Creative Moments: And Baby Makes Three

Sunday, 29 April 2007

And Baby Makes Three

"New Mum On The Block "
Nelson District Parent Centre Newsletter November/December 2005

As a singleton-gypsy, I prided myself in being able to fit my worldly belongings into a backpack and a suitcase.
And then I bought my first ever couch five years ago. For this materially-challenged individual it was a big deal. And things spiraled downwards from there. Within five years I bought more furniture, adopted a cat, married and had a baby.

Before kids I thought even as a trained nanny that I understood what it was like to be first-time parents. In hindsight I was completely clueless about the dramatic transformation of becoming a family. Most made it look so easy that I was quite flabbergasted at what a huge life change having a baby really is.

Hubby and I were never great partiers yet we’ve cut down on our brunches, DVD and movie-watching, junk food consumption, general hanging out time and reckless spending. As time passes, our former life is slowly seeping back in a revised form. And now that I am back on a casual basis in the work force again, I have realigned my former child-free self with motherhood. And I have changed. Life has slowed down enough to finally stop and smell the roses. Nowadays my weekly highlight is coffeeing once a week somewhere and treating myself to a muffin or a piece of carrot cake. Life is so much more simple yet so much richer.

Every now and then I have these moments when it dawns on me that I am a mum at home living in the burbs and how much I love that! Once a world traveller, now in the last seven months I haven’t travelled further than the distance between Tahuna and Ruby Bay. Once hip and trendy, now I try to avoid the temptation of clothes shopping. Amelia’s wardrobe is better than mine! Once I was the nurturer within my friendships often instigating emails and phone calls. Now my nurturi

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About me

I'm Lynda. I was born and bred in Wellington, New Zealand, and in my late primary school years submitted short stories, book reviews and cartoons on a regular basis to KidStuff - a page exclusively for children's writing and artwork in Saturday's edition of The Evening Post.

My writing and art was somewhat squelched during high school, although I chewed through many books and cartooned frequently.

I spent my years as a twenty-something exploring new horizons with travel and gaining a tertiary education. I have a BA (Hons) in Psychology and Education, which was completed at both Massey and Victoria Universities. I've lived short-term in both Sydney and Melbourne and completed several OEs which have taken me to the UK, the USA, a fraction of Europe and to Egypt and Israel. My longest overseas experience was a total of almost three years where I nannied in Vancouver , Canada and worked for two Summers in a children's camp in Pennsylvania, USA.

Variety is the spice of life could well be my personal work motto! I've worked on the ski-fields as a lifte in Queenstown, picked apples locally in Nelson, cleaned toilets, served pints, cleared tables, pushed paper, temped in offices in Wellington and Sydney, telemarketed, knocked on doors selling Christmas cards and calendars, and wiped other people's children's bottoms.

In 1999 I completed a Diploma in Computer Graphic Design at NatColl in Wellington and I worked in the industry for over ten years. My first design position led me to a job in Palmerston North with an agricultural company. It was at this company that I met my husband to-be Kev. At the end of 2001 Kev and I relocated to Nelson and married in Ruby Bay January 2004. Our daughter Amelia was born March 2005.

I have an interest in scriptwriting and in 2003 completed a Certificate in Television Production at NMIT. Around 2004 I declared myself officially out of the writing closet.I have been published in The Nelson Mail, have entered a number of writing competitions and in 2005 had a short story published within an anthology of Nelson writers. I wrote a a bimonthly column for The Nelson Districts Parent Centre Newsletter for a couple of years. I also have two other blogs - one about my experience with SIF (secondary infertility) and one about mothering a child with ASD (autism spectrum disorder).

In recent years I made the leap from graphics on the computer screen to art on canvas. As I'd never had any formal art training, in 2008 I enrolled in a beginners course in painting in acrylics. I held three stalls with friends locally in Nelson late 2008/early 2009 - at The Richmond Annual Market Day, The Founders Fair (sold seven paintings) and The Mapua Easter Show. (sold four paintings).

Towards the end of 2010 I enrolled in an experienced arts course. On January 2nd 2011 I had a stall at the Tahunanui Arts and Crafts Fair with some workmates and sold eight paintings - and a painted rock. I had a stall at The Mapua Easter Fair in 2011 with one of the same workmates and sold four paintings and two painted rocks.

In October 2012 I won a short story competition and was published in the February/March 2013 edition of Her Magazine. My first piece of fiction to be published in a magazine, which makes it an exciting writing milestone!

In November 2012 I held a stall with a friend at the Plunket Bonanza. After an eighteen month absence from painting, it was great to get out the brushes again!

In the Summer of 2012/2013 I held a few stalls at the McCashins Saturday market in Stoke with my own pergola that I got for Christmas in 2012. At the same time I launched my hobby-business Lynda J T - which is essentially art for children's bedrooms specialising in personalised art. There is a Facebook page for Lynda J T which features some of the work I have created for friends, family and clients.

I completed a Graduate Diploma in Teaching (Early Childhood Education) through Victoria University in 2013. I'm looking forward to combining teaching with my love of art and writing in 2014.