Stuff

The pleasure of making a muddy handprint on a tree should not be underestimated. Lovely creamy, gritty mud. It came from underneath a clump of violets that I transported from our garden to school, and planted with the children yesterday. Where I had watered them the night before, the mud left in the bottom was just the right consistencey for fun. E. in my class is autistic. He absolutely loves Forest School and was having his usual good time walking up and down with two sticks, and glancing from time to time at me and L., his TA. I thought he might like the mud so I showed him my hands, and the bucket. He looked in the bucket then made a face as if to say 'no way!' However, five minutes later he went over to the bucket which I had left on the grass and crouched over it. After a while he put his hands in and found he loves mud too!

Other mark making has been going on in my garden. I went out for my usual look tonight and when I was coming in I noticed this funny little mark on one of the (dirty) garden chairs. I wonder if this creature enjoyed wriggling through the dirt making this pattern.

I also found this honeysuckle bud. I like the way the outer leaves make a square, and the way the red and green blend together. The honeysuckle is the star of the garden at the moment-the only truly healthy looking large plant we have-after all the changes that have gone on and are still going on.

Another sunset found me tonight. This is what I saw when I got out of the car at about6.15 tonight. This doesn't quite convey how huge it looked!

I am off on a demonstration tomorrow in central London. It is to protest at cuts to education and public services, and things such as pensions for public service workers, which are planned by the coalition government. I have not been on a demonstration since the eighties. I can't remember what I packed in my bag to take in those days-apart from money, cigarettes and a book. There was not bottled water then. I don't often get bottled water as I don't approve, but I have to admit it is useful on this occasion! Mobile phones, ipods and digital cameras are all new and all adding to the weight of my bag! I have my A-Z in case I get lost, and lots of snacks in case we get kettled! Hopefully it won't come to that. The only thing they have not invented for me which would come in handy would be a mobile loo!

Kettling 1

Kettling 2

I was kettled in the eighties-not for too long thankfully but I was with a girl who did wet herself as the Police would not let us out. Not nice! It was not called kettling then though.

This post is called 'stuff' as when I was trying to think of a title (I always find that hard) I remembered Jack's remark from this week. We have been looking at heavy and light things and I was passing round a closed box of feathers and an open one of bricks to compare. I asked the children to guess what was in the box. Jack said 'stuff'. He couldn't be wrong!