Subay. It's the Hiligaynon word for ants. Actually it's the Hiligaynon word for one ant -- if you have more than one ant, or a group of ants -- it's mga subay. Mga Subay. In our apartment Jerry calls me…
Category: Family
stories of my family (and sometimes yours).
A Visit From Australia
It's been 5 days since my mother and sister went back to Australia. And apart from the picture of me when I was 13 that mum brought over and gave to Jerry, it's hard to imagine them even being here…
As another school year ends
Jerry has just finished Grade 4, receiving his very first recognition medal and awards. It was an exciting experience for both of us, especially when you consider that just 4 years ago Jerry was wandering around the local pier (not…
Testing Positive for TB
The Philippines ranks #4 in the world for reported incidences of tuberculosis. And yesterday Jerry become one of those statistics. Children who grow up in poverty and experience malnutrition are especially vulnerable to TB, as they often live for years…
Nutrition Day 2018
This week Jerry celebrated his first Nutrition Day Program at his new school in Iloilo City. You can see him singing along to the 'Five Food Groups' in the video below (he's in the third row 2nd from the left…
Kittens, Kittens and more Kittens
Sharing some kitten love ... Our beloved rescue cat Maxine had her 2nd batch of kittens just over 3 weeks ago. Just look at these little cuties. I had planned to have her spayed but somehow she got pregnant…
Under the Mango Tree
On Thursday we took the 4 hour bus back to Estancia to visit our friends, Jerry's family, and the kids of Botongon who are getting ready for school enrolment on Monday. We needed to get Jerry's Grade 3 report card…
Back at My Desk
Hello to all my lovely readers, I'm finally back blogging. After a whole month spent changing location from an out-of-the-way rural setting to an international city, Jerry and I are excited to be back into a real living routine. This…
Taking a Blogging Break
Hi friends After months of talk and planning, Jerry and I are finally transferring to live in Iloilo City next week. Jerry is now on school holidays until mid-june (yes, that's 3 whole months). I'm stressed. Really stressed and not…
My 50th Birthday
Yesterday was my 50th birthday. My sponsored kids, ladies and helpers came for breakfast (before school) to help me celebrate. Yay. So wonderful waking up and having the children come to eat breakfast with me. We cooked extras for the…
Suspicious
Our beloved Maxine lost one of her kittens to a mean Ginger Tom. He got into the nest and dragged out her smallest baby. Little Pat only lived two days. Even though we've moved her and the remaining kittens into…
Maxine and the Kittens
Does anyone remember back in July last year when I found a tiny stray cat by the side of the road? Well that little cat became a mother yesterday and our little family has grown four more. Let me tell you…
Just a Few Little Changes
This website has grown quite a bit since it first began, more than 4 years ago. I wasn't working at the time and at the beginning of a 3 year sabbatical. Volunteering in the Philippines I found blogging was a great…
Happy 10th Birthday Jerry
Jerry has a lovely surprise this morning before class. When he went to sleep last night he had no idea that Tita Em and I would be getting up way before dawn to cook him a birthday party breakfast. And…
A Boy and His Brother
When I was a kid I always loved the story of Moses in the bullrushes: the little baby cast into the Nile by his mother in the hope of saving his life; watched from afar by his sister until he was found by a royal princess; the story turning back then to his mother, eventually paid to nurse and take care of her own child.
The Little Journal
Whenever I'm in the National Bookstore (or any bookstore for that matter), I always seem to gravitate to the journals. Notebooks fill up very quickly in my house and I never, ever go anywhere without a journal in my bag.…
The Bullock Bells
My father Robert Irvine wrote this poem while in Sydney hospital last week recovering from heart surgery (a far cry from the old dairy farm which inspired this poem). Bullock bells were the tools that allowed the early Australian settlers…
Adopting Jerry
It was May 2015 that I first met Jerry wandering the dirt backroads of Estancia in the Philippines. Two and a half years later I'm actively working to legally adopt Jerry under the Philippine domestic system. It's known as "expat…
Fire in September
flames, cousins, aunts, fire tentative photo of mum the old fire place © 2017 Melinda J. Irvine Daily Prompt: Tentative I'm part of Post A Day 2017
You’re Not Dying Here
My father had a heart attack yesterday. Mum got him to hospital and he's seems ok at the moment, more tests tomorrow. He's 82 and we thought in excellent health. Life can be surprising. One thing however that is not…
The Last of the Wattle
below eucalypts butcherbird plucks out a hymn bush cemetery the wattle lingered late that August year you left winter’s long goodnight © 2017 Melinda J. Irvine Daily Post: Pluck I'm part of Post A Day 2017
Somebody Clean that Fan
inside simple space we find creative moments family type stuff © 2017 Melinda Irvine Daily Prompt: Simple
Hills, Dad’s Lost Ear and a Dog Called Sally
The township of Nambucca is uneven and hilly and I set out this afternoon (my last few days in town for another year or more) to put those bitumen striped hills and gullies to good. Exercise. Along the way I met…
Checkmate
A Grandfather sends his Grandson off to bed. No ovation tonight. © 2016 Melinda Irvine Daily Prompt: Ovation PS: for all you chess enthusiasts out there, I caught them mid-post mortem so my photos don't capture Grandfather's crafty final moves.
Maya
My aunt 40 years gone: abandoned, excluded for birthing treasure. © 2016 Melinda Irvine Daily Prompt: Treasure
Decisions and Choices
My driver's licence expired back in October, but I only realised yesterday. According to my Australian driver's licence I am a resident of the state of Queensland, but I'm currently staying in the state of NSW with my parents, but…
From the Black Forest
Fundraising to adopt Jerry has really binded my family as we all search for once sacred relics to sell. This little wooden bear was handed over enthusiastically with detailed instructions for pricing (which I will strictly adhere to as this little poem illustrates).…
Panoply
My parents are avid collectors so the challenge for today's prompt wasn't what to photograph, but how to photograph the panoply that is their house. I decided to concentrate on small section of the buttons. © 2016 Melinda Irvine Daily Prompt: Panoply
A Hard Days Work
A hard days work done. Little construction worker's imagination. © 2016 Melinda Irvine Daily Prompt: Construct
North-west of Goondiwindi
I’m about 97 miles north-west of Goondiwindi I’ve got a road-train indicating: time to move along and as I pass him on his right I dip my headlights into the night and the voice in my head it’s playin’ a…
Fifty Years
the big event is over the grandkids all gone home leftovers devoured by the dogs gifted, composted, thrown and now here I am reflecting on what it could mean to spend your life with just one person (FIFTY YEARS) of…
My Proudest Parenting Moment
We were walking in the market yesterday, when a lady for no apparent reason, gave Jerry three pieces of native fruit. He received them shyly and then set to work on the eating. After we got home he said to…
Family Bonding Day
"Can we come here everyday?" said his little voice. and it wasn't that he wanted to pray or burn white candles under tall Mary each day. His little heart filled with the floating view of the valley his small hands…
Nostalgia
nostalgia sits inside two pot plants and home mother's gardened hands © 2016 Melinda Irvine
Poetry Not Parenting
Tomorrow I faithfully promise to bring my photo taking device, a lots-of-empty-space notepad and a pen to some new places. And, if at all possible, not post anything that resembles my new parenting obsession.
We Can Fly Together
Jerry kicks and thrashes in his sleep, poor little thing has terrible nightmares. He always wants to sleep in the bed with me and I usually allow it for a few hours and carry him to his own bed after…
Out the Window of the Bus
is our saturday morning. Our funny little family strengthens. © 2016 mel irvine
The Way to Write Poetry
A tribute to my grandmother and those who teach us to write The Way to Write Poetry is a book by Michael Baldwin. I found it among the many bookcases in my grandmother’s house after she died in the winter…
Can I open just one eye?
Yesterday afternoon four little friends of Jerry came over to play and watch Disney Movies. The toy library has a very cool little cooking set so they all insisted on 'cooking' for me. I had to close my eyes for…
Placemats are not compulsory
"Please don't take away your placemat Jerry." I say. "Why, Tita Mel?" "Well it stops a big mess on the table" "But I don't make a mess anymore Tita Mel" "Jerry look, everyone else in the restaurant is using a…
Home
I arrived back 'home' to the Philippines on Saturday greeted by Jerry and the kids of Botongon. I was so tired I hardly remember shooting these videos of Jerry opening his presents. He was so excited and very grateful to…
Jerry’s Nutrition Day
July is Nutrition Month in the Philippines and Jerry's school had a special family event to educate kids (and parents) on the long-term health benefits of diet and exercise. I'm blogging it because it is the first thing I have attended…
Kale
dad is astonished that people would pay to eat weeds. PIG YARD TUCKER! © 2016 Melinda Irvine PS: DON'T TELL
Over the Back Fence
https://youtu.be/f-Zjyhf1KrA&rel=0 over the back fence winter sun is diminishing into late afternoon golds and dark shady browns. kids cheer a backyard cricket score as i crawl through barbed wiry boundaries into someone’s horse paddock. ‘i don’t know how friendly that…
My Mother’s Garden
my mother's garden is older than me in places (it has places) i have never stood or seen until now, remembering cedar trees (dad planted them when we were little) and weekends spent collecting bush seeds, saplings and native vines,…
Tita Mel! I’m a cowboy
Jerry told me on Saturday afternoon he was a cowboy and could he please borrow my cream/daisy coloured lace sunhat as cowboys wear hats. He disappeared outside and about 10 minutes later I found him lassoing the chair with two…
The Grade 1 (Squid) Christmas Party
My first official parenting duty: attend the Grade 1 (squid) christmas party. Not sure if my favourite part was the brawl or when they managed to pull down the entire candy frame. Definitely loved taking back the video two weeks…
The Family Album
where is home these days? maybe home is no longer a place: just photos? © 2015 Melinda Irvine
Dad’s Dog
leaving again soon walking his mate with purpose taking memories © 2015 Melinda Irvine
Just saying hello
Hi Melinda It is hard to believe Lincoln has been gone 1 Year. I am glad you are going to finish your studies. Diane is coming down on the about the 1st October Luke & Shannon have invited me to…
Richard A. Ward: artist and uncle
I have been back in the Philippines exactly one week now and I simply could not have returned if it weren't for my Uncle Richard A. Ward. For many years uncle Richard existed only as a name at the bottom…
Obedient Uncles
two young brothers held 1950's camera excited tyre tube © 2015 Melinda Irvine
Can we go where there are more birds?
My six-year old niece Rosalie loves bids. All wildlife really. She's a lot like her dad at that age. I was really excited when she wanted to come bird-watching with me at the black rock swamp. About half-an hour into our…
What did you write about when you were little?
It seems in my case, not very much. Arriving at my parent's house a few days ago and mum pulls out a heap of scrapbooks of her mother's. They contained the letters we wrote to her when we were kids. I imagine my…
Little Jackie Hare
For ten years, maybe longer I have had boxes of stuff and a beautiful cedar coffee table stored at mum and dad's house. My decision to sell or give-away all material possessions prompted me to finally clear it all out.…
Dear Uncle Lincoln
I took these photos during our time together with Maya after Grandma died in 2011. You never got to see them. They are a tribute to your memory and all that you have and will enable me to do with…
Happy Birthday Eric Provus
Today Eric Provus turns 91. If you ever thought you were too old to start or that you missed the boat; well check out Eric Provus. This video was taken last Thursday morning at the Inverell Lapidary Club. Uncle Richard…
Last visit to Raleigh and Ramleigh
This post is a tribute to the family farms; Raleigh and Ramleigh as they are released for sale. The photos and video are intended for my cousin Maya who grew up on the farm while my sisters and brothers were…
Celebration of a life
I am inviting everyone to a celebration of a life on 23rd November 2014 at the Graman Hotel (2pm to 5pm) to remember the remarkable life of my Uncle Lincoln A. Ward and share some music, songs and stories. Uncle Lincoln…
Rumble’s holiday
Spending three (3) months alone out on my Uncle's farm after his death, I saw the best and worst of human behaviour as the property was cleared for sale. The farm was 20km from town and as things began disappearing…
Unpublished art
I created this post to honour the life and unpublished art of my Uncle Lincoln A. Ward. The last six (6) weeks has been an emotional, sad, inspiring, joyful and spiritual experience re-connecting with the family I hadn't spent time…
Mid-week with the Country Women’s Association
My Aunt Rosemary rang me this morning and invited me to the Warialda CWA's annual "foreign country" celebration 2014. Themed this year for Botswana. I've stayed on in the NSW New England (Inverell) following the passing of my Uncle Lincoln. I…
78 years old and not afraid of the cold
Saying goodbye to my 78 year old father as he rides back to Nambucca Heads. He was in a happy mood despite it being under 10 degrees. He had packed those saddle bags full of fresh venison to take home…
Losing the will to be extraordinary
At what point in your life do you lose the will to be extraordinary? There was a time when my Uncle Lincoln A. Ward still believed in being extraordinary. But! Somewhere, at some point, he lost the will. I wonder…
Weeds and wind
Walking around the paddocks following the death of my grandmother and uncle, 'RALEIGH' seems devoid of life except maybe the wind and weeds ....
The red screwdriver
[dad] Mother! have you seen the Phillips-head screwdriver? [mum] No! The one i used was a red one! [dad] ... walks away mumbling [mum] What did you say? [dad] ... keeps walking
The unreasonable expectation of forgiveness
Being born into a very creative family is not without its pitfalls. It would seem that all that creative energy that can express itself so well into plays, poems, songs, music, pipe organs, bark paintings, hand molded and wheel thrown…
Celebrating a life
Sometimes music takes you into the bush and it is these times you remember who you truly are are. I'm here in Inverell for the next few months celebrating the life of my Uncle Lincoln who passed away on the 23…