Dabrowski said you want stacks of puzzles and educational games, Sensual Dabrowski said you want vouchers for Lavender Lathers at Poise for Poise Parlour and Emotional Dabrowski said you want lots of masks for theatrical performances.”

 

“Imaginational Dabrowski rattled on about how you would want world peace and for things to be ‘on Earth as it is in Heaven’. Intellectual asked if that meant you would want gold pavements and Imaginational said only literalist materialists and concrete thinkers would want gold pavements; so he didn’t think you would want that!”

 

“So I don’t know what to tell people about gifts but I have set up the chocolate fountain and the coffee machine for you.
Oh and I gave you a pot of lavender because I know you always like to have lavender bushes and herbs growing in your garden.”

 

Sprite unpacks

January 25th, 2012

 

Sprite managed to avoid most of the unpacking by delaying her return until it was nearly finished. She inspected our new home and the garden and voiced her approval of the bungalow and, of all things, the Dux Prodigy gas hot water heater.

She was bubbling over with information she had gained from her visits.
“Did you know Cybraryman even has a page about moving house?” she asked.
“And Merebith files information for Meredith and a little guy in khaki shorts files stuff for Meredith’s Dad.
I will have to talk severely to the Memory Elephant because he hasn’t been keeping files and folders for me!
I bet he didn’t pack any folders for me in his trunk for the move!”

“And where are my pink slippers?”

“If you had helped with the packing you would know which box or bag they are in!” I said.

“Are they in the box labelled Criteria and Eligibility?” she asked.

“No, that is just the paperwork for getting the provisions you need” I said.
“The De Bono Action Shoes are in the blue bag in front of that box.”

So Sprite put on her pink slippers and she and Columbus Cheetah sat and watched while I unpacked some more boxes.

Report from Rosebud

January 21st, 2012

We have arrived safely at our new home and are going well with the unpacking and setting up. There is a small bungalow in the back garden where I will do my work for Gifted Resources.

 

My various stone creatures have already found homes in the garden and I am thrilled to find that we have several hydrangea bushes and a hibiscus.

 

Packing for the New 2

January 10th, 2012

 

The packing is proceding well; except that there are so many strangely shaped treasures to be fitted into the cartons and everyone keeps bringing more.
Intellectual Dabrowski is claiming that it is simply a matter of treating the packing like playing tetris or tangrams so that everything fits in but P’est pour Parfait, the perfectionist Poodle insists that everything must be perfectly aligned and the labels for the boxes should be colour coded and adhered in exactly the correct position.
Psycho Motor Dabrowski disagrees. He says that the Lolly Lobbing Lobster has the right idea: throw items into the boxes from a distance like shooting for goal and then give the box a shake to get everything to settle so you can put more in!

Sprite is escaping from the packing at every opportunity.
She brings things to be packed and then vanishes to talk to Ginger Pony or to visit Cybraryman at  http://www.cybraryman.com/  or Mrs P. at  http://www.mrsp.com/
“I thought you might like to get a Second Life!” she told me “So I have put reminders about The Global Center for Gifted and Talented Children’s Gifted Education conferences in Second Life  on the pinboard”

“And now, while you pack my fish, I am going to visit my new friends Meredith and Merebith at  http://www.meredithandmerebith.blogspot.com.au/

 

Packing for the New

January 6th, 2012

 

Sprite has provided the #gtstoogies with convenient take-away food for this week’s catch up after #gtchat because Jo and therefore also Sprite and Co are busy packing for a move to the seaside town of Rosebud next week. Jo will update the contact details on Gifted Resources website and Sprite’s Site soon.

One Twitter Bird is making a list of To Do’s.
Everyone is bringing their treasures to be packed. There is much speculation about how it should be packed and whether everything will fit in. The Memory Elephant has offered to put as many of the precious mementos as possible in the trunk.

New Year’s Eve

December 31st, 2011

“I just knew you would be glad I didn’t pull out the thistles!” Sprite told me “Now Angus McTvitter is happy and we can celebrate New Year!”

“The Memory Elephant brought me a calendar for next year and said I really need to get organized and remember what day it is and when events will happen.”

“Did you make any other New Year’s Resolutions?” I asked.

“No” said Sprite “I asked the Dabrowski Dogs for help and they said they tried to do that last year!”

“But I have set up a table for you in the lobby.”

Boxing Day

December 26th, 2011

In most states of Australia December 26th, the day after Christmas is called Boxing Day.
The name originated from the custom of giving the contents of church collection boxes to the needy on the Feast of Stephen which is celebrated on 26th December.
It is also an appropriate name for the day after Christmas as the gifts received at Christmas and the trimmings for the Christmas table are being packed away in boxes.
It is a day when stores hold post Christmas sales and the Boxing Day test cricket series and the Sydney – Hobart ocean yacht races commence.

This year Sprite became so engrossed in the Twitter Birds preparations for Christmas that she was late in posting her Christmas wish list.
She cut out pictures of Investigator Grey Sneakers and Pillow Soft Pink Slippers from the De Bono’s Action Shoes collection catalogue, added “Thanks In Anticipation - Sprite” and pinned her note to the TV cabinet.
(These particular shoes also represent the programs she hopes to participate in during the next school year – see http://www.giftedresources.org/jo/blog/?p=1871 )

Unfortunately, it appears some people still do not really understand Sprite’s specific needs! She received a parcel containing pretty flowerprint shoes with impossibly high stiletto heels with a note saying “I know how much you love shoes, dear! Enjoy!”
Caramel Cat came running to play with the box but the Twitter Birds and Columbus Cheetah were horrified at the inappropriate nature of the contents.
“I can see I still have more myth-busting to do!” declared Columbus Cheetah.

“I might be able to get the shoes I want with the money I was given for Christmas at the Boxing Day Sales” Sprite said.

But Sensual Dabrowski piped up with “You really don’t want go to the Boxing Day Sales. Everybody crowds around the doors before the shops open. They queue up for hours beforehand and then they rush in and push and shove and snatch the bargains and people get knocked over. You would hate it – you wouldn’t be able to compete with all that hurly-burly! (And don’t even get me started about the neon lights and the noises and the smells!)

“OK,” said Sprite. “I’ll just sit here and watch the start of the Sydney – Hobart yacht race on TV and hope that I can get some Investigator Grey De Bono Sneakers and some Pillow Soft Pink De Bono Slippers in time for next year”

 

 

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas 25

December 25th, 2011

Time of rejoicing is finally here!

Happy Christmas from Jo and the characters at Sprite’s Site blog!

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas 25

December 25th, 2011

All four Advent candles are aglow!

Looking forward, looking back

December 24th, 2011

For the final #gtchat of the year 2011 Deborah Mersino will be encouraging us to look back at the year 2011 and forward to 2012. She has given the example with her Ingeniosus blog post 5 Gifts from 2011 5 Hopes for 2012 at http://www.ingeniosus.net/archives/5-gifts-from-2011-5-hopes-for-2012

So, of course, the Memory Elephant was summoned to give an account of 2011 and the Dabrowski Dogs gathered round to give their interpretations.
Intellectual Dabrowski was very matter of fact about it. “If you want to know what Jo and Gifted Resources did during 2011 you should read the Activity Report at http://www.giftedresources.org/gr/files/giftedresourcesactivityreport2011.pdf ”
I noticed that two extra dogs had joined in. Wistful Black Dog and P’est pour Parfait, the perfectionist poodle, had also arrived.
“Jo should have done a lot more things and she should have done them better!” said Parfait.
“It was just a really difficult year – a lot of stressful things happened” said Wistful and Emotional Dabrowski put back her head and howled inconsolably.
“But next year will be different and better” said Imaginational Dabrowski. “Jo is preparing for a move to the lovely seaside town of Rosebud and there will be a little bungalow at the back where she can have an office for Gifted Resources”
Emotional cheered up immediately and started  yelping with delight.
“I love the seaside!” said Sensual Dabrowski ” It smells great!”
Psycho Motor Dabrowski starting bouncing enthusiastically in anticipation.

“Sprite had a good year,” said Intellectual. “She participated in Survivor -Gifted Island and was nominated in the Best Australian blogs and went to parties and conferences”
“And we had a wonderful year!” chirped Twitter Birds Tweet and Retweet ” We celebrated our marriage in August!”
“They might have Tweetlets next year!” said Imaginational with a contented sigh.