Popular tennis coaching clinic

An Easter tennis camp for local kids was a hit for coach and players alike.
Thirty-two children turned up to the four-day coaching clinic run by Dean Trembath at the Olympic Park Tennis Club this week.
The children, whose ages randed from five to thirteen, also got to play matches against each other in the afternoons.
Mr Trembath, who has coached tennis for the past 20 years, has held his tennis coaching clinics over one week every school holidays for the past twelve months.

Published: Muswellbrook Chronicle, Friday April 13 2007.

A mural beacon

A family and communit themed mural for the Hunter Park Family Centre is the basis of a school holiday project for local kids.
The mural, designed by Janelle Risby, will be hung outside the Wollombi Road Entrance so no one will ever miss the family centre building, which is run out of a house.
"Poeple miss the building. They see it from the park, but not from the road.
"We need a big sign so everyone sees," Ms Risby said.
The mural consists of images that represent the earth, family, the centre's location and education.
The centre hopes to have the mural complete for Family Week in May.

Published: Muswellbrook Chronicle, Friday April 13 2007.

A Flood of Support for Relay

The staff at John Flood Estate are so keen to walk in the Relay for Life, they're even getting their partners to join the team.
The 'Flood Alerters' consists of 10 members so far, seven who are from the office.
The team are entering for the first time this year to show support for people in the community they've encountered through the estate agent's that live with, or look after people with cancer.
"We're doing it just for support," team member Sara Flanagan said.
Their fundraising for the event includes bottled water called 'Flood Water' that is available with a gold coin donation from the John Flood Estate Agents, as well as a raffle.
Tickets for the raffle are $1 and the first prize in the raffle is accomodation at Fingal Bay in a self-contained uniy.
Other prizes are a 12-month pass to the gym at the Muswellbrok PCYC or honorary membership at the Muswellbrook Race Club for the 2007/08 race season, including entry to the Muswellbrook Cup Day.
The team has also contacted people in the community by email, asking for donations.
"We've emailed people from our database, rentals, creditors, to ask for support," Ms Flanagan said.
Relay for Life will be held on April 28 and 29 at Muswellbrook Showground.

Published: Muswellbrook Chronicle, Friday April 13 2007.

Where did we go?

We'd been trekking up the side of the hill, through the dense green trees and rich black soil on Easter morning, while I struggled to keep the pancakes and maple syrup down. But he'd taken my hand and stayed with me while the rest of them had hurried ahead, and when we all reached the top he nuzzled a chin into my shoulder and together we'd watched the outgoing tide hitting the curved yellow sandbanks and like aqua ribbons flowing out to a deep blue sea.

It'd always been like this.

We walked down the sandy steps, meeting hard compacted sand and the lapping edges of the river. We walked, the others already ahead, his hand in mine. We made our way along the thinning edges of sand till we found ourselves in knee deep water, wading to the edges of the sand bar and crossing the rocks. Once around we found ourselves on sand again, and dodging blue bottles we picked up shells and wrote our names in the sand. I wondered as he scribed my name besides his on the sea shore why the waves swept over them and took it away.

The weather was different today. My toes were wet by the white wash of waves and my pockets felt heavy with the seashells I'd collected. My pale blue sarong flapped around my shins and my sandcastle sunk into the sea. Raindrops dinted the beach, and alone, I made my way to the hill. The spot where we'd written our names was well and truly gone. The sand wasn't even familiar.

Published: Blue Print Review, Issue 7: August 2006, http://www.blueprintreview.de/index.html

Colours Run, Ink Dries, Stories Die (and I am known to be satirical)

I have little to no inspiration. It makes me weary, because I have just joined a group blog where I should publish something, but I do not have anything of importance to say, and as my first post, I wish to say something more than...'well hi there!'

Still today was brighter than yesterday. Ancient was a nice start to my sunshiny morning, and then we had double english. What joy it brought to my heart! What tremendous jollyness can be gathered from the study of poetry! Then on to recess, where, the world could not have been brighter and lighter and more wonderful. Sitting with my beautiful friends...

Biology, where we talked about adpatations and such wickedly fun things, before a leisurely stroll in the sunshine to see the lignotubers growing from the base of a dead tree! Such warmth I felt to walk to maths, sit at that table, with such smily blondes, and soak up the probablity questions.

To sit in the library with a friend to help her with english, to smile as the breeze came through the library window! Then moving to a nice comfortable chair to read 'Through The Looking Glass' by Lewis Carroll (such a leisurely way to pass one's free period!). I strolled, carrying books to room ten, to sit in the darkness and discuss the past and fathers and stories. We be such talented, imaginative young women, full of spectacular ideas to write about for our major works!

The walk home, breathing in the salt coming off the river, basking in the sun.

Oh, isn't life just wonderful?

Let's shoot it.

Published: Blue Print Review, Issue 4: November 2005, http://www.blueprintreview.de/index.html