December Story 18: 23/12/2020 Jards House

Some stories take longer to form and need time. Sometimes it’s the photos, sometimes it’s that the story seems simple on the surface and if you rush the process, that can be the only layer of story that gets told. Today was a visit to both Jard houses, but I only have photos for Naliandrah’s house and not Nanma and Poppy’s. Life happens and I put down the camera to experience it better, and at this time of the season I get tired too.

Here are some moments from the day.

-          Almost everything in Aunty Sarah’s house is selected thoughtfully. There is very little plastic, fabrics are chosen for their sustainability, and things such as plates are beautiful and from the earth.

-          There is a wall of toys, carefully sorted and stored. They represent many stages of Naliandrah’s childhood and as we touched each item, Aunty Sarah would share a memory. The Barbie Cruise ship was a present for Naliandrah that I don’t remember giving.

-          There are trinkets and things everywhere that show a how good Aunty Sarah and Naliandrah are at Op Shopping. They are beautiful. They are fascinating.

-          There is a pile of heavy cotton mats, woven tightly and stacked to make a mediation space or a bed. Having them on the floor makes it easier to interact with the pets.

-          There is a puppy called Doggo and a Guinea Pig called Brinny. They are very unique beings with unique personalities and different journeys to arrive at this home, one abused and starving to death, and the other a runaway and found in a pile of logs for firewood.

-          The food was fresh and wholesome. Mostly from nature and all plant based.

-          There were stories from Naliandrah about running for student council, campaign writing, the levels of ambition of other kids, and writing and delivering speeches. We get school report cards at this time of year and Naliandrah was marked as Excellent for Effort and Attitude for every single subject. Go Naliandrah Go!

-          The cousins could have played for hours. It’s the kind of magic that happens every time they are together.

-          The last part of the day was heading over to Nanma and Poppy’s place for a play in the little pool. Even in summer it was overcast and a little cold. They played anyway and shared stories, talked about what they are into right now and played.