open countryside soon...

So looking forward to open countryside soon...This looks so lovely...Enjoy!

— 🇺🇦🌻Gemma Wiseman-on Bunurong land, Kulin Nation (@AuraGem) April 9, 2022

Nathalia wanders...

Loving your wanders... I can only dream of getting out between packing boxes for my move...Your photos help me to escape somewhere else... Great relief...

— Gemma Wiseman - on Bunurong land, Kulin Nation (@AuraGem) January 3, 2022

A walk into town~ Nathalia pic.twitter.com/iK9oWTeGJk

— Rob Cairns (@robbiepoet) January 3, 2022

Melbourne weather prologue to 2022...

Hoping your New Year is a time of steadily and safely moving forward, finding some happiness along the way.
Yes...It was a sweltering New Year's Eve and New Year's Day had just a smidgeon of improvement...
But today we have been blessed with some odd showers of cooling rain...

— Gemma Wiseman - on Bunurong land, Kulin Nation (@AuraGem) January 1, 2022

wildlife interest...

Brilliant news, Rob. Early Christmas present for the school, the students and you. Great to see wildlife interest encouraged in the young.

— Gemma Wiseman - on Bunurong land, Kulin Nation (@AuraGem) November 26, 2021

I, for one, had no idea about microbats in Melbourne. I didn't even know that there were so many species here. But I'm interested in updates on your project. Please keep us informed. I'm sure that students are proud to actively contribute to our knowledge bank. Meaningful work.

— Gemma Wiseman - on Bunurong land, Kulin Nation (@AuraGem) November 26, 2021

lockdown blues...

I sympathise...I've struggled with a little furball, stressed by ongoing loud construction at my neighbour's. I too have struggled with it from early light up to 7pm...trying to continue remote learning. Only in the last few days has there been relief thanks to storm and rain...

— Gemma Wiseman - on Bunurong land, Kulin Nation (@AuraGem) June 14, 2021

the time is not right just yet...

Awww Rob... Top 3 is such a wonderful achievement...Be proud... You have made yourself known there... Who knows...(maybe not for now but...) PLUS you have the joy of young ones learning from you...🍸😀Keep walking...

— Gemma Wiseman - on Bunurong land, Kulin Nation (@AuraGem) February 3, 2021

keeping hope high...

Keeping hope high
for you 🙏

— Gemma Wiseman - on Bunurong land, Kulin Nation (@AuraGem) February 2, 2021

A World of Calm...

Still drifting with SBS' 'A World of Calm', screens for 30mins nightly (no ads). First, Nicole Kidman narrated the flight of birds+last night, Prianka Chopra meditated on the art of chocolate beginnings...Re-read Rob Cairns' beautiful chapbook 'This Peace'...a healing journey🙏 pic.twitter.com/hxuOsYnVIe

— Gemma Wiseman - on Bunurong land, Kulin Nation (@AuraGem) December 26, 2020

this peace by Robyn Cairns
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Rob Cairns' this peace poetically highlights features of a journey we all take, either consciously or subconsciously...seeking that elusive, maybe utopian light we like to understand embodies our personal concept of peace...That peace maybe scrambled with grey and crossed wires. It may even be a little scarred with an industrial skyline or rust. But somewhere, if we take the time to notice, there is the zen glide of a pelican uplifting us and trees regenerating us. For me, Rob's journey is fragmented, halting...short poems connect loosely...The Mungo interlude seems stark, as if not quite the indulgence I expected for an ancient dreaming place...But this is Rob's journey...not mine...I borrow what is meaningful to me, and remember classrooms must have daydream windows. (After all, I am a teacher.)

View all my reviews

some are out of remote learning tomorrow...

Just take it slowly... Be kind to yourself... Not too many 'must do's'... Be proud of just being there... (I have been remote teaching since end of March and still home...One day...)
Thinking of you...🙏

— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) October 11, 2020

what PM????...

My only consolation is that Victoria is not the only state neglected. Only his home state of NSW had passing 'politically biased' support anti-Victoria. Does he know about WA, NT or TAS???? I'm beyond anger,+ would rather constructive energy diverted to supporting our premier.

— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) October 4, 2020

encouragement...

Yes...We Melburnians are very tired...I have morning sparks, but seem to get tired very easily for no particular reason...or so it seems...Motivation = fluctuates + low... Perhaps some of that has to do with more remote learning ahead... Hang in girl... We're tough... https://t.co/tnKuGcHMwE

— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) October 4, 2020

enforced interlude...

This is so very lovely... (Meant to comment yesterday and only just realised now I hadn't)... I too have had similar thoughts about our access to nature and nature's interlude from our ways... Also, have barely written till the last few days or so...Creativity seemed choked...

— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 27, 2020

go Cath Andrews...

I'm an older hs teacher (should've retired but can't. Love teaching, even remotely - though it's exhausting.) Many teachers check on me. But it's the students who've surprised me - thanking me for lessons+asking if I'm OK. One student played his guitar for me at a Google Meet. 🙏

— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 18, 2020

My wife installed a blackboard on the front fence during the first lockdown to tell a joke a day to cheer up the neighbourhood. 150+ jokes later, people leave jokes in the letterbox, share with relatives overseas & a Principal takes a photo to share it with his students each day. pic.twitter.com/asVXJenEK9

— Ade (@BillieHill64) September 18, 2020

Amazing just how many little acts of kindness there are around right now...Often all you need are open eyes (or ears) ...or...at worst/best...create one... @CathLAndrews https://t.co/4GNAlZ5b9A

— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) September 18, 2020

comments on stage 4 lockdown...

I couldn't agree more about this tough lockdown...I fear going outside...to the point I need to practise calming strategies before I go out...Melbourne's sun this morning helped... How healthcare workers maintain the wearing of masks comfortably while working I don't know...

— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) August 29, 2020

Basically the same with me...with one small difference...I am close to not socialising at all...since March...I think being a quiet person anyway is my strength...

— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) August 29, 2020

Me too, no matter what happens as long as I can be in nature I have enough 🍃Saw two magpies riding the wind together in my backyard today 😍

— smalldogbiglife (@smalldogbiglife) August 29, 2020

mandolin memories...

I recall one hot summer night when I was about 7 or 8 there was a big party going on down at the Robinsons. The music was so loud and my window was wide open. That's when I first heard House of the Rising Sun and I loved it.

— Rob Cairns (@robbiepoet) August 1, 2020

My dad loved to play that song on a mandolin...❤️Memories...

— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) August 1, 2020

weekend...after a week of RM prep...

Your time spent sounds so much better than mine...I've been cleaning out the cat litter box and cleaning the driveway and carport of yet more leaves...Thought it would all take about 20 min...Here it is after 10am and began before 9:00am... At least a couple of weekend tasks done

— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) July 18, 2020

no need to travel far --around thr block 💕💕💕 pic.twitter.com/ZjXd6XrIP5

— Rob Cairns (@robbiepoet) July 17, 2020

playing with the winter sun pic.twitter.com/psSIQsBdKd

— Rob Cairns (@robbiepoet) July 17, 2020

row of dragonflies pic.twitter.com/d19i7gHET4

— Rob Cairns (@robbiepoet) July 17, 2020

I definitely agree with Rob...2 lockdowns nows in Melbourne
+ I feel closer and closer to appreciating the little things around me
+ my imagination is going wild...
'dragonflies' indeed...

Maybe tomorrow I morning walk...Today is all about domestic organisation
for the first week of remote learning next week...
+ some reading (beginning Sarum - Edward Rutherfurd - 1344 pages) for relief...maybe escape...
(the latter is my 'project' to balance projected remote learning stresses)

Tomorrow polish off strands of work for remote learning too...
Simply could not face doing any more yesterday...Felt gutted...

Day 5 reflection on 2nd round of remote learning...

day 15
of our second lockdown --
3rd covid test
and 3 new face masks
with birds flying
across them --free--
the 7th daffodil
opened today--
the morning
hidden by fog--
the afternoon sun
made everything feel normal
our little dog's tail
always happy

— Rob Cairns (@robbiepoet) July 17, 2020

All staff at my workplace totally felt the same way --toughest week ever--you have described so well. Such a fragility, stress and sense of overwhelm all week --so difficult , we also had to learn new platforms and changes in direction to RL so fast. Incredibly challenging. ❤ https://t.co/KgT4CtyaAQ

— Rob Cairns (@robbiepoet) July 17, 2020

Day 4 prep for remote learning...

Day 4 preparing remote learning - Not so headachy. Terms 3 + 4 English programmes and assessments completed +approved. History to complete by end tomorrow. Lined up essential learning with 4 synchronous + 1 asynchronous learning days each week. Feeling slightly more in control. pic.twitter.com/y4ZFfNwusG

— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) July 16, 2020

Meanwhile, somewhere I have to do professional development hours by the end of September 2020 to complete/satisfy my annual teacher registration. No whole day conferences to attend. No school PD's to help.
All PD has to be driven by an individual online search for possibilities.
20 hours of PD are needed. I have recorded 10 so far.

Planning for remote learning in the spike of a pandemic onsite at work has been such an exhausting intensity. One which is hard to describe. Lots of tears around the place today, stress levels high. Teachers are amazing . Victoria

— Rob Cairns (@robbiepoet) July 16, 2020

Rob teaches on the Bellarine Peninsula
- on the other side of Port Phillip Bay from my Mornington Peninsula

Arnold Zable...a personal note...

A wonderful keepsake. Frame it. Only yesterday I wrote a Goodreads + poetic review of Arnold Zable's 'The Fig Tree' as soon as I finished reading. So love his stories.

— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) July 5, 2020

*Rob Cairns memory of Nick Liberts is HERE

up late...

up late
the whispers
of my indoor plants#haiku

— Rob Cairns (@robbiepoet) June 25, 2020

I too was up late last night...I smiled when I read this...It was like a telecommunication reminding me that my indoor plants are due for watering...