Wet, Wet, wet

Monday was a miserable wet day! I shouldn't complain considering the rain that Oshkosh has had. Kids were trapped inside all day, and by the end of the day they were restless. I was in Jakki's room all day with her release teacher. Here release = substitute in U.S. I know all the kids names now, and they have resorted to calling me Mrs. N. I guess Neuser is not an easy pronunciation. One of the children, Tom, has a artist mum, and she casts necklaces using the beach shells as cast molds. She then weaves them into a muka flax braid. Flax weaving is a traditional Maori art form, and one that surprised me at the variation in forms and textures. Charmain, another parent, is nationally know here for her weavings, particularly "kete" (Maori word for 'basket' - is made from flax...the Maori have created kete for a long long time and vary in size, shape, and use). She is also a healer, and offered her services to massage my back which has been out of wack! She set up in the lounge, aka living room at Jakki and Peter's and I was in heaven for an hour and a half! Charmain offered to pick up a necklace from Tom's mum for me as you can only get to her studio by boat. Now I have another Kiwi treasure to remeber my time here.